RECIPE: Cinnamon Pecan Coffee Cake

By far the best coffee cake I have ever tasted! I doubled the recipe I originally found on Paleo on Main's Blog because the only pan I could find was a 9 X 13! I then realized my 9 X 9 is in the freezer ... Silly me!
CINNAMON PECAN COFFEE CAKE

INGREDIENTS:
Cake:
1 cup Coconut Milk 
4 Eggs
1/2 cup Raw Local Honey
2 teaspoon Vanilla
4 cup Almond Flour
1 cup Arrowroot Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
Swirl:
4 tablespoon Cinnamon
1/2 cup Coconut Oil (or butter)
6 tablespoon Honey
Topping:
1/2 cup Chopped Pecans

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325. In separate bowls, combine dry cake ingredients and wet cake ingredients. 
Pour wet into dry and stir to combine.  Pour into coconut greased 9X13 dish.

Combine swirl ingredients and dollop onto cake.

Using a knife, swirl in topping. Top with chopped pecans.

Place in preheated oven and bake 40-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.  

Enjoy!!
**Note** If making 1/2 this recipe, place in a 7X9 pan and bake for 25 - 30minutes.

RECIPE: Fruit and Nut Bars

So by now you all have figured out I really like nuts, berries, and dried fruits. I do. Guilty as charged. I absolutely LOVE the "Blonde Cave Girl" cookies I invented, but I'm still not ready to let that recipe out. I've been approached about marketing them, so I'm going to keep that recipe under wraps for a while longer ... BUT, I found a great recipe for a baked crunchy bar that has a very similar taste!
I made a few alterations to the original recipe, so here's my version.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup raw Almonds
1 cup raw Macadamia Nuts
1/2 cup Walnuts
1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds
1/2 cup dried Cranberries
1/2 cup dried Blueberries
1/2 cup melted Coconut Oil
1/2 cup Honey
2 Eggs
2 tablespoons Cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place almonds in food processor and pulse until the nuts are small chunks - not meal or butter. Place almonds in a mixing bowl. Do the same to the macadamia nuts, then walnuts. (I prefer to do them separately to make sure they get chopped evenly.)

3. Add dried fruits to the nut mixture.

4. Put eggs, honey, melted coconut oil and cinnamon in the food processor and blend well.

5. Add liquid to nut/fruit mixture and stir well.

6. Spread mixture into a greased 8X11 (or 9X13 for thinner bars) pan, spreading with a spatula to make sure mixture is evenly distributed in pan.

7. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (In my oven it took 20 minutes)

 8. Allow the bars to cool to room temperature before cutting. Allowing them to be in the refrigerator for an hour or so before cutting will help them cut without tearing or crumbling.

9. Store the bars in an air-tight container or individually wrap them if you plan to eat them while on-the-go.

RECIPE: Roasted Vegetables - Asparagus, Carrots and Sweet Potatoes

You've probably seen my version of Roasted Broccoli - If not, give it a try - You'll be glad you did!

ROASTED VEGETABLES - PLAIN AND SIMPLE

INGREDIENTS:
Olive Oil

1 bunch fresh Asparagus
Sea Salt
fresh ground Pepper
Greek seasoning
Parmesan Cheese

6 Carrots
Sea Salt
ground Cinnamon

1 Sweet Potato (I used a white sweet potato)
Sea Salt
fresh ground Pepper (use a dash of Cayenne pepper for an added bite!)
1 tablespoon pure Maple Syrup (or Agave)
1 tablespoon Coconut Oil (or ghee or butter)
2 tablespoons chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash vegetables, making sure they are all thoroughly dry before you season them. The seasoning sticks better when they are dry, so it's best to wash it well in advance.
A) I left the asparagus in whole spears.
B) Peel, then cut carrots into bite-sized pieces. (You could use baby carrots instead.)
C) Cut the sweet potato into thin slices.
3. Put about a tablespoon of olive oil in a deep dish baking stone or whatever kind of dish you'd use for roasting. Coating the dish evenly. This time I used a 9X13 dish lined with aluminum foil.

 4. Place vegetables into pan and sprinkle olive oil evenly on top. Sprinkle the asparagus with sea salt and pepper. Toss and repeat. You can do all of this in a plastic bag, but I think it leaves too mush olive oil on the vegetables. Sprinkle the carrots with a dash of sea salt and some cinnamon. Sprinkle the sweet potatoes with sea salt and pepper.

5. Bake in center of the oven for a total of about 30 minutes, depending on your oven. Check at 10 minutes to turn vegetables to expose bottom sides. Roast 10 more minutes, then check again.
6. Melt the coconut oil, add syrup and chopped pecans.
7. At 20 minutes sprinkle asparagus with parmesan cheese, if desired. (We do!) Stir syrup/butter/nut mixture over sweet potatoes, coating them somewhat evenly. It's okay if some gets on the carrots ... =)
8. Continue roasting for another 10 minutes. Some of the vegetables will be golden brown. The glaze with caramelize on the sweet potatoes.

 Makes for a colorful, healthy, nutritious meal!

RECIPE: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pecans

I love sweet potatoes and I am very glad that the Paleo Lifestyle allows for the occasional consumption of such a wonderful, tasty vegetable. I found a recipe earlier today that contained sugar, so I decided to give it a more Paleo flair. I was serving this dish with a meal based on a Mexican theme, so I decided to spice it up some. When making this dish you can change the "heat index" by adjusting the final ingredient. (By the way, I often cook for two, so feel free to adjust the quantities accordingly.)

INGREDIENTS:
1 large sweet potato
1 tablespoon olive oil
coarse salt
1 tablespoon coconut oil (or butter)
1 tablespoon agave
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash and peel sweet potato.
3. Cut into sections approximately 1/2 inch thick, then cut in half.
4. Coat each piece with olive oil, then sprinkle with sea salt.

5. Roast potato sections for approximately 25 minute, stirring occasionally.
6. Melt coconut oil or butter, then add agave, cinnamon, nuts and cayenne pepper, and stir well. 
7. Pour over sweet potatoes and enjoy!

RECIPE: Lemon Bars

One of Conrad's most favorite treats is lemon bars. My mother has always made exceptional bars, but in her elder years she just isn't able to make them as often ... Be sides that fact that we live 2400 miles apart! So, I was looking around on the Internet (Primal Women In The Kitchen) and came across some Paleo Lemon Bars. Well, you guessed it ... I HAD to give them a try! They taste fantastic! Tart and fresh, sweet and nutty! 

INGREDIENTS:

Filling:

6 whole Eggs
1/2 cup Honey
1 cup Lemon juice (about 8 lemons)
1/2 cup Coconut oil

Crust:

1 cup raw Almonds
1 cup raw Pecans
1/4 cup Honey
1/2 cup melted Coconut oil
2 Eggs

DIRECTIONS:

Filling:

1. Whisk eggs, honey, and lemon juice together in a medium sized sauce pan.
2. Heat on medium/high and add coconut oil. Stir until the coconut oil has melted.
3. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens and bubbles.
4. Remove from heat and place in a bowl in the refrigerator to cool and thicken further.

Crust:

1. Place almonds and pecans in a food processor or blender until finely chopped, do not puree. They should be in tiny pieces but not as fine as almond flour.
2. Mix the nuts with the remaining ingredients until they are well combined.
3. Spread over the bottom of a well greased 8 x 12 pan. I used olive oil spray.

4. Heat oven to 400* and bake for 15-18 minutes. The crust will be done when you can insert a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean.

5. Cool crust completely before layering the filling over the top. Return to the refrigerator until ready to serve.

RECIPE: "Almond Joy" Smoothie

Sometimes I just miss the "treats" of childhood, and Almond Joy candy bars were always a favorite. We just got back from a wonderful walk in the Northern California sunshine, and out of the blue I started craving an Almond Joy! I thought for a minute and decided I could made something that would satisfy that craving ad still make it Paleo ... An Almond Joy smoothie!

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup coconut milk
1 banana
1 tablespoon almond butter
2 tablespoons raw almonds
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut
2 tablespoons carob chips
6-8 ice cubes

DIRECTIONS:
1. Pour milk into a blender, then add bananas, ice, and remaining ingredients.

2. Blend until smooth and creamy.

3. Pour. Serve. Enjoy!

RECIPE: Blackberry and Banana Clafoutis

I had never even heard of a clafoutis until I discovered a recipe for one online. I wanted to make something yummy for breakfast that would last a few days and meet Paleo requirements. I didn't have the fruit the recipe called for, so I improvised.

INGREDIENTS:
4 large eggs
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup almond flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
8 ounces blackberries
1 fairly ripe banana

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a small saucepan, melt coconut oil.  Turn off heat and add honey. Give it a little stir but don't worry too much about getting it mixed well. Allow to cool.
2. Wash the blackberries and blot with a towel to remove excess moisture. Peel the banana and cut into slices. It would be great sliced or mashed - your choice!)
3. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, coconut milk, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla.  I mixed mine with my new immersion blender, but a hand mixer would work well.

4. Add coconut oil/honey mixture and almond flour to the egg mixture.  Whisk or blend until smooth. Again, I used my immersion blender.
5. Butter an 8X8 glass dish. Arrange the blackberries on the bottom of the pan, then sprinkle the banana slices on top.

6. Pour the liquid mixture over the top of the fruit. (Note: the fruit will float up while it is cooking.)

7. Bake at 325° for 45-55 minutes, until clafoutis is set in the center and the top is nicely browned. You know your own oven, so adjust baking time accordingly.

8. Allow to cool and then transfer to the refrigerator. Let chill for several hours and then serve. This dish is tasty warm or cold. 

RECIPE: Paleo Baked Acorn Squash, Steak and Salad

The other day I was at the market and I saw a large assortment of winter squash including acorn squash, butternut squash and spaghetti squash. I decided to purchase an acorn squash and give it a try. I hate to admit it, but it's been years since I've eaten one! I had a couple of small steaks in the freezer that need to be eaten, along with a lot of lettuce, tomatoes, and a cucumber. (I'm trying to get my refrigerator ready for a big grocery run in preparation for the start of my 21 day challenge. Oh, I've not written about that yet, have I? I will do that shortly!
WHAT I USED:

an acorn squash

pure maple syrup

coconut oil

chinese five spice

a dash of salt

a dash of cinnamon

two 5.25" Karhai woks

WHAT I DID:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Wash acorn squash, cut it in half from stem to base.

3. Spoon out seeds and stringy stuff, then rinse well.

4. Melt coconut oil in microwave for 20+ seconds. Add syrup and chinese five spice. After tasting it I decided to spice it up a little by adding a dash of salt and cinnamon.

5. Score the meat of the squash with a sharp knife, but be careful not to cut through the skin. 

6. Spoon 1/2 coconut oil mixture into each half of the squash, drizzling some over the score marks.

7. Bake for 1:10 at 400 degrees. After 30 minutes or so I opened the oven door to check on them and ended up spooning some of the liquid along the top edges to keep it from getting dry or burned.

WHAT ELSE WAS ON THE PLATE?

Along with the acorn squash I pan seared, then baked a couple of small steaks. I had a little bacon fat left from breakfast, so I melted it in the 9.75" karhai wok. I sprinkled sea salt and fresh ground pepper on the steak, placing seasoned side down in the wok, then seasoned the top. I seared them for five minutes each side, then put the wok in the oven the last ten minutes. I let the steak and the squash rest for five minutes before plating them. 

This image is after the steaks have been seared, but before baked for ten minutes.

AND?

While the steaks were in the oven along side the squash, I quickly threw a salad together of spring greens, cucumber, and tomato. 

Dinner is plated!

(I added a few crumbles of bleu cheese and made a dressing of basil pesto, a little mayo, and some coconut milk. Very light and refreshing!)