Author Archives: ebchr

Legends of the Fall..

I love fall! So much color! We live in a beautiful place that is green pretty much year round. The rain and damp have arrived, but the trees are still brilliant.

A favorite fall table decoration is a bowl of water with leaves and tea lights. I know, so simple right!

The bowl could be a piece of thrifted crystal or porcelain (something fire proof!). I get the tea lights in bulk at IKEA, and then add your favorite fall leaves or flowers! Gorgeous when lit, adding coziness to fall evenings. And I’m all about coziness. 🙂

Roasted Root Vegetables with Pesto

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The sweet flavor of carrots and parsnips balance out the bite of Brussels sprouts and turnips. Hot and roasted and tossed with pesto – yum!

Ingredients

2 cups carrots (cut in 1″ slices)
2 cups parsnips (cut in 1″ slices)
2 cups turnip slices, 1″ cubes
2 cups trimmed and halved Brussels sprouts
1 shallot, peeled and quartered
1 onion, cut in 8 wedges
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt/pepper to taste
Pesto

Directions

Oven to 425*
Toss vegetables with olive oil
Sprinkle w/salt and pepper, toss
Bake @ 425* for 1 hour or until browned
Toss vegetables with basil

Super mom tip: Make pesto in a big batch and freeze in 1/3-1/2 cup portions. Pull out and defrost in the fridge or microwave a day in advance for this type of recipe.

Spinach-Artichoke Dip with Bacon

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This is a warm and toasty dip, perfect for fall and winter – it’s great for potlucks, football Sundays, or just good comfort food to snack on! 🙂

Ingredients

1/3 c mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2x 8oz. packages cream cheese, softened by letting sit at room temp for ~20 mins
3/4 c grated parmesan cheese
5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (tip: put slices flat between paper towel and microwave for ~1min per slice)
1 or 2x 14 oz cans quartered artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 10oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry

Directions

Oven to 350
Place mayo, garlic, cream cheese in a large bowl and beat with mixer till well blended and creamy (you can also do this in your food processor – which I’m a huge fan of for quick & easy blending)
Stir in parmesan cheese, bacon, artichoke hearts, and spinach
Spread mixture into an 11×7 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray
Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated, bubbly and starting to turn golden around the edges
Serve with carrot sticks

Super mom tip: This is another dish that freezes super well and can be reheated.

Pumpkin Soup

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This is a hearty pumpkin soup, garnished with a bit of bacon and chives for added flavor! Curry and cumin give it some warmth and a subtle flavor but are not distinct enough to make this a ‘curry’ flavored dish.

Ingredients

1 little sugar pumpkin (about the size of a cantaloupe)
3+ cups vegetable or chicken broth (more for a thinner soup, less for a chunky pumpkin stew)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp butter, olive oil or other fat
1/2 tsp curry
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 cup heavy cream, milk or coconut milk
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Bake your pumpkin by slicing it in half, cleaning out the seeds, de-stemming and putting it cut-side down in a baking dish with some water, ~45mins on 350* (I did this a day or two in advance when I was baking other veggies). Peel and discard skin.
Sauté onions in butter or oil until translucent and soft
Add curry and cumin and sauté for another minute
Add pumpkin pulp, chicken broth and bring to a boil
Reduce heat and simmer for 10 mins
Remove from heat and use an inversion/hand blender directly in pot until soup is smooth
Stir in cream
Add salt & pepper as needed and garnish with crumbled bacon and chives

Paleo tip: For ‘true’ paleo, omit dairy items and instead use coconut fat and coconut milk.

Super mom tip: You guessed it – it’s ‘freezable’! 🙂

Cream of Mushroom Soup with Chestnuts

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I’ve been so busy making pumpkin dishes, I almost forgot that it is also MUSHROOM season! Yay, love, especially in soup! I’m not that adventurous when it comes to mushrooms in general. I’m mostly familiar with white mushrooms, the kind that come fresh in a package, or those canned button mushrooms. But mushrooms are clearly in season as the local grocery store has been featuring large bins and while I really have no idea what to do with them, I mustered up some courage, picked (well bagged) a pound of mushrooms and made some soup. The chestnuts add some texture in this soft, blended and flavorful soup. It was delish!

Ingredients

1 lbs or so of fresh mushrooms
3 Tbsp minced shallots or onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2.5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2.5 cups water
1/2 cup heavy cream or coconut milk (for paleo version)
1 cup chestnuts (bottled or canned, liquid removed)
Springs of thyme
2 or more slices applewood-smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 Tbsp sour cream
Olive oil
Dusting of pepper and salt to taste

Ingredients

Sauté mushrooms with a little olive oil for ~15 minutes or until soft
Add shallots, sauté for 1 minute
Remove 1/2 cup mushroom mixture and set aside
Add broth, water, chestnuts and thyme to pan and bring to a boil
Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally
Remove from heat and discard thyme
Use a hand blender/inversion blender until soup is liquefied
Stir in cream, sour cream, reserved mushroom mixture, salt and pepper to taste
Garnish individual bowls with crumbled bacon

Super mom tip: Mushroom or chicken broth + sliced white mushrooms or a can of mushrooms + milk/cream/coconut milk + whatever garnish you have on hand = toss together heat and serve. That’s the 5 minute version! 🙂

Paleo Salmon Chowder

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I’m taking a break from pumpkin today and making this hot and delicious salmon chowder that is full of veggies and protein! I love making this with a combination of canned AND fresh salmon – but you can do one or both – whatever is easier for you! As there are no flour/grains, dairy or legumes in this recipe, it’s very paleo friendly!

Ingredients

3 slices of bacon, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp dried dill or 1 Tbsp fresh dill
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste
black pepper to taste
2 stalks celery
1-2 cups finely chopped or small cauliflower florets
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
One 7.5oz can salmon (red, pink or other) including juices
One 14 oz can coconut milk, full fat
Extra minced dill for garnish

Directions

Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until bacon fat is released. Add onion, dill, bay leaf, black pepper, cayenne, and cook until bacon is firm but not crispy
Add celery, cauliflower and chicken broth and simmer until vegetables are almost tender, 5-7 minutes
Add salmon chunks and juices and simmer for a few more minutes
Stir in coconut milk and simmer
Remove bay leaf before serving

Super mom tip: This recipe does great in the freezer. Freeze small batches of soup for easy re-heating later!

What to do with pumpkin seeds!

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It’s pumpkin season.. OK, I get a little obsessed when pumpkin lattes arrive and then it just takes off from there. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bread, pumpkin frosted cupcakes :-), pumpkin soup, pumpkin curry.. I’ve been feeding fresh cooked pumpkin to baby Anders who is 7 months and chowing it down! And let’s not forget pumpkin seeds! Roasted and salted.. YUM!

Ingredients

Pumpkin seeds (if you are digging them out of a pumpkin, first rinse and pat dry w/paper towels)
Oil or cooking spray
Salt

Directions

Oven to 350*
Toss pumpkin seeds with oil or just spray a large pan with some cooking spray
Bake for 20 minutes or until you hear them start to pop or they start turning golden
Salt

Paleo Sloppy Joes

1 Reply

This Paleo Sloppy Joes recipe is chock full of veggies and is a staple in our house. This is a great dish to make in a large batch and freeze in portions! Blog paleosloppyjoes

Ingredients

Garlic
1/2 Onion
1-2 Red bell peppers
2-3 shredded carrots
Large can of diced tomatoes
Small can of tomato sauce
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
Salt/pepper to taste

Directions

Chop onion and place in a large sauce pan with meat
Brown meat with onion
Add garlic, chopped bell peppers, carrots, stir and cook for another minute
Add in diced tomatoes and tomato sauce
Bring back to a simmer and cook for another few minutes

Serve with steamed broccoli or other green veggies, and call it a meal! 🙂

Super Mom Tip: Use the chopper blade on your food processor for the onions, garlic, bell peppers, and the grater blade for the carrots! Takes <1 minute!

Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Pumpkin Spice Frosting

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These are amazing! blog pumpkinchococupcake1

Ingredients

For the Paleo Pumpkin Spice Frosting

1 cup canned coconut cream/milk, full fat, refrigerated overnight (I used 1 can)
¼ heaping cup canned pumpkin or pulp from roasted pumpkin
3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsps vanilla
½ tsps apple cider vinegar
pinch sea salt
a few dashes of cinnamon to taste and some to sprinkle on the cupcakes
a few dashes of pumpkin pie spice to taste
a few dashes of cloves to taste
Coconut palm sugar to sprinkle on the cupcakes

For the Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup of blanched almond flour, sifted
1 tablespoon of coconut palm sugar
½ teaspoon of baking soda
pinch sea salt
a few dashes of cinnamon
1 cup of enjoy life mini chocolate chips
½ cup of full fat canned coconut milk, room temperature
¼ cup of organic palm shortening or coconut oil, melted
½ tsp vanilla
2 eggs, whisked

Instructions

To make the frosting: In a tall cup or bowl, put the hardened layer of coconut cream/milk from the refrigerated cans, equaling about a cup, along with the rest of the ingredients.
Use an immersion blender or hand mixer to combine and whip the ingredients together. Add more spices if needed to preferred taste. Put in the refrigerator uncovered to thicken for 30 minutes or longer while you make your cupcakes.
To make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake pan with liners
In a medium sized bowl combine your dry ingredients, almond flour, coconut palm sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, stir together with a fork and set aside.
In another medium sized bowl combine chocolate chips and coconut milk and melt using the double boiler method. Stir consistently until completely melted. Remove from heat.
Stir in the melted organic palm shortening or coconut oil, vanilla and eggs into the melted chocolate and coconut milk mixture.
Now fold your dry ingredients into the melted chocolate mixture until completely combined.
Pour batter into the cupcake liners or pan and fill about ⅔ full, they will rise slightly when baking.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let completely cool before frosting. To frost, transfer the frosting to a decorating bag and use desired tip. Garnish with a sprinkling of cinnamon and coconut palm sugar and enjoy!

Source and inspired by PaleOMG.com

Curry Cashew Chicken Salad

1 Reply

So yummy! A great variation to basic chicken salad.

Ingredients

2 cups cooked and diced chicken
3 stalks celery
Handful of frozen peas (optional)
Handful of cashews, chopped (toasted, optional)
Handful of raisins, chopped dates and/or grapes

Dressing

1/2 cup mayo
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 tsp curry powder
1 garlic clove, crushed

Directions

Toss salad ingredients in a large bowl
Whisk dressing ingredients in a separate bowl
Toss salad with dressing
Serve warm or chilled

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