The Paleo Pact

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Mediterranean Gnocchi

Sometimes it’s nice to indulge in a pasta-like meal, and thanks to Cappello’s, it’s now easy for the Paleo Community to do just that.

Cappello’s is a Colorado-based company that specializes in grain-free products. They make delicious Paleo pasta, pizza and cookies and their products are now readily available in most health stores (in the freezer section), as well as in bulk online.

Occasionally I’ll have a craving for a simple Mediterranean meal – the kind I used to indulge in regularly before I began following a Paleo lifestyle – and this recipe always proves to cure my nostalgia…

INGREDIENTS

1 pack Cappello’s Gnocchi
1 flat teaspoon coconut oil
1 tomato, chopped
1 sprig green onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil

RECIPE

In a small pot, bring water to the boil.
Add 1/2 pack Cappello’s Gnocchi and boil for about 5 minutes (or until the gnocchi floats to the surface), stirring often.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the coconut oil over medium heat.
Add the tomato, onion and garlic to the saucepan and cook over low heat until the gnocchi is ready to serve.
Drain and plate the gnocchi, then top with the tomato-onion-garlic mix and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

Enjoy while piping hot!

Camilla Carboni

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Pesto Simmered Portobellos and Tomatoes

This recipe is a simple yet delicious side dish. For those of you that have completed the Paleo Cleanse, you’ll also notice that it is similar to our Grilled Portobello Pesto dish. While I often serve this as a side dish it’s also a great option if you don’t feel like meat or have to serve someone who does not eat meat.

INGREDIENTS

Salt (optional)
1 cup of basil leaves
1 clove of garlic
1/8 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 Portobello mushrooms
2 tomatoes

RECIPE

In a food processor place salt, basil, garlic & pine nuts.
Process mixture while streaming in 1/3 cup of olive oil.
Clean gills out of Portobello mushrooms, wash and slice mushrooms into strips.
Wash and cut tomatoes into slices.
In a frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.
Place mushrooms and tomatoes in frying pan and cook, flipping occasionally.
After 5 minutes add pesto mixture to mushrooms and tomatoes.
Continue to cook for about 5 more minutes or until mushrooms and tomatoes have reached your desired tenderness.
Remove from heat and serve.

This recipe is simple to make but it tastes gourmet. As a fun side note, you can make extra of the pesto and store if for other recipes that you’re planning to make in the coming week.

Enjoy!

Melissa Van Dover

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Salmon Pate

Pate has always been a favorite of mine to serve at dinner parties. It’s an easy to make, but gourmet-looking-and-tasting treat, that pairs well with dipping vegetables.

Inspired by my Mum’s Tuna Pate recipe, I decided to try a salmon version that incorporates Cucumber Dressing for a fresh and light flavor.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup Cucumber Dressing
1/4 cup cooked salmon
Freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 a lime
Salt and Pepper (optional)

RECIPE

Place the Cucumber Dressing, salmon and lime juice in a food processor and pulse until well combined.
Add salt and pepper to taste and then serve chilled.

The recipe makes an individual serving.

Bonus: This pate recipe also makes a great topping for a salad or atop a slice of Paleo Rosemary Bread.

Camilla Carboni

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Lemon Butter Chicken Roast

Roast chicken is always a great dish to serve when entertaining, or even to make to portion off and have delicious pre-cooked protein available throughout the week.

This Lemon Butter Chicken Roast recipe is easy to make and comes hot out of the oven with tenderness and favor.

INGREDIENTS

1 whole baby chicken (about 3 lbs), fresh or defrosted
4 tablespoons grass-fed butter (2 x 2 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons garlic, fresh chopped or powder granules (2 x 1 teaspoon)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (2 x 1 tablespoon)

RECIPE

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Place the chicken upside down in the center of a large oven dish and separate the legs.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and pour it into a small bowl.
Mix into the butter 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of garlic.
Reach under the skin and coat the chicken with a generous amount of the lemon butter mixture on all sides. Pour the remainder of the mixture over the chicken and set in the oven for 25 minutes.
After 25 minutes, repeat the above – mix the other 2 tablespoons of melted butter with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon garlic and coat the chicken.
Turn the oven temperature down to 325 degrees F and place the chicken back in the oven to roast for about another 45 minutes to an hour.
Once the chicken is well cooked (the interior temperature on a thermometer reaches 165 degrees F), remove the bird from the oven and allow it to sit for at least 10 minutes.
Drizzle the natural juices from the oven dish over the chicken pieces for extra lemon butter flavor and to add moisture before slicing and serving.

Note: While this recipe does not call for the removal of the neck and giblets, as these parts of the chicken are excellent sources of protein, they can certainly be removed, or kept separate and cooked later on the stove top if preferred. To learn more about Nose To Tail eating, click here.

Camilla Carboni

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Coconut Yogurt Made Simple

I’ve tried several different methods for making coconut yogurt. My biggest issue with all of them were that they were extremely involved and time consuming. I decided I needed to find an easy way to make coconut yogurt with as limited involvement as possible, because let’s face it we try to keep recipes as simple as possible on this blog.

Don’t worry though, in this case simple is exactly what you need to make fantastic coconut yogurt.

INGREDIENTS

1 can of coconut milk (the fuller fat the better)
2 probiotic tablets (mine were rated at 10 billion), you’ll need to break these open as you’ll just be using the powder and be discarding the casings.
3 teaspoons of honey
1 teaspoon of gelatin
*you’ll also need 1 mason jar.

RECIPE

Turn your oven light on, just the light you do not need to turn on the oven. The heat from the light will be enough to incubate the yogurt and give it the sour taste that you like.
Open the can of coconut milk and scoop out the thick coconut cream that has formed at the top of the can and place in a clean mason jar.
After you have scooped out the thick coconut cream, add roughly 5 tablespoons of the remaining liquid to the mason jar with the cream. (The remaining liquid can be saved and added to smoothies!)
Add the probiotic powder, honey and gelatin the mason jar and stir to combine.
Stick in the over with the oven light on for 24 hours (do not cover).
After 24 hours remove from the oven.
You’ll notice that the yogurt has separated, a milky color liquid on the top and a clear liquid on the bottom
For a thicker yogurt, spoon the milky top layer and half the clear liquid into a blender, blend and enjoy!
For a thinner yogurt, place all liquid into a blender, blend and enjoy!

As a note, if you plan to refrigerate the yogurt and not consume it right away it is best to prepare the thinner yogurt. The yogurt will become thicker the longer it is in the fridge. While there are several steps for this recipe it is well worth your time, you’ll become addicted to this recipe quickly!

Enjoy!

Melissa Van Dover

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s Pie was always a favorite of mine growing up.

I have fond memories of devouring spoonfuls with my Grandmother, followed by a lazy evening watching old comedies or attempting to complete crossword puzzles. We were like two little old ladies! It was fabulous.

Years later, I have finally recreated my Gran’s wonderful recipe and made it Paleo, substituting the white potatoes with sweet potatoes, and the peas with broccoli florets.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do…

INGREDIENTS

2 large sweet potatoes or yams
1 teaspoon coconut oil or beef tallow
1 pound grass-fed, ground beef
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup grass-fed butter
Salt for seasoning
1/2 cup broccoli, chopped into pea-size florets

RECIPE

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Peel and slice the sweet potatoes and put them on to boil or steam.
In a large saucepan, melt the coconut oil over medium heat.
Add the ground beef to the saucepan and cook until evenly browned.
Sprinkle the meat with the oregano and onion powder, then add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and stir.
Drain the sweet potatoes after about 20 minutes, or once fully cooked and soft.
In a medium mixing bowl, mash the sweet potatoes with the butter and add salt to taste.
Then, in an 8 x 10-inch oven-safe dish, pour the meat mixture evenly across the bottom and then top with the raw broccoli florets.
Layer the sweet potato mash on top of the broccoli.
Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, serve and enjoy it while it’s hot!

Camilla Carboni

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Paleo Smoked Salmon & Bacon Salad

I feel like I have a lot of favorites when I share recipes with all of you, I think it’s because I only like to share the recipes that I know are great and that I thoroughly enjoy. So here we are again with another favorite, however this is a little different because this is hands down my favorite salad recipe.

I came up with it on accident, essentially I had limited ingredients in my fridge and I was having a craving for bacon (who doesn’t right?). Now, I eat this salad regularly because it’s simple to make and it’s filling, which is particularly good for getting me through my afternoon workouts.

You may even notice that I’ve created a wrap based on it in the post Paleo Smoked Salmon wrap, clearly I can’t get enough.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of kale and shredded brussel sprouts
3 strips of bacon, diced
3 – 4 ounces of smoked salmon
1/2 avocado, sliced
balsamic vinegar (I like to use a dressing that’s slightly thicker)

RECIPE

Place kale and brussel sprouts mixture on plate.
Cover mixture with bacon, smoked salmon, avocado slices.
Dress with desired amount of balsamic vinegar (or dressing of your choice).
That’s it! It’s simple but that’s part of why it’s so perfect. This salad will speak for itself.

Enjoy!

Melissa Van Dover

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Candied Walnuts

Even if you’re perfectly Paleo you no doubt occasionally have candy cravings. That’s normal! The trick is not to throw in the towel and cheat too badly, but to get creative with naturally sweetened snacks.

Dates are always a good choice to help cure sugar cravings, and so are raisins, but for those times when something a little more candy-like is needed, you can always whip up some Candied Walnuts…

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons honey or raw agave nectar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

RECIPE

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
In a small bowl, mix together the honey/agave, cinnamon and vanilla extract to form the candy dip.
Line a baking tray with foil or parchment paper.
Dip each walnut piece into the candy dip, making sure you cover the entire nut, and then place each nut about 1/4 inch apart from one another on the baking tray.
Continue until all the nuts are dipped and placed on the tray.
Place the tray in the oven and bake for 5 minutes.
Remove the tray from the oven and set aside to cool for about an hour, or until the candy dip has hardened on the nuts (to expedite this cooling process, place the nuts in an air-tight container and refrigerator).

Enjoy this sweet but healthy alternative to candy!

Camilla Carboni

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Valentines Peaches

With Valentine’s Day coming up you might be searching for a sweet treat for your someone special. Don’t worry, we have a simple recipe that anyone can make. This pairs perfectly with coconut yogurt, sorbet or coconut yogurt, which you can make yourself or purchase from your local health food store.

INGREDIENTS

1 peach (a ripe peach is preferable)
1 tablespoon honey
coconut yogurt, sorbet or coconut yogurt (if you’d like)

RECIPE

Wash peach and cut into cubes.
Place peach cubes in a microwave safe bowl and drizzle with honey.
Microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, stir. (or until your peaches are rather warm)
Serve with your choice of yogurt, sorbet or coconut yogurt.

It’s that simple. Impress your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day with a homemade treat.

Enjoy!

Melissa Van Dover

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!