The BEST marinara sauce.

So I made this sauce two nights ago for the spaghetti I made, I had quite a bit extra and it was so good I wanted to try it on pizza, so I made this paleo pizza crust, it was great, and incredibly easy:
http://paleospirit.com/2014/paleo-pizza-crust-recipe/ . Then added my sauce and topped with mushrooms, red bell pepper, grilled chicken breast and basil (and cheese for the kids).  This sauce is amazing and so versatile, I should also add that the kids had meatball subs last night with it, they might be getting sick of Italian, or maybe not ;). This sauce is great, and I am sure would freeze great as well!

1 sweet onion small dice.
1/4  cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. tomato paste
2 28 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes (preferably organic in a BPA free can)
5 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp. dried Italian spices
1 cup parsley (stems ok)
Sea Salt
Fresh Black Pepper (both to taste)
3/4 cup white wine
Basil

Heat a skillet to medium high and add the onion, sautee until soft and translucent
Add the rest of the ingredients except the wine to a high powered blender or food processor and puree. When the onions are done add the wine wine and allow to cook down a few minutes then add the pureed sauce and simmer for at least 40 minutes. At the end mince your basil and add cooking another 3 minutes or so.

That's it! I hope you'll like this sauce and find a million other uses for it (You could also brown some ground beef prior to the oil and onions and then set aside and add in later for a yummy meat sauce if you don't want to use it as marinara sauce. This would also be delicious for just dipping some paleo bread into!

Homemade Paleo Meatballs and Pasta

Usually being able to eat certain things doesn't bother me, if you would ask me the only things I really miss are doughnuts and pizza, since I can't have the cheese. The other day though I was craving pasta, good homemade pasta. I decided I would find a recipe, I did, it was incredible then I made my homemade marinara (recipe to follow) and made up a recipe for paleo meatballs. It turned out incredible, it was one of the best pasta dishes I have ever eaten, and I've made my own glutenous pasta and been to Italy. It was a process but worth it. I will say the noodles were ugly I couldn't get them through the past press without them breaking so I made them into strips, they'd be great for lasagna! Here's the link to the pasta:

http://www.paleocupboard.com/paleo-pasta.html 

Make sure you cook the pasta in salted water for 2-3 minutes

For the meatballs: 

Parsley diced small (about a cup) 

Organic Grass Fed ground beef (about 1lb.) 

1 Organic egg wisked
1 tbsp. of dried Italian spice blend (not a spice packet, we don't want any added salt or chemicals) 

about 1/4 cup almond flour finely ground

4-5 cloves minced garlic (I like mine really garlicy, adjust to taste) 

salt 

pepper

1/2 sweet onion finely diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Put everything in a bowl and mix by hand form into balls about 1" 

Heat a skillet on medium high with about 1 tbsp. avocado oil in it, slowly add the meatballs and brown on each side, no need to cook all the way through. 

Put the entire pan in the oven (make sure your skillet is oven-safe) for about 10 minutes.  

Spoon Marina over fresh noodles and add the meatballs!

Grain free, refined sugar free blueberry muffins

Well, I just ate 4 of these, this is why I shouldn't be baking, I have no self control with sweets or baked items, at least these are 'healthy'. Not calorie-wise, but they are nutrient dense…that's what I keep telling myself, oh and I got my butt kicked at Bassline Fitness today, so there's that excuse too ;) Make these and try not to eat them all, ok. go. 

1 cup frozen organic blueberries 

1 cup almond flour 

3 tbsp. coconut flour 

3 eggs wisked

1/4 cup melted (but not hot) coconut oil 

3 tbsp raw local honey

1-2 tsp of cinnamon 

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt 

1 tsp. vanilla 

1. Preheat oven to 350 

2. Combine flours, salt, cinnamon, baking soda 

3. Add the eggs, oil, honey and vanilla

4. Fold in blueberries 

5. Line a muffin tin

6. Using an ice cream scoop evenly scoop 12 muffins

7. Bake for approx. 20 minutes 

Paleo Shortcakes

So again, using those biscuits I made shortcakes, I warmed a biscuit and sliced organic strawberries and added some coconut whip cream. I think I have blogged this before but I am going to put the recipe below.

Take one can of full fat coconut milk refrigerate over night, do NOT shake!
Scoop out the solid coconut off the top into a chilled bowl (I froze my Kitchen Aid bowl and wisk for 30 minutes) add about 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract and for the shortcakes I used (about 1 1/2 tsp. Grade B maple syrup, when I go to parties use a little powdered sugar) but I try to limit the sugar. Whip until fluffy about 2 minutes and eat! Such a yummy treat!

Paleo (almost) Sloppy Joes

These I totally made up and they were so yummy, I used the biscuits below but it's good just with a spoon too! Also the reason they are only ALMOST paleo is because I used gluten free worcestershire sauce which had cane juice in it so there is some sugar. but it's super minimal so don't even worry. I used "the Wizards" worcestershire sauce that I found at Whole Foods :) 

1 lb. Organic Grass Fed Ground Beef 

1 Red Bell Pepper (orange or yellow would work but red is best) 

1 Yellow Onion

pinch of salt

1 Tbsp. Grade B Maple syrup

1 Tbsp. or so of Gluten Free Worcestershire sauce

1/4 Red Wine Vinegar

2 Cloves Garlic

2 tsp. Paprika

2 tsp. Garlic Powder

1 can Organic Tomato Sauce

1/4 Cup Tomato Paste

1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Heat the olive oil in a sautee pan and add the mined red pepper, garlic and onion and sautee until soft. When they are starting to soften add the ground beef and brown it. Add the vinegar, worcestershire and maple syrup stir and bring to a boil cook off some of the liquid and add the paprika, garlic powder and tomato paste, stir again and add the can of tomato sauce. Simmer on the stove 30-40 minutes and serve with or without a biscuit, my kids each ate two sloppy joes with a biscuit and LOVED it, messy faces and all! 

Double Duty Biscuits

I made this great Paleo biscuits last night and used them for both dinner and dessert today, they are adapted from a Paleomg recipe and they were awesome the kids adored them!

1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 egg whites
2 whole eggs
2 Tbsp. Coconut oil
Preheat the oven to 350

In a bowl combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
In another bowl (I used my kitchen aid with the wisk attachment) whip the egg whites until fluffy.
Fold the egg whites into the dry ingredients until fully combined. Once combined add the two eggs and coconut oil. If you want a sweeter biscuit you could add about a tablespoon of honey. mix until you have a nice batter. Take a cookie sheet and line with parchment paper use an ice cream scoop to scoop the batter evenly, they will spread slightly. Bake for 15 minutes or so.