I'm back…...Paleo Cinnamon Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Dislocated shoulder…..I'm back

with some awesome Zucchini Bread!

I've been back at CrossFit Midlothian and my Paleo eating for two weeks now.  I have put on way too much weight after dislocating my shoulder.  I am so glad to be back and it was time to try a new recipe.  I found a chocolate zucchini bread recipe on Pinterest that used a Paleo version of Nutella that I did not have access to.  She gave the suggestion that if you didn't have this on hand, you could substitute some almond butter mixed with 100% maple syrup and some cocoa.   Two surprises for me - 1. no almond or coconut flour needed and 2. this bread actually did rise! This is a great bread to eat warm right out of the oven.  Or I have taken a few bites just to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Cinnamon Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup almond butter

1 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup shredded zucchini (squeeze excess water out of the shredded zucchini)

2 large eggs

2 tbsp 100% maple syrup

1 tbsp pure vanilla

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp sea salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In my mixer I added the almond butter, 1 tbsp maple syrup and 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa and mixed it for about a minute on low.  Add the eggs, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and sea salt.  Mix it (you can use a hand mixer also) on medium for 2 minutes.

2. Add baking soda and vinegar (will fizz up) and blend for 30 more seconds. 

3. Stir in shredded zucchini.  If it is really watery, squeeze out the excess water between some paper towels. 

4.  Place in a lined or greased loaf pan or you can use the mini loaf pans like I did.  Bake for 25 minutes.

The pic below shows how beautiful this bread turns out.  I think it would be better with some Enjoy Life chocolate chips added to it OR to even melt the chocolate chips and drizzle over the bread.  YUMMY!  My CrossFit Coach, Kristin Jones, can vouch that this bread is delish!

Paleo Crockpot Roast

Paleo Crockpot Roast

I've got a recipe for a pork loin where you slather it in mustard so I started wondering if I could do that with some other meat.  I bought a rump roast this weekend and wanted to put it in the crockpot for the big game.  It turned out so   tender and juicy.  It fell apart as I tried to lift it out of the crockpot.  Not as tender and juicy as some good ol' chips and queso for the game....but it worked.  Gotta stay towards my goals!

Ingredients:
1 rump roast
1 onion
smoked paprika
spicy mustard
one can of diet soda (not Paleo - but that is why there is the 'almost' in my blog name) ha!

1. Cut an onion in half and place it at the bottom of your crockpot.  This will act as a shelf for your roast to sit on.  Sprinkle both sides of your roast with smoked paprika.  Smear the top of your roast with spicy mustard.

3. Pour one can of Diet Coke or whatever diet soda you have on the sides of the roast so that you don't wash the mustard off.   I cooked mine on high for about 5 hours and then on low for the last hour.  I know once I do this again when I have to work, I'll just do it on low all day.

4. It turned out great.  I wouldn't take the meat out and slice it and put it on a plate.  It dries up that way and won't taste as good.  Take your pieces (because it's going to be so tender) and put them in a bowl.  Pour some of the juices on top and enjoy!  By the way - I don't eat the onion....I just use it as a shelf :)

Paleo Shredded Chicken Tacos

Paleo Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos

I could eat chicken all the time but my husband gets tired of it - so I have to come up with new ways to enjoy it.  I was looking to use my new Paleo Taco Seasoning I made last week and thought it would be great on chicken.  This was a simple, throw-together in the crockpot recipe that turned out great.

Ingredients:
chicken breasts (I used 2 packages so I would have plenty of leftovers)
2 cans Rotel tomatoes with lime and cilantro
Paleo Taco Seasoning (it's one of my earlier recipe posts)
1 can chicken broth
lettuce to make wraps

1. Sprinkle each of your chicken breasts with the Paleo Taco Seasoning and place in a crockpot.

2. Pour the can of broth over the chicken breasts and then dump both cans of Rotel tomatoes on top.

3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Take the chicken out of the crockpot and shred it with two forks.  Place the chicken back in the crockpot with the juices and tomatoes.  Use leaf lettuce as tortillas and fill your roll with chicken.  Add hot sauce or guacamole for extra flavor.  Makes for great leftovers too!

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a quick recipe that makes about 6 cookies.  Enough to enjoy, but not enough to pig out on for a week!  Not that I couldn't eat all 6 in one setting. :)  I found a new sugar substitute that I've been wanting to try.  It's called coconut sugar and I'm starting to see it in more paleo recipes.  It was a perfect sweetener in my cookie recipe that I threw together!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup almond butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
4 tablespoons almond flour
3 tablespoons Enjoy Life chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all ingredients together.

2. Place 6 tablespoon size cookies on parchment paper.  Take a fork and smash them down to make them more flat.  (I didn't do that until after I took the picture below)  Bake for 19 minutes.

3.  Here is the finished product.  Yummy, Yummy, Yummy!

Paleo Taco Seasoning

Make Your Own Paleo Taco Seasoning

I can chow on some taco meat smothered in fresh hot sauce or salsa verde!  It's also wonderful to fill the small, sweet peppers that come in bags of oranges and yellows and reds and crunch on those.  Here is a recipe to make your own Paleo taco seasoning. I doubled the recipe to have some for next week!  Add a couple of teaspoons per one pound of meat.

Ingredients:

1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp oregano (I was out of this)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tsp paprika (might be even better with smoked paprika)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cumin

Paleo Crockpot Meatloaf and Sweet Potatoes - ALL IN ONE!

Paleo Crockpot Meatloaf and Sweet Potatoes

I love being able to make an entire meal before I even get home.  This is an all-in-one recipe....main dish and side cooked and ready when you walk in the door.  Just FYI - since this requires putting uncooked meat in the crockpot, I cooked mine on high for 7 1/2 hours to make sure the meatloaf was cooked through.  If you are going to be gone longer than that, then I think low would be sufficient.

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound lean ground turkey
1/2 cup almond flour
1 onion
2 sweet potatoes
1/2 jar tomato paste
3/4 can tomato sauce with basil, garlic and oregano
1 can tomato sauce with roasted garlic

1. Mix ground beef and ground turkey together.  Add in the almond flour, 1/2 can of tomato paste and the 3/4 can of tomato sauce with basil, garlic and oregano.  Once that is mixed add 1/2 of the onion chopped.

2.  In the bottom of the crockpot, place the other 1/2 of the onion chopped.  This will allow the meatloaf to cook on top of it so it doesn't sit in it's own juices.  Wrap up both sweet potatoes and place on each side.  I ended up taking out one of the sweet potatoes once I remembered my husband wouldn't eat one.

3. I read on Pinterest that when you make meatloaf in the crockpot...the hardest part is getting it out when it is done.  So I made a foil holder but just doubling over some foil and folding it up on the sides.  See the picture below.

4. Make your loaf and put on top of the holder and lower it down into the crockpot over the onions.

5. Pour the last can of tomato sauce with roasted garlic on top of the meatloaf.

6.  I cooked it on high for 7 1/2 to 8 hours because I was nervous about making sure the meat was cooked all the way through.  It came out cooked perfectly.  Below is a picture of my husband lifting it out of the crockpot.

7. Here it is sliced up and ready to serve.

8.  I enjoyed a slice with my sweet potato.  If you are wondering what is on top of my meatloaf - that is a spicy mustard.  It gave it a great twang!  My husband said it was kind of bland.  Next time I'll be sure to add some salt, pepper and maybe some garlic powder.  I thought it tasted pretty good but my taste buds are all Paleo now so I think I'm tasting things differently than him.  Of course I would have preferred to smother it in barbecue sauce!  Maybe next time I'll wrap it in bacon :)

Paleo Fried Okra? Not exactly.....

Paleo Fried Okra?  Not exactly....

I stumbled upon this greatness at Walmart this weekend.  It's like a dried version of okra and is sprinkled with sea salt.  I LOVE fried okra and despise any healthy version of it.  I saw this and thought I would give it a shot on my Paleo adventures - I mean it would count as another vegetable right?

I'm glad I did!  I was very hesitant but it tastes just like fried okra.  The salt is perfect and it has a terrific crunch. Check them out!  Let me know what you think.  They were up in the produce section with the trail mixes and other dried fruits and vegetables.