Tag Archives: paleo appetizers

Sesame Date Crisps

20 Sep


I ran into Whole Foods last weekend for my usual fare, and they had samples out all over the place.  I was in a bind, and trying to appease my 1-year-old, when I came upon these:

These Raincoast Crisps were really good, in spite of the fact that the first listed ingredient was unbleached flour.  Blah.  I grabbed them anyway and tasted them–they are good.  I knew I could knock ’em off, though.

They might be better this way!!

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

In a food processor:
1/2 cup of dates
1/2 cup of raisins

Pulse them together–until they are evenly ground, but not a paste.

Add in:

1/2 c sliced almonds
1/4 c each of sunflower seeds, pepitas, sesame seeds (I used black and regular), almond flour, flaxseed meal.
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp water

Blend until evenly ground, and somewhat sticking together.

Roll dough between two pieces of parchment paper, until very very thin.  Approximately 1/8 inch thickness.  Or less.  You may find it easier to do in two or three batches.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned and crispy.  Use a knife to cut them into uniform “crackers”.

Serve alone, topped with chicken salad, or farm fresh goat cheese.

These little crackers are elegant…like something you would find in a little cafe in the West Village.
Salty, crunchy, slightly sweet.
Enjoy!
Leigh

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Have a date with bacon and fancy deviled eggs

16 May

I have two favorite appetizers that are my go-to dishes for get-togethers, pot-lucks and summer barbecues alike. They are easy (sshhh…don’t tell!) and always crowd pleasing!

Bacon Wrapped Dates

1 pound nitrate free bacon
pitted dates
salted almonds or pistachios (optional)

     

 Preheat oven to 400. Insert nuts into center of dates. You should be able to shove 1 or 2 through pretty easily. You can also easily leave the nuts out of the recipe (my husband actually prefers them sans nuts!). Cut bacon strips in half. Wrap each half bacon slice around date and place on parchment or  foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with a bit of allspice (optional). Bake in oven for about 10-15 minutes until bacon is done and crispy to your liking. I’ve found if I put the pan in the center rack of the oven, I do not need to flip them over to bake through. Serve alone or with fancy toothpicks for extra flair!

Guacamole Deviled Eggs

First saw these delicious concoctions on Marks Daily Apple a while ago and fell in love with the idea. Jam packed with protein and healthy fats, here is my version of the fabulous little “fat devils”:

1 dozen hard-boiled eggs, peeled
3-4 avocados, peeled and roughly chopped
1 jalapeño, de-seeded and finely diced
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic or 2 cloves fresh garlic
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ground mustard

Cut eggs in half lengthwise, toss yolks in large bowl of your food processor. Set egg whites aside on platter for filling later. Add remaining ingredients to food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy.  Add more lemon or lime juice in small amounts to get desired consistency. Fill pastry bag (or cut the corner of a regular plastic bag) and pipe mixture into egg whites.  Sprinkle with chili powder or paprika for decoration/bit of added flavor and serve. The extra guac-egg mix makes a delicious dip for carrots or your favorite cut up veggies! You can easily make these ahead, just wait until close to serving time to sprinkle on the decorative chili powder or paprika!

Happy Friday,

Heather

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Unwrapped Gyoza

9 Apr

I got inspired to write this recipe during my last pregnancy.  I was so craving the gyoza I used to enjoy so often.  It dawned on me that I could simply pick out the insides of the dumplings, leave the potsticker-dough behind, and maintain paleo-compliance.  But that would be just plain rude table manners.

Here was my solution.

“Gyoza”

1 head cabbage shredded/chopped and steamed/sautéed.  Toss with sesame oil, tamari (or soy sauce), pepper of choice, and sesame seeds.  Set cabbage aside.

In a large bowl, mix together:

1 lb ground pork
3 green onions finely chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp of peeled, grated, fresh ginger
1 egg beaten
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste

Mix these ingredients together.   Form meatballs.   Sautée over med-high heat until done, or bake at 375 for 15 -20 min.

Sauce:
1 C chicken stock
4 tbsp arrowroot (or 2 tbsp cornstarch)
2 tbsp honey
4 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
2 tbsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp cayenne

Whisk sauce ingredients together.  Over medium heat, bring to a simmer, stirring often until thick.

Serve over the bed of cabbage, drizzle the sauce over them, and garnish with cilantro and lime juice.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.


Tags: , , , , , , ,

← Older Entries

%d bloggers like this: