Southern Gone Paleo

I could give you every excuse in the book as to why I haven't posted in a couple weeks but I must be honest, I simply haven't wanted to...until this morning.  Post workout, coffee in hand and the 90s pop station streaming on Pandora...the conditions were right...and it's a good thing because I have the most amazing recipe to review with you!

Paleocupboard.com has done it again.  She's done the paleo community a service with her Paleo Cajunm Shrimp and Grits recipe.

Ingredients:
TOPPINGS:
- 4 strips bacon, cooked and chopped (save the bacon fat!)
- Chopped parsley (optional) (*I didn't have any on hand so I omitted)
- Hot sauce (optional....sort of) (*shoot, I had this but forgot to add it! Silliness!)

GRITS:
- 1 Tbsp. lard/bacon fat or tallow
- 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 cups riced cauliflower
- 1 1/4 cup almond flour
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- Sea salt to taste
- Ground pepper to taste

 SHRIMP:
- 2 Tbsp. lard/bacon fat or tallow
- 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined (*I used wild frozen shrimp.  Dethawed them yesterday morning and then cleaned them well. ) 
- 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice

SHRIMP SEASONING: (*I prepped the seasoning ahead of time and let it "marinade"...in a dry rub, yes...so I wouldn't have so much to do after yoga.) 
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne (or more if you like it spicey!)
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp.  dried thyme
- Dash red pepper flakes (optional)



Directions:
TO MAKE THE GRITS:
1. Prepare the onions and cauliflower. You can rice the cauliflower by grating it or by placing batches of it in a food processor and pulsing until rice sized chunks are formed. (*The absolute best tip I can offer here is one I wish I had realized before last night...the way I clean cauliflower is I break it down by removing the bog steam and then break it down into sizable pieces leaving a bulk of the work to my handy dandy food processor.  The constant problem I found with this method was more often then not I over processed my cauliflower trying to get it all the same size.  Take the time to break down the cauliflower by hand into small pieces BEFORE you let the food processor at it.  I was able to give it a couple pulses and it was ready to go.) 
2. In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, add 1 Tbsp lard/bacon fat or tallow and saute the onion for about 3 minutes. Add the riced cauliflower and stir to combine. (*I chopped up 2 slices of bacon to yield fresh bacon fat and then sauteed the onion and added the riced cauliflower.  Make sure you use your largest pan with higher sides than a standard frying pan.  This will allow you to mix without making too much of a mess.) 
3. Next add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the almond flour and seasonings and stir to combine. (*This is when you really start to see it come together!  I didn't have to add more almond flour 1 1/4 cup was perfect.) 
4. Cover and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check the consistency at about 15 minutes into the cooking process. If grits are too thin for your liking add more almond flour, if too thick add more broth. (*I was really worried about seasoning, if you've ever had bad grits it's either due to consistency or lack of seasoning.  I could tell the consistency was right on point...I was liberal with my salt and pepper.  I did not have to add any more of the other seasoning.  
5. After 20 minutes remove the grits from the heat and set aside. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. 

TO MAKE THE SHRIMP:
1. Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Mix seasoning ingredients in small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture over the shrimp to coat well and set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and warm 2 Tbsp. lard/bacon fat or tallow  Add shrimp, onion and garlic to pan and cook until they turn pink. 
3. Add lemon juice and saute for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

This recipe was amazing! If you are not a fan of grits normally make sure you try this adaptation...I have never liked grits all that much but this dish absolutely changed my mind, at least for cauliflower grits ;)

The not so good

When I set out on this blogging journey I promised you the good, bad and ugly.  Well Tuesday night's dinner was really ugly.  It was rather disappointing because the recipe title seemed promising...Dutch Tomato Soup with Meatballs.  The soup itself lacked any real flavor.  It called for 6 medium ripe tomatoes, 2 carrots, 1 celery stalk, 3 cups of water, 1 bay leaf , olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.  I'm not sure what it was about it, it just didn't provide the depth expected from a tomato soup.  Now, for those of you who know me well know I have a slightly odd affinity to meatballs.  I think they're just the greatest.  Little rounds of tastiness.  If a restaurant has meatballs on their menu it's my duty to order them.  I tend to base my overall opinion on a restaurant based on their meatballs.  Last night's meatballs were a huge flop.  They called for normal meatball ingredients: ground beef, onion, garlic, 2 beat eggs and then...flax meal.  That ruined them for me.  When I bit into the meatball all I tasted was the flax.  It over powered the meat and seasoning and left the meatballs almost mealy.  I am sad to say this recipe is not worth trying.  If I ever discover excess time I may try to recreate this recipe...until then...

Biscuit Perfection recipe review via The Kitchensmith

If this picture made you stop, like and drool...it had the very same affect on me.  These beautiful golden mounds were easy to make on a Sunday when I had absolutely nothing in the house.  I gathered up 3/4C of almond flour, 3T of coconut flour, 1T arrowroot, 1/2t baking soda, 1/5 t sea salt, 2 eggs and 1/2 C of melted coconut oil (*I melted at 15 second intervals in the microwave.  You can sub bacon grease it you had it on hand.) 1T maple syrup (*I was all out so I subbed raw honey.) 1T finely chopped green onions or chives.  1/2 C sweet potato, roasted and mashed.  Cooked sausage crumbles or sub cooked diced bacon.  

In typical Sunday fashion I eased into making this recipe :) I wrapped the sweet potato in tin foil and popped it into the oven for about 45 minutes at 350...I then climbed back into bed :)  Keep the oven set at 350.

Mix all dry ingredients in medium sized bowl (*I used to think this type detail didn't matter but it's actually quite helpful.  When a recipe tells you a bowl size it usually means you're going to be adding something to it.  In this case the wet ingredients :) Combine the eggs, melted oil and maple syrup (*or raw honey) whisking the eggs well.  (If you microwaved your coconut oil to melt it, stink it in the fridge for a few seconds to cool it so it doesn't scramble your eggs) Pour wet ingredients into the dry (see, what did I tell ya?) and mix to make the biscuit dough.  Fold in the sweet potato first until your dough is a lovely, light orange color.  Finally add the sausage crumbles (or diced bacon).  Dough will be thick.  Use an ice cream scoop.  Serve warm with some Kerry Gold butter if that suits you :)

Eat warm.  The reheat really well.  I used my small convection oven for ease.  If you microwave them do so for 10-15 seconds as you don't want to dry them out.

ENJOY every darn bite and crumb :)

THE chocolate cake that will change your life

Try as I might, I am just not a good baker.  I never enjoy the process as much as I do cooking (it probably has a little something to do with my impatience.)  I came across this cake a few weeks ago when it appeared on the book.  Two things caught my eye...a.) the caption read something along the lines of how this cake was going to "change my life" and b.) the picture made me drool.  Thankfully my husband and I decided to have some friends over so I had an excuse to make it...for others, of course ;) Without further adieu I give you my review (<---yup, that just happened.)

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM recipe review Via Deliciously Organic
Ingredients
For the cake batter:

8 ounces dark chocolate (I used Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips because they are soy-free)

8 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup maple syrup
6 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 cups almond flour
2 teaspoons coconut flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoon baking powder

For the buttercream:

4 large eggs

1/3 cup maple syrup or honey

2 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt

1 pound unsalted butter, softened, each stick cut into tablespoons
 *I only had 2 sticks of butter remaining so I took a chance and used what I had without modifying any of the other ingredient measurements.  I know, I know...a big NO NO in baking...but in this instance it worked in my favor :) 
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled (I used Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 ºF and adjust rack to middle position. Place the chocolate and butter in the bowl of a double boiler. Melt, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool (the mixture needs to cool for at least 10 minutes before adding the the egg mixture below). 

Place the maple syrup and eggs in the bowl of a standing mixer with whisk attachment. Whisk for 5-6 minutes until pale yellow and billowy. Slowly whisk in cooled chocolate and vanilla extract.
Sift almond flour, coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder over egg mixture. Gently fold to incorporate. Divide batter between two buttered 9-inch cake pans (I prefer to line my cake pans with a round piece of unbleached parchment paper to ensure the cake will come out properly). Bake cakes for 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool cakes for 10 minutes, run a knife around the edges and then remove the cakes from the pans. Cool completely.

For the Frosting:

In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine eggs, maple syrup or honey, vanilla and pinch of salt. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 160 degrees, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Beat egg mixture on medium-high with whisk attachment for 8 minutes until light and billowy. Reduce the speed to medium and add butter one tablespoon at a time. When all of the butter is added, turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl (at this point the buttercream might look curdled, but don’t worry, it will turn creamy). Whisk the entire mixture for 1 minute on high until light and fluffy. Slowly pour in the chocolate and mix until incorporated.
To assemble:
Place one cake layer on a cake stand and top with one third of the frosting. Spread frosting evenly on the cake. Place second cake layer on top and use remaining frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake.

Notes: First things first, I loved how well laid out this recipe was.  Everything was very well explained.  The only adjustment I had to make was on me...I grossly misjudged "dividing" the batter in half and ended up not having enough batter to make a second layer.  Her tip about lining the cake pan in parchment was genius.  Just trace the outline of your pan with a pen (it will leave an indent for you to cut around, don't worry about perfection.)  This cake was worth every step! Super delicious!

B.o.a.r.s. chicken review oh my!

A month or so ago the Civilized Caveman did the civilized caveman thing and released an app.  Up until last night I'd only used it to make his delightful Caveman Crunch "granola." After emerging from my studying coma I was perusing all my paleo resources for inspiration.  I stumbled on Civilized Caveman's B.o.a.r.s. stuffed chicken.  It sounded delicious and better yet I have most of the ingredients.  Recipe calls for:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I had 2)

4 slices of bacon, sliced into lardons, just long strips (check)

1 red onion, diced (I had white)

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, diced (I had dried)

1 large red apple, diced with skin on (I had a ripe peach)

1 large handful of baby spinach (I had arugula)

1/2 up lemon juice (I had on hand and then I forgot to use it...oops.) 

salt and pepper (check, check!)

First step.  Preheat oven to 350.  Next, make the "stuffing." 

I fried up the bacon in my cast iron.  Letting it get about 90% cooked.  I then added the onion, cooking until they were translucent.  Added the peaches and about 1t of dried rosemary (which I ground some with my mortal and pestle) and arugula or spinach.  This would also be where you add your lemon juice, had you not forgotten about it.  Cook only until the arugula starts to wilt down.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Next, take your chicken breasts and butterfly open.  I need to work on my butterflying skills as mine looked less than pretty.  Add some of the stuffing to your butterflied chicken.  You can create more of a chicken "book" or a roll depending on your preference.  The roll version was a little messy (I'm not the best stuffer) since you most likely cut the breast vertically, you roll horizontally.  Place back in pan with the folded side down (if you chose the roll method.) Extra filling? No problem, add it to the top of your chicken rolls or books.  Pop in the oven for 8-10 minutes (until chicken is cooked through.) ENJOY!

Easy as pulled pork!

It's been quite a week!  I have been up to my eyeballs in real estate terminology and financial equations...headed back for my affiliate real estate license :) Anyway it feels wonderful to be back blogging again :). Hope you stayed in touch on the book and saw some of the easy lunches I managed to pack

 amid studying. 

Sundays are made so much better by quick and easy dinners.  My wonderful husband made a delicious dinner of pulled pork! It was out of this world! We used Boston lettuce leaves as crisp vessels for the moist yumminess. Topped it off with a crunchy, tangy paleo coleslaw of 1/2 a head red cabbage (shredded,) 1/2 green cabbage (shredded,) 2 large carrots (shredded,) 1T of celery seeds, salt and pepper to preference. He made an emulsion out of apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard. He did it to taste. Rough measurements were about 1 cup of apple cider vinegar and a generous squeeze of Dijon. 

Pork shoulder was medium in size. 3 cloves of crushed garlic. 1/2 an onion, finely chopped. 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup of favorite bourbon (he used Jim Bean Black) 1T cracked black pepper and 2-3 T of your favorite pork seasoning. He used leftover Adobe seasoning from our last pulled pork dinner. Cook in slow cooker on high for 8 hours and absolutely destroy it. 

Paleo done in the crock pot

I'll be honest before going paleo I didn't use my crock pot all that much.  Due to it's sheer size it spent most of it's time tucked away in one of my cabinets-out of sight, out of mind.  Confession: I didn't actually remember I had one until I was packing to move (shocking I'm sure to dedicated crock pot users everywhere!) When I came across the crock pot I vowed that I cook more often in it.  It took finding just the right recipe to motivate me but I'm proud to report I did finally started using my crock pot(And of course it was one of Nom Nom Paleo's recipes!)

The recipe that ended my avoidance of the crock pot-

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CACCIATORE

 Ms. Nom Nom offers some wonderful advice on cooking chicken in the slow cooker as it can too often be overcooked resulting in a crock pot fail.

Cook chicken ONLY 4-6 hours on LOW.

Choose meaty thighs for flavor.

Trim the fat and remove skin so your braising liquid doesn't become an oil slick.

Position a whole chicken breast side down (and cook a whole chicken on LOW for ONLY 4-6 hours).

Brown only when necessary for flavor.

What you'll need:2 onions, minced in my food processor
1/4 cup tomato paste (*I use Muir Glen)
2 tablespoons of butter (*Kerry Gold)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons of dried oregano
1/2 ounce of dried mixed wild mushrooms, rinsed and minced (use all dried porcini mushrooms if you have it) (*I omitted the dried mushrooms and opted to use all fresh due to price and availability.  I subbed sliced white, baby bellas and the below mentioned cremini)  
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1.5 pounds cremini mushrooms, trimmed and halved if small or quartered if large (*I eyeballed it, probably used closer to 1/2 lb vs 1.5)
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained (*Muir Glen)
1/2 cup organic chicken broth
1/2 cup dry red wine (*rule still applies here-good enough to drink)
3 pounds of boneless and skinless chicken thighs (the original recipe called for 12 skinless, bone-on thighs) (*I did breasts.)
1/4 chopped fresh basil

Here's how Nom Nom made it: 

Take onions, tomato paste, butter, garlic, oregano, wild mushrooms, and red pepper flakes in a microwave safe bowl and nuke for about 5 minutes or so until the onions are soft (*super easy, right? I wondered why I hadn't thought of cooking aromatics like that.)


Put the cooked aromatics in the slow cooker and stir in your assortment of mushrooms, tomatoes, broth, and wine.


Season the chicken with salt and pepper and nestle them into the slow cooker, mixing everything well.


Put the lid and cooked the dish for 4-6 hours on low.

*This dish is super yummy! Leftovers heat up well too (always a plus.) Enjoy and let me know how you like it!