Breakfast Meatballs

2 lb ground chicken thighs (dark meat)*

1 tsp thyme

2 tsp sage (leaves) or 1 tsp rubbed sage

1 tsp marjoram (leaves) or 1/2 tsp ground marjoram

1 tsp all-spice

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp kosher salt

1 T maple syrup

1 T olive oil

1 32 oz carton of chicken broth 

*If you can't find this, combine 1 lb ground chicken (white meat) with 1 lb ground pork.  The ground white meat chicken alone is way too dry.

Pour broth into pot and heat to a boil.  Combine meat, spices, maple syrup, and olive oil.  Use disher (small ice cream scoop) to scoop meatballs into broth, once boiling.  Simmer for 10 minutes, or until done.

Pork Breakfast Sausage

Similar to Jimmy Dean sausage.

1 lb ground pork

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sage

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp brown sugar

Mix together.  Cook as patties on griddle.

Breakfast (or Dessert!) Plantains

The trick to these is to wait until the plantains are very ripe (and sweet).  80% brown is not too ripe!  Plantains hold their shape much better than bananas, so even when they are very ripe you can still slice them.  It can take about 2 weeks or more for a green plantain to fully ripen.  I buy one or two each week and let them sit until ready.

1 plantain
coconut oil
salt
honey or maple syrup

Slice plantain into rounds between 1/4-1/2 inch thick.  Heat pan on medium heat.  Add oil and swirl to coat.  Add plantains.  Cook until browned; flip and cook until other side browned.  Turn off heat, but let pan sit on heat for a few minutes to cook the plantains all the way through (especially if they are sliced thick).  Serve with a sprinkle of salt and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.

1 plantain serves 2 people, or 1 really hungry person

Pork Breakfast Scramble

The idea for this recipe came off a tube of Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage.  It would be better cooked with some US Wellness Pork Breakfast Sausage.  But sometimes grocery meat has to do!

1 lb ground pork breakfast sausage
1 cup chopped cilantro
white wine vinegar

top with:
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
sliced tomatoes

Brown sausage in pan until cooked and crumbled.  Use a splash of white wine vinegar to deglaze any stuck bits of sausage.  Remove from heat; stir in chopped cilantro.  Top with cheese and/or tomatoes.

This dish should not need any extra salt, as the sausage is usually salty enough.

Banana Bread Paleo Pancakes

I was searching for this recipe the other day, and couldn't believe I hadn't added it here yet!  If you have seen searching for yummy paleo pancakes, look no further.  I think I went through about 15 iterations of pancakes before I found these.  Even in paleo cookbooks that I loved, the pancake recipes were horrible.  Dry, crumbly, disintegrating on the griddle, hockey pucks, tasteless, you name it.   The only caveat is that these really do taste like banana bread.

2 large eggs
1/2 banana, mashed
1/2 cup coconut milk
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 cups almond flour
1-1/2 tsp arrowroot powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 T ground flax seed
coconut oil

Preheat griddle* on medium heat.

Mix all dry ingredients together.  Stir in coconut milk, vanilla, and mashed banana.  Beat eggs and stir in until well-combined.

Use a paper towel to lightly coat griddle with coconut oil.  Ladle pancakes onto griddle. (I use a disher to simplify this).  Cook until lightly browned, then flip.  (You will know it's time to flip when the edges start to look done, and the middle is still wet but not sloshy).  Cook until done and remove.  Serve with real maple syrup.

*I use the All-Clad Nonstick Griddle.  Yes, it's nonstick.  It's the last nonstick piece of cookware in my house.  One day I'll buy a cast iron one like this, but for now it's what I have!

Fajita Frittata

Original recipe from Health-Bent.  My modified ingredients below.  I do not eat fresh onions (except for green onions) due to high FODMAPs and indigestibility.

1 Tbsp butter
1 red bell pepper, chopped
leftover chicken, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
1 handful cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup salsa verde (I use Herdez brand)
1 tomato, sliced
6 eggs
1 pinch of salt per egg

Preheat oven to 375.  Heat oven-proof skillet on medium-high.  Add butter; allow to melt and stop sizzling.  Add bell pepper; cook until softened.  Add chicken; cook until lightly browned.  Add green onions, cilantro, and salsa verde; stir.  Lay tomatoes on top in 1 layer.

Mix eggs in separate bowl with salt.  Pour gently into skillet.  Cook on stove-top until middle 1/4 of the eggs are mostly cooked.  Transfer to oven and cook about 15 minutes, until done.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Original recipe from Primal Blueprint Quick and Easy Meals

2 large portobello mushroom caps, cleaned and de-stemmed
olive oil
2 handfuls baby spinach
2 eggs
leftover Spicy Chorizo Chicken Sausage (about 1/2 cup)

Preheat over to 425.  Drizzle olive oil on mushroom caps; sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place upside down on baking sheet; bake for 15 minutes.  Flip right side up (allowing collected juices to run out into pan).  Bake another 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare filling.  Heat skillet on medium-high.  Add olive oil; add spinach and cook until lightly wilted.  Add eggs; scramble.  Add sausage; warm until heated through.

Top mushroom caps with egg mixture.

Spicy Chorizo Chicken Sausage

1 lb ground chicken (dark meat or combo, not breast meat)
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp coriander
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cayenne
pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar

Brown chicken in skillet until almost done but still watery.  Sprinkle seasonings over top and mix in.  Simmer until water evaporates.  Let chicken continue to cook until it starts to brown slightly.  Add vinegar and scrape up browned bits.

I serve this sausage over Sauteed Kale, topped with Paleo Gravy.

Paleo Gravy

Original recipe from Paleo Comfort Foods.  This recipe uses the same techniques as traditional gravy (make a roux, add liquid, add seasonings, etc).

2 Tbsp fat (butter, bacon grease, beef tallow, etc)
1 Tbsp almond flour
1 Tbsp arrowroot
1 can coconut milk, shaken
1 tsp sage
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt (taste; you may wish to add more)
chicken broth (optional)

Heat fat in saucepan.  Add almond flour and arrowroot; whisk until just starting to brown (very light - don't let it get too dark).  Add in half of coconut milk and stir quickly.  Cook 1 minute.  Add seasonings and rest of coconut milk.  Reduce heat and simmer until warmed.  Add chicken broth if you wish to thin it.

Souffle Frittata

Original recipe from "Primal Blueprint Quick and Easy Meals"

This souffle is great when you need something different to do with eggs.  It is light and almost flaky.  It tastes just as good as  leftovers, or at room temperature if you need a portable meal.

2 Tbsp butter, melted & cooled
6 eggs, separated into yolks and whites
filling, such as 8 strips bacon

Preheat oven to 350.  Cook filling.  (You can microwave bacon.  Place 4 strips in a glass pie plate.  Cover with wax or parchment paper.  Cook 4 minutes.  If not done, cook in 30 second increments until done.  You can also cook it in a 12-inch oven-proof skillet you will use later to cook souffle.)  Cut into small pieces.

In a small bowl, mix cooled butter with egg yolks.  With a mixer, beat egg whites until stiff.  Fold the butter-yolk mixture and the bacon filling into the whites.

Heat 12-in oven-proof skillet on medium-high.  Add a little of the bacon grease and heat a few seconds.  Pour souffle into skillet; let cook 2 minutes.  Move to oven and bake 15 minutes.

Tex Mex Breakfast Hash

leftover chicken

Sautéed Bell Peppers

eggs

butter (or olive oil)

Scramble eggs.  Add in leftover chicken and bell peppers. Serve with salsa and avocado.

Sausage & Kale Soup

I eat this soup for breakfast a lot, using leftover sausage mix.

4 cups beef or chicken broth
1 lb breakfast sausage, uncooked
4 leaves fresh kale, chopped
OR sliced squash/zucchini
salt to taste

Bring broth to boil.  Scoop breakfast sausage into mini meatballs, and plop into boiling broth.  Stir; cook until done, about 5 minutes.  Add kale and simmer until kale is done to liking (a few minutes if you like it chewy, longer if you like it softened).

Sweet Potato Hash with Fried Eggs

Original recipe on Paleo Plan.

1 serving

2 tsp coconut oil
4 oz sweet potato, grated
1/2 onion, sliced thin (optional)
1 green or red bell pepper, sliced thin

1 tsp butter (or olive oil)
2 eggs

Heat skillet on medium-high.  Add coconut oil; heat 30 seconds.  Add veggies and saute until lightly browned.  Push to side of skillet; add butter.   Fry eggs in butter.  Serve eggs on top of hash.

Eggs Over Easy by Alton Brown: my favorite way to fry eggs.

Marinated Zucchini

1 lb zucchini

olive oil

salt and pepper

Julienne zucchini.  (Or use peeler to slice off thin strips.)  Sprinkle with salt and let sit for 15 minutes.  Squeeze dry with paper towels.  Drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with pepper.  Let sit in refrigerator 1 day to soften.

This is a good quick filling for omelets or paleo crepes.  It's also good with Savory Cashew Cheese on top for a quick snack.

Biscuits - With Whole Grain Flours

I use this recipe to make a drop biscuit. You could roll it out and cut to make layered biscuits if desired.

1 + 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup spelt flour

2 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 + 1/2 tsp kosher salt

2 Tbsp butter (cold)

1 + 1/4 cup whole buttermilk

1/4 cup honey

Preheat oven to 425.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Use a cheese grater (large holes) to grate the cold butter into the flours, stirring occasionally to prevent clumping. Stir until mixture resembles coarse meal, with bits of butter pea-sized (required minimal stirring - do not overmix).

Add buttermilk and honey. Stir until all bits of dry flour are combined. Use ice cream scoop (disher) to measure out biscuits onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 12-14 minutes, or until the tops are golden. (In my oven, I move the rack up to the upper third of the oven to bake these).

Chicken Breakfast Sausage

Makes about 10 patties.  (I also make mini meatballs with these -- using a tiny scooper -- and boil them in chicken broth for breakfast meatballs. )

This sausage has more subtle flavors than storemade sausage. Adjust according to your preferences.

1 lb ground chicken*

1/2 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp sage

1/4 tsp marjoram

1/4 tsp all-spice

1/4 tsp garlic powder

3/4 tsp kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/2 T maple syrup

1/2 T olive oil
optional: sprinkle of cayenne

Mix spices together and sprinkle over ground chicken. Stir to combine. Add liquids and stir until mixed. Cook on griddle over medium-high heat. Use an ice cream scoop (disher) to create uniformly sized balls. Cook on one side until browned; flip and press down to flatten. Cook until browned, then flip back over to finish cooking.

*I have had the best luck with freshly ground chicken thighs. Ask the butcher to grind them for you. Another good option is the ground chicken from Perdue ... the darker colored "ground chicken", not the "ground chicken breast". Do not use the "kosher" ground chicken at Whole Foods... it is brined and the salt content is too much for this dish.

Pancakes - With Whole Grain Flours

This recipe uses flours. If you prefer to use the whole grains, see Pancakes - With Soaked Whole Grains.  Pancakes are obviously not PALEO.  But sometimes my kids need to have pancakes.

1 cup whole wheat flour*

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup buttermilk (can sub with another 1/2 cup whole milk)

1/2 cup whole milk
3 Tbsp butter (melted)

1 egg

Combine dry ingredients in bowl. Stir in milk. Stir in melted butter. Add eggs. Mix until well combined.  Cook on griddle over medium high heat.  Makes about 10 pancakes (using ice cream scoop to measure).

I  often replace 1/4 cup flour with 1/4 cup almond meal for a higher protein pancake.

Pancakes - With Soaked Whole Grains

This recipe uses unprocessed grains. If you prefer to use flours, see Pancakes - With Whole Grain Flours.  Obviously not PALEO, but this is a good option if you really feel like you need a cheat.  Soaking the grains minimizes the gluten and phytic acid content.

1/3 cup wheat berries

1/3 cup oat groats

1/3 cup buckwheat

1/8 cup flaxseed

Combine in bowl. Cover with:

1/2 cup whole milk buttermilk

1/4 cup water

Add more water by the Tbsp to make sure grains are thoroughly wet. Cover; soak overnight.

Next morning, scoop whole grain mixture into high speed blender.

Add:

1/2 cup whole milk

Blend until smooth.

Add:

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp maple syrup

3 Tbsp butter, melted

Blend until combined. Scrape down as needed.

Add:

1 egg

Blend until combined.

Cook on griddle on medium to medium-high heat. These pancakes may need to cook slightly longer at a slightly lower temperature than other pancakes.