Paleo Cranberry Muffins

Paleo Cranberry Muffins

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I really enjoy making muffins for myself and my family. They are easy to grab and take whenever you need a quick snack. This one is packed full with healthy ingredients. So simple to make, you won't be spending much time in the kitchen making these. Check out another simple dark chocolate chip muffin recipe.

Ingredients:
1/2cup unsweetened coconut milk in the can
2 eggs
1/4cup raw local honey
1tsp vanilla
2cups almond flour
1/2cup arrowroot powder
1/2tsp baking soda
1/2tsp salt
1/4cup sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
1/4cup dried cranberries, reserved for the top
1/4 cup pepitas, reserved for the top

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a muffin tin. I have a dessert pan shaped in a square so that's what I use. Use what you have!
Mix dry ingredients together then add the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Measure out equal scoops in your dessert pan, sprinkle each muffin with 4-5 cranberries on top and about 1/2tsp pepitas then bake 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the tops are golden brown.

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Eat healthfully, and enjoy!

Granola Bars

Granola Bars
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I'm on the band-wagon of eating as best as possible and providing home-cooked meals and snacks as often as possible. Although these granola bars are not paleo (because of the oats), they are much better than the store granola bars. There's nothing "artificial" about these, therefore, I eat happily.

Cheers to you, Granola Bar!

You can substitute any type of nuts for the ones listed below. If you don't like pecans, add something else or leave out altogether. If you don't like cranberries and/or dates, use raisins and/or apricots instead. It's a very forgiveable recipe and unless you walk away from the oven, you really can't mess this one up.

Ingredients:

2cups old-fashioned oats

1cup slivered almonds

1/2cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2cup chopped pecans

1/4cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)

1/4cup sunflower seeds

1/4cup dried cranberries

1/4cup dates

3Tbsp butter, or coconut oil

2/3cup honey or maple syrup

1/2tsp salt

1tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread the oats, coconut, almonds and pecans on a baking sheet and bake 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Move mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients up through the dates.

Turn oven down to 300 degrees. In the meantime while the oven is cooling, melt the butter, honey, salt and vanilla over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Add to the dry ingredients and thoroughly mix.

Spread onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 2 hours and then cut into bars.

Wrap individually and refrigerate until ready to eat or place individual pieces on a parchment-lined cookie sheet in the freezer for one hour, then move to a freezer bag. Remove from freezer a few minutes before eating.

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Eat, share, and enjoy!

Paleo Dark Chocolate Chip Muffins

Paleo Dark Chocolate Chip Muffins

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I am a genius! Ok, my I.Q. score isn't as high as a genius, but in my mind, I am! I love experimenting with new ingredients and I picked up a bag of arrowroot powder from the store the other day since I needed it for a coffee cake recipe. I used that base "cake" recipe and made a whole new dish that made my goofy 8-year-old fall on the floor from pure joy. He said, "My whole body is having a party from this muffin!" So, kid-tested, mother approved!

In this recipe, I used the "cake" portion from this paleo coffee cake recipe. If you like coffee cake, go try that out but if you want a healthy muffin, give this one a shot. Super easy and guilt free!

Ingredients:

1/2cup unsweetened coconut milk in the can

2 eggs
1/4cup raw local honey
1tsp vanilla
2cups almond flour

1/2cup arrowroot powder
1/2tsp baking soda
1/2tsp salt

1/3cup dark chocolate chips

1/4cup sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut flakes

1/2cup chopped pecans (1/4 goes inside the batter and 1/4 goes on top of the muffins)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a muffin tin. I have a cute "dessert pan" shaped in a square and wanted to use that. Use what you have!

Half has coconut/pecans and other half doesn't.. Picky children!

Mix dry ingredients together then add the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Measure out equal scoops in your dessert pan, sprinkle with 1/4cup of the chopped pecans and bake 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

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Eat and enjoy!

Tip:
These can be frozen and eaten at a later time. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place cooled muffins on pan. Freeze for 1 hour and then move to a freezer bag and freeze. When you're ready to eat these, you can microwave it, bake it at 350 for 5 minutes or just leave it out at room temperature.

Perfect Coconut Cream Pie

Perfect Coconut Cream Pie

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My heart truly belongs to chocolate but sometimes it's nice to give those taste buds a kick in a different direction. Today I went with coconut and wanted to make a pie from scratch. Check out this full-proof pie crust recipe. I'll give instructions on what to do with the extra crust.

Original recipe for pie is here.

For now, how about a picture of this creamy masterpiece?



This may seem like a lot of steps, but it's very simple. I promise!! I wouldn't post anything too difficult.

Ingredients:

For the coconut cream filling
3cups whole milk, scalded
1/3cup flour
2/3cup sugar
pinch of salt
1cup unsweetened fine coconut

3 slightly beaten extra large egg yolks

4Tbsp butter

2tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Pie Crust:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

If you followed the instructions for my pie crust, you will divide the mixture in half, pat into two dough balls, cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. Roll out one pie crust to fit your pie plate, poke holes in the dough with a fork and bake for 12-15 minutes at 400 degrees until golden brown. Let cool.
Wrap the other pie crust in plastic wrap and put in a freezer bag. Use next time you need a pie crust.. like for these empenada's!

Cooling the pie filling and pie crust to almost room temperature.

Pie Filling

In a medium pot, add flour, sugar salt and coconut. Over medium low flame slowly add 1 cup of the scalded milk, whisking constantly. As you notice the filling beginning to thicken, add another cup of the scalded milk continuing to stir constantly until it begins to thicken again. Add the final cup of scalded milk, stirring constantly. Continue to cook over medium low heat until mixture begins to slightly thicken. At this point remove from heat and pour about a half cup of this mixture onto the egg yolks whisking constantly. Pour the egg mixture immediately back into the pot, continuing to constantly stir. Cook for an additional two or three until the filling reaches pudding consistency and remove from the flame. The mixture should just be beginning to boil at this point.

Stir in the butter and vanilla extract. Cool almost to room temperature before pouring into the baked pie shell. Chill for about 3 hours. (Best to cool overnight.)

This pie is truly delicious. You've got to give it a try.. I bet if you looked in your pantry, you probably already have everything you need. Don't have unsweetened, finely shredded coconut? I know Publix carries it. Go buy it and make this pie!

Tip:
If you cannot eat the entire pie all by yourself, cut into slices, place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and freeze for at least 1 hour. Move to freezer-safe bag and freeze until you're ready to eat another slice. When you're hungry for it again, remove from freezer at least 1 hour before eating and it'll be perfectly ready!

Eat slowly, and Enjoy!

Guest Post by Christina K.

Maybe you visit Easy Peasy regularly, but never try to replicate any of the recipes you see here because you are afraid they won't turn out the same awesome way for you as they did for Angela. 

You are not alone!  I used to have the same fear until I took the Whole30 Challenge along with Angela last month.  Taking that challenge forced me to prepare every single one of my meals at home from scratch.  And I was definitely intimidated before we began.

Here are some tips for losing the fear and making great meals:

1. You have probably heard this one before, but it is vital so it is first.  Read your recipe all the way through a couple of times before you get even the first ingredient out.  You don't want to be in the middle of cooking a recipe only to find that you were supposed to have had the butter out at room temperature or to see that the garlic should have been roasted beforehand.

2. Once you have read the recipe, collect everything you need.  That means ingredients, yes.  But it also includes any bowls, knives, cutting boards, and cooking utensils.  Get a plate prepared with a paper towel if you are frying.  Have your cooling racks at the ready if you are baking.  Not everyone has time or discipline to prep all of the ingredients once a week for all of the meals she will be cooking, but everyone does have the time to collect all of these things just before cooking.  Do this and you won't find yourself running around trying to open a can of tomatoes as your garlic begins to burn in the pan.

3. Stick to the recipe!  If you are not a proficient cook, your additions or substitutions may just be the downfall of your meal.  Of course, omissions due to things such as allergies or general dislike of an ingredient are acceptable, but you must remember that your dish's flavor might be dramatically altered without that cilantro or cumin.  Don't expect it to taste the same if you have made changes! 

It really helps to find a recipe that you believe you can tackle and that uses flavors you enjoy.  If you don't believe there are any recipes out there that you can tackle, I urge you to re-read Angela's posts and keep these tips in mind.  If I can make a successful batch of her Chicken Thighs, you can too!

Thank you, Christina, for posting as my very first guest! She is a wonderful writer and a new blogger so go check out her blog Electric Ignition, "like" her on facebook and tell her I sent you! Stay tuned .. she has some funny stories, sad stories, inspiring stories to tell. If only she would write a book ...

Peace!

Paleo Applesauce/Apple Butter

Paleo Applesauce/Apple Butter

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Hi.

I'm Angela and I'm an addict. Yep, that's right. I'm addicted to apple butter. It's so creamy and sweet and tangy and goes well on anything you put it on. Okay, so maybe just toast, but it just makes my mouth water thinking about it! My mom would bring me a few jars of it back everytime she went to TN on a trip and I always looked forward to her special delivery.

I had some apples laying around that were getting a little bit soft and I didn't want to throw them away so I decided I'd make apple sauce in my slow cooker. It was simple!

Ingredients:

7-10 apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1/2 cup water

1Tbsp cinnamon, or as much as you'd like to add

Peel Apples

Core Apples

Chop and place in slow cooker with water and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Blend until desired
consistency.

Can if you'd like.

Directions:Peel, core and chopped your apples then place them in the slow cooker. Add the water and then sprinkle the cinnamon on top of the apples. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours. Mine was done in 3 hours. You can leave it chunky if you want but I used my hand blender and blended away and canned them. If you want to can, do your normal process with the new seals and then add the jars to simmering water and then boil for 10 minutes.

Serve and Enjoy!

Paleo Coffee Cake

Paleo Coffee Cake

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I love coffee cake because it's different than traditional cake with icing. This has a great topping to it that always seems to get marbled in the middle of the cake as well. I love chocolate, but coffee cake with cinnamon is divine! I'm trying hard to use less sugar since I'm going more primal/paleo and thought this would be a good recipe to try. Four people have given this a thumb's up! Yay!

Original recipe found here.

Ingredients:

Cake1/2cup unsweetened coconut milk in the can

2 eggs
1/4cup raw local honey
1tsp vanilla
2cups almond flour

1/2cup arrowroot powder
1/2tsp baking soda
1/2tsp salt

Swirl
2Tbsp cinnamon
1/4cup coconut oil (or ghee)

3Tbsp honey
1/4cup chopped pecans (not pictured.. I forgot to add them!)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, add the cake ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add to greased 8x8 pan, or make it into bread and add to a loaf pan. Add the swirl mixture to the top and bake 25-30 minutes or until it's golden brown.

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Eat and Enjoy!

Re-Vamped Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut/Pecans

Re-Vamped Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut/Pecans

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Am I the only one that dances when I eat food that tastes good? I'll do a little jig in my chair or stand up and get funky if I am really enjoying my food. My kids and husband do the same so I know there's more weirdo's out there like me! (I just re-read my first post on these and it's almost the same.. these cookies really make me happy)

Over a year ago I made these Big Chocolate Chip Cookies. and they were a huge hit in my house. Everyone who's eaten them has fallen in love with the taste and really enjoys how monstrous they are. If you're in the search for the best chocolate chip cookie, look no further because this really is the best recipe. I'm doing it again because I added a few different ingredients and my pictures are so much better :) Blogging is definitely a learning experience and I'm slowly getting better at it. Now I just need to build a box for my food for better pictures!

Ingredients:

2 sticks, or 1cup, unsalted butter, cold and cubed

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1tsp table or fine sea salt
1tsp baking powder
1/4tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup of pecans (optional)

1/2 cup coconut flakes (optional. sweetened or unsweetened are both fine)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle, cream together butter and sugars until well blended and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mix in vanilla and beat until well incorporated.

I know this part is odd, but add the chocolate chips, coconut and nuts now and mix away!

Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and mix until just combined.

Get an ice-cream scoop (or large spoon) and get a huge scoop of dough out and gently roll into a ball.

Place each on sheet pan lined with parchment paper and gently press down on the top to make it flat. It will evenly bake this way.







***Cool your cookies in the fridge for at least 1 hour and don't skimp on the time. This is important to have a cold cookie going into a warm oven. If you want to freeze the dough now, go ahead and when you're ready to bake, let it sit on the cookie sheet at least 30 minutes before placing in oven.***

Bake in the preheated oven 15-20 minutes depending on how you like your cookie, until very lightly browned, taking care not to over bake. I baked mine for 19 minutes.

Cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes before moving to cooling rack to completely cool. Store what you don’t immediately eat in an airtight container.

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Eat and Enjoy!

Pancakes

Pancakes

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I'm not a big fan of pancakes, but my two boys are. They eat them any chance they get and if they're lucky enough that I'm running on time in the mornings, they know they'll get chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. I'm an on-time type of person usually so they eat a lot of pancakes.

I was looking at a box mix the other day and was wondering why the need for so much 'extra' stuff in the mix so I went to my favorite website, MBA, and found a perfectly easy pancake recipe. I omit the orange ingredients since I make mine with chocolate chips but everything else stays the same. Full proof recipe that will "wow" your family for sure!

Ingredients:

3/4cup whole milk, organic is best

1Tbsp white vinegar

1cup all-purpose flour, organic is best

2Tbsp sugar, I use organic turbinado and it works fine

1tsp baking powder

1/2tsp baking soda

1/2tsp salt

1 egg

2Tbsp melted butter, organic or ghee is best

1tsp vanilla extract

1/4cup mini-chocolate chips

Directions:

Mix milk and vinegar together and let it set for 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients together. In a microwave safe dish, add butter and melt then add egg and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients together then slowly stir the dry ingredients in to the wet and fully incorporate. Add chocolate chips now.
On a heated griddle, add pancake batter and cook thoroughly.

Excuse the crappy looking ones. My spatula was not cooperating!

I make quite a few batches and allow them to cool on a cooling rack then transfer to the fridge or freezer.

I made Valentine's Day pancakes for the kids and cut out heart shapes. I also added a little bit of red food coloring to give it a festive color.

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Eat and Enjoy!

Paleo Homemade Mayo

Paleo Homemade Mayo
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Do you know what's in your store-bought mayonnaise? Get up right now, go get your mayo container and look at the ingredient list. Do you really need all that crap in it? I certainly don't and as a matter of fact, after my 2nd successful batch of homemade mayo, I threw out the store-bought stuff and will NEVER buy it again. It's very easy to make and takes about 5 minutes from start to finish. To have something as fresh and tasty and very versatile (I make salad dressing with this) as this mayo, you can't go wrong. Give it a shot!

Ingredients:

1 room temperature egg

1 1/4 cup extra light olive oil (do not use extra virgin here, it will taste terrible!)

1/2tsp dry mustard

2Tbsp room temperature fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2tsp salt

Directions:

Add the egg, 1/4cup olive oil, mustard, lemon juice and salt to a food processor or blender. Blend away for about 30 second until everything is incorporated. Next will prove how patient you are. With the processor on, add the remaining 1cup light olive oil very, very slowly. It should take a few minutes to drizzle the entire cup in. You will hear it become emulsified but keep going, don't stop what you're doing because this will make a delicious batch of mayo!

After the oil is added completely, turn your machine off and store in a container and immediately use or refrigerate.

Tip: Check the expiration date on your eggs because the mayo will last about 1 week after that expiration date.

Thanks to The Clothes Make the Girl for her wonderful mayonnaise recipe, I will never buy store-bought again. This is kid-tested and husband-approved! Everyone loves the taste. So go out there and do something healthy for yourself!

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Serve and Enjoy!

Addicting Paleo Chocolate Mousse

Addicting Paleo Chocolate Mousse

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My sister is so awesome!! She makes me sign on to pinterest, look at delicious foods and then she makes whatever it was she had pinned AND THEN BRAGS ABOUT HOW GOOD IT IS! I mean, seriously sister .. stop! Because it makes me want to make it, too.

..and that is exactly what I did today..

..and I'm now cursing you with the urge to make this paleo dessert! HA! Sucks to be you ;) Kidding.

*A word of caution: Coconut milk is a wonderful fat that should be used as often as possible, but be careful not to over-indulge as too much fat could cause an upset tummy! I think more than 1/2 cup would be too much. This is so rich that you may not even want to eat that much.

Ingredients:

1 can coconut milk, full-fat, unsweetened

1/4cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2tsp vanilla

sweetener to taste, I used a little bit of honey. My sister used maple syrup.

Directions:

Refrigerate a can of coconut milk overnight, or at least 6 hours. Don’t shake the can before opening. It should get very, very thick. If it doesn’t, you’ve gotten a bad can that won’t work for the recipe. I used Thai Kitchen Organic. Once thick, transfer to a bowl. You can opt to leave out the watery bit at the bottom of the can, if you want it even thicker and whip in your cocoa, vanilla, and sweetener with a fork, or even beaters if you want to be fancy. Stored uncovered in the fridge, the mixture gets even thicker.

(I edited the authors directions a bit. Find the original recipe here and tell her thank you while you're on her page!)

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Serve cold, and Enjoy!

Paleo Butternut Squash Casserole

Paleo Butternut Squash Casserole
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In my 30-day challenge of eating whole foods, we were told to limit carb-dense vegetables such as sweet potatoes and butternut squash. We love sweet potatoes and ate it with dinner at least twice a week before our challenge started; it wasn't a holiday food for us. It was a weekly delight at dinner time. When I found out I only needed to eat carb-dense veggies for an after-workout meal, I was somewhat bummed but kinda happy I got to eat them so early in the day! I work out at 8:00am so around 9:15am I start indulging in sweet deliciousness that the came from the earth. Natural sugar! Anyway. I concocted a sweet recipe after reading a savory recipe and thought it would work out fine and it did. The texture is smooth and creamy and the taste is slightly sweet. It makes my tummy happy knowing it's being served wholesome food!

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash, roasted 35- 45min at 400degrees

1/4tsp salt

1tsp vanilla (optional)

2Tbsp coconut milk in the can, full-fat, unsweetened

2Tbsp coconut oil

1 egg

1tsp cinnamon (optional)

1 handful chopped pecans for garnish - do not add to food processor

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Add cooled skinless, roasted butternut squash to food processor and pulse until creamy. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Transfer to greased 8x8 pan, add a handful of chopped pecans and bake approximately 30 minutes or until top has set. Serve warm or cold.

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Eat and Enjoy! ... but only after a hard workout :)