Caramel Sauce!

I definitely have a sweet tooth!  This is an awesome quick (like 2 minutes!) and easy recipe for caramel i came across that is also Paleo.  The best part though is it requires no heat and no equipment to whip up this delicious treat. 

• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
• 2 Tablespoons almond butter
• 1-2 Tablespoons maple syrup (depending on the sweetness you want)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Sea salt (pinch)   

Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl and you are done!  Now you can top your favorite fruit or dessert and turn it into a tasty treat.  It is also great for dipping sliced apples into.  What I like best about this sauce is that it travels great, pack it in a school lunch or take it with you to work for a sweet fulfilling 3 pm boost!  

Here i fancied up a simple apple by slicing it thin (yes that's only 1 apple), topping it off with caramel sauce and macadamia nuts.  I also sometimes use walnuts.

It is easy to store too.  Just place your caramel in a glass jar or storage container and it store in your cupboard or pantry.  I keep mine in a recycled glass jar.

Tip: you can replace the maple syrup with honey or any other natural sweetener

Would you try whipping up this sweet treat?

How To Properly Hard Boil An Egg!

Have you ever wondered why egg yolks sometimes get a green/grey tint? Or, do you know how long to boil an egg before it's done?

Most people probably think boiling an egg is pretty easy and that there isn't a wrong way to boil an egg. Heat water, add eggs and you're good! Well it turns out that color distortion comes from eggs being over cooked.  Want to know how to keep your egg yolks yellow?

Here are the simple steps to ensure your hard boiled egg yolks always come out bright and yellow.

1. Place your eggs on the bottom of your pot in a single layer.
2. Cover the eggs with water from your faucet. (water should be an inch or so above the egg layer)
3. Bring water to a boil over high heat then turn off burner.
4. Cover with a lid and let eggs sit. (12 minutes for smaller eggs & 15 minutes for larger eggs)
5. To stop the eggs from cooking using a slotted spoon transfer them to an ice bath (a bowl of ice and water) until they are cool to the touch. 
6. Then enjoy or place in the refrigerator for later.

Chicken Satay!

We have been experimenting in the kitchen lately to create new and tasty dinners that follow the Paleo lifestyle.  Chicken is a great lean protein that can be made into endless recipes. Here is a creative way to re work the traditional Chicken "peanut" satay.  You can serve it with any side, we decided to grill up some peppers and onions tonight.

 Chicken Satay

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 4 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 ½ lbs chicken breasts
• Wooden skewers

1. Slice chicken into “tenders”
2. Combine milk, garlic, ginger and salt in a bowl.
3. Marinate chicken in mixture for 2-4 hours in the refrigerator 
4. You want to soak your wooden skewers in water for about an hour before grilling
5. Skewer chicken on soaked skewers
6. Using a grill or a grill pan, grill for approximately 10 minutes, turning as necessary to cook evenly.
7. Server with Satay sauce Recipe Here

Would you try this version of Chicken Satay?

The Bad Cow!

When you are trying to lose weight, maintain your weight or just indulge in a sweet treat without over doing it, you look to "healthier" options.  The ad executives and pr firms make a ton of money by marketing those "healthier" products to those kinds of people.  Lets be honest, most people who fit those categories are women!  My mother passed along a blog post to me recently about how particularly Un-"healthy" those skinny cow deserts you love actually are.

Don't get me wrong, I used to eat one probably every night.  I probably still have a few tucked in the back of my freezer somewhere.  I even blogged about them 3 years ago! When we set out to be healthy it is pretty apparent drastic changes don't work.  So I, like many, found easy substitutes and "cheats" that would allow me to cut back without depriving myself. What we don't always realize.. or want to face is that when we stray away from foods with a lot of fat, sugar or calories we end up replacing those ingredients with chemicals, additives and all sorts of nasty stuff.  Eating a Paleo diet has definitely allowed me to realize the kinds of things I was previously ingesting.  While it's scary to think about all the unknowns I actually consumed, it's comforting that I am more aware now and can make better choices.

While this is just one product line of many, it is a good wake up call and if nothing else can hopefully get you to look a little deeper at a label's nutrition facts.This isn't something that just plagues ice cream treats, it can be found throughout the grocery isles and particularly in those products labeled "low-cal" "low-fat" & "fat-free".  My mother loves to tell me that the biggest culprit are all those 100 calorie packs.

To check out the original article I mentioned from the blog My Whole Food Life Go Here

You can find another interesting post I found Here

Thoughts?

Tuesdays Tip: Apple Cinnamon Water!

So I came across this idea when my father posted a link on my Facebook wall last week. It claimed this beverage would boost your metabolism naturally with this zero calories. They claimed it is a detox drink that will give you tons of energy and help you loose weight if you drink 8 oz before each meal.

I'm not sure how much of all that I believe but the beverage itself sounded interesting so I figured I would give it a try.  It tasted great and now I continually make it.  It is what I call a  "great fall water".  I usually always add lemon to my water and in the summer time often add limes and oranges.  This is a great way to change up my water for the colder months and it has great flavor.  It is also a fun festive way to serve water at the dinner table when you have company.

You need:
1 Apple thinly sliced
1 Cinnamon Stick
A Pitcher

Drop apple slices in the bottom of the pitcher add the cinnamon stick and cover with ice about 1/2 way up then add water. Store in refrigerator.

Since I really only drink water I tend to go through a pitcher a day.  I find that I can use the same apples and cinnamon stick for a few days.  Eventually the apple slices will begin to disintegrate and need to be replaced.  


Tip: If there is not enough cinnamon flavor for you add another cinnamon stick.  For more flavor you can also mix in some powdered cinnamon if you don't mind a bunch of floating specs in your water.

Would you try this "fall water"?

Homemade Worcestershire Sauce!

 Worcestershire is a flavorful sauce that is added to many dishes.  Eating Paleo restricts me from being able to reach for the store bought staple.  Luckily though it is a sauce that can easily be made at home with ingredients you already have in your cupboard.  Here is Hungry For Livings easy recipe for Paleo Worcestershire sauce.

 What you need:

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp coconut aminos
• 1/4 tsp fresh minced ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground mustard 
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor for 30 seconds to a minute to blend and break up the ginger. 
2. Pour sauce into a saucepan and slowly bring it to a boil while stirring frequently. 
3. Let simmer for about a minute so the flavors can develop. 
4. Cool, place in a recycled glass container and store in the refrigerator.

Tip: You can substitute ginger powder for the fresh ginger and skip the food processor step.

Would you make homemade Worcestershire sauce?

Satay Sauce!

Here is Hungry For Living's simple recipe for a Paleo Satay sauce.

½  cup sun butter  Recipe Here

¼ cup coconut milk

1/8  cup hot water

1/8  cup coconut aminos

3 garlic cloves

1 tbsp red pepper flakes

Juice from ½ a lime
1 1/2 tsp curry powder (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until creamy.

Makes 1 cup

My fiance is not a fan of curry so we choose to make our satay sauce minus the curry powder.

Fried Green Tomatoes!

Fried green tomatoes are a great Paleo breakfast dish and are easy to make.  Whether you eat a Primal diet or not there is no denying this is a tasty way to cook up a tomato. Here is the Hungry For Living recipe for Paleo fried green tomatoes.  Obviously you can use white flour in place of the coconut flour if you don't practice the Paleo Lifestyle.

You Need:

• 2 bacon strips
• 1 green tomato
• 1 egg
• ½ cup coconut flour
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Cut clean tomatoes in 1/8 inch slices
2. Whip up eggs in a shallow dish or bowl
3. Fry bacon in a skillet over medium heat, set aside and allow to cool.
4. Cover tomato slices in the egg wash, then dredge in coconut flour.
5. Place covered tomato slices in the skillet and fry them in the remaining bacon grease over medium heat for about two to three minutes on each side.
6. Crumble up bacon slices.
7. Remove from heat, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and top with crumbled bacon.

 

Would you fry up this tasty dish for breakfast?