Category Archives: Gluten-Free

Paleo Bacon Crab Cakes

I remember the first time I had crab cakes.  I was fifteen and in Baltimore, Maryland in July.  It was hot, humid and after a day of sightseeing, I was starving.  We went to a local seafood restaurant that was famous for their crab cakes and I immediately gobbled them up and briefly considered ordering more.  Since then, I haven’t been able to enjoy crab cakes in restaurants (due to the corn factor) but always find myself craving them.  So I decided to make paleo bacon crab cakes.

Paleo Bacon Crab CakesI should preface that these crab cakes were made with canned crab from Trader Joe’s, and I fully plan on recreating the recipe with fresh crab from Santa Monica Seafood very soon.  While these crab cakes may not be with freshly caught crab, they are delicious, loaded with flavor, and paleo!

This paleo bacon crab cake recipe also requires minimal ingredients and if bacon (gasp!) isn’t your thing, just feel free to omit it.  I’ve made them with turkey bacon and regular bacon and both versions were delicious.

Paleo Bacon Crab Cakes (serves 1-2)

Directions:

1 can canned crab

1 egg

1 tbsp coconut flour

2 strips cooked bacon, chopped

2 tbsp chopped green onion

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil, for frying

Directions:

Pour about one tablespoon of olive oil into a fry pan and place over low heat.

In a food processor, mix your egg, coconut flour, bacon and salt and pepper.  Once everything is well blended, scoop your mixture out and create small cakes.  I made a mixture of small and medium-sized crab cakes.

Paleo Bacon Crab cakes fryGently place each cake into your skillet and turn the heat up slightly.  Cook each side 3-5 minutes or until lightly browned.

Place your paleo bacon crab cakes on a plate and garnish with lemon and cabbage.  Tartar sauce or mayo goes great with this as well!

Paleo Bacon Crab Cakes PlateNote: If you want a thicker binder for your crab cakes, I would add a tablespoon of mayo, tartar sauce or mustard to make the mixture slightly thicker.  I had no problem frying mine, just be sure to be gentle when cooking your cakes!

While these crab cakes may not have been the same as the ones in Baltimore, they were still pretty delicious.  And if you are looking for a gluten-free/paleo alternative, these definitely hit the spot.

Pork and Turkey Meatballs

Sunday is always food prep day in my house.  The Englishman and I plan out our dinners for the week, and we are both in and out of the kitchen getting as much prepped in advance as possible.  One of our favorite things to make in advance is meatballs – they are perfect to add to a quick meal on the fly, and you can make a bunch and then freeze them and use as you go.  Lately we have been making pork and turkey meatballs.

Pork and Turkey Meatballs Close UpUsually when we make pork and turkey meatballs we add some ground flax and bacon for extra flavor and texture.  The meatballs are baked in the oven, and we don’t add any fillers like breadcrumbs.  I’ve never been a fan of adding bread into meatballs because then I feel the meatball tastes more like a bread ball with herbs in it.

Lately we’ve been enjoying the pork and turkey meatballs with a variety of different dishes, like cauliflower mashed potatoes.

Pork and Turkey Meatballs cauli mashOr we have them with pasta, spaghetti squash, or just some veggies.  Like I said, these meatballs are very versatile and a great way to sneak in some extra protein without cooking an entire steak (even though I do love me some steak).

We tend to make our meatballs on the bigger side but if you make smaller meatballs you’ll definitely have plenty to freeze and enjoy as leftovers!  It’s the perfect thing to have on those evenings where you can’t think of anything else to eat.

Pork and Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 package ground pork

1 package ground turkey

2 tbsp ground flax

1 egg

2 Shallots, diced

3 strips bacon (optional)

Salt, pepper and seasonings to taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F.  Place a baking sheet or cast iron skillet into the oven to warm up.

Remove your ground pork and ground turkey from their packaging and place in a stand mixer (you can mix by hand as well).  Gently mix the meat while adding your egg, flax, shallots and chopped bacon.  Continue to mix until well blended.

Ground Pork and TurkeyRoll your meat into small to medium shaped balls.  Pull your warmed skillet/baking sheet out of the oven and place meatballs on it.  Put back in the oven for 10-12 minutes.

Once again, pull your meatballs out and flip them over and place back in the oven for an additional 10-12 minutes to ensure the meatballs are cooked all the way through.  Since the Englishman and I tend to cook bigger meatballs, we usually give each side 12 minutes.

Pork and Turkey Meatball CLoseupRemove meatballs from the oven and let them rest.  Eat your meatballs with whatever your heart desires!

Anyone else a meatball fan?

Homemade Flourless Chocolate Brownies

Have you seen the BBC Drama Luther?  My wonderful bff tipped me off to it and the Englishman and I spent a couple of weeks binge watching the series on Netflix (Idris Elba can do no wrong in my opinion).  Unfortunately for us, the series was only three short seasons, so after watching the finale I drowned my sorrows in homemade flourless chocolate brownies.

homemade flourless chocolate browniesIf you have been reading the blog, you may recall that this isn’t my first flourless chocolate brownie rodeo.  And while the flourless pumpkin brownie batch was delicious, I wanted to make a version that was richer in chocolate flavor, and didn’t use any nut butter.

I had a bag of Guittard Milk Chocolate Chips that was leftover from Christmas and decided to use that as my base.  Paleo friends, you can use Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips or any other dairy-free chocolate.

Now don’t be fooled, these homemade flourless chocolate brownies aren’t like your traditional brownie; they are flatter and are more fudge-y instead of cake-like.  I broke them up into small pieces as well so technically they could be considered brownie bites.  And they are perfect treat to eat when you are wallowing in the fact that your new favorite tv series is over.

Thank goodness House of Cards comes back February 14.

Homemade Flourless Chocolate Brownies pinHomemade Flourless Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

6 oz milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 egg whites

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk

2 tbsp canned pumpkin

1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Melt your chocolate chips in a saucepan or in the microwave and let cool.  Melt your coconut oil in a saucepan and set aside to cool as well.

In a small mixing bowl whisk your pumpkin, egg whites, and almond milk until well blended.  Add your cooled melted chocolate and coconut oil and continue to blend well.

Slowly fold in your cocoa powder and salt and continue to mix until well blended and the batter is nice and smooth.

Line a 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and pour your mix on top of the parchment.  Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the brownies are cooked all the way through.  Since these brownies are flourless, they won’t rise like normal brownies, but will still be delicious.

Homemade Flourless CHocolate Brownie BitesCut into small pieces (or bites if you will) and enjoy.

Healthy Trail Mix

One of my favorite grab n’ go snacks is trail mix.  It’s a great way to sneak in some healthy fats and protein when you are in a bit of a rush.  I used to buy the prepackaged trail mix at places like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, but when I noticed that my wallet was taking a hit, I decided to take matters into my own hands and make my own healthy trail mix.

Healthy Trail MixWhen I put together a healthy trail mix I usually include a few varieties of nuts, some seeds, dried fruit and a few chocolate chips for some sweetness.  The Englishman loves taking trail mix to work so I made an extra large batch for him to enjoy throughout the week.

This may not be the most complicated recipe around, but it sure is delicious.

Healthy Trail Mix (makes 1 large serving)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup unsalted almonds

1/3 cup unsalted cashew pieces

1/3 cup pecan halves

1/3 cup unsalted pepitas

1/3 cup golden raisins

1/3 cup white chocolate chips (dark chocolate chips are good too)

Directions:

Pour all your trail mix ingredients into a bowl.  Enjoy by the handful.

Healthy Trail Mix HandfulFor the Englishman’s batch I also added some caramel corn to the top for added crunch and texture.

Healthy Trail Mix Caramel CornI unfortunately cannot have caramel corn, but the Englishman said it was a delicious addition.  So apparently popcorn in trail mix is a good thing.

What’s your favorite trail mix combo?