Easy Paleo Chicken Pot Pie:

(Serves 6)

*Want a recipe that saves time and money? Here it is! This chicken or turkey pot pie is SO EASY and FAST! I make two at a time and double the recipe so I can freeze the second one for later. It freezes and thaws perfectly! I can eat this for an entire week or more for dinner and love it! I know you will, too! Yummy, healthy, comfort food!

Ingredients:

Crust:

-1 box Simple Mills Pizza crust mix (AMAZING Paleo company with great mixes. Their mixes can be ordered online on their website at http://www.simplemills.com or find at Fresh Market, Whole Foods, Earthfare, and other health store foods providers).

-1 Tbsp. organic apple cider vinegar (Braggs preferred…found at Publix, Fresh Market, Whole Foods, and most other grocery stores)

-6 Tbsp. water

-Add in 1 to 2 tsp. finely ground Himalayan sea salt to taste (not in the instructions on the box)

-Parchment paper (optional)

-Rolling pin

-rubber mat (optional)

Filling:

-One 15oz. can organic sweet potato puree

-1/3 cup organic coconut milk

-1 cup organic frozen green peas (some consider green peas Paleo…even the founder of the Paleo diet…but if you are particular about digestive issues in response to legumes, omit. FYI green peas in moderation, are very easy on the digestive system unlike other legumes-I know from experience with all of my digestive issues)

-1 large organic yellow onion chopped (frozen and chopped is easiest)

-1 cup chopped organic rainbow carrots (frozen and chopped is easiest)

-2 cups organic chopped mushrooms (optional)

-1 pound ground or chopped, free-range, organic, chicken (organic rotisserie works, too) or ground organic, free-range turkey

-1 Tbsp. chopped organic rosemary

-1 Tbsp. chopped organic thyme

-3 tsp. Himalayan sea salt (more or less to taste)

-2 tsp. ground black pepper (more or less to taste)

-1 cup organic chicken broth

-3 Tbsp. organic virgin olive oil

-Organic Coconut Oil Non-Stick cooking spray (Kelapo brand preferred…found at Publix, Earthfare, and Whole Foods)

-Le Creuset or other casserole dish (at least small or medium sized dish 11x7x2). Its ok if the dimensions are a few inches larger, your pot pie will just be a but more shallow)

-Large soup pot

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.
2. Spray the inside of your casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Spray the inside of a large soup pot with nonstick spray and pour in your olive oil. Heat your pot over medium high heat and add your onion. Cook until translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Then, add your chicken or turkey, mix with your onion, chopping with a wooden spoon/spatula and stir until cooked.
4. Add your chicken broth, green peas, carrots, mushrooms, thyme, rosemary, sea salt, and black pepper and mix well. Turn heat to medium-low and cook while preparing your sweet potato mixture.
5. In a Vitamix or other blender, mix your sweet potato puree and coconut milk on high until thoroughly combined. Add your creamy sweet potato mixture to your soup pot and stir into other ingredients. Continue to cook on low while you prepare your crust.
6. Prepare your crust according to the directions on the box.
7. Measure out two sheets of parchment paper the size of your casserole dish and spray the insides with nonstick spray. Place your parchment paper on a rubber mat with the nonstick spray side up.
8. Then oil your fingers with olive oil (to keep your hands from sticking to the dough) and roll your dough into a ball. Place your dough on the oiled side of your parchment paper on your rubber mat (prevents parchment paper and dough from slipping while rolling it out) and place the other piece of parchment paper on top (oiled side down on the dough) (this keeps your parchment paper from sticking to the rolling pin and allows for no cleanup)…sorry for all the parentheses, haha.
9. Roll out your dough with a rolling pin between the two pieces of parchment paper to the size of your casserole dish.
10. Dump the filling in your soup pot into the casserole dish and place your crust on top. Prick the dough a few times to allow steam to escape.
11. Cook on the middle rack for 1 hour. Let cool for 10 minutes at least before serving.
12. Enjoy!!!

Paleo Roasted Grapes with Thyme and Cashew Cheese topped Focaccia:(Serves 8)

*This recipe uses a bread mix from Simple Mills. This is the first recipe I’ve posted using a Paleo mix, but I feel like it’s worth it for all my Paleo viewers out there. If you haven’t heard of Simple Mills, they are a GREAT company. The have the ONLY Paleo baking mixes I will use. They use only organic, Paleo, ingredients and every mix they have is GREAT! This recipe uses their sandwich bread mix, while can also be used to make a focaccia flatbread. Just follow the flatbread recipe on the back of their sandwich bread mix box. You can order Simple Mills mixes online at their website, at Fresh Market, Earthfare, and Whole Foods.

*The cashew cheese in this recipe uses my cashew cheese recipe found on my website.

Ingredients for the Roasted Grapes:

-4 cups organic red seedless grapes

-1 Tbsp. olive oil

-1 heaping Tbsp. honey

-1/4 tsp. finely ground Himalayan sea salt

-1/8 tsp. finely ground black pepper

-1 Tbsp. chopped Thyme (dried or fresh may be used)

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Mix your ingredients well in a large bowl
3. Line a large baking pan with aluminum foil and dump your grape mixture onto the foil.
4. Bake at 450 F for 5 to 7 minutes.

Ingredients for the Sweet Cashew Cheese:

–1/3 cup cashew cheese melted (recipe found on website)

-2 tsp. vanilla extract or vanilla powder (preferred if you have it!)

-1 Tbsp. organic stevia powder

-1 Tbsp. Grade B maple syrup

Method:

1. Mix your ingredients well and pour over your prepared focaccia flatbread.
2. Top with your roasted grapes and return to the 450 F oven for 5 minutes or until heated.
3. Enjoy this as a savory, salty, and sweet dessert that is SURE to impress!

Paleo Kale, Mandarin, Walnut, and Cranberry Salad:

(Serves 2 LARGE servings)

 *This is one of the fastest and easiest salads I make on a regular basis. This is great for a healthy lunch, dinner, or side to any dish. This dish is also PACKED with immune boosting nutrients. Did you know kale provides you with a hefty dose of vitamin B6, dietary fiber, calcium, potassium, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin B2, iron, magnesium, vitamin B1, omega-3 fatty acids phosphorus, protein, folate, and niacin. It is also great for the digestive system and is easier for the body to break down than many other types of fibrous veggies. It is also great for the skin! Eat this salad on a regular basis to feel radiant inside and out!

Ingredients/Method:

-1 large bunch of organic kale (with the stem removed and leaves chopped-to remove stem lay each kale leaf flat and cut along either side of the kale stem to remove the leaf. Then chop the leaf. Trust me you will want to remove the stem. If not you will have tough kale stems in your salad…not good for the texture of your salad or your digestive system!)

-2 10 oz. cans of organic mandarin slices in mandarin orange juice. Make sure to strain the mandarin juice from the mandarins into a large separate bowl (the juice should equal a little over half a cup. Then put your strained mandarins in another large wide rimmed bowl with your chopped kale. The brand I use is Native Farms 100% Organic Mandarins in Organic Mandarin Orange Juice. Found at Fresh Market.

-1/2 cup organic dried cranberries

-1/2 cup chopped walnuts

-2 Tbsp. sesame seeds

-2 naval oranges chopped (optional if you want even more oranges in your salad)

 1. Combine all of these ingredients, except for the mandarin orange juice, in a large, wide rimmed, bowl (so you can toss your ingredients with your salad).

 2. Add the following ingredients to your smaller bowl with your strained mandarin orange juice to create the dressing:

-1 Tbsp. sesame oil

-1 heaping Tbsp. Organic Raw Honey

-1 ½ Tbsp. coconut aminos (found at Earthfare and Whole Foods..it’s a Paleo soy sauce without the soy…love this stuff!)

-2 Tbsp. rice vinegar

3. Mix your dressing well and pour over your salad. Toss well with clean hands.

4. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy clean up), and dump your salad on the baking sheet.

5. Bake the 250 F for 5 minutes.

 *Serve warm or chilled. Make sure to pour the extra dressing over the salad after you take it out of the oven and put in a container or bowls. Baking it for only 5 minutes at the low temperature allow the juices from the dressing to really incorporate into the salad without causing the salad to cook and loose any nutrients. You will want your salad to be slightly swimming in your delicious dressing. Enjoy and be well!!!

 P.S. You can also freeze this salad if you want to make it in bulk with more for later!

Paleo Naan or Onion Kulcha Bread:

(Makes 6 to 8 depending on your size of each)

*My husband and I LOVE Indian food. One of the great things about Indian food is the fact that most things are Celiac-safe, except for the wonderful naan and kulcha breads and other breaded side items, such as samosas. Indian foods utilize the use of spices for flavor instead of other allergens, and the spices used are wonderful for your health due to their antioxidant power. The only allergen found in many sauces is yogurt, which can be substituted for coconut milk in most Indian recipes. It is very hard for me to eat our beloved Indian foods without the fluffy naan or onion kulcha. If you are not an Indian food lover, naan and kulchas are wonderful fluffy flatbreads used with Indian food to soak up the extra sauce and as a wonderful side to any Indian dish. Traditionally, Indian food is not eaten with utensils, which is why naan and kulchas are used to help scoop up the food! Please don’t picture my husband and I eating Indian with our hands and not a fork…my cultural competence does not reach to incorporating this practice in my own Indian eating enjoyment. But if that’s your style, more power to ya! So I have finally discovered a paleo naan and kulcha recipe that is as close to the real thing as you can get! WOO HOO!!!! Enjoy with Indian or as a wonderful fluffy flatbread for other dishes!

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup coconut flour (Almond flour may be used if sensitive to coconut flour, the texture may be just a bit different)

-1 cup arrowroot powder

-1 ½ tsp. baking powder (aluminum free)

-1 tsp. finely ground Himalayan sea salt

-5 Tbsp. ground flax seeds

-4 eggs (pasture raised if possible)

-1/4 cup olive oil

-1 tsp. organic apple cider vinegar (Braggs brand preferred…found at Publix, Fresh Market, Earth Fare, and probably others)

-3/4 cup coconut milk (So Delicious Dairy Free Culinary Coconut Milk Lite if possible…found at Fresh Market…lower in fat and saturated fat than regular coconut milk and very little guar gum added (less than 1%)…not enough to upset the tummy)

-Kelapo Nonstick Coconut Oil spray (organic and found at Earthfare, Fresh Market, Publix, and probably others)

-Organic extra virgin coconut oil

-1/4 organic white onion chopped (if you want to make onion kulchas)

Method:

1. Mix all of your ingredients in a food processor until smooth and ground finely. I used my Vitamix. Add the onion at the very end and pulse twice to incorporate but not blend the onion). The mixture will be very thick.
2. Heat your skillet on medium high heat and spray with nonstick coconut oil spray. Drop 1 Tbsp. coconut oil onto the pan and let melt.
3. Put 2 to 3 Tbsp. of our mix onto the hot skillet and CAREFULLY spread into a circle with wet fingers (wet fingers will keep the dough from sticking to your fingers while spreading).
4. Cook on each side for 2 minutes and repeat with the rest of the dough.
5. Enjoy!!!

Paleo Baked Veggie Kabobs:

*This is served as a great side dish for any dish any time of year! Great for company as well!

Ingredients: *ALL ORGANIC of course!

-Portobello mushrooms

-Red Bell Pepper

-Red Onion

-Zucchini

-Yellow Squash

-Pineapple (optional)

-Black Pepper

-Garlic Powder

-Finely Ground Himalayan Sea Salt

-Dried ground rosemary

-Extra Virgin Olive Oil

-1/2 squeezed lemon

-Nonstick Coconut Oil spray

-Kabob skewers

Method:

1. Chop and arrange you veggies on the skewers. I bought mine pre-skewered and chopped at Fresh Market if you’re being lazy like me today! Preheat your oven to 400 F.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum Foil and spray with nonstick coconut oil spray. Place your skewers on your baking sheet making sure they don’t touch.
3. Drizzle each skewer with olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice on both sides. Then top with your spices.
4. Bake at 400F for 12 minutes on lower rack of the oven or until tender and slightly browned on both sides. Rotate after 6 minutes.

Paleo Sautéed Cod with Creamy Leek Sauce:

(Serves 2)

*This creamy fish recipe is SO EASY and FAST. It will impress guests and is great for a weeknight dinner to make ahead of time. I will self-disclose on what happened the night I made this. I was really tired and was making dinner for the next couple of days. I tasted the dish from the pan (as usual), let it cool, and then transferred it into Tupperware to store for my dinners. On the way to the fridge, I tripped over myself (yes…myself) in a moment of clumsiness, and my beautiful dinners for the next couple of days splattered across the entire kitchen. Win some, loose some…. a mini melt-down later with no extra time or ingredients to cook… I was scooping up the fish with my dog Jasmin helping me. At least Jasmin had a great dinner that night! Moral of the story…WATCH YOUR STEP on the way to the fridge!

Ingredients:

2 cod filets

2 organic leeks sliced thin

1 tsp. organic garlic powder

2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

½ tsp. lemon pepper

¾ cup light coconut milk

2 Tbsp. Cocoyo brand coconut milk plain yogurt

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. arrowroot mixed with 3 Tbsp. water

Method:

1. Sautee your leeks, garlic powder, and lemon pepper with olive oil over medium heat until soft stirring throughout (about 10 minutes).
2. Add your cilantro, coconut milk, Cocoyo yogurt, and arrowroot mixture and stir. Bring to a simmer.
3. Nestle your cod into the sauce and cover with a lid with a little gap for steam to escape.
4. Cook for five minutes, flip fish and cook for 2 minutes until fish flakes with a fork.

*Great served with a side of baked sweet potato fries or baked sweet potatoes!

Paleo Pumpkin Pie

(Serves 8)

*Want to enjoy the holidays with PUMPKIN PIE without the guilt or resulting upset tummy? Here you go! And it’s just as good as the unhealthy version! WOO HOO!!

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 ½ cups almond flour

2 pinches of Himalayan sea salt finely ground

1 tsp. vanilla

2 Tbsp. Grade B maple syrup

1 egg

2 Tbsp. coconut yogurt (Cocoyo brand…found at Earthfare…REALLY THICK and CREAMY)

¼ cup Stevia

9 inch glass pie pan

Coconut oil nonstick spray

Method:

Mix well until there are no lumps in the dough. Spray a 9 inch pie pan with coconut oil nonstick spray and press your crust into our pie pan. Prick bottom of pie dough with a fork 5 or 6 times.

Filling:

1 can of organic pumpkin puree

2 eggs (preferably from pasture raised chickens…found at Earthfare and Fresh Market)

3 Tbsp. grade B maple syrup

1 ½ tsp. Himalayan sea salt finely ground

1 tsp. vanilla

¾ cups stevia

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 pinch of ground cloves

3 Tbsp. coconut yogurt (Cocoyo brand..found at Earthfare) (Coconut cream from the top of a can of full fat coconut milk will work, too)

¾ cups lite coconut milk

*Optional but recommended…8 or 9 medjol dates soaked for 2 hours in water and pureed.

Method:

1. Mix your ingredients well until smooth and pour into your pie crust. Bake at 350 F for 50 minutes on the middle rack until center is no longer runny and fairly firm.

*Enjoy topped with coconut whipped cream or coconut Cocoyo yogurt and a dash of cinnamon on top. Accompany with a glass of cold almond or hazelnut milk.

Paleo Spicy Salmon Rub:

(Serves 2)

-This is a GREAT and easy salmon recipe that only takes minutes to cook and prepare. The flavor is amazing. The fish can be served alone with vegetables on the side or over a salad. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

-2 salmon filets

-1 Tbsp. organic virgin olive oil

For Rub:

-4 Tbsp. coconut sugar

-2 Tbsp. organic paprika (smoked paprika preferred)

-2 tsp. Himalayan Sea Salt finely ground

-1 ½ tsp. organic black pepper

-1 ½ tsp organic thyme

-pinch of organic ground cumin

-pinch of organic cayenne pepper

Method:

1. Heat a skillet on medium to high heat and add your olive oil.
2. Make your spice rub and mix well.
3. Coat your salmon filets in the spice rub and place on the hot skillet.
4. Cook 2 minutes per side until the salmon flakes with a fork and place on a serving dish to cool.