Seeds Only Crackers – Vegan and Gluten Free

from averiescooks.com
hw: I can not get enough of theses crackers - i have been making the savory ones I have not tried the sweet ones yet. In my oven (gas) they only take about 15 minutes and I don't flip) . I cook a batch when I am cleaning the kitchen. 

1/3 C Chia Seeds

1/3 C Flax Seeds ( hw: I have also when out of flax just doubled the amount of sunflower seeds) 

1/3 C Sunflower Seeds
1/4 C Agave (or Honey, Maple Syrup, or combo)
1/4 Tsp Allspice (or use cinnamon only or pumpkin pie spice)
1+ Tsp Vanilla Extract
2-4 Tbsp Water if needed
If you want these really sweet, add a pinch of stevia, to taste.  For those without an insane sweet tooth, you likely won’t need to.

If for some reason you don’t want these as sweet and want them more “neutral”, reduce the 1/4 cup of sweetener with an increased portion of water. Add water until ingredients are moistened not soggy. 

For savory crackers, omit the Allspice, reduce the sweetener/use water and add garlic, salt, onion powder, curry, black pepper, chili powder, cayenne, etc. instead.

You can make these totally raw by exclusively dehydrating and omitting the oven, and using only truly raw/never roasted seeds.  Or you can bake in a 300F oven for about 30 minutes per side, but watch it closely!  Use common sense and don’t burn them.  Burnt seeds stink!  Or use a lower oven temp/longer duration than 300F, i.e. 200F.

Peaches and Berries with lemon and mint syrup 
http://www.onceuponachef.com/

• 4 perfectly ripe peaches, pitted and sliced
• 1 cup (1/2 pint) blueberries
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup sugar (coconut sugar or honey) 

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 cup (1/2 pint) raspberries
• 1 cup (1/2 pint) blackberries

Instructions

1. Combine peaches, blueberries, lemon juice, sugar and mint in a serving bowl and toss. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve (up to 6 hours).
2. Right before serving, add raspberries and blackberries and toss gently. Taste and add a bit more sugar if necessary. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

Grilled Shrimp and Watermelon Salad


For the dressing:

• 2 1/2 tbsp  balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp water
• 1 tbsp chopped shallots
• 1/8th tsp kosher salt
• pinch fresh black pepper
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the shrimp:

• 10 oz shelled and deveined (about 24) large shrimp
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• seasoned salt, to taste  (or any spices you like- salt and pepper work just fine-pre mixed seasonings can be problematic )

For the Salad:

• 8 cups chopped romaine
• 4 cups diced watermelon
• 4 ounces soft goat cheese

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, water, shallots, salt and pepper. Gradually add olive oil, stirring until incorporated.

For the shrimp:

If cooking outside on the grill, soak skewers at least 30 minutes.

Season shrimp with seasoned salt, then mix in crushed garlic. Thread the shrimp onto the skewers.

Light the grill or indoor grill pan on medium to medium-high flame, when hot spray the grates with oil and grill the shrimp about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Set aside.

In a large bowl toss the romaine with the dressing. Divide between for plates and top with watermelon, goat cheese and grilled shrimp.

Berry Cantalope Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cantaloupe, scooped with melon baller
• 1 cup strawberries, thinly sliced
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
• 2 teaspoons chopped mint leaves

Combine. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before eating. 

Peach Fruit Leather

Fo

r me, one of the great sites and smells of summer is a big basket of fresh peaches. We love eating them so much in my house that I tend to go a bit overboard at the farmers' market every Sunday and buy way more than we could possibly eat in a week. As...

Ingredients

• 4 ripe peaches (skin on)
• 1 tablespoon honey

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 225 F degrees.*
2. 2. Rinse and remove seeds from peaches.
3. 3. Place the peaches and honey in a blender and puree until smooth.
4. 4. Pour the mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet and spread with the back of a spoon or spatula in a large rectangle (my rectangle was 11 x 15 inches) making sure that the thickness is completely even.
5. 5. Bake for 3-4 hours or until dry and not sticky to the touch. Remember, cooking times will vary depending on how thick you spread your mixture and how much water (juice) is naturally in the fruit.**
6. 6. Set aside and cool at room temperature; it takes several hours for the fruit to soften up. Note that when you first take the fruit leather out of the oven, the edges will be a bit dry and crispy, but if you allow it to sit out for several hours it softens up nicely.
7. 7. Cut with a knife, pizza cutter or scissors into strips, keeping the paper on if desired, then roll the leather into “roll ups”.
8. 8. Serve.
9. * If you choose to use a dehydrator, cook the fruit leather at 135 degrees for 5 hours.
10. ** Every oven is different, so the cooking time maybe less than 2 hours if your oven tends to run hot.

Paleo Peach Ketchup

Paleo Peach Ketchup

preppypaleo

4 peaches, peeled, cored and cut into small pieces
3 tbs. raw honey or palm sugar (or coconut sugar) 
2 tbs. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. chili powder
pinch each of cinnamon and cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and run until smooth. Taste for seasoning.

I would think that this would be safe to can. process pint 20 minutes/1/2 pints 15?


Update : 5/21/14 I made it! Like it - baby girl was trying to eat it straight from the jar. I made it with coconut sugar and added a little water to make up for the dryness of coconut sugar. I will make it with honey too. Right now honey and coconut sugar and a little stevia are working well for us. 

Update: did not peel peaches much easier , not a necessary step. I forgot the chili powder too so that is not necessary either ;)

PALEO PEACH BARBECUE SAUCE

http://cookeatpaleo.com

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon bacon fat (bacon is paleo but we don't eat pork)
• 1/4 cup chopped shallot  (vidalia onion would be good) 
• 1 cup sliced peaches, thawed if frozen
• 1 7-ounce jar organic tomato paste
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons coconut aminos (a safe soy sauce see note below) 
• 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon chipotle pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook shallots in bacon fat until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 5 minutes.
3. Transfer to Blendtec or blender and blend until smooth.

Note: coconut aminos is like soy sauce (wheat, soy and corn free) like this one: 

http://www.iherb.com/Coconut-Secret-Raw-Coconut-Aminos-Soy-Free-Seasoning-Sauce-8-fl-oz-237-ml/24098#p=1&oos=1&disc=0&lc=en-US&w=coconut%20aminos&rc=168&sr=null&ic=1

Paleo Peach Mini Pies

Author: Stacey

Recipe type: paleo, grain free, low carb, gluten fee, nut free, dairy fee option

Cuisine: grain free pies

Prep time:  35 mins

Cook time:  20 mins

Total time:  55 mins

Serves: 6

 

A grain free, nut free, paleo, low carb peach mini pie recipe. My favorite fruit pie.

Ingredients

• CRUST:
• ½ cup coconut flour, where to buy coconut flour
• ⅓ cup butter, melted, or coconut oil, melted ( for paleo), where to buy coconut oil
• 1 large egg, beaten
• ⅛ tsp sea salt * optional
• Sweetener of choice:1 Tbsp honey (paleo version), or 26 drops liquid stevia ( for low carb version) where to buy liquid stevia.
• FILLING:
• 1 cup ripe peaches, peeled and chopped ( could used defrosted frozen peaches).
• Sweetener of choice: ¼ cup coconut sugar, or ¼ cup honey (paleo versions), or ¼ cuperythritol plus l/4 tsp stevia for low carb version.
• 1 Tbsp coconut flour (use ½ tbsp more for honey version).
• 1 tsp chia seeds plus 1 tbsp water * optional for extra fiber, can omit, where to buy chia seeds
• ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice, or make your own (1/4 tsp cinnamon, ⅛ tsp ground ginger, ⅛ tsp nutmeg).

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F, and oil or grease a muffin pan or mini tart pan.
2. If using chia seeds (optional), mix with water in a small bowl and put in the fridge for 15 minutes.
3. Chop and peel peaches, and put peaches (including any juices) into a large mixing bowl.
4. Add sweetener of choice, and 1 tbsp coconut flour to peaches in bowl.
5. Toss the peaches, sweetener, and coconut flour around to coat.
6. If using optional chia seeds, add chia seed water gel to mixture and stir in.
7. Let mixture set on counter for 30 minutes.
8. While filling is setting, start making the pie crust.
9. In medium bowl add all pie crust ingredients and mix well with fork until dough forms.
10. Squeeze dough into 6 balls.
11. Place dough balls into muffin pan and press and mush dough around too cover at least half of each muffin depression in pan.
12. Once thirty minutes has passed and filling has thickened a little, then fill each crust with the peach filling (to just slightly below the edge of crust).
13. Bake for 20 minutes, but check at 14 minutes and see if crust edges are browning too fast. If they are then loosely cover the top of muffin pan with a parchment paper sheet or foil sheet and continue baking.
14. Remove, cool and refrigerate. Crust is easier to remove from pan if it has been refrigerated for an hour.
15. Use a butter knife between crust and pan, and slide around to loosen and remove.
16. Can reheat on baking sheet in 375 F oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or microwave for 20 seconds.

Peach Pie Bites

fastpaleo.com

Ingredients

• 3 cups of whole pitted dates
• 2 peaches sliced with skin removed
• 1 cup of almonds
• 1/4 tsp of vanilla
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
• 
  
• 1) Add peaches and dates to a food processor, process on high until the dates and peach mixture resembles a paste, scoop out mixture and place in a bowl
  2) Add almonds to a food processor and coarsely process until finely chopped, add almonds to the sticky date mixture and use your hands to combine
  3) Using your hands make balls with the mixture, place on a parchment lined baking sheet and store in fridge. 

Low Carb Onion Rings

http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/

Ingredients:

1 large onion
1 egg
2 Tbl coconut flour
2 Tbl grated parmesean cheese omit for dairy free paleo version(double the coconut flour or maybe use nutritional yeast?)
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp parsley flakes
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
salt to taste

1/4 cup olive oil for frying

Heat the oil in a medium saute pan.  Meanwhile, beat the egg in a shallow bowl.  Combine the coconut flour, parmesan, garlic powder, parsley flakes, cayenne and salt in a shallow bowl.  Slice up your onion to a thickness of about 1/2 – 3/4 of an inch and break up the rings until you have a big pile.  Add all of the onion rings to the beaten egg and mix thoroughly so they are well coated.  Soak the onions in the egg for at least a minute, and then in small batches dip in the coating and then into the hot oil.  Fry until golden brown and then turn with a fork or tongs to brown the other side.  Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up any excess oil. 

Potatoes (I mean Turnips) and Onions

Potatoes are nightshade vegetables and are not allowed on Paleo.
A slightly different taste but fulfills the taste of potatoes without the calories or unhealthy side effects for those with auto immune disorders or painful joints. 
This recipe (total) is less than 100 calories (about 94) 5 grams fiber and 2 grams of protein!

1 cup of raw turnips peeled and cubed

1 cup of raw onions peeled and cubed ( we like Vidalia- a sweet onion grown in GA) 

Put onions and turnips in sauce pot, cover with water. Add salt to taste and boil till tender (15 minutes or more) 

Drain and Eat... 

You can also mash and serve as mashed potatoes.


Update: I made them the other night and threw in a bag of frozen green beans. ;) 

Banana Coconut-Flour Spice Bread (or Cake), Nut Free

Recipe Type: Dessert

Cuisine: Paleo

Author: The Saffron Girl

Makes one loaf.

Ingredients

• 1 cup mashed bananas, make sure they are almost liquid (2-3 bananas)
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 2 tablespoons raw honey (more to taste, for a cake)author says you can omit or you can also use coconut sugar which will make a darker cake/bread
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt or a pinch of fine salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 5 egg whites + 1/2 teaspoon creme of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• Add in: 1/2 cup cacao nibs or chocolate pieces/chips (optional)
• 1/3 cup desiccated coconut (for added texture, but optional and not essential to the recipe)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F).
2. Grease your loaf or cake tin with some butter or coconut oil. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat together the mashed bananas, egg yolks, melted butter, honey, spices, and salt until smooth. Set aside.
4. In another clean bowl, beat the egg whites and creme of tartar until very stiff peaks form. Set aside.
5. Add the baking soda, desiccated coconut (if using) and coconut flour to the banana mixture and blend well. If you’re adding the cacao nibs or chocolate pieces, do so now as well, and mix well.
6. Fold in the egg whites into the creamed mixture just until the egg whites are not visible. Do not over mix.
7. Pour into the loaf or cake tin.
8. Bake on the bottom rack for 45-50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

To Thicken Meatballs Instead of Breadcrumbs

wellnessmama.com I married an Italian, so meatballs get made pretty often around here. His grandmother’s recipe calls for breadcrumbs, which I don’t use, so I just throw in a couple tablespoons of chia seeds (per pound of meat) in place of gluten bombs bread crumbs. Also works to thicken meat-loafs, batters, etc.

Chia Pudding 

wellnessmama

• 2 cups of coconut milk or other milk
• 1/2 cup chia seeds 
• 2-3 tablespoons cocoa powder (or to taste)(optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (or to taste)
• 1 tablespoon or more sweetener of choice (optional)- We use honey or a few drops of stevia tincture

Put in a blender and blend until smooth. Will thicken in about 10 minutes in the fridge.

There are endless flavor variations. You can omit the cocoa powder and vanilla and add a cup of strawberries for a strawberry version, or add cinnamon and nutmeg for a Chai Chia Pudding.

Black Magic Peanut Butter

You know I don't believe peanuts are healthy so I tweaked the recipe a little. 

• 1/2 cup peanut butter  (sunflower seed butter/ sunbutter)
• 2 1/2 tbsp blackstrap molasses (or honey)
• 1/4 cup virgin coconut oil 
• You can also add some cocoa powder (maybe a tbs or so depending on how chocolaty you like it) Just blend it with the oil first and then add the nut butter and honey. 

Melt the oil if it is not already in a liquid state. Then stir all ingredients together until they are fully blended. If a fudge-like texture is desired, freeze 15 minutes. Otherwise eat as desired, refrigerating leftovers… if there are any! 

Can eat with fruit, spread on bread or out of the jar. 

The Truth About Dried Cranberries OUCH!

http://www.snack-girl.com/

This shocking post will reveal a little known fact about dried cranberries. Someone has to reveal the truth!

Cranberries are picked by fairies who live in teeny weeny mobile homes.

:)

Actually, the truth is not as interesting as the above fib. Dried cranberries, also know as “Craisins”, are not the same as raisins. Sure, Ocean Spray would like you to believe that they are the same, but there is one big difference.

Dried cranberries are made with added sugar, while raisins are just dried grapes with no sugar added. Why should this matter to you? I guess I think that most of us put dried cranberries and dried grapes in the same category because they sit next to each other in the store and because of the name “Craisins”.

Side note from heartweed" sugar is a grass..wheat is a grass! 

I learned all about “Craisins” at a California Raisin Advisory board breakfast where they fed me (you guessed it) raisin bread. Yum! At any rate, they are the ones who came up with that cute Marvin Gaye singing raisin.

They are a bit miffed at the cranberry people because of the insinuation that dried cranberries are like raisins and I think they have a point. Here are a two big differences between the two:

• Raisins have 6% of your daily value of iron per serving
• Raisins have 310 mg of potassium (9% of your daily value) per serving
• Raisins have 1 gram of protein and 2% of your daily value of calcium per serving

How much iron, potassium, protein, and calcium do dried cranberries have? Ahem, ZERO.

Here are the nutrition facts for one serving of dried cranberries:

130 calories, 0 g fat, 33 g carbohydrates, 26 g sugar, 0 g protein, 3 g fiber, 0 mg sodium

There are no other significant sources of macronutrients on the package. You may be getting some micronutrients, if they survived the dehydrating process. The rest is just fiber and sugar (which they added).

Raisins are more nutritious and fundamentally a different product (nothing added!) than dried cranberries.

I'm not saying you should stop eating dried cranberries. I love to use them as a flavoring agent for salads or cookies, but be aware that raisins are better for you.

Refrigerator No can Garlic Pickles
Keeps for 2 days on the counter -months in the fridge.

from http://thecreeksidecook.com/

 

Prep time

40 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Remember that these pickles have just two days on the kitchen counter – after that they must be kept refrigerated.

Author: Donalyn Ketchum

Recipe type: Preservation – Pickling

Ingredients

• 2 quarts of water
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup pickling salt
• About 3 to 4 pounds of cucumbers – small pickling cukes are best
• 8 large heads of dill, or more if they are smaller
• 8 medium garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• 1 tablespoon mustard seed
• 4 pinches red pepper flake
• about 20 black peppercorns

Instructions

1. This will make about 4 quarts of pickles, so you need 4 1 quart jars with lids, or more if they are smaller. Canning jars aren’t necessary, but they do need a lid. Wash in hot soapy water and rinse well [or run through the dishwasher].
2. Measure the water, vinegar and salt into a 3 quart sauce pan and set over high heat – you want the salt to dissolve and the mixture to come to a full boil.
3. Meanwhile, make sure your cucumbers are good and clean. Cut them however you like – the smaller the pieces, the more that will fit in a jar. I like spears, because they are pretty to serve, though if I end up with a lot of odd sized cucumbers, chunks may work better.
4. In the bottom of each jar, place 1 large head of dill, or several smaller ones. You can also put in some of the fronds and stems. Then put 1 garlic clove in the bottom.
5. Fill each jar with cucumbers – for spears, it might be easier to lay the jar on its side. You can really cram them in there tightly, but leave a good inch of headspace at the top, so that the brine will be able to cover the pickles.
6. Top the cucumbers in the jars with another clove of garlic, as well as another large head of dill. You can just leave it at that, or for a little more complexity of flavor, add a scant teaspoon of mustard seed, a pinch of red pepper flake and 5 peppercorns to each jar.
7. Carefully fill each jar with the boiling water/vinegar/salt mixture, making sure to get the cucumbers completely covered.
8. Screw on the lids.
9. Leave the jars out in the counter for 2 or 3 days, and then store in the refrigerator for at least two weeks before opening them.
10. They will keep well for several months at least, so long as you keep them refrigerated. [Naturally, if anything looks or smells funky, discard them, but honestly, that happens very rarely.]

No canning...which actually cooks the cucumber a bit.....keeps the pickles from getting mushy and keeps them crunchy.