Paleo Recipes

I did it! I made a page just for recipes! I know this could be a lot better and maybe someday it will be. But for now this is it. Just a list of all the recipes I've tried, loved and posted.

Paleo Seafood Chowder

Ingredients:
Medium yellow onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced
2/3 flat-leaf parsley, chopped
4 or 5 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies
3 oz tomato paste
2 cans of clam juice with clams
2/3 cup chicken stock
1/2 lb of tilapia, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 lb sea scallops
1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined.

Heat oil large pot and add onions, celery and garlic and sauté for five minutes.

Add parsley, tomatoes, and tomato paste and cook for two minutes.

Add clams with juice and broth and bring to simmer on low heat.

Add seafood and increase heat to medium and simmer for five more minutes.

(We wanted ours a bit spicier so I added cayenne pepper. We also salted the heck out of it because our broth was low sodium)

Possibly The Worlds Best Ever Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups butternut squash, diced and roasted

1 cup coconut milk, full fat

2 Starkrimson pears, pealed and diced

1 small onion, diced

4 TBSP grass-fed butter

½ tsp nutmeg

¼ heaping tsp thyme

pinch of cayenne

salt and pepper to taste

Sautee onion and pears in butter until super soft. Add to food processor and puree. Add roasted butternut squash and coconut milk and blend until smooth. Pour into soup pan and add seasonings. Simmer on low for 20-30 minutes. Goes great with a cold chicken salad or sausage and sauerkraut

BISON CHILI

Ingredients:
4 lbs. grass-fed bison, browned  and drained (found at the Sunshine Shoppe of course.)

1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes, undrained

1 6 oz. tomato paste

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 organic green bell pepper, chopped

1 organic sweet bell pepper, chopped

3 celery stalks, diced

2 green chili peppers, seeded and chopped

2 bacon strips, cooked and chopped small

1 cup beef broth

½ cup red wine

¼ cup chili powder

1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

1 TBSP minced garlic

1 TBSP dried oregano

1 TBSP Franks Hot Sauce

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp basil

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp cayenne pepper

Dump all of these ingredients into your slow cooker and cook on low all day (6-8 hours). If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can cook this in a dutch oven and let simmer all day.

PALEO CORNBREAD MUFFINS- slightly modified from  paleocupboard.com

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut flour, sifted

8 free-range eggs, at room temp (if you are like me and forget to set your eggs out an hour in advance, just submerge in warm water for 10 minutes.)

1 cup coconut oil, melted

1/3 cup organic, unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup raw honey

4 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp salt

Coconut oil spray

Blend eggs, applesauce and vinegar in food processor. While blending slowly add honey and coconut oil through that little spouty thing on the top. Stop you blender for a second and add your flour and salt. Blend again…cover that spouty thing. Once everything is nice and combined pour batter into greased muffin tin. Bake at 350 for 18 minutes if using mini muffin pan and 25 minutes if using regular muffin pan.

I doubled this recipe and we had these muffins the next morning drizzled with honey butter. It was lovely.

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Fish Tacos with Pineapple Mango Salsa

Ingredients:

Frozen Tilapia fillets (I buy them in a big bag in the freezer section. These are great because they thaw quickly in a bowl of water, and I have yet to be able to overcook them...even after leaving them under the broiler for 10 minutes.)
Olive oil
Old Bay Seasoning
Salt Pepper
Butter Lettuce or any lettuce you can use as a taco shell
Mango
Pineapple
Sweet bell peppers
Red Onion
Cilantro
Lime

Thaw the tilapia fillets. Pat dry and then rub with a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with Old Bay, salt and pepper. I go heavy on the Old Bay but it gives it a kick so watch out.

Broil fillets in oven until they look done. (Seriously, you can't overdo this part...I've tried.) I like mine to be browning on the edges. Kind of chop it up into bite size pieces.

Chop all of your salsa ingredients. I have no measurements. Sorry. I just chop until the mixture looks pretty. Squeeze in some lemon and add a bit of salt.

On a plate fill lettuce with some fish and top with salsa. Ta-da!

THEN...that's right people! We have leftovers! YAY!

Take your leftover fish and salsa and throw it in a gallon sized baggie. Toss in a few handfuls of salad mix and add your fav dressing. See my balsamic vinaigrette below.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp honey
1 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper

Add ingredients to a jar and shake. EASY PEASY.

Some-More-Ahhhhhs by Paleo Indulgences
Ingredients:
For the cookie:
2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup unsweetened, finely shredded coconut
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
3 TBSP coconut oil, melted

For the Caramel: (I did not have the ingredients to make this part so I just dipped in chocolate and it turned out wonderful. I did order these ingredients later to keep on hand. If you want them I can order them for you through the shop.)
1 cup coconut crystals
1/4 cup coconut nectar
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
1/3 cup butter (optional)

For the tops:
1/2 cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut
1/2 chopped dark chocolate
1/oz unsweetened dark chocolate, chopped

Preheat to 350 degrees.

Place the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
Add wet ingredients to the dry and blend well with hand mixer. Cover and refrigerate dough for 15 minutes.

Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheets. Place six cookies on each tray, as they will spread a little. (I did smaller cookies, about 3/4 TBSP scoops and they didn't spread out on their own. I had to press them down a little to make them flat.)

Bake 12-13 minutes, or until golden brown. (I baked for only 9 minutes but I've noticed my oven always needs less time.)
Lower oven to 300 degrees.

Meanwhile, make the caramel. Place the caramel ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir to combine.

Heat over medium high heat, boiling until mixture reaches 250 degrees on a candy thermometer. (about 20 minutes.)

Remove from heat and let cool.

Now make the toppings. Toast the coconut by spreading it out in a thin layer on a cookie sheet and baking in the 300 degrees oven for 10-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

Place chocolate in the top of a double broiler over simmering water and stir until melted.

Place a small spoonful of caramel on top of each cookie. (Or if you are like me and don't have the ingredients, dip cookie in chocolate.) Top with sprinkled of toasted coconut. Let cool.

Dip the bottom of each cookie in chocolate and let sit for 1 hour (or stick in the freezer for 2 minutes because you are so stinkin anxious to try one.)

Pizza Sauce
8 oz tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
2 tsp onion powder
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Simmer in saucepan for 20 minutes. Spread over crust. YUMMMM!

Ketchup
6 oz. tomato paste
3/4 cup water
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 pinch allspice

Simmer in a saucepan for 20 minutes. Let cool. Refrigerate. (Or if you forgot to make this ahead of time just mix everything together and serve. My kids didn't complain one bit about the flavors not being melded.)

Fudgy Brownies by paleoOMG

Ingredients

· 1½ cup dried figs (any stems removed)

· ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted

· 6 tablespoons coconut flour

· 3 eggs, whisked

· ½ cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips, melted

· ¼ teaspoon baking soda

· ¼ teaspoon baking powder

· pinch of salt

Instructions

1.      Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2.      Pull out your handy dandy food processor and add your figs to it. Puree until your figs have broken down evenly.

3.      Add your melted coconut oil to the processor to mix with the figs.

4.      Next add your melted chocolate chips and eggs and mix.

5.      Now add your coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix together.

6.      So I made these in silicone muffin liners in my muffin tin, filling them up halfway and they cooked perfectly. I’m not sure what they would be like if you baked them in a normal 8×8 baking dish.

7.      Fill 12 liners with the THICK brownie batter. Yes, it should be that thick. That’s why my brownies look like sh*t in the picture. Totally the brownies fault.

8.      Bake for 20-25 minutes.

9.      Let cool before consuming. Seriously. They honestly taste even better the second day around!

Coconut Flour Waffles
Makes: 5-6 four-inch waffles

Ingredients:
4 eggs, separated
2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup almond milk or coconut milk
1/4 cup sifted coconut flour
1/2 Tbsp. honey
Directions:
1. Put all the egg whites in a bowl and set aside.
2. In a second mixing bowl, combine egg yolks and all the rest of the ingredients.
3. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into batter mixture and gently mix until egg whites are incorporated.
4. Pour appropriate amount unto your waffle iron and cook. (On my waffle iron, I put 1 – 1 1/2 cups of batter on it and cook for 2 1/2 -3 1/2 minutes.)
5. Serve with fruit, pure maple syrup, and/or coconut whipped cream!

Pope Paleo Pizza-I took a combination of several recipes and made up our own. We loved the finished product and the name.
For the crust:

· 2 cups raw ground cauliflower. ( I buy one head of fresh cauliflower a week and grind it into a rice like texture in my food processor and then store in an airtight container. It makes about 5 to 6 cups. Then I just use as needed in my recipes throughout the week. If there is any left at the end of the week I just cook it with some coconut oil and salt and pepper and it makes a great side dish.)

· 3/4 cup almond flour (I actually added a couple more tablespoons to the mixture because my "dough" was a little too wet. Just use your own judgement and add more if you think it needs it.)

· 3 large free-range eggs (Which by the way are now available at the Sunshine Shoppe and are cheaper than Walmart's!)

· 1 heaping tsp Celtic sea salt

· 1 to 2 heaping TBSP chopped fresh rosemary or any herb that smells yummy to you.

· 3/4 tsp garlic powder

Combine all ingredients into a mixing bowl and mush with your hands (just because it is fun) until well combined.

Don't freak out because it doesn't look like dough. It will look like a slimy eggy lump.

Spray some Kelapo coconut spray on your pizza pan. Then dump your slimy eggy lump on the pizza pan and pat it out towards the edge to about a 1/4 inch thickness, maybe a bit thinner.

Pop that baby in the oven at 450 degrees for about 25 minutes. If you are adding toppings that need to cook for a bit then only cook your crust for about 15 minutes before adding toppings and then stick back in the oven for the remaining time.

For the toppings: (Be creative here. I would love to hear different topping combination ideas from you. But the following is what we did.)

In a food processor combine and process the following:

Sundried Tomato Pesto

· 1 cup of walnuts

· 2 cups of fresh basil

· 6 or more sun dried tomatoes stored in oil.

· 2 tsp minced garlic

· 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt

· 1/2 cup olive oil

Spread this incredible pesto over your now solid (be amazed) pizza crust. Top with sliced tomatoes, roasted chicken, sauteed mushrooms and leaks. We added a bit of goat's milk cheese to our pizzas even though it isn't perfect paleo. We don't have issues with dairy and didn't experience any issues after adding this tiny treat to our pizzas. You choose what is best for you and your family.

CauliHummus

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen cauliflower, steamed according to instructions
5 TBSP Tahini
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice and zest from 1 lemon
1 TBSP Cumin
1/4 or more Cayenne pepper
2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Stick in everything but the oil in the food processor and blend. Pour oil in slowly. Scrape sides and blend until it looks like white hummus.

Enjoy with bell peppers sliced thin, sliced radishes, carrot sticks, cucumber slices, or raw broccoli.

The Best Okay Chicken You will Ever Eat Because You Left Out the Brining Method

Mix the following spices together:
1 TBSP ground cumin
1 TBSP curry powder-I usually leave curry out of recipes because it smells like stinky armpits but it was good in this recipe.
1 TBSP chili powder
1/2 TBSP ground allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 TBSP pepper

Melt 2 TBSP coconut oil and mix with spices. Then rub all over your chicken breasts. Pop in the over at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

The Moroccan Dipping Sauce That Totally Makes Okay Chicken AWESOME!

Mix the following together and wisk:
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1 clove of garlic
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped super small
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped super small

Pour all over Okay Chicken. Now that's yummy!

Shepherd's Pie---Except I think mine was technically a Cottage Pie because I used ground beef and not lamb.

Ingredients:

1 batch Mashed Cauliflower (basically steam and blend in the processor a bag of frozen cauliflower and add coconut milk, garlic, salt and pepper.
1 1/2 TBSP coconut oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 cloves of garlic
2 pounds ground lamb or beef
salt and pepper
1 TBSP tomato paste
1 cup beef or chicken broth
1 tsp coconut aminos
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3 egg whites
paprika for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Melt coconut oil in large skillet and saute onion and carrots until soft. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add meat and brown. Season with salt and pepper.

Add tomato paste, broth, coconut aminos, rosemary, and thyme to pan and let simmer for 10 minutes. Set pan aside and let cool. Meanwhile scramble egg whites and blend into meat mixture. (hmmm...I'm pretty sure I left that little part out when I made it. Oh well. It was still yummy and it saved me some eggs.)

Pour your meaty mixture into a baking dish and cover with mashed cauliflower. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Blueberry Crumb Muffins

Ingredients:

1/3 cup coconut flour, sifted (recipe says sifted but I didn't have the patience and it still turned out YUMMY)

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp cinnamon

4 eggs

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup maple syrup (I used honey b/c that is all I had)

1/4 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup blueberries (I used frozen, after thawing them)

Topping Ingredients:

2 TBSP almond meal

1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used pumpkin, walnut, sunflower, and almonds...basically every kind I had)

1 TBSP maple syrup (I used honey)

1 TBSP coconut oil

Pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk in a medium bowl coconut flour, sea salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add eggs, vanilla, maple syrup, coconut milk and blend with a hand mixer. Slowly pour in the coconut oil and blend well.

Fold in blueberries.

Spray muffin liners with Kelapo coconut spray. Fill 3/4 full with batter.

Mix topping ingredients together and top each muffin with 1 tsp.

Bake for 30 minutes. Cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Store leftover for 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.

I doubled this recipe and it made 16 muffins.

Crabby Patties

Ingredients:
6 oz. Wild Caught Lump Crap
Zucchini
Half Red Onion
Celery Stalk
Carrot
4 TBSP Homemade Mayo
4 TBSP Favorite cooking fat
Free-Range Egg, lightly beaten
Cayenne Pepper
Old Bay Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fresh Parsley (I wash my parsley immediately after shopping. Fill a jar with water and add parsley stems down, of course. Then I take a baggie and cover and seal with rubber band. It keeps my parsley really fresh for much longer. I bought the one pictured below 12 days ago and it was still crisp. I also do this with cilantro too.)

1. Heat iron skillet (or any skillet but iron skillets are awesome) and add 1 TBSP favorite cooking fat...ghee, bacon fat, olive oil, or coconut oil.

2. Chop all veggies small and add to skillet to saute. I cooked my veggies down for about 15 minutes because we like them soft and sweet. Set aside to cool.

3. In medium sized bowl break apart crab meat with fork. Add mayo, seasonings, egg and veggies.

4. Form mixture into patties and stick in fridge to firm up for about 20 minutes. Take this time to change out the laundry, play a quick game of Guess Who with your kids, or check out awesome Paleo blogs such as Nom Nom Paleo and Everyday Paleo.

5. Heat skillet to medium high and add 3 or more TBSP of cooking fat. Once it is nice and hot add your patties. Let them get crispy before flipping over, about 5 to 6 minutes. The first batch I cooked came out beautiful and stayed together but the second batch to go into the skillet fell apart easily. This would have been resolved if I had let the second batch stay in the fridge instead of sitting out warming by the stove top. I may experiment with adding almond meal or coconut flour to the mixture next time to help with the consistency...mainly just for looks.

Serve with veggies of choice. We had steamable Green Giant green beans and I just melted a bit of Ghee on top and we were good to go. I also added juice from half a lime, tsp of Old Bay, dash of cayenne, salt, and pepper to about 1/4 cup of mayo. I added a dollop of this mixture to the Crabby Patties and it was yum.

Paleo Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Steak and Pasta

Ingredients

For the broil–

· 1 london broil

· 1 tablespoon coconut aminos

· 1 teaspoon garlic powder

· 1 teaspoon onion powder

· salt and pepper, to taste

For the pasta–

· 2 zucchini, sliced thin lengthwise with a mandoline and into noodle shapes

· 2 yellow squash, sliced thin lengthwise with a mandoline and into noodle shapes

· 1 jar of roasted red peppers (I don’t know what size, the bigger the better I always say. HA. I’m funny)

· ½ cup almond butter

· ½ can coconut milk

· 1 teaspoon garlic powder

· 1 teaspoon onion powder

· ¼ teaspoon mustard powder

· salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1.      Let’s get the london broil cooking. I cooked mine inside on stove top because I didn’t feel like dealing with running back and forth between the grill and kitchen. I like being claustrophobic in my kitchen anyways. But you are welcome to use your grill.

2.      Get your skillet extra hot and toss a bit of fat in the pan. Season your london broil on both sides and put it in the pan. Cook on both sides for about 5-7 minutes or however long it takes to cook it through how you like. I like my meat crying still so I didn’t cook mine for too long.

3.      While your meat is cooking, slice up your zucchini and squash in the noodle sized slices you prefer. If you have a julienne slicer, you can use that as well. I’m going to buy one today, just so you know.

4.      Now let’s make the sauce so grab your food processor and first toss in your roasted red peppers to puree. Then add your almond butter, coconut milk, and spices until all is blended beautifully together.

5.      Your london broil should be cooked perfectly by now so pull it off the skillet and place it on a cutting board to rest while you finish your noodles and sauce.

6.      Now you can either use that same skillet or a larger pot to cook your noodles and sauce in. Add your zucchini and squash to the hot pan of choice along with the sauce and mix together. Let cook for about 5-8 minutes, until the noodles are soft and cooked through.

7.      Once your noodles are done, add your pasta to a dish, thinly slice your broil and lie on top of your pasta. Then eat it all together. A thing of beauty I tell you

Krefta Patties

Ingredients:
2 lbs grass-fed 75% lean ground beef
Large onion chopped small
1 Large egg, lightly beaten
4 tsp minced garlic (We really LOVE garlic so you might want to scale back to 2 tsp...totally up to you!)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cardamom (I bought this for another recipe that apparently I never made because it was unopened in my pantry. This spice is amazing! Why isn't it in more recipes? It smells so good I wanted to wear it...maybe I will.)
1/2 cinnamon
1/4 nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 coriander powder
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ginger

1. Add all ingredients to a large bowl. Get your kids in the kitchen with you and let them go to town squishing and mixing with their cute little hands.

2. Form into small slider sized patties.

2. Stick in fridge for about 20 minutes to help them keep their shape.

3. Throw patties on the grill or even bake in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes. I might be the only person in the world still using a George Foreman Grill but it was cold outside and I feel more confident in my grilling skills when it doesn't require fire. When I try to grill outside it is either undercooked or burnt to a crisp. I plan to tackle the art of grilling this summer. Stay posted.

4. Serve your bunless sliders with a mixture of 1 part homeade mayo/2 parts dijon mustard. Add your favorite veggies to fill the rest of your plate. These were great cold packed in lunches the next day too.

Cilantro Tilapia over Cilantro CauliRice with a side of Swiss Chard and Baby Portobellos

Ingredients:

For the tilapia:
Tilapia fillets
4 to 5 TBSP cilantro
lime or lemon
2 tsp of minced garlic
4 TBSP olive oil
salt and pepper

Dry fillets and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stick in a shallow bowl and cover with cilantro, garlic and olive oil. Don't add the lime or lemon yet. Let it sit while you make the CauliRice and Swiss chard.

Once your sides are complete and line a cookie sheet with foil and place tilapia fillet onto said cookie sheet. Move the rack in your oven to the highest notch and broil tilapia for 3 minutes on each side. Place on top of CauliRice and squirt with lemon or lime.

CauliRice:
Head of cauliflower
3 TBSP cilantro chopped
2 TBSP coconut oil
lemon or lime
salt and pepper

Chop up the head of cauliflower into smallish pieces. Use your handy-dandy food processor and process away. The cauliflower should resemble rice not mush. I had to do 3 separate batches because it wouldn't all fit at once.

Melt coconut oil in a large skillet and add the cauliflower. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Add cilantro, salt, pepper, and lemon or lime and mix well.

For the Swiss Chard:
6 or 7 leaves of Organic Swiss Chard (so far I have not found an organic Swiss Chard in Greenville)
1/2 cup Baby Portobello mushrooms
2 TBSP olive oil
lemon or lime
salt and pepper

Cut the Swiss chard into bite-size strips. Heat olive oil in a skillet and add Swiss chard and mushrooms. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and the chard is bright green. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

This meal was pretty inexpensive and was ready in about 20 minutes and that includes the time it took to wash the veggies. It was filling but not heavy. And most importantly it was full of nutrients! Just the Swiss chard alone has potassium, magnesium, calcium, K2 (all super important for bone health), iron, Vitamins A, several Bs and C, and a great source of fiber!

Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup by The Clothes Makes the Girl

Ingredients:

1/2 tablespoon plus 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped

4 large cloves garlic, peeled

4 medium zucchini, about 2 pounds, chopped*

4 cups high-quality chicken broth

3/4 teaspoon (mild) to 1 teaspoon (hotter) powdered ginger

1 teaspoon salt

ground black pepper, to taste (if you’re not on AIP)

Directions:
1. Heat 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil in a large soup pot on medium heat, 2 minutes. Add onions, then smash garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife or the bottom of a glass and add to pan. Stir often and cook until the onions and garlic are soft and golden, but not browned, about 7 minutes.
2. Add the other 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil to the pan, then toss in the zucchini. Stir to coat the zucchini with fat, then cook ’til beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the broth, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to simmer. Let the zucchini cook 45 to 60 minutes until it’s very soft.
4. When the zucchini is soft, heat a small saucepan over low heat and add 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil. When the oil is melted, add the powdered ginger and stir to make a paste. Remove from heat.
5. VERY carefully, purée the zucchini and broth in a blender or food processor, or with an immersion blender. If you’re using a blender, work in batches, filling the canister only halfway and holding a towel over the lid while you purée. Pour the purée into the saucepan with the ginger paste, and stir to combine. Add the salt and pepper.
6. Cook on low heat, 5 minutes, just to combine the flavors. Eat immediately or store in a covered BPA-free container in the fridge.

Sun Dried Tomato Meatballs with Creamy Pesto

2 lbs ground beef

2 tablespoons minced chives

2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

½ cup minced sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil

2 -3 garlic cloves minced

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Creamy Pesto

1 cup walnut halves

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2-3 garlic cloves

½ teaspoon sea salt

2 cups fresh basil leaves

¼ cup sun dried tomatoes

½ cup coconut cream (Chill overnight one 13.5oz can of full fat coconut milk like Native Forest brand and the cream will solidify on the top, scoop this out to measure your 1/2 cup of coconut cream. Save what’s left for a soup or curry.)

1. Preheat your oven to 375.

2. Mix all of the meatball ingredients together EXCEPT for the coconut oil and shape into golf ball size meatballs.

3. Heat a skillet over medium to medium high heat and add the tablespoon of coconut oil. Once the oil is melted and the skillet is hot, add the meatballs. Brown the meatballs on all sides in the hot pan.

4. If your skillet is oven safe, cover it and transfer to the oven and cook for an additional 7-10 minutes. If the skillet is NOT oven safe, move the meatballs to a large baking dish, cover and cook in the oven for an additional 7-10 minutes.

5. While the meatballs are cooking, prepare the pesto as instructed below.

6. To a food processor or blender add the walnuts, olive oil, garlic, and salt and process until smooth.

7. Add the remaining pesto ingredients and process again until smooth. I promise this pesto does not taste like coconut milk pesto – the coconut cream adds a delicious creaminess that this pesto is asking for; you won’t be disappointed….

To serve, spoon some of the pesto over the meatballs. I served our meatballs with pesto sauce over some sauteed zucchini. Delicious!!

Spaghetti Squash BologneseIngredients:
1 Spaghetti Squash
Salt and pepper to taste
2 TBSP of fav fat...we used bacon fat
1 onion, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced...we used about 15 baby carrots
1 stalk of celery
1 clove of garlic...we did a LOT more, probably about 5 cloves
1/2 lb ground veal or beef
1/2 lb ground pork...we just used 1 lb total of ground beef. What are you supposed to do with that other half lb? It just seemed like too much trouble to to do two different types of meats.
4 slices of bacon chopped
1/2 full-fat coconut milk
3 oz. tomato paste...you can freeze the rest in an ice cube tray
1/2 cup dry white wine...we didn't add this because all alcohol is restricted on Whole30

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Slice the spaghetti squash in half. Scoop out all the stringy stuff and seeds. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Cover a cookie sheet with foil and place squash face down. Roast for 35-45 minutes.

While squash bakes prepare the awesome meaty sauce. Melt fav fat in iron skillet or any skillet and saute veggies. Add garlic and saute for 1 more minute. Add ground meat and cook until browned through. Add coconut milk, tomato paste, and wine. Simmer on low for 20-30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

After squash is cooled, use a spoon to scoop out the "noodles." I just put them directly into the pasta bowls to keep from adding another dish to the sink. Pour sauce over the top. Enjoy eating in silence because your kids will be too busy stuffing their sweet faces to say a word...except maybe a thank you. The only thing that would have made this meal any better would have been a glass of red wine. Darn Whole30.

Bora Bora Fireballs

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups shredded coconut

½ tsp. plus ½ tsp. salt

1 can crushed pineapple, packed in own juice (I used fresh pineapple chopped very fine)

2 TBSP coconut aminos

1 ½ tsp. dried ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

¾ scallions, white and green, very thinly sliced (1/4 cup) (I used 1 shallot because that is what I had)

½ fresh jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, finely minced (I didn’t use)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 pounds ground pork

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, then add the coconut. Toast, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. (It took mine longer…about 8 to 10) Remove from the heat and sprinkle with ½ tsp. salt and ½ tsp. cayenne pepper. Set aside to cool. (Do not taste unless you plan make extra because you will want to keep eating it while you are cooking. Love toasted coconut!)

Drain the can of pineapple in a sieve placed over a bowl to catch the juice. Save your juice for later. Press the pineapple pulp against the sieve with a wooden spoon to extract the excess moisture. Place 1 cup of the drained pineapple in a large mixing bowl.

To the pineapple, add ½ tsp. salt, 1 tsp. cayenne, coconut aminos, ginger, garlic, scallions, jalapeno, and eggs. Beat with a wooden spoon until combined. With your hands, crumble the pork into the bowl and knead until all the ingredients are incorporated.

Arrange the bowls of pineapple juice, spiced coconut, and season pork for easy access. Measure a level tablespoon of pork to make a meatball. Lightly douse it in the pineapple juice, then roll it in the coconut, pressing the coconut shreds into the meat by lightly rolling the ball between your palms. This is a rare case in which more isn’t better so don’t go cuckoo with the coconut (Melissa’s words, not mine). Line up the meatballs on the baking sheet, about ½ inch apart.

Slide the meatballs into the oven and back for 25-30 minutes, until sizzling and golden brown.

(NOTES: Our Bora Bora balls turned out more like Bora Bora patties but they still tasted lovely. Next time I will probably make the balls ahead and stick in the fridge for a bit and see if that helps them hold their shape. I would love for them to turn out all ball shaped and perfect because they would be great for packed lunches. )

Serve with Sunshine Sauce. We also had with our meatballs with sweet potato chips and guacamole.

Sunshine Sauce

Ingredients:

2 TBSP lime juice

1 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 TBSP coconut aminos

½ tsp powdered ginger

½ tsp rice vinegar

¼ cup Sunbutter

Dash ground cayenne pepper (I leave this out)

¼ cup coconut milk

Place all the ingredients except for the coconut milk in a food processor and whirl until well blended. Scrape down the sides of bowl and then add coconut milk. Process until well blended.