Crispy Paleo Pancakes

Crispy Cakes

I've been looking for some ways to spice up my diet, since I tend to eat the same things day after day.  I have been experimenting with different pancake recipes, and this one is very simple and can be customized in all kinds of ways to suit your preferences.

For those of you who are avoiding wheat and other flours, nut butter is a great alternative.  It can be used in place of flour to make pancakes, cakes, brownies, and a host of other baked goods.  Nut flour is also a good option.  In a few weeks when I can start eating nut flour I will try out some recipes.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp nut butter- cashew or almond both work well
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp butter, ghee, or coconut oil
dash of sea salt
1 Tbsp honey (optional)

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl- a fork works well for breaking up the nut butter, which can be sticky.  Heat butter, ghee, or coconut oil in a pan and cook away.  Be careful not to burn the cakes, they don't bubble up like regular pancakes, so keep an eye on them.  To make the pancakes crispy put them in the oven or toaster oven on 350 for a few minutes.

Now comes the fun part- figuring out what delightful things to put on top of these crispy cakes.  I top mine with some rhubarb compote I whipped up, which is just rhubarb cooked down with a little water, lemon juice, and a few drops of stevia for sweetness.  You could also top them with maple syrup, honey, fruit, yogurt or something savory such as cheese, meat, roasted veggies, or anything you would put on a cracker.

Jane

Paleo Camping food

I am going to the Boundary Waters for a week and am planning to continue the paleo food fest while there. Which is pretty different to think about camping food since for me my past staples were things like rice pasta and things involving potatoes or some fast cooking grain. I am hoping for lots of fish - but in case not, below are some of the products that are coming along (thanks to much research by My Charming Companion, who is spending a month in the BWCA).

 "Ova-Easy" Eggs: This product name cracks me up and I find myself inserting it whenever possible when talking about food and camping, as in "I can't wait to eat some Ova-Easy while looking out at the lake." These eggs are super light weight and the reviews are that they are the best tasting long-shelf life egg that is not the real thing (these are not freeze dried, but are "spray-dried" into "crystals" without any other added weird stuff). And they are about the same price as a dozen organic eggs (though these ones are not organic) at $4.99.


Harmony House dehydrated veggies: This is a family owned business in North Carolina, and they sell all kinds of dried vegetables at a pretty decent price. You can actually get their "Pantry Stuffer" deal of 16 different kinds of veggies all in quart containers for $135. Which would be enough veggies for a pretty lengthy trip. I haven't tried all the veggies yet, but I will report back on my faves.

WillPowder Heavy Cream: though not technically paleo, I like cream in my tea and I want some to add to the Dagoba unsweetened chocolate powder I am bringing to make hot chocolate. The cream is "spray dried" in the new fancy way that the OvaEasy eggs are, creating really nice tasting dairy that does not have the chalkiness of freeze-dried milk/cream. (They make a coconut milk powder too if you prefer non-dairy stuff.)

Shelf-stable Bacon: Broadbent's bacon is nitrate free and salt-cured old-time style, meaning it does not need refrigeration. This stuff is amazing because it adds flavor and fat, and it seems to boost any meal just to have something in there that is not dried.

Coconut Manna is coming along too - since it is basically a more dense form of coconut milk. Water can be added to it to make curries, sauces or soups. It is not as good in beverages though - it tastes grainy. The manna got repackaged into a nalgene bottle (so did the coconut oil) and also functions as a good snack for extra calories!

So. There you have it. Additionally there is a bunch of dried venison jerky and venison burger, as well as dried fruit and macadamia nuts, and ghee too. The food pack is uh, pretty full. My report back on fave meals and products, and how some of these things worked out post-vacation is here. I also have revised my food pack to now always include some paleo energy bars (my top fave snack)!

Citrus and Spice Salmon

Citrus and Spice Salmon
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4 cloves garlic minced

3 shallots or half and onion, minced

2 TBL fennel seed, crushed or ground

zest of one lemon and one orange

juice of one orange and half a lemon

2 TBL chopped fresh Tarragon, or ½ TBL dry

1 TBL ground black pepper

2 tsp chopped thyme, or 1tsp dry

½ tsp cayenne pepper

3TBL oil of choice

salt

Combine all of the above in a bowl,

then place 1-2 lbs of Salmon filets in a baking dish (I use the amounts above for 1 lb, although the recipe says they are for 2-2.5 lbs, cause I like spice!)

spread mixture on top.

Bake covered for 25-35 mins, to your desired opaque-ness.

I have also grilled this skin side down outside with success, in case it is too hot to turn on the oven :)

I enjoy serving with mashed potatoes and a nice green veggie from my CSA box.

 Sorry I don't have any photos....

Breakfast Veggie Pile-up

The garden is in full swing with green beans, zucchini, cucumbers, and various other greens. Exciting! I've been eating lots of veggies for breakfast lately - always in the form of some sauteed veggie medley topped with either fried or scrambled eggs. It feels really decadent to eat so many vegetables for breakfast, and it is surprisingly easy. And you can use just about anything. I always make the veggie mix on my fave cast iron skillet, starting with the onions and slower cooking veggies, and adding in whatever else I am using so it all finishes about the same time. Then I dump the veggies onto my plate, put a little ghee in the pan, and cook up a few eggs to go on top.

This one was beets (from my co-worker's CSA), red cabbage, onion, and a little bit of sweet potato and bacon. I put a little homemade mustard in with the veggies too.

Greenery! There is zucchini, green beans, onions, basil, and kale in this one - everything was from the garden but the onions. I cooked some basil in with the scrambled eggs too, and put a little lemon juice on the greens while they cooked.

This photo got my breakfast table in addition to my plate - ah well.  This one was zucchini, bacon, onion, green beans, chives, and a leafy green called Tyfon Holland greens from the garden. They cook down pretty small (like spinach)- and are super good to throw in just about anything.

Beef (or Venison) Stew

Summer and hot kitchens = the joy of crock pot cooking. I tried making stew with an actual recipe recently, and it turned out really delicious. The recipe is slightly modified from Paleo Comfort Foods (which I now returned to the library, so I guess that wraps up the recipes I have posted from there).  It's a slightly higher maintenance stew recipe than my usual (little more than me putting stew meat, tomatoes, broth, wine and carrots in a pot and cooking for a long time) - though it seems like the increased prep worked in equal ratio to increased enjoyment! So I determine it was worth it.

Mmm...this photo (not mine) is sans green beans.

4 anchovies (or anchovy paste)
1 T tomato paste
2 T coconut oil
3-4 lbs chuck roast, cubed
3-4 pieces thick bacon, cut in small pieces
2 large onions, chopped
4 med. carrots, cut in 1" pieces
fresh tomatoes (however many you want!)
2 c. red wine
3 c. chicken broth
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 c. green beans (optional)

1. Mash anchovies and stir together with tomato paste; set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large dutch oven over med-high heat. Working in batches, add meat and brown 5-6 minutes on each side and flip with tongs. Set aside.
3. Fry bacon in same dutch oven pan.
4. Add onions and stir to get any bits off the bottom of the pan. Add in tomato/anchovy mix.
5. Stir in wine and cook until it is reduced some.
6. Add broth, tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaves and bring to a boil.
7. Transfer to crock pot and add meat and carrots to the whole thing. Turn crock pot on high for 4 hours. (If this is not summer and you want things to move faster, you can also cover the dutch oven pot and put in a 300 degree oven for about 2 hours.)
8. Add green beans in at the end, and cook with the stew for 5-10 minutes.

Cold sesame (cucumber) noodles

I went up to the northside homestead to harvest some of the veggies yesterday. Green beans!  And the blueberries, and so many greens! The cucumbers are still pretty small - but I am already planning to make some cucumber kimchi and pickles. I love eating cucumbers in hot weather, which we are decidedly having, hence today's recipe. This is another one from The Clothes Makes the Girl blog, and I thought it turned out delicious. The cucumber makes great noodles, and the sauce was perfect. This makes 2 big servings, or 4 smaller ones. I had mine with some sauteed green beans and a fried egg - which sort of made me want bibimbap. Maybe I will try a paleo version of that soon?!


Sesame (cucumber) noodles

1 teaspoon sesame seeds
2 cucumbers
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon sunbutter (sugar-free) - *I used almond butter
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon tamari or braggs
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 scallion, dark green part only, thinly sliced

1. Heat a small saute pan over medium heat, then toast the sesame seeds until light brown, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Peel the cucumbers, then turn them into noodles with a julienne peeler. Place in a large bowl.
3. In a small bowl, mix the tahini, sun/almond butter, oil, tamari, vinegar, water, red pepper flakes, garlic, and ginger with a fork until smooth.
4. Pour the dressing over the cucumber noodles and toss gently with a rubber scraper until evenly coated. Mound on a plate and sprinkle with the sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds.

Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Coconut Milk Ice Cream

I have been trying to find a non-dairy ice cream recipe that doesn't turn into a big block of ice when frozen, and I think I have finally done it. This coconut milk ice cream stays relatively creamy due to two key ingredients: eggs and vanilla extract with alcohol.  The key to the eggs is separating them and then whipping the egg whites into stiff peaks before adding them to the mixture.  This process helps the ice cream become more creamy than icey.  The alcohol in the vanilla also helps the ice cream not freeze completely.  Then, stirring the ice cream periodically as it freezes keeps the eggs from separating.  All of these elements help it turn out more like real ice cream.  I am still perfecting his recipe, so if you have any alterations please post.

You do not need an ice cream maker or a vita-mix, but they do come in handy.  The ice cream maker helps the ingredients stay well mixed while freezing and the vita-mix helps make the coconut milk if you decide to go that route.  However, you may want to skip making your own coconut milk and just get a can from the store.  Although, making your own coconut milk is very easy.

Ingredients:

Coconut Milk:
2 cups water
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
3 drops liquid Stevia
1 tsp vanilla

Ice Cream:
Coconut milk from recipe or large can of coconut milk
3 drops liquid Stevia
1 tsp vanilla with alcohol
2 Tbsp coconut oil
2 egg, separated

Instructions:
Soak coconut flakes in water for 1-2 hours.  Blend in vita-mix with Stevia and vanilla for 1-2 minutes.  Strain through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth.  Discard coconut solids.

Blend coconut milk, Stevia, vanilla, and 2 egg yolks in the vita-mix.  Beat the egg whites into stiff peaks and gently stir into mixture.  Put in freezer and stir every 30 minutes until frozen.

I am addicted to ice cream, especially in the summer, and this recipe is a great non-dairy alternative.

Jane