Eggplant Sauce over Butternut Squash Noodles (Paleo)

Eggplant is what I like to call the “transition” vegetable. Poor thing (yes, I just expressed sympathy for a vegetable), it’s not really the summer vegetable since it comes in at the end of the season. And you can’t really call it a fall vegetable since it peaces out by the time October rolls around. It kinda hangs out in limbo. Unfortunately that limbo is going to be ending pretty darn soon, so time to get the last few meals out of it!

Eggplant Sauce over Butternut Squash Noodles (Paleo)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp avocado oil

1 onion

3 garlic cloves

1 tsp parsley

1/2 paprika

salt and pepper

1 eggplant

2 peppers

1 and 1/2 cups diced tomatoes with juice

Black olives (optional)

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Shredded butternut squash from 1 “neck” *

1 tbsp avocado oil

*By “neck,” I mean the long part of the squash. Simply peel this section, cut off from the round part of the squash (use this part for another recipe), and run through the shredding attachment to your food processor (you can also shred with a grater). Make sure you are working with squash that has NOT been cooked!!!

Directions:

Heat 1 tbsp of oil over medium low heat in a deep skillet. Add in onions and sauté for 3 minutes. Add in garlic, parsley, paprika, and salt and pepper and let cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in eggplant and peppers, cover with a lid and let cook for an additional 15 minutes. Afterward, add in tomatoes and olives. Heat for 5 more minutes and then set aside.

During this cooking process, heat the other tbsp of oil in another deep skillet. Add in shredded butternut squash and cover with a lid for 4 minutes, stirring once or twice (DO NOT let this cook for longer!). Place in a bowl and top with finished eggplant sauce.

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Coconut Banana Bread (Paleo)

This week, I came to the acceptance that I cannot bake for the life of me when using a box mix. I’ve actually known this for a while now- past experiences in making brownies while babysitting have never been successful. However, I’ve always been able to blame someone else’s oven for gooey, undercooked brownies. Until this week.

Thinking I could score some easy points for a club I’m in, I signed up for the club’s coming bake sale on campus and was assigned brownies. Except… I ran out of time and ingredients to make them homemade. Oops.

So, down to the 11th hour, I grabbed a gluten-free brownie box mix that I figured would do.

Yes, I know. Shame on me for using a box mix for a bake sale. Not really all that homemade when all you do is mix the powder with 2 ingredients. Not to mention all the artificial and sugary ingredients… but like I said, time crunch. Hey- at least I didn’t try playing off store-bought brownies as my own?

But, some higher-up power also thought I was taking the easy way out. So what do I get? Gooey brownies that wouldn’t hold form and were burnt at the bottom.

Hmmm, thought me. Must have been the box brand. But alas, no. Because box 2 turned out the same way, with the sides rock hard.

Grumbling that I should have just gone out and splurged on ingredients, I tried box 3. And a miracle happened. Passable brownies… an embarrassingly long time later.

Lesson learned? I’m sticking to baking from scratch from now on. For me, it’s actually less time consuming. Plus, homemade is 1000x better than box mixes.

Which is why I was happy to make my (from scratch) coconut banana bread today 🙂   

Coconut Banana Bread (Paleo)

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas

2 eggs

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup tapioca flour/starch

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/3 cup shredded coconut

3 tbsp coconut sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a bread pan with parchment paper.

Combine bananas, eggs, applesauce, oil, and vanilla in a food processor and blend all together.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, shredded coconut, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and power, and salt.

Add dry ingredients to the wet and stir/blend together until combined.

Transfer bread batter to the bread pan and place in the oven for 45 minutes.

Let cool for at least 30 minutes before removing from the pan.

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry (Paleo)

I really don’t know why I don’t eat more stir-fry for dinner. I really should since it makes for such a quick, filling, and satisfying meal. Plus, they’re so versatile! Not to mention, lunch leftovers for those busy school/work days that make all your friends jealous. Hmmmm, new fall resolution perhaps? Stir-fry at least once a week? Sounds like something I can most certainly stick to 🙂

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry (Paleo)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp avocado oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic gloves, minced

1 tbsp minced ginger

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

1 lb organic beef cubes, thawed 

1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets

2 eggs

salt and pepper

Optional: Cauliflower rice

Directions:

In a large and deep skillet, heat oil and add in onion, garlic, ginger, pepper flakes,  salt, and pepper. Let cook for 5 minutes, mixing occasionally. Add in beef cubes and cover with a lid. Let cook for another 5 minutes, lifting the lid halfway through to stir contents. Stir in broccoli, cover with lid, and cook for 10 minutes, again checking every few minutes to stir.

Meanwhile, scramble eggs in another pan. Once cooked fully, add in salt and pepper and chop into small pieces with your spatula.

Once the 10 minutes are up for your stir fry, turn off heat and mix in eggs. Adjust taste with salt and pepper. Serve over cauliflower rice, if desired.

Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches

Two more days until the unofficial start of fall! Just enough time for one more summer recipe.

Ahhh heck. Who am I kidding? I eat this in the dead of winter. Can’t beat PB and chocolate 🙂

Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, divided

4 tbsp unsweetened almond milk, divided

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1/4 cup plain, whole milk yogurt

2 and 1/2 tbsp nut butter (almond, peanut…)

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

Directions: 

Cover and mold the bottoms of a mini muffin pan with aluminum foil. Set aside.

Melt 1/4 cup chocolate chips and 2 tbsp almond milk together until smooth. Pour the melted chocolate into the muffin pan, just enough in each hole to cover up the aluminum entirely. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the yogurt, nut butter, vanilla, and salt together. Once the chocolate has frozen, cover it entirely with a glob of yogurt. Freeze again for 15 minutes.

Melt the remaining chocolate chips and almond milk together. Once the yogurt has stiffed, pour chocolate on top and return to freezer. Wait about 30 minutes before popping sandwiches out of muffin tins (using a fork helps). Store in the freezer.