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dinner

PALEO RED CABBAGE WITH APPLE

By Evy November 9, 2021

This paleo red cabbage with apple recipe is one of my seasonal favorites. I used to have it when I was a kid, and it pairs great with meat such a meatloaf or, as the traditional Belgians eat it, with sausage. This recipe is pretty easy to make, and you don’t need a whole array of ingredients and spices. Just six ingredients, to be specific.

Red cabbage is a nutritious vegetable high in vitamin C, which supports the immune system. And it’s also high in antioxidants which are great to fight off the free radicals our body is exposed to every day from our modern environment.

You can eat this vegetable raw in a salad or even fermented. But to keep it a little less boring, I like to eat it cooked.

For the ingredients

Red cabbage: In this recipe, I used a medium-sized organic red cabbage head.

Red apples: I used organic Jonagold apples. But you can use any other type of red apple you prefer.

Coconut oil: For the coconut oil, I used organic, extra virgin to sear the cabbage and apples before adding in the other ingredients.

Coconut sugar: To give this red cabbage a pleasant sweet taste, I added some coconut sugar. If you want to use another paleo-friendly sweetener, you can also use maple syrup, honey, molasses, or stevia. Make sure to taste after you add some sweetener to decide if you need more or less.

Vinegar: To prevent the red cabbage from losing its beautiful purple color, I added some distilled vinegar.

Water: To prevent the red cabbage from burning to the pot, I added one cup of water. You can choose to add more or less. The water will vaporize the longer you cook the cabbage.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links that help keep this content free.

PALEO RED CABBAGE WITH APPLES

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 50

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: European

Keyword: dairyfree, glutenfree, paleofriendly

Servings: servings

Calories: 140kcal

Ingredients

1 red cabbage
2 red apples
2 tablespoon coconut oil
3 tablespoons coconut sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 cup water

Instructions

Remove the outer leaves from the red cabbage. Cut in half and then cut into slices. Set aside.
Peel the apples, cut out the core and cut into small squares. Set aside.
In a large pot, melt the coconut oil on medium- high heat. Add the cut red cabbage and apples. Let is sear for about a minute.
Lower down the heat, add the coconut sugar, vinegar and water and let simmer for 40-50 minutes until soft. Stir inbetween.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Lifestyle

5 HEALTHY HALLOWEEN TREATS FOR KIDS

By Evy October 22, 2021

I can’t believe it’s already Halloween next week. But, of course, when you say Halloween, I immediately think of candy, trick or treating, and scary movies. And if you are a health-conscious parent like me, then these healthy Halloween treats might be perfect for your kiddo, their friends, and even the adults.

Last year we stayed home for Halloween, and we did a little trick or treating at home. We dressed up as skeletons. I decorated our hallway with Christmas lights, bats, and spider webs and put some treats in each house room. Olivia then had to go and knock on every door and find the treats with the help of tiny electric candlelight. She loved it! And ever since, she has been crazy about Halloween and the pleasures that come with it.

Whether you feel crafty and feel like spending a nice amount of time making these treats. Or you’re on a specific diet; there’s a treat for everyone on this list.

5 HEALTHY HALLOWEEN TREATS FOR KIDS

1. Pumpkin Tangerines

DIET: PALEO, GLUTEN-FREE, DAIRY-FREE, VEGETARIAN

These pumpkin tangerines are an excellent idea to give them a nice Halloween look, and they are super easy to prepare. You just peel a tangerine and place a little piece of celery in the middle, and you have yourself a cute little pumpkin.

You’ll need:
– Tangerines
– Celery stick

2. Spooky bananas

DIET: PALEO, GLUTEN-FREE, DAIRY-FREE, VEGETARIAN

My 4-year-old loves bananas, and when she saw these little ghosts, she freaked out. Not that she was scared, she was super excited and loved they had a face. To make these, you just peel a banana, cut them in half, and use some melted chocolate to make a face with the help of a piping bag. Then, place them in the fridge so the chocolate can harden. If you’re not into melted chocolate, you can also just use some dark chocolate chips to use as two eyes and an open mouth.

You’ll need:
– Bananas
– Dark chocolate or chocolate chips
– Lollipop sticks or Popsicle sticks

3. Dripping apple lollipops

DIET: PALEO, GLUTEN-FREE, DAIRY-FREE, VEGETARIAN

These dripping lollipops were another big hit my daughter went wild with, and they look so lovely. Just slice an apple into 1-inch slices, pinch them on a skewer and dip them in melted dark chocolate. Next, cut up some hazelnuts, walnuts, and pecans and sprinkle them on the chocolate. Place them in a glass and let them harden out in the fridge.

You’ll need:
– Apples
– Skewers
– Dark chocolate
– Hazelnuts, walnuts, and pecans

4. Keto Almond butter cups

DIET: KETO, GLUTENFREE, DAIRY-FREE, VEGETARIAN

Peanut buttercups are the signature candy on Halloween, so they couldn’t be excluded from this list, of course. However, I made these cups with almonds instead of peanuts, and they taste simply amazing! Find the recipe here.

You’ll need:
– 2 bars sugar-free dark chocolate (3.5 oz or 100g in total)
– 3 tablespoons coconut oil
– 2 tablespoons almond butter
– 1 tablespoon powdered erythritol
– Pinch of salt
– 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

5. Angry cheese sticks

DIET: KETO, GLUTENFREE, VEGETARIAN

These angry cheese sticks are perfect for when you’re in a rush because they’re the easiest thing to create to add to the Halloween theme. All you need is a cheese stick and a permanent marker, draw some angry or supprised face on them, and you have yourself a Halloween-proof treat.

You’ll need:
– Cheese sticks
– Permanent marker

How I handle my daughter’s Holiday candy intake

All these treats are healthy, natural, and without any preservatives or harmful colorants found in most store-bought candy, unfortunately. As a parent, it’s not always easy to keep our little ones away from sweets or treats on festivities like these. With my daughter, I try to limit her candy intake as much as possible. However, I do allow her to have an occasional treat once in a while when we’re out because it’s the reality we live in today. I feel like if I denied her everything, it would backfire in the long run, and maybe she would go on a path of having all the processed foods later when she’s a teenager because she was never allowed to have them. This way, she can learn how to balance her lifestyle.

We don’t keep any unhealthy processed foods at home. This way, she can’t be persuaded to have them, and it’s extra special if she does have them outside our house.

I hope you have a great Halloween; however you’re celebrating this year, with these 5 healthy Halloween treats, it can’t go wrong!

Happy Halloween!

*Our Halloween picture from last year, when we dressed up as skeletons and did the trick or treat in our hallway.*

Before you go, I would love it if you’d let me know in the comments which one of these healthy Halloween treats is your favorite!

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dairyfree

KETO SHEPHERD’S PIE

By Evy October 19, 2021

This keto shepherd’s pie is so delicious and great to prepare for a family dinner or if you like to meal prep and cook for one day and enjoy the meal for the rest of the week for lunch or dinner. At only 4 grams of net carbs per portion, this keto shepherd’s pie is one you’ll love. This recipe is also suitable for a paleolithic diet.

Instead of using the traditional white potatoes that are usually used to make shepherd’s pie, I replaced them with celery root.

Celeriac to replace the potatoes in the shepherd’s pie

Celery root or also called celeriac is a root vegetable. Most root vegetables, such as our beloved potato and sweet potatoes, are starchy. But celeriac isn’t, which is perfect in a ketogenic diet!
This vegetable is quite versatile and you can use it in soups, stews, or even make fries from it. This vegetable does not look very attractive on its own, but if used in dishes, it can be absolutely delicious. You can eat this vegetable both raw and cooked. The high season for this vegetable is from November to May but is available all year round.

This vegetable is packed with vitamins and minerals such as vitamins B6, C, and K, phosphorus, potassium, and manganese.

For the ingredients

The meat: In this recipe, I used ground beef. But you can use any of your favorite ground meat.

The vegetables: As mentioned before, I used celery root for the ‘mashed potato’ layer and added frozen peas and carrots in the meat layer.

The beef broth: I used beef broth in this recipe to give the meat and the vegetables a nice meaty flavor. If you don’t have beef broth, you can also use chicken broth, lamb broth, or vegetable broth.

The coconut cream: So make the mashed celery root I used coconut cream, to ‘smoothen the mash’. If you’re not a fan of coconut you can also use sour cream.

The mayonnaise: I always recommend using a mayonnaise that doesn’t have any vegetable or seed oils in it because they are highly inflammatory. Try to find a mayo that is made with avocado oil.

The almond flour: To create a nice brown ‘crust’ on top of the ‘pie’, I sprinkled some almond flour on top. You can also add some parmesan cheese instead.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links that help keep this content free.

KETO SHEPHERD’S PIE RECIPE

8 portions

INGREDIENTS

– 2 tablespoons coconut oil
– 26 oz. (750 grams) ground beef
– 1 medium-sized onion
– 3 cloves garlic (minced)
– 3 cups frozen peas with carrots
– Salt and pepper to taste
– 1 cup beef broth
– Some fresh thyme
– Some fresh or dried parsley
– 1 medium-sized celery root
– 1/4 cup coconut cream
– Garlic powder to taste
– Ground nutmeg to taste
– 1/4 cup mayonnaise
– 1/4 cup almond flour

INSTRUCTIONS

Start by preparing the meat with vegetables layer. In a large pan or pot, melt the coconut oil on medium-high heat.
Add the cut onion and minced garlic to the pan and fry for about 2 minutes.
Add the ground beef and mix with a wooden spatula to break up the meat. Season with enough salt and pepper.
When the meat starts to brown add the frozen peas and carrots and the beef broth, add some thyme and parsley and turn down the heat. Let the meat simmer in the pan or pot without a lid, so the water from the beef broth can vaporize.
In the meantime prepare the mashed celery root. Peel the celery root and cut it into even pieces.
Boil the celery root pieces in a pot with water until they are soft.
When the celery root pieces are soft, drain the water and add coconut cream, salt, pepper, garlic powder and nutmeg. Mix the celery root with an immersion blender or mash with a masher.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahernheit or 200 degrees Celsius.
Add the meatmixture to a large baking dish and spread out evenly.
Spread the mayonnaise evenly on top of the meat layer and top it off with the mashed celery root. Sprinkle the almond flour on top of the mashed celery root and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

NUTRITION

If you love a nice casserole for dinner, then you might also like my keto beef casserole recipe I posted before as well.

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dinner

SPAGHETTI SQUASH BOLOGNESE

By Evy October 11, 2021

This spaghetti squash bolognese recipe is one you’ll want to try this Fall. There are many alternatives to regular spaghetti made from flour, such as zucchini noodles or konjac noodles and Spaghetti squash is one you can add to the list of gluten-free options.

This recipe is not specifically tied to a paleolithic or ketogenic diet (one portion has a total of 37 net carbs). Although you could make this paleo if you leave out the mozzarella cheese and just top it off with some almond flour instead. If I’d have to tie it to a specific diet, it would be a healthy gluten-free diet recipe.

I’m a metabolically flexible person, so I can get away with this meal and still stay in ketosis. I share more on this in my stories on my Instagram account. So make sure to follow me there if you want to know more.

Portion size

Depending on how big your spaghetti squash is, the number of calories and macro’s may vary. The one I used was rather of large size, and I couldn’t completely finish one portion but my husband did. So this recipe can serve 2-4 people, depending on your appetite.

For the ingredients

The spaghetti squash: I used an organic spaghetti squash from my local market.

The seasoning: To season the spaghetti squash I used plain salt and pepper, as well as olive oil, which also adds some flavor. In the bolognese sauce, I used salt, pepper, paprika powder, Italian seasoning, and a pinch of cayenne pepper to give it a little extra spice. You can add in whichever seasoning you’d like, but I always love the combination of paprika with tomato. I used mainly dried spices but you can also choose to use fresh herbs like basil, parsley, or oregano to bring in some more Italian flavors.

The meat: In this recipe, I used ground beef. You can choose any ground meat of your liking.

The tomato sauce: I like to use passata when I make tomato sauces because it doesn’t have any additives. You can use any of the tomato sauces you prefer to make this recipe.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links that help keep this content free.

Spaghetti squash bolognese recipe

2-4 servings

INGREDIENTS

– 1 medium-sized spaghetti squash
– Salt and pepper to taste
– 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
– 1 tablespoon ghee
– 1 medium-sized onion (cut in pieces)
– 2 cloves garlic (minced)
– 26 oz. / 750 grams ground beef
– 1 1/2 cup passata
– Salt and pepper to taste
– 1 tablespoon paprika powder
– 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
– Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
– 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
– Some spring onion (optional to finish off)

INSTRUCTIONS

Start by preparing the spaghetti squash. Preheat the oven to 375 Fahrenheit or 190 degrees celsius. Line out a parchment paper on a sheet pan.
Cut the pumpkin in two and deseed. Season both sides with salt and pepper and cover in Olive oil with the help of a brush.
Put both halves on the sheet pan and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the bolognese sauce.
In a large pot, melt the ghee (or other cooking fat) at medium-high heat.
When the ghee is melted, add the onion and garlic. Stir until they start to glaze.
Add the ground beef and mix with a wooden spoon to break up the meat.
Lower the heat and add the passata, salt, pepper, paprika powder, Italian seasoning and cayenne pepper. Mix and let simmer on low heat.
Remove the spaghetti squash from the oven. Using a fork, scrape flesh from squash into “noodles”.
Cover the noodles with the bolognese sauce and shredded mozzarella.
Bake in the oven for another 10-15 minutes at 400 Fahrenheit or 200 Celsius, until the mozzarella starts to brown.

NUTRITION

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dessert

KETO – PALEO PUMPKIN PIE

By Evy October 7, 2021

This keto – paleo pumpkin pie recipe is one you’ll want to try this pumpkin season. Since our family is not that big, and a complete pumpkin pie would be too much, I decided to make some little ones. I found these small pie tins that are perfect for it. My 4 year old daughter loved these! This recipe can also be made into one big pie as well.

For the ingredients

The flour: In this recipe I used blanched almond flour.

The sweetener: depending on which diet you’re on, there will be a difference in the sweetener you’ll choose. If you’re on a ketogenic diet, you can use (golden) erythritol, monkfruit or stevia. When you’re on a paleolithic diet, you can use coconut sugar.

Pumpkin puree: I used fresh home made pumpkin puree, which is really easy to make by peeling, deseeding and cutting a pumpkin and cook in a steamer. Once the pumpkin is cooked I mix it in a blender and save it in a jar in the fridge or the freezer.
If you don’t want to go trough the process of making the pumpkin puree, you can also buy canned pre-made pumpkin puree, which works just fine too.

The creamer: If you’d like to make this recipe dairy free you can use coconut cream or any other nut creamer (not milk! As you need a thick consistency). When you’re on a ketogenic diet, and dairy is not a problem for you, you can use unsweetened heavy cream. Make sure to check the ingredient list when buying creamer. Avoid products that have ‘carrageenan‘ in it, since this additive causes inflammation.

Spices and flavour: In this recipe I use a pinch of salt and pumpkin spice.
Make your own pumpkin spice blend by mixing:
– 2 teaspoon of cinnamon
– 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
– 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
– 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
You can use 1-2 teaspoons for the recipe and save the left over spice mix in a jar and save it for when you want to make some other delicious pumpkin spice recipes.

KETO-PALEO PUMPKIN PIE

4 small pies or 1 large pie

INGREDIENTS

For the crust

– 2 cups almond flour
– 2 tablespoons butter (keto version) or 2 tablespoons coconut oil (paleo version)
– 2 tablespoons granulated erythritol (keto version) or 2 tablespoons coconut sugar (paleo version)
– 2 eggs
– Pinch of salt

For the pie filling

– 1 cup pumpkin puree
– 1/4 cup heavy cream (keto version) or 1/4 cup coconut cream (paleo version)
– 1/3 cup golden erythritol (keto version) or 1/3 cup coconut sugar (paleo version)
– 2 eggs
– 1-2 teaspoons Pumpkin spice (see ingredient information to make your own blend)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 °F or 175 °C.
Start by preparing the crust. In a large bowl, add the almond flour, butter, erythritol and eggs.
Mix everything together with a wooden spoon or spatula until it forms a dough.
Devide the dough into 4 small crust moulds, press well against the edges.
Bake the moulds with dough in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until the crust starts to look golden.
Take the crusts out of the oven and set aside.
Prepare the pie filling: Mix the pumpkin puree, creamer, sweetener, eggs and spices in a large bowl and fill up the pies.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes until filling is slightly jiggly in the middle and crust is golden.
Let the pies cool down for another hour before serving.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which helps keep this content free.

NUTRITION

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dinner

KETO – PALEO MUSHROOM SOUP

By Evy October 1, 2021

This keto-paleo mushroom soup is one of my husband’s favourites (and mine too), but I like any kind of soup to be honest. You might have tried any of my other soup recipes. I love to have soup. Especially during Fall and Winter when a filling hot meal is all you need.

Speaking of filling, this keto-paleo mushroom soup will definitely give you that satiety you’re looking for in a meal. One bowl has a total of 10 grams of net carbs and 45 grams of fat. The protein in this soup is rather on the low side, containing just 7 grams of protein, but that can easily be fixed by adding in some fried bacon or some cooked chicken breast.

This soup can be eaten on any ketogenic or paleolithic diet. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, low in carbs but filled with flavour. This recipe is versatile in any given diet.

For the ingredients

The mushrooms: In this recipe I used fresh organic chestnut mushrooms. But you can use any other type of mushroom your prefer.

The creamer: I used coconut cream with water to make this soup nice and creamy. If you don’t mind dairy, you can also use unsweetened heavy cream instead of coconut cream.

The flour: I added in some coconut flour, to thicken up the soup a little and give it some extra flavour.

KETO – PALEO MUSHROOM SOUP RECIPE

4 portions

INGREDIENTS
– 8 oz / 250 grams mushrooms
– 1 medium sized onion
– 3 cloves garlic
– 1 tablespoon coconut oil
– Salt (to taste)
– Black pepper (to taste)
– Nutmeg (to taste)
– 2 cups coconut cream
– 1 cup water
– 2 tablespoons coconut flour
– Some dried or fresh parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

Start by cutting the onion in pieces and mice the garlic. Also slice the mushrooms.
In a large pot, melt the coconut oil on medium to high heat.
Fry the onion and garlic for a couple of minutes until they start to brown. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for a few minutes.
Season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg, stir everything with a wooden spoon.
Pour in the coconut cream and water. Stir and add the coconut flour.
Add the dried or fresh parley and lower down the heat.
Let the soup simmer for 5-10 minutes.

NUTRITION

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