Applesauce - Paleo & 21 Day Sugar Detox Compliant

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I love applesauce!  It's one of the many memories I have of learning to cook and bake with my mom.  Of course, we used to go apple picking and then come home and can several jars for the winter.  An awesome thing about making the sauce is that there's no need for sweeteners.  When I made this, it didn't make it to the next day!  If you're interested in canning, I recommend checking out the pickyourown.org website as it explains the process well.  I've linked to the water bath canning process which is what I always use and you don't need to add gels or sealers so long as you use the right jars and lids.   

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs of apples (Gala & Fuji work great, but use green apples for 21 DSD)
• Water
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Peel apples.  I like to use the Norpro apple peeler instead of a paring knife to peel and slice the apples. Ever since I switched, it has saved me so much time!  As the apples are sliced place them into a cooking pot.  Once you have all the apples, add 1/4 - 1/2 inch of water at the bottom of the pot.  Cook the apples and water over medium heat for approximately 30 minutes, though this depends on how full the pot is (i.e. bigger pot with less apples will cook faster).  Check on them at 15 minutes, stir, and add the cinnamon.  Continue to let cook if the apples are not soft and mushy.  If you want the apples to stay crispier, let cook for less time.  Once the apples are softened, mash with a potato masher until a chunky sauce consistency.  

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Toasted Paleo Sandwich - with bread and everything!

I've never been a sandwich person, but sometimes I just miss them!  So...I decided to figure out how to make bread and created a sandwich!

Paleo Toasted Sandwich

Leftover pot roast, tomato, and avocado on homemade bread! 

White Bread Recipe

2 cups Cassava flour

4 eggs

1 cup water

1/4 cup coconut vinegar

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix ingredients together.  Bake for 1 hour or until knife comes out clean.  Bread is best cold or toasted

Paleo Pad Thai

Wow...life has been incredibly stressful!  Normally, I would cope with the stress with wine and chocolate.  Healthy right?  I know...not really.  I almost broke down with a glass of wine, but I maintained my commitment and denied myself.  It feels really healthy though to no longer be addicted to chocolate and default to alcohol as a coping option.  One of my biggest rewards of this 30 day cleanse is being released from my addiction to sugar and chocolate.  I actually found a leftover Lindor Truffle...my fave.... and I just threw it in the freezer and forgot about it!  Seriously...who is this person?!  

So tonight, Michelle & I were both exhausted and just could not get ourselves to our running group.  Shame on us! Instead, we went to the grocery store and made dinner.  What this led to was deliciousness!  My craving when I go out is Pad Thai with peanut sauce, but that's not very healthy, nor is it Paleo.  I also struggle to get in my vegetables so tonight's dinner was an awesome way to not feel like I'm eating veggies when I am!

 

Paleo Pad Thai

Noodles:

1 TB Olive Oil

1 Tsp. Sesame Oil

2 Zucchinis

1 Medium Sweet Potato

Sunny Sauce:

1/3 Cup Sunbutter 

1 TB Honey

1 Tsp. Arrowroot Flour

2 Tb. Sunflower Oil

1 Tsp. Water

1 TB Sesame Oil

1/2 TB Coconut Aminos

Meat:

2 Chicken Breasts

1 TB Olive Oil

1 Tsp. Garlic Powder

1 Tsp. Ginger

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Lay a paper towel on a an 11X13 or larger baking sheet.   Spiral the zucchini and lay flat on the paper towel.  Add another layer of paper towels and blot.  Spiral the sweet potato and lay flat on top on the paper towel that is covering the zucchini.  Add a layer of paper towel to the top of the sweet potato. Set aside.

Mix the sunny sauce ingredients in a blender.  I used our Magic Bullet to mix it up.  I made the sauce fairly thick, so feel free to thin it out by leaving out the arrowroot flour or adding more water.

Cut the chicken into strips and then in half.  Heat up the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Once heated, add the chicken (be careful about splattering) and sprinkle with the spices.  Cooking, turning occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through.

While the chicken is cooking, cook up the noodles.  Heat a pan on high with the olive oil.  Once the oil is heated, add the noodles.  Then, add the sesame oil.  Let cook for about 5 minutes or until softened. 

Once everything is cooked, layer the noodles, then the chicken, and then the sauce.  Add sesame seeds as a garnish.  Enjoy!

Meatloaf

Michelle loves meatloaf.  However, I've never been a huge fan of it, especially when it has ketchup on it.  My mom would make it, I would whine a little, and then scrape off the ketchup and eat it because my mom always said she wasn't a short order cook and I could make my own dinner if I didn't like it.  Yeah, right...I'm not making my own dinner...I'll just eat this and whine about it.  I wish I could say my taste for meatloaf changed as an adult, but it didn't.  Ironically, I LOVE meatballs.  Well, I thawed out 2 lbs. of our grass-fed ground beef for meatballs and then didn't have time to make them.  I told myself, I'm not going to let this food go to waste and spoil, but I need something else to make.  Lo and behold, an easy option is meatloaf.  It also makes Michelle happy which is an important aspect of any meal.  Guess what?! I think it’s pretty tasty too.  Win!

So here's tonight's meal!

Meatloaf:

·      2lb grass fed ground beef

·      1/2 cup tomato sauce

·      2 eggs

·      1 1/2 cups almond flour

·      2 teaspoon dried basil

·      2 teaspoon dried thyme

·      2 teaspoon dried parsley

·      Salt and pepper, to taste

·      2 tsp. garlic

·      2 tsp. oregano

Sauce:

·      2 cups tomato sauce

·      1 Tb. garlic

·      1 Tb. oregano

·      1 Tb. basil

·      2 Tb. honey

·      1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1.     Mix up the eggs, spices, and tomato sauce.  Add the flour and mix well.  Add the beef and combine with your hands until 1 consistent mixture

2.     Spread mixture into 2 loaf pans or 1 loaf pans and a 12 muffin pan

3.     Cook for 35 minutes at 350 degrees

4.     While meatloaf is cooking, cook up the sauce.  Add all ingredients together and bring to a soft boil.  Let simmer for 5 minutes on low and covered.  

5.     When the meat has been cooking for 25 minutes, add the sauce to the muffins and loaf.  

6.     Let finish cooking until sauce has solidified and crusted.

Chicken Fingers & Potatoes - Kid friendly

So sometimes I like to eat like a kid.  I have a history of being a picky eater and as much as I try to fight it, it just doesn't always work.  One of my favorites was chicken fingers and fries, which would seem like something I can no longer eat.  However, I'm not a fan of using Paleo as an excuse to whine about not being able to eat my favorite foods.  I just need to figure out an alternative.  And last night's was pretty tasty!  

This was not me last night!

Chicken Fingers

2 lbs. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

2 eggs

2 cups almond flour (or meal)

1 Tb. dried thyme

1/2 c. unsweetened shredded coconut 

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. cinnamon

Place a piece of aluminum foil on a cookie sheet/baking pan and grease the foil.  Set oven to 425 degrees

• Cut the chicken into strips
• Break the 2 eggs into a bowl and mix up
• Combine the remaining ingredients on a plate

Cut the chicken into strips, dip the strips in the eggs and then roll the egg washed chicken in the breading mixture.  Place the breaded chicken on the prepared baking pan.  Cook in the oven for 15 minutes, turn over and then cook for another 15 minutes.  If cooking with the potatoes, put the chicken on the lower rack.  

Add a side of Paleo-approved dijon mustard, local raw honey, or combine the two for a delicious honey dijon dipping sauce!

Sweet Potato Fries

2 Medium Sweet Potatoes

1-2 Tb. Olive Oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika (optional)

Wash up and cut the potatoes in to slices.  You can peel them if you'd like, but I generally don't.  Put potato slices in bowl with oil, salt, pepper, and paprika.  Toss to coat.  Feel free to adjust amounts of spices, as taste is a personal preference.  I'm not a huge salt person so I tend to use lesser amounts.  

Place on a baking sheet that is covered in aluminum foil.  Bake in 425 oven for 15 minutes, flip and then cook for another 15 minutes.  If cooking with the chicken, place potatoes on the middle upper rack.  

The great thing is, you can cook these two items together at the same temp and for the same time.  Enjoy!