Tag Archives: #primal

Every.Single.Recipe. – Cookie Dough Fudge – Clean Eating with a Dirty Mind RECIPE SCORE!

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My latest try, and huge success, Cookie Dough Fudge! And today, via the magic of internet links, you can try this recipe out yourself, as if you don’t already have enough reasons to run out and pick up the cookbook, go to http://www.thespunkycoconut.com/2015/09/cookie-dough-fudge/    where Vanessa Barajas has given The Spunky Coconut permission to post the recipe…a teaser if you will!  (Pluse if you are not already familiar, The Spunky Coconut is a great blog, she has some great recipes, info and photos, I have followed her on instagram for years!)

Okay, back to business here.

1st

Not complicated, simple clean ingredients and the magic of a cashew base, if you take the extra 5 minutes and do the browned butter, you will end up with an incredibly close rendition of toll house cookie dough flavor! I went with mini chocolate chips…I’m really in it for the dough, so the minis are always my choice with cookies. Be warned, you gotta pull out alot of equipment to get it done, but it is pretty quick. And because of the type of dough it is, it all cleans up easy. (saucepan, food processor, beaters, bowl, pan, spatulas….maybe not that much??) I just grumble about the food processor really, because I keep mine under the sink and I always time it so it just won’t quite fit in the dishwasher! haha…but then I stuff that chunk of Cookie Dough Fudge in my mouth as I wash the dishes and it’s like little kitchen pixies are there with me making it all get done quickly with sparkles and twinkles!

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So, yeah. If cookie dough is your thing, you really need to do this. I sent a pic to my daughter who is in college several states away and her response was… “STOP.”

I told her not to worry! It’s in the freezer waiting for her on the next trip home!!

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One more shot for the road….
Get in the kitchen already!
Also, pick up your copy of Clean Eating With A Dirty Mind, you will be so happy!

Give me some feedback on how you are liking this series of posts…and PLEASE pass along the word about my blog!  I know I am having fun with it!!! Hope you are too!

Kristen

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Every. Single. Recipe. – Surprise! Salty and Sweet!

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chip close
what? WHAT???

Yes, you are seeing what you are seeing.

I know, I said it would be a few days, but I got a boost of encouragement from a little bird last night with this project, and had a sweet tooth to boot, and it donned on me, I have ALL the ingredients for this little doozey!  (Ha if you have taken a look at this recipe!)

Chocolate Dipped Potato Chips.

Nothing more to say really!  I cannot give you the recipe, and it’s VERY complicated, probably way above your pay grade.  In fact, don’t even bother looking it up.

chip flat

In fact, don’t even be tempted to throw this together on the fly with what you MIGHT have in your pantry already.  It’s just to complex.

(Is anyone hearing a little sarcasm in my post today?  Perhaps a little taunting even to encourage you to get the book and look up this handy little morsel?)

Clean Eating with a Dirty Mind, this is genius. GENIUS!!!  (By the way, this brings the count to 8 out of 152…go go go!)

Ok, one more look….now get to it!!!

chip angle

Every. Single. Recipe. Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies – Clean Eating with a Dirty Mind

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OK!  Here we go! This post will take in 3 more recipes from Clean Eating with a Dirty Mind, bringing the count to 7/152!  good stuff here…Chocolate Chip Cookies that are grainfree, gluten free and delicious!cookies
Now, let me start off by saying I have ORDERED the FINE ground almond flour/meal that the author recommends, but I have not received it yet. SO.  I intend to do this a second time with the right grind…as the photo in the cookbook looks much fluffier and more “floury”…these look more like all of the other paleo cookies I have made with traditional almond flour.

cookie balls

Either way, these are quite good!  They actually have a much richer flavor due to Barajas’ signature “Browned Butter” used in this recipe and others.

Quick aside….this is what beautiful Browned Butter looks like….sorry, I cannot pass along the gorgeous aroma here….

browned butter

She also uses Maple sugar throughout the book and in this recipe…I could not get my hands on any locally so I went ahead and tried her method for “Maple Sugar” which is really cool!  It is like a little science experiment and very easy, I was so amazed at how it turned out!  Not difficult at all, although it does take time.  Definitely less expensive (by about half!) than store bought, and my local Whole Foods does not carry it.  You can order off Amazon, but I decided I would give it a whirl…here are the progress pics!

ms step 1 ms step 2 ms step 3 ms step 4So, pull on your baking stockings and try these!  Tasty, soft with a good bite to them, a nice treat to have on hand for sure!  But loved making the butter and the sugar best!  And now that I tackled those right off the bat I won’t be intimidated in making either one in her many other recipes that call for them!

Note:  I had 2 cookies.  My husband, who is not Paleo, ate all of the others.  ALL.  Yep.  Gone.

I think they will be fun to put with the ice cream for ice cream sandwiches, really nice texture and flavor for that.

So let me know if you try these out…especially if you use the right flour, fine ground Almond Flour…and if they look more like the photo in the book….cannot wait to post that picture!!!

Probably be the weekend before the next round of recipes come up….wish me luck and see you then!

Kristen

Every. Single. Recipe. – Two-Fer! Spicy Chipotle Dishes from Clean Eating with a Dirty Mind! And a MAYO bonus!

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hot dishes
This is where the spicy delicious lives!!! Right here!

So clearly it did not take me long to figure out of the very few non-dessert type recipes, these two needed to be taken on as quickly as possible!

Chipotle Cole Slaw (page 86) and Chipotle Chicken Salad (page 102) are both big winners!  Not only do they big time deliver on that smoky, spicy goodness of Chipotle pepper deliciousness, but they are quick and easy recipes!  Both would be great for a crowd or kept on hand for quick lunches during the week!

slaw

The slaw is VERY spicy!  In fact, I may have to tone down the amount of pepper in my next batch, but what a great twist to cole slaw!  I added extra lime juice to help tame the heat…i think serving a few slices of fresh avocado along with it would be great!  (slaw is on the left in the pic above and also on the left).

The chicken salad is fantastic!  This is the spice I am always looking for in chicken!  I decided to serve with cold grapes and apple slices, because I wanted to see which would be better along with that heat, plus I love a little fruit in my chicken salad.  Grapes were the winner for me, although the apple was very good with it to…would even be nice with either one diced up and tossed in at the last minute!

chicken salad prep chicken salad

You will notice that dollop of mayo in the chicken salad prep pic above…this is the mayo from the book as well…(Easy Immersion Blender Mayonaise, page 78).  This is a nice mayo, more mustardy than my basic mayo (it’s on the blog as well).  Simple ingredients, simple process with the immersion blender.  My tip here?  When you use an immersion blender, it eliminates the need for the slow drizzle of the oil into the mayo.  Dump all your ingredients in, including the oil, and put the blender wand all the way in to the bottom of the jar and blend continuously until you have the consistency you want.  Easy!

mayo one mayo 2

So that’s it!  Three great recipes from Clean Eating with a Dirty Mind  (Vanessa Barajas) in one hit!  All three are simple and delicious!  You should definitely give these a try…

Let’s see…that puts my count at 4/152  (4 recipes completed out of 152)!  Every. Single. Recipe!

Let me know your thoughts, comments, questions…or if there is a recipe out of the book you want to see sooner rather than later!!

Keep cooking!

Every. Single. Recipe. (My new Paleo Project, and a Book Review – Clean Eating with a Dirty Mind)

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I managed to get a copy of Clean Eating with a Dirty Mind a few days before the release date.  This is the new book of deliciousness from Vanessa Barajas.  I admit I have followed her Instagram posts for a long time and was excited to see this new book!

Clean Eating with a Dirty Mind

Now, I have to admit that I tend to pick up all of the new Paleo cookbooks as they come out, particularly the ones from the well respected bloggers in the Paleo community. I have shelves full of these books. Most of which I manage to pull 3 or 4 strong recipes from, and maybe only one or two I cook regularly. Only a very few of these books come out on a regular rotation and I use the recipes regularly…examples being Nom Nom Paleo Food for Humans by Michelle Tan, Practical Paleo by Diane San Filippo, Well Fed 1 and 2 by Melissa Joulwan to name a few of my favorites.

That being said, Clean Eating with a Dirty Mind kept me flipping the pages!  The photos are just breathtaking and the recipes not only seem dee-lishus but also not overly complicated!  I spent two evenings thumbing through trying to decide what to try first and the movie Julia & Julia came to mind, I kept thinking, I want to try every recipe in this book!  There is literally only a couple of recipes I would not normally mess with, only because  just not a favorite dish to me, but still looks appealing!

So, like some crazy fan I sent a message to the author, Vanessa Barajas, and told her my though on Instagram!  I think i heard a giggle in her response, but decided then, I am going to do this!

Ok, so I am not going to commit to a crazy time frame, but I am going to work my way through this book and post about it as I go!  I will keep posting other foods, but you will know when it is an Every. Single. Recipe. post.  So get ready, her book is fantastic!  152 delicious recipes are on the way…get ready!  Let me know your thoughts…!

AIP Chicken Salad, Re-imagined

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aip chicken salad

Happy New Year Everyone!  Yes, I know it is February and I have been m-i-a for a while…busy busy and a slow falling off the wagon since last August…but a new year and new people in my life brings me back to center!

I’m involved in a little test run with AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) with my Naturopath, Dr. Hailey Heard, and some of her patients.  I do this very reluctantly.  I knew about the AIP and had the books, but I just did not even WANT to go that far.  But when you start running out of answers and solutions, you are forced to face what you might not like entirely.

Diagnosed years ago with Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroidism, I have been on Synthroid for years.  About three years ago I went paleo and despite falling off that wagon from time to time, it works really well for me.  I feel better.  I know what I am eating and where it comes from.  It’s all choices.  And most of the time I make good choices.

So after much griping and groaning, I jumped into the AIP group with both feet.  I am ten days in, and must say I feel good.  Not so sluggish.  My energy is up when it should be.  I am tired at the end of the day, as I should be.  I still crave “other foods” but that is diminishing.  I feel good about the things I am eating and I know this is a good path for now.

Latest news, we may be adding SiBO into the mix.  That will just turn my life upside down in the ways that it interracts with Hashi’s and my favorite foods.

But for now, sticking with the AIP.  Simply put, its a Whole 30 on steroids!  Strict Paleo.  Plus some other eliminations:  no grains. no sugars. no legumes. no nightshades. no nuts. no seeds.  It’s difficult wrapping your head around what you CAN eat….but it clicks one day.  And it’s actually very simple.

Re-Imagined Chicken Salad:

Here is what I threw on a plate, actually in seperate piles, but then decided to toss it all together and it was quite tasty!

  • roughly dice one chicken breast, prepared aip
  • slice one or two stalks of Hearts of Palm
  • dice 2 tender stalks of celery
  • dice 1/2 ripe avocado

Squeeze the juice of 1/2 or more lemon juice over all, salt and pepper to taste….toss everything on the plate together, gently….that is it!

I was eating some red grapes along with it, and think a handful of halved grapes would be very nice in it as well!

A Lovely Plate

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again 2

Nothing complicated here, just clean, easy yum.

Fresh avocados with a squeeze of lemon juice and a dusting of coarse sea salt.
Thick cut no sugar all natural bacon, perfectly fried.
A small pile of fresh fruit, all organic.
And the raw crunchy salad I am so addicted to!

The fast way today:

In the bottom of the bowl, 2 TBSP of home made paleo mayo, 2 tsp honey, couple of splashes of raspberry balsalmic vinegar to taste….wisk wisk wisk.
Now add to the bowl a handful of bite size raw broccoli and of cauliflower. also a few dried cranberries. (I usually add radishes and pecans, but was in a hurry!).
Now toss everything together! The longer you have, keep tossing and the flavors build!

So dump the salad on your plate, your done!
Ready, set, delicious!

Oh Simple Thing, where have you been?

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The other night I was on my own for dinner, for a change, and was really having too much fun in the kitchen trying to time a quick meal that would be healthy and yummy while watching the Voice, (vice!) And I remembered a beautiful bunch of asparagus I had in the fridge. I had to do something with it! And it had to include my home made mayo! (The husband only likes mayo when he doesnt know he is eating it, same with my daughter. They see white and start gagging!!!)

So this little side dish made it on my plate, and besides being oh-so-good, was a pretty little number too!

Quick cook the asparagus…2-3 minutes in a shallow pan of boiling water, drain and squeeze lemon juice over the asparagus with a bit of salt.
Have a few pieces of bacon frying up while that is happening.

Place your asparagus on your plate, give it a very generous dollup of home made paleo mayo, and crumble your bacon over the top!

Could it be more simple? Maybe, but dang this is easy and so so so good!
I used nice fat asparagus this time…I usually prefer the thin, but these were fun to just pick up and eat.

Try it. You will like it, I am sure of it!

Let me know what you think!!!

Nom!

Waffle Sandwich, paleo gone wild!

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waffle sandwich

Less of a recipe, more of an idea.

I have recently subscribed to a bloggers site for a very small fee, and the fee paid for itself in one recipe.
WWW.brittanyangell.com is where you need to go, and by joining her Club Angel, you will find all kinds of delights!

One such delight is her Paleo Waffles…so what is the big deal you ask?
They are CRISPY…the way a waffle should be. Soft on the inside, crispy on the edges! You can make them sweet or savory! You can add cinnamon, chocolate chips, blueberries….treat them as a blank canvas and just go wild!

But think about this….pop leftovers in the toaster the next day…..and eat more of them! Toast them super crispy and use them like chips! Or crumble them into your chili!
Layer them with your favorite sandwich materials! Load them up with grassfed cheese and tomoatoes, grilled cheese! Use them and abuse them…they are delicious…versatile, fast and easy!

This morning I topped one with a little Kerrygold cheddar, a few slices of bacon, a fried egg and had an egg sandwich…I was in heaven!

BLTs….add avocado too!

Need I say more, because I could!

But right now, I need a waffle sandwich!

Refreshing light lunch – Paleo Chicken Salad

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chicken saladckn salad prep

My usual hurried run home for lunch found me with a few extra minutes, I actually got to eat it at home instead of packing it up to go!
A grapefruit was calling my name loudly…and I knew that would be in the mix, but I wanted to change up the chicken a bit, so I took the Poached Chicken I have been eating off of this week and diced it up to make a quick chicken salad today….really nice!

Here’s what I did…

Paleo Chicken Salad:
1 cooked chicken breast, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1-2 radishes, diced
Handful of halved grapes
small handful of chopped pecans
salt and pepper
juice of 1/4 lemon
2-3 TBSP home made mayo (see previous post)

Mix all of the above gently and enjoy!
Of course there are a million variations, I was really wanting a little fresh parsely, but I was out!