Ciao Italiano!

I was lucky enough, a few years ago, to spend some time in Rome, Italy. Very unfortunately we were only able to be there for 3 days...but we have vowed that someday we will return! I am convinced that if we ate as we did, and kept up with activities like we did...I would be at my ideal weight inside of a month! Of course, it was also July, so I sweated off 5 pounds a day as well, hahaha.
The Italian cuisine was out of this world! Handcrafted pastas, homemade limoncello and grappa, and fresh, fresh, fresh everything! You could taste the freshness of ingredients in every single bite; just heavenly! I find that I often crave foods with that fresh taste, and quality of ingredients; so tonight Im making an Italian Chicken.
In case you haven't gotten the drift by now...the ingredients for this dish should be as fresh as you can get them! I went this afternoon and picked out my tomatoes, and a hunk of fresh Mozzarella (now, really fresh Mozzarella is soft and a little watery, not very shreddable; so I sliced it and laid it atop the chicken). I chose to use artichoke hearts canned in water for this recipe, as fresh hearts are hard to come by, and I refuse to waste a full artichoke just for the heart. I always have fresh garlic on hand, and I have started investing in a really high quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I chose Truvia as my sweetener, and used coconut flour as well.
You may recall me mentioning a basil plant in my kitchen window...it doesn't get much more fresh than that! DO NOT shred/chop your basil until you are ready to sprinkle it on the chicken; as the flavor starts to escape the moment you crush the leaves.
I recommend a glass/pyrex dish for baking, as metal ones just don't seem to cook as well.

Italian Chicken
Ingredients:
4 large, or 6 small, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4-5 Roma tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 15 oz. can small artichoke hearts, in water (not oil!)
3-4 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp. sweetener (Truvia)
2 Tbsp. coconut flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Enough shredded mozzarella to cover each breast (or more fresh mozzarella slices)
1/2 C. fresh basil leaves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Season chicken breasts on both sides with a light sprinkle of salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Place in baking dish.
Core and chop the tomatoes, thinly slice the cloves of garlic, and drain the artichoke hearts. Place all these ingredients in a bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, the sweetener and flour (the flour is because the chicken produces liquid during baking).
Place this mixture on and around the chicken breasts, and bake until chicken is *almost done (about  minutes).
Take the almost done chicken out of the oven, and turn the broiler on low. Lay the mozzarella over the top, and place under broiler for a few minutes longer, until the cheese is golden brown and the vegetables are caramelized.
Remove the chicken from the oven, sprinkle the fresh basil over the top, and serve it up!


If you're not doing Paleo, and you just want to try this recipe, you could slice your chicken breasts and serve them over a pasta.
Otherwise, a nice fresh salad, or a steamed veggie medley would go really well as a side! Something you will notice with me, is that my veggie serving is at least as big as my protein serving...this is a good thing.
As a note: my picky Pixie declined to eat any of the Hogbake for breakfast. C'est la vie! I will keep trying!

How Literature Can Influence Your Food

Ok...yesterday we had the "I can't flip eggs" confession. Today's confession is something I have absolutely no trouble admitting....I am a book nerd. I read excessively. Probably really more than I ought to. I like to think that reading keeps me well educated, even though I am no longer a student anywhere. And, sometimes it is nice to escape my world for Harry Potter's, or Eddard Stark's.
One of my very favorite series of books is Brian Jacques' Redwall series. They are some of the books I remember most from childhood, because my parents would read to us before bed every night. And I am working my way, as an adult, to owning every book in the series (and Mr. Jacques is still putting new ones out). I love to read about these mice, and moles, and squirrels, and badgers living their little lives together, much as people would. And at Redwall Abby, the most amazing thing is the food!! Trifles, and ales, and fizzes, and soups, stews, and casseroles! They (obviously) dont involve meat, and most are very Paleo friendly! Every time I read one of these books, all I can think is "I wish someone would make a cookbook with all these amazing sounding recipes!" Well, my friends, someone has! Brian Jacques has granted my wish and written The Redwall Cookbook.
So...as you may have guessed by now, tonight's recipe is straight out of one of my favorite stories!
Ambrose Spike, Redwall's Cellar Keeper, rolled a barrel of his famous October Ale into the kitchens. The sturdy old hedgehog mopped his brow with a spotted kerchief.
"There ye are, Friar--October Ale brewed by me own paw last autumn season. I 'opes yore makin' some Crispy Cheese'n'Onion Hogbake. I likes a chunk when it goes cold. 'Tis very tasty for lunch when I'm busy in my cellar. Now then, young Pansy, I 'ope yore peelin' those veggibles proper. Always peel away from yoreself, an' keep the other paw behind the knife. That's the way! Friar, can I stay an' watch you makin' the Hogbake?"
Hugo patted the Cellarhog's spikes carefully. "Of course you can, Ambrose. Then you can learn how to make it for yourself. It's quite simple really."

Crispy Cheese'N'Onion Hogbake
Ingredients:
2 medium onions, chopped
2 C. grated cheddar cheese
4 eggs, beaten
3/4 C. milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 C. Cornflakes, crushed
4 medium tomatoes, sliced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
Place the onions in the bottom of a large casserole dish (mine was 9x13). Sprinkle cheese over the onions; pour in the beaten eggs and milk, and season with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the cornflakes over all and arrange the slices of tomato to cover.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 40 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving, but serve still hot.


Ok...so I know that cornflakes aren't Paleo friendly, I am sorry. I really could not find anything that pleased me as an alternative. And honestly, I figure items like that, in such small amounts, on such rare occasions, are not extremely terrible. Plus...that's what makes it crunchy!
This was one of the simplest dishes I have ever put together, but it would have been simpler if I had had large tomatoes vs. cherry tomatoes...bad planning on my part, but it still worked out.
Hubby had his doubts about this dish; he dubiously eyed the recipe; he dubiously eyed the finished product...But in the end he declared "This is great! Much better than I expected." Aw, thanks baby (he obviously has so much faith in me after 8 years). I'm thinking I might sneak some of the leftovers in with Pixie's breakfast tomorrow; if I'm lucky she'll eat a couple bites, along with her usual full orchard of fruit (seriously....the kid eats more fruit than the stores can keep stocked).
I hope that if you decide to try this recipe, you think of the small, animal inhabited Abbey that inspired it, and have fun.

And Cold, Snowy, Not-so-Lazy Mondays

So the 10 inches of snow from yesterday morning, has become 17 inches as of this morning. As you can imagine, this made getting Pixie to pre-school, and myself to work, an adventure. Getting out of our driveway, and then our neighborhood, was the most adventerous part. Pixie laughed the entire time, because apparently the bumpy ride was fun.
Knowing that my drive home from work would be only slightly less complicated, I decided to fall back on a simple, old (and naturally Paleo) favorite: Steak and Eggs.
I know what you're thinking; so get that image of a 24 ounce, greasy, fatty steak (that you need a chainsaw to dismember) and fried eggs out of your head.
I chose lean, grass fed cuts of sirloin beef for this meal. They still have a couple lines of fat running through them, and that is ok, as it mostly cooks down and adds flavor. There are many ways to season your steaks, from marinades, to dry rubs, to simple salt and pepper. You can really do whatever you prefer here, but I dont recommend a whole ton of seasoning, as your steaks should speak for themselves (and are flavored perfectly by runny egg yolk). I simply seasoned mine with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, on both sides. I let that rest while my grill pre-heated....Now, as you might imagine, I am not trudging through 17 inches of snow to get to the big gas grill outside (which I would then have to brush snow off of and blah blah blah). So, huzzah for the George Foreman indoor grill (really its a brilliant idea, I cant belive no one thought of it sooner)!
Once the grill was warmed up (on the med-hi setting) I slapped the steaks on. As you can tell from my pictures, these are not thick steaks, and I tend to like mine done medium, so they didnt stay on the grill long. About 3-4 minutes total (since the indoor grill does both sides at once).
While the meat was sizzling away, I cracked my eggs into a pan that I had lightly sprayed with olive oil. I was doing 3 eggs, so one, medium skillet was sufficient to hold them all. Hubby doesn't like runny yolks, so I broke his before flipping. Now I have a confession to make; I am a despicable egg flipper. I am ashamed of it. My father had this beautiful technique where, with just a flick of the wrist, he could flip all the eggs in the pan perfectly over to the other side. I have tried that, multiple times, it is always a big mess. So...I must make do with a large spatula, flipping each egg individually, as carefully as I can. I have to be extra cautious with my egg, as I want my runny yolk intact. If you're frying eggs on medium to med-hi heat, they should be done at the same time as your steaks.
Slide the steak onto a plate; put the eggs down gently slightly-on-top-of, slightly-next-to your steak, and nom it up! You can add steak sauce, hot sauce, or whatever else you want to your dish. You can even add some sides if you feel the need for a more balanced meal (Jicama Home Fries could be fantabulous). I was quite happy to eat just my protein, although I did later have some ice cold grapes for dessert.

You could also poach your eggs, to eliminate the fat of frying with the olive oil. Or scramble them, hard boil them....whatever floats your boat.

On a side note, remember yesterday's Italian Skillet? My husband had the brilliant idea this morning to heat up some of the leftovers and put a (fried) egg on top for breakfast. According to him, it was excellent! Very nice way to change it up with leftovers, thanks love.

Steak and (Fried) Eggs
Ingredients:
2 Steaks of choice - Ribeye, Sirloin and Strip are all nice cuts
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
4 Large Eggs

Directions:
Season steaks on each side, with as much salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder as you like.
Grill 4 minutes on one side, flip, and grill another 2-3 minutes (for medium steaks). The thicker the steak, the longer on each side.
While steaks are grilling, lightly spray a pan large enough to fit all eggs with olive oil. Crack eggs into pan and cook over medium-high heat 3-4 minutes. Gently flip the eggs with a large spatula, careful to keep yolks intact. Cook another 3 minutes, until whites are no longer runny.
Place steak on a plate, place eggs slightly-on-top-of and slightly-next-to your steak.
They are good to eat just like this!
If you must have steak sauce, I recommend Heinz 57, as it tastes amazing with eggs! You can also use Frank's Red Hot, or Cholula Hot sauce.

*Note: You can prepare your eggs however you would like, but I feel fried is the best!

Cold, Snowy, Lazy Sundays

I realize that it's February, and I live in Colorado, so this may sound a tad odd; I freakin hate cold, and I really hate snow! Sure it can be pretty, and there are some interesting winter sports...but I just don't like the cold and snow!
Snow also instills the desire to eat "comfort foods" and whatever that means for you, it is likely not your healthiest meal. Just to note, Sundays also create this desire in me. I am not sure why exactly, likely the pleasant memory of Sunday family dinners...
Returning to my original point....on this cold and snowy weekend, I am working to find ways to keep my eating healthy. We went out to an Irish pub last night, to celebrate a birthday (Grandma was kind enough to keep Pixie for a sleep over); it's hard to be Paleo when you're surrounded by Fish and Chips, and Bangers and Mash. Since they didn't offer "mash" substitutes, I chose to go with a prime rib, and green beans. I also specifically requested fresh, raw horseradish. If you want to know what paradise tastes like, get some prime rib with raw horseradish. Hubby had the biggest burger I've ever seen in my life. It was starting to snow as we left.
So this (Sunday) morning, when we woke up at the ripe old hour of 9am (if you're a parent you know how late that actually is)...the world had that soft quiet to it that only substantial snow can bring. And sure enough there was about 10 inches on the back porch. Knowing that I needed to get Pixie before Hubby's soccer game at 1, I realized I only had a very short time to prepare some of the foods I like to make in advance and have on hand. Therefore I dug in to making taco seasoning, sausage seasoning, and rash el hanout (a middle eastern spice that I use to flavor many dishes). These went into small containers in the freezer. Then I brought out the big guns...2 blenders and my food processor; and proceeded to blend up my Paleo mayo, Sunshine Sauce, and Paleo tortilla mixture. As my tortillas were browning in the pan, I used the food processor to "rice" a couple heads of cauliflower. Why do all of this at once? Because I blow through seasonings like nobody's business, and it is cheaper to make my own in bulk, than to buy all the time. Also....the mayo can be turned into many dressings and dips; the sunshine sauce is a great veggie dip, and used on meat in place of an oriental peanut sauce. And, in my home, tortillas and rice are always something to have handy!

So, having done all of that and picked up the baby from a worn out Grandma....I had to think of something for dinner that was cold weather appropriate, very tasty, and not too complicated. I decided on a skillet, or hot pot. What that means is that everything gets tossed into one large pan and cooked. Then served with whatever toppings I feel sound good.
Tonight I decided on an Italian skillet. This involves ground pork, ground Italian sausage (the hotter the better for me), lots of fresh veggies, and a smidge of cheese! I used extra lean, grass fed pork, as I prefer to reduce the fat as much as possible when using sausage. You can really use whatever vegetables you'd like; tonight I used broccoli, carrot, celery, red bell pepper, and asparagus (my little Pixie loved her antipasto plate of fresh veggie spears). I have most of those items on hand all the time. You can use frozen veggies, if it's easier or you prefer it, but in my book, fresh is always best! I topped it with some scallions (aka green onions) and shredded co jack cheese (mozzarella would be very nice, but I didn't have any available).
Voila! A tasty, warm, heartening cold weather dish.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground pork
1 lb sausage meat
2 tsp fennel seeds
1-2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (I like it spicy so I use 2-3 tsp)
1 tsp oregano
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp rosemary
1 small onion, diced
3-4 cups veggies (broccoli, carrots, zucchini, celery, spinach, if you like it, toss it in!)
1 c diced tomatoes or 1 c cherry tomatoes (you can use canned diced tomatoes, but again, I prefer fresh)
Pepper to taste (salt not needed because the sausage is salty enough)

Directions:

In a heavy skillet, combine the meat, garlic, onion and spices and cook until well browned. Add the veggies and reduce heat to simmer and cover. If you used cherry tomatoes you may need to add 1/2 cup liquid to get the stewing process going. Cook 10-15 minutes until veggies are tender and flavors well combined.

Top with some chopped scallions and a little bit of your desired cheese!

Before you serve it up and enjoy, take just a moment to admire what a pretty dish this really is!

Feeding a "Man's Man"

You may be aware by now that I love food. If you're not aware, pay better attention!
My beloved husband also dearly loves food! Thankfully I chose someone to share my life, who is not a picky eater. This is good because A: I get bored eating the same old thing all the time, and B: he doesn't gripe about me making more Paleo friendly fare. He is perfectly happy to be my food guinea pig. Deep in his soul, however, he is a typical "manly man"; meaning he loves meat, and potatoes. He'll gladly eat fish and seafood, and he loved the veggie pasta the other night as much as I did; but every so often he needs red meat (no really, you can almost hear the "caveman" speech running through his head).
So tonight I decided to play to his appetite, and made a Paleo Meatloaf.

To be honest, it isn't hard to do. Meatloaf is almost Paleo all on its own! It involves beef, egg and spices. Some include bread crumbs, which I've obviously omitted here. The struggle with meatloaf is finding something to top it with. I have also solved that problem this evening...and made my own ketchup-like topping.

In an effort to cut out even more fat, I replaced some of the ground beef with ground turkey (what Hubby doesn't know wont hurt him). You can eliminate the beef entirely, if you're into that kind of thing.
Again, in my vast experience, I have learned that many savory dishes benefit from just a touch of added sweetness. My preferred sweetener (which should not be used often if you can help it) is Truvia. It is a form of the natural sweetener Stevia, but I like the taste better. There's just a pinch added here.
The pan(s) you choose to use for baking your meatloaf are important, because they can alter the cook time. I usually use my Pampered Chef stoneware loaf pan. In that case I put it in the oven when I first turn it on, so it slowly heats up, and is then hot when I put the mixture in. The bake time listed below is pretty accurate for that; depending on your oven you may have to add 10 more minutes or so. If you choose to use a metal loaf pan (or pans), you can put those in without being preheated, and the cooktime is also accurate. Tonight, I chose the muffin tin method (Hubby, in a slip of the tongue nicknamed these "Meaty Muffaloes" What he meant to say, I have no idea); because I wanted individual meatloaves (which also freeze very nicely if you want to save some for another meal). Always grease your pans, or your meat will stick like tar to a mammoth (HA, get the caveman reference?!). The cook time for these is a bit less, since they are not as dense; I would start with 40 minutes, and increase from there as needed. However long you are baking, you want to make sure your topping looks nicely glazed, and is tacky; you don't want it crunchy or blackening.

I also mentioned "potatoes". Clearly I am not making those, as they are very carb heavy and new "lifestyle" unfriendly.
Thankfully for everybody (myself included, because I do love potatoes), there are some handy potato alternatives. My favorite is cauliflower. Saying that, I can see my father looking down from [wherever you believe people go when they pass away] with a completely astonished expression. Why? Because I always professed to hate cauliflower. And I did hate it, for a very long time. In the wisdom that comes with age, I have changed that opinion. It nicely takes in the flavors of whatever you're cooking it with. And it can have so many versatile textures! I use it to make "mac" and cheese, I make cauliflower rice, I slice it into "steaks", and I mash it like potatoes.
As accompaniment to this meal, I recommend Mashed Cauliflower or Baked Cauliflower.
For the mash, make it just like you would mashed potatoes. If you are unclear how to make mashed potatoes...well....look it up, or ask, and I will post a recipe.
For the baked cauliflower, I've included the recipe below. Note: The baked cauliflower can bake right alongside your meatloaf, so everything comes out at the same time! Neat huh?

I must admit....sometimes I'm in a "meat and potatoes" mood too!

Paleo Meatloaf
Ingredients:
2 lbs 93% lean ground beef
1 lb ground turkey
2T coconut flour
1c diced white onion
8 cloves minced garlic
1/2c bell pepper - diced
1C red sauce (1/2 c mixed in, 1/2c reserved for top) *directions for sauce below
1 egg -beaten
1t salt
1/4t pepper
pinch of Truvia


*Directions for Sauce:
 Mix:
6oz can tomato paste 
4T vinegar
1/4t dried mustard
1/2c water
1/2t salt
1t cayenne pepper
1/2T garlic powder
1/4 t black pepper
squirt of lemon

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in bowl, except 1/2c red sauce. Knead and mix by hand (its the best method, trust me). Shape into oiled loaf pan. Top with remaining red sauce. Bake at 350 for 1 hr 30 min. (Or see note on muffin tins)

Twice Baked Cauliflower
Ingredients:
1 large head cauliflower
4 oz. low fat cream cheese (do not use fat free)(you can use plain, or savory flavored)
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup minced green onions
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (If you only have finely grated Parmesan, use a bit less)
6 slices bacon, cooked until very crisp, fat blotted with paper towel and then crumbled
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Cut out stem and core from cauliflower, and cut into small pieces. Cook in large pot of boiling salted water until cauliflower is tender, but not overly soft. Drain well and mash with potato masher, leaving some chunks. Mix in cream cheese, yogurt, green onion, Parmesan, and 3/4 of the crumbled bacon.

Spread evenly in a medium-sized glass casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and reserved bacon. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Conundrum

Ok...as you have probably guessed from the title of this post, I have a conundrum!

I love to cook! Its fascinating, intriguing, and for me, relaxing. I cook 6 nights a week usually. I leave one night for cleaning out leftovers, or going out, or whatever.
What this (potentially) means for you all, is that I could have 6 tasty, colorful, fun food posts a week. I personally don't mind this, as I think this blogging deal is fun too. :-) I am asking for your opinion(s)! Is 6(ish) posts a week too many? Should I condense into 2-3 posts a week? Or once a week (which would be a hella long post, just so ya know)?

Comment here to let me know!
I appreciate the feedback in advance!

A

If You're a Pasta Lover

One of the hardest parts about Paleo, Atkins, South Beach, or whatever other "diets" are out there, is giving up some foods that you may dearly love. Technically it is a completely grain free, dairy free, processed food free kind of thing. We already know that I choose to keep some dairy items, because of the whole "shrivel up and die" thing.
I also really love pasta. Mac n Cheese, Lasagna, Spaghetti, Alfredo....you get the idea. Finding alternatives to pasta is at the same time easy and difficult. There are probably a thousand things that could take the place of pasta: easy. The difficult part is that they (obviously) don't always taste, feel or act like pasta. In truth, you get over it; because honestly....its not the pasta you love...its the tasty toppings and fixins. So in reality, substituting other things for the pasta, is not so challenging.
If you personally know me (and are reading this blog to be a friend, I thank you), you know that Pinterest and I are total BFFs. If you do not know me, you are now aware of my Pinterest relationship...and will become more aware of it as we go on! This was a recipe I found there, the original can be located on this blog:
http://www.multiplydelicious.com/thefood/2012/04/spring-veggie-paleo-pasta/
In tonight's recipe we're using squash as a substitute for pasta. Not huge, ungainly squash, but a more amiable pair of squash. Yellow squash and zucchini squash. And I use these a LOT! They absorb flavor really well, they don't get tough and chewy, and they are really pretty color wise. If you do not like one or the other of these squash, use just one kind! Its not a sin. For slicing the squash used in this dish, I used a mandolin, set very thin, vs. the veggie peeler. Just my preference though.
Also, technically butter is not Paleo, it is preferred you use a coconut oil (some other non-processed oils), even ghee in some cases. But, since we all make our own choices, you can use butter if you'd like! I used plain butter, and mixed my own selection of herbs in (actually I keep a container of this in my fridge regularly); garlic, parsley, oregano, cayenne, and a small smidge of mild chili powder.
I did not have cherry tomatoes on hand, and so just diced up some larger ones, I'm sure it was just as tasty, if not quite as aesthetically pleasing. Pixie did enjoy a healthy handful of tomato as well.
If you do not have a basil plant in your home, I highly recommend picking one up! Fresh basil is a necessity in my book, and it is expensive to buy in the packages at the store. The plants are easy to take care of, and keep in a pot on the window sill.
Here is another Pinterest trick while we're at it....green onions (AKA Scallions) start to rot very quickly if kept in their bunches. Buy a whole mess of them, chop them up, and put them in a freezer safe container (I use a disposable plastic water bottle). Then separate out only what you need at the time of cooking! They will still taste very fresh. :-)
Coming back around to my love of cheese: I sprinkled a little feta on top of my first bowl, and a little parmesan on top of my second (Yes, I had two helpings of a supremely healthy, low cal dish...don't judge me!)! They both tasted fantastic, and added just a little something extra to the dish.

Makes 2 large, or 4 small servings

Spring Veggie Paleo Pasta
2 organic zucchini
1 organic yellow squash
1 bunch asparagus, chopped
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 or 2 green onion, diced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons Kerry Gold Garlic Herb Butter (or olive oil)
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions
Begin by cutting off the ends of the zucchinis and washing them. Using a vegetable peeler, peel one section at a time for 4 ribbons, then rotate and continue. Continue to rotate and peel until you hit the core of seeds, then stop. Save the core to dice up in another recipe. Do this for both zucchinis and the yellow squash, you should be lefts with a large bowl of ribbon pastas, depending on the size of your squashes. 

In a pan over medium- low heat add 1 tablespoon butter and allow to melt. Dump in your ribbons (you may need to do this in batches depending on how many ribbons you have and the size of your pan. Just don’t over crowd it). Stir constantly with a spoon and allow the ribbons to cook through and wilt a little. Since they are so thin it should only take 1-2 minutes, you don’t want them overcooked.

In a separate skillet, heat over medium heat, melt 1/2 tablespoon butter (or olive oil) and add tomatoes and asparagus until cooked and tender.  Add diced green onion and basil in the last 30 seconds of cooking veggies and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place squash ribbon “pasta” in a bowl and top with veggie mixture sprinkle additional basil and green onion and serve. Add cheese on top, if using.

Here Fishy Fishy

Big glaring problem #1 (to my eyes):
We simply do not eat enough fish. Sure, we take fish oil supplements, but why do that instead of eating the real thing?! I'll tell you why...fish tastes fishy. Plain and simple. And often that taste is a turn off for the whole dish. However, in my many years (relative to whatever age you admit you are) of cooking, I have learned that light, white fish, are the least fishy tasting. Tilapia, cod, haddock, sole. You get the idea.

Tonight, thanks to Ms. Rachel Ray (who's cooking I do adore), we are having a very Paleo friendly fish dish! Her recipe can be found here: http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/five-ingredient-recipes/parmesan-crusted-tilapia
and I simply mimicked it! It was extremely simple to prepare, it looks nice, and tastes great! I would hold back a little on the salt, and possibly add some garlic, as the paprika is a little overwhelming on its own.
We ate it with some fresh, steamed sugar snap peas. They required no seasoning, as they were heavenly on their own!
A simple, fast, Paleo meal (remember I include cheese on my Paleo friendly list), that even beginner cooks could make!

Sadly, my 19 month old daughter (who shall henceforth be referred to as Pixie), did not find the fish as tasty as my husband and I did. She stuck with her Mac and Cheese and banana (hey...Paleo is still a major work in progress with her).

Now...some of my pictures are a tad dark, I think the foil played into that, forgive me.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons paprika
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 tilapia fillets (about 1 pound total)
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees . In a shallow dish, combine the cheese with the paprika and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the fish with olive oil and dredge in the cheese mixture. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the fish is opaque in the thickest part, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve the fish with the lemon wedges.

This is an introduction

Hello folks!

If you've clicked on this blog, it is likely that you are interested in a Paleo Lifestyle, like me!

I'm going to be honest, this is my first blog. Ever. So, I will try not to be horrendously boring and predictable.

I've started this blog, because I am bound and determined to get myself into a healthy place. Which I am not right now, not by about 60 pounds :-/ The rest of my family, at this time, is reasonably healthy; but very dependent on those processed carbs that are so ready to hand nowadays. I hate that.

The goal here, is to find tasty, healthy alternatives to processed food. Use as many fresh and whole ingredients as possible. And to have fun and educate myself (and in turn you all) by doing so!
Will this be a die hard Paleo blog? No...simply put, I cannot live without cheese. I would shrivel up and die. I can feel it starting just thinking of doing without cheese. So....cheese is still in (and there was much rejoicing)!
Will there be lots of dazzling photos, witty repartie, experiments, and mouthwatering recipes in this blog? YES!! I love to cook! So half of the challenge is to take recipes that are most definitely not Paleo friendly, and attempt to make them so. Will I always succeed? Likely not. At least not on the first try...but I refuse to give in! I will taunt you with my delectable meals, and then eat them myself! Muahahahaaaa!

I wish you luck in reading this blog, if you wish me luck in writing it!
Keep your eyes open for the first installment!

A