Pineapple Coleslaw

I’m not really much of a coleslaw person but the other day Dole coleslaw mix was on sale. Serious, SALE. I paid $0.25 a bag! So we have been having coleslaw, and you will be seeing some different recipes accordingly.   

I don’t really have much to say today. Besides, let’s be honest everyone skips this part and just goes straight to recipe. Don’t feel bad, I expect it. Honestly I do it all the time. So no more waiting, or scrolling.  This one is adapted from Dole’s recipe on the coleslaw bag.  Enjoy!

Pineapple Coleslaw

1 8oz can crushed pineapple in juice

½ cup homemade mayonnaise

2 TBS agave syrup

1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts

2 TBS apple cider vinegar

1 bag coleslaw mix

Salt and pepper to taste

1.       Mix  mayonnaise, agave syrup, vinegar, pineapple, and salt and pepper in a bowl.

2.       Pour over coleslaw mix and walnuts. Stir well and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Tweet

Hot Wings

I go through phases of really loving a certain food. I want it over and over. This is funny because I LOVE variety. But obsessions trump that, I guess. Hot wings are in that category of foods I can obsess over. I will make it one day because it’s easy and I have the ingredients. Then I eat them and the flood gates open. For the next two weeks all I will crave is hot wings.

When I started making hot wings after I went on Paleo it had been a long time since I had eaten them. This was because I had hot wings once a week (almost) every week for a year. Josh and I and a few friends went to the opening of a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant and got free wings for a year. I have to say that I got really tired of them in that year. But, it was fun! So I gave my tasters a break and when I had them again, I kid you not I ate hot wings (and legs, and thighs, and breast chunks) for about 2 weeks.

 There are certain things I am really ok with cheating on, Franks Red Hot wing sauce is one of those. While I am admitting that I blatantly cheat, I will make my list.  I eat these things, not every day though.

Non-Paleo foods I eat without much guilt:

·         Seasonings (in particularly Long Horn Steak house steak seasoning) sometimes these are not ok because of soy or processing.

·         Rice (sometimes)

·         Cheese (sometimes) particularly  

·         Condiments like BBQ sauce

·         Some premade things that are almost Paleo (like A Taste Of Thai Coconut Fortune cookies, almost all Paleo ingredients)

·         Ranch dressing

Confessions aside and on to Hot Wings!

I buy whole chicken wings and use my favorite knife, my big ol’ meat cleaver, to separate the pieces. I discard the tips.

Josh gave me this meat cleaver for Christmas. I LOVE it. It just glides right though the meat, bones and all.

Hot Wings

Chicken wing pieces

Salt and pepper

Franks Red Hot Wing Sauce

1.       Preheat oven to 450. Rinse and pat dry chicken wings. Season with salt and pepper.

2.       Spread wing pieces out on a foil lined pan (I like to use a wire rack so they don’t sit in their own juices)

3.       Cook wings for 30 minutes, turning once.

4.       Broil to make skin crispy about 5-10 minutes each side. Watch wings close during this to avoid burning.

5.       Place cooked wings in a large bowl, add wing sauce and mix to coat.

6.       Serve with celery and ranch dressing.

Tweet

Roasted Mixed Vegetables

Sometimes I cheat on my Paleo so much that all I want is to get straight and eat something healthy. On days like that I relish a big plate of vegetables. (Ha, get the pun? That was accidental but I like it.)  I really am not afraid of vegetables; I am always open to trying something new and eating a wide variety. I don’t always like the new stuff but I am always willing to try. Lucky for me, Little Bit is much like me in this. She loves a plate full of veggies too, and is not afraid of trying any weird thing I put in front of her.

For this recipe, alter everything to your preference. Add whatever vegetables you want, and nothing you don’t. You can season with your favorite seasoning, or even just salt. Really, its roasting that makes the vegetables so good.

This will have to be done in batches, slower cooking vegetables first then quicker cooking.

Roasted Mixed Vegetables

Cauliflower pieces

Broccoli pieces

Sliced carrots

Brussels sprouts, quartered

Asparagus

Mushrooms

Zucchini

Seasoning of choice (I used a season salt)

Olive oil

1.       Preheat oven to 450.

2.       Cut all vegetables to a uniform size about 1 inch cubes. You want about 5 cups veggies total. Keep harder vegetables separate (cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, Brussels sprouts, any other root veggies).  Cut carrots or other root vegetable about half the size of the rest to allow for even cooking.

3.       Toss vegetables with olive oil, about 1-2 TBS total. Season as desired

4.       Spread the harder vegetables out on a cookie sheet, place them in the oven for 15 minutes

5.       Cook the softer vegetables for 10 minutes, spread on another cookie sheet.

Tweet

Creamy Dirty Chai

I’ve had an obsession lately with getting coffee when I’m out. This is not normal for me. I could go a year, easily, without having coffee. Not lately, though. I have been particularly obsessed with dirty chai lattes.

I know, its cheating. Sugar and cream are so not Paleo. I also know it’s crazy over-priced to buy anything at a coffee shop. So I got on the ball and made it at home, without cheating. The results were good but not nearly strong enough for me. Part of the problem may have been my coffee beans, I was being careful to keep them coarse ground and not all the beans got ground up much at all. This is probably because it was my first time using my coffee grinder. It was also my first time using my French press coffee maker.  What I would really like is to get a special pot that can make espresso at home. Maybe someday.

I got this recipe from A Girl Worth Saving. I altered things a little for my taste.

Creamy Dirty Chai

3 TBS of whole coffee beans, ground

4 cloves

½ tsp peppercorn

1 stick of cinnamon

2 cardamom pods, slightly crushed

1 piece of ginger – ½” wide x 1 ” tall after peeling, dice

3 cups of boiling water

½ cup coconut milk

1-2 TBS agave syrup

1.       Add coffee, cloves, peppercorn, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger in a French press coffee maker, pour water over and allow to steep for 5 minutes.

2.       While that is steeping pour coconut milk in a small pan over medium heat. Stir in agave syrup.

3.       When coffee is finished pour desired amount of sweetened coconut milk and coffee in a cup.

Tweet

Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Sliders, Savory Waffle Buns, and Paleo Coleslaw

I am not really a huge fan of chicken. I’m not usually a big fan of BBQ. But sometimes the planets align and I love them. I don’t know, I guess my tasters are just fickle, or bipolar, whatever.

I had a whole chicken in the fridge and I had every intention of making roasted chicken. I told Josh and his reaction was not enthusiastic. So, on a whim I changed the plans for the day. All that was really necessary was to cook the chicken. Really I just wanted the bones so I could make chicken broth (recipe to come). Well that and it needed cooked right away, I didn’t want to let it sit another day in the fridge.

My whim? Crock pot BBQ chicken sliders. The results were pretty darn good, if I don’t say so myself. For these I used chipotle mayo (recipe to come), pickles, Paleo coleslaw and savory waffle buns. The savory waffles would be great as a side or to use for an egg sandwich. They freeze and reheat well, I just heated mine back up in the waffle iron.

Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Sliders

1 whole chicken, skin and fat removed, about 5 lbs

Seasoning of choice (I used about 2-3 TBS of my BBQ Rub, could have used more but I ran out)

2-4  TBS water

16 oz BBQ sauce (your favorite or homemade. I will eventually post a good recipe for blueberry bbq sauce)

1.       Remove skin and excess fat from chicken. This can be a little tricky, a really good sharp knife helps.

2.       Cover chicken in seasoning.

3.       Crumple some aluminum foil and set in bottom of crock pot so the chicken doesn’t sit down in its juices.

4.       Set chicken on foil,  ad water, cover, cook on low for 5-6 hours.

5.       Remove chicken from crock pot, allow to cool some so you can handle it.

6.       Pour juices from crock pot, reserve for broth if desired. Also remove foil.

7.       Shred chicken and return meat to the crock pot.

8.       Mix in BBQ sauce, keep on low until you are ready to serve.

Paleo Coleslaw

1 bag coleslaw mix

3/4 cup homemade mayonnaise

2 TBS apple cider vinegar

3 TBS honey

salt and pepper to taste

1.       Mix mayonnaise, honey, vinegar, and salt and pepper in a bowl.

2.       Stir in coleslaw mix. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours

Make this to your tastes. I use less vinegar because we don’t like a strong vinegar flavor.

 

Savory Waffle Buns

From PaleoOMG

Makes about 10 servings (20 total mini waffles)

2 cups almond flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon garlic powder (Next time I will use 2-4 fresh cloves pressed)

salt and pepper, to taste

3 eggs, whisked

½ cup canned coconut milk

2 tablespoons bacon fat

3 pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped

2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped

1.      To make the waffle buns, mix together almond flour, baking soda, garlic powder, and a bit of salt and pepper.

2.      Then add eggs, coconut milk, bacon fat, chopped bacon, and chives and mix well to combine.

3.      Heat up a waffle iron and pour mixture into the center of each waffle area. You want the buns to be small so only about 1.5 tablespoons of the mixture will do to create a small waffle bun. Cook until slightly crispy.  

Tweet