Pecan Pie the Old Fashion Way

OK so before I went all Paleo I was trying to go clean eating and one of the difficulties I was having was Pecan Pie… This is a staple pie in our family at Thanksgiving and Christmas time but every recipe I have seen has nasty corn syrup in it! As the holidays drew closer I thought to myself, there has GOT to be a pecan pie recipe out there that doesn't use corn syrup! I mean, they had pecan pie before corn syrup was invented (which was the 1940's I think). I googled high and low, typing in all kinds of versions of old fashion pecan pie and all the recipes I found still had corn syrup.. hello thats not old fashion, I want like a recipe from the 1800's here! 

I had almost given up hope when one day I stumbled upon this recipe as I was watching TV. The best thing about this recipe? It doesn't take any more time to mix it up than if you were using corn syrup and it tastes 1000 times better! We have gotten rave reviews from it ever since we started making it this way, even people who aren't pecan pie fans like this pie (its probably actually people who aren't corn syrup fans) My family has not used any other recipe since then, so in honor of the holidays I am going to share this wonderful recipe with you :)

1 C. maple syrup

1 C. packed light brown sugar

1/2 C. heavy cream

1 T. molasses (regular or mild is best)

4 T. unsalted butter cut into 1/2" pieces

1/2 t. salt

6 lg. egg yolks, slightly beaten

1 1/2 C. toasted and chopped pecans (toast them in your oven and make sure not to burn them, why toast them first? Because it keeps them from getting all gummy and chewy and helps them float to the top)

1 9" unbaked pie crust chilled in plate 30 min.

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees.

Heat sugar, syrup, cream and molasses in saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. About 3 min.

Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

Whisk butter and salt into syrup mixture until combined.

Whisk in egg yolks until incorporated (make sure this stuff is cooled enough that you don't accidentally cook your eggs)

Dump pecans into pie shell.

Carefully pour filling over and place pie in hot oven, immediately turn down temperature to 325 degrees.

Bake until filling is set and center jiggles slightly when pie is gently shaken. 45-60 minutes. (don't overcook it since it will continue to cook slightly in the next step)

Cool pie on rack for 1 hour (it will continue to cook itself a little)

Refrigerate until set 3 hours-1 day.

Bring to room temperature before serving. 

Egg McHuffans

This is a great, healthy on the go paleo breakfast. Matthew and I eat these all the time and its easy to mix up.

Egg McHuffans

10 eggs
Salt, pepper any other seasonings you want..I usually use dill, turmeric and sometimes some cumin.
Some kind of sausage or bacon. I recommend cooking the meat first since I like crispy bacon and eggs don't take very long to cook so it's usually not enough time for it to be done if you throw it in raw.
Can add bell peppers
Onion
Garlic
Spinach
pretty much anything you'd put in an omlet you can put in these, but remember if you use dairy they're not really paleo anymore.

Use muffin papers and line a muffin tin (I STRONGLY recommend you use muffin papers to avoid a huge mess and easy to remove muffins)

Pour equal amounts into each muffin area. Since the meats and stuff tend to sink to the bottom of your mixed up concoction, I tend to pour all the egg equally and then use a spoon to make sure all the muffins get some meat and stuff.

Bake at 350 for around 25 minutes or until eggs are set. Cool and store in the fridge.

Makes 12 muffins unless you go crazy on the extras then it might make more.

Change My World Paleo Recipes

If I haven't posted it before my friend Jess and her Husband made a blog where she posts her grocery list and the recipes for that week..and they are ALL Paleo, so if you're really wanting to do the Paleo diet, and I strongly encourage that you do, it is so healthy for you and so good, check out their site, they have a wealth of information including other great Paleo sites that have recipes etc.

http://changedmyworld.com/

I don't completely follow the paelo diet because well I like grains and beans, both of which are cheap and make me feel full and with us scrimping every penny we have to be careful about how much we spend on groceries..because it's sooooo easy to overspend! especially going into cool stores like WholeFoods..

My favorite thing about Jess, she usually posts very simple recipes..she doesn't get much into the overly complicated ones. I have said it before I am a huge fan of healthy but easy..and preferably quick.

Rice substitute for Paleo diet

For those of your wanting to stick closer to the Paleo diet try crumbling up cauliflower and steaming..works great as a rice substitute.

Creamy Chicken with Strawberry Salsa

I mean who doesn't like strawberries and chicken?

 

Creamy Chicken with Strawberry Salsa

Ingredients for Strawberry Salsa: 1/2 pint fresh strawberries (sliced), 2 tbsp chopped red onion, 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, 2 tbsp lime juice, salt and pepper to taste  
I

ngredients for Creamy Chicken: 2 chicken breasts, salt, pepper, butter and olive oil, 1 can coconut milk, red pepper flakes, lime juice
 Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients for strawberry salsa. Let sit for at least 20 minutes to let the flavors blend.
2. Melt a bit of butter in a large skillet with some olive oil over high heat.
3. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place them seasoned-side down in the pan once the butter had started to brown.
4. Sprinkle the top side of the chicken with salt and pepper as well.
5. Once the bottom side had browned nicely–about 4-5 minutes–flip the breasts over and then pour in one can of coconut milk. .
6. Sprinkle it with a tablespoon of red pepper flakes, a couple dashes of lime juice and just let everything cook until the chicken is done and the milk has reduced down to just a small bit of delicious sauce, around 15-20 minutes.
7. Serve the chicken with the leftover sauce.
8. Enjoy with salsa! (Add some Feta Cheese to top it off!!)

**Recipe from http://www.chowstalker.com

Steak, Avocado salsa and chopped broccoli salad

um can you sam YUM!?

 
Steak, Avocado Salsa and Chopped Broccoli Salad

Ingredients (steak rub): ¼ c smoked paprika, 3T cumin, ¼ c chili powder, 2 T oregano, 1t pepper, sea salt to taste, 1 lb steak, olive oil brushed on steak
Directions (Steak):

1. Mix all dry rub ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Place each steak directly into the dry rub mixture and make sure each side is well coated, rubbing the dry rub into the steak.
3. Let the steaks sit for at least 30 minutes.
4. Coat each side with a bit of olive oil before the steaks hit the grill.  We used top sirloin but this dry rub is great on rib eyes and flank steak too!

Ingredients (Avocado Salsa): 4 avocados (diced), 1 can Rotel, ½ red onion (minced), 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper to taste
Directions (Salsa): Mix all ingredients and serve over steak.

Ingredients (Chopped Broccoli Salad): 3 cups broccoli (finely chopped), 1½ c carrots (diced), 1 apple (diced), 9 strips of bacon (cooked and diced), 3 green onions (diced), 3 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 Tbsp spicy brown mustard, 1 Tbsp fresh dill (or dry equivalent), Black pepper to taste
Directions (Chopped Broccoli Salad): Combine all ingredients and serve with steak and Avocado salsa. Enjoy!

**Recipe from: http://everydaypaleo.com

Brunch Pizza

Wondering what to do with all that leftover ham from Easter?

Brunch Pizza

Mix together
2 eggs slightly beaten
3/4 C milk
1/4 t. Salt

In a 9" square pan put
1 pkg. crescent rolls and press out seams (this is the crust)
bake for 8 minutes or until lightly brown at 350 degrees

Place the ham or bacon on the crust

Sprinkle cheddar

Pour in egg mixture on top, bake for 20 minutes at 375, look for eggs to be set.

summer squash, asparagus and penne with white sauce

Summer squash, asparagus, & penne w/white basil sauce (Serves 4) courtesy of Ingredients 8oz whole wheat penne 4 small summer squash, sliced 1 cup asparagus, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 8oz container fat free ricotta 1 cup half half 1/4 cup shredded parmesan 15 basil leaves, chopped pepper to taste Method Cook pasta according to directions, then drain. Meanwhile cook squash, asparagus, & garlic until tender. Stir in half and half & ricotta. Mix with pasta, cheese, pepper, & basil when ready to serve.