Rice...Rice...RICE.........

Last night I decided we would have sweet and sour chicken for dinner. It is easy enough to make and relatively safe for Paleo eaters and non-Paleo eaters alike. That is...except the rice. I LOVE rice. Jasmine and Saffron rices are my favorite. I could eat both on their own as a complete meal if it didn't destroy my stomach.  Anyway, so I had bought some jasmine rice for the non-Paleo in my house so they would be more likely to sit and have dinner and not complain and then I began to worry that I would not have enough self-control to not eat the rice.  Did I mention...I LOVE jasmine rice. As I stood in the grocery store pining for jasmine rice, it occurred to me that, maybe I could make cauliflower rice instead. Sadly, I don't have any jasmine handy so that was out of the question....but I DO have turmeric....suddenly...I had the perfect solution....Saffron rice!!! Oh the beautiful yellow hue...the delicate smokiness...the almost buttery flavor across the tongue....oh saffron rice...you devil you...how could I resist attempting to make it in a Paleo safe environment...it had to be done...it just HAD TO BE!  The nice thing...now that I have this new found weapon under my belt...my mexican dinner nights will be better for it as well! ;-)  I digress...here is what you came for.....

Paleo Saffron Cauliflower Rice

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 2 tsp garlic, minced 
• 1/4 C. yellow onion, small dice/minced
• 1 Tbsp grass-fed butter
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• Pinch of saffron threads, crushed between your fingers (approx. 1/16 tsp)
• Salt, to taste

1. Rinse cauliflower head and rough chop into florets.  Place florets in food processor and process on low or pulse until the consistency of rice kernels.
2. Heat butter and oil together in a large skillet.  Add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent.
3. Add cauliflower rice and stir to coat the “rice” with the butter/oil.
4. Add turmeric and saffron, and salt. Stir to combine.
5. Cover and allow to cook for 5-10 minutes, or until “rice” is tender.
6. ENJOY!

Oh how I wish I were a better photographer or had a better camera. Whatever though...you get the point...it is yellow rice...and it is DELICIOUS!!! :)

The hidden truth...

I have a confession. My family hates vegetables. No, seriously...hates. Of the 5 people who live in my household, 1 (me) will happily and willingly eat vegetables on a regular basis. So much so that I was vegan at one point. Sadly, except for the youngest who will dabble in veggies and the man who will eat the occasional salad, I am left to eat the veggies alone. Or so they think. ;)

The truth...I have been hiding vegetables in their food since before they knew they were eating food....and tonight was no different. Tonight...we had sloppy joes! Mmmm...sloppy, meaty goodness (shhh, and veggies). So here is how this works...I make something like sloppy joes or spaghetti or chili and I mince the veggies up so fine that even if they can see them or find them, they can't pick them out and they can't really taste them. Tonight's sloppy joes are a perfect example. The spinach and carrots are visible, there is no getting around it - they are bright colors. BUT, you can't taste them. You can't feel their texture. It is the perfect indulgence. In order for this to work though, you need a food processor, blender, or hand blender (or be super amazing at mincing veggies).  Remember to always hide the evidence as soon as possible! ;)

Made Right Sloppy Joe

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 large carrot, minced
• 2 C spinach, minced (should equal about 1 cup when it is all chopped up)
• 1-1.5 C. Homemade ketchup (or your favorite organic ketchup. I use this recipe but sub honey in for the corn syrup and omit the sugar, tastes awesome)
• 1-2 Tbps Yellow mustard
• 1/4 C. Mayo (or egg-free it with Veganaise like we do)
• 1 Tbsp "Leah's" seasoning salt (see below for recipe)
• 1 Tbsp Olive oil, coconut oil, talo, lard, bacon grease (whatever you prefer to saute in)

1. Heat oil in large saute pan, cook the onions until translucent. 
2. Add ground beef and brown, seasoning with seasoning salt.
3. Add minced carrot and spinach and allow to simmer for about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add ketchup and mustard and let simmer for another 3-5 minutes. 
5. Remove from heat and add the mayo.  At this point it should be pretty close to the consistency that you would expect of sloppy joes. If not, taste and decide if it needs more "tangy-ness" (add mustard), more tomato (add ketchup), or more creamy/sweetness (add mayo). You can also adjust seasonings here, although I have never needed additional seasoning.

We like to eat it on a bed of lettuce but for those who eat bread or have some of their favorite gluten free or paleo bread...yummo...have at it! :)  Also, I tend to double this recipe in my house to feed everyone and still have leftovers for lunch. It is really pretty good reheated or even cold.  It is hard to get a good picture of it because I don't have a great camera...plus...it isn't they prettiest stuff. But trust me...it tastes awesome!

Enjoy! Reap the benefits of your family FINALLY eating their vegetables...even if they have NO idea!

**Leah's Seasoning Salt

• 1 Tbsp salt
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder

1. Combine ingredients and store in an airtight container until use. (PS: I usually make HUGE batches of this...it doubles, triples, etc. very well.)

The egg-free breakfast...

Okay, this is an issue I run into alllllll the time. What the heck do you feed someone at breakfast who can't eat eggs!? I mean, com'on...it is the quintessential breakfast food! It is the breakfast food to end all breakfast foods (unless we are talking about bacon and then, well, there just is no comparison...but besides bacon). So what do you feed a child who can't eat grains, eggs, soy, milk, yogurt, or any known "normal" breakfast food? Well, the lovely lady over at The Girl Who Went Paleo has come up with the PERFECT solution. It is grain free, it is egg free, it is dairy free, it is A COOKIE!!! What kid wouldn't give his right eye to be able to eat cookies for breakfast!!??  This is a MUST try recipe, for any who care about my opinion on the matter. I did modify this slightly to accommodate our needs, as usual, but the modifications were super minor so take them or leave them.

1. I used about half the amount of honey.   I made them to the recipe the first go around and felt the honey overpowered things and made them too sweet. About half was perfect for me.
2. I removed the pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon).  My son is highly intolerant to cinnamon so it was a bad call for me to put it in the first batch...needless to say I was forced to eat those all by myself. (It was torture but I took one for the team because my mom always taught me never to waste food.)
   

I have to admit, even with the modifications, the cookies are damn good...like super uber good...as in, you should probably plan to double and triple the batch because they are so frickin good you will have a hard time not eating them all in one sitting. And they TOTALLY kick ass with a cold glass of coconut or almond milk.

Oh, and if you happen to be allergic to almonds - no fear. Someone, in the comments of that recipe page has kindly given you the formula for making it with coconut flour instead of almond flour (spoiler alert - use half the amount of flour). 

So there you have it, a super simple cookie recipe that can be used as a breakfast treat or an anytime treat!