Mashed Faux-tatoes

Making this mashed cauliflower dish can trick most people into thinking they are eating a delicious plate of seasoned mashed potatoes. Throw some crumbled bacon and some scallions on the top and they would never know the difference. Skip the cheese though, or it won't be Paleo.



Mashed Cauliflower

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
olive oil
sea salt

Cook the cauliflower in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes, or until just barely fork tender. Remove and drain completely. Place cauliflower into food processor. Add seasoning, drizzle of oil and salt to taste. Puree until reaches your desired smoothness. Enjoy!

Paleo pecan pie

So I searched around for a bit on the internet and could not find a paleo interpretation for this very Southern treat. In its traditional form the Pecan Pie can be almost sickeningly sweet, especially to those accustomed to a Paleolithic lifestyle. However, with the holidays approaching it will become more and more difficult to stick to a healthy diet. Make a pie like this and bring it to your next holiday shin dig. You will have a healthier option when dessert time rolls around and your friends will likely enjoy it too.

Paleo Pecan Pie

Filling
6 dates
3 eggs
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tbsp coconut flour
2 tbsp coconut oil
1.25 cups pecans

Pie Crust
1.5 cups almond flour
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together crust ingredients in small bowl. Press into pie dish to form crust. Bake for 5 minutes.
Prepare filling by putting dates into a food processor. Run until dates have formed a paste (make sure to remove the pits first). Add egg, syrup, vanilla, flour, and oil. Blend in food processor into smooth and well mixed. Gently fold in pecans to the mixture. Pour filling into the pie crust. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the pie is set. Allow to cool and enjoy!!

Cranberry salad dressing

I miss salad dressing. I am tired of just vinegar or lemon juice. Tonight I decided to modify a recipe I found for a cranberry salad dressing. I drew my inspiration from one created by www.elanaspantry.com Enjoy this on your spinach salad, try it mixed into a chicken salad, or just pour it on a head of lettuce. Feel free to sub the oils for whatever other oil you prefer.

Cranberry Salad Dressing

1 cup fresh cranberries
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1-2 tbsp honey (or agave)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 cup almond oil
1/4 cup macadamia oil

In food processor or blender, puree cranberries, juices, honey, thyme, salt and mustard until smooth. With the processor on slowly drizzle in the oil. Store in the fridge. Enjoy!

Cuban stuffed pork tenderloin

I have pretty much given up on finding a paleo-approved stuffed meat. Most are loaded with cheese or other forbidden items, until I stumbled across an idea for a Cuban stuffed pork tenderloin, using plenty of meat and veggies! And the mango sauce that goes with this is a perfect compliment! Make sure when choosing your chorizo or pepperoni, that you find one that is paleo approved. Whole foods is your best bet for this! Also the filling on this dish is a little spicy for little ones, but they still enjoyed the exterior pork.

Cuban Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

1.5 lbs pork tenderloin
1 cup salsa (make your own, or find a good one, Green Mountain Gringo is one of my favs)
7.5 oz chorizo (or pepperoni, we did a mix of both since I only had two links of chorizo left)
1/4 almond flour
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sea salt

Put the pork between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Working from the center, pound the pork flat into a 14x6-inch rectangle. Remove the plastic wrap. Stir together the salsa, chorizo, flour, and seasoning. Spread 1/2 on each tenderloin (or all onto one depending on what kind you got). Fold the sides over the filling to form a 14-inch long roll. Tie up the pork with kitchen twine to ensure the filling does not come out. Lightly oil the grill rack and heat the grill to medium. Grill the pork for 20 to 30 minutes or until cooked through, turning the pork over halfway through cooking. Remove the pork from the grill and let stand 10 minutes. While pork is cooking make mango sauce. See directions below. Thinly slice the pork and serve with the mango sauce.

Mango Sauce

1 mango, seeded and cut into chunks
1 cup orange juice (it takes about two oranges to get this much juice)
1 tsp dried parsley (can also do cilantro, if doing fresh triple the amount)
1.5 tbsp honey (or agave)

Puree all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Heat over medium heat in sauce pan until sauce thickens (approximately 20 minutes).

Creamy paleo scrambled eggs!

Who knew anything Paleo could taste so creamy that you would swear there was fresh dairy cream in it? I love scrambled eggs...even more I love good scrambled eggs. Years upon years of egg making, these are some of the best I have ever made!

Creamy Scrambled Eggs

Coconut oil (enough to grease the skillet)
Eggs (however many you want)
Sea Salt, to taste

Heat a skillet over low to medium low heat. Add coconut oil and melt. Crack eggs directly into pan and begin scrambling. Continue stirring until the eggs are firm, just before they are done turn off the heat. They will continue to cook after the heat is off. Make sure you keep that stove temperature low, it will take a while for the eggs to cook, but the pay off at the end is so worth it! Enjoy!

Paleo Mexican Chop Chop

My husband loves Mexican food. Give him tacos or burritos and he is a happy guy. Since going Paleo, I have had to find Mexican substitutes for him. I developed a Mexican Chop Chop (I call it a chop chop because it requires plenty of chopping). So break out your cutting boards and a nice large skillet. Its fiesta time!!

Paleo Mexican Chop Chop

2 lbs ground beef (extra lean, and grass fed preferred)
olive oil
1 onion, diced or minced
2 chorizo sausages, chopped into small cubes (look for a healthier one, I found awesome ones at Whole Foods)
5 cloves of garlic, minced
4 medium zucchinis, shredded
1 14.5 oz can diced (or petite diced) tomatoes, juice drained
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
pinch of chili powder (more to taste)
sea salt, to taste

Heat large skillet over medium heat. Swirl in olive oil. Saute ground beef until nearly browned. Add onion, sausage and garlic. Saute until onion is translucent. Add zucchini, tomatoes, seasoning, and salt. Cook until zucchini softens. Serve and enjoy!