Week 3

Here we are finished week 3 already! One of these days I might even include photos, wouldn't that be fun?
So my "dessert" this week was biscuits. They were very biscuit-y and not very dessert-y. We wound  up serving them with maple syrup. I might make them again according to their intended breakfast food purpose and serve with butter.
-->

Cinnamon Breakfast Biscuits
1 cup coconut flour
1 cup almond meal
5 tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs

½ cup raisins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together the dry ingredients in a small bowl. (coconut flour almond meal, cinnamon, baking powder, salt) In a large bowl mix remaining ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well. Using your hand roll a ball of dough about an inch in diameter. Then slightly flatten the ball into a biscuit shape and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes. Enjoy!

Saturday – Pork Chops in Creamy Tumeric Sauce + Cauliflower rice + Green Beans

    1 can (13.5 ounce) coconut milk (400 ml)

    2 garlic cloves

    2 tablespoons lime juice

    1 tablespoon fish sauce

    A handful of cilantro leaves

    1 teaspoon turmeric, plus more to season pork

    4 boneless pork cutlets or thin pork cops (1/2 inch thick or less)

    1 tablespoon coconut oil

    1 shallot, finely chopped

    1 head of cauliflower

    Salt, for seasoning

    Butter, to flavor cauliflower rice

1.     Combine the coconut milk, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, turmeric, and cilantro in a blender. Blend the mixture into a smooth sauce.

2.     If the pork isn’t thin enough (1/2 inch thick or less) use a meat mallet to flatten the pork. Or, slice thicker pork chops in half to turn them into two thinner chops.

3.     Lightly season the pork with salt and turmeric.

4.     In a wide skillet heat the coconut oil. When the oil is hot add the shallot and saute for 30 seconds. Add the pork.

5.     Cook the pork only 2 minutes on each side until lightly browned.

6.     Transfer the pork to a plate.

7.     Add the coconut sauce to the skillet. Use a spoon to scrape up any tasty bits of meat stuck to the pan as the sauce comes to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes.

8.     While the sauce is boiling, make the cauliflower rice. Trim and roughly chop the cauliflower.

9.     Cauliflower rice was sautéed in a pan with several tablespoons of oil for a few minutes until soft. Season with salt and butter.

10. Add the pork and any accumulated meat juice back to the skillet with the sauce. Simmer just long enough to heat the pork back up.

11. Serve the sauce and pork over the cauliflower rice. Garnish with additional chopped cilantro.

Awesome! Kids liked it less, wouldn't touch the cauliflower rice. I would say this is their 3rd time being offered the "rice". I will persevere!

Sunday – Baked Teriyaki Chicken + salad + asparagus

1T arrowroot flour

1T cold water

½ cup sugar

½ cup soy sauce (wheat free tamari or coconut aminos for paleo)

¼ cup cider vinegar

1 clove minced garlic

1/2t ginger

pepper

12 chicken thighs

1.     In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the ingredients.

2.     Simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and bubbles.

3.     Preheat oven to 425 oF.

4.     Place chicken in greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Brush with sauce on both sides. Brush ever 10 minutes.

5.     Bake 30 minutes, turn, bake for another 30 minutes or until no longer pink and juices run clear.

Cook asparagus in oven with chicken for 10 minutes, tossed with butter, salt and pepper. Serve with teriyaki sauce.

Awesome again! Not paleo with the soy sauce and the sugar. I have some soy sauce that I want to use up and I had a hankering for some teriyaki. Let's chalk this one up to the 80/20 rule.

Monday – Zucchini noodles and sauce + salad

¾ cup chopped onion

5 cloves minced garlic

¼ cup olive oil

2 cans whole peeled tomatoes

2t salt

1t sugar

1 bay leaf

1 can tomato paste

1t basil

pepper

1.     Saute onion and garlic in olive oil.

2.     Stir in tomatoes,  salt, sugar, and bay leaf.

3.     Simmer for 90 minutes.

4.     Stir in paste, basil, pepper and meatballs.

5.     Simmer 30 minutes.

Meatballs

2lb ground beef

2T parsley

2T grated Reggiano Parmesan

2 eggs, beaten

dash garlic powder, pepper

Mix well, form into balls, store in fridge. Use half in recipe, boil half in water for lunches.

We are finishing off the pasta in the cupboard with the kids while hubby and I eat zucchini noodles. I like them and don’t miss the pasta. I found the sauce far too watery for this one. Could be that the lid was left on during the simmer. 6/10

Tuesday – Indian Stir-fry with spaghetti squash

Cut spaghetti squash lengthwise.

Bake cut side down in pan with 1-1 ½ cup water at 350oF for about 60 minutes until knife can cut into squash with little resistance.

Set aside to cool.

Prepare curry:

·      1 pound ground beef

·      2 heads of broccoli, chopped

·      1/2 small cabbage, cut up into small chunks

·      1 medium onion

·      2 tbs coconut oil

·      curry powder to taste (about 2 tablespoons)

·      sea salt & pepper

Directions

1. Sautee vegetables in skillet with 2 tablespoons coconut oil (about 20 minutes, or until tender). Add seasonings about half way through. Don’t be shy with the curry powder!

2. Cook ground beef in same skillet and add a little more curry powder to the meat.

3. Mix vegetables and meat, put it on top of a little spaghetti squash.

The curry was so-so. First time with spaghetti squash. So great! Practically tasteless, but the texture was fantastic.

Wednesday – tacos

Kids are still getting flour tortillas, adults are making a taco topping salad.

Thursday – roaster chicken from Costco + green beans + Caesar salad + apple pie

Was supposed to be a pork tenderloin, but best laid plans and all. The Costco chicken was most definitely not paleo, but better than nothing. The pie was in honour of it being pi day (March 14 aka 3.14)

  

Friday – pizza 

I will be having left overs. I think some of the chicken teriyaki is in the fridge, unless hubby ate it today. Otherwise I will whip up some spaghetti sauce and finish off the leftover spaghetti squash.

That is it for this week!