Flat breads & Focaccia

These are the closest to naan bread I think we can get in the paleo world. They can be used for so many different things! I use them with lamb meatballs as pita, dip them in soup, sop up sauces and roll up sandwiches. They are lightly seasoned and go well with anything.

Flatbread

You will need: 

1 bag of The Primal Pantry pizza crust mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup of broth or water

Directions

Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly in a mixing bowl. Pour about 1/3 cup into a non-stick pan that is on medium heat. In a really good pan, you shouldn't need grease. Rotate the pan on an angle to move the batter around creating a large circle. You will start to see air bubbles coming up through the top side. Once it is holding together, flip the entire bread like a pancake and cook on both sides until it looks the way you want. You can also drop a spoonful of batter into the pan first as a tester. If you want more seasoning, this would be the time to add it.

This is the stuff that makes you forget about real bread. Remember dipping bread sticks in olive oil and balsamic? This is the paleo version. You can cut it into sticks or enjoy whatever you can rip off with your hand. Go easy... you don't need to eat all of it in one sitting as tempting as it may be. Cut off pieces the next day and throw them in the broiler to toast up again. If you make a sandwich with this, I'd love to see it!

Focaccia

You will need: 

1 bag of The Primal Pantry pizza crust mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup of broth or water

1 tsp of baking powder

1 tablespoon of organic balsamic vinegar

Sea salt, organic oregano and organic basil for dusting

Organic extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly in a mixing bowl. The reason for adding the balsamic is not only for that added sweetness but because it has a reaction with the baking powder and creates a fluffier bread. Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread it out evenly and sprinkle the top with the extra seasoning. Bake it in the oven on 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until it is a golden brown color. Drizzle it with olive oil once it has cooled.

Pancakes, Muffins, Waffles and more...

The below recipes are using The Primal Pantry grain-free, sugar-free, dairy-free Pancake/Muffin Mix seen on the right above.

Blueberry Muffins
You will need:
1 bag of mix for 10 - 12 muffins
3 eggs
1/2 cup of full fat organic coconut milk
1 cup of fresh or frozen organic blueberries

Directions
Empty the bag of mix into a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and coconut milk and whip until smooth. Fold in the blueberries and pour into muffin cups. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown. It's that simple!

Waffles
You will need:
1 bag of mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup of full fat organic coconut milk

Directions
Empty the bag of mix into a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and coconut milk and whip until smooth. Pour into a waffle-maker on medium heat and let it sit for about 5 - 8 minutes. After this time check every minute until it is to your preferred level of doneness. Drizzle with a tiny bit of maple syrup or add fruit and voila! You can also add blueberries or chocolate chips to the batter. Yum!

Simple Pancakes
You will need:
1 bag of mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup of full fat organic coconut milk

Directions
Empty the bag of mix into a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and coconut milk and whip until smooth. Pour into a greased or non-stick pan and well... you know... make pancakes! 

Other uses for this mix:
Banana nut bread, gingerbread, blueberry lemon etc.....
Cakes
Cookies
Cupcakes
Pie crust
Doughnuts
Crepes

Any other ideas? Please share your recipes!

Squash cake

This is a variation of zucchini bread that I decided to make because we bought some organic yellow squash at a farm stand. I had a hard time choosing between this recipe and a more traditional spiced zucchini bread. It was the fennel that caught my interest. The original recipe came from the Martha Stewart site where they have around 75 different ways to use zucchini.

Ingredients
1/2 cup lard, butter or coconut oil (or combination)
2 cups almond flour

1/4 cup coconut flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder (grain-free)
2 medium organic yellow squashes
2 medium organic green zucchini
1 cup shelled, unsalted pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cups xylitol

1/4 tsp stevia extract
3 large organic pastured eggs
1 tsp organic pure vanilla extract
3/4 tsp organic ground fennel

Directions

Melt your oil, lard or butter in the baking dish with the oven preheating at 350 degrees. Mix all the dry ingredients except for the xylitol in a mixing bowl. Then take the xylitol, eggs, vanilla, and your melted oil and blend those in a blender or bullet. Mix the liquids with the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl to which you will add the squash once you have grated it with a box grater or shredded it in a food processor. Lastly, you will add the pistachios and pour into your dish to bake for about 45 minutes to an hour until the top is golden brown. If you have two loaf pans, it might be better to make 2 shallow loaves instead of one big casserole loaf, as I have done.

By the way, it is amazing! Considering that it is 75% veggie and egg, how can you go wrong eating a ton of this? The fennel flavor reminds me of the traditional italian pitzelles which use anise. I think next time I bake this I will add a hint of lemon in there too.

Gingerbread with Orange Cream Cheese

This was a special request for Thanksgiving that sounded something like, "Hey you need to come up with a recipe for gingerbread and orange cream cheese." My friend didn't actually think I was going to make it, and neither did I.  Damn I'm sure glad I did.
One thing about this recipe is that the almond does tend to overpower the ginger... so I had to up the ante about 1/4 tsp.  Make sure you taste the batter before you pour it and see if it still needs more. And try to stop yourself from sitting on the couch with a spoon and the bowl of cream cheese because it will tempt you.
This would be a great cupcake and frosting situation.  ... I'm thinking minis...

Gingerbread
10 pitted organic dates
1 organic orange (juiced)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 pastured eggs
1/2 tsp baking powder (Grain Free)
1/2 tsp arrowroot powder
1 tbs xylitol
1/8 tsp stevia extract
1/4 tsp organic cinnamon
1/8 tsp organic ground clove
1 1/4 tsp organic ground ginger
1 1/2 tbs coconut oil (lard or butter)
1/2 can organic full-fat coconut milk
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 3/4 cups almond flour
pinch of sea salt


Directions
Put the dates in a bowl or container with the orange juice and vanilla extract and leave it at room temperature for about an hour. This is to soften them. When it looks like some of the liquid is disappearing, they are ready. Preheat the oven and put your oil (butter or lard) in a loaf pan and stick it in the oven to melt.  Add your spices, the eggs and stevia to the date mix and blend it all together until you have a nice smooth liquid. In a large mixing bowl put all the other dry ingredients together then add the blended date mix, coconut milk and melted oil. Mix with a hand mixer and taste it to check the sweetness and ginger. Pour the mix into the loaf pan (or cupcake molds) and bake in the middle of the oven at around 375 until there is some color on the top. Serve with delicious orange cream cheese.


Orange Cream Cheese
1 package organic cream cheese
4 tbs organic coconut milk
1/4 cup organic orange marmalade (I make my own - see below for substitution*)
pinch of organic ground ginger
1/8 tsp stevia extract


*If you can't get organic marmalade or one without sugar, you can take a whole orange and puree it, put the puree in a sauce pan with a tiny bit of liquid (water or fruit juice) and simmer it with a tbs of xylitol. Taste it for the level of sweetness you want but try to keep it a little tart. Once it seems to have reduced or thickened, let it cool.


Directions
Whip the cream cheese and coconut milk together in a bowl and add the other ingredients while you mix. Check the taste as you go, adding more marmalade or sweetener as you desire. It is not supposed to be an overpowering orange flavor... it is more of a hint. Smother on a piece of gingerbread and welcome to heaven.