Who has fall fever? I do!

Who has Fall Fever?  I do!

I took the summer off from the blog and intended to return as soon as school started!  Yea right....if you are a teacher then you understand how crazy the first of the year is.  There was just no time to fit it in.

Fall arrived and I started once again to get Pumpkin Fever.  I have that quite often...it just intensifies during the cooler weather.  I found two recipes on Pinterest that I wanted to try.  I tweaked them a little to intensify the pumpkin flavor and they both turned out great!

There was a slight problem though.  The one you will find below is a quick pumpkin cake that you cook in a coffee cup - in the microwave - and it's done in only 5 minutes!  That's my problem....this could be an every night thing it's so easy.  It was really delicious and SO worth 5 minutes of my life.  

Ingredients

2 T coconut flour (add this LAST)

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp maple syrup or honey (I used honey)

pinch of salt

1/4 C coconut milk (I used canned and forgot to put it in the picture!)

1 egg

1/3 C pureed pumpkin (I used canned)

coconut oil

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1. Grab a coffee cup!  I used a fairly large one just so I would have enough room to stir everything together.  Rub the inside down with coconut oil so your cake will slide out when it is finished.

2. Put all ingredients in the cup.  I recommend putting the coconut flour in LAST.  It absorbs liquid very quickly!  The first time I made it I really thought I had stirred everything together until I dumped it out and saw this mound of coconut flour on the top.  I broke it off and ate the rest :) I ain't scared!

3. Mix the ingredients well and place the coffee mug in the microwave for 5 minutes.  I placed mine on a plate just in case it cooked over and made a mess. (it didn't)  The picture below shows what it looked like when I took it out.

4. Tip your cup upside down on a plate and your cake should slide right out.

Pumpkin Almond Butter Brownies

Pumpkin Almond Butter Brownies

Four of my favorite words put together!  Pumpkin....almond...butter.....brownies.  Yep - that about sums it up.  These were super easy and so good warm.  The first night I had one for my dessert.  The next morning I had one for breakfast.  Okay I had two.  But hey, the are Paleo and technically it could qualify for some type of breakfast break or even a coffee cake (without the topping).  That's how my mind works. UGH!

Give these a try. You won't be sorry.  They are even better with warm maple syrup or warm honey drizzled on top.

On a side note - I'm wondering if I could substitute other ingredients for the pumpkin to make a variation of this recipe?  Like applesauce instead of pumpkin?  Or mashed bananas?  Hmmmm???

Ingredients

1 cup almond butter

3/4 cup mashed pumpkin (I used canned)

1 egg (I forgot the egg in the picture!)

1/3 cup honey

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

2. Pour into a greased 8 x 8 pan.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or a toothpick in the middle comes out clean.  Ovens vary so I would check it after around 35 minutes.

These made the whole house smell great!  They are really close to my 'real' pumpkin bread recipe with all of the sugar and flour.  Enjoy warm with drizzled honey or 100% maple syrup.  YUMMY!!

Paleo Dessert Banana Bites

There is a struggle with desserts.  They are great because they will satisfy the sweet craving that I have.  They are awful because I want to eat ALL of the dessert at one time.  Ugh!  These are great little bites that you can keep in your freezer for a nice summertime treat.  They are quick to make and the worst part of the process - waiting for them to freeze!  The coconut oil helps the chocolate harden like Magic Shell.  Yummy!

Paleo Dessert Banana Bites

• two bananas
• 1 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips  
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

1. Slice bananas in chunks.  Depending on the size of your bananas you might be able to use 3.  I cut up 2 bananas but had left over chocolate. 

2. Place the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a bowl.  Microwave for 30 second intervals until melted.  Drop the sliced bananas in the chocolate and slip them around until covered.  Take out and place onto a piece of parchment paper.  Once done place them in the freezer until hardened.

 

 

Paleo Cauliflower Fritters

I've been experimenting with cauliflower a lot lately.  It can have the same characteristics of potatoes, I just wish I could load it up with butter cheese!  I found a Pinterest recipe for Paleo Cauliflower Fritters which are basically faux potato cakes that turned out really good.  It sounds crazy, but I dipped mine in mustard and it reminded me of potato salad.  Weird...I know.

Paleo Cauliflower Fritters

• one head of cauliflower
• one egg
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• olive oil

1. Cut cauliflower into large chunks.  I shredded them with my grater and it almost made little bits that looked like rice.

2. I shredded the entire head of cauliflower.  I threw the pieces in a bowl I use to steam veggies.  I place it in about 1/4 cup of water and sprinkled some sea salt in it too.  I placed it in the microwave and steamed it for around 8 minutes.

3. Once the cauliflower is steamed you will need to drain all the water off and then SQUEEZE the excess water using a kitchen towel.  I dumped the contents on to a towel and wrapped the towel around it.  The hard pot is that is is HOT!  I used tongs to hold it and twist it for the water to drain out.  See the pics below for a better explanation!

4.  Place drained cauliflower in a bowl and mix with the egg and almond flower.  I chose to add in some minced garlic for flavor.  Scoop out and throw it down on a griddle that has been drizzled with some olive oil.  Flatten cakes out with your spoon and fry on each side for about 4 minutes or longer depending on how brown you would like them to get.  Yummy!

 

 

 

  

Paleo Tortillas

I miss tortillas!  A lot!  I used them for everything.  Peanut butter and jelly tortilla, wrap them around a hotdog or sausage, lunchmeat and cheese, etc.  I thought I would give almond flour a try and see how they turn out.  They were great as long as you eat them while they are still warm and flexible.  Once they cool they crack when you try to fold them.  I ended up just cracking them into pieces and using them as chips :)  The chips did not store well.  They were really softened the next day and not at all chip like!  

Paleo Tortillas

• 1/2 cup of almond flour
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• (I added a little paprika but that is optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix all ingredients together making a thick dough.  Split the dough in half and form two balls.  Set one dough ball on parchment paper.

 

 2. Place another piece of parchment paper on top of the dough ball. Push down and squeeze the ball with your hand to flatten it.  You are getting it ready to be rolled out.

 

3. Get out your rolling pin and roll it out flat.  Mine were in no way circular.  One actually looked like Mickey Mouse!

4. Leave the dough in the parchment paper like the picture above.  Lay BOTH tortillas still inside the parchment papers side-by-side on a cookie sheet.  Cook for 6 minutes in the parchment paper sandwich.  If you plan on breaking up the tortilla to make chips, I would cook it longer and roll it really thin to make it extra crispy!
The one above was cooked for 6 minutes and came out flexible!

 

 The more they cook the better chance you have for them to crack.  The tortilla in the picture below was cooled off and then I tried to wrap some ham in it.  It ended up cracking but I drizzled some Paleo honey mustard on it and it was delicious!

 

 

    

Paleo Meat Crust Quiche from paleomg.com

A couple of weeks ago our CrossFit gym had a paleo potluck at my house.  Everyone brought a paleo dish and a copy of the recipe.  We all taste tested everything and then everyone received a copy of all the recipes.  It was a huge success and I plan on posting a recipe a week from the foods we tasted at the potluck.  What I love about a lot of the recipes that everyone brought is that they can be made specific to the recipe or with what you have on hand in your pantry.

Penny brought a Meat Crust Quiche that was wonderful.  The recipe comes from PaleOmg.com.  If you haven't visited this website, you must go!  Go now!  She has an extensive collection of recipes and currently has a cookbook out.  I think another one is on the way.  And she is funny too.  I love reading her posts!  This quiche is a great breakfast option...but I admit I enjoyed it for dinner too!

Meat Crust Quiche 

• 1 pound breakfast pork sausage (I used lean turkey sausage)
• 1 small sweet potato, diced
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 2 cups fresh spinach (I was out of this - so sad)
• 4 eggs, whisked (I don't know if I have a really big pie plate but I ended up having to use an additional 2 eggs to cover everything)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons bacon fat (or other kind - I just used olive oil)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Make your meat into a crust by pressing the uncooked meat into the pan and up the rim of the sides.

 

3. Place the pan on a baking sheet (in case of spills) and cook it for 18-20 until meat presses back at you when you poke it.

4. While the crust is baking, place 2 tablespoons of fat into a saucepan (I just used olive oil) and add the garlic.

5. Add the chopped onions and sweet potatoes to the pan and mix with the garlic.  Once the onions are translucent, sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper on top and cover to help steam the potatoes and to cook quicker.

6. Once the potatoes are tender, toss in the spinach and cover once more to help the spinach wilt.

7. After a minute or two, remove the mixture from the pan and let cool.

8. When the mixture is cooled, add in the eggs, garlic powder, ground paprika and a bit more salt.  Mix well.

9. After the crust is done baking, remove the excess oil that may be left behind.  I used a spatula to press against the meat while I tipped it sideways to drain the grease.  The meat will shrink up.  Here is a picture of the cooked meat.

10. Pour the egg mixture on top (I had to whisk 2 more eggs to get it to cover the meat and veggies) and place in the oven.  Cook for 25 minutes or when the middle will push back at you.

 

    

 

  

         

Crockpot Mexican Pot Roast

I love crockpot meals!  So much easier coming home to a meal already done.....healthy.....and Paleo.  Perfect!  This is a twist on a roast that is supposed to be browned in a skillet before placed in a crockpot and it called for packaged taco seasoning.  Browning a roast at 6:00 am?  "I ain't got time for that!"  Plus, I don't use packaged taco seasoning.  I figured I could adapt it to my liking and it was a great flavor change to your typical roast.

Crockpot Mexican Pot Roast

• 2 to 4 lb chuck roast
• 1 cup of hot sauce
• 2 cans of green chilis
• 1 onion
• cumin
• cayenne pepper
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• chili powder
• paprika

1. I start off by inserting a crockpot liner into my crockpot for easy clean up.  Quarter your onion and put the four pieces in the bottom of your crockpot.

2. I did not measure any of my spices!  I opened my roast and sprinkled each side of my roast with all of the seasonings listed.  I would watch the cayenne pepper if this is going to be a family meal though.  You don't want it too hot for the kids.  I think smoked paprika would be even better but I didn't have any.  Place the roast on top of your quartered onions.

3. Pour the 2 cans of green chilis on top of the roast along with the cup of hot sauce.

4. Put the lid on and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Mine cooked longer and was still awesome.  By the time I put it in that morning and then get home from CrossFit at 6:00, it's been a cookin' for about 12 hours :)  It has a really good flavor and I enjoyed eating off the ends that had a lot of seasoning on them.

Here is my finished product!