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.