Recipes Archives - Colorful Eats

Paleo Salted Maple Blondies

I pretty much am just the happiest right now—seeing review copies of my cookbook arriving on peoples’ front doors is just a dream too good to be true! I can’t wait for you all to get yours in just a few short days! This cookbook was a labor of love, and each page truly gives you a snapshot at daily life or celebrations gathered around the table. I have been so overwhelmed these past few weeks at the amazing emails and messages I have received in response to me sharing my Type 1 diabetes story. Thank you all for each and every word you have said! So to celebrate, I have a little gift for you all and a scrumptious recipe!

There are a few things that I am super passionate about—one is showing people how fun, simple and tasty a healthy lifestyle can be! So I created a handy, dandy resource for you “The Dinner Party Edition.” Filled with everything from drinks to appetizers, main entrees to desserts plus a complete list of preparations, these recipes will have you and your dinner guests reaching for seconds! There is a complete dinner for each season—spring, summer, fall and winter.

Good news is that if you pre-ordered or pre-order my print cookbook by Oct 5 at midnight, I will send you a coupon code for the Dinner Party Edition ebook as a thank you for your endless support as I seriously am so grateful for each and everyone of you!

So to celebrate, I give you these gluten-free and Paleo-friendly salted maple blondies to make all your cozy fall dreams come true! These seriously are so buttery and delicious and like all my desserts and sweets, they are not overly sweet so you can eat one and still feel fabulous! And they taste great warmed up with extra butter and a cup of coffee for breakfast, not like I am speaking from experience or anything!

I absolutely love sweet and salty desserts and these blondies are made grain free and gluten free with cashews which have a mellow flavor you won’t notice they are made with nuts, so this recipe is perfect for entertaining!

So be sure you pre-order my print cookbook, All American Paleo Table, and check out the Dinner Party Edition so that you an get all these scrumptious recipes! Oh and then go make these blondies now, because I promise you will love them!

Paleo Salted Maple Blondies

These little blondies will have you reaching for seconds and I am sure they will become a staple in your house like mine! With just the perfect amount of sweetness for a treat without being too heavy and the sprinkle of sea salt is the perfect sweet and salty compliment!

Recipe from All American Paleo Table: The Dinner Party Edition

Ingredients

3 cups raw cashew pieces*
6 tbsp butter, melted or use browned butter ghee for Paleo
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 eggs
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup pecan pieces, chopped
1 tbsp maple sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt flakes
*I chose to use raw cashew pieces as they are generally much less expensive than whole cashews.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and arrange the baking rack to the lower position. Generously brush an 8 by 8 baking pan with coconut oil and set aside.
Add the cashew pieces to the bowl of a food processor and blend for about 30 seconds or until the mixture begins to resemble a clumpy flour like texture.
Add in the melted butter and blend again for about 30 seconds or until the mixture begins to look like a clumpy nut butter like consistency.
Add in the remaining ingredients: the maple syrup, eggs, baking soda and vinegar. Blend until completely smooth. Pour into the greased pan.
Top with a sprinkle of pecan pieces, maple sugar and sea salt flakes.
Bake for 20-22 minutes or just until the middle is set, keep in mind that you want these more on the gooey side and they will continue to cook even after removed from the oven.
Wait 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Main Dish Recipes

Paleo Indian Chicken Curry

Ok, I am totally obsessed with this curry—well pretty much any Indian curry. Indian curry is ultimate comfort food to me!

But, I have always been skeptical of trying to make it on my own—I mean for starters, try googling curry and you get like a million different answers for how to make it. So, I did a lot of research and then ultimately just started playing in the kitchen, which is ultimately my favorite form of research. It took a few tries, but I am SO happy with this end result!

I wanted to create a curry recipe that was simple, something anyone could make without having to get a lot of specialty items, so here you have it! And, I highly recommend making triple or more of the spices, portioning it out into individual little bowls and then storing in a small mason jar or sealable bag—that way, you can just take out the pre-measured spices and mix and dinner is done!

I served this with cauliflower rice, but if regular white rice is something you include in your diet occasionally, I am sure it would be extra delicious! This recipe is squeaky clean healthy but absolutely scrumptious!

Paleo Indian Chicken Curry by Colorful Eats

Paleo Indian Chicken Curry

Ingredients

1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 cayenne
1/2 turmeric
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp salt
about 20 hand twists, fresh cracked pepper
1 (13.6 oz) can full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 tbsp butter, ghee or olive oil
serve over cauliflower rice
garnish with pomegranate seeds and fresh basil (don’t forget that!)

Directions

Mix together all the spices and place in a large mixing bowl. Add in the coconut milk and stir until you have created your marinade.
Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and then add to the coconut milk curry mixture, stirring so that all the chicken pieces are coated. Cover and refrigerate for 4-24 hours.
Warm a very large skillet to medium heat. Melt you fat in the pan and warm.
Add the chicken without sitting for a few minutes so that one side can brown a bit. Flip and allow the other side of the chicken to brown a bit—this is not necessary but I love the texture. Stir and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked.
Serve over cauliflower rice and garnish with pomegranate seeds and fresh basil.

Make Ahead/Freezer Option

As this might become one of your go to favorite weeknight dinners, I highly recommend either measuring out the curry mix and placing in a jar (I did this with 3 extra mixings) or make the entire dish without cooking and freeze it in a ziplock freezer bag.

Recipes Sweets & Treats

Paleo Vanilla Bean, Berry Cheesecake Bites

Do you just want to jump into this photoshoot? I can’t even tell you all how many times I said that this past week, quite literally my mouth was watering editing these photos. Food photography, yes the struggle is real.

Thankfully I had friends over when I was doing this photoshoot, because let me tell you, when it comes to desserts, I have a lot of self control, but with these little berry stuffed cheesecake bites, all self control was completely gone with the wind.

I am the biggest fan of cheesecake, thanks Mom for passing that down to me, and you all have been asking for a dairy free cheesecake recipe, which seems like a complete oxymoron to me, but since I like to make you all happy, I wanted to create a dairy free cheesecake recipe for Valentine’s Day for you all! This recipe makes me so endlessly happy, so hopefully it will make you happy too!

Plus, can we talk for a moment how my dog LOVES whipped cream and berries?! Like I have photoshoots in my house practically everyday, food all over the place, pans are placed on the floor and my bowls of garnishes are everywhere, and my dog never once eats any of the food. Weird right? But if I bring out a bowl of whipped cream she goes CRAZY! So I just had to share this photo of Libby going for the whipped cream, because it is just too cute not too share. And, this photo was completely un-staged, she really just is that cute!

So Valentine’s Day…now you make think this recipe is girly and cute, which it totally is, but my husband devoured these. So much that I had to make a second batch for him, and then he devoured those too! Quite honestly this might just be one of my favorite desserts ever, and that is saying a lot for me! So make these for your lover, husband, kids or friends, with a cup of coffee or glass of champagne, because life is too short not to enjoy a sweet treat!

Vanilla Bean, Berry Cheesecake Bites

makes 12 individual cheesecake bites | approximately 18g carbs per bite

Almond Hazelnut Crust

1 cup blanched almond flour
1/2 cup hazelnut flour
1/2 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
2 tbsp maple sugar
1 tbsp coconut flour
pinch of salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
6 tbsp coconut oil

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Filling

1 1/2 cup raw cashew pieces
1 tbsp coconut oil
6 tbsp grass-fed butter, softened
1/4 cup full fat, unsweetened coconut milk
3 tbsp raw honey
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

Garnish

1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup fresh black berries
whipped cream or coconut cream, to garnish
lemon zest, to garnish

Directions

Brush the insides of individual muffin tins (12 count) with coconut oil. Cut thin strips of parchment paper and line the muffin tins with 2 strips creating a criss cross shape, you will want some of the parchment paper to hang over the tops of the muffin tins so that you can lift up later on.
Add all the crust ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and blend until a ball a dough begins to form.
Drop a spoonful into each muffin tin and use your fingers to press down creating a crust. Add 2 berries to each crust and set aside.
Clean out your food processor.
Add the cashew pieces to the bowl of the food processor and blend to a clumpy, flour like consistency. Add the coconut oil and continue blending until it starts to resemble a thick nut butter.
Add in the remaining filling ingredients and blend until smooth.
Add a spoonful of filling to each crust using a small spatula to gently smooth out the tops.
Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Gently lift up on the parchment paper to remove the cheesecakes. Plate and garnish with whipped cream, any remaining berries and lemon zest if desired.

Menu Ideas Recipes

Harvest Cobb Chicken Salad with Beets and Figs

Bursting with fall flavors and colors, this harvest cobb salad with beets and figs is a healthy dinner option that suites any taste buds.

Truth be told, I often eat the same thing over and over for dinner. Hey I like what I like and as long as it’s healthy and flavorful, then I will stick to my ways. Because my husband is often gone, I typically will make one big meal every few days and portion it out for lunch and dinner. I pick the foods and flavors I love and that way, eating the same meal never gets boring for me.

Well this past month, this harvest cobb salad with sweet beets and figs was on repeat and seriously, it’s delicious! The market here in Spain has had the most marvelous fresh figs and although I do not eat fruit very often, due to having type 1 diabetes, I usually let myself splurge a big in the summertime, when fruit is fresh, local and seasonal. I have been loving slicing one fig up and wrapping it in manchego and prosciutto for an afternoon snack.

Anyways, back to this harvest cobb salad with a tangy cinnamon balsamic vinaigrette that I can’t stop eating! It is still very hot outside, so salad as a meal seems so refreshing at this time of year. I love making fulfilling, meal style salads, rather than a side salad as those are just boring. This is a great way to eat lots of veggies but still make a fulfilling scrumptious meal, that is even husband approved.

To make this meal simple, look for pre-cooked beets at the store and then prepare the other ingredients and place them in glass storage containers. That way all you have to do when you want to eat is toss and serve. Keep all the fun, flavorful toppings in glass containers in the refrigerator so you can add to lettuce and top with chicken for a simply dinner or lunch!

What are your favorite fall flavors?

Harvest Cobb Chicken Salad

Serves 4-6

3-4 chicken breasts + salt, pepper
2 cups cooked beets, cubed
4-6 figs, sliced in quarters
4 soft boiled eggs, sliced in half
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
8 oz feta cheese, crumbled
baby lettuce leaves + arugula

Cinnamon Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
fresh cracked black pepper

Directions

Warm your grill to medium-high heat.
Whisk together all the ingredients for the vinaigrette until thoroughly combined.
Lightly sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken, then drizzle 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and mix to evenly coat the chicken.
Grill the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side or until completely cooked through, depending on the thickness of your chicken.
Set aside to cool slightly as you prepare the salad.
In a large bowl, add all the salad ingredients. Toss with an appropriate amount of dressing.
Slice the chicken and serve atop the tossed salad.
Store any remaining dressing in the refrigerator to use at a later time.

Menu Ideas Recipes

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Chop Salad

A blissful summer meal, this healthy Mediterranean chicken chop salad comes together in minutes—simply grill, chop and toss for the perfect combination of flavor with each bite!

Do you ever just have one of those days? Days when you want to crawl in a hole and escape everything that is current reality? Well, I had one of those days a few weeks back and thankfully my sweet husband stepped in and somehow just made it all ok! He let me take a much needed nap, go for a long run in the sunshine with Libby the golden retriever and then kept me out of the kitchen for a few hours, saying dinner would be served at 8. Seriously? How cute is that!

I had no clue what he was making and honestly did not expect this amazing Mediterranean grilled chicken chop salad with sun-dried tomatoes, olives, feta and so much more. All I knew is that dinner was at 8 and that I was not allowed to do a thing, not even clean up!

And I will admit, I even got to eat in my bathrobe after a hot shower. Yes, dinner cooked completely by the husband, eaten on the patio in your bathrobe might just be my new favorite thing!

Since living in Spain we have sort of become olive obsessed, well more obsessed that we were before! Most every meal here in Spain starts with olives and when we are home we have taken up on that habit too. We may or may not even have a whole shelf dedicated just to olives. Yeah we are obsessed!

Olives are rich in healthy fats, Vitamin E (which is fabulous for your skin) and antioxidants, so I am totally down with eating them by the bowlful. Since olives are high in healthy fats and low in carbohydrates, I think they make the perfect afternoon snack or dinner appetizer because just a few leaves you satisfied and can help balance your hunger hormones!

We have been loving this Mediterranean grilled chicken chop salad and I love that it comes together so simply with minimal clean up. I like to make extras and store the toppings and grilled chicken in glass containers to eat for lunch or dinner throughout the week.

Mediterranean Chicken Chop Salad

serves 6

Grilled Chicken

4 chicken breasts
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
Fresh cracked black pepper

Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 sun-dried tomatoes, minced
1 tbsp fresh basil, minced
1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
1/2 tsp Italian herbs

To Assemble

Mixture of baby lettuce, arugula and spinach, chopped
1 cup olives
8 oz feta cheese, crumbled (omit for Paleo/dairy-free)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped

Directions

Add the chicken to a large bowl and pour in the marinade ingredients. Use a spatula to mix together, making sure all of the chicken is thoroughly coated.
Warm your grill or smoker to about 350 ° F. Grill your chicken for about 30 minutes, rotating about every 8 minutes, or until the internal temperature registers 165° F (I recommend using this internal temperature reader so you do not end up with dry chicken).
While the chicken cooks, whisk together your vinaigrette ingredients. Chop the lettuce and other salad ingredients and add to a large bowl. Right as the chicken is finished, toss the salad with the vinaigrette. Top with warm grilled chicken slices and serve.