6 Minute Breakfast

I'm hooked on the 6 minute egg. No clean up, it's super versatile, you don't have to peel it, and you get a perfectly runny egg every time. While my egg is boiling I threw 2 pieces of Ezekiel bread in the toaster, then topped with some power greens and a little feta. Once that egg is done, just crack that sucker right on top.

The Ultimate Paleo Breakfast Skillet

I cook my husband breakfast every morning.  Most people will say that I'm spoiling him, but it's an easy way to show him I love him, and I genuinely enjoying doing it.  Enough sappy stuff..it's Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands 101.  When I have leftovers I usually try to get creative with breakfast, and this little experiment was a success.

This 'kitchen sink skillet' is also good if you're going out of town and need to clean out the fridge.

Paleo Bacon & Squash Egg Nests

We love spaghetti squash, and when they come into season, they can be HUGE.  It's normally just the two of us, unless we put a call out to friends and neighbors, so we often have leftovers that I usually just send with the hubs the next day for lunch.  I was feeling adventurous one weekday morning and decided to make these bad boys with much success.  It's a good way to break up some breakfast monotony and easy to whip up even on a busy Tuesday morning. 

Paleo Banana Muffins

I'm excited to announce that I'll be having a very talented friend of mine guest blogging, which I'm sure all of you will appreciate because she's a paleo baker extraordinare!  With our powers combined we're planning to take over the world, but in the meantime we'll just melt your faces with more paleo recipes.

Welcome aboard Joanie - and what a recipe to kick off!   

These banana muffins are DENSE, sweet, and dangerously delicious, so share with someone you love. 

Paleo Yam & Pork Belly Hash

This recipe originally comes from  Longman & Eagle in Chicago, and if you're in the mood for a rich breakfast,  this is your jam.  I found the pork belly at my local Sprouts, you can usually find it at specialty grocery stores or butcher shops.  If you haven't had it before, I have to warn you it is fatty, but that's kind of the beauty of it.  This makes enough for 4 to share - or if you're feeling overindulgent, you could probably handle 2 servings.  Think of this as the fancy breakfast sausage + syrup....

12 oz pork belly

2 large thyme springs

3 garlic cloves, smashed

3 cups chicken stock

olive oil

pepper

coconut oil

1 large yam, peeled and cut into cubes

2 large shallots, chopped

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

2-3 tbs grade B maple syrup

3-5 green onions, chopped

Braise the pork belly:

Preheat oven to 275.  In a large dutch oven, heat a couple tbs of olive oil and sear each side of the belly.  Add stock, thyme and garlic, bring to a boil.  Place in the oven for 3 hours.  Remove pork belly and let it cool. Place the pork belly between two glass dishes (I used baking dishes) and weight the top one with canned goods.  Put in the fridge overnight.  Now, I don't have much experience with pork belly, but braising is apparently the way to go.  If you have an opinion, please comment.

To make the hash:

Remove pork belly and cut into cubes (about the same size as your yams).  In a large pan - I used a big cast iron skillet - heat a couple tbs of coconut oil and brown the pork belly (about 3-6 mins).  Remove from pan and add the yams.  Cook those bad boys, then remove them too.  Add some more coconut oil and throw the shallots in there for a few minutes until the become fragrant. Return the pork and yams back to the pan with all of their juices and some cracked black pepper and let the whole thing cook for a bit.  Add the maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and green onions  - toss to coat and let cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Paleo Coconut Flour Waffles

I put a call out for some recipe requests, and this one came in from a friend of mine.  I looked around for  recipes and found that most of them had a lot of sugar in them - be it honey, agave etc - so I made some modifications and truthfully, you don't really need to sweeten them up aside from the vanilla.  

8 large eggs

6 tbs coconut flour

2 tsp olive or (warmed) coconut oil

1 tsp honey

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla)

Pre-heat waffle iron.  Whisk all ingredients in bowl, or use a food processor, until smooth.  Add amount suggested for you waffle iron and cook accordingly.  I was able to make 4 large waffles with this amount of batter.  Top off with almond butter, berries or a little Grade B maple syrup (pictured) and you've got a weekend breakfast treat. 

These are definitely better fresh, but if you're saving/reheating them, throw them in the toaster. 

Frittata of the Week! Ground Beef & Green Chilies

I was going to post this tomorrow, but then I started thinking that I know a lot of paleo-eating people that do a ton of cooking on Sunday.  So if you're making your list for the market over a lazy cup of coffee with coconut milk, this one's for you. 

The great thing about frittatas is their versatility - you can dump anything in there, whether it's stuff from a well planned out trip to the market or the remnants of last night's dinner. This one has a bit of Mexican flare, and it delicious topped with a little Tapatio and avocado.

7 local eggs, 1 lb Organic Grass Fed Ground Beef (browned), 1 can green chilies, 1 small onion (diced), salt & pepper, paprika, cumin, cayenne. Spray a baking dish with olive oil and bake at 375 until center is set. (feeds 1 husband for 3 days).

Recently, I also posted a chicken jalapeno sausage and red onion frittata

Steak & Eggs

Looks like I've got a breakfast theme going on this week, eh?  No, I'm not Canadian but sometimes I feel like a well placed 'eh' adds a little life to the end of a sentence, while you're stating the obvious. 

 One thing I like to do is buy a little extra of whatever protein I'm preparing for dinner, and then use it in the following days breakfast.  It's an easy way to squeeze a little extra money and life out of your purchase.  I was making beef carpaccio and used the leftovers to cook steak and eggs for breakfast.  

Not the most glamorous of dishes, but effective.  I had some leftover chateaubriand (a cut of the tenderloin) that I thinly sliced and cooked in a pan with some onions, salt, and pepper.  Scramble up some eggs and you've got a very hearty breakfast in no time. 

Frittata of the Week

I don't need to tell anyone the benefits of eating a good paleo, protein filled breakfast.  Even your mom knew it was most important meal of the day.  But then Monday morning arrives in a harried fury and you find yourself 15 minutes late before your alarm has even gone off.  In a post-shower mad rush with your wet hair, maybe in a panic you grab a banana, and tell yourself this is the last week you'll start unprepared. Out the door you go, inevitably forgetting something.

Eating paleo isn't hard if you're prepared, which is sometimes easier said than done, but with this easy recipe, you'll have breakfast every morning of the week with only a few extra minutes of work. 

Frittata of the Week: Chicken Jalapeno Sausage and Red Onion

I got my sausage from a specialty market meat counter, it's a great way to get fresh sausage, and you can talk to the butcher about what ingredients it may have, as well as the flavors.

Brown sausage (about 1 lb, removed from casing) and 1 chopped red onion on a pan.  Spray baking dish with olive oil/canola oil spray, and dump in onion/sausage mixture.  Beat eggs - for this size dish I used 10 eggs, which feeds the husband for 5 days - with a pinch if salt and a couple tbs of water.  Dump in the baking dish and grind some pepper on top.

Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes, or until the middle has set.  Garnish with fresh chopped chives.  Keep it covered in the fridge and cut yourself a square every morning - it's delicious hot or cold.

Coconut Pancakes & Nostalgia

Nostalgia does funny things to the brain.  Smells are more intoxicating, textures more adventurous, and tastes meet the pinnacle of everything that is good in the world.  When I'm nostalgic I want my Dad's french toast... big thick slices of sourdough gooped in egg and splashed with cinnamon and vanilla, then fried to perfection.  However, present day me with present day stomach/eating habits doesn't actually want that, but at times I do crave that smell, that Saturday morning experience... of time spent with some I love and admire.

I've mentioned before that we eat a lot of eggs and I never get tired of them, but sometimes nostalgia gets  the best of us.  

1 cup coconut flour, 2+ cups coconut milk (from the carton, and I like to use the vanilla version), 4 eggs, dash of salt, dash cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla extract (if you used unflavored coconut milk). Ladle into a pan - I use a really small pan and make 1 at a time, not the most efficient, but I haven't found a better way to make them a uniform shape.  I usually top with almond butter and a little honey.

Keeping Breakfast Hot

Alarm. Snooze. Coffee, on a timer (genius). Walk dog. Shower. Get dressed, shirt needs ironing. The morning routine, totally relaxing right?  Amidst the chaos of trying to get out the door looking somewhat presentable with all of our wits about us, there has to be some sustenance.  We're not the skip breakfast type and we usually need protein to function as humans (and coffee too, let's not kid ourselves).

We eat a lot of eggs.  I never get tired of simple scrambled eggs, but like any relationship you have to mix things up to keep it hot.  Enter the frittata.  Traditionally, frittatas (quiche sans crust) have a lot of  milk or cream in them, and while they are decadent and delicious - they're not your easy paleo every day breakfast.  The best thing about a frittata, is you can pretty much throw whatever you want in them.

This week, I browned about 5 slices diced prosciutto and 1/2 sliced bell pepper in a pan. In a bowl, whisk eggs with a couple tablespoons of water, a couple very heavy pinches of salt and pepper, and sliced chives.  Pour into a baking pan, stir in prosciutto/peppers, and put in a 375 degree oven until the eggs are set in the middle. (I put some sliced heirloom tomatoes and basil leaves on top after it had been in the oven about 15 minutes so they 'float').  Voila. 

Try throwing in some ground beef, some onions, a can of green chilies...whatever meat, herbs and produce you may have on hand.  You might discover the newest addition to your morning routine. 

Weekday Breakfast Out

There's something great about going out to breakfast.  It's usually eaten much more leisurely than the quick frittata we shove in our mouths as we get dressed and rush out the door for work  It's a time to visit with friends, enjoy someone topping off your coffee - as well as doing the cooking and the cleaning - and possibly even eat something more adventurous and complicated than what normally comes out of your own kitchen.  One our favorite local restaurants is a little converted house in Newport called Alta, where while they're known for their baked goods, they also have some paleo friendly omelettes and egg dishes.  They also give you a random coffee mug, and today, it seemed they wanted me to imagine I was in Hawaii. 

This is the South of the Border omelette - but in full disclosure, I got it with the cheese.