Turkey Tomato Sauce

This sauce was made on a whim, so my seasonings were not measured from the start. I find that seasoning this sauce can be eyeballed as long as the combination of spices are used. I like my sauce spicier, so I add more chili flakes, and I love the taste of fennel, so I add extra seeds. I taste and add seasonings as I go, so feel free to tweak this recipe to your own personal palate.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground turkey ( I use darker meat)
-Season turkey meat with salt and pepper, 1 tsp. dried basil 1 tsp. dried oregano, sprinkle of red chili flakes, and 2 tsp. fennel seeds. Mix seasoning into raw turkey meat.
1 onion chopped (not too small)
8 oz. white mushrooms sliced
2 garlic cloves crushed
1  29 oz. can tomato sauce ( I use Hunt's brand)
1  14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with celery, peppers, and onion ( any brand is fine)
Celtic salt
Ground pepper
Red chili flaked
Fennel seeds
Dried oregano
Dried basil
Olive oil

Directions:

In a large sauce pot heat 1-2 Tb. olive oil on medium /high heat, and saute onions until almost transparent. Season with salt. Add crushed garlic to onions, and then add seasoned turkey meat to onions, and keep breaking up until turkey is 90% cooked through..While the onions and turkey meat are browning, in a separate pan, brown mushrooms and season lightly with salt and pepper. Add mushrooms to turkey and onions. Pour in can of tomato sauce, and can of diced tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste, 1 1/2 Tb. dried basil, 1/2 Tb. dried oregano, 2-3 tsp. fennel, hot chili flakes for added spiciness (optional). Stir, cover and cook on medium/low heat. Occasionally stir, so sauce does not burn. This sauce does not need to cook long. I let it simmer for the amount of time it takes to cook brown rice pasta which is around 15-17 minutes. This sauce,however, can be left on low simmer until ready to use.

* This sauce is delicious over any type of pasta, but being gluten free, I choose to eat over brown rice pasta, or spaghetti squash. This sauce is also extra tasty over baked veggies.

Paleo Pancakes

 Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut flour
3/4 tsp. Stevia powder ( or  1 Tbl. Coconut sugar.)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. Celtic salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cap full of vanilla extract
6 eggs or ( 4 eggs and 2/3  cup egg whites)
1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk ( I like my pancakes thinner, so I start with 1/4 cup and keep adding until I have a thinner consistency) 

Directions:
Heat a pan on medium with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin coconut oil (or butter/ghee).Whisk your eggs and (and whites), and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Add your dry ingredients. Combine well and add milk as needed. Add your batter to the pan 1/4 cup at a time. Cook until bubbles form well on the top (about 2-3 minutes) and then flip when sturdy. Fry for another 1-2 minutes and then plate. Add more coconut oil between batches as needed. Yield 16 small pancakes. Top as desired, however I love mine with bananas, fresh strawberries, and organic maple syrup.

Coconut Macaroons

This recipe is courtesy of Paleo Desserts by Jane Barthelemy

Ingredients:

1/2 cup medium to thick unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/2 cups Just Like Sugar Table Top natural chicory root sweetener (not baking)
1/4 teaspoon unprocessed salt
(Celtic salt)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
3 1/2 cups medium-shredded unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees/ Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper
2. By hand in a large mixing bowl, or in and style blender, food processor, or mixer, mix well the coconut milk, sweetener, salt, vanilla, egg white, 1/2 cup of the coconut flakes, and almond extract (if using). If mixed electronically, pour into a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the remaining 3 cups of coconut flakes and stir well by hand.
4. Chill the dough in the dame bowl for 10 minutes. This allows the coconut to soak up the sweetness, and make the cookies crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.
5. With a teaspoon and your fingers, drop mounds of batter spaced 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Press each mound a bit so it stays intact. the cookies can be anywhere from 1 to 2 inches in diameter, and slightly irregular and shaggy.
6. Bake for 16-20 minutes, turning the pans after 10 minutes, so all sides are evenly toasted and golden brown. When they are a beautiful golden brown, remove from the over and transfer to a rack and cool.

Makes 30 large or 60 small macaroons

Variation: Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons

Ingredient:
1/3 cup Just Like Sugar Table Top natural chicory sweetener (not baking)
2 1/2 tablespoons boiling filtered water
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil 9 place jar in lukewarm water to melt)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons pure cacao powder

Directions:
1. Let macaroons cool
2. In a heat proof small bowl, use a whisk or spoon to mix the sweetnener, boiling water, coconut oil, and vanilla. Mix until smooth and the sweetener is dissolved.
3. Add cacao powder and mix until smooth. The mixture should be quite thick so it sticks to the cookies.
4. When the macaroons have cooled, dip them upside down into the chocolate coating so the top third of the cookie is covered. Let any excess chocolate drip back into the bowl.
5. Place the coated cookies on a serving plate. The chocolate will harden at room temperature in 15 minutes, or sooner in the refrigerator. 

Sea bass with Coconut Milk and Lime

Ingredients:

2-4 (2oz) pieces of Sea bass
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated on microplane
3/4 cup coconut milk
1-2 teaspoons fish sauce (use more or less for your liking)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lime juiced
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
Veggies: Bok Choy, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts

Directions:

Season both sides of fish with salt and pepper. Sear in olive oil on both sides ( just until light brown). While fish is searing,  heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in another saute pan and lightly brown garlic and add ginger. Add coconut milk, salt and pepper to taste, fish sauce, lime, and cilantro. Bring sauce to a boil. Add seared fish and reduce to a simmer. If fish is thicker continually  pour sauce over the top, or flip half way through the cooking time. Fish should take 3-4 minutes depending on thickness. Fish will spring back when touched if fish is done cooking.

Steam cauliflower, bok choy, and Brussels sprouts. Garnish fish and veggies with sauce. I add a a slice of lime to use for extra flavor.

Snickerdoodle Blondie Brownie- Gluten-Free

21/3 cup rice flour or (2 2/3 cups all purpose flour for non-gluten)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt or (3/4 teaspoon Celtic salt)
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat until well blended.
4. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. ( the mix will be sticky)
5. In a small bowl, combine the white sugar and cinnamon.
6. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the batter in the baking pan.
7. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until the surface springs back when gently pressed. Remove from oven and let cool slightly on a wire rack. While still warm, cut into squares with a sharp knife.

This recipe was designed to use regular all purpose flour, but I converted it to be gluten-free.
Conversion: 1 cup of all-purpose flour = 7/8 cup rice flour.

Pumpkin Bread Pie

I couldn't get over how moist and delicious this was, that I had to share this recipe courtesy of Elana's Pantry. This is quick and easy to make, and although tasty by itself, you can add some primal and non-primal toppings to make it even tastier. To describe this dessert would be if pumpkin cake bars and pumpkin pie had a baby.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Bars:

1/2 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 eggs
1 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 teaspoon celtic salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves

Directions:

With a hand mixer, combine pumpkin, agave, and eggs and mix for 2 minutes. Mix in dry ingredients into wet for a full minute, until well combined. Pour batter into a greased Pyrex pie pan 9x9. (for plain pumpkin bars pour mix into greased 8x8 Pyrex baking dish) Bake at 350 for 30 minutes (check with toothpick at 25 minutes). Serve naked or with the following:
 -This dessert does not rise, so it will on be as high as the wet mix when it is done baking.

Topping options:

-Sprinkle 1/4 chopped pecans and scatter on top of batter before bakign
-Top with cream cheese frosting.
-Top with pecans and cream cheese frosting (this tastes like a traditional pumpkin roll)
- Serve with whip cream

 Cream Cheese Frosting:  This makes enough to cover 2 Pumpkin Bread Pies (THIS RECIPE IS NOT PRIMAL!!)

In a bowl, with a mixer, mix 1 stick room temperature butter with 1 8 oz block of cream cheese. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Mix in 8 -10oz of powdered sugar. Mix until whipped.
When pumpkin bread pie is cooled spread a thin layer over the top.

Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

1 5-6 pound chicken
3 carrots
1 onion quartered 
3 celery sticks
1-2 lemons cut in half
5 whole garlic cloves
Olive oil for coating
*Seasoning Salt (see below for ingredients)
String to tie legs together

Preheat oven 350 degrees

Directions:

In a large dutch oven or roasting pan, use carrots, celery and onion to create a bed to place chicken on. Place chicken breast side down. Stuff Chicken with lemon slices and whole garlic cloves. Tie legs together with string and tuck wings; this helps with even cooking. Coat chicken with a thin layer of Olive oil and salt blend. Flip chicken over so breast side is up. Coat chicken with a thin layer of Olive oil and salt blend. Place in oven for 45 minutes. Flip chicken over breast side down and continue to bake 45-55 minutes. At 45 minutes check chicken. Cut a thin slice into top of leg. If juices do not run clear continue to roast for 5-10 minutes. remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. This redistributes juices back into the meat.

*I buy a pre-made Spicy Italian seasoning salt from A.G. Ferrari Foods in Corte Madera's Town Center. However, if you are not a local you can make one yourself.

Sea Salt Blend
Ingredients:
4 Tb. Sea Salt
1Tb. chopped rosemary
1 tsp. Sugar (optional)
2 tsp. Powdered garlic or 1 Tb. minced fresh garlic
Zest of 1 Lemon
Sprinkle of hot pepper flakes

Mix in bowl. Divide in two.

Do not discard juices and roasted veggies. I use them and the remaining bones from this chicken to make home-made stock.