Monthly Archives: December 2009

Happy Holidays!!

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Here is what we made for Christmas Eve, but this would also be a great New Year’s Eve feast as well!  We managed to keep it all paleo with the exception of some dairy…

Prime Rib:Rub prime rib with salt, garlic powder, and pepper and lay on a bed of fresh rosemary in a roasting pan and cover with more rosemary.  Roast in 350 degree oven for approx. 20 minutes per pound if you like it medium rare, less time if you like it rare.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms:

9-10 portobello mushrooms - stems removed and scoop a little out of the inside

1 lb grass fed ground beef

2 big handfuls of chopped spinach

sea salt to taste

pepper

basil

garlic powder

olive oil

Cover the bottom of a baking dish with olive oil and place cleaned mushrooms in dish.  Mix all other ingredients and stuff the mushrooms.  Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until stuffing is no longer pink in the middle.  We sprinkled with some parmesean but omit this to keep it totally paleo.

Mashed Cauliflower:

1 head of cauliflower

1 stick of butter

2 big spoonfuls of goat cheese

6 strips of crumbled cooked bacon

pepper

Again, not totally paleo because of the butter and goat cheese but omit these and this recipe is still great.  Steam the cauliflower until very soft. Mix with a mixer all ingredients.  Delicious…

Baked Asparagus: Lay asparagus spears on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil, a little sea salt and pepper and bake for 15 – 20 min at 350 degrees.

Pear Salad: Mixed salad greens, two diced pears, 1/2 thinly sliced red onion, crushed pecans.  Drizzle salad with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle on some cracked black pepper.  My dad who still thinks McDonald’s serves quality food LOVED this salad!!

Frittata for all…

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I love eggs but sometimes the same old scramble gets kind of boring.  This is when my family turns to the beloved frittata.  Making a frittata is easy, can be made a million ways, can feed a crowd, and makes eggs exciting again!  Here is one of my favorite frittata recipes:

6 bacon strips

1 diced red bell pepper

1 diced medium red onion

2 big handfuls of fresh spinach

6-8 scrambled eggs

olive oil

In a large saute pan, saute bacon and veggies in olive oil until bacon is crisp and veggies are tender.   Spread bacon and veggie mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan.  Turn up the heat until the layer is sizzling hot and then pour the eggs evenly over the mixture.  Turn heat down to low and cover for 8-10 minutes or until the eggs are cooked through.  Slice like a pie and serve!

Paying homage to Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde.

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I have recently discovered that Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde makes just about anything rather delicious so this is my homage to the wonderfully inexpensive and tasty green concoction:

Salsa Verde over eggs:  Pour it over scrambled or over easy eggs and top with diced avocado.

Salsa Verde as a dressing:  Toss left over chicken with some salad greens, green onions, diced tomatoes, cilantro, and diced bell peppers.  Use the Salsa Verde for a refreshing taco salad-ish dressing.

Meat cooked in  Salsa Verde: I have made this several times, my two favorites have been Pork Loin and Chicken.

Pork Loin:

Place entire pork loin in the crock pot.  Sprinkle the loin with some sea salt.  Add two cans of diced green chilis and two jars of Salsa Verde. Cook all day on low.  Make lettuce tacos or serve over kale, chard, or whatever greens you might like.

Chicken:

Put a whole chicken in the crock pot.  Add 3 chopped carrots, 4 chopped celery stalks, and 1 sliced red onion.   Pour in two jars of salsa verde and one can of diced tomatoes.  Cook all day on low.

Salsa Verde for tacos: Brown 1 lb of grass fed beef, season with cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, a little cayenne, and a little sea salt. Pour in a jar of Salsa Verde and bring to a simmer.  The possibilities of this mixture are endless: Lettuce tacos, taco salad, serve the meat over sliced purple cabbage, scramble the meat mixture with eggs, it’s all good!!!!

“Breaded” Baked Chicken and Curried Cauliflower

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When cooking with kids, measuring ingredients often goes out the window and I have learned over the years to become much more relaxed in the kitchen.  I love to get my kids involved in meal preparation – and a quick tip for the parents out there trying to get their kids to eat Paleo – kids who are allowed to help make the food they are expected to eat are much more likely to eat it!!  Praise your kids for their efforts in the kitchen, let them make a mess, don’t worry about exact measurements, and have fun!!  Here’s our recipe for “Breaded” Baked Chicken and Curried Cauliflower.

Curried Cauliflower:

Poor a generous amount of olive oil into a large mixing bowl (I use about 1/2 a cup)

Dump in a lot of curry powder (about as much as a 6 year old would deem appropriate), garlic powder, a few shakes of turmeric, a few shakes of chili powder, and a dash of sea salt.

Chop up an entire head of cauliflower and add to the bowl of olive oil mixture.  Mix until the cauliflower is coated with the oil, spread evenly into a baking dish or cookie sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Breaded Baked Chicken

2 lbs of chicken thighs (or whatever chicken parts you want to use)

1 cup almond meal

1 cup coconut flour

garlic powder and black pepper to taste

3 eggs

coconut oil

Scramble eggs in one dish and in a separate dish mix almond meal, coconut flour, garlic powder and black pepper. Dip chicken pieces one at a time first in the egg and then cover both sides of the chicken in the breading mixture.  Place in a baking dish that has been greased with coconut oil. Bake for 45 min – 1 hour in a 350 degree oven.

Warm up with some soup!

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This weekend we had a terrific rain storm which kept us huddled around the fire and craving soup.  This soup is easy, delicious, comforting, and tastes even better the next day.  Here’s how you do it:

Cover the bottom of a big pot with olive oil and add 1 diced red onion.  When onions start to become transparent add 1 lb of grass fed beef and 1 lb of ground pork sausage.  Brown meat and season with a little sea salt, and a generous amount of garlic powder, dried basil, dried oregano, and three dashes of cayenne pepper.  Throw in 4 sliced carrots, 8 sliced stalks of celery, two big handfuls of green beans, 4 cups of organic free range chicken broth, and 1 can of organic diced tomatoes.  Let the soup simmer for about 45 minutes or until veggies are tender. 

Also pictured is the chicken salad I had for lunch today –  and Rowan with a GIANT glass of water….

Chicken salad was diced chicken breast, green onions, celery, grapes, pecans, mayo, grapeseed oil, red wine vinegar, and cracked pepper.  Served with carrot “chips” and steamed brussel sprouts.

Enjoy!!

Five minute rounds…

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When life gets tough, I often think about those few epic CrossFit WODS that have been permanently burned into my memory banks, and I think, “Well, if I can get through THAT, I can get through anything.”  I also think about the resiliance of children and how they often tackle challenges with the bravery and optimism of warriors.  For example, back in September we had our annual Fight Gone Bad fundraising event and our kids class participated in a separate heat at the end of the day.  I was so impressed with the determination, willingness, and spirit the kids portrayed!!  In fact, after the workout, I even heard one kid express how much fun he had!!  What a great lesson.  Even when the challenges we face are really really hard, we can look for the good, we can make it fun, and we CAN make it through.  This was one of those challenging weeks –  and I thought a lot about my life and how lucky I am to have three healthy kids, a kick-ass amazing husband, and a wonderfully supportive group of friends, and I realized that focusing on the positive and finding my own resilience made this week bearable.  Just like those epic 3 five minute rounds, they really suck but we get through it alive and maybe even a little better for it… 

Here are a couple of quick and easy  meals that helped us get through this rather hectic week:

Chicken Sausage, Shrimp, and Kale:

Saute two sliced red bell peppers and one medium yellow onion in olive oil

Add 1 package of gluten free chicken sausage and one bag of frozen shrimp

Stir in one jar of marinated artichoke hearts and 2 big spoonfuls of sun dried tomatoes

Serve over a pile of steamed kale

Dinner in five…

Brown 2lbs of grass fed ground beef

Season beef with a little sea salt, ground black pepper, and garlic powder

Pour in one jar of Trader Joe’s Organic Marinara sauce and one can of organic diced tomatoes

Add in 5 sliced zucchinis and simmer together until zucchini is tender.

Brussel Sprouts for Breakfast and Red Curry for Dinner

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I recently had someone ask a question about Brussel Sprouts and wanted recipe ideas.  Brussel sprouts tend to be one of those veggies with a very bad reputation, and I admit, I used to loathe the thought of eating the miniature cabbages – but I have truly grown to love them and yes, my kids eat brussel sprouts – in fact the ASK for them!  Brussel sprouts are incredibly good for you – high in vitamin C, potassium, calcium, and the cancer fighting phytochemical indole.  Here is how I made Brussel sprouts for breakfast the other day:

Steam or boil Brussel sprouts until soft (I steam them right  in the bag they come in from Trader Joes in the microwave for 3-4 minutes)

Quarter Brussel sprouts and saute in olive oil with 1 package of sliced up gluten free chicken apple sausages

Add a little cracked black pepper and serve.

Another family favorite is brussel sprouts with bacon.  I cook the sprouts as mentioned above and then saute with a bunch of diced bacon. Another great way is to bake the brussel sprouts in olive oil, a little sea salt, a generous amount of dried dill weed, and a little pepper.

Here’s a great Red Curry Beef Soup recipe:

1 tbsp of Thai red curry paste

2 cans of coconut milk

1 cup of chicken stock

1 1/2 to 2 lbs of grassfed stew meat

handful of baby carrots

half a head of shredded purple cabbage

3 medium peeled and quartered sweet potatoes

Mix all ingredients in the crock pot and cook all day on low or cook on the stove top in a soup pot until the sweet potatoes and carrots are soft and the stew meat falls apart.