Just wanted to share my perfect Monday breakfast!

Sunday Morning Breakfast by JenC

Sunday mornings are my favorite! I get to sleep in and take all the leftovers from the fridge and make a huge breakfast. This is plate number 1. One fried egg, beef patty with cilantro, and Applegate Farms bacon. Next up....HUGE salad with dressing. 

Dinner Tonight by JenC

Tonight was a tilapia filet, 1/2 link of Applegate farms sausage, and left over sautéed peppers.

I started the tilapia filet with olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, and a small amount of lemon juice. In the same pan I threw in 1/2 link of sausage. After everything was cooked I used left over cooked peppers from last night and threw them in the pan as well. 10 minutes later a great dinner!

Pineapple Chicken by JenC

I hate chicken. But I am on a serious budget- so nasty bird it is. Things are different tonight! I was starring at the raw nasty bird and decided I was going to make this something I could eat. It worked!!!

Jen's Pineapple Glaze Chicken

In a mixer blend:

fresh pineapple
cinnamon
coconut oil
lemon juice
one drop honey

Mix and pour all over chicken

Cook and eat!

Portabella Side by JenC

I know I have posted this before, but well worth another. I mostly have protein readily available when it comes to dinner. The veggie is always what keeps me standing in front of the fridge starring. Portabella's are less than 5 minutes and super filling.

1. Wash throughly
2. Drizzle olive oil, then salt and pepper on the gills.
3. On a medium hot pan sauté in olive oil and cover with a pan. It should get pretty hot!

It will start to shrink a bit after a couple of minutes. When you see that turn the fire off and let it sit with the lid on it and soak up the oil. For extra goodness,  add 5 drops of worcestershire sauce.

Takoba

I ventured to a new spot with my sister and roomie for Sunday brunch. Cute, quaint place on the east side. It is located on E. 7th St & Onion.

Takoba

There is outside patio seating, which is perfect for the SunGoddess in me, and then indoors for anyone who prefers to stay cool from the TX heat.

I ordered the De Salmon Torta with my own substitutions. I did without the bread and instead had the salmon and 2 poached eggs over a bed of spinach with shredded red onion and jicama. I put the garlic-caper cream cheese on the side and ate some of it with my meal. The guacamole was awesome, and I definitely enjoyed their variety of salsa with chips.



Holler! Coach Showout Megan Parsons

Brussels for Breakfast

Who says you can't have brussel sprouts for breakfast? Not this girl. I threw a piece of bacon in the skillet, let it cook for a sec, then threw on 3 eggs. In another pan I sauteed brussel sprouts, bacon, and garlic. Topped the eggs with the veggie mix and BAM--- yummy breakfast.


Holler! Coach Showout Megan Parsons

Cod With Bacon and Creamy Fennel by Jess

Ingredients:
3 cod fillets
1 lg. fennel bulb, sliced
2/3 cup coconut milk
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1T grainy mustard
salt/pepper to taste
4 slices nitrate free Applewood smoked bacon, cut into 1/2 pieces

Cooking Steps

1. Heat a large skillet over a medium heat and cook the bacon pieces until it starts to crisp-up.
2. Remove the bacon from the skillet and set aside.
3. Add the fennel wedges to the hot skillet with the rendered bacon fat.
4. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and cook for about 7 minutes, until slightly browned, while stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in the chicken stock, coconut milk, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and simmer, partially covered, for about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
6. In the mean time, season the fish to taste with salt and pepper, heat a pan over a medium-high heat and cook the fish in the remaining cooking fat until just cooked through.
7. Add back the bacon pieces to the cooked fennel as well as the mustard and serve on top of the cooked cod.

Delicious and only takes about 35 minutes!

A little post-dinner treat by JenC

YUM. Bacon wrapped dates. I got this from Ingrid, a fellow bacon lover.

Cut a thin Applegate farms bacon in two. Wrap it around a date. ( i cut the seed out easily). Cook in the oven at 400 for 15.

DONE.

For extra..dip in almond butter and eat. AMAZING. Its small and filling.

Breakfast- Out Again by JenC

So my old favorite post 20 mile run breakfast place- MAGNOLIA'S on Lake Austin Blvd.  I would lay a towel down in the chair with my run group ( sweaty running butts ) and go to town on a whole wheat pancake with a quart of syrup. Top it off with a gallon of Orange juice...to get the vitamin C.

Now a days- Crossfit Jen eats the T-Rex omelet, no cheese, salsa, avocado, with a little banana on the side along with bacon. Times have changed but the food hasn't. Its still great and they make it any way you want!

Austin Land and Cattle by JenC

Folks, I just have not been cooking! Its awful! Our house is under construction and now eat out every night. I am not happy about it, but know it will pay off once the house is done. What won't pay off is the extra bloat and too much wine ( or just enough :)) from the restaurants. On a positive note this has been a great time to find paleo or gluten free places to eat and share with you. Here is the first one you need to try.

Austin Land and Cattle

Positives: 

• all meat is grass fed
• family owned
• no protein is served with dairy products all over it
• vegetables can come steamed with no butter- if you ask
• sweet potato fries
• awesome wine by the bottle list
• incredible HUGE spinach salad- and with all spinach, no white crap lettuce- comes with big fresh bacon and topped off with a bacon dressing 

Negatives:

• parking- few and far between
• wines are not that great on the glass list. ( personal taste )
• Appetizers are hard because a lot is fried or has mystery sauces.

I had the salmon with sauce on the side, and veggies. Overall this place is an 8 out of 10. I highly recommend my fellow paleo foragers to go here and grub!

Afternoon Top-Off

Afternoon Top-Off

Coach Karen

The Paleo Diet Cookbook

Trying to keep on top of your glycogen stores for that second workout of the day? Eating real food in place of a prepackaged product will keep you on top of your game. serves 1

1 banana

4 egg whties

Ground nutmeg to taste

pinch of salt

Slice banana into 1-inch pieces and combine with egg whtie in a small bowl. Sprinkle with nutmeg and salg. Should be eaten one hour before working out.

Pork Chili Verde

Pork Chili Verde via Swole Foods Blog
Posted by: Jess Clark

1 5 pound pork shoulder, ideally bone-in
1 teaspoon each cumin and fennel seeds
10-15 tomatillos
1 large onion, quartered
5 cloves of garlic, peeled
3-5 jalapenos, stems removed but left whole
2 limes
1 bunch cilantro
Garnish: diced avocado, sliced radish, lime wedges

Preheat oven to 325. In a Dutch oven, heat a couple tablespoons of oil over high heat. Pat the pork dry and season all over with salt, pepper, cumin, and fennel. Brown on all sides until golden, about 3-4 minutes per side. Leave the pork in the pan, fat side up. Scatter tomatillos, onion, garlic, and jalapenos around the sides, and toss them around so they get some pork fat on them. Squeeze two limes over the whole thing. Cover and pop in the oven for 2-3 hours, until the meat is ultra-tender and falls apart when you poke it with tongs. Take the meat out and put it on a plate. Grab the cilantro leaves in one hand and the stems in the other and twist to separate. Add the leaves to the pot and discard the stems.

Using a blender, blend the vegetables very carefully in batches, only filling the carafe 1/3 full and holding the blender lid down with a pot mitt or kitchen towel. Season with salt and bring to a simmer. Thin with water if desired, but the texture should be about right. Shred the pork and return it to the pot; let it heat through.

Serve with diced avocado, sliced radishes, and lime wedges on the side. Yum!

Almond Crackers by Coach Megan Parsons

YUM. Crunchy. Delish.The perfect treat to a protein packed meal. I paired mine with ceviche and kale. My sister even thought of substituting the oregano for cinnamon if you were looking for a different flavor.


FOCUS: Just like the saying for Lay's potato chips-- You can't eat just one. You've been warned.



Almond Crackers-

Ingredients:
2 cups almond flour
2TB olive oil
1ts baking soda
1-2TB oregano (I used 2TB)
3TB water


Directions:
Mix all ingredients together with wet hands. Flatten dough on thin baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use knife or pizza cutter to slice into squares if you want them to look nice. I just broke mine up into small pieces after they were baked. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until brown.

French Fries...almost....by JenC

I wanted some salty fries tonight! So I busted out the potato peeler and made some rutabaga fries. A rutabaga is a cross between a cabbage and a turnip. It tastes amazing as fries or mashed. 

Olive oil, salt, pepper, and cooked for an hour at 425. What a treat!

Chorizo and Almond Crusted Halibut

Ladies and Gentlemen may I present to you the answer to all your last minute dinner dilemmas....

It is no secret that I love all things Mark Sisson.  I haven't found a recipe I don't like, and I have made plenty.  This is his latest book with meals that can be made in 30 minutes or less.  The recipe calls for halibut, but I chose to use the "poor man's" fish; tilapia.  If you can afford halibut, I'm sure it would be even more delicious!

Time in the kitchen: 25 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

-1/2 c. (about 2 oz.) roughly chopped Spanish chorizo

- 1/4 c. blanched almonds with no skin

- 1 Tbsp. roughly chopped parsley

- 2 skinned halibut fillets (in my case, tilapia) about 1/2 pound each

How to:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2) In a blender (or food processor), blend the chorizo, almonds, and parsley until almonds are in small pieces

3) Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of a pan and set the fish on top.  Spoon the chorizo mixture on top of the fish, patting it down so it sticks as much as possible and the sides are partially covered.

4) Roast in the oven for 12 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.  To finish, turn the oven broiler to high and broil for 2-4 minutes until the nuts are lightly browned.

This recipe can be found on page 125-126 of the Primal Blueprint: Quick & Easy Meals cookbook.

Rebound Power Breakfast

Rebound Power Breakfast

Coach Karen

The Paleo Diet Cookbook

Eating a meal high in protein after a kill strength workout will allow you to reap the greatest benefit from all your hard work. serves 2

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

8 omega 3 eggs

1 small tomato, diced

2 scallions, diced

1 teaspoon dried basil

4 ounces Roasted Turkey Breast, diced

Cayenne Pepper, to taste

Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium flam. Beat eggs in a small bowl with a wire whisk. Pour into skillet and cook for 2 mins, lifting up edges with a plastic spatula every thirty seconds. Add tomato, scallions, basil, and cooked turkey. Fold over, cover and cook for 2 ins. Cut in half and slide onto 2 plates. Season with pepper to taste.

Post-Workout Banana-Coconut Whip

Post-Workout Banana-Coconut Whip

Coach Karen

The Paleo Diet Cookbook

A great option for a post, short Session workout, this tasty treat is quick and easy to prepare. Enjoy post-workout to restore your potassium levels and refuel your tank. serves 2

2 large, very ripe (spotty) bananas

1 scoop egg white protein powder

4 teaspoons natural flaked coconut

Freshly ground nutmeg, to taste

Puree bananas in a food processor until smooth. Add half of the egg white powder and puree, then add the remaining powder. Puree all ingredients until well blended. Top with coconut and nutmeg to taste!

Bison Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

1 Large Bell Pepper 

1/2 Finley Chopped Onion

1/4-1/3 pound Ground Bison

1 Teaspoon Oregano

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Instructions

Preheat Oven to 400 Degrees

- Slice off top of bell pepper and scoop out seeds

- Over bell pepper with foil and place in oven Bake for 5-7 min till soft

- While Peppers are in oven saute onions in olive oil, then add bison and oregano breaking the meat into small pieces cook for 5 min till bison is slightly still pink. Season to taste.

- Turn oven to broil - spoon meat into the pepper and pressing meat down till the pepper is full as possible

Thanks Diane for the GREAT Recipe you made from The Primal BluePrint Cookbook by Mark Sisson!!!!!!!!

Roasty Toasty Beets with Hazelnuts

Roasty Toasty Beets with Hazelnuts

Coach Karen

The Paleo Diet Cookbook

Fresh beets are very tasty. Roasting this root vegetable brings out its flavor, which is further enhanced by the delectable hazelnut finish. serves 4

1 bunch beets, leaves removed and beets quartered

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 garlic clove, pressed

2 tablespoons chopped roasted hazelnuts (filberts)

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to broil. Toss beat with olive oil, basil, and garlic in a glass or ceramic baking dish. Broil for 30mins, stirring once at the halfway point. Top with roasted hazelnuts and pepper. I'm learning to eat beets. When buying this item at the grocery store, I must have had an odd look on my face because I ended up having an interesting conversation with a gentlemen who informed me he uses the leaves in his juicer! Enjoy!

Acorn Squash with Coconut Butter by JenC

This is a great side dish! It goes with anything, easy to cook, and easy to keep for leftovers. Its even great cold.

• Cut the acorn squash in half- scoop out loose pieces and seeds
• wrap in foil- nothing on it
• cook for 45 min at 400- or until soft
• the last five minutes its in the oven scoop a big spoonful of coconut butter in the middle. Turn the oven off and let it sit

SO GOOD!

Yummy Brussels Sprouts Dish

If you love brussels sprouts as much as I do, you'll enjoy this delicious recipe. I like to serve it with braised chicken thighs or chicken & apple sausage links. Yum!

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 pound shallots, thinly sliced
Coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup water

Preparation:
Melt 3 tablespoons coconut oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and pepper. Sauté until soft and golden, about 10 mins. Add vinegar. Stir until brown and glazed, about 3 mins.
Halve brussels sprouts lengthwise. Cut lengthwise into thin (1/8-inch) slices. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sprouts; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until brown at edges, 6 mins. Add 1 cup water. Sauté until most of water evaporates and sprouts are tender but still bright green, 3 mins. Add shallots; season with salt and pepper. Yield 8 servings.
Posted By: Jess Clark

Crock Pot Chicken by JenC

I was just introduced to this "crock pot" with a free one given to me by a friend/client. How I have lived before, I am not sure.

I bought a whole chicken fryer from whole foods. I threw it in the pot with olive oil, random spices, and one half an onion.

Went to a meeting, got a massage, got home and it was DONE!  3.6 hours on low heat and it was the best chicken I have had in a while.

Butternut Squash Pancakes by Coach Megan Parsons

I wanted to mix it up one weekend morning for breakfast so I took a combination of Zucchini Pancakes and Coach Crystal Nelson's Butternut Squash hashbrowns and made my very own Butternut Squash pancakes.

Ingredients:
1 cup of butternut squash
2 eggs
2 tsp coconut flour
Salt & pepper

Directions: I peeled the butternut squash with a potato peeler. Sliced it in pieces small enough to fit in a food processor and used the shredding part of the food processor to thinly slice the butternut squash. DO NOT food process or it is one big mush. You will have plenty left over to use throughout the week for other meals. Mix all ingredients together. Pour in a skillet greased with coconut oil or ghee and BAM-- yummy pancakes. I paired mine with bacon or chicken sausage.

Flatiron Steak on Autumn Greens

I'm horrible when it comes to grilling; mostly because I don't practice using it nor take lessons from my husband.  If you happen to be like myself, this recipe is super easy and prepared in the oven.

Chipotle-Dusted Flatiron Steak on Autumn Greens

(Recipe taken from Sunflower Market magazine)

Ingredients: (serves 2-4)
-2 Flatiron top-blade or top loin strip steaks
-1/2 tsp. powdered or granulated garlic
-1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder (I used cracked red pepper flakes)
-1/2 tsp. sea salt
-1 sprig fresh rosemary, finely chopped
-1 tsp. olive oil

Autumn Greens Ingredients:
-1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
-1/2 Tbsp. honey (optional)
-1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
-2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
-1/2 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
-1/2 small shallot, finely chopped
-1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh italian parsley
-8-10 ounces prewashed baby greens mix
-2 pink lady apples, cut into 1/2 in. cubes
-4 oz. walnut pieces

1. Remove steaks from refrigerator 15 minutes before broiling; place on broiler pan.  Preheat broiler. In a small bowl, mix together garlic powder, chipotle powder, salt, and rosemary.  Sprinkle steaks evenly with half of the garlic-chipotle mixture.  Drizzle with 1/2 tsp. olive oil and smear into surface of steak with the back of a spoon.  Turn the steaks over and repeat.

2. In a large salad bowl, whisk lemon juice, honey, and vinegar until thick.  Continue whisking while drizzling in 2 Tbsp. olive oil until emulsified.  Add thyme, shallot, and parsley; whisk until incorporated.  Set aside.

3. Cook steaks until nicely browned, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare.  Remove from oven, cover with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.

4.  Add salad greens and apples to bowl with vinaigrette. Toss well and add salt and pepper to taste. Divide among two to four dinner plates.  Slice steaks across shorter dimensions into 1/4-inch slices. Fan out across salad; top with toasted walnuts and devour! :)

*How to toast nuts: preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place nuts on a baking sheet and toast for 6 minutes, max.

*The steaks broil pretty quickly so if you prefer medium-rare make sure to only cook 3 minutes on each side; depending on thickness.

Fish Tacos Sans Tacos by JenC

I LOVE me some fish tacos but after trying to do it with corn tortillas as seen HERE I am sans tortilla. I pan cooked two tilapia filets in coconut oil with salt, pepper, and lime juice. Threw some Amy's salsa and sliced avocado on it....done! It was tasty and filling, great dinner in 10 minutes.

Scallops with Sausage and Broccoli

Compliments of my client, Devon. She's a fantastic cook and has been sending me some of her creations.  This one looks pretty yummy :)

-Coach Crystal Nelson

Scallops with Sausage and Broccoli

Cook some spicy sausage (use bulk or take out of casing, so it cooks into crumbles) in a frying pan. 

While sausage is cooking, pat scallops dry with paper towels, and season with salt and pepper.  (note: I used the little bay scallops, but the big sea scallops would work just as well)

Remove cooked sausage from pan, and put on a plate lined with a paper towel.

Add chopped garlic, sprinkle of red chili flakes and roughly chopped fresh parsley to the pan (that still has the sausage grease in it)- sauté.

Add scallops to the pan, sauté.  Turn over, sauté some more.

Add a generous splash of white wine and a bunch broccoli florets (I used fresh, but I bet tossing in frozen florets would work just as well). 

Put a lid on the pan and let bubble away happily for a few minutes – just enough to steam the broccoli. 

Return the sausage to the pan, stir all together, let simmer for just a minute to get everything at the same temp.

Serve with some more fresh parsley on top; enjoy!

PALEO POTLUCK goodies by LBT

Last week my I AM CROSSFIT team and I got together for a little motivation and recipe swapping. I brought two new dishes. The cinnamon cabbage I have to give Susan credit for - it was DELICIOUS!

Salmon:
3-4 Salmon Filet
Cremini Mushrooms
olive oil
3 Garlic Cloves
Salt/Pepper
1/2 Gluten Free Redbridge Beer OR you could use a white wine

PreHeat Oven to 300
Boil about 3-4 cups of water.
Place the water in a pan on the bottom of the oven.
Place salmon on a foil covered baking sheet and place on the top rack of the oven
Cook for 10-20 min or until salmond is flakey and changes color
On the stove top put 1tbs of olive oil on med-high heat
Cook mushrooms for 2-3 min or until they start to soften
Add salt and pepper and chopped garlic cloves.
Turn to med heat and simmer adding beer/wine and stiring for 2-3 min.
Remove Salmon and spoon mushroom sauce over fish.

Cinnimon Cabbage:

1 head of red cabbage - chop!
Ginger - fresh or dried
Cinnimon

Put 1/2 -1 cup of water in suace pan on med-high heat
add chopped cabbage and cover for -3-5 minutes - stir occasionally
add chopped/dried ginger. I used about "one finger" of fresh ginger - really just use according to taste add 1ish tsp of cinnimon and stir
Cover - turn down to med heat and let cook/steam until cabbage is soft

I AM Stew - by LBT

Ingredients:

•2-3 lbs Chuck Beef, Grass Fed (if you can get that)
•2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into1/3 inch rounds
•5 Med Parsnips, peeled, sliced into 1/3 inch rounds
•3 Med Turnips, peeled and cubed
•6 cloves garlic , crushed and coarsely chopped
•3 Med onions, coarsely chopped
•salt
•pepper
•1/2 Cup red wine

Directions:

Cut the chuck roast into 1 1/2 inch cubes, trim away any large areas of fat and bones. [The chuck cut of beef is from the shoulder.
In a large cast iron skillet brown the pieces, remove and set aside on a large plate. Add oil, and saute onions until they begin to brown, add garlic and saute for another 2-3 min.
Deglaze with red wine: scrub the bottom with wooden spatula to dissolve the tasty brown bits.
Place bones on the bottom of the crock pot.
Bring liquid to a boil and simmer on low] Transfer the contents of the skillet to the crock pot.
Place meat on top.
Cook on high for 3 hours. remove bones, add root vegetables and mix well to distribute vegetables evenly.
Cook on low for another hour. Drain liquid out of the crock pot and separate the fat out.

This is a dish that one of my I AM CROSSFIT folks shared with the team. I haven't made it yet but looks YUMMY!

Coconut Almond Blueberry Cereal

By Coach Crystal Nelson

In case you didn't know, I was a cereal FREAK before Paleo.  Travis Holley made this the other day and it is pretty darn delicious if you ask me!  AND simple.... so I stole the recipe.  :)

Sliced Almonds
Blueberries
Chopped Pecans
Coconut Milk Unsweetened

Mix in bowl and eat.  I told you it was easy  ;)

Get Yo Stockpots Ready!

This soup from Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint Cookbook has become my latest obsession and is the perfect warm, hearty meal for this chilly weather!  One batch can serve two people twice or a family of four.  

TRANSYLVANIAN STOCKPOT



Picture straight up taken from the Primal Blueprint Cookbook



Ingredients:

-6 oz. bacon, cut crosswise into 1 inch pieces (or finely chopped pancetta)

- 1 large onion, chopped

- 3 cloves of garlic (I used garlic powder)

- 1 small green cabbage, cored and cut into wedges, then sliced

- 1 Tbsp. paprika

- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

- 1 can (28 oz) finely chopped tomatoes or 3 tomatoes, seeded and diced (make sure it's Organic if you don't want HFCS)

- 3 C. Chicken broth

- 1 cinnamon stick or 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

- 1/3 c. golden raisins (do not omit these-these suckers are good when cooked!)

- 2 bay leaves

- 1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced into thin rounds (I used venison sausage)

- handful of chopped parsley

How To:

In a large heavy non-reactive pot, cook bacon or pancetta over medium heat until bacon begins to crisp, stirring every few minutes.  Add onion and garlic, sauteing until onions wilt and are translucent.

Add cabbage, paprika, and black pepper and stir to mix.  Cook about 5 minutes, stirring a few times.

Add tomatoes with their juice, broth, cinnamon, raisins, and bay leaves.  Raise heat to medium-high, stir, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cover and simmer for about 45 minutes.

Add sliced sausage and heat through.  Stir in chopped parsley.

**And if your husband happens to steal all the meat out of the leftovers, you can cook up another protein, slice it, and add it to the soup and heat the next night!

Dinner..is...served!

Grain Free Almond Crackers

Almond Crackers

Coach Karen's via Trojan Competitor Ashley Sorvillo

ingredients:
1 cup almond flour
1 egg white
1 pinch salt(that's it!)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a bowl, mix together the almond flour, egg white, and salt until it forms a paste.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Make sure you use parchment paper, because if you don't you'll end up chipping your crackers out of the pan. Place the dough in the middle and top with another piece of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin (or any other cylindrical instrument), roll out the dough as thin as you can get it. Try to make it take up the whole cookie sheet if you can. Super thin. I mean it!

Peel off the top layer of paper and score the dough with a knife into whatever size crackers you want. Bake in the 325 oven for 10 minutes and then check on the crackers. You are looking for them to color ever so slightly. A little color means crispy, but a lot of color means burned nut taste, which is no good. If the edges have started to color nicely, remove them to a plate and put the remaining crackers back in the oven. Keep doing this, checking every 5 minutes and removing the golden crackers, until finally they are all baked to perfection.

Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

You can make many variations on thee crackers by adding in different seasonings to the dough base. Go nuts! (hur hur)

How do I cook beets? by LBT

Beets are one of those veggies that looked yummy - sounded like a good idea - tasted great when I got them prepared elsewhere but.....I didn't really know to cook them.

Like with many veggies you can steam, roast, saute, etc. However this is my favorite way to prepare them.
Sweet Baked Beets:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Peel and cut beets into thin slices or 1 inch cubes - Save the greens you can cook them too!!
• Place in oven save dish with a drizzle of olive oil and a touch of salt and pepper
• Bake for 40-50 minutes. I usually check them at least once to "stir" them but that's probably just because I am anxious to have them :)

Bonus: saute the greens (cut off most of the red stem) with a bit of olive oil and garlic- Yummmmm.

Sweet Potatos and Brussels Sprouts - Heather Reed

Ingredients
brussels sprouts
one sweet potato
salt
pepper
cayenne-pepper
coconut oil

Cooking Directions
Preheat oven to 400
Cut the sweet potato into small slices
Cut Ends off brussels sprouts
coat bottom of pan with coconut oil
place sweet ptoatos and brussels sprouts in to pan and mix around in oil
add salt and pepper to taste and last but not least add a little cayenne pepper for that extra kick
Cook until sprouts are browned on outside

The sweet potato adds just the right amount of sweetness and now you have the perfect dish!

Cinnamon Bun Muffins

Cinnamon Bun Muffins

Elana's Pantry

Coach Karen

Cinnamon Topping
2 tbsp agave nectar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp grapeseed oil

1.To make cinnamon topping, combine agave, cinnamon and oil in a small bowl
2.Set mixture aside

Muffin Mixture
1 cup blanched almond flour
2 tbsp coconut flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp celtic sea salt
¼ cup grapeseed oil
¼ cup agave nectar
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract

1.Combine almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl
2.In a large bowl blend together oil, agave, eggs and vanilla
3.Blend dry ingredients into wet and scoop a scant ¼ cup at a time into lined muffin cups
4.Spoon topping onto muffins
5.Bake muffins for 8-12 minutes at 350°
6.Cool muffins for 2 hours



Makes 9 muffins

Butternut Squash Latkes and Gravlax

By: Coach Crystal Nelson

 

I tried a very Non-Paleo dish at Austin's own The Steeping Room that was Gravlax and Latkes.  Absolutely delicious!!  I started to think about how I could make this into a healthy version.  This is my plan for this weekend and I thought I would share it with all of you first. 

The Gravlax and Latkes dish at The Steeping Room was Fried Latkes (potatoes basically) topped with a dollop of sour cream which was topped with tea cured salmon and, finally, topped with a berry concoction.  It was truly delightful with a little bit of crunch, saltiness, creaminess, and sweetness.  However, I think this version could be KILLER!

Butternut Squash Latkes Topped with Smoked Salmon and Unsweetened Applesauce

Latkes (From Elana's Pantry)

4 cups butternut squash, peeled and grated
1 small onion, peeled and grated
3 eggs, whisked
grapeseed oil, for frying

1. In a large bowl make latke batter by mixing together squash, onion and eggs
2. Use your hands to form batter into 3 inch patties
3. In a large skillet, heat oil
4. Fry patties on each side over medium heat until golden brown and crispy
5. Remove latkes from pan and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil
6. Repeat Steps 2-4 until batter is used up

Finish by topping with a small slice of smoked salmon, or if you can find it or make it, tea cured salmon.

 

Add a small spoonful of unsweetened applesauce.  I think you could also do a berry mixture if you heated up raspberries and blackberries together and served on top.

 

It is a beautiful and tasty dish!  Sure to impress!

Goodness Bars by LBT

Goodness Bars:

• Throw 2 cups assorted nuts(i used brazil, almonds, pecans, pumpkin seeds), 1/2 c finely ground unsweet coconut, 1/2 c flax meal, 1/2 c almond butter, and 8 dates all in food processor enough to grind it all up,
• Then add: 1 cup assorted dried fruit ( i used cherries, cranberries, mango, apple), coconut oil (melt 2 TB and add 1 TB unsweet cocoa), few squirts of agave nectar and grind til all spreadable
• Then spread in 8x8 dish and put in fridge for an hour.
• I then cut them up and freeze them individually.

WATCH OUT!! I blew out one food processor making these (it gets thick) so make sure you have a strong processor

Coconut Shrimp- Coach Alex

I am doing Coach Crystal Nelson's 21 Day Food Challenge and this is a recipe she suggested and I am glad she did.  I didn't have much time and didn't know what to cook.  While looking through the pantry I realized I had coconut flakes, Coconut oil, raw shrimp with tails and eggs.... Guess what... I can make COCONUT SHRIMP.  It was simple and quick.

Ingredients:

1 lb large shrimp, tail on peeled and deveined

1/3 cup coconut flour- I did it without because it was not on my challenge list and it worked fine.  I imagine it would stick a little better with the flour.

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 eggs 

2 cups coconut flakes -make sure to get these from bulk or organic no added ingredients (ehh hmm sugar)

1tbsp coconut oil

In a mixing bowl, stir together the coconut flour, salt, and cayenne pepper. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy.  In another bowl, pour the coconut flakes.  Taking one shrimp at a time, dry well with a paper towel and dredge each shrimp in the coconut flour mixture, dip into the egg whites and then roll into the coconut flakes.  Place in pan greased (with coconut oil) fry for about 10 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and the coconut flakes start to brown.

Enjoy!

Acorn Squash

Acorn Squash with Cranberry Apple Stuffing

Coach Karen
2 acorn squash
boiling water
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped into ¼ inch pieces
½ cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (though if you can do dairy, butter works just as well)

1.Cut squash in half and with a spoon, remove pulp and seeds
2.In a large pyrex baking dish place squash cut-side down
3.Pour ¼-inch boiling water into pyrex dish (or use 1/4 inch room temperature apple juice for extra sweetness)
4.Place dish in oven and bake squash for 30 minutes at 350°
5.In a large bowl, combine apples, cranberries, cinnamon and grapeseed oil to make stuffing
6.Remove squash from the oven after 30 minutes
7.Turn halves over and stuff center of each squash half with apple mixture
8.Return to oven and bake for 30-35 minutes (or longer) until squash and apples are tender

Serves 4

Eggplant French Fries by JenC

When I am craving some Phil's Ice House sweet potato fries, I turn to the old eggplant. All you need is almond flour, olive oil, and one eggplant.

Directions: Cut the eggplant into small pieces

Dip pieces into a two egg mixture

Then flip over twice into almond flour

FRY! 

Tonight I paired it with chicken. To me, this is still a "treat." It has a lot of fat due to the oil used and the almond flour. I have this maybe once a month, great treat!

Great, Fast Dinner by JenC

I pulled a later shift tonight at LULU ( seasonal worker ) and I was pretty hungry on the way home. I frantically thought about what I already had cooked to put together. Fish! Perfect. I sautéed a link of nitrate/nitrite/gluten/casin free Applegate farms sausage with swiss chard and some left over tilapia I had in tupperware. 

Worked great together and was less than 8 minutes of cooking. 

Gotta Brag

I had bison steak, shrimp, and scallops last night for dinner. I am purely posting this because I want to brag about how good it tasted. 

Shrimp and scallops: I prepared with minced garlic, coconut oil, salt, and pepper. Its super easy to over cook scallops.  You know you did because it's like rubber trying to chew them. Cooked for 5 minutes total on medium high heat and done!

Easy quick leftovers lunch by JenC

This is a throw together I make when I have a lot of random food in the fridge. When I cook, I cook a lot. So I always have extra cooked protein laying around.

Chicken ( or any protein )
Greens
Strawberries
Figs
cucumbers
avocado

I heat up the chicken, and throw everything else together.

prep time: 5 minutes
eat time: 30 seconds

Crystal's Paleo Chili

The cold weather out makes me want to come home to a big bowl of chili.  This turned out delicious and really hit the spot.  It takes some time to cut everything, but it makes a really big batch that would easily feed a family of 4 for at least 2 meals.

Ingredients:

1 lb Sweet or Spicy Italian Sausage
2 lbs ground grassfed beef
1 Onion, chopped
1 Bell Pepper, chopped (I used red)
1 Large Yellow Squash, chopped
6 Carrots, diced
6 cloves of garlic
1 14 oz can organic diced tomatoes with juice (check the label)
16 oz organic chicken broth
4 Tb Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Pepper
1-2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
4-5 Tb Chili Powder
2 Tb Dried Oregano
2 Tb Dried Basil
1 Tb Cumin

Directions:

Saute veggies in olive oil for 1-2 minutes, then add meat and brown.  Add all spices, tomatoes and broth and simmer for 35 minutes.  Taste and add more seasoning if desired.  Add sliced avocado and bon appetite!