My Version of Texa Chili- Paleo Style

Gearing up for the Super Bowl I had to try and come up with some dishes that would not get us too far off from our Paleo lifestyle. So many of they typical food My DH would eat were decidedly non-Paleo to say the least.... So here is the spread I served

My Version of Texas Chili- Paleo Style
Sausage Jalapeno Poppers
Sweet and Sour Kielbasa ( this one was a give in, I admit-
sugar content kinda high, but no wheat-compromising)
Red Wine ( here there was usually LOTS of BEER) and Diet Gingerale

The chili and the poppers turned out really well so here are the recipes...

Texas Chili-Paleo Style

2 1/2 cups onion soup, prepared from dry mix

1/4 cup bacon grease

2.25 pds boneless beef round steak, cut into very small cubes

1.5 lbs beef sirloin sirloin steak, cut into very small cubes

0.5lb bacon cooked well and cut up in pieces

1.5 tsp salt

3 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp black pepper

12 oz tomato paste

12 oz tomato sauce

4 can diced tomatoes

4 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

12 oz coke ( yea I know!! sugar - use diet if u must)

1.5 tbsp hot sauce- I used Franks

1/2 tsp Chipoltle chile flakes

1. Prepare soup from a packet of onion soup mix according to package direction, and set 2.5 cups aside.

2. Place bacon grease into large soup pot ( I used Le Crueset Dutch Oven) over med-high heat, and stir steaks into bacon grease until well browned. Pour reserved onion soup mix over meats and bring to a boil. Then Reduce to a simmer and cook for 7 min. Make sure you stir well to get up all the yummy browned bits off the bottom.

3. Stir in salt, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, chili flakes, tomato paste, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and stir frequently to avoid burning the bottom. Next, Cover and reduce to low. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

4. Add bacon, cocoa powder, coke, and hot sauce. Simmer 20 min more.

It is now ready to serve if you must. It is really best if you now let it cool, put it in fridge 8 hours or overnight to let the flavors meld, and then serve the next day!!!!!

Sausage Jalapeno Poppers

2 (12) pkg ground sausage

2 (8oz) pkg cream cheese, softened

30 jalapeno chili peppers

1 pd sliced bacon, cut in half ( pre-fry these half way**)

1/4 cup green onions, very finely chopped

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375F

2. Place ground sausage in large deep skillet and Cooke over med high till evenly browned. Drain.

3. Mix Sausage, Cream Cheese, Green Onions (or chives), and cheddar.

4. Cut jalapenos length wise and remove all seeds. Stuff each half with equal portions of sausage cream cheese mixture. Wrap with half a slice of bacon. Secure with toothpicks.

5. Arrange wrapped jalapenos in a large, shallow baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 min. ( I think I left Mine more like 30 )

**If you pre-fry your bacon half way the poppers will be crispier, if you don't the bacon never gets quite crispy enough**

Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins

Still in search of additions to my kids breakfast, lunch, snack repertoire as I embark on the journey to ever better nutritional health for our family....
What can they have for snacks other than veggies, nuts, organic jerky occasionally, meat roll ups... VARIETY is the SPICE OF LIFE after all, right?
Speaking of spice, Pumpkin is one of my all time favs to work with, always has been. So it makes sense that as I embark on the wheat free, gluten free journey I would turn to pumpkin. I found a recipe at Tropical Traditions for Pumpkin muffins, I really didn't tweak much at all.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

6 eggs 

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

3/8 cup pure maple syrup ( abt 3 1/2 oz)

pinch salt

Preheat oven to 400F. Grease muffin pan with coconut oil or line with paper liners.
Sift dry ingredients together.
Whisk wet ingredients. Gradually Whisk in flour to pumpkin mixture until no lumps remain.
Divide between 12 large muffin cups, or 36 mini.
Bake 12 min or until toothpick in center comes out clean for large.

Optional Cream Cheese Frosting:
8oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c butter, softened
1/4 c maple syrup or honey
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all and Beat in electric mixer till light and fluffy.

Paleo Pancakes

In our Paleo adventures as a family, one of the hardest things I have found its finding breakfasts that break out of the eggs realm. The easiest, and probably healthiest choice for our children for breakfast is eggs. Scrambled eggs, poached eggs, egg muffins, eggs with sausage, eggs with bacon, eggs with sweet potato hash... Well my son Jackson, he could have eggs and bacon every single day and he would never complain.
Caroline on the other hand. Well lets just say she gets tired of eggs, eggs, and well more eggs.
I am not strictly straight Paleo, more the PANU variety so we do eat dairy. Whole milk yogurt and berries gets thrown in to our breakfast mix sometimes. However, I still was in search of more variety....

So I decided I need to give gluten free baking a try. I have to say I was very wary... I previously LOVED baking bread. HUGE FAN. Will these other flours stand up at all, or will it just all FLOP???

My first ever recipe I tried was for Paleo pancakes, a recipe I adapted slightly from one I found browsing sites on the internet. Before I give the recipe I have to say, I am a little leary of almond flour, as almonds are higher is omega-6 and I am really a little worried about this. I want to work on the 6:3 ratio and don't want to introduce things high in omega 6 to my family's diet very often. That being said... WE NEED SOME BREAKFAST VARIETY SOMETIMES PEOPLE!!!!!!---- so.....

without further ado..

Paleo Pancakes

 2 eggs

1/8 cup water

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup almond flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

Blend wet ingredients in blender. Add dry ingredients to blender and pulse until well blended. Let rest in fridg 20 min up to overnight. Make on Griddle using coconut oil or butter, over med-high heat.     ( this is a rather thick batter,- it works!- but if too thick thin out with a little more water)

To DIE FOR Pumpkin Paleo Pankcakes

This was my first go at my own gluten free, no wheat baking recipe. I wanted some really good breakfast food, something other than eggs and bacon for the kiddos once and awhile....
I  had made regular Almond Flour pancakes, mainly from a recipe I had seen, see my version- Regular Paleo Pancakes. They were good, but I wanted something more, shall we say DECADENT? These hit the spot!!!---
I PROMISE- make these suckers!!-whether you are gluten free, paleo or not at all. THEY ARE tO dIE fOR!!!! YUMM!

Pumpkin Paleo Pancakes

2 eggs

1/2 cup pumpkin puree ( not pumpkin pie mix)

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp whole milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp maple syrup ( the real stuff)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup almond flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

Blend all wet ingredients in Blender (or a food processor) first. Next add all dry ingredients and pulse until well blended and no lumps. Place in fridg to rest for at least 20 min to overnight. Now you are ready to make pancakes!!! I made mine silver dollar sized. ( This is a thicker batter, thats ok, it works!- if its too thick, as coconut flour does soak up the liquid, add a little more milk as needed)

ENJOY!!!

Here is mine on the griddle... the smaller you make them the easier they are to handle! - (just a hint)

Homeade "Hot Pockets"

This is a new favorite!!!!
Kids LOVED it!!! Hubbie loved it!!!

You can use this base recipe to make Focaccia bread.
You can make one large Calzone.
You can make mini calzones, or "Hot Pockets" as I am calling them.
---I ended up loving this last option!!! Great to freeze and pull out and put in kids lunch boxes the next morning for a wonderful easy lunch that they will LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!!

So here is the base recipe:
( I will list all the adaptions below)

 BASE RECIPE FOR:
Garlic Focaccia Bread

• 1 1/4 cup lukewarm water
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 2 1/2 tsp yeast
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 3 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour

• (extra olive oil for drizzling over top before placing in oven)

Assemble ingredients through oregano in bowl, mix until mostly blended.
Next add flour, 3 cups and stir with wooden spoon till all incorporated. (you may have to switch to clean hands towards end)
Flour work surface lightly with some of remaining flour and turn out dough onto surface.
Begin to kneed dough till smooth and silky to touch, may be up to 10 min of kneeding. Incorporate remaining flour as needed in this process. ( you may or may not need to use the flour, depends on the day-humidity,etc...) 
Shape into a nice round shape by holding the dough in two hands and turning it a quarter turn in your hands and pulling the dough down and under at the same time. Continue this process till dough is a nice round shape for you. 
Apply liberal amount of Olive oil to dough on all sides and then
Let sit to rest on parchment paper lined baking sheet for 5-10 minutes.
Now roll out the dough out into rectangular shape (on parchment) and let sit again for atleast 30 min, more if possible (45min). Cover with plastic wrap during this process.
About 30 min before baking preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Remove plastic wrap and drizzle more olive oil over top. Sprinkle with coarse salt and bake for 15min, or until golden brown. ( you may also sprinkle with some chopped fresh rosmary that you gently press into dough before baking, this is very aroumatic and lovely)

ADAPTIONS: 

1. Calzones:

(new directions enter in after you roll the dough out on the parchment paper ) 
Rest it aprrox 15-20 min.

Now is where you add your fillings. You put some pizza sauce on one half (if you want sauce-sometime I reserve sauce just for dipping when I serve them) and then add your fillings, leaving a good 1 1/2 inch border,
anything you could want,

ricotta cheese,

any shredded cheeses,

sausage
pepperoni
any veggies
etc...etc...etc...
Next. you brush some water along the border that you left, then  fold over the calzone side that you left empty onto the filled side.Seal the Calzone with your fingers and then fold then edges underneath and seal again with your fingers. 
Now you rest it again for 30-45 min.
Drizzle the top with olive oil.
Next you want to slide this parchment paper onto your preheated pizza stone in your oven at 450 degrees for 15-20 min, watch for it to brown well. ( of course you can do this on a cookie sheet as well, it just won't crisp as much on the bottom)

  
2.The Mini, or Homeade HOT POCKET RECIPE
(again enter in after you roll out the dough onto parchment paper, and with these I often have doubled the recipe-very easily doubles and then you can make some for dinner, and then some to freeze for lunches!!!!!)
--if you have doubled, before  you rest the dough cut it in half with some thing sharp and rest it in two, then roll out two rectangles
At this point let the dough rest approx 15-20 min.

Now out of each rectangle you should be able to cut it ( with a pizza cutter, or sharp knife) longwise into 3 long strips. Now cut it width wise three across, and you will have 9 "pockets" ready to create.

Now we are ready to create a Pocket. The dough is now very pliable. So take a section and stretch it gently to make a nice size rectangle that will fold over nicely into your pocket,( you shouldn't have to manipulate it too much.)
-- place whatever you wish you fill your pocket with on one side of the rectagle, leaving a small border(1/2 inch, or even a little less. Now bring over top of rectangle and using a fork press down along all 3 sides of the pocket sealing it. This seals everything in and makes for a really nice look to your finished product!!
Now let each Pocket sit on the parchment and rise for 30-45 min.
Preheat over to 450 with baking stone in place.
Drizzle each with olive oil before placing on stone.
Place all Pockets on baking stone to bake for approx 15 min, or till brown. 
(if you bake on a greased baking sheet for 15 min, when done you make want to turn them over and place back in the oven for 3 more min to crisp bottoms of calzones.)
--filling ideas= ham and 1/2 cheese stick, turkey and cheese, pepperoni and cheese, brie and ham, shredded chicken and cheese, etc.... or any pizza type ing to make mini calzones

The BESTEST Sugar Cookies EVER!!!

I promise these are the BEST Sugar Cookies, and the EASIEST that I have ever, ever ,ever made!!!!!

courtesy of Southern Living (with my slight tweak)

(sorry no plain cookie pics, forgot)

1 Cup butter, softened

1/2 tbsp vanilla bean paste

( use good vanilla extract if you don't have the paste, but I PROMISE its worth searching for-- You can order it at specialty grocery stores)

1 cup powdered sugar

2 cups, unbleached all purpose flour

(again unbleached my prefrence, you can used regular flour)

1/4 tsp. salt

--you will also need parchment paper and rolling pin--

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Beat butter and vanilla ( at this point you can use whatever flavoring you like to substitute for the vanilla, for example in the SouthernLiving recipe they used Lemon Zest) with a heavy duty mixer until creamy.
3. Combine flour and salt,mix well.
4. Gradually add flour to butter mixture, beating until just blended. Shape dough into a disc.
5. Gradually add in sugar, beating well. 
6. Roll dough into 1/8 thickness on a lightly "floured" surface. ( in the case of sugar cookies, use the powdered sugar as if it is flour for the purpose of keeping dough from sticking. ie-use it to dust your dough, your rolling pin, your surface,etc...)
7.  Cut out whatever shapes with your cookie cutters and place on parchment lined baking sheets approx 1/2inch apart.
8. Bake for 12-14 min. or until edges are slightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 5 min. then transfer to wire racks to cool completely( about 20 min.)
9. Decorate as desired!!!! Go crazy- decorate however you wish!!!!

Pizza Roll

 (DOUGH MADE USING: Master Recipe from Aritsan Bread in 5 min a day)

Ok, I have to admit this one came out of a total disaster. So I am pretty excited to post it!

So last night was pizza night at our house.  I was pretty sick with a cold, and of course I forgot to buy cornmeal to make my dough not stick. So when I went to put the pizza from board to oven.....NO GO. TOTALLY STUCK!!

OMG!

DISASTER. It was awful...

SO I just started rolling.....

And this is what we came up with:

PIZZA ROLLS- my kids new fav meal ever!

If you have made the dough ahead this recipe come together SO FAST

and SO EASILY,

and is SO SCRUMPTIOUS!!!

and there are SO MANY POSSIBILITIES and VARIATIONS!!!!!

1. Make the dough according to Artisan Bread in 5 min a Day Master Recipe

(just click on link to find recipe for dough)

for basic pizza roll you will need:

1. 
   
   1 can pizza sauce,
2. 
   
    1 cup mozzerella,
3. 
   
   1/2 cup asiago,
4. 
   
    1 cup parmesan,
5. 
   
   1/2 cup romano,
6. 
   
   shredded basil ( 1/4C)
7. 
   
   4 cloves garlic, micro diced and sauted.
8. 
   
    cantelope sized portion of the dough.

(this will make 2 pizzas)Let the Dough REST for 40 MIN. -when you pull the dough out of the fridge, have the bowl you are going to let the dough rest pre-oiled with some olive oil. You will also want to have your hands coated with EVOO because the Dough is VERY STICKY! Make the dough into a nice ball by pulling it under and turning a 1/4 turn each time until you have a nice ball. Now you let it rest for the 40 min.

• 
  
• 
  
  Preheat oven, with baking stone to 550 degrees.                                                                  
• 
  
  Place the dough on a well oiled surface to roll it out. Roll it into a rectangle.   Try to keep it even, not too thin, not too thick either.
• 
  
  Place thin layer of tomatoe sauce (one you made or store bought) on pizza dough,             leaving the end you will be rolling towards and about 2 inches on each side bare.
• 
  
  Add ingredients (be rather sparce here, don't want to overstuff) Add cheeses. I really think fresh grated romano, asiago, parmesans all blended together are the best combo here. (this is where your imagination is the limit, with ingredients to stuff and cheeses)
•  Last step, roll up dough longest side that is full of sauce, toppings towards side that has the 2in border. Roll it as tight as you can. When you get to the end, tuck each end under. 
• Now transfer this roll to the steaming hot baking stone in your oven. ( I always roll mine out on a board, (or  you could use a flat cookie sheet)  so that it will slide off easily into the oven).

Bake for 5 min.
Reset temp in oven to 450 and continue to bake for 25min.
Let sit for atleast 15 min, longer if you can stand it, before you cut into this. 


My KIDDO LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS ONE!!!!!   WOW!
They say they never want me to make regular pizza again, just pizza rolls from now on mommy!