Tomato Soup

Adapted from Everyday Occasions, serves four

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

28 ounce can diced tomatoes

2 cups stock, chicken or vegetable

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

 

 

 

Directions

In a saucepan over medium heat, saute garlic in olive oil for one minute until softened. Add the tomatoes, stock, salt, pepper and sugar. Cook at a simmer for 10 minutes.  Reduce the heat to low and add the cream and basil. Garnish with parmesan and balsamic vinegar.

♥  Amy

30 Day Paleo Challenge: Conclusion

We survived 30 days of eating according to the paleo diet.

30 days of no dairy, no grains, no legumes, no sugar, no potatoes.

We both did better than we thought we would - only cheating about four times each. Always in a situation where we were out of the house with friends or family. At home we managed to stick to the rules for the full 30 days.

I think the past 30 days were harder on Dave since he had more to give up as a self-proclaimed sugar addict. However, on the flip side, this also made him more passionate about the challenge and less likely to cheat. It was usually me who caved first.

We discovered that neither of us are really *that* committed to following a strict paleo diet, however we are both committed to following the paleo concept as part of a healthy life style. We will continue with a diet that primarily consists of lean protein and vegetables and avoids carbohydrates and processed foods but we will probably (definitely) have the occasional cupcake, cookie, sushi or cheeseburger.

Despite us thinking we had no real food sensitivities, we were both surprised how one cheat meal would make us feel so ill. I believe that milk is the culprit in my case - I have known since junior high that a large glass of milk will cause my stomach to be upset but was still shocked how violently my body reacted to a small amount of milk. Dave suspects his sensitivity is wheat which is surprising for someone who subsisted for years on white bread.

Both of us were seriously surprised how real and how horrible a "sugar hangover" can be after one small cheat.

Neither of us lost any appreciable amount of weight over the 30 days. Dave's weight has been slowly dropping over the past several months due to his CrossFit workouts and continued to do so. I managed to keep my weight constant through an extremely stressful period at work which usually would result in me gaining a couple pounds... so I guess that is an accomplishment. The bigger accomplishment was to survive the period without constantly binge eating due to the stress.

I wrote the majority of this post prior to us leaving for a week long vacation but never got around to posting it... that whole work stress thing again... We still ate relatively healthy but did allow ourselves the liberty of eating anything we wanted. On several occasions we would state how it was going to be nice to be back home so we could return to eating paleo... I guess we are more committed to paleo than either of us thought. Returning home, I found we naturally gravitate towards eating paleo in our own home. It is only when we are out of the house that we digress. I thinking with time this will change as we train ourselves to find paleo-friendly restaurant options and pack paleo-friendly foods with us when visiting. 


The scariest part is that right now I don't even have the smallest desire to bake cupcakes...

♥  Amy

Paleo Crepes with Coconut Whipped "Cream"

On the weekends when Dave is not working, we always do big breakfasts. Crepes with strawberries is one of Dave's favorites. We were both quite happy to find a paleo-friendly crepe recipe and now make it almost every weekend.

From Girl Gone Primal, serves four

Ingredients

100 grams almond flour
4 eggs
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted, plus extra for pan
1/2 cup water
1 cup strawberries, sliced

1/2 can coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup, optional

Directions

For the coconut whipped "cream", spoon the top thick layer of coconut milk from the top of the can into the bowl of the stand mixer. You can use the runnier coconut milk at the bottom of the can but it will not yield as stiff of whipped cream.

Using the whisk attachment, beat the coconut milk until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and sweetener, if using, and beat to combine. Set aside.

For the crepes, combine flour, eggs and oil in a large bowl. Stir well. Gradually add the water whilst stirring, until the desired consistency is reached. For crepes, the mixture should be runny. For pancakes, use only about half of the water.

Heat coconut oil in a large pan. Add about a quarter of the batter to the pan and swirl gentle until the batter covers the bottom.

Cook until it begins to borwn and bubbles form in the middle. Flip the crepes gently. Cook the second side until it begins to brown.

Remove from heat and serve immediately topped with strawberries and whipped "cream".

Enjoy!

♥  Amy

Vegetable Fritters

These make a fantastic fast lunch, light dinner or side dish.

Adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon, serves two

Ingredients

1 sweet potato, peeled and grated
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 zucchini, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg
1/2 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Olive oil

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon curry


Directions

Squeeze as much liquid out of the grated vegetables as possible. Combine the vegetables, garlic, egg, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir well.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Form the 2 to 3 tablespoons of the vegetable mixture in to a ball with your hands. Gently press to flatten and place in the skillet.

Fry 4 to 6 minutes, flip, and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the fritters to a lined baking sheet in a warm oven to keep hot until serving.

To make the curry mayonnaise, combine the mayonnaise, cumin and curry in a small bowl.

Serve the hot fritters with the curry mayonnaise.

Enjoy!

♥  Amy

Paleo N'oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These cookies are good.

You would be hard pressed to guess that they do not contain any grains.

Adapted from Primal Palate, makes three dozen

Ingredients

2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup flax seeds
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/4 cup hemp hearts
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line cookie sheets with parchment or Silpat.

Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on low speed until combined.

Using a cookie scoop, drop tablespoon size balls onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until starting to brown at the edges.

♥  Amy

Paleo Stuffed Chicken

Serves two

Ingredients

2 boneless chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
4 strips bacon
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
2 cup spinach or mustard greens

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly oil a baking pan.

In a skillet over medium high heat, saute the greens until wilted. Set aside.
Flatten the chicken breasts by gently smashing with a mallet or rolling pin. Season with salt and pepper.

Drape the bacon over the flattened chicken.

Place the wilted greens and sundried tomatoes on top of the bacon.

Tightly roll the chicken around the filling and secure with a toothpick. Transfer to the prepared baking pan.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

♥  Amy

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Once I made my first successful batch of caramel, I kind of went overboard... What good would it be to make salted caramel sauce with out making salted caramel ice cream to go with it?

Adapted from David Lebovitz, makes one litre

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup heavy cream

5 egg yolks

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the sugar, stirring constantly. Continue cooking the liquefied sugar until it starts to darken. 

Just as the sugar starts to smoke (do not let it smoke or it will burn), add the butter and salt. Stir to combine. Add in the cream and whisk until smooth. If the caramel hardens into clumps, return the sauce pan to low heat and stir until melted.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Gradually pour half of the warm caramel mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. Transfer the egg yolks back to the sauce pan and cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens into a custard. 

Add the milk to a large bowl over and ice bath. Pour the custard into the milk, add the vanilla and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 

Freeze as per the ice cream makers instructions.

Serve with salted caramel sauce.

♥  Amy