Protein Power!

Ok, so technically this is a bit off the Paleo track...but this chickpea dish is still packed with protein, good fats, and yummy tastes! It is one of my favorite weekend dishes to make, since it does require a long cooking time. Do not let that frighten you away!! The prep is quick and simple, and this is perfect to prep and leave; then come back when it's all heavenly! This gives you time to do laundry, sweep and mop, vacuum, put the baby down for a nap, and whatever else it is you feel you need to get done during the afternoon. :-D Plus, this is warm and comforting, since there's still way too much snow outside of my house.
As I've mentioned in the past, I enjoy a wide variety of foods; chickpeas are used very regularly in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking. This recipe is more Mediterranean in origin, and is likely enjoyed in many countries; I believe it is popular on the Greek Isles. This is also a very common dish during lent, which I'm sure some of you are participating in at this time...so, thats handy! I know I found the original recipe on line, but unfortunately cannot recall what precisely it contained; as I have made various changes, over time, to suit my tastes.
I prefer canned chickpeas (also labeled as Garbanzo Beans), for simplicity's sake. You can use dried, and soak them overnight if that makes you happy. If you're using canned, make sure you dump them in a colander a little bit before you begin, so they have time to drain sufficiently.

Oven-Cooked Chickpeas
Ingredients:
4 15oz cans chickpeas, well drained
2/3 C. extra virgin olive oil (best quality you can get your hands on, believe me, you taste the difference!)
2 medium onions, finely diced
2 Tbsp. dried oregano, crumbled in your palm
2 bay leaves, crumbled
2 tsp. red pepper flakes, or ground cayenne
1 1/2 C. chicken or vegetable stock
1 1/2 C. water
1 tsp. salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In bowl, combine chickpeas with salt and toss to combine well.
In medium, oven-proof casserole (or Dutch oven) that has a lid, heat oil and sauté onions over medium heat, until softened.
Stir in chickpeas, oregano, bay leaves, and pepper flakes/ground cayenne. Stir well, then add stock and water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
Cover dish with double layer of aluminum foil and the lid.
Reduce oven temp to 250 degrees, place casserole in oven, and cook, 6 hours, or until chickpeas are very tender. You can stir occasionally to prevent chickpeas on top from drying out, but it is not required.
Taste, and adjust seasoning as desired, adding black pepper.
These can be served hot, warm, or at room temp.
These will be covered in liquid still, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a bowl!

I load these into a bowl, and top with chopped Kalamata olives, fresh crumbled feta cheese, and fresh diced onion. You can serve them with warm pita bread, if you're not doing Paleo.

There ought to be plenty of leftovers, for lunches or dinner later in the week. These keep very well, the flavors only enhancing themselves. Even little Pixie enjoyed a couple mouthfuls (victory for mommy!).

Just before popping in the oven

Fresh out of the oven about 6 1/2 hours later!

More Snowy Days

I am highly disappointed in our local weather, again. I once again have several inches of snow outside my house. I am very much beyond over it. Sadly, I had to go out into the Siberian waste this morning, as we were all out of food. Thankfully Hubby kept Pixie home to play, so I breezed through and was back home within 90 minutes.
I then proceeded to blend up a dozen smoothies to freeze, these make a perfect to-go breakfast. I use some coconut milk, and whatever kind of fruit I am in the mood for. Today we had frozen peaches, cherries, strawberries, pineapple, and fresh oranges and bananas. I also whipped up another batch of tortillas, and chopped some broccoli into florets for freezing.
Tonight for dinner I made one of Hubby's absolute favorite meals; Scotch Eggs. These are solid protein, and super simple. I was able to find sausage with 1/3 less fat today, so I was pretty happy about that. These are actually an Irish dish, and are perfect made with Bangers, which I squeeze out of the casings so I have ground sausage. Tonight, however, I used hot ground Italian sausage; because Hubby requested it. This is even quicker to prepare if you always have hard boiled eggs on hand like I do.
Usually you will find these deep fried, but I'm not a big fan of that method, so we're using a different one. This is one of the few egg dishes that also reheats well.

Scotch Eggs
Ingredients:
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled
16 oz. ground sausage of choice (or sausage removed from casings)

Directions:
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Pack 4 oz. sausage firmly around each egg, leaving no gaps. These will be ball shaped.
Place in an oven proof skillet and place this in the oven. Cook 40-45 minutes, until sausage is cooked through; shaking pan occasionally to rotate balls to cook all sides.
Using a sharp knife, slice balls in half, and serve warm!

If you want a fun variation, after slicing eggs in half, remove yolks and devil them, then return to halved balls. Deviled Scotch Eggs!

I personally do not think these need any seasonings or additional flavor but....
You could:
Serve with Heinz 57 sauce for dipping
Wrap in fresh basil leaves before placing in skillet in the oven. Remove leaves before slicing and eating.
If using Banger sausage, serve with a grainy mustard (we love a Guinness one from Ireland) for dipping.
Try the deep fry method.
Make it a special breakfast, drizzle just a very little maple syrup over them.

Back on Tasty Track!

Ok. Whew! Still winding down from our jam packed weekend! But we definitely need to get back into our Paleo eating habits.
I made myself a tropical smoothie this morning with some pineapple, banana, natural unsweetened cocoa, coconut milk, and shredded coconut. It was very summer-y, and filled me up until lunch! For which I had "Feta Pizza" which I kinda made up on the spot, and have now put in the archive.
That leads us to dinner tonight...cauliflower fried rice with chicken! Dah, dah, dah, daaaahhh! Haha...it may not sound impressive to start with. But this is just as good as any hole-in-the-wall Chinese Fried Rice (remember we talked about loving that stuff). As I have mentioned in the past, I always have riced cauliflower on hand. I make it, and freeze it in "serving size portions." I cant tell you exactly how much that is, because it really does vary person to person. I freeze somewhat larger portions, because Hubby has hollow limbs to fill up.
I also try to keep portions of chicken frozen, so I can just thaw them out & be good to go on a meal. I don't specify one kind of chicken to keep, and I don't always cook them the same way. Tonight I had some thighs that I'd done in the crockpot handy.
A quick, slightly ranting, side note here: please, for the love of Pete, season your chicken! Whether you're grilling it, baking it, slow-cooking it, or frying it. At least put some salt and pepper on all sides. I watched a friend make chicken enchiladas once. And she tossed whole, unseasoned chicken breasts into a pot of plain boiling water. While the enchiladas were good, you could definitely feel the want in the unseasoned chicken. I always use salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and a smidge of ground cayenne. You don't have to put all of that on each side, but its a good, basic combination to start with.
Now that I've gotten that out of my system....here is how I made a tasty, quicky, Paleo fried rice!

Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients:
1 large head cauliflower, riced
3-4 oz. cooked chicken, diced or shredded
1/2 medium onion, diced
Braggs Liquid Aminos
4 large eggs
2 cups vegetables of choice
2 Tbsp. coconut oil

Directions:
Melt 2 tsp. coconut oil in large skillet. Gently whisk eggs in small bowl with 2 tsp. aminos.
Add to heated oil, and gently scramble until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add remaining coconut oil to pan and melt over medium heat. Add diced onion, and cook until translucent.
In meantime steam your chosen veggies (tonight I used broccoli, edamame, and red bell pepper), until thoroughly heated, but still slightly crisp.
Once onions are translucent, turn heat to high for 90 seconds, then add all veggies, cauliflower, chicken and egg. Mix thoroughly. Add as much Braggs Aminos as desired to your taste, and cook until heated through.
Serve warm, with chopped scallions or chives if you'd like.
You can also choose to sprinkle sesame seeds or chopped peanuts over the top.

You can also mix this up if you have leftover steak, or pork, or even some seafood!

St. Paddy's Day Weekend - The Finish

Oh my goodness. I have most definitely exceeded my food intake limit for the weekend! We had our fish cakes on Friday, painted while enjoying mimosas on Saturday, ate almost 14 pounds of corned beef (between 18 people) and various sides on Sunday, and had a St. Patrick's themed potluck today (Monday) at work.
I do think I managed to behave quite well considering....I ate mostly corned beef and veggies. I made my Twice Baked Cauliflower for Sunday dinner, which went over very well! No leftovers there.
The potluck today was my downfall. I had a couple pieces of bread with spinach dip, and tried a couple bites of Shepherd's Pie, and two little tortilla pinwheels. I just ate more of things than I ought to have. I will say, I behaved myself much better than I would have before my "lifestyle" change. Ahhh well....I will have to be very good from this point forward, and work it off with some heavy duty yoga tonight.
I elected not to cook this evening, as I ate too much at the potluck, and we have plenty of leftovers. But please enjoy these pictures from our "Irish" weekend!

Pixie's handmade tutu! She was the cutest thing ever!

Canvas and Cocktails - "Irish Luck" paintings from Saturday

Potluck!

My ever famous corned beef ;-)

And Shepherd's Pie of course!

St. Paddy's Weekend!

Who else is gearing up for an awesome St. Paddy's Day?! My household is full speed ahead! We are Irish, actually, so we like to make a big deal out of "our" holiday. :-D
Remember I made Pixie her own tutu to celebrate? I'm hoping to get some really good pictures of her wearing it Sunday, when we all get together at my father-in-law's house. She is wearing it to pre-school today as a dry-run; hopefully it stays intact! Plus tomorrow we're going to a really fun place out here called Canvas and Cocktails. Gonna have a drink or two, and paint a really cool shamrock design! Pics of that will come too.
You may have guessed by now, that this weekend is all about Irish food! Or foods that make you think green, haha! This morning, I am even being "bad" and indulging in my very favorite Starbucks Green Tea Frappucino. Just a little one!
One thing about Ireland, being an island, is that they really have an amazing selection of super fresh fish and seafood! Hubby and I honeymooned in Ireland for 24 days (and I would have moved there permanently right then, if he would have allowed it); and we indulged on plenty of seafood; almost daily in fact! Fish 'n Chips, Cockles, Mussels, Fish Pie, Fish Stew....oh my. I'm salivating just remembering all of the amazing meals we ate! One thing you'll see in almost any pub in Ireland, is some sort of fish cake. Crab, cod, salmon...all sorts of varieties! They're amazingly easy to make, and you can literally do anything you want to them! Tonight we're going to make Tuna Cakes, and they're going to be very Paleo friendly! Right down to the Aioli I'm serving them with! And...we're again attempting to solve that issue we have with not eating enough fish (remember talking about this?).

Tuna Cakes
Ingredients:
3 (5oz) cans albacore tuna, packed in water, drained
2 eggs
1/2 Tbsp. dried dill
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. scallions, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh chives, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. coconut oil

Directions:
Mix all ingredients, except oil, in a bowl, using your hands.
In large skillet, heat coconut oil over medium to med-hi heat. Make sure it is nice and hot!
Form tuna into 11-12 small, slightly flattened patties and cook in hot oil 2-3 minutes per side. You will most likely have to do this in batches, so add more oil to the pan as necessary.
It is important to make sure your patties are browned on the one side before attempting to flip them, this helps them hold together!
Top with the garlicky aioli and serve warm!

Aioli
Ingredients:
1/2 C. Paleo mayo
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 clove garlic, minced (or pushed through a garlic press, which is by far my favorite kitchen tool)
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions:
Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a small bowl.

You could spice up the aioli if you cared to by adding a squirt of Sriracha hot sauce, or a pinch of ground cayenne pepper.
You could also serve these patties over a cole slaw, or with Creamy Cucumbers (in the archive).

Play around with this. Use canned salmon instead of tuna. Try flaked smoked salmon, or crab. Get really into it and make whatever kind of fish you prefer, cool it a bit, flake it, and make it into these cakes! They're very versatile!

These are nice and light, they look pretty, and they store and travel really well! You can't go wrong!

Ethnic Foods

You may have noticed by now that I like a lot of diversity in my foods. I can't eat the same thing, or even the same kinds of things over and over, I get bored and unhappy; which makes me reach for easy, interesting, likely fattening things. So I like to experiment with not only making your typical American, Italian and Mexican cuisine....I like Indian, Moroccan, Greek, Mediterranean, Asian, Irish, Russian....so on and so forth!
We're coming up fast on St. Patrick's Day, so you'll be seeing some tasty Irish dishes come out there.
But tonight we're going to take a taste bud-trip to eastern Europe. I'm adapting a recipe I found in Mellisa Joulwan's book Well Fed; for Czech Meatballs. I'm making up a sauce to dip them in, since they seemed to call for a little something extra in my opinion. And I'm serving them with some riced cauliflower, to which I added some fresh chopped veggies.

Czech Meatballs
Adapted from Melissa Joulwan's book Well Fed

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. fennel or caraway seeds
1 tsp. ground paprika
1 Tbsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 C. fresh parsley leaves, minced
1 Tbsp. grainy mustard (I'm using Hubby's favorite Guinness Mustard, straight from Ireland!)
1 large egg
1 1/2 lbs. ground pork

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil.
In large bowl, mix garlic, salt, fennel, paprika, parsley, pepper, mustard and egg. Crumble pork into bowl with your hands, and knead until ingredients are well combined.
Form meat mixture into meatballs, no larger than 1 inch. Line meatballs up on baking sheet, about 1/2 inch apart.
Slide tray into oven, and bake 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.



Dipping Sauce:
Ingredients:
1/2 C. Paleo Mayo
2 Tbsp. grainy mustard (the same as added to meatballs)
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce (something like Sriracha)

Mix all ingredients together with a fork, just dip meatballs in.



Veggie Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients:
1 large head fresh cauliflower
1 Tbsp. + 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 medium green bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 medium carrot, grated
1/4 cup shelled edamame
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Break cauliflower into florets, removing stems. Place florets, in batches, into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until cauliflower resembles rice, about 10-15 one second pulses. Do not overcrowd the food processor! You will make cauliflower mush that way.
Heat a large skillet over med-hi heat. Add 1 Tbsp. coconut oil and allow it to melt. Add all veggies to pan and cook about 5 minutes, until onions are translucent.
Push veggies to side of pan, add remaining 1 Tbsp. coconut oil, and dissolve salt and pepper in it. Then stir everything back together. Toss in riced cauliflower and cook until tender, about 8-10 more minutes, stirring frequently.
Serve warm.

Also: my quick and easy meal the other night did, in fact, help me to finish Pixie's St. Paddy's tutu! I think its completely adorable, but I have to find an equally adorable shirt to pair it with. Will post pics of the completed outfit later!

Classic Family Favorites

Been absent a couple days. We had a pretty jam packed weekend, complete with 6 inches of snow and two soccer games. I did cook over the weekend, but nothing very exciting, so I haven't shared :-) It was also daylight savings time this weekend, which always makes me go "ugh"
That being said, I wanted something super quick and easy tonight. One of my favorite, easy meals, has always been Egg Salad. And oddly, I am not fond of eating it as a sandwich; I prefer to spoon it onto Triscuit crackers. Since neither of those is an option for me at this time, I went in another direction. We are having Egg Salad Lettuce Wraps! Also, I'm sure you know all about the standard egg salad: eggs, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper....pickles and scallions if you're into that. I am kicking things up another notch by adding bacon and avocado. Think about it....you really can't go wrong with bacon and/or avocado! I picked up some fresh avocados today, as well as some nice long leaves of Romaine lettuce.
I boiled my eggs in advance, one: because I always like to have hard boiled eggs on hand for a snack or small meal; and two: it saves me that time tonight, because Im definitely after the quick/easy thing (partially because tonight I am bound and determined to finish the St. Patrick's Day tutu I am making for my Pixie).
Even if you boil your eggs just before building the salad, it is still a pretty darn quick meal!

Bacon Avocado Egg Salad, in Lettuce Wraps
Indgredients:
6 eggs
5 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped
1 ripe avocado
2 tsp. wine vinegar
2 tsp. scallions or chives, chopped
2 Tbsp. plain Greek yogurt
Fresh ground black pepper
Several leaves of Romaine lettuce


Directions:
Fill a pot with cool, salted water. Gently slide eggs into pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cover, remove from heat, and allow to sit 12-13 minutes. Pour out hot water and allow eggs to cool before refrigerating or peeling.
If you're in a rush, replace the hot water with cold water, and continue to do so until water is no longer heated by the eggs. Crack eggs gently all over, and peel beneath a cool stream of water for best results.
Mix bacon, yogurt, vinegar, and scallions in a bowl.
Add eggs and mash all ingredients together. Halve avocado and remove pit. While still in peel, gently dice the avocado. Scoop into bowl with egg mixture and gently combine.
Wash lettuce leaves thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.
Spoon egg mixture into lettuce leaves, grind some fresh pepper over, and enjoy!

Hole in the Wall Eateries

You know what I'm talking about. You've passed by it a gazillion times, before one day saying "Im gonna try that little Italian/Chinese/Mexican/etc. place!" Its about the size of a one car garage, looks like it was whitewashed in 1923, and has water stained ceiling tiles. But they make the best damn [insert food ethnicity here] that you've ever had in your entire life! And you tell every living soul you know to go eat there.
Well...I was dating this one guy this one time, and he lived downtown. Which meant I practically did as well  :-D And every day I drove past this little hole-in-the-wall Chinese place. I only ever saw the same little old Chinese lady inside. Of course, I had to try it! I walked in, there was no room for tables, strictly a takeout place; and the little Chinese lady beamed at me, toothlessly. I was having a hard time deciding which delicious entree to try, when she asked "What you like usual?" I smiled, and replied, "Everything!" So she says "You have Egg Foo Yung" and proceeded to dish it up. I had never had Egg Foo Yung before, and was slightly skeptical, but willing to be a good sport and try it. Oh my dear sweet heaven...it was extraordinary! Obviously I patronized that "restaurant" frequently for a long time; and everything I tried was marvelous! Sadly, they closed a few years ago (long after Nameless Boyfriend was shut down), and though I have tried numerous other Egg Foo Yungs, I have yet to find one that good.
So tonight...I am going to attempt my own, Paleo version. With any luck, I can recapture a fraction of that spectacular first experience.


Egg Foo Yung
Ingredients:
5 large eggs
3 oz. grilled chicken (light or dark), diced
2 C. steamed or sauteed cabbage, minced
4 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced
2 tsp. Braggs Liquid Aminos
1 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. coconut oil
additional scallion tops for garnish

Directions:
Set oven to Warm.
In large bowl, beat eggs with whisk or fork, then add chicken, cabbage, scallions, aminos, five-spice powder, cayenne and sesame oil. Blend well.
Heat large skillet over med-hi heat. Add coconut oil and allow to melt. Pour 1/4 cup batter at a time into small circles. Cook 5 minutes, flip to other side, and cook 5 more minutes. Place in oven to keep warm while you cook remaining patties.
Serve with a dollop of secret sauce and remaining scallions.

Optional Secret Sauce:
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. Paleo mayo
1 tsp. Braggs Liquid Aminos
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. rice vinegar
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper

Directions:
Place all ingredients in small bowl, and mix with fork until well blended.

You could make these prettier by using pancake rings in the pan, to hold the shape for the patties. I wasn't that picky tonight :-)
I would say that, while these were very good, and satisfying, they were not on the outstanding scale of those first ones I had....Yet

Tacos Buenas Locos!!

That means "Crazy Good Tacos!!" Haha
I took a break for a couple of days, cus I was feeling lazy and didnt want to cook. Plus, we had a ton of leftovers! So we've been dining on Paleasagna, Chocolate Chili and Italtian Chicken again the last two days. Now I have room in my fridge for all sorts of tasty new meals!
As you may have guessed, tonight is Taco Night! Although, Im not sure why it is called taco night, because technically we're making burritos....but whatever! Its all yummy, yummy stuff! And tacos are good for celebrating....I have officially lost 20 pounds!! ~Fist pump~ Let's keep the momentum going!
I actually dont have a recipe I follow for this, as tacos are something that I was born knowing how to make (thanks Daddy, lol)! But I did take the time to write down what I do, so that I can pass it along to all you wonderful folks! I am using my homemade Paleo tortillas, and taco seasoning (which are in the Archive, but I still copied them down below). I also went out this afternoon and bought avocados for homemade guacamole; I do this because avocados seem to ripen very fast in my house, and I like them as fresh as I can get!
I am posting a recipe for salsa...this is a general outlline, please personalize this salsa any way you wish. My father took his fan-freaking-tastic recipe to the grave, and my siblings and I have been trying to replicate it since. So, again, the recipe is an outline; I have a few secret ingredients, and it is still not as good as my dad's, but I am getting closer!
Oh...and I make my own beans. Not strictly Paleo friendly, but also not something I eat often. And making your own is really the way to go; it is time consuming, but you get plenty for freezing and the taste of them is highly superior (plus no icky additives and blah blah blah). That recipe is somewhere down below too.
Oddly I do my tacos (burritos) two ways. I make all the fixins, and we then build our own; or I put them together, top them with a sauce and then bake them (kinda like enchiladas). Tonight we did BYOB (build your own burrito), but I have included my other method as well. This includes a recipe for the red sauce.

BYOB Method:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. extra lean ground beef
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 Tbsp. canned diced tomatoes
4Tbsp Taco Seasoning

12 oz. refried or whole black beans
2 tsp. lemon juice
4-8 Paleo tortillas (I estimate usually 2 per person)
1 fresh medium tomato, diced
1/2 C. shredded lettuce
3-4 Tbsp. fresh chopped onion
Guacamole
Salsa and/or Hot Sauce (I use Frank's Red Hot, but only because dad also took his hot sauce recipe to the grave)
Shredded cheddar or co/jack cheese (you can use Mexican Cotija or other cheeses as well)
Plain Greek Yogurt, or low-fat Sour Cream
Black olives, sliced

Directions:
In a medium skillet, over medium high heat, soften onion and garlic in 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil. Crumble beef into skillet by hand and then sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. Taco Seasoning. Add in canned tomatoes and combine well. Stir occassionally to brown meat evenly, sprinkling with seasoning every time you stir. When meat is fully cooked, drain on paper towels.
In a separate pot, heat beans over low with the 2 tsp. lemon juice. Stir frequently, so they don't stick to the pan.
Serve meat wrapped in tortillas, topped with beans, guac, salsa or hot sauce, cheese, yogurt, olives and fresh veggies of your choosing. Pick it up and eat every, last, tasty bite!


Baked Burritos:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. extra lean ground beef
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 Tbsp. canned diced tomatoes
4Tbsp Taco Seasoning

12 oz. refried or whole black beans
2 tsp. lemon juice
4 Paleo tortillas (I estimate 1 per person here, unluess you are mighty hungry)
1 C. Red Burrito Sauce
1 fresh medium tomato, diced
1/2 C. shredded lettuce
3-4 Tbsp. fresh chopped onion
Guacamole
Shredded cheddar or co/jack cheese (you can use Mexican Cotija or other cheeses as well)
Plain Greek Yogurt, or low-fat Sour Cream
Black olives, sliced

Directions:
In a medium skillet, over medium high heat, soften onion and garlic in 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil. Crumble beef into skillet by hand and then sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. Taco Seasoning. Add in canned tomatoes and combine well. Stir occassionally to brown meat evenly, sprinkling with seasoning every time you stir. When meat is fully cooked, drain on paper towels.
In a separate pot, heat beans over low with the 2 tsp. lemon juice. Stir frequently, so they don't stick to the pan.
Place beans, meat, cheese, and olives, down the middle of tortillas. Wrap them up, and place seam side down in a baking dish.
Pour red sauce over the top. Top with a little more cheese.
Bake at 350, 15-20 minutes, until heated through, and cheese is melted.
Top with guac, yogurt or sour cream, and fresh veggies.
Knife and fork that baby up!


Taco Seasoning
Ingredients:
1 part Chili Powder
1 part Ground Cumin
1 part Garlic Powder
1 part Onion Powder
1/2 part Crushed Red Pepper
Pinch of salt

Directions:
Mix all spices together


Paleo Tortilla #1
Ingredients:
9 eggs
1 1/2 C. unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 C. coconut flour
1/4 tsp. salt
You can add any other desired seasonings or flavors if you like

Directions:
Place all ingredients in blender and blend until completely mixed (10-15 seconds)
Heat an 8 inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add a quick spray of olive oil and pour 1/3 C batter into the skillet. Swirl pan to make sure the bottom is evenly coated.
Cook 4-5 minutes, then carefully flip to the other side, and cook another 2-3 minutes. Remove to plate and continue cooking other tortillas.

*The best way I found to flip these was to not even disturb them until the 4-5 minutes had elapsed. Then, usung a flexible rubber spatula, loosen the edges first, slowly working your way to the center of the tortilla. Place the spatula between the skillet and the tortilla towards the center. Then use your fingers to help flip it.

*These will have a texture more like a crepe than a traditional tortilla. Be prepared.


Salsa
Ingredients:

20 oz canned, diced tomatoes

1 small can diced green chiles

1/2 small onion, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1/2-1 jalapeno, seeded or not (depends on how spicy you like it)

1 teaspoon Truvia

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

small to medium size handful of cilantro, washed

juice of 1 lime

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in the base of a food processor or good blender and pulse to combine for 30 seconds or so until all the ingredients are finely chopped and salsa is desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and adjust to taste.

Guacamole

Ingredients:

2 good size ripe avocados

1 Tbsp lemon juice

cumin

ground cayenne pepper

garlic powder

black pepper

tiny pinch of salt

Directions:

Slice avocados in half lengthwise and remove pit. Scoop out of the peel and into a bowl.

Add lemon juice, pinch of salt, and other seasoning to your taste (best to start light, and add as desired).

Mash all ingredients together with a fork.

Serve immediately!

Refried Beans
Ingredients:
1 lb. dried beans (I prefer black, but pintos work)
2 Tbsp. Avocado oil
1 medium, white onion, chopped
1 large sprig fresh epazote (optional)
Salt

6 Tbsp. Avocado Oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed
7 cups (all you just made) cooked beans, with just enough cooking liquid to cover them
Salt

Directions:
Check beans for stones or large clods of dirt. Scoop into colander and rinse well.
Pour beans into large pot, and add 2 quarts water. Bring to a rolling boil, then pour all into crockpot.
Add 6 Tbsp. avocado oil, onion and, if using, epazote.
Cook 8 hours (overnight works great!).
Stir in 1 1/2 tsp. salt, or more if you feel they need it.
Remove epazote.

Then, in large skillet, heat remaining 6 Tbsp. avocado oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently until fragrant, but not brown. Add the breans and allow them to come to a simmer. Once they have, coarsly mash them with a potato masher (or gently use a hand blender). Cook, stirring almost constantly, until they are the consistency of very soft mashed potatoes - about 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt if necessary.

These beans freeze nicely in Ziploc bags laid flat.


Burrito Red Sauce
Ingredients:
2-3 canned chipotle chiles & 1 tsp. of canning sauce
2 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes (no sugar or salt added)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 C. chicken broth, plus a little extra as needed
Salt
1/2 tsp. Truvia

Directions:
Place a chiles, sauce, garlic, tomatoes, cumin and black pepper in a blender (this is preferred over a food processor). Blend until as smooth as possible.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over med-hi heat. Set a mesh trainer over the pan, and pour in the chile sauce. Press through the strainer to remove any ssmall bits. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is reduced to the consistency of tomato paste, about 5-7 minutes. Pour in 2 C. broth, reduce heat to med-low, and let simmer 10 minutes.
Taste the sauce, and season with salt if necessary, and the Truvia. Stir in additional broth if the consistency has thickened beyond that of a light cream soup.

This also freezes well!

Note: Leftover taco fixins are nothing but good! You can make more burritos, or use your ingredients over Paleo Tortilla Chips (now in the Archive).

Exciting Experiments

Yesterday everything was better with bacon; today, everything is better with chocolate!! My Pixie would wholeheartedly agree, she's recently added the word "chocolate" into her vocabulary...and heaven forbid she should spot any hiding around the house! She wont let it alone.
I have been very much looking forward to tonight's meal, first because it is not something I had ever thought to try; and second, because it is a variation of one of my very favorite dishes: Chili! Tonight we're trying Chocolate Chili.
I like to do my research when trying new things, so when I decided to give Paleo a go, I purchased a few books, which included recipes (and in case you didn't know, I am a cookbook hoarder; another confession). I also joined a couple of forums, read up on various websites, and spoke to people who have done/are doing Paleo. In one of my handy dandy books there was a recipe for Chocolate Chili. I sat back, and thought "Humm, this is new!" I love a good chili, and (being a semi-typical female in some aspects) I love chocolate. Combining them was a very intriguing thought. I put it on the menu (which I keep up in my kitchen), and Hubby made slightly doubting faces when he read it. I am happy to say he made blissful, satisfied faces when eating it! Note: if you're using organic, grass fed beef as we did, this will smell a little unusual. This kind of beef has a pungent odor, it is ok, it is normal!
I personally have always loved to eat my chili with flour tortillas. Since that wasn't an option this evening, I decided to try it with my new-found, slightly sweeter, coconut flour tortillas (remember when I made them and froze them last week?). One tortilla was sufficiently filling with everything else, and the little sweetness in it went well with the chili's flavor! Think Mole.

Chocolate Chili
Compliments of Melissa Joulwan's book Well Fed

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
2 medium onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. ground beef
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. salt
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 14.5 oz. can fire-roasted, chopped tomatoes (Muir Glen brand is my favorite)
1 14.5 oz. can beef broth
1 C. water

Directions:
Heat a large, deep pot over medium heat and add coconut oil. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, cook 30 seconds and then crumble meat into pan with your hands (this separates it better than dumping and hacking at it with a spoon). Once all meat is crumbled in, mix well with spoon and cook until no longer pink.
In small bowl, mix all spices and combine with a fork. Then add to pot, and stir very well to mix. Add tomato paste and stir until well combined.
Add tomatoes with their juices, broth and water. Stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat so the chili stays at a gentle simmer. Simmer uncovered for 2 hours. Do not skimp on the simmer!

You can top this with fresh onions, avocado slices, or even olives. This can also be good with mixed meats, like beef/bison, beef/pork, beef/lamb, etc.
Try putting some spaghetti squash, mashed cauliflower, or even a handful of spinach on the bottom of your bowl...it subtly changes things!
As this was the first time I'd prepared this dish, I followed the recipe to the T. In the future, you can bet I'll be experimenting with this to my own tastes! Maybe a little more chocolate, and something to give it a little bite! Play with yours as well.

Everything is Better With Bacon

I would love to say that Sundays are days to be lazy, and in comparison to other days of the week, they are. But I still jave to get up early with little Pixie, feed her, feed me, dishes, laundry, sweep/mop, nap time for her while I do more laundry and vacuum, at some point during the day Hubby has a soccer game, and then Pixie wakes up and has to be kept occupied while I somehow make dinner. So...while they are not quite as chock full as the other six days, I generally prefer to have a somewhat simply prepared meal.
Chicken is definitely a staple meat in our house; yet it can easily get boring if you're not careful. A good solution to this? Why, add bacon! According to Hubby "Everything is better with bacon!" Toss in some homemade sauce, a couple fresh veggies, and cheese of course...and this meal is not at all boring!

MONTEREY CHICKEN
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 C. BBQ sauce ( I make my own, recipe is in the Archive)
1/4 C. chopped bacon
1 C. colby and jack cheese, shredded
1 C. fresh diced tomato
sliced green onions
pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Pound out chicken breasts to flatten (not too thin). Season with pepper. Grill chicken until no longer pink and place on baking sheet covered with foil.
Top each chicken breast with one tablespoon BBQ sauce, 1/4 c. cheese, 1/4 c. tomatoes, green onions and one tablespoon of bacon.
Place in oven and bake until cheese is melted (about 5 minutes).

This goes great with a fresh salad, or some Creamy Cucumbers (also in the archive).
Hubby ate two helpings!

Just a heads up, I am super duper excited for tomorrow's experimental dish! Stay tuned!

I've Been Sooooo Looking Forward to This!

I don't have a favorite food. I just can't pick one thing that I like eating more than various other things. One of the many things that I get great enjoyment out of eating, is lasagna. Cheese, spicy meat, red sauce....cheese! I love every single bit of it! Obviously, pasta is a no go with Paleo, but many alternatives are available (as I have mentioned before).
In recent weeks I discussed a Paleasagna I enjoy making with my co-workers. I passed along the recipe to them, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about this spectacular dish since. I am super excited to announce, that I will be dining on Paleasagna this evening! I was also especially excited, as my mother agreed to join us for dinner; and i really enjoy spending time with her (and yes, showing off my cooking just a tad). It has been much anticipated, but I know it will not fall short; as I've said in the past, this is one of the best lasagnas I have ever had the pleasure to eat!

Paleasagna
Ingredients:
1 white onion, diced
1 1/2 pounds of extra lean ground turkey
1 1/2 pounds ground hot Italian sausage
1 15oz can diced tomatoes, drained
3 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp Italian spice blend
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 pound of zucchini and/or yellow squash, cut into long, thin slices
1/2 cup raw goat cheese, shredded or cubed
2 cups Greek yogurt, drained if liquid has built along the top
1 head broccoli, roughly chopped
1 egg

Directions:
In a large skillet or sauce pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the diced onions. Sautee on medium-high until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add the meat, diced tomato and tomato paste, spices, salt, pepper, and crushed garlic. Continue to cook all ingredients until the meat is cooked through. Set aside when done.
In a medium bowl, combine raw goat cheese, Greek yogurt, broccoli pieces, and egg. Mix well.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease the bottom of a 13 x 9 Pyrex glass baking dish. Place a layer of zucchini and squash rounds evenly across the bottom, making a sort of liner.
Add a layer of turkey-tomato sauce on top of the zucchini. Top that with some of the broccoli and yogurt mixture. Continue with this layering process until you have used all of your ingredients.
Top the entire dish with more shredded goat cheese, if desired.
Bake for 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.


I top my lasagna with some Colby-Jack cheese, as well as any leftover goat cheese I have. And I also used a mandolin to slice my squash longways.
The goat cheese and yogurt combo does something magical, I'm not sure exactly what. It makes this lasagna super creamy and rich tasting. Without super creamy rich calories!
This lasagna would also be good with eggplant, instead of squash, but be aware it will change the flavor a good bit.
After your first bite, I expect to hear a general "mmmmmmm" sound!

More Literary Food (This Could Totally be a Thing!)

This weekend is going to be a tease for me...because its supposed to be about 60 degrees. I am SO ready for Spring already (and all the fantastic toe-nail polish colors that entails)! Today, however, is still only a high of 51...and one benefit to cooler weather, is that I don't get too much flack for making soup! I really enjoy soup, actually; there's so many different kinds you can make; you can thicken them to stews, make chili, cream soups....I love to experiment! Hubby, however, is just not a big soup person. I am hoping he'll be a little more enthusiastic about tonight's soup, because it has shrimp in it; which he adores.
This recipe is also out of The Redwall Cookbook by Brian Jacques, and was always one that sounded especially tasty to me!
...Pansy lifted the lid on the huge soup cauldron, reciting what she had learned from Friar Hugo. "My first course is Shrimp'n'Hotroot Soup. There must be no shortage of this, as it's a great favorite with otters. They've been known to eat many basins of it at one sitting. This is how I went about making it."

Shrimp'N'Hotroot Soup
From The Redwall Cookbook, by Brian Jacques

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium leeks, washed well and chopped
32oz. vegetable stock
3 medium potatotes, peeled and chopped
3 tsp. curry powder, or chili powder (or more to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. peeled, cooked shrimp, or prawns, sliced if large
1 C. milk

Directions:
In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and leeks and cook, stirring frequesntly, until soft - about 5 minutes (do not let the vegetable brown)
Add the stock, potatoes, curry or chili powder, and salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until potatoes are very soft, 15-20 minutes
Add the shrimp and milk and gently heat. Serve with crusty bread.

Now, this was not a spicy soup, which is what I anticipated from the name; but it was still super tasty! You could add a dash of ground cayenne to add a little zip. This recipe calls for potatoes, which I am not going to include. I substituted a full head of cauliflower chopped into florets instead.
Also, I decided to use both curry AND chili powder in this recipe. It gave the flavor a pleasant punch!
I did not choose to serve mine with crusty bread, as that is one of my nemeses. Instead I ate just soup. Although, I think if you lessened the liquid (or added some garbanzo flour to thicken it up slightly) it could go very well served over cauliflower rice (which you could even make basmati style for a little Indian kick)!