Garden Veggie & Bacon Egg Bake (Paleo)

Well I’m into my pregnancy about 6 weeks and have become as nauseous as ever!  The weird thing is that I still get hungry and crave certain things.  I have to eat that specific thing right away or I get sick.  I definitely feel like a real pregnant girl now!

I don’t know why but one day I was craving all of these foods combined.  I decided to create this recipe based on my real need to eat and satisfy my weird craving.  Ends up that it’s actually pretty tasty for those who aren’t pregnant too! LOL…  I love it when my family actually likes the healthy meals create as I go.

I get my bacon at Sprouts or Whole Foods.  It’s Paleo Approved Bacon because it has no sugar added.  It tastes amazing so I don’t really know why there is sugar in all the others, but just pay attention next time you are at the market looking for bacon.

These tomatoes are divine.  I purchased these and the squash at my local Farmers Market, and I can’t get enough!  What is it about garden fresh fruits and veggies that you get from a farmers market versus the grocery store?!  Sooo much tastier!  I’m trying to grow some of my own herbs and veggies, we will see how I do in this crazy AZ sun!

So… one more thing.. I topped this dish with Avocado and Fresh Cilantro.  It added some more nutrition but I just love avocado.  Ok, now go make this dish and Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

2-3 Cloves of Galic, minced or roughly chopped

1/2 Jalepeno, chopped small

2 Sprigs of fresh Thyme

Fresh Cilantro to taste

Sea salt & Pepper to taste

1 T Avocado Oil

3 Lg Eggs

1/2 Red Pepper, sliced

1/2 Green Pepper, sliced

1 Cup Fresh Spinach

1 Small Zucchini, sliced

1 small Yellow squash, sliced

6-8 Pieces of cooked Bacon

2-3 small tomatoes (try yellow and red)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a frying pan add oil and heat on medium high.   Once heated, add garlic and jalepeno and quick stir for a minute.
3. Add in Peppers, sea salt, black pepper and thyme.
4. Place Spinach on top, don’t stir.
5. Layer on sliced squash, bacon and tomatoes.
6. Lastly, crack eggs right on top in 3 different places and place directly in the preheated oven.
7. Bake for about 5 minutes.
8. Remove and top with fresh Cilantro
9. Serve Immedietely.

ENJOY!!

Jenny- Health Nut & Founder of Pure Goodies

 

Paleo & Pregnant

 

I am beyond excited to announce my long awaited pregnancy!  My husband and I have two boys ages 12 and 14.  My first pregnancy went very well and I Worked up until the day I had him.   My second pregnancy was an awful trial which ended in a sac with no baby.  I had to have a DNC/DNE and at that time was relieved that I wasn’t pregnant anymore.  I had been extremely sick for 3 months and then one day it all just stopped.  I went in to be checked and found out the devistating news.  It was such a horrible experience, as is every miscarriage.  Soon after the failed pregnancy, I felt very sick and went to the dr to find out why.  I wasn’t told that you are very fertile after a DNC and didn’t even think about the fact that I could be pregnant!  After talking with my dr they decided to give me a pregnancy test.  I laughed and told them it wasn’t possible because of what I had just gone through.  Well to my surprise, I was indeed pregnant and in for a very long and hard, high risk pregnancy.  My hormones weren’t right and caused major health problems for me.  Luckily, baby was always healthy.  We had our second child in Jan of 2004.

My health wasn’t horrible after I recovered, until I got viral meningitis 2 weeks after the birth.  I was in the hospital for a week, and then it took about 6 months to recover.  It wasn’t until I healed that I became very interested in health and nutrition.  I worked out and took a few classes in healthy eating.  I became very fit and finally understood what nutritious eating really meant.  Still, I had multiple health problems and hormone issues.  I went on hormone replacement therapy and felt great for about a year.  I was body building and eating pretty healthy, only to get adrenal fatigue, depression, anxiety and skin problems.  My health depleted rapidly and by ob’s recommendation I finally went off gluten.  Not long after, I went off dairy, and had already been off refined sugar for a year or so.    It seemed to help a little, but not enough.  I continued to struggle, and was a mystery for the many doctors I saw.  I was told I was bi polar, ADD, depressed and manic.  I never believed any of it.  I became depressed because I didn’t understand why I felt so horrible.  I met a few helpful people along the way who helped me and gave me some helpful tools to understand what I wa going through.  I was holding on to some major pain from my childhood as well as having many food allergies.  I was mentally, physically and  nutritionally depleted in every way.  After close to a year of searching for answers, I was blessed to meet a holistic counselor who worked with me to heal my painful past.  Through my time with her, I healed mentally and that helped me heal physically.  I still had some lingering health issues, and searched for answers.   I was blessed to meet a nutritionist who helped me understand what the paleo lifestyle is.  I latched on to that idea and never looked back.

I healed my hyperthyroidism and hypoglycemia naturally.   All of my Hashimotos symptoms were disappearing.  I noticed a difference within a couple months.  My stomach felt better, my skin got clearer, my energy was higher and I felt a zest for life.    I finally healed after being sick my whole life.  We had wanted to add to our family for about 10 years, and we tried, being disappointed time and time again.

I have been living this Paleo lifestyle for about 1 1/2 years now, and to our surprise we Finally got pregnant!  We still can’t believe it’s true, but this is apparently very common for women who have been on the Paleo diet for the same amount of time.  I now know that I needed to heal my body completely before I could conceive.

Our family is living a healthy lifestyle.  We are taking care of our bodies, minds and spirits.  I am so grateful for all of the trials that I have been through.  I have learned so much and gained tons of knowledge about our bodies and how they work.  Our food can be reponsible for so many of our health problems or successes.

I reccommend trying the Paleo lifestyle for all you women with similar stories to mine.  Paleo food is a healthy, natural alternative to medication, and hormone replacement therapy.  I am proof that it works and is worth the difficulties that may go along with it.  I will share my pregnancy journey with you and hopefully my Paleo pregnancy can help and inspire you!

Paleo & Pregnant

Jenny- Health Nut & Founder of Pure Goodies

 

 

 

Cinnamon Swirl Bread (Vegan/Paleo)

I am so glad that one of my Instagram fans reminded me about this recipe!  I was going to post it awhile ago and completely forgot.  I get caught up in other recipes, posts and well… just life!  This is a goodie though, and I’m excited to share it with you AND just in time for Valentines Day too!

This recipe may look like it would be complicated, but just roll with it because it’s actually pretty simple.  The main thing here is making sure you have all the ingredients.  I’m known for mixing many ingredients, which could seem like too much work and money.  The key to my Paleo baking is mixing interesting ingredients together.  I always recommend adding one or two new flours, at a time, to your paleo pantry.  I didn’t start off having every flour under the sun either.  It’s a slow process, and you need to keep balance so you don’t get overwhelmed.  This recipe is great to start with because you only need a few common Paleo approved flours.  You can find most of them at Whole Foods or Sprouts, but you will need to order the Cassava Flour from Otto’s online. ottosnaturals.com

I use Konjac Powder in place of Xanthan Gum.  Xanthan Gum is corn derived and GMO… Not Paleo approved and not healthy for our Paleo diet.  Konjac Powder helps to keep baked goods together and it has natural fiber.  I use it in my Paleo Flour blends as well.  You can find it at your local health/vitamin stores.  The specific name to look for is Gluccomine konjac powder (it’s a dietary supplement powder).

So now that you have a little background on my version of Paleo baking, I hope you will start adding to your Paleo pantry and start making more Flour Blends.  I’ve done all the work and research for you so you can hopefully find Paleo baking fun and easy!

RECIPE: (Vegan/Paleo) Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Prep Time: 25 min. | Bake Time: 50-60 min.|  Yields: 2 mini loafs

Ingredients:

2 Ripe Bananas

1/4 C Almond Butter

3 T Psyllium Husk Flakes

Egg Substitute= 2 Lg Eggs (I use Ener-G egg replacer)

1 tsp. Konjac Powder

1 C Almond Flour

1/2 C Tapioca Flour

1/2 C Cassava Flour

1 T Baking Powder

1/4 tsp. Sea Salt

1/4 tsp. Ground Nutmeg

2 1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

3 T Grade B Maple Syrup

1/2 C Almond Milk (unsweetened vanilla)

2 tsp. Vanilla extract

Cinnamon Swirl Ingredients: 

1 T Ground Cinnamon

2 tsp. Grade B Maple Syrup

1 T Tapioca Flour

2 T Coconut Palm Sugar

2 tsp. Maple Sugar (optional) Can use more coconut palm sugar instead

Directions:

1. Prepare 2 mini loaf pans with parchment paper(preferred) or oil well with coconut oil.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
3. In a Blender (I use the Blendtec) add bananas, nut butter, and eggs or egg replacer.  Pulse until combined.
4. Add in maple syrup, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Blend well, scraping down sides as needed.
5. Add flour, psyllium husk, konjac powder, baking powder and almond milk.  Blend on a low setting until smooth.
6. In a separate bowl, add all Cinnamon Swirl Ingredients together.  Whisk until fully combined.
7. Scoop about 1 Cup of batter into one of your parchment lined mini pans.
8. Sprinkle Cinnamon Swirl Mixture over batter.  Add another small layer of batter on top, then more cinnamon swirl mix, one more thin layer of batter, and lastly you will sprinkle some cinnamon swirl mix on top.
9. Repeat this sequence with the second loaf pan.
10. Place pans into your preheated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes.
11. Remove and cool on wire rack.
12. Devour with or without vegan butter spread!  yum

ENJOY!!

Jenny- Health Nut & Founder of Pure Goodies

 

PALEO Buckwheat Protein Pancakes

I recently develpoed a new recipe for Paleo Buckwheat Pancakes.  I have been using my original Pure Goodies recipe for a long time, and it worked well too, but these new ones are fluffier and more delicious than ever!  I still use my Paleo Protein Flour Blend in this pancake recipe.  It’s packed full of nutrition and I add Nutrasumma Pea Protein as well.  They are Fiber Rich, High Protein and Nutrient dense.  *Search (Paleo Protein Flour Blend) at the top of my blog for the recipe.  I use it to make my Maple Banana Muffins too, YUM!

You cant help but feel full, balanced and energized when you eat a healthy meal.  I make these for my entire family, and they all love them!  That’s saying something when you have a 12 and 14 year old boy saying that!  So here you go…

Recipe: Buckwheat Protein Pancakes (Paleo)

Ingredients:

1 C “Pure Goodies” Paleo Protein Flour Blend

1/2 tsp. Konjac Powder (use in place of xanthan gum)

1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

1 tsp. Maple Sugar (can use coconut palm sugar)

2/3 C Almond Milk (unsweetened vanilla)

2 Lg Eggs

2 T Coconut oil OR Spectrum shortening, melted + more for cooking

Directions:

1. You will need a Blender, Griddle & Spatula.
2. Add all ingredients into a blender (I use a Blendtec).
3. Blend on medium to high until smooth.  (batter will be a bit thick, but pourable) *If you need to, you can add more flour or liquid to acquire perfect batter consistency.
4. Prepare your griddle on medium heat.
5. Add some oil or vegan spread to the griddle and pour batter into pancake shapes.
6. Pancakes will be ready to flip as soon as they hold shape and are lightly brown on bottom.
7. Flip and cook another 1-2 minutes.  Check to make sure your pancakes have fully cooked and are golden brown on both sides.
8. Remove cooked pancakes from griddle and repeat process until batter is all used up.
9. For freezer storage, simply wrap each pancake with bakers paper and store in a ziploc bag in freezer.

ENJOY!!

Jenny- Health Nut & Founder of Pure Goodies

 

 

 

 

Paleo Granola

I taught my first cooking class a couple weeks ago.  I was nervous and excited, and not sure I was justly certified to teach.  Yet, I did and it went really well!  I was teaching a large group of 16-18 year old young ladies and their adult teachers.  I decided to show them how to make Acai Bowls and my Vanilla Almond Cardamom Scones (recipe is on the blog).

We talked a lot about health and nutrition while making food.  It was fun to help this group understand that food can be healthy and taste amazing.  My passion for food is what drives me to develop healthy recipes.  I live the Paleo Lifestyle and I want to share that it can still be delicious, even when most of your common ingredients need to be substituted!

I whipped up some granola to throw on top of the Acai Bowls that night.  I made it up as I went along, but made sure to write down every ingredient.  I use to make up recipes and not write them down during the process.  I quickly learned that I needed to be organized and document what I create.  I was then able to better my blog and remake the recipes I developed.

The group loved the granola, and asked for the recipe… So I am finally getting to it!  I love adding this granola to my Paleo Yogurt bowls too.  Check out my post on Paleo yogurt Bowl recipe.  So here is my Paleo version of “granola”, and it can be Vegan as well, just exclude the egg white!

 

PALEO Granola Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 C Raw Almonds, coarsely chopped

2/3 C Raw Cashews, coarsely chopped

1/2 C Raw Sunflower Seeds, coarsely chopped

1 C Raw Pepitas, coarsely chopped

3/4 C Unsweetened Shredded Coconut

1/2 C Raw Honey ( Add less if you desire less sweetness)

1/4 C Grade B Maple Syrup

1 C Dried fruit of choice {raisins, zante currants, apple sweetened cranberries} *Optional* You can leave fruit out for plain granola

1 T Ground Cinnamon

1 tsp. Sea Salt (Pink Himalayan Salt is my favorite)

1 egg white, lightly beaten *optional* don’t use if you want this to be Vegan

3 T Coconut oil, melted

1 tsp. Vanilla

 

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. To coarsely chop your nuts and seeds, add one type at a time, to food processor and pulse on high until you reach desired texture.  Be sure not to process to long and turn nuts or seeds into butters.
4. If using egg white in this recipe, lightly beat in a separate bowl and set aside.
5. Add all ingredients in a mixer bowl, adding egg white last, and mix very well.
6. Scoop the mixture onto your prepared baking sheet and smooth out evenly with a rubber spatula.
7. Place in oven and bake 40-45 min. or until golden brown.  Stir once after 10 min, then again after 20 minutes and one more time before it’s done.
8. Take out of oven and cool on a wire rack.  *Mixture will not be crisp until it cools completely!
9. Store in a glass jar on counter.

 ENJOY!!

Jenny- Health Nut & Founder of Pure Goodies

 

 

Paleo Yogurt Bowl

I love breakfast!  Breakfast and the Paleo lifestyle go hand in hand.  I am always whipping up some new creation, and this little yogurt bowl is one of them.  It’s quick and full of nutrition… And Probiotics!

Probiotics can strengthen your immune system, improve bowel regularity and gut strength, improve skins function and SO MUCH MORE…  I have noticed great changes in my health since adding Probiotics to my regimen.  *Note* I don’t think it’s healthy to rely on capsule probiotics forever though.  I would recommend adding them for a couple months and then take a break, but probiotics found in food is Great! (This is my opinion, as I am not a certified nutritionist)

I purchase my Goat Kefir at Sprouts Farmer Market or Whole Foods Market.  I use the Plain, unflavored and unsweetened.  I sweeten it up with my own refined sugar-free jam and fresh fruit.  I actually don’t mind the Kefir all by itself as well.  You can add whatever nuts and fruits you love, and you may even want to try making some Paleo Granola for it too!  I will post a recipe for that soon.

(PALEO) Yogurt Bowl:

1-2 C “RedWood Hill Farm” (Plain) Goat Kefir

1 T Refined Sugar-Free Jam

1 T sliced Almonds

Optional Topping Ideas:

*Paleo Granola

*Hemp Hearts

*Fresh fruit

*Almond Butter

ENJOY!!

Jenny- Health Nut & Founder of Pure Goodies

 

 

Paleo Chili

I’ve made this chili quite a few times, and it has now become one of my families favorites.  It’s hearty and comforting, and it can be adapted to your personal taste as well.  I have changed the veggies up a bit too, depending on what’s in my fridge at the time.

One of the great things about “Chili” is that you can easily double the batch when you have more hungry bellies to feed.  This recipe is kid and adult approved, tested by my picky family and friends.  I serve it up with my fresh Paleo Grain Free French Bread and a big Green Salad…YUM!

————————————————————————

*PALEO CHILI*   Ingredients:

• 1-1 1/2 lbs. Grass-Fed Ground Beef
• 2 T Avocado Oil
• 1 1/2 C Carrots, chopped
• 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/2 C Celery, chopped
• 1/2 Orange Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 Yellow Squash, chopped
• 2 Med. Zucchini, chopped
• 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 25 oz. Jar (Sugar-Free) Tomato Sauce
• 2 T Chili Powder
• 1 tsp. Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp. Dried Oregano
• 1 tsp. Salt (I use Pink Himalayan)
• 1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

Directions:

1.  You will need a Cast iron pot and a skillet.  In your skillet, brown beef and 1 clove of minced garlic.  Cook over Medium heat until beef is thoroughly cooked and browned.  Drain off excess fat and set aside.

2.  Add diced tomatoes and tomato sauce to your cast iron pot.  Add in cooked beef and 1 minced clove of garlic.  Turn on to medium-low heat and stir often.

3. Add oil, celery, carrots, bell pepper, 1 clove garlic(minced) and seasonings to your skillet.  Cook on Medium heat until veggies are tender and midway cooked.  Add zucchini and yellow squash and cook for another 2 minutes, making sure you stir often.

4.  Add cooked veggies from your skillet to your cast iron pot.  Stir well and bring to a low boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  Stir often..

5.  Enjoy!

Jenny- Health Nut & Founder of Pure Goodies