'I can't believe it's Paleo' Banana Bread

It's Tuesday, so that means another paleo recipe! I found this one on Eat. Drink. Paleo and while I have not tried it yet, it looks and sounds delicious.

The author recommends glazing the warm bread with creamed coconut or berries; or for the more primal, less paleo readers out there: grass-fed butter or ricotta cheese.

I personally can't wait to try this one! I LOVE banana bread!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 ripe bananas (over ripe if possible), broken into chunks
• 3 tbsp coconut sugar  or other preferred natural sweetener such as raw honey or maple syrup
• 3 free-range eggs
• 2 tbsp coconut cream (from the top of the can, without the watery liquid)
• 3 tbsp coconut oil or macadamia oil
• 1 1/2 cup almond meal
• 2 tbsp desiccated coconut (unsweetened please)
• 3 tbsp tapioca flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• A good pinch of nutmeg
• 3/4 tsp gluten free baking powder
• 2-3 tbsp walnuts, broken up
• A few dried apricots, chopped up

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 165-170C (335F)
• Place all liquid ingredients in a large bowl and whip using an electric whisk or by hand. Add dry ingredients and combine until well incorporated. 
• Spray or brush a bread tin with olive oil or some coconut oil to lightly grease. Line the base and sides with non-stick baking paper, allowing it to overhang. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface.
• Bake for 45 minutes, on the middle shelf. If your loaf tin is deep, you might need to bake for a little longer to ensure the center is cooked. In this case, cover the top with foil towards the end, to prevent over-browning. Insert a wooden toothpick into the center. If it comes out dry it is done.
• Remove from the oven, let it cool for 5-10 minutes and then, holding the baking paper, pull the loaf onto a rack and let it cool down completely before slicing. Cover with a towel if leaving overnight.
• Serves: 8 – 10 slices depending on the tin size

Paleo Gazpacho with Avocado Cream

I had some terrific gazpacho the other night with shrimp and avacaldos...while I don't think it was necessarily 100% paleo, it was flipping delicious and a very cool dish on a 100-degree evening! I came across this recipe on Everyday Paleo and thought I would post it just to share!

Enjoy!

Ingredients

Paleo Shrimp Gazpacho with Avocado Cream 

• 1 Cup "Eat and Peel" Shrimp
• 4 large tomatoes, diced or aprox 4 cups
• ½ medium red onion, diced
• 1 cup cucumber, diced
• 1 cup sweet bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup fresh cilantro – reserve some for garnish
• Small piece of a jalapeno (or more if you like it spicy)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• Splash of balsamic vinegar

Avocado Cream

• 2 ripe avocados
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup full fat canned coconut milk
• Juice from ½ a lime

Instructions

• Cut up the shrimp into 1/3 pieces and set aside
• Take the remaining ingredients for the gazpacho (not the avocado cream) and mix them together in a blender
• Blend until smooth
• Pour gazpacho into a large bowl and add the shrimp
• Add the Avocado Cream ingredients and stir by hand until smooth
• Chill in the refrigerator until cold
• Serve chilled and garnished with cilantro

This is an AWESOME dish...pretty filling and very healthy! Just do it!

Paleo Guacamole Watermelon Bites

Originally posted at PaleoPorn.com

Paleo Guacamole Watermelon Bites - I have to admit I have not made these, but they look and sound AMAZING! I've been perusing through and lot of paleo diet websites to find the best paleo recipes around. Only recently have I stumbled across PaleoPorn.com! Great site, memorable name and I just across this little nugget this afternoon. I would never have EVER thought about putting avocados and watermelon together, but in this paleo recipe, she makes it sound SO fricking good!

If you try it out, shoot me a message and let me know how it is! More to follow when we try it here at home!

Ingredients:

• 1 baby watermelon
• 3 avocados
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
• juice of 3 limes
• 1 cup cilantro, chopped
• sea salt, to taste
• 2 plum tomatoes, chopped

Instructions:

• Cut the watermelon in half. Then slice each half so you get circular pieces. Cut each circular piece into quarters and lay the pieces on a serving platter. Note: The pieces should look triangular, with a curved bottom
• In a medium bowl add avocado, in large size chunks. Mash with a fork until half smooth and half chunky.
• Add red onion, garlic, jalapeño pepper, lime juice, cilantro and salt to the bowl. Mix until combined.
• Add tomatoes prior to serving and mix well until combined.
• Scoop a serving of guacamole onto each watermelon piece, top with a tiny piece of cilantro and serve immediately.

Paleo Bang-Bang Shrimp

Ingredients
Originally posted at Our Paleo Life

• 1 lb frozen Shrimp (thawed, peeled, deveined)
• ¾ cup Paleo Lime Mayo (Link)
• 3 Tbsp Tapatio Hot Sauce
• ¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
• ½ tsp Garlic Powder
• Sea Salt, to taste
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Instructions

• Put the shrimp in a bowl and add garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix around to evenly coat the shrimp.
• Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• While you’re waiting for the oil to heat up, combine the mayo, hot sauce, and red pepper flakes in a medium sized bowl.
• Once the oil is hot, add the shrimp, stirring frequently.
• When the shrimp are opaque and done (about 3-5 minutes) add them to the sauce in the bowl bowl and stir until coated.
• Serve over some Zucchini Noodles (Link) and enjoy!

Paleo Chocolate Cranberry Power Bars

Having made bars like this, I'm a huge fan of this recipe. While dates are REALLY sticky feeling, the clean up surprisingly well with very little mess too. In short, these paleo power bars are GREAT!

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cups pecans, lightly toasted
• ¼ cup cacao powder
• 15 large medjool dates, pits removed
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 10 drops stevia
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
• ½ cup dried cranberries (you can add more if you like)

Instructions

• Blend pecans and cacao powder in food processor until combined and coarsely ground
• Add in dates and process until blended into dry ingredients
• Process in vanilla, stevia and agave until well combined
• Stir (or work in) dried cranberries with a spoon or by hand
• Press mixture into an 8 x 8 inch baking dish
• Freeze for 1 hour, or until firm, then cut into 16 squares
• Makes 16 squares

Originally posted at Elana's Pantry

Paleo Egg Masala

Ingredients

• 4 Eggs 
• 2 Onion 
• 1 stem Curry Leaves 
• 1/2 tsp Garam masala 
• 1 1/2 tsp Chilli powder (optional) 
• 1 tsp Coriander powder 
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 
• Coconut oil 
• Salt 
• 1/2 tsp Mustard 

Instructions:

• Boil eggs and remove the shells
• Slice onion into long pieces
• Mix garam masala, coriander powder, turmeric powder and chilli powder
• Heat coconut oil in a pan, sprinkle mustard seeds in it
• Add onion, curry leaves and fry till golden
• Add the masala paste and pinch of salt (to taste), stir well
• Finally, add the egg pieces and mix the contents well
• Remove from heat

Paleo Bacon Wrapped Dates

My wife made some of these a few weeks ago...they are amazing! Then again, just about anything with bacon would be, right?

Ingredients:

• 8 bacon slices, cut in half
• 16 large Medjool dates, pitted
• 16 whole almonds
• toothpicks (optional)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375 F
• Open up dates gently with a knife.
• Stuff each date with an almond, and wrap with half of a bacon slice. Secure with a toothpick if necessary.
• Place on a shallow baking sheet and bake, bacon seam down, for about 7 minutes.
• Flip and bake for another 7 minutes or until bacon is crispy.
• Serve warm or cold, and store leftovers in the refrigerator.

All-American Meat Lovers (Paleo) Chili

Rachel’s All-American Meat Lovers Chili (Serves 6-8 adults)

Originally posted at: EveryDayPaleo.com

Ingredients:

• 6 Ounces Italian Sausage
• 1 Pound Round Steak, chopped into even bite sized pieces
• 2 Pounds Ground Sirloin
• 2 Cups Chopped Yellow Onion
• 1 ½ Cups Bell Pepper (Combination of Red and Green)
• 8 Cloves of Garlic (Minced)
• 2 (28 Ounce) cans of chopped tomatoes with their juice
• 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
• 1 Tbs Ancho Chili Pepper
• 1 Tbs Cumin
• 3 tsp Tomato Paste
• 1 tsp Dried Oregano
• ½ tsp Fresh Ground Pepper and ½ tsp Salt (adjust to your taste)
• 2 Bay Leaves
• ¼ cup red wine (optional…but highly recommended)

How To:

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add all the meat, onion, bell pepper, and garlic to pan. Cook until meat is browned, stirring to crumble.

Add chili powder, ancho chili pepper, cumin and tomato paste, oregano, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Cook 1 minute , stirring constantly. Stir in wine and tomatoes and bring to boil.

Transfer to crock pot and let cook for 6 hours on low (or cook uncovered on the stove for a half hour, stirring occasionally)

Discard bay leaves and serve

Enjoy!

Originally posted at: EveryDayPaleo.com

Paleo Mini Meatloaves

Paleo Mini Meatloaves 

(originally posted at Paleospirit.com)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground meat – mixture of grass fed beef and/or pork and/or veal
• 10 ounces frozen, chopped spinach
• 1-2 teaspoons oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 6 ounces mushrooms, finely diced
• 2 carrots, grated or finely diced
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. Thaw the spinach, squeeze out the excess water and set aside.
3. Heat a pan on medium heat, add the oil and fry the onions and mushrooms until the onions are translucent and some of the liquid has cooked out of the mushrooms. Set aside to cool.
4. Place the ground meat in a large bowl, add the spinach, carrots, mushroom/onion mixture, beaten eggs, coconut flour and all the spices. Use your hands to combine it well but do not overmix.
5. Fill 18 regular size muffin tins to the top with the meatloaf mixture. (Greasing the tins may be a good idea if the meat you’re using is fairly lean)
6. Cook for 20-25-30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
7. Allow to cool and use a knife to loosen meatloaves from sides of the pan before removing.

(originally posted at Paleospirit.com)

Paleo Spaghetti (Squash)

My wife and I do this easy (and incredibly TASTY) paleo dish all the time. It's quick and simple to follow and makes for terrific left-overs as well!

What you need:

1 lb grass-fed ground beef or ground buffalo
2 tbls extra virgin olive oil
1 spaghetti squash (medium sized)

The Sauce
1 red onion diced
4 cloves crushed garlic
2 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp dried basil
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes drained
1 small can of tomato paste
1cup organic black olives sliced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375. Split the squash lengthwise and dig out the seeds. Add 1 Tbls to each of the squash halves. Place foil over the halves and face-up on a baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. 
2. Alternatively: prepare as above, but put on the grill for 20-25 minutes on a med-high heat. 
3. Brown the beef.
4. Mix the diced tomatoes and tomato paste in a saucepan. Heat on med-high until it begins to bubble. 
5. Mix in the remaining ingredients, stir and put on low until squash is done. 
6. Once the squash is done, scoop out the insides of each half - should come out very easily and resemble spaghetti. 
7. Mix beef and sauce
8. Serve by dishing out spaghetti squash and putting the sauce over the top.

Makes 6 one cup servings.

Number of Servings: 6

Paleo Coconut Pancakes

Ingredients:
15g almond flour
15g coconut flour
1T macadamia nut butter
2 large pastured eggs
2T water

Instructions:
1. Combine flour and eggs in a large bowl.
2. Add nut butter and stir well.
3. Gradually add water to the mixture whilst stirring, until the consistency is just shy of runny.
4. Spoon desired amounts of mixture into the pan and press/stretch into flat shapes.
5. Leave to fry until base is firm and edges begin to brown.
6. Flip and allow to cook until other side has browned and centre is firm.
7. Remove from heat and serve immediately, or keep warm and covered From Girl Gone Primal
.

Paleo Brownies using Avocado and Bananas

Paleo Fudge Cupcakes
Recipe from Life As A Plate

Recipe: Paleo Fudge Cupcakes w/ Banana and Avocado 

Ingredients

2 1/2 cup almond butter
1 1/4 cup honey
2 lg ripe bananas
2 lg avocados
3 eggs
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder

How To
Mix the honey and almond butter in a large bowl
Beat the eggs, banana, vanilla, cocoa powder and avocado until you get a mousse-like consistency in a blender
Add baking soda and baking powder.
Spoon in almond butter to complete the batter
Pour into mini-cupcake tin (use the paper, it really makes a difference)
Bake at 350, 15-18 minutes