Category Archives: Paleo

September 28, 2018 · 7:42 pm

Gluten Free & Paleo Berry Crumble

So….it has only taken me 3 months to post this recipe (Eek!  Sorry.).  This recipe came to mind this morning as I started daydreaming about apples and how great this berry crumble would be with an apple filling.  Time to get this on the blog.

I looooooove this time of year when the mornings and evenings are cool and crisp, yet the days are still sunny and beautiful.  If you have never experienced an Idaho Fall, you really need to.  The leaves are starting to turn all sorts of gorgeous colors which makes hiking extra fulfilling.

My little one and I have already begun fantasizing about apple picking; I’m pretty sure it’s in the cards for us one of these next few weekends.  All that to say that this Paleo Crumble will become an apple crumble here real soon.

FILLING INGREDIENTS

  • 6 cups packed sliced fruit (I used strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries)
  • 1 Tbs. arrowroot powder
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 2 Tbs. coconut sugar

TOPPING INGREDIENTS

  • 1 ½ cups Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour
  • 3 Tbs. coconut sugar
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 6 Tbs. cold organic cultured butter
  • ¼ cup milk of choice (I used almond milk)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees convection bake.

Mix the filling ingredients together in a large bowl and pour them into an oven safe baking dish (I used a 2 ½ quart Corning Ware glass baking dish).

In a separate bowl add all of the dry ingredients and whisk together.  Once whisked add in the vanilla and cut in the cold butter until it resembles a coarse meal.  At this point the crumble topping will stick together a bit when pressed.

Place the crumble on top of the prepared berries and distribute evenly.

Bake at 350 convection bake for approximately 35-40 minutes (turn the crumble 180 degrees halfway through baking) until the fruit bubbles and the topping is nice and golden brown.  Watch closely so the topping does not burn.  If your topping is browning too quickly, tent with foil.

Remove from oven and allow to cool 10-15 minutes prior to serving.  Pairs well with vanilla ice cream.

For a printable version of this recipe click HERE.

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Filed under Cooked Fruit, Dessert, Fruit, Gluten Free, Paleo, Pie / Crumble / Cobbler, Recipes

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May 10, 2016 · 2:23 pm

CRAZY PROTEIN BREAD

Crazy Protein Bread

I posted a picture of this extremely macro-friendly protein bread the other day on my Instagram account and there was a lot of interest in the recipe.

I based the recipe very closely on iheartmacro’s recipe for protein bread, however I am personally not a fan of cooking with protein powder and I am back off dairy, so I could not use Greek yogurt.

I am also a big fan of Crazy Richard’s Pure PB powder and added that to the recipe because PB makes EVERYTHING better!

This bread is awesome for those who struggle to get in all of their protein for the day and is VERY filling thanks to the coconut flour.

WET INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/2 cup liquid egg whites (I prefer organic)
  • 2/3 cup non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
  • 2 farm fresh eggs
  • OPTIONAL – stevia to taste
    • Use if you want sweet bread
    • Omit if you want more neutral tasting bread

DRY INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1/3 cup Pure PB powder (replace with almond flour to make it Paleo)
  • 1 tsp baking powder

METHOD

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Whisk together all of the dry ingredients in a bowl until fully incorporated
  3. In a separate bowl whisk together the wet ingredients
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk until very smooth
  5. Pour the batter into a greased cake pan
  6. Bake for 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean in the center of the cake
  7. Cool and slice into 8 slices
  8. Store in the fridge (I place the bread in a tupperware along with a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture).

MACROS PER SLICE – 5C/9.5P/2.9F

 

*Use code “FITQUESTMOM for 10% off Crazy Richards Products.  Shop HERE.

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Filed under Breads / Crackers / Muffins, Breakfast, Cake, Dessert, Gluten Free, Paleo, Recipes

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April 1, 2016 · 5:20 pm

CHINESE SHRIMP TRICK

Shrimp FitQuestMom Balanced Grettie (2)

My husband and I have been together for 20 years and married for almost 17 (times flies).  In that time I have learned a ton about cooking from my in-laws.

Leave it to the Chinese to figure out a way to make each and every ingredient taste the very best it possible can.  Their tricks/methods are usually really simple, but man do they yield great results.

This morning one of my clients emailed me to ask me how I prepare shrimp and though I have been using this method for years, it never dawned on me to write a post about it until today.

I don’t know if you have ever realized that texture makes a huge difference in the taste of shrimp.  In my opinion there is nothing worse than soggy shrimp; it needs to be crisp and crunchy.

Shrimp FitQuestMom Balanced Grettie (3)

To achieve that crunch, peel and devein the shrimp.  Place the shrimp in a colander along with 1/2-1 tsp of sea salt or kosher salt.  Mix the shrimp and salt together with your hands and leave it in the colander to drain over a plate for 10-15 minutes (this is where the magic happens).

After 10-15 minutes some of the liquid from the shrimp will have gathered on the plate.  Rinse the shrimp really well under cold water to remove the salt.

After thoroughly rinsing the shrimp, lay down 2 layers of paper towel and beginning on one side place the shrimp on the towel in rows touching each other.  Once all of the shrimp are on the paper towel, cover with another layer of paper towel and roll it up (like you would roll-up a log of cinnamon rolls before cutting them).  This will remove any remaining moisture.

If you are not ready to cook the shrimp, place the roll in the refrigerator until it is time.

I usually saute a bunch of shrimp in my wok on high heat with a little oil and then add some of it to a stir-fry for dinner, but I have also made them into shish-kebabs and grilled them.  I keep the remaining shrimp in the fridge to use in meals for the next few days; burrito bowls, tacos, etc.

You can cook the shrimp using any method you prefer and I guarantee you will notice a difference because of the time you took to salt, drain, and dry them.

Shrimp FitQuestMom Balanced Grettie (1)

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Filed under Gluten Free, Main Dish, Paleo, Recipes, Seafood

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March 15, 2016 · 6:50 pm

PALEO CHICKEN TACO BURGERS

I came across these Paleo Chicken Taco Burgers on Pinterest and knew I had to try them.  The recipe was posted to Tablespoon.com and created by the Cheeky Kitchen. 

I made the patties for dinner last night and my daughter raved about them.  She isn’t naturally drawn to protein and last night she ate 4 and I had to cut her off!

This morning when I came up from my workout she was eating the patties for breakfast!  I’d say this recipe is a clear winner and will definitely be making another appearance on my table.

I didn’t prepare the recipe exactly as written.  Here are the modifications I made:

  • I used 2lbs of lean ground chicken (vs. 3lbs)
  • I still used the entire packet of taco seasoning (I used THIS Simply Organic Southwest Taco Seasoning)
  • I added 2 eggs and 1TBS cornstarch
  • I used 1/2 a lemon (vs. lime…I didn’t have any limes)
  • I seeded the jalapeno so it wouldn’t be so spicy
  • I used olive oil (vs. coconut oil)

Click HERE to be taken to the recipe.

 

 

Images from Tablespoon.com

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Filed under Appetizers, Gluten Free, Kid Friendly, Main Dish, Paleo, Recipes

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November 6, 2015 · 4:57 pm

Slow Cooker Kalua Pig

Shredding pork with mixer pulled pork kalua pork

This is seriously the easiest shredded pork recipe I have ever made.  When Fall comes around my crockpot / slow-cooker gets dusted off and is responsible for a lot of my meal prep.

I saw a recipe for Kalua Pork and Cabbage in the Taste of Home magazine I randomly started getting (I didn’t subscribe) and was really excited to try it because it looked so easy.

As usual I made some modifications to suit my taste.  The original recipe called for salting the pork prior to putting it into the slow cooker.  I did that and it was WAY too salty (I used about 1/2 of the recommended salt).  Needless to say, this step is totally unnecessary and I will omit it all together next time since bacon is salty enough on its own.

The original recipe also called for pork shoulder / butt and all I had on hand was pork sirloin roasts from Costco (They come in a 4-pack; see image below from 2 Wired 2 Tired).

Costco-Pork-Medium

The pork turned out really well and is definitely something I will be making again.

RECIPE

2 Costco Pork Sirloin Roasts (6-8 pounds total)

1 package bacon

crockpot kalua pork recipe bacon

METHOD

Line the bottom of the crockpot / slow cooker with 4-5 pieces of bacon.

Place the 2 pork sirloin (or shoulder/butt) roasts on top of the bacon and cover the roasts with the remaining bacon.

Turn the crockpot / slow cooker on to low for 8-10 hours.

Shred the pork with either 2 forks OR a handheld mixer (only takes 10 seconds…be careful not to overdo it with the mixer or it will become mush).

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Filed under Crock Pot, Gluten Free, Kid Friendly, Main Dish, Paleo, Recipes

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October 2, 2015 · 5:39 pm

Low Cal Chocolate Pudding Recipe

Low Calorie Chocolate Pudding Balanced Grettie

This recipe couldn’t get any easier.  I have been eating this for dessert lately and can’t believe how good it is for how few calories there are.  Is it the exact same as regular pudding taste-wise?…No, but it is pretty darn good.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/2 cup almond milk
  • 2Tbs. cocoa powder (I like THIS one by Valrhona)
  • 1 tsp. xanthan gum
  • Sweetleaf Stevia to taste (THIS one is my favorite)

Possible add-ins:

  • Chia seeds (I use 15g)
  • PB Powder
  • Organic Flavors like mint, almond, butterscotch, cherry

Place the almond milk, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, and stevia in the blender alond with 4 drops of organic flavor (if using).  Blend until nice and creamy.  If adding chia seeds, pour them into the blender with the pudding and pulse very quickly (you want to mix them in, but not blend them).

When I make the pudding with the chia seeds I like to pour the mixture into a container and put it in the fridge to allow the chia seeds time to expand.

Thanks it!

Here are the macros for the pudding:

Low Calorie Chocolate Pudding Balanced Grettie NO CHIA

Here are the macros for the pudding WITH 15g of chia seeds:

Low Calorie Chocolate Pudding Balanced Grettie WITH CHIA

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Filed under Dessert, Dip, Gluten Free, Paleo, Pudding / Mousse, Recipes, Vegan

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June 30, 2015 · 7:12 pm

How I Prep Chicken & Grilled Veggies

I am a big-time food prepper.  In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle it has to be easy and for me that means keeping healthy food in the fridge ready to go.  It’s easy to grab some carbs to round out a meal, so having some protein and veggies ready is key.

For years now I have been prepping mass quantities of chicken breasts every few weeks.  I’d rather do a WHOLE BUNCH every once in a while than every few days.  BBQ in bulk I say.

This is the method that works for me and I thought it might be of interest to you.  My Greek marinade recipe is so simple and not a perfect science in that it is a little bit different every time…I don’t do any precise measurements when I make it.  Growing-up my parents made a Greek Lemon Oregano Chicken and that is what this is based on.

With regards to counting macros, I know some people would count the lemon and the olive oil, but I take a somewhat laid-back approach to that and don’t include that in my daily macros because let’s be honest, most of the olive oil cooks off on the BBQ and just makes it so it doesn’t stick to the grill.  Now, if my chicken had a sauce poured over it after it had been prepared and was served to me that way, I would most definitely count that in my daily macros.

For the “cup” measurements I just use those that are written on the side of my Vitamix.  Today I doubled the recipe since I was making 15 chicken breasts as well as 2 bunches of grilled asparagus.

Balanced Grettie Greek Lemon Oregano Marinade Collage

Greek Lemon Oregano Marinade

  • 1 cup lemon juice
  • 1 cup organic olive oil (I buy mine at Costco)
  • 1 head of garlic, break apart the cloves and peel them
  • 1 Tbs kosher salt
  • 1 Tbs whole pepper corns
  • 1/4 cup dried oregano

Method

Place all ingredients EXCEPT for the dried oregano into the Vitamix and blend until smooth.  Add the dried oregano and blend briefly so you preserve the leaves and don’t pulverize them (just personal preference).

CHICKEN & VEGGIE PREP

When it comes to prepping the chicken, the best trick I have discovered is to pound it.  By pounding the chicken and making it all the same thickness, you end-up with evenly cooked chicken and chicken that BBQs a heck of a lot faster!  It is super moist vs. having uneven dry spots like so often happens with THICK chicken breasts  (as long as you don;t overcook it!).

I allow the chicken to marinade for 4-8 hours…with this amount of lemon overnight would be TOO much (learned that the hard way)!  Make sure you reserve some of the marinade for your veggies.  This works awesome with asparagus, zucchini, bell peppers, mushrooms, etc.

I like to place a flat black trash bag on my counter in order to avoid chicken juice flying everywhere (and it makes the clean-up a snap).  I also pound the chicken inside a produce bag from the grocery store for the same reason.  As for how the rest of the prep goes…I’ll tell it in pictures.

Balanced Grettie Chicken Prep pounded

Balanced Grettie Lemon oregano Greek Chicken prep pounding method Balanced Grettie Marinating Asparagus in a bag

Chicken Asparagus Prep 2

Once my chicken is BBQ’d and has cooled, I put about 4 breasts in the fridge and I vacuum pack bags of 4 and put them in the freezer.  When I am running out of prepped chicken in the fridge I pull out a bag from the freezer and defrost it in cold water (MUCH better result than defrosting in the microwave…I’m not a huge microwave fan).

Do any of you have food prep tricks you’d like to share?

 

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Filed under Gluten Free, IIFYM and Macros, Main Dish, Nutrition, Paleo, Quick, Quick Tips, Recipes, Sauce / Spread / Jam / Yogurt

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December 4, 2013 · 2:30 pm

MASALA SPICE COOKIES – Gluten Free & Paleo & Recipe Contest FOR YOU!

Masala Spice Cookies Paleo Gluten Free (12)

My life has taken some crazy turns in the last month.  My family and I are currently preparing for a move out of state.  Having spent my entire life as a Californian, I am excited for the adventure that awaits while also nervous, giddy, and BUSY!  Needless to say, I haven’t been giving Veggie Grettie much attention lately.  Did I mention that my son also broke his wrist…craziness I tell ya!!!

In the midst of the broken wrist debacle,  the folks over at Grandma’s Molasses called and provided me with some much needed cooking inspiration and a wonderful distraction to the endless lists of tasks still to be done.  I needed some time in the kitchen (my therapy) and here was my excuse.  The task I was given was to come-up with a cookie recipe using molasses that wasn’t your standard ginger snap (Put your thinking caps on because YOU will have an opportunity to enter their recipe contest!!!…see below for details).

When it comes to sugar, molasses is one of the all-stars.  I am not saying it is OK to go out and over-consume any sugar, but when it comes to molasses it actually does have some redeeming qualities.  One hundred grams of molasses contains 50% of the RDA for calcium, 95% of the RDA for iron, and 38% of the RDA for magnesium.  I dare you to find another sugar with the same nutrition profile.

When I think of molasses I think of spice and as I pondered spice my mind wandered to Indian flavors which led me to the flavor profile of this cookie.  Garam Masala and curry came to mind.  Mix that with molasses, honey, and ginger and you have one heck of a cookie on your hands; crispy on the edges, chewy in the middle, not too sweet, and packed with flavor.

I wanted to have the cookies be very thin, use a cookie cutter, and have the cookies keep their shape… a difficult feat when baking gluten-free and paleo.  I came upon this method on Primal Palate and had a good hunch it would work…it is brilliant.  Basically you spread the dough on parchment cookie that is on a cookie sheet, bake it for 5-7 minutes, allow it to cool quickly, and then roll it out, use cookies cutters, and repeat until you have used up all of the dough.  This method worked so well and for the first time I was able to use cookie cutters for gluten-free cookies and have them keep their shape.  Again, revolutionary!

Masala Spice Cookies Method

INGREDIENTS – Makes 2 dozen 2 1/4″ square cookies

1 cup blanched almond flour, packed
1 Tbs Garam Masala
1 tsp curry powder
2 tsp finely shredded fresh ginger
2 Tbs. ghee ( I make my own), room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbs Grandma’s Molasses
2 1/2 Tbs. orange honey
1 egg, room temperature

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METHOD

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (I used convection bake).

Pack the almond flour when measuring it and then place it in a bowl.  Use a fork remove the lumps from the almond flour.  Add in the Garam Masala, curry powder, and fresh ginger making sure to distribute the spices well.

Add the ghee and mix well with the fork until small lumps are throughout the crumbly dough.

Add the vanilla, molasses, and honey and stir well.

Lastly, add the egg and stir well until a batter forms.

Pour the batter onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet carefully spreading it into a thin rectangle.  Bake for 8 minutes rotating the cookie sheet half-way through.

Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and allow it to cool to the point where you can safely touch the batter.  Make a ball with the batter and roll it out between two sheets on parchment paper until it is 1/8″ thick.

Use a cookie cutter to cut out the cookie shapes of your choosing (I used a 2 1/4″ square cookie cutter).  Roll the excess dough into a ball and repeat the process until you have used-up all the cookie dough.

Place the cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes (rotate 1/2 way through).  Watch carefully to prevent burning.

Allow the cookies to cool and enjoy!

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For a printable version of this recipe CLICK HERE.

….Masala Spice Cookies Paleo Gluten Free (14)

1.    On Dec. 3rd, Grandma’s Molasses will launch a Facebook recipe submission contest and will showcase 12 featured blogger recipes over 12 days and celebrate recipe sharing in general, so check out their Facebook Page for details.

2.    The Cookie Exchange Recipe Submission Contest will begin on Dec. 3rd and is open to the public

3.    Entrants are required to submit an original cookie recipe that includes the use of Grandma’s Molasses

4.    One lucky winner will receive a $500 Visa gift card and the original recipe will be featured alongside the 12 featured recipes created by our esteemed bloggers

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*** I was compensated for this post, however the opinions and content of the post belong solely to me…It is so fun when a company gives you creative control and lets you run with it!

To learn more about molasses click HERE.

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Filed under Cookies / Bars, Dessert, Gluten Free, Holidays, Paleo, Recipes

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