Paleo Coconut Maroons with Dark Chocolate

Paleo coconut macaroons with dark chocolate 

Makes: 55 small macaroons 

Ingredients
½ cup organic cane sugar or coconut sugar or maple syrup
¼ cup water
¼ cup coconut milk
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 ½ cups unsweetened coconut
1 egg white
¼ cup dark chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a pan, heat the sugar, water, coconut milk, and salt on medium heat.

Allow the mixture to come to a medium simmer and cook for 5 minutes. The mixture should look white and bubbly and be slightly less thick than maple syrup but more than than water.

Add 1½ cups of coconut to a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the warm sugar coconut water and stir the coconut.

Stir in the egg white followed by the remaining coconut until well mixed.

Using a small cookie scoop or melon baller, firmly pack the scoop with the coconut mixture and place on a baking sheet lined with a silicon mat or parchment paper.

Bake for 15 minutes until the outside shell is crispy to the touch and the tips of a nice light golden brown.

Remove the sheet from the oven and allow the macaroons to cool for 30 minutes.
White the macaroons are cooling, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir the chips and if needed, microwave again for 15 seconds.

Drizzle the chocolate over the macaroons.

Allow the macaroons to completely cool before serving.

Recipe adapted from: http://savorysweetlife.com/2013/03/dark-chocolate-coconut-macaroons/

Spaghetti Squash Carbonara with Shrimp

Ingredients:

1/2 pound large defined peeled shrimp 

1 small spaghetti squash

1/2 cup of peas

2 eggs - 1 whole, 1 yolk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 stick of butter, melted

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Pinch of cayenne

2 slices of bacon, cooked, grease reserved

1 large clove of garlic, minced

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 and cut your spaghetti squash in half. Place cut side up on a baking sheet for 45-60 minutes until fork tender.

In the meantime, cook your bacon, keeping the grease in the pan. Sautée your shrimp in the bacon grease until lightly pink, not cooked all the way through. Reserve. 

Adding your minced garlic and cook until soft and fragrant. Cut the heat.

Warm your frozen peas in water over low heat until warmed through. Strain.

Add cooked shrimp, peas and crumbled bacon to cooled pan containing garlic.

Take a blender and add in egg and egg yolk, the juice of half a lemon, a pinch of cayenne pepper and salt and pepper, then start blending on low, while slowly drizzling in the melted butter. When complete, pour mixture into a bowl and stir in the grated cheese.

When spaghetti squash is done it will be fork tender. 

Taking a fork, scoop out the inside into long "noodles". Warm pan and add in the spaghetti squash. Once everything has warmed up again, cut the heat and sir in the egg/cheese mixture.

Serve with more grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Pumpkin Pie with Grain-Free Graham Cracker Crust

Pumpkin Pie with grain-free graham cracker crust
Makes: 1 pie plus extra graham crackers

Graham Cracker Crust Ingredients:

2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup golden flaxseed meal
6 Tbsp coconut sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cream of tarter
1/2 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla



Instructions:
Preheat oven to 250 F.
In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, flaxseed meal, brown "sugar" (or coconut sugar), cinnamon, cream of tarter, and salt.



Add the coconut oil and mix to combine.Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until thoroughly combine and the dough comes together.

Repeat with the other half of the dough, using a separate cookie sheet.
Bake for 40 minutes and increase the temperature to 350 F and bake for another 2-5 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Add in 1 egg yolk and 4 tablespoons of melted butter to a bowl, stirring to combine. 

  

Tear two pieces of parchment paper the size of a cookie sheet.
Lay one piece of parchment onto the counter an place half the dough on the parchment.

Top with another piece of parchment and roll the dough out into an even layer (about 1/4" thick).

Using a pizza cutter, score the dough to make cracker shapes. Using the dull end of skewer poke 11-12 evenly spaced holes into each cracker. Transfer the parchment paper to a cookie sheet.

Repeat with the other half of the dough, using a separate cookie sheet.
Bake for 40 minutes and increase the temperature to 350 F and bake for another 2-5 minutes until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.


Recipe from: Grain Free Graham Crackers
Net Carb Count*: 5.87 g net carbs (for 1/4 cup serving)--makes about 4 cups
Total Carb Count: 7.99 g total carbs (for 1/4 cup serving)

Pumpkin Pie Crust:

Take half of your graham crackers and pulse until a fine crumb. 

 

Then take 1 cup of pecan halves and pulse until a fine crumb.

 

Press into a pie pan, coming up the sides of the pan.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

Ingredients:

1 28 oz can of organic pumpkin
2 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon 

Position one rack in the bottom of an oven and another rack in the middle and preheat to 350°F. 

On a rimmed baking sheet, toast the pecans on the middle rack until fragrant and lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Pour onto a plate to cool, then finely grind in a food processor; take care not to overprocess them. 
In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, beat together the butter and granulated sugar until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg yolk and flaky sea salt. Add the ground pecans and the 1 1/4 cups flour and stir, working the dry ingredients into the butter mixture by smearing it against the sides of the bowl, until the dough comes together in large, shaggy clumps. 
On a lightly floured work surface, press the dough into a mound and knead until it just comes together. Press the dough into a flat disk, then transfer to a 9-inch pie dish. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the dish. Use the bottom of a metal measuring cup dipped in flour to smooth and even out the dough. Crimp the edges with the tines of a fork, then freeze the pie shell for 30 minutes. 
Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt and process until smooth. Add the pumpkin purée, buttermilk and whole eggs and process until combined. 
Place the frozen pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the filling into the shell and bake on the middle oven rack for 30 minutes. Remove the pie from the baking sheet and transfer directly to the lower oven rack. Bake until the center jiggles only slightly when the pie is tapped, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let cool completely on a wire rack. 

To serve, cut into wedges and top with whipped cream. Serves 8.

Paleo sweet potato casserole

Paleo sweet potato casserole
Serves: 10-12+



Makes 12 servings
4 large sweet potatoes
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
juice of half an orange
Pecan topping
3/4 cup chopped raw pecans
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp melted butter

Instructions:


1. Bake your sweet potatoes in the oven at 375 for 45-60 minutes until they are fork tender.

2. After they have cooled, take the skin and remove it.
3.  Place cubed potatoes into your stand mixer and add in all the other ingredients. Using the mixer, blend until potatoes reach desired consistency and flavor. (You may like to add a little more coconut milk, spices, or syrup based on your taste.)

4. In a small bowl, combine all topping ingredients until pecans are well coated.
5. Dump sweet potatoes into an oven safe dish and top with pecan mixture.

6. Bake in preheated oven until topping is browned–about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Scratch made Green Bean Casserole

Scratch made Green Bean Casserole

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients:

2 lbs. fresh green beans - steamed 

1/2 package mushrooms, sliced

1/2 onion, diced small

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup chicken or turkey stock (RECIPE)

1/2 cup sour cream

4 tablespoons flour of choice

2 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 grated parmesan

1 large onion for (ONION TANGLERS)

Instructions:

Place 2 tablespoons butter into a large pot or skillet. Add in mushrooms and cook down until soft. Add in onion and garlic and cook for several minutes. 

Then add in the flour and whisk until combined. Add in your warm stock and heavy cream and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer as it thickens. Check seasoning.

Steam or boil your green beans until they are soft.

Add into your pot along with your shredded cheeses, soy sauce and sour cream. 

Stir to combine and add to a 9x13 baking dish.

Top with your onion tanglers (recipe) or french fried onions and bake at 350 for 20 minutes until bubbly and browned on top.