I’ve had this lofty idea in my head for the past few weeks. That taking this new job and working from home would allow me the opportunity to return to regular, or at least somewhat more frequent food blogging. Things were so jam-packed at my last job that I barely had time to think or plan meals beyond the standard equation of seared/baked meat + steamed/baked vegetable(s) = paleo-friendly meal. Mind you, it’s an equation that works, we feel great, but it doesn’t exactly keep people coming back.
So as I’m slowly settling in and getting back into the groove of actually planning our meals, I thought I’d share something we’ve been doing lately — enjoying our summer veggies in the crock pot.
It’s always been my natural tendency to forget about my crock pot during the summer. In my mind it’s for stews, chilis, roasts and the like, all fall/winter meals. However, as I’m trying to maximize summer days, I’m learning the crock pot can be quite handy in the summertime as well, especially when you consume vegetables en masse the way we do. This easy recipe makes ample use of all the summer veggies we can’t get enough of, and one crock can last us 3-4 meals.
Ingredients:
2 large bell peppers, any color, seeded and cut into strips
2 large red onions, cut into wedges (you can go with one if you’re not that much of a fan and just add a different veggie)
2 medium-sized yellow summer squash, sliced thick
2 medium-sized zucchini, ends trimmed and cut into strips (I like to vary the shapes for diversity)
5 ounces fresh green beans, ends snapped
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1-3 tablespoons coconut oil/olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (from the garden!)
3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley (from the garden!)
2-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Place vegetables in the slow cooker. Add oil, basil and season with salt and pepper, then toss to coat evenly. Cover and cook on high until vegetables are tender but still hold shape, around 1 1/2-2 hours.
- Serve sprinkled with parsley and additional balsamic vinegar if desired.
Makes 6-ish servings. Note: Made with a 5-quart crock pot, so scale as necessary.
I made the veggies, Neil made the steak. As you can see, I had a little too much enthusiasm with my veggie chopping and overstuffed the crock. Luckily it settled down a bit with cooking. It was so good that I consciously ate slower to savor each bite. Eating healthy is such a sacrifice sometimes haha.
While I sift through the several hundred photos and drawings I made over the weekend to document our home projects (!!), I thought I’d divert to a fun recipe you absolutely must try. Definitely not Paleo, but nonetheless a super easy dip to pull together when you’re aiming to snack or entertain a bit healthier. I’m late to the homemade hummus train, but it really is so easy. Once you invest in good tahini, the sky is really the limit on what you can do flavor-wise.
Ingredients:
adapted from Whole Living
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/8 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
3 tablespoons sriracha sauce (I also like it with a little sweet chili sauce — why not right?)
1/4 cup tahini
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 green onions, sliced for garnish
Directions:
- Set a steamer basket in a large pot. Fill to reach just beneath the steamer basket; bring to boil. Add cubed sweet potatoes, cover, and reduce heat to simmer. Cook until tender, 9-10 minutes. Transfer to food processor.
- Add remaining ingredients (except salt and pepper and green onions) to food processor. Puree until smooth, adding water by the teaspoon to thin if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer hummus to an airtight glass container and chill. Will keep for up to 1 week. Garnish with green onion to serve with veggies (or whatever floats your boat.)
Makes around 4 cups.
I’ve been reading that Macadamia nuts are a good (and amazingly nutritious) Paleo-safe alternative to chickpeas, so I’m thinking I will go that route with my next batch. I’m finding that with a lot of my recipe makeover projects, I like to make the original before I re-make it. Kind of a culinary “before and after,” but mostly because I like to challenge myself to get the flavor — and in this case texture — as close as possible.
That being said, Sweet Potato Hummus is slightly sweeter compared to other variations I’ve had in the past, but it complements the flavor of the tahini perfectly. The orange color makes it extra fun too don’t you think? I think mine would have been more orange if I owned a bigger food processor and been able to avoid separating my hummus into three batches to blend. Enjoy!
Cookies! If you hadn’t noticed, we’ve been in a bit of a baking drought since going Paleo. Initially it was because we chose to abstain from treats to better acclimate to being newly grain free. I also quickly found that Paleo baking had a learning curve that I didn’t have time for while finishing grad school. There were new flours I’d never heard of and substitutions we’d never experimented with. Needless to say, I was a little overwhelmed (and still am). My cabinet filled with bags of whole wheat flour are turning into smaller clusters of canning jars filled with various things I’m collecting as our budget allows—things like coconut flour and tapioca starch. I feel like I’m learning to bake all over again.
Thankfully I didn’t have to tap my newb skills too deeply for these cookies. They are completely grain free, and while this means they aren’t true oatmeal cookies, they’ve definitely fooled a few people.
Ingredients:
1 cup pitted dates, chopped into chunks
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1/2 cup pecans
2-3 tablespoons honey
1 cup shredded coconut
2 cups almond meal
2 eggs
3/4 cup raisins
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Place dates, coconut, oil, spices and pecans in a food processor. Pulse until nuts and dates resemble large and loose crumbs.
- Transfer mix to a large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix using hands.
- Form into tight hamburger-like patties and place on a greased cookie sheet
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly golden.
Makes 8-10 cookies.
Fair warning, make these once and you’ll be consumed by the desire to make them often. They are super healthy as well as easy to adapt for other flavors. Last night (upon Neil’s request), I added a little vanilla and cacao nibs and made chocolate chip cookies. Next, I’d like to make snickerdoodles, because my Udi’s habit is very expensive.
