Simply Norma

This paleo recipe for Garlic Beef Sausage is very very easy. I know you think I must say that a lot but that’s because I like trying recipes that are both tasty and easy to make. I mean, who wants to be in the kitchen all day, right? Occasionally I’ll make two or three different recipes for dinner but that’s not the norm.

I made this Garlic Beef Sausage so my husband could have something quick for breakfast. All of the ingredients are easy to find in your grocery store. (Excuse the shoddy photos on this post — my camera froze on me so I had to use the backup which has a broken screen so I had no idea how the pictures would come out.)

You’re basically going to put all these ingredients into a bowl, mix them all up (preferably with your hands as it works really well), make them into palm size patties and fry them up.

Then — whala!

They are quite tasty.

Here’s the recipe for you …

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef (I like the really lean meat – 96% lean)
• 1/4 tsp Caraway Seed
• 1/4 tsp Ground Coriander Seed
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp Ground Mace
• 1/4 tsp Salt (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil for frying

And there you have it! Just fry them up until they’re cooked through.

Special thanks to the Paleo Mom for this recipe.

This Asian Chicken Thigh recipe was a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did as the marinade looks “yellow” and, well, it just didn’t look appetizing. But, I’ve learned to not judge things too harshly until I try them.

The recipe is paleo although many paleo-ites will not use the rice wine vinegar.  I did. There was also an expensive ingredient that was a little hard to find — coconut aminos. I finally found it at a health food store as the local store and Trader Joe’s didn’t carry it. It only required 1 tablespoon of the aminos but I wanted to be true to the recipe so splurged on it. I’ll definitely make this recipe again so it’s worth it.

Here are the ingredients you’ll be using — minus the olive oil and the chicken thighs.

As I said earlier, the marinade doesn’t look very appetizing but ignore the looks in this recipe.

You’ll be pouring this marinade into a large bowl along with the chicken thighs and making sure the thighs are coated thoroughly.  That’s a LOT of marinade but that’s because the original recipe called for 4 pounds of chicken thighs and I used 4 chicken thighs.

Instead of putting the thighs on an aluminum foil lined rack, I put them in a glass dish to bake.

They will crisp up really beautifully.

Ready to try the recipe?

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of scallions, trimmed and cut into thirds
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 slices of fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 4 chicken thighs

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Prepare all the ingredients except for the chicken then put them into a blender.
3. Blend until everything is combined and pour it into a large bowl.
4. Cut any extra fat off the chicken thighs and put the thighs in the large bowl with the marinade. (This does not have to sit overnight or even for an hour.)
5. Make sure the marinade is blended well with the thighs and then put the thighs in an oven proof dish.
6. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

That’s it! Pretty simple if you ask me. And very very tasty. This will be a regular at our house.

Enjoy!

It is never too late for cobbler, is it? This Peach Cobbler is paleo and vegan — and very good.

I used peaches that were not over-ripe but were “ripe enough.” A strong smell of “peaches” is one sign of their ripeness. The other is how soft they are.

Here are the key ingredients.

You’ll be peeling the beautiful peaches, removing the pit and then slicing them.

Next you’ll be putting these slices, tossed with lemon juice, vanilla extract, cinnamon, allspice and salt, into a baking dish.

Next you’ll be covering it with the topping. (Is your mouth watering yet?)

And when it comes out of the oven — whala! It will look like this.

Now — I know it’s not the prettiest picture. I’ve debated back and forth whether to try to make my pictures really pretty but decided against it. The “normal” person doesn’t make everything all pretty — they just cook and eat. No?

Are you ready to try this delicious peach cobbler? I have to assure you that it tastes just like a “regular” cobbler even though it’s a healthy paleo recipe.

Ingredients

• 4 peaches (but 5 would be better)
• 2 Tablespoons Honey
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Ingredients (for the topping)

• 5 Mejol Dates
• 1/2 cup Walnuts
• 1/3 cup Coconut Flakes
• 3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
• 3/4 cup Almond Flour
• 1/3 cup Flaxseed Meal
• 2 Tablespoons Honey
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• Kosher Salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Peel, remove the pit and slice the peaches.
3. Add the lemon juice, vanilla extract, cinnamon, allspice and salt to the peaches then gently stir to combine.
4. Pour the peaches into a baking dish.
5. Chop the dates, coconut flakes and walnuts.
6. In a separate bowl, combine the dates, coconut flakes, walnuts, coconut oil (which does not have to be melted), almond flour, flaxseed meal, honey and cinnamon.
7. Stir everything to blend together then spread the topping over the peaches and sprinkle with a little salt.
8. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.
9. After 25 minutes, uncover the dish and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the top is bubbly and crunchy.

Simply delicious!

Okay now — have a slice!

Note: This is the 3rd recipe that I’ve tried in a week from Paleo Effect which tells you that you should head over there and try some of her other recipes as they are tried and true.

I decided to make a paleo vegetarian dinner today with two new recipes. It came out quite good! I’m trying to have a couple of vegetarian paleo meals a week — we’ll see how that goes.

The first recipe I made is called Paleo Vegetarian Burgers. I did not use them as burgers though but as small patties with an aioli sauce (not the Lemongrass ailoi that was optional in the original recipe) on top of them. I refrigerated the patties overnight and took them out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before I was ready to fry them.

Here are the ingredients you’ll be needing …

They will all be combined and put in a blender or food processor to blend together. I used 2 smaller sweet potatoes instead of 1 large one which I baked, peeled and then put in the food processor with everything else.

Make sure your eggs and sweet potatoes are at room temperature before adding them to the food processor.

Once everything is combined you’ll be making small patties and putting them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper then putting that cookie sheet in the refrigerator. You don’t have to keep them there overnight but I would suggest at least a couple of hours to make sure they are firm before frying them.

Now for the recipe …

Ingredients

• 2 small sweet potatoes or 1 large one, chopped
• 4 whole mushrooms, diced
• ½ green bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and diced
• 1 teaspoon cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup of almond flour
• ½ cup of flaxseed meal
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon coriander
• 1 tablespoon of coconut aminos
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• ½ tablespoon of coconut vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (not extra virgen)
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. In a food processor, combine the sweet potato, peppers, jalapeno, cilantro, almond flour, flaxseed meal, eggs, garlic cloves, cumin, coriander, coconut aminos, lime juice, coconut vinegar, salt and black pepper. Pulse until everything is combined but in small pieces.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Form your patties and put them on the baking sheet then refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes or overnight as I did.
4. Once you’re ready to cook them, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat then add the patties. If you cook these patties too quickly they will be done on the outside but not on the inside so don’t rush the cooking process.
5. Cover the skillet and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side.

That’s pretty much it for the patties.

The Aranitas were a snap to make. Really easy. The only suggestion I would make is to make sure you don’t make them too thick or the outside will be beautifully done while the inside will be slightly raw. (I had a couple come out that way so next time I’ll make sure I’m more careful.)

Here are the ingredients you’ll need. Yes — this is all, isn’t that fantastic? The original recipe calls for coconut oil but I used the olive oil to fry in also — either one will work.

This is what the “dip” will look like. (You’ll be stirring it up really good right before serving to get garlic pieces on your aranitas.  Yum!

Next you’ll be preparing your green plantains. They truly must be green as the yellow ones (also called maduros) won’t shred well enough for this recipe.

First, you’ll be cutting the tips off the plantains to make it easier for you to peel this “banana” then slitting it right down the middle.

Next you’ll be peeling the plantain. This requires a little finesse but I grew up with plantains so it was very easy. Simply pull the peel from the slit portion to the right and work your way down and around.

The peel will come off in chunks. If small pieces of peel are left on the plantain, simply use a small knife and scrape them off.

Next you’ll be preparing a bowl of cold cold salted water. I used a large salad bowl and added ice to it to make sure the water was cold.

Next, add the plantains to the cold water and allow them to soak for at least 30 minutes. Once that’s completed, get a grater and grate the plantains.

After heating your oil in a skillet (coconut or olive if you’re on the paleo diet), use your hands to form flattened “pancakes” — you want them to be kind’ve flat or (as I said above) they won’t cook fully through.  Some of mine came out a little “puffy” — edible but not the best.

Oh — make sure your oil is HOT when you slide these in the skillet.

You can see the (above) plantains starting to get crispy on the sides. That’s a good thing. You don’t want them to cook too quickly or you’ll also have the “raw in the middle” problem. But you’ll want these crispy as you’ll be using your hands (yes, your hands) to pick them up and eat them.

And this is what they will look like … A very old Puerto Rican dish served with an olive garlic dip.

Ready to try the recipe?

Ingredients

• 2 Green Plantains, grated
• 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt
• Coconut or Olive Oil (for cooking and the dip)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, add the garlic and the olive oil and whisk them together then set aside for about an hour.
2. Peel the green plantains then soak them in salt water for about 30 minutes.
3. Remove the plantains from the water, dry them slightly with a paper towel and then grate them. Add salt to the plantains if you prefer them even more salty.
4. Using your hands, form palm sized patties.
5. Heat about 2 inches or so of oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. The oil should be hot enough so that it “sizzles” when you put a plantain in the skillet.
6. Fry until golden on both sides. Crispy is how you want them.
7. When you remove them from the skillet, put them on paper towels to remove some of the oil.
8. These are best if served warm.

And that is pretty much it! Here is what our dinner looked like. I served the Veggie Patties with an aioli sauce and the Aranitas with the garlic sauce. I also put together a cucumber/tomato/pepper salad to serve with this meal.

Enjoy!

Special thanks to Paleo Effects for both recipes!

This paleo Chicken Fingers recipe is so easy to make and, although it says kids would love it, it’s a great meal for all ages.

Although the recipe uses few ingredients and instructions, it’s a little messy to make if you use your fingers. The breading can get clumpy so be careful to not just toss all the chicken pieces into the breading at once. (I didn’t do that but I did a few pieces at a time and that made it clumpy.)

So — let’s begin. Besides the pound of chicken breasts (or tenders if you prefer) here’s what you’ll need.

First you’ll be combining the dry ingredients to make the breading.

Then you’ll be making a “dipping” station. Having your lined cookie sheet next to your dipping station will make it easy to transfer the chicken pieces onto it.

This is what they will look like. Because of the clumps some of my pieces weren’t breaded enough but taste-wise they were fine.

I served this dish with fried ripe plantains.  Have you ever had them? If you decide to try them, you want to make sure you get very very ripe plantains. Yes, yellow ones are good but the ones that are turning almost black are even riper and sweeter. (But don’t use the green ones for this.) Just inspect them for white fuzziness — mold.  You don’t want to get sick.

An interesting side note – most grocery stores I’ve been to will get rid of or discount the really really ripe plantains as they think no one will buy them — unless that is you go to a Spanish market who know the clientele who buy these often.

The plantains are sliced at an angle, mashed down a little with the palm of your hand and fried in coconut or olive oil. I chose to use coconut this time. They don’t take long to fry and I can usually tell by the color of the plantain when they’re ready. If your heat is too high though they’ll cook on the outside but not on the inside.  Turn your stovetop heat to almost medium, check for a nice golden color then turn it to the other side.

And this is what you’ll get.  You’ll notice some of them look a little “flat.” With the second batch that I was frying, I got distracted but quickly turned the stovetop off so they wouldn’t burn. Unfortunately they sat in the oil longer than they should have so they absorbed more of the oil than usual. Not a “bad” thing but the fried plantains should have a little “puffiness” to them and shouldn’t taste like oil.  Remember, this is about the plantain.  So — pay attention!

Now back to the chicken fingers. Ready to try the recipe?

Ingredients

• 1 pound skinless chicken breasts cut into long strips and into the same thickness as much as possible
• 1 egg, at room temperature and beaten
• 1/2 cup Almond Meal
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin seed

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 425F.
2. While the oven is heating, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Combine the almond meal with the spices on a plate or shallow dish. If you especially like the taste of coriander or cumin, double it to 1/2 a teaspoon for more flavor.
4. Put the beaten egg in a shallow dish all by its lonesome. You’ll be dipping your chicken in here so make sure the chicken will fit in the dish.
5. If your chicken is wet or soggy, dry it with a paper towel.
6. Dip the chicken in the egg mixture then in the almond meal mixture.
7. Gently put your dipped chicken pieces onto the lined baking sheet.
8. Bake the chicken for approximately 16-18 minutes turning once in the middle of baking. Making sure that your chicken pieces are about the same thickness will insure that they will all be cooked at the same time.

And — that’s it! Simple, no? I served my chicken fingers with fried plantains and a side salad. Enjoy!

Note: It has been said that paprika has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Check it out!

Is anyone thinking about Thanksgiving already, besides me?

I’ve already tried one paleo sweet potato recipe but thought I’d try another one as a side dish for one of our dinners. This one turned out pretty good — yes, pretty good. I would definitely feel comfortable serving it to any guests we might have.

There are two sets of ingredients — one for the “inside” and one for the topping. Here are the ones for the “inside:”

Those sweet potatoes will need to be baked until they’re cooked, skin removed and then mashed.

Here are the topping ingredients …

Not too many, eh?

You’ll be combining the topping ingredients all together. It will look similar to this:

After all the ingredients for the “inside” are put together they will be put in a casserole dish and then the topping will be layered on top and then baked.

Are you ready to try it?

Ingredients (for the potatoes)

• 3 cups baked sweet potatoes, I used one large, 1 medium and 1 small
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 large eggs, beaten and at room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (8 tablespoons)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Ingredients (for the topping)

• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/8 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup chopped pecans or you can use walnuts if you prefer

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
2. Bake your sweet potatoes until a fork pricked through the thickest section of the potato goes through with no resistance. (The potatoes will probably be “leaking” by now.) Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them sit until they cool.
3. While the potatoes are cooling, work on your topping (see step 9).
4. Once cooled, peel the potatoes and put them in a bowl then mash them well.
5. Add the honey, eggs, butter, coconut milk, vanilla and salt to the mashed sweet potatoes.
6. Combine all the ingredients thoroughly.
7. Add the potato mixture to a 9×9 baking dish.
8. Place the almond flour, coconut flour, honey, salt and butter in a medium bowl.
9. Stir to combine the ingredients well.
10. Add the pecans to the topping mixture and stir to combine.
11. Sprinkle the topping mixture in an even layer over the sweet potatoes.
12. Bake for approximately 20 minutes.

My picture didn’t come out the best but this tasted great!

Enjoy!

Special thanks to Deliciously Organic for this recipe.