My Recipes

Cinnamon Chocolate Swirl Banana Bread

May 20, 2014 by Jackie Ritz 9 Comments

Please welcome my friend George Bryant from the wildly popular Paleo food blog Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations and NEW BOOK, The Paleo Kitchen. After spending the first 20-something years of his life in a constant battle with his weight, and then nearly losing both his legs while deployed as a U.S. Marine, George took matters into his own hands and began his Paleo journey. What started as a simple place to post recipes for friends has since become an award-winning food blog. After serving in the Marines for 12 years, George now enjoys working full-time creating delicious Paleo recipes, hoping to change many lives for the better by making simple and tasty real food dishes.

George Bryant and Juli Bauer from PaleOMG, two of the most insightful and well-respected Paleo powerhouses have united to bring a myriad of bold and delectable gluten & grain-free Paleo recipes straight from their kitchens to yours in their new cookbook The Paleo Kitchen.

Together, George and Juli have masterfully created daring flavor combinations that will bring your Paleo experience to a whole new level. This beautiful cookbook offers full-color photos along with tips, tricks and anecdotes straight from the clever minds of these culinary mavericks.

The Paleo Kitchen boasts over 100 brand new recipes consisting of appetizers, entrées, side dishes, and decadent desserts that are sure to invigorate and please the fearless caveman palate.
Recipes include:
·         Sage and Shallot Delicata Squash Soup
·         Citrus Mint Sugar Salad
·         Blackberry Lavender Muffins
·         Banana Chip French Toast
·         Creamy Seafood Risotto
·         Pepper Crusted Prime Rib
·         Asian Marinated Bacon-wrapped Asparagus
·         Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms
·    Blueberry Cheesecake
·         Lime Pound Cake with Coconut Lime Frosting

I’m so lucky to have them share with you all today one of their delicious recipes, Cinnamon Chocolate Swirl Banana Bread.

Click here to Order The Paleo Kitchen today!

Cinnamon Chocolate Swirl Banana Bread

Yield: 1 (9-by-5-inch/23-by-12-cm) loaf

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

For the banana bread:

4 medium bananas (about 1 pound/455 grams)
4 eggs
¼ cup (½ stick/50 grams) grass fed butter, melted
½ cup (125 grams) almond butter
½ cup (60 grams) coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

For the swirl:

2 tablespoons grass-fed butter
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
½ cup (3½ ounces/100 grams) Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips
1 tablespoon organic honey

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-by-5-inch (23-by-12-cm) metal loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
Combine the bananas, eggs, butter, and almond butter in a food processor or mixing bowl and mix well until the ingredients are well blended. Add the coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and salt and mix together well.
In a double boiler over medium-low heat, mix together the swirl ingredients until the chocolate has melted.
Pour the bread batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. As soon as you pour the batter, pour the chocolate swirl directly on top and use a knife to swirl the chocolate throughout the loaf pan.
Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before serving

Click here to Order The Paleo Kitchen today!

Cultured Dairy: How to Make 1 Stick of Butter, 1 Pint of Sour Cream, and 1 Pint of Buttermilk with JUST ONE Quart of Cream!

May 1, 2014 by Jackie Ritz 50 Comments

Before you go jumping down my throat about posting this because it’s dairy, I want to make sure I mention that my family consumes raw dairy. I have always been open about that and I feel it is something that my family thrives on.

So, am I still Paleo? I don’t really like labeling myself as anything. We eat by a Paleo template and include raw dairy in our diet. You can click here to see why my family consumes raw milk.

My goats are due to have babies in June, so the 2 months prior to birth, we are giving them a break from milking. It’s sad not to have fresh, raw goats milk everyday, but I am lucky to have lots of farms nearby that have raw milk. This past week I went with raw cow milk from Jersey’s….mostly cause raw goats milk is $12 a gallon! Yikes! I’ll just wait for my goats to kid in June!

Raw dairy is extremely nutritions, but cultured (fermented) dairy takes it to a whole new level. Culturing helps to break down casein, or milk proteins, one of the most difficult proteins to digest. It, also, restores enzymes that may have been destroyed during pasteurization including lactase, which helps to digest lactose (milk sugar) and numerous enzymes, which help the body absorb calcium and other minerals.

In addition, cultured dairy provides beneficial bacterial and lactic acid to help your digestive tract stay healthy. Click here to read all the benefits of raw cultured dairy.

Fun with Cultured Dairy:

How to Make 1 Stick of Butter, 1 Pint of Sour Cream, and 1 Pint of Buttermilk with JUST ONE Quart of Cream!

Tools Needed:

Wooden Spoon
Food Processor
One Quart of Cream (preferably raw, but not necessary)
2 Pint sized mason jars
One Cheesecloth (not necessary, you can use your hands)

Directions:

Step One: Culture Your Cream. Take your quart of cream and set it out on the counter for 8 hours to sour with the lid on.

Step Two: Make the Cultured Butter. Take one pint (2 cups) of the cream and pour it into your food processor. Set the other 2 cups aside. Turn your food processor on high and allow the blades to “churn” the cream into cultured butter. This takes roughly 10 minutes. When you start to see clumps forming in your cream, turn off your food processor and use your wooden spoon to push the butter to one side.

Scoop out the cultured butter and place it in a cheesecloth. Gently squeeze out all the cultured buttermilk back into the food processor bowl with the rest of the buttermilk.

Place the butter in a bowl with ice water and use your spoon to really push out any more buttermilk. Make sure to get as much excess liquid out. The ice water helps to firm up your butter. Remove the butter and use your hands to squeeze out any more water and form into whatever shape you would like. You have cultured butter!

Step Three: Make Your Buttermilk. Pour all your buttermilk leftover from making the butter into a pint-sized mason jar. You have cultured buttermilk!

Step Four: Make Your Sour Cream, aka Cream Fraiche’: Now take the other 2 cups of cultured cream that you set aside, and pour it into a pint-sized mason jar. Take one tablespoon of the cultured buttermilk that you made and put it inside the jar with the cream. Put the lid on and shake the jar to incorporate the cultured buttermilk with the cream.

Leave your jar on your counter or in a warm spot for 12 hours to culture even more and thicken. Chill well! You have European Style Sour Cream!

You will love this European Style Sour Cream that is also known as Creme Fraiche’. It is just like sour cream but much tastier. Put it on your potatoes, in your soup, on your eggs, and anywhere else you like to put sour cream. To make more Creme Fraiche’, follow Step Four above but use one tablespoon of leftover Creme Fraiche’, instead of cultured buttermilk, to culture another pint of cream! You can do this 6-8 times before you need to start over with cultured buttermilk!

I hope you have fun doing this! Let your kids help you and make it a fun kitchen experiment!

15 of the Best Paleo Birthday Cakes on the Net (Grain & Dairy Free!)

April 30, 2014 by Jackie Ritz 6 Comments

I wanted to post a nice collection of a good variety of Paleo birthday cake recipes. Many people ask me for a good recipe that I recommend. I, personally, always use this recipe because my kids love it. However, I know not everyone likes vanilla or coconut flour or they just want more options.

Let’s talk about butter. Many of these cakes use butter. I have found that substituting ghee in place of butter works perfectly! So, if you have a dairy-allergy, you should be able to use ghee in place of butter. Ghee is when butter is lightly cooked to remove all the milk solids (I love this ghee). It might be difficult to use ghee in place of butter when making a buttercream frosting, so if that is the case, try using a Paleo frosting like this one from Real Food Rn.

15 of the Best Paleo Birthday Cakes on the Net

Grain & Dairy Free!

(Click on photo to go to the recipe)

Very Vanilla Cupcakes

Paleo Yellow Cupcake from A Girl Worth Saving

Chocolate Expresso Cake from And Here We Are

Grain-Free Chocolate Cupcakes from Honest Body

Barbie Birthday Cake from Real Food RN

The Grain-Free/Dairy-Free B-Day Smash Cake from Urban Poser

Deep Chocolate Cake from Butter Nutrition

Layered Chocolate Caramel Cake from Life Made Full

Paleo Citrus Celebration Cake from Grok Grub

Chocolate Banana Ice Cream Cake from Beauty & the Foodie

Indian Carrot Cake from My Heart Beets

Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes from Hollywood Homestead

Banana Mousse Cake from Strands of My Life

Grain-Free Birthday Cake from Thank Your Body

Vanilla Bean Cake with Chocolate Frosting from Paleo Fondue

Strawberry Lemonade Cake

April 22, 2014 by Jackie Ritz 1 Comment

I have been so busy lately. When spring rolls in, things really start to get busy around the farm. I’m thankful for people like my friend Stacey, from Beauty and the Foodie, who generously offers to write up a incredible recipe to share with my readers! Stacey has so many delicious recipes on her website. Make sure you go like her on Facebook and check out her website loaded with Paleo recipes! Please welcome Stacey!

Hi there, I’m Stacey, and I blog at Beauty and the Foodie where I create Paleo, primal, low carb recipes and natural DIY beauty and health remedies. I love The Paleo Mama blog, and was thrilled and excited to guest post for her. Not only is her blog amazing and informative, she is also one of the sweetest, kindest, and most genuine individuals you could ever meet.

I love strawberry lemonade and decided that it should become a cake, a Paleo cake that is. I started with a grain free lemon cake, then topped it with a strawberry lemon fruit glaze. I also added some chia seeds for extra nutrients, and the seeds are optional if you have chia seed issues. This recipe is also nut free, although some viewers have said that coconut is a nut. I believe coconut is a tropical fruit, but realize that having the word nut in it can be confusing. So, I will say it is nut free, unless you’re allergic to coconuts. I would love to hear your thoughts on this debate: Coconut, is a nut, or a fruit, or something else?

Strawberry Lemonade Cake

Strawberry Topping Ingredients:

1 ¼ cup strawberries, hulled and sliced (can use frozen defrosted ones)
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1 tbsp coconut flour
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest, I used this micro plane
½ tsp chia seeds + 1 tbsp water *optional

Lemon Cake Ingredients:

½ cup coconut flour, sifted
3 eggs, beaten
6 tbsp unsweetened coconut milk
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest
2 ½ tbsp coconut oil, melted or ghee, melted
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp organic GF lemon extract
1/2 tsp baking soda + 2 tsp apple cider vinegar, mixed in separate pinch bowl

Kitchen Tools:

2 large mixing bowls
1 small bowl
1 8×8 baking pan or 9” cake pan
1 pinch bowl
1 lemon squeezer hand held
1 micro plane zester

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 375 F, and grease or oil an 8×8 pan or 9” cake pan.
If using chia seeds, mix chia seeds with water in small bowl, then put in fridge for 5 minutes to gel.
In a large mixing bowl combine all the strawberry topping ingredients. Add optional chia seed mixture. Mix together and set aside for 15 minutes (will be brown and goopy but will melt and bake into cake).
In a second, large mixing bowl combine all the lemon cake ingredients. Mix together well, breaking up any coconut flour clumps.
Spoon lemon cake batter into prepared pan. Spread cake batter around evenly in pan.
Spoon the strawberry topping evenly over the top of cake batter by spooning small spoonful’s of strawberry mixture at a time.
Bake at 400 for 30 to 35 minutes, or until center is done.
Remove from oven, cool, and serve. Store uneaten portions in the fridge.

Coconut-Lime Fruit Salad

April 10, 2014 by Jackie Ritz 1 Comment

I’m so excited to have Arsy from Rubies & Radishes sharing a beautiful and delicious spring recipe with all my readers! Arsy creates some of the most amazing Paleo recipes I have ever seen! She has two Paleo cookbooks out, The Paleo Slow Cooker, and a BRAND new one, The Paleo Foodie! Her unique cultural flare gives all her recipes a distinct Arsy touch and I am so delighted that she is offering to share one of her favorites from The Paleo Foodie Cookbook!

Coconut-Lime Fruit Salad from The Paleo Foodie Cookbook

The coconut-lime dressing adds a tropical feel to this lightly dressed fruit salad, making it a perfect addition to a spring brunch or picnic. It’s also a great way for busy moms to prepare a healthy and exciting snack.

The coconut milk in this recipe adds a nourishing source of fat and additional nutrients to the fruit salad. The addition of the fat tends to keep you full longer too! I highly recommend using homemade coconut milk or choosing a brand of coconut milk that uses BPA-free packaging and does not add any gums or preservatives.

This recipe is easy to make and packed with flavor. It is a toddler favorite in our household.

This Coconut-Lime Fruit Salad is from the newly released cookbook, The Paleo Foodie. The Paleo Foodie is filled with gourmet yet simple to make Paleo recipes with fresh and vibrant flavors.

Click here to buy the newly released Paleo Foodie Cookbook today!

Coconut-Lime Fruit Salad

Ingredients

2 cups strawberries, halved
2 cups honeydew melon, chopped into 1-inch cubes
1 mango, chopped
1⁄4 cup coconut milk
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped
1⁄2 teaspoon raw honey
dash of sea salt

Cooking Instructions

Combine strawberries, honeydew and mango in a medium-sized bowl.
In small bowl, whisk together coconut milk, lime juice, basil, honey and sea salt.
Pour over fruit and serve.

Click here to buy the newly released Paleo Foodie Cookbook today!

Arsy Vartanian is the founder and chef of the Paleo recipe and lifestyle blog, Rubies and Radishes and she is also the author of the cookbooks, The Paleo Foodie and The Paleo Slow Cooker. In an effort to achieve optimal health and wellness, she discovered the Paleo diet and Crossfit in 2008. Arsy started feeling better than ever and was eventually able to recover from health issues that she had struggled with for almost a decade. Arsy deeply enjoys spending time in her kitchen creating healthy, grain-free recipes for her family and her blog readers. She resides in a quaint beach town in California with her husband and daughter. Connect with her on Facebook and Instagram.

14 Benefits of Maca Powder and 14 Maca Recipes

April 8, 2014 by Jackie Ritz 13 Comments

“Maca is a plant that grows in central Peru in the high plateaus of the Andes mountains. It has been cultivated as a vegetable crop in Peru for at least 3000 years. Maca is a relative of the radish and has an odor similar to butterscotch. Its root is used to make medicine.” (1) The benefits of Maca have long been valued and has gained more and more popularity in recent years. Culture is awakening to the fact that Maca carries a long list of nourishment to the body. The amazing thing about Maca is that it is an adaptogen, meaning it adapts to the needs of your body.

14 Benefits of Maca Powder:

Increases Energy – Maca has a reputation for boosting energy levels without stressing the adrenals (like coffee can)
Increases Libido and Sexual Function – Maca is a known aphrodisiac among native Peruvian culture. It has been known to increase the libido among men and women!
Improves Fertility – Black Maca has been known to increase sperm count and volume in men and Red Maca has been known to balance female hormones and ovulation cycles.
Regulates Hormone Balance – Maca has a vast variety of amino acids, which are known as the building blocks of hormones.
Reduces Depression – When you take Maca regularly, Maca can work to increase positive emotional moods. Maca has a very unique nutrient called macamides, which aid in decreasing depression and anxiety.
Reduces Anxiety – Maca has a positive effect on your individual mood and can help to reduce any self-perceived anxiety.
Helps with Menopause – Many Maca uses report a significant decrease in hot flashes after using Maca powder.
Enhances Mental Clarity – Black Maca has been shown to have a beneficial effect on learning and memory. Maca is safe for both children and adults!
Improves Blood Circulation – a very interesting property of Maca, is that it has been seen to improve blood circulation.
Improves Acne – When acne is related to hormone imbalance, taking Maca can be very productive for improving hormonal acne.
Improves Muscle Gain – More and more athletes and bodybuilders are using Maca powder to increase their athletic performance.
Improves Thyroid Function – Due to the hormone balancing properties in Maca, it has been known to stimulate thyroid function.
Improves Strong Teeth and Bones – Black Maca is great for increasing bone density and strength.
Improves Skin Tone – Maca has a strong nutrient content and hormone balancing effect on our skin.
Improves Hair Growth – Maca has been traditionally used to stimulate hair growth, as well as prevent hair loss.

Which Maca is Right for You?

There are several different types of Maca and choosing which one you should use can sometimes be overwhelming. Raw Maca has never been heated and all the enzymes and nutrients are left in tact at peak levels. This is the one that I prefer to use.

Gelantized Maca is heated to remove all the start content within the root. This makes it more concentrated, however, the high heat destroys some of the enzymes and alters the nutrients. If you have a sensitive stomach, gelantized maca would be the one for you.

Click here to see a great article on choosing which Maca you should take.

Where to Buy Quality Maca Powder:

After figuring out which Maca powder is right for you and your body’s needs, I, personally, use and recommend THIS brand of Maca. I find that The Maca Team carries very high quality Maca powder and they are willing to work with you to figure out which Maca you need. My husband takes the Black Maca and I take the Red Maca. I prefer to take 2 teaspoons daily in my morning smoothie! I don’t mind the taste of Maca, but if you do, The Maca Team sells capsules. Click here to check out The Maca Team products!