Two Kitchens, One Passion

Guacamole? Yes please! Bacon? Of course! Buffalo sauce? Always! Plantains? My new obsession! The result: An Amazing and Addicting Grilled Guac Sandwich! Since going Paleo two years ago, I have never really had any cravings for carbs like pasta or bread, but this plantain bread left me wanting sandwiches for days after making it!  This is the best paleo sandwich bread I have made: it has a very similar taste and texture to real bread.  Any other gluten free breads I have tried tend to crumble and fall apart, but the plantain bread held loads of creamy guacamole without being a mess to eat! I also created an amazing guacamole to add to this grilled sandwich: Buffalo Chicken Guacamole.  I love buffalo sauce and I love guacamole, so I figured together they'd be a perfect match.  And they were!  This guac would taste delicious as a dip for sweet potato chips too. Grilled Guac Sandwich Yield: 2 sandwiches Gluten free, dairy free, egg...

This dish really made me realize how versatile plantains are.  I have used them a few times before, but this recipe is by far my favorite way to cook them as a savory dish.  Plantains are a great Paleo substitute for your normal grain-based starches/carbohydrates and are pleasantly filling. Plantains may look similar to bananas and come from the same family, but there are important nutritional differences between the two.  Plantains are a good source of fiber and contain more Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and potassium than regular bananas.  They also provide decent levels of iron, magnesium, and phosphorus.  Green plantains have a much lower sugar content than bananas as well.   Green plantains are also a source of resistant starch.  I have recently done some reading about resistant starches and the benefits they have for your gut health.  Resistant starches are not absorbed by the small intestine, but instead help "feed" the good bacteria in you...

These pictures are really proof of how long it's been since I had updated things on here..Back at the beginning of February I did a competition in Philadelphia, called the Philadelphia Winter Warmer, which I had done last year as well.  Although I did not do quite as well as I would have liked, it at least let me know where my weaknesses still are.  And competing is always fun!

Well, the weather in Maryland today is dreary and rainy.  But, everyone loves to stay at home and bake on days like this right? :) I made all of these muffins a while ago for a staff breakfast, and they all got eaten up.  They were so tasty no one even knew they didn't have real sugar in them!  When I baked these, I halved each recipe so that I could bring a variety in as my contribution for breakfast, so I am estimating that the full recipe would actually double the number of muffins I got. Pick your favorite kind of muffin, bake, and enjoy! Pumpkin Spice Muffins Yield: 12 muffins Ingredients 6 eggs 2/3 cup pumpkin puree 1/2 cup honey 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup coconut flour 3 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon ginger 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon allspice 1/2 teaspoon baking soda Pinch sea salt 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted Instructions 1) Preheat oven to 350°F. 2) In a food processor or blender, add ...

WE WANT BACON!!! Notice any similarities with the picture above?  ;) The reason I am calling these cookies "infamous" is because every time I bring them to a party, they get devoured and I have at least one person ask for the recipe.  If you like cookies and bacon, then you will love these.  You can make these two different ways, depending on how much you care about being strictly Paleo or on how much you like chocolate.  My personal favorite is the the original recipe with raisins, but using "Paleo"ish chocolate chips is also very tasty!

Are you thinking about having Taco Night sometime soon??  If you are, then I highly  recommend trying out these tortillas/soft taco shells.  I was amazed at how well they held together the first time I made them, and I have continued to make them anytime I want a bread substitute.  I have used them for beef tacos, BBQ pulled pork tacos, and I want to try make a sunflower seed butter & honey wrap with them as well.  :) I must give credit to  Fast Paleo  for providing this amazing recipe.  If you have never visited their website, I suggest checking it out.  They have a very large collection of Paleo recipes. *Note: If you have a nut allergy, you can substitute the almond flour with coconut flour by making the adjustments noted below.  I have made them both ways, and they turn out great either way.  I have also doubled this recipe to make 10 tortillas for a group of us. Paleo Tortillas Yield: ~5 tortillas or 2 servings ...

I know that I have not made any new posts on here in a while. but it is Spring Break for me so I will do as much as I can over the next week! Reasons I have neglected posting: 1) Being a teacher definitely keeps you busy!  If I'm doing work on the computer at home, it's usually planning lessons or entering grades. 2) Less than 3 months until Dan and I are getting married!!!!  I think this reason is my best excuse :) To start things off with a great money-saving recipe, I am going to share my recipe for sunflower seed butter.  You can use this as a substitute for any recipe that calls for peanut butter, and it tastes great as on its own if you want to sneak a spoonful every once in while. Here are three other ways to enjoy this sunflower butter: 1) Spooned on a banana as part of breakfast. 2) Mixed in with frozen bananas for some "peanut butter" banana "ice cream." 3) As part of a sauce: I added a recipe below that I used as a topping for roasted e...