Tag Archives: paleo

Creamy Cauliflower & Cabbage Soup

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CreamyCauliflowerSoup

This soup is creamy, buttery, thick, and delicious. I have been on a weird cabbage kick lately and here we go. This soup is awesome and hearty and can be easily veganized by omitting the dairy (or switching for vegan versions), it will still be amazing. The recipe makes a lot so you will have meals for days, or for a group. I served this up with a sprinkle of cayenne and some sausage on the side. You will see I’ve suggested that the cabbage and cauliflower can be any size, the measurements can be adjusted for different amounts of veggies (it’s hard to hunt down a particular size of veggies).

Creamy Cauliflower & Cabbage Soup

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 head of cabbage (any size), roughly chopped
  • 1 head of cauliflower (any size), roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 5 cups of chicken broth (or more, to almost cover the veg)
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta
  • paprika or cayenne to sprinkle

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a very large pot melt the butter. Sauté the cabbage over medium-high heat until softened and somewhat translucent. 
  2. Add the cauliflower to the pot, sprinkle with pepper, salt, and cumin.
  3. Pour the both into the pot until you’ve just about covered the veggies.
  4. Bring to a boil. Then lower heat and allow the soup to simmer for an hour until everything is very tender.
  5. Using an immersion blender, blend up the soup until smooth.
  6. Add crumbled feta and cream to the smooth soup, and cook for another 10 minutes.
  7. Serve in a large bowl and sprinkle with either paprika or cayenne.
Ready to cook down.

Ready to cook down.

Pre-blending.

Pre-blending.

This cabbage looked lovely inside.

This cabbage looked lovely inside.

Massaged Kale Salad

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MassagedKaleSalad

This recipe was sent to me some time ago by our wonderful friend Evi. She always sending me delicious recipes and I finally got around to making this one! I am sure I’ve mentioned it before, but I love kale, so does Gen. So finding new ways to integrate it into our diet is always great! This salad is super simple. Really, it is 5 or so ingredients, and a few minutes of your time. I’ve actually come to the conclusion that this would be a wonderful way to start an even more complex salad, a great way to integrate the benefits of avocado for the Apple Dijon Kale Salad. Really, the possibilities are endless and this is both an awesome salad on its own and really snazzy jumping-off point for many delicious variations. 

Massaged Kale Salad

Adapted from The Wannabe Chef.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups kale, roughly chopped
  • 1 large avocado
  • juice of 1/2 lemon or lime
  • 2 stalks of celery, diced
  • 2 green onions, diced
  • 1 medium tomato, diced (optional, we didn’t have any at the time, still turned out delicious)
  • pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • pinch of black pepper

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a large bowl, toss the kale with your lemon juice. 
  2. Cut the avocado up and plunk onto of kale.
  3. Remove any finger jewelery… it’s about to get messy.
  4. Massage the avocado into the kale for 5-8 minutes, until the kale is evenly coated in avocado and looking vibrantly green.
    You are looking to essentially mash the avocado into the kale leaves.
  5. Toss in your onions, celery, and tomato. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cayenne (if using).
  6. Serve alongside something hearty.
Pre-avocado rubdown!

Pre-avocado rubdown!

The terrible final image of a very tasty salad.

The terrible final image of a very tasty salad.

 

Almond Parmesan Crusted Chicken Strips

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I have lots of parmesan floating around in my fridge right now from the flax crackers I made last week. I didn’t feel like whipping up crackers but was hurting for some chicken strips. After cleaning out my coffee grinder, I went to work grinding up almonds and parmesan, and I was on the road! You can definitely use pre-ground almonds and kraft parmesan, but I was using the fresh deliciousness on hand. These are crunchy and satisfying and definitely higher on the health scale than the regular breaded version! They also cook up in a jiffy, making for an easy dinner on a busy night. Serve with salad, or braised brussels sprouts (at Gen’s desperate request).

Almond Parmesan Crusted Chicken Strips

INGREDIENTS

  • 1.5 lbs chicken tenders (or 3 chicken breasts, sliced into strips)
  • 1 cup blanched almonds, finely ground
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, ground
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 eggs, whisked 

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
  2. Grind up your almonds and parmesan and toss them together in a bowl. Stir in the spices and whisk until well combined.
  3. Whisk your eggs in a shallow bowl.
  4. Dip each strip into the eggs and then toss in the almond mixture and set on a plate.
  5. Let the strips rest in the coating for 5-10 minutes.
  6. In a large pan heat some oil and cook the strips for 3 minutes each side.
  7. Lay the strips on the prepared cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until cooked through.

Let the chicken strips rest in their coating for a few minutes.

Deviled Eggs light lunching

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Looking for a quick lunch, I boiled up some eggs, mashed up the yolks with some of my favourites, and ate like a queen! These aren’t the most attractive version of this treat, I was just making it for myself. It is delicious though, and there are many variations of deviled eggs out there, try them all! Make them for lunch, breakfast, appetizers, whatever floats your boat.

Deviled Eggs

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 dozen eggs, boiled and peeled (place eggs in a medium pot and cover with water. Bring them to a boil. Turn off the heat and let the eggs sit for 10-15 minutes. Peel, rinse and set aside)
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard (I used habanero mustard this round)
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise (make your own!)
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 green onions, diced
  • 1 stick of celery, finely diced

DIRECTIONS

  1. Slice the eggs lengthwise, pop the yolks out and into a medium bowl. Lay the whites on a plate and set aside.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients, except onions and celery, to the yolks and mash until well combined.
  3. Stir the celery and onions into the yolk mixture.
  4. Spoon the yolk mixture into the yolk holes in the whites. Feel free to sprinkle with a little paprika before munching down.

It’s not pretty, but it is tasty.

 

Parmesan Flax Crackers

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These crackers are delicious, but really, I like the flavour of flax, so I am bias. These bake up crispy, are sturdy for cheese and dip, and can be different flavours based on preference and convenience. Give them a try and let me know what you think!

Parmesan Flax Crackers

Adapted from I Breathe… I’m Hungry

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/4 cup flax seeds, finely ground
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated (don’t use the powdery stuff, grate fresh)
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper, ground
  • coarse salt for sprinkling before baking

optional flavours:

  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (great with creamy cheese/dip, salsa, hummus)
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary (good with creamy dips/cheese, hummus, or on their own)
  • 1 tsp dried basil (great with creamy mozzarella for a quick snack)
  • 1/2 tsp curry power (great with tomato soup, really)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Combine all the ingredients (including spices as desired), except the salt, in a large bowl.
  2. Stir with a wooden spoon until fully combined.  Let the dough sit for 10 minutes, in the fridge is best.
  3. On a large piece of parchment or wax paper, form the dough into a large log (with the circumference of your desired crackers). If you want square crackers, use a flat surface (cutting boarded) and  the counter to gently square your corners.
  4. Gently wrap the log in the parchment and allow it to chill for 1 hour.
  5. Heat the oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  6. Using a sharp knife with a thin blade, slice crackers off the log, gently placing them on the prepared cookie sheet. The thinner the cracker, the better.
  7. Sprinkle the crackers with salt and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, flip the crackers gently and bake for another 3-5 minutes, until browned and dried.
  8. Let cool for the crunchiest crackers.

Ready for mixing.

Not the prettiest, but worth it!