Paleo Egg McMuffin! Grain and Gluten Free

The outcome of this experiment truly shocked me.  I cannot get over how this super lazy recipe came out!

Last night as I was browsing pinterest, I saw some paleo blogger put up a recipe for a grain free english muffin.  Her recipe called for 1/3 cup of almond flour, plus one tbsp of coconut flour.  I don't know about you, but the thought of ingesting 1/3 cup of almond flour just didn't sit well with me, and since I'd be making this for S, it just grossed me out entirely.  But what if I could make an english muffin in the microwave with just coconut flour?  Could it be done?

YES.  Yes it can folks.  I also microwave a beaten egg for some extra protein.  With a little smear of jam on the muffin, this little mcmuffin was a big hit with my little one.  This is so super easy, it's almost embarrassing to post.  But what a wonderful trick to have up your sleeve for a quick meal!  Throw some carrots on a plate and you've got lunch in like, 5 minutes.

Paleo Egg McMuffin
1 1/2 tbsp coconut  flour
1 egg
1 1/2 tbsp of milk, water, or nutmilk
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp honey

1 additional beaten egg
jam for spreading on the muffin, if desired
some oil, for oiling your glass/porcelain microwave safe bowls

In a microwave safe glass or porcelain bowl (like a ramekin), grease it lightly, and pour in your beaten egg.  Microwave your egg until fully cooked, about 90 seconds.  (depends on your microwave though, watch it carefully!)  In another bowl, mix together your coconut flour, egg, salt, honey, and milk.  Pour your batter into another greased ramekin and microwave for about 2 and a half minutes.  You want this to be cooked through and firm to the touch.  Add another 10 seconds or so if need be.  When fully cooked, slide it out of your ramekin and cut in half with a bread knife.  Toast in your toaster oven and then slather with jam, and top with your fluffy microwaved egg!  Crazy crazy.  S scarfed it down, which is miraculous because she will rarely eat an egg, or any protein other than bacon or cheese.  I think it was the jam that did it.

Did you ever eat mcmuffins growing up??  OMG I loved those nasty little things.  They were a very special treat on some weekends after we went to the orthodontist.  Gross right?  I know, awful.  But luckily, with these little guys, you can enjoy a mcmuffin once again.  Lots of protein, fiber, and very little carbs.  Did you know that 2 tbsp of coconut flour only has 62 calories?  And 6 grams of fiber?  Pretty wonderful stuff.  So if your diet will allow for a baked treat, please give this a try.

Enjoy GFGs! xoxo

Paleo Cauliflower French Fries, or Cauli with Nooch

Do you desperately miss the taste of a crispy french fry?  If so, you are IN LUCK today peeps.  These cauli fries are in-cred-ible.  They have an amazing french fry flavor, are super easy to make, and are baked, not fried, so no messy grease spatter all over the kitchen.  And they are super nutritious to boot, made with nutritional yeast.  Don't have any?  Get some.  It's inexpensive, and packed with vitamins and tons of protein.  It's not like regular yeast, and it imparts a savory, almost parmesan-ish flavor.  In this recipe, it just tastes deep and salty like a good ol' french fry should.  

Cauliflower French Fries, or Cauli with Nooch

 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
couple tablespoons EVOO
1 tbsp garlic powder
kosher salt, to taste
2 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast

Put your cauli florets into a very large mixing bowl.  Preheat your oven to 400.  Toss your cauli with EVOO, start with 2 tbsp and see if that's enough, and then add in your garlic powder, about 1/2 tbsp of kosher salt, and your nooch.  Combine well and taste.  Adjust seasonings accordingly.  You may want them saltier, more garlicy, and more noochy.  This makes a nice coating on the cauli and after baking for about 40 minutes the fries will be crunchy and have an almost breaded texture to them.

Seriously, double this recipe.  You will want to eat the entire thing all by yourself.  No joke!

These make a great side dish to any meal.  I baked mine off at the same time as some noochy chicken thighs.  Easy and no muss no fuss.

What else is going on?  Not a whole lot.  I am doing a two-week trial at Pure Barre right now, which I first learned about earlier this year on our Aspen trip.  It's similar to Bar Method, but a little less stuffy.  Not as "formal" if you catch my drift.  I'm liking it, though not as much as my beloved Fusion.  You don't really sweat much, though it is hard as f*ck, and I often feel like I need to go home and hop on the treadmill afterwards.  But I'll keep at it until the two weeks are up and make my decision then!

In other food news, have you ever made shakshuka?  It's an israeli dish that basically is just eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce.  Easy and yummy, especially if you can get your hands on some clean arrabiata sauce.  You simmer your sauce until it's warmed through, drop in your eggs, and bake at 425 for 10 minutes.  Easy!

I'm thinking of making my thai chicken soup again, but this time with shrimp.  And snow peas. Sounds good eh?

Alrighty folks.  I'll leave with you some goofy selfies from this week.  I am enjoying super bright nail polish and clashing weird outfits lately.  Anything to spice up cold and dreary January right? XoXoGFG

Detox Updates, Eats, Thanksgiving Planning

Hey GFGs!  We are T-minus two days until the big day.  Being dialed in to all the blogs/tweets/posts in the paleosphere is fun and super informative, but I have to say I am reaaaaally starting to tire of the Thanksgiving recipe roundups, advice columns, turkey talk, and the same recipe for mashed cauliflower over and over again.  I am getting sick of Thanksgiving and it's not even here yet!

So I am going to spare you another recipe roundup.  God knows if you need a recipe there are seriously thousands and thousands of paleofied treasures to be had.

Instead, I'll give you a little update.  The coming week will be the true test of my detox powers.  Will I survive?  Nobody knows.....  haha actually, I'm not too concerned.  I am preparing well by making two GFG approved Thanksgiving sides so I know if nothing else, I'll have some yummy veggie side dishes to snack on.

I am still kind of just plugging along.  Because phase 1 of my plan isn't about eliminating potential irritants/inflammatory/allergenic foods, I don't really feel any different, nor did I expect to.  It is really more about just purging myself of all the sweeteners in my diet and trying to sever the ties I have with them.  Like I said last week, I think it's been a great lesson for me in learning to elevate meals from just food I stuff down my throat, to something that's wholesome, enjoyable, well-rounded, nutritious, and satisfying enough that I don't feel like I need a GFG treat afterwards.  I am also finding that over the last week my blood sugars have been lower and not as up and down, which is nice.  I'll keep watching to see if there is some discernible trend to this.

So what am I eating?  A lot of hard-boiled eggs for one.  I finally made the perfect hard-boiled eggs last night, complete with easy to peel-off shells.  It has taken me years and years to figure this out, I wish I were lying.  I put 6 eggs into cold water with 2 teaspoons of vinegar on the stovetop, brought to a boil, and then removed from the heat and let sit for exactly 9 minutes.  I then rinsed them in very cold water and peeled them, while submersed in cold water.  The shells came off super easily.  Yay! The whites were hard-cooked (which is essential as I am allergic to undercooked egg whites) and the yolks were not quite cooked through, but not runny either.

Another staple that I am finding I just couldn't live without is frozen shrimp and frozen seafood.  Trader Joe's has a blend of different frozen seafood, squid, little scallops, shrimp, that are terrific with some sauteed diced tomato and garlic, shown below with a side of lemony organic spinach (also frozen).

Another great staple to have on hand is The Clothes Make The Girl's Whole30 compliant Paleo Chocolate Chili.  Good lord this was good!  I was not expecting it to be as delicious or as easy as it turned out.  I would advise you to make a double batch and freeze half to thaw as needed.  It is so good.  I served mine on top of steamed (again, organic/frozen) cauliflower for a complete balanced meal.  Lastly, one night last week when I was beyond tired I simply threw together some diced cucumber, sliced grape tomatoes, boiled eggs, avocado, and green onion with some salt and pepper.  Salad doesn't always need lettuce people!  As you can see, detoxing/whole30 doesn't have to mean bland boring chicken and broccoli every night.  Explore your organic grocer's freezer section and stock up on seafood and veggies.  You'll be just minutes away from a healthy, satisfying, and fun meal every night of the week.  And unless you are doing an autoimmune protocol Whole30 there is no reason to hold back on spices.  I am shocked at the rate I go through cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, cinnamon, oregano, and seasoned salt.

So what am I making for Thanksgiving anyways?  After lengthy deliberation and tonnnns of recipe hunting I have settled on these three dishes:

-Roasted Brussel Sprouts with a mustard, bacon, and red wine vinegar dressing

-Massaged Lemony Kale Salad with Avocado and Pine Nuts

-Pumpkin Pie Bars with a Pecan and Walnut based crust and a custardy pumpkin filling.  Easier than pie and a little less conventional.  Sadly, this dish is not one I'll be indulging in.  No worries though, more kale for me!  

I'll post the recipes later this week.  I'd love to hear what you are cooking for the holiday.  Share your GFG/Paleo recipes with us!  

Quick High Protein Toddler Meal

Do you read The Paleo Mom?  It's a neat blog written by, of course, a paleo mom.  It's interesting in that it has a very scientific slant to it as the blogger is a former scientific researcher, which I particularly like.  Rather than lots of anecdotal musings, she has lots of bonafide research to back up her claims. Quite refreshing in the paleoverse.  I recommend you check out her blog if you have the inclination!

If you are a regular reader of my blog you know I have a toddler!  She is my pride and joy and light of my life, and I absolutely can't get enough of her.  I love every single thing about her and cherish every second I am with her.  However, just like any child, meal times can be rough.  That's why I enjoy coming up with so many healthy, protein-packed muffin recipes that I know she'll enjoy and eat happily over and over.  But one can not subsist on muffins alone.  And the girl is not quite as fond of veggies as she once was, so sometimes you have to resort to covert measures to get in a healthy dose of the green goodies.

Case in point- the paleo mom's great suggestion for making Green Eggs.  Check out her post and give it a whirl!  I did today, and am happy with the results.  Here is what I did:

Green Eggs
3 eggs
2/3 cup raw greens (I used some leftover salad greens, but spinach, kale, or even some dark leafy lettuces would work)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp pepper

In a blender, toss your greens and eggs and salt and pepper and blend until you have a consistent green mixture.  Pour into a hot, greased frying pan and cook for 4 minutes or so on one side before flipping.  This will feed 2-3 people.  Depending on what greens you use, your eggs will have a distinct flavor.  Spinach is probably going to be the most agreeable, but in the spirit of using what I have, I thought, what the hell, I'll use some salad greens.  Topped with some guac, it was an easy and super nutritious meal for mommy and S.  Just make sure your pan is well-oiled for optimal flipping!

Best of all, there are tons of variations for this.  Why not make orange eggs using orange and red peppers?  Or try broccoli and cauli instead of greens?  Experiment and enjoy!  Xoxo GFG