Dark Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Cups

Dark Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Cups

Printable Recipe

Another super simple recipe that I'm sure you have the ingredients right now. Total time for this from start to finish is 25 minutes, and 20 minutes is refrigeration time. Give these a try!

Ingredients:

10-12 mini muffin papers

1cup dark chocolate to be melted

1/2cup peanut butter, or almond butter

Directions:

Melt 1/2cup chocolate chips in the microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring in-between each 30 second interval. Line a mini muffin tin with mini muffin papers and place approximately 1tsp melted dark chocolate in the bottom making sure it covers the entire surface of the bottom. Refrigerate at least 10 minutes to harden.

Next, scoop as much peanut butter as you like onto the dark chocolate you've let harden in the fridge.

Then cover with remaining dark chocolate and refrigerate until hardened, another 10-15 minutes or so.

Don't these look so delicious already? Eat them now with a spoon!!!!! or refrigerate for a few minutes :)

Eat and enjoy!

Paleo Dark-Chocolate Covered Coconut Candy

Paleo Dark-Chocolate Covered Coconut Candy

Printable Recipe

Simplicity is my friend. Dark chocolate is also my friend. Coconut oil sustains me and make me smile.
Simple.
Dark Chocolate.

Coconut.

Candy.

PALEO!

This is seriously the easiest recipe to do and I bet you already have the ingredients on hand. Here's what you'll need to do.

Ingredients:

serves 10-12

10-12 mini muffin papers

1cup dark chocolate to be melted

1/4cup coconut oil

2-3Tbsp coconut flakes

Directions:

Melt 1/2cup chocolate chips in the microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring in-between each 30 second interval.

Line a mini muffin tin with mini muffin papers and place approximately 1tsp melted dark chocolate in the bottom making sure it covers the entire surface of the bottom. Refrigerate at least 10 minutes to harden.

Next, stir the coconut oil and coconut flakes together and scoop as much onto the dark chocolate you've let harden in the fridge. Then cover with remaining dark chocolate and refrigerate until hardened, another 10 minutes or so.

Coconut oil becomes liquid when it's warmed so if you keep these in the fridge, they'll stay nice and hard.

Eat and enjoy!

Chicken Fajitas, Paleo and Non-Paleo

Chicken Fajitas, Paleo and Non-Paleo

Printable Version

Fajitas make my world go 'round. They really do. The little bit of warmth you get from the spices and the great flavors from everything combined.. just thinking about it makes my mouth water. I love getting fajitas when I go out. You know when they bring it to you and the skillet is popping? Best sound, and smell ever! But why do I have to pay $15+ for fajitas when I can make them at home, serve 4 people and only spend $13-$14? Don't get me wrong, I love eating out but I hate seeing the bill because I know I can make the exact same thing for much, much less. So, here's to us people saving a few pennies and eating great at home! Paleo or not, this recipe is sure to warm your belly!

Ingredients:

Serves 4, Cost is about $13.00

3 large chicken breasts, butterflied

1/4cup olive oil

1 lime, zested and juiced

1tsp salt

1/2tsp pepper

2tsp cumin

1tsp garlic powder

1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips

1 red onion, sliced thin

Directions:
Prepare the marinade by mixing the ingredients starting with the olive oil through garlic powder in a large bowl or ziplock bag. When you have the chicken breasts butterflied, add them to the mixture and coat evenly. Leave at room temperature up to 1 hour before grilling. If you are wanting to eat in a few hours or the next day, simply marinate it and cover tightly and return to the fridge. When you're ready to cook, let it sit out at least 30 minutes before grilling.

For Grilling:
Heat grill very high for 5 minutes then turn down to a medium heat and cook chicken thoroughly, about 10 minutes.

For Stove Top:
Heat a cast iron skillet to medium-high and cook chicken thoroughly, about 5 minutes per side.
While the chicken is cooking, heat a cast iron skillet (or whatever you have on hand) on medium-high with about 1/4cup olive oil. Add the peppers and onions to it and cook down to your liking. I cook mine about 15 minutes or until tender, but not mushy.

Assemble the fajitas with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, peppers and onions and chicken. For a paleo version, skip the cheese, sour cream and fajita shell and use romaine lettuce or endive instead.

Eat and enjoy!

Restaurant Review - Fisherman's Corner in Perdido, FL

I have been wanting to incorporate reviews of locally owned restaurants but didn't know where to start. So, here we go. I will be posting weekly and it probably won't be paleo since I like to cheat when I go out to eat.

I've eaten at Fisherman's Corner twice and the second time was amazing. The first time I went was last summer for breakfast and I hate buying breakfast out. It's irritating to me to pay $12+ for a $3 breakfast and I can't get over the money aspect of it but going out for lunch and dinner is my cup of tea.

Fisherman's Corner prepares each order as the ticket comes to the kitchen so there is a bit of patience that is needed but the wait is well worth it. My husband and I both ordered shrimp for dinner. I ordered a fried shrimp dinner with sauteed veggies and sweet potato fries and he ordered a shrimp po-boy with sweet potato fries. I was expecting maybe 10 shrimp but I think they gave me 20 or more and they were big and seasoned deliciously. Here's a picture of my plate...

My husband loves po-boys and always asks for extra shrimp and there's usually never enough on there to make him happy. He asked for shrimp and I think the shrimp god's poured out some delicious shrimp onto his sammich because it was loaded beautifully. There was plenty to share but we were both so hungry that we ate everything on our plates. Here's what he ordered..

The kids ordered chicken strips and a burger and were also great portions and were scarfed down in no time.

The wait staff  was busy but our drinks remained full and the check came at an appropriate time. The pricing was reasonable for the fresh food we recieved. There was live entertainment playing the keyboard which was much nicer than the typical elevator music playing or tropical music.

There's inside and outside seating so we chose to sit outside. We went at a good time because shortly after our order was in, the rest of the town was coming in for food. We typically eat early anyways so this worked out for us.

The food is great, so if you're able to get to Perdido, you've got to visit them. You won't be disappointed!

Here's a link to their information on urbanspoon.



Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble

Printable Recipe

It's Spring here in sunny Florida and strawberries are in season and taste amazing. I was on the hunt for something different and I do believe I found a great recipe. Have you ever tried rhubarb? I was actually quite scared to try it in a recipe because I didn't want to waste the ingredients but it's a little bit tangy and sweet. It tastes like a tart strawberry.

This was a hit for me and me only. The husband and 8y/o did not approve but I liked it. For the original recipe, click here.

Ingredients:
Crumble
1 1/3cups flour
1tsp baking powder
3Tbsp sugar
zest of one lemon
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2tsp vanilla
1/4tsp cinnamon

Filling
1 1/2cups rhubarb chopped into 1" pieces
2cups quartered strawberries
juice of one lemon
1/2cup sugar
3Tbsp arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
pinch of salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a small dish, thoroughly combine the crumble ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to use.

Next, thoroughly combine the filling ingredients together and pour into a greased 8x8 baking dish. Crumble the crumble topping over the filling mixture and cook 40-50 minutes, or until the crumble is golden brown.

Serve and Enjoy!

Paleo Strawberry Pie

Paleo Strawberry Pie

Printable Recipe

I was recently interviewed by a freelance writer from our local newspaper, the Pensacola News Journal. I'll be honest, I was somewhat nervous because I didn't want to sound stupid talking to her but I was excited at the same time because I am so passionate about food. She is going to talk about our local blueberry farms (people pick these blueberries like it's going out of style.. it's actually the "it" thing to do around here) and what kind of recipes you can make from our local berries. Although this recipe is made with strawberries, you could use blueberries, peaches, apples. Whatever you have on hand would work just fine.

This pie was easy to make and was very moist and delicious. My husband doesn't like almonds, but he didn't taste any almond flavor in the crust. Muwahhaha! Tricky, tricky!

Ingredients:
Paleo Pie Crust
2cups almond flour
3Tbsp liquid egg whites or 1 egg yolk
pinch of salt
1/4cup ghee or unsalted butter (organic is always the best choice when it comes to dairy)

Strawberry Filling
4 1/2cups quartered strawberries
2Tbsp lemon juice
1/3cup + 2Tbsp coconut sugar (use white sugar if you don't have coconut sugar.. not paleo!)
1/3cup arrowroot powder (this is a natural thickener)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400degrees.
In a bowl, mix all of the pie crust ingredients together until a cornmeal consistency occurs. You can use a fork or a hand mixer. It whips up in no time. Add to a greased pie pan and bake for 15 minutes then remove from oven and turn oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, add all of the ingredients for the strawberry filling (up to the butter) and combine thoroughly. Pour into the pre-baked pie shell and bake for 25 minutes. Turn the heat up to 375 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool completely before serving. This needs to be refrigerated overnight if there are any left overs.

Eat and enjoy!

Paleo Chili

Paleo Chili

Printable Recipe

Do you like beans in your chili? If you're like my husband, you don't. It's plain and simple; beanless chili means the entire pot gone in 2 days. Chili with beans lasts a lifetime around here. AHH! In order to make my husband's tummy satisfied for quick lunches during the week, he asks me to make this chili recipe along with my paleo chicken "noodle" soup.

My prep time is like 2.2 seconds and the cook time is about 1 hour from start to finish. Your standing-around time may be 8-10 minutes. Not too bad for a quick, one-pot meal, huh?

Adapted recipe from The Clothes Make the Girl.

Ingredients:
2Tbsp cooking oil (I chose coconut oil or olive oil)
2lbs. ground beef (or ground meat of choice)
2Tbsp chili powder
2Tbsp cumin
1tsp oregano
1tsp allspice
1tsp salt
1 large white onion diced
4oz. tomato paste
28oz. crushed tomatoes
1cup water or enough liquid to cover the meat/sauce

Directions:
In a large pot, add hamburger meat and onions and cook through. Once thoroughly cooked, add the spice mixture and stir until combined. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 1-2 hours. I usually simmer 1 hour and it tastes great. (I can't wait too long when good food is cooking.)
Do not drain the liquid that's produced when the meal/onions cook. It's keeps the healthy fat in the dish and adds great flavor. Promise!

Spice Mixture

Give this recipe a try.. I promise, if you like beans, you won't miss them here and if you hate beans .. your tummy will thank you!

Eat and enjoy!

Paleo Chicken Salad

Paleo Chicken Salad

Printable Recipe

Another healthy yet delicious recipe has made it on this blog. I thought for sure it would be all about sweet desserts, but the times .. they are a-changin'. What makes this recipe paleo is that there is nothing 'processed' in it and there's not wheat, corn, rice, sugar etc involved at all. I made the mayo, baked my own chicken and used fresh herbs from my mother's garden. It tastes great, so give this recipe a go!

Ingredients:

2 cooked chicken breasts chopped, broiled/baked/poached

1/4cup (eyeball this amount to your liking) of my paleo mayonaise

2Tbsp chopped parsley

1spring rosemary, chopped

1tsp lemon zest

1tsp lemon juice

S&P (salt and pepper) to taste

Directions:

Dice chicken breast into small, bite-sized pieces and put into a bowl with remaining ingredients. Mix to combine and refrigerate until you're ready to eat. This is good served warm or cold and tastes even better when it sits overnight.

Eat and enjoy!

Paleo Kale Chips

Paleo Kale Chips
Printable Recipe

When you're trying to sort out processed foods, there are just some things that you miss and one of them is a crunchy chip. When done right, you can have a super healthy snack that you'll want to share with your friends. It's very simple but aren't all of my posts?

Ingredients:

2-3 bunches of kale, washed and ribs taken out

1/2tsp salt

1Tbsp coconut oil

1Tbsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300degrees.
In a large bowl, add the kale and coat with half of the coconut oil then add the remaining oil and vinegar. Spread evenly onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and bake approximately 20-25 minutes. The kale should be crunchy to the touch and not soggy. If there are some soft and some crunchy, remove the crunchy ones and continue to bake the soft ones.
Note: The oven will probably smoke when you open the door, but don't be alarmed as long as the kale isn't burning, it's fine.

Eat and enjoy!

Paleo Flourless Banana Bread

Paleo Flourless Banana Bread
Printable Recipe

I've been on a quest of healthy, flourless recipes and this is such a great recipe to share. I don't remember the exact link to the original recipe, but it's somewhere on this website.

Want to know the best part about this recipe? It only needs 2Tbsp of maple syrup!! This is a great low-sugar recipe and I just love the fact there's no flour in it. How come we grew up needing flour in all of our recipes?

Anyway, I'll step off my soap box and give you the glorious-ness now!

Ingredients:
1 1/2cup almond butter
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas, smashed with a fork (sub 2/3cup pumpkin)
2Tbsp maple syrup
1/4cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2tsp baking soda
1/4tsp cinnamon
1/4cup chopped pecans

Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together (besides the pecans) until combined. Grease a 13x9 pan with coconut oil or olive oil and pour the mixture into the pan.

Top with pecans and bake 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. It will deflate a little after you bring it out of the oven so don’t worry, you didn’t do anything wrong!

Cool and serve.

Tip: To make it more appealing to kids, add 1/8 cup mini chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate chips and add to the mixture before baking. Don’t forget, if you have leftovers to cut into portion sizes, line a sheet pan with parchment paper and freeze for 1 hour then move to a freezer bag.

Eat and enjoy!