Paleo Cereal

If you've followed my Paleo journey, you know that breakfast has been a struggle.  I like eggs and bacon, but I also like easy breakfasts.  That being said, I am not against a little prep, as long as it can be done in advance, and not when I am trying to get out the door in the morning.  This cereal takes a little time in the oven to toast, but once it's cool it lasts forever in the fridge, and is great as a bowl of cereal with your non dairy milk of choice, or as a topping for fruit.  

Ingredients:

3 cups flaked coconut (not shredded)

3 cups raw nuts (I like cashews, pecans, and almonds)

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/4 cup flax seeds

1/8 tsp Real Salt

1 TBSP Raw Honey

1 TBSP Coconut Oil

1 cup dried fruit

Directions

Roughly chop the nuts and place on a baking sheet along with the coconut, chia and flax seeds.  Toss with the coconut oil and sprinkle with the salt.  Toast in a 300 degree oven for 15- 20 minutes until the coconut flakes turn a golden brown and you can begin to smell the nuts.  Remove from the oven, add the dried fruit to the pan and drizzle with the honey.  Toss to coat, and allow to cool completely.  Stir to break up any large pieces and refrigerate.  

To use as cereal, place 1/2 cup in a bowl and top with your favorite non dairy milk.  I personally prefer unsweetened cashew milk.  Note; it can be tempting to pour a large bowl like your favorite pre Paleo cereal.  Let me warn you against that.  First of all, that's a lot of nuts, and way more calories (although clean calories) than your non paleo cereal.  Secondly, that is a lot of roughage.  Be kind to your behind, don't go overboard on this cereal.

 I also really enjoy this cereal as a granola.  I snack on it plain straight from the fridge, or use it in parfaits.  Yum!

Super Awesome Paleo Breakfast Sandwich

Mornings are saved!  I finally have a breakfast I look forward too.  I had found a grain free (but not Paleo) bagel that I loved with some cashew butter (my nut butter of choice), but I really wanted to find a truly Paleo option.  It needed to be something that could be assembled the night before and quickly reheated.  This sandwich fills those requirements and it is delicious as well!

A few days ago, I posted a recipe for Paleo Breakfast Bread.  This is what I used to make the buns for this breakfast sandwich.  They don't have the nooks and crannies of your typical english muffins, but they hold up well to the egg and breakfast meat, without the over whelming coconut/almond taste of most Paleo breads. Even better, I found a whoopie pie pan on clearance so now I can make these breads in bulk! 

To make this sandwich, you'll need a few ingredients and some specialty cookware.  1 egg, the paleo breakfast meat of your choice (I chose sausage), Paleo Breakfast Bread, an egg mold and a skillet.  If you don't have an egg mold, you can use the ring from a mason jar lid or just cook your egg free form as you usually would.  I wanted everything to fit in a neat little stack, so I used the mold.

Place your sausage patty in the skillet over medium heat along with the egg mold.  Brown the sausage on one side, while the egg mold heats up with the skillet.  When you flip your sausage, crack the egg into the mold and stir slightly.  Season with salt and pepper if desired.  I highly recommend lubricating your egg mold with the oil of your choice, otherwise the egg will stick.  Continue to gently stir the egg inside the mold until it is mostly set.  Using a small knife, release the mold, and flip the egg.  

While your egg is setting, I recommend lightly toasting the breakfast bread.  If you are preparing your sandwich the night before, you can skip this step as the bread will warm when you reheat it in the morning.  Assemble the sandwich, placing the sausage on the first piece of bread, followed by the egg.  Enjoy immediately! 

To reheat the pre assembled sandwich, wrap in aluminum foil and place in a 350 degree toaster oven for 15-10 minutes.  You can also microwave the sandwich for 1 minute on high, but I prefer the crispy texture from the toaster oven and I think you are less likely to over cook the egg.  If you do plan on the microwave method, I recommend slightly undercooking your egg.  

I hope you enjoy this recipe!  If you'd like so see more, make sure you follow the blog or visit my Facebook Page to get the latest updates!

Paleo Breakfast Bread

Ever since going Paleo, breakfast has been a struggle.  I am not a morning person, and I like to sleep as late as possible.  This does not leave a lot of time for breakfast making.  I certainly do not get up early enough to make bacon and eggs, and any attempt at "egg muffins" have not been successful.  Did I mention I am really picky when it comes to eggs?  I pretty much only eat them scrambled or in omelet form so hard boiled eggs are out as well.   

Pre paleo days, I would make homemade breakfast sandwiches with english muffins or toast and reheat them while I was getting ready.  Of course, most paleo bread is not great, and english muffins are non existent in Paleo Land.  I've tried numerous variations on paleo pancakes/tortillas/scones/muffins, and this one has been the most successful.  And by successful, I mean it didn't require a lot of weird ingredients and I didn't have to roll out tortillas by hand like a Mexican Grandma (mega props to those grandma's though!)

Ingredients:

1 cup egg whites

2.5 tbsp coconut flour

1/2 cup cassava flour

1/4 tsp real salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

4 tbsp ghee or olive oil

4 tbsp water (add additional water for tortillas)

Directions:

Combine the ingredients in a large measuring cup, and allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes.  The batter will thicken as the coconut flour absorbs the moisture.  It should be the consistency of pancake batter.  Depending on the brand of Cassava Flour you buy, it may need more or less water.  For the purpose of this recipe, I used Blue Rabbit brand.  Transfer the batter into a squirt bottle for easy pouring. Squeeze into egg molds and cook until just set.  Use a small knife to release the mold, and the flip the bread.

You'll know it is time to flip when small bubble form and pop (just like pancakes). The bread should be a pale golden color.  Since I sometimes reheat in a toaster or skillet, I don't over cook mine.  If you were eating these right away, I would let them get a little darker before removing.  

This recipe should make approximately 12 rounds.  I used a standard egg mold to make mine (the same size I'll be using to pre cook some eggs for my breakfast sandwich.  I use 2 rounds per sandwich, but use whatever you have on hand.

These could be used toasted with butter and jelly...

 Or made into a breakfast sandwich with some home made sausage and and egg...

Or if you add some extra water (2-4 tbsp) to the batter, you can make tortillas.  I used about 2 tbsp of batter per tortilla.  Cook in a skillet over medium heat and flip once.  These will keep in the refrigerator about a week, and the hold up better than corn tortillas! Serving size is 1 tortilla.

Crapple Cookies- A Paleo Breakfast.

Since we've been doing this Paleo thing, breakfast has been a challenge.  I love having something "bready" with my coffee in the morning, and being grain free doesn't exactly work with that.  I have tried muffins, pancakes, and all sort of other paleo recipes online, and most of them have been way to eggy.  If I wanted an omelet, I'd make one, but I wouldn't put blueberries in it.

So instead, I have decided to try regular recipes with Cassava Flour, and modify them as needed.  Since oats are also out, I have swapped flaked coconut to get the same texture.  If you aren't Paleo, you can use regular flour, but you might not need the cashew milk.  You can also use oats instead of the coconut flakes, but I can't really say how they will turn out.

Ingredients:
1 apple, finely diced
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
1 egg
1 cup Cassava flour*
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsps apple pie spice
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup non dairy milk, like Cashew
1/2 chopped pecans
1/2 unsweetened cranberries.

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients through the sea salt.  Mix well, and add the milk a little at a time until the batter is smooth and moist.  You may need more or less milk depending on the brand of Cassava flour you use.  Stir in the pecans and cranberries.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15- 20 minutes until firm, but bouncy.

*The brand of Cassava flour you use will greatly effect the moisture content. This recipe was tested using Moon Rabbit brand. Otto's Natural is also good, but you may need to adjust the amount of milk you use.  If you use tapioca flour instead (they are both made from the Cassava root), it will not have the same cookie texture.  It will be more like a brownie.

Breakfast Deviled Eggs

I have only recently learned to eat hard boiled eggs.  My mother hates eggs, and she only ever made me scrambled eggs as a child. Lately I have lamented the fact that I don't like hard boiled eggs, and how much easier breakfast would be if I did.  So I decided to start with deviled eggs.  I just kept trying them, and finally yesterday I liked them.  This gave me hope, so this morning when my niece said she'd like a hard boiled egg white,  I attempted a breakfast deviled egg for myself.

While I enjoyed a regular deviled egg at dinner, I didn't think mustard and mayo were going to be appetizing for breakfast.  I also wanted a recipe that was 21 Day Fix friendly.  So, I swapped the mayo and mustard for ricotta cheese.  I used about 1/2 TBSP per egg (roughly equal parts yolk to ricotta).  I mashed it together with a fork and add a small amount of salt and pepper.

I then topped each egg white shell with the yolk and ricotta mixture.  There was a little more filling than the usual deviled egg, but it felt like the perfect yolk to white ratio to me! I count 3 halves as 1 red container 21 Day Fix container (since 2 whole eggs equal 1 red, or 3/4 cup ricotta). If you'd like more information about the 21 Day Fix, please feel free to contact me!

21 Day Fix Breakfast Ideas

We know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but for a lot of us it can be hard to make the time to actually eat breakfast. If we do eat breakfast, it can be hard to know what to eat!  I've put together a list of my favorite breakfasts, all of them 21 Day Fix approved.  Even if you don't follow the 21 Day Fix, they are still yummy and easy to make.  Some of them you can make in advance, and some of them you make the morning of.  All are clean, and all get your morning off on the right foot!

A Carb, a Protein and a Fruit.  This is probably as basic as breakfast gets.  Some days I eat this as a bacon and egg sandwich with a banana. Some days I eat them separately over the course of the morning as cereal, greek yogurt and an apple.  If you aren't sure where to start for breakfast, try combining 1 carb, 1 serving of protein and 1 cup fruit.  For example, on the 21 Day Fix, 1 egg + 2 pieces of bacon counts as 1 red container, 1 piece of toast is a yellow, and a cup of fruit is a purple.  I find that combining a yellow, red and purple container for breakfast gives me the right amount of calories, fiber and the best nutritional balance to start my day.    

Peanut Butter Toast and Coffee

This is the breakfast I eat 90% of the time.  After a few rounds of the 21 Day Fix, I finally figured out how my metabolism works and what will keep me full until lunch.  First thing in the morning, I have coffee made with coconut milk and Truvia and 1 slice of gluten free bread with 1 tsp nut butter.  Then, about an hour later, once I am ready to face the day, I have a smoothie made with Shakeology and 1 purple container of fruit.  I really like to chew first thing in the morning, so the toast combined with the Shakeology fills my need for chewing, while still giving me a balance of Carbs, Protein and Fruit.  

Baked Oatmeal

I love baked oatmeal because you can make it in advance.  It is good warm or cold, so if you can't even microwave something in the morning, it is still delicious.  For a complete meal, I like to have a smoothie with it, and this one is perfect because it had peanut butter in it.  Everything it better with peanut butter! 

Waffle, Sausage, and Fruit

This is one of my go to breakfasts.  I always have the ingredients in my freezer.  I use frozen fruit that I defrost for a few seconds in the microwave.  It is a great substitute for syrup.  I also top the waffle with 1 tsp peanut butter.  Sometimes I make homemade turkey sausage, sometimes I just buy nitrate free turkey sausage at whole foods.  I prefer the Nature's Path Mixed Berry Buckwheat Frozen Waffles, partly because the are gluten free and mostly because they are delicious.  1 waffle, 2 sausage patties and 1 cup of fruit equals 1 red, 1 yellow, and 1 purple container. 

Protein Oat Cakes

This recipe is fantastic when you want pancakes, but don't want to derail your diet.  Usually I save these for the weekend, but they can also be made in bulk and kept in the freezer for a few days.  My husband puts pure maple syrup on his, but I, of course, put peanut butter on mine.  

Half Bagel and Smoothie

My mom has half a bagel with peanut butter for breakfast almost every day.  It's kind of her version of peanut butter toast.  She hates eggs, and we found some Gluten Free Mighty Bagels (aka gluten free bagels full of seeds and fiber) that she likes, so I feel like this is a clean compromise.  However, she is always hungry about an hour later (probably because she is missing the protien).  Recently, since we've been living under the same roof, she has been drinking a Strawberry Banana Smoothie when she gets hungry and that has been keeping her full until lunch.  

I hope you try some of these ideas.  If you do, I'd love to know what you thought or what your favorite breakfast is.  Enjoy!

Baked Oatmeal

I should eat more oatmeal than I do.  I really like oatmeal, I'm just lazy in the mornings.  I usually just have a piece of toast with nut butter for breakfast with my morning coffee.  These baked oatmeal muffins are great because you can just heat them up before you head out the door in the morning.  The original recipe is here.  I have modified it to suit my tastes and worked out the 21 Day Fix Conversions below.  They also freeze great, so I make a lot at once, and then just defrost a few over night in the fridge. Or, if you have house guests, these would be fantastic as part of a continental breakfast or brunch!

Ingredients:

4 eggs (2 red)
4 cups unsweetened applesauce (4 purple)
2 medium bananas (1 purple)
10 cups*, Old Fashioned rolled oats- I prefer Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Oats
4 1/2 cups** Unsweetened Almond or Coconut milk
4 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal (optional, 2 orange)
1/2 cup raw honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 TBSP baking powder
2 teaspoons salt (do not skip the salt.  trust me.)

Directions:
Mash the bananas with the eggs, vanilla, applesauce, and honey together in a bowl. Once mashed, add the milk.  Stir in the oats, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt into the wet ingredients. Divide the oatmeal mixture among 36 muffin cups (I prefer to use silicone).  You may have to bake the muffins in batches.  Bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven until a toothpick in center comes out clean. Cool and store in an airtight container in the freezer.  Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

*For the purpose of the 21 Day Fix, Oatmeal is measured in a Yellow Container.  However, you should be measuring cooked oatmeal, not raw oatmeal.  Because this recipe uses raw oatmeal, we have to do a little math to find the 21 Day Fix conversion.  So, hear goes:  Oatmeal increases in volume when cooked, so 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal is roughly equal to 1/3 cup raw oatmeal.  So, one yellow container of cooked oatmeal would be 1/3 a cup raw oatmeal.  So, since we need 10 cups raw oatmeal to make a double batch of baked oatmeal, that will equal 30 yellow containers.  Wow.  That is a lot of yellow.  Good thing this serves 36 people. 

**On the 21 Day Fix, 8 ounces of milk counts as 1 yellow container.  Therefor, 4.5 cups of milk count as 4.5 yellow containers.  However, you should use a standard liquid measuring cup to measure the milk instead of the yellow container. 

21 Day Fix Conversion: 1/8 purple, approx. 1 yellow, 1/18 red, 1/18 orange (For the purpose of the meal plan, I wouldn't personally count this in my daily totals, but since there is a trivial amount of protein and seeds, I am giving you the totals).  To make a complete meal, I would drink a Chunky Monkey Shake with it, or at least plan on having a Shakeology snack mid morning.  

Buy the 21 Day Fix

Protein Oat Cakes

Whenever I feel like a need a jolt of balance in my mornings, I make these oat cakes for breakfast.  My husband likes them because they are sort of like pancakes, I like that they are full of fiber and something else I can put chocolate better 'n peanut butter on.  Even better, a serving is 2 oatcakes, which seems like a ton of food when you are used to limiting your carbs.  They also reheat really well, so make a bunch and eat them through out the week!

A few things about the ingredients: 

1.  This recipe calls for egg whites.  You could substitute whole eggs, but I really like using eggs whites in this recipe.  1/3 cup of egg whites is equal to about 2 whole eggs (also known as 1 red 21 Day Fix container), but so technically that would be 6 eggs for this recipe.  I haven't tested that though, so let me know how it goes if you try it.  

2.  Make sure you used rolled oats.  Not instant, not steel cut.  If you aren't gluten free, you can just buy the big can of old fashioned oats.  I am gluten free, so I buy gluten free rolled oats. You do not have to grid the oats as the instructions suggest, but the oat cakes can be a little "rough" on the digestive system, so I highly recommend grinding at least half of them.  Don't let that scare you, just know that I am speaking from personal experience.  I use a coffee grinder for my oats, but any sort of food processor should work.  If you don't grind them, do yourself a favor and avoid any long hikes or road trips without bathroom access.  You've been warned...

You Will Need:
2 cups rolled oats (not instant, not steel cut)
1 cup egg whites
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 TBSP pumpkin pie seasoning- optional
1 dash of vanilla- optional
4 TBSP ground flax meal
2 TBSP raw local honey- optional
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

Directions:
In a coffee grinder or blender, grind 1 cup of the oats, salt and baking powder together until you get something resembling oat flour.  Mix together with the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Spray with cooking spray and spoon two heaping TBSP into the pan for each oat cake.  Cook a few minutes per side until golden brown.  Serve with your favorite pancake toppings.  Makes 8 oatcakes, serves 4.

Chocolate Better 'n Peanut Butter goes on everything!

21 Day Fix Conversion:

1 yellow, 3/4 red, 1/4 orange, 1/8 purple

Buy the 21 Day Fix

Crock Pot Oatmeal

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, but I am not good about waking up early enough to make it before work.  This recipe is a great option to feed a crowd, or just to make in advance on a Sunday night for the rest of the week.  The protein and fiber are a great way to start your day!

You Will Need:
1 1/2 cups Steel Cut Oats.  They have to be steel cut oats or they wont hold up in the crock pot.
8 cups milk- cow, soy or almond.  Alternately, you can substitute apple juice or water for a dairy free version.  I have not tested the recipe with rice or goat milk.
1/4-1/2 cup local (raw, if possible) honey (local honey helps with your allergies!)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp pumpkin pie or apple pie seasoning (whatever you have on hand)
3 servings vanilla protein powder (optional)
Cooking spray
Large Crock Pot

Directions:
Combine the oats, salt, pumpkin pie seasoning and vanilla protein powder in a large bowl.  Stir until combined.  Add the milk, honey, and oat mixture to a large crock pot that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Cook over night, on low, for 9 hours.  Serves 6.

Depending on how thick you like your oatmeal, you may want to add more milk to the individual servings.

Protein Pancakes with blueberry syrup

This morning I woke up with a hankering for pancakes.  Of course, deep down I knew oatmeal would be better, so this is the best of both worlds.  These are really similar to a recipe I have posted before, but I didn't have all those ingredients so I had to make due.  Before we get started, here is the nutritional breakdown (minus the syrup).  I hate when I find a recipe online and make it, only to discover it was terrible for me when I enter it into My Fitness Pal.  

Calories: 336

Carbs: 87

Fat: 10

Protein: 26

Fiber: 14

Sugar :10

I think that is pretty good for a breakfast.  The carbs all come from rolled oats and a banana, so I feel good about them.  Same with the sugar.  I don't eat syrup (I make it for The Hubs), so I didn't calculate those calories, but you should be able to read the back of the bottle to get an idea of how many extra to add.  Okay, on the the ingredients...

You will need:

1 medium ripe banana

1 egg

1 cup rolled oats.  Not instant or quick cooking.  You shouldn't eat those anyway.

1 serving vanilla protein powder (90 calories worth if you are sticking to my calorie count)

1 tsp salt*

dash of vanilla

dash of pumpkin pie seasoning (I put this in everything!)

** Truvia to taste

Syrup of your choice

Frozen berries

Coffee grinder/blender/food processor/magic bullet type device

Cooking spray

Skillet

* a lot of recipes don't tell you to add salt when cooking with oats.  If you have ever wondered why your oatmeal never tastes right and you have attempted to add more sweetener but it still tastes flat- you need salt.  I have tried recipes without the salt, and they never turn out quite right.  1 tsp of salt isn't a lot- and it is a whole lot less sodium than you will get in processed foods.  Just add it, you will thank me.  

** I don't personally add any.  However, if this is your first adventure into these pancakes and you consume a lot of sugar in your diet, you might find these aren't as sweet as you are used to.  Personally, I would skip it, but it wont add calories, so try a packet or two.  You could also just trust me- and add more syrup if they aren't sweet enough.

Instructions:

Mash the banana with the egg.  Add in 1/2 cup of the rolled oats.  In the grinding device of your choice, grind together the remaining 1/2 cups of oats and the salt. You can skip this step, but hang close to a bathroom for about an hour after eating if you don't eat a lot oats in your diet.  Trust me.  

Mix together the banana, egg, all the oats, salt, protein powder, vanilla and pumpkin pie seasoning.  You should have something similar to regular pancake batter- just slightly chunky.  Cook in a skillet over medium heat, a few minutes per side.  You should end up with 4- 6 small pancakes.  

While the pancakes are cooking, fill a coffee mug half way full with frozen fruit.  Add just enough syrup to cover- or less.  Microwave for 30 seconds on high.  Serve over the pancakes.  Enjoy!

Hey!  The plate coordinates.  I didn't even plan that. :)