Instead of doing a day in the life, I have managed to keep track of some of our random meals over the last few days.  You might see a common theme in some of our meals which is due to the abundance of seasonal veggies that I have been receiving each week from my CSA (can you say summer squash??)  So let’s get started!

Here’s an example of a typical quick dinner.

For this dinner I cooked up 2 lbs of grass fed beef and seasoned it very much like I seasoned my recent Stuffed Zucchini recipe but without the eggplant. While the meat was cooking I roasted at 400 for about 20 minutes some baby zucchinis, japanese eggplant and okra all tossed in coconut oil.  I also made a fast salad with diced cucumber, red onion, fresh basil, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar and we finished off some leftover mashed sweet potatoes.

I don’t have a picture of it but the next day I scrambled eggs with the leftover veggies for breakfast.  We ate everything else the night before or I would have added in some of the leftover ground beef to the scramble as well.

This next meal picture is a brand new recipe!

Kale Meatballs

1 lb sausage of your choice (I used chicken Italian sausage that I buy from our local butcher who uses pasture raised chicken)

1 lb ground beef

1 bunch kale, tough stems removed and chopped finely in a food processor

1/2 red onion, finely diced

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375, mix all ingredients together by hand and form into meatballs a little larger than golf balls.  Fry the meatballs in a large skillet in coconut oil until all sides are browned.  Move into a glass baking dish, cover tightly with tin foil and finish in the oven for 20 minutes.

We ate these meatballs with my No Potato Salad with some broccoli added to it and with baked sweet potatoes.  All of us ate the leftovers the following day for lunch.

And now…

This dinner is yet again; roasted veggies in coconut oil but I added in some garlic cloves, and I sliced the eggplant thin like chips and I also roasted some cherry tomatoes and topped them with fresh diced basil.  The kids did NOT like the roasted cherry tomatoes but they will eat them fresh by the handfuls! Our protein was leftover rotisserie chicken (I had bought 2 rotisseries from our health food store 2 days earlier) that was shredded up and sauted in grass fed butter with diced leeks along with some of the leftover baked sweet potatoes from the night before and seasoned with just a little sea salt and black pepper.

Here’s dinner from 2 nights ago.  It was onions and cabbage sauted in grass fed butter with 1 lb of grass fed ground beef and 1 package of Applegate farms chicken apple sausages seasoned with a little bit of cardamom and caraway.  Again we had roasted zucchini and this time I roasted some sweet potatoes and we ate left over No Potato Salad.  This picture is actually form lunch the following day with the leftovers and some sauerkraut as well.

And here is last nights dinner!

Chicken and Kelp Noodle Stir Fry

1.5 lbs diced chicken breast

1 package Kelp Noodles

1 small yellow onion, sliced

4-5 small zucchinis, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

1 small red bell pepper, sliced

A few splashes of coconut aminos or wheat free Tamari

A few splashes of sesame oil

About 1 teaspoon of Chinese Five Spice

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Saute chicken and onions in coconut oil until the chicken is almost done.  Add in the rest of the veggies and saute until veggies are tender and chicken is not longer pink in the middle.  Add the noodles and remaining ingredients, mix well until warm all the way through and serve!

Last but not least, here some school lunch ideas!

 Pictured here is carrots, cherry tomatoes, apple slices, plantain chips, raisins, salami and ham from Applegate Farms and home made mayo.

 Pictured here is ham from Applegate farms, carrots, tomatoes, and guacamole.

 Last but not least is Tanka Bites, cherry tomatoes, honeydew melon and celery with almond butter topped with raisins.

I hope this is helpful and as always, enjoy!

A Few Random Meals and more School Lunch Ideas is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

I have had a few requests for a fish recipe so last night I threw this dinner together with what had in the house: some beautiful carrots from the GRUB farm, green onions, fresh ginger, and wild caught Mahi Mahi pieces from Trader Joe’s.  I wish now that I had made more of everything, it turned out to be more of a snack for me and the boys instead of an actual dinner but it was delicious!!  I’ll advise you now to double this recipe if you have a big family.

Oh, and my kids like fish but they LOVED this meal and I would bet that if you are serving fish to your kiddos for the first time; this dish could be the one to get them excited about eating seafood (remember to let them help you cook to get them really excited about trying it!)

Gingered Carrots with Mahi Mahi

4 carrots, sliced

3 tablespoons grass fed butter or coconut oil

5 green onions, diced

½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

1 pound of mahi mahi pieces or other white fish of your choice

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon coconut aminos or 1/2 teaspoon of wheat free tamari

Fresh ground black pepper and sea salt to taste

Saute the carrots in 2 tablespoons of the butter or coconut oil over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until the carrots start to brown.  While the carrots are cooking, mix the chicken broth, coconut aminos or tamari and black pepper together in a bowl and set aside.  Add the green onions to the carrots and cook for another minute.  Add the lemon juice, ginger, and garlic to the pan and sauté just until the veggies are coated with the ginger and garlic.  Sprinkle with a little sea salt, stir again, and remove the carrot mixture from the pan and set aside.  Add the remaining tablespoon of butter or coconut oil to the same pan and melt over medium heat. Add the fish pieces and cook for 1 minute on each side, making sure that your pan is nice and hot so that the fish sear and turn golden brown on each side. Now, pour the chicken broth mixture that you made earlier over the fish, cover and cook for another 1 – 2 minutes or until the fish is tender and flakes apart easily.  Do not overcook!!  Serve the fish over the gingered carrots and be ready to fall in love….  Serves 2-3 adults.  I recommend doubling this recipe!!

Enjoy!!

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Fast Shrimp

I was so lucky to be at Robb Wolf’s Paleo Solution Seminar today, right here in Chico, CA! I met a wonderful group of people and of course the highlight being Robb’s seminar and hearing him make a whole lot of sense about this Paleo “Thang” (as Robb put it…)! After returning home to some hungry kids and a husband who so sweetly arranged a date night for us, I made some Fast Shrimp for the boys.  Actually, Jaden was really the one who did all the hard labor!  The point of this post is simple; good food, paleo food, can be fast food, right in the comfort of your own kitchen.  With simple ingredients and a bit of creativity you can make quality scrumptious meals without hardly even trying… This one took as about 10 minutes to put together.

Fast Shrimp

1 lb Wild Caught Argentinian Red Shrimp or other shrimp of your choice (I found mine at Trader Joe’s in the freezer section, raw, tails removed and de-veined)

1 bag frozen roasted red bell peppers and onions from Trader Joes (or 1 bell pepper diced and 1/2 yellow onion diced)

4 big hand fulls of baby spinach leaves

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 tablespoons coconut milk

1/2 tablespoon curry powder (or more to taste)

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and bell peppers and cook until defrosted and sizzling if using the frozen or until the veggies become tender if using fresh.  Add the shrimp and the spinach and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the shrimp curls up and is no longer opaque in the middle.  Add the coconut milk and spices, mix well and serve!  Serves 3-4. Delicious, fast, no fuss.  As Rowan said, “Good Shrimpies!”

Enjoy!

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Prosciutto Perfection

As many of you know who follow my blog I love to just grab what I have in the fridge and make a meal happen.  I don’t like to think too hard unless I have to, especially when it comes to food!  Here’s what John and I quickly threw together for lunch yesterday and we both loved it enough to blog about it.  The boys also gave their stamp of approval when they devoured the leftovers for an after school snack!

Prosciutto Perfection

3 oz prosciutto, diced

4 already cooked chicken breasts, diced

2 leeks, trimmed and diced

1 bunch kale, diced

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Black pepper and garlic powder to taste

3 parsnips

Peel the parsnips and cut into chunks.  Place in your pressure cooker with a cup of water, bring to pressure and cook for 7 minutes.  If you do not have a pressure cooker, hurry up and get one; or you can steam the cut up parsnips for 10-15 minutes. While the parsnips are cooking, dice your meat and veggies.  Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet and add the diced leeks.  Cook until the leeks start to brown, add the diced prosciutto and cook for another 4-5 minutes.  Add the kale and saute until the kale is wilted.  Add the chicken, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder and black pepper.  Saute for another 3-4 minutes.   Remove the parsnips from the pressure cooker and mash.  Serve the stir fry over the mashed parsnips.

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Prosciutto Perfection is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

A FUN Salad

One thing I love about eating paleo; as long as you have some protein, veggies and some good fats anything is possible!  For lunch yesterday I threw together a salad that was tons more fun than the standard lettuce and chicken.  It was a “kitchen sink salad” of sorts, I tossed together everything in the kitchen but the kitchen sink! Below is what I put in my version and I’m sorry that some of the measurements are not spot on but that is what will make this recipe your own!  Get creative and let me know what YOU come up with!

The Kitchen Sink Salad

4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced

4 hard boiled eggs, cooled and diced

1/2 head of purple cabbage, diced

1 English cucumber, diced

1/2 head broccoli, finely chopped

Handful of sliced almonds

1/4 cup of flat leaf Italian parsley, diced

Lots of olive oil

Splash of balsamic

Squirt of spicy brown mustard

A few shakes of dried dill

Lots of black pepper

A bit of sea salt

Toss all ingredients together and eat!

I also pressure cooked some beets that we sliced and ate along with the salad

Pressure Cooked Beets

To pressure cook beets, place the whole washed beets into the pressure cooker, add about 1-2 cups of water, bring to pressure and cook for approximately 12 minutes.  Once done, the skins pull of easily and you can slice and serve.

Here’s Rowan having some fun helping me out in the kitchen.  His mouth is stained red from munching on beets!

Strainer Hat!

Enjoy!!

Salad Fun! is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

Sweetheart Scallops

John’s Tuesday schedule brings him home later than normal and the kids and I are always finished with dinner and getting ready for bed by the time he’s walking through the door. Tonight I made my normal Tuesday night Paleo Tacos which vanished into the bottomless pits which are my children, leaving none for dad! John’s such a resourceful guy I wasn’t too worried that he would starve, but I did happen to have some awesome wild caught scallops that I found at Trader Joe’s defrosting in the fridge for lunch tomorrow.  Needless to say, I’ll have to change my plans because while John helped the two littlest ones out of the bath and into pajamas, I made my sweetheart some scallops. Jaden gave the scallops a kids stamp of approval after he helped his dad finish them off for his “bedtime snack.”  Feel free to use any seafood of your choice in this recipe if scallops are not easy for you to find.

Sweetheart Scallops

1 pound wild caught sea scallops (or other raw seafood of your choice)

1 bunch asparagus, diced

1/2 purple onion, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely diced

Juice from ½ a lemon

1/2 cup chicken broth

½ teaspoon dried thyme

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

3 tablespoons coconut oil

Saute the onions in 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil for 4 minutes.  Add the garlic and asparagus and saute for another 2 minutes.  Add the parsley, lemon juice, thyme, sea salt and pepper to taste and cook for another minute.  Remove the veggie mixture from the pan and set aside.  Add the remaining coconut oil to the skillet and heat over medium high heat.  Make sure your scallops are entirely defrosted and patted dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the scallops with a bit of sea salt and pepper and sear the scallops for 1 minute on each side (they should be nice and brown).  Add the veggie mixture on top of the scallops, pour over the chicken broth and gently stir.  Bring to a boil and simmer for another minute or two. The scallops should be tender and cooked all the way through, do not overcook scallops or what is typically delicious and buttery will turn rubbery!!

Enjoy!

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Before we get to the food, here’s a bit of fun trivia about this years super bowl!  Aaron Rodgers, quarterback for the Green Bay Packers is a Chico, CA native.  Yup, born and raised right here in my home town.  Pretty cool considering how freaking hard it is to get in the NFL!  So yes, we will be cheering on the Packers in hopes to see a hometown super star bring back the win.

Let’s start with 2 new recipe ideas that could be fun for Super Bowl Sunday

Garlic Studded Pork Loin

1  3 lb pork loin or two 1.5 lb pork loins (I used 2 pork loins)

12 garlic cloves

1 cup chicken broth

2 bay leaves

sea salt and black pepper to taste

1 yellow onion, halved and sliced

5 celery stalks, cut into large chunks

4 small sweet potatoes, cut into 2 inch chunks

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Using a knife cut about 1/2 inch slits into your pork loin about 1 – 2 inches apart.  Stuff a garlic clove into each slit.  Sprinkle the pork loin with salt and pepper and rub the salt and pepper into the loin.  In your pressure cooker, sear the loin in the coconut oil for 5 minutes on each side or until browned.  If any garlic cloves fall out in the searing process just use tongs or a fork to put them back into place.  Add the chicken stock to the pressure cooker, cover and bring to pressure.  Cook for 15-18 minutes.  Release the pressure and add the veggies to that pot.  Cover and again, bring back to pressure and cook for another 8 minutes.  Slice the pork loin and serve with the veggies.  You can also make this in the slow cooker.  Make sure you sear the loin before putting it in the slow cooker, add the veggies in with the meat and the chicken broth and cook all day on low for 7-8 hours.  This would be good to start on Saturday night so it’s ready on Sunday morning!

Meatballs Too Tasty for Super Bowl Sunday

Meatballs

1.5 lbs ground beef

½ cup dried unsweetened cherries, finely diced

5 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup diced cilantro

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ tablespoon Garam Masala

Dash or two of cayenne pepper

Black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons coconut oil

Sauce

1 6oz can tomato paste

1 can coconut milk

5 green onions, diced

1 ½  teaspoons Garam Masala

½ teaspoon sea salt

Pan drippings from meatballs

Using your hands mix together the meatball ingredients except for the coconut oil.  In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium heat.  Make sure the pan is nice and hot before you start adding your meatballs.  Once the oil is hot, form golf ball size meatballs and add to the pan.  Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side or until brown.  Remove the meatballs and set aside.  To the pan drippings add the tomato paste, onions, and spices and using your whisk, blend these ingredients together with the pan drippings.  Slowly add the coconut milk, whisking as you pour.  Once the sauce is well mixed, bring to a simmer and let it cook for 3 minutes.  Add the meatballs back to the sauce, cover the pan and cook for three minutes.  Turn the meatballs over so that they are coated with sauce, cover and cook for another 3 minutes. Serve with a few diced green onions on top. Delicious!!!!

Here are some more options for you Sunday feast.  First lets start with what I made last year.  My bean-less chili is really satisfyingly good and a great game day meal!

Everyone loves chips and dip on game day so my plantain chips and guacamole is a perfect sub – you can also dip cut up veggies in the guac as well!! Also included in this post is a recipe for shrimp tacos and sweet potato fries – all great party food!

I’ve never made these before but a friend suggested a recipe for Zucchini Sticks, which everyone loves: Dip the sliced zucchini in egg whites and next dip in almond meal seasoned with garlic, parsley salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes with a drizzle of coconut oil and dip in marinara sauce. Not entirely sure on the bake time so you may have to play with this one.  Again, these have not been tested yet by me but sound very tasty!

Don’t forget my Shrimp Loves Coconut recipe – so yummy and total party food! While you are checking out this recipe, take a minute to read the blog post too – a great reminder to keep things in perspective.

Finally – my Dry Rub Burgers are pretty darn good if I say so myself and burgers are always a hit on game day!

I hope this gives you all some ideas for a fun-filled and food-filled weekend!

As always, Enjoy!!

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2011 Super Bowl Eats is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

This is part 2 of the “It’s too Hard Series.”  We are going to look at what to do when a person such as  our beloved “Phil” is totally on board for living a paleo lifestyle and the significant other is either supportive but thinks it’s too hard, thinks your nuts, or simply doesn’t want to.  Chrissy and I addressed this situation in our last podcast regarding another family, but I want to go over this real life scenario in further detail as I feel this is a HUGE elephant in the room for many families.

Let’s look at a comment I received regarding my original It’s Too Hard post from “Another Phil:”

“Well said Sarah!

So, what if Phil has made the transition, and really wants his family to as well. But, he’s not the one doing the grocery shopping, or cooking the meals. What if Phil’s wife does all that, and though not against eating paleo, is stuck in that comfort zone of the old ways. She still buys the crap food because that’s what she’s always bought. She still serves cereal for breakfast, because it’s quicker/faster/easier than cooking ? If Phil were there, he’d likely do the cooking and the shopping, but he’s up and out of the house to work out then off to work before anyone else is even awake. Phil’s wife would gladly make the transition to paleo if Phil were there, because it would be “easier” than what she currently does; i.e. he’d be doing the cooking. In short, how does the person who’s made the transition to Paleo, get his or her family to follow them when they are not there to lead the way ? I know that’s a tough one to answer. A person has to want to do something and you can’t make a person do something they don’t want to. But are there ways to make it easier for them to change than to stick within the comfort zone ? Thanks for yet another great post. Can’t wait to try out those egg muffins ”

Here was my reply to Another Phil and this is my advice to anyone desiring to get his or her spouse on the paleo bandwagon – or at least this is an excellent place to start:

“Hey Another Phil!
I would suggest that Phil start by having a heart to heart conversation with his wife. Give her The Paleo Solution, show her Robb Wolfs blog, show her my blog, and without arguing, pleading, or begging, let her know how much you love and appreciate her and how much she does – acknowledge how hard she works and what an amazing job she does taking care of the family, and then let her know that he loves her so much that his greatest wish is that she is as healthy as possible and that he thinks he has found a way for the entire family to not only live better but live longer!! I would tell Phil to communicate to his wife that he wants to start this amazing journey as a family and that he wants them to be a team, partners in crime with this new wonderful way of living. I would tell Phil to give her a big hug and kiss and tell her that without her he would be nothing and that together they can accomplish anything. Top it off with some flowers after work and a little note promising that even when Phil can’t help with breakfast, he’ll help her meal plan so she knows exactly what to make when he’s not there and that together they can come up with a strategy to make it happen…”

To add to my original response, nagging, pleading, crying, begging, and arguing will get you nowhere.  If you try the advice I give in the above paragraph and your significant other is not willing to give this paleo thing a go, I advice you to simply keep making your own choices and pay zero attention to the fact that you do not have a significant other who is interested.  Continue to be your loving, wonderful self, continue to become healthier, stronger, and more energized, and the less you nag the MORE your significant other will start to notice. Sometimes when YOU stop paying attention to what your spouse is or isn’t doing, he or she will start to become more involved in your journey because the fear of confrontation or the uncomfortable moments of nagging are gone and he or she will begin to notice your transformation rather than your attitude!

Remember that ultimately you can only change your own behavior and your own lifestyle and it’s truly up to your significant other if he or she is ready. Trying to shove them on the wagon will only result in a stronger urge for your partner to run away.  Make your food for the whole family and if someone wants something different, gently suggest that it’s up to him or her to provide what he or she feels is missing and instead of arguing about your differences in opinion, go on with life and you’ll be amazed at what might eventually happen.

Now, let’s take a look at “Another Phil’s” timely response and how it looks as if his astounding results after eating paleo for a while is all it took to get his spouse more interested in what he’s been up to.  In my experience, this is typically how it works out. One person starts to look, feel and perform better, followed by the other person being amazed and wants to join the ride, despite how “hard” it might appear to be.

“Sarah, What a wonderful, and heartfelt response. It’s ironic, and serendipitous that I just read it now: I started Zoning last July but had gone mostly Paleo w/ Zone portions by November. I started the 30-day Paleo challenge on January 2nd. On January 19th, 18 days in, I had my blood work done for my upcoming annual physical which was today. Suffice it to say, my doctor was absolutely flabbergasted at the change. I went from 172 and borderline high cholesterol (he was toying with the idea of putting me on statins if it got worse this time last year) to 148. Every single biomarker they tested was below the “standard ideal range”. In short, my health is “better than perfect” in his words. He asked me what I was doing, and I spelled it out to him. As I spoke, he started asking me for web references and actually wrote the URLs down on tongue-depressors! I gave him Robb’s site, Crossfit.com, Mark Sisson’s site. I mentioned your blog and recipes, and several others. I left with him asking for my e-mail address in case he had more questions. He ended with, “Geez, I should coming to see you instead of you coming to see me. This is fantastic stuff! It’s so brilliant, yet so simple!” Needless to say, I’ve been looking forward to this doctor’s appointment all month knowing what the results would be. I’ve been fairly giddy about it all day since  Fast forward a couple of hours, and I related all this to my wife, who absolutely, positively despises doctors. After telling her all this, and hearing how happy I was, she said, “I wish I could have doctor’s visits like that!” That’s my in. She can have doctor’s visits like that, and I told her so. And I told her exactly how we, as a team, can approach it. That between now and her annual physical, we have more than enough time to get all her issues in line and fixed, and that she has it easy; she’s got me, who has already “been there, done that” and knows how to approach it all. Hopefully I can keep the momentum going  Thanks so much for your support, your advice, your website, and your amazing recipes which got me here to begin with ”

Thanks so much to “Another Phil” for sharing with us!  I hope this helps others struggling with a partner who is not quite ready to dive into this whole “paleo thing!”  Remember, approach your loved one with the desire to be a team and lead by example rather than by being confrontational, controlling, and angry.  Post to comments with your own experiences and input!

Now, here’s a recipe!  I adore Spanish Tortillas.  Spanish Tortillas are typically an egg casserole made with eggs, onions, and potatoes with really no “tortilla” at all.  I decided to give a paleo version a try and I’m pretty much in love all over again but with a healthier spin on the original!  This would be great for a weekend brunch…  You’ll notice in my pictures that the kids had about every stuffed animal they own helping us with the process!

Everyday Paleo Spanish Tortilla

2 medium yams, peeled and sliced into thin rounds with a mandoline slicer

2 cups torn arugula leaves

1 purple onion, sliced thin

3 tablespoons coconut oil

10 eggs

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

In a saute pan (this is a pan that is about 2-3 inches deep unlike the flatter skillet), heat 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil.  Make sure your oil is hot enough that is sizzles when you lay in a slice of yam.  Cook the yam slices in a single layer in batches in the hot oil, flipping after frying for about a minute on each side or when they start to brown.  Set the cooked yams aside, add the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil into the pan and saute the onions just until they start to turn brown.  While the onions are cooking, beat the eggs together with the spices in a medium sized bowl.  After the onions begin to brown, spread them evenly on the bottom of the pan and layer the yams on top of the onions, followed by a layer of the arugula.  Poor the egg mixture evenly over the layers of veggies and cook over medium or medium low until the edges start to look done (about 4-5 minutes).  Move the entire pan underneath your broiler for another 5-6 minutes until the “tortilla” is firm on top.  Remove and slice like a pizza and eat immediately.  Serves 4-5.

Enjoy!

“It’s Too Hard Part 2″ And a Spanish Tortilla Recipe is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

I might be a lot of things, but one thing that I know I am is a pretty gosh darn compassionate person.  I know it sounds kind of corny but I really do care.  So here’s my life: I have this blog, now a podcast, wrote my book, I answer questions, take care of three kids, help my husband run a business, train at Norcal, work-out, clean my house, walk the dogs, do the laundry, make the beds, wash the dishes, oh and wait – I COOK PALEO MEALS!!  Is it hard?  Well, I guess so, but so is everything else on my list but I don’t stop taking care of my kids because “it’s hard” or boycott the laundry because, “it’s hard.” There has not been a week when I have said, “You know what kids, getting you to bed on time is really hard, therefore, just stay up late, sleep in, and miss school.” That might sounds like a decent plan except the next day, what would there be?? Consequences.  So why do folks slide when it comes to making healthy food and by using the “it’s too hard excuse?”  Going to work is hard, getting out of bed is hard, cleaning up is hard, but we do THOSE things without looking for an easy way out.  How do we manage everything else and then decide to forgo the eggs in the morning and reach for the instant oatmeal because somehow it’s “easier?”  Sorry folks, but this is when my compassionate self goes a little bonkers and I want to grab you by the shoulders, shake you hard and say, “Suck it up!!”  The reality is, I am not any less busy than you and neither are thousands of other families around the globe making a paleo lifestyle happen.  I could give you several tips, and I have, and I will continue to because I love doing that, but the biggest piece of advice is this:  If you want to make it happen YOU WILL!!! There are excuses for everything in life and it’s up to you to justify your actions by giving in to those excuses that might be “easier.”

This will begin a possible series of blogs for getting it done, so let’s start with tip #1.

1. First, make a commitment by doing the following: If you really want to feed your family paleo GET THE CRAP FOOD OUT OF YOUR HOUSE!!

I recently received an email from, let’s call him, “Phil” and one of his comments went as follows, “A paleo lifestyle involves a lot more cooking, and a lot more planning than SAD (standard american diet).  Plain and simple.  You can pre-cook a lot of things, if you’re good at planning ahead. But a lot of people, especially those with kids, have incredibly tight schedules in the morning, and cooking, beyond throwing together a couple of pieces of toast is something completely foreign to them, especially in the morning.  Combine that with the pre-conceived notion of “breakfast foods” and you’ve just increased their anxiety levels unbelievably.  In short, they now believe
they can never succeed with the paleo plan, it’s just too much.“

“Phil” said it best when he mentioned peoples preconceived notion of what breakfast food should look like.  If a family followed rule number 1 by getting rid of all the crap, even on the busiest of mornings, a family would not have any other option but to figure out how to scramble a few eggs in the same amount of time it would take to toast, butter, and jelly several slices of bread.  My bet is that eggs are even faster and that if the toast is non-existent, after a few days, eggs might not start to look so “foreign” after all.  Or, make a triple batch of egg cupcakes on the weekend and you won’t have to cook at all, which is even EASIER than relying on the “normal” toast.

Now let’s talk about people either being “good” or “bad” at planning ahead.  As “Phil” mentioned, some folks are not good at planning ahead, but they appear to only lack this ability when it comes to FOOD.  We have to plan ahead to be successful at anything. Remember that thing on my long list of stuff do called laundry?  If none of us “planned ahead” and made sure that our PG&E bill was paid, the laundry soap and dryer sheets were purchased, and that a few minutes were set aside to wash, dry and fold, there would be a lot more nakedness going on than normal.

Everyone I know, smart, not so smart, or middle of the road ends up going to the grocery store now and then.  This is again when folks can choose to either buy a few useless items or they can take the opportunity to look at my blog, pick out three or four meals, buy the stuff they need, and cook those things for dinner throughout the week.  Put some meat and some spices in a slow cooker, get home and eat it, eat the leftovers for breakfast or lunch or both, and move on with life.  People can totally plan ahead, what people CAN’T do is ditch their relationship with sugar and processed foods.  That it is what makes eating paleo hard and that is every one’s hang up who comes up with 10 million excuses why they “can’t.”

I’ll say it again, what it really boils down to is if you WANT TO!  If you don’t want to, that’s 100% fine, but if you do want to, than use the tools and resources available to you and do it.  If you cave in and order a pizza, MOVE ON!!  Don’t drown in the leftover sauce on your plate, just shake it off and start fresh, don’t start over, just start fresh.  We make food a guilt trip ride that we can’t get off  and that really screws with peoples heads thanks to our media and the “diets” and the images of either doing something right or wrong.  It’s really all about living, eating good food, loving, and making choices.  I’ll say it one more time, even though it’s “hard” you can still do it if you REALLY REALLY WANT TO!!

Here’s what I have in my slow cooker right now.  It took me about 5 minutes to throw it in and I’m sure it will be delicious.

Mexican Stew

1.5 lbs beef stew meat

1 onion, sliced

Handful of whole garlic cloves

1 carrot diced

5 celery stalks, diced

1/2 head of purple cabbage, chopped

1 280z can El Pato Enchilada Sauce

Dump it all in a slow cooker and cook for 6 -7 hours on low.

Enjoy!!

It’s Too Hard!!! And a not so hard recipe… is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

I made this chicken last Wednesday for dinner and there was more than enough for lunch for John and I the following day.  I love my  little helpers in the kitchen and Rowan was super cute stacking the cut up parsnips like blocks!  This dish was beyond easy, versatile, and all three of the boys asked for seconds!!  We ate the dish with a spinach salad for dinner and for lunch the next day I served the chicken over some steamed kale.    Please feel free to use different veggies if you like, but I loved the way the parsnips tasted paired with the sage and chicken….

Scrumptious Slow Cooker Chicken

2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

3 parsnips

3 carrots

4 celery stalks

1 red onion

10-12 whole garlic cloves

¼ cup coconut oil

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon rubbed sage

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Cut the parsnips, carrots, celery, and onion into large chunks making sure that the carrots and parsnips are cut roughly the same size for even cooking.  Place the chicken in the crockpot and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.  On top of the chicken layer the onions and whole garlic cloves followed by the parsnips, carrots, and celery. In a glass measuring cup mix together the chicken broth, coconut oil, thyme and sage (it helps to melt the coconut oil first in the microwave).  Pour this mixture evenly over the chicken and veggies and cook on high for 5 hours or low for 7.

Enjoy!!

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Here’s a fast, easy and delicious side dish to try with your dinner tonight!

Skillet Butternut Squash and Greens

1 lb bacon, diced

1 medium sized butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

1 bunch chard, diced

1 zucchini, diced

Drizzle of olive oil

Drizzle of balsamic vinegar

Using a potato peeler, peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.  Place in a large pan and cover with water.  Boil for 5-7 minutes or until the squash is tender but not mushy.  While the squash is boiling, cook the diced bacon in a large skillet until browned.  Drain the butternut squash and add to the cooked diced bacon along with the chard and zucchini.  Saute for another couple of minutes until the chard is wilted.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar and serve.

Enjoy!!

Skillet Butternut Squash and Greens is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

Not-So-Boring Chicken Stir Fry

Are you worried?  Well STOP IT!!!  We can worry about our bills, worry about our health, worry about our kids, worry about the weather and worry about worrying until finally we are faced with a situation that warrants something to actually worry about and we find ourselves too frazzled to adequately cope.  The solution?  Let go a little bit; or a lot.  There are millions of things outside of our control and if we spend too much time fixating on what might happen, we will miss all the wonderful stuff that’s happening right now.  So, when those cumbersome thoughts start to take over an otherwise happy day take a few deep breaths, think of three things that make you smile, and focus on what you are going to do next to make your life more positive rather than filled with worry about the maybes or the unknowns.

Here’s a happy thought to get you started, a deliciously simple new recipe!

Not-so-boring Chicken Stir Fry!

1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into bite size pieces

1 red onion, sliced

2 tablespoons bacon grease or coconut oil

4-5 garlic cloves, minced

1 8.5 oz can of artichoke hearts, chopped

1 bunch rainbow chard, chopped

1 cup sliced mushrooms

Juice from ½ a Meyer lemon

¼ cup chicken stock

Black pepper to taste (the more the better in this recipe!)

Sea salt to taste

Olive oil

Over medium heat, saute the onion in bacon grease until the onion starts to turn brown.  Add the chicken pieces and cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes.  Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute. Add the lemon juice, chicken broth, and mushrooms. Mix well and bring to a boil.  Cover and cook for another 3-5 minutes.  Add the chard and basil and cook down until the chard is wilted (about 2 minutes).   Add the artichoke hearts and stir just until warm.  Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt if desired.

Enjoy!!

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Creamy Tomato Soup

Hello dear friends!  I made a guest appearance on The Paleo Solution Podcast over the weekend with Robb Wolf and Andy Deas.  I had such an awesome time answering listeners questions so if you have a chance, check it out here.  My time with Robb and Andy is a preview of sorts of what topics and questions I will be answering during my future podcasts with Chrissy Gower of Growing Up Paleo.

Now a recipe!

Today I made tomato soup for lunch and topped it with some left over diced chicken breast alongside some left over roasted beets, carrots, and kale. The veggie recipe I made was the same as this one, minus the shrimp.  I loved how the soup turned out and plan to make it again as a side dish or by adding in some meatballs next time!!

Creamy Tomato Soup

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 red onion, finely diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 14.5 oz cans of organic diced tomatoes

1 can coconut milk

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Black pepper to taste

In a large soup pan, saute the onion in 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil until the onions start to turn brown. Add the garlic and saute for another minute or two.  In a food processor combine the 2 cans of diced tomatoes and the cooked onion and garlic mixture and blend until smooth.  Pour the mixture back into the soup pot.  Add the coconut milk, and spices and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 10 minutes and serve!  Serves 3-4.

Enjoy!

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Chicken Soup!!

Here’s a fun food project for the weekend that’s sure to get you ready for the busy week ahead!

On Saturday make an Easy and Amazing Roasted Chicken and eat it!  Do NOT throw out the carcass or the juices from the roasting pan!!

On Sunday, put the chicken carcass and the pan drippings into a large soup pot. Add enough water to just cover the chicken and bring to a boil.  Turn down to low and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours.  Now, remove the bones, making sure to scrape off any little yummy bits of meat that did not fall off in the simmering process.  You can either use a slotted spoon to remove the bones, or dump the whole thing through a strainer but DO NOT lose the amazing broth you just made; make sure you dump it through a strainer into another soup pot!  Pick out all the bones and add the remaining chicken meat back to the broth.  Next, cut up whatever veggies you want to. I made a super simple chicken soup with just carrot, celery and onion.  Add the veggies to the soup, and season with paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper.  This is the EASIET way to make this soup but the sky is the limit!!  Add kale, spinach, or collard greens.  Make a pan of roasted root veggies and add that in – delicious!!  Switch up the spices and add some cumin and cayenne for a zesty kick.  Have fun and best of all,  you’ll have soup left over for fast lunches or snacks next week!

Enjoy!

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Warm Roasted Beet, Kale & Shrimp Salad

Currently, my entire life is revolving around the completion of the Everyday Paleo book – and I wanted to give you all an update!

First, I want to thank each of you so much for your continued support and kind comments: I wish I had time to personally respond to everyone so please know that this big THANK YOU goes to everyone who has posted who I have not yet had a chance to comment back to.  Your kind words are more motivating and appreciated than any of you could possibly imagine.

My book is nearing the final editing phase and although I do not have an exact release date as of yet, we are looking at late February or early March.  Here’s a quick preview of what you will find in the Everyday Paleo book:

“Getting Started Guide” for beginners which includes useful shopping and other tips that will be helpful for everyone – even experienced paleo folks!

A “What About” Section that answers many questions from “What About Yams” to “What About Cream for my coffee”

Section on the psychology of handling change.

Section on Getting the Family on Board

A “Paleo Relationship Section”

Kitchen Essentials guide

Survival Guide including eating out tips and much more.

A Section on Sleep, Stress, and how to survive in our crazy 21st century!

Over 100 recipes with full color photos!

An 80 page fitness section for you and the family, also with full color photos!

A 30 day Family Friendly Meal plan + 2 weeks worth of school lunch ideas.

And more…….

So, thank you for bearing with me as I have a lagged a bit between posts as I work to wrap up this labor of love.

Now, let’s talk food.

I made this salad for lunch today and wow, yum, so good – I can’t wait to hear what you all think!

Warm Roasted Beet, Kale & Shrimp Salad

1 lb medium cooked shrimp, tails removed and deveined

8 small beets, peeled, sliced and cubed

10 garlic cloves sliced in half lengthwise (less if you are not worried about vampires)

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 bunches of kale, tough stems removed and diced

½ tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

Handful of crumbled pecans

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450.  In a glass baking dish toss together the cut up beets, garlic cloves, and coconut oil.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.  Remove the beets and garlic from the oven and pile the kale on top.  Put back in the oven for 10 minutes, stirring half way through the cooking time.  The kale will start to shrink down after that first 5 minutes, making it easier to stir.  While the kale and beets finish cooking, add the shrimp to a medium sized mixing bowl.  When the kale and beets are done, pour over the shrimp, add the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper if you like, stir, top with crumbled pecans and eat!   Serves 2 adults and 1 child.

Enjoy!

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Alright all you goal setters out there.  Are you ready?  Goal setting is great, I’m a big fan of the idea but I’m not a big fan of setting goals only at the New Year.  I hate to be a party pooper, but statistically folks who decide to turn over a new leaf starting January 1 are usually setting themselves up for failure.  Yikes.  I think I just turned off anyone who wanted to go paleo starting Saturday and are likely giving me the bird through the screen. I’m sorry, I really am, but it’s not me that’s talking it’s STATISTICS.  Ok, so please do not stop reading, I’m only here to help and I WANT you to stay on track so start by reading this article that gives very practical advice as to how one is more likely to reach his or her goals as well as continue onward with the positive changes that one has decided to make. Now, let’s look at a few paleo related ideas that will hopefully get you ready for the New Year, including some tips to keep us all on track!

What Sarah always wants you to have in your pantry:

1. Coconut milk
2. Canned organic diced tomatoes (no salt added)
3. Organic tomato paste
4. Organic Free Range Gluten Free Chicken Broth (Trader Joe’s carries a great brand)
5. Coconut Flakes (keep in the fridge after you open them)
6. Coconut Flour
7. Almond Meal
8. Raw Almonds
9. Raw Pecans
10. Raw Walnuts (all nuts actually keep better in the freezer after you open the bag)
11. Almond butter (again, in the fridge after you open)
12. Beef Jerky (gluten and soy free from Paleo Brands or Trader Joe’s is best)
13. Canned Wild Caught Alaskan Salmon
14. Canned Tuna
15. Olives
16. Artichoke Hearts
17. Dried unsweetened Bing cherries
18. Dried unsweetened figs
19. Dried unsweetened apricots
20. Olive oil
21. Coconut oil
22. El Pato hot sauce and enchilada sauce
23. Jalapenos
24. Canned diced green chilli’s
25. Sun dried tomatoes
26. As many freaking spices as you can get your hands on!!  With spices you NEVER have an excuse to eat a boring meal!!

What Sarah always wants you to have in your fridge:

1. Eggs – preferably free range (not fed soy) or omega 3 enriched
2. Grass fed Ground Beef
3. Free range chicken (thighs are my favorite, or the whole darn bird is my next favorite – you can make my amazing roast chicken and then boil the carcass for soup)  chicken is so versatile it should always be around….)
4. Nitrate Free Deli Meat  (great for on the go, kids lunches, and fast snacking)
5. Bacon
6. Mustard
7. Salsa
8. Hot Sauce
9. Chili Oil
10. Thai Fish Oil
11. Thai Curry Paste
12. Homemade Paleo Mayo
13. So Delicious Brand unsweetened coconut milk
14. Spinach
15. Kale
16. Carrots
17. Cucumber
18. Organic Lettuce Mix
19. Romain Lettuce
20. Apples
21. Blueberries
22. Lemons
23. Limes
24. Any veggie and fruit that you can get your hands on that is as fresh as possible and in season!

Ok, now that your pantry and fridge are stocked, let’s talk about preparedness!  Set aside an hour on the weekend to plan  you meals.  Think about your week ahead and start gathering your “go to” meals.  For example, my Tuesday afternoons are consistently crazy thanks to kids activities and life in general so I know that Tuesday night is always lettuce taco night.  I can  make this meal with my eyes closed and I usually prepare it in the afternoon and have everything all ready to eat before dinner rolls around.  Thursday’s are usually my soup day or slow cooker day because I am usually away working on my book or my blog and I need to have dinner ready to go for the family.  I always make enough on my slow cooker days for leftovers, in fact I always try to make enough of everything I make for leftovers so that John and I have something prepared for our hectic lunch schedules on the following day.  Use your weekend to shop.  Nothing sucks more than trying to shop on a weeknight when everyone else is doing the same thing, your kids are cranky and so are you, it’s dark, rainy and cold, and all you really want is a glass of wine and a chicken pot pie.  Don’t let yourself go there. Instead, shop when you are clear headed and fresh with shopping list in hand. Being prepared gives you a sense of freedom, capability, and no gosh darn excuses to eat crappy food!

Now, get the kiddos ready.  Get a cool lunch box like one from here.  The night before have your kid or kids help you pack their lunches.  If they are old enough, have them pack their own!  Let them decide what paleo items they want – they’ll be more excited about what you are sending and even more excited about the groovy lunch box they get to pack the fun food in!  Think turkey slices wrapped round avocado, broccoli slaw, or purple cabbage.  Carrot and celery sticks with almond butter, coconut flakes, dried fruit, and for fun a few dark chocolate covered almonds now and then.  I even like to send chicken salad, beef jerky, and leftovers if I know they will be tasty cold.  My book will have 2 weeks worth of school lunch ideas so hopefully that will help fill the void of what to pack!!

Keep the kids excited about food at home by letting them help you meal plan. Look at blogs together and let them choose a few meals that look good to them.  Let them help you pick out new veggies or fruits at your local farmers market.  Bring them with you in the kitchen and give them important jobs to do while you are preparing food.  Praise them, make them super stars at cooking, let them make a mess, let them explore your spice cabinet, let them sample what’s simmering and have them tell you “what’s missing!” Have them choose a spice to add.  Give them their own little drawer with their own kitchen utensils.  Do not make a fuss when they do not like something or they don’t eat as much as you think they should.  Always know that the next day will be easier and that your kids will survive.  More about this in the book too!!!  : )

Alright, enough rambling for now, but hopefully this will give you all a jumpstart into another healthy, happy, goal-reaching, productive year!  Do you want to know what my goal is for this year?  Ok – I’ll tell you.  My goal is to be more attentive.  I want to be a better listener.  When my kids are talking to me, my goal is to try harder to really listen, without distraction.  They tell me the coolest stuff and sometimes I miss out on what they are saying because my mind is going too fast.  Rowan, my three year old, is now talking up a storm and he loves to tell stories.  He will look at me and say, “Mom, what’s YOUR story is?”  And I’ll tell him one, and then he’ll tell me one, and I don’t want to miss any of those stories because before I know it, he’ll be as big as my 15 year old Coby and I’ll wish that I had sat still long enough to really really listen….

Now, on to a recipe.  I think this post wins as my longest ever and I love you for reading this far and I promise the time you took is worth it because this soup is so amazing.  So satisfying.  So good I want some right now as I type here in Starbucks thinking about my family eating the leftovers without me.

Everyday Paleo’s Spin on Mulligatawny Soup

1 ½ lbs grass fed ground beef

2 shallots, diced

3 carrots, chopped

2 apples, peeled, cored, and diced

1 leek, halved, and sliced (make sure you clean these guys really well)

1 parsnip, peeled and chopped

¼ cup fresh parsley, diced

1 tablespoon curry powder

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1 tablespoon cinnamon

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup coconut milk

2 tablespoons coconut oil

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and leeks and saute for 4-5 minutes.  Add the rest of the veggies except the parsley and saute for another 7-8 minutes.  While the veggies are cooking, brown the ground beef in a separate skillet.  Once the meat is browned, add to the soup pot and mix in with the veggies.  Add the parsley and all the dry spices and mix well.  Add the chicken stock and coconut milk, bring to a simmer and cook for 1 hour.

Happy, safe, wonderful New Year to you all and as always, Enjoy!

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Happy Holidays!!  The holidays are meant to be a time of joy, a time of merriment, a time for reflection on the year behind us and a time to plan for the future.  Alright, now it’s time to get real. The holidays can also be down right STRESSFUL and often our joy can be lost in trying to simply survive the insanity of shopping, wrapping, packing, flying, driving, and dealing with relatives…   With that being said, I tossed together a few appetizer options, a scrumptious festive soup, and a decadent dessert in hopes that my little gift of recipes will help ease the stress that is often associated with this time of year. If you know you’ll be attending a party or function that likely will be laden with unhealthy options; offer to bring an appetizer or a dish to share so you will not feel deprived and can spread some paleo love along the way!

So please dear readers, keep your chin up, your stress level down, eat well, sleep when you can, hug close the ones you love the most, and give yourself the gift of health this season.  Here’s hoping that you take a few minutes to slow down a bit, look around at all we are blessed with, take a few long deep breaths, and really, truly, honestly ENJOY!!!

Depending on how many people you will be feeding, you may want to double of triple the following recipes.

Merry Little Lamb Bites

1 cup dried apricots, rehydrate by soaking in hot water for 30 minutes

1 lb ground lamb

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of saffron threads

¼ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

1 egg

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Cilantro leaves for garnish

Mix all ingredients together except for the apricots and cilantro leaves.  Place the lamb mixture in fridge for 15 minutes to let the flavors meld.  Remove the lamb from the fridge and heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Form the lamb mixture into small meat balls, about ½ a tablespoon size, and fry in the coconut oil for about 3-4 minutes on each side. Cover the meatballs, turn the heat down to medium low and cook another 5 minutes.  While the meatballs finish cooking, remove the apricots from the water and dry with paper towels.  Cut the apricots into fourths.  To serve, take a meatball, top with a couple of cilantro leaves, and top with a piece of apricot.  I would suggest spearing it all with a toothpick – I did not have any handy for the picture!  Makes approximately 25 meatballs.

Merry Little Lamb Bites

Bell Pepper Shrimp Boats

1 lb medium shrimp, cooked tails removed and finely diced

1 red, yellow, and orange bell pepper

1 cup celery, finely diced

½ cup mango, finely diced

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup lemon juice

Pinch or two of cayenne pepper

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Parsley and Paprika for garnish

Preheat oven to 500. Cut each bell pepper into quarters and remove the seeds (see picture).  Roast the bell pepper quarters on each side for 6 minutes.  Remove and set aside to cool.  In a large mixing bowl, stir together the finely chopped shrimp, celery, and mango.  Add the olive oil, lemon juice, and spices and mix well.  Fill each cooled bell pepper boat with the shrimp filling and garnish with a sprig of fresh parsley and sprinkle with paprika.  Makes 16 shrimp boats.

Festive Squash Soup

1 butter nut squash, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes

¼ cup diced yellow onion

1 Fuji apple, peeled, cored and diced

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup coconut milk

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

Pinch of black pepper

In a large soup pot add the squash, apple, onion, and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the squash is tender.  Add this mixture to a food processor or blender and process until smooth.  Add the soup mixture back to the pot and add the coconut milk and spices.  Bring to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring often.  Serve garnished with apple slices and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  Serves 4. This soup is AMAZING!!!

Festive Squash Soup

Joyful Curry Chicken Gifts

2 ½ cups finely diced cooked chicken breasts

½ cup finely diced cucumber

½ cup raisins

¼ cup slivered almonds

2 tablespoons minced onions

1 tablespoon curry powder

¼ cup paleo mayo

2 cucumbers, sliced or romaine lettuce leaves cut into 3″ pieces

Mix all ingredients together except for the sliced cucumbers or lettuce leaves.  Spoon small amounts of the chicken mixture onto the cucumber slices or lettuce leaves and serve! Delicious!  Will make about 30 cucumber slices.

And finally a dessert…  I made a Zabaglione which is a light Italian custard – more like a sauce really.  It is decadent and amazing and after all your cooking and entertaining, a well deserved treat!! Before I give you this final recipe, I also recommend checking out my pumpkin pie and other recipes from this post for more holiday food ideas.  Another festive dessert idea is my Berry Cobbler, which also works well with sliced apples. Now, on to the Zabaglione…

Brandy Zabaglione

6 egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (finely grated lemon peel)

A sprinkle of cinnamon

2 tablespoons of brandy

1/3 cup water

1 mashed banana

Fresh blueberries

Honey

Fill a small sauce pan half way with water.  Bring to a boil and then turn heat down so that the water is just simmering.  In a metal mixing bowl, add the egg yolks, lemon zest, sprinkle of cinnamon, brandy, and water.  Place the bowl on top of the sauce pan with simmering water.  Make sure you bowl is big enough that it does not rest down into the sauce pan and touch the water but that only the steam from the water is heating the bowl.  Using a hand held mixer, beat the egg yolk mixture on low for 10 minutes.  The mixture will become pale and frothy and triple in size.  When it’s finished, it will be a foamy, creamy, very thin custard – not thick at all.  Remove immediately from heat after 10 minutes of mixing.  In a martini glass, spoon in a couple small spoonfuls of mashed banana and top with a few blueberries. Spoon in some of the Zabaglione and drizzle on a bit of honey.  Add a few more blueberries, another layer of the Zabaglione, a few more blueberries, and another drizzle of honey.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve while it’s still warm.  TO DIE FOR!!

Brandy Zabaglione

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Sharing a Coconut

As a general rule, our family does not eat out during the week.  Establishing this family “rule” has helped in many ways.  We save money, we spend more time together at the table than time at a busy restaurant waiting for a table, and we eat healthier.  On the weekends we will sometimes eat out once or twice and we have found a couple of places in our little town that really work for us. We particularly love a little Thai place called Cocodine.  Cocodine orders these amazing young coconuts straight from Thailand and the little boys LOVE having a coconut and we all enjoy the awesome curries.   The owners know us by now and they always bring us extra veggies instead of rice.

Another favorite spot we go to is a breakfast joint called Sin of Cortez. They offer this amazing sausage straight from our local University farm and they also offer several delicious veggie scrambles.

Sin of Cortez also serves up some yummy gluten free pancakes which is a great weekend treat for all of us once in a while – life’s too short to NEVER eat pancakes – and how great to find a gluten free option at a restaurant!!  Eating out is totally possible and should still be enjoyed once in a while and finding the right places to go is essential!  For more advice on how to manage eating out, check out this article that I recently posted to my Facebook page as well.

Here is a fun spaghetti squash side dish recipe that could also be made into a main dish by simply adding in some diced chicken, ground beef, or any other protein of your choice.

Scrumptious Spaghetti Squash

1 spaghetti squash

1 yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 zucchini squash, diced

½ cup sliced kalamata olives

1 tablespoon capers

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 tablespoon dried basil

½ cup chicken broth

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Cut the spaghetti squash in half, remove the seeds and cook the spaghetti squash in a pressure cooker for 15 minutes or bake at 350 for 1 hour.  Saute the onions in a large skillet in the coconut oil until they start to carmelize.  Add the garlic and zucchini and saute for another 4-5 minutes.  Using a fork, scrape out the insides of the spaghetti squash and add to the skillet. Add the remaining ingredients as well and cook together another 4-5 minutes.

Enjoy!

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Eating out and a side dish recipe… is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

Chicken Jicama Slaw

Anything “slaw” is right up my alley and this salad was slaw-de-licious.  I was inspired to make this salad by a recipe sent to me by Michele L. who you might remember from this previous post. I hope you enjoy!

Chicken Jicama Slaw

3 cups cooked chicken, diced (we used a rotisserie chicken)

2 cups broccoli slaw

½ cup cucumber, diced

1/2 small red onion, finely diced

1 cup diced jicama

½ cup paleo mayo

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp chili powder

pinch of cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy!  Serves 4 adults.  We ate our salad with a butternut squash cooked in the pressure cooker for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

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Chicken Jicama Slaw is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

Well, Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is right around the corner but in the mean time, in between the insanity, shopping, hanging of lights, and planning yet ANOTHER holiday meal, we all still need to eat.  Here’s a delicious and amazingly easy seafood stew recipe that I would like to share with you. Thank you to my dear friend Jillian for sharing this recipe with me, this is now one of our new favorites!  If your kiddos have turned their noses up to seafood before, this might be the meal that changes their minds.

Caribbean Seafood Stew

2 lbs of  raw seafood (I used 1 lb of wild caught shrimp and 1 lb of mahi mahi pieces, both from Trader Joe’s)

1 yellow onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons cumin

1 bunch cilantro

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 can coconut milk

1 tbsp coconut oil

Sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Dice up the stems of the cilantro bunch and set aside. In a large soup pot saute the onions in the coconut oil.  When the onions start to turn brown, add the garlic and the cilantro stems and saute for another 2-3 onions.  Add the tomatoes, cumin, salt and pepper, mix well and cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Add the seafood and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the seafood is done.  Serve with the cilantro leaves on top as a garnish.

Enjoy!

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Caribbean Seafood Stew is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

Hangin' with the Boys!

I thought I would start this post by sharing a fun picture of the Fragoso family hanging out together…..

It’s been a while since I have done a Day in the Life blog and a reader recently requested I outline what a typical eating day looks like for us, so here it goes! I’m going to take you along with me for last Thursday’s meals, which is typically one of my busier days thanks to after school kid stuff and other obligations that leave me running round like a mad woman.

We should start where every morning SHOULD start, and that’s of course with breakfast! Pictured is my not so breakfast like breakfast but I for one could care less about what my breakfast looks like, just as long as it tastes good and has enough protein and fat to get me through until lunch.  I made bacon and scrambled eggs for the boys – but they ate it all of course so I ate some left over ground beef that we had the night before for lettuce tacos topped with some of my favorite Purple Cabbage Slaw, and some guacamole.

Breakfast!

I made Jaden’s lunch which consisted of nitrate free roast beef wrapped around broccoli slaw, some slices of fuyu persimmons, a Lara Bar, and some purple cabbage.

My lunch that I shared with Rowan was leftover roasted delicata squash which I roasted just like the butternut squash, along with beets roasted the same way and stir fried beet greens and some leftover chicken which is not pictured.

For dinner I made a delicious and easy pot roast that I threw in the crockpot before taking the boys to school.  Here’s the recipe

Cabbage Roast

1 beef chuck pot roast

1 yellow onion, sliced

10 garlic cloves

1 head green cabbage, sliced

6-7 thyme branches

1 cup chicken broth

Sea salt and black pepper

Sprinkle the pot roast all over with salt and pepper and sear in a skillet on all sides until brown (about 4 minutes per side). While the roast is searing, cut up the onion and place in the bottom of the slow cooker along with whole garlic cloves.  Slice up an entire head of green cabbage and set aside.  Once the roast has seared, place on top of the onions and garlic in the slow cooker, put the thyme branches on top of the roast, cover the roast with the cabbage, and add the chicken stock.  Cook on  low for 8 hours or until the meat is falling apart.

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As you can tell from this post, we rely a lot on leftovers, planning ahead, our slow cooker, and taking the time to cook real food.  Yes we are busy, but we try to make it a priority to never be too busy or distracted to be healthy.  I used to be miserable, unhealthy, and sick and although now I spend more time in the kitchen or planning our meals than I used to, I have MORE time to be productive in other areas of my life because I have the energy and good health that allows me to do so.  Is it hard?  Heck yes but totally worth it!

Enjoy!

A Day in the Life is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

Today's Lunch

So, my site feels a bit foreign to me, and I feel as if I am intruding into someone else’s space!  With the original format suddenly gone, I feel as if I have lost an old friend. Please, a moment of silence for the old Everyday Paleo…. With that being said, do not get used to how things look now, we are searching for a better look for my site and hopefully we’ll have a more user friendly version up and running ASAP! I must give a huge shout out to my friend Dain S. who is the ONLY reason I ever figured out how to blog in the first place – he’s working his tail off trying to resolve our technical difficulties.  Thanks Dain!!

Now, back to the fun!  I often mention kitchen essentials that make paleo cooking a heck of a lot easier; such as a food processor, pressure cooker, and the oh so important slow cooker.  Check out this fun site for even more fun kitchen equipment!  My favorite suggestion is the fire extinguisher.  Now that’s some serious cooking!!

I would like to share with you today’s super easy lunch which includes my new favorite way to enjoy winter squash.

Today’s Lunch

Just some good ol’ grass fed beef

2 lbs grass fed ground beef

1/2 red onion, diced

5 cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

splash of balsamic vinegar

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Saute the onions in the coconut oil until translucent.  Add the ground beef and brown. Add the spices and the spinach and cook for another 5 minutes or until the spinach is cooked down and tender.

Roasted Winter Squash

1 butternut squash

2 tablespoons coconut oil

Preheat oven to 400. Remove the skin from the squash with a potato peeler.  Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.  Slice the squash into very thin slices.  Toss with the coconut oil and spread evenly on a baking sheet.  Roast for 25 minutes. Check our Rowan in the pics below trying the squash raw!  He liked it much better when it was out of the oven…

Roasted Romanesco

I received a beautiful romanesco in my CSA share this week and I roasted it exactly like the squash, first cutting it into florets and then baking for 25 minutes.  I cannot even describe the incredible taste of this veggie, a mild mix of broccoli and cauliflower.  Jaden called it, “The Best Thing Ever!!” I have never seen romanesco in the grocery stores but roasting broccoli or cauliflower is just as tasty!

Enjoy!!

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Kitchen Equipment and Today’s Lunch is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

Chicken Chili Soup

I must say, this soup was a huge success!  So good in fact that the leftovers I imagined enjoying today were gone in a flash as I watched the last bits of soup being scraped from the bottom of the pot.  I’m not sure what the heck I’m going to do as my boys continue to grow, and eat, and eat, and grow and holy cow – it’s crazy how much food these creatures consume!  If I had a dollar for every time I heard the words, “I’m hungry” well – you get the picture.  So, the moral of the story is, if you have as many hungry mouths to feed as I do, or if you make this over the weekend and want plenty of leftovers to get you through another busy week, double this recipe!!

Also, stay tuned for my next blog which will feature an entire paleo Thanksgiving meal plan!  In the spirit  of the holidays, check out this blog from Cavegirl Cafe – a great reminder that it’s time to start getting ready for the season!

Chicken Chili Soup

3 cups chicken breast, cooked and chopped (I used leftover grilled chicken breast)

1 onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeno or Fresno pepper, seeds removed and finely diced

2 – 4 oz cans of diced green chilis

4 cups chicken broth

2 tbsps olive oil

2 tsps ground cumin

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Black pepper to taste

Fresh cilantro, diced

Avocado, diced

In a large soup pan, sauté the onion, garlic, and jalapeno together in the olive oil until the onions are tender.  Add the canned green chilis, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper and black pepper.  Stir together and add the chicken broth.  Bring to a boil, turn down to medium low, and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes.  Serve with fresh cilantro and avocado.

Enjoy!

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Chicken chili soup is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

After finally completing the recipe section for my book, which included cooking and photographing over 100 recipes in 3 weeks, I’m kind of tired of cooking….  But – we still have to eat, so tonight I made the simplest dinner that I could eek out and in fact it was so easy, it shouldn’t have tasted as good as it did.  This was however an important reminder that when eating paleo it’s actually really hard to go wrong.  Fresh veggies, meat, and fat is not all that complicated and one has to try pretty darn hard to mess up, especially when keeping it simple.  Here’s a “It Can Be This Easy” meal that I hope you all enjoy as much as we did! Also pictured is another school lunch idea: Turkey slices wrapped around organic broccoli slaw, a hard boiled egg, a Lara Bar, orange slices, and cut up dried all fruit leather.

Roasted Root Veggies and Chicken

2 lbs root veggies, diced into small cubes (I used pre-cut turnips, rutabagas, and parsnips from Trader Joe’s)

4 chicken breasts

2 tablespoons coconut oil

Garlic powder, dried basil, black pepper and sea salt to taste.

Preheat oven to 400.  In a large mixing bowl, toss the root veggies with coconut oil.  Add the veggies to a large glass baking dish and top with the 4 chicken breasts.  Season the chicken with the garlic, basil, pepper and salt.  Cover tightly with the tin foil and back for 45-50 minutes.  Take of the tinfoil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

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It can be this easy is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License

This week in my CSA box from the farm co-op I belong to I received a TON (well about 2 lbs actually) of collard greens.  I also happened to have a giant ham hock in my freezer – the last remaining piece of the recent 1/2 a hog that we purchased from our favorite local pig farmers.  I have been wondering what the heck to do with the ham hock, and now that I had a bountiful amount of collards – I was suddenly inspired – Southern Style Collard Greens!  This is a dish I remember having as a child when we took a trip in a rented motor home and traveled from CA to New York, stopping at various states across the way. It was an incredible adventure and an incredible culinary adventure of sorts as well.  So, here is my take on Southern Style Collard greens as I remember them.  The end result turned out so satisfying, delicious and comforting – even good enough to hope for another huge supply of collard greens in my next CSA box!!

Southern Style Collard Greens

2 lbs collard greens

1 smoked ham hock (or 1 lb of diced bacon)

1 yellow onion, diced

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons hot sauce (I used Tapatio)

2 teaspoons sea salt (optional)

In a large soup pot add the ham hock, onions, garlic powder, hot sauce and sea salt.  Wash the collar greens and using your hands, tear the leaves away from the tough spine of each green.  Roughly chop the greens and place in the pot.  Add enough water to just cover the greens.  Cover and bring to a boil, turn heat down and simmer, stirring occasionally for 1 hour. When you serve the collards, shred some of the ham off the hock to eat with the greens and add some of the broth to the serving bowls as well.  The broth by itself is amazing.

Enjoy!

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Southern Style Collard Greens is a post from Everyday Paleo - licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License