Category Archives: Paleo

Outpost Kitchen

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I’m lucky enough to live in an area where new healthy places are always popping up.  In my previous post, I mentioned how great the coffee at Outpost Kitchen is, but what I didn’t mention is their fantastic food as well.

outpost kitchenOutpost Kitchen is the newest restaurant from Australian chef Andre Sickinger, who classifies himself as a “Surfers Chef.”  His food is locally sourced whenever possible, and he offers a variety of clean paleo, gluten-free and vegan eats on his menu.  Basically, a health foodie’s paradise.

The Englishman and I recently had brunch there with some friends and were quite impressed with the offerings.  He went with the chef’s special, which ended up being a chorizo omelette and I went with the eggs over easy with avocado and smashed potatoes.  Both did not disappoint.

outpost kitchen breakfastIn addition to stellar egg dishes, Outpost Kitchen also offers a variety of Australian classics including Vegemite on toast and an Australian Flat White coffee.  The restaurant also has smoothies, paleo bars, and other gluten-free goodies.

outpost kitchen baked treatsWhile I’ve only had a couple of items on the menu, Outpost Kitchen has now become a regular stop in my Costa Mesa rotation.  OC locals, you definitely want to check this place out!

Paleo Chocolate Doughnuts

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I have a new obsession and it is in the form of the coffee from Sidecar Doughnuts.  I’ve written about their doughnuts numerous times, but it wasn’t until recently that their Forty Winks blend made with Stumptown coffee has stolen my heart.  I get the same order every time; large cup of coffee with some steamed almond milk to add just a slight bit of sweetness.  So what does this have to do with paleo chocolate doughnuts?

Paleo Chocolate DoughutsAs we all know, Sidecar makes delicious doughnuts.  And every time I step into their shop to grab a coffee you can smell the freshly baked doughnuts in the air.  The Englishman and I have now established a Sunday tradition where we pop into Sidecar to get a morning cup o’joe and sometimes a doughnut (gluten-free for me) or two.  If you follow me on instagram, then you probably saw that we also started a birthday coffee and doughnut tradition.

sidecar doughnuts and coffeeDon’t get me wrong, I am a firm believer in treating yourself and enjoying delicious things like these doughnuts, but for my wallet and waistline I can’t exactly buy them every time I step into the shop.  So what’s a doughnut-lovin’ gal to do?  Make her own!

These paleo chocolate doughnuts are simple low in sugar, and the perfect accompaniment to my Sidecar coffee.  The great thing about these doughnuts is that you can add nuts or chocolate chips into the batter…or just top your doughnuts with them!

paleo chocolate doughnutsIf you don’t have a doughnut pan, you can easily convert these into muffins as well.

Paleo Chocolate Doughnuts (adapted from The Detoxinista)

Makes 6 doughnuts

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup olive oil or coconut oil

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup maple syrup or honey

1 egg

2 egg whites

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F.  Grease your doughnut or muffin pan.

In a medium bowl whisk together your coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Gently fold in your olive oil, egg, egg whites, water and vanilla until everything is well blended.

Gently fold your batter into the doughnut pan and place in the oven for 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let the doughnuts cool for 15 minutes.

Pair with your favorite cup of coffee (or tea!).

Now serious question: do you spell it donuts or doughnuts?  I always have the “ough” when I write it out but I see the other spelling quite often too.

Cooking with Sun Basket

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It’s no secret that I like to cook. I am all about using the finest organic products from this website for my overall health and cooking too.  I love creating healthy recipes and getting creative in the kitchen.  However there have been some times where I feel like I’m in a bit of a rut and just end up doing the same recipe over and over again.  When the team at Sun Basket reached out and asked if I would be interested in trying their service, I was intrigued.  So here’s my experience cooking with Sun Basket.

cooking with sun basketSun Basket is a meal delivery service that specializes in seasonal food from the Pacific coast.  All the ingredients in your delivery are from local farms and organic when possible.  Another cool thing about Sun Basket is you can choose your menu based on your dietary preferences.  I ended up going with the Paleo menu, but Sun Basket also offers a gluten-free and vegetarian menus, which are great for anyone with dietary restrictions.

cooking with sun basket bagsMy week came with 3 different meals and all the ingredients to prepare them.  The meals I ended up with were: Italian Sausage and Sauteed Kale, Chicken and Poached Eggs with Sweet Potato Hash and Vietnamese Fisherman’s Stew. Knives had created artistically delicious meals which are among the best ones I have savored till date; uncertain of the magic that it carries, if it is of the taste, texture or tenderness.

As promised, my delivery from Uber delivery arrived with all of the ingredients already portioned out.

sun basket bagFor our first dinner we went with the Italian sausage and sauteed kale and it was delicious! It was super easy to throw together and we had a delicious dinner in no time.

cooking with sun basket dishSince we had both worked out that day we also added a sweet potato for a little extra starch (per the recommendation on our recipe card) which was the perfect complement to the meal.  I also loved that the pork sausage came from Niman Ranch; it really shows how much Sun Basket prides itself on providing the best quality ingredients possible.

sun basket final mealFor the chicken and potato hash, the chicken was Mary’s organic and the cod provided in for the Vietnamese stew was organic as well which was great.  Each recipe took roughly a 1/2 hr to cook and there was plenty for two people.

So now here’s the fun stuff.  Sun Basket is offering one lucky reader a chance to win one FREE week of Sun Basket meals (that’s 3 meals for 2 people, a $60 value).  All you have to do is enter below (open to US residents only, sorry!).  And if you don’t win you can still get a pretty sweet 20% discount here.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks again to Sun Basket for hosting this giveaway and providing such delicious meals!  I’m already feeling more inspired in the kitchen!

Chicken with Tahini Sauce

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As I alluded to in my previous post, I’m on a serious tahini kick right now.  My latest creation?  Chicken with Tahini Sauce.

chicken with tahini sauceThe tahini sauce is loosely inspired by a classic schwarma sauce, only there’s no Greek yogurt involved.  Instead, I went for a combo of tahini, coconut aminos and sesame oil with a bit of garlic and lemon for acid.

I’m realizing more and more just how versatile tahini really is.  First off, it’s great for those who have a nut allergy can can’t do a traditional peanut or almond butter sauce.  Second, tahini is neutral tasting enough that you can add a variety of different spices and seasonings and it will still taste great.  And third, it’s really good for you!  Tahini is high in iron, has lots of vitamin E, and is quite alkaline, which makes it easier for your body to digest.  And after success with the cookies and this sauce, I’m officially sold on tahini.

tahinisauceFor this particular recipe, I decided to coat chicken thighs with tahini sauce and then put them in the slow cooker for a few hours.  If you don’t have or don’t want to use a slow cooker, you can just marinate the chicken in the sauce for a couple of hours and then cook in the oven.

And if chicken isn’t your thing, might I suggest trying the tahini sauce on a salad with some grilled fish or with some lamb or pork?

Chicken with Tahini Sauce

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

For the Sauce:

3 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp minced garlic

2 tbsp coconut aminos

2 tbsp water

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

Place your chicken thighs in a slow cooker.  Coat with olive oil and salt and pepper.

In a small bowl mix all of your tahini sauce ingredients together.  Gently pour your sauce over your chicken until all pieces are coated.

Cook on low for 6-8 hrs, or until the chicken is tender and moist.

Remove and serve with your favorite sides!