Paleo Pancake and Sausage Muffins

Pancake and sausage muffins - sounds strange, don't they?  According to my husband, they remind him of a sausage McGriddle from McDonalds.  I've never had one, so I couldn't tell you if they do, or not.  But I can tell you that they're really good.  And really easy and simple.  My sister-in-law posted a non-paleo version on her blog, Homemade Dutch Apple Pie, a while back.  I wanted to make them paleo, though.  So I figured I'd use our favorite paleo pancake recipe from Urban Poser (with a few tweaks) and give them a shot.  They turned out great!  I'll definitely be making these again soon.  These were very nice to have the leftovers on hand for quick breakfasts on work mornings. 

Paleo Pancake and Sausage Muffins

1 pound bulk sausage
1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 large eggs from pastured chickens
4-5 Tablespoons almond milk or coconut milk (they're great both ways!)
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cook sausage in a cast iron or stainless steel skillet until cooked through.  Remove from heat and let cool for a bit.

Meanwhile, mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, eggs, almond or coconut milk, honey, maple syrup, and vanilla in a large bowl. 

Once the sausage has cooled some, mix into the pancake mixture. 

Divide mixture evenly between 12 muffin cups.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and cooked through. 


 

Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie

I love pumpkin pie and was kind of bummed out that I wouldn't get to have any this year since I cannot eat dairy right now.  But then I decided I would experiment and see if I could make a pumpkin pie dairy-free.  Guess what?  It worked!  And I like this version even better than the "normal" version.  I think I'll be making my pumpkin pies this way from now on. 

I got the crust recipe from cooks.com, but came up with the pie recipe on my own.  This was seriously so easy to make.  The pie crust was a cinch - the food processor does all the work.  Using a food processor is seriously the only way to make pie crust, in my opinion.  I've done it the old fashioned way before, but not for many, many years.  Using the food processor takes about a minute or two, tops.  So easy.  I love this crust recipe, too.  I have  a friend that loves to eat just plain pie crust.  She used to ask her mother-in-law to make a pie crust and just bake it plain for her.  I never understood that until I made this crust.  I baked the extra dough I cut off the edges of the pie - some I sprinkled a little sugar on the top, some I didn't.  I actually like the crust without the sugar best.  So good. 

Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie

Crust (makes one 8 or 9-inch crust, double this recipe if you need a top and bottom crust):

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup lard
2-3 Tablespoons water

Place all ingredients in your food processor and pulse until dough forms.  Remove from food processor and place on a Silpat.  Roll out with a rolling pin to desired size to fit your pie pan.  Try not to use much extra flour while you are rolling it out, as this will make the crust tough.  Place crust into pie pan. 

Filling: 

2 eggs
1/2 cup sucanat or brown sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or you could use 1 1/2 t. cinnamon + 1/4 t. nutmeg + 1/4 t. cloves)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 can of pumpkin puree (or puree your own fresh pumpkin, about 2 cups)
1 cup almond milk

Whip eggs until they are frothy.  Beat in the sucanat, spices, and salt.  Next add the pumpkin and almond milk.  Mix until smooth.  Pour into prepared pie crust. 

Bake at 450 for 10 minutes.  Then reduce the heat to 350 for 45-50 minutes, or until set.  The pie will seem a little jiggly, but as long as a knife comes out clean when testing the middle of the pie, the pie is done.  It will set up as the pie cools. 


This post is shared at:
Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager
Simply Indulgent Tuesday @ SS&GF

Paleo Turkey Nuggets

We had our Thanksgiving a little early.  We hosted some of my paternal extended family on Saturday for a mostly dairy-free Thanksgiving dinner (everything I made was dairy-free... the mashed potatoes and rolls that others brought were the only things with dairy in them).  I roasted two turkey breasts, made some homemade sausage stuffing (I subbed out the normal butter for lard), roasted vegetables (carrots, beets, butternut squash, and green beans), and made a cherry pie and a pumpkin pie.  Everything was so delicious!  And no one could even tell that dairy was missing from most of the meal, until I pointed it out.  :)

With two turkey breasts and four people that did not end up coming at the last minute, we had a lot of leftover turkey.  So to change up the leftovers a bit, I made turkey nuggets for dinner last night.  I made them the same way I make chicken nuggets (or chicken tenders, as Kevin insists they are called).  I used almond flour to keep them paleo, but any flour would work.  Just substitute whole wheat, coconut, rice, or even all-purpose flour in the recipe below.  These were so yummy!  And a nice change from regular ol' leftover turkey.  So keep these in mind for your Thanksgiving leftovers later this week.

Paleo Turkey Nuggets

leftover turkey
1 egg
1-cup almond flour
seasonings - onion powder, sea salt, pepper, to taste
lard or coconut oil, for frying

Heat lard or coconut oil in a stainless steel saute pan over medium-high heat.  Chop your leftover turkey up into nugget sized pieces.  Crack the egg into a bowl and whisk until frothy.  Mix seasonings into flour in a shallow bowl.

Once oil is hot, drop turkey pieces into egg.  Then dip into the flour mixture and place gently into the lard or oil.  Fry until golden brown, about 2-4 minutes, and flip over until golden brown.  Remove turkey nuggets from oil and place on a plate covered with a paper towel.  Enjoy!


This post is linked to:
Monday Mania @ Healthy Home Economist
Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ SS&GF

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

We love brussels sprouts.  And we are really missing them this season.  I'm afraid to try them because of how badly one piece of cabbage (when I made cabbage rolls a couple of months ago) upset Bristol.  So we haven't had them since I was pregnant.  This picture was taken during that time.  My favorite way to have brussels sprouts is just to roast them with olive oil, salt and pepper.  But this is Kevin's favorite way so far.  And it comes close to roasting them for me.  :)

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

brussels sprouts
2-3 slices of bacon, chopped
coconut oil, lard, or butter

Melt some coconut oil, lard, or butter in a cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat.  Chop the ends off your brussels sprouts and slice in half.  Add to the skillet.  Let cook until they are just starting to soften.  Add your chopped bacon to the pan.  Continue to cook until they reach your desired doneness.

** This is also delicious if you cook a pound of bacon in the skillet first, remove the bacon, then add the brussels and cook.


This post is linked to:
Monday Mania @ Healthy Home Economist
Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ SS&GF