Hello to what I can only assume is my small following of readers. If you didn't know, I was in Cuba for 3 weeks with my wonderful boyfriend. We had an absolute blast backpacking around the country. Cuba is unreal, I would love to go back someday.

I managed to stay mostly paleo while there, it turns out fried plantain is a huge staple there, and very paleo. I had some of the best lobster of my life... almost every dinner. Seriously, I was lobster obsessed over there. And it was SO CHEAP!

Anyways, I'm back and very slowly getting back into trying out new recipes. Here's one that I love and made me eat a whole head of cauliflower in like.. 5 minutes. Enjoy!



Cauliflower Popcorn
easy, peasy and delicious

1 head cauliflower
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil (or coconut oil, melted)
salt, to taste
various spices are optional

Wash and thoroughly dry the cauliflower before cutting it up into slightly smaller than ping pong ball sized pieces. Trim of any extra stem. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower pieces with oil, salt, and any spices you want to try out. I made half the batch with dried dill and the other half with my homemade cajun seasoning.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange cauliflower evenly along the sheet, making sure to not crowd the pieces together. Bake at 425 for 1 hour, flipping every 15 minutes.

*YOU WILL THINK THEY ARE BURNING! But they aren't, they are getting even more delicious. I actually enjoyed the smaller more burnt pieces more than the larger ones, they were so yummy and crispy*

before baking

and after baking

Pasta, bread and rice really only seem like a blandish vessel for whatever sauce or mixture you serve over them. I've never understood why people don't just skip the lame gluten and crap filled stuff and head straight for a bowl of the goodies. That being said, I've seen quite a few bloggers out there using zucchini as a substitute spaghetti... and I LOVE zucchini. It's such an awesomely meaty textured veggie that really encompasses the flavours of whatever you put with it.

So I tried it out. 'Cause really, why not?

Zucchini Spaghetti and Chicken Marinara
super easy and even more super tasting, this makes alot of sauce (great for freezing for later)


2 chicken breasts
3 cups stewed tomatoes (or crushed tomatoes)
1 small can tomato paste
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/3 cup fresh chopped parsley
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
1/3 cup olive oil (or coconut oil)
salt and pepper
2 medium zucchinis

In a saucepan, heat your oil. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion semi translucent and fragrant. Cut chicken up into desired sized pieces and add to the onion and garlic mixture. Cook chicken until outsides are no longer pink, not too long though. Add in the stewed tomatoes and paste, mix together well until paste breaks up. Continue to cook over medium heat, adding parsley, oregano, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer uncovered for about 20-30 minutes, the flavours will be enhanced greatly by doing this.

I obviously added celery to mine

Wash zucchini's and cut lengthwise into quarters.


I used a vegetable peeler but a mandolin or julienne slicer would work awesome if you're lucky enough to have these things. "Peel" the zucchini quarter's lengthwise putting pressure down on the peeler so the peels aren't too thin. Place in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute, remover and toss "noodles" around and microwave for 1 more minute.

Serve topped with your awesome marinara sauce and eat! I dare you not to go in for seconds.

Cauliflower is awesome. It's great raw, sauteed, mashed up or in this case... as a wicked substitute for potato in a yummy, creamy FAUX-tato salad.

I got this recipe off CupcakesOMG! (see last post about how awesome she is)

Firstly, if you haven't made paleo mayo before, where have you been?! It's super easy and an awesome way to add fat to your diet.

Paleo Mayo
make this, and store it in an air tight container in you're refrigerator

2 egg yolks
3 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup coconut oil
(you can use 1 cup rendered fat from bacon instead of the oils if you'd like)

Use a blender or a food processor. Put the yolks and 1 tsp of lemon juice in there (you could also add 1 tsp of mustard at this point if you'd like.) Put on low and SLOWLY add the oil, one drop at a time, at first. This is creating an emulsion and if you add the oil too quickly it can separate and be beyond saving. Once the emulsion starts to thicken you can add the oil quicker. When all the oil is added, add the rest of the lemon juice. Taste the mayo and add salt and pepper to your liking.

Faux-tato Salad
this is even better the next day

1 head cauliflower
3 hard boiled eggs
3 pickles (or 3 tbsp relish)
1 tsp dried dill
1 cup paleo mayo
1 tbsp mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Chop the cauliflower into bite sized pieces, place into a pot of water (enough to cover the cauliflower) and boil until fork tender. Drain well and refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Once chilled, chop the cauliflower, pickles and your previously boiled and cooled eggs. Add everything together in a bowl, mix well and refrigerate for an hour before eating.

I added bacon.. cause really, why not?!

As hard as I tried to get this recipe made and put up for Valentines day, I obviously failed. It all started when I found some awesome extremely dark and zero sugar added bakers chocolate in the bulk foods section. As hard as I tried to choke down these bitter chunks of supposed goodness I ended up creating a super easy recipe to use them up in a more delicious way.

Chocolate Balls with Coconut
as easy to make as they are to eat

4 oz dark unsweetened bakers chocolate
3 oz water
2-3 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup coconut flakes

Slowly melt the chocolate into the water in a small saucepan over med-low heat, watching and stirring constantly. The chocolate will probably seem like it's melting all nice, then turn quickly to an angry looking clump of chunky mess. DON'T WORRY! Remove from heat and add honey and vanilla. The honey soothes the chocolate and returns into into a better consistency. If it's too soft to work with you hands, let it cool slightly until you are able to form into small balls by rolling in your palms. Next, dump the coconut flakes on a plate and roll those little balls around to cover with the coconut goodness. Place on a separate plate (or container) and store in the fridge until you devour them all (it only took us a couple hours)

I managed to save a few for a picture

*note* You can add other things into your melted chocolate mixture to make it your our. You could even roll it in other things! Why not try adding the coconut in the chocolate and rolling in crushed nuts?! Or added dried cranberries or cherries and rolling in cocoa powder?!

This week's ethnic paleo dinner party was based around Southern cuisine. Well kinda. Once we started looking up various southern recipes we discovered we weren't all that into greasy fried vegetables and meat dripping with a messy overpowering sauce. So we healthified it! That could be a verb, right?

Not Your Average BBQ Ribs

2 racks pork ribs
2 cups applesauce
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp celery salt
2 tbsp freshly ground pepper
1-2 tbsp hot chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Combine all ingredients (except the meat, oil and vinegar) in a bowl. Slowly add the oil until completely mixed, then slowly add the vinegar.

The consistency will be more of a paste then sauce. Rub this all over the racks of ribs, leaving about a third for re-rubbing later on. Place ribs in a shallow baking pan and cover with tin foil. Cook in oven at 250 for about 4 hours. Remove from oven, spoon the rest of the BBQ sauce on ribs and throw on your barbecue to grill the outsides. Serve!

Fried Asparagus

1/4 cup butter (you can use coconut or olive oil)
2 tbsp olive oil (omit if you used oil instead of butter)
1 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook garlic for a while, but do not brown. Add asparagus, and cook for 10 minutes, turning to insure the asparagus are cooked evenly. Remove from pan and serve.

We kept the pecans on the side.

Well here it is.. this week's ingredient was...

they were still pretty good...

I had my lovely friend Meighan over for brunch this Sunday. Meighan and I have been friends for quite a few years and are finally living in the same city again since Vancouver years ago and it's such a treat! I'm starting to notice my lack of female friends and influences in my life, and I miss it! Not that I don't love my guy friends to death but sometimes you gotta paint your nails, watch a chick flick and talk about boys!

I've become a little obsessed with meatballs. They are just so easy to make, store, and grab as a snack. I've made them a few times in the past month or so and this is my favorite spice combination so far. It was for a tapas and pyjamas ladies night with some of my besties.

Jerked Meatballs
jamaica meets meatballs


1 lb lean ground beef (preferably grass fed)
1/2 cup onion, diced fine
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2-3 tbsp italian seasoning
1 tablespoon spicy jerk sauce (check the ingredients to keep as pure as possible)
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper

Ready for the easiest prep ever? Mix everything together very well. Use your hands to roll into desired size balls, place on greased cookie sheet (use one with sides to catch the drippings). Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes depending on the size. So good!

Served with prosciutto and peppered turkey breast slices.

Meatza... again!
check my original Meatza post for the "crust" ingredients HERE





My toppings this time:
  garlic stuffed olives
  mushrooms
  red and green pepper
  spinach

nom nom!

Coach K's Coconut Crusted Salmon Salad
another great creation


ground salmon
coconut oil garlic
coconut flakes
spicy seasoning (chilli flakes, cayenne, etc)
olive oil
green onions, chopped
lettuce
avocado
lemon juice, fresh squeezed
almonds or walnuts (optional)


Press ground salmon into cakes or pieces.  Preheat pan with coconut oil and garlic and place salmon cakes/pieces in. Onto the cooking fish, sprinkle coconut and your choice of hot seasoning. After about 1 minute, flip and sprinkle same on other side, cook this side for about a minute as well. Now add olive oil and chopped green onions to the salmon. Flip one last time to crust second side. Remove from heat and place on a bed of lettuce and avocado. Drizzle with olive oil and top with fresh squeezed lemon. Optionally top with slivered almonds or crushed walnuts.

With the combination of being away for the holidays then catching a nasty flu, I've been a little M.I.A. on the recipe front. I swear my (probably misjudged) attendance at last nights crossfit class beat the flu right out of my body though because I woke up feeling great! So here's a recipe update...

before baking

before cooking

after cooking

Here's a few recipes I made over the past 2 weeks. Enjoy!

Kitchen Sink Bars
These got the name from the fact I literally threw anything I could find in the cupboards into the mixture. It's very versatile so feel free to try your own combinations!

1 cup almond flour
2 tbsp honey
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
whatever nuts, seeds, dried fruit you want (totally about 1-1 1/2 cups)

Combine flour, salt and baking soda. In a separate bowl whisk together the honey and eggs and add to dry ingredients. After well mixed together, stir in the extra goodies you're using.

Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until firm to the touch and slightly browned.

Thumbprint Christmas Cookies
These were a tradition growing up only we referred to the as "thimble cookies" and they were chuck full of flour and sugar. Here's a paleo rendition. 

1 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup coconut oil (or butter if that's your thing)
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
4 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
(1/4 cup cocoa powder for the chocolate variety)
dates, figs, or dark chocolate for filling
nuts, dried fruit or coconut for garnish

Combine eggs, oil, honey, vanilla and salt. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until fully mixed. Split dough in half and add cocoa powder to one half to make a chocolate batch, leave the other half as is for a vanilla cookie.

Roll into small balls, about the size of a tablespoon. Place on to greased parchment paper. Use your thumb (or a thimble) to press the centre in.

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Once cooled, fill with whatever you like. I cooked down figs with water and honey until it made a jam and used that as well as melted down dark chocolate and sprinkled with coconut shavings and dried apricot.



Sesame Seed Crackers
I've been searching for a cracker replacment that doesn't use an almond or coconut flour and I found it! These are awesome and non-paleo type also LOVE them.

1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup water


Use a food processor to blend the sunflower seeds into a sort of a flour, about 2-3 minutes. Add sesame seeds to processor and pulse a few times. Remove mixture from processor and place into a bowl, stir in water.


Roll the cracker dough out between to well greased peices of parchment paper until it's a consistent thickness throughout (about 1/4 inch). Score dough lightly to make for easy cutting once crackers are cooled.


Bake at 350 until golden and crisp, depending on thickness about 20 minutes.


Christmasy Fruit and Nut Treats
I've made these 3 times since the first batch, I can't seem to keep them in the freezer long enough between Fraser and I's love for chocolate. I literally used handfuls as measurements, like most of my recipes, it's very versatile so don't feel like you need to stick too closely to this recipe.

1/4 cup honey
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 pecan pieces
1/2 cup goji berries
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried apricot pieces
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten
dark chocolate

Melt honey in a large enough bowl for all ingredients. While honey is liquid, stir in all ingredients except the egg. Mix it very well until everything is sticking together, you may need to melt and add some more honey. Once well mixed, stir in egg and transfer to well greased parchment paper. Use the back of a spoon to press into a consistently 1 inch layer, be sure to make edges pressed in as well or they will burn (you could use a baking pan).

Bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes or until edges at slightly browned and the centre is firm to touch. Let cool completely. Melt dark chocolate and drizzle generously over the entire thing. Place in freezer until frozen, or almost. Cut into desired sized pieces. I keep my squares in the freezer to ensure the stay together until Christmas (and kind of hidden) and I love frozen sweet treats!

*If they don't want to stay together (which happened for one of my batches) you could crumble the bars into bigger pieces and serve as more of a nixed fruit, nut and chocolate "granola" snack in a bowl.