Tarte au citron (classic lemon tart)

Ingredients

Tart crust
1 cup flour
1 stick butter
1 Tbsp icing sugar
1 free range egg yolk
1 Tbsp cold water

Filling
5 free range eggs
3/4 c heavy cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 lemons, juice
zest of 1 lemon
icing sugar, for dusting

Directions
1. For pastry: place flour, butter, icing sugar into a food processor or work by had until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. Then add egg yolk and water
2. Continue working (or pulse food processor) until the mixture sticks together in clumps, then tip onto a work surface and gather it into a ball with your hands. Knead the pastry just two or three times to make smooth. Wrap in saran wrap, place in fridge, chill about 15 minutes to re-cool the butter.
3. Grease tart pan, and dust with flour. Roll out the pastry thin and larger than tart tin size. Place onto tart tin and gently fold the pastry surrounding the tin base in towards the center. It should slightly overhang the rim. Lightly prick with fork, but not all the way through.
4. Place the apstry and tin on a baking tray, cover loosely with foil if desired. Cover with parchment paper and add beans or cooking weights. Blind bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes until the pastry is set. Remove from oven, remove parchment paper and beans, and return to oven for an additional 10-12 minutes. It should be pale golden and completely dry. Reduce oven temp to 325. Carefully trim the excess pastry from the sides using a sharp knife.
5. For the filling, break the eggs into a large bowl and whisk. Add the rest of filling and whisk again until well- combined. Pour into cooled pastry crust. To prevent spilling, pour in the oven. Bake 30-40 minutes until set with just a slight wobble in the center.
6. Leave to cool, and when pastry is firm enough, remove from the tin.Transfer to serving plate and served, dusted with sifted icing sugar.

Florentines (Italian cookie classic)

Ingredients

1/2 stick butter
1/4 c raw sugar
1/4 c honey
1/4 c flour (plain or rice)
1 Tbsp dried cranberries, finely chopped
1 Tbsp dried apricots, finely chopped
1 Tbsp zest of orange (about zest of 1/2 to 1 orange)
1 Tbsp almonds, finely chopped
1 Tbsp walnuts, finely chopped
200g plain chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line 3 trays with parchment paper.
2. Place butter, sugar, and honey in a small pan, heating gently until butter is melted.
3. Remove from heat, add flour, cranberries, apricots, orange zest, nuts to the pan. Stir well to mix.
4. Make 18 florentines by spooning 6 tsp of the mixture onto each of the trays. Be sure to leave enough room for spreading during the bake.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Leave to partially cool on tray and then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. (If the florentines become too hard to remove, pop them back into the oven for a few minutes to soften again.)
6. Set a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Temper the chocolate by breaking half of the chocolate into the bowl.  Stir until it reaches melting temperature at 127 degrees. Meanwhile, finely chop or grate the remaining chocoate.
7. Carefully remove the bowl from the pan, add the remaining chocolate, and stir gently until cooled at 79 deg.  (There are great tutorials online as to how to temper chocolate without a thermometer).
8. Spread the melted chocolate over the flat base back side of each florentine and leave to cool slightly before marking a zip zag in the chocolate with a fork. Leave to set, chocolate side up on the cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.

Honey-Thyme Beef Jerky

Who doesn't love good beef jerky? And who wants the extra chemicals? Thanks to Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook and Action Plan, I can have my jerky and eat it too!

Ingredients

3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp local organic honey

2 Tbsp water

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried thyme

2 lbs beef, such as London broil

Directions

1. Mix vinegar, honey, water, salt, garlic powder, and thyme in bowl. Set aside.

2. Slice beef very thinly across the grain, about 1/8 inch thick. 

3. Transfer meat slices to marinade. Toss to coat and place in fridge for 2 hours to a day.

4. Remove meat and lay strips on paper-towel- lined plate and pat dry. Line a large baking tray with foil and place on bottom rack of oven. Move top rack to highest position.

5. Thread beef pieces about 1" apart on wooden skewers, so that each skewer has about 7 pieces dangling from it.

6. Set skewers on top rack in oven so beef strips dangle between the bars. Repeat until all beef strips in oven.

7. Turn oven on to between 180-200 degrees. Prop door open about 2" and cook until turnkey is dry, about 8 hours.

8. Remove from skewers and let cool completely. Store in sealed container for up to 1 month in fridge.

Chicken Nuggets the Paleo Way

After years of adventuring with diet, exercise, and more, I FINALLY have an answer. I have an auto-immune disease called Hashimoto's, which affects your thyroid. So, this was the first of the recipes I attempted on AIP (Auto-immune paleo) and it was delicious!



Ingredients
4 Tbsp Arrowroot powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 c organic coconut milk
2 cups shredded, unsweetened coconut
About 3 lbs of boneless, skinless organic chicken (I used a mix of breasts and thighs), cut into strips
EVOO

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
2. Mix arrowroot and seasonings into a small bowl. Pour coconut milk into a separate small bowl. Place the coconut on a plate.
3. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.
4. Dredge a chicken strip in arrowroot mixture, dip it into the coconut milk, then dredge it in the shredded coconut.
5. Place the coated strips on the baking sheet. Repeat until all chicken is breaded.
6. Lightly brush with olive oil, then baked until chicken is cooked through and coconut is golden, turning once, about 25 minutes

Mexican Cauliflower "Rice"

Thanks paleotable!

Ingredients
2 carrots, peeled, diced
onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, chopped fine
cconut oil
one small head cauliflower, roughly chopped
diced tomatoes in juices - equal to a 14 oz can
1 cup organic chicken stock
8 oz diced green chiles
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1/2 Tbsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Dice vegetables (carrots, garlic, onion). Heat oil and then add chopped veggies. Saute over medium for about 5-10 minutes or until onion is translucent.
2. Pulse cauliflower in food processor until at a rice-like consistency (may need to be done in batches)
3. Add remaining ingredients to pot. Stir to combine. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.

Pumpkin Fudge

Ingredients
2/3 c coconut butter
1/4 c + 2 Tbsp pumpkin puree
1/2 c brown, coconut, or raw sugar (or equivalent maple syrup)
1 Tbsp creamy almond butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
approx 2 Tbsp non-dairy milk
tiny pinch of fine grain sea salt

Directions
1. Add all ingredients to a medium sauce pan over low heat. Whisk constantly for about 5 minutes or until all ingredients have melted together
2. Grease a small 3x5 or 4x6 container (or line with parchment paper). Pour in mixture and smooth out surface.
3. Freeze for about 1 hour to set. Slice and serve. Keep refrigerated.

Red Bean Soup

Ingredients
1 Tbsp EVOO or coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 bay leaves
3 cans/ 3 cups kidney beans (soaked overnight if using dry beans)
32 oz vegetable stock
water as needed
2 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp paprika
1/2 Tbsp oregano
1/2 Tbsp thyme
2 tsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp chopped parsley
cooked brown rice, warm
green onions to garnish

Directions
1. Heat oil in large pot. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, bay leaves. Cook, stirring, about 2 minutes
2. Add beans, seasoning, stock and amount of water for desired consistency. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook until beans are tender (about 1 1/2 hrs for dry beans, 30 minutes for canned)
3. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, add salt to taste and parsley. Discard bay leaves and remove 1 cup of beans from pot. Puree this 1 cup of beans and return to pot, stirring well.
4. To servie, ladle into soup bowls over rice with green onions to garnish if desired.

Chicken "Tortilla" Soup the Paleo Way

Ingredients
4 organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste for chicken seasoning
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 jalepeno, seeded and finely dashed
1 can diced green chiles
2 cans fire roasted tomatoes (or equivalent of home roasted tomatoes)
2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp cilantro
40 or so oz chicken stock/broth
crushed plantain chips, or organic corn tortilla chips if not paleo

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375. Place chicken on parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with cumin, cayenne, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
2. Bake 20 minutes or so (depending on thickness of breasts). Once cook, cut or shred.
3. While chicken is baking, heat oil in large stock pot over med-high and add garlic to sauté.
4. Add onions, bell pepper, jalepeno, mix to coat in oil. Once onions translucent, add green chiles and tomatoes, plus remaining spices. Mix well.
5. Add chicken and stock. Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
6. To serve, garnish with avocado, chips, etc

Protein Smoothie (Without the Powder!)

Version 1: with fruit so slightly higher in carbs (about 53g protein)
1/2 c frozen wild blueberries
1/4 lemon with rind
1 1/2 c kefir or 1 c milk and 1/2 c plain greek yogurt
1/4 c dried cranberries
1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 walnuts
1 Tbsp chia seeds
2 Tbsp flax seeds
2 Tbsp almond butter
1/2 Tbsp coconut butter
1/4 avocado (optional)
3 Tbsp rolled oats
optional stevia and/or honey to sweeten

Version 2:  no fruit, but still pretty high in carbs (about 52g protein)
1 1/2 c kefir or 1 c milk and 1/2 c plain greek yogurt
1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 walnuts
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1 Tbsp flax seeds
2 Tbsp almond butter
1/2 Tbsp coconut butter
3 Tbsp rolled oats
dash of cinnamon and vanilla
optional 1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder and/or stevia and/or honey to sweeten
*confession: sometimes I add a little coffee to mine in the morning ;)

Kale chips

Ingredients
1 bunch kale, stems removed, cut into bite-sized pieces
2-4 tsp olive oil
salt and seasoning of choice to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300 deg. Line pan with parchment paper.
2. Lay out kale in single layer. Drizzle with olive oil. Season to taste.
3. Bake for 11-15 minutes until edges are browned and kale is crispy when moved in pan.

Avocado Salad Dressing

Ingredients
1/2 avocado
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp EVOO

Directions
1. Mash avocado in a bowl. Mix in other ingredients. Stir to combine. Serve over any salad.

Dr Oz 3 Day Detox Cleanse: My Review

My goals for this journey: Overall, detoxing is important for the body. So obviously that is one of the main goals for me. I am also hoping to "reset" my cravings for unhealthy foods as my body re-aquires a taste for and craving for whole and healthy foods. I have not lost any of the baby weight that has been clinging to my body since my youngest was born 1 year ago, so a jump start for weight loss is a big big plus.

Caveats and things I learned along the way:
1. Yes, I peeled the mangoes, no I did not peel the lemons. I also did not peel the apples, but think it would better better to do so. These are not my expert opinions or necessarily what Dr Oz had in mind, but I wasn't sure so this is what I did.
2. Also, when you grocery shop, just recognize that the list is enough for the breakfast, lunch and dinner smoothies, but not necessarily the snack smoothie (which you can make whatever is your favorite or skip if you are not hungry.)
3. Prep before hand. Seriously. There's work here.
4. The smoothies always taste better cold. Some suggest freezing some of the ingredients
5. Don't take your vitamins on an empty stomach!! Unless you like to vomit.
6. To make the evening smoothie better, here's my cheat: I put the cayenne in a small cup with about half cup of smoothie and downed it like a shot.
7. Yes, lunch is awful. Without altering the recipe ingredients, I would say chop the celery super super fine and puree as much as you can before adding the other ingredients and then add about 1 c water for a better texture. A lot of people decrease the amount of celery and increase the pineapple. I did this (and a few other tweaks- see below) my last day. Definitely helped

Day 1
Cravings: I am craving MEAT!! As others have said, there is something satisfactory about chewing, so chewing would be nice, but it was not that big of a deal to me today. I just want meat! I guess my body needs the protein.
The smoothies: Breakfast smoothie was fine, Lunch not so hot. I did not detest it as some, but I also could not finish it in its entirety. Definitely my least favorite. Truth be told, I only could finish half, and will finish the rest for tomorrow's lunch. Some people prefer the breakfast, but the supper smoothie was my favorite.  However, I did follow someone's advice and put a small amount in a little cup, and mix the full dose of cayenne and downed it that way. Then drank the rest of the smoothie cayenne free, which was delicious. For my snack, I didn't have enough provisions for two of the suppers (which was my favorite) so I repeated the breakfast smoothie simply because that is what I had more groceries for.
How I feel: Overall, I feel pretty normal. Maybe a slight bit foggy and a teensy headache, but overall, I feel ok. Emotionally, I worry if I will make it three days, LOL. I had to make meals for the hubby and kids and that was hard. Cause I WANT MEAT!! However, I must say, I have not felt hungry at all.
Thoughts for tomorrow: I normally drink green tea without anything, so I think I will skip the stevia tomorrow, and just do the lemon. I also have read that others decreased the amount of celery and/or used a food processor the pureed the lunch smoothie better. Think I will try both tomorrow.

Day 2
Overall: Woke feeling fine, normal, no headache. DO NOT TAKE YOUR VITAMINS ON AN EMPTY STOMACHE :) Oops. I know this about myself. I just can't tolerate vitamins on an empty stomach and I took them before the smoothie. Got really nauseous and then really sick. Thankfully, that passed quickly. I drank the green tea stevia free.
The smoothies: Woke up looking forward to breakfast. Dreading lunch. Really wanted tasty food as I fix everyone else's meals and feed the little one. Confession: I took a bite of the pineapple as I was prepping. And I still want meat. For lunch, I used the left over of my lunch yesterday, but added about a half cup of water and another 1/2 c or so of pineapple and pureed it as much as my little machine would go. It was more palatable and I was able to get it all down. Did the cayenne in a cup with a bit of smoothie and then thoroughly enjoyed my dinner.  I did not have a snack smoothie.
How I feel: I took a nap in the afternoon, but I would have been fine without it. Still a bit foggy, but really feel pretty normal. Between breakfast and lunch was the first time I felt really  hungry.
Thoughts for tomorrow: Will stay stevia free with the tea, and won't take the vitamins until I have the smoothie. Thinking I will only make a half batch of lunch? Or add more water, more pineapple, and/or less celery? I am sure I will cheat and weigh myself. I am dying to know. I really don't notice much difference.

Day 3
Overall: Grumpy. Despite what most say about feeling amazing, I really don't notice any changes. Perhaps my normal cravings are curbed? Have lost 2.5lbs. Wish it were more, but at least it's something.
The smoothies: As always, breakfast and dinner were great. My attempt to make lunch better recipe: 2 celery stalks, 1/2 cucumber, 1 cup kale, 1/2 green apple, 1/2 lime, 1 Tbsp coconut oil, 1/2 c almond milk, 1 c water, 1 1/2 c or so pineapple. Hoping that does't change the overall effect too much. I was way to hungry to skip lunch and just couldn't bring myself to stomache the regular recipe.  This one was pretty good. Texture was DEFINITELY improved.
How I feel: Ready for completion. No outstanding changes.

Day 4
Cannot wait to eat REAL food!! To chew and taste. Although I am enjoying green tea as we speak and just made a breakfast smoothie ;) I feel the same. No great aha I am cleansed moment. Sorry folks. My overall weight loss was 3 lbs. I was hoping for much better (I have a lot to lose) But that is a start I suppose. Would I do this again- probably not. There are a number of detoxes that are smoothies for breakfast and lunch, and then food for supper. Thinking of doing Dr Hyman's 10 day!  Although I am also contemplating a juice fast. So we shall see :)

Moving on from here: I have been paleo for about 3 months now. I don't buy into the paleo model, but I do agree with some of the foods that they eliminate. I definitely feel better off of gluten and dairy. So, I am sure I will continue with gluten and dairy free. Strongly considering Dr Hyman's 10 day detox for weight loss. Look out for my review! Mostly, in our house, we eat lean meats or fish and veggies and fruit anyway. And I love nuts! I am really hoping this helped curb the cravings for refined sugar which I usually do not consume but crave anyway. Not so sure!! Good luck on your detox!

Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients
12 oz bag of fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar (or to taste)
1 lemon, zested
water

Directions
1. Place cranberries in saucepan, removing 1/2 c and setting aside. Add sugar, lemon zest, 2 Tbsp water and cook over low, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves and cranberries are soft, about 10 min.
2. Increase heat to medium and cook until cranberries burst, about 12 min.
3. Reduce heat to low and stir in reserved cranberries. Cook 1-2 additional minutes. Add additional sugar to taste if necessary.
4. Let cook to room temperature before serving

Vegan Donuts

Ingredients
1 1/2 c unbleached organic flour
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
dash of cinnamon and nutmeg
3/4 c non-dairy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c applesauce
1/4 c coconut oil

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Combine we in separate bowl. Add wet to dry until just combined (should form a very soft dough)
2. Using a tablespoon, scoop dough into ungreased donut pan. Smooth top.
3. Bake for 12 min. They should not be browned on top, but toothpick should remove clean. Inver hot pan over board or cooling rack to release donuts. Allow to cool completely before decorating.
4. Top with glaze, melted chocolate, and /or sprinkles if desired.

Chocolate Glaze
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
4 Tbsp cocoa powder
3 Tbsp nondairy milk or water
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions
1. In medium bowl, whisk powdered sugar and cocoa. Slowly stir in milk and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. You can add more milk if needed to make it a dippable glaze.

Non-dairy (Vegan) Buttermilk

Don't be daunted by that recipe that calls for buttermilk!! It can be made at home so easily!

Ingredients:
1 cup nondairy milk
1 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice

Directions:
1. Mix
2. Let sit and rest for 10 min, then use as needed in recipe!

Vegan Banana Splits

Ingredients

4 medium bananas
2 cups non-dairy yogurt- plain or vanilla (for those without dairy allergies, or who are not vegan, a healthy option would be cottage cheese)
6 Tbsp all-fruit strawberry jam, divided
1/4 c roasted nuts (peanuts or cashews, depending on allergies)

Directions:

1. Peel and cut each banana in half lengthwise. Place two halves in each bowl.
2. Place 1/2 c yogurt and top with 1 1/2 Tbsp jam and 1 Tbsp nuts. Repeat for each bowl.

*caveat: a great breakfast treat!! You could also add other fruit, granola

Quick Homemade Vegetable Broth

Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp of onion powder
1 Tbsp of dried parsley
2 tbsp of sea salt
1 tbsp of garlic powder
1/2 tbsp of celery seed
1 tsp of sage
1 tsp of marjoram
1 tsp of black pepper
1 tsp of dill weed
dash of soy sauce

Directions:

Mix well, then add to recipe :)

*you can take the longer route by boiling vegetables on the stove. That is definitely healthier and cleaner.

Cream of Mushroom Soup Vegan and Eat Clean

Ingredients:

10 ounces mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 onion
generous pinch cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
Fresh pepper to taste
3 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup vegetable broth (I made my own!)
3/4 cup non-dairy milk (such as almond or soy)

Directions:
1. Trim and discard the mushroom stems and chop the mushrooms into pieces.
2. Oil pan and heat it. Add the mushrooms, onion, garlic, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
3. Cook until mushrooms are very soft and exude their juices. Whisk the flour into the vegetable broth and add to the mushrooms.
4. Simmer, stirring, until mixture thickens.
5. Add the milk and simmer until thick, about 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust the seasonings