Strawberry Pavlova

Ingredients

For the meringue
3 large egg whites
3/4 c sugar
1 c fresh ripe strawberries, hulled
1 tsp sugar

Filling
1 250 g tub mascarpone, chilled
1 tsp vanilla
1 tub low fat cream cheese
1 tsp sugar
icing sugar to dust

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 250. For the meringue: Place the egg whites in a large clean bowl and whisk until they form stiff peaks. It is very important not to over whisk, as it will start to collapse.
2. Now whisk in the 3/4 c sugar, 1Tbsp at a time, whisking after each addition until all the sugar is in.
3. Using a metal tablespoon, spoon about 1/3 of the meringue onto a prepared baking sheet covered in parchment paper, forming a circle about 8 inches in diameter.
4. Next spoon rounded blobs next to each other, so that they join to form a circle all around the edges. Using the tip of a skewer, make little swirls in the meringue. Put into oven, then immediate turn the heat down to 225. Leave for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 min.
5. Turn the heat off but leave the Pavlova inside the oven with the door cracked until it's completely cooled.
6. When ready to serve, or up to 1 hour ahead, whisk the filling ingredients together. Put 1/3 of the strawberries into a food processor along with 1 tsp sugar. Halve the remaining strawberries, leaving small ones whole.
7. Lift the Pavlova from the liner and place on the serving dish. Spook the vanilla cream into the center, arrange the strawberries on top. Dust with icing sugar and pour the puree just before serving. Cut into wedges.

* This recipe is adapted from delia online. You can see a video of this recipe at deliaonline.com

AIP/Paleo Stir Fry

Ingredients
4-6 chicken thighs
EVOO
3 cloves garlic, minced
sea salt
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 cup broccoli florets
2 peeled and sliced carrots


Directions
1. Add oil to pan and lightly season chicken with salt to taste, add to pan over medium heat until cooked through.
2. Add garlic, ginger, and onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes
3. Add broccoli, carrots, and cook until tender.

*this recipe is easily made vegetarian or vegan by eliminating the chicken and using 2 cups of broccoli
**You could also add snap peas

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.

Roasted Zucchini Salad

Ingredients
6 zucchini, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
2 Tbsp balsalmic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c shredded fresh basil

Directions
1. Place zucchini and onion on parchment paper covered baking pan
2. Preheat oven to 450. Roast, turning once, until lightly browned and tender, about 10-15 minutes.
3. Transfer to a bowl and let cool for about 30 minutes. Then add balsalmic vinegar, salt, and basil. Toss to combine before serving.

Meatless Chili Mexican Style

*this recipe is not completely eat clean*

Ingredients
yellow onion, diced
red bell pepper, diced
green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
dash of red pepper flakes
salt to taste
2 cans black beans
2 cans pinto beans
1 can red beans
1 can white beans
4-6 large tomatoes, diced and peeled
15 oz tomato sauce
1 1/2 c vegetable broth
1 can rotel (optional)
1 can diced green chilis

Directions
1. Saute onion, bell pepper, garlic until soft. Add seasoning and cook another few minutes.
2. Add remanning ingredients and bring to boil. Return heat to medium / low and simmer about 30 - 45 minutes.
3. Serve over brown rice, cornbread, or fritos. Add grated cheese, sour cream, chives, etc as desired.

Granny's Banana Nut Bread (Made Vegan!)

Ingredients
1/2 c non-dairy butter and/or coconut oil unrefined
1 tsp baking soda
1 c organic sugar (I like to mix brown, raw, stevia, etc)
1 c non-bleached organic flour (makes well with gluten free flour)
2 flax eggs
3 ripe bananas (mashed)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 c pecans (chopped- optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Grease and flour loaf pan.
3. Mix all ingredients and pour into loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour or until center is done.

Granny's tip: *place a pan of water on the shelf below the loaf pan to prevent over-browning)

Southern Potato Salad

From my Grandmother's kitchen to yours :)

Ingredients
7 Russet potatoes
5 organic, free range eggs
1 1/2 c healthy mayonnaise
2 Tbsp mustard
1 Tbsp dry paprika
1/2 Tbsp dill, chopped fine
salt and pepper to taste
Cajun season to taste (optional)

Directions
1. Place russet potatoes in water and boil for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, boil eggs for 8 minutes and peel.
2. Once potatoes are boiled, peel. Place in bowl with peeled, boiled eggs. Chop and blend coarsely with fork. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Some prefer it chilled in fridge before serving, others eat it warm.

Tastes great with gumbo and / or bbq. That's how we do it Louisiana style...

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.

Israeli Couscous

*adapted from Amanda's apron

Ingredients
1 Tbsp EVOO or coconut oil
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1 1/4 c vegetable broth
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 tsp white pepper
dash curry
2-3 bay leaves
2/3 c Israeli / pearl couscous
1/2 c coconut milk
1/4 c fresh parsley

Directions
1. Heat oil, then add onion, carrot, garlic, bell pepper. Saute until carrots are soft but not browned.
2. Stir in broth and seasonings (except bay leaves and parsley). Increase heat to boil, then add couscous and bay leaves.
3. Reduce heat to medium-lo again, cover, and cook about 8 minutes. Once cooked, stir in coconut milk and parsley. Serve hot and garnish with parmesan if desired.

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.

Beanless Chili

Ingredients
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
5 cloves garlic, diced/minced
1/2 jalepeno, seeded and diced
2 lbs organic grass fed beef
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 box Pomi diced tomatoes/ 1-2 cans diced tomatoes
30 oz tomato sauce
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp cinnamon (no more!!)

Directions
1. Saute onions, peppers, garlic, jalepeno in coconut oil until onions translucent. Add beef and season. Brown meat.
2. Once meat is brown, add in brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, cinnamon. Simmer about 30-45 min. Taste and re-season as needed.

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 ;)

Stovetop Lemon Chicken (Healthy, Eat Clean, Paleo)

Ingredients

1 Tbsp coconut oil
6 organic Chicken breast tenders
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tsp thyme
juice of 1 lemon

Directions
1. Season meat with salt, pepper, thyme.
2. Heat oil in pot over medium. Add chicken. Stir in lemon.
3. Cook on medium heat for approximately 5 minutes per side, more or less depending on thickness.

Coconut Shrimp

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 can coconut milk
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp ginger root, peeled, minced
1 Tbsp lime juice
basil, sea salt and pepper to taste



Directions
1. Place shrimp into saucepan with coconut milk, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper
2. Bring to boil, stirring frequently.
3. Reduce heat to simmer, cook uncovered 15 min, stirring frequently.
4. Stir in lime juice and basil to taste (I used about 1/4 Tbsp dry basil)

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.

Sauteed Kale

Ingredients

1 lb kale

2 cloves garlic

1 Tbsp EVOO

1/2  c water

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Directions

1. Heat EVOO in large saucepan over med hi. Add garlic and cook to fragrant, but not colored.

2. Add water and kale. Toss to combine. Increase heat and cover. Cook for 5 minutes

3. Remove cover and continue to cook until liquid evaporated. Season to taste. Add vinegar if desired.

Paleo Murgh Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)

Ingredients
Coconut oil
1lb chicken, organic, cut into chunks
2 tsp paprika
2tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
6 bruised cardamon pods
1/4 tsp cloves
1 can tomato puree
1 can coconut milk
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Direction
1. Heat pan and add 1 Tbsp coconut oil. Add chicken and cook until done, then remove from pot.
2. Add another Tbsp oil and slowly heat spices for about 1 min, until fragrant.
3. Return chicken to pan and stir to mix with spices. Add tomatoes and simmer about 15 minutes, stirring as needed.
4. Add coconut milk and lemon juice and simmer another 5 minutes. Enjoy

*I served this over cauliflower rice

Taco Soup

A paleo version of an old favorite!

1 lb organic, grassfed ground beef
1 red onion, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
3 cans stewed tomatoes or about 6 fresh tomatoes, diced
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can diced green chills
1 1/2 c water
2 zucchini, sliced or diced
2 carrots, sliced or diced
1 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tbsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Brown ground beef.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add onions, bell peppers, garlic and sauté until onions translucent/soft.
2. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer, about 30 minutes or more until all vegetables are at desired texture.  Retaste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Garnish with avocado slices as desired.