Pesto Zucchetti with Grilled Chicken

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

6-8 zucchinis or 3 extra large zucchinis
4 -6 Tb. fresh pesto (recipe below)
4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts pounded flat (about 1/2 inch thick)
1 cup sliced grape tomatoes
4 Tb. toasted pine nuts
Celtic salt and pepper
1 Tb.Coconut oil for grilling chicken
1 Tb. Olive oil to sautee zucchini
2 fresh garlic cloves
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Prepping and Grilling Chicken:

I pound my chicken breasts until they are flat and about 1/2 inch thick. I like my chicken to cook evenly, and this seems to help me achieve my goal. Once pounded I season with Celtic salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a grill pan to medium-high heat and add your coconut oil. Once hot (and oil spits a bit) add your chicken breasts to the pan. Once seared on one side flip and brown other side. After I flip to the other side I begin sauteing my zuchetti, so make sure you zucchini noodles and garlic are already prepped. Once chicken is cooked through (anywhere from 6-10 minutes) remove and let stand. This will allow the juices to re-distribute through out the chicken breast. After about 5-minutes slice your chicken. Your chicken will get layered on top of your zucchini noodles at the very end.

Prepping and Sauteing Zuchetti:

With a vegetable peeler, peel your zucchini until you have peeled about two layers of the white. If you have small zucchinis peel until you hit the seeds, otherwise if you have extra large zucchinis( like the ones you get fresh out of a garden), you don't want to peel as much white because it tends to get too watery. If your zucchini noodles are too wide, layer them on top of each other, and cut them thinner. I like mine about the width of a fettuccine noodle. Heat a large pan with olive oil and add one of your garlic cloves. I sprinkle a dash of red pepper flakes to infuse the oil. Once my oil is heated and garlic cloves is browned, remove garlic and add your zuchetti noodles. Saute over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until slightly softened while frequently moving around the zucchini in the pan .Add a sprinkle of Celtic salt and pepper. Add your pesto and mix. I like my pesto on the lighter side, but add or subtract to you liking ( I do a bout 1 tablespoon per person). Remove from pan and place portions onto plates.

-While pan is hot add a bit more olive oil and your other garlic clove to infuse the oil. Again once garlic is browned, remove and add your sliced tomatoes. Saute until warm ( about 3 minutes) add Celtic salt and pepper for taste. Remove from heat and place over zucchetti. Add your toasted pine nuts at this time and top with grilled chicken.

Homemade Pesto:

2 cups fresh basil-washed and spun dried
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Celtic salt and Pepper to taste
1/3-1/2 cup olive oil

In a cusiniart or blender, blend your basil pine nuts, and cheese until mixed. Add your salt and pepper to taste. Once all combined, start streaming in your olive oil until all ingredients are combined. Ready to serve.

Toasting Pine Nuts:

Heat a small pan on medium heat. Add your pine nuts. They will brown quickly, so continue to move them around in your pan until lightly toasted. Remove from heat.

Simple Italian Chicken Bake

Ingredients:

4-5 Roma tomatoes cut into chunks
Two sliced cloves of garlic
Can of artichoke hearts sliced
A few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
A generous amount of Salt & Pepper
1 teaspoon of sugar
2 tablespoons of Arrowroot Powder   ( you may use flour if you are not Paleo)                                                               4-6 Boneless skinless chicken breasts (that are generously seasoned with S&P)
1 cup shredded low-moisture Mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil julienne for garnish

Directions:

Preheat over 350 degrees

Mix tomatoes, garlic, artichoke hearts, olive oil, salt and pepper, sugar and Arrowroot powder in a bowl. Set aside.  Tenderize chicken by slightly pounding beasts without flattening. Salt and pepper each side of chicken breast. Place chicken breast in greased baking dish. Take tomato mixture and spread around sides of chicken. Bake for 15-20 minutes until almost cooked through. remove and sprinkle each chicken breast with shredded mozzarella. Turn oven to broil on hi, and place chicken below broiler. Remove when cheese is melted, and slightly brown. Garnish with fresh basil. Let stand for 5 minutes to redistribute juices back into chicken. Serve. 

*Arrowroot powder serves as a thickener like corn starch, and in this case to help thicken extra liquid from chicken. I recommend arrowroot powder over corn starch, or flour if available.

Chunky Monkey Cookies

I stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest while looking for a cookie recipe that was fast and easy, and of  
course Paleo. Although, this cookie has the appearance of a cookie, it has the texture of a cupcake; soft, and fluffy, and uber moist. These cookies  are so yummy and guiltless, I even had one for breakfast!

Ingredients:

1 cup chunky almond butter (or other nut butter)
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1/2 cup (ripe) banana, mashed (about 1 large banana)
2 Tbl.  Justin’s chocolate hazelnut butter (or other chocolate nut butter) or 2 Tbl. cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbl. cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
salt to taste
1/2 cup chopped pecans, (or other nut) {optional}
1/2 cup Enjoy Life Mega Chocolate Chunks (or dark chocolate chunks, the darker, the better!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine all ingredients (adding pecans and chocolate chunks last) in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed.
3. Using a large spoon, scoop batter onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet (making sure you leave plenty of room in between each).
4. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and allow to cool on pan for 5 minutes, then completely cool on wire rack.

Makes about 15 cookies.
* If you opted to use cocoa powder which I use vs. hazelnut butter, your cookies will be  dark in color and have more chocolate flavor.

Blueberry Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients:

1 frozen banana
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1 Tablespoon Almond butter
2 Tablespoons coconut milk or almond milk ( I use vanilla coconut milk)
Spinkle of Celtic Salt

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a mini Cuisinart. Add more milk if not mixing easily. Serve immediately, or freeze for 20-30 minutes to chill.

This recipe serves one, but double equally to serve two.

Hawaiian Chicken and Pineapple Skewers

I was so happy to stumble across this super easy to follow recipe on Pinterest, and couldn't wait to share it on my blog. This recipe is perfect for barbecuing for a group, and a great main dish to bring already prepared camping.

Makes 14-16 skewers
Ingredients:
3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (could use chicken breasts, but thighs stay more moist)
1 cup soy sauce or coconut aminos. I use Tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
1 (15 oz) can of pineapple chunks in 100% juice, drained (reserve 1 cup of juice)
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup honey
1 bunch of green onions, chopped (optional, reserve some for garnish)
1/2 large white onion, chopped
 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 (2-inch) chunk ginger, grated
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
bamboo skewers

Directions:
-Trim the chicken of any visible fat and cut into chunks about 2-inches in size.
-Mix remaining  ingredients, except drained pineapple chunks, a large bowl. If you find that your reserved juice doesn't quite measure a cup, just add water to yield the cup of liquid. Marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours, but overnight would be ideal.
-An hour before you're ready to grill your chicken, soak your skewers. This will ensure they don't catch fire, or burn entirely.
-Grill your skewers at a medium-low heat so that the marinade does not burn. Turn once after 5-7 minutes. If you do not have a grill you can use a indoor grill pan or broil them.
-Serve and garnish with reserved green onions (optional)

Snickerdoodle Cookies-Grain, Dairy, and Egg free

I love Snickerdoodle cookies, and I have found  many variations of converting my favorite cookie with Paleo ingredients. This has been the closet recipe that tastes almost like the cookie I grew up eating. These cookies are super yummy right out of the oven, but I find that almond flour base cookies are better frozen after the first day to prevent getting too soft and stale.

 Ingredients:
2 cups blanched almond flour
1/4 teaspoon Celtic salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1/4 cup mild honey
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon coating:
1 tablespoon palm sugar
1 tablespoon cinnimon
sprinkle of Stevia for extra sweetness (optional)

Directions:
Mix almond flour, salt and baking soda in a bow. Mix melted coconut oil, honey and vanilla in a separate bowl. Combine together. Using a tablespoon form small balls of dough and roll in cinnamon mixture until covered. Place on lined baking pan. Flatten cookie with a bottom of a flat glass. I dip glass in the cinnmon mixture to prevent sticking. Place a few inches away from each other. Bake 8-9 minutes at 350. Let cool on pan for an additional 5 minutes before removing. Cookies will seem under cooked at first, but they will firm up. Makes around 15 cookies.

Open-face Bell Pepper "Sandwich"

This is a great way to enjoy lunch, and not miss sandwich bread. There are many variations to this recipe, so use ingredients that you find tasty.

Ingredients:

1 bell pepper sliced in half , I like red peppers for this recipe

Mix in bowl:

1 can tuna or canned chicken, or use leftover roasted chicken, and chop into small pieces
2 celery sticks chopped up into bite size pieces
Chopped up marinated artichoke hearts
1 small roasted red pepper sliced into bite size pieces
1 Tablespoon mayo (optional)
Celtic salt and pepper to taste
sliced cheese for topping (optional)

Directions:
Place oven on Broil  Hi
Stuff bell pepper with mixture and place in oven. Broil for 5-10 minutes watching it carefully. You just want the pepper and mixture to warm up. Top with cheese (optional) and continue to broil until melted and toasty brown. Serve over bed of greens drizzled with Olive oil and salt and pepper

* if you do not enjoy bell peppers, tomatoes are a great substitute. Remove seeds, stuff tomato, but bake for a shorter time. I also top my peppers with avocado when done broiling instead of cheese.

Pizza- Gluten-free and Grain Free

Ingredients:

Crust:
2 cups raw spinach leaves
1 egg (large)
1 cup shredded low moisture mozzarella cheese
spices (I used salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and garlic powder - a sprinkle of each)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425. Line a 12 inch pizza pan with parchment paper (Definitely do this. DO NOT skip theparchment paper. I found that where the crust touched the pan it stuck horribly! It peels off the paper no problem.). Set aside. In a blender (or magic bullet), blend spinach until it is a baby food consistency. Add egg and pulse until combined. Add in cheese and spices and pulse until just combined. Spread evenly in prepared pizza pan. Just spread it out slowly and carefully and it will get there!
-Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes. Edges will be browned and crispy.
-Prepare pizza sauce by placing tomatoes and garlic in blender (or magic bullet) and pulse until smooth.
Spread evenly over cooked crust. Top with toppings, and don't forget Parmesan cheese. Place back in oven and broil until cheese is melted.

Pizza Sauce:
24 grape tomatoes
2 cloves garlic

Toppings: These are up to you! But here are some combo suggestions:

Garden Pizza:
Finely slice red onion, black olives, marinated artichoke hearts, sliced tomatoes, sliced green peppers, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. I added a couple slices of salami.

Canadian Bacon Pizza:
2 rounds of Canadian bacon diced, 1/4 cup onion diced, and 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

* Veggies have a lot of extra moisture, so the pizza does become a bit messy to hold and eat. I suggest forks and knives to enjoy this pizza experience, and the taste won't disappoint you.

Crust only: 400 calories, 29 fat, 5 carbs, 32 protein.

Gingerdoodle Cookies

I love Snickerdoodle and Gingersnap cookies, and one of the hardest things to give up on a Paleo diet is sweets. This recipe is an awesome way to kick a sweet tooth, while tasting like the perfect combination of both my favorite treats. These cookies are on the chewy side, and do not harden.

Ingedients:
1 ½ cup Blanched Almond Flour
1 tsp Coconut Flour
1 Egg
¼ cup Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
¼ cup Blackstrap Molasses
1 tsp Vanilla extract
½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
¼ tsp Ground Ginger
¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg
¼ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Baking Soda


Roll in:
1 Tbsp Granulated Sugar or Sucanat
1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon

Directions:

1.    Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt coconut oil on low power in the microwave or in saucepan on low heat.
2.    Combine almond flour, coconut flour, egg, molasses, vanilla, coconut oil and spices in a medium bowl.  Stir well to combine.
3.    Add baking soda and stir well to incorporate.
4.    Chill dough in fridge at least 30 minutes prior to rolling. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F.
5.    Combine sugar and extra cinnamon and place on a small plate or shallow dish.  Remove cookie dough from fridge and roll tablespoonfuls into 1-inch balls.  Roll cookie dough balls in cinnamon and sugar mixture to coat completely and place on cookie sheet.  Flattening cookie is optional, however I give it a light tap.
6.    Bake for 8-12 minutes depending on your over. Check each minute.  Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for a couple of minutes before moving to a wire cooling rack.  Enjoy!

Paleo Ice Cream (Guilt Free)

This recipe was introduced to me by a friend, and with a little tweaking, we now have the ultimate frozen treat. This is a great way to use up your ripe bananas.

Ingredients:

2 frozen bananas sliced
2 Tablespoons Almond butter (I use creamy)
1-2 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips ( I use Enjoy Life mini chips, they are soy, gluten, and dairy free)
Sprinkle of Celtic Salt
-Add a splash of almond milk or water if mixture doesn't blend completely

Directions:

In a small food processor ( blender does not work as well), mix all ingredients together except for chocolate chips. Blend until smooth. Add chocolate chips, and mix. Serve immediately for frozen yogurt like consistency, of freeze for a more scoop-able ice cream consistency.

* For non-Paleo followers, peanut butter is a fine substitute for this recipe.

Pan Seared Asian Steak Rolls

I stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest, and just had to share it. I love finding new ways to cook healthier Asian dishes, and this recipe is perfect for a family dinner, or a fun dish to make for a night of entertaining guests.

Ingredients:
8 ounces flank steak (4 inch x 6 inch piece) or 8 thin sliced sirloin (found at Publix)

Marinade:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon grapeseed1 oil
freshly ground pepper

Sauce:
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
¼ cup canned chicken broth

Filling:
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 carrot, cut into 2 inch matchsticks
½ red bell pepper, cut into 2 inch matchsticks
2 ribs celery, sliced thin on diagonal
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
12 chives, cut into 3 inches long
4 ounces enoki mushrooms (optional)
2 teaspoons grapeseed oil
2 teaspoons butter
¼ teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions:
Freeze steak for 30 minutes until partially frozen. Slice steak against the grain, on the diagonal, into 8 equally thin pieces. Use a meat mallet to pound each piece of meat to 1/8 inch thick. If using thin sliced sirloin, skip this step.

Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl and add meat slices. Let stand 15 minutes to 2 hours.
In a separate bowl, combine sauce ingredients.
To prepare filling, heat a wok or skillet over high heat. When hot, add grapeseed oil, swirling to coat the sides. Add garlic and ginger and fry for 20 seconds. Add carrot, bell pepper, celery and stir fry for 1 minute. Add soy sauce, sesame oil and stir. Transfer to bowl and let cool.
To make the beef rolls, lay beef slices out with short side facing you. Equally divide chives, enoki mushrooms and vegetable mixture among the pieces of meat. Roll the beef up, over the filling and secure with toothpick.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the grapeseed oil and butter, swirling to coat bottom. When hot, add beef rolls, seam side down, not touching and pan fry for 1 minute, turn roll. Add sauce to the pan. Cover and simmer over medium heat until beef is just cooked through, 1-2 minutes. Remove toothpick, sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.
Yields 4 servings

* I served this dish with sliced cucumbers marinated in seasoned rice vinegar, and would be delicious served over cauliflower rice.

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.