Paleo Baked French Toast Casserole

About a year ago I came across a pin that peaked my interest.  I followed the link to a great blog called the Paleo Spirit.  She had created the most amazing dinner rolls.  I have made them many times.  In fact, I have the recipe memorized.  I even wrote to the blogger and told her my intentions to create something from these fabulous rolls.  Well, I have finally done it.  This French Toast Casserole is great.  It has a crunchy top, chewy custard bottom, and a good cinnamon flavor.  The other benefit is its not super sweet.  If you have someone that wants a sweeter version, then just need to add a drizzle of maple syrup, but it really doesn't need it.  I hope you enjoy this recipe for your upcoming holidays, or just some random weekend.  :)

Paleo Baked French Toast Casserole

3 batches of dinner rolls (link to the recipe), you may want to overcook the rolls slightly, cooled and cut into quarters
8 eggs
2 cups milk of choice (almond, coconut, dairy)
1/4 cup maple or coconut sugar
3 tbsp vanilla

Topping
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup maple or coconut sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
8 tbsp cold butter (you can try another fat, but I recommend grass fed butter)


Grease a 9x13inch pan.  Place the quartered rolls in the pan and allow to sit and get slightly stale for about an hour or two.  In large bowl mix eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla.  Pour the mix (through a colander if you don't like the stringy parts of the eggs) over the rolls.  Gently toss to ensure all pieces of roll get coated in the egg mixture.  Cover the pan and place in the refrigerator for at least several hours, but overnight works even better.  Cut the butter into small pats.  Either pulse the topping ingredients in a food processor, or use forks/pastry blender to mix the topping.  Continue until the topping is formed into crumbs.  Place the crumbs in a container or bag and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Pour the topping over the casserole.  Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  If you want it less crisp and more custard-like then cook for 45 minutes, if you prefer it more crisp, cook for the hour.  Serve warm and enjoy!!

Paleo waffles (version 3.0)

I have created multiple versions of paleo waffles. I really believe this is the best version yet. These waffles freeze wonderfully and can be quickly cooked up in the toaster. I make an enormous batch so that I only have to make them once a month. These things are lifesavers on weekday mornings. I hope you enjoy them!

Paleo Waffles

2/3 cup + 2 tbsp coconut flour

2 1/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp tapioca flour (arrowroot probably works as well)

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

20 eggs (10 whites separated, beaten to stiff peaks with 1 tbsp coconut or maple sugar)

5 tsp vanilla

1 2/3 cup milk of choice (coconut, almond or pasture raised cow milks all work great)

In large bowl mix together the dry ingredients (flours, salt and baking soda). Add the 10 whole eggs and 10 egg yolks, vanilla and milk. Stir until smooth. Gently fold in half of the beaten egg whites. When fully incorporated, add remaining egg whites. Cook in your waffles iron according to the irons instructions. If you plan to freeze and toast you can cook until only lightly browned. If eating immediately, cook until golden brown. Serve and enjoy or freeze and enjoy another morning. 

*when freezing the waffles, lay them on a parchment lined cookie sheet until partially frozen. Then place in storage container or bag. This will prevent the waffles from sticking together. 

Paleo Pumpkin Ginger Molasses Cookies

Fall is in the air.  Well, not really here in Florida, but I am sure it is everywhere else.  With Fall comes the rapid increase in pumpkin consumption.  I became inspired to create these cookies when I heard someone at my boys' school say "pumpkin molasses" cookies.  I realized that I had to crack that code in a grain free form.  The result is a cookie that is fabulously crispy and chewy straight from the oven, but wait a day, and they become deliciously soft.  I added a nice bit of crystallized ginger to my batch.  I just love the texture and spice that it adds.  You could easily skip this though if you would prefer.  

Paleo Pumpkin Ginger Molasses Cookies

1/2 cup ghee or butter, softened
1/2 cup coconut/maple sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses (yacon syrup would also work)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (canned or homemade)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup arrowroot
2 tbsp coconut flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, diced fine (optional)
coconut/maple sugar (for rolling dough in)


Cream ghee/butter and sugar in a large bowl until light in color and fluffy.  Add egg, molasses, pumpkin and vanilla.  Mix until well combined.  Add remaining ingredients (except crystallized ginger).  Mix until well combined.  Gently mix in crystallized ginger.  Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour.  Preheat oven to 350 and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Scoop tablespoon size balls of dough and roll in the sugar.  Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.  Lightly press on each ball to flatten.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool on sheet for 3 minutes.  Cool completely on cooling racks.  Serve and enjoy!

Paleo Balsamic Glazed Beef

I love balsamic vinegar. It's sweet, it's tangy, it's just yummy. I frequently use it for salads and chicken but I really hadn't done balsamic with beef. This recipe not only smells divine while you are making it, it's also kid pleasing and tastes wonderful. I love serving it over mashed sweet potatoes. This recipe makes a large quantity of food, but it can easily be cut in half.






Paleo Balsamic Glazed Beef

2 onions, minced
2 cups balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp dried rosemary
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper
4 lbs ground beef

In large skillet over medium heat cook onions in fat of your choice. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and seasoning to the onions and cook until caramelized. In a separate pan, cook balsamic vinegar until reduced by half. Add ground beef to onion spice minutes and cook until browned. Add the reduced balsamic vinegar. Cook for 10-15 minutes longer. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!


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Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi

I was out of zucchini today and was making meatballs with tomato sauce (see previous recipe). I decided to give a try at sweet potato gnocchi. I found several recipes but none of them really worked for me. So I used ideas from a few of them and created my own version. The result was a delicious chewy gnocchi with a slight crisp on the exterior. My husband even said he was pleasantly surprised at the texture. I hope you like them!




Paleo Sweet Potato Gnocchi

4-6 sweet potatoes (size dependent, aim for about 630grams in weight)
1 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup almond flour
3 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 egg yolks

Peel and cube sweet potato. Boil until fork tender. Rice the sweet potato by putting through a potato ricer or sieve. Mix all flours, salt and baking soda into warm potato. Once cooled a bit, add yolks. Mix until well combined. Pour mixture into zip lock bag, and press out the air. Place in the fridge and leave for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Preheat oven to 325. Parchment line a baking sheet. Cut one corner off the bottom of the bag and squeeze out one inch long strips onto parchment paper. When finished, press the top of each gnocchi with a fork. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve with sauce of your choice or just munch on then plain. Enjoy!!


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The quickest easiest Paleo Meatballs

These delectable little balls of meat are cooked in the slow cooker.  This makes them even easier to make.  I throw them in sometime before lunch and then presto...dinner is ready at dinner time.  I have also made these in 10 minutes flat.  Who doesn't love having dinner made in 10 minutes?  I hope you enjoy these as much as my family does.




Paleo Slow Cooker Meatballs



3 eggs
2/3 cup almond flour
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
4 lbs ground beef (no leaner than 90%)
48 oz of your favorite (homemade or a clean jarred) marinara (I like Rao's Tomato Basil)

In large bowl mix eggs, almond flour and seasoning. Using hands mix
ground beef into egg mixture until well combined. Pour sauce into slow cooker, form balls out of meat mixture and place in the sauce. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve over your favorite vegetables.

Paleo Roasted Cauliflower Soup

We have had a string of cooler days here in Florida.  I know our cold, is nothing compared to a northern cold, but I will take advantage of the cool weather to make some delicious soups.  Over the holiday I discovered that roasting vegetables before putting them into soup amplifies their flavor.  It all began with a tomato soup, I will formulate the recipe for the that in the future.  Then morphed into broccoli soup, that I made creamy with the addition of coconut milk. I decided that I had to give a go at making a roasted cauliflower soup since roasted cauliflower is one of my all time favorite vegetables.  This recipe is for a large amount, if you don't want this much soup, then feel free to make 1/3 or 2/3 of the recipe.  I hope you like my roasted cauliflower soup as much as we did.



Paleo Roasted Cauliflower Soup


ghee (or fat of choice)
3 heads cauliflower, core removed sliced to 1/2 inch thin
12 cloves garlic
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-3 inch pieces
3 medium onions, minced
3 quarts broth/stock (veggie or chicken will work well)
salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Foil line and grease (with ghee or fat of choice) several pans or sheets and spread cauliflower over the pans.  Take a small square of foil, add ghee and garlic.  Wrap and seal the garlic and ghee into the foil.  Place on one of the sheets.  Place carrots onto one of the sheets.  Brush the veggies with ghee and sprinkle with salt.  Cook in oven until golden brown or cauliflower just starts to burn.  Turn the veggies every 20 minutes.  Total cooking time will take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour.

In a large stock pot melt ghee over medium heat.  Add onion, and saute until translucent.  Add roasted veggies.  Add broth/stock.  Bring to a simmer and allow to cook for 10 minutes.  Using an immersion blender blend the soup until its smooth and creamy.  Salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste.  (If you do not have an immersion blender you can also blend this soup in a traditional blender, you will just have to do it in batches).  Serve and enjoy!