Pumpkin Fries

I have had a pretty little pumpkin sitting on the counter for a week or so, and I couldn't quite decide what to do with it. I knew I would eat it, and not use it for decoration or carve it, but I had a hard time deciding what to do. My food processor basically blew up the last time I used it, and I refuse to buy a new one. I regret that decision every day, but I am hoping that I will get a good one for a wedding gift! Nevertheless, I knew I wasn't able to puree the pumpkin to incorporate into a dish, so I decided to slice it into fries, roast it, and enjoy it that way! I have never actually cooked with fresh pumpkin and I was unsure of the best way to peel, cut, etc. I found this video on YouTube that explained it all perfectly! It was, surprisingly, really easy. I can't wait to own a food processor (or blender!) in the near future so I can use fresh pumpkin in more recipes. I heard that pumpkin flesh freezes well, so I may just have to buy a lot, cut it into pieces, and freeze it for use later in the year. OH, and DON'T toss the pumpkin seeds!! I have a recipe using those coming soon!

Ingredients:

• 1 pumpkin. Pie pumpkins and medium sized pumpkins work best. Don't go for the one you would pick out to carve.
• EVOO
• Spices of choice. I used salt, cinnamon, and cumin

Instructions:

1. Slice pumpkin into strips - roughly the same size.
2. Toss pumpkin strips with a couple Tbsp of EVOO and sprinkle with spices of choice
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and roast the pumpkin at 400 degrees for approx 30 minutes.
4. Enjoy! These were still good for my lunch 3 days later! But I wouldn't keep them longer than that.

Smoked Paprika Chicken Thighs

For the past week, or so, I have been honing in my diet. I had gotten pretty lax, especially on the weekends, and when it came to alcohol. I have felt SO great this past week and I am excited about the results that will come with strict paleo. I even celebrated my birthday this past weekend and ate mostly salads and had only 1 square of dark chocolate! I got affirmation this morning that this is how I should be eating by setting a Personal Record on my squat clean! All summer long I had tried to increase my weight, to no avail. Well, this morning I increased my weight on my squat clean  by FIFTEEN POUNDS! That means that I squat cleaned 130 pounds! I was so pumped!! I am certain that this had something to do with my clean diet. It's amazing what your body is capable of, if only you take care of it and feed it clean, nutritious, foods. This recipe is one that I made last week. Adam and I were both amazed at the flavor and we loved the crispy skin. It was so good that I had a thigh the following morning for breakfast, another at lunch that same day, then again the next day for lunch - that means that 4 out of my next 6 meals, I ate this!

Ingredients:

• 8 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs. Roughly 2 pounds or so.
• 2 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cayenne powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup EVOO

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mix all spices. Stir in lemon juice and EVOO, until well combined. 
2. In a glass baking dish, place chicken thighs, then cover with marinade, and cover your dish with foil. Ensure that all sides of the chicken gets coated with this yummy goodness.
3. Allow to marinate for at least an hour, if you have the time to spare. If you don't then go ahead and pre heat the oven
4. Once they have marinated, pre-heat oven to about 420 degrees. With baking dish covered with foil, allow to bake for approx 35 minutes.
5. After they have cooked the full 35 minutes, uncover the dish, and broil the chicken for 3 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, and allow them to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
7. Consume, and try to save some for leftovers the next day.

I served this with roasted broccoli and sweet potato fries. 

Pumpkin Granola

If I have said it once, I have said it a thousand times. I MISS CEREAL! Pre-paleo, I could have literally eaten cereal for every meal. My favorites were Grape Nuts, Frosted Flakes, Lucky Charms, Honey-O's, and Honey Nut Cherios. YUM! My favorite part of it all was getting to the sweet milk once I had eaten all the cereal.
I was coming up with a new recipe to make grainless granola when I found this recipe on PaleOMG's website. I decided to make it, mainly because there is pumpkin in it! And, well, its October. So you should eat pumpkin every week! This may be the best grainless granola I have ever had. I poured almond milk over it and it made the perfect cereal! You can store the granola in an airtight container and it should for 7 - 10 days.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 8-10 dried dates, pits removed, then chopped
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (make sure you don't get pumpkin pie filling! There should be one ingredient - and that is pumpkin)
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/3 cup unsweetened, shredded, coconut
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• pinch of sea salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. In a large mixing bowl, add your pumpkin puree, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and all spices. Mix well
3. Next, add your nuts, seeds, and chopped dates. Stir well to combine.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the granola evenly across the parchment paper.
5. Bake in oven for 30-40 minutes, stirring half way through.
6. Once it is finished, remove from oven and LET COOL. This will help everything harden and stick together.
7. Eat it alone, or pour almond or coconut milk over it for a delicious cereal!

Lemon Herb Chicken

I love using fresh herbs! Not only is the flavor more pronounced than dry herbs, but they make the kitchen smell so good! I don't always use fresh because, well, they are more expensive and I tend to let them go bad before I can finish them off. But occasionally I like to treat myself (and my taste buds) to fresh herbs! This chicken was SO flavorful and I just know it is because of the fresh herbs.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs chicken (I used thighs)
• 2 meyer lemons, juiced
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1/4 cup fresh dill
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup EVOO

Instructions:

• Juice the lemons and roughly chop the fresh herbs
• Mix all ingredients, except the chicken, together in a small bowl. Put the chicken in a glass baking dish and cover with EVOO herb mixture. Let marinate in fridge for an hour or so.
• Heat skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken for approx 6 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink.

I served mine with broccoli salad and mashed sweet potatoes.

Roasted Garlic Artichoke

Over Labor Day weekend Adam and I went to Atlanta with our dear friends Richard and Jen. We had such a great time and some awesome food! The first night at dinner we had Roasted Artichoke. I had never had artichoke before and I fell in love! It has a subtle flavor and is so tender. I wanted to have this at home but didn't really know how to cook it. I decided to roast it in the oven and I must say, it turned out pretty good! It wasn't quite as good as the restaurants, but I still enjoyed it.

Ingredients;

• 1 artichoke
• minced garlic
• EVOO

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Clip the pointy tops of the leaves off the artichoke
3. Use as much minced garlic as you would like (I used a lot) and push the garlic all down in the artichoke
4. Drizzle with EVOO, making sure you get in between the leaves as well
5. Wrap the artichoke in tin foil and put in oven on middle rack for approx a 1.5 hours

Note: Once you get down to the heart, the prickly, fibrous hairs are not edible. You have to work to get to the heart, but it is well worth it. 

Cinnamon Crusted Chops

This is another recipe from way-back-when that I have attempted (successfully!) to spruce up a bit. I will still say that the combination of pork and apples is still so strange to me. Apparently many others have paired these two foods together - for a long time. I still think its weird, but I am a believer! This new and improved recipe is amazing! The pork is seasoned with lots of cinnamon and it will melt in your mouth.

Ingredients:

• 4 bone-in pork chops
• 3 apples. Gala work great!
• 1/2 yellow onion, sliced thin
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• 1/4 cup white wine

Instructions:

1. Slice apples, use an apple corer if you've got one. #easy
2. Thinly slice onion and chop sage
3. In a skillet over medium high heat 3 Tbsp olive oil. Once oil is hot, add in apples, onion and sage. Sauté apples and onions for approx. 5 minutes. Apples should be soft and onions translucent. Remove from skillet
4.  Rub cinnamon all over your pork chops. Don't neglect them. You can't use too much. Next, sprinkle with salt
5. Heat remaining Tbsp of olive oil in skillet. Add pork chops and sear for 2 minutes on each side.
6. Pour 1/4 cup white wine in skillet and once it begins to boil, add the apples and onions back
7. Cover skillet and let the flavors intertwine and the pork chops finish cooking. This should take about 7 minutes.
8. Serve and enjoy!

Broccoli Salad

The thing that I struggle with the most, in regards to cooking, are side dishes. I think it's because I am not very picky and I really love simple veggies. I am completely satisfied with sauteed mixed veggies, or roasted veggies; However, I decided to try something new and perk up my favorite roasted broccoli dish.


Ingredients:

• 1 lb broccoli florets (not frozen)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• garlic powder
• 3/4 cup slivered almonds
• 6 slices bacon
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup unsweetened, dried, cranberries
• apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Rinse and cut broccoli into bite sized pieces
3. Mix 2 Tbsp olive oil in with broccoli. Sprinkle with garlic powder
4. Put broccoli on a cookie sheet lined with foil and bake for approx 30 minutes, or until broccoli is beginning to brown
5. Meanwhile, cooke bacon in skillet until crispy. When bacon is almost done, throw in the slivered almonds. Let the almonds toast in the bacon fat until they start to brown. Remove almonds and bacon from skillet - let cool, then crumble bacon
6. In your serving bowl, add about 3 Tbsp of the rendered bacon fat (optional), bacon pieces, toasted almonds, raisins, and cranberries
7. Once broccoli is finished, add broccoli to serving bowl. Drizzle a bit of apple cider vinegar (you don't need much. Maybe 1/2 Tbsp) in the bowl. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.
8. Mix well and serve

Chicken with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce

*Disclaimer: Please do not let the poor quality of this picture keep you from making this dish. My iPhone and Instagram can only do so much*

Fall is here and for me, that means I no longer get weird looks for incorporating pumpkin into my dishes. I LOVE pumpkin and enjoy in year round. In fact, I always chuckle to myself when I hear people begin to rant and rave that the Pumpkin Spice Latte is back at the over-rated Starbucks. The world starts freaking out and going crazy when TheBuck releases it each year. Luckily for me, the local coffee shop that I frequent (The Red Cat) has pumpkin YEAR ROUND! Did you hear that???? Reason #352 to support local business. And if you're wondering what I get, its more-times-than-not a 16oz latte with an extra shot of espresso, *only* 2 pumps of pumpkin(otherwise it's too sweet), and cinnamon in the bottom. This is hands-down the best tasting and smelling latte in Birmingham. And, you don't have to tell me, I know that milk isn't paleo, kill me now, but I love it in my latte. If I happen to order plain coffee, I'll drink that black. #tiedballgame

Once again, I loved this dish. I've got to be the least picky eater in the world. I love practically every dish. Lucky me. Adam, however, is not a fan of coconut and if you aren't either, well then try it - you may surprise yourself, find something to replace it with, or skip this recipe all together. If you do the latter, you will be sorry. This dish made only enough for our dinner. Up the ingredient count if you want leftovers.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz chicken breast tenders
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil for sautéing
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil for sauce
• 1/2 tsp tarragon
• 4-5 Tbsp pumpkin puree
• A little less than 1 cup of coconut cream*
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a skillet over medium heat, melt 1 Tbsp coconut oil, then add the chicken. Cook for about 6 minutes, on both sides until no longer pink
2. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the remaining Tbsp of coconut oil, then add the tarragon. Allow the flavors to mingle for a minute or so
3. Add the pumpkin puree and stir around until it has combined entirely with the tarragon oil.
4. Add coconut cream a few Tbsp's at a time until it liquifies. Continue adding until all is well incorporated
5. Allow the coconut pumpkin cream to thicken a bit over the low heat
6. Plate chicken and top with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce

I served this with roasted veggies and fried plantains

Cinnamon Banana Pancakes

I LOVE paleo pancakes. They are one of the first recipes I came up with and I truly believed they were outstanding. Since my very first batch of paleo pancakes, I have been tweaking the recipe; I have added ingredients, taken out ingredients, and tried every combination in between. I am not stretching the truth when I tell you that I have figured out the perfect ratio. These are delicious and fluffy, and the best part about it is that I don't feel like crap 30 minutes after I have eaten them. So far, I have made two variations, Cinnamon Banana and Blueberry. I will give you the recipe for the Cinnamon Banana ones, but know that you can substitute the fruit!

Ingredients:

Cinnamon Banana Pancakes

• 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 small banana, mashed
• 2 Tbsp water
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl combine dry ingredients
2. In a separate bowl whisk eggs then add in the mashed banana and remaining ingredients
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and thoroughly combine
4. Heat skillet over medium heat. You do not want the skillet to get too hot
5. Spray skillet with non stick spray. Don't be afraid to spray after each batch. Believe me, you don't want them to stick to the pan.
6. Using a heaping table spoon, add batter to skillet. I have found that it is best to make them roughly that size or smaller. If I got much bigger than that, it was harder for me to flip
7. Let the pancake cook for about 3 minutes, then flip and let cook for another 3 minutes or so. If the pancake is sticking to the spatula and not flipping easy, well, then let it cook a little longer.
8. Remove cooked pancakes from skillet and continue using the batter until you are out.
9. Plate the pancakes and drizzle with Pure Maple Syrup

My skillet tends to get too hot and so I would move it off the heat for a few moments during the cooking process so the pancakes wouldn't burn. I also sliced a few pieces of banana and fried them in bacon grease for a bit of added sweetness. After Adam and I ate to our hearts desire, we still had leftovers. These pancakes freeze well and make for a good breakfast that you can reheat when you are rushed in the morning. 

Blueberry Pancakes

BBQ Chicken Baker

Sometimes Oftentimes I am in need of a dinner that is delicious, satiating, and quick. That seems to be a trend with me - maybe this blog should be called Quick Paleo or Paleo In A Hurry....hmmm.

Anyways, when I was in high school, we would occasionally eat at McAllister's after church. Every now and then, I would order one of their chicken Spuds. If you aren't familiar with that, here is the run down. They would give you the biggest, white potato, you have ever seen with about a pound of chicken smothered in cheese, bacon, and bbq sauce. It is delicious and really, not that far from 'paleo'. I got to thinking about those the other day and decided that I wanted a Spud! I always have these ingredients on hand so I was able to whip this up in no time.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sized sweet potatoes
• 3 slices bacon
• 8-12 oz chicken
• BBQ sauce of choice

Instructions:

1. Wrap sweet potatoes in plastic wrap and microwave the sweet potatoes for approx 10 minutes
2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet.
3. In a separate skillet, cook the chicken on medium high heat for about 6 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink. I used left over rotisserie chicken which I warmed in the oven
4. When sweet potatoes are finished, cut lengthwise and open - scoop some chicken into the potato and top with bacon and BBQ sauce.
5. Consume!   

I served this with asparagus that I sauteed in the bacon fat. YUM.

Honey Sesame Tilapia

I know you don't care to hear me ramble about nothing....so here it is.

Ingredients:

• 5 tilapia filets
• 4 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup sesame oil

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, mix the honey and sesame oil until well incorportated
2. In a glass baking dish cover the Tilapia's with honey mixture and marinate in fridge for at least 30 minutes
3. In a skillet over medium high heat (#6) cook tilapia for 6 minutes on each side, until done

I served this with baked avocado! Quick and easy. 

Zoodles & Meatballs

I can't believe how long it has been since I have posted a recipe. The last recipe I posted was in AUGUST! It is now the 17th of September and that means that not one single recipe has been posted this entire month. Unacceptable. I just slapped my wrist. So I will get right to this recipe. I used Zucchini noodles for this dish and let me just tell you that they are SO much better than Spaghetti Squash noodles. As I have said before, I never was a big fan of spaghetti squash when used in spaghetti recipes. I have since found my replacement. You will need a Julianne peeler. Yes, you can use made the noodles without one, but do yourself a favor and spend $7.99. You won't regret it.

Ingredients:

• 4-6 zucchini squash
• salt
• 2 lbs ground turkey
• 2 eggs, whisked
• Spices of choice. I used:
• garlic powder (1/2 tbsp)
• salt & pepper (1/2 tbsp)
• smoked paprika (1/2 tbsp)
• cumin (1/2 tbsp)
• cayenne pepper (1 tsp)
• Jar of marinera

Instructions:

1. Slice zucchini with Julienne peeler until you reach the seedy center*
2. Put zucchini noodles on some paper towels and generously sprinkle salt over them. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. This allows the zucchini to sweat and removes excess moisture. Let sit for 20-30 mins, then rinse and pat dry.
3. In a large bowl, mix the ground turkey, whisked eggs, and spices until combined well. 
4. Make meatballs out of the turkey mixture about the size of golf balls. You should get a lot of meatballs.
5. In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook the meatballs until almost done. Work in batches.
6. Once all of the meatballs have seen time in the skillet, add all the meatballs back to the skillet, pour in the jar of marinara, cover, and let simmer for approx 10 minutes. 
7. Place zoodles in a bowl and top with meatballs and sauce.

* I found it easiest to thinly slice the zucchini lengthwise. then you can lay the zucchini, cut side down, on your cutting board and it won't roll around everywhere.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who doesn't love a chewy chocolate chip cookie??? I know that I sure do! I have been craving cookies for about a week now and I thought that if I would just ignore the craving, it would go away. NOPE. It didn't happen. So, I decided to give in and make some. They turned out amazing! It was everything I had hoped for and more. I know, that sounded dramatic. You just wait until you try them.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 + cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a medium sized bowl, mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl , combine melted coconut oil, honey, and vanilla extract. Add the liquid ingredients to the almond flour mixture. Combine well.
3. Fold in chocolate chips
4. Take about 1 Tbsp of cookie batter, roll into a ball and place on cookie sheet lined with 2 pieces of parchment paper*. Continue until all the batter is used up. 
5. Press the cookie dough balls down until flat. The cookies will not spread or rise much (if any) so the size you make the cookies, is the size your cookie will turn out
6. Bake cookies for approx 8-12 minutes. Mine were perfect at 9 minutes. The cookies will not be completely done. They will still be really soft. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes - this allows the cooking process to continue and the cookies will firm up. 

This made a dozen cookies for me! *Lining the cookie sheet with 2 pieces of parchment paper will ensure that the bottom of the cookie doesn't burn.

Consume one and share the rest!! I do think that these are best right out of the oven if you eat them right after they have cooled for the 10 minutes. They still taste great the next day, but we all know that fresh, warm cookies are the best.

For other variations of cookies, use the exact same ingredients, minus the chocolate chips. Then add any mix-in's you'd like. I am going to try cranberries and walnuts next! And heck, I may leave the chocolate chip's in those cookies! I have done a Snickerdoodle variation. To make these, again leave out the chocolate chips, and in a separate bowl,  mix 1 Tbsp cinnamon with 1 Tbsp coconut crystals. Before placing the dough on your baking sheet, roll the cookie dough ball in the cinnamon crystal mixture. Then place on baking sheet and flatten - follow the remaining steps. 

Snickerdoodle and Chocolate Chip cookies

Smoky Burgers with Pineapple Teriyaki Sauce

This is a recipe from the newest Paleo Cookbook on the block - Practical Paleo. I loved the flavor combinations more than I can tell you. I really hope you make these, and make them soon. I think Labor Day would be the perfect opportunity. I mean, American holidays do require burgers.

Ingredients:
Burgers-

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 Tbsp onion powder
• 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp sea salt
• 1/2 Tbsp black pepper

Sauce-

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup chopped pineapple (I used canned)
• 1 Tbsp coconut aminos
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp sesame seeds, for garnish
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Instructions:
Burgers-

1. Let meat come to room temperature, then mix in all the spices listed under the Burgers section
2. Preheat grill, or skillet, to medium heat
3. Form your meat into 8 patties and set on plate while grill/skillet is heated
4. Once warm, place burgers on heat and cook approx 6 minutes on each side or until the burgers reach the level of doneness you desire
5. Once cooked through, let the burgers rest for 10 minutes before garnishing and adding the sauce

Sauce-

1. In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients listed under the Sauce section, except for the sesame oil, and simmer over medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until most of the water has cooked out
2. Place the cooked pineapple in a blender, and blend until smooth
3. Add sesame oil to blender and blend until well incorporated
4. Use the sauce to top the burgers

*Confession: I cooked and crumbled a couple pieces of bacon to add to the burgers

Dessert on a Spoon

The other night I was really craving something sweet, and preferably with chocolate. It was already getting a little bit late and I didn't want to dirty up the kitchen or make something that required any amount of effort or time. I didn't think I would get my craving met, because let's be honest, all those stipulations I just put on myself would make creating any dessert rather tricky. What I ended up with, was pure genius (only because I couldn't figure out why I hadn't thought of this before!) - although it can hardly be called a 'recipe'. It was the perfect quick, easy, non-messy, little bit of dessert that I desperately wanted.

Ingredients:

• Metal spoon
• Almond butter (or nut/seed butter of choice)
• Enjoy life chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Get a large spoonful of almond butter out of the jar, using your spoon
2. Place spoon in freezer on top of a small piece of parchment paper. Leave for approx 8
3. While spoon is in freezer, melt a couple handful's of chocolate chips in microwave
4. Dip almond butter-spoon in to melted chocolate and coat evenly
5. Place the spoon with chocolate covered almond butter back in the freezer for approx 8 more minutes. The chocolate should be hardened when done
6. Remove spoon from freezer and eat the chocolate covered almond butter right off of the spoon!

Leeky Eggs

I tried something new this week - Leek! If you have never had a Leek, it has a very mild onion flavor. When the leek is cooked down, the mild flavor becomes even more mild. It made a wonderful base to my breakfast this week. I really liked the flavor combo, although I will tell you that Adam wasn't a huge fan. I will use it again, for sure, but will leave it out of Adams portion :) If you are looking to try something new, don't be afraid - give it a shot! I think you will be surprised.

Ingredients:

• 1 leek, green portion diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 5 strips of bacon (one for eating while the eggs cook)
• 4 eggs
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Cook bacon in a large skillet until crispy. Remove bacon from skillet.
2. In the same skillet, add the diced leek and bell pepper. Saute until leek is tender - consume 1 piece of bacon.
3. Create 4 small wells in the leek mixture and crack 1 egg into each well
4. Turn heat down to medium (if it is higher than that), cover, and let the eggs cook until done
5. Chop remaining bacon and garnish the eggs with it and a sprinkle of salt & pepper

Salmon Cake's

Tuesday night's are Adam's bible study nights. He isn't home for dinner, so if I cook anything, it is something really easy and a lot of times not very glamorous. This week was no exception on the 'easy' part, but luckily it did turn out a bit glamorous! I plated the salmon cakes on top of some baby spinach and garnished with dried cranberries and a piece of bacon I cooked separately. I then cooked some asparagus in the bacon fat and I used a light dressing of EVOO and lemon juice to compliment the salmon.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sweet potato, mashed
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 6oz cans of salmon
• 3 slices uncooked bacon, diced small
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• zest 1/2 lemon
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp almond flour
• salt & pepper

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Patty the salmon mixture - this made 9 patties for me.
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat with some EVOO
3. Cook the patties for approx 3-4 minutes on each side. 
4. Enjoy!

A couple helpful hints: Wrap the sweet potato in plastic wrap and put it in the microwave for 7 minutes. You can then easily pull the skin away and remove the insides. Also, if you but the bacon in the freezer for about 10 minutes, this makes it much easier to dice the bacon.

Balsamic Steak with Garlic Zucchini

Quick and easy this recipe was! I am on a mission to get Adam to eat more veggies and so far I am doing a pretty good job (he even had asparagus for breakfast the other day!)! Here is a recipe for the meal I cooked recently and sure enough, Adam ate all his veggies :)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp EVOO, divided
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 medium zucchini, cut into thin half-moons
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds london broil, or red meat of choice
• 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp EVOO over medium high. Add garlic and zucchini moons, season with salt and pepper to taste. Saute until zucchini is tender and starting to brown, approx 6 minutes. Remove from skillet.
2. Add remaining oil to the same skillet. Season meat with salt and pepper and cook until browned on all sides, approx 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil
3. Then, add balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper to same skillet. Cook, stirring, until reduced by half, approx 2 minutes. Drizzle balsamic reduction over steak and serve.

 I also baked sweet potato chips for an additional side.

Cherry Ice Cream

Ice cream was a staple in my house growing up. My family would have ice cream for dessert at least 3 times a week, and I am pretty sure my parents still do. I am not going to sit here and pretend that I haven't had real ice cream since deciding to eat paleo - because that would be a huge, and total, lie. I LOVE ice cream. But now, since I have this paleofied version, I don't feel as guilty indulging in my guilty pleasure! And one more thing, don't worry if you don't have an ice cream maker. I don't.

Ingredients:

• 3 frozen, ripe bananas, cut up
• 1 cup frozen cherries
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup coconut cream (chill a can of coconut milk, then scrape the cream off the top)

Instructions:

1. Place the bananas, cherries, vanilla, and coconut cream in a food processor
2. Process all the ingredients for 1-2 minutes or until consistency of soft serve
3. Scoop the ice cream into chilled bowls and consume immediately.

This recipe will make a decent amount, so put the remainder in tuperware and stick it in the freezer to enjoy later! Next on my list of flavors to try is cinnamon peach, strawberry, and chocolate chip-something.

Creamy Spaghetti Squash

One of the first "new foods" I learned about when I first researched Paleo was spaghetti squash. I am sure you all know what it is....but on the off chance you don't....spaghetti squash is a variety of squash that, when cooked, a fork can be used to shred the squash into spaghetti-like strings. The spaghetti squash has a really mild (almost bland) flavor that is a noodle substitute for all of us paleo-folk. There are probably a thousand recipes for Paleo Spaghetti that uses this type of squash, and I think I have made 100 of them.
Each recipe has been fine...but that is the problem, they were just "fine". No spaghetti squash recipe has ever made me jump up and down. I decided that I needed to try something different with spaghetti squash. And I hit a gold mine with this recipe! This was the perfect side dish and was rich and creamy - a combination I have really missed! This recipe makes a ton, which was fine by me! I ate on it for days :)

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 6 strips of bacon (or more)
• 1 Tbsp arrowroot powder
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 6 eggs
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Instructions:

1. Cut the spaghetti squash in half*, scoop out the seeds, and place cut side down on a plate. Microwave for 10 minutes (this is much faster that 40 minutes in the oven!)
2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Once bacon is crispy, remove the bacon from heat and set aside.
3. In the same skillet over medium heat, whisk in the arrowroot powder to the bacon grease and let it cook for a few minutes.
4. While the arrowroot cooks and thickens, combine eggs, coconut milk, Italian seasoning, parsley, salt and garlic powder in a bowl until fully combined.
5. Pour egg mixture into skillet with arrowroot, stirring frequently, and cook eggs until cooked through, approx 3-5 minutes.
6. As the egg cooks, chop the cooked bacon.
7. Shred spaghetti squash with a fork to create "noodles" and add to large bowl. Add egg mixture to the bowl of noodles and mix to incorporate. Stir in bacon pieces
8. Enjoy as a side dish or even as breakfast!

Deconstructed Burger

This past weekend was a lot of fun. Saturday started out with a partner WOD and Adam and I partnered together. It was awesome getting to WOD with him because we don't get to do that much, anymore. We used to WOD at the same class time at the 280 location, but since the downtown location opened, I have started going there. I really miss having that time in the gym with him so Saturday was kind of special for me :) After the WOD, ITF offered a yoga class so I stuck around for that. We were pretty much all beginners and quite frankly it was humorous at times!  I think everyone that stayed really enjoyed it and I hope that ITF will begin to offer yoga more regularly. My friends and I were pretty hungry after all of that so we went and grabbed brunch at Another Broken Egg. I stayed paleo for that meal, ordering a grilled chicken breast, bacon, 1 egg, and some guacamole. However, I did enjoy a mimosa!! Saturday is usually my cheat day and after brunch, I totally indulged in some good cheats.
A group of us met up at Avondale Brewery and had several of their amazing beers followed by a no-way-was-it-even-close-to-paleo meal at Cocina Superior. I think the only thing that was remotely paleo in that meal was the veggies......that were smothered in cheese and wrapped in a tortilla. But man, was it good! I am all about an epic cheat meal every now and then!
On Sunday I was quickly reminded why I don't cheat (to this extent) very often, as I felt so bloated, groggy, sick, etc all day. In true fashion, the only thing I wanted to "help" cure the dreaded HO was a big burger!! I at least had sense enough to not drive to Milo's and instead made this amazing burger. It hit the spot and it was 100% paleo. I also baked some basil sweet potato fries that really completed the meal.
So, here is to sticking to paleo this week and being aware of what we consume!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs ground beef*
• 4 Portobello mushroom caps
• 2 toma tomatoes, sliced
• lettuce
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
• EVOO

Instructions:

1. Form 4 hamburger patties from ground beef. *Whole Foods actually had some pre-pattied in the butcher section so that's what I bought. 
2. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder
3. In a skillet over medium high heat, cook the burgers for approx 6 minutes on each side, or until done
4. Meanwhile in a separate skillet, eat a little bit of EVOO over medium heat. Once hot, add the portobello caps and diced onion and let cook until onions are soft. I let mine cook for about 8 minutes
5. Once burgers are done, put lettuce on plate, then top with a burger, onions, mushroom, and tomato.
6. Enjoy!!

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cake

I know that I say this a lot, but this is the best paleo dessert that I have made. I have had many people confirm this truth, but I suppose there is always the chance they were just being nice. However, since I thought it was so good, I have made it 3 times in the past week. Don't worry, I didn't even have a bite of the second cake and only a (tiny) piece of the third. I made those cakes for friends. Although I can't promise that I didn't lick the batter clean off the spoon. And bowl  :) The first time I made this cake I used Ghee as my Fat of Choice. Ghee is not technically "paleo" since it is dairy, but it is clarified and has all of the milk proteins/casein removed. This is beneficial for those that have sensitivities to dairy. However, because I know that Ghee is a no-no to some, I decided to substitute it for a different FoC on the other cakes. I don't think that the texture or taste was altered significantly, so feel free to use which ever fat you would like. I think coconut oil would be a great choice, too! I used almond oil for the last 2 cakes and loved the extra hint of almond with the cherries. I also made some amazing paleo cherry ice cream (and I don't even have an ice cream maker!) that we ate along with the cake. Amazing!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups almond flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup ghee (or use almond oil or coconut oil)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup, approx, of cherries, halved and pitted.*

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix almond flour, salt and baking soda in a large bowl
3. Mix eggs, almond extract, ghee, and honey in a small bowl
4. Incorporate egg mixture in to flour mixture. Mix until well combined
5. Fold in chocolate chips
6. Spray bundt pan with coconut oil, or other non-stick spray. Place halved/pitted cherries cut side UP in bottom of pan.
7. Pour batter on top of cherries and place in oven to bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cake passes the toothpick test
8. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 30 minutes. Then, place a plate over pan and flip the pan over to release the cake on the pan.
9. Slice and serve!

* I used approx 20 cherries, that I halved, minus a few halves that got consumed while mixing.

Ginger Sesame Beef

The flavor of this meal is to die for. I let the meat marinate for a few hours and it was so juicy and tender. I have always loved coconut aminos, but recently I have become obsessed with it. I somehow feel the need to incorporate it into every meal. The ingredients used in this recipe create an amazing Asian inspired dish.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs red meat of choice, sliced thin*
• 1/3 cup coconut aminos
• 1/6 cup water
• 1 Tbsp ginger (can use fresh or ground)
• 3 + cloves garlic, minced. The more garlic the better (I used 5)
• 1 tsp each of salt & pepper, cinnamon & cumin
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp sesame seeds

Instructions:

1. Thinly slice the meat. *I bought some meat from Whole Foods that was already sliced in the meat dept. They call it 'fajita beef'
2. Combine remaining ingredients in gallon sized zip lock bag, or large shallow dish. Add sliced beef and turn to coat all sides. 
3. Allow beef to marinate in the fridge for as long as you have time.
4. Once marinated, put beef in skillet over medium high heat. Cook for approx 4-6 minutes on each side, or until done to your preference

I served this over a bed of lettuce with sauteed bell peppers and onions. We also had a baked avocado to go along with it. 

Grilled Swordfish & Peach Avocado Salsa

I have once again found myself with peaches, galore! Last time I had an abundance I made this awesome chicken salad - which I also did this time around! Man, that stuff never gets old! My goal, this time around, was another simple recipe (surprise, surprise) and I found one on Juli's website, PaleOMG. This recipe included a fish that I had never had paired with a refreshing salsa! This salsa would be good on ANYTHING. I made enough of it so that I could enjoy the salsa right out of the container for a few days.

Ingredients:
For the swordfish marinade:

• 2 swordfish fillets
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• pinch of cayenne
• pinch of salt & pepper

For the salsa:

• 2 peaches, diced
• 1 avocado, halved and diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 red onion, minced
• 1/2 jalapeno, minced
• Juice 1 lime
• salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Place all of the swordfish marinade ingredients, minus the swordfish, in a shallow bowl, mix together. Put swordfish in marinade, flip to coat both sides, then let swordfish marinade for 1-3 hours.
2. While swordfish is marinading, make the salsa by combining all salsa ingredients. Cover and refrigerate to chill.
3. Once the swordfish has marinated, place a skillet over medium heat. Cook swordfish for approx 5 minutes on each side. 
4. Plate swordfish and top with salsa. Enjoy! 

Blackened Ribeye

Adam offered to cook dinner one night and I happily agreed. Don't get me wrong, I love making dinner for us every night, but a break from the kitchen was really appealing. He came home with some beautiful Ribeye Steaks, carrots, asparagus and bacon!

Ingredients:

• 2 rib-eye's
• Magic Seasoning Blends, blackening steak magic

Instructions:

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat
2. Season the ribeye with the seasoning to your preference
3. Cook ribeye for approx 6 minutes per side, or until done to your liking. 

We also had Cumin Roasted Carrots and Bacon Wrapped Asparagus.

It was a delicious meal, and it was also quick & easy. We have really enjoyed the blackening spice we found and have used it on all sorts of meat, not just steak. This particular brand can be found at Publix, WholeFoods, etc.

Eating Paleo Out

A lot of people think that eating paleo out at a restaurant is difficult. I am here to tell you that it is NOT! The biggest thing that you should know is that it is OK to ask your server how the food is prepared. Part of their job is to know this information - and if you don't like how it is prepared, ask them to cook it differently. A lot of times, for instance, restaurants will cook their veggies in tons of butter.You can simply ask the server to have them cook the veggies without butter. Restaurants are used to taking special requests all day. I used to be afraid to ask for changes, but I quickly got over that once I realized that no one ever cared! Of course, the easiest modification are basic substitutions. You can always ask for a double serving of veggies, or extra cucumbers on your salad, etc. I like to get extra cucumbers instead of croutons on my salads because the cucumbers still give me the crunch that croutons provide.

Recently Adam and I went to DoDiYo's and I had no problem at all eating Paleo. I ordered the chicken kabobs and it came with a salad, and two sides. I asked that my salad have no cheese/croutons and for my dressing I asked for some EVOO. I also asked that I have two sides of the steamed veggies.

Some of my favorite places to eat Paleo around town are.....
In no particular order....

• Village Tavern: they have awesome spaghetti squash, with some modifications and a few good salads
• Whole Foods
• Taco Mama: they have an entire section on their menu for "The Tribe and Workout Warriors" that is paleo
• Vino: think sauteed crab claws, tuna skewers, fresh fish, etc
• Flip Burger: you can get the burger lettuce wrapped
• Urban Standard: specifically breakfast
• Chick-Fil-A: grilled chicken tenders/nuggets and fruit. Or for breakfast, a side of scrambled eggs, grilled chicken patty and fruit
• Another Broken Egg: grilled chicken breast, side of eggs, baked bacon and guacamole

Additionally if you find yourself at one of these places here is an idea of what you can order:

Steakhouse - steak and veggies. EASY.

Mexican - salad with steak/chicken/shrimp or fajitas and ask them to hold the tortillas

Italian - grilled chicken breast, grilled onions and veggies

Burger joint - bunless burger with all the toppings. Guacamole or avocado if they have it!

The point of this is that eating Paleo is not difficult even when you are away from home. 

Baked Avocado

I am going to go ahead and apologize for two things. The first is that I did not measure anything while preparing this. That includes how long I baked the avocado. I am going to do my best in approximating the measurements/time, but as with all recipes, tweak to your liking, and always keep an eye on whatever is in the oven. The second thing I am going to apologize for is really two-fold. This avocado is hands-down the best thing ever. I am totally obsessed with it and will probably be spending all my money on avocados for the next few weeks. If you end up doing the same, well, I'm sorry. And because this is so good - I have to apologize to FIVE because my baked avocado is better (IMO). Not only is mine better, it is actually paleo, unlike FIVE's version. I'm not really sure why people think FIVE's baked avocado is paleo. I mean, since when has tons of cheese, butter, breadcrumbs, etc been paleo? Never. That's when.
As a validation of this deliciousness, Adam (who does not like avocado, guacamole, etc) LOVED this. I put half the avocado on his plate and he ate the whole thing!!!!!! If that doesn't convince you, I don't know what will.

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado, halved and seed removed
• 3 slices good quality bacon
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• handful of toasted almond slivers

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees
2. Cook bacon in a skillet until crispy. Remove bacon and once cooled, chop.
3. Using a spoon, remove the avocado meat from halved & seeded avocado. 
4. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix the chopped bacon, avocado meat, chili powder, and lemon juice
5. Once combined spoon the avocado mixture back in to the avocado skins
6. Top with toasted almond slivers, or toasted nut of choice
7. Bake in preheated oven for approx 15 minutes

Amelia's Spicing Pecans

Every now and then I stumble upon a little gem. Case in point, these delicious spicing pecans. Adam and I actually bought some last summer at Pepper Place and LOVED them. We ran out pretty quick and honestly had forgotten about them until last weekend when we went back to Pepper Place. We spotted the booth and knew we had to buy them again. The man who own's it said they are starting to distribute to some local stores. The only one I can remember that he said was Earth Fare. He has other flavors such as coffee and chocolate, and another that I can't think of (not sure why I can't remember anything!!!); however, the Herb flavor is the only one with no sugar. SO if you are 'paleo' this is our only option. The other flavors are really good though! The chocolate flavor would be awesome sprinkled on ice cream, and I think the coffee flavor would be awesome crunched up as a crust on red meat.

I used the herb pecans this week on chicken. I think they would be really good on a mild fish, too. Maybe tilapia???

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless, chicken tenders
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 3 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 2/3 cup herb spicing pecans, crushed

Instructions:

1. Combine honey and dijon mustard. Marinate chicken in honey/mustard mixture for a few hours in the fridge
2. Remove chicken from mixture and sprinkle crushed pecans on both sides
3. In a large non stick skillet, over medium heat, cook chicken for approx 6 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink

BBQ Pork Ribs

Crock pot's are kings when it comes to getting the most delicious, tender, and moist meat. If my crock pot wasn't a pain to clean out, I would use it a lot more. Actually, come to think of it, it's not hard to clean at all. I just stuff it in the dishwasher and BOOM. It's clean. I think the real issue is that since crock pot meals are SO easy and require NO effort, I am lazy by the time that cleaning comes around. If the crock pot cooks itself, then shouldn't it clean itself and put itself away? Thought so. This recipe was delicious. Quite possibly the best BBQ ribs I have had. It would be in your best interest to make these asap. I am going to have to make them again too because Adam liked them so much, that I didn't get any leftovers. This recipe is from CivilizedCavemanCooking. Check it out.

Ingredients:

• 1 rack of pork short ribs
• 1/4 cup paprika
• 1 Tbsp pepper
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• Batch of Beasty BBQ Sauce

Instructions:

1. Combine all spices together in mixing bowl
2. Cut your rack of ribs in half, or thirds, so that each section will fit in the crock pot
3. Apply the spice rub generously to the ribs. I used the entire batch of spice rub. Tightly wrap the ribs in plastic wrap and place in fridge for at least 1 hour. I let mine sit for 1 day
4. Put 1/8 cup water in crock pot. Place ribs, bone side down in crock pot, stacking your sections
5. Set your crock pot on low for 8 hours
6. Around the 7th or 8th hour, pour in BBQ sauce ensuring that all layers of ribs get coated. Reserve some for dipping
7. Allow sauce to warm up in the crock pot, then enjoy!

*If you do not want to make your own BBQ sauce, buy your own - just be sure it has clean ingredients! I really like the brand Bone Suckin' Sauce. Squeaky clean.

Beasty BBQ Sauce

Thank you Civilized Caveman for this awesome bbq sauce!

Ingredients:

• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 1 white onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1 (6oz) can of tomato paste
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp EVOO
• 2 Tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cayenne

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat, stirring frequently
2. When the sauce boils, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for as long as you have. The longer the better.
3. Once your sauce has simmered, turn off heat and pour into blender or food processor - let it run until very smooth.
4. Return to pan to keep warm or use immediately on food!

Fish Tacos

I really love taco's. A lot. The other day I was trying to remember the last time I had a taco and I couldn't remember!!! In my book, that is unacceptable. At that moment, I knew I had but one thing to do. Make paleo tacos! I've been trying to branch out a bit from the typical chicken and red meat recipes, so I decided on fish tacos. The sweet man at the seafood counter at Whole Foods recommended using Cod since it is a sweeter fish and he thought that would pair good with spicier salsa. And he was right on! I used Against All Grain to help me some with this recipe. I have made coconut flour tortilla's before but liked the addition of almond milk AAG used: the tortillas weren't quite as coconut-y. They have great ideas and recipes on the website - you should check it out.

Ingredients:
For the tortillas:

• 6 egg whites- use the real kind; from eggs. Not a carton.
• 4 Tbsp coconut flour
• 4 Tbsp almond milk
• 3 Tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt

For the fish:

• 1 lb fresh cod
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 egg, whisked

Instructions:

1. Marinate the fish in lime juice, salt, cumin, and chili powder for at least an hour
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and mix all of the tortilla ingredients in medium sized bowl.
3. Heat a non stick skillet over medium high heat and spray with coconut oil (or other cooking spray)
4. Pour some of the batter (approx 4 Tbsp) in skillet. Wiggle the skillet back and forth a bit to help spread the batter out to preferred tortilla size. I prefer my tortillas small and on the thin side. I like to taste the fish - and not all tortilla.
5. Let the tortilla cook for about a minute and then, using a spatula, flip it over and let cook for about 30 seconds. If you can't get the spatula under the tortilla, let it cook for a few more seconds. Continue cooking the remaining batter. This made about 8 tortillas for me.
6. Remove fish from marinade and cut into strips that are about 1 inch wide and short enough to fit in your tortilla. Dip the fish in whisked egg, then roll in shredded coconut. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet
7. Bake in oven for 5 minutes, then flip and bake for another 5 minutes. Turn the broiler on and broil for 4 minutes, rotating sides each minute
8. Assemble each tortilla with fish and toppings of choice. I used cabbage, salsa, and guacamole!

Sloppy Kale Spaghetti

This recipe intended on being Sloppy Joe's, but it true form, I had some other ingredients that I needed to use up.....one of those ingredients was kale and the other was kelp noodles. If you have never cooked with kelp noodles, you are missing out. I like them better than spaghetti squash because they are crunchier and have less flavor. I'd much rather have my sauce steal the show than spaghetti squash. The key to kelp noodles is to let them boil for a while. The longer they boil the better, but do know you can eat them raw (after you wash them).The very first thing I did in preparation for this meal is boil water and throw in the kelp noodles. I let them cook until the very last second. If you don't want to bother (it's really not a bother since you just put them on the stove and leave them there) then feel free to use zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, or leave them as Sloppy Joe's like they are supposed to be. 

Ingredients:

• 1 package kelp noodles (can be found at WholeFoods)
• 1 lb ground meat - I used ground beef
• 1/2 bunch kale
• Salt
• Coconut Oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, sliced thin
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 8oz can tomato paste
• 1 small tomato, diced
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp dijon mustard

Instructions"

1. Boil water and add kelp noodles. Let them cook until you are ready to eat
2. In a large skillet, begin browning the meat. Lightly salt as it is cooking. When meat is cooked through, remove from skillet
3. Meanwhile, wash and roughly chop kale. 
4. In the same skillet - the fewer dishes to wash the better - melt a little coconut oil and saute the onion and garlic until onion is soft. Add the kale and let cook until kale is tender.
5. In a separate bowl, mix the smoked paprika, broth, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, syrup, chili powder and dijon mustard. Once the kale is tender, pour in the broth mixture.
6. Cover and let simmer for approx 10 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle
7. Add the meat back to the sauce and simmer for approx 10 more minutes
8. Remove kelp noodles from boiling water
9. Serve the Sloppy Kale Sauce on top of kelp noodles. 
10. If you love fried eggs, like Adam does, serve one sunny side up on top of sauce. 
11. Boom.

Zing Chicken

We can all thank Adam for name of this chicken. The flavor is Asian inspired and Adam took one bite and said "Zing! This is awesome." If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times. One of the things I love most about cooking is the variety that spices/herbs provide. Boring chicken can wear so many different hats that even if you eat chicken Every. Single. Night. there is no reason you can't have a new experience each time. This particular night was Asian and it won't be too long before I do it again.

Ingredients:

• 4 whole chicken legs
• 1 Tbsp minced ginger
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp Red Boat Fish Sauce
• 1/4 cup Coconut Aminos
• 2 Tbsp ghee

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• In a saucepan, melt ghee on low heat. Once melted, turn the heat to medium and add ginger, garlic, fish sauce, and coconut aminos to saucepan.
• Stir continuously and when mixture begins to bubble, remove from heat.
• Place chicken legs in a baking dish and pour sauce over chicken
• Bake at 425 for 35 minutes, or until cooked through

I served this with our favorite broccoli! 

Preparation and a breakfast recipe

In my opinion, preparation is the key to cooking. Before I began eating paleo, I rarely cooked. And when I did, it was a grilled cheese & Campbell's soup, or a box of noodles & jar of Ragu. I wouldn't even season the meat. When I first began cooking I would tend to get stressed as it always took a lot longer to prepare and I was not good with my time management skills. I would start cooking at 6:00 and by the time I measured ingredients, preheated the oven/stove, made the dish and side's, we were eating at 8:00. Over the months, I have learned that preparation is key. ANYTHING that you can do the night before, or even a couple of hours before, will help tremendously when it is actually time to cook. For the recipe below, I chopped the sweet potato, onion, and bell pepper the night before and stored it in tuperware in the fridge over night. I also patty'd (is that a word?) the sausage the night before. This way, in the morning while getting ready for work, all I had to do was throw the sweet potato, onion, and bell pepper in a pan with a little oil and saute it, put the sausage in another skillet to cook, and then fry my egg. The ONLY reason I was able to eat this full, nutritious breakfast was because I had prepared. Cooking paleo is not difficult, it is easy really because you are working with whole foods, but it does require time, planning, and preparation!

Breakfast Hash

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb bulk breakfast sausage
• 1 sweet potato
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1-2 eggs; or however many you want

Instructions:

1. Patty the sausage to your preferred size. I made them roughly the size of sliders
2. Peel and chop sweet potato into bite sized pieces
3. Chop yellow onion and bell pepper
4. In a skillet over medium heat, add the sausage patties and cook until done. Then remove patties
5. In a separate skillet over medium- high heat, melt a little bit of coconut oil then add the bell pepper, onion, and sweet potato. Saute until sweet potato is soft and can be easily pierced with a fork
6. In the same skillet that you cooked the sausage fry an egg, or two. I like my eggs sunny-side up and to do this, I turn the skillet to medium- low (about 3 on my stove) and crack the egg. Then I just let it sit until the white part of the egg is cooked through. 
7. When everything is done, plate some of the sweet potato mixture, then add the sausage patty(s) on top, and then finally your egg! Enjoy!
8. 
   

Where Have I Been???

SO sorry for the extreme lack of recipes over the past couple weeks. The week of the Fourth of July, Adam and I were in MEXICO! We were there for 5 days, and in Atlanta the day before. Before we left, I was busy doing as much laundry as possible, packing, realizing I had packed too much, and then packing again. I had every intention on jumping back in to this blog once we returned, as I had really missed it. BUT something happened in Mexico that has been taking up ALL my time since we returned.....ADAM PROPOSED! I had no idea this was coming and was totally surprised but it was the absolute best moment of my life. I could not have planned a more picture perfect proposal and ring.
And lately, our engagement and future wedding is all Adam and I can seem to talk about. We are both so giddy and excited about what is to come. We have already made several plans and I have started dress shopping!
So that, my friends, is what I have been doing these past couple weeks. Sorry I'm not sorry :)

However, get ready for an overflow of recipes.....

Curry Cashew Chicken

Adam and I are getting ready to leave for Mexico in a couple days! I have spent all weekend shopping, organizing, doing laundry, and anything else I could do to help prepare us for our trip. We are going with some really good friends of ours and are really looking forward to this much needed vacation. I still have a long list of things to do and pack so lets get to the point....Oh, and Adam said this is one of his top meals. He insisted that I blog this recipe asap so I wouldn't forget anything.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken (mine was 1.16 and I used chicken tenderloins)
• 1/2 cup dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 cup Curry Cashews. I found these at Earth Fare. They are worth the trip

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In your food processor, grind the cashews until they are small pieces*. Transfer to shallow bowl
3. In a shallow bowl mix together dijon mustard and honey
4. Dip chicken into dijon/honey mixture, then roll in cashews
5. Lay chicken in a greased, glass baking dish
6. Bake for 25 minutes, or until cooked through

*I didn't want to have to clean my food processor after grinding, so I put the cashews in a zip lock bag and took a meat tenderizer to it. This was just as successful, although it may have taken more time. Do whatever works for you.

Tropical Chicken Salad

I am not one of those people that HATE mayonnaise, you know, those people that despise the word and the thought of seeing mayo would make them sick...... I actually liked it on some things (gasp!)! However, when I decided to adopt the Paleo lifestyle, it was the first thing I threw out. I didn't miss it much for the first few months...but then...the craving for chicken salad hit. There are about a million paleo recipes out there in cyberspace for paleo chicken salad and they all required homemade paleo mayo. SCORE!!! Except.....have you tried to make paleo mayo?? While it is possible, and pretty tasty, it is really time consuming and it doesn't take much to mess up and have to start all over again. Believe me. BUT I wanted chicken salad and that was what it required. Unfortunately for me, I am too lazy to make paleo-mayo chicken salad as often as I craved it.

That is, until now! I recently read on a paleo-bloggers website (If I could remember which one I would totally give them due credit here) that they used COCONUT CREAM as a sub for mayo!!! #brilliant This is, without a doubt, the best chicken salad I have ever had. And I have had a lot of chicken salad.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked chicken, cubed - I used left over rotisserie chicken (EASY!)
• 2 peaches, chopped
• 2 Tbsp dried, unsweetened cranberries
• 1/4 cup toasted walnuts
• A few shakes of dried chives
• A handful fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup chilled coconut cream *
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Mix the first 6 ingredients in medium sized bowl
2. *Chill a can of full fat coconut milk. I stuck the can in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
3. Once the can is chilled, open the can and scoop out the firm cream on top into small bowl
4. Using a fork, mix the creme around to loosen it up a bit
5. Mix the cream with lemon juice, salt and pepper, then stir into chicken salad
6. Serve on top fresh spinach leaves 

Best. Banana. Bread. Ever.

I've been making a lot of cookies and cupcakes lately and wanted to try something a little different. IMO, the great thing about banana bread is that it can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or as a snack....don't you just love versatile food??!?! I adapted the recipe from one at paleomg.com which called for 1.5 cups cashews. Well, I was about 1/2 cup short so I added in 1/2 Tbsp pine nuts and 1 Tbsp almond butter, because that is what I had. If you'd rather omit the pine nuts and almond butter, by all means use the full 1.5 cups of cashews; however, this is the recipe I used...and it was honestly the Best. Banana. Bread. Ever.

Ingredients:

• 2 large bananas, ones that are brown and spotty
• 1 cup roasted, unsalted cashews
• 1/2 Tbsp pine nuts
• 1 Tbsp almond butter
• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 Tbsp almond oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Put cashews/pine nuts in food processor and process until very fine. This should resemble flour
3. Once you get your cashew flour, add almond oil while processing, until it creates cashew butter. If you must, stick your finger in and taste it - but don't eat it all. It will be hard to refrain.
4. Peel the bananas and roughly break them into pieces. Add to food processor along with almond butter and process until liquidy. 
5. Next, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs then add almond flour, honey, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt. Mix thoroughly until well combined into batter
6. Grease a bread pan with coconut oil, pour batter into pan, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the bread  passes the toothpick test.
7. Remove from oven and let cool, then slice and serve. I promise you, you will want to eat the entire loaf. I had one piece, and then I split the loaf in half and sent some with Adam and took some to Irontribe. (I wish I had kept it all for myself)

Breakfast Pizza

Lately I have been getting a little tired of my normal breakfast routine. I have been eating the same thing for breakfast, during the work week, for the past couple months or so. I don't usually mind eating the same thing over and over.....but it was time to change things up a bit. The only requirement for this dish is that it last for the week. I like to make a big breakfast on Sunday nights and eat on it for the majority of the week. This Breakfast Pizza was amazing. I was so excited about how it turned out! I will definitely be making this again soon!

Ready to go in oven

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sweet potato
• 7 eggs
• 1/2 lb ground sausage
• 1 red bell pepper
• Spinach, a couple handfuls

Instructions:

Hot out of the oven

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Peel and slice sweet potato into circles. You want them to be pretty thin
• Line the bottom of an 8'' cake pan with sweet potato slices (I would recommend spraying the pan first with coconut oil) . Its okay if they overlap each other. They will shrink some in size while it bakes, so use more than needed to cover the bottom. Place cake pan in oven while you prepare the next steps
• In a medium skillet, brown the ground sausage
• Dice the red bell pepper while sausage is browning, and sweet potatoes are baking
• Once the sausage is done, stir in red bell pepper. Remove sweet potatoes from oven
• Beat eggs in small bowl and pour over sweet potatoes. Evenly distribute sausage/bell pepper mix over eggs and top with spinach
• Bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until eggs have set
• Cut into pie shaped pieces for easy removal