The Paleo Pact

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The Paleo Guide To Making It Through The Holidays

Every holiday season we like to cover this topic particularly because being paleo during the holidays can be difficult. There are all kinds of non-paleo goodness about and if that wasn’t enough you have to deal with the stress that comes along with the holiday season.

So to help you out we’ve compiled our best tips to help guide you thoroughly this holiday season. Here’s what we recommend.

Prepare ahead of time- The more you can prepare in advance the better. Try cooking and freezing your meals for the week or make sure you’re loaded up on healthy snacks. If you know you’re going to a party, think about bringing a Paleo side dish or appetizer, that way you know there will at least be one option for you there.

Cheat days- Sometimes you’re going to have non-paleo friendly meals. It’s human and that’s ok. To help minimize how often you cheat during the holiday season try to plan your cheat days ahead of time and limit them when possible.

A special treat- The food is often a staple of many holiday celebrations, think about making yourself a special paleo treat to substitute into your celebration this year.

Stay hydrated- We’re so busy some days that we forget to drink water. Often times when you’re thirsty your brain will get mixed signals and think it’s hungry, staying hydrated will help to prevent these mixed signals.

Simplify– The easier you make things for yourself the more likely you’ll succeed at it. Don’t get crazy with your meals during the holidays. Keeping it simple like a piece of protein and a side of steamed veggies will keep you from wasting time or getting off track.

Don’t stress out- Stress for most people is the number one factor for eating poorly. Try to keep from stressing out, maybe take a walk or a few deep breaths when you feel the pressure.

Restart- Sometimes no matter what you do you get off track. If you get off track, acknowledge that it happened and try to figure out what caused it. Then get back on track(restart), PALEO Cleanse is a great tool to help you get back on track after the holiday ride.

Follow these tips and you’ll keep yourself on track this holiday season.

Happy Holidays!

Melissa Van Dover

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Loco Moco

The Loco Moco is a Hawaiian breakfast dish, enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. The traditional dish is thought to have originated on the Big Island in 1949 and consists of a bed of white rice, topped by a hamburger patty, which is then topped with an egg and served with a generous amount of brown gravy.

In this Paleo-friendly version, Cauliflower Mash replaces the white rice and a coconut milk-coconut amino sauce provides a healthy alternative to gravy.

INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon coconut oil
1/4 pound breakfast sausage (I like the pasture-raised sausage meat from Corner Post Meats)
1 large free range egg
+ Pre-made Cauliflower Mash, re-heated

RECIPE

In a small sauté pan, melt 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil over medium heat.
Place the sausage patty in the pan and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until your desired preparation is reached.
Meanwhile, in another small sauté pan, melt the other 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil over medium heat and cook the egg, sunny side up.
Once the sausage and egg are ready, scoop a bed of Cauliflower Mash onto a plate, then place the patty on the mash and the egg on top of the patty.
In a small bowl, mix the coconut milk with the coconut aminos to form the “gravy”.
Pour the “gravy” over the egg and serve while warm.

As the Hawaiian’s say, ʻohoiho (enjoy)!

Camilla Carboni

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Egg-Free, Paleo Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie is my favorite pie; in fact it’s basically my whole family’s favorite pie. When I set out to make an egg-free, paleo pumpkin pie I went through a few rounds of pies before I finally got it perfect. On my finally pie, the one where I knew I’d figured it out, I ate a slice before I went to bed convinced that it would be there for breakfast when I woke up.

It wasn’t. The culprit? My brother! I was not happy…he ate the whole pie while I was sleeping! Thankfully it was easy enough to whip up another one.

Here is a quick and easy recipe for egg-free, paleo pumpkin pie.

INGREDIENTS

15 ounce can of pumpkin puree
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons coconut sugar
3/4 cup coconut milk (remove the cream from the can first adding it to a measuring cup then add remaining liquid until you have 3/4 cups needed for the recipe)
1 1/2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoon tapioca flour
gelatin egg (1 tablespoon gelatin, 1/8 cup hot water)
1 pie crust (our coconut pie crust goes great with this)

RECIPE

In a food processor combine everything except the gelatin egg and pie crust.
Pour mixture in a saucepan and heat over low heat for 10 minutes. (you can expect to see an occasional bubble and steam but you do not want a stream of bubbles)
In a small bowl whisk together gelatin and hot water. (add gelatin to water quickly while whisking)
Add pumpkin mixture and gelatin egg to food processor, process until combined.
Pour mixture into pie crust and place into fridge.
Let set for 2 hours.
Serve when ready.

This pie is simple to make and after your first time or two you won’t even need to think about it. Not to mention that when I make this I only usually need to pick up pumpkin as I have everything else in my house, you probably have most of the ingredients too.

Enjoy!

Melissa Van Dover

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Cauliflower Mash

Miss mash? You’re not alone and we have you covered!

White potatoes are not considered Paleo-friendly (at least not in the stricter schools of Paleo) as they are not easily digestible by the human body (are considered antinutrients) and break down into sugar. Dr. Loren Cordain writes about this in detail in his interesting post titled, Why Potatoes Are Not Paleo.

In this recipe, mash is recreated using cauliflower, which boasts large quantities of vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, magnesium, calcium and fiber, and tastes just as good!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups raw cauliflower, cored and cut into 1/4 inch florets
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 dozen black peppercorns
1 tablespoon grass-fed butter (optional)

RECIPE

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Place the cauliflower florets, the coconut oil and the salt and pepper in an oven-safe dish and place in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender enough to have a skewer poked through it.

Remove the dish from the oven and allow the cauliflower to cool for a few minutes, before placing it in a food processor, together with the coconut milk (and butter, if you desire a creamier finish).
Pulse for about 1 minute or until smooth.
Plate and enjoy alongside protein and vegetables.

This recipe makes 1 serving.

Camilla Carboni

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

The Pasta Alternative

We always receive questions on substitutions from our readers, which makes sense because if you’ve found something you really like you don’t want to give it up. One request in particular that we receive regularly revolves around options for paleo approved pasta.

Many people will automatically assume that because you’re paleo you can’t have pasta…pasta is generally made out of wheat after all so it makes sense. Not to worry though, there are many alternatives for pasta that are paleo approved.

Here are the top options you have for paleo approved pasta.

Spaghetti Squash- it’s easy to cook and when it’s done it’s a perfect replacement for pasta. You can also use it as lasagna noodles by layering the squash and creating it’s own layer to act as a traditional lasagna noodle.
Zucchini- If you have a spiral slicer or salad shooter you can make noodles out of zucchini. It’s similar to the spaghetti squash but it another great option.
Make it yourself- if you’re up for the challenge there are tons of recipes out there to make you own pasta with coconut or almond flour as replacements for traditional pasta flour.
Buy it- If you’re looking for a more hearty pasta but don’t have the gumption to make it yourself you can find what you need at the local health food store. We buy a brand of pasta called Cappellos Pasta, they use paleo ingredients and it’s delicious.

These are some of the top options for paleo pasta alternatives that you can use when preparing meals. We encourage you to try them all, you may find that you regularly use more than one option in your meals.

As a side note, make sure to read the instructions when cooking your own or store-bought paleo pasta. The cooking times can vary greatly from what you may be accustomed to with traditional pasta.

Happy Experimenting!

Melissa Van Dover

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Roast Leg of Lamb

Growing up, one of my favorite dishes was Roast Leg of Lamb. It was my first request whenever anyone would ask what I would like to eat on a special occasion and to this day the meal itself sparks brilliant memories of my childhood in South Africa.

Since I believe indulgences and happy memories shouldn’t be reserved for special occasions alone, I went about whipping up a Roast Leg of Lamb recipe with my fellow South African friend, Samantha during her last visit to Colorado. Here’s what we came up with:

INGREDIENTS

3 lb. leg of lamb
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon course sea salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 large sweet potato, sliced
1 dozen button mushrooms
2 cups Brussels sprouts
Grass-fed butter (optional)

RECIPE

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Mix the thyme, rosemary, black pepper and sea salt in a small bowl and then rub the spice mix into the leg of lamb, covering the entire surface of the meat.
Place the seasoned lamb in a large oven-compatible dish, cover with foil and allow to sit for about 30 minutes.
Remove the foil, place the sliced sweet potato pieces in the dish, surrounding the meat, and then place the dish in the oven to roast for about 50 minutes.
In the meantime, rinse the Brussels sprouts and then cut the base off of each sprout and remove the top 3 layers of leaves from each one, before slicing each sprout in half.
Rinse the mushrooms and leave them whole.
Once the lamb and sweet potatoes have cooked for about 50 minutes, remove the dish from the oven and add the Brussels sprouts and mushrooms, placing them around the meat/on top of the sweet potatoes.
Slice into the meat about 1/4 of an inch deep every 1/2 inch or so across the top surface of the roast to allow the heat to penetrate the lamb evenly.

Place the dish back in the oven for about another 25 minutes for a medium-rare roast or about 45 minutes for a well-done roast.
Once the time is up, remove the dish from the oven, slice the lamb and serve it warm alongside the roast vegetables, topped a generous amount of grass-fed butter if you’re so inclined (like me!)

May your experience with this meal be as memorable as mine,

Camilla Carboni

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Mango Key Lime Pie

Pies are such a great treat but when you’re trying to make them paleo and cut out any refined sugars and processed additives it can seem impossible feat. Thankfully paleo pies are often easier to make than normal pies.

Key lime pies have always been a favorite of mine and when I decided to make my own paleo version I wanted to spice it up a little. I had mangos sitting around my house and thought, wouldn’t that be delicious. It was delicious and I’m happy I get to share it with you, here’s an easy recipe for mango, key lime pie.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup mango puree (roughly 1 ½ mangos blended in your food processor)
1/2 cup of blended avocado (ripe avocados work the best, it is roughly 1 avocado blended in your food processor until you have a creamy, smooth mixture)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed key lime juice
3 tablespoons coconut sugar
3/4 cup coconut milk (scoop out the cream at the top of the can first then add the remaining liquid until you reach 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
rind 2 key limes, grated
2 teaspoons tapioca flour
gelatin eggs (1.5 tablespoon gelatin + 1/4 cup hot water)
1 pie crust (goes great with our coconut pie crust)

RECIPE

Mix all ingredients together in food processor, except gelatin eggs; until thoroughly combined.
Pour mixture into saucepan and heat over low heat for 10 minutes. You’ll see a bubble escape here or there, it should not be bubbling regularly.
In a bowl whisk together 1/4 cup warm water and 1.5 tablespoon gelatin until slightly frothy (sprinkle gelatin over water slowly when whisking).
Pour both mixtures back into processor and pulse until thoroughly combined.
Pour into pie crust, let cool and stick in fridge to set. This will take roughly 3 – 4 hours.
Slice and serve!

There are a lot of ingredients in this pie but it’s nutrition packed. Not to mention that it doesn’t take long to prepare at all, at the most you’re looking at roughly 30 – 40 minutes to prepare your pie. Then all you need to do is let it cool; it’s the best part about a no bake pie.

Enjoy!

Melissa Van Dover

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Berry Pie

Who can resist a berry pie in the heart of fall? There’s just something so decadent about a delicious slice of pie that balances the subtly sweet and tart flavors of berries, alongside a hot drink.

This Paleo Berry Pie is not only packed full of vitamin C and antioxidants, it uses natural coconut palm sugar as a sweetener and 100% gluten-free Paleo Pie Crust as the base.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups chopped strawberries
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup blackberries/raspberries, whole
2 to 4 tablespoons coconut palm sugar (I use 2 tablespoons and the pie is fairly tart)

RECIPE

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the berries and water in a large sauté pan and set the temperature gauge to medium heat.

After about 5 minutes, add the sugar, stir and then cover.
The water will begin to boil over after just a few minutes. When this happens, remove the lid and allow some of the water to evaporate as the berry mix simmers for about 5 more minutes.
Scoop the mixture into a pre-baked Paleo Pie Crust (draining all excess liquid as you do so) and then top the pie with Paleo Pie Crust crumbs to “seal” the pie.
Place the pie in the oven to bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool before slicing and serving. (Refrigerating the pie for a few hours or overnight works best as it allows the pie to set).

Tip: Any excess liquid from the filling in the pan can be used for a number of things, such as drizzling over Paleo Brownies, or freezing with an equal part water to make a Paleo Popsicle.

Enjoy!

Camilla Carboni

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Coconut Pie Crust

For anyone who’s made pie crust you know that it is a “specific” kind of task. You have to use the right ingredients; the right steps and you need to end up with the correct consistency at the end. Furthermore, when you think of making the traditional pie crust recipe into it’s paleo equivalent you may not know where to start because you literally need to replace all the ingredients with something different.

The following is an easy recipe for a paleo pie crust. What’s even better is you most likely already have the ingredients you’ll need. It requires a little more attention but even if you don’t have a ton of baking experience you’ll be able to handle it.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups of shredded coconut (just coconut, it should not be sweetened)
4 tablespoons coconut oil
4 tablespoons cashew butter (you can replace this if you’d prefer almond instead)
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt

RECIPE

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place coconut in food processor and process for a few minutes until shredded coconut looks almost like it has been grated.
Place processed coconut into a bowl and set aside.
In a small microwave safe bowl add coconut oil and cashew butter, place in the microwave for 30 seconds or until coconut oil has melted.
Add coconut oil and cashew mixture to the processed coconut; also add the honey and salt.
Mix together until thoroughly combined.

Press coconut mixture into pie dish forming a pie crust.

Place in oven and bake for roughly 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove and let cool before adding filling.

Note that sometimes the pie crust may fall down towards the bottom of the pie dish slightly during baking. If this happens it’s not a problem at all, simple use the back of a spoon to push the crust back into position. As the crust cools it will harden and maintain its intended shape.

Enjoy!

Melissa Van Dover
@melissavandover | melissavandover.com

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!