Paleo Popcorn Chicken

Our family loves chicken nuggets and chicken strips. My husband and I often got chicken strips in college at the food court. Since my allergies, it has been more difficult to find good chicken strips or nuggets and then on top of that to find ones as a decent price. We always bought separate ones because #1 my allergy friendly ones are expensive and #2 none of them taste up to par for my husband. I really enjoyed the Purdue brand of gluten free ones and they are especially great because the strips are soy free last I checked, which was a while ago, so they worked for my daughter too when we discovered her soy allergy. Now that I have kids who LOVE chicken nuggets and strips I need a much more affordable option. We started making our own chicken strips but found we like homemade popcorn chicken better. I mastered our popcorn chicken recipe about 3 months before we decided to try this diet. Of course my gluten, dairy, egg and soy free recipe was not Paleo friendly so I altered it to match this current diet and it's delicious! Enjoy my Paleo friends!

Popcorn Chicken
Serves 4

1 lb. chicken breast, cut into cubes
Unsweetened Almond Milk (I use Silk brand.) - Need about 2 cups depending on your dish.
1/4 cup arrowroot flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
Oil for frying (Given our current mix of Whole30 and Paleo diets, I used canola.)

Directions:
Cube chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes and place in a shallow dish. Cover or mostly cover chicken pieces with unsweetened milk and let sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine arrowroot flour, almond flour, coconut flour, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well. Add enough oil to a deep skillet to be about 1 inch - 1.5 inches deep. Heat oil over medium - medium-high heat. For even coated chicken, dip chicken pieces into the flour mixture one at a time and drop into the heated oil. Cook about 10-15 pieces of chicken at a time depending on the size of your skillet. Cook chicken until no longer pink inside and breading turns brown. Place a paper towel or two on a plate and use a slotted spoon to place hot chicken onto plate to remove excess grease before serving.

Note: If you don't care as much about an even coating on the chicken you can do the quick method that I do given our busy kids. Place the flour mixture in a Ziploc bag. Strain milk off the chicken cubes and place chicken cubes into the Ziploc bag with the flour mixture. Shake the bag around until chicken is evenly coated. Scoop chicken pieces out of the bag and cook in oil per the above directions.

Paleo Tortillas

Before starting this diet we tried this recipe for 3 ingredient Paleo naan. It was amazing but pretty greasy. Since our first trial we've made this recipe at least a half dozen more times, each time trying to tweak the recipe to make it less greasy. Well, I finally did it! Soft tortillas that still fold, don't break, but don't leave a ton of grease on your hands! Another positive note, these tortillas freeze decently well in a Ziploc bag when I separate the tortillas with freezer paper. The freezer paper makes it easy to pull out one tortilla, microwave it for about 20-30 seconds and use it for whatever we are making. Really the uses for this tortilla are endless! These have been a total lifesaver while on this diet. This is a recipe I will be keeping and using after this diet though. I've tried multiple gluten free tortilla recipes and have never made anything this amazing. Tacos have become my new favorite snack thanks to this tortilla.

Paleo Tortillas
Makes about 2.5 dozen small tortillas

1 can (14 oz) full fat coconut milk
1.5 cups of water
1 1/4 cups tapioca starch
1/2 cup arrowroot starch
1.5 cups almond flour
1 tsp salt

Directions:
Combine tapioca starch, arrowroot starch, almond flour and salt in a bowl. If coconut milk has separated, mix well until clumps no longer exist in a separate bowl. Add water and coconut milk to dry ingredients and mix well until clumps disappear. Continue to stir periodically during the cooking process. Batter will be thin. Heat electric griddle to 400 degrees. It is important to stir batter well before pouring each batch as some of the heavier flours tend to sink to the bottom and separate. Pour batter onto griddle to make tortillas approximately 5-6 inches round. Heat first side for 2 minutes, flip over, and then cook for another 5 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Vegan Ranch Dressing - Paleo Friendly

I can't tell you how many times I failed at making vegan mayo this week. To be honest I lost count but I know it has to be close to a dozen times. It's been frustrating since this is one of our favorite condiments and my normal store bought vegan mayo is not allowed on a Paleo or Whole30 diet. At least all of my failed attempts at mayo have been able to be used for something. I altered this ranch dressing recipe to use my failed attempts to make a thin and runnier ranch dressing. It works well for salad or a small cup to dip but if you want a thick dip, you'll need to succeed on your mayo making! Once you succeed on your mayo making, maybe you can teach me your tricks and tips!

Ranch Dressing
Makes two of these condiment bottles

1 recipe of this vegan mayo (For thick ranch, make sure you reach mayo consistency. For thin ranch, blend the mayo so it has a milky color but does not thicken much if at all.)
1 can (14 oz) full fat coconut milk
1.5 tbls dried parsley
3/4 tsp dried dill weed
3/4 tsp garlic salt
3/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Directions: Make mayo recipe as directed for a thick ranch or until oil is creamy but still liquid for a thin ranch, set aside. In a medium sized mixing bowl, place canned coconut milk, parsley, dill weed, garlic salt, onion powder, basil and pepper. Mix with a fork until smooth and creamy, especially if coconut milk separated while on the shelf. Add prepared mayo to the coconut mixture and gently mix with a fork until well blended. Be very careful not to over mix if you've chosen the thick mayo option. Pour into condiment bottles and place in the refrigerator. Mixture should thicken a bit more in the fridge and is best served after at least a few hours in the refrigerator.

Vegan Mayo - Paleo Friendly

I've been trying to make vegan mayo for about a week. I've also failed about a dozen times. Trust me, I've tried multiple methods, recipes, and every blender I have in the house plus one from my mother-in-law (Ninja prep, Cusinart food processor, mini food chopper and immersion blender). I even ruined a shirt this week spraying oil all over my shirt thanks to one immersion blender attempt. I've taken lots of advice from a good friend who makes homemade Paleo mayo and it was her tip that I think finally did the trick! I found a decent basic vegan mayo recipe but it had a strong lemon and sour flavor so I adjusted the recipe, added a few ingredients and ended up with this! With this recipe, the method is as important as the ingredients so pay attention to both!

Vegan Mayo
Makes about 1.5 cups

1 tbls ground flax seed
3 tbls water
1/2 tbls lemon juice
1/2 tbls raw apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp dry ground mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 cup light tasting olive oil or another good tasting oil

Method:
In a small bowl, mix together ground flax seed and water, set aside. Using a food processor (trust me I tried everything else), place the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, dry ground mustard, salt, garlic powder and 1/4 cup of the olive oil into the food processor bowl. Do NOT blend yet. Use a liquid measuring cup to measure out the remaining 3/4 cup of olive oil and set near the food processor but do NOT pour in yet. Once ground flax seed and water have created a gel type consistency, place flax seed mixture into the food processor bowl with the other ingredients. Use a food processor lid that contains a shaft. (Note: My food processor has a regular lid with a hole in the middle and a lid with a shaft. Pouring oil down the hole in the middle did not work for me.) Turn food processor on and slowly pour the 3/4 cup of oil through the shaft hole. Mixture should gradually become a mayo consistency. After oil has been poured and mixture reaches mayo consistency, stop processor immediately. Over mixing will break the consistency and cause you to have a liquid mess again. Place mayo in a glass container and keep in the refrigerator. This mayo seems to hold it's consistency best after being in the refrigerator for at least a few hours before serving.

Italian Soup - Paleo and Whole30

We've been busy trying new recipes this week and to be honest, it's been exhausting. I had an idea to try to create a soup that resembles my favorite flavors in spaghetti but without the noodles since those aren't allowed right now. My husband and son weren't big fans of spaghetti squash a few days ago so that wasn't really an option either. This soup was pretty good. It satisfied my hunger for that spaghetti flavor and the only thing I would do differently is use only sausage because....well....I love sausage and think it's flavor would enhance this soup better than the ground beef.

Italian Soup
Makes a full crock pot - about 12 servings.

1 lb. ground beef, browned
1/4 lb. ground sausage, browned
4 Roma tomatoes
3 stalks of celery
1 medium onion
2 tsp minced garlic
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, unsalted
32 oz vegetable broth (I used Kitchen Basics, unsalted)
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
8 oz can of tomato sauce

Directions: Brown sausage and ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. Place cooked meat in a crock pot. Chop Roma tomatoes and onions and place directly into the crock pot. Slice fresh mushrooms and celery and place directly in the crock pot. Place the remaining ingredients; minced garlic, canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, spices and tomato sauce. Place crock pot on low for 6-8 hours or until vegetables are soft.

5 Week Meal Plan - A Mix of Paleo and Whole30 Recipes

2015 was B-U-S-Y! Two sister's weddings, two bridal showers, hosting birthday parties for two kids, and so much more! Oh and not to mention that we are expecting #3 now too so pregnancy symptoms have been in full swing since the end of October! I've been neglecting the blog as a result, so I apologize! 2016 and especially this next month, I should be much more involved. See, my daughter's doctor suggested we try a new diet. We recently changed pediatricians in hopes of finding someone who was more in line with our beliefs, a mix of western medicine and natural care. Her new doctor suggested we try the Whole30 diet to help her digestive issues. Her current diet of simply avoiding allergens is working, but it would be nice to start introducing allergens to her and to have her be allergy free. We are willing to try it. After researching the Whole30 diet, we've agreed to most of the terms but in the end we are going to create a menu that is a mix of Paleo and Whole30 diets. We will respect the food rules of Whole30, with the exception of our soy free vegan butter that contains pea protein and since I have a dairy allergy and can't do Ghee or clarified butter. The one thing Whole30 requires that we will be breaking though is the no recreating "junk" foods or making Paleo pancake type products. Correct me if I'm wrong but this seems to be a rule made for psychological reasons to break bad habits. We aren't on the diet for weight loss or bad habits and to be honest I'm not sure my 2 year old can survive a month without pancakes. I know that's a lot of excuses but in order for a diet to be successful, it needs to be realistic and with our entire family trying this diet....that's what's realistic for us. Cooking every meal also isn't realistic for our family so we eat leftovers for lunch almost every day and cook many meals in the crock pot to avoid crabby toddlers during dinner prep time. So with that being said, here is our menu for the next month that is a mix of Paleo and Whole30. There are links posted to the original recipe I found when applicable but some of these recipes need to be altered to fit the diet and our personal family preferences. Some items on the menu are simply ideas so maybe there will be a post later once I come up with a recipe! No repeated dinner recipes here either. Breakfast on the other hand will probably repeat a bit. We may change the menu and repeat something if we find a dish we love. The boys in our family will be eating eggs so you may see that on the menu, however, I have an egg allergy so you won't see me going near them! I hope to post as we go on this journey!

Week 1:

• Day 1:
• Breakfast - Apple Slices in Almond Butter
• Lunch - Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps, Fresh Fruit, and Cooked Carrots
• Dinner - Taco Salad with Pico de Gallo, Fresh Fruit, and California Blend Vegetables
• Day 2:
• Breakfast - Scrambled Eggs and Sausage Patties (using apple cider vinegar)
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Grilled Chicken Paninis, Broccoli, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 3:
• Breakfast - Paleo Berry Crumble
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Crock Pot Chili/Italian Soup (sausage, beef, celery, onions, mushrooms, tomato base, and Italian seasoning), Spinach Salad, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 4:
• Breakfast - Banana Muffins without vanilla
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner -Popcorn Chicken (using almond and coconut flour), Green Beans, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 5:
• Breakfast - 3 Ingredient Paleo Naan with Almond Butter
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Guacamole Burger, Sweet Potato Fries, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 6:
• Breakfast - Egg, Sausage and Veggie or Sausage Only Paleo Naan Wraps
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Pulled Pork Sliders (pork in crock pot), Salad, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 7:
• Breakfast - Plantain Waffles - without vanilla
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breast, Cooked Carrots, and Fresh Fruit

Week 2:

• Day 1:
• Breakfast - Banana Slices with Almond Butter
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Portabello Philly Cheese Steak with Paleo Cheese, Sweet Potato Fries, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 2:
• Breakfast - Roasted Cinnamon Pear "Oatmeal"
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Paleo Sausage Crust Pizzas with Paleo Cheese, Salad, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 3:
• Breakfast - Egg Bake and Sausage Patties
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Crock Pot Barbacoa Bowl, Cauliflower Rice, Pico de Gallo, Shredded Lettuce, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 4:
• Breakfast - Grain Free Vegan Pancakes (with some modifications)
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Spaghetti, Asparagus, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 5:
• Breakfast - Warm Banana Coconut Breakfast Bowl
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Steak and Shrimp Kabobs, Green Beans, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 6:
• Breakfast - Coconut Milk Yogurt
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Crock Pot Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Soup, Salad, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 7:
• Breakfast - Bacon or Sausage, Apple and Sweet Potato Scramble
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry, Cooked Carrots, and Fresh Fruit

Week 3:

• Day 1: 
• Breakfast - 3 Ingredient Naan with Apple Butter
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Greek Meatballs with Avocado Tzatziki Sauce, Grape Tomatoes, Lettuce Wraps and Fresh Fruit
• Day 2:
• Breakfast - Fried Egg with Sausage Patty
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Paleo Fish Sticks, Sweet Potato Fries, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 3:
• Breakfast - Apple Cinnamon Roll Porridge
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Chicken Breast Crusted Pizzas with Paleo Cheese, Salad, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 4:
• Breakfast - Apples in Almond Butter
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Pulled Pork Stuffed Sweet Potato, Broccoli, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 5:
• Breakfast - Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Prime Rib Roast with Mushrooms and Onions, Cooked Carrots, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 6:
• Breakfast - Coconut Milk Yogurt with Fresh Berries and Crushed Walnuts
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Chicken Zoodle Soup, Salad, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 7:
• Breakfast - Spinach Potato Pancakes
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Bacon Wrapped Chicken Strips, Green Beans, and Fresh Fruit

Week 4:

• Day 1:
• Breakfast - Breakfast Pizzas with Scrambled Eggs and Bacon to Top Sausage Crust
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Steak, Peppers, and Onion Fajita Wraps or Salad and Fresh Fruit
• Day 2:
• Breakfast - Coconut and Almond Porridge
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Crock Pot French Onion, Mushroom, and Beef Soup, Salad, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 3:
• Breakfast - Apple Cinnamon and Chia Breakfast Bowl
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Chicken Salad Wraps (May try a hot version as I hate cold chicken.), Raw Vegetables with Ranch Dip, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 4: 
• Breakfast - Blueberry Plantain Pancakes
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Crock Pot Lasagna, Salad, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 5:
• Breakfast - Scrambled Eggs, Bacon and Sausage
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Buffalo Chicken Bites, Sweet Potato Fries, and Fresh Fruit (This is Super Bowl Sunday for our diet plan.)
• Day 6:
• Breakfast - Bananas with Almond Butter
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Beef Roast (leave out red cooking wine), Cooked Carrots, Potatoes, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 7:
• Breakfast - Breakfast Stacks
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Marinated (Flavor TBD) Chicken, Green Beans, and Fresh Fruit 

Week 5

• Day 1:
• Breakfast - Paleo Berry Crumble
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Paleo Chicken Alfredo, Salad, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 2:
• Breakfast - Egg, Sausage and Veggie or Sausage Only Paleo Naan Wraps
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Meatballs, Asparagus, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 3:
• Breakfast - Plantain Waffles - without vanilla
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Stir-Fry with Chicken, Cauliflower Rice, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 4:
• Breakfast - Coconut Milk Yogurt with Fresh Berries and Crushed Walnuts
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa, Salad, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 5:
• Breakfast - Monkey Salad
• Lunch - BLT Lettuce Wraps, Sweet Potato Fries, and Fresh Fruit
• Dinner - Pork Carnitas in Lettuce Wraps, Plantain Chips with Pico de Gallo, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 6:
• Breakfast - Apple Cinnamon Roll Porridge
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Italian Turkey Burger Soup, Salad, and Fresh Fruit
• Day 7:
• Breakfast - 3 Ingredient Paleo Naan with Almond Butter
• Lunch - Leftovers
• Dinner - Paleo Crabcakes with Lemon Aioli Sauce, Broccoli, and Fresh Fruit

Other Meals Considered:

• T-Bone Steak
• Thai Spiced Turkey Burger
• Zesty Chicken Bites
• Roast Chicken
• Peachy Pork Kabobs
• Chipotle Stuffed Mushrooms

Snacks:

• Unsweetened Applesauce 
• Select Varieties of Dried Unsweetened Fruit to Mix with Nuts
• Certain Flavors of Larabars or DIY Larabars
• Apples or Bananas with Almond Butter
• Pizza Sticks
• Kale Chips
• Dried Vegetable Chips
• Fresh Fruit
• Raw Vegetables with Approved Dip
• 3 Ingredient Paleo Naan (Tried this as a test run snack and the kids ate it faster than I could make it!)
• Hard Boiled Eggs
• Nuts
• Smoothie
• Fruit Popsicle
• Roasted Cauliflower Hummus
• Sweet Potato Nachos
• Pita Chips
• Buffalo Ranch Dip
• Guacamole
• Plantain Chips
• Salsa
• Sweet Potato Bites with Bacon and Avocado
• Italian Herb Breadsticks

Regular Recipes I Will or May Need:

• Taco Seasoning (Got from a friend who does a Paleo diet.)
• French Dressing without Stevia
• Caesar Dressing
• Greek Salad Dressing
• Ranch
• Vegan Mayo (with less lemon juice)
• Sausage (with apple cider vinegar vs. red wine)
• Ketchup
• BBQ Sauce
• Almond Butter
• 3 Ingredient Paleo Naan
• Pita Bread
• Aluminum and Corn Free Baking Powder
• Vegan Cheese Sauce or Dip

Disclaimer: Remember that my family is mixing the Paleo and Whole30 diets to create a diet that will work for our family. If you are strictly following a Paleo or Whole30 diet, you should double check that each recipe meets your diet requirements and make modifications if needed.

Pancakes Like Biquick's

This summer has really gotten away from me. I apologize for it taking me so long to post again but we've been pretty busy this summer. I promise I will get back at it once things slow down this fall. We've continued to cook quite a bit this summer and have tried a lot of new recipes, including a lot of vegetarian ones, but this new recipe is one I am really excited about! My family likes to make a good breakfast in the morning. The kids and I love pancakes but after going through a few bad gluten free pancake mixes, we are pretty partial to the gluten free Bisquick mix by Betty Crocker. It can be expensive though at $4.58 for a 16 oz box (that's $1.27 for one batch) and to be honest my kids can eat A LOT of pancakes! I needed to find a cheaper way to make these so I have been playing around with some ingredients and have figured out a recipe that tastes almost exactly the same as the Bisquick version. If you just want the Bisquick mix then combine the dry ingredients only and it will yield about 1 cup of Bisquick mix. The kids approve too! Enjoy!

Pancakes
Yield: About 10 pancakes

3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon white rice flour
4 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon potato starch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 "egg" using Ener-G Egg Replacer
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup almond milk

Directions: In a small bowl mix the "egg" and set aside. Place all dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Then add the premixed "egg", canola oil, and almond milk to the large bowl. Mix well. Heat an electric griddle to 350 degrees. Pour some batter onto the griddle and spread evenly with a spoon. When bubbles start to form on top of the pancake, flip over and brown the other side. Remove and serve when both sides are evenly browned. Yield is about 10 pancakes.

One final note.....is my recipe from scratch cheaper? Yup! Based on Vitacost and Walmart's prices, my mix from scratch is $0.90 per batch versus $1.27.

Disclaimer: It is always important to read labels because brands frequently change their ingredients. These ingredients and brands work for my family but some may be processed in the same facility as wheat, soy, dairy and/or eggs and therefore depending on your severity may or may not work for your family.