Doing it Paleo-ish!

Another Sunday-Funday around here, and lots of delicious food prep going on.

On the menu for the week:

• Slow-cooker chicken tortilla soup
• Slow-cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken
• Chocolate Almond Balls
• Dairy Free Chocolate Mousse
• Doggie Treats
• Hummus

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

1lb frozen chicken

15oz diced tomatoes

10oz salsa verde

1 medium onion, chopped

2 gloves garlic, minced

3.5 C chicken broth

1 t cumin

1 t chili powder

1 t salt

1/4 t black pepper

1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. Place chicken, tomatoes, salsa, onion, and garlic into a slow cooker.

2. Pour in chicken broth and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf.

3. Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours or High for 3-4 hours.

4. Enjoy with avocado & sour cream (or if you're like me, plain greek yogurt & salt.... seriously, it's good!)

Slow-Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken (adapted from The Food Lovers Primal Palate)

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (innards removed)

1 lemon

2 t garlic

Salt & pepper to taste

Sprinkle of ground sage

Directions:

1. Rinse chicken under cool water and pat dry.

2. Season chicken with salt & pepper, including the body cavity.

3. Prick lemon with fork all over.

4. Place garlic inside the body cavity followed by the lemon.

5. Sprinkle chicken with sage.

6. Cook in crock pot on Low for 8 hours.

Chocolate Almond Bites (adapted from The Food Lovers Primal Palate)

Ingredients for Almond Butter

12oz raw almonds

1/2 C coconut oil

2 t vanilla extract

2 pinches of salt

Ingredients for Bites

3/4 C homemade almond butter

1/3 C shredded coconut

1/2 T unsweetened cocoa powder

1 t vanilla extract

Directions for Almond Butter:

1. Process almonds in a food processor until they form a fine meal

2. Add a tablespoon of coconut oil at a time, while the almond butter is processing

3. Continue to process until the almond butter is creamy (this may take a while, and use more or less oil as needed to get it fairly fluid)

4. Add the vanilla extract and salt, and continue to process for about a minute.

5. Pour almond butter into a jar and set aside.

Directions for Almond Coconut Bites:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl

2. Stir mixture until all ingredients are equally blended together.

3. Form mixture into small balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet

4. Place in freeze for 10-15 minutes if you want to eat them immediately or continue to store in freezer until you want more.

(notice I already tried one on the bottom right? ;))

My thoughts: It's ok. The Detox restricts you from any sugar so this was pretty disappointing to me since I enjoy cake balls so much. I guess I'll just have to live with this. Only 2 more weeks left (thank goodness!!)

Dairy Free Chocolate Mousse (recipe adapted from the 21 Day Detox manual)

Ingredients

1 avocado

1 medium-large banana

1 T almond milk

4 T unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 t vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Scoop out avocado into a food processor with the banana, almond milk, cocoa powder, coconut, and vanilla extract.

2. Blend until smooth.

My thoughts: It's got the consistency of mousse, but it's a little bitter due to the cocoa powder & the unripened banana (per Detox guidelines!). I'll eat it, but I won't be making it again.

DOGGIE TREATS!!! (my pooch LOVED these!!)

Ingredients

1 C cornmeal

2 C all-purpose flour

1 t salt

1 egg

3 T vegetable oil

1/2 C chicken broth

1 t dry parsley (or 2 t fresh)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease 1 cookie sheet

2. In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, and salt.

3. In a separate bowl, beat the egg together with the oil. Stir in the chicken broth and parsley.

4. Gradually add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, stirring to combine and make a soft dough.

5. Working on a lightly floured surface, lightly knead the dough.

6. Roll out to a thickness of 1/2 inch.

7. Cut into desired shapes with cook cutters.

8. Place cookies one inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet.

9. Bake in oven for 15 minutes, or until firm.

(Yes, those are ninja's!)

Hummus

Ingredients

1 can garbanzo beans

2 T lemon juice

~3-4 T garbanzo bean juice

1 t garlic

Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Add juice to desired consistency.

2. Devour!

(P.S. Using the juice of the beans rather than Olive Oil really cuts down on the calories!)