Quick Mexican "Rice"

Sarahshmara

                                                from Fast Paleo

• Servings : 4
• Prep Time : 0m
• Cook Time : 4m
• Ready In : 0m
• 

Grate cauliflower using shredding attachment on your food processor, or shred by hand with a grater. Saute cauliflower and onion in a generous amount of coconut oil until almost softened, then add garlic and spices (to taste). Cook until fragrant, 2-3 minutes longer. Take of heat, still in cilantro, and serve!

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• chili powder
• cumin
• salt
• coconut oil
• handful of cilantro, chopped

Sweet Potato Falafel

 

serve with a garlicky mayo for extra deliciousness

Hubs recently had to return to his native Canada for business.
As I bid him a teary goodbye, I said: ‘Are you going to have falafel?”
“I dunno,” he said. “Probably.”
And I wept a little inside as I watched him board his plane, thinking of all the falafel he’d have without me.

it’s good as a mash too

The first time Hubs introduced me to his native Toronto was a wonderful trip in many ways. Not least was the time we went to a shwarma place (the city seems to be crawling with them) and I got my first taste of the good stuff.
Since then it’s been a bit of a tradition to get our falafel fix every time we’re in the city.

to mix it up, swop out the coriander for parsley

Determined not to be left out this time, I decided to make a paleo-friendly version in my own kitchen…using sweet potato (which worked out well cos Hubs loathes sweet potatoes).
These are basically fried potato cakes with a little bit of special seasoning to give them that falafel flavour.
Yes, they’re not the real thing, but I think they are good enough to stand alone and be judged on their own merits.
Sweet Potato Falafel (makes 5)

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 spring/green onions, chopped finely
• 1 tbsp fresh coriander/cilantro leaf, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp coconut flour, sieved
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 red chili, de-seeded and finely sliced (keep the seeds if you like your falafel spicy)
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest

1. Place the sweet potato in a pot of water. Cover, bring to a boil and let simmer for 25-30 minutes until soft.
2. Drain the potato, season well and mash vigorously to a smooth mash.
3. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Scoop a generous tbsp of the mash and form into a patty shape. Place in the frying pan and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until brown. Repeat until the mash is used up.

Cucumber Noodles with Coconut Lime Cumin Dressing

by Susan on October 18, 2013

It’s 51 degrees with a chance of snow showers in Minneapolis as I sit looking out at pure blue sky. It is 83 degrees where I am at. In my mind, a perfect summer day. But it is fall, and I am once again missing the fall I am used to.
I still haven’t gotten used to the fact that September and October are some of the hottest months in the bay area. I know, I am a wee bit strange. I love winter. On the other hand, it cools off beautifully here at night. Tonight’s forecasted low is 47 degrees. One could call that perfect weather! And I love waking up to the crisp fall air. So, I think I will just count my blessings!
Weather and the seasons have a huge influence on what we feel like eating and cucumber salads are traditionally summer fare. But this cucumber salad has a little something-something going on that makes it perfect for your table any time of year. The ingredients are easy to find at all times and simple to throw together. The dressing is creamy yet refreshing and has a little pop of heat that makes it satisfying even on a cold day. 

Cucumber “noodles” are super simple to make with one of my favorite pieces of kitchen equipment, the Benriner Japanese Mandoline Slicer. I have talked about this mandoline before. I love it. It is inexpensive and does an extremely good job. I have also pointed out that many of the top kitchens I have photographed in use this mandoline. 

The mandoline comes with extra blades like the one above. It inserts quickly and lets you make noodles out of just about any veggie suited to the task. I rarely use the spiralizer anymore simply because this tool is so versatile and I get excellent results with it. 

To make the cucumber noodles, you will start by peeling and cutting the cucumber in half (in the middle). Then carefully slice the cucumber over the blade just until you get to the seeds. Stop and do the other side. Then finish with the two sides that haven’t been done yet. Treat the cucumber like it is square and you are slicing all 4 sides down to the seeds. Set the core aside as you will be adding it to the dressing. 

Place the “noodles” in a strainer over a bowl and let them drain while you are making the dressing. 

Cucumber Noodles with Coconut Cumin Lime Dressing

serves 4

• 4 medium to large cucumbers
• 1/2 cup cashews, soaked until soft, rinsed and drained
• 1 young Thai coconut, flesh from (about 1 cup and save the water)
• 4 limes, juice and zest from
• 1/4 cup coconut water (from above coconut)
• 1 teaspoon raw chili garlic sauce
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
• 4 scallions (green onions) thinly sliced
• Himalayan salt (I use 4 grinds or 1/4 teaspoon)

1. Slice cucumbers into noodles (see instructions above). Set two of the cores aside to add to the dressing. See pictures above for directions.  Set noodles in strainer to let excess water drain.

2. Place two cucumber cores, cashews, coconut, lime juice (not zest), coconut water, chili garlic sauce and cumin into a high speed blender and blend until smooth. 

3. Stir in zest, black sesame seeds and onions. Pour over noodles and mix well. 

Root Veggie Cakes

 

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 16-20 cakes

These are like root vegetable latkes, with some sweetness from the parsnips and carrots, a little kick from the horseradish and some earthiness from the beets. We love topping these with a dollop of prepared horseradish mixed with some homemade mayo for an extra kick!

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup almond, coconut or sweet potato flour
• 3 medium scallions, sliced thinly on the bias
• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 2 cups shredded parsnips
• 1 cup shredded beets
• Oil or cooking fat of choice, for sautéing

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
2. Mix together the eggs, flour, scallions, horseradish, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the vegetables and combine well.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Fill a measuring cup (1/4 cup or 1/3 cup is suggested) to the top with the root vegetable mixture and invert on the skillet, forming a flat patty (use a spatula to press down and flatten). Repeat until there are 4 or 5 patties in the skillet. Brown for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until slightly crispy. Remove the patties to a sheet pan and place them in the oven to keep warm. Repeat the procedure, adding more oil with each batch, until all root vegetable mixture is used.
5. Serve hot from the oven.

Notes

NOTE: Be sure to read the label on your horseradish, as not all brands are created equal and many contain soybean oil.

EQUIPMENT NOTE: This is one of those recipes where a shred blade on a food processor makes your life infinitely easier. While, sure, you could hand shred the vegetables, it literally takes less than 5 minutes to shred them with your food processor!

 

 

BAKED JICAMA FRIES

http://www.nummyformytummy.com/search?q=baked+jicama+fries

Completely over sweet potato fries right now, I miss good old white potato fries. Nothing’s stopping me from hopping I the car and heading over to the nearest burger joint and ordering myself a large fry and shake.  There is that minor detail that it would make me feel disgusting minutes after inhaling, so I guess I’ll pass. 

My craving for something salty had me scouring the kitchen.  Then I saw it,  a lonely jicama off in the corner.  It was time to make some magic happen!

As you’ll see, I don’t really measure when it comes to this recipe. You might have a huge jicama and not like lots of salt, so measurements are all based on taste.  One of my favorite things about these tasty gals is that they can be eaten cold and re-heat beautifully.  
       Jicama

• Unrefined coconut oil
• Old Bay Seasoning (to taste)
• Sea Salt (to taste)

1. Pre-heat oven to 400F and line baking sheet with foil
2. Slice jicama into preferred shape (I used my handy dandy fry slicer)
3. Rinse the jicama and gently pat dry (they can remain damp…no biggy) and place into medium-large glass bowl
4. Evenly cover the jicama with the melted oil
5. Dump the jicama onto the sheet and spread out
6. Sprinkle with seasonings
7. Place sheet into oven
8. Bake for approx. 40 min (or until it reaches your desired texture) moving around occasionally so they brown evenly

Roasted Cinnamon Butternut Squash

    

http://www.paleo-project.com/paleo-recipes/side-dishes/butternut-squash-roasted-in-coconut-oil/#.Ul8AU2znbMM

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash
1 1/2 cups of melted coconut oil
2 tbs cinnamon

Directions:

Peel butternut squash, scoop out insides and cut into 1×1 inch cubes.

In a large bowl, pour melted coconut oil onto cubes, covering each piece.

Lay squash cubes on a tinfoil-lined baking sheet in a single layer and sprinkle your cinnamon all over.

Bake at 350 degrees F until browned, about 30 minutes.

Sweet Potato Cinni-Mash

July 18, 2012 By Whole Family Strong Leave a Comment

When I think of Thanksgiving I think of the food. I think of family too, but right behind family is the food. I can smell the cinnamon and nutmeg in the air. I can smell the pies being baked and I am at the Thanksgiving table once again. Yesterday was a day of thanks for us, not Thanksgiving, but a day of thanks and this dish fit right in.

Imagine sweet potato pie in a bowl. Ooooh yeah! My kids do not normally like mashed sweet potatoes or baked sweet potatoes but they liked this. We didn’t have to urge them to eat it at all, they devoured it gladly and raved about it. You’re going to want to try this side dish the next time you want a little Thanksgiving at your table.

Here’s what you need: 

4 large sweet potaoes
6 tbsp coconut cream (The cream is the top thick part of canned coconut milk.)
2 tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup chopped pecans

Here’s what you do: 

1. Cut sweet potatoes into small cubes. (I keep the skin on, but go with what your family likes)

2. Boil, or microwave the cubes in a covered container with a tiny bit of water, until soft.

3. Drain and mash sweet potatoes until almost smooth.

4. Add in coconut cream, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir well.

5. Toss in pecans and lightly stir.

Makes about 6 cups.

Cucumber Salsa

 

http://paleoporn.net/cucumber-salsa/

Ingredients

• 2 cups persian cucumbers, finely diced
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and coarse ground black pepper, to taste

Directions Makes 6-8 servings

1. Mix the cucumber, red onion, cilantro and mint in a medium size bowl.
2. Stir in the lime juice and olive oil.
3. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
4. Add more lime juice if desired.
5. Serve as a topping for bison burgers, seared tuna or eat it right out of the bowl.
6. Enjoy! :)

Guacamole Salad

 

on April 1, 2012 in Salads 18 Comments 3

from:  http://www.health-bent.com/salads/paleo-guacamole-salad

 

I made this to go alongside a pork butt Brandon smoked this weekend. I figured why not chop up some standard guac ingredients, toss in some refresher veggies like cukes and voila, I’ve made a chewable guacamole, though that title doesn’t sound quite as appetizing as guacamole salad, to me anyway. When we sat down to eat, I kept hovering over Brandon, eyeballing how many forkfuls of salad he was putting into his mouth. I said, more than once (read: nagged), “Heyyyy babeeeee, make sure to leave some so I can have it for leftovers. *Smile*”  I was kind of obsessed with this.

Ingredients

• 2 avocados, diced
• 1 English cucumber, diced
• 4 large-ish tomatillos, diced
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• handful cilantro, chopped
• 2 limes, juiced
• salt

Method

The only thing I really need to explain (probably) is how to deal with tomatillos, so here goes…
Remove the green husks. You’ll feel that the tomatillo is slightly sticky to the touch. Rinse those suckers under some warm water, then chop ‘em up like the rest of the ingredients.
In a large bowl, add all ingredients together. Consume.

Roasted Mixed Greens with Beets and Garlic

 from: http://everydaypaleo.com/too-easy-chicken-adobo-and-roasted-greens-with-beets-and-garlic/

This is more of an idea than an actual recipe. I used what veggies that I had leftover from my CSA box and made this dish to go with our easy chicken adobo.

2 bunches of kale

1 bunch of rainbow chard

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

4 small beets, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced.

Coconut oil

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Wash and dry the greens and remove the leaves from the tough stems.

4. Chop the greens into small pieces and spread them evenly on a baking sheet.

5. Evenly spread the sliced garlic on top of the greens.

5. Evenly spread the sliced beets on top of the greens.

6. Drizzle with plenty of melted coconut oil.

7. Season with a little bit of salt and pepper.

Roast in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes or until the beets and garlic are tender.

As always, enjoy!!

Mashed Cauliflower AKA Fauxtatoes

It is yummy but it helps me to like it more when I don't think it as a substitute for mashed potatoes.  It dos not have a dense enough texture for that.  But it is yummy in its own right!

 

I added ghee, s and p to taste.

 

 

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflower, core removed and cut into evenly sized florets
• ¼ cup Ghee
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

(mine was not as white as the photo due to my salt.)

 

Read more: http://www.everydaymaven.com/2013/creamy-mashed-cauliflower-with-ghee-paleo/#ixzz2hsCoqMju

Minty Green Beans in Lemon Butter

Minty Green Beans in Lemon Butter

from:  http://honestcooking.com/minty-green-beans-in-lemon-butter/

 

Print

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

15 mins

 Upgrade a basic side salad of green beans with warm, lemony butter and bright mint leaves.

Author: Jessica Dang

Recipe Type: Side

Ingredients

• 1 package of green beans, cleaned
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• ¼ of a fresh lemon
• Very good butter
• A handful of fresh mint leaves

Instructions

1. In a small pot, cook the green beans in salted boiling water, with a bit of olive oil, for about 5 minutes or until tender but still bright green. Drain.
2. Add a knob of butter to the pan and turn the heat on medium. Squeeze the lemon juice into the pan. Swirl it around and stir with a spoon until melted.
3. Throw the green beans back in and saute for about 8 minutes or so. Turn off the heat, coarsely tear the fresh mint leaves into the pan, season with salt and pepper. Shake everything around in the pan so that the residual heat infuses all of the flavors.

Cajun Sweet Potato Fries

adapted from: http://www.primalpalate.com/recipe/cajun-sweet-potato-fries/
prep time  15 minutes

cook time 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 whole Sweet Potato, cut into spears
• 1 Tbsp  Coconut Oil, Organic, melted
• 1 tsp  Black Pepper
• 1 tsp  Salt
• 1 tsp  Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp  Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Process

Note, these instructions are written assuming the standard serving size, since you have modified the number of servings, these steps may need to be modified for best results

1. Preheat oven to bake at 400°F.
2. Rinse sweet potato under cold water.
3. Pat dry, then cut into small spears.
4. Combine Cajun spices in a small bowl.
5. Drizzle sweet potato spears with melted coconut oil to lightly coat.
6. Dust spears with the spice mix, then place on a large baking sheet.
7. Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes.

Cheezey Spaghetti (Vegan!)

from: http://www.tgipaleo.com/2013/09/12/cheezey-spaghetti-vegan/

 

(Will try at some point, as I am not following Whole30 as closely.  It has more nuts than recommended.  And I don't know where nutritional yeast is on the no-no list but I like it!

Prep time:  20 mins

Cook time:  40 mins

Total time:  1 hour

Serves: 4

 

Ingredients

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 1 c + 2 T raw cashews
• ¾ c vegetable broth
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 T apple cider vinegar
• ¾ c nutritional yeast
• 1½ T Dijon mustard
• ½ t onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Bake the spaghetti squash at 400 degrees for 1 hour. Split in half and scoop out the flesh with a fork into a large bowl and discard the seeds.
2. Place the cashews in a food processor and pulse until fine.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse to combine.
4. Scrape down the sides and continue to pulse until the sauce is gooey and smooth.
5. Add the sauce to the spaghetti squash and toss to coat.
6. Transfer to a baking dish and bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until heated through. This dish can be made ahead without baking and baked just before serving.

Spaghetti Squash Sesame Noodles

3 cups baked Spaghetti Squash (about 1/2 large squash)

2 tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil

2 tablespoons Tamari Sauce (use coconut aminos)

1 tablespoon vinegar (ACV)

pinch of ground Ginger

pinch of Garlic Powder

2 tablespoons toasted Sesame Seeds

1/4 cup diced Green Onions

1/4 cup cooked & shelled Edamame (use green onions or sugar snap peas)

handful of fresh chopped Cilantro leaves + some for garnish