Easy Coconut Milk Custard

I have to admit, this recipe was originally intended for Baby P.  I always make homemade baby food for her and I have been trying to add lots of healthy fat in her diet.  I thought homemade coconut milk custard would be the perfect baby food dessert.  I didn't want to mess with the hot water bath, baking it in the oven for an hour, blah blah blah so I created this recipe as a quick alternative to make on the stove.  Although intended for Penelope, it was so delicious, my husband Anthony and I ate almost the whole thing.  In one sitting.  Don't worry, there's a (small) bowl left for the baby.  Ha!  This one really is good for the whole family!  Enjoy!

Not the best picture because I had to snap it from my phone really quick before it was gone!

Ingredients (should serve 4... but in our case it served 2 and 1/2)
1 can full fat coconut milk (first cold pressed is best)
1/2tsp cinnamon plus more for dusting
4 egg yolks
1/3c sugar
2tsp vanilla extract
3tbs cornstarch

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, blend egg yolk, sugar, vanilla and corn starch until combined and thick.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat coconut milk and cinnamon (stirring constantly) until just boiling (I had my heat on medium high but you can do it on medium or low if you are worried about not stirring it enough).
3. While beating the eggs continuously (so they don't' curdle), slowly add the hot coconut milk to the bowl in one slow steady stream.
4. Add the mixture back into the saucepan, turn to medium and cook whisking constantly until nice and thick.
5. Pour into one large 8 inch container or individual ramekins to set.  Sprinkle more cinnamon on top.  Nutmeg would be good on top too but unfortunately my husband hates it so I hardly ever use it.
6. Let set to room temp and serve.  Alternatively, serve warm or cold.  Yum!

NOTE:  I am not as strict paleo as I used to be so this has some refined sugar and cornstarch.  You could substitute some honey instead (I didn't because the baby can't have it yet).  You could also try thickening it with a more paleo-friendly thickener like arrowroot, potato starch, or something of that sort.  I haven't made it that way... but just a thought.

Sausage & Egg Casserole w Apple Cider Braised Bacon

This is what I made for my family visiting from out of town on Christmas morning.  It is rich and decadent; perfect for a special occasion.  It does take a bit of time to prepare so I don't imagine you would want to make this on a Monday morning (but perhaps I'm wrong).  But it is an impressive breakfast for company or just a relaxing weekend morning at home.  This recipe makes a large 9x13" casserole and my family ate the entire thing Christmas morning... some going back for second and third helpings.  The bacon, well, let's face it:  It tastes like candy.  That didn't' last past the first serving.  I served the whole thing with a large bowl of fresh cut pineapple and freshly brewed coffee.  The perfect celebration meal.  Enjoy!

My favorite breakfast

Egg Casserole Ingredients:
(Total Time to Make: about 45 minutes)
2lb Italian sausage (I used my favorite "healthy" sausage: Trader Joe's Tomato Basil Chicken Sausage with No Antibiotics No Preservatives and No Nitrates:  See this post for a picture)
1 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2tsp butter or oil
1/2c oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
6 large eggs, preferably organic or omega-3 enriched
3 large egg yolks
1c heavy whipping cream (omit if you are sensitive to cream or butter)
1/2tsp salt

Apple Cider Braised Bacon Ingredients:
(Total Time to Make: about 2 hours)
1lb package bacon (I buy Preservative and Nitrate free Oscer Myer Uncured Bacon at Walmart or the Commissary)
1c apple cider
2tbs pure maple syrup

Directions:
1. First get that bacon started.  It has to braise in the oven for over an hour.  Preheat your oven to 325F.  Place bacon on an 8" square baking dish covered with nonstick foil (for easier cleanup).  Then bring cider and maple syrup to a boil in a saucepan over medium high heat.  Pour over bacon, cover with foil, and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes.  Turn the bacon over and bake another 45 minutes.  Remove foil, and let bacon cool in liquid.
2. To finish bacon, drain the liquid back into a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Boil until the liquid is reduced to a glaze (about 1/3c).  Toss bacon in the glaze gently and cook in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until deep brown and caramelize (about 3-5 minutes per side).  The bacon will tear easily but don't worry about it.  No one will care much.  It's that delicious.
3. While your bacon is braising in the oven but just about done, make your casserole.  First, heat a large skillet over medium high heat with a bit of butter or oil.  Add garlic and onion and saute, stirring frequently, until onion is soft. 
4. Then squeeze the meat out of the sausage casings into the pan.  Cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula or wooden spoon, until all of the sausage is brown.  Add the chopped sun dried tomatoes and cook a bit more (maybe 3 more minutes to get everything incorporated).
5. Pour the sausage mixture into the bottom of a 9x13" glass casserole dish.  Spread evenly along the bottom.  Preheat your oven to 375F.
6. In a large bowl, beat 6 eggs plus 3 egg yolks.  Whisk in heavy cream and salt.  Pour the egg mixture over the sausage casserole evenly.  Place in the center of a preheated oven and bake until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20-30 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
7. Serve the sausage egg casserole with cider braised bacon, some fruit, and coffee or tea.  Enjoy!

Steak & Egg Breakfast Burrito

It was Sunday morning and we were busy getting ready for family to come to town when my husband Anthony exclaimed, "I'm starving!"  Of course those words in my house send me straight to the kitchen to try to whip up something new and creative.  In this hearty breakfast, I used leftover Espresso Crusted Steak with some sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes, and spices to make a delicious Tex-Mex egg burrito.  They were so delicious that Anthony had two.  Enough said.

A hearty breakfast and a great way to use leftover steak or chicken!

Ingredients (makes 1):
2 large eggs, preferably omega-3 enriched
4oz leftover steak, sliced thin
1/2c sliced mushrooms
2 pearl tomatoes, quartered (or use 1/4c diced regular tomato)
2tsp fresh squeezed lime juice
1/4tsp cumin
1/4tsp garlic powder
Sea salt, to taste
1-2tbs extra virgin olive oil
Salsa for serving, optional

Directions:
1. In a small skillet heat a couple of teaspoons olive oil over medium high heat.  Add mushrooms, tomatoes and lime juice and cook until mushrooms are tender and the juice from the tomatoes is mostly evaporated.  Add your steak, sprinkle the entire thing with a little cumin, garlic, and salt and cook until steak is hot.  Set aside.
2. In a medium nonstick egg pan, heat 1tbs olive oil over medium heat.  Beat your eggs and pour them into the pan, swirling them to make sure they are very thin and evenly spread across the pan.  Cover with a lid, turn heat to medium low and cook a few minutes or until the top starts to firm up.  Uncover, carefully flip, and cook the other side a minute more.
3. Slide your egg burrito onto a plate.  Add steak and veggies to the center and roll it up.  Serve with salsa if desired.

Smokey Egg Salad w/ Tomatoes

I absolutely love egg salad.  It is my go-to dish when I know I need to go to the grocery store because I am out of meat but I really don't feel like it.  Often times I hard boil a dozen eggs and store them in the fridge while I eat on them all week.  For boiling eggs I highly recommend this egg timer.  You just throw it in with your eggs and it tells you when they are done!  I served this delicious dish in lettuce cups, but open face on your favorite whole grain or gluten free bread would be equally wonderful.

A perfect afternoon lunch

Ingredients:
3 large eggs
4 pearl or cherry tomatoes, diced
1tbs mayonnaise
1tsp mustard
South African Smoke Seasoning from Trader Joe's (this stuff is amazing; a must buy!)
Himalayan pink salt (or substitute sea salt)
Fresh ground pepper
Iceburg lettuce for lettuce cups or your favorite gluten-free bread or cracker, for serving

Directions:
1. Hard boil your eggs.  If you have an Egg Rite Egg Timer use it.  Otherwise, place a dozen large eggs in a sauce pan (or as many that will fit).  Cover with water and add a pinch of salt.  Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 2 minutes.  Then cover, remove from heat, and let set 10-12 minutes.  Drain and cool in ice water or under cool running water.
2. Peel your eggs and grate them using a cheese grater.  Place them in a bowl with your mayo and mustard.  Give it a good stir.  Add your cherry tomatoes, a pinch of sea salt, and a couple grinds of your smokey seasoning and stir again.  Taste and adjust as needed.
3. To serve, place on lettuce cups or over some toasted gluten free bread and enjoy.

Primal Steak & Eggs

I felt truly primal on Sunday afternoon when I ate this meal.  I had spent the morning kayaking down the Platte river and came home to a huge plate of steak and eggs (followed by a nap).  I am embarrassed to say this is the first time I have ever eaten steak and eggs together in a meal but I assure you it will not be my last!  What a delicious combo!  Enjoy fellow meat-eaters!

If it weren't for the salad, I would tell you I felt Swanson eating this meal (Parks & Rec reference)

Ingredients (serves 2):
2 ribeye steaks, preferably grass fed
4 large eggs, preferably omega-3 enriched
1/2 of a package of baby greens
1 large tomato, cut into slices
juice from 1/2 lemon
1tbs olive oil

Directions:
1. Salt and pepper your steak well.  Preheat your grill to medium-high.  Grill your steaks until your desired doneness (ours were a few inches thick and took 15 minutes for medium to give you a reference).
2. Meanwhile, toss your greens and tomato with some lemon juice and olive oil.
3. When the steaks are almost done, place some oil in a nonstick pan and heat over medium.  Crack your eggs in the pan.  Cover and cook until they are starting to firm on top.  Give them a gentle flip and turn off heat (if you like your yolks runny like I do). 
4. Serve your steak over the salad and top with 2 fried eggs.  Dig in!

B.L.T. Breakfast Muffins

Lately, my husband has been complaining about breakfast saying, "What can I eat really quick?"  He was so accustomed to eating cereal that without grains he is clueless.  Of course, he doesn't know how to make a thing so suggesting that he scramble up a few eggs is like telling Paris Hilton to fix your computer.  I finally decided to make a big batch of egg muffins that he can grab from the fridge and take to work with him.  The perfect breakfast on the go for gluten-free or paleo enthusiasts alike. 

Anthony's breakfast fix

Ingredients (for 6 muffins):

3 large omega-3 eggs
1 tomato, diced
1/3c fresh spinach, chopped
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1tbs mayonnaise 
1tbs water
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.  In a bowl, beat eggs with water and mayo until light, fluffy, and completely combined.  Stir in tomato, spinach and bacon.  Add a bit of salt and pepper.
2. Line a muffin tin with liners.  Pour or scoop in egg mixture, filling each muffin about 3/4 the way full.
3. Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  Serve warm.

Fried Egg Burger with Sauteed Baby Bellas

Burgers are fast, tasty and fill you up in a pinch.  I made mine with sauteed baby portabella mushrooms and a fried egg on top.  I left the egg yolk soft so that it could run down the burger and coat all the veggies for extra flavor.  This delicious meal took about 15 minutes to make and it was downright delicious. 

 This juicy burger is hiding under a mountain of flavor

 Ingredients (makes 3 burgers):
1lb ground beef, cut into thirds and formed into 1" thick round patties
Season salt (sugar and msg free)
2tsp macadamia nut oil
1/2tsp thyme
2 handfuls baby greens or baby spinach
12oz baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
1 tomato, sliced (I used a delicious Kumato tomato)
1tsp olive oil
2tsp stone ground mustard
2tsp red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
3 large eggs

Directions:
1. Preheat your grill to medium  high.  Season your beef with season salt.
2. Grill burgers until done to you liking, about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat a skillet to medium.  Add 2tsp macadamia nut oil and then mushrooms and thyme.  Cook and stir occasionally until mushrooms are done.  Add a bit of salt.
4. Mix together mustard, vinegar and olive oil.  Pour over salad greens and toss.
5. When the burgers are done (or almost done) fry up your eggs:  Place a bit of oil in a nonstick pan and heat to medium.  Crack eggs in the pan and cook until starting to firm on top, covering with a lid if needed.  Flip the burgers and turn off heat.
6. To assemble:  Place salad on plate.  Top with burger, tomato, mushrooms and a fried egg on top.  Add a bit of salt and pepper and enjoy!

B.L.T. Frittata

This is exactly what the name implies: a bacon, lettuce and tomato frittata.  I made this early Sunday morning to fuel up before a hike at Waubonsie State Park in Iowa (not that I needed an excuse).  Besides, who doesn't love a BLT?  Enough said.

A great American classic in an Italian-style egg dish

Ingredients:
4 large omega-3 enriched eggs
2 slices uncured, preservative and nitrate free bacon, cut into small pieces
5 cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 handful organic baby greens, washed
sea salt, to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to "broil" and place a rack toward the top of the oven.  In an ovenproof 8 inch skillet, cook the bacon over medium to medium-high until browned on both sides.  Remove the bacon and pour out the excess oil in the pan.
2. Meanwhile, take a fork and beat the eggs, adding a little sat as you go.
3. Turn heat to medium (if you haven't already done so) and pour eggs in the pan.  Immediately sprinkle your bacon, tomatoes and lettuce on top.  Spread evenly with a spatula or swirl your pan a bit to make sure the eggs are evenly coating the pan.  Cook for about 4 minutes, or until the egg mixture has set on the bottom and begins to set on top.
4. Place pan into the preheated oven and broil for about 3 minutes, or until lightly brown and fluffy on top.  Remove, cut into 4 pie pieces, and serve immediately. 

Easy Breakfast Salad

How do you take your eggs?  Fried with warm, runny yolks please!  For breakfast, I made a couple of fried eggs and placed them on top of a handful of mixed greens and diced cherry tomatoes for a quick simple salad.  No dressing needed:  the yolks will do the job nicely.  To really spice things up, add some crumbled bacon on top for the ultimate bacon and egg salad.  Of course, I was plum out of bacon but my salad still tastes great.  Simple.  Delicious.

Fresh, healthy breakfast for all!

Ingredients:
2 large omega-3 eggs
some olive oil
handful mixed greens
6 or 7 cherry tomatoes, diced
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions:
1. With a little oil in a nonstick pan, heat pan to medium.  Crack eggs into the pan and let them cook until lightly browned on the bottom and starting to firm on top.  Give the whites a little flip over the yolk, turn over, and turn off heat.  Let them set on the hot pan for a minute or 2 to give the yolks a little more time to warm (be careful not to over cook your eggs).
2. To serve, place a handful of greens on a plate.  Top with eggs, then tomatoes, then a pinch of fresh salt and pepper.  So simple but so satisfying.  Enjoy!

Skinny Egg Wrap

Oh, the edible, incredible egg!  Determined not to fall accustomed to making scrambled eggs for breakfast, I decided once again to use my creativity to create an egg dish.  One large, very skinny, layer of eggs was turned into a salad wrap for a late breakfast yesterday morning.  I used some leftover mashed avocado and warm chipotle heirloom salsa from dinner the night before (Mini Mexican Meatloaves with Warm Chipotle Heirloom Salsa) and threw in a handful of salad greens for good measure.  It was fantastic!  I plan to make more of these, spreading them with a homemade pesto or tomato artichoke spread.  Get creative and make it your own!

Fast, easy, and versatile breakfast!

Ingredients:
2 large omega-3 eggs
sea salt
handful of salad greens
spread of your choice (I used mashed avocado and salsa here, but pesto, riccota with lemon, or any other spread you love would be delicious!)

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, beat eggs until a lighter color.  Add in a pinch of sea salt.
2. Heat your largest non-stick pan (I used a pancake skillet) over medium heat.  Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, tipping it or spreading it lightly with a spatula to make sure the layer is very thin.  Let set and cook through (check to make sure underneath is not cooking too quickly).
3. With 2 spatulas (if using a skillet), slide it loose and put it on a cutting board.  Spread with a thin layer of whatever spread you are using.  Top with a thin layer of greens.  Start one one end and roll up the wrap.  Place seam-side down on a plate and cut at a diagonal.  Viola!  Breakfast is served!

Grain-Free Pancakes

I used to love weekends when my mom and dad would make our family a huge breakfast, which often included pancakes.  Of course, now I hardly ever eat them.  But I have a sneaking suspicion that that is going to change.  Oh how I wish I could take credit for this recipe!  I actually recreated a recipe from Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet.  It is a "pancake" recipe that doesn't have a single hint of grains:  amazing!  It's packed full of fruit, nuts and protein:  the perfect breakfast.  Even better, it's absolutely delicious!  I know this will soon be a staple weekend breakfast in our household and I hope you enjoy them as well!

Pancakes: Breakfast of Champions!

Ingredients:
1/2c unsweetened applesauce
1/2c raw almond butter (or other nut butter such as cashew)
1tsp vanilla extract
1/4tsp cinnamon
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1c frozen blueberries, warmed

Pinch sea salt
2tsp extra virgin coconut oil

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, stir together almond butter and applesauce.  Add vanilla, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. 
2. Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium or medium-high heat with the coconut oil.
3. Right before cooking, stir in the eggs.
4. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop mounds (however many will fit) onto your skillet and cook until golden brown on one side (careful not to burn them!).  Flip and cook a few minutes on the other side.
5. Serve with warm blueberries on top!

Zucchini Almond Breakfast Fritters

I like to eat eggs in the morning for a good dose of protein, but let's face it:  they get boring fast.  To counteract this dread of eating the same 'ol eggs, I created a breakfast fritter... added a little zucchini and onion for freshness and mixed in some pure almond flour for some depth in flavor and heartiness.  The result was nothing less than delicious.  I liked them so much I ate them plain, but they would also be terrific with a dollop of pure apricot jam. 

Hearty protein filled fritters will fill you up and keep you going until lunch

Ingredients (makes 4 fritters):
1 zucchini, grated with a large cheese grater
1/2 yellow onion, also grated with a large cheese grater
3tbs almond flour (IE. Ingredients = 100% almonds.  If you don't have almond flour, you could throw some raw almonds into a food processor and grind until finely ground but it won't turn out as smooth)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2tsp oregano
1tbs fresh parsley, finely chopped
sea salt to taste
2tsp macadamia nut oil, for cooking

Directions:
1. Mix zucchini and onion in a bowl.  Press with paper towels to get most of the water out.  Add almond flour, oregano, parsley and some salt.  Mix well.
2. Meanwhile, heat a nonstick skillet to medium high with 2tsp oil. 
3. Just before cooking, mix in eggs.  Scoop out mixture with an ice cream scoop onto the skillet (I cooked 2 at a time) and press down with a spatula.  Cook until brown on one side and then flip and brown on the other side (if it doesn't seem like the middle is cooking, turn the heat down or cover with a lid to help steam it).  Serve plain or with your favorite topping (apricot jam sounds nice!).  Enjoy!