primal - - Page 3

January 1, 2017

GAPS Intro Series: How to Make Tasty Ghee

Stage two… ahhh. You get to start eating a little more and introduce more flavors and nutrients, my favorite of which is ghee! This clarified butter is gentle on digestion and nourishing to boot. The rich, buttery flavor is just the ticket to add some flavor to bland soups. Best of all, it’s very easy to make! You don’t need any fancy equipment or special skills, just a few simple kitchen tools.

But ghee isn’t just for fun; it’s packed full of nutrients! Ghee:

is chalk full of good fat
is a good source of vitamins A, D, E, K and choline
is a good source of omega fatty acids
has a high smoke point

Don’t forget to check out my post on our week one experience on GAPS intro here, then grab the book for all the details!

Print Recipe

Simple Salted Ghee

Ghee, also called clarified butter, offers the nutritious benefits of butter, with greater ease of digestion.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Servings: cupa

Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

2 lbs - Grassfed Pastured Butter - (organic is best)
1-2 tsp - Real Salt

Instructions

Turn oven on lowest setting (150-170 degrees, typically).
Place unwrapped blocks of butter in large skillet (cast iron or stainless steel is best).
Let warm in oven for 30-45 minutes or more, until the butter oil has separated and you can see the milk solids in the bottom of the skillet.
Remove the skillet carefully and prepare to strain the butter by setting up a large bowl with a strainer and layered cheesecloth resting over it.
Carefully pour the melted butter over the cheesecloth so that it filters into the bowl, watching to make sure the white milk solids do not leak into the butter oil. If you do get some white blobs in the oil, you can filter it a second time into another bowl. Be sure your cheesecloth is folded with 3-4 layers to prevent leakage.
Add real salt and stir to combine.
Ghee can be left out at room temperature, or can be stored in refrigerator, but will become solid and hard.

December 12, 2016

Paleo Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe

You guys. Sometimes I get super excited about the recipes I create. This is one of those times, but I can’t take all the credit for it, because Vital Proteins provided a stellar ingredient, without which this vanilla buttercream frosting would not be possible.

This post is sponsored by Vital Proteins, who sent me their new Vanilla Peptides, which just might be my New Favorite Thing.

Have you tried making a vanilla buttercream frosting and found it lacking… something? Texture? Definitely. Flavor? Yeah. Spread-ability and time-withstand-ed-ness? For sure.

Eating a healthier diet means saying no to the white stuff… ya know, sugar. You know what typical buttercream frosting recipes contain? The white stuff. Lots of that powdery, billowy, white stuff.

In fact, conventional vanilla buttercream frosting recipes contain infinity more sugar than anyone should be consuming. Most that I’ve seen call for 3-4 cups of powdered sugar. I can’t even process that (physically or mentally!). We use raw honey and maple syrup most often, and I’m happy to report that this recipe uses a reasonable amount of raw honey to provide just the right amount of sweetness.

Use this frosting to frost sugar cookies, cakes, cupcakes, or whatever your heart desires, ’cause it is good, y’all. My four boys and Mr. Incredible (and the dog that wouldn’t leave us alone through picking out our Christmas tree and taking a hay ride last night) say so. Besides the fact that this recipe tastes amazing and works perfectly in a piping bag, it sets up nicely and doesn’t wilt, even hours later. The peptides in the recipe are crucial to the nice, firm texture.

Before I crack into the recipe, I’ve got to tell you about this amazing new peptides product that is going to knock your socks off. It’s decadent. It’s lovely. And it’s packed full of protein, hyaluronic acid, and even probiotics. It’s a win-win-win. Which means… shhhh: this frosting is crazy healthy. You’ll be dosing your friends and family with gut-healing ingredients while they shovel cookies down their pie, er- cookie, hole.

First, what are peptides?

I discussed the differences between gelatin and peptides in this post, but basically, peptides are a form of collagen that dissolve easily in both cold and hot liquids, and do not congeal like gelatin.

These new Vanilla Peptides do all of the above and more, because they’re made with coconut water, hyaluronic acid, probiotics, and bourbon vanilla bean powder. Basically, they’re extra good for you and taste amazing. Seriously, when I opened the container, the smell reminded me of those vanilla sandwich cookies. Vanilla over chocolate every day, yo; I’m a vanilla girl all the way.

I think this is a great product to keep around for special recipes like this one, as well as these Very Vanilla Sugar Cookies, but also think of it as a supplement. I love throwing a scoop of peptides or gelatin in smoothies or tea (the Mister is especially into putting collagen in his coffee these days, but you know I don’t like coffee ’cause I’m not a real grown-up, so I opt for Bulletproof Chocolate Milk instead) for a nutritional boost that’s easily assimilated (read: your body can use it easily) to improve gut health and up my protein intake.

Oh my goodness, I adore these cute cookie cutters: a happy, grassfed, frosted cow (never thought I’d make a cow cookie- where was this for my little’s farm-themed birthday party?), and the Vital Proteins shield logo (which my kids fought over, because shields are super cool and knight-related, and probably also because they were the biggest cookies).

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Prep 10 mins

Total 10 mins

Ingredients

1 cup soft but cold grassfed butter (replace with palm shortening for strict paleo)
1/2 cup thick, raw, light-colored honey
6 tbsp Vital Proteins Vanilla Peptides (or plain collagen peptides, aka hydrolyzed collagen)
1/4 tsp vanilla (add up to 1 tsp if using plain peptides)

Instructions

In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the butter on medium-high for 30 seconds, until creamy and fluffy.
Add raw honey and beat another 30 seconds until smooth.
Add Vital Proteins Vanilla Peptides and vanilla and beat once more until smooth.
Use to top Cassava Flour Sugar Cookies, cakes, cupcakes, or whatever your heart desires.

Courses Dessert

April 25, 2016

Grain-Free Chicken Enchilada Casserole Recipe

Missing food with a little Latin flare on the GAPS diet or other grain-free diet? This chicken enchilada casserole recipe delivers! Grab it below.

One thing you never get over missing on a grain-free diet is Mexican food. If you want to know the truth, every once in a while the craving gets the best of me and we go out and indulge. But that indulgence will inevitably result in feeling yucky later, so I wanted to try my hand at a grain-free version of my favorite chicken enchilada casserole recipe, and I’ve got to say, it really is satisfying!

This recipe works if you’re on the GAPS diet, a primal-style diet, or if you lean towards paleo (just skip the cheese and sour cream; see notes below). Best of all, it replaces difficult-to-digest grains with vegetables! What could be better than sneaking vegetables into a gooey, warming, kid- and husband-pleasing casserole?!

It’s delicioso! (Try not to make fun of me; I never took high school Spanish. What can I say? The only Spanish I know, I learned from Dora the Explorer.)

Cheesy chicken enchilada casserole, two ways

If you’re able to tolerate dairy, great! Leave the recipe as-is and cheese it up. You’ll get the most delicious, authentic flavor this way. However, if you’re dairy-free, all is not lost!

To make this chicken enchilada casserole recipe dairy-free, you’ll need to whip up my dairy-free queso dip recipe, hold the ground beef. You’ll then use the dip in place of the cheese and sour cream in the casserole.

If you’re keeping track, yes, that’s a lot of homemade components going into this single recipe. But hear me out.

If you make a batch of my cauliflower sauce to go in this recipe, you can use leftovers for chicken and broccoli alfredo with spaghetti squash. Yum! The same goes for homemade salsa verde and queso dip: make ’em once, use the leftovers later.

Really, I see it as a win-win, and when you get used to making everything from scratch, it doesn’t seem so daunting, I promise. Plus, with any luck, you’ll have leftovers from this green chicken enchilada casserole.

The more the merrier- this casserole is for sharing!

I love making big casseroles because it means we’ll have leftovers (ok, sometimes we have leftovers; we do have four hungry boys to feed!), which means one less meal for me to cook later.

Print Recipe

Grain-Free Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Servings: servings

Author: Jaclyn Harwell

Ingredients

1 head of cabbage
2 cups of shredded cooked chicken
2 cups of salsa verde buy a clean version OR check out Stupid Easy Paleo's Roasted Salsa Verde recipe.
2 cups of shredded cheddar or jack cheese leave out for dairy-free; see note below.
1 cup of cauliflower sauce
1 chopped onion
1/2 cup sour cream make homemade creme fraiche or look for a clean store-bought version like Organic Valley or Kalona Supernatural; skip for dairy-free
salt and pepper to taste
Note: if you would like to make this chicken enchilada casserole recipe without dairy omit the shredded cheese and sour cream and replace with this dairy free queso, leaving out the ground beef.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350º.
Chop the cabbage in thin slices and set aside.
Combine the salsa verde, cauliflower sauce and sour cream and mix well to create an enchilada sauce. (See note for dairy-free option.)
Layer 1/3 of the cabbage slices in the bottom of a large casserole dish; top with 1/3 of the shredded chicken, followed by 1/3 of the sauce, 1/3 of the chopped onion, 1/3 of the shredded cheese, and salt and pepper.
Repeat step four for two more layers.
Add extra cheese to the top for flavor if you'd like. Trust me, you'd like.
Cover dish and cook for 35-40 minutes. Remove cover and cook for another 15 minutes so that the cheese becomes a little brown and bubbly on top.
Remove from oven and let cool before serving with guacamole, cilantro, salsa, sour cream, or whatever your heart desires!
Note: if using dairy free queso in place of cheese and sour cream, leave out ground beef and combine with salsa verde and cauliflower sauce.

Share using a link below for that grain-free friend who may be missing chicken enchiladas!

Want more super easy meal ideas for paleo, GAPS, and gluten- and grain-free diets? Click below to get my free e-book “Our Top Five 30 Minute Meals!

March 24, 2016

Paleo Pineapple Kalua Pork with Butter Braised Cabbage and Onions

This paleo pineapple kalua pork with butter braised cabbage should be on your next meal plan! It’s paleo-friendly, gluten-free, and totally delicious!

We eat a lot of chicken and beef… but sometimes you just need something different. I’d been wanting to get creative with some pineapple and pork roast for a while, so I finally got my hands on a beautiful, pink roast and got busy.

My original plan was to make white rice to go with it, but I decided to try something different. Silly me for considering white rice when there was flavor and nutrition to be had. Cabbage is really so versatile and takes on lots of different flavors really well.

For another great cabbage recipe, see how to make sauerkraut in a crock (I promise it’s way better than store bought!).

I used my favorite non-toxic slow cooker, aka, everything cooker, the VitaClay Organic Multicooker to cook the pork roast.

The VitaClay has some really amazing benefits, including:

Slow-cooking in half the time (or less!) I can seriously cook a whole pot of beans in 2-4 hours!
Non-toxic clay insert. No more worrying about lead in your crock-pot glaze.
Multiple functions: should you choose to eat rice (which is totally fine and delicious on occasion!), the multicooker has a rice setting and cooks rice or quinoa to perfection. It also functions as a yogurt maker, which is perfect for those of us who like to make our own. It keeps the yogurt at the perfect temperature for the prescribed time to create perfectly-set homemade yogurt.

So, how did I make this delicious kalua pork in my VitaClay?

Update: you can easily convert this recipe to the Instant Pot as well. Just use the “meat” setting and cook for about 40 minutes.

Print Recipe

Paleo Pineapple Kalua Pork with Butter Braised Cabbage

Prep Time30

Cook Time4

Total Time4 30

Servings: servings

Author: Jaclyn Harwell

Ingredients

Kalua Pork

3 lb pork roast pasture-raised
3/4 cup chopped fresh pineapple
1/2 cup coconut aminos
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp smoked parika essential for authentic flavor!
2 tsp smoked salt like this
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp real salt

Butter braised cabbage and onion

1 small head of green cabbage
1 small-medium green onion
1/4 cup salted grassfed butter replace with fat of choice for dairy-free option

Instructions

You'll need a VitaClay Chef Organic Multicooker and a large skillet with a lid like this.
Poke the pork roast with a fork all over to tenderize and prepare it to soak up flavor.
Cover it with the smoked salt.
Combine the coconut aminos, honey, paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, and salt and stir. Add the chopped pineapple to the sauce.
Place the roast in the clay insert of the VitaClay and pour the pineapple sauce over it.
Place the lid on the clay pot and close the VitaClay. Turn the VitaClay on the slow cooking setting and select "stew." Set it to cook for four hours.
When the kalua pork roast is done, shred it with a fork and let it sit in the juices while the VitaClay is on the warm setting (which automatically kicks on after the cook cycle is complete.
While the pork soaks up the juices, prepare the butter braised cabbage and onions. Start the butter cooking in a large skillet on low-medium.
Chop the cabbage and onion into thin slices.
Cook the sliced cabbage and onion in the butter, stirring it to make sure you're putting a sear on all sides, then place a lid on the skillet and cook until soft, about ten minutes.
Serve the shredded kalua pork on a bed of butter braised cabbage and onions. Mmm mmm good!

Be sure to make these easy five minute flourless blender blondies for dessert!

Do you like kalua pork? Share this paleo version using the buttons below!

March 2, 2016

Easy Paleo Snacks to Make Your Transition Easier and Keep Your Palate Entertained

Ok, so you’re starting to get the hang of this paleo/primal thing. You’re making great meals for supper and starting your day off with awesome breakfasts. You’ve figured out that lunch can be quick and simple and still stick to paleo principals.

But what do you do when a snack attack hits mid-afternoon and you really want something sugary or crunchy? You need some ideas for easy paleo snacks, and below, I’m going to give them to you! I’ve divided them up, so you can browse based on your craving.

Here are my best easy paleo snacks:

Chips, Crackers, Crisps, and Dips

Chunky bacon jalapeno salsa from The Family That Heals Together

Parmesan chips with prosciutto, pear, and balsamic glaze from Colorful Eats

Paleo dipping chips from Beauty and the Foodie

Plantain crisps from Pure and Simple Nourishment

Dried plantains from Rubies and Radishes

Toasted coconut chips from Thriving on Paleo

Dehydrated kiwi chips from Thriving on Paleo

Oven baked sweet potato chips from Oh Snap! Let’s Eat!

Paleo crackers from Raindrops Wellness

Kale chips from Whole New Mom

Crispy green bean chips from Whole New Mom

Homemade “cheez-it” crackers from Whole New Mom

Spicy nacho kale chips from Everyday Maven

Sweet potato nachos from A Girl Worth Saving

Sweet Treats

From yours truly:

Banana protein pudding

Banana bread bites: 21 day sugar detox cookies

Bulletproof chocolate milk

Pumpkin pie milkshake

Super gut healing gummies

Coconut melts

You’ll notice that many of my snack recipes call for gelatin. Gelatin is full of protein and a rich source of amino acids, and is very filling, so I love to put it in snacks to get through the afternoon. The gelatin I recommend is Perfect Supplements, which you find here.