Recipes – Page 42 – Gastography

Bacon and Egg Stuffed Paleo Pancakes

March 21, 2015March 21, 2015RecipesLeave a Comment

This majesty started with an Instagram shot posted by my brother in law.

This bananas stack of fabulosity was had at SuperChef’s Breakfast and More, a superhero-themed restaurant in Columbus, Ohio.

To say this photo made me jealous is an understatement. I’ve been inexplicably craving pancakes for weeks (I don’t even *like* pancakes generally – sugar is not really my thing), and then this shot came into my life – pancakes where I can replace the syrup with egg yolk. Why didn’t I think of this sooner?

In a shower of blessed cosmic benevolence, Lexi’s Clean Kitchen also happened to post a really good looking fluffy paleo pancake recipe around the same time.

Call this spectacular convergence divine intervention, synchronicity, or something else entirely – I call it a damn good dinner.

And let me just say these pancakes aren’t just ‘as good’ as “regular” pancakes — they’re better. My pancake loving hubby inhaled his (his only complaint was that I used only 1 tsp. maple syrup for the drizzle). I had no idea pancakes could be this satisfying.

Gluten-free, paleo

Bacon and Egg Stuffed Paleo Pancakes

6 eggs
4-8 slices bacon
Grass fed butter
Drizzle maple syrup or honey
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Kosher salt & black pepper

First, make some quick applesauce. If you happen to have unsweetened applesauce on hand, cool, use that – I did not.

Peel and chop your apple. Place in a bowl with 1 Tbsp. water, cover, and microwave on high 4-7 minutes, or until very tender.

Remove from the bowl and puree until smooth (I used a stick blender). Let cool a bit before assembling your pancakes.

When the apples are coolish, blend 1/4 cup of the applesauce with the almond flour, tapioca flour, 2 eggs, baking powder, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Whisk to break up any clumps.

Heat 1-2 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium – medium-high heat. Add batter by big spoonfuls (small pancake size) and let cook 3-4 minutes until the batter bubbles (just like with regular pancakes). Flip. Cook an additional 3-4 minutes. Continue on. My batch made seven 3-4 inch pancakes.

When the pancakes are done, crisp the bacon and fry the eggs.

To serve, make stacks: pancake, egg, bacon, pancake, egg, bacon, pancake, bacon & drizzle with maple syrup.

Serves 2 for dinner

Buffalo Cracklin Chicken Bowl

March 14, 2015March 14, 2015RecipesLeave a Comment

Mmmmmm….. Nom Nom Paleo’s Cracklin Chicken.

For someone formerly horrified by (and still kind of wary of) chicken skin, this recipe was a revelation. And, it gives me something to do with skin-on chicken.

I inexplicably had some of this delectable chicken gift left over from my last batch and felt the need to dress it up a little. And pretty much all I wanted to eat all day was hot sauce – I think I found a good marriage here between the tangy sweetness of the sauce, rich fat of the chicken, bright punch from celery and luxurious softness of sweet potato.

As written, this recipe makes enough for two smallish dinners. Scale accordingly if you need to feed more. And do go read the actual recipe for Cracklin Chicken. The directions below are what I could remember from the recipe when I was making dinner.

Gluten-free, paleo

Buffalo Cracklin Chicken Bowl

4 tsp. ghee
1/4 c. chopped pecans
2 small stalks celery
2 de-boned skin-on chicken thighs
Salt, pepper, your favorite seasoning mix for chicken
1 large sweet potato (my favorite is the super creamy white flesh variety)
1 Tbsp. grass fed butter, melted
3 Tbsp. Choula or other simple hot sauce
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. onion powder

Put your potato on to bake.

In a large skillet, toast the pecans in 2 tsp. ghee over medium-high heat. Remove.

Add the remaining 2 tsp. ghee to the pan and bring up to temperature.

Pat the chicken dry, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and your favorite seasoning. Place in the pan skin side down and sauté 4-5 minutes or until deep brown and crispy. Flip and cook an additional 3-4 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove to a cutting board to rest.

While your chicken is resting, dice the celery and make the sauce by whisking together the melted butter, hot sauce, white pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.

When your potato is finished, halve and place each half in separate bowls. Chop the chicken and place on top of the potato. Top with celery and pecans and drizzle with sauce.

Serves 2 for dinner

Apple Mint Salad

March 7, 2015March 7, 2015Recipes1 Comment

This quick and easy salad is just the thing to break up winter’s heavy, roasted tastes with a bright punch of acidity.

Gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, paleo, Whole30

Apple Mint Salad

1 apple (I prefer Fuji or Gala), julienned

2 Tbsp. fresh mint, minced

2 Tbsp. cilantro, minced

Juice of 1/2 a lime

Pinch of Kosher salt

Few grinds black pepper

1 tsp. Apple cider vinegar

2 large radishes, julienned

Toss all ingredients. Great served alongside pulled pork, or Spicy Tuna Cakes.

Serves 2

Paleo Mac & Cheese

February 28, 2015February 28, 2015Recipes5 Comments

Holy crap yum. This dish is freaking delicious – and managed to taste like cheese. Without creepy nutritional yeast! Or actual cheese! Yay!

Gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian-ish

Paleo Mac & Cheese
Based on Paleo Mac N Cheese from My Natural Family

1 head cauliflower
4 Tbsp. unsalted grassfed butter
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. pumpkin puree (100% pumpkin)
1 small carrot (about 1/4 to 1/3 c. diced)
1/2 small onion (about 1/3 c. diced)
Granulated garlic
Ground mustard
1 can full-fat coconut milk
1 egg
Kosher Salt
Black pepper

Core your cauliflower and break up into small pieces (you want it to look like macaroni when you’re finished).

Add to a large pan over medium-high heat with 2 Tbsp. butter a generous pinch of salt, and the water. Cover and steam 5 minutes or until mostly tender.

Remove the lid and sauté for a few minutes, or until the cauliflower is lightly caramelized in spots.

Remove from heat.

While the cauliflower is working, dice the carrots and onion and add to a saucepan with 2 Tbsp. butter, the pumpkin, 1 tsp. mustard powder, 1 tsp. granulated garlic and a generous pinch salt. Sauté 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent.

Add the can of coconut milk and bring up to a simmer. Simmer 10 minutes, or until the veggies are tender and the milk has reduced by 2/3.

During this time, taste for seasoning. The original recipe called for 3/4 tsp. mustard, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and 1 tsp. salt (to me, this tasted like coconut milk). I ended up using more like 2 Tbsp. of each to get the cheese taste I wanted.

When your sauce has reduced and your seasoning is where you want it, transfer the mix to a blender and puree until smooth.

Once the mix is smooth, add the egg and continue pureeing until incorporated. The puree will cook the egg, which will thicken the sauce. If you do this quickly, your sauce will be velvety.

Taste again for seasoning. Add more salt/mustard powder/garlic powder/pepper if necessary.

Pour over the cauliflower and toss to coat.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch when combined with simple pan-sauteed chicken breasts.

Instant Pot Salsa Verde Pork

February 21, 2015February 21, 2015Recipes3 Comments

This is a fantastic pork dish. The salsa creates a great little sauce and the flavor can be dressed a bunch of different ways when dealing with leftovers.

Gluten-free, paleo, Whole30

Instant Pot Salsa Verde Pork

5 lbs. pork shoulder
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
2 Tbsp. Kosher salt
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 onion, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tsp. dried oregano
Juice of 1 orange
3 Tbsp. lime juice
1 jar Salsa Verde (Trader Joe’s brand is Whole30 compliant)
1/2 of the empty salsa verde jar water

Sprinkle the pork with the salt, cumin and chili powder.

Press the Saute button to preheat the cooker. When “Hot” appears on the display, add the coconut oil and brown your meat.

Add the onion, garlic, oregano, orange and lime juices, salsa and water. Seat the lid on the pressure cooker.

Press the Manual button and use the + button to program 90 minutes cooking time.

This is great served as-is, but if you want to go a step further and make crispy carnitas, kick your broiler on high. Spread the pork out on a baking tray covered in foil. Strain the cooking liquid and de-fat if desired. Pour over the meat and broil 5 minutes. Stir, broil 5 minutes more – or until desired crispiness is reached.

Whipped Garlic Brussels Sprouts

February 14, 2015February 14, 2015RecipesLeave a Comment

This is me attempting to re-create a mind-blowing brunch side dish I had awhile back – and mostly succeeding. This isn’t quite the same, but it’s still pretty fantastic and gives me a good excuse to re-visit Marietta for another taste.

Gluten-free, vegetarian, paleo

Whipped Garlic Brussels Sprouts

1 pound brussels sprouts
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1 head garlic
1 clove garlic
2 tsp. granulated garlic
2 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. ghee

First, you’ll need that head of garlic to be caramelized. Chop the top (non root) end off, drizzle with a little olive oil, wrap in foil, and bake at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and unwrap to cool.

On to the brussels. Wash your brussels, cut the stem ends off, and halve or quarter (you want them all a uniform size). Add to a cast iron skillet. Toss with 2 good glugs of olive oil, a couple generous pinches of Kosher salt and a few grinds black pepper.

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes, or until roasted and browned.

While your brussels are going, add the caramelized garlic, fresh garlic (grated), granulated garlic, 2 tsp. olive oil, 2 tsp. ghee, and a couple more pinches of Kosher salt to a small bowl (or mortar) and mash together to form a paste.

When the brussels are done, add the paste and toss to combine. Taste, and add a bit more salt if needed.

Serves 2, maybe 3 as a side dish

Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole

February 7, 2015February 7, 2015RecipesLeave a Comment

Mmmmmm … cabbage rolls. I remember the cabbage rolls of my childhood fondly – except I never thought they had enough cabbage. I would have been happy if my mother served equal parts cabbage, ground beef and tomatoes. The rice I liked, but nowadays don’t need.

This recipe is cobbled together from different Internet sources, but draws mostly on inspiration from a recipe I found on Health-Bent.

Gluten-free, paleo, Whole30

Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole

1 head green cabbage
1 Tbsp. ghee
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
2 big hot Italian sausages
2 Tbsp. onion powder
3 Tbsp. granulated garlic
2 Tbsp. Hungarian paprika
2 tsp. ground cumin
Koser salt & pepper
1 (14 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Core your cabbage and cut into thin ribbons. Boil in a large pot of salted water for 10 minutes. Drain and toss with a few sprinkles salt.

While that is working, brown your meats in the ghee. Add the spices and combine. Let go a few additional minutes. Add the tomatoes and vinegar and mix well.

In a large casserole or baking dish, layer your cabbage with meaty tomato mixture – I used a large glass baking dish and had two layers of cabbage with one layer of meat. Do whatever makes you happy.

Bake 1 hour or until the top is browned and everything looks casserole-y. Let sit 30 minutes before serving so the juices can distribute evenly.

Serves 4 fairly comfortably.

Sesame Ginger Chicken Zoodles

January 31, 2015January 31, 2015Recipes1 Comment

This dish is quick to throw together, uses minimal ingredients I usually have on hand anyways, and is waaaaay better than takeout. A win/win/win situation.

Paleo, Gluten-free, Whole30

Sesame Ginger Chicken Zoodles

1 large zucchini
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. red chili flakes
1/4 cup toasted cashews

Sauce

2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar (which is surprisingly W30 compliant)
2 Tbsp. coconut aminos
1 Tbsp. grated ginger
2 cloves grated garlic
1 Tbsp. tahini
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1/4 tsp. white pepper

Heat 1 Tbsp. sesame oil in a large pan over medium-high. Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to the pan. Add the rest of the chicken ingredients and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through and browned.

While your chicken is working, make your zoodles (I absolutely love my Gefu spiralizer for this). In a small bowl, whisk the sauce ingredients together.

To serve, toss the chicken with the zoodles and sauce.

Serves 2 for dinner

Caramelized Onion Meatballs

January 24, 2015January 24, 2015RecipesLeave a Comment

This is based on a recipe posted by one of my Nerd Fitness Whole 30 partners in crime – Fonzico. Her version adds cauliflower and egg as a meatball binder (think breadcrumbs and egg in “regular” meatballs) and sounds delicious as well. I couldn’t find cauliflower at the store this week, so made these balls using my general method.

And they came out well. A little sweet from the onions, moist and light from the added ingredients and pretty perfect atop a pile of zoodles drizzled with some nice aged balsamic vinegar. As reported by the hubbs, they are also good with leftover baked ziti.

Gluten-free, paleo, Whole 30

Caramelized Onion Meatballs

1 lb. grass fed ground beef
1 medium onion
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. water
1 Tbsp. ghee
Salt & pepper

First, we’ve got to knock those onions out. Peel and dice your onion and add to a medium-high pan with the ghee. Sauté until just beginning to brown, bring the heat to low, and let go about 45 minutes (stirring every once in awhile) or until the onions are sticky, broken down and a deep caramel color – if your pan gets too dry at any time, add a little water and stir. Let cool.

Preheat your oven to 375 F and line a baking sheet with foil.

Combine the onions with the rest of the ingredients, making sure to not overmix. Form into ping pong sized meatballs, placing the finished balls on the sheet as you go.

Bake 25 minutes or until browned and cooked through.

Serve with zoodles & balsamic for a simple dinner. Makes enough for 2-3.

Instant Pot Green Curry Chicken

January 17, 2015May 17, 2015Recipes2 Comments

This is the second meal I made with my new Instant Pot, and I’ve got to say I’m digging it. I’m still not sure where it will fit in with my beloved crock pot (I think it can replace it), but I’m liking it. This dinner came together quickly, the broth was flavorful, and the flavors married a bit.

I served this dish with the Oven Roasted Cauliflower Rice from The Clothes Make The Girl. This rice method wasn’t bad – the cauli got a little nutty from the heat, and it was a hands-off cooking approach.

Gluten-free, paleo, Whole30

Instant Pot Green Curry Chicken

Curry
4 chicken thighs (boneless skinless), cut into cubes
1 Tbsp. diced ginger
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 carrots, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (Red Boat)
2 Tbsp. green curry paste (Thai Garden is compliant)
1 can coconut milk
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
2 Tbsp. lime juice

Topper
1 big radish, diced
2 Tbsp. cilantro, minced
1/4 c. almonds, toasted and crushed

Press the Saute button to preheat the cooker. When “Hot” appears on the display, add the coconut oil and brown your meat. Add the garlic, onion, ginger, and curry paste; sauté a few minutes more.

Add the coconut milk, carrots, lime juice and fish sauce and seat the lid on the pressure cooker.

Press the Manual button and use the – button to program 15 minutes cooking time.

While your curry is working, make the topper and your rice.

Toast the almonds and chop. Dice the radish. Mince the cilantro. Toss together with a little salt. Your rice cooks at 425 F for 20 minutes (stir after 10).

When the finished beep sounds, it is best to let the machine release its pressure naturally if possible (takes about 20 minutes). Always check to make sure the pressure valve has dropped before removing the lid. If you can’t/don’t want to wait that long, follow the Instant Pot directions on safe lid removal.

Serves 2 for dinner

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