Category Archives: Food

Deer Tacos

Adam brought back some deer last hunting season – and had some of it ground up with hamburger fat (deer is VERY lean) to make burgers or tacos. It’s a little gamey so the seasoning in this recipe helps.. but talk about grass fed, all natural and paleo!

Ingredients

1 lb ground meat (deer, beef, buffalo)
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 tsps ground cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, adds heat)
8 corn tortillas
1 chopped tomato
1 cup lettuce, finely chopped
1 cup cheese, shredded (Mexican blend works well)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lime, cut in wedges

Directions

Heat oil and add onion and buffalo
Cook for a few minutes, then add garlic, and continue to cook – stirring to crumble
Add seasoning and stir well to combine
Warm tortillas and assemble by spooning meat mixture and layering the veggies, cheese and sour cream
Serve with lime wedges and cilantro as garnish

Mango Avocado Salsa

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Just a warning. I will be posting a few recipes using this/variations of this. It is THAT good!! I made this big bowl thinking we’d have leftovers (it was just me, the Huz, and Maya). Well…we polished off the entire bowl haha 🙂 Ingredients

2 Mangos cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
1 1/2 medium avocados
20 Cherry tomatoes diced
1/4 cup Walla Walla sweet onions diced
Juice from 1/2 a lime
5 leaves of fresh Basil diced
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Cut everything up and toss in a bowl!
Or….if you are short on time, toss everything into a Cuisinart and pulse a few times.
Serve over fish, chicken, or as a dip with chips or pitas!

Frozen Raspberry Cashew Cream Cake

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It reached 90 degrees last week and the forecast is for 80+ all week. Yay!!!! This is when Seattle seems the most gorgeous place to live – snow capped mountains in the east and west, lake Washington on one side, the sound (ocean) on the other, green and lush and blue sky covering it all. Anyway, who wants to bake or cook when it’s 90 degrees out? Not me! We’re a little helpless here when it gets above 90 as most houses do not have A/C. Need a cool dessert? This is a no bake, super easy, frosty treat! Oh, and paleo(ish)! 🙂

Ingredients

1 cup pitted dates, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes and drained Add to list
2 cups raw walnuts Add to list
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut Add to list
1/4 tsp salt Add to list
2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water at least 4 hours or overnight, and drained Add to list
1/4 cup melted coconut oil Add to list
1/4 cup maple syrup Add to list
2 Tbsp lemon juice Add to list
1 tsp vanilla extract Add to list
1/2 tsp lemon zest Add to list
Water, as needed Add to list
1 cup fresh raspberries, plus additional for garnish

Directions

Place dates, walnuts, coconut and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is fairly fine and uniform. When a small amount of the mixture is pinched between the fingers and sticks together, it is ready to form the crust. Press the crust mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform or pie pan, making sure the edges are well packed. Rinse the food processor well.
Place cashews, coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla and lemon zest in the food processor. Blend until very smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to help with the blending process.
Pour about 2/3 of the cashew mixture on top of the crust and smooth the surface. Add raspberries to the remaining filling and blend until smooth. Pour the raspberry mixture on top of the first layer.
Freeze cake until firm, 2 to 4 hours. Allow to warm up for 30 minutes before slicing. Garnish with fresh raspberries and serve.

Thanks PCC

Denver Chocolate Sheet Cake

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This was probably the most requested dessert of my childhood (ok, behind my request for cherry chip cake with cherry icing every year for my birthday haha :)), and it is hands down the most requested dessert in my family now. It is in no way healthy or paleo, but it is worth every caloric bite! I don’t even like chocolate (I know, right?!), but this cake is so ooey goey and almost fudgelike, that I’ve honestly never met someone who didn’t love it! How’s that for an endorsement? The ONLY downside to it, is that it doesn’t “look” that pretty… The frosting is almost liquid like when you pour it on, but then it solidifies (hence it being easiest as a sheet cake). As I was wishing that it looked better, I had the idea to refridgerate half the frosting, do it as a layer cake, and then drizzle the other half over. I seriously, wanted to remake another one as soon as I thought about it!! But…need a little break before I can handle all the temptation again 🙂 I’ll “edit to add” when I try it the other way! Little helper 🙂 Ingredients

Cake

2 1/3 Cup Flour
2 Cups Sugar
1 1/4 Cups Water
4 Tablespoons Cocoa
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Buttermilk
2 Eggs Beaten

Frosting

1/2 Cup Butter
6 Tablespoons Buttermilk
1 pound powder sugar
4 Tablespoons Cocoa
1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Directions

Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix flour, sugar, and baking soda in a bowl.
Bring butter, water, and Cocoa to boil in a saucepan, and then pour over dry ingredients.
Mix thoroughly.
Add Buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and beat well.
Pour into 9×13 inch pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until center is not sticky to the touch.

Frosting

When cake is done or almost done heat butter, cocoa, and buttermilk to a boil (I use the same pan that I used for the cake-win!)
Remove from the heat and mix in vanilla and sugar (you can add walnuts, but I’m not a big fan :))
Frosting will be very runny, but pour over the cake before it cools. The frosting will harden to a soft fudgelike consistency, and it traps in moisture of the cake! Takes a few hours to harden, so keep in mind when you are baking. I usually make it the morning of, or you can make it the day before. It stays so moist, that it’s just as good the next day!

Great with Ice cream, or all by itself.

ENJOY!

Banana Quinoa Muffins (4th of July edition :)) // Gluten Free and DELICIOUS

2 Replies

This is my 3rd time making these since I first made them about 3 weeks ago haha. Our neighborhood has this huge parade, and I thought these would be perfect for before hand (ok, and after too!) I doubled the recipe from my first attempt, and added some blueberries, craisins, and shaved coconut to the top to make them more festive 🙂Hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th!

Ingredients (Made 21 muffins)

2 Cup cooked Quinoa
4 fully ripe bananas
1 1/2 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
4 Eggs
3 Medjul Dates (pitted)
1/2 teaspoon pure Vanilla
3 grinds of Sea Salt (aka not very much :))
1/2 cup blueberries, craisins, and coconut to sprinkle on top (optional)

Directions

You can do all of it in the Cuisinart or mixing bowl. One dish-easy clean up-WIN!!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Throw everything into a Cuisinart/Mixer and blend until creamy.
Put into muffin tins, greased loaf, or greased ramicans (that’s what I used the first time)
After 5 minutes of baking, take out and sprinkle with blueberries, craisins, and coconut. I waited too long and the top was already too cooked. They barely stuck, but I wanted them to sink into the muffin a little bit.
Bake for a total 18-20 minutes or until top is firm and lightly golden. I’m a firm believer in slightly undercooking when baking. It will continue to bake after you take it out, so if you wait until it’s completely firm it’s too done. You can always do the toothpick test. Insert a toothpick and if it comes out clean, it’s done. If it has batter still on it, not yet done.
Sprinkle with unsweetened coconut flakes.
These are really moist. I’m not sure why. They don’t do well if you seal them up in a container, so just leave them out and they will not dry out.

ENJOY!

Nutritional Facts (I entered all the ingredients into Calorie Count)

Serves 21 // Calories per muffin- 120 // Total Fat- 4.1g // Saturated Fat- 2.5g // Cholestererol- 55mg // Sodium- 99mg // Potassium- 198mg // Total Carbohydrates-20.2g // Dietary Fiber-2.1 // Sugars- 9.6g // Protein- 3.4g

Scrambled Eggs with Sundried Tomatoes

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Breakfast for dinner or just don’t know what to make? Yah, I have a lot of those nights too. Tossed salad and scrambled eggs! Hey, this is Seattle, after all. 😉

Ingredients

Eggs
Garlic, minced (optional)
Sundried tomatoes (packed in oil)
Cheese, shredded (optional, omit for paleo)
Oil or butter for frying

Directions

Whisk eggs with a little water until well blended (and optionally the minced garlic)
Melt oil in pan and when hot add eggs
Let cook for a bit and use a spatula or fork to scramble
Add tomatoes and mix
Top with cheese and let melt in pan before serving

Rhubarb Crisp

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Love rhubarb? Me too! Rhubarb seems to grow well in the Pacific NW climate, and makes a wonderful filling for pies, crisps, cobblers.. It’s the season, so here’s another rhubarb winner – the classic crisp!

Ingredients

Filling

4 c. rhubarb, diced
2/3 c. sugar (I used coconut sugar)
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Topping

1 c. rolled oats
1/4 c. butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. almonds, sliced (optional)

Instructions

Toss the filling ingredients until evenly coated
Pour into 8×8 baking dish
Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over rhubarb
Bake @ 375 for ~35 minutes or until golden and bubbly
Serve with vanilla ice cream or coconut milk! 🙂

Thanks for the inspiration – TheBakingBeauties.com

Paleo Rhubarb Strawberry Tart

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It’s rhubarb season! My little crop of rhubarb has done very well this year, shooting up thick strong red stalks that make perfect sauce or pies!

Ingredients

For the crust

1.5 cups nut flour (almond, cashew, etc)
1/2 cup coconut flakes, unsweetened
6 dates, pitted
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp almond extract and/or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the filling

2 cups chopped fresh rhubarb
1 Tbsp water
1-2 cups berries, fresh or frozen (raspberries, strawberries)
4-6 dates, pitted
1 tsp vanilla
Agave syrup (optional, to taste if more sweetness is desired)

Directions

Place all crust ingredients in a food processor and blend until a dough forms and everything is thoroughly mixed
Place all filling ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil, let simmer until fruit is soft, then process with a hand blender until it turns into a smooth puree
Pat crust down into a glass pie dish until you get an even and consistent thickness
Pour filling over crust and chill in fridge until ready to serve
Garnish with fresh berries, mint leaves or edible flowers
Enjoy with fresh coconut milk, or ice cream for a non paleo treat! 🙂

Greek Salad

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Tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives and feta drizzled with olive oil, lemon juice and a dusting of oregano sound good? Yes please! Here are two easy ways to make Greek Salad!

Ingredients

Tomatoes, diced
Cucumbers (English hothouse cucumbers work well), peeled and cubed
Kalamata olives
Feta cheese, crumbled (omit for paleo version)
Mixed greens

Dressing

Olive oil
Lemon, freshly squeezed
Oregano, 1tsp dried or 1 Tbsp fresh chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Mix the veggies and toss with dressing
Crumble feta cheese on top
Serve

Pesto Baked Salmon

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Baked salmon is one of our weekly staples as the kids both love it (so far! :)). I usually drizzle some olive oil on and bake as is, but a nice variation is to top with fresh pesto and bake it. Easy dinner? Yes please! 🙂

Ingredients

1lb slab of salmon
1 Tbsp (or more) pesto

Directions

Oil baking dish
Cover salmon fillet with pesto
Bake @ 350 for 25 minutes

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