I love me a nice stack o’ flapjacks and some real maple syrup and so does my daughter so even though I have escaped the years of my own pancake eating obsession it seems that I am entering a new segment of time where pancake affection is once again part of my life. So in the effort to provide my daughter with some pancakes that would be grain-free so the whole family could I enjoy I went the route of making coconut flour pancakes using my friends Coconut Flour Crepe recipe.

Silly me thought I could make a thick fluffy pancake but honestly the coconut flour batter doesn’t cook well when layed out thick, hence the recipes name, Coconut Flour Crepes. The ones I made were still great, I did add more milk as I got into the groove of what a thin crepe should look like (the batter should kind of spread out in the pan by itself with just a tilt of the pan.) The thinner they are the better the texture and they don’t break as easily. But the awesome thing is that I was full for a long time after eating them…not a I-ate-way-too-many-pancakes-full but just a long-lasting satisfaction. I will make these again.

Since making my first few batches of grain-free, paleo muffins (is that an oxymoron?) I finally got around to making the fig & goat cheese variation that I promised. Instead of using honey, I used a fig spread that did not contain any sugar. I couldn’t tell you what brand it was because it was brought back to me from Portugal by a friend. The stuff is just heavenly though, that is all I can say. Using it in the muffins was almost sinful because the taste really did not come across. If I were to repeat this in the future I think I would buy the dried figs at Trader Joe’s, dice them up and keep to the original recipe.

Although the taste of the fig spread didn’t come through in these muffins, they were a bit more moist then the other muffins were. Maybe not as evenly moist but definitely more moist. The goat cheese in the middle was a fun little treat when eating it and was a surprisingly yummy texture and taste against the course and nutty almond meal.

Sammy didn’t like the Fig & Goat Cheese Paleo muffins so I had to slave away in the kitchen grinding up whole, raw almonds into a flour so I could make him a blueberry variety. The sounds of enjoyment that he emitted as he ate one fresh from the oven made it all worth it. I’m glad to have found a hearty grain-free snack that satisfies everyone in the family.

Whenever I think of making shish kebabs or any other meat-on-a-stick meals I am always reminded of Cameron Diaz in the movie Something About Mary, when she has a compelling conversation about the need for more meat-on-a-stick options. Plus, cutting up some meat and veggies to skewer is an easy way to get some yummy grill flavor.

If you have already read my previous recipe entries then you know I am on a Paleo meal challenge right now for 3 weeks. I have been eating this way for over a week now and am feeling great now that the first 3 days are over. I have already had to tighten my belt another notch and that makes me happy. I know kebabs seem like ordinary food but this is just an idea and proof that everyday Paleo eating is simple.

I found some grassfed top sirloin on sale for $4.99. I freeze it partially before cutting into chunks because it makes it easier to cut since the meat is firmer. Since we are on a budget we went with the staple organic vegetables that we can get at Trader Joe’s for not too much money. Along with the marinated top sirloin we also added zucchini, green pepper, onions and garlic to the skewers. We grilled them to perfection and ate them with a salad. In the morning we cut up the leftovers and ate them with eggs. So good.

I don’t have a specific marinade that I use. Sometimes I ‘cheat’ and use a bottled Soyaki which has sugar in it. Other times I make my own but I’m not the type to measure out ingredients. Usually a bit of lemon juice, oil, tamari, and salt & pepper will do the trick but here are a couple of links to Paleo marinade recipes;

Everday Paleo

Teriyaki Marinade (uses soy; maybe sub tamari??)

Another tip: soak your skewers so they don’t burn up on the grill.

I’m really enjoying coming up with simple, everyday Paleo meal ideas that for the most part do not require many ingredients at all (which is probably what really defines a Paleo eating lifestyle and makes cooking from scratch with raw ingredients easy).

Eggplant is a great vegetable when you cook it right. I tend to believe that people who don’ t like eggplant really haven’t experienced it being cooked in the right fashion. This purple garden gem is like a sponge that soaks up the flavors and liquid of whatever it is cooked in. And depending on the thickness of the cut it may need to cook for quite some time in order to get a texture that is nice to swallow. The skin of an eggplant can be rather tough and leathery so if the slices are not super-thin peeling the skin with a handheld peeler is a good option. If you are unsure about removing it I would suggest to remove it.

For this Paleo meal idea I cooked a couple of chicken breasts in a pan with garlic, chicken broth, garlic, dried oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper. I cooked them for at least an hour until they were fork tender. I sliced the eggplant into thin slices and coated a pan with oil. While the eggplant cooks I spoon broth from the cooked chicken in to the pan. You may need to have extra broth on hand depending on how much eggplant there is to be cooked (I only used one eggplant and 1 – 1 1/2 cups of broth was enough for me).

Once this is all done I just topped the eggplant with some tender chunks of chicken. My husband is not a huge fan of eggplant will eat it just the same so for him I spoon marinara over the eggplant before adding the chicken.

What you need:

1 eggplant
2 chicken breasts
Olive oil & dry herbs
Garlic

Paleo is still the theme of my recipes this week and I hope you are enjoying the meal ideas. Swiss Chard is one of my most favorite leafy greens (even though it leaves a weird film on my teeth….does anyone else get that?) but I can sometimes grow tired of eating it sauteed with garlic, salt and pepper when it seems like I eat it 50% of the time when I’m strict Paleo. Tonight I decided to put a little twist on dinner. Personally, I think these stuffed leaves present themselves rather well but they take little time to prepare. The first picture is what the stuffed chard looks like after it has been rolled and is ready to cook.

What you need for this Paleo dish is about 30 minutes and these ingredients:

1 large bunch of Swiss Chard
1 pound Sweet Italian Sausage
1 package organic mushrooms
8 garlic cloves
Olive oil

Remove the stems from the chard. Most likely the leaves will become two-halves. If they didn’t after you removed the stems then go ahead and make them be. Take a small chunk (about the size of a golf ball, maybe a little bigger) of uncooked sausage and pat it down so that it sort of fits the width of the chard leaf. Then roll it up! Super easy. I like to place the sausage on the back side of the leaves because they roll easier. Place all of you rolls on a steamer basket and steam them for about 20 minutes or until firm. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

To make the mushrooms I just slice the garlic cloves into hearty slices and saute them first until tender then I add the mushrooms and cook until desired tenderness.

(Special note: Most of our foods are organic even though I don’t specify because you are going to eat what you buy anyway. Me naming something as organic is most likely not going to prompt you to go organic but I did note the mushrooms as organic because it really is important to eat organic mushrooms since they are like little sponges that absorb toxins.)

I hope your cooking charm is inspired to create new ideas and thanks for tuning in for today’s Paleo meal.