Cranberry + Pumpkin Pork Loin (AIP, Paleo)

Cranberry + Pumpkin Pork Loin

If you are like me after the holiday, you find yourself with plenty of leftover pieces of the meal, such as cranberry sauce and pure pumpkin. Even though you got a whole can, you only needed a cup to make the pumpkin pie.

Ingredients

• 1 cup pure pumpkin
• 1 cup cranberry sauce (homemade, store bought or you can try the recipe listed below)
• 4-5 lb boneless pork loin (boneless pork tenderloin could work as well)
• 1 cup of chicken or turkey bone broth (or stock)
• 1 medium onion, cut into thick strips
• Kosher Salt
• Ground black pepper (omit for AIP)
• 1 teaspoon of arrowroot flour 
• 1 teaspoon of filtered water

Instructions

1. Heat a large pan to medium heat and sear pork loin on all sides. This helps trap in all the good flavors.
2. Line crock pot with onion slices. Lay pork loin on top of onion and top off with chicken broth.
3. Sprinkle salt and pepper (omit for AIP) all over the top of pork loin.
4. In small bowl, mix cranberry sauce and pumpkin until well combined.
5. Pour cranberry and pumpkin mix on top of pork loin.

6. Cook in crockpot for 5-7 hrs or until it pulls apart easily.
7. Remove from crockpot and let rest for 15 mins.
8. While pork loin is resting, take 1 cup of the drippings left in the bottom and transfer to a small sauce pan and bring to boil.
9. Mix 1 teaspoon of arrowroot flour (or tapioca starch) with 1 teaspoon of water and then slowly whisk it into the sauce.
10. Turn heat down to a simmer, and continue to stir until sauce thickens to become gravy.
11. Slice pork loin and serve topped with some homemade gravy

Cranberry Clementine Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 clementines
• Zest from one clementine
• 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries (no need to thaw ahead of time)
• ½ cup coconut palm sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1/4 cup water

Instructions

1.       Zest on clementine and then peel and roughly chop both and add to small sauce pan.

2.       Add cranberries, coconut sugar, zest, cinnamon sticks, and water to plan and bring to boil at a       

medium-high heat.

3.       Once boiling, drop to a low heat and let simmer, stir occasionally.

4.       When most of the cranberries have popped and the sauce is thick, remove from heat.

5.       Let cool and serve or put in the refrigerator for later. You can remove the cinnamon sticks or leave them.  If you are going to make the pork loin recipe, I would leave them in the sauce.

Mini Carrot Cakes with Coconut Frosting (Paleo)

Mini Carrot Cakes with Coconut Frosting

So for the last month I have been on a serious sweet tooth fix. I am not the biggest dessert person, but when I crave something, I have to have it. I’ve made chocolate pistachio clusters (check out paleomg's amazing recipe, she is a genius!) And I've made a few two many 5 minute microwave chocolate cakes (coming soon to the blog, I promise). And then finally, I began craving my most favorite dessert ever: Carrot Cake!

When I searched for gluten free or paleo carrot cake recipes and couldn't find something I like. Either it was too many odd ingredients, or ones I would just never buy. My plan was to find a way to make these treats with simple ingredients most people would have in their kitchen.

Mini Carrot Cakes with Coconut Frosting

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 banana
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil, divided
• 3 tablespoons sifted coconut flour
• 3 tablespoons of chopped walnuts
• ½ cup of shredded carrot
• 4 small pitted dates, diced

Coconut Frosting 

Ingredients

• 1 cup of coconut cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• ½ tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 tablespoon melted coconut oil
• ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 335 degree. Yes a bit odd, but trust me.
2. Mix eggs, coconut flour, vanilla extract, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, maple syrup, and  2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil in a medium bowl.
3. Blend banana in food processor or blender until it is at a smoothie consistency. Then add to bowl with other ingredients.
4. Add chopped dates, walnuts, and shredded carrots to mix and fold in.
5. Take remaining tablespoon of melted coconut oil and grease muffin tray. 
6. Pour mix into tray so that each muffin tin is ¾ full. The mix should make 6 mini cakes.
7. Bake in oven for 25 minutes, or until you can put a tooth pick in the center and it comes out clean. 
8. While cakes are cooking, place all frosting ingredients in a medium bowl and use a hand mixer to mix until it is a nice smooth whipped consistency.
9. Pull them out of oven and let them cool for 2-3 minutes in tray. Then put them on a rack to finish cooling.
10. Once cakes are cool, top each one off with an over flowing tablespoon of icing, and top with some walnuts for decoration.

Now enjoy!!

*Source: http://www.patient.co.uk/health/polycystic-ovary-syndrome

Sweet Potato Pancakes (Paleo)

Hi, my name is Alex and I am addicted to pancakes. It’s a very serious condition and the only remedy is more pancakes.

Ok, so let’s be real, pancakes are great. They remind you of weekend mornings growing up and stuffing your face with as many pancakes as you could until you felt almost sick. I feel like my goal in life is to try different pancake recipes and share them with the world.

It only makes sense to mix my two favorite things: pancakes and sweet potatoes. It was a duh kind of moment. This is a nice sweet pancakes that makes a sweet treat for Pancake Sundays (if you don't already do them, you should start) or as a special breakfast for this Valentine's weekend.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

Ingredients

• ½ cup of mashed sweet potato
• ¼ cup of milk of your choice, my preference is coconut milk
• 2 eggs
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1-2 tablespoon of coconut oil

Instructions

1. Mix eggs, milk, nutmeg and cinnamon in your blender until mix begins to froth.
2. Mix the sweet potato in with the rest of the batter until smooth.
3. Heat your butter or coconut oil in a pan on low heat. 
4. Add your pancake mix to the pan. Similar to my banana pancake recipe, use a ¼ cup for about 3 medium size cakes and fill it only half way for 6-7 small cakes. 
5. Cook about 2-3 minutes per side. You may need to add a little more butter or oil between batches.
6. Enjoy with your favorite toppings. 

My favorite way to eat these pancakes is with a little honey and some fresh strawberries

Or with just a little butter, cinnamon and maple syrup.