Artichoke & Green Olive Dip

This is a great recipe from the Primal Blueprint Quick and Easy Meals (Mark Sisson). It’s quick, good, and I found mixed with egg-tuna salad, it’s boom sauce. Use this as a dip for veggies/crackers, a topper for fish or chicken. It’s pretty versatile.

I modified this a bit to include  extra garlic (shocker, I know) and capers. Two powerful flavors and together, awesomeness. You can see from my picture that I used this as a collard green taco topper – super good!!!

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup pitted green olives (go to Haggen’s or The Market and get the olives from the bulk section – goooood olives)
• 2 – 15 oz cans/jars of artichoke hearts, drained (I get mine from TJ’s)
• 2 tbsp capers, drained
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• salt to taste

Put everything in a food processor and pulse. Don’t over do it, you want it a bit chunky.

 

 

 

Ginger-Basil Beef in Red Peppers

This was a great recipe – colorful, flavorful and simple enough for a weeknight.

I received some pre-cut stew meat in my ACME bin which made this recipe even easier!  If you don’t have that on hand, then I would just make sure you use a nice cut of meat and cut it small and thinner than a typical ‘stew’ meat (i.e. Costco).

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1-2 tbsp cooking fat of choice, I used bacon fat
• 4 red bell peppers,washed, tops cut off, take out ribs and seeds
• 2 tbsp basil pesto – I buy mine from Costco, very good  – Optional
• 1/2 cup minced onion, white or yellow
• 1/2 cup minced mushrooms
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1lb-1.5lbs of good quality stew meat, sliced/cut in to small, bite size chunks
• 1-2 tbsp fresh ginger (I have ginger on hand all the time – it keeps well in the freezer. When you are ready to use, peel it with a carrot/tater peeler and microplane. AWESOME. I put 1-2 tbsp ginger here because some folks want a ‘hint’ of ginger, others want the ‘pow!’. I used 1.5 which was a happy medium. 🙂
• 1 cup of fresh basil
• 2 tbsp coconut aminos (or your choice of soy sauce alternative)
• Salt and pepper

How To:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Take peppers and brush the insides with the basil pesto (again, optional). Place standing up in oven safe dish (I lined mine with foil, helped them stand up better and less mess later)
3. Heat up fat of choice in a deep skillet (if you have one).
4. Salt and pepper your meat.
5. Toss in garlic and onion to hot saute fat, saute until fragrant.
6. Add shrooms, cook for a couple of minutes, stirring often.
7. Add ginger, stir for about 15 seconds
8. Toss in meat – because your meat is cut small, you will ONLY want to saute this shortly – brown on all sides kind of thing. Mine took me about 1-2 minutes.
9. Once meat is browned (SLIGHTLY – don’t over do as you will cook this in the oven!); take off heat and stir in basil & coconut aminos
10. Take beef mix and place in each pepper.
11. Cook at 375 until peppers “give” w/poke of a a fork (you want the peppers to have a bit of give, NOT be mushy. Makes the texture of the dish really good).
12. I cooked mine for about 35 minutes…check at 25 and every five minutes thereafter. ENJOY!!

Crock Pot Beef Goulash

This was another awesome recipe that I put together one day and then didn’t cook it until three days later. It turned out really good and it was done in the crock  pot. EASY. I got this recipe from the Paleo Recipe Book and adapted it. This book contains great recipes!  Lots of them too.

I grew up on beef goulash and beef stroganoff (this one will be done next weekend). This recipe is paleo (which means UPDATED from my childhood). I loved the red pepper and onion combo with the paprika. Updated from my childhood and JUST as good.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

• cooking fat
• salt and pepper
• 1 lb stew beef (already cut into cubes from Costco, or cut your stew beef into cubes)
• 2 medium onions
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, cut in to strips
• 4 tbsp of paprika ( I LOVE PAPRIKA)
• 3 tsp of caraway seeds
•  2 cans chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup of beef stock
• 1 cup of red wine
• salt and pepper to taste

How to

1. Mix all spices together, rub all over the beef. Add salt and pepper too. Let this sit in a covered dish for at least an hour – if you can let it sit overnight, do it. SO GOOD.
2. Heat up your cooking fat, brown the beef. Take out of pan with a slotted spoon, set aside.
3. Grab crock pot – layer a few pepper strips and onion slices on bottom.
4. Move beef to crock pot on top of the onion and peppers.
5. Place more onions and peppers on top.
6. Pour liquid over the goods.
7. Place lid on and put in crock pot, or in fridge until you are ready for crock pot.
8. Turn on medium to high (put on 8 hours for mine)
9. It will be done when you are ready. SO GOOD. Enjoy!

Note the random cute pic of my dog Mia. She’s so sweet. Had to put her in there.

 

 

Ginger Garlic Salmon

I do not eat enough fish. Period. I know I don’t…I’m trying to change that, blah blah blah. Anyhoo, last week I rocked Dale’s world with this combo: Ginger Garlic Salmon and Cauliflower Fried Rice. We both pretty much had a food orgasm with this one. SUPER AWESOME.

Here’s part one of two (two being the fried rice). I got this recipe from Paleosophy – a great blog I stumbled across. Here’s the original, my version below. Enjoy!!

Ingredients-

• 1.5 tbsp. crushed garlic – I always use fresh, I just found its best. The stuff you get in the store has a tendency to have filler – parsnips, etc. Odd, but true.
• 1.5 tbsp. crushed ginger – I always have ginger in my freezer. Take it out, peel and mince when you need it. AWESOME.
• 1 tbsp. raw honey
• 1/2-1 cup coconut aminos (another option is gluten free soy sauce – tamari – but I LOVE the aminos)
• 2-3 wild salmon filets (I get mine from ACME -so good. Vis is also a good source)
• Chopped green onions as a topper, not necessary but super good

Directions-

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl until the consistency is uniform throughout and pour over the salmon.  Place in a zip lock or submerge the filets in a bowl with the marinate over them for about 20 minutes.  Grill on a fish plate or pan sear the salmon until cooked through.

Put on plate, spoon some goodness over the salmon, sprinkle with green onions.

Easy and SO flavorful!

Chicken Enchiladas with Coconut Flour Tortillas

Wow. This was AMAZING. The coconut flour tortillas held up beautifully.

I combined two different recipes and put my own sass on it (as usual). I’ve made the tortillas before, you can find the recipe here. This is a GREAT recipe. I found the recipe in Paleo Comfort Foods – great book for comfort-type-foods.The tortillas took on the flavors of the filling so well!! I actually made the tortillas a day ahead, placed a piece of parchment between each and stacked them, then wrapped them in foil until I was ready to use. The next day, I made the filling and put the two together.

THEN, I put the whole ‘enchilada’ (bwahhahahahahha) in the fridge because I wasn’t planning on cooking them until Monday. Everything held up – it was amazing. I honestly didn’t think the tortillas would, but they did. Check out the pics.

The filling is from The Primal Blueprint Cookbook. Mark Sisson’s site (Mark’s Daily Apple)  is chock full of information and a regular resource for me. I have both of his cookbook’s now, the one I’ve mentioned and Quick and Easy Meals (this one ROCKS). Both are fab, I strongly encourage you to check them out.

Alright, I’ll shut up now and get on to the goods. Enjoy!!!

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Tortillas: Click here

Filling:

• oil of choice for sauteeing
• 1 small can diced green chiles
• 1 14.5 oz can of tomato sauce
• 1.5 medium onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 lbs of chicken breasts, thighs, or mix (I mixed, but used mostly thighs)
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp mexican oregano
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar (optional)
• 1/2 cup adzuki beans (or black, or pinto, totally optional)

Preheat oven to 375.

Over medium heat in a deep saucepan, saute onions and garlic in hot oil of choice.  Add the chicken, browning lightly on all sides, 2-3 minutes each side. Add the spices and sauce, cover and bring to simmer for about 20 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan, slice thinly/chop. Grab 1-2 cups of sauce, set aside. Put chicken back in pan.

Lightly oil pyrex glass dish, 13×9 or around that size. Put a bit of sauce in the bottom of dish. Grab your tortillas – GENTLY – place one on counter (I place mine on a piece of parchment paper on the counter or cutting board), grab some chicken filling, place in tortilla, GENTLY roll up and put seam side down in glass dish. NOTE: you may rip a couple before you get the hang of working with something like this. Don’t get frustrated, just let it rip, put another tortilla over it (roll with two) or, just grab another filled tortilla and push it up against the other one so the ripped one doesn’t leak out.

Repeat process until everything is gone, grab your 1-2 cups of left over sauce and dump on. You can also add cheese to the top at this point if you want…your call.

 

Place in oven until bubbling, about 40 minutes.

When you take it out of the oven, sprinkle cilantro and chopped green onions on top – let cool a bit and serve with lime wedges. NOM NOM!!

 

 

Sweet Potato Enchiladas

This was a great recipe! I tried it for the first time when we were camping – Alycia made this to share – it was AMAZING. She rocked it! I was inspired so thought I would try it.

Yeah, this was another mandolin slicer nightmare, so ended up not doing things exactly as the recipe stated, but ultimately, this was GOOD. Original recipe here and below, my mods in [xxx]. Thank you PaleOMG for another great recipe!

What’s great about this is you can make it ahead and freeze, or just make it on a Sunday and have on a Monday or Tuesday. It’s great!

Enjoy! 

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Prep time: 25 mins/Cook time: 15 60 mins/Total time: 40 1.25 hours mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the enchiladas

• 3 sweet potatoes, sliced thin lengthwise with a mandoline [yeah…this did NOT work for me…SO! I sliced them the other way to make tater circles. I ended up then layering almost like an enchilada lasagna.]
• [Spinach – added as a layer, you’ll see in pics]
• 1lb grass fed ground beef [used 2 shredded chicken breasts]
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced [I use one whole -I never use just half an onion. Just not my style]
• 2 garlic cloves, minced [four]
• 1 (4oz) can diced green chiles [yes]
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin [++]
• 1/4 chili powder [++]
• 1/4 sea salt [yes]
• 1/4 black pepper [yes]
• 3-4 tablespoons Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil [used olive oil]

For the sauce

• 1 (14oz) can tomato sauce
• 1/4 yellow onion, minced [1/2, just minced it in my food processor]
• 1/3 cup vegetable broth [had chicken]
• 1 tablespoon Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder [yes]
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano [yes – I buy and use OFTEN the Mexican Oregano…so good.]
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder [yes]
• salt and black pepper, to taste [yes]

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Now to make our “tortillas” from our sweet potatoes. Use a mandoline to thinly slice your sweet potatoes lengthwise. (You can use a knife but I found I couldn’t get the thinness I wanted or consistency with each slice with using a knife) [see bullet above. Seriously, I had no patience for trying to do that…the ‘lasagna’ thing worked VERY WELL. Did the same with the spinach.]
3. Heat up a large skillet or griddle and place 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in it. When skillet is very hot and coconut oil has melted, add your sweet potatoes. Cook your sliced sweet potatoes for 3-5 minutes per side or until sweet potatoes are soft. You DO NOT want them crispy. (You may have to do this a couple of batches so keep coconut oil on hand.) Do as many batches as you need to and place sweet potato slices on a paper towel to remove excess oil and cool while you cook your meat. [did NOT do this – just layered the taters in the pan with the sauce goodness]
4. Once your sweet potatoes are cooling, use the same skillet to cook your meat. Add in a bit of oil then add your minced garlic cloves along with your onion.
5. When the onion becomes translucent, add in your ground beef [chicken] along with your green chiles and spices. Let that cook down until cook completely through, using a wooden spoon to break up the ground beef and incorporate all the flavors.
6. While the meat cooks, place a saucepan over medium heat for your sauce. Add your tablespoon of oil along with your minced onion.
7. When the onion becomes translucent, add your tomato sauce and vegetable broth, as well as all your seasonings. Let that cook down until it thickens just a bit.
8. Now once everything is done cooking, it’s time to use your fingers!
9. Pull out an 8×8 or 9×9 glass baking dish, add a spoonful of enchilada sauce on the bottom and start building your enchiladas.
10. Each enchilada should take 3 slices of a sweet potato. Place a slice down in the dish, then another half way on top, then another half on top of the second slice. It should be a feathering or fan effect. Now place a spoonful or two of your meat mixture in the center of your sweet potatoes, then wrap your sweet potatoes over the meat, tucking the ends underneath the other ends of the sweet potatoes (like a tortilla).-see first picture for an example  [This is where I layered. Just like an enchilada…and saves a shit ton of time.]
11. Repeat until all your sweet potatoes are gone. If you are have leftover meat, place that around your enchiladas.
12. Pour your enchilada sauce on top.
13. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes. [Due to the lack of cooking the sweet potatoes, I cooked this for an hour. It was DELISH.]
14. Cool then eat your heart out! [Oh, we did Juli. WE DID.]

 

Jerked Chicken Kabobs w/Mango Salsa

This was SO GOOD! And if you have a food processor, super easy. I got this from The Foodnetwork’s Guy Fieri. I modified to suit us Paleo Peeps and went to town. Delicious.

Original recipe here and below, my mods in [xxx]. ENJOY!!

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon ground allspice
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon stick
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce [coconut aminos]
• 1/4 cup fresh thyme sprigs [dried, didn’t have fresh]
• 1 lime, juiced
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 Scotch bonnet pepper [didn’t do, didn’t have]
• 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled [this provided a damn good kick]
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• Mango Salsa, recipe follows

Directions

In a food processor, combine all ingredients except chicken; puree until smooth. Add all but 1/4 cup of the mixture in a 1 gallon plastic sealable bag. Add the chicken to the bag and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours. [ok, I used all marinade and skipped the dip. It was still good]

Heat grill to medium-high. Skewer chicken pieces and grill on 1 side for about 5 minutes. Flip and grill the other side until cooked through and grill marks appear.

Top with the Mango Salsa and serve with 1/4 cup reserved (unused) marinade as a dipping sauce.

Mango Salsa:

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar [heck no, used one tablespoon of raw honey]
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1 mango, diced
• 1 English cucumber, diced
• 2 green onions, diced

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, lime juice, hot sauce, and ginger. Mix thoroughly and add the remaining ingredients. Toss and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Paleo Spring Pasta

OMG. As in, PaleOMG. This is quick, fabulous and SO flavorful! Try it – you’ll love it. Ok, original recipe here and below, my mods in [XXX]. Enjoy!

I doubled the recipe – FYI. That’s where my measurements come in.

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

• 1 medium spaghetti squash [two small]
• 2 chicken sausages, diced [chicken apple sausages, so good! x5 – well, probably 4.5 since I was eating some along the way…]
• 1/2 cup canned coconut milk [1.5 cup]
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth [1 cup]
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced [three large spring onions]
• 1 garlic clove, minced [when is one enough??? I used four]
• 1 bundle of spinach, stems removed [I cut off the bottoms, then chopped]
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped [used dried x2]
• 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, finely chopped [used dried x2]
• 1 teaspoon dried basil [used dried x2]
• 1 tablespoon choice of fat (I used bacon fat) [grapeseed oil]
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise, and remove the seeds and excess threads.
3. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and cook for 20-25 minutes. [so, I put my halves in water and boiled for 30 minutes since I didn’t want to turn the hot oven on. Works the same, drain the water and use a fork…]
4. While your spaghetti squash is baking, pull out a large skillet and place under medium heat.
5. Place a tablespoon of fat in your hot skillet then toss in your minced garlic.
6. Once your garlic has become fragrant, add your diced onion.
7. When you onion has become translucent, add your vegetable broth and coconut milk.
8. Then add your seasonings, salt and pepper, and diced chicken sausage and spinach. Cover and let simmer for about 3-5 minutes.
9. Once your chicken sausage is cooked through, use your fork to to de-thread your spaghetti squash and add your threads directly to your chicken sausage mixture.
10. Use tongs to combine.
11. Consume!! [seriously, we COULD NOT stop eating this. SO GOOD!!!]

Paleo Ranch Dressing

Thank you Suzanne Christy for this one! Wow, tried this and couldn’t believe how ranch-like this was! If you like dill, you’ll LOVE this. Perfect on salads and just as a dip! Probably would rock with sweet potato fries…hmmm….

If you haven’t checked out Paleo Table, do – it’s another great resource for paleo goodness!

Original recipe here and my mods in [xxx]. Enjoy! 

Ingredients

• 1 cup paleo mayonnaise [3/4 cup, I used grapeseed veganese]
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk [3/4 cup]
• [ADDED 1/2 of a medium-large ripe avocado – NOM NOM NOM]
• 2 Tbsp fresh dill, finely minced [I used more..love me the dill]
• 1-2 cloves garlic, smashed and ground to a paste with a little sea salt [used five cloves. :)]
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar [two tsp] 
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Combine mayonnaise, coconut milk, and vinegar in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk to combine.
2. Add dill and garlic and whisk to combine. 
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. [Ok, I put EVERYTHING in my vitamix and called it good]. 

VIOLA!!!

Chard and Kohlrabi Saute

Had this last night with the veal medallions. So good and so easy. I get the ACME Farms and Kitchens box every week, this week was veggies galore. If you haven’t checked it out yet, DO IT. It’s fab.

Ok, in my box I received beautiful swiss chard and kohlrabi. I think we’re all pretty familiar with chard, but what the hell is kohlrabi? Click here to learn more about it. I’ve seen it a ton, but never used it. Tasted it last week at Michele and Neilio’s in her kale sautee and it was amazing. Didn’t have that recipe to post so decided to just wing it.

Here you go. This is all original – brace yourself and try different ingredients. Make it your own! ENJOY!

Ingredients:

• Two kohlrabi bulbs [I don’t know what to call them, but do two], peeled, sliced thinly. [Use your mandolin slicer.]
• Head of chard, de-ribbed and chopped
• Garlic scapes, chopped fine [or use plain old garlic! I just had these so used]
• Spring onion [again, use diced regular if you want, I had these so used them]
• Olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
• Few shakes of white wine vinegar
• little water

How to:

1. Heat up some olive oil in your pan
2. Add garlic/scapes and onion, soften a bit
3. add kohlrabi and chard
4. mix and cover on medium, let it all soften a bit.
5. Add some white wine vinegar
6. Stir, add water to steam them really good (if you want).
7. The kohlrabi will have a slight crunch to it depending on how thick you slice. I sliced mine medium-thin…and I loved the texture with the chard.

Enjoy!