SCD/Primal Spicy Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Lately, the only thing that motivates me to get creative in the kitchen is a craving for certain foods that I can't seem to find elsewhere that are gluten-free or don't make me feel sick. Thus, this spinach and artichoke dip was invented. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 can artichoke hearts, drained
8oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup Greek style yogurt
3/4 cup Parmesan or Parmesan Reggiano
1 1/2 cups other mixed hard white cheeses (your choice)
2 small jalapenos, finely diced (optional)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

Directions:

Break the artichoke hearts up by hand or chop with knife.
Mix with spinach, yogurt, cheese, optional peppers, and spices in a mixing bowl.
Lightly Grease a 2 quart baking dish.
Pour mixture into dish.
Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or until cheese starts turning golden brown and bubbly.
Enjoy with vegetable sticks or plantain chips.

Summer Ground Beef Stir Fry (paleo, scd)

I've really been into one-dish meals lately, I truly hate kitchen clean-up. This dish smells so good while it's cooking, it will have everyone in your house asking what's for dinner. (The taste stands up to the smell, too.) A stir-fry is a great way to use up that produce you have from your garden or farmer's market. Lots of color and flavor and super easy to make in a hurry.

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs lean ground beef (93/7)
4 large peppers (I used New Mexico Big Jim Chili Peppers)
2 small summer squashes (I used a local variety)
1/2 jar sliced kalamata olives (3 oz)
1 Tbsp onion powder
2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp Spanish paparika
1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
salt, to taste

Directions:

Chop squash into one inch cubes. Slice peppers into half inch strips.
Throw all of the above ingredients into a large frying pan over medium high heat and use spatula to mix around.
Keep over heat until ground beef cooked through, about 12 minutes, then reduce heat to simmer for another three minutes.
Serve hot.

Greek Artichoke Salad (scd, primal, paleo)

A light dish perfect for the hot weather that corresponds with summertime. Would also make a great side to bring to a paleo potluck, if you are so lucky to be a part of one. You can always throw your own- make it a block party!

Ingredients:

1 large seedless English cucumber
1 cup fresh cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 cans artichoke hearts (14oz each)
1 jar roasted red peppers (8oz)
1 jar kalamata olives, sliced (6oz)
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp high quality olive oil
salt, to taste
* 1/4 cup cheese optional: Feta for Primal, Parmesan for SCD, or omit for strict Paleo.

Directions:

Dice cucumber into bite size pieces and halve or quarter cherry tomatoes.
Drain the jars and/or cans of artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and olives.
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
Eat right away or let marinade for at least 6 hours before serving for more intense flavors.

Flounder Stuffed Peppers

This is a super simple dish that, served cold, is rather refreshing on a hot summer day. Low in calories and carbs, high in protein.

6-8 mini bell peppers
1 cup freshly cooked flounder filets, cooled
2 Tbsp mashed avocado (or guacamole)
1/8 cup chopped banana peppers
10 green olives, pitted and chopped
1 Tbsp prepared mustard

1. If you haven't already cooked the fish, saute the filets in coconut oil until flaky and cooked through, set aside and let cool.

2. Cut the mini bell peppers in half and discard the seeds and membranes. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, use a fork to break up the fish into shredded meat.

4. Add avocado, banana peppers, olives, and mustard.

5. Mix well.

6. Stuff peppers with flounder salad. Enjoy!

Cabbage Noodles and Meat Sauce (scd, paleo)

At some point in your Paleo life you give up the dream that any vegetable will ever come close to actually substituting the taste of wheat-based pasta. Yes, the noodle texture is duplicated in zoodles and such, but to be quite honest, there is just no Paleo food that will every compete in the same game as pasta. At the same time, however, you may begin to realize that your relationship with food is not what you once idealized. Realizing that sometimes we crave- not flavors and textures, but ideas of food. For instance, having a pasta-type base of stringy food that fills up the majority of a plate topped with a red sauce infused with herbs, spices, and bits of tender meat will trick your brain more than first presumed. Perhaps these cabbage noodles on their own will not inspire any dishes in Italy any time soon, but they may bring some comfort back into your Paleo food palate. That being said, this dish is truly delicious in its own faux-noodle kind of way.

Ingredients:

1 medium head green cabbage
1 lb 92/8 (lean/fat) ground turkey
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp thyme
salt, to taste

Directions:

Cut cabbage into quarters after removing outer leaves. Cut out core. Slice lengthwise into thin strips. Place cabbage into large pot and cover with water. Add vinegar to water in pot. Boil on high for about ten minutes, or until cabbage is tender-crisp but not mushy. Strain off water when appropriate consistency is reached.

Meanwhile, heat coconut oil in large frying pan or wok. Add diced onion and cook until translucent. Add turkey and spices and cook until no longer pink. Add drained tomatoes and simmer for about ten minutes.

Top cabbage "noodles" with turkey sauce. Add salt to taste. Enjoy.

Paleo Baked Stuffed Bananas (scd, paleo)

Evolved monkey food. It's delicious.


Ingredients:

3 medium bananas
a few Tablespoons almond butter
a few raisins
scant palm-full unsweetened coconut flakes

Directions:

Using a sharp knife make a cut lengthwise down the center of each banana. Cut through almost all of the banana without puncturing the bottom side of the peel.
Stuff some almond butter into the crevice created by said cut.
Push a few raisins down into the center of the banana as well. (if there are any left on the top they are likely to burn)
Sprinkle with a few coconut flakes.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until the coconut flakes are golden brown and the insides of the banana are mushy.

Enjoy.

Paleo Turkey Stir Fry (paleo, scd)

One of the advantages of living in a country full of lazy people is that some things are far easier for those of us who normally do not take shortcuts. For example, the steamed vegetables in a bag are becoming ever more popular but the idea of steaming vegetables in a plastic bag is very not-Paleo. However, just because food is packaged and marketed a specific way does not mean that it has to be used as the manufacture intended. I'm sure you've seen pre-packaged items in the store like vegetable stir fry mix. Read the ingredients to make sure there aren't any unnecessary additives, just plain, unadulterated veggies that happen to be pre-cut. Is everything I buy always organic? No. Do I wish it was? Yes. But we can't have everything in life. If you are looking for a quick and easy Paleo meal try this timesaver.

 

Ingredients:

1 package of stir fry veggie mix (12 ounces broccoli, cabbage, carrots, snow peas)

1 pound 99% lean ground turkey

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp pepper

salt, to taste

Directions: 

Heat coconut oil in large frying pan over medium high heat.

Add ground turkey. 

Break into pieces with a spatula, stirring occasionally.

When turkey is about half way cooked through, add stir fry vegetables and spices.

Cover and reduce heat to medium.

Stir occasionally and continue to cook for about ten to fifteen minutes, until veggies are tender-crisp and turkey is cooked thoroughly.

Enjoy.

Apple Pie Smoothie (scd, primal)

The great thing about having my Vitamix is that it's so powerful it not only pulverizes ice, it also creates incredibly smooth drinks even when cores, seeds, and skins are left on fruits. Apple seeds contain cyanide but I blend them into the smoothie anyways. I have heard that they actually have anti-cancer properties. While eating a bowlful of them is probably not encouraged, I think in small doses there's nothing wrong with ingesting them. Seems Paleo to me.

Ingredients:

1 apple, quartered
1/2 cup plain yogurt (for strict Paleo use coconut milk yogurt)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon (or apple pie spice)
1/4 tsp allspice
1 Tbsp honey
1 cup ice

Directions:

In above order, put ingredients in high speed blender, like Vitamix.
Blend on high for about two minutes, or until completely smooth.
Enjoy!


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Banana Poppy Seed Cookies (scd, paleo)

No added sweeteners! Yay!
These cookies use only the sugar from bananas to make them just sweet enough to not feel guilty about eating. They kind of taste like delicious banana bread with a twist. Word to the wiser: don't try to take a drug test after eating poppy seeds. You will fail.

Ingredients:

3 very ripe bananas
3 eggs
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 Tbsp softened coconut oil
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp poppy seeds
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup pecans

Directions:

Mash the bananas very well and add the eggs, stir until well combined.
Add coconut flour and stir again until well combined.
Add coconut oil, salt, poppy seeds, and cinnamon. Mix thoroughly.
On a greased baking sheet or stone form into cookies about two inches in diameter and one centimeter in height. Pat them down to form an even cookie. (coconut flour does not allow the cookie to spread out from a ball shape to a flat cookie like wheat flour does.)
Place walnuts on top.
Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes.
Remove from baking sheet and let cool.
Enjoy!

Garlic Seasoned Green Beans

There is no shame in using frozen vegetables instead of fresh. In fact, frozen produce often contains higher quantities of naturally occuring vitamins and other good stuff because it gets frozen at the peak of ripeness, just after being picked versus the "fresh" produce that is offered in most grocery markets that is sometimes picked prematurely and left to ripen on a shelf. Unfortunately, for a creative kitchen, frozen vegetables cannot perform in the same way their never-been-cold counterparts can. This does not mean there is no way to spice them up, however. Here is a super simple recipe that contains basic spices for maximum flavor impact using frozen vegetables.

Ingredients:

1 1lb bag frozen green beans
1 Tbsp grass-fed butter (or coconut oil)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
salt, to taste

Directions:

Boil green beans until cooked, but not mushy.
Drain water and add butter and spices.
Mix well and serve.

Marjoram Buttered Baked Chicken

Sometimes the most efficient dinner is just baking a whole chicken and throwing some veggies in the oven as a side or tossing together a salad. Unfortunately, for many, baking an entire bird often ends up in dry, bland protein that is not satisfying to eat. The trick to a moist, juicy bird is to combine spices with butter (or oil if you are strict non-dairy) and coat the top of the meat in between the overlaying of the bird's skin. It's a dirty job but your taste buds will thank you later.

1 whole [free-range] chicken
4 Tbsp [grassfed] butter, softened (or coconut oil)
2 Tbsp marjoram
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground pepper (white or black)
1 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine softened butter with spices.
Separate skin from the breast meat with your hand, careful not to tear through the skin.
Rub spiced butter across the bird between the skin and meat in a thin layer. Use any remaining butter to spread across the top of the skin over breasts, legs, and wings.
Bake for 20 minutes per pound, the last twenty minutes increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.
When chicken is cooked through, slice and eat.

*tip: leave your chicken out to get around room temperature. If either the butter or the poultry is cold, the butter will be very difficult to spread.

Snickers Yogurt

The fact that this recipe qualifies neither as SCD or Paleo is irrelevant. I hope that at some point in your own journey to health you come to realize that recipes can be adapted, quite easily. For instance, to make this SCD-legal just omit the cacao powder (maybe add extra cinnamon if so), or to make this Paleo use coconut milk yogurt and replace peanuts with almonds. I hope this satisfies your sweet tooth enough to stay away from an actual candy bar.

Ingredients:

1 cup yogurt
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp cacao powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/8 cup peanuts

Directions:

Mix everything together.
Eat.

Apple Coffee Cake Muffins (paleo, scd)

First of all, sorry that I am terrible at keeping up with posting on this blog on a regular basis. I feel like I have to apologize for being remiss more often than I actually post as frequently as I should. In any case, I know this recipe will make up for it. Oh and there's a handwritten note on your dresser from me. Yeah, that should cover the bases.

Know what goes with coffee? Coffee cake. If you guessed that, you are really smart. Pat on the back for you. Now make these.


Ingredients:

Muffins:
1/4 cup coconut flour
3/4 cup almond flour
3 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut milk (or water)
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 cup diced apples

Icing:
1/4 cup coconut cream concentrate
1/4 cup coconut oil
3 Tbsp honey

Directions:

Combine flours, eggs, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, and coconut milk (or water), honey, and oil together in a medium bowl. Mix well.
Fold in the diced apples.
Lightly oil the insides of a muffin tin.
Spoon batter into muffin tin, it should make 9 muffins.
For the icing- if needed, soften the coconut cream concentrate and coconut oil in the microwave for ten seconds. Add honey and mix well. Set half of this icing aside.
Using the other half, spoon a small dollop of icing on top of each muffin.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes, until tops turn light gold and insides of muffins are cooked through.
Let cool and remove from pan.
Use remaining icing to top.
Eat.

Sweet Squash Stacks (scd, paleo)

Easy recipe win. Squash and coconut combine for a surprisingly nice flavor. What I have found to be true is that some squashes are sweeter than others. The butternut squash I used in this recipe was naturally very sweet and therefore I felt it completely unnecessary to add any extra sweeteners to these snacks. If you, by chance, get more of a bland tasting squash then I would suggest adding perhaps 1/4 cup of honey to the batter before baking for a sweeter taste.

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked squash (pureed)
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 Tbsp coconut flour
1/2 tsp vanilla 
1 egg
1/2 cup raisins
pinch of salt


Directions:

Combine all of above in a medium mixing bowl.
Place in one inch piles on baking sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes.
Let cool.
Enjoy!