The Ultimate Banana Walnut Muffins
Makes 6 huge muffins or 12 regular sized
Cooking Time: 30-45 minutes start to finish
Zone Blocks: 6 blocks of Fat for each muffin when making a batch of 12, 1.5-2 blocks of Carb and 1/4 block of Protein–so basically call each of these a 6 block Fat.
Dry Ingredients:
2 C almond flour/meal (NOTE:Buy raw almonds and put them through food processor)
1/3 C coconut flour (find this at Publix/WholeFoods)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg (grated fresh)
1 C walnuts
Wet Ingredients:
2 bananas, the riper the better!
1 T vanilla
3 eggs
1/3 C honey
3 T oil (olive oil is fine, coconut oil when liquid is excellent, and hazelnut oil or walnut oil hits it out of the park!)
2 T almond butter (unsalted, but if salted, just add 3/4 tsp salt instead of 1 tsp)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place walnuts in preheating oven on a sheet rack to roast. Meanwhile, peel bananas and mash them to a liquid (can be chunky) in a medium-sized bowl.
To the bananas, add honey and almond butter and mix well. Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla to the banana bowl; mix to incorporate. (Check walnuts!)
In a separate bowl, add almond flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda. Mix to incorporate. (Check walnuts!) Prepare your muffin tin. If using a naked muffin tin, grease it with the same oil you used in the batter.
By now your walnuts are either burnt to a crisp or you rescued them once golden brown and fragrant. Chop them up into tiny bits, but not dust.
If your oven is preheated, you are good to go: add the wet to the dry and scrape the bowl. Mix well and add walnuts. Dollop into muffin cups (see pre-muffins pic above) and bake for about 20 minutes if making 6 huge muffins or between 10-15 if smaller. Check for golden brown color and mostly set tops. I love oooey-gooey ones, so I never bother with the toothpick test or completely set tops. Cool on a rack. Store in an airtight container in the fridge once cooled. They won’t last long due to extreme deliciousness, not spoilage!
Jackie said,
on October 25th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
Pumpkin Muffins
I got this from Primal Blueprint. I just made them and have to say they are pretty darn tasty!
Ingredients:
1/2 C. coconut flour
1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 C. cooked pureed pumpkin
6 eggs
4 T. coconut oil
1/3 C. honey
1 t. vanilla extract
First you will need to make the pumpkin puree. To do this, cut a pumpkin in half, place on a baking sheet in about an inch of water. Place in a 400 oven for 90 minutes (it should cut very easily when done). Its best to do this ahead of time and you can always refrigerate it and make some other pumpkin based meals.
For the muffins:
in a small bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Mix. Set aside. In a medium bowl add the pumpkin puree. Add the eggs one at a time, blending each one with the puree. Add the melted coconut oil, honey and vanilla. Mix. Add in the flour mixture. Put in muffin cups and bake for 18-20 minutes at 400. It makes 12 muffins.
Samantha Lazo said,
on November 20th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
Mashed Sweet Potatoes w/ Pan Fried Chicken
This is one of mine & Trevor’s favorites!!
2 good-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into about 1-2 inch chunks
1/2 C shallots (or sweet onion), chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, mince
1/2 C fresh basil, chopped
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 C coconut milk
1 T coconut oil
Bring about 4 qts. water to low boil, and add sweet potatoes. Boil for about 10-13 minutes (until potatoes are tender). Drain and mash. Add Coconut milk and mix well. In a separate small pan heat coconut oil an saute shallots and garlic, when they are just about done (about 5 minutes), add basil. Saute for a few more minutes and add to sweet potatoes. Stir well, add a little ground black pepper, and serve with the fried chicken!
Fried Chicken:
4 chicken breasts, pounded thin (I cut mine in half, too)
3/4 C almond meal
3 T dried parsley
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 T oregano
1/4 C fresh basil, chopped
2 T Coconut oil
Heat oil in large skillet. Combine almond meal and spices. Dredge chicken breast in almond meal mixture (really pressing the spices into the chicken). When oil is hot, add chicken breasts to pan. Cook on each side for about 5-7 minutes
Samantha Lazo said,
on November 20th, 2010 at 9:44 pm
Italian Beef
a 3 to 4 pound roast
2 T Italian seasoning
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 jar sliced pepperoncinis – 16oz
1 can low sodium beef broth (gluten free)
What you do:
Get out your old faithful crock pot. Spray the bowl with olive oil.
Put the roast in. Put the can of broth in. Put the jar of peppers in with the liquid. Sprinkle the roast with Italian seasoning and crushed garlic. Set the crockpot on low You can let it go for up to 15 hours and it will be fine. I cook mine for about 10 hours. If it’s easy to shred, it’s done.
You can slice it or shred it and serve it right on a plate with your veggie of choice.
Samantha Lazo said,
on November 20th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
Picadillo
Ingredients:
1lb. ground meat (turkey or bison)
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small can tomato sauce (Use the 6 oz. Organic version)
1/4 cup dry white wine
5-7 pimiento stuffed olives, chopped
raisins (I used 1 small box per recipe)
salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
1. In a large skillet, brown the ground meat, onions and garlic. If meat is not too lean, pour out whatever fat you render.
2. Turn heat down to medium low. Add the tomato sauce and wine. While it simmers, chop up the pimiento stuffed olives and add to meat mixture, it is okay to add a little bit of the brine, if you wish. Add the raisins and adjust the seasonings according to taste.
3. I like my picadillo almost dry, not too soupy. If you like it soupier, just add more tomato sauce, or wine, or water. Serve over Cauliflower Rice.
Trevor said,
on December 12th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
Acorn Squash Stuffed with Sausage & Spinach
Recipe:
1 large acorn squash
1 lb. sausage (I used an Italian pork sausage)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1- 10 oz. pkg. frozen, chopped spinach
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
pinch sea salt (optional)
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 c water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut acorn squash lengthwise and remove seeds. Place cut side down on a baking dish. Add water to pan. bake for 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté onions. Add sausage and cook until crumbly. Steam frozen spinach slightly or microwave with a little water until thawed and ready to add to saute pan with onions and spinach. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Remove squash from the oven. Turn over, so that cut side is up. Fill centers with the sausage mixture and return to oven. Cook for an additional 20 minutes (until squash is truly tender).
Serves two. (I suggest doubling).
Enjoy!!!
-the sausage & spinach mixture is great the next morning w/ eggs!!
I hate eating veggies. So, this makes it nice and easy …
* Bag of veggies.
* Oil (something healthy)
* Balsamic Vinegar
* Almond Butter
# Put some oil in a skillet, and add veggies.
# Sautee until starting to brown (slightly)
# Add balsamic (not a lot, just to taste)
# Add 1 or 2 TBSP of Amond butter
# Stir
# Eat (happily)
Rocky said,
on December 27th, 2010 at 5:45 pm
TURNIP/EGG CASSEROLE.
RECIPE FROM MARK’S DAILY APPLE. Lise made it for Christmas morning & it was DELICIOUS!!!
The base of our Primal breakfast casserole is a straightforward mixture of beaten eggs and grated turnips. Turnips have the mildly earthy flavor that most root vegetables share and just a hint of sweetness. Once you have a base for your casserole, you can add almost anything you want to it. A simple duo of sausage and scallions is a favorite combination, but you can load the casserole up with more if you like. Diced peppers, mushrooms, bacon, grated cheese and any fresh herbs or dried spices that your heart desires can all be mixed in with great results.
The recipe below can easily be doubled and baked in a 13×9 pan for a larger crowd. Simply mix the ingredients together and cover the pan with foil.
Ingredients:
Approximately 4 servings
■1 pound ground breakfast sausage or other ground meat
■3 turnips, peeled and grated (a food processor works well for this)
■4 eggs, beaten
■3 scallions, chopped
Instructions:
Sauté sausage, breaking it up into small pieces with a spoon or spatula, until almost cooked through.
Mix the sausage with the rest of the ingredients.
Spoon into a 8×8 baking pan.
When ready to cook, heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes then cover the pan and bake for 25 minutes more. Let cool 15-20 minutes so the casserole sets before cutting into it.
I made this Chili to ring in the New Year & it’s staying for 2011. Do not skip the coriander avocado cream, it’s ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. (Courtesy of http://www.health-bent.com)
Pumpkin Chili with Orange, Coriander Avocado Cream
Ingredients
For the Chili
2 lbs ground beef
1 large yellow onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 sugar pumpkin, diced (about 3 cups) or 1 ½ c canned pumpkin (*I used 2 whole cans of pumpkin)
1 (28 oz) can diced, fire roasted tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (7 oz) can diced, roasted green chilies
1 c chicken or beef stock
FOC
S&P
Chili Spice Mixture
2 T chili powder
2 T cumin
1 T paprika
2 t salt
2 t coriander
2 t cinnamon
2 t cocoa powder (who would have thought?)
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t cayenne
Orange, Coriander Avocado Cream
2 avocados
zest of 1 orange (skipped this step)
juice of 2 oranges
1 t coriander
1/2 t salt
Method For the Chili: Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat with a tablespoon of your F.O.C. Add the beef and let it brown. Try not to stir it too much until you get some color on one side but make sure you break up the pieces. This should take 5-8 minutes.
While you’re browning your beef make your spice mixture. In a medium bowl, mix up all the spices.
We like to brown the beef first so we can use the fat that renders out to cook the vegetables. So, using a slotted spoon remove the beef and place in the spice mixture bowl…leaving the fat in the pot. Add your diced onion and garlic. Let those two saute for a few minutes (3-4) stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened. Add your diced pumpkin.
Cover and cook about another 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the pumpkin begins to get tender (check with a fork). Add the rest of ingredients and the beef/spice mixture. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer to let all the flavors “meld”. When you’re happy with the texture, you’re done.
For the Cream: Add all ingredients to food processor and blend until smooth
Peeps said,
on January 6th, 2011 at 9:25 am
FAVE QUICK SHRIMP-
-Heat skillet to Medium Heat, add 12tbl oil to pan with 1/4 teas red pepper flakes, and 12 jumbo shrimp
-Then add 1 tsp steak seasoning (I use hot & spicy)
-Cook shrimp for 3 mins or until pink
-Toss cooked shrimp with 1 tsp lemon zest & 2tsp lemon juice
Primal Energy Bar Recipe (courtesy of MarksDailyApple)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup almond butter (although cashew, hazelnut, walnut and even pumpkin butters will work well too!)
1/4 cup coconut oil (check your local health food store)
1/4 cup almond meal (simply pulse approximately 1/4 cup of almonds until it creates a coarse flour)
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp of raw honey (although, this is really kind of optional because the egg will help hold the mixture together)
1/2 cup unsweetened whey protein powder (or 60g)
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries or blueberries
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut to sprinkle on top
Method:
On a cookie sheet, toast nuts and shredded coconut until golden brown. In order for them to cook evenly, you need to shake up the tray at least once during cooking trust us!
Once toasted, pour mixture into a food processor and pulse until nuts are chopped and the mixture becomes coarsely ground (sort of the consistency of bread crumbs).
In a mixing bowl, melt coconut oil and almond butter (about 30 seconds). Remove from microwave and stir until smooth.
Add vanilla extract, honey and sea salt. Mix thoroughly.
Fold in nut mixture, almond meal and protein powder until mixed thoroughly.
Add whole egg and mix thoroughly.
Fold in blueberries/cranberries.
Press mixture into an 8 by 8 loaf pan (a modification that we made to keep everything crisper and help the bars to hold together).
Cook in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven, sprinkle a ¼ cup of shredded coconut on top and place under broiler until top begins to brown.
Let cool for 10-15 minutes. Cut into 12 pieces/bars.
Enjoy or stack on wax paper/parchment and store in an airtight container.
Note: You can also add dark chocolate chips instead of the cranberries/blueberries (available at Whole Foods or health food store). If you add the chips while the mixing bowl is warm (from the coconut oil/almond butter mixture), they will melt into the mixture and you will have yourself a chocolate primal bar. Alternatively, you can just let the mix cool, then add the chips, then refrigerate the pan to get chocolate chip primal bars. The bars stick together pretty well without being cooked.
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition for 1/12 of the batch. Nutritional breakdown courtesy of FitDay.com:
Calories: 184
Fat: 15.4 grams
Carb: 6.4 grams
Pro: 7.5 grams
And, for those of you who feared they would eat the whole pan the total nutritional breakdown for the whole darn lot!
Calories: 2,206
Fat: 184.3 grams
Carbs: 77.2 grams
Pro: 90.1 grams
FullSail said,
on January 27th, 2011 at 4:00 pm
I did the primal protein bars but I doubled the recipe and added 3 eggs. I also did not put in the shredded coconut and just added 1/4 cup extra of each of the nuts. Then I put in some 60% Cocaoe chips in the mix and melted 1/4 cup of the cocaoe chips with 2 Tbs of honey and spread on top. For those who had my protein bars Raquel posted the recipe above.
Sherri aka Giggles said,
on February 8th, 2011 at 10:43 am
Buffalo Chicken Roll-Up
2lbs ground chicken
2 eggs
spicy spices (cayenne, chili, cumin, garlic, S&P, etc.) and buffalo or hot sauce
bag of spinach
1/2 a container of blue cheese crumbles
wax paper
Mix ground chicken, eggs and spices. Spread mixture onto wax paper, so that it is 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick. Then top it like a pizza with all the spinach and 1/2 container of blue cheese crumbles. Use the wax paper to roll the “pizza” into a log, or like a loaf…pinch and smoosh the ends to keep the stuffs on the inside. Throw the wax paper away. Put your roll-up in a pan with tall edges.
Bake at 400 for 45 min. to an hour.
Make some veggies on the side, and try not to eat the whole roll-up. You can try to save some of your roll-up for the next day’s lunch.
Idea #1…The meat mixture seems too mushy, so I think some almond flour would be the Paleo ingredient to help stiffen the mixture…but I haven’t tried it yet. (I did use some whole wheat flour and it worked good.)
Idea #2…So, you can vary this recipe as your taste buds desire. I made an Italian version with ground turkey, Italian spices, spinach, sliced tomatoes, and mozzarella. I figure you can try a mexi or fajita version with ground steak and sautéed onions, peppers, etc…. guac is the perfect “fat” to zone out a fajita roll-up!
Lil Rach said,
on March 2nd, 2011 at 3:40 pm
PALEO BROWNIES (What makes them Paleo? The Ingredients – didn’t say STRICT Paleo though!!!)
I happened to use 100% unsweetened cacao chocolate blocks from the baking isle and the chocolate was too dark and rich…
1 – 16 oz. jar salted almond butter, smooth roasted (doesn’t have to be exact)
2 – eggs
1 1/4 C agave nectar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 C cocoa powder
1/2 tsp celtic sea salt (any sea salt)
1 tsp baking soda
1 C dark chocolate 73%
In a large bowl, blend almond butter until smooth with a hand blender (if you get creamy almond butter you won’t really need a blender)
Blend in eggs, then the agave nectar and then the vanilla…
Blend in the cacao, salt, and baking soda, then fold in chocolate chips or baking chocolate…
Grease a 9X13 pyrex glass baking dish – remarkable that it really doesn’t stick!
Pour batter into the dish and bake @ 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes…
Next time I think I will use the lesser % of cacao and maybe only 3/4 C or 1/2 C… was a fun dish to make! Enjoy!
FullSail said,
on March 13th, 2011 at 6:34 pm
Full Sail’s Famous Paleo Brownies from Jack’s Birthday:
1 3/4 cup Almond Meal
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 large eggs
1 cup Almond Milk
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut oil slightly melted
Butter for greasing pan
Preheat oven 350. Mix all dry ingredients until well
blended. In separate bowl mix all wet ingredients and wisk well. Combine wet to dry and be sure to scrape sides of bowl. Batter will be thinner then conventional brownies. Pour batter into buttered pan. Sprinkle chopped walnuts on top and bake for 30-35mins. Cool completely before enjoying! Good luck!
FullSail said,
on March 13th, 2011 at 6:45 pm
Full Sail’s Famous Protein Bars:
Primal Energy Bar Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 1/4 cup pecans
1/2 cup almond butter (although cashew, hazelnut, walnut and even pumpkin butters will work well too!)
1/2 cup coconut oil (check your local health food store)
1/2 cup almond meal (simply pulse approximately 1/4 cup of almonds until it creates a coarse flour)
3 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp of raw honey (although, this is really kind of optional because the egg will help hold the mixture together)
1 cup unsweetened whey protein powder (or 60g)
3 large egg
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries or any dried fruit (last one for Jack’s party I did dried cranberries and cherries
1/2 cup Cocoae chips or Organic Chocolate chips
Rest of the Chocolate Chip bag
1-2 Tbs Honey
Method:
On a cookie sheet, toast nuts and shredded coconut until golden brown. In order for them to cook evenly, you need to shake up the tray at least once during cooking…trust us!
Once toasted, pour mixture into a food processor and pulse until nuts are chopped and the mixture becomes coarsely ground (sort of the consistency of bread crumbs).
In a mixing bowl, melt coconut oil and almond butter (about 30 seconds). Remove from microwave and stir until smooth.
Add vanilla extract, honey and sea salt. Mix thoroughly.
Fold in nut mixture, almond meal and protein powder until mixed thoroughly.
Add whole eggs and mix thoroughly.
Fold in blueberries/cranberries.
Press mixture into an 9 by 13 greased baking pan. (they will stick)
Melt rest of bag of chocolate chips and 1-2 Tbs of honey then spread on top of the pressed mixture.
Cook in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. Cut into pieces/bars.
Enjoy or stack on wax paper/parchment and store in an airtight container.
These did not last more than 10 minutes at Jack’s Party and the same thing after a WOD at the base.
Jackie M. said,
on March 27th, 2011 at 6:25 pm
Butternut Squash Lasagna
Recipe is from the Meal of the Day link on crossfitfirebase.com—I made a few changes:
1.25 pounds ground beef
1 onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 jar of pizza sauce
1 jar of tomato/basil sauce
Fresh basil to taste
1 package of frozen chopped spinach
2 small butternut squash
¼ Cup olive oil
Preheat oven to 400. Peel 2 small butternut squash, cut in half width wise then cut those sections in half. Take out the seeds and slice. Set them aside then brown the ground meat, fresh basil, onion and garlic. Mix in with the tomato sauce and olive oil. Defrost the chopped spinach and stir that in too. Put a thin layer of the sauce in a 9 x 12 in pan. Add a layer of the squash, put sauce on top and add one more layer of squash and the sauce mixture. I had enough for 2 pans worth—each with a double layer of the squash. Bake for about 45 or 50 minutes.
Kim said,
on April 1st, 2011 at 9:47 pm
Banana Paleo Chocolate Cake
1/2 Cup of oil (coconut preferably) or unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 cup of honey (or just use really ripe bananas)
2 eggs
1 cup almond flour/meal
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 mashed bananas
Prepare:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Mix oil (honey if using) and eggs in a large bowl until light and fluffy
Add almond flour, cocoa powder and bananas
Mix well
Line cake tin with baking paper and pour in mixture
Bake between 30 and 45 minutes
Store the cake in the refrigerator
Chocolate Frosting:
1 Cup dark chocolate
1/2 cup coconut oil or coconut butter
2Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
Prepare:
In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt chocolate and coconut oil/butter
Stir in the honey, vanilla, and salt
Place the frosting in the freezer to thicken for approximately 20 minutes
Frost cake and garnish with Walnuts or Almonds if desired
Enjoy!
Sherri aka Giggles said,
on October 3rd, 2011 at 8:05 am
Jerk Chicken Casserole
2 sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed)
yellow, red and orange sweet peppers (tops cut off and sliced lengthwise)
2 sweet onions
1/2 bag of frozen pineapple
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Cutlets and Thighs (at least one package of each…or about 4 thighs and 4 cutlets)
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup honey
Sauté the onions.
Layer the potatoes, peppers and pineapple in the bottom of the casserole dish…salt and pepper as desired.
Mix spices listed above, rub onto chicken pieces, and arrange chicken on top of veggies.
Top with sautéed onions and drizzle lime juice/honey mixture over whole dish. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes at 375 degrees and until the sweet potatoes are soft.
on October 21st, 2010 at 3:08 pm
The Ultimate Banana Walnut Muffins
Makes 6 huge muffins or 12 regular sized
Cooking Time: 30-45 minutes start to finish
Zone Blocks: 6 blocks of Fat for each muffin when making a batch of 12, 1.5-2 blocks of Carb and 1/4 block of Protein–so basically call each of these a 6 block Fat.
Dry Ingredients:
2 C almond flour/meal (NOTE:Buy raw almonds and put them through food processor)
1/3 C coconut flour (find this at Publix/WholeFoods)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg (grated fresh)
1 C walnuts
Wet Ingredients:
2 bananas, the riper the better!
1 T vanilla
3 eggs
1/3 C honey
3 T oil (olive oil is fine, coconut oil when liquid is excellent, and hazelnut oil or walnut oil hits it out of the park!)
2 T almond butter (unsalted, but if salted, just add 3/4 tsp salt instead of 1 tsp)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place walnuts in preheating oven on a sheet rack to roast. Meanwhile, peel bananas and mash them to a liquid (can be chunky) in a medium-sized bowl.
To the bananas, add honey and almond butter and mix well. Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla to the banana bowl; mix to incorporate. (Check walnuts!)
In a separate bowl, add almond flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda. Mix to incorporate. (Check walnuts!) Prepare your muffin tin. If using a naked muffin tin, grease it with the same oil you used in the batter.
By now your walnuts are either burnt to a crisp or you rescued them once golden brown and fragrant. Chop them up into tiny bits, but not dust.
If your oven is preheated, you are good to go: add the wet to the dry and scrape the bowl. Mix well and add walnuts. Dollop into muffin cups (see pre-muffins pic above) and bake for about 20 minutes if making 6 huge muffins or between 10-15 if smaller. Check for golden brown color and mostly set tops. I love oooey-gooey ones, so I never bother with the toothpick test or completely set tops. Cool on a rack. Store in an airtight container in the fridge once cooled. They won’t last long due to extreme deliciousness, not spoilage!
on October 25th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
Pumpkin Muffins
I got this from Primal Blueprint. I just made them and have to say they are pretty darn tasty!
Ingredients:
1/2 C. coconut flour
1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 C. cooked pureed pumpkin
6 eggs
4 T. coconut oil
1/3 C. honey
1 t. vanilla extract
First you will need to make the pumpkin puree. To do this, cut a pumpkin in half, place on a baking sheet in about an inch of water. Place in a 400 oven for 90 minutes (it should cut very easily when done). Its best to do this ahead of time and you can always refrigerate it and make some other pumpkin based meals.
For the muffins:
in a small bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Mix. Set aside. In a medium bowl add the pumpkin puree. Add the eggs one at a time, blending each one with the puree. Add the melted coconut oil, honey and vanilla. Mix. Add in the flour mixture. Put in muffin cups and bake for 18-20 minutes at 400. It makes 12 muffins.
on November 20th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
Mashed Sweet Potatoes w/ Pan Fried Chicken
This is one of mine & Trevor’s favorites!!
2 good-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into about 1-2 inch chunks
1/2 C shallots (or sweet onion), chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, mince
1/2 C fresh basil, chopped
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 C coconut milk
1 T coconut oil
Bring about 4 qts. water to low boil, and add sweet potatoes. Boil for about 10-13 minutes (until potatoes are tender). Drain and mash. Add Coconut milk and mix well. In a separate small pan heat coconut oil an saute shallots and garlic, when they are just about done (about 5 minutes), add basil. Saute for a few more minutes and add to sweet potatoes. Stir well, add a little ground black pepper, and serve with the fried chicken!
Fried Chicken:
4 chicken breasts, pounded thin (I cut mine in half, too)
3/4 C almond meal
3 T dried parsley
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 T oregano
1/4 C fresh basil, chopped
2 T Coconut oil
Heat oil in large skillet. Combine almond meal and spices. Dredge chicken breast in almond meal mixture (really pressing the spices into the chicken). When oil is hot, add chicken breasts to pan. Cook on each side for about 5-7 minutes
on November 20th, 2010 at 9:44 pm
Italian Beef
a 3 to 4 pound roast
2 T Italian seasoning
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 jar sliced pepperoncinis – 16oz
1 can low sodium beef broth (gluten free)
What you do:
Get out your old faithful crock pot. Spray the bowl with olive oil.
Put the roast in. Put the can of broth in. Put the jar of peppers in with the liquid. Sprinkle the roast with Italian seasoning and crushed garlic. Set the crockpot on low You can let it go for up to 15 hours and it will be fine. I cook mine for about 10 hours. If it’s easy to shred, it’s done.
You can slice it or shred it and serve it right on a plate with your veggie of choice.
on November 20th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
Picadillo
Ingredients:
1lb. ground meat (turkey or bison)
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small can tomato sauce (Use the 6 oz. Organic version)
1/4 cup dry white wine
5-7 pimiento stuffed olives, chopped
raisins (I used 1 small box per recipe)
salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
1. In a large skillet, brown the ground meat, onions and garlic. If meat is not too lean, pour out whatever fat you render.
2. Turn heat down to medium low. Add the tomato sauce and wine. While it simmers, chop up the pimiento stuffed olives and add to meat mixture, it is okay to add a little bit of the brine, if you wish. Add the raisins and adjust the seasonings according to taste.
3. I like my picadillo almost dry, not too soupy. If you like it soupier, just add more tomato sauce, or wine, or water. Serve over Cauliflower Rice.
on December 12th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
Acorn Squash Stuffed with Sausage & Spinach
Recipe:
1 large acorn squash
1 lb. sausage (I used an Italian pork sausage)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1- 10 oz. pkg. frozen, chopped spinach
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
pinch sea salt (optional)
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 c water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut acorn squash lengthwise and remove seeds. Place cut side down on a baking dish. Add water to pan. bake for 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté onions. Add sausage and cook until crumbly. Steam frozen spinach slightly or microwave with a little water until thawed and ready to add to saute pan with onions and spinach. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Remove squash from the oven. Turn over, so that cut side is up. Fill centers with the sausage mixture and return to oven. Cook for an additional 20 minutes (until squash is truly tender).
Serves two. (I suggest doubling).
Enjoy!!!
-the sausage & spinach mixture is great the next morning w/ eggs!!
on December 17th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Veggies:
I hate eating veggies. So, this makes it nice and easy …
* Bag of veggies.
* Oil (something healthy)
* Balsamic Vinegar
* Almond Butter
# Put some oil in a skillet, and add veggies.
# Sautee until starting to brown (slightly)
# Add balsamic (not a lot, just to taste)
# Add 1 or 2 TBSP of Amond butter
# Stir
# Eat (happily)
on December 27th, 2010 at 5:45 pm
TURNIP/EGG CASSEROLE.
RECIPE FROM MARK’S DAILY APPLE. Lise made it for Christmas morning & it was DELICIOUS!!!
The base of our Primal breakfast casserole is a straightforward mixture of beaten eggs and grated turnips. Turnips have the mildly earthy flavor that most root vegetables share and just a hint of sweetness. Once you have a base for your casserole, you can add almost anything you want to it. A simple duo of sausage and scallions is a favorite combination, but you can load the casserole up with more if you like. Diced peppers, mushrooms, bacon, grated cheese and any fresh herbs or dried spices that your heart desires can all be mixed in with great results.
The recipe below can easily be doubled and baked in a 13×9 pan for a larger crowd. Simply mix the ingredients together and cover the pan with foil.
Ingredients:
Approximately 4 servings
■1 pound ground breakfast sausage or other ground meat
■3 turnips, peeled and grated (a food processor works well for this)
■4 eggs, beaten
■3 scallions, chopped
Instructions:
Sauté sausage, breaking it up into small pieces with a spoon or spatula, until almost cooked through.
Mix the sausage with the rest of the ingredients.
Spoon into a 8×8 baking pan.
When ready to cook, heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes then cover the pan and bake for 25 minutes more. Let cool 15-20 minutes so the casserole sets before cutting into it.
on January 2nd, 2011 at 8:22 am
I made this Chili to ring in the New Year & it’s staying for 2011. Do not skip the coriander avocado cream, it’s ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. (Courtesy of http://www.health-bent.com)
Pumpkin Chili with Orange, Coriander Avocado Cream
Ingredients
For the Chili
2 lbs ground beef
1 large yellow onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 sugar pumpkin, diced (about 3 cups) or 1 ½ c canned pumpkin (*I used 2 whole cans of pumpkin)
1 (28 oz) can diced, fire roasted tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (7 oz) can diced, roasted green chilies
1 c chicken or beef stock
FOC
S&P
Chili Spice Mixture
2 T chili powder
2 T cumin
1 T paprika
2 t salt
2 t coriander
2 t cinnamon
2 t cocoa powder (who would have thought?)
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t cayenne
Orange, Coriander Avocado Cream
2 avocados
zest of 1 orange (skipped this step)
juice of 2 oranges
1 t coriander
1/2 t salt
Method For the Chili: Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat with a tablespoon of your F.O.C. Add the beef and let it brown. Try not to stir it too much until you get some color on one side but make sure you break up the pieces. This should take 5-8 minutes.
While you’re browning your beef make your spice mixture. In a medium bowl, mix up all the spices.
We like to brown the beef first so we can use the fat that renders out to cook the vegetables. So, using a slotted spoon remove the beef and place in the spice mixture bowl…leaving the fat in the pot. Add your diced onion and garlic. Let those two saute for a few minutes (3-4) stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened. Add your diced pumpkin.
Cover and cook about another 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the pumpkin begins to get tender (check with a fork). Add the rest of ingredients and the beef/spice mixture. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer to let all the flavors “meld”. When you’re happy with the texture, you’re done.
For the Cream: Add all ingredients to food processor and blend until smooth
on January 6th, 2011 at 9:25 am
FAVE QUICK SHRIMP-
-Heat skillet to Medium Heat, add 12tbl oil to pan with 1/4 teas red pepper flakes, and 12 jumbo shrimp
-Then add 1 tsp steak seasoning (I use hot & spicy)
-Cook shrimp for 3 mins or until pink
-Toss cooked shrimp with 1 tsp lemon zest & 2tsp lemon juice
-Garnish with 1 tblsp of chopped parsley
on January 6th, 2011 at 12:40 pm
OOPS its 1/2 tblspn of oil
on January 24th, 2011 at 10:10 am
yum
on January 25th, 2011 at 3:31 pm
Primal Energy Bar Recipe (courtesy of MarksDailyApple)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup almond butter (although cashew, hazelnut, walnut and even pumpkin butters will work well too!)
1/4 cup coconut oil (check your local health food store)
1/4 cup almond meal (simply pulse approximately 1/4 cup of almonds until it creates a coarse flour)
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp of raw honey (although, this is really kind of optional because the egg will help hold the mixture together)
1/2 cup unsweetened whey protein powder (or 60g)
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries or blueberries
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut to sprinkle on top
Method:
On a cookie sheet, toast nuts and shredded coconut until golden brown. In order for them to cook evenly, you need to shake up the tray at least once during cooking trust us!
Once toasted, pour mixture into a food processor and pulse until nuts are chopped and the mixture becomes coarsely ground (sort of the consistency of bread crumbs).
In a mixing bowl, melt coconut oil and almond butter (about 30 seconds). Remove from microwave and stir until smooth.
Add vanilla extract, honey and sea salt. Mix thoroughly.
Fold in nut mixture, almond meal and protein powder until mixed thoroughly.
Add whole egg and mix thoroughly.
Fold in blueberries/cranberries.
Press mixture into an 8 by 8 loaf pan (a modification that we made to keep everything crisper and help the bars to hold together).
Cook in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven, sprinkle a ¼ cup of shredded coconut on top and place under broiler until top begins to brown.
Let cool for 10-15 minutes. Cut into 12 pieces/bars.
Enjoy or stack on wax paper/parchment and store in an airtight container.
Note: You can also add dark chocolate chips instead of the cranberries/blueberries (available at Whole Foods or health food store). If you add the chips while the mixing bowl is warm (from the coconut oil/almond butter mixture), they will melt into the mixture and you will have yourself a chocolate primal bar. Alternatively, you can just let the mix cool, then add the chips, then refrigerate the pan to get chocolate chip primal bars. The bars stick together pretty well without being cooked.
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition for 1/12 of the batch. Nutritional breakdown courtesy of FitDay.com:
Calories: 184
Fat: 15.4 grams
Carb: 6.4 grams
Pro: 7.5 grams
And, for those of you who feared they would eat the whole pan the total nutritional breakdown for the whole darn lot!
Calories: 2,206
Fat: 184.3 grams
Carbs: 77.2 grams
Pro: 90.1 grams
on January 27th, 2011 at 4:00 pm
I did the primal protein bars but I doubled the recipe and added 3 eggs. I also did not put in the shredded coconut and just added 1/4 cup extra of each of the nuts. Then I put in some 60% Cocaoe chips in the mix and melted 1/4 cup of the cocaoe chips with 2 Tbs of honey and spread on top. For those who had my protein bars Raquel posted the recipe above.
on February 8th, 2011 at 10:43 am
Buffalo Chicken Roll-Up
2lbs ground chicken
2 eggs
spicy spices (cayenne, chili, cumin, garlic, S&P, etc.) and buffalo or hot sauce
bag of spinach
1/2 a container of blue cheese crumbles
wax paper
Mix ground chicken, eggs and spices. Spread mixture onto wax paper, so that it is 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick. Then top it like a pizza with all the spinach and 1/2 container of blue cheese crumbles. Use the wax paper to roll the “pizza” into a log, or like a loaf…pinch and smoosh the ends to keep the stuffs on the inside. Throw the wax paper away. Put your roll-up in a pan with tall edges.
Bake at 400 for 45 min. to an hour.
Make some veggies on the side, and try not to eat the whole roll-up. You can try to save some of your roll-up for the next day’s lunch.
Idea #1…The meat mixture seems too mushy, so I think some almond flour would be the Paleo ingredient to help stiffen the mixture…but I haven’t tried it yet. (I did use some whole wheat flour and it worked good.)
Idea #2…So, you can vary this recipe as your taste buds desire. I made an Italian version with ground turkey, Italian spices, spinach, sliced tomatoes, and mozzarella. I figure you can try a mexi or fajita version with ground steak and sautéed onions, peppers, etc…. guac is the perfect “fat” to zone out a fajita roll-up!
on March 2nd, 2011 at 3:40 pm
PALEO BROWNIES (What makes them Paleo? The Ingredients – didn’t say STRICT Paleo though!!!)
I happened to use 100% unsweetened cacao chocolate blocks from the baking isle and the chocolate was too dark and rich…
1 – 16 oz. jar salted almond butter, smooth roasted (doesn’t have to be exact)
2 – eggs
1 1/4 C agave nectar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 C cocoa powder
1/2 tsp celtic sea salt (any sea salt)
1 tsp baking soda
1 C dark chocolate 73%
In a large bowl, blend almond butter until smooth with a hand blender (if you get creamy almond butter you won’t really need a blender)
Blend in eggs, then the agave nectar and then the vanilla…
Blend in the cacao, salt, and baking soda, then fold in chocolate chips or baking chocolate…
Grease a 9X13 pyrex glass baking dish – remarkable that it really doesn’t stick!
Pour batter into the dish and bake @ 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes…
Next time I think I will use the lesser % of cacao and maybe only 3/4 C or 1/2 C… was a fun dish to make! Enjoy!
on March 13th, 2011 at 6:34 pm
Full Sail’s Famous Paleo Brownies from Jack’s Birthday:
1 3/4 cup Almond Meal
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 large eggs
1 cup Almond Milk
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut oil slightly melted
Butter for greasing pan
Preheat oven 350. Mix all dry ingredients until well
blended. In separate bowl mix all wet ingredients and wisk well. Combine wet to dry and be sure to scrape sides of bowl. Batter will be thinner then conventional brownies. Pour batter into buttered pan. Sprinkle chopped walnuts on top and bake for 30-35mins. Cool completely before enjoying! Good luck!
on March 13th, 2011 at 6:45 pm
Full Sail’s Famous Protein Bars:
Primal Energy Bar Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 1/4 cup pecans
1/2 cup almond butter (although cashew, hazelnut, walnut and even pumpkin butters will work well too!)
1/2 cup coconut oil (check your local health food store)
1/2 cup almond meal (simply pulse approximately 1/4 cup of almonds until it creates a coarse flour)
3 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp of raw honey (although, this is really kind of optional because the egg will help hold the mixture together)
1 cup unsweetened whey protein powder (or 60g)
3 large egg
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries or any dried fruit (last one for Jack’s party I did dried cranberries and cherries
1/2 cup Cocoae chips or Organic Chocolate chips
Rest of the Chocolate Chip bag
1-2 Tbs Honey
Method:
On a cookie sheet, toast nuts and shredded coconut until golden brown. In order for them to cook evenly, you need to shake up the tray at least once during cooking…trust us!
Once toasted, pour mixture into a food processor and pulse until nuts are chopped and the mixture becomes coarsely ground (sort of the consistency of bread crumbs).
In a mixing bowl, melt coconut oil and almond butter (about 30 seconds). Remove from microwave and stir until smooth.
Add vanilla extract, honey and sea salt. Mix thoroughly.
Fold in nut mixture, almond meal and protein powder until mixed thoroughly.
Add whole eggs and mix thoroughly.
Fold in blueberries/cranberries.
Press mixture into an 9 by 13 greased baking pan. (they will stick)
Melt rest of bag of chocolate chips and 1-2 Tbs of honey then spread on top of the pressed mixture.
Cook in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. Cut into pieces/bars.
Enjoy or stack on wax paper/parchment and store in an airtight container.
These did not last more than 10 minutes at Jack’s Party and the same thing after a WOD at the base.
on March 27th, 2011 at 6:25 pm
Butternut Squash Lasagna
Recipe is from the Meal of the Day link on crossfitfirebase.com—I made a few changes:
1.25 pounds ground beef
1 onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 jar of pizza sauce
1 jar of tomato/basil sauce
Fresh basil to taste
1 package of frozen chopped spinach
2 small butternut squash
¼ Cup olive oil
Preheat oven to 400. Peel 2 small butternut squash, cut in half width wise then cut those sections in half. Take out the seeds and slice. Set them aside then brown the ground meat, fresh basil, onion and garlic. Mix in with the tomato sauce and olive oil. Defrost the chopped spinach and stir that in too. Put a thin layer of the sauce in a 9 x 12 in pan. Add a layer of the squash, put sauce on top and add one more layer of squash and the sauce mixture. I had enough for 2 pans worth—each with a double layer of the squash. Bake for about 45 or 50 minutes.
on April 1st, 2011 at 9:47 pm
Banana Paleo Chocolate Cake
1/2 Cup of oil (coconut preferably) or unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 cup of honey (or just use really ripe bananas)
2 eggs
1 cup almond flour/meal
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 mashed bananas
Prepare:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Mix oil (honey if using) and eggs in a large bowl until light and fluffy
Add almond flour, cocoa powder and bananas
Mix well
Line cake tin with baking paper and pour in mixture
Bake between 30 and 45 minutes
Store the cake in the refrigerator
Chocolate Frosting:
1 Cup dark chocolate
1/2 cup coconut oil or coconut butter
2Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
Prepare:
In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt chocolate and coconut oil/butter
Stir in the honey, vanilla, and salt
Place the frosting in the freezer to thicken for approximately 20 minutes
Frost cake and garnish with Walnuts or Almonds if desired
Enjoy!
on October 3rd, 2011 at 8:05 am
Jerk Chicken Casserole
2 sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed)
yellow, red and orange sweet peppers (tops cut off and sliced lengthwise)
2 sweet onions
1/2 bag of frozen pineapple
2 tbs salt
1 tbs pumpkin spice
1 1/2 tsp allspice
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground cayenne red pepper
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Cutlets and Thighs (at least one package of each…or about 4 thighs and 4 cutlets)
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup honey
Sauté the onions.
Layer the potatoes, peppers and pineapple in the bottom of the casserole dish…salt and pepper as desired.
Mix spices listed above, rub onto chicken pieces, and arrange chicken on top of veggies.
Top with sautéed onions and drizzle lime juice/honey mixture over whole dish. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes at 375 degrees and until the sweet potatoes are soft.