Popeye's Meaty Muffins

Does that sound good or weird? I'm trying to be creative, here! These muffin's are the farthest thing from the bakery. Instead, they have spinach, ground beef, and eggs and are contained in perfect single-serving muffin cups. This recipe is great left over, hot or cold, and easy to grab on the go. I think popeye would approve.

Ingredients

• 3 16oz bags frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and excess water squeezed out
• 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 3 large eggs

Method

• Be sure to squeeze ALL the excess water from the defrosted spinach. When you think you have squeezed all the water out, keep squeezing! Watery spinach = mushy muffins = sad Popeye
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and melt the coconut oil. Toss the onion in the pan and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes
• Crumble the meat into the pan, add the garlic, salt, black and cayenne pepper, and cook until the meat is browned. Stir in the spinach until it's combined. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.

• Mix the eggs in a small bowl with a fork, and when the meat is cool, add the eggs to the meat. The easiest way to combine everything is with clean hands.

• Place muffin papers in a 12-count muffin pan. Pack the batter into a half cup measurer then transfer it into the muffin pan. Use your hands to pack the spinach tightly into the muffin paper.This process is messy. 

• Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes, until muffins are set.

• Store covered in the refrigerator.

Recipe from Well Fed

Enjoy!

Silly Burgers

When I try to explain how it feels to eat a burger without a bun...

(Source)

Paleo is amazing, but let's be honest, it is not easy to eat a paleo burger with your hands!! I tried and failed multiple times this weekend. It just ends up a mess unless you fork and knife it.

Noms from Mexico

We enjoyed some phenomenal meals in Cabo. Although we did not stick to strict Paleo while on vacation, the fresh choices that are readily available in the Baja peninsula made it easy to feel good about what we were eating. 

 Flora Farms had a wonderful fresh market and we enjoyed Sunday brunch there. Everything they serve they grow on their organic farm!

Fresh squeezed orange juice, farm greens salad, farm-raised eggs, and potatoes. We also had fresh ham, sausage, pancakes, and pastries.

I fell in love with Los Tres Gallos. Very authentic and fresh!  The owner uses his grandmothers recipes and says he makes everything with love.

I felt ok eating these corn tortilla chips because I saw them being made in front of my eyes by a little lady that had been making them for generations.

Meat...in the most amazing sauce I have ever tasted. Dairy/Soy/Gluten/Sugar free!

 Caprese Salad at Morgan's Encore

Chilaquiles at Rancho Pescadero....maybe my new most favorite place in the world . Not Paleo but well worth it.

 Fruit and coffee on our balcony

Beet Salad at Rancho Pescadero. Dinner on the beach our last night

Homemade linguine and shrimp appetizer

Catch of the day

And S'Mores on the beach! (big cheat)

My mentality on indulging in non-Paleo foods is this: do it mindfully. If it is made from scratch by someone you love, is part of an experience that you don't want to miss out on, or just plain worth it, you're NOT gonna die if you let yourself cheat a little. Would I normally eat a S'More? NO! But when am I going to be at a bonfire in Baja Sur again?? I would feel a lot worse about eating a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream than eating a homemade mango sorbet where the mangos were picked from the trees you are sitting below while you savor every...last...bite. (that happened too)

Have a wonderful weekend loves!

Paleo Chocolate Coconut Birthday Cake

Hello friends! I am very sorry for the extended absence. A lot has been happening outside of my little Paleo kitchen and I have not been good at updating the blog. While I was away, Tim and I went to Mexico and got engaged! I could not be more thrilled. I promise to post MUCH more often, and I promise I won't talk wedding 24/7 (that already happened with my Pinterest).

This recipe was for my Mom's birthday back in May. She was coming up to visit for her birthday, and I wanted to do something special for her to celebrate! I had never really made a cake in my life, so I figured my first shot may as well be Paleo! It turned out absolutely delicious. Very rich and decadent! The cake turned out very moist and the frosting is creamy and coconutty.

Chocolate Coconut Birthday Cake

Makes one 9-inch double-layer cake. Ingredients

 

Cake

Wet

10 eggs

1 cup raw organic honey

1 cup coconut oil

2 Tbsp vanilla extract

Dry

3/4 cup coconut flour, sifted

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking soda

 

Creamy Coconut Frosting (makes 3 cups)

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened full-fat coconut milk

1/2 cup raw organic honey

pinch sea salt

2 Tbsp arrowroot powder

2 Tbsp water

1 1/4 cups coconut oil, melted over low heat

 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Prepare two 9-inch round cake pans by lightly coating with coconut oil. I also added a bit of cocoa powder so that they had a light, even coating of cocoa.

• Add dry ingredients to a small bowl, stirring to combine.

• Add wet ingredients to a large bowl, using a hand mixer to blend thoroughly.
• Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and continue mixing for 2 minutes. Don't skimp on the 2 minutes or your cake won't be airy.

• Evenly divide batter between the two prepared pans. Don't worry that your batter is too thin, it isn't.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

• Let cakes cool slightly in the pans, then remove and cool on a wire rack.
• To make the frosting, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring coconut milk, honey, and salt to a boil, stirring with a whisk to combine.

• Decrease the heat to low or medium low and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
• In a small bowl, combine arrowroot powder in water, stirring to make a paste.
• Increase the heat to medium high and add the arrowroot paste to the coconut mixture, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens, about 30-60 seconds.
• Transfer the mixture to a large heat-resistant mixing bowl and very slowly blend in the coconut oil using a hand-held mixture until smooth.

• Place in freezer for 30-35 minutes until the frosting solidifies and turns opaque white.
• Remove from freezer and whip with a handheld mixture until it becomes thick and somewhat fluffy. 

Build It

1. Place first layer upside-down on a cake plate so the flat side is up. Frost.
2. Place the second layer on top with the rounded side up. Frost the top and sides.
3. Sprinkle with toasted coconut flakes (optional). Chopped nuts would also be great.  

Look at my beautiful mommy and her cake!

 

Recipe source

Cauliflower Fried Rice



I made this last week along with the Green Chicken Drummies. Cauliflower rice is great because it cooks quickly, and mixes great with about anything that you may have extra in your fridge.

• 1 small head of cauliflower, separated in florets
• 2 large eggs
• 1-inch knob of ginger, grated with a microplane
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 tablespoons of chopped basil
• 1 tablespoon of chopped mint
• 1-2 tablespoons of coconut aminos
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Splash of coconut vinegar
• Splash of Red Boat Fish Sauce

 Pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until the pieces were the size of rice and chopped the rest of the ingredients.
Cook the egg in a small pan with a little salt and pepper. Flip over and cook both sides. Set aside and cut into thin strips when cooled.

Saute the onions in a large pan, then add the ginger, then add the cauliflower and herbs. Toss and cook on medium until the "rice" is hot and cooked through, about 7 minutes. Toss splash of fish sauce and coconut aminos.

Before serving, top with scallions and egg strips.

Recipe Source

Enjoy!

Green Chicken Drummies

It would be really cool if there were green chickens out there. Emerald and lime colored feathers flapping around the farm...I don't know if I'd eat that but it would be kind of cool, right? No? I know, but I just needed to think of something to say before diving into this recipe.

This chicken is green because the marinade is bursting the fresh flavors or basil, mint, and cilantro. I get tired of chicken breast, and this worked amazingly well with drumsticks, but it would also be a great marinade for fish, pork, or chicken breasts. These would also be awesome grilled, but I don't have one. Somebody have me over with a grill and I will bring these!

Make the marinade the night before and let those drummies take a long swim in this fragrant green sauce. Just be sure to discard the extra sauce and not use it as a topping. I was so tempted cause it smelled like herby heaven, but after raw chicken is sitting in there, you don't really want to eat what was baked with the chicken.

Here we go hunters/gatherers!

• 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
• 1 cup packed cilantro leaves and stems
• 1 1/4 cups packed basil leaves
• 1/4 cup packed mint leaves
• 4 tablespoons of  Red Boat fish sauce
• 3 peeled garlic cloves
• zest and juice of 1 lime
• plenty ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of Aleppo pepper (omit if don't have, but get some!  it's amazing on eggs)
• 1 teaspoon of maple syrup 
•  Kosher salt
• 3 pounds of chicken drumsticks

 Get everything together and and make the marinade by combining the onion, cilantro, basil, mint, fish sauce, garlic, lime zest and juice, black pepper, Aleppo pepper, and maple syrup into a blender…







and blend until pureed and smooth.




Put the chicken in a 1 pound Ziploc bag and marinate overnight in the fridge.



The next day, take the chicken out of the fridge an hour before you are ready to cooking. Bake on a wire rack for 35-45 minutes at 400 F. Start with the skin-side down, and flip the drummies at around 20 minutes. 


 I served this with cauliflower fried rice...recipe for that coming soon!

Recipe from NomNomPaleo

Italian Sausage and Eggplant Strata

This dish was compared to both Lou Malnati's pizza by one of my favorite taste testers, Coach Katie at RNCF. I think it is because the spices used are almost exactly what goes into a pizza. The eggs baked into the sauce give it a creamy, almost cheesy flavor, and the sausage has just enough bite to kick up the eggplant slices. This is a recipe that saves incredibly well. I thought the flavors were even more developed and tasty on day 2 of leftovers.

Here is what you need:

• 3 1/2 lbs eggplants (about 2-3)
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 2 lbs ground pork
• 3 tablespoons Italian sausage seasoning
• A batch is 4 teaspoons dried parsley, 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs, 2 teaspoons ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons paprika, 4 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed.
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 28oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 4 eggs
• salt and black pepper
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 8 large basil leaves, chopped



• Preheat oven to 400 F. Cover 2 baking sheets with foil and brush a 13x9 baking pan with some of the melted coconut oil.
• Slice the eggplant into rounds about 1/2 inch thick and place on baking sheet. Brush the eggplant with the remaining coconut oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 mins then remove from the oven and allow to cool. Turn the oven temp down to 350 F for the next step of baking.


• While the eggplant is roasting, crumble the ground pork into a large mixing brown and add the Italian sausage seasoning and knead until blended.
• Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add the pork into the pan, break it up into large chunks with a wooden spin, and cook until browned (about 7-10 mins). Remove the meat to a bowl and return the pan to the stove.

• Reduce the heat to medium, then add 1 tablespoon of coconut oik and the garlic to the pan. Cook for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of fresh basil. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, then reduce then to a simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Season with pepper and salt if needed and remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature **NOTE: It took longer than expected for the sauce to cool, I would do this step FIRST next time. :)

• When the tomato sauce is cool, whisk the eggs in a small bowl then blend into the tomato sauce. This will not look appetizing, but keep going and trust.

• Place a single layer of eggplant in the bottom of the greased 13x9 pan. Sprinkle half the cooked meat on top of the eggplant, then top with 1 1/3 cup of the sauce. Repeat with another layer of eggplant, the rest of the meat, and 1 cup of the sauce. The final layer with eggplant and the remaining sauce.

• Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 30 minutes before slicing. Before serving, lightly brush the top of the strata with olive oil and sprinkle with remaining basil.

Enjoy!!!

Recipe adapted from Well Fed.