My Version of Texa Chili- Paleo Style

Gearing up for the Super Bowl I had to try and come up with some dishes that would not get us too far off from our Paleo lifestyle. So many of they typical food My DH would eat were decidedly non-Paleo to say the least.... So here is the spread I served

My Version of Texas Chili- Paleo Style
Sausage Jalapeno Poppers
Sweet and Sour Kielbasa ( this one was a give in, I admit-
sugar content kinda high, but no wheat-compromising)
Red Wine ( here there was usually LOTS of BEER) and Diet Gingerale

The chili and the poppers turned out really well so here are the recipes...

Texas Chili-Paleo Style

2 1/2 cups onion soup, prepared from dry mix

1/4 cup bacon grease

2.25 pds boneless beef round steak, cut into very small cubes

1.5 lbs beef sirloin sirloin steak, cut into very small cubes

0.5lb bacon cooked well and cut up in pieces

1.5 tsp salt

3 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp black pepper

12 oz tomato paste

12 oz tomato sauce

4 can diced tomatoes

4 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

12 oz coke ( yea I know!! sugar - use diet if u must)

1.5 tbsp hot sauce- I used Franks

1/2 tsp Chipoltle chile flakes

1. Prepare soup from a packet of onion soup mix according to package direction, and set 2.5 cups aside.

2. Place bacon grease into large soup pot ( I used Le Crueset Dutch Oven) over med-high heat, and stir steaks into bacon grease until well browned. Pour reserved onion soup mix over meats and bring to a boil. Then Reduce to a simmer and cook for 7 min. Make sure you stir well to get up all the yummy browned bits off the bottom.

3. Stir in salt, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, chili flakes, tomato paste, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and stir frequently to avoid burning the bottom. Next, Cover and reduce to low. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

4. Add bacon, cocoa powder, coke, and hot sauce. Simmer 20 min more.

It is now ready to serve if you must. It is really best if you now let it cool, put it in fridge 8 hours or overnight to let the flavors meld, and then serve the next day!!!!!

Sausage Jalapeno Poppers

2 (12) pkg ground sausage

2 (8oz) pkg cream cheese, softened

30 jalapeno chili peppers

1 pd sliced bacon, cut in half ( pre-fry these half way**)

1/4 cup green onions, very finely chopped

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375F

2. Place ground sausage in large deep skillet and Cooke over med high till evenly browned. Drain.

3. Mix Sausage, Cream Cheese, Green Onions (or chives), and cheddar.

4. Cut jalapenos length wise and remove all seeds. Stuff each half with equal portions of sausage cream cheese mixture. Wrap with half a slice of bacon. Secure with toothpicks.

5. Arrange wrapped jalapenos in a large, shallow baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 min. ( I think I left Mine more like 30 )

**If you pre-fry your bacon half way the poppers will be crispier, if you don't the bacon never gets quite crispy enough**

Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins

Still in search of additions to my kids breakfast, lunch, snack repertoire as I embark on the journey to ever better nutritional health for our family....
What can they have for snacks other than veggies, nuts, organic jerky occasionally, meat roll ups... VARIETY is the SPICE OF LIFE after all, right?
Speaking of spice, Pumpkin is one of my all time favs to work with, always has been. So it makes sense that as I embark on the wheat free, gluten free journey I would turn to pumpkin. I found a recipe at Tropical Traditions for Pumpkin muffins, I really didn't tweak much at all.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

6 eggs 

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

3/8 cup pure maple syrup ( abt 3 1/2 oz)

pinch salt

Preheat oven to 400F. Grease muffin pan with coconut oil or line with paper liners.
Sift dry ingredients together.
Whisk wet ingredients. Gradually Whisk in flour to pumpkin mixture until no lumps remain.
Divide between 12 large muffin cups, or 36 mini.
Bake 12 min or until toothpick in center comes out clean for large.

Optional Cream Cheese Frosting:
8oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c butter, softened
1/4 c maple syrup or honey
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all and Beat in electric mixer till light and fluffy.

Paleo Pancakes

In our Paleo adventures as a family, one of the hardest things I have found its finding breakfasts that break out of the eggs realm. The easiest, and probably healthiest choice for our children for breakfast is eggs. Scrambled eggs, poached eggs, egg muffins, eggs with sausage, eggs with bacon, eggs with sweet potato hash... Well my son Jackson, he could have eggs and bacon every single day and he would never complain.
Caroline on the other hand. Well lets just say she gets tired of eggs, eggs, and well more eggs.
I am not strictly straight Paleo, more the PANU variety so we do eat dairy. Whole milk yogurt and berries gets thrown in to our breakfast mix sometimes. However, I still was in search of more variety....

So I decided I need to give gluten free baking a try. I have to say I was very wary... I previously LOVED baking bread. HUGE FAN. Will these other flours stand up at all, or will it just all FLOP???

My first ever recipe I tried was for Paleo pancakes, a recipe I adapted slightly from one I found browsing sites on the internet. Before I give the recipe I have to say, I am a little leary of almond flour, as almonds are higher is omega-6 and I am really a little worried about this. I want to work on the 6:3 ratio and don't want to introduce things high in omega 6 to my family's diet very often. That being said... WE NEED SOME BREAKFAST VARIETY SOMETIMES PEOPLE!!!!!!---- so.....

without further ado..

Paleo Pancakes

 2 eggs

1/8 cup water

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup almond flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

Blend wet ingredients in blender. Add dry ingredients to blender and pulse until well blended. Let rest in fridg 20 min up to overnight. Make on Griddle using coconut oil or butter, over med-high heat.     ( this is a rather thick batter,- it works!- but if too thick thin out with a little more water)

To DIE FOR Pumpkin Paleo Pankcakes

This was my first go at my own gluten free, no wheat baking recipe. I wanted some really good breakfast food, something other than eggs and bacon for the kiddos once and awhile....
I  had made regular Almond Flour pancakes, mainly from a recipe I had seen, see my version- Regular Paleo Pancakes. They were good, but I wanted something more, shall we say DECADENT? These hit the spot!!!---
I PROMISE- make these suckers!!-whether you are gluten free, paleo or not at all. THEY ARE tO dIE fOR!!!! YUMM!

Pumpkin Paleo Pancakes

2 eggs

1/2 cup pumpkin puree ( not pumpkin pie mix)

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp whole milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp maple syrup ( the real stuff)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup almond flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

Blend all wet ingredients in Blender (or a food processor) first. Next add all dry ingredients and pulse until well blended and no lumps. Place in fridg to rest for at least 20 min to overnight. Now you are ready to make pancakes!!! I made mine silver dollar sized. ( This is a thicker batter, thats ok, it works!- if its too thick, as coconut flour does soak up the liquid, add a little more milk as needed)

ENJOY!!!

Here is mine on the griddle... the smaller you make them the easier they are to handle! - (just a hint)