Oh Nuts! - Snacks

I had a request to post some good snack options and since I didn't plan any recipe this week, I thought now would be the perfect time to list some good snacks. Some of these snacks are good to put out for guests or bring to a dinner and some are just good to have around the house.

• Raw Nuts- Almonds, Walnuts, Cashews, Pecans, Macadamia, and Brazil: Grab a handful of these to snack on or put in a snack bag and bring with you. I usually bring a few individual servings with me when traveling or to work, or I may just carry some around with me in my purse. Try to get them raw, you can easily find a variety of different types at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. Serving size is about a handful or quarter cup. Don't go crazy with, they are high in fat and while we like fat in Paleo world, you still want to keep it to a moderate amount. Luckily the high fat and protein content should fill you up so you shouldn't still be hungry if you're getting enough calories during your meals.
• Along with the raw nuts you can make your own trail mix. Add in SOME dried fruit like raisins, blueberries, banana, apricots, etc. Really there's a huge variety of dried fruit. Best option would be to make your own in a dehydrator, but most grocery stores have some good options. Try to find unsweetened or with as little other ingredients as possible. The only ingredient should be the fruit but sometimes they add something to keep the fruit dry. Add in 1:3 fruit: nut ratio.
• Another ingredient to add to the trail mix or just eat on it's own are Raw Cacao Nibs, you can find these at Whole Foods and most Natural Food Stores. This is basically the part of the cocoa bean that gets separated when making chocolate. You can eat a small handful as a snack or add into the trail mix. This offers a little sweetness but be prepared, this has a more bitter flavor than the regular chocolate you're used to.

• Kale Chips: Super easy to make and taste just like potato chips! Ok, maybe not just like potato chips, but pretty darn close. Make them and I bet you will agree. Definitely takes on the role of that crunchy snack we all have cravings for.

Ingredients:
Kale Leaves
1-2 tbsp. Bacon Fat or Duck Fat or any other type of delicious fat
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
2 tbsp. Lemon Juice
Sea Salt

Preparation:
Wash kale leaves and pat dry, cut the thick stem from leaves and tear leaves into pieces.
Put the torn leaves into a mixing bowl. Season with a little garlic powder, and fresh squeezed lemon juice (this is to add a little flavor, you should not saturate the leaves). Depending on the amount of torn leaves you have will depend on the amount of seasoning, I used half a lemon for about 12 big leaves.
Melt 1 tablespoon of fat (again depending on how much you are making will depend on the amount of fat you need, you are trying to lightly coat the leaves to prevent from sticking to the baking pan, not saturate them)
Pour the fat over the leaves and gently toss to coat.
Lay leaves on a baking sheet and preheat over to 400 degrees. You can bunch up the leaves so they are close together but they shouldn't really overlap.
Cook in the oven for 8-10 mins until dry and crunchy. Sprinkle a little sea salt on top or Pink Himalayan Salt (yummmmm!)
Remove from baking sheet and enjoy!
These need to be eaten within a day or they go limp, haven't figured that mystery out yet, I will send out an update once I do.

** You may have to do a couple batches in the oven, or use multiple baking sheets.**

• Veggies w/ Paleo hummus- Your typical veggie platter assortment with a Tahini hummus

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Sesame Tahini- found in most grocery stores. Some carry it in the organic section with the nut butters.
4 cups Zucchini-peeled and chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves- peeled
Juice of 4 Lemons
1 tbsp. cumin
2 tsp sea salt
Paprika- for garnish

Preparation:
Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender except paprika and process until all ingredients are smooth and consistent (almost paste-like).
Pour into a bowl and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a little paprika.
Serve with sliced vegetables.

• Ants on a Log- remember this childhood classic- here it is with a Paleo twist

Ingredients:
Celery Sticks
Sun butter or Almond Butter
Raisins

Preparation:
Cut celery into sticks, fill middle with nut butter and top with a few raisins.

-Or-

You can be lazy about it like me and 1. Just eat a couple spoonfuls of nut butter or 2. Dip celery into nut butter jar and sprinkle a couple raisins on top.
The first option is best if company is coming over.
Again, just like with the raw nuts, don't get too carried away with nut butters, these are still pretty high in fat.

• Hard boiled eggs with salt and Stone Ground Mustard- I know you think I'm crazy but it actually makes sense. Think about deviled eggs, those usually have mustard in the ingredients. Just top your egg with a little salt and a dollop of some good quality mustard. Do we know how to make hard boiled eggs? I hope so but if not

Bring a pot of water to boil, carefully drop eggs in. Turn off heat and cover for 18 mins. Remove eggs and let cool (you may want to put them in an ice bath to hurry up this step) Peel and enjoy!

• Jerky!! Who doesn't love some dehydrated meat, we know Randy Savage is a huge fan. Recipe will be coming soon in order to give you all a chance to go out and buy a dehydrator or you can be like me and put it on your wedding registry :) In the meantime, these are probably the next best option:Paleokits. You really want this stuff to have as few ingredients as possible with the exception being spices. No, teriyaki is not a spice and always contains sugar, unless its Paleo Teriyaki. Which, if its in a Big Box store, its not Paleo. Sorry, maybe one day. 

The possibilities are endless when it comes to snacks.

Now, lets talk a little about snacks and mindless eating. It's really important to be mindful with snacking so you don't end up over indulging. A really good way to prevent this is by making a single serving of a snack and putting the rest away. With nuts it can be really easy to go to town on a bag of cashews or trail mix which is really high in fat and calories. While we love fat in Paleo world, it should not make up the majority of your calories. Plus, its damn expensive buying multiple bags of raw nuts. Make them last, grab a handful and put the rest back. If you're still hungry go for something a little lower in fat content like the usual carrots sticks or even a quarter cup of berries. But be conscious of what you're putting in your mouth. Think about it and before you go back for another handful of nuts or spoonful of almond butter ask yourself "Am I still hungry?" It's really easy to relax, watch some TV and consume a whole bar of dark chocolate when all you need is a couple squares to satisfy you.

That's all for this post!

Now here's a picture of a dinner party I hosted last weekend and cooked an amazing menu from Gather. Once again, I swear these people do not pay me to advertise their book but its simply amazing and delicious and I highly recommend it if you like to entertain or just love cookbooks with great recipes and amazing photography. This dinner was taken from the menu for Chinese Takeout. It included Spring Rolls, Fried Rice with Shrimp, Stir-fry Vegetables and General Tso's Chicken.

And here's a picture of a sea lion and Walker, can you tell which one is which? Obviously separated at birth!

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Thanks!