I am proud to say that in February of this year (2018), I released my very first cookbook! It’s called The Accidental Paleo: Easy Vegetarian Recipes for a Paleo Lifestyle. It’s filled with mostly plant based, vegetarian recipes that are fit for Paleo eaters!
My friend hosted a launch party for me last month, and I prepared a sampling of some of the recipes from the book. One of the appetizers I served was a creation that I concocted from three separate recipes in the book. Everyone was raving about it, and asked me for the recipe, so I compiled it in this video for you to see!
These appetizers are colorful and bright, elegant and beautiful, and so incredibly tasty that you definitely won’t want to eat just one (which explains why we ran out of those long before the party was over!).
Here is what you’ll need:
For the sweet potato rounds:
2-4 medium sized sweet potatoes (yams), sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1-2 tbsp EVOO or avocado oil
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Preheat oven to 375F.
Place the sweet potatoes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, sea salt and pepper and toss with your hands until coated. Spread them out in an even layer and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until tender. Set aside.
For the beet pesto:
10 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, roasted
1/4 cups pine nuts, roasted
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 handful of fresh basil
1 handful of fresh cilantro
3 small-medium sized red beets, cooked
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup EVOO
Blend everything except for the EVOO together in a food processor. While the processor is running, slowly add 1 cup of EVOO and let it combine. If you find you want it to be more liquidy, add some more lemon juice or EVOO. Just be sure to taste as you go.
Set aside.
For the Vegan Almond Tuna:
1/2 cup almonds, raw, soaked for 4 hours
1/2 cup cashews, raw, soaked for 4 hours
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 red onion, small diced
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
The juice of 1 lemon
A handful of parsley, roughly chopped
1. Pulse the nuts in a food processor for about 5-10 seconds, just to break the nuts up.
2. Add the chickpeas and pulse again for 5 seconds, just to break up the chickpeas.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until chunky but combined (another 5-10 seconds).
Now it’s time to make your appetizers!
Get a beautiful serving platter, preferably white or some other vibrant color that will go well with the bright orange of the sweet potato, the vibrant red of the pesto, and the beautiful yellow tinted tuna.
Place your sweet potatoes on the plate in a single layer. Top each potato with a 1/4 teaspoon of pesto. Then, top each pesto covered sweet potato with 1/4 teaspoon of tuna, squishing it down to ensure it doesn’t fall off when someone takes a bit.
Serve and enjoy!
See the video:
