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!
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
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....
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.
Who needs a SWEET FIX?
Do you ever need a sweet fix at night without blowing your Paleo goals? Most nights I do just fine without anything sweet and some nights I want to down a sleeve of thin mints! Here is an easy way to stay Paleo, not have to cook something, and still satisfy your sweet cravings.
All you will need is several almonds, a small scoop of Paleo chocolate chips and a drizzle of honey. See my picture :)
This gave me about 3 bites worth and it was delicious! And without the guilt!
