Sisters in Zion

Paleo Belgian Waffles

Prep time

7 mins

Cook time

1 min

Total time

8 mins

Author: Ashley Holmes (Cook Like a Cavewoman)

Serves: (2) 6-inch Belgian waffles

Ingredients

2 tbsp coconut flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp sea salt
⅔ cup raw cashews
2 large eggs, at room temperature
A little less than ⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk
¼ tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
Coconut oil cooking spray

Instructions

Preheat your waffle maker.
In a small bowl, mix together your coconut flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and sea salt. Set to the side for a minute.
To a blender, add your raw cashews, eggs, almond milk, vanilla extract, honey, and coconut oil. Blend together until smooth and creamy.
Add the bowl of dry ingredients to the blender of wet stuff, and blend it really well until smooth and creamy again. Use a spatula to scrape down any dry stuff you see sticking to the sides, and blend again. You can even repeat that a third time, if necessary.
Spray your pre-heated waffle maker with coconut oil.
Pour some of your batter into the waffle maker, a little less than you normally would with the wheat-based kind, because this batter really puffs up.
Allow the waffle to cook for only about a minute or so. This batter does not take very long, so keep an eye on it!
Remove the waffle from the maker as soon as it's browned, and top with your favorite toppings!
If not eaten right away, extra waffles can be kept covered in the refrigerator for about 2 days. Simply reheat in a toaster!

Breakfast Quiche

Serves: 12

12 Eggs, beaten

2 Roma Tomatoes, diced

1 red or green bell pepper, diced

1 onion, diced

1 large handful of fresh spinach

1 jalepeno, finely chopped (optional…as usual, keep seeds for added spice)

1 teaspoon of salt and pepper

1 cup shredded cheese, reduced or low-fat

12 thick deli-sliced natural ham slices (no preservatives, dyes, or additives)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients EXCEPT for ham. Spray muffin pan with olive oil cooking spray. Line each muffin c up with one slice of ham. Scoop ¼ cup of mixture into each muffin cup. Bake for 30 min. Remove and serve warm.

No Bake Energy Bites

Ingredients:

½ cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup old fashioned oats (raw)

2/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted and cooled

½ cup ground golden flaxseed meal

6 Tbsp chocolate chips (reg or mini)

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, stir together peanut butter, honey and vanilla extract. Add remaining ingredients and stir until evenly coated. Transfer mixture to refrigerator or freezer and chill until set (I actually cheated here and shaped mine before chilling with damp hands but I think chilling would make it easier to shape them)

Remove from fridge and shape into 1-inch balls.

Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos

YIELD: MAKES ABOUT 6 BURRITOS

Ingredients

· 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed small (about 3-4 cups)

· 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced

· 1 red pepper, diced small

· 1 small red onion, diced small (about 1/2 cup)

· 2 teaspoons olive oil

· 1 teaspoon cumin

· 1 teaspoon chili powder

· 1/2 teaspoon salt

· 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

· 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drain

· 1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (depending on your taste)

· 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)

· 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

· 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

· 6-8 burrito-size tortillas (whole wheat, white or other favorite variety)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss together the sweet potatoes, jalapeno, red pepper and red onion with the olive oil, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Dump the coated veggies onto a large rimmed baking sheet and roast for 18-20 minutes, tossing halfway through. The vegetables should be tender but not mushy at the end of cooking time.

2. Let the vegetable mixture cool. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and toss with the black beans, cilantro and lime juice. Taste the mixture and add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Refrigerate the mixture until ready to assemble the burritos or use immediately.

3. Place 3-4 tortillas on a microwave-safe plat and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 15-20 seconds until the tortillas are pliable. Place 1/4 cup or so of the vegetable mixture in the center of the tortilla and top with a sprinkle with shredded cheese, a little of each kind.. Fold in the sides of the tortilla and roll up. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas until you have all the burritos you need (the filling can be refrigerated and used for 3-4 days).

4. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for about 10-15 minutes, until heated through and the top of the tortilla is golden brown. Adjust the baking time as needed depending on if the filling has been refrigerated or not. For a softer tortilla, wrap each burrito in tin foil and heat through. Serve immediately.

Madelyn’s Granola

Combine in a large bowl:

8 c. old-fashioned rolled oats

1 c. wheat germ

1 ½ cups sunflower seeds

1 ½ cups coconut

½ c. nuts

Bring to boil:

½ cup oil 2/3 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup honey

Add 1 Tablespoon vanilla. Pour over oat mixture. Put in 2 cake pans and bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool and break up with a fork and put in airtight jar. Can add raisins or dried fruit.

Green Salad with Fruit

8 – 12 oz. greens (can be spring mix, spinach or kale mixes, or combination of greens)

2 cups nuts (Can be almonds, pecans, cashews, or seeds etc.)

4-6 oz. bleu cheese, or feta cheese

2-3 cups fresh fruit (raspberries, blueberries, apples, pears, craisins, mandarin oranges, etc.)

Mix with dressing before serving. (Go light on dressing as it can get soggy)

Dressing:

1/4 cup medium onion –chop in blender

1/2 cup olive or canola oil

½ t. salt

½ cup sugar (can use honey or agave) May not need as much sweetener

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1 T. Dijon mustard

2 T. sweet-hot mustard

2 T. poppy seeds

Blend together in blender - Will keep up to a week

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CRANBERRY QUINOA SALAD

PREP TIME

15 mins

COOK TIME

25 mins

TOTAL TIME

40 mins

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

3 cups butternut squash, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup uncooked quinoa (I used rainbow quinoa but any type will do)
1½ cups water
⅓ cup dried cranberries
⅓ cup red onion, fine!y chopped
3 Tbsp. toasted pumpkin seeds
salt and black pepper

Balsamic Vinaigrette

½ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400F.
Toss the butternut squash with olive oil in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange coated squash on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 25 minutes or until squash is tender and lightly browned.
While the squash is roasting, rinse quinoa under cold water until water runs clear. Place quinoa and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, partially cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
To assemble the salad, combine the cooked quinoa, roasted squash, cranberries, red onion, toasted pumpkin seeds in a large bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette and mix until combined. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Chill in the refrigerator for couple hours and serve.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Whisk all the ingredients in a small bowl until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

How to Make Roasted Vegetables

IT'S IMPORTANT TO CHOP THE VEGETABLES IN A UNIFORM SIZE.Roasted Veggie Medley

Roasted vegetables make a gorgeous side or additon to pasta or salad. What vegetables you roast may depend on the time of year and what you have on hand. Some of our favorites include roasted carrots, roasted tomatoes, roasted potatoes, and roasted asparagus. Here's how to get started roasting your own veggies!

Preparing to Roast Vegetables

Clean the vegetables with cool water and pat dry. Cut into bite-size wedges, cubes, strips, or florets. The pieces should be similar in size to promote even cooking. Plan on 6 cups raw vegetables for six to eight side-dish servings.

Roasted Vegetables Tip: For green beans, precook the beans in boiling water before roasting to keep them from getting dry and shriveled (roasting time: 8 to 10 minutes).

If desired, oil and season your vegetables before roasting. Oil helps to prevent roasted vegetables from drying out and encourages the browning that adds flavor and beauty. For roughly 6 cups raw vegetables, use about 1/4 cup olive oil or cooking oil. You can season the oil simply with salt and ground black pepper or as desired. Find our favorite seasoning mixtures below.

Roasting Vegetables in the Oven

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F or to the temperature specified in your recipe. Hearty vegetables such as potatoes, turnips, parsnips, fennel, carrots, onions, and cauliflower need a little extra roasting time, so put them in a shallow roasting pan, a 15x10x1-inch baking pan, or a 13x9x2-inch baking pan first.

Roasted Vegetables Tip: For easier cleanup, line the pan with foil or parchment paper before adding the vegetables.

Roast the vegetables, uncovered, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the pan from the oven and add quicker-cooking vegetables such as eggplant, sweet peppers, roma tomatoes, asparagus, precooked green beans (see tip above), zucchini, and summer squash. Toss gently to combine.

Return the pan to the oven and roast for 5 to 15 minutes more or until the vegetables are tender and browned on the edges, stirring occasionally.

**For tips on how to spiralize your vegetables, click on the link below and it will tell you what you need to know.**

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqRZBSFxhf4

Chocolate & Cherry Peanut Butter Popcorn

6 heaping cups of pain popcorn

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate

1/4 cup chopped cherries

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Put popped corn in a large bowl.

2. Combine honey and peanut butter in a small sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring gently, but constantly. As soon as the mixture starts to lightly bubble, cook, stirring constantly for 15 seconds more

3. Immediately pour the mixture gently over the popcorn; gently mix with a spoon. Then sprinkle cranberries and mix well.

4. Spread popcorn mixture on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle the chocolate on the popcorn. Allow the chocolate to harden before serving.

Roasted Chickpea Snack

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 pinch black pepper

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and dried

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees

2. Whisk oil and spices in a small bowl and add the chickpeas, tossing to coat.

3. Spread the chickpeas in single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown, stirring occasionally.