30 Day Challenge, Day 19 (Sunday Delights)

Today was a day of kitchen experiments.  I love filling the house with the wonderful smell of delicious food!  I always run out of energy before I run out of ideas, though.  I'm writing this as our Rosemary Rainbow Tart is in the oven, and our Curry Carrot Bisque is simmering on the stove.  Bliss, I tell you.  Absolute heaven.

This morning, I made a batch of crustless mini quiche, which I shall call "Omelet Cups".  I served it with my personal recipe for buckwheat pancakes, which I now feel comfortable sharing with you.  I still may tweak the spices for a more gingerbread taste, but these were wonderfully light (unlike the heavy and dense Buckwheat Blueberry Pancakes I made a while ago).

I'm trying to find a balance in this Paleo world where I can still feed all the members of my family.  Valedictorian will gamely try everything I make, but sometimes apologetically tells me that she doesn't like it, and can she please warm up leftovers from last night?  Actress will just flat out tell me there's no way she's eating that, and her dinner will consist of a serving of applesauce, or celery and ranch dressing.  I need to be sure I'm always serving a known favorite alongside something new and different, otherwise I'm defeating the whole purpose, which is to help my family be more healthy.


Light and Fluffy Buckwheat Pancakes
1 c. buckwheat flour
2 T. Flax seed meal
2 t. baking powder
1/2 c. almond butter
1/2 c. sugar-free applesauce (I used my homemade plum applesauce)
2 eggs
1 c. full fat coconut milk
1 c. water
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground nutmeg

Mix everything together until very well combined.  Pour onto medium-hot greased griddle (I used coconut oil, my favorite fat).  Flip when done on first side (they won't bubble quite the same as traditional wheat-flour pancakes).  Serve with unsweetened fruit topping (we like the tangy flavor of apricots).


Omelet Cups
coconut oil
crisped, crumbled bacon
chopped mushrooms
chopped green onion
chopped spinach
3 eggs + coconut milk to make 1 cup

Grease mini muffin tin with coconut oil.  Layer ingredients into each muffin cup, starting with the bacon and ending with the spinach (feel free to customize your own fillings!).  Whisk eggs and coconut milk together, then slowly pour over each muffin cup.  If you've packed the fillings in well, this mixture should cover eight mini muffin cups.  I repeated the process three times to make two dozen.  (And if you make fewer than that, don't throw out leftover egg/milk mixture.  Use it to make a crepe!)

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. 

Curry Carrot Bisque

Boil the following ingredients until carrots are soft, then puree:

    * 1 1/2 lbs carrots, cut into chunks

    * 1/4 large onion, chopped

    * 2 cloves garlic

    * 1 T. curry (less, if you like it mild)

    * 3 c. chicken broth or stock

    * 1/2 t. salt

Return pureed soup to pot.  Stir in and re-heat on low:

    * 1/2 c. full fat coconut milk

(This is really REALLY wonderful served with Fennel Seed Boiled Chicken -- just boil chicken breasts with a handful of fennel seeds, then cut up and serve in chunks.  We love to use the bisque as a dip for the chicken.)

Rosemary Rainbow Tart

inspired by this recipe

Tart shell:

1 1/2 c. almond flour (6 oz. almonds, about 1 c.)

1/4 tsp. salt

1 T. minced fresh rosemary

1/4 c. coconut oil

1 T. water

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix the almond flour, salt, and fresh rosemary together in a large mixing bowl.  Cut in the coconut oil with a pastry blender until thoroughly integrated.  Drizzle the water over the mixture and stir in.  Press into a 9 inch pie plate.  Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until golden (which, honestly, is kind of hard to tell, because almond flour is already pretty dark compared with white flour.)  When done, let cool completely before filling.

Filling:

2 T. olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 bunch rainbow chard, stems and leaves chopped

1 heaping tsp. minced fresh rosemary

1 large garlic clove, minced

3 large eggs

1/2 tsp. salt

pinch pepper

Heat olive oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the chard stems (you will add the leaves later) and rosemary. Cook until the stems are tender. Stir in the garlic. Add the chard leaves. Cook until the leaves are wilted and soft and any liquid has evaporated. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool.

Beat together the eggs and season with salt and a pinch of pepper. Add the chard mixture. Mix well and scrape the filling into the prepared shell.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, until set. Let cool for 10 minutes, serve warm.  (The original recipe suggests garnishing with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, but we were fainting with pleasure over this so much, I totally forgot about the balsamic.  Guess I'll have to make it again.)


Meal #1
Light and Fluffy Buckwheat Pancakes
Omelet Cups

Meal #2
Rosemary Rainbow Tart
Curry Carrot Bisque

Meal #3
Blueberry-Plum Coconut Ice Cream
Toasted Walnuts