Chocolate Nut Crunch

I found this paleo recipe online when I was hunting for a sweet treat!  This is a perfect snack!

2 cups raw nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc.)

-Slightly break down in a food processor until broken into smaller chunks
-Pour into a large bowl

3 T butter
1/4 cup raw honey
Sprinkle Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 T Raw Cocoa Powder
Sprinkle cinnamon

-Melt butter and honey together over low-medium heat.
-Add sea salt, vanilla, cocoa powder and cinnamon
-Whisk together into a chocolatey sauce.
-Pour the sauce over the broken down nuts and mix together thoroughly
-Spread the chocolatey mixture on a baking sheet
-Bake at 200 degrees for 3.5 hours
-Let cool completely and then remove from pan and break into pieces (I dare you to try and get it put away before everyone eats it all)!

Grain-Free Pizza

 We have been eating mostly grain-free for the past month and I have been craving pizza, so I found a few paleo recipes online and modified it to fit our needs and likes (we are still doing raw cheese and some beans so not full paleo).

Crust:
3 organic eggs
3 T olive oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1-2 tsp. italian seasonings (my blend has basil, oregano, garlic, etc.)-make sure there are no msg
1 cup almond meal/flour
1/4 cup coconut flour

Mix together well.  The dough will be wet and a bit tough to spread.  Spread carefully on a baking stone and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Then remove from oven and add toppings.

Toppings:
Sliced chicken sausages
Sliced mushrooms
Diced tomatoes
Diced fresh basil
Organic, sugar free pizza sauce (or make your own)
Raw, organic cheese

Add toppings and bake for another 15-20 minutes, I broiled for the last 5 minutes to crisp up the toppings.  Enjoy!

The finished product!!  It was tasty and filling, but did not leave any of us with belly aches!

Pecan Crunch Banana Cake

My family and I are going mostly grain-free with out eating for a while so I have been on the hunt for some new recipes.  I got this one from civilizedcavemancooking.com and it was so tasty!  My husband has also requested for me to make it again next week for him to take to share with his workout buddies!

Cake:
3 mashed bananas
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup raw MILA chia seed
1/4 cup coconut flour
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon

Cinnamon Swirl:
3 Tbsp. raw honey
2 Tbsp. cinnamon

Crunchy Topping:
1/8 cup 100% pure maple syrup
2/3 cup raw pecans chopped or whole

1.  Use a  hand mixer to mix the cake ingredients until well combined.  Pour thick batter into an 8 x 8 pyrex/glass container.
2.  In a separate bowl, whisk the raw honey and 2 T cinnamon together and drizzle on top of batter in pan.  Swirl however you want!
3.  Place cake in the over and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, taking out after 15 minutes to add the candied pecans.
4.  While the cake is starting to bake, saute' the raw pecans (walnuts would also be great) in the maple syrup for 5-6 minutes on medium heat stirring often-BEWARE NOT TO EAT THEM ALL BEFORE YOU PUT THEM ON THE CAKE!
5.  After 15 minutes of baking, pull out the cake and sprinkle the candied pecans on top of the cake and then finish baking for 15-20 more minutes or until knife/toothpick comes out clean.
6.  Let sit for 30 minutes before cutting and serving.

At our house, this started as a snack, and the next day we had it for breakfast!  Enjoy!

Easy Fruit Salad

This is a simple fruit salad recipe that you can whip up in five minutes. It's perfect for a potluck, picnic, or just to have for a snack that is a little different than plain fruit. I have also done this as a fresh side item with a big Thanksgiving or Easter Dinner.

8 cups cup up fruit (I usually do granny smith apples, strawberries, grapes, pineapple, blueberries, and oranges, but you could do any fruit you like)

1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup water
2 drops of peppermint extract (just to make it a little different but you could omit)
Optional*Tbsp raw honey to sweeten*

1. Whisk together the juices and then add fresh fruit and mix well.
2. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Just writing this makes me think that maybe I should make some of this to snack on this weekend! Enjoy!

Rosemary Apple Roasted Chicken

I was looking for a new way to roast my chicken, while still keeping it moist and tasty! This was full of flavor and so simple.

1 whole roasting chicken
1 handful fresh rosemary
1-2 granny smith apples
olive/grapeseed oil
balsamic vinegar
salt/pepper
1 cup water

1. Rinse the chicken and place in roasting pan.
2. Pour 1 cup water into pan.
3. Drizzle chicken with oil and balsamic vinegar.
4. Season with Salt and Pepper and sprinkle fresh rosemary on top and inside the chicken.
5. Cut up apples and surround the chicken with apple slices.
6. Roast at 350 degrees for approximately 90 minutes (basting once midway through to keep moisture in).

I served this with roasted sweet potato fries and steamed vegetables, but it would also be super tasty with a side salad of some sort. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Banana Bread (another recipe)

Banana Bread is a fan favorite in our household, and today I was cleaning out my cupboards and make a batch of super yummy stuff!

5 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 cup raw honey (agave or raw sugar would also work)
2 organic, eggs
3 mashed, ripe bananas

-Combine wet ingredients. Then add:

1 3/4 cup flour mixture (pamela's gluten-free baking mix would work also)
*1/2 cup almond flour
*1/2 cup brown right flour
*1/2 cup coconut flour
*1/4 cup MILA chia seed
1 tsp. baking soda (omit if you are using baking mix since that is included then)
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Mix together well and place into bread loaf pan (I used a mini loaf pan) and cook at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until a knife comes clean. This got a bit brown and crispy on top but stayed moist in the center-I loved it! Enjoy!

Tri-Berry Muffins

Growing up, my dad used to make these super yummy tri-berry muffins but as I changed the way we eat, I realized that these are not at all healthy (I thought they were all those years)-lots of sugar, white flour, etc. So, I tweaked a recipe to make some healthy, high fiber muffins

6 eggs
1/3 cup oil (olive, coconut, grapeseed)
1/3 cup raw, organic honey (agave would also work)
2 tsp. vanilla

*Whisk together until completely combined. Then add:

1/2 cup organic coconut flour
1 scoop MILA chia seed
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. sea salt

*Continue Whisking together until well combined and there are no lumps.

*Then, fold in 1 cup (I actually ended up putting in about 1.5 cups) of fresh or frozen berries (I used blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries but you could try any combination)

*Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes and enjoy! These were gooey and fruity!