Paleo-friendly Chocolate Bark

Paleo Bark

Here is one of the most simple and easy "treat" recipes to make - Chocolate Bark! Use good quality ingredients in this one - and make them your favourite. This recipe gives you free range of what ingredients you want to mix into your bark to make it your own :)



Ingredients:

1lb Dark Chocolate (75% or higher the better), chopped into small pieces
1 Cup Favourite Nuts (I like cashews or pistchios - or mix them up)
1/2 Cup Favourite Dried Fruit
Sea Salt (Try Himalayan Pink Sea Salt)

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, leaving a little bit extra on the edges, this will allow for easy removal of the bark when it is done.
2. In a double boiler, or use a stainless steel bowl over a pot of boiling water (use gloves or a towel to hang on - it will get hot), melt the chocolate. Make sure you are constantly stirring (use a rubber spatula to help scrape the bowl) so that the chocolate melts evenly.
3. When the chocolate is melted, pour it onto the lined baking sheet and spread evenly using your spatula.
4. Sprinkle the nuts and dried fruit evenly across the chocolate, you may have to apply slight pressure to ensure that the pieces are sunken into the chocolate. Sprinkle a touch of salt over the entire pan - this will give it a sweet and salt taste, but the salt also brings out the flavour of the chocolate.
5. Place in the fridge for about 30-45 minutes until the chocolate has harden; remove and break into snack size pieces. Store in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for snacking :)

Banana Protein Cookies

Protein Cookies

Sometimes you just need to have protein in another form than a shake, so why not combine it with some bananas, oats, coconut, and cacao bits? Try this super easy cookie recipe that can be ready in less than 20 minutes!



Ingredients:

2 Ripe Bananas
1 Scoop of your Favourite Protein (Try a Progenex or Beyond Yourself protein!)
1 Cup Rolled Oats
1/2 Cup Shredded Coconut (Unsweetened)
1/2 Cup Cacao Nibs (or if you prefer, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate chips)
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
Sea Salt

1. In your blender, add in the bananas, oats, coconut oil and a pinch of sea salt and blend until smooth. Then mix in the coconut and nibs (or chips).
2. Heat the oven to 350F.
3. On a greased baking sheet (use coconut oil), or super slick cookie sheet, dollop spoonfuls of the cookie dough, leaving about an inch or two space between. Lightly flatten the dough for better baking.
4. Place in oven and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until the cookie is lightly browned on the bottom - don't over bake them!
5. Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack...then gobble them up!

Breakfast Sausages

Breaky Patties

Good quality breakfast sausages are hard to find, and sometimes when you do, they are quite pricey. Instead, make these simple homemade breakfast sausage patties that stack well if you want to make a breakfast sandwich or just have them on the side with some eggs, sliced tomatoes, and avocado-yum! The best part, you can make a bunch of these at once, then freeze them for future meals. If you shop at Longo's or Sobey's, you should dry duBreton pork - it's from Quebec and is organic, antibiotic free, and naturally raised pigs. Look for this logo:

 



Ingredients:

1lb Medium or Lean Ground Pork (a little fat is good to keep these juicy and not dry when they cook out)
Fresh Sage, Thyme, and Rosemary, stems removed, all finely chopped
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
 

1. In a large bowl, combine the pork with approximately 1 teaspoon each of the fresh herbs, 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne (depends on how much spice you want), a teaspoon of salt and 3/4 of a teaspoon of pepper.
2. Form the patties into 2-3" size round patties, not too thick for even and fast cooking.
3. In a pan over medium-heat, cook the patties until brown on both sides and patties are cooked through.
4. Eat right away, or allow to cool and then pack the patties away in the freezer for next time!

Eat Your Sprouts!

Brussels Sprouts?!

Many people probably have had the challenge of getting down Brussels sprouts sometime in their life. Most of the time, they are not tasty, but if you add in some bacon...maybe some caramelized onions...I think things will change :) Brussels sprouts are a great vegetable to have in your diet since they are chock full of vitamins and nutrients that we need, and during the winter season, that is when you want to get them in!

 



Ingredients:

1lb Brussels Sprouts, ends chopped and cut into 1/4's, remove any tough leaves
6 Pieces Bacon, cut into bite size pieces
1 Shallot, cut in half and thinly sliced
Balsamic Vinegar
Sea Salt and Ground Pepper

1. In a large skillet, place the pieces of bacon and cook out over medium heat. Once the bacon gets crispy, remove and drain on a paper towel, set aside.
2. In the same pan with the bacon fat, turn the heat to high, and place the pieces of Brussels sprouts evenly over the pan in a single layer preferably. Allow the sprouts to cook for 3 minutes before starting to toss them and continue to toss them in the pan until they become tender and appear caramelized. The length of time will vary depending on the size of the sprouts. If they are on the larger side, after a few minutes, you can add in a 1/2 cup of water to help steam the sprouts to become tender. Remove the sprouts from the pan and set aside.
3. Add in a touch of coconut oil or reserved bacon fat if you have it and toss in the shallots for about 2 minutes until they become soft. Add in a tablespoon of 2 tablespoons of balsamic and cook until most of the liquid is gone. Add in the sprouts and bacon and toss thoroughly together. Season with salt and pepper and you're done!

NOTE* If you want to add a little sweetness, only add in 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and then add in 1 tablespoon of maple syrup!

Frittata Friday

Frittata, Frittata!

Eggs are so versatile, but most people tend on eating them the same way all the time. Why not try making a power packed frittata to start off your morning?! All you need is a few ingredients and a non-stick, oven-proof pan and you are good to go!

 

 



Ingredients:

10 Free-range Chicken Eggs (preferably)
2 Roma Tomatoes, cored, diced
1/2 lb Pastrami, roughly chopped
1/2 Cup Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Small Red Onion, cut in half, thinly sliced
Butter
Sea Salt and Ground Pepper

 

1. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, then add in the tomatoes, pastrami, and half of the parmesan cheese.
2. In a large, non-stick pan (one that is oven-proof as well), melt the butter over medium heat and cook out the onions until they have soften. This shouldn't take longer than 5 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper.
3. Turn the heat to medium-high and stir in the egg mixture to combine all the ingredients, stirring occasionally until the eggs have set.
4. Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese on top and transfer to the oven that is has the broiler setting on. Allow to cook for a further 3 minutes in the oven to brown the top and melt the cheese.
5. Remove from the oven and using a rubber spatula, loosen the edges and slide the frittata onto a cutting board. Cut into quarters and serve!

Lighten Up After the Holidays

Papaya Time!

The big day of feasting is over and now you feel a bit, well, stuffed LOL Time to get back to the routine and lighten up your meals to start of the New Year right. Try this refreshing and simple salad for lunch or dinner. 

 

 



Ingredients for the Salad:

1/4 lb of Small Shrimp, cooked, deveined, cut in half and chilled
1 Green Papaya, peeled, seeded and shredded (use a mandolin or a food processor for this)
1 Carrot, peeled and shredded like the papaya
1/3 Cup Coriander, stems removed, washed well and patted dry
Mint and Thai Basil for garnishing (optional)
Crushed Peanuts (optional)

 

Ingredients for the Dressing:

1 Large Garlic Clove, crushed or minced finely
1 Lime, juiced
1-2 Tbsp Fish Sauce (check your local Asian grocery)
1/2 Tbsp Coconut Sugar
1 Small Red Thai Chili, seeded, and minced finely

 

1. In a large bowl, combine the dressing ingredients until the sugar is dissolved and is a balanced salty-sweet tasting dressing.
2. Add in the salad ingredients, minus the peanuts if you are using them, and toss thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes for the dressing to infuse, or up to 2 hours before serving.
3. When you are ready to serve, you can top with some crushed peanuts for some extra protein.

Beef Up for the Holidays

Beef Up Your Dinner Table!

The big day is almost here and some people are still deciding what to eat with family and friends on Christmas - is it Turkey...again? Why not switch it up and do an awesome (and simple!) roast. It's so easy - from start to finish! Prime Rib Roast is the choice of cut in this recipe below, you want to make sure it has good marbling (there is some fat on it - that's what helps make it juicy and flavourful), and dry-aged if possible.

 

 

 



Ingredients:

1 Prime Rib Roast (size depends on how many you are serving, go for approximately 1lb per person at the raw weight)
Kosher Salt or Sea Salt
Coarse Ground Black Pepper

1. The night before you want to cook your roast, unwrap it and place on a tray in your refrigerator. This will allow the surface to dry out a bit, which will help you the next day when you want to create the nice browning on it.
2. On the day of, about 2 hours before you want to cook your beef, remove it from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. If the beef is too cold when it is cooked, you will not be able to get an even cooking of the roast.
3. Heat your oven to 450F - yes, this is high, but this will help you get the crusty coating on the outside and keep the juiciness on the inside. Season your beef all over with the salt and pepper.
4. Place your beef on a roasting rack then place in the roasting pan with the fat side up. Place in the 450F oven for about 20 minutes. You are now creating that crust that will hold in all the beef juices.
5. Reduce the oven heat to 325F and cook until the internal temperature is 120F for a beautiful medium-rare roast. This will take from 1 hours to 3 hours depending on the size of your roast. It is usually about 20 minutes for every pound, but always depend on your meat thermometer to help you out.
6. Once your roast is to the correct temperature, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest about 30 minutes with foil covering it. Right now, your meat is still cooking even though it is out of the oven. Therefore, you need to rest it for a bit so that all the juices stay inside and not dry out the meat, which happens if the roast is too hot when it is cut.
7. Serve with some hot horseradish, awesome veggies and some chunky mashed potatoes!