The Paleo Mama

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14 Benefits of Maca Powder and 14 Maca Recipes

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“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:

  1. Increases Energy – Maca has a reputation for boosting energy levels without stressing the adrenals (like coffee can)
  2. 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!
  3. 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.
  4. Regulates Hormone Balance – Maca has a vast variety of amino acids, which are known as the building blocks of hormones.
  5. 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.
  6. Reduces Anxiety – Maca has a positive effect on your individual mood and can help to reduce any self-perceived anxiety.
  7. Helps with Menopause – Many Maca uses report a significant decrease in hot flashes after using Maca powder.
  8. 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!
  9. Improves Blood Circulation – a very interesting property of Maca, is that it has been seen to improve blood circulation.
  10. Improves Acne – When acne is related to hormone imbalance, taking Maca can be very productive for improving hormonal acne.
  11. Improves Muscle Gain – More and more athletes and bodybuilders are using Maca powder to increase their athletic performance.
  12. Improves Thyroid Function – Due to the hormone balancing properties in Maca, it has been known to stimulate thyroid function.
  13. Improves Strong Teeth and Bones – Black Maca is great for increasing bone density and strength.
  14. Improves Skin Tone – Maca has a strong nutrient content and hormone balancing effect on our skin.
  15. 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!

[box]The Maca Team is offering my readers a 10% discount using coupon code: PALEOMAMA. CLICK HERE to order quality Maca products! [/box]

14 Recipes Using Maca Powder

 Remember to use coupon code: PALEOMAMA to order Maca products today from The Maca Team! Click here to order!

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Whole Roasted Spiced Cauliflower

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Whole Roasted Spiced Cauliflower from The Paleo Mama

Most of us love cauliflower. If you’re Paleo then you probably have come to appreciate the many things you can do with a head of cauliflower. Chop it up into florets and steam it. Puree it and make mashed “potatoes”. Use it for making a Paleo pizza crust. Throw florets in a food processor and you have “rice”.

But have you ever thought about throwing the whole damn head of cauliflower in the oven and roasting it? It’s the lazy way to cook it and it comes out so INCREDIBLY delicious.

This recipe is adapted from PureWow. I came across it when I was looking for a new cauliflower recipe. The PureWow recipe is not Paleo, so I changed a few ingredients, made it dairy free, and used bacon fat to roast it in!

Whole Roasted Spiced Cauliflower

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Adapted from PureWow – Serves 6

INGREDIENTS: 

DIRECTIONS: 

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Take the coconut oil or the bacon fat and scoop it onto a baking dish. Throw it in the oven to allow it to melt.
  3. Take your can of coconut milk. Ideally, you want the coconut milk to solidify and separate. If using full-fat coconut milk you should be able to just scoop out the thick coconut part and leave the watery part behind. This gives you about a cup of thick coconut.
  4. In a medium bowl, combine the coconut, with the lime/lemon zest and juice, chile powder, cumin, garlic powder, curry powder, salt and pepper. _MG_8579
  5. Now take your cauliflower by the head and dunk it in the bowl. Get it all slathered up in the marinade. Use your hands to to make sure it’s covered thick all over.
  6. Place the cauliflower on the baking dish that you used to melt coconut oil/bacon fat on. Roast it until it is dry and lightly browned for about 30-40 minutes. A crust will form on the surface of the cauliflower from the marinade.
  7. Let the cauliflower cool for a few minutes before cutting in wedges and serving on a big green salad!

CLICK HERE to Pin this Recipe

Whole Roasted Spiced Cauliflower | www.thepaleomama.com

Paleo Pinterest Party 11/21/13

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Hey everyone! Have you heard of Pinterest parties? It’s when a bunch of girls (or guys…maybe?!) get together and bring a few dishes from a recipe they found on Pinterest. Hey, you might as well put all that pinning to good use!

They sound so fun so I thought I would create a virtual version of a Pinterest party for my Paleo/Primal followers and bloggers! It will help us connect and share fabulous recipes that we have tried!

Are you following me on Pinterest? If not, click here!

Get ready for a Paleo Pinning Party!!! My Paleo Pinning Parties will take place EVERY THURSDAY so be sure to come back next week for some more pinning fun!

BONUS* All recipes submitted will be pinned onto my Pinterest page and the TOP 5 recipes with the most re-pins will be featured the following week on my blog!!

TOP 5 PIN’S FROM LAST WEEK:

  1.  Paleo Sex in a Pan from Grok Grub– really fun recipe! Decadent and delicious for those days when you’re craving a treat.
  2.  Paleo, Gluten Free, Grain Free Mini Muffins from Whole Lifestyle Nutrition
  3. Creamy Buffalo Chicken Pie (grain free) from Beauty and the Foodie
  4. Warming Cabbage Soup from Elston Backyard Farms
  5. Homemade Mini Marshmallows by The Sprouting Seed

To be reminded about this Party every Thursday, please sign up for my newsletter!


 

Well Fed 2 Releases TODAY! My Favorite Paleo Cookbook!

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Melissa Joulwan, Paleo blogger from The Clothes Make the Girl has CRUSHED it again with another incredible cookbook, Well Fed 2, More Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat. I’m not kidding when I say her first WellFed cookbook was and is and always will be my favorite cookbook. I have sent hundreds of people to her website because I just LOVE her. I love her cooking style. I love her international recipes. I love all the spices she uses. She is incredible and we (the Paleo community) are so lucky that she is creating all these delicious Paleo recipes.

Well Fed 2 is just as good, probably even better, than the first. Wanna know what I love about it: 

  • If a book can have Feng Shui – this one has it. It’s so easy to read and it flows.
  • Each recipe has variations that she calls, “You Know How You Could Do That?” She tells you how to “Spice it Up” or how to use a different meat or vegetable in the recipe. This, in my opinion, is awesome. She takes one recipe and makes it 3, or 4, or 5!
  • On each recipe is a “Tastes Great With” and she recommends a few other recipes from the book that it might taste good with.
  • The Table of Contents is all on 2 pages! No flipping, no searching…it’s all right there in front of you. As a cook, I love this!
  • This cookbook is great if you are doing the Whole 30. Melissa doesn’t “Paleo-fy” desserts because she is more interested in helping you eat well every day. There’s a few fruit recipes that are great for a dessert, but no muffins, cookies, and cakes. My kind of gal!
  • She talks about what Paleo is, and emtional hunger vs. true hunger.

Wanna know what I love about the recipes?

  • Each recipe tells me the serving size, prep time, and cooking time. I can easily find a recipe that will fit into my schedule.
  • They have intense flavor. Melissa has a very internationally developed palate, which I, absolutely, love. You won’t find boring salt and pepper recipes in this book. You will find a diverse cuisine that will open up your taste buds and have you questioning why anyone would think Paleo is boring!
  • I love the Burgers, Balls and Bangers section. It is inspired by different sausage, meatballs, and burger cuisines from around the world. There’s like 18 recipes in this section that you can whip up in less than an hour and they are a healthy and quick protein to grab when you are hungry.
  • Did I mention that I love that she keeps it simple? She does not Paleo-fy recipes!!! This is great for someone like me who doesn’t really make much Paleo desserts or baked goods. I think that keeping it simple is the best way to eat.

Recipes that I Love:

We made the Pina Colada Chicken which was amazing. This recipe uses her homemade JERK seasoning (pg. 82), chicken, onion, peppers and coconut milk. It makes a delicious sauce that you just want to drink!

I, also, LOVE the Better Butter recipe (pg. 60)! In this recipe you are infusing butter with all kinds of spices and making Ghee out of it! Ghee is clarified butter that has all the milk proteins removed. It is, also, Whole 30 approved and many who can’t have dairy, can, safely eat Ghee. Melissa let me share this recipe with you!

If you would like to order this amazing cookbook that JUST released today, you can get it on Amazon for 33% off today!!! 

>>>Click here to grab Well Fed 2 now! <<<

Better Butter (pg. 60) 

Photo Credit: David Humphreys
Photo Credit: David Humphreys

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound organic, pastured butter
  • 1/4 small onion, coarsely chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and smashed 2 whole cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 or 2 small dried chiles
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom pinch ground nutmeg

Directions:

  1. Place the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a bubble. When the surface of the butter is foamy, add all the other ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered on very low heat until the surface is transparent and the solids are on the bottom, about 45-60 minutes.
  2. Place 4 layers of cheese cloth over the mouth of a jar and carefully strain the butter through the cloth. Discard the spices and milk solids. You can store your Better Butter at room temperature for 2-3 months (but I betcha it won’t last that long).

NOTE: Plain clarified butter, known as ghee, is another must-have kitchen staple. To make plain ghee, just melt the butter as directed above, simmer for 10-15 minutes, then strain to remove milk solids. OMGhee!

How I made it: I took the butter and put it in my silicone pan (can order one here) to make little individual servings of Ghee. This way I can just grab one to sauté my eggs in or to throw on my sweet potato or steak.

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If you would like to order this amazing cookbook that JUST released today, you can get it on Amazon for 33% off today!!! 

>>>Click here to grab Well Fed 2 now! <<<

 

Want to read more Book Love posts? Click here for all my favorite books I’ve been reading!

Salmon Patties with a Creamy Lemon-Dill Sauce

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I’m always looking for budget-friendly ways to get seafood into my family. If I have the money in our budget I will buy fresh salmon, cause we all know that is the best. But, if I don’t have the money, I don’t stress, I just grab some canned WILD-caught salmon and find creative ways to use it. I get my salmon from Costco for a good price, along with a bunch of other things.

Last night, I made a great salmon patty with a cream sauce worth sharing. These are Whole30 and 21 Day Sugar Detox friendly!!! Hope you like it!

Salmon Patties with a Creamy Lemon-Dill Sauce

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Ingredients:

2 (6-ounce) cans of wild salmon

4 eggs

1 TB of mustard

1 cup of almond flour

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 onion, finely diced

1/2 ts pepper

1/2 ts salt (optional)

1 ts dill

2-4 TB of coconut oil/or butter/or lard

Directions:

1. Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat with your fat/oil of choice.

2. In a bowl, whisk your eggs, then add the onions, garlic, almond flour, salmon, pepper, salt, dill, and mustard.

3. Shape into 8 patties. Fry them on both sides; about 3-4 minutes per side.

4. Transfer to a plate. If you would like, you can pop them in the oven for an additional 10 minutes (450 degrees F) while you make the cream sauce. This will make sure the middle is cooked through.

Creamy Lemon-Dill Sauce

1/2 cup of thick, full-fat coconut milk (I used the thick part off an unshaken can). If you do dairy, you can use sour cream.

2 TB of lemon juice

1 ts of dried dill

Few shakes of black pepper

Directions:

Whisk all the ingredients together. Pour over the Salmon Patties and enjoy!

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Green (or Red) Chile Pork Taco-Salad

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We had these last night…by chance! I had some leftover pulled pork from our previous dinner that I used with leftover Harissa pork shoulder and it was DELISH!  The flavors definitely all came together and the plantain chips on the top gave the salad that “nacho-y” crunch that I needed. Enjoy!

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Ingredients:

2 pork tenderloins

3 TB of olive oil or coconut oil, divided

1 ts ground cumin

1 ts of garlic powder

1 ts of sea salt

1 onion, sliced thin

3 cups of red or green enchilada sauce. I recommend El Pato Hot Tomato Sauce

1 ts of oregano

Garnish: cilantro, olives, cheddar cheese and sour cream (if you do dairy), romaine, tomatoes, guacamole or sliced avocado, salsa, and plantain chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Combine the cumin, garlic powder, and sea salt in a small bowl. Cut the pork in half crosswise and rub in the spice mixture all over the pork. In a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, brown both sides of the pork in 2 TB of oil. Set aside.

Placed the onion in a 9×13 baking dish. Then add the enchilada sauce and oregano. Add the pork and cover with foil. Roast for 30 minutes.

Remove pork (save juices) to cutting board and let cool. Shred or chop the pork and return to bowl with the juices.

Place the pork on top of a prepared salad and garnish with foods of your choice! `