I have a hard time motivating myself to do a lot of Paleo baking. I know I mention this every blue moon when I actually bake something, but it’s something I really want to improve for 2013. Yes, I’m already thinking of my New Year’s resolutions. Next year promises to be a big one and I think it should have a few more baked goods than 2012.
I’ve been gradually trying to get better at understanding the flours and combinations that produce the best results. It’s been a challenge, and I’ve had more than a few failed experiments, but I think I’m finally getting the hang of it. I will say that there are more than a few terrible recipes lurking out there that I’ve had the misfortune of trying along the way.
This has been my favorite loaf thus far. It’s the combination of a few different recipes. I absolutely love the light and fluffy crumb contrasted with the slight grain of the flax. Neil has taken to lightly toasting it with coconut butter for breakfasts, and it tastes phenomenal. I’ve enjoyed more than a few slices before CrossFit with some almond butter on top.
Ingredients:
5 large eggs
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup coconut flour, plus 1 tbsp
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
2 tablespoons plain, full-fat Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut milk
Directions:
- Whisk the eggs, honey, milk and melted butter together (make sure the butter is cooled first). Stir in the flax-seed.
- Toss the raisins with a tbsp of coconut flour and set aside.
- Sieve the coconut flour into a mixing bowl and stir in the baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring until thoroughly mixed. Fold in the raisins. This batter is deceptive. It will be somewhat dry, but resist the urge to add additional milk/moisture.
- Pour into a 9in x 5in loaf pan. Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes.
I think I’ve finally managed a really solid base recipe that I can now branch out a bit with and hopefully use with other flavors and fruit. I’m thinking cranberry, or perhaps a date bread might next?
I’m pretty proud of us, we got a lot done this weekend. However, none of it was blog-worthy. That’s not to say it wasn’t interesting, it was just a lot of paper-pushing and computer work. I’m concurrently working on my first two projects for work, and the hot weather and inability to do nearly anything but sit still gave me the perfect opportunity to read and watch documentation to get up to speed with the new software I’m using. Definitely not there yet, but I got a lot done. Meanwhile, Neil worked really hard on our latest client design, and I’m so excited about the shape it’s taking.
Because it was so beastly hot this weekend, we naturally felt like avoiding the kitchen as much as possible. Neil actually came up with the idea to make a fast and easy quiche, and he had most of the prep done before I could get the camera to snap some pictures.
Ingredients:
7 eggs
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup of broccolettes (roughly chopped broccoli works too)
1 green onion, sliced thinly
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup coconut milk
3/4 tsp baking powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and coconut milk together until thoroughly combined. Add remaining ingredients.
- Grease a 9″ pie dish with coconut oil/butter. Sprinkle almond meal evenly and tip the dish all around, tapping with your other hand to make sure it sticks to all sides. Dump out any excess.
- Bake the quiche for about 40 minutes, or until cooked through in the center (we always cook a little extra so the sides are a little crisp). Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
Makes 4 servings.
Without the cheese, this quiche is super light and fluffy with just a hint of a crust around the bottom and edges. Obviously we went with just a vegetable filling aside from the eggs, but it would be just as good if not better with fresh bacon or ham.
If you eat cheese, I imagine Neil would advise his favorite, sharp cheddar.
This recipe and the way Neil made it reminded me a lot of his mom. She’s constantly whipping up recipes with whatever she has in the kitchen that day from the garden. Our quiche makes use of broccolettes from our garden and onions that she braided together from hers for us during her last visit a few weeks ago. I can’t wait to finally see her garden this week!
Another meal inspired by a food show, that just happened to coincide nicely with a grocery store sale on sweet corn. We watched Anthony Bourdain cover Cajun Country over the weekend, and were practically drooling over the corn hash, which can be seen here at about minute 5:40 or so. A simple hash of fresh corn, chopped chiles, bell peppers, pork and cayenne — we simply could not resist!
Please note while corn is not considered “Paleo” so if you are strict Paleo you can easily substitute the sweet corn for sweet potatoes and yield the same sweet taste!
Directions:
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 pound of ground pork or ground pork sausage
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 teaspoons cayenne pepper
3 ears of sweet corn, boiled or grilled and sliced from the ear (or sub 1 medium sweet potato chopped/steamed)
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 head of cauliflower, grated
3 eggs
2 tablespoons Dr. Braggs Liquid Aminos (optional)
1 tablespoon spicy mustard (optional)
Homemade sriracha sauce (optional)
Directions:
- Add one tablespoon of coconut oil to a large skillet and melt over medium-high heat. Add ground pork and cook through.
- Add grated cauliflower and mix with pork. Cook for five minutes and add 1 tablespoon of Dr. Braggs. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add green peppers and corn and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add remaining tablespoon of coconut oil, spicy mustard and the final tablespoon of Dr. Braggs. Sprinkle cayenne pepper over hash and stir.
- Add eggs and stir. Continue to cook until the eggs are cooked through. Serve hot and spicy (to taste).
Makes 6 servings.
Super easy and quick to put together as well as something you can easily customize with anything you have in your veggie stash. If you are strict Paleo, substitute a sweet potato for a little sweet and some good post-workout recovery eats! Can’t wait for leftovers tonight!
This hash makes me so excited for produce season. While we ate plenty of veggies before going Paleo, I feel like we nearly eat our weight in them now, and the diversity and creativity with which we use them has grown exponentially over the past 8 months.
Which summer fruit or veggie are you most excited for?
Note: While this recipe is gluten-free, it’s not fully Paleo. If you’re interested in a Paleo hash, check out our Sweet Potato Hash!
