The Paleo Pact

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Ginger Pomegranate Spritzer

Living in Colorado we’re used to drinking a ton of water but sometimes water can get a little boring. To spice things up we got a little creative with our fruit and citrus juice. The best part about this recipe is that you can substitute any ingredient you like to fit your taste buds or make new and creative taste combinations.

INGREDIENTS

2 oranges, juiced
1 large lemon, juiced
1/2 inch ginger root, peeled and grated
3 ounces pomegranate juice
1 liter of San Pellegrino (or your sparkling or non-sparkling water of choice)

RECIPE

In a cup, preferably with a spout (like a measuring cup), combine orange juice, lemon juice, grated ginger and pomegranate.
Pour into ice-cube tray and freeze.

Place 3-4 cubes in a cup and fill with San Pellegrino.

Enjoy!

Melissa Van Dover

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

All-Purpose Paleo Bread

Bread can be one of those recipes that can intimidate even the most advanced baker. Thankfully, you have nothing to fear with this recipe and you certainly don’t need to be an advanced baker to serve up this amazing bread.

But what exactly is an “all-purpose” bread you ask? Well, our all-purpose paleo bread can be utilized for almost all your paleo “bread” needs. This means that this recipe can be used to make bread for sandwiches, biscuits or just regular toast for breakfast! So, let’s jump in and get our bread baking.

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces + 1-2 tablespoons coconut milk
1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 cups “Paleo” flour (we buy ours at Natural Grocers but if you need to make your own, mix equal parts coconut flour, almond flour and tapioca flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons gelatin
7 tablespoons red palm shortening

RECIPE

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
Place 1 tablespoon of palm shortening on a paper towel and coat the inside of a bread pan. Place bread pan to the side.
In a small bowl mix together 8 ounces of coconut milk and 1/2 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Place bowl to the side.
In a large bowl mix together paleo flour, baking soda, salt and gelatin.
Add 6 tablespoons of palm shortening to dry mixture. Using a fork “cut” the shortening into the dry mixture, you do this by using the fork to push the shortening into the flour. Continue to do this until you the mixture looks like wet sand.

Add coconut milk, apple cider vinegar mixture to your large bowl. Knead your mixture until you are able to form a ball of dough that doesn’t crumble apart. You may need to add 1-2 tablespoons of additional coconut milk to achieve this.

Place dough in your bread pan and cook for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown.

Let cool and then enjoy all your hard work!

Happy Baking!

Melissa Van Dover

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Bullet Proof Tea

The popularity of bullet proof tea and coffee has been on the rise lately and we thought it would be a great recipe to share with you all. The basis behind this magical drink is that the coconut oil and caffeine in the drink increases your energy and cognitive functions without the crash of a normal cup of coffee or tea. Essentially, it will get you up and running and keep you going with out the normal afternoon slump.

While the coffee version is great, we prefer our tea. We’ve tried several different versions but we like taking a slight twist on Tim Ferris’s preferred mixology.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons green tea
2 tablespoons pu-erh tea
1 tablespoon turmeric, ginger herbal tea
1 tablespoon yerba mate
1-2 tablespoons coconut milk
1 tablespoon coconut or mct oil

RECIPE

In a tea brewer or strainer mix together green, pu-erh, herbal and yerba mate tea.

Fill with 8 – 12 ounces of hot water and let brew 2 minutes.
Strain tea and mix in coconut milk and oil.
Enjoy hot.

This tea is simple to make and we’d love to hear your take on it’s effectiveness. Fire off in the comments below!

Good Morning!

Melissa Van Dover

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Our Top 5 Valentine’s Day Treats

It’s Valentine’s day, which means it’s time to treat your special someone to something special. Here are our top 5 valentine’s day treats that are perfectly paleo and easy to whip together if you’re in a last minute time crunch.

Our Top 5 Valentine’s Day Treats

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Melissa Van Dover

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Quick And Fantastic Paleo Cookies

It’s that time of year again…the holidays! In celebration we decided to open up our Quick & Fantastic Paleo Cookies cookbook and start baking. It smells delicious here and we hope you’ll join us in baking some fabulous cookies.

You can grab your copy of our Quick & Fantastic Paleo Cookies cookbook on Amazon. The best part you ask? It’s free!

Happy Baking!

Now it’s time to dig out our coconut milk and enjoy these wonderful beauties. We’d love to see what you baked up this holiday season. Share your pictures and stories with us on Twitter @ThePaleoPact or Facebook. We look forward to hearing from you.

Happy Holidays!

Melissa Van Dover

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Barbecue Braised Short Ribs

There is something about barbecue that I just can’t get enough of. Thankfully, paleo and barbecue tend to go well together. If you’re looking to try your hand at an easy, paleo barbecue dish this one is for you. Find your wet wipes and bring your appetite, it’s time for some barbecue braised short ribs.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound beef short ribs, bone-in
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 serving simple taco seasoning
1 serving paleo barbecue sauce

RECIPE

Cover short ribs with simple taco seasoning and pat to ensure seasoning sticks to ribs.
Heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil on medium-high heat. (when you add a pinch of the taco seasoning it should start to sizzle)
Sear short ribs, rotating sides until they are golden brown.

Reduce heat to medium-low and cover with barbecue sauce.
Cover pan and let cook for roughly 20 minutes.

Stir occasionally and baste ribs with sauce in pan.
After 20 minutes, or when meat has pulled away from the bone; remove from heat and serve.

These ribs are delicious and so easy to make. I hope you enjoy your barbecue dinner and remember, when in doubt…always make extra!

Happy Eating!

Melissa Van Dover

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Paleo Barbecue Sauce

Barbecue sauce was one of those things that scared me when I first started my paleo journey. I had no idea where to start when it came to trying to make paleo barbecue sauce. Mainly because I hadn’t needed to make barbecue sauce from scratch before. Thankfully, it wasn’t as scary as it seemed and the recipe to make paleo barbecue sauce was simple.

Here’s to eating some delicious barbecue in your near future!

INGREDIENTS

12 ounce can tomato paste (the only ingredient should be tomatoes)
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup agave (can substitute honey if desired)
1.5 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon garlic flakes
1 teaspoon onion flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt

RECIPE

Combine everything throughly in a bowl.

Yes. That’s really all there is to it. You can use this as a side sauce or use it to marinate your meat before cooking. Another great thing about this recipe is that it is a good base recipe, try adding grated orange rind or red pepper flakes to change things up.

Enjoy!

Melissa Van Dover

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Date And Apricot Glazed Orange Chicken

This is the perfect dish to keep you warm as we head into the fall and winter months. It’s sweet and delicious but surprisingly filling. It also won’t take you longer than 15 minutes to make which means it is the perfect go to dish when you’re in a hurry. Not to mention that dried dates and apricots store well, so you can always keep them handy and keep this as a backup meal option.

One pot, 15 minutes to cook and nutritious…what’s not to love?

INGREDIENTS

1 chicken breast (6 – 8 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1/8 cup dried dates, sliced
1/8 cup dried apricots, sliced
1/2 cup water
1 orange, juiced

RECIPE

In a frying pan, heat coconut oil on medium heat.
Season chicken breast with salt, place in frying pan.
Add 1/2 of the orange juice to pan, cover and cook for roughly 4 – 5 minutes. (reduce heat slightly if juice is cooking off too fast)
Reduce heat to low.
Flip chicken and add remaining orange juice, dates, apricots and water. Cover and cook for 4 – 5 minutes.
After ensuring chicken is cooked through, remove and place on serving dish.
Increase heat to medium and continue to cook juice, dates and apricots (uncovered) until mixture reduces down. You’ll know the mixture is done when you still have liquid with the dates and apricots but the liquid is thick like honey. (You do not want to cook all the liquid off, this should just take a minute or two.)
Remove from heat and drizzle mixture over chicken.
You’re ready to eat.

I hope this dish keeps you happy and warm as we head into winter. If you’re watching your carbs or are craving a particular level of sweetness feel free to adjust the amount of dates and apricots added.

Happy Fall!

Melissa Van Dover

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Mediterranean Dinner Menu

I’ve been on a Mediterranean kick lately when it comes to my meal choices. Thankfully we have several paleo-Mediterranean recipes on the blog. To show case these fantastic meal options we’ve put together a menu of delicious recipes.

This menu is perfect for a dinner party or even a themed dinner for the family.

Mediterranean Dinner Menu

5 Minute Olive Tapenade– A great start to a fantastic meal.
Mediterranean Gnocchi– A great starter or main course.
Paleo Tzatziki Sauce– The perfect sauce to dress your gyros.
Paleo Garlic Naan– This may have been created from Indian inspiration but it’s the perfect wrap for your gyros.
Beef Gyros, Lamb Gyros & Chicken Gyros– It’s your choice but let us warn you…all options are delicious!
Date Orange Loaf– Of course we can’t end without something sweet.

We hope you enjoy this menu as much as we enjoyed preparing it for you.

Happy Dining!

Melissa Van Dover

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!