Pumpkin 'pie' Chia Pudding, Paleo & Vegan

Ingredients:
1 C pumpkin puree
3/4 C almond/coconut milk blend
2 tbsp coconut milk (can - refridgerated after mixed, so solid form)
1+ tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 tbsp honey/agave nectar
3 tbsp milled chia

Mix all ingredients together until completely blended.

Pour in serving dishes and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Greek Seasoned Crackers - Paleo & Vegan

Ingredients:
1/4 C almond meal
1/4 C coconut flour
1/4 C chia meal (milled)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp greek seasoning

1/4 C coconut oil (I used about 3 tbsp coconut, and 1 tbsp olive oil) - melted

3/4 C water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl.  Add the melted oils and mix well.

Boil 3/4 C water, and slowly add the water to the bowl.  The water will slowly be absorbed by the chia, so the dough will roughly double in size as you add the water. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Drop dough into the middle of the sheet.  Lay a large piece of syran wrap (matching in size with the parchment paper) on top, and use a roller, hands, or empty wine bottle to roll out the dough as thin as possible, without the parchment paper showing through. 

Using a pizza slicer, 'cut' the size of your crackers. 

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until just golden brown and cripsed up!

Let cool, separate and store in an air tight container. 

Thai Slow Cooker Chicken

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts
1 bag frozen broccoli
1 small onion, sliced
2 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp chopped cilantro
1 tsp chopped basil
1 tsp sriracha
8 oz unsweetened applesauce
1/2 C coconut milk (blended, not separated)

*toasted almond slivers, optional - serve on top

Combine all ingredients (except chicken, broccoli & onion) in the crockpot.

Butterfly the chicken breasts (if large) and cover in sauce in crockpot. Add onions.

Cook on high for 2 hours.

Turn off heat and add the bag of frozen broccoli.  Mix together well and put lid back on - let sit for 20 minutes.

Serve with toasted almond slivers!

Cauliflower 'Mac' & Cheese

Another low-carb friendly post! Haven't done one of these in a while!!

Ingredients:

3/4 of a Large head of cauliflower - cut into florets

3/4 C heavy cream
4 tbsp sour cream
2 oz. cream cheese
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 C Gruyere or other hard cheese (shredded)
2 C shredded cheddar cheese

Bring a pot of water to a boil, and drop in cauliflower.  Boil for 5-7 minutes.  Drain well.

(one website I read even suggested patting it dry with paper towel - I didn't, and mine was a little runnier than I would have liked)

In a small saucepan, combine all 'cream's, mustard and seasonings.  Stir constantly for about 4 minutes, or until the ingredients have melted together and begin to bubble.  Add the 1/2 C of Gruyere and 1 C of cheddar cheese and melt together in sauce.

Put cauliflower in an 8x8 pan, and cover with cheese sauce.  Sprinkle over the remaining cheddar cheese, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 or so minutes.  Let cool, and serve.

Deconstructed Shrimp 'Taco' Salad

Ingredients:
2 avocados
2 large tomatoes
1/2 head red cabbage
20 large shrimp

Sauce:
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
juice of 2 limes (5 tbsp)
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ancho chili pepper (or regular chili)
1 tsp garlic

Cube avocados and tomatoes. Thinly slice the red cabbage. Mix all together in large salad bowl with 4 tbsp dressing/sauce.

Marinate the shrimp in the sauce/dressing as well and then serve (or cook, if using raw shrimp).

Toss shrimp and the remaining marinade (if you marinated COOKED shrimp) with the cabbage, tomato and avocado.

Serves 3

Raw Rainbow Pad Thai

Original recipe found here: http://ohsheglows.com/2013/07/01/rad-rainbow-raw-pad-thai/

Changes made below:

Ingredients:

• 1 medium zucchini, julienned or spiraled
• 2 large carrots, julienned or spiraled
• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
• 1 cup frozen edamame, thawed (*not Paleo)
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1+ tablespoon sesame seeds

For the dressing

• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons tamari
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1/2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons coconut aminos/soy sauce

Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl and stir/whisk together.

Pour over all of the sliced vegetables, mix, and let 'marinade' for 30 minutes or more.

Paleo Chicken Sausage & Tomato Cream Pasta

Huge shout out to PaleOMG for the inspiration for this recipe... AHHH-mazing. Truly.

Ingredients:
1 large spaghetti squash OR Zucchini noodles

3/4 C pizza sauce/pasta sauce (there's a great 'paleo'/no-sugar-added one out there!)
3/4 C lite coconut milk
1 tsp tarragon
2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 Italian chicken sausages ** I've also made this with ground chicken (just brown in a pan w/ the seasonings)
3 C fresh spinach

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

First things first, cut your squash in half, length wise, and put that sucker in a 9x13 glass pan with about an inch of water. Place the squash cut side down into the pan, and bake for about 40 minutes.  You want the strings of squash to be easily removed (but not mush!) when done.

About half way through the baking time, begin on the sauce:

In a large saucepan, combine pizza/pasta sauce and coconut milk, along with the 4 seasonings. While cooking on medium heat, slice up the sausages into bite sized pieces, and add them to the pan. Simmer for about 5-8 minutes. Add the fresh spinach when the spaghetti squash comes out of the oven.

Let the squash cool for a couple of minutes, and flip over in the pan. Scrape out all of the squash strands, and place them in your saucepan with the sauce and sausage.  (Lots of 's' words in that sentence!)

Cook all together for another couple of minutes, and serve.

Makes 3-4 servings (depending on the size of your squash, of course!).

Paleo Pizza Salad

You don't need crust or cheese - just the toppings sauteed in a pan, and you've got a delicious, ready to go 'pizza'! 

Ingredients:
1 small Eggplant
1 small zucchini
1 red onion
cremini mushrooms
1/2 can olives
4 Tbsp olive oil
35 slices turkey or organic pepperoni
1/3 C pizza sauce (paleo version is best)
fresh basil leaves

Slice the eggplant, zucchini, onions, mushrooms and olives into thin slices, and saute the first 4 ingredients in a large frying pan with all of the olive oil.

In a seperate pan or microwave, cook the pepperoni until crisp.

When the vegetables are beginning to appear translucent, or about after 8-10 minutes of sauteing over medium heat, add the pizza sauce, olives, and chopped fresh basil.  Cook for another 3-5 minutes, and serve. 

Paleo - Toasted Almond & Apple Kale Salad

A refreshingly crisp and tangy salad that is nothing but GREAT for you! 

 

Ingredients:

Dressing (serves 4)

1 bunch cilantro (1 full C worth, without the bulky stems)
6 Tbsp fresh lime juice (juice of 3 limes)
2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
2 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Salad (serves 2)
6 C roughly chopped kale (1 bunch worth - stems removed)
4 Tbsp sliced toasted almonds
2 fuji apples finely chopped

In a blender, combine all of the ingredients for the dressing and pulse until smooth.

Wash kale well, and pat dry with a paper towel. Toast the almonds in a pan over medium-low heat until they turn a light brown. Toss with kale and apples, and drizzle dressing over the top.

Paleo Pad Thai

One of my favorites so far - will definitely be making this again soon! It was so hard not to consume the whole pan & save some leftovers for lunch tomorrow...

Ingredients:
2 zucchini - cut with a mandolin or ribbon style
3 Tbsp sesame oil
1 small onion - diced
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp sliced ginger (large slices to make it easy on yourself - you can pick them out before serving...)
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp almond butter
1 Tbsp Coconut Aminos (or soy sauce, if you're not particular)
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp sriracha
dash of salt, to taste

Heat the oil over medium heat and add onions, garlic and ginger - saute until onions are translucent.

Add the vinegar, almond butter, coconut aminos and lime and sriracha. Stir until the almond butter has melted into the sauce.

Toss the zucchini ribbons/noodles in the sauce, turn the heat down to medium-low, cover and let cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and serve immediately. 

Original recipe found here: http://www.health-bent.com/sides/paleo-pad-thai

Paleo Faux-t-meal

No oats found here! It definitely has a yummy breakfast flavor to it with some banana and cinnamon, however the consistency is more smooth/mushy than oatmeal. I think I'll try adding some toasted slivered almonds next time to see if that will change the consistency some! It is a very filling - and good for you - breakfast, so enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 mashed banana
2 egg whites
2 Tbsp flax seed meal
1/2 C coconut milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 C raisins
*1/2 C slivered almonds - I'll try/add this next time!

Mix all of the ingredients together in a small sauce pan, and heat over low heat for about 10 minutes.

Paleo Coco-Banana Crack Bars

Feeling the urge to take a tropical vacation, but can't afford to? Just whip up a quick batch of these coco-banana crack bars, put on your favorite pair of flip flops, and sit back and enjoy!

 
Ingredients:
1 C unsweetened shredded coconut
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 banana
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt

*agave nectar/honey to taste IF banana isn't ripe

Melt the coconut oil. Combine with all other ingredients in a food processor and blend until all ingredients are incorporated.

Line a small baking dish with plastic wrap, and smooth out the mixture in the bottom.

Freeze for 20 or so minutes, or refrigerate until firm.  Cut into 6 bars - about 150 calories per bar!

Paleo Sandwich Bread

This bread is more of a 'flatbread' style bread than a fluffy bread. Good for sandwiches or to be used with dips.

 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C flax seed meal
1/2 C Coconut flour
1 tbsp baking powder* (not Paleo, but there are ways to make your own paleo substitute)
1 tsp salt

4 eggs
1/2 C water
1/4 C oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix wet ingredients together in a bowl, and in a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.

Incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well. Let set for 2-3 minutes.

On a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper, spread out the dough using another piece of parchment paper and a rolling pin (or wine bottle, if you don't have a rolling pin!). Spread dough to about a 1/4" thick. Remove the top layer of parchment paper, and bake for 16-20 minutes.

Paleo Tortillas/Crepes

Some paleo tortilla's I've tried have been more bread/nan like than anything.  I made these tonight, and the first one that I made (thin and large) was actually malleable like a tortilla!  Still has a slightly different texture than a tortilla, but it didn't bother me!

Ingredients:
1/2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp flax meal
2+ tbsp arrowroot flour
1 egg white
dash salt, garlic powder, paprika
3+ tbsp water

Mix together, and pour 1/2 at a time into a non-stick pan over medium heat - spreading the mixture around the pan to be the desired thickness (the thinner, the better for tortilla wrapping purposes). Cook for about 2 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool for 5 minutes, and then wrap away!

Baked Coconut Plantains - Paleo

Ingredients:

1 C full fat coconut milk (canned)
2 tsp raw honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp vanilla
1 large, ripe plantain

1/2 C shredded coconut

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a small sauce pan, and cook until it begins to bubble.

Slice the plantain into 20 pieces (about 1/4 in thick). Add the plantains to the coconut mixture. Cook altogether over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Spread out a thin layer of coconut on a plate, and remove one piece of plantain at a time, making sure it is covered in the 'sauce' from the pan on both sides. Place the plantain on the coconut and cover both sides.

Line the plantains on a foil covered baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Coconut Curry Chicken - Paleo

This recipe was by far, one of the best I've made so far on Paleo! I found the recipe via my cousin, Bea, on her blog: https://lemoninmywater.jux.com/#1045498

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, cut into chunks

3 Arrowroot Flour
Salt & Pepper

dash ginger, garlic powder, curry, any other spices you'd like

1/4 c coconut oil

 2-3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp fresh chopped Ginger
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 red pepper (julianned)
3/4 c chopped jicama

1 tbsp curry
Sriricha Sauce (or chili flakes)
Chili Powder
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
1/2 can Full Fat coconut milk
8oz water
12 grape tomatoes, quartered
cilantro

1 head cauliflower

In a large sauce pan, melt the coconut oil on medium-high heat. While melting, mix the flour, salt, pepper and any other spices of your choice in a small bowl. Dust chicken with this mixture. Fry the chicken in the coconut oil until golden brown, and remove from heat.

In another frying pan, saute the garlic, ginger and olive oil and toss in the peppers and jicama - cook for 2 minutes. Add curry, chili powder, sriricha, cinnamon & nutmeg and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and allow the juice from the tomatoes to 'clean' the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken to the pan, along with the coconut milk and water. Bring to a low boil, then cover and reduce heat and cook on low-medium for 15 minutes. Chop up about 1 tbsp worth of cilantro (more or less depending on your taste) and add during the last couple of minutes of cooking.

For the cauliflower rice, grate the cauliflower with a cheese grater, using the larger size to give you 'rice-sized' pieces of cauliflower.  Heat in the microwave for 3 minutes, stir, and cook another 3 minutes more (do not at water).  The cauliflower will serve 2, so if prepping a meal for 4 people, add an additional head of cauliflower.  

Simple Cucumber Lime Salad - Paleo

While building a home for a family in El Salvador this past week, the woman, Flor, came out and offered us a mid-day snack of sliced cucumber & radish. I'm not a huge radish fan, but upon giving it a try, I found it was dressed in a simple lime and salt dressing. It was an incredibly refreshing mid-day snack, and I couldn't wait to come back and try it for myself!

Coming in at 25 calories per serving (makes 3) - it's not a bad addition to lunch or dinner!

Ingredients: 
3 C sliced cucumbers
1 1/2 C sliced radishes
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp salt

 Mix well to coat, and serve.

Girl Scout Cookies - Samoas - Paleo

Who knew?! Paleo friendly Girl Scout cookies?! I was beyond stoked when a co-worker shared this recipe with me today, so I had to come home and try it out for myself. This version isn't quite as sweet or crunchy as the real deal, but they are still delicious and reap many more nutrients than it's original counterpart! I have to admit that I found this recipe on http://risingmoonnutrition.blogspot.com/2012/12/paleo-samoa-cookies.html and just made two minor tweaks for mine below:

Each cookie comes in around 180 calories - the recipe makes about 24 cookies.

Ingredients: 
2 C shredded sweet potato
1 C shredded, unsweetened coconut
1 C finely diced walnuts
1/2 C coconut flour
1/2 C arrowroot flour

1 C hot water
12 medjool dates, pitted and soaked in the hot water for 15 minutes
1/2 C almond butter
1/4 C coconut oil

2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

3 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp honey (optional)

Mix the first 5 ingredients together in a large bowl. Set aside.

Upon soaking the dates in hot water for 15 minutes, remove the pits and place dates in a food processor, with 1 cup of the hot water used to soak them. Blend well, and add the almond butter and oil.  This should create a sweet, nutty paste.

Add the paste to the first 5 ingredients, and blend together with the eggs, salt and vanilla.

On a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper, scoop out a rounded tablespoon of cookie dough, flatten and use your finger to create a whole in the center of the cookie. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 13-14 minutes.

When the cookies are done baking, melt the chocolate, oil and honey in a double boiler (or if you're fancy like me, two different pots because you don't own one). Drizzle the chocolate over the cookies, and refrigerate to harden!

Chocolate Banana 'Ice-Cream' - Paleo

 This went viral on Pinterest a while ago. I've been dying to try it out - finally remembered to freeze my banana when I got home from work, so it was ready to go 3 hours later! 

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana (medium-large)
1/2 tsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond butter
1 1/2 Tbsp coconut milk

Slice your banana into thin pieces and place on a metal cookie pan (I had about 22 slices - the thinner they are sliced, the less time they take to freeze). Place the banana slices in the freezer for 3 hours or more - until frozen solid.

In a food processor, process all of the remaining ingredients with the frozen bananas. *Note - I used my mini-food processor, and it fought me for a while on this one. Be patient. Slowly add your coconut milk & extract - it will need all the liquid help it can get!

Process for a couple of minutes, or until smooth!

Butternut Squash Lasagna - Paleo

Only 400 calories if consumed as 4 servings!  And it's worth every bite!

Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash

Sauce:

1 small onion
1 lbs 94% fat free ground beef
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp basil
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt (more to taste)
1 Tbsp olive oil


In a sauce pan, begin to brown the beef. When cooked about halfway through, add the onions to sweat with the beef. Cook until the meat has browned, then add the remaining ingredients for the sauce.


While the sauce is simmering on medium heat, begin preparing the squash. Cut the squash in half - removing the bulb end and setting aside to use IF needed. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the skin of the butternut squash.  Slice the squash lengthwise, about 1/6 inch thick.

In a 9x9 baking dish, begin by putting 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of the pan, and start layering your squash and sauce until you run out of both.  Finish with a layer of sauce to prevent the squash from burning.

Bake in the oven for 50 minutes (more or less time, depending on how many layers you made). Turn the oven off and let set for 20 minutes. Mine had 3 layers of squash and 4 layers of sauce, so I cooked for a bit longer.

Zucchini Pancakes with Spinach & Sausage Souffle - Paleo

These zucchini pancakes are phenomenal... a must try for Paleo People! 

The best part is that these protein and veggie packed combos come in at 440 calories, and 20g carbs, for 3!

Pancake Ingredients:
1/2 C shredded zucchini
2 Tbsp almond flour
1 Tbsp arrowroot flour (can omit, but the pancakes won't have the same consistency)
1 Tbsp egg (bare with me - you'll mix up more for other parts, so just take a tablespoon out...)
dash of:
   paprika
   garlic powder
   salt
   pepper

Topping Ingredients:
1 C baby spinach - I did a large chop so it'd fit in the cups better...
2 eggs
1 egg white
1 cremini mushroom, sliced thin
2 mini Apple & Maple Chicken Sausage Links, sliced into 12 pieces
1/4 large ripe avocado


To start, mix the 2 eggs and 1 egg white together in a bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine the shredded zucchini (I used a cheese grater for mine), and the dry pancake ingredients. Using the eggs mixed previously, take 1 Tbsp of egg and add it to the pancake mix.

In a pan, over medium high heat, scoop out a little less than 1/4 C worth of pancake mix into the pan (spray it if you'd like), and flatten.  This should make 3 pancakes. Cook on each side for 3-5 minutes, or until brown. You'll also want to make sure the 'liquid' from the pancakes has been cooked out for the most part, or you'll just have soupy/runny pancakes. Yuck.

Next, I evenly distributed the chopped spinach into 3 ramekins.  Using the eggs from before, I divided them evenly amongst the ramekins. Add the sliced mushrooms to the top, and place in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.

When they are done cooking, I used a knife to go around the edge of the egg, and a spatula to help lift it out without destroying that perfect circle...

Last, while the pancakes are cooking for their last couple of minutes, add the sausage slices to the pan and heat up, about 1 minutes on each side. While they are cooking, dice your avocado.

Finally, you can layer your ingredients on a plate, and VOILA! You have an amazing, eye-catching breakfast/lunch/dinner!

Blackened Chicken Tacos with Cilantro & Lime Avocado topping - Paleo

Chicken Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts, cut in half to thin them out
Blackening seasonings, or if you don't have that:
        Pepper
        Paprika
        Chili Powder
        Garlic Powder
        dash of Cumin (optional)
2 Tbsp olive oil

Topping:
1/2 large ripe avocado
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
hot pepper of choice (I subbed some Thai Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce to add a kick)
dash salt
1 diced tomato OR salsa

Paleo Tortillas:
1/2 C almond flour
1/3 C coconut flour
1/3 C arrowroot flour/starch
2 eggs
2 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
1-2 tbsp water (as needed)
dash salt

First, mix the ingredients for the tortillas in a bowl, until well blended.  Scoop out about 1/4 cup of dough onto syran wrap, and cover with another layer of syran wrap, then roll out with a rolling pin until thin. Cook these in a frying pan with additional coconut oil or olive oil at the same time your chicken is cooking. They will not be as pliable as typical tortillas...

Heat the olive oil on medium high heat, and when warm, add the seasoned chicken breasts. Cook until no longer pink (time will vary depending on the thickness of your chicken).

Chop and blend the avocado, lime juice, cilantro, pepper and salt until it is similar to guacamole (chunky, if you like). Sprinkle in the tomato, or add the salsa at the end.

Build your own Blackened Chicken with Cilantro & Lime Avocado dressing Taco, and you can forget you're eating Paleo for a meal!

Spiced Pork & Sage Roasted Butternut Squash - Paleo

Ingredients:

Found the recipe on this website, and I followed it exactly (except I left out the butter, and used unsweetened coconut milk) 

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/spiced-pork-and-butternut-squash-with-sage/#axzz2LyDKqmZz

I froze the meat and the squash separately, and I threw them in the crock pot today, frozen, for about 9 hours, half on high, half on low (but I'm sure you could do low for 10-11 and be just fine).

The butternut squash ends up turning the dish into more of a stew than anything... but it was still delicious! It also made roughly 6 servings, or more.

Amazing Almond Butter & Raisin Cookies - Paleo

Ingredients:
1 egg
3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/3 Cup Almond butter
1/2 Cup honey
2 tsp vanilla

3/4 Cup almond flour
3/4 Cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt

1/2 Cup rasins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the wet ingredients first, then incorporate the dry ingredients. Blend, and last, add your raisins.

On a parchment lined sheet, spoon out the cookie dough into 12 even cookies.

Bake for 8 minutes, let cool, and enjoy!

Asian Broccoli Slaw - Paleo

Ingredients:
1/2 small red cabbage, shredded
3 1/2 C broccoli florets - small pieces
3 green onions, diced

Dressing:
1/2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 Tbsp minced ginger
1 1/2 Tbso toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp oil (vegetable/olive)
3 Tbsp Coconut aminos
3 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp agave nectar *Optional*
1/2 tsp salt (don't add salt if you leave the nectar out)

Mix together the ingredients for the dressing, then pour over the vegetables and stir to incorporate dressing well.

Breakfast Banana Smoothie - Paleo

Before you panic, the only flavor I taste in this smoothie is banana...

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana, sliced (or use 1/2 banana for less sugar)
1 C 'chopped' kale leaves - ribs removed
1/4 C blueberries
1/4 C unsweetened coconut milk
4 cubes of ice

*Add a splash of OJ for added vitamin C if you'd like!

Blend & enjoy!

Tomato, Spinach & Avocado Salad - Paleo

Ingredients:
1 Cup Baby Spinach
3/4 Cup Grape Tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 Avocado, cubed
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper

Pesto 'Ricotta' Stuffed Zucchini Rolls - Paleo

Ingredients: 

Stuffing:
1/2 C "Ricotta" dip
1 Tbsp chopped shallot
1/2 tsp minced garlic
10-12 large basil leaves

Zucchini/Eggplant:
1 large zucchini or 1 small eggplant, sliced 1/4" thin, length wise
oil/spray
dust with salt/pepper/basil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with tin foil, and lightly brush the zucchini strips with olive oil, and dust with seasonings.  Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

Turn the oven to broil (with zucchini inside) and remove 2 minutes later.

In a food processor, combine the shallot, garlic, basil and ricotta dip.  Process until smooth.

Spread the stuffing over the surface of the zucchini (after cooled) and roll up!

"Ricotta" Dip - Paleo

Ingredients:
1 C raw pine nuts - soaked for 12 hours (or overnight)
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp water
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 green onion

In a small food processor, combine all of the above ingredients and process for 2-3 minutes, or until smooth.