Saturday, August 9, 2014

Paleo Pecan Delights


Day 20 of the Whole 30 paleo challenge and I want a treat! So. This is loosely based off a recipe my dear friend shared with me. But being a South Carolina girl, I needed my pecan fix and well, this is my creation!!!!

What you need:
1 1/2 cup of pecans 
1/2 or 3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup soft pitted dates
2-3 Tbsp coconut oil
3-4 Tbsp raw almond butter
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp vanilla

1. Put pecans & coconut in your food processor with a S shaped blade. Process until it's crumbley. 
2. Add all other ingredients and pulse until you form a dough. If it's too crumbley, add more coconut oil or almond butter. 
3. Shape your balls and store in fridge for a week or freezer for longer storage. 

Note: If you want to impress, roll in cocoa powder or coconut to serve! 

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Speck wrapped Dates

J

What you need:
Thinly sliced speck
Dried dates

Heat the oven to full blast. Wrap your dates in speck, put them on a raised pan &  pop them in the oven for 6-8 minutes. They come out sweet & chewy, sort of caramel like and smell like heaven. 
If you want to step it up, put blue cheese & or an almond in the center of the dates.

Thank goodness for these because I may make it another paleo day! ;)

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Speck Wrapped Asparagus


What you need:
Olive oil
Salt
Asparagus
Speck (thinly sliced)

Wash your asparagus and snap off the ends. Put on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with olive oil and salt. Toss it together. Then wrapped each piece with speck. I usually need 2 pieces to completely wrap it. Bake at 500 for 15 minutes. Drizzle with fresh olive oil and serve!!!!

We had it for dinner tonight with some Montasio & pecorino cheese. Perfection.

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Tuna on Tomato Antipasta

I had these at an amazing restaurant in Soave, Italy last weekend. As soon as I tasted this, I knew I needed to replicate it!  


What you need:
Tuna in oil
Mayonnaise 
Green or black olives
Roma Tomatoes
Black Pepper

Add a Tbsp of mayo to a can of tuna (do not drain oil). Add black pepper to taste & mix. Rinse and cut your tomatoes into halves. Scoop out the inside so it becomes a bowl. Add your tuna mix & top with olives! 
You can slice your olives, add it whole or mix it into your tuna. Anyway you want to serve it will be great! These are fantastic at dinner parties to serve as a first dish (which is how i had it at the restaurant) or to make for yourself for lunch! Enjoy!!!!

Monday, March 17, 2014

Tomato Tuna Pasta

This is simple, delicious & good for you too! 

What you need:
1kg whole wheat pasta
Punch of sea salt
1 jar of tomato passata
2-3 garlic cloves
Pitted green olives
Red pepper flakes
sea salt
Olive oil
100g of Tuna in Olive Oil

1. Start with covering the bottom of your pan with olive oil, add your olives, red pepper flakes and garlic. Let it simmer, when you smell the garlic, its ready. 

2. Add your tuna, do not drain the oil. Let it simmer for about 3-5 minutes. 

(This is the tuna that I use and the tomato sauce. I know you can get this tomato sauce at the World Market.)

3. Add your tomato sauce and a pinch of sea salt. 

4. Once your pasta is boiled and ready, toss it in the sauce and let it heat together. Plate and serve! 
In this dish I use whole wheat fusilli pasta. 

Download the recipe here.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Rosy's Peppers

The first time I had these I was floored. I really never thought of peppers as a side dish. To be honest, I never thought of peppers as more than something you may or may not put on a philly! Oh boy was I wrong. My friend Rosy is from Naples. She invited my family for dinner one night and served me these and I was hooked! I have been making them ever since. She was so sweet to walk me through the recipe so that I can share it with you all! 

What you need:
1 Red, 1 Yellow & 1 Orange Pepper (just because I love the color combo!)
Sea Salt
Olive Oil


 1. First thing you want to do is put the peppers in a hot oven for about 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven, then place them in a brown bag and close. I let them sit for about 20 more minutes. When you open the bag, the skins will just fall off! (If you are in a hurry and you don't mind the pepper skins, you can completely skip this step. This just makes them butterier tasting and some say, easier to digest)


 2. Once you have the peppers the way you want, open them, clean out the seeds and slice them length wise. I like them thinner, you may like them thicker. Any way you slice it, these are good! ;)


3. Add a hearty pinch of salt and probably around 3 Tbsp of Olive oil. 
(I say probably because I never truly measure this. It really just depends on how much olive oil you like. If I am making these to put on bruschetta, I put more olive oil, less for a side dish.)


4. Turn your stovetop onto a medium/low flame and cover and let them slow fry, be sure to turn them often. 


 5. I know mine are ready when they are slightly browned and super soft. Go ahead and taste one and make sure the texture is what you like! 


6. If you have extra, this is perfect to serve on Italian bread and serve as a side dish or a treat when a friend comes to visit. I also like to use this in an omelet in the morning or on sandwiches. It really doesn't matter, its good on everything and all by itself. I just store mine in a mason jar in the refrigerator. I would probably use them within 3 days. ENJOY!!!


Saturday, February 8, 2014

Sweet and Spicy Nuts



These are so freaking good... and I warn you... addictive! 
I like them spicy, but you can play with the spices to fit your taste. 

What you need:
1lb of nuts (I like pecans, they are the best in this recipe, but you can use what you want. The photo is a mix of pecans, almonds and hazelnuts)
1 egg white
1 1/2 tsp of sea salt
3/4 cup of sugar in the raw (or honey if you want more paleo-ish)
2 tsp of cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
6 Tbsp of melted and cooled butter

1. Preheat your oven to 325F
2. Beat egg whites and salt until they are foamy
3. Add sugar, cayenne & cinnamon
4. Fold in pecans and butter
5. Spread evenly on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
6. Bake for 40 minutes, turning every 10 minutes
7. Remove from oven, toss and separate and let them cool until they are crunchy. 
Serve and Enjoy!!!! 


Amoretto Tiramisu



This is the absolute best version of Tiramisu I have ever had!!! I tasted something similar at a restaurant in Piancavallo and decided I had to make one myself! 

What you need:
6 egg yolks (for a lighter flavor, use 4, but I love this to have a rich flavor, so I use 6)
4 Tbsp of sugar in the raw
Amoretti Cookies
Marscapone cream (room temp)
Cold panna (whipping cream)
Amoretto for drizzling or drinking ;)
1/2 cup of cooled espresso coffee

1. Beat your egg yolks and sugar together. You want this to become light and smooth. I probably do it about 3 minutes, but it really varies. 
2. Add the marscapone to the mix and mix it up. 
(If your marscapone is too cold it may appear lumpy. I have found taking out the marscapone an hour before or using fresh is the best bet.)
3. In a separate bowl, beat your panna until it comes to a peak and then fold it into your egg yolk and marscapone mixture. 
4. Go ahead and line your pan or container or whatever your making your dish in (you can even do single servings if your having a dinner party) with the amoretti cookies. Drizzle a couple of spoonfuls of espresso and then drizzle a little amoretto too. (You don't want them to be completely soaked like you would with traditional tiramisu. This really will absorb the moisture of your cream mix.)
5. Spoon the cream mix and then do another layer of cookies with the drizzlings. 
6. Top with crunched up amoretti cookies and chill. 
Serve and Enjoy!!!! 



Easy Flax Meal Waffles

Flax Waffle


What you need:
1/4 cup Flaxmeal
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon 
1 tsp coconut oil
1 egg
1 Tbsp maple syrup
Punch of chocolate chips or blueberries 

Mix all this together. Heat up waffle iron and cook! It's delicious! My kids ate it today & didn't even know it was flax seeds! 

You can play with the spices and additions all you want. The base recipe is just so easy & surprisingly good! My friend Michelle introduced me to a similar version of this recipe but suggested that I put this in a coffee mug and microwave for 1 minute, if you need a quick, healthy muffin... And trust me, it's good!!!