Paleo Dark Chocolate Bark with Pistachio and Cranberry

Confession:  I LOVE sweets. LOVE.

Sweet tooth?  No, this chick's got a whole mouth full of sweet teeth.

I'm also a firm believer that every day should end with dessert, and I'm not really willing to budge on that.  Life is just too short to not enjoy something sweet after supper...it's one of those little, simple pleasures that brings me a lot of joy.

However, I recognize, of course, that having a full-on dessert splurge every night is a bad idea for many reasons, so I find ways to get my sweets fix without undoing all the hard work I put in at the gym every week.  It can be done!  Moderation is key!

This Dark Chocolate Bark with Pistachios and Cranberries is a great example of a way to do dessert without over-doing dessert.  Dark chocolate is a superfood that boosts your mood and is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatories.  It's also good for your heart, brain, and skin!  Unfortunately, this doesn't mean you should eat a whole bunch of it every day, but it does mean that the occasional controlled portion can (and should!) be savored :)  Again... moderation!

I'm pretty crazy about the way the cranberries in this recipe cut some of the bitterness of the dark chocolate - perfect harmony!  Add pistachios for a little crunch and salt-factor...and wow, this bark is pretty spectacular.  Good luck trying not to eat it all in one sitting!

Paleo Dark Chocolate Bark with Pistachio and Cranberry

Recipe adapted from brighteyedbaker.com

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips (at least 70%)

1/4 cup chopped pistachios

1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries

Directions:

1) Prepare a baking pan by spraying with non-stick spray and lining with parchment paper.

2) Melt chocolate chips in a double-boiler on medium-high heat, 

stirring until chocolate is completely melted.  

(Although I don't typically trust it, you can also melt your chocolate in the microwave, if need be. 

Start with 1 minute on high, then microwave for additional 30-second increments until melted.)

3) Pour melted chocolate into pan and spread the chocolate out evenly using the back of your spoon. Sprinkle on chopped pistachios and dried cranberries.

4) Place in fridge to harden for at least 30 minutes.  Remove from fridge, peel bark off parchment paper, and break into pieces.

Paleo Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

We survived Snowpocalypse!  This week we're thawing out with some pretty sunshine and much warmer temps... it's 72 degrees outside at the moment.  Thank you, Lord.  I'm so ready for spring!

The recipe I'm sharing today is one of my go-tos and has been for quite some time now. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and I especially love a sweet breakfast - pancakes, waffles, muffins, french toast, banana bread...you get the idea.  These muffins satisfy me just like the real thing, but they're a whole lot better for me than the real thing. It's a win-win!

Still not sold?...

You only need 7 ingredients to make them.  Yep, 7. So easy.

These are best enjoyed with a cup of coffee and after being warmed in the microwave for about 20 seconds :)

Paleo Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

3 bananas, ripe

3 eggs

3 1/2 cups almond flour

1/4 cup of dark chocolate (or semi-sweet chocolate) chips

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

Directions:

1) Blend the wet ingredients.

2) Mix the dry in a bowl with a fork.

3) Combine the wet and dry, then scoop into a lined muffin pan and bake at 350 for 23-24 minutes (until lightly browned).

4) Remove and let cool.

There might be something wrong with you if you don't love these muffins ;)

Cheesy Chicken and "Rice" Bake

Day #2 of SNOWPOCALYPSE in Athens, Georgia. I have not left my couch much at all in the last 48 hours other than to use the bathroom or retrieve food.  So far, the forced relaxation has been really kinda nice, but I think if I don't get out of the house for at least a little bit today, I'm going to start to go stir crazy!  I'm far too Type A to embrace doing "nothing" for very long (which can be both a good and bad character trait, I suppose).

I'm definitely going to miss working out with my fellow Tribe trainers this afternoon, so I've decided to kick off my morning with some Tabata intervals in the living room.  But first!...a cozy, cheesy, cauliflower-y recipe for you.  THIS is the kind of dinner I could easily finish off in one-sitting, by myself, on a bitterly cold night like the ones we've had lately.  Dairy is a Paleo no-go, but we still indulge on occasion. Let's be honest, folks, what is life without cheese?!? This recipe's got it (and needs it, if you ask me), but only enough for some extra flavor...not enough to have to call it a cheat meal :)

Did I mention I love cheese?  

If you haven't tried Cauliflower "Rice" yet, get ready to fall in love. It's a phenomenal Paleo substitute that we use all.the.time. You'll need a head of cauliflower and either a food processor or cheese grater. Cut the cauliflower into florets, place in the food processor, and pulse in one-second pulses until the size of rice. Voila! 

The hubby and I paired this with a side of sautéed green beans. Enjoy! 

                            Cheesy Chicken and "Rice" Bake 

Ingredients:

4 pieces of bacon, chopped

1 large yellow onion, chopped

12 oz button mushrooms, chopped

1 tsp french thyme

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 large head cauliflower, "riced"

1 1/2 lbs cooked chicken, shredded

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

4 green onions, chopped

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2) Place bacon in a large skillet over medium heat.  Cook until crispy.  

3) Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon from pan leaving bacon drippings.

4) Add onion and mushrooms to bacon drippings and cook about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

5) Add french thyme and salt and stir until fragrant.

6) Add cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

7) Add chicken and bacon and stir until well combined.  Season with salt, to taste.

8) Pour mixture into 11x7" oiled (I used coconut oil) dish, sprinkle with cheese, and bake for 20 minutes or until top is golden brown.  

9) Sprinkle with green onions.

                        

Sweet Potato, Sausage, and Power Greens Breakfast Casserole

Call it the Week of the Casserole!  Today's recipe is for a delicious breakfast casserole, but I've also got a dinner casserole/"bake" for you later on in the week.  I LOVE casseroles.  They're easy to throw together, make several servings for easy leftovers, and are such a warm, undeniably comforting meal.

This breakfast casserole is full of meat, veggies, and eggs.  The flavors are spot on - savory sausage, thyme, and clove combined with the sweetness of the sweet potatoes - yum!  An added bonus?  FOUR CUPS (yes, four!) of filling, fibrous, vitamin-packed power greens.

A special thank you to my sweet husband, Steven, for helping me prep this weekend.  I am no-where close to matching his speed and skill with a knife yet, so he saved me a lot of time by helping me cut up veggies!  Anyone else love to spend time in the kitchen with their spouse?  Mine is a fabulous cook and continues to teach me so much.  A voracious appetite and love of food is one of the many traits we share, and I sure am thankful for it :)

Sweet Potato, Sausage, and Power Greens Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs breakfast sausage

12 eggs

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded (use food processor or cheese grate)

1/2 large sweet onion, cubed

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cloves

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup coconut milk

2 cups spinach

2 cups kale

Directions:

1) Heat oven to 375 degrees.

2) Brown and break up sausage in a large skillet over medium heat.

3) Beat eggs in an extra large bowl.

4) Mix shredded sweet potato and onion into eggs with seasonings, coconut milk, and power greens.

5) Grease a 9x13 casserole dish with coconut oil.

6) Pour in egg mixture and stir in sausage. 

7) Cook for 45 minutes.  

8) Cover with foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

If you try this out (or if you tried any of the recipes from last week), I'd love to hear what you think! Drop me a line below :)  

Pulled Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes and Paleo Broccoli "Cole Slaw"

Just in time for your weekend...two new awesome recipes that'll make for a mouthwatering dinner! 

This was my first experience stuffing a sweet potato with pulled pork (why did I wait so long?!?), and oh my, it was love at first bite.  This has already become one of my new favorite dinner options.  The combination of the sweet potato with the pork is divine, and the broccoli slaw adds a much needed crunch and acidity, as well as some pretty color to the plate!  Just trust me.  You need to try this.  

There are many amazing ways to prepare pulled pork, but if you're like me and need quick and easy fix some times, you're in luck!  This pork is made in the crock pot!  Drop all your ingredients in before leaving for work, and 8 hours later, you've got enough pork to last for several meals (leftovers rock!).  Go ahead and bake several sweet potatoes ahead of time, too - that way you'll just need to re-heat them when it's time to eat!  

Crockpot Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

1 onion, sliced thickly

2 lbs. pork shoulder

A few shakes of sea salt

A few shakes of chili powder

A few shakes of cumin

A few shakes of black pepper

A few shakes of cinnamon

A few shakes of red chili flakes

Directions:

1. Cut your onion into thick slices and place them on the bottom of your crock pot.

2. Put the pork on top and sprinkle all of the spices on top.

3. Turn crock pot on low and cook for 8 hours.

Paleo Broccoli "Cole Slaw"

Ingredients:

1 package of broccoli slaw

1/2 red onion, sliced

1/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp caraway seeds 

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well, ensuring an even coating of all ingredients.

Enjoy and have a lovely weekend! :)

Allie

Paleo Zucchini Hummus

Thank you all SO MUCH for the overwhelmingly positive feedback about my starting this blog!  I'm excited to have this space to share with you and hope that you'll each find some recipes you love as well as helpful tips about eating well and taking care of and loving your body.  

Please feel free to share my blog and recipes with your family, friends, co-workers, etc. on Facebook and elsewhere.  I've got one more recipe (after today's) to share with you this week, and I'm already brainstorming some of the new things I'll be trying this weekend to share with you next week! 


One snack I've really missed since switching to Paleo is hummus.  Traditional hummus is made from chickpeas, but because chickpeas are legumes, they aren't part of a Paleo diet.  
You can read more on this here: http://www.livingpaleo.com/foods-to-avoid-on-the-paleo-diet/ .  

I lovelovelove veggies dipped in hummus as a healthy snack alternative, so when I saw this Paleo alternative that uses zucchini instead of chickpeas, I had to give it a try.  I was skeptical, but truthfully, this tastes just like the real thing!  Needless to say, I am pumped about this find and will probably be making this pretty regularly.

Paleo Zucchini Hummus

Ingredients: 

1 medium zucchini, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup tahini 

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Dash paprika (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Place the lemon juice and tahini in a food processor and blend until well combined and creamy. 

2. Add the zucchini, olive oil, cumin, sea salt, black pepper, and garlic and blend until smooth.  You may need to scrape the sides down a couple times.  

3. Transfer the hummus to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 min. before eating.

4. Serve with a couple dashes of paprika for garnish.

I made this on Sunday, and the hubby and I are still enjoying it.  It does get a little watery after a couple days in the fridge, but a quick stir gets the texture right back where you want it.  Enjoy! 

Welcome to my blog!

Hello, friends!  First post on my first (ever!) blog -  I'm so excited to kick this thing off and have a space to share my culinary adventures with all of you.

As the title of the blog implies, I'm all about eating delicious, satisfying, nutritious, REAL food to fuel an active and healthy lifestyle.  Think of your body like a car - without first filling up your tank with gasoline, you won't get very far, right?  In the same way, you can't expect your body to perform and grow in ways that amaze you if you aren't putting good fuel in first.  Food for Fit; Fit for Food is a reminder that we get good out when we put good in!

My husband and I have followed a pretty strictly Paleo diet for ~6 months now, and it's been life-changing.  I've never had more energy, felt stronger, and experienced an all-around quality of life that is anything compared to the fullness of how I currently feel.  As a Personal Fitness Trainer and Crossfit addict, I've seen the changes in my eating impact my workouts in ways I didn't know possible.  I have more energy than ever before and have seen huge gains in my strength and muscle development.  I know these gains are a direct result of treating my body right and feeding it the kind of food it was designed to eat.  Per Paleo's principles, my diet is packed full of lean meats, veggies, fruits, and healthy fats.  I don't count calories and don't feel deprived.  The food I'm eating is nutrient dense and leaves me feeling satisfied and energized.

But going Paleo has given me another gift, and one that I didn't expect. I'm discovering in myself a love for cooking and experimenting in the kitchen.  Growing up, my kitchen tasks were limited mostly to clean-up, so I began adulthood with a very limited cooking arsenal (can you call boiling Ramen cooking?).  As I approach the last few years of my 20's, I'm now, finally, discovering the joy in not only eating incredible, healthy food, but also the joy that preparing this incredible food brings.

I still have SO MUCH to learn, which is partly what this blog is all about.  I'm committed to trying at least a couple new recipes each week so that I can share not only the really good ones with you, but also what I'm learning along the way.  The recipes I share here will all follow Paleo principles unless otherwise noted.  I do believe in the occasional cheat ;)

But enough jibber-jabber already...on to recipes!

This first recipe I wanted to share is for Paleo Banana-Raisin Breakfast Cookies.  The hubby and I are always looking for quick breakfast options, and this one is a no-brainer.  Assemble all the ingredients, mix 'em up, and bake for 12 minutes - voila!  Breakfast for the week!  These aren't a substantial source of protein, so have one with a couple scrambled eggs or some slices of bacon :)  My favorite thing about these cookies is how soft they are, especially if you warm them for a minute or two in the toaster before eating.

Paleo Banana-Raisin Breakfast Cookies 

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup almond butter

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1-2 cups raisins (or mix-ins of your choice)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.  

2. Combine all ingredients until well blended.  

3. Drop by tbs. onto a greased or Silpat-lined baking sheet.  

4. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.  

(These will spread a good bit, so leave room between cookies!)

Can't wait to hear what you think.  Happy eating! :)

Allie