Primal Vanilla Pancakes

These are from The Food Lover's Primal Palate. SO good!   Keep the heat lower than you would with flour pancakes.


Primal Vanilla Pancakes


1 cup coconut flour
16 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt


Blend all ingredients EXCEPT coconut flour in a large bowl with a hand mixer. Eggs should be frothy.  Add the coconut flour and mix till well blended and smooth. Let stand a minute to thicken. Adjust consistency with additional water or flour as you prefer. Cook on a well buttered pan (seasoned cast iron is perfect!) till done. 

Almond Flour Pancakes

These were really good.  Cook them at a lower temperature than a wheat flour pancake and know that they will not get dry on the edges or bubbly across the top when they are ready to turn.  Watch carefully!

Almond Flour Pancakes

6 cups almond meal
4 eggs
1 cup water
1/2 cup melted butter or oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla, optional
1/4 cup honey or other sweetener
Additional almond milk or water to thin to desired consistency. 

Mix all ingredients together and cook on med-low heat in buttered cast iron or on a griddle. Flip when browned and continue cooking till done.

Herbed Pepper Rub

I found this at allrecipes.com. There, it was used on a pork loin and that's how I used it the first time. It's also good on other meats.

Herbed Pepper Rub

2 Tbsp freshly cracked black pepper

2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tsp basil

2 tsp rosemary

2 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

Combine and rub generously on meat. Cook as desired.

Primal Cheesy Garlic Quick Bread

I am missing garlic bread, so searched out some internet recipes and came upon this one. It's from Tropical Traditions.

Primal Cheesy Garlic Quick Bread

6 eggs

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 Tbsp honey (optional)

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup coconut flour

black pepper to taste

flax seed meal if desired (about 1/4 cup)

1/2 -1 tsp garlic powder (to taste)

1/2-1 cup shredded cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Blend all ingredients except cheese with whisk until there are no lumps. If the batter is a little dry just add a tablespoon of water as needed. It should be a pretty moist, almost pourable batter. Stir in cheese. Pour into greased bread pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until done (toothpick inserted in center comes out clean).

Cajun Sweet Potato Fries

Oh, these are so good! They are from The Food Lover's Primal Palate.

Cajun Sweet Potato Fries

3 large sweet potatoes

1 Tbsp EACH salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and cayenne pepper

3 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 400. Wash and dry potatoes. Cut into spears. Combine spices in a bowl. Lightly coat with olive oil, then dust with spices. Place on baking sheets and bake for 30 minutes.

1:1 Breakfast Sausage Spices

Here's a handy breakfast sausage recipe for one pound of meat. Use ground pork, beef, turkey or whatever other meat you'd like.

1 pound meat

Mix in:

1 tsp finely minced garlic
1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp sage

1 tsp fennel

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp white pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Chorizo Sausage

I loved my father-in-law's chorizo and eggs on Saturday morning. One day I looked for chorizo in the store to make it myself. BLECH! Have you ever READ that ingredient list?! I haven't had chorizo for years now, but recently stumbled across this recipe from The Homesick Texan. Chorizo will be on my breakfast plate again soon! I like many, many recipe from The Texan's site. Make sure to go visit!

Homemade Chorizo

1 pound of ground pork
3 dried guajillos
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 medium onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons salt

Rinse the dried guajillos, and then remove the stem and seeds. Heat the chiles for a couple of minutes on each side in a cast-iron skillet on high heat. Let soak for half an hour in water.

After chiles are moist, drain the water and place the chiles and vinegar in a blender, also adding the diced onion and chopped garlic. Puree until a smooth, bright red paste is formed (can add a splash of water or vinegar if it's too dry to blend). It will look like ketchup.

Add the chile puree to the ground pork, along with the rest of the spices. Mix well. To test the flavors, pinch off a small piece and fry it up in a skillet for a minute or so. Taste it and add more spices if needed.

You can let it sit for a few hours so the flavors will meld, but I find it’s delicious just after making as well. Will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, and it freezes nicely.

Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes

These are an excellent, filling, nourishing breakfast. Even my coconut-haters will eat these and enjoy them. They are from Nourishing Days.

Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes

12 eggs, room temperature

3 cups milk, goat, cow or coconut can be used interchangeably

2 Tbsp. vanilla extract

3 Tbsp. honey

1 1/2 cups coconut flour

1 Tbsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp sea salt or fine kosher salt

Preheat griddle to medium high. Beat eggs until frothy, about two minutes. Add in milk, vanilla and honey. In a separate bowl, combine coconut flour, baking soda and salt. Stir wet ingredients into dry just until moistened.

Grease your griddle with butter. Spoon out a couple of tablespoons of batter onto griddle. Keep pancakes small. When top is bubbled and edges are dry, carefully flip. Cook a few more minutes till done. Serve immediately with jam, honey, syrup or fruit.

The Best Homemade Cocoa

This is my favorite-of-all-time hot cocoa, but tastes great cooled and served as chocolate milk as well. It has no powdered milk in it which I LOVE. It tastes rancid to me, so no mix using it tastes good.

The Best Homemade Cocoa

1/2 cup dutch cocoa powder

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

8 cups milk

Heat the cocoa, sugar and water together for 1-2 minutes, till cocoa and sugar are dissolved. Add milk and heat until warm as you desire. Add some vanilla extract if you wish. Serve hot or chilled.

Sweet Potato Chowder

This great soup idea is from Growing Up Paleo. I'll be making this as written to see the yield, then adjusting measurements to make it the size I need.

Sweet Potato Chowder

2-3 large sweet potatoes

2 cups of cut up chicken

2 cans of chicken stock or broth

1/2 cup of coconut milk or heavy cream

1 small onion chopped

2 celery stalks chopped

2 jalapenos chopped

2 TBS butter or olive oil

Bake sweet potatoes at 350 till soft. Remove the skin and place sweet potato in a food processor or blender and puree. Add chicken broth during the puree process to help smooth it out. Saute onion and celery in the butter or olive oil until tender. Add pureed sweet potatoes, remaining chicken broth and bring to a slow boil. Add the 1/2 cup of coconut milk, jalapenos, chicken, and a little salt. Reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes.

Lasagna Casserole

I found this at Food.com, like many of the other meals we love! I also baked a spaghetti squash and made a smaller serving on the side for the gluten-free members of our family. It was just as good (better, imo) as the pasta version!

Lasagna Casserole

• 1 lb ground beef, uncooked1 lb Italian sausage, hot or mild
• 1/4 cup onions, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (16 ounce) packages pasta shells, cooked
• 6 cups mozzarella cheese
  • 24 ounces cottage cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons parsley
  • 2 quarts spaghetti sauce
    Cook beef and sausage with onion, salt and half of the pepper. Add spaghetti sauce and store together.In bowl, combine 3 cups mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, beaten eggs, parmesan cheese, parsley, remaining pepper and cooked pasta.Divide pasta mixture into two greased 9x13's, top with meat sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot.
    
    

Slow Carb Tomato Soup

I found this recipe on Slow Carb Foodie and adapted it to my tastes and needs. It's excellent!

Slow Carb Tomato Soup

1. 2 Tbs red palm or olive oil

1. 1 onion, peeled and chopped OR 1 tsp dried minced onion

1. 2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1. 1-3 cloves garlic, chopped

1. 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1. 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes OR 1 quart home canned tomatoes

1. 3 cups homemade chicken or veggie stock

1. 1 bay leaf

1. 1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1. 1 tsp salt

1. 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Put oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, broth, bay leaf and red pepper flakes.
3. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, covered.
4. Remove the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Alternatively, you can puree the soup in a blender in batches, but be careful – it will be hot and messy!
5. Return the soup to a soup pot and keep warm over low heat. Add a splash or two or heavy cream if desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or this will keep for a few days in the fridge.

The Perfect Primal Pumpkin Pie

These recipes are from The Nutty Kitchen. I can't wait to try them for fall desserts.

The Perfect Primal Pumpkin Pie

Crust:

• 1/4 cup semi-melted butter, unsalted
• 2 tablespoons Coconut Oil, soft
• 1 cup coconut flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp honey
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1 tablespoon water

Add all ingredients together and blend well with a hand mixer, line a deep 9 inch pie pan equally thick throughout.

Filling:

• 1 can of pure pumpkin (29 oz)
• 3 “real” cage free eggs if you can get them (if they are really small, add a fourth)
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/4-1/2 cup local honey, to taste
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
• pinch of sea salt

Beat eggs, honey, vanilla until frothy, then add all the other ingredients and carefully blend until even and smooth. Fill pie pan with crust and bake on convection at 350 F for about 50 minutes. Check it to make sure that it’s not burning and ultimately check with a toothpick to see if anything sticks, if not it’s done.

Sage Rice

This simple side dish appears often on our table; my husband loves it!

Sage Rice

2 Tbsp butter
2 cups rice
1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp rubbed sage
4 cups chicken broth

Melt butter over low heat. Add rice and saute 4-5 minutes. Add spices and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 20 minutes. Stir before serving.

Homemade Chicken Sausage

I found this at Lexie's Kitchen. She's got a great site....go over and check it out!

Homemade Chicken Sausage

12 ounces organic ground chicken
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
2 teaspoons granulated onion
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon Cholula hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Combine all ingredients. Form into patties using wet hands and fry in oil until browned and cooked through.

Spices Apple Cider

This is an Allrecipes recipe.

Spiced Apple Cider

1/2 teaspoon whole allspice
1 teaspoon whole cloves (or less, this can be strong)
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 large orange, quartered with peel
2 quarts apple cider

Put spices in a coffee filter or cheesecloth and tie closed with a ribbon or kitchen twine. Combine all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on high till warm, then lower heat to warm.

Alternately, heat together on the stovetop rather than in a crockpot.

Tuna and Veggie Salad

I found this recipe at One Heart; One Mission, and, as usual, changed it a bit to fit our needs. It's an easy and tasty lunch.

Tuna and Veggie Salad

2 cans chunk light or chunk white tuna
1 zucchini
1 summer squash
2 tomatoes
2 carrots, grated
1/2 a yellow, red, or orange pepper
1/4 cup lemon juice
dried or fresh basil (mince if using fresh)
coconut oil or bacon drippings for sauteing

Dice veggies, heat fat in pan. Toss veggies in, except for the tomatoes, and saute until tender. Drain tuna and mix in with the veggies. Add tomato, cook just until heated through, then add lemon juice, stir to coat. Mix in basil. Salt and pepper if desired. Serve over salad or in a lettuce wrap.

You could substitute diced chicken or beef for the tuna, if you prefer.

This is from BlendTec.

Pumpkin Pleaser

1 C orange juice
1 C vanilla yogurt
1 C pumpkin puree
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 bananas, 6 quarter pieces frozen
1 C ice cubes

Blend and enjoy.

For a Cranberry Orange Smoothie, substitute the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice for 1 cup cranberries and 1 tsp vanilla extract.

Tomato Kombucha Salad Dressing

I found this at Cultures for Health.

Tomato Kombucha Salad Dressing

1/4 cup Tahini
6 tablespoons Olive Oil
6 tablespoons Water
1 tablespoons Sesame Seeds
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
2 cloves Garlic
1/4 cup Tamari
6 tablespoons Kombucha

Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Serve immediately.

GF Pumpkin Applesauce Cake

This recipe is perfect for healthier autumn desserts. It's from EatingRules.

GF Pumpkin Applesauce Cake

4 Eggs
2 cups Raw or Less-Processed Sugar
2 cups cooked/canned pure Pumpkin Puree
1 cup unsweetened, natural Applesauce
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cups any Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat eggs until fluffy. Blend in sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, and oil by hand or with a mixer on low just until combined. Do NOT overmix!Add all dry ingredients, one at a time, blending together. Pour batter into a large, greased bundt pan and bake for 1 hour. Check with a toothpick/knife to make sure it’s cooked through. If cake sticks to the utensil, bake 5 more minutes and test again. When done, cool, and enjoy!

Tips:
Freeze left-overs, wrapping in parchment paper before storing.
Do NOT try to make this cake in any regular pan. Because of its moisture level, it will only cook normally in a bundt pan.

Primal Cream of Vegetable Soup Master Recipe

I found this recipe at This Primal Life. It will make good make ahead lunches, if frozen.

Primal Cream of Vegetable Soup Master Recipe
Yield: 8 servings

3 lbs vegetables, chopped – mix and match, if you like, or stick to a single vegetable. Some ideas are: broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, carrot, squash, peas, mushrooms, kohlrabi, turnips, beets.
1 onion (or 1/2 tsp onion powder)
2 tsp coconut or any other kind of oil
2-5 cloves of minced garlic
6 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup cream or coconut milk
salt, pepper, nutmeg to taste

Saute the onion with the oil in a large pot on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, covered, until softened. Add garlic and stir until fragrant. Add vegetables and broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook 10 minutes more, until vegetables are tender. Puree with immersion blender until smooth. Add cream or coconut milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Heat until warm but not boiling and serve. Alternatively, allow to cool, transfer to containers and freeze.

To reheat the soup, run hot water over the container to loosen the soup from the sides of the container. Heat the soup in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it becomes mostly liquid. Then increase the heat until hot, but not boiling.

Cher's Breakfast Casserole

This is a recipe from a facebook group. I'm looking forward to this! I love making things in the evening and cooking them in the morning for an easy beginning of the day.

Cher's Breakfast Casserole

1 lb ground sausage

3-4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 large pepper, green, red or yellow

1/2 lb of ham chopped

1/2 med white onion ( chopped )

6-8 slices of Crisp Bacon chopped

16 eggs

1 cups heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan or dish with bacon grease, olive oil or coconut oil.

1. Cook ground sausage until done ( drain ).

2. Layer shredded cheese evenly. Layer sausage atop the cheese.

3. Layer the green, red, or yellow chopped pepper next.

4. Layer the ham next.

5. Layer the chopped onion next.

6. Layer the chopped cooked - bacon next.

7. Beat 16 eggs with 1 quart of heavy whipping cream and pour over the top of

the onions.

Bake 350 degrees F. 55-60 min. Sides and top should be golden brown.

Take out set on wire rack. Serve warm.

This can be prepared the night before. Cover with foil and set in the

refrigerator. The next morning set in oven uncovered, set oven to 350 add 10 min to cooking

time. Serve warm.

Homemade Worcestershire Sauce

I found this on a facebook group's page. I haven't tried it yet, but it sure would fill a hole in my seasonings. Now I use coconut aminos to sub for Worcestershire and it works, but the taste isn't exactly the same.

Worcestershire Sauce

(1 inch) fresh Ginger, bruised

2 cloves Garlic, bruised, (not even necessary to peel, just toss them in)

6 teaspoon whole Cloves

4-3/4 cups Vinegar

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon Salt

2 cups molasses

Optional: Use 2 Tablespoons of the oil off a can of Anchovies for flavor, but it’s not necessary, will taste just as good without.

Place all ingredients in a large saucepan; stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand overnight.

Next day; strain into bottles and seal tight. Store.

***Can be used straight away, but does improve with age.

Zucchini and Carrot Ribbons

Zucchini and Carrot Ribbons

2 carrots, washed but not peeled, ends removed
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 medium-size zucchini, blossom and stem ends removed
Salt & pepper

Cut the carrots into ribbons, then in half. Heat the oil or butter in a large skillet until shimmery. Add the garlic and the carrots, stirring to coat with fat. Let cook, stirring often, while cutting the zucchini. Add the zucchini to the skillet, stirring to coat and to distribute the heat. Cook until soft (or al dente if you prefer). Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Jackie Clay's Ham and Beans

This is from Jackie's column at Backwoods Home.
Jackie Clay's Ham and Beans
2 qts. dried navy or other smaller beans
1 lb. thickly sliced bacon or salt pork (or ham)
6 large onions, diced
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
4 tsp. salt
4 tsp. dry mustard
1 1/3 cups molasses
Sort beans, rinse, then cover with 6 quarts fresh water; let stand overnight in a cool place. Drain. Cover beans with 6 quarts water in large stockpot. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until skins begin to crack. Drain, reserving liquid. Pour beans into turkey roaster or other very large baking dish. Add bacon,ham, and remaining ingredients and 8 cups reserved liquid. Ladle sauce over beans and bake, covered, at 350 degrees for about 3 hours. Add water or cooking liquid to keep wet enough; you don’t want them dry but watery. Pack hot beans and sauce into hot jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Process pints for 80 minutes and quarts for 95 minutes at 10 pounds pressure.

Lemon Spinach

I found this at A Veggie Venture. I plan on making it for a lunch for myself, with some cooked chicken sprinkled into the bowl. If I made it for a dinner side dish, I would double the recipe.

Lemon Spinach

1 pound fresh spinach
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Grated zest of a lemon
Salt and pepper

Clean spinach well, drain but allow droplets to remain. Heat butter and oil over medium heat in a large, deep skillet with a cover. Add spinach in a big heap. Cover and let cook 3 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until spinach wilts and water evaporates. Remove from heat. Add lemon zest. Season and serve.

Mexican Zucchini Oven Fries

Mexican Zucchini Oven Fries

4 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch square 3-inch long sticks
Coconut oil or lard
2 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoon ground cumin
4 teaspoons A&D seasoning (it's a local spice I get)
Chili sauce or mild taco sauce for dipping

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Arrange zucchini on non-stick cookie sheet. Lightly coat zucchini with coconut oil or lard. Combine spices and sprinkle over the zucchini "fries." Place in very hot oven and cook 15 to 18 minutes. Serve hot. Dip or top with spoonfuls of chili sauce or taco sauce.

Spicy Parmesan Green Beans and Kale

I adapted this recipe from Stuff I Make My Husband.

Spicy Parmesan Green Beans and Kale

1 quart home canned green beans, drained
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus extra for sprinkling
1 bunch kale (1/2 pound), rinsed, stemmed, and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)
3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Heat broth, red pepper flakes, and the kale, toss in a large, heavy saute pan over medium-high heat and cook until kale is tender. Add the green beans, lemon juice, butter and the Parmesan cheese. Toss to coat, taste, and add butter, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with extra pepper flakes and Parmesan sprinkled on top.

Chili Con Carne

I can this very basic recipe in pints so we can have home-cooked chili for chili dogs quickly, without having leftovers. You could vary the meat, use fresh onion rather than dried or home canned tomatoes instead of purchased sauce.

Chili Con Carne

6 1/2 cup pinto beans, soaked overnight
7 1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp salt, divided
2 pounds ground beef
1 1/2 Tbsp dried minced onion
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
3 Tbsp chili powder
10 1/2 cups tomato sauce
Drain beans and rinse. Cover with fresh water and 1 heaping Tbsp of salt. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. When done, drain. Return to pot.

Meanwhile, cook ground beef and onion till done. Drain fat. Add beef, remaining salt, pepper, chili powder and tomatoes to the beans in pot. Simmer together for 5 minutes. Do not thicken.

Prepare jars, lids and rings.

Fill hot jars to 1" headspace. Process pints 75 minutes, quarts, 90 minutes. Yield is about 18 pints.

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili

I found this from redsie05. I certainly don't do Weight Watchers, but this recipe is yummy! I changed it around to suit our tastes and cooking style, of course.

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili

1/2 onion, chopped
10 oz (dry) EACH black beans and pinto beans, soaked and cooked (can sub 16 oz canned beans if desired)
16 oz can tomato sauce
1 pound bag frozen corn kernels
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies
1/4 cup taco seasoning
2 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp chili powder
4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
chili peppers, chopped (optional)
chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro, if desired. Top with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Zucchini Pizza Crust

This is an excellent alternative to traditional pizza crust. I adapted it from one I found at Your Lighter Side. I made it for the first time tonight. I was so impressed! I cut up one of my slices and took it out to my children, and the neighborhood kids who were with them. I gave each a bite before telling what it was made with. One of the visitors, who had declared his bite to be very good, was shocked when I told them it had zucchini in it. He exclaimed, "But I don't LIKE zucchini!" I said, "Yes, you do, you just told me you did!" and he grinned.

Zucchini Pizza Crust

Medium raw zucchini, shredded (between 1.-1.5 cups)
1 egg
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Optional spices: pinch of salt, hearty pinch of Italian seasoning, garlic and onion powder

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Grease 9" glass pie plate.

Shred a zucchini. Squeeze handfuls of zucchini to remove excess water. Add egg and cheese, along with any spices you wish, and mix well in bowl.

Spread the dough in pan and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the crust is cooked. Cover with sauce and topping. Bake another 3 minutes, till cheese is melted and topping, warm. Let cool/rest.

Makes one personal sized crust

Mountain Home Marinade

This recipes came from MDA but we used it for the first time when we were camping in Mountain Home Forest, hence the name.

Mountain Home Marinade

1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp salt dissolved in 2 oz. HOT water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp honey

Mix together in a gallon sized zippy bag. Add 3-4 pounds of meat and squish around well. Marinate at least an hour. Prepare meat as desired.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

This came from FastPaleo. It's perfect for fall weather!

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup canned full fat coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup crushed ice
1-2 tsp organic raw honey or maple syrup
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Blend and enjoy. Makes one serving.

Nut Free Granola

This is a recipe from Lynn's Kitchen Adventure. I'm always on the lookout for new granolas for breakfast.

Nut Free Granola

2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup oil
1 cup honey
4 teaspoons vanilla
6 cups old fashioned oats
8 cups quick oats
2 cup coconut
2 teaspoon cinnamon

In a small saucepan mix together brown sugar, oil, and honey. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla and cinnamon. In a large bowl combine oats, coconut, and sugar/oil mixture. Stir until oats are well coated and everything is combined.

Spread into 4 9x13 pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Stir, turn off your oven, and put the granola back into the oven for 3-4 hrs. The heat left in the oven will finish cooking this. Remove from oven after 3-4 hours. Let cool and store in an air tight container.

Apple Granola

This is from Joy in the Kitchen. I like how very simple it is. It still doesn't beat Vanilla Granola, but it is a good change of taste, especially for autumn and it has much less sugar. I'm sure it will be in our rotation for quite a while.

Apple Granola

12 C oats
1/2 C applesauce
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 C brown sugar

Combine applesauce (do not use chunky applesauce), cinnamon and brown sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until mixture boils. You may need to add 1/4-1/2 C water to thin the mixture.

Pour the mixture over the oats and stir to combine.

Place granola on a cookie sheet, and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.

Turn off the oven, and allow the granola to crisp up in the oven. Be careful to crack open the oven door so the granola does not burn.

Store in an airtight container in your pantry.

Chipolte BBQ Sauce

This is a recipe from Food.com. I have adapted it for our family.

Chipolte BBQ Sauce

6 chipotle chiles
1 cup boiling water
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon coconut aminos
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Place the chiles in the 1 cup of boiling water. Let soak for 1 hour. Remove stems and seeds and chop finely. Melt butter in a saucepan and add onion, garlic, cumin and thyme. Saute until the onion is soft and translucent. Add chiles (with the water), and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Transfer to a blender and process until smooth.


*If using canned chipotles, I found six to be too spicy.  Try three and add more if it's not hot enough for you!  We prefer the La Morena brand of chipotles to all others we've tried.

Honey Garlic BBQ Sauce

This yummy sauce is from The Foodie and the Family. I adapted it for our family's tastes. Yum, yum, yum!

Honey Garlic BBQ Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 onion, finely chopped

3 tablespoons minced garlic

3 tablespoons honey

5 1/2 oz can tomato paste

1 cup beef broth

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 teaspoon coconut aminos

generous pinch cayenne pepper

In a medium sized pot, over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Saute the onions and garlic for 5-7 minutes, until the onions are softened and opaque. Reduce heat to medium and stir in honey and tomato paste until the honey is runny. Stir in beef broth, mustard powder, cider vinegar, salt, pepper, aminos, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.

Simmer over low for 20-30 minutes, until the sauce thickens (to your liking). Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Grain-Free Blueberry Muffins

This is from The Foodie and the Family. It makes but a dozen, but when I serve Primal muffins, since they are more expensive, I serve them alongside a couple of eggs, a fruit and a green smoothie for a complete meal.

Grain-Free Blueberry Muffins

2 1/2 cups almond meal
3 eggs
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 300°. Line 12 muffin cups with muffin liners (or grease each cup well with coconut oil).

In a large bowl, whisk together everything but the blueberries until fully combined. Gently fold in the blueberries to incorporate.

Fill each liner 3/4 full with batter and bake for 30-40 minutes. The top should be spongey but firm when pressed and your finger should not go through into the muffin. Cool for 5 minutes and remove from muffin pans.