RECIPESRECIPESTHE REAL FOOD GUIDETHE REAL FOOD GUIDE

RECIPESTHE REAL FOOD GUIDE

What is Real Food?“Let food by thy medicine, and medicine by thy food.” – Hippocrates, 431 BC

Hippocrates, the father of medicine, recognized that the quality of food that fuels our bodies; powering our cells, tissues,

and organs, is vital to our health.

There are many, MANY schools of thought as to which foods constitute a healthy diet – to discuss the merits or detriments

of each can become a heated, and sometimes even emotional discussion. But, a fundamental principle of natural nutrition

is to simply: Eat Real Food.

“Real Food” refers to any nutrient-dense substance that has been grown or raised using the earth’s resources – to this we

include fruits, vegetables and animals raised naturally, eating a diet that is optimum for their health, thus assuring that the

meat and animal foods we eat are healthy and nutrient-dense.

What isn’t Real Food?This is where it gets tricky. As a society, we’ve been inundated with artificial foods that happen to be fortified and

stabilized. These fake foods are easy enough to identify in their extreme sense. Hint: if it’s spelled wrong, like Cheez, Froot

and Lite, it’s not a real food. Instead, it’s best described as a food-like product.

It’s the grey area of foods that have been touted as “all-natural” and a “good source of [insert-news-making-nutrient-of-

the-day]” (but have had all their nutrients stripped in processing and then fortified back in) that are harder to identify as to

whether it’s a real food or not. In this case, you may be surprised that foods like margarine, skim milk, fat-free yogurt and

instant oatmeal don’t cut it as real food. Confused? Read our blog and you’ll see why. A good rule of thumb though, is if

you can’t re-create the ‘food’ in question in your home kitchen by purchasing the ingredient list on the package, then it

doesn’t count as a real food and instead falls in the category of a food-like product. If you are what you eat, do you want to

be authentic and true, or a reasonable facsimile?

The mission of The Real Food GuideThe mission of The Real Food Guide is to share information about achieving health and wellness through food; ideally food

that is locally farmed/grown/produced that is in the most natural and nutrient-dense form as possible. The businesses

represented on TheRealFoodGuide.com are either directly involved with the production of real food, or they support the

goal of attaining optimal health through real, nutrient-dense food.

Table of Contents

Bone Broth Basics: Make Bone Broth in the Slow Cooker

Banana Chips: An Easy Real Food Treat

Chocolate Covered Coconut Cups: No Baking Involved!

Grain-free muffin recipe: Great for transitioning to a grain-free, gluten-free or paleo lifestyle

Urban foraging for serviceberries (aka saskatoon berries)

Paleo cereal

Dehydrated watermelon – make your own natural watermelon candy

Easy applesauce recipe

Homemade baked apple chips recipe

Red cabbage paleo coleslaw

Homemade pumpkin spice latte recipe

Easy paleo baked meatball recipe

Easy homemade vegan and paleo mini pumpkin pie recipe

Easy homemade vegan and paleo fudgy brownie recipe

50+ egg-free paleo breakfast recipes and ideas

Homemade oven baked french fries recipe

Bacon wrapped dates recipe – only the best easy appetizer recipe ever

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Easy creamy leek soup recipe

Easy paleo vegan gingerbread man cookies recipe

Paleo vegan chocolate dipped orange zest cookies (nut-free)

Simple homemade apple pie recipe (gluten-free, vegan, Paleo & AIP-friendly)

Coconut milk curry beef stew crock pot recipe

Dehydrator recipe round-up

Almond gelatin recipe - Easy Chinese dessert

Beef heart recipe round-up

Easy dinner recipe: Cooking chicken legs in the oven

Weeknight dinner stir-fry recipe

30+ Primal and Paleo Pie recipes

The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook – Book Review

Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) Pizza!

Autoimmune Paleo – AIP Cookie Recipe

Paleo Chocolate Pie with Coconut Macaroon Crust

Dairy-free mango gelatin (AIP-friendly!)

Paleo & vegan banana bread blondies – grain-free, egg-free & nut-free

Ginger cookies with coconut cream icing

Autoimmune Paleo Cilantro Meatballs

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Bone Broth Basics: Make Bone Broth in a Slow Cooker With my upcoming challenge to Live Below the Line, I’ll be stretching out my food budget by making bone broth. This isn’t so much a recipe, as it is a basic how-to for making bone broth in a slow cooker – it’s just that easy!

You’ll want to make your own bone broth because it’s nutrient dense and full of minerals such as calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, that happen to be in the right ratios to support bone health. It’s also relatively inexpensive to make your own broth, especially if you’re already eating quality sources of meat (e.g. grass-fed beef, pastured pork and chickens or wild fish), because you can just save the leftover bones from your roasts and other meals. You can usually ask your local butcher for inexpensive soup bones as well.

Really, once you’ve tried making your own bone broth, you’ll never bother with stock-cubes and pre-made bouillon mixes again (they can be questionable not only because of the quality of animal bones used, but also because of the high amount of salt and MSG used in the flavoring). Want another reason to make your own broth? Homemade bone broth is also a great source of gelatin, which can help support joints and ease joint-pain.

Baby, You Gotta Stew Bone Broth Going

Arrested Development fans will know that Carl Weathers almost had it right.

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In addition to saving your leftover bones, making bone broth is a great way to get more nutrients out of your vegetable scraps (e.g. tough broccoli stalks, carrot tops and peels) and even egg shells. Egg shells are also rich in minerals and the egg membranes have nutrients that are supportive for joint health.

Keep in mind though, that you’ll want to use good quality sources of meat and organic vegetable scraps if possible because you’ll be drawing out and concentrating the nutrients from these scraps.

Don’t Forget the Acid Add a good glug of apple cider vinegar to your broth – the acidic nature of the vinegar helps to draw minerals out of the bones.

Oh No, My Bone Broth Didn’t Gel You know you’ve got a good broth going when, after straining and cooling your broth, you have a good layer of fat on the top (you can keep this for cooking and adding flavor to vegetables), and it’s gelatinized. This of course, is a sign that there’s a plenty of gelatin in your broth!

But don’t stress if your bone broth doesn’t gel. It’s still good – chances are there are still plenty of nutrients in it, and it’s still worth drinking.

Here are a few reasons why your bone broth didn’t gel: 1. You used too much water, or had too few bones to make your stock

2. You didn’t simmer for long enough. Simmer for at least 12 hours, but you could simmer as long as

24 hours.

3. The quality of bones wasn’t good enough to gel. For example, conventionally raised chicken bones

often don’t gelatinize because they’re raised in cages and don’t have gelatin in their joints and bones.

Now, you should be all set to make your own broth!

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Bone Broth Basics: Make Bone Broth in a Slow Cooker Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 18 hours, 15 minutes Yield: 2.5 quarts of broth

INGREDIENTS

● about 2 pounds of good quality bones ● 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped ● 1 medium onion, chopped ● 1 stalk of celery, chopped ● 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped ● 1 tbsp organic apple cider vinegar ● sea salt ● egg shells ● vegetable ends

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Place the bones in a 3-quart slow-cooker. You can easily adjust this recipe to the size of your slow-cooker.

The bones should fill up about 3/4 of the slow-cooker. 2. Peel and cut your vegetables and garlic. If you are using organic produce, you can just roughly chop them.

You can also add vegetable scraps and rinsed, crushed egg shells into your slow-cooker. You'll be straining these out before consuming the broth.

3. Fill the slow-cooker with filtered water. Season with a generous amount of salt. 4. Add 1-2 tablespoons (or one good 'glug') of organic apple cider vinegar. 5. Set the slow-cooker on low and cook for 18-24 hours. 6. Strain the broth through cheesecloth or a strainer and cool. A good broth will usually have a layer of fat on

the top, and will gelatinize when thoroughly cool. The fat can be removed and used for cooking/flavoring vegetables.

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/bone-broth-basics-make-bone-broth-in-a-slow-cooker/#ixzz2hBPnjkh8

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Banana Chips: An Easy Real Food Treat

I was about to buy some banana chips in the store the other day, but I stopped when I looked at the

ingredient list. In addition to ‘bananas’ was sugar, coconut oil and the dubious-sounding “banana flavor” or

isoamyl acetate. You’d think the bananas would be the thing that would provide adequate banana flavor and

sweetness! It got me thinking though, that banana chips should be easy enough to make at home.

I know that it should be easy to make banana chips in a food dehydrator – but alas, I don’t have one. Based

on some beef jerky experiments (that haven’t worked unfortunately), I figured I could turn the oven on low

and use it as my over-sized dehydrator! These easy oven-dried banana chips are delicious, though the

problem we had around here was that most of them were eaten before they got sufficiently crispy. Ideally,

you’ll want them to cool a bit after their time in the oven, otherwise they’ll be a bit chewy, but they’re still

delicious that way.

Bananas are a good source of dietary fiber and minerals like potassium, manganese and vitamins B6 and C.

And while they’re already a great, portable snack, when they’re dried as chips, they satisfy a sweet-tooth and

give a little crunch!

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Oven-dried Banana Chips Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes Total Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

● 3 large bananas

● 1 lemon, juiced

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Peel and slice bananas in 1/4"-thick slices (or thinner).

2. Lay slices on cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper.

3. Dip your fingers in lemon juice and brush each banana slice with lemon juice.

4. Bake at 200F (or as low as your oven will go), for 1.5 hours.

Notes

Using parchment paper will help prevent the bananas from sticking to your cookie sheet. Baking time will vary depending on your texture preference and oven temperature. 1.5 hours worked for me, though if you use a slightly higher heat, you may only need an hour, or if you want crisper chips, you might want to go longer in the oven to 1h 45min or 2 hours.

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/banana-chips-easy-real-food-treat/#ixzz2hA4twnMJ

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Chocolate Covered Coconut Cups: No Baking Involved!

 

These delicious little chocolate covered coconut cups are an easy way to satisfy your sweet tooth. Best of all,

they require no-baking, and set with just a bit of time in your freezer. They’re so simple to make, that it’s a

great project with which to involve your kids. They’re a great little indulgence to bring out at the end of a

more sophisticated adult meal though.

In total, there are six different ingredients to these delectable cups: unsweetened cocoa powder, raw honey

and coconut oil for the chocolate coating, and coconut oil, vanilla, shredded coconut, honey and a pinch of

salt for the coconut cups.

There are plenty of health benefits that come in each little cup:

● Cocoa powder is chock full of phytonutrients and antioxidants

● Raw honey has anti-bacterial qualities and if you use local raw honey, it may help with hay fever and

other environmental allergies

● Coconut also has anti-bacterial qualities, along with fiber and vitamins and minerals such as iron

and zinc

● Coconut oil has many benefits including antioxidant properties and being high in lauric acid which

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helps increase immune responses

No-bake chocolate-covered coconut cups or squares Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 6 coconut cups or squares Serving Size: 1 coconut cup or square

INGREDIENTS

Coconut cups or squares:

● 1 cup shredded coconut

● 2 tbsp raw, local honey

● 2 tbsp melted coconut oil

● 1 tsp vanilla extract

● pinch of salt

Chocolate coating:

● 3 tbsp cocoa powder

● 3 tbsp honey

● 3 tbsp melted coconut oil

INSTRUCTIONS

To make your coconut cups or squares:

1. In a small mixing bowl, mix 1 cup of shredded coconut with 2 tablespoons of honey, 2 tablespoons of

melted coconut oil, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and a pinch (about 1/16th of a teaspoon) of salt.

2. If making coconut cups, simply divide and press the coconut mixture into a silicone muffin pan. Or if

making coconut squares, press the coconut mixture into a small loaf pan.

For the chocolate coating:

3. Using the same mixing bowl, now mix the cocoa powder, honey and melted coconut oil until consistent.

4. Divide the chocolate mixture over the coconut cups, and spread evenly. Or if making bars, spread the

chocolate mixture over the pressed coconut and spread evenly.

5. Set in the freezer for 15 minutes, or in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

6. Pop out of silicone pan, or cut into bars and enjoy. Cups or bars can be stored in the refrigerator in an

air-tight container (if they last that long!).

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/chocolate-covered-coconut-cups/#ixzz2hBTIPJC1

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Grain-free muffin recipe: Great for transitioning to a grain-free, gluten-free or paleo lifestyle

 

Grain-free muffins, paleo muffins, gluten-free muffins: doesn’t matter what you call them as long as they’re

delicious. This grain-free muffin recipe fits the bill and are perfect for anyone (especially kids) who are

transitioning to a paleo or grain-free lifestyle. They’re made with coconut flour, so they are a bit dense and

eggy, but not too much, since there’s some ground flax seed in there too. Make these ahead of time and pack

them as a snack because they’re perfect on the go.

Nutrition-wise here’s the highlight reel:

● Eggs: each muffin has 2/3 of one of these little nutritional powerhouses, packed with protein,

choline, fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K2). Pastured eggs are best not only because the chickens

are raised more humanely, but the eggs have higher nutrient levels!

● Coconut flour: this gluten-free flour and high in both fiber and protein

● Ground flax seed: I’m sensitive to nuts, so I like using flax seeds for the nutty flavor and texture

without the reaction. Flax seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and minerals like magnesium

and phosphorus.

● Coconut oil: rich in good fats like medium chain fatty acids, lauric acid and saturated fat

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● Cinnamon: this flavorful little spice is full of minerals and also has other health benefits like having

anti-infectious properties and reducing arthritis pain.

● Raisins: With only two tablespoons of honey to sweeten the recipe, the raisins provide the rest of the

yum! Raisins are rich in anti-oxidants and the trace mineral boron.

While that’s all good, the really important thing is that they’re delicious, and they were given the high honor

of a big thumbs up by the in-house 6-year-old taste tester!

Grain-free cinnamon raisin muffins Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 17 minutes Total Time: 32 minutes Yield: 6 muffins

INGREDIENTS

● 4 eggs

● 1/4 cup coconut flour

● 1/4 cup ground flax seed

● 2 tbsp honey

● 1 tbsp melted coconut oil

● 1 tsp ground cinnamon

● 1/2 tsp baking powder

● 1/2 cup raisins

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat eggs together and add in honey and melted coconut oil.

2. In a smaller bowl, mix together ground flax seed, coconut flour, baking powder and cinnamon.

3. Slowly add dry ingredients into wet ingredients until a uniform batter is formed.

4. Once batter is blended, add in raisins, and divide batter into a silicone or lightly greased muffin pan.

5. Bake at 350F for 17 minutes.

6. Remove from oven, cool for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/grain-free-muffin-recipe-cinnamon-raisin/#ixzz2hBUgRQA6

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Urban foraging for serviceberries (aka saskatoon berries)

 

We bought our home about 3 years ago, and every year, we aim to gradually expand our garden beds to

add curb appeal and hopefully crowd out some weeds. So a few months ago, this article caught my eye:

“Gardening: A small tree for all seasons”. Not only is the Amelanchier tree an early flowerer, but as an

added bonus, it grows sweet little red berries – serviceberries. Serviceberries are also called shadbush or

saskatoonberries. And like all colorful berries, they’re high in antioxidants as well as fiber and minerals

like manganese, magnesium and iron.

Well, that was all fine and good. I filed it away in my mind as a good plant to get, should I happen upon a

decent nursery, and then I stumbled upon the Facebook page for Hidden Harvest Ottawa and that’s where I

learned that these delicious little berries are growing all around the city – planted by the city – all awaiting

an enterprising urban forager. You can consult their map to see where there are city-owned food-bearing

trees near you. Or, if you’re wanting to plant your own tree to contribute to the local food supply, you can

buy a serviceberry tree through Hidden Harvest Ottawa. If you’re not fortunate enough to be in the Ottawa

area, similar organizations exist in other cities as well.

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Having consulted the map, I trekked out to a local park that was known to have a city-owned serviceberry

tree, and we also went down the street to ask a neighbor if it was okay to harvest some berries from their

city-owned tree. (Please do not eat wild berries that you cannot positively identify!)

Here’s what we did with our bounty:

Serviceberry or saskatoon berry crumble – paleo, egg-free, nut-free, dairy-free

(Because of my various food sensitivities, This is a: egg-free recipe, dairy-free recipe, nut-free recipe, vegan

recipe and a paleo recipe – Phew!) Technically, this is a berry crumble recipe, since there’s a bottom layer

of berries, with a top ‘crust’. However, without eggs as a binder, the texture of the topping is less crumbly

and more soft. Hat tip to Grass Fed Girl, as this crumble topping is adapted from her egg and grain-free

blueberry coffee cake. When served warm, it’s like a sweet oatmeal (without the oats). So while it might not

be a traditional crumble, it is a great little dessert for those of us with multiple sensitivities.

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Serviceberry (saskatoon berry) crumble (egg-free, nut-free, dairy-free)

INGREDIENTS

Berry filling:

● 3 cups of serviceberries, saskatoon berries or other type of berry

● 1/3 to 1/2 cup of maple syrup, depending on the sweetness of your berries

● 1 cup water

● 1 tbsp chia seeds

Topping:

● 1/4 cup chia seeds

● 2/3 cup of water

● 2/3 cup of apple sauce

● 6 tbsp coconut flour

● 1 tsp baking soda

● 1/4 tsp of salt

● 8 tsp maple syrup

● 6 tbsp coconut oil

INSTRUCTIONS

For the berry filling:

1. Add berries, water, maple syrup and chia seeds into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to

medium-high. Cook for about 15 minutes, reducing the volume to a thick, sauce.

2. Transfer the mixture to a 8 x 8 square baking dish, and set aside while making the topping.

For the "crumble" topping:

3. Preheat the oven to 350F.

4. Mix the chia seeds with water and apple sauce in a small bowl and set it aside to thicken for about 10 minutes.

5. In a mixing bowl, add the coconut flour, baking soda and salt and mix well. Add the maple syrup and coconut oil

and mix together.

6. Add the chia seed mixture into the mixing bowl, forming the batter.

7. Drop spoonfuls of the batter on top of the berry mixture and spread around the top off the square baking dish.

8. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

9. Cool slightly and serve warm!

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/urban-foraging-for-serviceberries-aka-saskatoon-berries/#ixzz2hBVdXhE5

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Paleo cereal (grain-free, nut-free, gluten-free granola)

 

All of the credit for this recipe goes to An Edible Mosaic, whose amazing Paleo Maple Cinnamon granola

recipe I originally found via Pinterest. I post this version because it’s been tweaked to suit my own personal

tastes (and well, I always find it funny when someone reviews a recipe to say, “It’s great, except I changed

this and added this!) This paleo cereal (for lack of a better term) is a grain-free, nut-free granola that helps

me include a bit of maca root into my diet. Maca root has an earthy, nutty, and slightly sweet taste that’s

known to have many benefits including helping to balance hormones, improve energy levels, and boost the

immune system, since it’s a source of vitamin C and zinc.

The only drawback to this paleo “cereal” is that I can’t stop eating it! It makes for great road-trip food –

unglamorous handfuls in the mouth, but it sure is tasty! My favorite way to eat it is topped with chilled

canned coconut milk (cooling it thickens it up), topped with berries. It’s a great template for making your

own version tailored to your personal tastes. Switch up the currants for other dried fruit, or add a bit of

cacao or cocoa powder for a chocolate-y treat! Add nuts if you happen to tolerate them (alas, I do not)! The

possibilities are endless!

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Paleo cereal – grain-free, oat-free, nut-free granola with maca root Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

● 2 cups raw, unsalted sunflower seeds

● 2 cups raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds

● 1 cup of sesame seeds

● 1-1/2 cups ground flax seed

● 1/4 cup of powdered maca root

● 3/4 cup of dried currants

● 2/3 cup of melted coconut oil

● 3/4 cup of maple syrup or honey

● 1 tbsp of cinnamon

● 1 tsp of nutmeg

● 1/2 tsp of sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet (11" x 17") with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, add the seeds, ground flax, maca root and currants and mix together until uniformly

distributed.

3. In a small bowl, add the melted coconut oil, sweetener, and spices and salt, and mix together until

uniformly distributed.

4. Pour the small bowl of liquid over the seed mixture and mix well, ensuring that all of the seed mixture is

well-coated.

5. Spread the mixture onto the lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

6. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and toss well, making sure to spread the mixture onto the baking

sheet evenly again.

7. Place the baking sheet back into the oven, and toss the mixture again at 10-15 minute intervals, making

sure that it doesn't burn! (Ask me how I know). Bake for a total of 35-40 minutes.

8. Cool for about 30 minutes (or as long as you can stay away from it!) and enjoy on its own, or topped with

fruit, yogurt, or the milk of your choice.

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/paleo-cereal/#ixzz2hBWfhnKk

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Dehydrated watermelon – make your own natural watermelon candy  

I recently bought a used dehydrator for a steal

of a price – $25! It works perfectly and does

exactly what it’s supposed to do: dry stuff. So

far, I’ve made banana chips and apple chips,

and with local watermelon available, it seemed

natural to try making dehydrated watermelon!

The end result is a super-sweet treat (I daresay

almost too sweet), that is crispy to bite into, and

a bit sticky on the teeth. The pink wedges are

quite pretty and we’ve already gifted a mason

jarful as a little thank-you gift to friends.

If you have a dehydrator it’s certainly worth a try!

Dehydrated watermelon – make your own natural watermelon candy

INGREDIENTS

● 1 medium-sized watermelon

● sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut your watermelon into wedges and then into 1/4" thick slices, and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.

2. Place the slices on your dehydrator. (The whole watermelon filled our small, round dehydrator).

3. Set your dehydrator to 140°F (60°C) and dry overnight (about 11 hours).

4. Remove dried watermelon from racks and store in air-tight container.

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/dehydrated-watermelon-make-your-own-natural-watermelon-candy/#ixzz2hBXOBCJ8

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Easy applesauce recipe

 

When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. But, when life hands you apples, you make applesauce.

Lots of it. Because of the generosity of one of our neighbors, we were recently inundated with a LOT of

apples – enough to fill a large, 102L storage tote. Many of these were bruised and battered, so naturally,

they were perfect for this easy applesauce recipe. This recipe has no sugar added, so the natural flavor of

the apples (be they sweet or tart) shines through.

Now, this recipe makes about 3L (or 3 quarts) of applesauce, so it’s great if you’ve got a surplus of apples in

the form of a really great grocery deal, or you have or know someone who has an apple tree. It’s a great

way to process a lot of apples relatively quickly since the cooking time is only 25 minutes. The most

time-consuming part however, is in the peeling, coring and cutting of the apples. If you’ve got a lot of

apples, I highly recommend getting one of them fancy corer/cutter apple contraptions! ;)

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Easy applesauce recipe Cook Time: 25 minutes Yield: About 3L (3 quarts)

INGREDIENTS

● Enough apples to fill a 6L (6 quart) stock pot (about 12-15 lb of apples, depending on how bruised your

apples are) – peeled, cored and cubed

● 5 cups water

● Juice of 1/2 lemon

● 4 tsp cinnamon

● 1 tsp salt

● 1/4 tsp nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To a 6L (6 quart) stock pot, add your apple chunks, water, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg, and

heat on high until boiling.

2. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes or until apples become soft. Make sure to stir occasionally

to prevent the apples from sticking to the bottom.

3. Blend with a stick blender to a fine puree consistency, or use a potato masher for a chunky-style

applesauce.

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/easy-applesauce-recipe/#ixzz2hBXzrSIc

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Homemade baked apple chips recipe

 

Looking for fun healthy snacks for kids? These homemade apple chips make for healthy fruit snacks –

perfect for back-to-school snacking. This apple chip recipe is simple enough that it’s more a set of

instructions than an actual recipe. Kids can help by laying the thin apple slices on the baking trays or

dehydrator racks, but because of the thin slices required, adults should be the ones manning the knife or

mandoline slicer.

I’ve included instructions for both baked apple chips and dehydrated apple chips. And if you’ve got a

surplus of apples and you don’t know what else to do with them, might I suggest our apple sauce recipe as

well? Or, if you’re looking for other dried fruit recipes, check out our banana chips recipe, or dehydrated

watermelon – make your own natural watermelon candy.

Now, onto the apple chips recipe – be forewarned though, that these are so tasty that they won’t last long!

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Homemade baked apple chips recipe

INGREDIENTS

● 3 - 5 large apples (3 apples is good for two baking sheets. Dehydrator sizes vary but my 5-rack round

dehydrator fits 5 apples worth of chips)

● Parchment paper (for baking only)

● Juice of half a lemon (optional)

● Cinnamon (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. If baking, pre-heat your oven to 225F. If dehydrating, set your dehydrator to 140F, but there is no need to

pre-heat.

2. You can peel your apples, or leave the skin on. (I recommend organic apples if you leave the skin on, or

soak your apples in bowl containing a water and a splash of apple cider vinegar for 20 minutes. Rinse the

vinegar solution with water to remove any residue). Leaving the skin on adds crunch, but it does impart

the flavor of the skin to the chips.

3. Slice your apples to a thickness of about 1/8" or thinner with a sharp knife or a mandoline slicer.

4. Optional, to reduce discoloration of apples: Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a small bowl, and dilute

this with water (about a 1:1 ratio). Dip each apple slice in the juice.

5. Pat your apple slices dry and place them in a single layer onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets (if

baking), or directly onto your dehydrator racks. Make sure not to have your chips overlap or else they will

stick together.

6. Bake at 225F for 1.5 to 2 hours. Flip the chips after about 45-60 minutes of baking and let them cool in the

oven for maximum crispness. If dehydrating, set your dehydrator to 140F and dry for about 8 hours for

crispy chips.

7. Apple chips should be stored in an airtight container to maintain crispness. Enjoy!

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/homemade-baked-apple-chips-recipe/#ixzz2hBYVwrZa

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Red cabbage paleo coleslaw

 

Local cabbages are in season, and when we were gifted with one from a neighbor, I knew it was destined to

be a sweet, tangy coleslaw. It makes for a nice side dish if you’re having a casual meal of burgers, sausages

or other barbecue, and it’s a great way to add color and crunch to any meal.

This paleo coleslaw is refined-sugar free, but sweetened with raw honey. Its tang is from raw apple cider

vinegar, which has many health benefits, along with being a prebiotic food (it helps feed the healthy

bacteria in your gut). Best of all, this coleslaw tastes amazing – way better than some dyed green concoction

in a bucket, and it’s got plenty of antioxidant power with the red cabbage, green peppers and bright

orange carrots. Enjoy!

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Red cabbage paleo coleslaw Yield: About 8 cups

INGREDIENTS

Dressing:

● 1/4 cup of raw honey

● 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar

● 1/8 cup of balsamic vinegar

● 1 clove of garlic, finely minced

● 3 tbsp olive oil

● 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

● 1/4 tsp sea salt

● 1/4 tsp black pepper

Coleslaw:

● 1/2 head of red cabbage, shredded

● 1 medium carrot, grated

● 1/2 green bell pepper, diced

● 1/4 cup raw, hulled sesame seeds

● 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small saucepan, combine the dressing ingredients and heat on medium-high heat, bringing the

mixture to a boil, then reducing the heat to low and simmer for three minutes.

2. Combine all the coleslaw ingredients except for the seeds, and pour dressing over to evenly coat.

3. Cool the coleslaw in the fridge, and allow the dressing to infuse the coleslaw for at least one hour. Sprinkle

the sesame seeds and sunflower seeds, and toss lightly before serving.

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/red-cabbage-paleo-coleslaw/#ixzz2hBZ72dfR

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Homemade pumpkin spice latte recipe

 

It’s determinedly autumn around here – the temperature is dropping and we’re forced to wear sweaters

and (ugh!) socks, and shelve the sandals. What’s the surest sign that fall is here? Not the leaves on the trees

changing colors, but the barista in the coffee shop is busy making a steaming, sweet pumpkin spice latte. Is

a pumpkin spice latte ‘real food’? (Do the baristas even know what’s in them?)

If you’re intolerant to dairy, then this indulgent café-concoction is off-limits for you. Fortunately though, you

can make your own dairy-free, vegan homemade pumpkin spice latte, even without an espresso maker!

You will need an immersion hand blender, however.

When choosing coconut milk for this latte, I use a canned coconut milk that only has coconut extract and

water as the ingredients. Ideally, choose one that is also BPA-free. You’ll want to avoid coconut milks that

have thickeners like guar gum or preservatives like potassium metabisulfite, especially if you already have

food sensitivities or symptoms of a leaky gut. A good full-fat coconut milk can be harder to froth, hence why

this recipe calls for diluting it in half.

There are plenty of benefits to coconut milk, even if you can tolerate dairy: it contains medium chain

triglycerides, which are an easier-to-digest fat that can help boost metabolism, as well as lauric acid which is

thought to have immune-boosting properties. But really, with the caffeine and sweetness here, this is a

‘healthier’ version of a treat, as opposed to a ‘healthy’ treat. Still, indulge and enjoy!

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How to make a pumpkin spice latte Serving Size: 1 latte

INGREDIENTS

Pumpkin pie spice mix (makes enough for 45+ latte servings)

● 1 tbsp cinnamon

● 1 tsp nutmeg

● 1 tsp ginger

● 3/4 tsp allspice

● 1/4 tsp cloves

Latte

● 4 oz. (1 shot) of espresso or 4 oz of very strong coffee

● 3 tbsp of pumpkin purée

● 1 tbs maple syrup or honey

● 1/8 tsp of pumpkin pie spice mix

● 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract

● 1/3 cup of coconut milk (85% coconut extract)

● 1/3 cup of water

● dusting of cinnamon (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Using your espresso-maker, brew about four ounces of espresso. If you don't have an espresso-maker,

brew about four ounces of concentrated coffee (about twice as strong as a regular cup).

2. With an immersion blender, mix your espresso, pumpkin purée, maple syrup (or honey), pumpkin spice

mix and vanilla in the blender cup. Pour mixture into mug.

3. For the latte foam, mix the coconut milk and water together in a small mason jar and shake the diluted

coconut milk for 45 seconds to start the foaming action.

4. Microwave the mixture (without the lid of course) for 45 seconds. You will see the foam/fat and water

layers separate.

5. Pour into your blended espresso mix using a spoon to hold back the foam and allow the liquid to pour into

the mug first.

6. Gently scoop the foam on top and add a sprinkle of cinnamon. Serve and enjoy!

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/homemade-pumpkin-spice-latte-recipe/#ixzz2hBZaPLEy

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Easy paleo baked meatball recipe

 

Need a quick healthy meal, or a lunch idea for the kids that’s full of good fats, protein, vitamins, minerals

and most importantly, flavor? Well, look no further, because this easy paleo baked meatball recipe fits the

bill. It’s free of flour, breadcrumbs or other filler and it’s egg-free. The secret is in a mix of quality ground

meats (namely grass-fed beef and pastured pork), and some good quality liver, kidney or other organ meat.

Now, if you can’t get your hands on grass-fed or pastured meats, don’t fret, you can still make these

meatballs with whatever quality of ground meat that you can get, just try and prioritize your cuts of meat as

best you can. Case in point, I made this particular batch of meatballs with a mixture of ground grass-fed

beef, grass-fed beef kidney, and conventionally raised lean-ground pork. Since I buy a half a grass-fed beef

for my family of three, it’s fairly economical when bought in bulk, but the price of pastured pork doesn’t fit

into our food budget very well.

Organ meats like liver, kidney or heart, might not go over as well on their own, so meatballs combining

both ground meat and organ meat make offal much more palatable. Now, if you’re hesitant about including

organ meat, you can always skip them, and just do straight ground meat, but there are plenty of reasons to

include some if you can. Firstly organ meat, like other meat is abundant in B-vitamins and minerals like

iron, zinc and selenium. Heart is full of co-enzyme Q10, and liver is rich in vitamin A. My recommendation is

to only add as much as you’re comfortable with – freeze the organ meat, and grate it into your mixture of

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ground meat. So while the recipe calls for about 1/3 cup of grated organ meat, you could certainly start with

1/4 cup or less just to get over the heebie-jeebie mental factor of eating offal.

Finally, the best part about meatballs is that they’re just screaming for a sauce or condiments. For my son’s

lunches, he gets a small container of ketchup or honey mustard to dip them in. For grown-ups a little

hot-sauce is always good, and condiments certainly help in masking any trace flavor of the organ meat.

How to cook gluten-free meatballs

INGREDIENTS

● 1lb ground beef (grass-fed beef preferred)

● 1lb ground pork (pastured pork preferred)

● 1/3 cup frozen, grated organ meat - liver, kidney, heart, tongue etc.*

● 1 medium onion, finely chopped

● 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

● 1 tbsp Italian seasoning

● 1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce

● 1 tsp sea salt

● 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix in all ingredients. *Note that the frozen, grated organ meat is optional – you

can use less if desired, or omit.

3. Roll into balls of about 1" in diameter.

4. Place on a large non-stick baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes. Enjoy!

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/easy-paleo-baked-meatball-recipe/#ixzz2hBaHJ5Ob

27

Easy homemade vegan and paleo mini pumpkin pie recipe

There’s something about the month of October – as soon as the page in the calendar flips to this month, it’s

like there’s an innate need to PUMPKIN ALL THE THINGS! This of course, means a mini pumpkin pie recipe

because, while a hot homemade pumpkin spice latte is one (very delicious) thing, with Thanksgiving around

the corner, my belly wants pumpkin pie.

Now, the difficulty with pumpkin pie for me is that

store-bought versions have crusts that contain gluten and

wheat (this is a problem for me and anyone who has a gluten

intolerance and follows a gluten-free, grain-free or paleo

diet). Commercial bakeries that make a gluten-free pumpkin

pie don’t work for me either because they use other flours and

starches to which I’m intolerant, and the pumpkin pie recipes

I’ve found often have a nut-based crust. Yeah, I’m one of those

lucky people that will get an eczema flare-up from potato

starch, rice starch and most nuts. And that’s just the crust!

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Pumpkin pie filling is often made with eggs and dairy (either milk or cream) to help it set. Adding an egg

allergy and a dairy intolerance pretty much meant that the challenge was set to make a recipe for pumpkin

pie that is: gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free and nut-free. PHEW! That is one LONG list of

allergens! And while we’re being over-achievers, there’s both a paleo version and a vegan version.

Before you think it’s odd to attempt an allergen-free pumpkin pie, many people who have autoimmune

issues (like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, eczema, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis and many

other issues) are better off avoiding inflammatory foods like eggs, nightshades, nuts and seeds. So I’m

hardly alone in seeking out an autoimmune-paleo friendly recipe. Some versions of the paleo autoimmune

protocol suggest avoiding spices, but alas, a pumpkin pie without spices (like nutmeg, cinnamon and

cloves) would not be a pumpkin pie – so there are limitations!

A bit of recipe searching, and I brought two great recipes together. The crust is based off the pastry from

these very tasty pop tarts, while the filling is adapted from this vegan pumpkin pie filling. It took a few tries

to perfect these mini pies, so my family and I made some sacrifices in many pie experiments. One of the

serendipitous side-effects of recipe testing was finding out that you can make mini crustless pumpkin pie by

simply putting the pumpkin pie filling in ramekins and allowing it to set.

This recipe makes four mini pumpkin pies. I used non-stick pie plates, and the pies came out like a dream.

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Egg-free, Dairy-free Healthy Pumpkin Pie Recipe Prep Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes Cook Time: 22 minutes Yield: 4 mini pies Serving Size: 1 mini pie

INGREDIENTS

For the grain-free, gluten-free, nut-free pie crust

● 1/2 cup tapioca flour

● 1/2 cup coconut flour

● 1/4 tsp sea salt

● 1/4 cup water

● 1/4 cup melted coconut oil

● 1/4 cup honey (vegan substitute: 1/4 cup maple syrup)

● 1 medium banana, roughly sliced

● 2 tsp vanilla

For the pumpkin pie filling or crustless pumpkin pie

● 3/4 cup coconut milk

● 3/4 cup pumpkin purée

● 1/4 cup honey (vegan substitute: 1/4 cup maple syrup)

● 1 tbsp gelatin (vegan substitute: 1 tbsp agar)

● 1 tsp vanilla

● 1/4 tsp sea salt

● 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon

● 1/8 tsp ginger

● 1/8 tsp nutmeg

● pinch of cloves

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INSTRUCTIONS

For the mini pie crusts

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients (tapioca flour, coconut flour and sea salt).

3. In a small bowl, mix the wet ingredients (water, melted coconut oil, honey/maple syrup, banana, and

vanilla) with a stick immersion blender (or fork).

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix together until you form a workable dough.

5. Take a quarter of the dough and roll it between two sheets of parchment paper until it is about 1/4" thick.

Press this flattened dough into a mini pie pan (trim excess) and repeat for the other three pie pans.

6. Bake the pie crusts for 22 minutes at 350F.

For the pumpkin pie filling or crustless pumpkin pie

7. Combine all the ingredients for the pumpkin pie filling into a small pot. Stir on low heat until the gelatin or

agar dissolves (about 5 minutes).

8. Pour into baked pie crusts or ramekins if making crustless pumpkin pie.

9. Set in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight if preparing ahead of time. Top with chilled

coconut milk (chilling thickens up the canned coconut milk quite nicely) and serve.

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/easy-homemade-mini-pumpkin-pie-recipe/#ixzz2hBb7a5dE

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Easy homemade vegan and paleo fudgy brownie recipe

 

So I feel like I’ve been posting a LOT of treat recipes lately, but in my defense, it was Thanksgiving here in

Canada last weekend (hence the pumpkin pie recipe and the pumpkin spice latte recipe), and with the

holidays not too far from now, I want to be able to bring desserts and treats to parties that I can actually eat

and enjoy. My family follows a paleo diet (i.e. no processed foods, no grains), and I myself have a long list of

food sensitivities that cause eczema flare-ups. These sensitivities include grains, dairy, eggs and nuts, which

pretty much make baking an interesting and sometimes seemingly impossible challenge.

I found other recipes for gluten-free brownies, paleo brownies and even vegan brownies, but there

weren’t recipes that fit my specific requirements to be grain-free, egg-free and to actually taste awesome!

The closest recipe that fit the bill was Tessa the Domestic Diva’s paleo egg-free brownies, but they took

some tweaking to make them fudgy, but a little more cakey, and thus become the best brownie recipe ever.

I don’t even say that lightly, because a good brownie is a great treat indeed, never mind that they’re actually

delicious and eggless brownies!

These fudgy brownies are made with coconut flour and tapioca flour and sweetened with honey and the

ingredient that helps hold it all together – sweet potato. The lovely thing about these brownies is that you

can’t taste the sweet potato in it. Instead, it’s fudge brownie goodness that needs a tall glass of milk (if you

can tolerate it), or in my case, a dollop of whipped coconut milk does the trick too. I really thought that with

an egg and grain intolerance I’d never eat a brownie again without suffering later – but these fit the bill!

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Dairy-free, eggless, gluten free chocolate fudge brownies Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

● 3 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate

● 6 tbsp coconut milk

● 5 tbsp coconut oil

● 1 cup honey (vegan option: 1 cup maple syrup)

● 1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato (about 1 medium sweet potato)

● 1/2 tsp sea salt

● 1/2 tsp baking soda

● 6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

● 6 tbsp coconut flour

● 6 tbsp tapioca flour

● 2 tsp vanilla extract

● 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. If you don't have already mashed cooked sweet potato, take one medium sweet potato and pierce several

times with a fork. Microwave on high for seven minutes, covered with a moistened paper towel or damp

cloth. Scrape the sweet potato away from the skin and mash with a fork, and set aside 1 cup of mashed

sweet potato.

3. In a double boiler (or a metal mixing bowl resting in a pot of water), melt the unsweetened baking

chocolate, coconut milk and coconut oil over medium heat. Once the chocolate has melted into a uniform

mixture, remove from heat.

4. To the mixing bowl, add the honey or maple syrup, mashed sweet potato, vanilla, salt and baking soda.

Blend well with hand immersion blender.

5. Slowly add the cocoa powder, coconut flour and tapioca powder and mix with a rubber spatula until

uniform.

6. Optional - for double chocolate brownies, fold in half a cup of chocolate chips.

7. Pour batter into a 8" x 8" baking pan.

8. Bake for 20 minutes or until testing with a toothpick or knife comes out clean.

9. Cool and cut into squares. Enjoy!

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/easy-homemade-vegan-paleo-fudgy-brownie-recipe/#ixzz2kaLXMeof

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50+ egg-free paleo breakfast recipes and ideas  

A couple of years ago, when I went paleo (that is, I

stopped eating grains and processed foods), breakfast

was a challenge at first because there would be no more

toast, and no more cereal. That was fine though. I had

eggs instead. Glorious eggs! Bacon and eggs, sunnyside

up, over-easy, scrambled eggs, poached eggs, eggs

Benedict, frittata, quiche… as you can tell, I love eggs.

Eggs are an awesome food, since they’re packed full of

enough nutrients to potentially grow a chicken (vitamins

A, D, E, B12, folate, along with protein, lutein, choline and

more).

BUT as it turns out there’s something about the egg

protein that makes it a common food allergy, and

egg-whites are more allergenic than egg-yolks, as some are able to tolerate yolks, but not whites. So fast

forward to just a few months ago where I found out that I have a LOT of food intolerances, including my

beloved breakfast staple: eggs. In addition to eggs, I also have sensitivities to dairy, most grains, nuts and

some nightshades. This made breakfast an even bigger challenge now that there was: no toast, no cereal

and, no eggs. What that comes down to is essentially an Autoimmune Paleo (AIP) diet (no grains, no eggs, no

nightshades).

Now this can be quite the adjustment for someone who is used to “breakfast foods” but it helps to

remember that much of the world doesn’t eat food that is marketed specifically for breakfast. Instead they

eat food. So most of the time, I end up eating leftovers from the previous night’s dinner, but it’s easy to get

stuck for more breakfast ideas after a while.

Here are 50+ egg-free paleo breakfast recipes, that are also nut-free, dairy-free and mostly nightshade-free

that happen to be autoimmune paleo compliant. They’re not just for people with egg allergies – they’re also

a handy list of recipes for when you’re out of eggs! Some of these ideas are quick things you can do in the

morning, while others are recipes that you can make ahead of time and either re-heat quickly in the

morning, or just eat cold:

Granola, trail mix or cereal/oatmeal replacements: Paleo cereal (grain-free, nut-free, gluten-free granola)

Paleo/autoimmune granola

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Frosted “corn” flakes cereal

Banana and cream “oatmeal”

Butternut squash or pumpkin porridge

Faux-tmeal (paleo “oatmeal”)

Sweet breakfasts, baked goods and brunch ideas: Fruit salad

Serviceberry crumble

Pumpkin spice dehydrator cookies

Plantain pancakes with maple coconut cream and toasted walnuts

Easy applesauce

Coconut flour country biscuits

Breakfast cookies

Raspberry pop tarts

Cinnamon crumb cakes

Apple pie balls

Paleo pancakes

Carrot and cauliflower mud muffins

Monster breakfast cookies

Banana zucchini bread

Mashed sweet potatoes in orange cups

Blueberry chia pudding

Cinnamon chia pudding

Dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free smoothies: Strawberry shake

Creamy avocado smoothie

5 Morning smoothie recipes

Blueberry coconut milk smoothie

Blueberry smoothies (with variations)

Key lime pie smoothie

(Want more smoothie recipes? Toadally Primal Smoothies is a great little eBook – it’s a Kindle eBook, but

you can read it without a kindle using any tablet or your desktop PC with a kindle app).

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Dairy-free yogurt recipes: Coconut milk kefir yogurt

Coconut milk yogurt

Coconut milk yogurt in the crockpot

Savory breakfast ideas and recipes: Beef breakfast sausage

Bone broth

Breakfast sausages

Create your own breakfast skillet

Emergency protein (aka Garbage stir fry)

Sausage and vegetable bake

Paleo breakfast burger

Sweet potato apple hash

Potato-free breakfast potatoes

Celery root hashbrowns

Chicken noodle soup

Paleo cassava and bacon hash

Butternut squash, kale and ground beef breakfast bowl

Breakfast shepherds pie

Potato-free hashbrowns

Fiesta Breakfast Bowl (contains nightshades in salsa)

Easy baked meatballs

Turkey sausage patties

Zucchini pasta with creamy avocado sauce

Need more ideas that are paleo, egg-free, and grain-free? Check out these eBooks: Awaken: 30+ egg free &

grain-free breakfasts by Karen Sorenson, or the Autoimmune Paleo cookbook by Mickey Trescott.

What’s your favorite grain-free, egg-free breakfast? If you’ve got a recipe that fits the bill, link to it in the

comments, and I’ll add it to the post!

—————————————————

Photo credit: Eggs by John Loo

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/egg-free-paleo-breakfast-ideas/#ixzz2kaO75vPe

36

Homemade oven baked french fries recipe

 

Oh french fries – how I love thee: your crisp, salty, savory perfection. It used to be that the best french fries

were to be found at some greasy spoon, or a chip stand off some industrial road. But, you can make your

own homemade oven baked french fries yourself. And because you control the type of oil (and how fresh it

is), and not actually deep-fry them in some questionable quality vegetable oil, making them at home is

certainly a better-for-you option than driving down to that chip truck. Best of all, the same recipe can be

used to turn other root vegetables into alternative healthy french fries – now, they won’t taste the same as

your humble white potato, but they’ll certainly be delicious, since the browning of the veggies in the oven

adds a nice caramelized flavor, and they’ll add some variety.

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What are the best potatoes for french fries?

Making the best fries ever means picking the best potato: ideally, you’ll want a ‘mealy’ or ‘floury’ potato like

a Russet, Idaho or (my personal favorite), a Yukon Gold. They have less moisture than some other potato

varieties, which mean they’ll crisp up nicely in the oven. “Waxy” potatoes will also work for french fries of

course, but they may end up being slightly mushier than the floury potatoes.

Looking to french fry some other vegetable? I recommend using this same recipe for carrots, beets or

parsnips.

How to bake french fries in the oven Rating: 5 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 60 minutes

INGREDIENTS

● ~ 3 lbs of root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, beets, parsnips)

● ~ 3 tbsp Coconut oil

● Sea salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Roughly cut root vegetables into big, thick fries, about a 1/2" thick.

2. In a pan, toss them with coconut oil and salt for about 5 minutes while pre-heating the oven at 400F.

3. Spread the fries in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. (For 3 lbs worth, you'll need

two cookie sheets.)

4. Bake for 45 minutes total, tossing them about half-way through the total bake time to ensure that they are

evenly roasted. Enjoy!

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/homemade-oven-baked-french-fries-recipe/#ixzz2kaPd9a4g

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Bacon wrapped dates recipe – only the best easy appetizer recipe ever

I hesitated in posting a recipe for bacon-wrapped dates, not because they’re not delicious – on the contrary,

there’s something quite magical about bacon wrapping a soft, sweet date. No… I hesitated because this gem

of all hors d’oeurvres recipes [that's "hor dourves" for those of you not required by law to take French

classes as part of your educational system ;)] – is too simple to require writing down. However, when I

recently brought this dish as an appetizer for a little get-together, people were wowed and amazed. “What

is this deliciousness?!”, “Are there any more?”, “Can I have the recipe?” What’s a girl with blog to do, but to

write a post, and point them to it!

This bacon-wrapped date recipe WILL make you the star of your next potluck or party, because really, who

doesn’t like bacon, and the awesome combination of salty and sweet? The only problem with making these

is that they don’t last very long, so it might not be a bad idea to make at least three for each guest if you’re

using them as a fingerfood for parties. Thankfully, bacon-wrapped dates are the best easy appetizer recipe

ever, and I love using a toaster oven to make them because it uses less energy and you’re free to use the

oven for other things, if you’re hosting a meal at your house. Because this is a simple, two-ingredient recipe

(if you’re feeling fancy, you can call them “Devils on Horseback” instead), I recommend that you splurge

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and get the best bacon you can – preferably pasture-raised, naturally smoked, organic bacon and the

biggest, plumpest and juiciest medjool dates. It’s SO worth it. A bonus is that if you use quality bacon, the fat

is worth saving to use for other dishes.

(Oh, and in case you’re scared of bacon, I’ll point you to my post on Good Fats vs. Bad Fats for Good Health.

But if you’re looking for the TL;DR (too long – didn’t read) version, bacon and animal fat are NOT bad for

you.)

Bacon wrapped dates (aka Devils on Horseback) Yield: 24 bacon wrapped dates Serving Size: 8

INGREDIENTS

● 12 slices of bacon

● 24 medjool dates

Optional

● Mango chutney or goat cheese or other fillings

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 350F

2. Cut your bacon in half, so that you have two pieces of half the original length.

3. Optional: Slit your date and stuff with mango chutney or goat cheese. Get creative with savory or sweet

fillings, but there's no need to go overboard. Even plain dates in bacon are good.

4. Wrap the bacon around your dates and space them apart on a parchment paper-lined baking tray.

5. Bake for about 20 minutes, and then broil for about 5 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Stick toothpicks in

each bacon-wrapped date before serving. Enjoy!

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/bacon-wrapped-dates/#ixzz2lrIDZZjO

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Easy creamy leek soup recipe

Are you one of those people who have only ever had leeks a handful of times, prepared by someone else?

Or do you pass them by when you see them in the grocery store because you have no idea what to do with

them? Leeks are sweet and subtle in flavor, and they’re full of vitamins A, C and K, along with B-vitamins like

B6, folate and minerals such as manganese, magnesium and trace minerals. Most people are familiar with

leek soup, and this creamy leek soup recipe is easy to prepare, and made extra delicious when dressed with

homemade crispy bacon bits.

If you’re wary of leeks because they just look like giant green onions – this soup recipe has passed the

palate of the resident 7 year-old taste-tester, who doesn’t normally like anything too onion-y. In fact, he

loved this soup so much, that he specifically requested the leftovers as an after-school snack one day. Yes, it’s

that good, so don’t be surprised if your child asks for it too.

Note that this soup requires the use of an immersion blender to purée it down to a nice creamy consistency.

If you don’t have a stick blender, it does work well without blending, as a creamy, rustic soup.

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Homemade dairy-free creamy leek soup

INGREDIENTS

● 1.5 tbsp coconut oil

● 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

● 2 small onions, chopped

● 2 large leeks or 3 medium sized leeks, chopped

● 2 tsp ground cumin

● 3 cups of bone broth

● 1 can of full-fat coconut milk

● sea salt and black pepper to taste

● optional: chopped crispy bacon bits for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a stockpot, melt coconut oil at medium-high heat and sauté garlic until slightly browned. Add the

onions and chopped leeks to the stockpot until everything is well-softened (about 10 minutes).

2. Add the ground cumin and add the bone broth to the stockpot. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer

the soup for about 10 minutes. (While you’re simmering this is a good time to fry up some chopped bacon

until it’s nice and crispy).

3. Stir in the coconut milk, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Purée the soup using an immersion blender right in the stockpot.

5. To serve, garnish with bacon bits of a dollop of coconut milk. Enjoy!

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/easy-creamy-leek-soup-recipe/#ixzz2mW0eJvc1

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Easy paleo vegan gingerbread man cookies recipe

If you’ve got food allergies or intolerances, the holidays can be really hard. Surrounded by all of these

delicious baked goods and treats, but unable to partake in any of them. Or if you do, you’re faced with any

number of food allergy or intolerance symptoms that can make the indulgence not worth it. These

grain-free, nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan and gluten-free gingerbread men are perfect if you or your

guests have multiple food allergies. They are even autoimmune-paleo compliant, since the spices used

(ginger, cinnamon and cloves) are on the ‘safe’ list of the AIP protocol.

A caveat though – in all honesty, baking without eggs and regular flour is challenging, so if you’re used to

conventional baking, this dough is not as easy to handle as a regular wheat dough. This dough was easiest to

handle when still warm. As it cooled, it became grainier and stickier. In one test run, I made a triple-batch of

this dough – which I don’t actually recommend because a large amount of this dough is hard to handle

quickly – it can get a little finicky by either being too moist and sticky (in which case, letting it sit in the fridge

for half an hour or more should help), or it can dry out too much (in which case, I suggest adding small

amounts of water – no more than 1/8 cup at a time until the dough is wet enough). If you need to make a lot

of cookies, I suggest making small batches of dough at a time. The dough also doesn’t have the same texture

as an all-purpose flour and egg cookie – if you roll these out rather thin, they can be crispy, but I made most

of mine to be about 1/4″ thick, and they were deliciously chewy.

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If you’re after crispy gingerbread men – more like a gingersnap – I highly recommend letting them cool

thoroughly for several hours and not stick them in a sealed container. If you like your gingerbread chewy,

then they’ll certainly stay that way by cooling, and then storing them in an air-tight container.

I decorated these cookies with a simple frosting made with coconut oil, honey and a bit of vanilla. If you

need to make a vegan frosting, simply substitute the honey for maple syrup. One thing I wish I’d done is

made little sandwich cookies, with a layer of frosting between two gingerbread. YUM!

Allergy-friendly best gingerbread cookie recipe Rating: 5

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Yield: About 20-24 cookes (3.5" tall gingerbread men)

INGREDIENTS

● 1/4 cup water

● 2.5 tbsp molasses

● 1/4 cup coconut oil

● 1/3 cup maple syrup

● 1 tsp vanilla extract

● 1/2 cup tapioca flour

● 1/2 cup coconut flour

● 1 tsp ginger powder

● 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

● pinch of cloves

● pinch of salt

● 1/3 cup well-mashed sweet potato (about 1/2 a medium sweet potato)

Coconut oil frosting

● 1/4 cup softened coconut oil

● 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup

● 1 tsp vanilla

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. If you don't have already mashed cooked sweet potato, take one medium sweet potato and pierce several

times with a fork. Microwave on high for seven minutes, covered with a moistened paper towel or damp

cloth. Scrape the sweet potato away from the skin and mash with a fork, and set aside 1/3 cup of mashed

sweet potato.

3. In a small saucepan on low heat, add the water, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract together until

the coconut oil is melted. Add the mashed sweet potato, and blend everything together with an immersion

blender.

4. In a mixing bowl, blend together the tapioca and coconut flours, and the ginger, cinnamon, cloves and

salt.

5. Slowly add the liquid mixture into the flour mixture until a dough forms.

6. Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper. For chewier cookies, roll the dough to about 1/4"

thick, for crisper cookies roll the dough thinner. Cut with cookie cutters.

7. Bake on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper for 20-25 minutes.

8. Optional: allow cookies to cool thoroughly and decorate with frosting.

Frosting:

1. Beat together softened coconut oil with maple syrup or honey and vanilla until fluffy.

2. Put in a small piping bag, or alternatively in a small sandwich bag, and cut a tiny hole to squeeze frosting

out onto gingerbread men.

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/easy-paleo-vegan-gingerbread-man-cookies-recipe/#ixzz2n8EgV7aW

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Paleo vegan chocolate dipped orange zest cookies (nut-free)

Since it’s the holiday season, I’m continuing the cookie treat trend from last week’s allergy-friendly

Gingerbread man cookies with these easy chocolate dipped orange zest cookies. I even took a poll on

Facebook to see if people would prefer an informative and educational post on some nutrition topic, or

cookies. Well, I’m pleased to say that cookies won out. Again, because my household is one with a number

of food sensitivities and intolerances, these cookies are dairy-free, egg-free (vegan), nut-free, grain-free

(paleo) but not flavor-free.

They taste really really good out of the oven because they’ve got a crispness on the outside with a chewiness

on the inside, and they smell SO good. Really though, anything that uses orange zest will do that. It makes

everything smell wonderful and Christmas-y and good. I don’t know why I associate oranges with

Christmas, but I do – I think it has to do with the fact that way back when, oranges were considered such a

special Christmas-time treat. (I’m in Canada so really, oranges have no business to be here ever, never mind

December, but hey).

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If you can actually wait long enough to allow your cookies to cool, then the dip makes these cookies even

more delicious, if that’s possible. The chocolate dip uses a bit of orange-zest too for that chocolate-orange

goodness.

One note about the banana used in this cookie recipe – opt for a green-tipped banana to lessen the banana

flavor in the cookies. If you do happen to use a riper banana, it’s not bad, but you might find the banana

starts to overpower the orange flavor, and makes it more ‘creamsicle’ in flavor than orange, which isn’t

bad, but might not be what you’re looking for.

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Allergy-friendly chocolate-dipped orange cookies Rating: 5

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

● 1/4 cup juice squeezed from one orange

● 1/4 cup coconut oil

● 1/4 cup honey (or maple syrup for a vegan version)

● 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

● 1/2 tsp orange zest

● pinch of salt

● 1/2 cup tapioca flour

● 1/2 cup coconut flour

● 1 medium green-tipped banana, mashed

● Chocolate-dip

● 2 tbsp coconut oil

● 2 tbsp honey (or maple syrup for a vegan version)

● 2 tbsp cocoa powder

● 1/2 tsp orange zest

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. In a small saucepan on low heat, add the water, coconut oil, honey and vanilla extract together until the

coconut oil is melted. Add the mashed banana, and blend everything together with an immersion blender.

3. In a mixing bowl, blend together the orange zest, salt, tapioca and coconut flours.

4. Slowly add the liquid mixture into the flour mixture until a dough forms.

5. Roll the dough between into small balls and flatten them to about 1/4" thick on a parchment-lined cookie

sheet.

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

7. Optional: allow cookies to cool thoroughly and dip with chocolate.

Chocolate dipping sauce:

1. Blend together melted coconut oil, honey, cocoa powder and orange zest together in a small bowl.

2. Dip cookies in chocolate sauce and allow the chocolate to harden by placing cookies on a wire rack.

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/chocolate-dipped-orange-zest-cookies/#ixzz2nnPpJihf

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Simple homemade apple pie recipe (gluten-free, vegan, Paleo & AIP-friendly)

Riding on the success of the pumpkin pie recipe, it seemed natural to branch out and expand the pie

repertoire with a simple homemade apple pie recipe that is suitable for people who have multiple food

allergies, sensitivities or intolerances. This apple pie recipe is gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and

autoimmune-paleo (AIP) friendly, and includes vegan options as well. The best part is, you can even get

away with serving this to people who don’t have multiple food issues and they likely won’t notice that it’s

missing things like eggs, dairy or nuts, since it still tastes like an apple pie should!

One note though, because the dough for the crust lacks eggs and regular flour, it isn’t as easy to work with

as a regular dough, so I went with making mini-pies to avoid the frustration of having the dough rip. The

dough holds well enough for mini pie plates, but you may find that you’ll need to patch it if you do the same

recipe for a regular sized pie. I do love these non-stick mini pie plates though, since the pies come out so

easily. For the test recipe, I’ve made the top crust using a small, scalloped cookie cutter, but you could roll

out a simple top crust that covers the entire pie. Just make sure to slit some vent holes to allow the steam to

escape.

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Gluten-free Apple Pie (egg-free, dairy-free, nut-free, vegan and paleo) Rating: 5 Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 55 minutes Yield: 3 mini pies Serving Size: 1 mini pie

INGREDIENTS

For the grain-free, gluten-free, nut-free crust

● 3/4 cup tapioca flour

● 3/4 cup coconut flour

● 1/4 tsp sea salt

● 6 tbsp coconut oil

● 6 tbs maple syrup

● 1-1/4 cup chopped apples in 3/8" cubes (about 1.5 apples worth)

● 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the apple pie filling

● 3 cups chopped apples in 3/8" cubes (about 2.5 apples worth)

● 3/4 tsp cinnamon

● 1/4 tsp allspice (optional)

● 3 tbsp maple syrup

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

For the crust:

2. In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients (tapioca flour, coconut flour and sea salt).

3. Microwave (or heat in a small pot) the 1-1/4 cup of apples until softened. (This should be about a minute in

the microwave, or a few minutes on the stove top).

4. In a small bowl, mix the softened apples, water, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and blend together with

an immersion blender.

5. Add the contents of the small bowl into the medium bowl containing the dry ingredients, and mix together

until you form a workable dough. (If the dough is too dry you can add 1tbsp of water at a time until it is

workable.)

6. Divide the dough in sixths and roll it between two sheets of parchment paper until it is about 1/4" thick.

Press this flattened dough into a mini pie pan (trim excess) and repeat for the bottom crusts in the other

pie pans.

For the apple pie filling:

7. In a small saucepan, heat the 3 cups of chopped apples, cinnamon, allspice and maple syrup on low heat

for about five minutes, until the apples are softened.

8. Add the filling to your bottom crusts.

9. Roll out your pie crust between two sheets of parchment paper for your top crust. You can cut your crust

with small decorative cookie cutters (as shown), or roll out a flat top crust. Slit several steam vents in the

top crust, if you choose to do the latter.

10. Bake the pies for 22-25 minutes.

11. Allow pies to cool before removing from pie pans. Enjoy!

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/simple-homemade-apple-pie-recipe/#ixzz2oy4CrF1L

51

Coconut milk curry beef stew crock pot recipe

A lot of people are kicking off the New Year with a resolution or a goal in mind (or maybe just three words

to guide them along), but one of the most common promises come January is one to eat better. For many

people, this is the perfect time to take on the whole30 challenge, which is one way to clean-up your diet for

an entire month, as it removes all processed foods, sugars, grains, dairy and more. If you’re familiar with

the Paleo diet, then the whole30 is the tighten-your-belt-and-be-more-strict version of it.

In any case, this beef stew crock pot recipe is perfect for a new start and a new year. Why? First off, it’s a

slow cooker recipe, and slow cooker recipes help to get you back into the routine of having meals at a

regular time and get you out of holiday mode. You do the prep, go away for your work day and you come

home to a house that smells wonderfully like dinner. All you have to do is add the last bit of salt to taste, and

dinner’s on the table! This stew is made with plenty of winter root vegetables too, because that’s what’s

readily available and they make it a good, stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal.

One note though – this stew is delicious and awesome and tasty and all sorts of adjectives, but if I was to fault

it, it would be that it’s a bit soupy. In fact, I was going to call this a chunky soup (you know, something that

you eat like a meal. What a great ad tag that would… oh wait). But I’m calling it a stew because it’s got

stewing beef in it. So soup, stew, sweet poTAto, sweet poTAHto, just call it ‘dinner’.

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Easy beef stew crock pot recipe

INGREDIENTS

● 2 tbsp coconut oil

● 2 pounds of stewing beef, cut to about 2" cubes

● 1/4 tsp salt

● 2 cups chopped onion (2 medium onions)

● 2 cups chopped celery (2 stalks)

● 2 cups chopped carrots (2 medium carrots)

● 2 cups chopped parsnips (3 small parsnips)

● 1.5 cups chopped sweet potato (1 medium sweet potato)

● 3 cups bone broth

● 1 cup coconut milk

● 1 tbsp curry powder

● salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat coconut oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Brown the stewing beef, being careful not to

overcrowd the pan. Sprinkle about a 1/4 tsp of salt over the beef as it cooks. The beef just needs to be

lightly seared and not fully cooked.Transfer the beef pieces into the crock pot once they have been

browned on all sides.

2. Add onions and celery to the same pan that the beef was cooked in. Brown the onions and celery for about

five minutes and then add them to the crock pot.

3. Add the chopped carrots, parsnips and sweet potato to the crock pot.

4. In a small bowl mix together the bone broth, coconut milk and curry powder. Pour this mixture over the

contents of the crock pot. Cover and cook on the low setting of the crock pot for 8 hours, or on the high

setting for 4 hours.

5. When done, salt to taste and enjoy!

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/beef-stew-crock-pot-recipe/#ixzz2ppDr1H98

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Dehydrator recipe round-up Got a dehydrator and not sure what to do with it? Or maybe you

don’t have a dehydrator, but you’d consider getting one if you

could see all the wonderful things you can make it. (If you don’t

have a dehydrator, you can try making banana chips in your

oven and see if maybe a dehydrator is for you). The great thing

is, you can often find dehydrators used on Craigslist or Kijiji for a

song.

In any case, there are a few things you can do with a dehydrator.

I know I’ve personally found it useful as a way to preserve a

windfall of less-than-pretty apples for later. (Though, the trick

with apple chips is to make them, and then hide them away for

later, otherwise, they get eaten within minutes of pulling them out of the dehydrator!) Having a dehydrator

means that you can make a lot of homemade versions of commercial foods that are normally laden with too

many preservatives, colorants and artificial flavors. Got a favorite dehydrator recipe that’s not on this list?

Please let me know and I’ll make sure to add it to this round-up!

Fruit and sweet recipes

Apple chips

Apricot Coconut dehydrator cookies

Banana nut brittle

Homemade fruit by the foot

Cinnamon spiced sweet potato and carrot chips

Coconut strapple bars

Kefir fruit leather

Kiwi Fruit leather

Peach fruit leathers

Pineapple chips

Pumpkin spice dehydrator cookies

Vanilla Almond Sugar Cookies

Vanilla Cinnamon Granola

Watermelon candy

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Vegetables and savory recipes

Carrot chips

Pickle chips

Tomato chips

Onion & sun-dried tomato almond dehydrator crackers

Veggie Jims

Zucchini chips

Herbs and seasoning

Drying sweet basil in a home dehydrator

Tomato powder

Meat

Corned beef brisket jerky

Homemade organic grass fed beef jerky

Salmon jerky

Smoky beef jerky

Sweet heart jerky

Other

DIY natural food coloring

How and why to soak and dehydrate nuts and seeds

—————————————————

Photo credit: Preservation by Nomadic Lass

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/dehydrator-recipe-round-up/#ixzz2r8aRZKjU

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Almond gelatin recipe – Easy Chinese dessert

Chinese New Year is coming! January 31st marks the Year of The Horse and one of my favorite Chinese

desserts has always been almond jelly. Now honestly, it might be my favorite Chinese dessert only because

in a ‘real’ Chinese meal (one that doesn’t include sweet & sour red sauce and fortune cookies), dessert is

often just oranges, or if it’s a special meal, maybe you’ll get a red bean soup – so you can see why a kid might

prefer the white jell-o over the hot red bean soup.

Almond gelatin is a staple you’ll find on dim sum carts, though typically it’s served with a syrup and the

contents of a can of fruit cocktail with the near-fluorescent red maraschino cherries. I’ve never been a fan

of fruit cocktail because the fruit all tastes like syrup. I just wanted the jelly. Lucky for me, almond jelly is an

easy dessert recipe with few ingredients, that takes very little time to make, save for the time it takes to set,

so there’s no reason not to make it yourself.

For a good gelatin, you’ll need to start with a good-quality gelatin powder. I highly recommend Great Lakes

gelatin as it’s sourced from grass-fed animals. (Note: It’s been difficult to get in Canada, but you can order

Great Lakes Gelatin from iHerb for a reasonable price). Why gelatin? There are tons of benefits to eating

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gelatin, such as helping to strengthen nails, hair and improving skin, it can help improve digestion and

support the joints. Want more reasons? Check out this list from the Wellness Mama.

“Traditionally” (I say in quotes, because I doubt this is an ancient recipe, but more likely a modern-era

concoction), this Chinese dessert is made with regular milk, but because my family has dairy sensitivities

(ironically, it’s not uncommon for those of Chinese descent to have issues with dairy) I’ve made this recipe as

a coconut milk almond jelly. I’ve used full-fat coconut milk, which tends to separate easily, and for that

reason, I recommend using an immersion blender to help the coconut milk emulsify. If you’ve got no issues

with dairy, you can easily substitute the coconut milk for regular milk or almond milk.

Almond gelatin dessert (dairy-free) Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes Yield: 64

INGREDIENTS

● 2 cups water

● 2 tbsp unflavored gelatin

● 2 cups full-fat coconut milk

● 1/2 cup organic cane sugar, honey or maple syrup

● 1-1/2 tsp almond extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan, boil the water and then reduce to medium-low heat. Add gelatin powder and stir

until dissolved.

2. Add coconut milk, sugar (or honey or maple syrup) and almond extract. Stir until sugar (if using) and

gelatin are completely dissolved. Blend with an immersion hand blender to help emulsify the coconut

milk.

3. Pour mixture into a gelatin mold, or 8" x 8" dish. Allow to cool and then refrigerate (about 3-4 hours) until

set. To serve, cut into cubes.

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/almond-gelatin-recipe/#ixzz2rkh3uOwa

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Beef heart recipe round-up Eating organ meats may not be for the faint of heart (pun intended), but it used to be that organ meats were

prized and reserved for distinct members of society, and not tossed aside as is common today. The biggest

barriers to eating organ meat, especially heart, is largely psychological – after all, there is something a little

off-putting about eating organ meat, if the only other time you’ve ever been around whole organs wasn’t

for consumption but rather for dissection in your 10th grade biology class. However, organ meats,

especially hearts, are foods that are worth getting over your heebie-jeebies for, because they’re nutritional

super-foods. They’re so nutrient-dense, that ideally you should try to eat them at least twice a week, and you

should source your meat from organically-raised pastured animals. (If you’re wondering how to prioritize

your grocery budget for meat when you can’t afford grass-fed beef, The Paleo Mom has a great guide).

Similar to other cuts of red meat, heart is a great source of iron, zinc, selenium and B-vitamins. But, the best

reason for eating heart is because it’s the densest food source of coenzymeQ10 (coQ10). CoQ10 is a

fat-soluble antioxidant, and it’s vital in energy production, with a critical role in ATP synthesis (the body’s

fundamental unit of energy).

So, if you can get over the appearance (chopping, slicing or grinding certainly helps), you’ll find that beef

heart recipes tastes very similar to steak or stew, or if you’re eating chicken, pork or lamb hearts, that they

taste like darker cuts of meat. Many of the recipes in this hearty (haha!) recipe round-up use a crock pot or

slow cooker – the slow cooking process helps to tenderize what could be a tough cut of meat otherwise.

Assorted

Beef heart confit with sous vide beets

Pan seared beef heart served w/ herby white sauce

Grilled beef heart with roasted chili peppers

Beef heart with roasted vegetables

Easy beef heart steak

Beef heart chili

Beef heart mole

Paleo-style beef heart dirty rice

Beef heart with chimichurri sauce

A cheaper alternative to steak: beef heart!

Beef heart and carrot curry

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Kebab (Brochette)

Preparing beef heart and heart kebobs

Grilled marinated beef heart (anticuchos de corazon)

Anticuchos (grilled beef heart)

Barbecued beef heart kabobs

Moroccan heart kebab (brochette)

Beef heart skewers

Slow Cooker

Crockpot beef heart with cauliflower mash and paleo gravy

Crockpot beef heart stuffed with bacon, mushrooms and onions

Slow-cooked “Heart on Fire” with creamed kale

Slow-cooked beef heart stew

Slow cooker beef heart

Beef heart chili

Grass fed beef heart stew

Slow cooker stuffed beef heart

Jerky

Beef heart jerky

Sweet heart jerky

Vietnamese inspired beef heart jerky

Other

Pickled beef heart

—————————————————

Photo credit: Game of Thrones by HBO

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/beef-heart-recipe-round-up/#ixzz2tD45cGuZ

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Easy dinner recipe: Cooking chicken legs in the oven

One of the hardest things about eating more real food and less processed food is actually the nitty-gritty,

day-to-day cooking! After all, it’s easy enough to tell someone that they should stop eating the boxed and

ready-made foods, or that they’d save money and eat more nutritious foods if they prepared dinner

themselves. The hard part is finding an easy dinner recipe that can be made on a busy weeknight with

enough leftovers for lunches the next day. This is one of my family’s weeknight dinner solutions: baked

chicken leg quarters, with plenty of meat as leftovers or to make chicken salad for the next day. So make

sure you work this easy recipe into your weekly meal planning.

This recipe is a no-fuss sort of recipe, that really involves a little chopping, and knowing how long to cook

chicken legs in the oven. The beauty of this bone-in cut of chicken is that you can save the bones to make

bone-broth for chicken soup too. It’s the meal that keeps on giving ;)

Included with this recipe is a homemade version of roasted chicken seasoning, which is a good substitute

for the pre-made “Montreal Steak Spice” – this seasoning goes great on all sorts of savory dishes: steak of

course, roasted chicken, pork, roasts. You name it!

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Easy chicken recipe for dinner Prep Time: 10 minute Cook Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

● 4-6 chicken legs (as many that will fit in your roasting pan)

● 5 small onions

Roast chicken seasoning (makes enough for 2 spice jars)

● 2 tbsp smoked paprika

● 1 tbsp black pepper

● 3 tbsp kosher salt

● 1 tbsp granulated garlic

● 1 tbsp granulated onion

● 1/2 tbsp of coriander

● 1 tbsp dill

● 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine the roast chicken seasoning mix in a small bowl until well-mixed. Store in a spice jar and use as

a savory seasoning for roast chicken, steaks, pork and other dishes.

2. Preheat oven to 425F.

3. Slice onions and spread a layer of onions on the bottom of a 9"x 11" roasting pan.

4. Season chicken with roast chicken seasoning mix and lay the chicken legs on top of the sliced onions.

5. Roast for 1 hour at 425F or until a knife inserted into the thickest part of the leg produces clear juices.

6. Rest chicken for about 5 minutes and then serve. Enjoy!

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/easy-dinner-recipe-cooking-chicken-legs-oven/#ixzz2tsSVdI00

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Weeknight dinner stir-fry recipe

As someone of Chinese descent, I never understood the idea of someone saying they were making a ‘stir-fry’

for dinner. I suppose it’s the same as saying you’re going to barbeque or grill, because 90% of the meals

cooked in my home growing up were stir-fried. So to me, it’s just a way of cooking – boiling, poaching,

baking – just a way that ingredients get turned into dinner. Stir-frying food is a great way to cook things

quickly, and really, the bottleneck in making a meal this way isn’t the cooking so much as it is the prep work

required in washing, peeling and chopping your vegetables. However, if you do this ahead of time (I highly

recommend doing food prep or batch cooking as part of your weekly meal planning), then when it comes

time to whip up dinner after work, it’s a breeze.

To make it even quicker, part of the weekly batch cooking in my household involves roasting meat (like

chicken legs, or pork tenderloin for example) on the weekends, and then using this pre-cooked meat in

dishes such as this.

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Weeknight dinner stir-fry recipe Prep Time: 40 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 55 minutes

INGREDIENTS

● 1-2 tbsp coconut oil

● 3 cloves of garlic, minced

● 1 tsp finely grated ginger

● 2 small onions, chopped

● 2 carrots, peeled and chopped

● 4 stalks celery, chopped

● 1 red pepper, chopped

● 5 oz mushrooms, sliced

● 2 green onions, chopped

● 1 cup cashews

● 5-6 oz pre-cooked meat (like pork tenderloin) or

other sliced uncooked chicken, beef or other meat

INSTRUCTIONS

1. If not using pre-cooked meat, in a wok or large sauté pan, on medium-low heat, melt coconut oil and

stir-fry chicken, beef, pork or other meat until very lightly cooked. (It is not necessary to cook the meat all

the way through at this point). Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.

2. Add more coconut oil to the pan and add the minced garlic and grated ginger and stir-fry for a few

minutes, until garlic is slightly browned.

3. Add onions and carrots and toss to coat them in the oil. Cover the wok or pan for about 5 minutes to

soften the carrots.

4. Add celery, red pepper and mushrooms and toss them in to mix in with all the other ingredients.

5. Add the meat to the pan along with the green onions and toss with other ingredients until the meat is

cooked fully.

6. Add cashews, tossing them just enough to mix in and serve.

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/weeknight-dinner-stir-fry-recipe/#ixzz2uRIlz9J6

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30+ Primal and Paleo Pie recipes 

If you know any geeks, they’ll be happy to wish you Happy Pi Day today (3.14). Greater Geeks may tell you

that Pi is wrong though. Thankfully, everyone can agree that Pie is never wrong.

In celebration of Pi or Pie, here is a round-up of grain-free, gluten-free, primal and paleo pie recipes.

There are lots of variations here, and many of them have similar names, but I’m putting them up because

one of them may just be perfect for your tastes, or inspire you to create your own perfect grain-free pie.

Whenever possible, I’ve indicated when the recipe is Autoimmune Paleo (AIP)-friendly – that is, it’s not only

free of grains, but also dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, seed-free and nightshade free.

Savory pies

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie The Sequel (AIP-friendly)

Grain-free Nacho Pot Pie

Healthy Chicken Pot Pie

Paleo Chili Hand Pies

Paleo Plantain Beef Pie (Pastelon)

Paleo Chicken Pot Pie

Paleo Chicken Pot Pie!

Paleo Turkey Pot Pie

Paleo Veggie Quiche

Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower Topping

Taco Pie

Dessert pies

Banana Cream Pie

Banana Cream Pie Bites (AIP-friendly)

Best-Ever Lemon Tart (AIP-friendly)

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Chocolate Pie with Raw Graham Cracker Crust

Clean Eating Banana Pecan Ice Cream Pie

Clean Eating Sweet Potato Pie

Cranberry Apple Pie

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Easy Homemade Vegan and Paleo Mini Pumpkin Pie (AIP-friendly)

Gluten-Free Vegan Nutella Cream Pie

Key Lime Pie For Your Soul

Maple Pecan Pie Tartlets (Paleo)

“Monument” Chocolate Pie

Paleo Almond Butter Pie

Paleo Banana Fosters Pie

Paleo Coconut Cream Pie

Paleo Chocolate and Coconut Lime Pie

Paleo, Gluten, Grain and Dairy Free Butterscotch Pie

Paleo “Peanut Butter” Pie

Paleo Strawberry Pie

Paleo White Chocolate Pie

Pecan Pie

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Raw Vegan Banana Cream Pie

Simple Homemade Apple Pie (AIP-friendly)

Ultimate Walnut Pie Crust with Pumpkin Filling

Winter Banana-Strawberry Paleo Pie

Crust recipes

Allergy-Friendly Paleo Pie Crust (note: not AIP-friendly, as it contains flax seeds)

Paleo Pie Crust

Paleo Pie Crust

Paleo Pie/Tart Crust

Savory Paleo Pie Crust

—————————————————

Photo credit: Happy Pi Day (to the 69th digit) by Mykl Roventine

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/paleo-pie-recipes/#ixzz2xeiAO0TH

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The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook – Book Review I was given a copy of The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook by

Mickey Trescott for review purposes, but I only endorse

quality products that I believe will have a benefit to my

readers. This post contains affiliate links, which means I

will get paid a small commission if you make a purchase

using my link, however it doesn’t affect the price you pay.

As I’ve discussed in the past, I personally have issues

with eczema, food intolerances and leaky gut. From a

nutritional perspective, healing can happen when you

eliminate or reduce the foods that trigger symptoms and

eat foods that promote gut healing. The result is, I’ve

been following a diet that is essentially the Autoimmune

Protocol (AIP), which is basically a diet that is free of

gluten, grains, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds, nightshades, and

of course food additives and chemicals (like thickeners,

sweeteners, and colorants). Without those foods, you

might wonder: “what do you eat then?”

Answer: LOTS, as evidenced by Mickey Trescott‘s book

The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook: An Allergen-Free

Approach to Managing Chronic Illness. (Note: this book

is an updated version of The Autoimmune Paleo

Cookbook eBook, so if you’ve got that one, then you

already know how great this book is). Being old school, I

love tangible, flip-through-the-pages-type reading

material. In fact, I’ve already put bookmarks in all the

recipes I want to try. This hardcover book outlines the

premise of the Autoimmune Paleo Protocol, lists the

foods to avoid, and more importantly, the foods to include, along with a basic how-to in re-introducing the

foods you end up eliminating at first. There is even a complete 4-week meal plan to guide you through the

process. Really, it’s an invaluable resource to anyone who has autoimmune or inflammation issues.

(Autoimmune conditions include, but aren’t limited to celiac disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, Crohn’s

disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, eczema, type 1 diabetes and more). But it is a cookbook after all,

and I’m happy to report that the recipes are not only beautifully photographed (which I think is really

important in any good cookbook), but the instructions are clear and easy to follow.

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Want to try out a recipe for yourself? One of the things I’ve missed while following AIP is flavorful

condiments (no nightshades means no ketchup, hot sauce or curries and no eggs means no mayo). Well,

Mickey shows it’s still possible to have mayo- and curry-like flavors with her Autoimmune Paleo Curried

Chicken Salad recipe. It made for a very tasty lunch, especially when served alongside some sautéed kale

and this AIP flatbread recipe from The Domestic Man.

Garlic "Mayo" from The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook Prep Time: 15 minutes Yield: 1.5 cups

INGREDIENTS

● 1/2 cup coconut concentrate or coconut cream

● 1/2 cup filtered water, warm

● 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

● 3 to 4 cloves garlic

● 1/4 tsp salt

●

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend on high for a minute or two, until a thick sauce forms

(when freshly made, it should resemble the consistency of conventional mayonnaise).

2. If the sauce is too thick, thin with water until the desired consistency is reached.

Notes

To measure coconut concentrate, it is best to soften it in a warm water bath before use as it is solid at room temperature Storage: Keeps well in the refrigerator, but hardens. Let come to room temperature or warm to soften before using.

I did modify the ‘mayo’ recipe by using the top layer of thick cream from a chilled can of coconut milk. If you do

this, make sure to blend the coconut cream with garlic first. I then hand-whisked in the olive oil, since I’ve

found in the past that using a high-speed blender on olive oil can result in a bitter taste. Because I used the

cream from canned coconut milk, I also found I didn’t need to add any additional water, as it’s written in the

original recipe.

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Curried Chicken Salad from The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook Prep Time: 15 minutes Yield: 3-4 servings Serving Size: 3/4 to 1 cup servings

INGREDIENTS

● 1/2 cup garlic "mayo"

● 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

● 1/2 lemon, juiced (about 1 tablespoon)

● 2 tsp powdered turmeric

● 1 tsp powdered ginger

● 1/4 tsp sea salt

● 2 cups shredded chicken breast meat

● 1/4 cup chopped red onion

● 1/4 cup raisins

● 2 tbsp chopped parsley, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Soften the garlic "mayo" in a warm bath until it is liquid.

2. Combine the mayo, vinegar, lemon juice, turmeric, ginger, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.

3. Add the chicken breast, red onion, and raisins. Stir to combine. Serve garnished with chopped parsley.

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/autoimmune-paleo-cookbook/#ixzz2xejByNeP

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Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) Pizza! The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) is an eating

plan to help deal with inflammation & chronic

illness – it’s great that there’s a dietary

approach to help lessen symptoms of many

common conditions. I’ve personally found it

very successful in addressing my various

health issues includingeczema, leaky gut, food

intolerances and more, but it does involve the

elimination of common inflammatory foods,

such as grains, eggs, dairy, nuts, seeds &

seed-spices, and nightshades (e.g. tomatoes,

peppers, eggplant, potatoes). So, when it

comes to a food like pizza, you’ve generally got layers of NOPE when you’re eating according to the AIP,

since you can’t do a grain-based crust, no tomato sauce, or cheese.

AIP Pizza starts with a good AIP Pizza Crust

So then, how is this delicious-looking pizza even possible? It all started when I saw The Domestic Man’s AIP

flatbread recipe. This flatbread is savory and mouth-watering and gets its cheesy flavor from nutritional

yeast, so it’s dairy-free. It makes for the perfect pizza crust because it’s got the crispy on the outside, chewy

on the inside texture too. Now, I’ve done a few variations on this flatbread depending on what I’ve got on

hand. Sometimes, I’ll throw in some chopped onion or garlic, or both, and instead of a rosemary/oregano

mix, I’ll throw in two teaspoons of Italian seasoning mix instead (if you’re following AIP, make sure your

seasoning mix is free of seed spices & nightshades). Really, you can experiment with the seasonings here

and get some great flavors going.

AIP Pizza Sauce: Tomato-less Pizza Sauce!

Inspiration for this autoimmune protocol pizza struck when faced with some leftover roasted sweet

potatoes – when blended, it’s got the right consistency for a sauce. Add some garlic, salt & seasoning, et

voilà: a tomato-less pizza sauce. I’ll admit that the sweet potato sauce is a bit, well, sweet, so I’ve since found

that canned pumpkin purée or roasted squash also works well, without being as sweet.

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AIP Pizza Toppings: Go wild within what you can eat ;)

Really, this is where leftovers are great! For this particular pizza, I used up a lot of one I had in the fridge,

including the roasted sweet potatoes for the sauce. This pizza was topped with a few leaves of spinach,

sliced mushrooms, red onions, roasted chicken, and bacon. With leftovers, you can pretty much expect to

have a pizza dinner on the table in under an hour. It’s not as fast as delivery, but you’ll know exactly what

went into it, and your body will thank you when you avoid the symptoms you may be prone to when

indulging in regular pizza.

Autoimmune Protocol (AIP)-friendly Pizza topped with spinach, onion, roasted chicken and bacon Prep Time: 45 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Yield: One 8" pizza Serving Size: Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

Pizza sauce:

● 1 cup of roasted sweet potato, roasted squash or canned pumpkin purée

● 2 tsp Italian seasoning ● 1/4 tsp sea salt ● 1-2 cloves minced garlic

Pizza toppings:

● 1 small handful of spinach ● 2 white mushrooms, sliced ● 1/4 cup red onion, chopped ● 2 slices of cooked bacon, chopped ● 3/4 cup chopped roasted chicken

Pizza crust:

● 1 1/2 cups tapioca starch ● 1/2 cup coconut milk ● 2 tbsp coconut oil ● 1/2 tsp sea salt ● 3 tbsp nutritional yeast ● 2 tbsp onion, finely chopped ● 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped ● 2 tsp Italian seasoning

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INSTRUCTIONS

Pizza sauce:

● If you don't have leftover roasted sweet potato on hand, you can take one large sweet potato and pierce

several times with a fork. Microwave on high for seven minutes, covered with a moistened paper towel

or damp cloth. Scrape the sweet potato away from the skin. For roasted squash, cube your squash and

roast at 400F for 25-30 minutes. Blend the sweet potato or squash with a hand blender until you get a

consistency similar to tomato sauce.

● To your one cup of roasted sweet potato, squash or canned pumpkin purée, add 1/4 tsp of sea salt and 2

teaspoons of Italian seasoning, and minced garlic until well mixed. Set aside your pizza sauce until you a

ready to assemble your pizza.

Pizza toppings:

● Make sure all your toppings are ready before you start your crust. Chop your raw ingredients

(mushrooms, onions), and wash and dry your spinach and set aside. Pre-cook & chop your bacon and use

leftover roasted chicken.

Pizza crust (The pizza crust is the same recipe as The Domestic Man's Grain-Free Flatbread recipe, for ease of

instructions, I've included a slightly modified method below):

● Place your cast iron skillet or pizza stone in the oven and heat it to 500F while you prepare your dough.

● Set aside tapioca starch in a mixing bowl.

● In a small pot, add 1/2 cup of coconut milk, 2 tbsp coconut oil and 1/2 tsp sea salt and heat on medium

until just boiling. Add this to the tapioca starch and mix together.

● Add the nutritional yeast, 2 tbsp of onion, chopped garlic and Italian seasoning and knead together until

seasonings are well-mixed and a dough forms.

● Be very careful not to burn yourself on the cast iron pan or on a pizza stone! Spread your dough to about

1/4" thickness. Your pizza is now ready for toppings.

Assemble your pizza:

● Dollop your pizza sauce on the pizza dough and spread evenly with the back of a spoon.

● Top your pizza with raw spinach, raw mushrooms, and roasted chicken. Sprinkle chopped red onion and

cooked chopped bacon. Feel free to use your favorite toppings instead! Leftovers make for interesting

pizza toppings.

● Bake at 500F for 12-15 minutes. Enjoy!

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/aip-pizza/#ixzz2yP9C4nEX

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Autoimmune Paleo – AIP Cookie Recipe As I’ve said before, the diet I personally follow is

designed to reduce inflammation and help with

chronic issues. This diet of course is the Autoimmune

Protocol or AIP for short. It cuts out eggs, dairy, nuts,

seeds and nightshades and while at first glance it can

seem highly restrictive, there are still plenty of foods

that you can eat. Real foods like meat, vegetables and

fruit are plenty, and when you eat ingredients over

food products, your health with certainly benefit. (If

you’re following AIP, I highly recommend getting a

copy of the Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook, available

as either a lovely hardcover book or instant

gratification download as an eBook). It’s

recommended that you limit your sweets while

following AIP as high amounts of sugar can

exacerbate inflammatory conditions, but this AIP

cookie recipe doesn’t use any added sugar. Still, I

wouldn’t make a meal out of them, despite how

delicious they are.

Honestly, this AIP cookie recipe came about as I was

going to make some coconut-covered date rolls. (No

recipe needed, really – just add a bit of water to some dates, mash into a paste, roll them into little balls or

logs and coat them in coconut). The problem with date rolls are that I find dates to be almost cloyingly

sweet, and I wanted something to tone it down, and really, I had a craving for some sort of baked treat. Well,

thankfully roasted sweet potatoes are pretty much a staple in my house (as evidenced by my AIP Pizza,

gingerbread and brownie recipes, which all use roasted sweet potatoes in part because we usually have

them on hand), and they are a perfect way to temper the sweetness, and add some texture to what are some

pretty delicious spice cookies. As a bonus, these cookies are nut-free, seed-free, egg-free and Autoimmune

Protocol (AIP) compliant. All the spices used in these cookies are “safe” seed-free spices that work with the

AIP protocol. As these were baking, my son came home and declared that they smelled like pumpkin pie,

and thankfully he wasn’t disappointed to have fresh-baked cookies instead. Enjoy!

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Autoimmune Paleo (AIP) Spice Cookies Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 35 minutes Yield: 30 cookies

INGREDIENTS

● 1 medium (about 2/3 - 1 cup) mashed roasted sweet potato

● 1-1/2 cups dates

● 1/2 cup boiling water

● 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

● 1/8 tsp ground ginger

● 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon

● 1/8 tsp sea salt

● pinch of cloves

INSTRUCTIONS

1. If you don't have already mashed cooked sweet potato, take one medium sweet potato and pierce several

times with a fork. Microwave on high for seven minutes, covered with a moistened paper towel or damp

cloth. Scrape the sweet potato away from the skin and mash with a fork, and set aside mashed sweet

potato.

2. In a small bowl add boiling water to the dates and mash with a fork until a paste-like consistency forms.

3. In a food processor, add the sweet potato, dates and coconut, along with the ginger, cinnamon, salt and

cloves. Mix with the food processor until well mixed.

4. On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, scoop out tablespoon sized spoonfuls of the mixture and

drop onto the cookie sheet. Flatten out the balls to about a 3/8" thickness.

5. Bake at 325F for 22-25 minutes until the cookies are stiff enough to be removed from the sheet, and edges

are crisp. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/aip-cookie-recipe/#ixzz2z4xUoNFd

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Paleo Chocolate Pie with Coconut Macaroon Crust Editor’s note: Please welcome Jennifer from

Predominantly Paleo! Jennifer makes the most

awesome looking recipes, and this one is no

exception. If you’ve got a hankering for Tex

Mex on a Paleo diet, you’ve got to check out her

Paleo empanadas, tortillas and taco shells.

————–

Icebox pie brings back lots of memories of

my grandmother. She loved her treats and

made many of them homemade. These days, it seems we satisfy our cravings more with store bought treats,

which desperately lack any sort of nutritional foundation. I say, make dessert healthy!

Creamy and thick yet not immensely heavy like those with mega sugar content…this paleo chocolate pie

filling is rich and has extra good fats snuck right in. It pairs perfectly with my Coconut Macaroon Pie Crust!

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Paleo Chocolate Pie with Coconut Macaroon Crust

INGREDIENTS

For pie crust:

● 4 egg whites ● 1 teaspoon vanilla ● 1 tablespoon honey ● 2 cups unsweetened dried shredded coconut ● 1.5 tablespoon potato starch ● 1.25 teaspoons stevia powder

For the pie filling:

● 1/4 cup coconut oil ● 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons vegan chocolate chips ● 1/2 cup coconut milk (I used light canned) ● 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup ● pinch salt ● 3 whisked egg yolks ● 1 tsp vanilla ● 1 small-medium avocado

INSTRUCTIONS

For pie crust:

1. Preheat oven to 325F. 2. Whisk all 4 egg whites until frothy, add vanilla and honey and set aside. 3. In a separate bowl combine coconut, potato starch, and stevia powder. 4. Add egg white mixture to dry ingredients and combine well. 5. In a greased pie tin, press in mixture evenly, in center and up sides of tin. 6. Bake for 15 minutes or until edges start to brown

For pie filling:

1. Start by melting coconut oil and chocolate chips over medium heat. 2. Once melted add in coconut milk, maple syrup, and salt. Note: I try to keep sweeteners to a minimum so i

used only one tablespoon maple syrup; if you prefer it to be sweeter you can add another tablespoon. 3. Now slowly add in egg yolks while stirring continuously. 4. Allow chocolate mixture to heat and thicken (continue stirring). 5. Once mixture reaches a pudding like consistency remove from heat, add vanilla, and add to blender. 6. Add peeled and pitted avocado to blender and puree until smooth. 7. Pour filling into pie crust and refrigerate for an hour or more to set.

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/paleo-chocolate-pie/#ixzz2zzddPEjQ

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Dairy-free mango gelatin (AIP-friendly!) Warmer weather always makes me want

sweeter, more tropical fruits, and

mangoes are one of my favorite. I usually

buy them by the case, since they often go

on sale at this time of year. Mangoes are

on the Environmental Working Group’s

‘Clean Fifteen’ list; produce that is least

likely to have pesticide residues, so if you

see them on sale on regular, non-organic

mangoes, I say, take advantage of it and

know that you’re not adding to your

family’s toxic load. The only drawback (if

you can call it that) to having more than a

dozen mangoes around is that it means

you might have a dozen mangoes

ripening all at the same time. Also,

because they are a tropical fruit, mangoes

are high in antioxidant vitamins like vitamins A and C, but they’re also high in natural sugars, so if you have

blood sugar issues, make sure you limit your consumption and keep them as a treat. Luckily though, you

can peel, cut, and purée your mangoes and freeze them for later, or you can use a bunch of quickly ripening

mangoes and make a delicious mango gelatin that’s dairy-free (and autoimmune paleo friendly) and doesn’t

need any added sweeteners. This recipe was inspired in part by the mango pudding or mango jelly that you

can sometimes get at Chinese dim sum, without being cloyingly sweet or made with mystery ingredients. If

you do try this mango gelatin and like it, make sure to check out my almond gelatin too!

Why eat gelatin?

One note about making any recipe that calls for gelatin: you want to make sure you use a good quality

gelatin powder, that’s made from grass-fed animals, so I highly recommend Great Lakes gelatin. (Note: It’s

hard to get good gelatin in Canada, but you can order Great Lakes Gelatin from iHerb for a reasonable

price. If it’s your first order, use the code HMP485 and you’ll even get $10 off!). Why eat gelatin? The

protein and minerals found in gelatin are good to help strengthen nails, hair and improving skin, and even

more importantly, it can help improve digestion and support the joints. Want more reasons? Check out this

list from the Wellness Mama, and if you’re looking for more ways to get gelatin in your diet, I highly

recommend the eBook Gelatin Secret.

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Dairy-free mango gelatin (AIP-friendly too!) Prep Time: 15 minutes Set Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

● 4 ripe mangoes (I used ataulfo mangos), or about 1.5 cups of mango purée

● 2 tbsp gelatin

● 1 cup water

● 2 cup coconut milk

● Additional diced fresh mango for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small saucepan, add a cup of cold or room temperature water. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of gelatin over the

water to allow the gelatin to bloom. Gently stir the gelatin into the water with a spoon. Heat on

medium-high until simmering, but not boiling to allow the gelatin to completely dissolve.

2. Cube the flesh of four ripe mangoes (or add mango purée) into a blender or food processor. Add the

coconut milk and blend until you get a uniform consistency.

3. Add the coconut milk mango mixture into your saucepan with the gelatin and stir until uniformly mixed.

4. Divide the mixture into 6 bowls, and place in the refrigerator for at least 1.5 hours to allow the gelatin

to set.

5. Garnish with diced fresh mango to serve.

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/mango-gelatin/#ixzz31WFT1xZz

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Paleo & vegan banana bread blondies – grain-free, egg-free & nut-free

It takes some practice, but eating meals while having multiple

food sensitivities eventually becomes old hat. After all, even

people without food intolerances can’t wrinkle their nose at

having plenty of veggies, and a nice cut of meat as a meal.

When it comes to treats though, it can be more difficult,

especially when you can’t do grains, eggs or nuts. None of

these are allowed with the Autoimmune Protocol too, so it’s

taken a few experiments to make an acceptably delicious

grain-free, egg-free & nut-free banana bread blondie. While

chocolate is out of the question with AIP, if you can tolerate

them, chocolate chips really make these blondies awesome –

if you can’t tolerate them, you can always try substituting

chocolate chips with a bit of carob powder. (I haven’t found a

carob ‘chip’ that doesn’t have tons of non-AIP compliant

ingredients in it though, and I haven’t played around enough

with carob powder to actually suggest an amount of carob powder to use, so if you do try it, let me know).

What I do know though is that these banana bars are still awesome without the chocolate chips.

As always, the caveat is that treats should be just that – occasional indulgences, or something saved for a

celebration. Keep in mind that if you’re looking to reduce an inflammation issue, it’s best that you limit your

sweets, since high amounts of sugar (yes, even natural sugars like those found in fruits and maple syrup)

can exacerbate inflammatory conditions. In truth, I’ve had to limit the number of these I ate, because of my

recurring inflammation issues. Instead, they’ve made for a healthier option for dessert and school snacks

for the other members of my family, and happily, when I do indulge, there aren’t the same repercussions

that accompany a typical banana bread or blondie. Finally, if you’re following an autoimmune protocol, I

highly recommend getting a copy of the Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook, available as either a lovely

hardcover book or instant gratification download as an eBook, the book is chock full of recipes and meal

plans for anyone who is new to navigating a more limited diet.

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Paleo & vegan banana blondies – grain-free, egg-free & nut-free

INGREDIENTS

● 1/2 cup boiled or very hot filtered water

● 1-1/3 cup dates

● 1 cup coconut flour

● 4 medium bananas

● 2 tsp vanilla

● 1/4 cup maple syrup

● 1/8 tsp sea salt

● 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional, omit

if on the Autoimmune Paleo protocol)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Add boiled water to dates and mash the dates into a paste-like consistency with a

fork.

2. To a food processor, add the date paste, and break in chunks of banana. Add the vanilla and maple syrup

and pulse until the mixture is uniform in texture.

3. Evenly add coconut flour to the mixture, and fold in slightly, scraping the sides down as necessary. Pulse

in the food processor until a uniform dough forms.

4. Press the dough into a square 8" x 8" pan and bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes until the top is browned and

looks slightly crusted at the edges.

5. Allow to cool and cut into squares. Enjoy!

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/banana-bread-blondies/#ixzz32Ni6aCuY

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Ginger cookies with coconut cream icing  

Editor’s note: Please welcome Erin Carter, an internal

medical resident and the writer behind Pure and

Simple Nourishment. Erin is sharing an awesome

Paleo treat that is sure to win over anyone who’s

hemming and hawing about giving up grains. If

you’re looking for more Paleo recipes, be sure to check

out Erin’s blog. If you want a LOT of recipes, check out

The Paleo Recipe book; it’s over 350 Paleo recipes and

also includes an 8-week meal plan and a bonus recipe

book of just Paleo desserts.

————–

This ginger cookie recipe always gets rave reviews

whenever I make it for friends (whether they have

restricted diets or not). It is SCD, GAPS and Paleo friendly, and should meet the needs of many different

dietary restrictions. The mix of spices in these cookies gives them a unique flavor that will have you asking

for more than one!

These cookies are filled with ground ginger, which besides tasting great, has many different health benefits

including fighting inflammation, aiding digestion and stimulating the circulatory system. It also has very

strong antimicrobial properties and can be used to help heal sores and wounds. Ginger is recommended to

help with many different health problems including digestive issues, arthritis, headaches, morning sickness,

motion sickness, nausea, muscle pain and cardiovascular disorders. Yes this little herb has very powerful

effects and I recommend that many of my patients take some form of ginger on a daily basis. These cookies

are an easy and delicious way to add a dose of ginger to your daily routine!

Enjoy, everyone!

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Ginger cookies with coconut cream icing Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 14 minutes Total Time: 29 minutes Yield: 18-20 cookies

INGREDIENTS

Cookie Ingredients

● 2 1/2 cups almond flour ● 5 tbsp coconut oil or butter or ghee (or a combination of these - I used half coconut oil, half ghee) ● 1/3 cup honey (local and raw if possible) ● 2 tsp organic vanilla ● 1/4 tsp baking soda ● 1/8 tsp sea salt ● 1/8 tsp ground cloves ● 1/8 tsp ground allspice ● 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg ● 1 tsp ground cinnamon ● 2 tsp ground ginger

Icing Ingredients

● 1/2 package (about 100g) of coconut cream concentrate (or use coconut butter instead) ● 1 tbsp coconut oil ● 1 tbsp butter or ghee ● 1 tbsp honey ● 1 tsp organic vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

Cookie Directions 1. Preheat oven at 300F. Place almond flour and oil/butter into a large microwave safe bowl and heat for 1-2

minutes, until fat is melted, then add remaining ingredients to the bowl. 2. Mix all ingredients well with a pastry blender. 3. Form 1" round balls with the cookie dough and place on a cookie sheet. 4. Wet a fork and flatten cookies using a cross-hatch pattern (wet the fork every 2nd cookie to prevent

sticking) 5. Bake for 12-14 minutes at 300F, until edges of the cookies are golden brown. 6. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack, or use a spatula to loosen the cookies

before they completely cool to prevent them from sticking to the cookie sheet.

Icing directions 1. Place coconut cream, coconut oil and butter/ghee into a microwave safe dish and heat for 35-45 seconds in

the microwave on high (or you could heat this on the stove in a small pot if you are avoiding the microwave).

2. Remove from microwave, and stir as necessary to blend ingredients. Add remaining icing ingredients and stir well.

3. Place 1-2 teaspoons worth of icing onto each cookie. The icing will harden as it cools. Enjoy!

Notes

These cookies store well in the fridge for up to a week, or you could keep some in the freezer for a later date.

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/ginger-cookies/#ixzz33UTEiZg7

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Autoimmune Paleo Cilantro Meatballs 

Editor’s note: Please welcome Sam from

Canada Girl Eats Paleo. Sam and I met

through CSNN, the natural nutrition school

that I recently graduated from, and that

Sam is currently attending. Sam is

super-sweet and knows that I follow a

mostly Autoimmune Paleo diet (no grains,

dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds or nightshades) and

that many of my readers do too, so she came

up with this awesome meatball recipe that

everyone can enjoy! Thanks Sam, for being so

considerate! :)

————

I brainstormed and in the end came up with

a meatball recipe I’m sure you’ll love, as

long as you like cilantro! They’re chock full

of cilantro, green onions, turmeric, and leafy greens so there is a ton of flavor, no spices required! Plenty of

nutrients too, I might add. These are baked meatballs so they are very easy as well. Perfect if you need to

prep some quick meals/snacks for the week!

I’m a busy person – I have a job at a hospital, I’m in school studying natural nutrition and I also run my blog

(and try to have a life!) so I need recipes like this one to keep me going. I’m sure many of you can relate.

Leftover meatballs are truly a godsend when you just don’t have time to cook and need some protein stat. I

work 12 hour shifts some weekends and last weekend these things truly saved me!

I love making a quick lunch out of these cilantro meatballs by pairing them with guacamole (check out this

nightshade-free guacamole) and chopped carrots and celery sticks. Another great way is with a side salad,

like this sweet and tangy kale salad that I recently posted (just omit the pecans for AIP, but substitute diced

carrots for a nice crunch). I had that for lunch one day and it was great!

If you liked this recipe feel free to come check out my blog! I offer paleo recipes and occasional fitness

challenges, and I promise it’s a good time.

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Autoimmune paleo-friendly egg-free, nightshade-free cilantro meatballs

INGREDIENTS

● 1.5 lb ground pork

● 1/2 cup chopped leafy greens (i use mixed greens)

● 1/3 cup chopped cilantro

● 1/3 cup chopped green onion

● 1 large minced clove of garlic

● 1 tsp dried turmeric

● 1/2 tsp sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Assemble your ingredients and put in a large bowl. Mix with your hands until everything is well

distributed. Form into balls and place on a parchment paper covered cookie pan.

3. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from oven and flip with tongs. Replace into the oven and bake another

20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

Read more: http://therealfoodguide.com/aip-cilantro-meatballs/#ixzz33UUVZCZ9

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