dairy free Archives - Page 4 of 6

Creamy Spinach-Artichoke Dip (Paleo & Vegan)

06.26.1801.07.13 by Lea

“It might choke Artie, but it ain’t gonna choke Stymie!” The entire time I was making this dairy-free spinach-artichoke dip the above line was going through my head. I’m not sure how many of you remember “The Little Rascals” but it was a show I used to watch all the time growing up. I LOVED … Read more

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus

06.26.1801.03.13 by Lea

Many of us started a month of Strict Paleo eating (aka Whole30) recently. This recipe for Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus helped our family get through day one and we hope it will find its way into one of your meals soon. One thing is clear, following a paleo way of eating is not going to mean deprivation. Just look at our breakfast. I mean, really. This is good stuff.

Before getting to the recipe I wanted to mention G’s last post. In it, my husband wrote about his fall off the “paleo wagon”. In order to enter his giveaway he asked that readers include a comment on one of their New Year’s resolutions. It’s been really interesting reading the comments and I know many of you are excited, like we are, to start with a clean slate in the New Year. Several people noted their resistance to making “resolutions” feeling this could be a set-up for failure. Instead, there are lots of people who set “goals” which is probably a better way to look at it. No matter what time of year, it’s always a good idea to strive for health and wellness.

Here are some highlights of comments we’ve seen so far:

Loss weight and/or add muscle
Complete a month of strict paleo eating (Whole30) without cheating
“Run an 8 minute mile”
“To believe in myself”
“Make our children healthier”
Be able to “keep up with” kids and grandkids
One random act of kindness once a week
and many more…

I’m really glad G posed the question because we have enjoyed reading the responses very much. So thank you to all who have participated.

Now for the recipe for these tasty morsels!

Coconut Flour Paleo Biscuits

07.30.1812.27.12 by Lea

Several weeks ago my husband came home from work and happened upon a loaf of bread I had made. It was my attempt at a paleo bread recipe. Later, he told me how happy he was to see bread – something we ordinarily do not have in the house. He saw the bread, got excited … Read more

Basic Paleo Egg Muffins

07.31.1810.14.12 by Lea

Well, I managed to survive my first week back at work. Thank you to everyone who wished me well and offered a prayer. I really appreciate it. Making my transition a little easier was my pleasant surprise at the windowed office with a nice view. Yea trees and grass!

The drive is pretty substantial and it’s a good thing I drive a hybrid because otherwise a big chunk of my paycheck would go just for gas! The longish drive gives me the opportunity to listen to audiobooks again. This something I did years ago and really enjoy because it’s a great way to multitask. (I get my books either from the library or from www.audible.com) Right now I am reading Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. It’s one of those classic novels that I somehow managed to NOT read during school years. There’s a movie coming out in November so I figure now is the time to do it. Hopefully, the 38 hours (yes, 38 hours!) of audio will make my commute more tolerable.

One of the things I have noticed about being back at work is how awkward it feels to sit for most of the day. I SIT in my car then SIT at my desk for hours then walk to lunch or to a printer occasionally but mostly….I SIT. For the last two plus years I have been active from sun up to sundown. Aside from sitting here at my computer writing or editing photos, I am almost always standing or walking. So this is going to take some getting used to. Hmm. Maybe a standup desk is in order….

Here’s a shot of my feet from Saturday morning. It felt so wonderful to get back into my Lululemon leggings and Vibrams after a week of high heels and business suits. Aaah, heavenly comfort on a frosty morning.

After this photo was taken I popped down to the local farmer’s market and found a few lovely ingredients for paleo breakfast. The following recipe for basic paleo egg muffins comes from those ingredients and my need to make breakfast fast and easy now that I’m more pressed for time. It’s one of those recipes that has the potential to get really fancy with the addition of various spices and veggies. I’m keeping it simple because this is the way my kids seem to like it best.

You can make these egg muffins ahead of time then reheat in the morning for a quick meal at home or on the go. All you need is a pound of (ideally organic pasture-raised) pork breakfast sausage and a dozen eggs. With just those ingredients and a little oil, salt and pepper you’ve got breakfast – double it and you have enough for a few days.

Paleo Banana Cardamom Bread

06.26.1810.08.12 by Lea

Well, today a new chapter in my life begins. I’m starting a new job after being home full-time with my boys for almost two and a half years. It’s a big day for me and I’m excited and a little nervous. Being home has been wonderful and I have enjoyed every second of the time … Read more

Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti (Paleo & Vegan)

06.26.1809.07.12 by Lea

Paleo Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti:: PaleoSpirit.com

Living in Italy many years ago I first became acquainted with biscotti. It was long enough ago that biscotti were not well-known in the United States. After returning home, I hosted a feast for my extended family that included an authentic almond biscotti recipe. It was something new for my family. The recipe I used was from an Italian cookbook I had purchased in that country and the resulting confections were quite crunchy and dense. In fact, I will never forget how my great aunt Ann enjoyed them. She enjoyed them in spite of the fact that she might have popped her jaw out of place trying to crunch one!

The recipe I have for you today is quite different. This is a grain-free, paleo and vegan recipe for chocolate pistachio biscotti. It uses almond and coconut flours and the resulting cookies are nicely crunchy but not so dense and hard that you will break a tooth or hurt your jaw. My great aunt Ann has passed away now, but I’m quite sure she would have enjoyed these biscotti even more than the “authentic” version.

School is back in session for us this week. After school my boys and I enjoy having a snack together and talking about our day. Taking the time to connect with loved ones is important. But it is also important to nourish other friendships by spending time together. Sharing food and drink can be an important part of bonding. It is also a great way to show hospitality – something that seems almost a lost art these days.

I love the poem “A Time To Talk” by Robert Frost. It reminds us of a simpler time when life had a more leisurely pace. It speaks of a man working in his field but taking time to enjoy the company of a good friend who had stopped by. He forgets, for a little while, his responsibilities and chores and simply enjoys spending time with his friend. We should all take a little “time to talk” with people we love and maybe even open our homes in hospitality to someone new, someone who might become a friend.

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:2)

Wild Salmon with Lemon Dill Sauce (Autoimmune Paleo Recipe)

07.17.1808.08.12 by Lea

From what I have heard, many people have chosen August as a month to follow the “Whole 30″. For those of you who have never heard of it, Whole 30 is essentially a strict version of the paleo diet similar to what I wrote about here. For one solid month there’s no wiggle room with sugar and no “cheats” with grains, legumes or dairy, among other things. It is a pretty drastic elimination diet but can do wonders for health. It is an absolute necessity if you suspect you have food intolerances. But it can also serve as a “reboot” for those of us who have already completed a 30 day (minimum) elimination diet in the past.

I already eat a fairly strict version of the paleo diet most of the time, but I do occasionally indulge in full fat (preferably pastured) dairy and some sugar in the form of things like maple syrup or honey. But in honor of folks following “Strictly Paleo” or “Whole 30” plans this month, I wanted to post a recipe that will fit right in.

Wild Salmon with Lemon Dill Sauce is easy, takes just a few minutes, will provide plenty of protein and Omega-3s and is also approved for those of you following an autoimmune paleo protocol. This means you are not eating nuts, eggs, plants in the nightshades family and certain types of peppers. (See my food matrix)

Even though I used pastured butter when I made this salmon dish recently (as shown in the photos) you can easily substitute ghee* or even olive oil. (Check out this post for an easy way to make ghee in the oven.)

Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream (Paleo & Dairy-Free)

07.31.1807.30.12 by Lea

Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream @PaleoSpirit

This post should probably be titled “Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream and Perfectionism.” It’s been a while since my last post and I’ve been pondering why I have been so slack. It IS summer and we DO have a lot going on. But I realize the other major reason is I am letting my tendency to perfectionism take over. This is not a good thing.

Perfectionism does not mean everything one does is perfect. Far from it! Having a streak of “perfectionism” means, among other things, the tendency to be highly critical of oneself and to set standards impossibly high. I want my posts to be relevant and useful in some way. But recently I have gotten into a mode of avoiding making a post if I not able to do it “perfectly”.

It can become a crippling habit!

Take this recipe of Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream for example.

I have tested it a few times and each time it has turned out delicious – as verified by my ice cream connoisseur husband, G. I have wanted to share the recipe with all of you because it is a great dairy-free, lower sugar alternative to “normal” ice cream. But I have delayed in posting it. Why? Because I have been doubting my ability to photograph it properly!

How silly is that?!

I could lay some of the blame at the feet of Pinterest with all its amazing food photography. But the truth is it is my own issue born out of a tendency to be perfectionistic when I have high expectations of myself.

Making recipes is fun and so is taking photos and I want to keep it that way. I plan to continue working on my photography and let my perfectionism drive me to improve. But I am resolving to chill out a bit more, stop comparing myself to others and be happy with the best I am able to do right now.

Enough with my personal angst. Now on with the recipe. 🙂

Paleo Chocolate Birthday Cake

10.30.2306.30.12 by Lea

Paleo Chocolate Cake with Bacon Frosting

For my husband’s birthday a few weeks ago I made him a Coconut Flour Paleo Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache Bacon Frosting. It was a big hit. (You could easily leave the bacon out of the Chocolate Ganache Frosting if you are less than thrilled about trying that seemingly crazy scheme.) Here’s a closer look at the cake after it was sliced. Sorry, but I can’t resist showing off my blue hydrangeas. I love hydrangeas!Back to the chocolate cake. Don’t you just want to dig in?!

In the chocolate ganache frosting post I promised to provide the recipe for the cake itself in the next entry. But I lost my notes! (Can you say ADHD?) I was about 90% sure of the ingredients but needed to make it again to validate the recipe.

Poor me.

This time I chose to make the coconut flour cake with a Coconut Honey Frosting. (Hydrangeas again)And because the layers were quite thick, I cut each one in half and made a four-layer paleo chocolate cake. The cake cooked up and tasted just like the other one so now I feel comfortable sharing the recipe. Whew!

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

10.30.2306.08.12 by Lea

Just last week I posted a recipe for Paleo Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookies. A salad or a healthy fish recipe would seem to be in order after that. Posting two dessert/treat recipes in a row seems overly indulgent. But I have been having a lot of fun experimenting with almond flour and this Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe is the result. I can’t wait to share it because it turned out really well.

Types of Flour in this Paleo Cookie

Almond flour has a high fat content. Using it in recipes generally results in moist confections. This can be a good thing when making cakes but when it comes to cookies I prefer something a little more firm and possibly crunchy. To make this happen in a chocolate chip cookie recipe I decided to add some coconut flour. Coconut flour is the opposite of almond flour in the sense that it is very dry. A little bit goes a long way. I have been playing around with combining these two flours to get the optimal mix for a cookie. The result is a tender chocolate chip cookie that has a little bit of crunch around the edges. It’s paleo because it is grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and legume-free (I have actually seen cookie recipes that use bean flour!) These paleo chocolate chip cookies are even vegan.

This cookie is also non-political and loves puppies and little children. Basically, this is the perfect chocolate chip cookie.

Here’s Nathaniel posing for me. This child really should be paid to be my model. He is always being asked to pose and does a great job. Someday he may command a hefty fee but for now I get away with giving him cookies for his hard work as my model.