grain-free - - Page 2

December 28, 2017

Paleo Copycat Chick fil A Nuggets (+ Healthy Special Sauce)

My love affair with cassava flour is no secret, and this copycat Chick fil a Nuggets recipe takes my adoration to a whole new level!

In a moment of weakness, I told my boys I would take them to Chick fil A. We were leaving the park and it was cold and we were hungry, and, well, I’m weak and outnumbered so I said yes.

A few minutes later when my GPS wouldn’t cooperate and I had no idea where to find a Chick fil A in the new town we recently moved to, I had to backtrack and tell them we weren’t getting fast food after all. And while I suffered through the inevitable whining, I was also relieved we had dodged a bullet.

Copycat Chick fil A Nuggets > Fast Food

It’s not like fast food is ever healthy. It’s not like we tolerate it that well. But dang, Chick fil A is tasty. I don’t have to tell you that’s because it’s loaded with msg, gluten, sugar, and all kinds of other yucky additives. Not to mention, it’s fried in peanut oil, which is super inflammatory and not at all the healthy oil it’s touted to be.

So I decided I would make us all happy and surprise them with copycat chick fil a nuggets. No junk food meltdowns or headaches later and still super {duper} delicious!

I love when I get to surprise my boys with food that they love. And they LOVED these nuggets.

Healthy ingredients for the win

Instead of gluten, I worked with a completely grain-free, paleo-friendly flour that behaves just like all purpose flour in this recipe. Get my favorite cassava flour here.

You’ll also find real, whole-food ingredients like organic spices (and a lil’ sugar; you can use maple sugar or organic cane sugar, or leave it out, but it gives the recipe that slight sweetness chick fil a nugs are known for).

In addition, I used organic, grassfed buttermilk, but if you’re dairy free, just sub your favorite dairy-free milk and add a tablespoon of lemon juice. Easy peasy.

Look for quality, pastured chicken breasts and egg for the best nutrition (I tend to more frequently buy whole chickens for complete nutrition, but sometimes boneless, skinless chicken breasts are needed!).

For the pickle juice marinade, I used some juice from a jar of Bubbies pickles, our family’s fave store-bought pickles. They’re made through traditional fermentation so they’ve got good bugs in ’em.

Finally, we use high-quality, heart healthy palm shortening to fry up our goodies in. You can also use expeller-pressed coconut oil or other fat that you love- just keep it nourishing! Don’t ruin these healthy nuggets with conventional shortening or vegetable oil, mmk?

Made to feed a crew

I made a huge platter of these bad boys thinking maybe, just maybe, there’d be leftovers for lunch the next day. Ha. Yeah right. They demolished them.

The recipe below is for 4-6 people. Our family of two grownups and four boys was very satisfied, but some of my kids eat more than I do. 😉

Either way, this recipes makes a lot of nuggets, so you can feed more than a few people. (Am I the only one with a semi-big family who constantly has to double and triple recipes?) And if you need a smaller batch, just adjust the number of servings below on the recipe card.

According to my ten-year-old: “If you eat like 20 of these nuggets, you’ll have a stomach ache, but if you stay at least around 15, you’re good.” Can’t argue with that wisdom.

Print Recipe

Copycat Chick Fil A Nuggets w Special Sauce

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time2

Course: Main Course

Servings: servings

Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups cassava flour
1 1/2 cups palm shortening or expeller pressed coconut oil
1 cup pickle juice
1/2 cup buttermilk or dairy-free milk of choice + 1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 egg
1 Tbsp organic cane or maple sugar
1 Tbsp season salt
2 tsp pepper

Instructions

Chop chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes, then put them, along with the pickle juice, in a sealed baggie to marinate for one hour.
Meanwhile, make roasted sweet potatoes or french fries to go on the side.
In a medium bowl, combine cassava flour, sugar, season salt, and pepper and whisk to combine.
Put shortening in a 12-14" inch skillet and turn heat to medium.
Combine buttermilk with egg in a small bowl and whisk.
Drain pickle juice from bag of chicken and replace with buttermilk mixture. Seal and move the pieces of chicken around to ensure they all get coated in the mixture.
Turn the heat down on the skillet to medium-low and drop a small bit of flour in it to be sure it sizzles.
Grab a small handful of chicken pieces and place them in the bowl of flour, turning each one around to ensure it gets coated well. Place them, one by one, in the oil until the skillet is filled.
Turn nuggets after 3-5 minutes, once flour has browned, and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes on the second side. Stir them gently around so as to not knock off the batter to ensure all sides are well cooked, then use a slotted spatula to move them to a paper towel-lined plate.
Repeat with remaining nuggets until all are cooked.
If you'd like to make a copycat Chick fil A special sauce to go with these nuggets, simply combine the following ingredients and stir until smooth:
6 tbsp mayo
2 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp BBQ sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice

Enjoy! And be sure to share using one of our buttons because everyone needs these copycat chick fil a nuggets in their life!

November 1, 2017

Pumpkin Pecan Pie Cheesecake (Grain-Free & Primal!)

The holidays call for decadence and this pumpkin pecan pie layered cheesecake delivers! Read on for the recipe.

Holiday baking is one of my favorite pastimes. Doing it with friends and family is just good for my soul. Last year, a sweet friend and I concocted several Thanksgiving-themed recipes and this pumpkin pecan pie cheesecake was one of them! You’ll find my original recipe for pecan pie here.

Make sure to check out my new holiday cookbook, with over 50 grain-free, gut-healing recipes for the updated GAPS version of this recipe. You’ll also find honey “wheat” dinner rolls, turkey gravy, more pies, cakes, and cookies, and my mama’s sweet “corn”bread stuffing. It’s a must for the healthy holiday table and you can still grab it in time here.

If you’re here for the ridiculously good layered pumpkin pecan pie cheesecake, you’ll find that recipe below.

I think I just might break the internet with this one. Let me say it nice and slow: pumpkin cheesecake. Topped. With a layer of pecan pie. Flavor explosion. Deliciousness abounds. This needs to be on your Thanksgiving table. And also your dinner table tonight. And next week, and the following week. At least, I’ll be making it pretty often as we swing into the culinary fall season! Go grab this pumpkin pecan pie cheesecake recipe and get busy!

Print Recipe

Pumpkin Pecan Pie Cheesecake (Grain-Free & Primal!)

Servings: People

Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

2 1/2 cup cups Pecans 1for crust 1.5 cups of whole halves for the pecan pie topping
4 dates pitted for the crust, Medjool
1/2 cup Whole Flax Seed crust
3/4 cup Pure Maple Syrup 1/4 cup for the cheesecake 1/2 cup for the pie
4-6 Tbsp Salted Butter 2-4 Tbsp for crust 2 Tbsp for pie
3 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract 1 tsp for crust 1for cheesecake, 1 tsp for pie
2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp for crust 1 Tbsp for cheesecake
8 oz Full Fat Cream Cheese pumpkin cheesecake
3/4 cup Pumpkin Puree pumpkin cheesecake
1/2 cup raw honey 1/4 cup for cheesecake 1/4 cup for pie
1 Tbsp Arrowroot Powder pumpkin cheesecake
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice pumpkin cheesecake
1 tsp Lemon Juice pumpkin cheesecake
2 whole Pastured Eggs pecan pie
1/4 cup Maple Sugar pecan pie, can substitute coconut sugar
1 pinch salt pecan pie

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375.
Crust: Place flaxseeds in high powered blender or food processor and blend on high until the flaxseeds are ground well.
Add 1 cup pecans and dates to the flaxseeds and pulse until you have a thick, smooth nut/seed butter. (Use a tamper if needed.)
Scrape the pecan/flaxseed mixture into a medium sized mixing bowl and add 2 Tbsp butter, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 tsp cinnamon, mixing well until it becomes a thick dough. Add more butter 1 Tbsp at a time if dough is too dry.
Grease a 9" springform pan well with butter (or line with parchment paper if you'd like, which is particularly helpful on the sides).
Press the crust evenly into the springform pan, going about an inch up on the sides. Set aside while you make the filling.
Pumpkin cheesecake: Combine cream cheese, pumpkin puree, 1/4 cup ea maple syrup and honey, 1 tsp cinnamon, arrowroot, pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp vanilla and lemon juice in a bowl and mix well with a mixer or stick blender.
Pour into the crust and cook for approximately 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and, after cooling for a few minutes, place in refrigerator to cool an additional 10-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the pecan pie layer:
Pecan pie: Turn oven down to 350F.
Place butter and maple (or coconut) sugar in mixing bowl.
Pour 1/2 cup maple syrup into a small pot and bring to a boil, then pour into mixing bowl, covering the butter and maple sugar, melting them.
Add 1/4 cup honey, eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, and salt and combine well with a hand mixer.
Gently pour on top of cooled pumpkin cheesecake. (If it begins to sink in instead of staying on top of the cheesecake, the cheesecake either did not cook long enough or did not cool long enough. Don't worry! By repeating a couple of steps, you can make it work! Pop it back in the oven for about 10 minutes, then cool again.)
Top with pecan halves and place back in the oven.
Bake for about 20 minutes.
Remove and chill for 1-2 hours so that layers don't crumble when cut.

What do you do to stick with healthy food during the holidays, when the temptation to “cheat” is so great? I find that if I get creative and, especially for my kids, remake all of our favorites, plus come up with really fun recipes like this pumpkin pecan pie cheesecake, that no one feels deprived. The best part is when my kids don’t complain about the junkie foods they’re “missing out” on, because I’ve provided them with an alternative they love.

Be sure to pin this pumpkin pecan pie cheesecake recipe using our link below!

October 23, 2017

Easy Clam Chowder Recipe (In The Instant Pot!) | Paleo | AIP | Whole30

I often find myself making a lot of GAPS Diet-style meals this time of year, as soup comes into its own when the temperature drops. Lately I’ve been experimenting with AIP-friendly food too, so came this easy clam chowder recipe you can make in your Instant Pot! Find the recipe below.

The only memory I have of eating clam chowder (aside from occasional junkie seafood restaurant fare, which isn’t even that good!) is on the Oregon coast when I was a kid. We used to make the long trip from New Mexico to Oregon to visit my mom’s dad and step mom and to this day, the Oregon coast is one of my favorite places to visit.

We would drive down to the cold beach (it stays pretty chilly year-round, I understand), walk out into a large patch of sand, surrounded by pockets of pooled water, get down on our knees, and start digging. It’s the only time in my life I can remember not minding getting my hands dirty. That’s because as you dig, you find treasure: clams.

And then you get to take those clams home and your grandparents teach you how to make a delicious pot of soup out of them. To be honest, I have no idea now how we made that clam chowder, but my easy clam chowder recipe below hits the mark and takes me back to my clam digging days.

My siblings also had a knack for finding these giant slugs, literally almost as big as their heads, no lie, whose slime was so thick and gooey, it took paint thinner to remove it from their sticky hands. (I never touched them because… dirty hands. Nope.) We didn’t eat those… although we did come across a gentleman (let’s call him crazy Moe) who said if you boiled ’em long enough, they became edible. (Also nope.)

I did try to find some fresh clams at my local seafood counters, with no luck, so I settled for high-quality canned clams, with no junkie additives or preservatives. I stock up on them here for a good price (and, by the way, if you click that link, you can get 25% off and free shipping on your first order!). It’s also where I buy fish sauce.

Easy clam chowder recipe: the deets

Whether you’re a long-time lover of clam chowder, or you don’t eat it often (up until a couple weeks ago, my kids had never tasted it- but they love it!), I hope this easy clam chowder recipe will become a favorite in your house as it has mine.

The directions call for an Instant Pot, but I’ve added instructions should you want to make it in a crock pot or on the stove top. I do adore my Instant Pot so much though. In fact, this is the first and only recipe I’ve shared using the appliance. I’ll have to remedy that!

This recipe is free from gluten, grains, dairy, and artificial ingredients. The base is thickened with vegetables, but your kids won’t know the difference. 😉

It’s also Whole30, GAPS diet, paleo, and AIP-friendly, which means it’s super nourishing. Do yourself a favor and whip up these AIP pita breads from my friend Jen at Predominantly Paleo while you’re at it and get to dippin.

Print Recipe

Easy Clam Chowder Recipe (In The Instant Pot!) | Paleo | AIP | Whole30

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Servings: servings

Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

24 oz chicken broth
12 oz fresh or frozen cauliflower
1/4 cup fat of choice ghee, duck, or chicken fat are nice.
2- 3.5 oz cans chopped clams & juice
2-3 large carrots peeled and cut into rounds
1 large onion peeled and sliced
3-5 cloves garlic to your taste- I like more!, peeled and crushed
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2- 1 tsp pepper to your taste (omit for AIP)
crispy bacon and diced green onion for topping

Instructions

Select "saute" on the Instant Pot and add your fat. Add the sliced onion, crushed garlic, salt, and pepper (if using).
Saute onion and garlic for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.
Add broth and cauliflower and continue cooking until cauliflower is soft, about 10-15 minutes.
Press "cancel" on the Instant Pot and transfer contents to a high-powered blender, or use a stick blender to puree until a smooth, creamy soup base forms. Return to Instant Pot.
Add clams (and the juice from the can), sliced carrots, and fish sauce and stir.
Press "soup" button and adjust time to 20 minutes, attach lid, and ensure vent is closed.
Instant Pot will build pressure then begin counting down the time remaining on the display.
Once the soup is done cooking, the Instant Pot will beep. Allow the pot to sit while the pressure slowly releases (10-15 minutes) before removing the lid. The silver indicator next to the vent will go down once it's safe to remove the lid. Alternatively, you can manually release the pressure by opening the vent; again the silver indicator will go down when pressure has been relieved.
Ladle into bowls and top with crispy bacon pieces and chopped green onion. Serve with tortillas or flat bread, if desired.
Recipe Notes
If you prefer to make this in a crock pot, start by doing steps 2-4 in a medium-sized pot on the stove top before transferring contents to the crock pot. Complete remaining steps in the crock pot and cook for approximately 4 hours, until carrots are soft.
Likewise, if you would like to cook the soup on the stove top, after blending, return contents to a large pot on the stove top, add remaining ingredients, and simmer for approximately 1 hr, until carrots are soft.

Share this easy clam chowder recipe using one of our links below.

October 16, 2017

Easy-Peasy Paleo Tortillas | Grain- & Gluten-Free | Vegan

The ability to make paleo tortillas opens up a whole new world of fun recipe possibilities! Get the recipe below.

Tortillas are one of those things that everybody loves… and once you go grain-free, you’re sure to miss them. We eat lettuce-wrapped “tacos,” but it’s really not the same. A lot of recipes for paleo tortillas taste too eggy or have other strong-tasting ingredients. I really wanted to make some legitimate tortillas, ones that taste good on their own and not just as a vehicle for their tastier contents.

These paleo tortillas fit the bill. You can make several batches at once and freeze some for later, or eat them fresh out of the skillet in all the same ways you would a regular tortilla.

A note on almond flour: you’ll notice I don’t usually include almond flour in my grain-free recipes. I used to have terrible reactions to almond flour, so I avoided it for a long time. I personally think it can be really inflammatory for a lot of people. There’s something like 70 almonds in one cup of almond flour!

I don’t recommend eating it every day, but I think it’s fine on occasion if you tolerate it. The smooth texture and neutral flavor are perfect for so many recipes, including these paleo tortillas.

It’s important to be sure you use a blanched (skins removed), finely ground almond flour. Many brands are too coarse and do not create pleasing results. I personally found this brand to be surprisingly good, and this brand comes highly recommended as well.

We love using these paleo tortillas for quesadillas (what kid doesn’t love quesadillas?!), enchiladas, even peanut butter and banana roll ups! The possibilities are endless.

The real test was whether the tortillas tasted good with butter and honey, one of my favorite snacks of all time. What’s that you say? That’s weird? Hm. You should try it, because they totally do taste just right slathered up with butter and honey.

No really. Try it:

Print Recipe

Easy-Peasy Paleo Tortillas

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Servings: tortillas

Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

1 cup blanched almond flour not meal
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup arrowroot flour
1 tsp. real salt
butter or palm shortening to grease skillet

Instructions

Blend all of the ingredients in a blender, making sure to scrape the sides if need be so that the batter is smooth and not clumpy.
Heat skillet on med-low heat.
Put a dollop of butter or palm shortening in the skillet to prevent sticking. This is important. Do this before cooking each tortilla.
Scoop about 1/4 cup of the batter onto the skillet and smooth it out quickly with a rubber spatula. It will begin cooking and thickening right away, but the batter is pretty forgiving and will let you continue to smooth it out for a bit.
Let the batter cook on the first side for 2-3 minutes before flipping, then cook on the second side for another 2-3 minutes.
Repeat steps with remaining batter.

Watch the video below to see how truly easy these tortillas are to make!

Know someone who would love paleo tortillas? Give this recipe a share for your paleo pals!

September 3, 2017

Paleo Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (Fast & Easy!)

With recipes for cake and cookies a regular around here, it should come as no surprise that I’m a fan of a good paleo treat, which is why I can’t believe I’ve never shared these super easy paleo cupcakes with you before. You’ll find the fast and simple recipe below.

Even though I recently revealed that our family hasn’t stuck with a strict paleo diet for quite some time now, a lot of the foods we still eat are paleo or primal. We still eat grain-free the majority of the time, and gluten-free always.

That’s why I’m still using some of the staples I developed early into our paleo eating journey, like these paleo cupcakes. I turn back to them over and over for birthdays, playdates, or just an occasional special treat for my boys.

I’m a firm believer that if you ARE going to put a child on a strict diet, you had better get good at making alternative treats! It never fails that no matter where we go, whether it be church, homeschool co-op, or sports activities, there is always food. I learned pretty quickly that I had better come up with alternatives that my boys could still enjoy on a strict diet.

Last week, when a sweet friend invited us for an impromptu, last-minute birthday get together, I quickly scrambled to throw together something we could have. These paleo cupcakes fit the bill.

In the past, I’ve declined invitations because the stress of being around junk food can be hard to handle. Thankfully, my new friend has healthy habits too, so I wasn’t too worried about a plethora of junk.

Besides, after being cooped up for days on end thanks to Hurricane Harvey, I wasn’t turning down an invitation to get out of our house and socialize. Thankfully, for our family, it’s back to business as usual here, about 9 days after Harvey initially hit. I know lots of other families have not been so fortunate and we continue to pray for them and look for ways to help. I hope you’ll do the same!

Now on to the easy paleo cupcakes recipe (& crazy simple chocolate buttercream frosting) that we took along with us to our friends’ house this week. (P.S. if you’re in a big hurry like I was, you can have these bad boys out the door in less than an hour by throwing the cupcakes right into the freezer for about 10-15 minutes after you pull them out of the oven before frosting.)

Print Recipe

Paleo Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Dessert

Servings: cupcakes

Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

Cupcakes

1/2 cup coconut flour preferably sifted
1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
1/2 cup avocado oil or other melted fat
6 eggs
1/4 cup cocoa powder optional
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
dash salt

Frosting

10 tbsp butter slightly softened but still cold (or palm shortening)
2 tbsp ea raw honey and maple syrup I like the balanced flavor, but you can also use 1/4 cup of one or the other.
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350*.
Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners (I like these unbleached, nonstick ones.)
In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, avocado oil, maple syrup, and vanilla together.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk until mixed well and lumps are gone.
Scoop a heaping 1/4 cup into each cavity.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until middles are springy but cooked through (check with a toothpick).
Allow to cool before frosting.

Frosting

Using a hand mixer, beat butter on high for about 30 seconds.
Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth, scraping sides as necessary.
Frost cooled cupcakes using a piping bag or by spreading with a knife.