Paleo English Muffins
I’m a big fan of using almond flour to make things taste like carbs! I’ve been on a kick making breakfast sandwiches for breakfast and/or lunch and these little English muffins are perfect when sliced in half and toasted. I also like to toast and spread a little grass-fed butter or almond butter on them for a sweet treat! There is hardly any prep or clean up involved and you can’t beat a 2 minute cooking time. If you still can’t afford the 5 minutes, make a bunch ahead of time and store them in the freezer then defrost/reheat as you consume
- 3 tbsp almond flour
- ½ tbsp coconut flour
- 1 tbsp grass-fed butter
- 1 egg
- 1 pinch sea salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- Microwave grass-fed butter in a 4” ramekin for 30 seconds.
- Combine almond flour, coconut flour, egg, sea salt and baking powder in ramekin and stir.
- Let the mixture sit for 2 minutes.
- Microwave for a minute and a half then run a knife along the edge to loosen from the ramekin.
- Slice, toast and enjoy!
Chocolate Glazed Paleo Donuts
These are hands down my favorite donuts in the entire world. Unlike the sugar headaches I inevitably get from “regular” donuts, I can devour these suckers guiltlessly with the only consequence being a big ol’ protein boost. If you don’t already have a donut pan, it is definitely worth the investment for a future filled with these fluffy chocolate-y treats. The trick to making these donuts is to be patient to make sure they cool at each step before glazing and after glazing – pop them in the fridge to speed the process up! Enjoy these donuts for breakfast, with a cup of steaming coffee or for a mid-afternoon snack!
- 1 ¼ cup almond flour
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup, grade B
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ¾ tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 2 eggs, separated
- ¾ cup dark chocolate
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 6-mold donut pan with coconut oil.
- Combine almond flour and baking soda in large bowl.
- Combine maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, coconut oil and egg yolks (set aside the egg whites) in a separate medium bowl.
- Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and set aside.
- Whisk the egg whites together until firm peaks form then fold egg whites into the batter.
- Distribute the batter evenly between the 6 molds.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly golden then allow the donuts to cool.
- Microwave the dark chocolate and the coconut oil together in a glass bowl for 15 seconds at a time until melted, stirring in between.
- Use a knife to “frost” each donut then chill in the refrigerator until the glaze hardens.
Easy Peasy Crock Pot Chuck Roast
Another one of my crock pot favorites! This meat comes out so tender that you won’t even need a knife to eat it…and it’s done by the time you get home for dinner with only minutes of prep. If you’re a veggie lover, throw in baby carrots, onions, celery and potatoes into the mix for a complete meal! If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can roast the meat in the oven at 325 degrees F for about 2 to 3 hours until the meat is tender. Chuck (the type of cut) is rather tough having come from the shoulder and neck area which means a long, slow cooking time is preferable to make it deliciously tender.
- 1 2 pound boneless chuck roast
- ½ tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- Make the rub for the roast by combining paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
- Evenly pat the rub on all sides of the roast.
- Brown the roast on both sides in a skillet on medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Mix together beef broth, balsamic vinegar and minced garlic in a small bowl.
- Place roast in the crock pot and add broth mixture.
- Cover and cook for 8 hours on low (or 4 hours on high).
Kickin’ Kale Chips
So it’s pretty easy to eat healthy for meals but what about snacking? How boring does a bowl of grapes get during your mid-afternoon slump when all you want is a salty, crispy XL bag of potato chips?! Forget the carbs, sodium and fat…I present to you…kale “chips”. Essentially you’re just eating veggies while curbing the craving for something crunchy and salty. Just don’t go too crazy on the salt! If you’re feeling really feisty, try adding some paprika, cayenne or lemon pepper. Whatever your seasoning of preference will do the trick. Low calorie, delicious and nutritious…a triple threat!
- 1 bunch of kale
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with tinfoil.
- Tear the kale into bite size pieces, wash and thoroughly dry.
- Lay the kale on the baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt, garlic salt and pepper.
- Bake until the edges brown (10 to 15 minutes).
Pesto Shrimp
Pesto, pesto, pesto…pesto everything! Nothing beats the taste of FRESH homemade pesto and I can’t believe how easy it is to make. It’s not a bad idea to make a big batch of it and keep it in the fridge or freezer to add a dollop of it to anything you’re cooking and instantly pesto-fy it! My absolute favorite – make your classic morning breakfast scramble then add a few teaspoons of fresh pesto and your boring breakfast is now a treat! This pesto shrimp dish is a surefire appetizer pleaser…non-paleo eaters can serve on crostinis (for paleo eaters a toothpick should suffice)!
- ½ cup pine nuts
- 3 tbp garlic, chopped (around 9 cloves)
- 5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cup olive oil
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan (or Jane’s Healthy Kitchen’s Vegan Parmesan Cheese)
- 2 pounds of jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Place the pine nuts and garlic in a food processor and process for 10-15 second.
- Add the basil leaves, salt and black pepper and pulse.
- Slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl and process until smooth.
- Add the parmesan cheese and process for an additional minute.
- Set aside pesto sauce in the fridge or freezer for later use.
- To make the shrimp, toss 6 tablespoon of pesto sauce to coat the shrimp (or enough to fully cover to your liking).
- Let the shrimp it at room temperature and marinate for 30 minutes.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and sautee chopped garlic for 1 minute.
- Pour the shrimp in and cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp is bright pink and opaque (approximately 5 minutes).
- Mix in desired amount of pesto to coat shrimp to your liking and serve!
Crock Pot Pork
This first post of the year comes to you complements of my brand new gold MacBook! Santa was nice to me, I sure am a lucky girl. This year I’m thankful for all of the exciting events coming up in my life, all my travels…and for the invention of the CROCK POT! Yes, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – thank god for the creation of this one stop shop for a gourmet dinner with absolutely no effort whatsoever (besides pushing the “on” button). Season the meat before you go to work in the morning and dinner is ready by the time you get home! Pork is always a great alternative to the typical chicken that I’m used to serving almost every night. Tender, juicy and flavorful, you can top this pork with my paleo barbecue sauce or enjoy it as is!
- 3-4 lb pork shoulder
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- ½ tsp liquid smoke
- Season both sides of the pork shoulder with salt and black pepper.
- In a small bowl, mix together paprika, chili powder, garlic powder and cumin.
- Massage the seasoning into both sides of the pork until fully coated.
- Place pork into crock pot and sprinkle a layer of garlic on top.
- Combine liquid smoke with chicken broth and pour over the pork.
- Cook on low for 5-6 hours and serve!
Paleo Ribs with 5 Spice and Honey Garlic Glaze
We are huge carnivores and my fiancé used to always make ooey gooey fall off the bone BBQ ribs that are oh so delicious but oh so packed with sugar (OH NO)! He has been eating paleo for quite some time now and we were craving ribs one day but still trying to stay on track with eating clean and eating smart when he found Taylor from Food Faith Fitness to save us and worked his magic! He prepped and executed the most perfect tender, sticky and sweet ribs I have ever tasted! I could not get enough of the freshly minced ginger in the savory honey glaze…and still cannot believe that these ribs are actually paleo. Don’t get me wrong, I still love my lip smacking sugar laden barbeque sauce but these amazing ribs with a slightly Asian twist are just too good (and too healthy) to resist! Visit Taylor’s site and recipe here and happy ribbing!
- 1 rack of baby back ribs
- 4 tsp Chinese 5 spice
- Salt and black pepper
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup + 2 tbsp chicken broth
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp + 2 tsp coconut aminos
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp ginger, minced
- 1 tbsp garlic, minced
- Cilantro, for garnish
- Diced green onion, for garnish
- Place the rack of ribs on a large piece of tinfoil and rub with the Chinese 5 spice (about 2 tsps for each side of the ribs) and with salt and pepper. Wrap tightly in the foil and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, heat oven to 250 degrees and line a roasting pan with tinfoil. Place a large cooling rack in the center.
- Place the ribs, bone-side up, into the roasting pan and cover the pan tightly with tinfoil. Roast until the ribs are tender and fall off the bone, about 2.5 to 3.5 hours.
- While the ribs cook, combine all of the sauce ingredients except for the cilantro and green onion in a large saucepan and bring to a boil on high heat. Boil the sauce, stirring constantly until it just begins to reduce (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat, cover and let it come to room temperature.
- Once the ribs are cooked, remove them from the oven and preheat the broiler for 5 minutes. (Alternatively, you can finish these ribs off on the BBQ!)
- Once the broiler is heated, flip the rib over so that the meaty side is up and brush generously with half of the cooled glaze.
- Place the ribs under the broiler and cook until a nice crust forms, about 5-6 minutes.
- Remove the ribs from the oven and brush with remaining glaze.
- Cover the pan with tinfoil and let the ribs rest for 10 minutes.
Paleo Apple Crumble
The weather is finally changing in California (kind of) and what better way to welcome fall than with a warm, cinnamon toasted apple crumble…a la paleo style! The perfect after dinner dessert or a daytime snack, this healthy holiday treat will satisfy your cravings and keep the doctor away. Try it served warm with a dollop of my paleo whipped cream (see recipe here) for extreme guiltless indulgence. Just a warning, you may find yourself fighting the urge to consume the entire crumbly top in one sitting…this is normal!
- 5 medium apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced (Granny Smith are recommended due to firmness)
- 3 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- 4 tbsp finely chopped pecans and almonds
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, mix together the coconut oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Toss apples into mixture and pour into a greased 8x8 baking dish.
- Pulse together the pecans and almonds in a food processor until finely chopped.
- Pulse in the coconut flour, almond flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon and salt until combined.
- Pulse in the coconut oil and honey until a crumbly dough is formed.
- Crumble over apple mixture.
- Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Slightly cool and enjoy!
Succulent Sweet Dijon Thighs
As you know I’m constantly on the lookout for alternatives to basic boring chicken breast recipes. Chicken thighs are always tender and therefore automatically delicious (not to mention easy and inexpensive – always a bonus)! This recipe combines tangy Dijon with sweet and zesty balsamic vinegar and spices for a chicken dish that’s healthy and jam packed with flavor! Pop it in the oven and dinner is ready!
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp paprika
- Salt and black pepper
- Place chicken thighs in a container and cut slits in each thigh.
- Rub garlic powder, paprika, salt and black pepper on chicken.
- In a small bowl, mix together the mustard, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, thyme and garlic cloves.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken and marinate for 30 minutes (or longer if possible).
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Transfer the chicken to a slightly greased 9 x 13 baking dish and bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.
Senorita Panda’s Spiced Rubbed Fiesta Chicken
Trying to eat healthy but the thought of more grilled chicken breasts makes you want to eat dirt? I think we can all grow tired of the same plain (but lean) boring chicken. I spiced it up last night with this spiced rubbed fiesta chicken that really brings the heat with flavor and texture. The zesty avocado salsa adds the perfect dimension of coolness and deliciousness. I’ve also discovered the PERFECT way to bake a tender chicken breast. The trick is to bake it at 375 degrees for 20 minutes covered with foil so the inside cooks perfectly then remove the foil for the last 10 minutes so the top gets golden without drying it out!
- 2 boneless skinless breasts
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp thyme
- ½ tsp olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 avocado, cubed
- 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Juice of 1 lime wedge
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- In a small bowl, mix together the chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder and thyme.
- Coat the chicken breasts with olive oil, seasoning mixture, salt and black pepper.
- Place the chicken breasts in a glass baking pan, cover and seal with a layer of foil then bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil and continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- While the chicken is baking, prepare the fiesta salsa by combining the tomatoes, cilantro, olive oil, cumin, garlic, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Toss in the avocado and lime juice.
- Once the chicken has slightly cooled, slice and top with fiesta salsa!
About Me
Hi, I'm the paleo panda! Join me on my journey for better and greater in eating, traveling and living. This is a collection of my life’s “musts”.
