Superbowl Nosh

People tell me that the Super Bowl is the most important sporting event of the year.  All I really cared about was Madonna and honestly, everything else was just a distraction. Even so, Super Bowl Sunday is always a great excuse to get together with friends and dive into some yummy food. I didn't let this normally unhealthy eating holiday distract me from my Paleo lifestyle. Check out what I made.

Cocoa Chili
Yeah, I said it. Chocolate. The cocoa flavor in this chili adds an interesting depth that makes it spicy, warm, and savory. This is a double batch, cut in half if you don't want a bunch of chili. But why not make extra and freeze the leftovers for a lazy night when you don't want to cook?

• 4 Tablespoons coconut oil
• 4 medium onions, diced
• 2 red peppers, diced
• 8 cloves minced garlic
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 2 Tsb dried oregano leaves
• 4 Tbl chili powder
• 4 Tbl ground cumin
• 3 Tbl unsweetened cocoa/cacao powder
• 2 Tsp ground allspice
• 2 Tsp salt
• 12 oz (2 small cans) tomato paste
• 2 cans (14oz each) fire roasted, chopped tomatoes (no salt added)
• 2 cans (14oz each) beef broth
• 2 cups water

• Heat a big mamma pot over medium-high heath then add the coconut oil. When oil is melted, addthe onions and stir/cook until they are translucent.
• Add the garlic and as soon as it starts to smell (delicious), crumble the ground meat in with your hands. Mix with spoon to combine. Continue to cook the meat, stirring often, until it no longer pink.
• In a small separate bowl, combine all the spices and salt. Add the spices to the pot a little at a time, stirring like you mean it.
• Add the tomato paste and stir until combined (about 2 minutes)
• Add the tomatoes with their juice, the beef broth, and the water to the pot. Stir well.
• Gain control of yourself because your house will smell delicious. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for at least two hours, the longer the better.
• Don't skimp on the simmer, the chocolate likes it.

Want Fixins? Here are the Paleo Friendly choices I provided.

• Crumbled Bacon
• Sliced Avocado (you won't miss the sour cream)
• Sliced green onions



Recipe adapted from Well Fed





Cabbage Salad with Almonds & Blood Orange
This is crisp, refreshing, and utilizes some of the healthiest in-season produce. Even better the next day after the dressing has time to marinate.

• 4 cups savoy (green) cabbage, sliced thin
• 4 cups purple cabbage, sliced thin
• 2 blood oranges, peel and pith removed and cut into wedges (directions)
• 1 cup sliced almonds, toasted (spread thin on cookie sheet, bake for 5 minutes on 350. don't burn!)

Ginger Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 TBS toasted sesame oil
• 1 TBS red wine vinegar
• 1 TBS honey
• 1 TBS dijon mustard
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger
• zest from 1 blood orange
• salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl until combined. Set aside.

Combine cabbage, orange slices and toasted almonds in a bowl. Pour dressing on top and toss to coat.



Recipe adapted from Roost

And finally...dessert!!!
Coconut Bars
I was a little hesitant to see how these would turn out, since, the batter is very runny. I ended up eating three. Oops. I made myself feel better by reading the positive effects of coconut oil on Alzheimer's patients. So really, these were for my brain.

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup coconut milk
• ⅓ cup coconut oil
• ⅓ cup honey
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup almond almond flour
• 1 tablespoon coconut flour
• 1 ½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut
• ¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt

1. Mix eggs, coconut milk, oil, honey, vanilla and stevia in a food processor (if your don't have a food processor use a hand mixer, if you dont have a hand mixer use a wisk, if you dont have a wisk go to Target)
2. Pulse in almond flour, coconut flour, shredded coconut and salt
3. Transfer ingredients into an 8x8 inch Pyrex baking dish
4. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes
5. Cool for ½ hour, then place in refrigerator and serve when chilled

NOM!

Original Recipe

I wanted to leave everyone with a lesson I learned today:  be careful when replying to work email that you don't click "Reply All", otherwise you will look like a complete idiot to your entire department. Sloppy move, G.  Guess I need some more coconut bars.