Sweet Potato Pancakes

Breakfast is one of my favorite meals and ever since we started eating Paleo (no grains or legumes) I've been missing pancakes. I have tried a few recipes (pumpkin pancakes, banana pancakes) and they were good but Sam wasn't sold on them.

The other day after a particularly hard workout I just really wanted some nice pancakes so I went to work and combined some of the aspects I liked about the different recipes and came up with a really great recipe. Kellen came to try some and wouldn't leave it alone. He loved them and even Sam said they were the best since we switched to Paleo.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

*You can substitute pumpkin for sweet potato but you will lose some sweetness.

4 eggs
2/3 c. Sweet Potato, Pureed
1 Banana, Mashed
1 1/2 t. Vanilla
2 Tbs. Maple Syrup (optional)
1 1/2 t. Cinnamon
1 1/2 t. Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/4 t. Baking Soda
1/8 t. Salt
2 Tbs. butter, melted

Whisk together eggs, sweet potato, banana, vanilla, and maple syrup. Add cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Whisk til combined and then whisk in butter. Melt butter or coconut oil in skillet over med heat and fry.

Pumpkin Pie "Lara" Bars

I was talking to a couple of friends today and we started talking about food. Recently I switched to eating a more paleo-esque lifestyle and so had one of the friends I was talking to and she mentioned homemade Lara Bars and I had to try it out.

Now some people may not know what Lara Bars are but they are a type of energy bar that has minimal ingredients in it. They are quite delicious but too expensive eat everyday. I started hunting down recipes online to see what I could find and I found one of my favorite websites (I also have two of her cookbooks) and I tweaked her recipe to what I had on hand.

 They turned out delish. They were super simple and actually quite fun to make. Even the kids got to help mix up the date/nut mixture. I am excited to try out different recipes but this one is definitely delicious.

 

Pumpkin Pie Lara Bars

*adapted from Everyday Paleo

 

3/4  cup Raw Almonds

1/2 cup Roasted Cashews

1/4  cup Pumpkin Seeds

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

10 Medjool dates

20 Dried Prunes

Coconut Oil

In a food processor, pulse only the nuts, the sea salt, and the pumpkin pie spice until finely chopped but still chunky. Some will be ground up almost like almond meal but they will not all be consistent, and that’s totally ok. Pour those nuts into a large mixing bowl.

Add the dried dates and prunes to the food processor and process until it makes a paste. I started out with pulses and then left it on for a minute. The prunes were harder to get in to a paste but be patient.

Add the date/prune mixture to the nuts and use your hands to kneed the nuts and the dates together until well mixed. this got my hands super sticky but the kids loved helping with this part. 

Grease a  coconut oil and make a big ball out of your bar mixture and push it down onto your greased baking sheet. Press down until you get it the thickness you like. I did about 1/2". Or you could cover it with some plastic wrap and using a rolling pin, roll out the mixture to your desired thickness.

Refrigerate for about 20 minutes to harden it back up. Cut the rolled out mixture in to the size bars you want. I did some larger squares for the adults and smaller ones for the kids. Throw them in to a container and keep them in the fridge. Take out whenever you need a quick snack.

Baked Chicken Taquitos

I had some leftover corn tortillas from our fish taco night so I decided to look for a good recipe to use the rest of the tortilla. When I found this recipe I was so excited. I menu plan 1-2 weeks at a time and I have literally been counting down to this meal.

It was amazing. They were full of flavor and I couldn't stop eating them. They were so easy to make because I made the filling the night before so I just wrapped them out and baked them  and dinner was served. They would also make a great snack for girl's night or a party. Make them and enjoy.

Baked Chicken Taquitos


 adapted from Our Best Bites
Makes 14-16 taquitos

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup green salsa
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 green onion, sliced finely (white and green parts to equal about 2 tablespoons)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup grated monterey jack cheese
small yellow or white corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix softened cream cheese, green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.
You can prepare this step ahead of time (which I did – I made it the morning of). Just keep the mixture in the fridge.
Working with a few tortillas at a time, place 3-4 between two damp paper towels and microwave for 30-45 seconds, until tortillas are soft and pliable and don’t crack while rolling. Place 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture on the lower third of a soft tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Then roll it up as tight as you can.
Place filled taquitos seam side down on the baking sheet, making sure they don’t touch each other. When ready to bake, spray the tops lightly with cooking spray sprinkle somecoarse salt on top.
Place pan in oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Serve immediately plain or with sour cream or guacamole.

*We had a few extra so I froze them and when I needed to heat them up I did 425 for 12-13 minutes.

Egg and Pesto Stuffed Tomatoes

People always ask what I eat or what diet I'm on and I pretty much dabble in everything. Sometimes my meals are paleo and sometimes they are low carb. Other times they are rich pastas or delicious desserts. I'm a big fan of moderation. I've been trying to do a little more Paleo in the morning because we all eat different things at this house for breakfast so I can experiment a bit more.

I was pretty excited when I stumbled on to this recipe. Paleo and breakfast. Score!

At Crossfit my trainer told me about this breakfast they made where they cracked eggs into a tomato, baked them, and ate them. It sound very interesting and easy so I went on a search for temperatures and recipes.

I love pesto so of course this seemed like the obvious choice to try. I made these the next morning and they were awesome. Definitely not something I would make for the whole family since I am the only tomato lover in my house but definitely a me breakfast. I've made them a few times since and each time is better.

You should try these.

Egg and pesto stuffed tomatoes
adapted from Paleo Diet Lifestyle
2 large tomatoes
2 eggs
1 Tbs. pesto

Preheat oven to 400. Remove core and seeds from tomato. If it doesn't have a flat bottom slice a little off the bottom so that it sits upright. Place tomatoes in an 8x8 pan. Add pesto to tomato shell and crack one egg on top off pesto. Be careful to not break the yolk. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on top. Bake 18-21 minutes. Remove from oven and Enjoy.

Pesto
*This recipe will make more than necessary but I just put it in the fridge or freeze it and use whenever.

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
2-3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Add basil, cheese, lemon juice, nuts, and garlic in to a food processor and pulse until combined. With motor running slowly drizzle olive oil in to food processor. Add salt and pepper.

 

Pesto and Pea Salad

When I went home to Vancouver Washington for our annual vacation to see my parents we arrived at 11:30 at night. Normally I would be asleep but Sam and I were both starving and I can always count on my Mom having delicious food in her fridge and once again she did not disappoint.

There was an nice size container of some of the best salad I've had. I love pesto so I knew this would be right up my alley. I asked my Mom for the recipe and then forgot to get it from her but it seemed pretty basic. Pesto, pasta, peas, and pine nuts. I knew I wanted to make m own pesto and I've made it weekly since our trip. It's a great, easy snack and the kids and Sam LOVE it.

Pesto and Pea Salad
adapted from Serious Eats


1 cup packed fresh basil or mint (or combination), plus more for garnish
1 large garlic clove, roughly chopped (about 2 teaspoons)
1 ounce (about 1/4 cup) freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano
3 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts or pinenuts, plus more for garnish
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from 1-2 lemons (bottled lemon juice tastes different, use fresh)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound (8 ounces) gemelli pasta, cooked, drained and cooled
8 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) frozen green peas, thawed
6 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed out

To make the pesto, combine the herbs, garlic, cheese, nuts, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse several times until finely chopped. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the pasta and peas. Add the pesto little by little until salad is adequately dressed. Season to taste with salt, pepper and more lemon juice. Garnish salad with chopped nuts and chopped herbs, if desired.