EASY and AMAZING Eggplant Parmesan

Let me start off by saying that I made this for my sister to help her go into labor (and it worked) Also I want to add that my Dad was also going to eat dinner with us. He is on very sodium restricted diet, and he doesn't enjoy what he eats a lot of the times because everything is so bland and tasteless.  I even left the salt out and he proceeded to tell me after the meal that this was hands down the BEST eggplant parmesan he had ever had!! Can I just tell you how happy this made me?!?!? Ok, onto the recipe....

Prep time: 20min

Cook time: 45-50min (a lot of the prep can be done while the eggplant is baking) 

Serves: 4-6 depending on serving size 

Ingredients: 

3 Large Eggplants 

EVOO to brush on the eggplant (~6T) 

   3C Tomato Sauce, plain (preferably BPA free canned sauce or you can find sauce in glass containers    at Central Market or Whole Foods) 

   2T Dried Oregano

   1T Dried Basil

   2t Garlic Powder 

   1t Onion Powder 

   1/2t Sea Salt 

   1/4t Pepper 

2 1/2C Grated Parmesan (preferably from a brick but you can get it already grated (it has cellulose added if you buy pre-shredded) 

Optional, fresh basil garnish after cooking.... highly recommended! 

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 400F.  Wash and slice your eggplants (leave the skin on).  Place eggplant side by side on your baking sheets and brush each side LIGHTLY with EVOO.  Bake for 15min and then turn the eggplant slices and bake for another 15min.  While the eggplant is cooking, mix the tomato sauce and all the herbs/seasonings in a bowl.  Grate your cheese.  Grease another baking dish (I used an 11x14) with olive oil. Use a spoon and cover the bottom of the pan with a light layer of your sauce. Once the eggplant is done, pull it out of the oven and layer a single layer of the eggplant in the baking dish. Then spoon a layer of your sauce, then sprinkle a layer of cheese.  Do this until your eggplant is used up.  I would layer sauce and cheese lightly and then at the end, you can dump the rest of the sauce and cheese on top.  (Throw it back in the oven for another 15-20min until everything is melted and bubbly. Remove and garnish with fresh basil if desired and serve hot.  Enjoy!! 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep time: 10min

Cook time: 10min

Yields: 14-16 cookies 

Adapted from Danielle Walker's Nut Free "Peanut Butter" Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients: 

1/4C Butter

1/4C Natural Peanut Butter

1 Egg at room temp

3T Honey 

2t Vanilla Extract

2T plus 2t Coconut Flour

3/4t Baking Soda

1/4C Chocolate Chips

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 pans with parchment paper. With a hand mixer, cream the butter, peanut butter and room temp egg for 1 min on high.  Mix in the honey and vanilla. Then mix in coconut flour and baking soda.  Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula or a spoon. I used a little less than a tablespoon of dough when I was scooping them on to the pan.  Since you are using 2 pans, keep a close eye on the cookies as the trays will cook unevenly.  Or you could just cook one pan at a time. Your choice. Enjoy!!

Amazing Grain-Free Parmesan Fettuccine

I mean, come ON!!! These taste JUST like REAL NOODLES!!!

Prep time: 7-10min

Cook time: 7min

Serves 2-4 depending on portion sizes

Ingredients: 

1 bag of Explore Asian Mung Bean Fettuccine Noodles (only mung beans and water - 25g Protein/Serving and 11g Soluble Fiber/Serving) 

4oz Aged Parmesan, shredded

1-2T butter or EVOO

Instructions: 

Boil 8C water. Once boiling, through your noodles in.  Cook for 7min and then strain water.  Place noodles back in pan and coat with your choice of butter or EVOO.  Serve onto plates and then sprinkle with grated parmesan.  

As I was eating the pasta, I thought, "I wonder how it would taste with TessaMae's Paleo Zesty Ranch Salad Dressing on it?" I poured some on top of the pasta and Oh My Goodness... We have a keeper, folks!!!! This picture is my second serving with Tessa Mae's dressing! 

I find both the Explore Asian Mung 

Bean Pasta and the Tessa Mae's 

dressing at Whole Foods.  

Enjoy! 

Best Low Carb Bread

Prep time: 15min

Cook time: 45-55min

Author: Maria Emmerich

Click here to go to recipe

My friend, Kristen M, made me this bread this last week when we were grieving the miscarriage of our twins.  It's amazing to have a friend who eats the same way just bring me this amazing dinner without me having to go through what I do and don't eat. She put these little mini loaves in with the chicken noodle soup and needless to say, I am hooked. I ate all 4 of her loaves and now I've made the recipe 2 more times.  I will say that it is quick to make but it is easy to get different results. Maria suggests that you weigh your ingredients (I don't have a scale, so I'm just really careful at leveling off my measuring utensils)  I have used coconut flour and egg white variations but am looking forward to trying her almond flour variation.  My favorite thing to do with this bread is to eat it with grass-fed butter (yes, y'all, it tastes different!) or butter it up and fry up a grilled cheese sandwich with raw aged NY cheddar from Trader Joe's.  

To my fellow Paleoneons/SCDers, this bread has not seemed to bother me with the psyllium powder or baking powder.  I bought baking powder that is non-GMO and gluten free.  Also, here is an article on psyllium husk/powder (yes, it makes a difference which one) as I was not that familiar with it. Read up! 

I also wanted to mask the coconut flour flavor, so I added some of my favorite seasonings to the dry mixture before you add in the wet ingredients. 

Suggested Spice Blend: 

1t Dried Oregano 

1t Dried Basil 

1/4t Garlic Powder (or you could do Onion)
1/4t Chili powder

Pinch of Ground Cayenne 

Pan-Seared Cinnamon Bananas

Prep time: 3min 

Cook time: 3min

Serves 2

Ingredients: 

2 Bananas, sliced

2T Butter 

2T Honey or Coconut Palm Sugar

1/2t Cinnamon 

Instructions: 

While the butter is melting in the pan, slice your bananas.  Once butter is melted, place bananas in the pan and coat with butter. Sprinkle cinnamon and sweetener on top of the bananas and stir to coat.  Serve by itself or over coconut ice cream if your diet/health permits! 

Salad Ideas

Herb Mix
Pears
Blueberries
Walnuts and Pecans
Bleu Cheese
White Balsamic Dressing

Herb Mix
Strawberries
Pecans
Bleu Cheese
White Balsamic Dressing

White Chocolate Candies

Prep Time: 8min

Chill Time: 15-20min

Ingredients: 

6T Cacao Butter, melted

1T Cashew Butter

15-20 Drops of Stevia

1/8t Vanilla

Pinch of Salt 

Instructions: 

Melt Cacao Butter in pan on stove, take off the heat and stir in the rest of the ingredients, pour into candy molds and freeze! That simple! 

Chipotle Peach Chicken

Preheat time: 15min

Prep Time: 5min

Cook Time: 12min

Ingredients: 

6-8 Fresh Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs

2t Chili Powder

2t Garlic Powder

1/2t Ground Coriander

1t Sea Salt

1t Cumin

1/2t Chipotle Powder

1/2-3/4C Naturally Sweetened Peach Jam/Jelly 

Instructions: 

Mix seasonings together in a bowl. We have an electric grill, so I just set it on high (it will take about 15min to heat up) Once it's fully hot, place chicken on grill and sprinkle with seasonings on top.  Grill 6 min on one side and then flip to other side. Sprinkle the rest of the seasoning on top of the second side. If you have left over seasoning, you can save it in a bag. Warm your jelly/jam in a pan or microwave until it gets a little runny. After about 4 min on the second side, take your jelly/jam and brush it on the chicken. Turn your chicken and do the same on that side.  Grill for another 1-2 min and you're done! Serve the extra jelly/jam on the side at dinner if you have dippers :) Enjoy! 

Paleo White Chocolate Fudge

Prep time: 10min
Chill time: 30min
LINK TO RECIPE!!
Author: Lauren Geertsen - "Ever since my ulcerative colitis diagnosis six years ago, I constantly learn how diet, emotions, and lifestyle fit together as the key to healing chronic disease. For five years, I tried to use medication to manage my colitis, but the traumatic side effects pushed me to reevaluate my complacent attitude. After reading and researching the healing power of nutrition and mind-body medicine, I realized I could cure myself… but only with complete dedication and determination."