Sweet potato, chive and bacon biscuits (Paleo-friendly!)

As you now know, I have a girl crush on Juli Bauer, as I've been making a ton of her recipes.  I really think she's the main reason why I might actually be able to go Paleo - her recipes are outstanding, innovative, and most importantly, DELICIOUS.

I've been wanting to make this dish for a while, even though it was originally billed as a Thanksgiving side dish, but whatever, it's phenomenal even in the middle of the summer.

What is this recipe, you wonder?  I won't tease you any further.  PALEO sweet potato, chive and bacon biscuits.  Oh, yes.

Here's how I made it:

Fork sweet potatoes and place in an oven safe baking dish.  Place dish in a preheated oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until soft...

...while those are cooking, take some bacon (I used turkey bacon)...

...dice, and add to a skillet to brown...

...meanwhile, chop some scallions too...

...after sweet potatoes are done cooking, let them cool, and then peel and mash them...

...mash them very well...

...then add eggs, mix really well, add coconut oil, mix really well, then dry ingredients, mixing very well, before adding the bacon and chives, and (theme?) mix well!...

...line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil, plop those beauties down in as even-sized pieces as possible...

...cook for 22-27 minutes... and then marvel at the gorgeousness...

...here's a close up... no wonder these things were classified as a Thanksgiving side dish - look at all the beautiful Thanksgiving colors!!!

The best part? They taste AMAZING.  Like a biscuit, but with incredible flavor - the sweetness of the sweet potato, the meaty bacon, and freshness of the chives.

Mmm... enjoy my friends :)

Continue reading for the recipe, or click here for the printable version.

PALEO Sweet potato, chive and bacon biscuits
Recipe courtesy of Juli Bauer, barely modified

Makes 12-16 biscuits

Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato (makes ~2 cups mashed)
3 T coconut flour
3 eggs
6-8 strips turkey bacon, diced
1 T coconut oil
3-4 T chives, thinly diced
1 t baking powder
1/2 t garlic powder
salt and peper, to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 415 degrees.
2. Fork sweet potatoes.
3. Add to an oven-safe dish and place in oven for 30-40 minutes or until soft.
4. Remove from oven, cool, peel and mash sweet potato.
5. Turn oven down to 375 degrees.
6. Place diced bacon in a skillet and brown until crispy.
7. Take mashed sweet potato, place in bowl, add eggs and mix very well.
8. Add coconut oil and mix well.
9. Add coconut flour, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper, mix well.
10. Add bacon and chives, mix well.
11. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil, if foil, spray with Pam.
12. Take large spoon and plop equal-sized biscuits onto the pan.
13. Place in oven and bake for 22-27minutes.
14. Let cool.  If you don't want to follow PALEO, top with butter (as per Juli's recommendation), or just eat on their own, as they are SO GOOD.

Paleo Florida smoked fish dip

I noticed an appetizer on the menu of almost every single seafood restaurant here in South Florida: Smoked Fish Dip. Typically I stay away from dips because I imagine (rightly or wrongly) tons of calories are in them due to the mayo/cream cheese/etc.  But a few weeks ago, I went for it. And it was DELICIOUS.  Smoky, creamy, spicy.  I wanted more!!

And then, one Sunday morning while drinking my freshly-squeezed OJ and reading my Sunday morning newspaper (Yes, I get the paper delivered!!), I stumbled across a recipe from a Miami chef.

Voila.  I have the base.  Now how do I transform it into a healthy PALEO Florida Smoked Fish Dip.

Well, I did.  This dip was damn good.  I wanted to eat it all in one sitting!!

Here's how I made it...

First, I chopped or minced all the required veggies (celery, red onion, pickled jalapanos, capers, cilantro), plus lemon zest and salt....

...placed them in a pretty blue mixing bowl (the blue is optional, FYI)... and then I got ready to make the PALEO mayo...

...by using an Immersion blender to beat the eggs, lemon juice and salt...

...and after 15 minutes of adding the olive oil and coconut oil in, I finally had the consistency of MAYO!!!

...next I used my hands to pull apart the smoked fish (I used smoked salmon)...

...added it to the bowl...

....then I added the PALEO mayo and folded all ingredients in...

....and voila, a creamy, messy goodness...

....which looks LOVELY on top of some sliced tomatoes or celery sticks...

...but is also delicious just by itself :)

ENJOY! Click here for the printable recipe.

PALEO Florida smoked fish dip
Recipe slightly adapted from chef Richard Sandoval

1.25 lbs smoked swordfish (or trout, or salmon)
2/3 cup PALEO mayo
1 T cilantro, roughly chopped
1/4 cup red onion, minced
1/4 cup capers, strained, finely chopped
1/4 cup celery, minced
2 T pickled jalapenos, minced
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt to taste

1. Add all the veggies, cilantro, lemon zest and salt into a mixing bowl.
2. Hand-"shred" the smoked fish, pulling it apart into little bite-sized pieces, place in mixing bowl.
3. Make the PALEO mayo (see here - an immersion blender is also an easy way to make the mayo, have patience!)
4. Add the mayo to the mixing bowl and fold all ingredients together, mixing well but not disrupting the fish.
5. You're done.  Eat.  Try this with some crackers (if you're not PALEO), veggies (celery, carrots,  tomato slices, etc) or just eat by the spoonful, I won't judge!