Double Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

These chocolate chip cookies are ooey-gooey and so yummy! They tend to fall apart a little bit, so I think I might try incorporating an egg or two next time.* The original recipe follows.

Ingredients:
2 ½ Cups almond flour
½ tsp sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ Cup coconut oil (melted)
½ Cup raw honey (melted)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
½ Cup dark chocolate chips
½ Cup chopped or sliced almonds

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, combine wet ingredients
Stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, until thoroughly combined
Fold in chocolate chips and almonds
Spoon dough 1 heaping spoonful at a time on to a parchment lined baking sheet
Press the dough down with the palm of your hand to flatten
Bake for 10-12 minutes
Cool cookies for 20 minutes on the baking sheet, then serve

*Editor's Note: After allowing for sufficient cooling time, the cookies seemed to hold together just fine. What can I say, they looked amazing and I couldn't wait! No need to add the egg.

Ice Cream Social

When I began my paleo lifestyle earlier this year, my first inclination was to go crazy with my “cheats”. If I was having dessert, it was most likely going to involve some sort of brownie/ice cream/hot fudge catastrophe. Since then, I’ve realized that some “cheats” are better for you than others. Kerry Johnson got me hooked on coconut milk ice cream a while back, and I have to admit, it’s DELICIOUS!

The chocolate ice cream pictured above (topped with almonds and dark chocolate chips) is from Turtle Mountain’s Purely Decadent line of coconut milk “ice cream”. Yes, this tastes just like ice cream (even better since there’s a hint of coconut flavor) and its dairy and soy free! I wouldn’t recommend this for every day, but it is the perfect summer cheat/treat!

Deconstructed

Schedules have been a little hectic in our house lately, which means menu planning is not getting done. We’ve been having a lot of what I call “deconstructed” meals. Pick a protein (or two), grab whatever produce is on hand and try to get something balanced, filling and healthy on the plate. The amazing part is that when you cook with high quality meat and seasonal vegetables, you really can’t go wrong. Ingredients that appear not to go together can harmonize beautifully.

Lunch (pictured above) on Saturday was two types of chicken sausage (mild and spicy), large leaf spinach, sautéed bell pepper and onion, and a fried egg*. Seemingly random but delicious!

*Note: I’ve found that a fried or poached egg goes well on just about anything. I often put an egg on top of my greens and use the yoke as “dressing”. Yum!

Late Night = Light Dinner

I got home late last night and despite going too light on the WOD, I was completely exhausted. Sidenote: I woke up this morning and it feels like my arms are going to fall off (damn Sumos), so maybe it wasn’t as light as I initially thought. Anyway, I got home and wanted something quick and easy for dinner. I ended up making a batch of sesame almond crackers, which I topped with smoked salmon* and dill. Yum! The crackers are a variation on a recipe that Erin O’ posted during the paleo challenge. I am a big fan of these – they really taste like crackers!

Sesame Almond Crackers
Ingredients:
1 ½ Cups almond flour
½ Cup sesame seeds
1 egg
4 Tbsps olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp black pepper

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Pour mixture onto the middle of a baking sheet (I lined mine with a silicone mat, since this gets really sticky). Place a piece of parchment paper over the mixture and roll out with a rolling pin. When finished the almond mixture should cover almost the entire baking sheet and be about ¼ inch thick. Score with a pizza cutter into 2 inch squares. Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until golden brown.

*Note: We try to only eat wild caught fish, even if that fish is canned or smoked. Zack is writing a post on farm-raised fish vs. wild caught. Hopefully I’ll have that up over the next couple of days.

Hockey Food!

This may be more of a Detroit thing (chills), but when I think hockey food, I think octopus. Calamari in this case. This is a great non-fried version with lots of flavor and so easy - perfect for game night tomorrow!

Broiled Calamari
Ingredients:
1 lb fresh calamari (will feed 4-5 people)
3 Tbsps Olive oil
Juice from ½ lemon
1 clove minced garlic
½ tsp dried oregano (if using fresh, go with a full teaspoon)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp red pepper flakes

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and let marinate in the fridge for approximately 1 hour. Lay flat on broiler pan (you’ll want to line it with release foil, or grease it lightly) and broil for about 2 minutes.

Note: if your calamari filets are large, cut them in half before marinating/cooking.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

Thank you to Donna Chung for pointing me in this direction. The crumble is perfect for this time of year given that there's lots of fresh strawberries and rhubarb at the farmers' markets.


Ingredients:
2 cups strawberries, halved or quartered
5 stalks rhubarb, chopped
The zest of 1 lemon
The juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
Coconut cream (optional)


Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
Add strawberries and rhubarb to a 9x9 baking dish. Mix the fruit with the lemon zest and lemon juice.
In a separate bowl, mix the chopped pecans with the shredded coconut and coconut oil.
Top the fruit with the pecan/coconut mixture.
Bake for 35-40 minutes (depending on your oven). Topping should be slightly browned.
Serve warm - top with a dollop of coconut cream.

It Feels Good to be Back

After a long hiatus, I've decided to start the blog up again. I think it's a really great way to share recipes and paleo cooking ideas and also keep me on the right track. I'll probably keep the format a little looser and not necessarily log everything I eat EVERY day, like I was before. We'll see how it evolves...

Sunday Night Dinner (pictured above)

Grilled chicken:

Marinated in rosemary and olive oil. Grilled slowly over low heat and finished with fresh lemon juice - delicious!

"BBQ" Cabbage (adapted from a recipe by the Neelys on FoodNetwork):

Ingredients:

1 head red cabbage, chopped

3-4 strips bacon* chopped

1 red onion, sliced

2-3 Granny Smith apples (depending on size), peeled, de-cored and sliced

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat bacon over medium heat to render the fat. Do NOT allow it to get crispy. Add the apples and red onion with a pinch of salt and pepper. Continue cooking until soft. Add the cabbage and cook for approximately 5 minutes before adding in the chicken broth and vinegar. Again, add a pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer over medium-low heat for 45 minutes. Enjoy!

Note*: The original recipe calls for BBQ sauce, which is omitted here. Because of this it's really important to use good quality bacon. We found good quality bacon ends at Treasure Island for cheap. Make sure that whatever you use is thick and smoky. No turkey bacon here!