Cookie Dough Protein Bowl (Grain-Free)

Confession: When a was little, I used to sneak large globs of cookie dough from the giant tub of Pillsbury in the fridge. I laughed at the threat of getting an upset stomach. Oh, to be young and so carefree…

As evidenced by today’s post, however, my childhood desires have not entirely been suppressed with age. As much as I love my Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip, I do not always have sweet potatoes at hand. Instead, I have created this protein-packed cookie dough.

And guess what? I have not only been eating this as a snack and dessert, but also for breakfast too! Looking at the ingredients list, I can confidently say I regret nothing!

Oh, and an added bonus? This recipe will stuff you up! I couldn’t even get through a quarter of my cookie dough bowl before getting full! With that said, enjoy!

Cookie Dough Protein Bowl (Grain-Free) 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup protein powder (obviously, pick a flavor you like!)

3/4 cup plain, whole milk yogurt

1/4 cup nut butter and/or coconut butter

3 tbsp coconut flour

2 tbsp shredded coconut

1 tsp vanilla extract

 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

Pinch of stevia

2 tbsp cacao nibs

Directions:

Add all ingredients (except the cacao nibs) into a food processor and blend until smooth (likewise, you can just stir all the ingredients together in a bowl really well). Stir in the cacao nibs, transfer to a bowl, and place in the fridge for 20 minutes before serving. Makes a great breakfast, snack, or dessert!

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Gillyweed (AKA Spinach Balls) (Paleo)

It’s July 31st! And anyone who reads Harry Potter knows that today’s Harry’s birthday. To celebrate every year, I gather with some friends to re-watch some Harry Potter movies and eat some wizarding world-inspired food. It might sound kinda silly but hey- tradition is tradition.

Last year, we made cauldron cakes, pumpkin pasties, cockroach clusters, and… gillyweed! In the magical world, gillyweed allowed for Harry to breathe underwater in the second task of the Triwizard Tournament. For muggles (the non-magical population- read as YOU) this gillyweed is my version of spinach balls. (Yes, I know, it doesn’t match the book’s depiction, but it is green and weird looking).

Even after Harry Potter day last year, I continued to have these spinach balls because they were quick, good to take on the go, and super tasty! In fact, I often eat several for breakfast!

And now that you all know how odd I am… happy July 31st!

Gillyweed (AKA Spinach Balls) (Paleo)

Ingredients: 

3/4 cup cashew butter

1 egg

1/4 cup chopped onion (do NOT add more- will have the batter too runny) 

2 garlic cloves

1 tsp salt

Pepper

1/2 tbsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

4 cups fresh spinach

2 tbsp coconut flour

Instructions: 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and grease a baking sheet. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor (you might have to add the spinach in slowly) and blend until all throughly combined and green throughout. With a spoon, scoop batter onto baking sheet. Place in the oven for 12 minutes, flip gillyweed over, and place back in the oven for another 5 minutes. Let cool before eating. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge. My opinion? The gillyweed tastes even better the next day!

Cajun Vegetable Dip (Paleo)

I finally feel like I’ve reached the “fun” part of summer!

This past week I took my state test to become certified to teach middle school social studies. I’m not going to lie though, it was brutal. With the possibility to be tested on ANY event/person/civilization/land form/etc in the world, it was impossible for me to know everything that would be on the test. I’ve been studying for this exam for months and I still feel that there was so much I didn’t know.

On the bright side though, I love studying history, so it hasn’t been torture to prepare for this test. And I had the chance to brush up on government, geography, and economics- subjects I’ve always been slightly on the fence with. Anyway, results don’t come in until next month, so I’m forced to chill until then.

Which means I can guiltlessly begin to make stuff in the kitchen again! Such as on one of my favorite veggie dips! 

Cajun Vegetable Dip (Paleo)

Ingredients:

1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cayenne 

pepper

Juice from 1 lemon

Directions:

Fill a pot with water and add in the cauliflower. Bring water to a boil and cook the  cauliflower. Once tender, drain cauliflower, transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add in the rest of the ingredients and blend until all combined. Cool in the fridge for at least 3 minutes to allow flavors to intensify.

Chicken and Broccoli Cheese Dip (Grain-Free)

Memorial Day weekend recipe! Perfect for dipping at BBQs and parties 🙂 

Chicken and Broccoli Cheese Dip

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked and thickly shredded chicken

1 head of broccoli, stem and florets chopped into small pieces

1 small onion, chopped

1 and 2/3 cup plain, greek yogurt

4oz cream cheese

2 tbsp spicy mustard

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on LOW for 1-2 hours. Switch to KEEP WARM and start dipping!

Brussel Sprout Salad with Tahini Dressing (Grain-Free)

Now normally I avoid posting salad recipes, simply because it’s not something I put a lot of effort into while making. Usually, it’s a mixture of “whatever’s lying around.”

But this salad is absolutely amazing, so I’m posting it 🙂 With roasted brussels sprouts and pine nuts as a base, there’s a little more prepping involved. And do not omit the dressing. It really brings together all the flavors. Feel free to add more or less of any ingredient- my measurements aren’t exact (except for the dressing)- I just kinda eyeball it!

Brussel Sprout Salad with Tahini Dressing (Grain-Free)

Ingredients:

Salad

1 lb brussels sprouts

garlic powder

salt and pepper

1 tbsp avocado oil

1 tbsp pinenuts

1/3 cup fresh mango, cubed

1/4 cup raw onion, diced

3-4 tbsp feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing

3 tbsp tahini

3 tbsp water

1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the stems off the brussels sprouts and slice in half. Place on a baking pan and sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Top with oil and toss altogether. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Take out, mix in pine nuts and cook for 5 more minutes. Set aside.

To make the dressing, whisk together all the dressing ingredients.

On a nice serving platter, toss together brussels sprouts, mango, onion, and feta. Top with about 3/4 of the dressing (use the rest for another salad recipe). Mix altogether and serve!