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

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.

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!!

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. 

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 

Venison Sliders & Cinnamon Raisin Apples

Adam and I were the lucky recipients of smoked deer sausage! I couldn't decide exactly how I wanted to prepare it and thought for weeks, literally, about what to do with it. Then I thought, Why do I have to do something fancy???? Just be simple and cook it - let the natural flavors of the deer and the smoking process make the statement! That is exactly what I did, and it turned out fabulous! Now, any sausage will work and if you don't get it smoked, just add some fun seasonings! The deer sausage we had was in casing, so I just removed it then mashed all the meat together. I had a suspicion that the sausage was going to be a bit spicy for me, so I paired it with sweet apples and raisins, as well as homemade sweet potato fries.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs smoked deer sausage, casing removed
• 3 eggs
• 1 large fuji apple, diced
• 1 1/2 Tbsp raisins
• 1 1/2 Tbsp chopped pecans
• Cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Mix sausage and eggs then form patties to preferred size
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook deer patties, flipping a couple times, until fully brown on both sides. (approx 3-5 minutes on each side)
3. While the sliders are cooking, dice your apple. Once the sliders have finished cooking, remove from pan and add diced apples, raisins, and pecans to the same pan. Allow to cook and absorb the flavor of the drippings from the sausage, until the apples are soft. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon.
4. Plate a couple spoonfuls of apple/raisin mix on to plate, then top with venison sliders.
5. Consume!

Blackened London Broil

It hasn't been until very recently that I have started eating "spicy" food. I use the word "spicy" very loosely because my idea of spicy is probably no where close to your idea of spicy. My entire life I have HATED spicy food. I would avoid it at all cost. I was extreme - I would refuse pepper, most mints, some toothpaste, most mexican food, I would order my wings dry because even the BBQ sauce would be too spicy for me - the list goes on. I  hated anything spicy. To me, the feeling of my mouth on fire was not pleasant. I couldn't understand why anyone would enjoy that feeling. However, since I have been cooking a lot, I have been experimenting with different flavors.  I have found that "spicy" foods aren't bad at all - when I can control how much spice! I would have never thought that I would cook with cayenne pepper, chili powder, and even jalapenos! I am pleasantly surprised that the spices that I once considered 'too hot' are actually really good! I encourage you to experiment with new flavors and spices - you might surprise yourself!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb london broil
• Blackened seasoning of choice - I combined the following spices for approx 1 Tbsp seasoning. Use however much or little of each spice you would like: garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper.
• Pineapple salsa

Instructions:

1. Heat large skillet over medium heat
2. Season meat with spices - don't be shy
3. Cook meat in skillet until done to your preference. I cooked mine approx 5 minutes on each side.
4. Put some pineapple salsa on your plate, and top with cooked meat! The sweet salsa really compliments the spicy london broil quite well!

Pork with Blueberry Sauce

I have no idea why I haven't posted this yet. I have made this numerous times and this is the dish we cooked for Adam's mother and grandmother while we were in Dallas over Christmas break. The blueberry sauce makes this the perfect summer meal, especially when the blueberries are on sale! Next time I make this, I may switch the fruit up - I'm thinking blackberries or cherries! I have typically made this with Pork tenderloin but switched it up this time and used boneless butterflied pork.

Blueberry Sauce

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless, butterflied, pork chops
• Mrs. Dash grilled chicken spice rub
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 Tbsp EVOO
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (if using frozen, thaw first)
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp honey

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Season both sides of pork with spice rub, salt and pepper
3. Put pork in baking dish and bake for 25 minutes, or until done
4. While the pork is baking, heat EVOO in saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and let them cook for about 5 minutes
5. Add blueberries, apple cider vinegar, and honey. Allow to cook until sauce has thickened
6. Once everything is done, plate the pork chop and pour the blueberry sauce over it!

I served this with Cumin Roasted Carrots and a salad with pears, walnuts, and dried cherries.

Curried Beef Stew

I am attempting to pack more leafy greens into my meals. I think I eat a fairly healthy dose of veggies for the most part, but leafy greens are missing from my diet. My go to green for this week has been spinach! I like using spinach because it compliments any meal. It can be added to just about anything, and really, once it is cooked it has a very mild flavor. What it does add is a ton of amazing vitamins!!! Last night I made curried beef stew, and added spinach! YUM! Again, the most noticeable difference in the dish were the green leaves!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb beef stew meat
• 2 Tbsp curry powder
• 1/2 can coconut milk
• 1 12oz bag baby spinach
•  3 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions:

1. In a large pot on medium heat, brown the stew meat. As the meat is browning, add curry.
2. Once meat is browned add the coconut milk and spinach. Allow to cook until the spinach is reduced.
3. Add garlic and let simmer for approx 10 minutes or until ready to serve

Beef Jerky

Here is the recipe that I used for the beef jerky that I made for Tribal Wars. The flavor was subtle, which I purposefully did because I didn't want to make it too spicy since I was sharing. The next time around I will definitely kick up the heat.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs beef (I used flank steak)
• 2/3 cup coconut aminos
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Instructions:

1. Place meat in freezer for a few minutes - this will help you slice it thin. Meanwhile combine remaining ingredients.
2. Slice meat thin and marinade the meat in fridge for about 6 hours
3. Rinse slices and place on dehydrator trays to cook over night or around 8 hours

Sweet Potato Spaghetti

I have been working really late at work this week and haven't had time to go to the grocery store, cook, or blog! My dinners have been really simple and I have tried to use what I had in the fridge. Here is what I had: 2 lbs veal, onions, celery, minced garlic, a couple sweet potatoes and 2 cans of diced tomatoes. My result? SWEET POTATO SPAGHETTI!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs veal
• coconut oil
• 1/4 yellow onion, minced
• 3 stalks celery, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 sweet potatoes, shredded with a cheese grater
• 2 cans of diced tomatoes, pureed in food processor

Instructions:

1. Heat large non stick skillet over medium heat. Cook veal until no longer pink - drain excess fat
2. Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium heat and melt coconut oil. Saute minced onions, minced celery, and minced garlic until veggies are tender and garlic is fragrant
3. Add the sauteed veggies/garlic and shredded sweet potatoes to the skillet with veal. Stir
4. Add the tomato sauce to the skillet, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes
5. Enjoy!

Beef Stir Fry

Last night I made a beef stir fry and incorporated a few ingredients that I have never cooked with before. The result?? I think I have some new favorite foods!! The three ingredients that were new to me were Bok Choy, Eggplant, and Acorn Squash. The flavor of this dish was a combination of sweet and salty - just how I like! I used a kiwi to give it the sweet flavor, and while it was great, I think I will use an orange with some zest next time! Yumm! And of course I served this with roasted broccoli and acorn squash.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs top round, sliced thin
• coconut oil
• 1 head bok choy
• 5 green onions, chopped
• 1 small eggplant, diced
• 1 kiwi, peeled and diced
• A handful of mushrooms
• 1/3 cup coconut aminos
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp honey
• salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add coconut oil and sear the meat on all sides
2. Remove meat from pan and add a bit more coconut oil. Add bok choy, green onions, eggplant, and mushrooms and stir fry until done, approx 5 minutes. Add the kiwi and stir to combine flavors
3. Return meat to the pan and add coconut aminos, sesame oil, fish sauce, honey, and salt to pan. Let everything combine, then simmer on low for a few minutes. 
4. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Roast Lettuce Wraps

It has been a while since I have busted out the trusty (and dusty) crock pot. I really should use it more - it's just kind of a pain to clean. That really isn't a reason not to use the crock pot because the fall apart meat that is the result of slow cooking is totally worth the time it takes to pour out the leftover juice and stick the pot in the dishwasher :) So really, I have no excuses. Especially when the final product is as delicious as this recipe. I loved the idea of lettuce wraps, but Adam choose to just pile the meat on top of the slaw and drizzled bbq sauce over it. I served this with sweet potato fries and baked asparagus! It was a yummy, and colorful meal!

Ingredients:

• 1 head of lettuce - I bought romaine, but any large leaf would do!

Everything in the crock pot!

For the roast:

• 2 lb roast
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 orange, juiced and zested
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• salt and pepper to taste

For the slaw:

• 1 head of purple cabbage, sliced thin
• 5 dill pickles, sliced thin
• 5 Tbsp yellow mustard (check ingredients!) 
• 2 Tbsp EVOO
• salt and pepper to taste

Shredded meat - ready to go in the lettuce boat!

Instructions:

*There is no particular order in which to do the crock pot part, but here is what I did : 

1. Put sliced onion in bottom of crock pot. Add veggie broth. 
2. Season roast with oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper
3. Add roast to crockpot
4. Zest the orange over the roast, then juice it over the roast
5. Juice the lime over the roast
6. Add smashed garlic to crock pot and place a few of the cloves on top of roast
7. Cook on low for 6-8 hours
8. Remove and shred with forks

For the slaw:

1. Combine all ingredients. This can be done when you turn on the crock pot (for full flavor!) or right before you serve the roast

Serve the roast, onion, and slaw in a lettuce leaf and enjoy!

Don't mind my starting-to-turn-brown lettuce :)

Turkey Meatloaf

My good friend, and coworker Denise, recently joined IronTribe. She has also made the lifestyle switch to Paleo and has seen amazing results! She has lost several inches in her waist alone and has gained strength and confidence in the process. We often talk of food and recipes and she mentioned that one of her favorite meals of all times is meatloaf. I, on the other hand have never had meatloaf. The word 'meatloaf' does not appeal to me. The sight of meatloaf does not appeal to me. I have always thought of some nasty highschool lunch cafeteria food and have never been interested in taking a bite. That is, until I actually made it! I am so glad that Denise mentioned it the other day and that I attempted to make, and eat, something new! I liked it so much that I actually ate it for breakfast and lunch the following day, and breakfast the day after that!
Of course, another reason I liked it was that it was super easy and very few ingredients.

Ingredients:
• 2 lbs ground turkey
• 1 egg, whisked
• 2 tbsp coconut aminos
• 1 tsp each of garlic powder, salt, and pepper
• 1/2 cup each of chopped onion, and celery
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped

Instructions:
1) Preheat oven to 375
2) Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl
3) Spray loaf pan with coconut oil
4) Pour ground turkey mixture into loaf pan. Put loaf pan on top of baking sheet to catch any run-over juices
5) Bake for 1 hour

Breakfast Taco

Originally, I was going to make another breakfast scramble, or Frittata for my big breakfast bake on sunday. Somehow, time got away from me and it was way past my bedtime when the pork was finishing up, but I wanted to be sure I finished the breakfast so I wouldn't be rushed in the morning, while running out the door to ITF. I came up with this breakfast taco!! You could even make this/eat this more as a breakfast pizza. If you have little ones, or guests over, it actually would be fun to have each person make their own! But, I like using my hands to eat, so I made mine a taco.

B'Fast pizza?!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground meat (I used pork)
• veggies of choice (I had broccoli and green bell pepper on hand)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 Tbsp minced onion
• 2 eggs
• Coconut oil spray (or any nonstick spray)
• Salsa - check your ingredients!

Instructions:

1. Brown meat in skillet along with garlic and onion
2. Saute veggies in a separate skillet  until soft (I didn't use FOC (fat of choice) but you totally could throw in some evoo or coconut oil)
3. Whisk eggs in small bowl
4. Spray small skillet with oil and heat over medium heat
5. Pour eggs into small skillet and DO NOT DISTURB. Let the eggs cook almost all the way through. You can flip your egg towards the very end to allow it to brown on both sides
6. Top your egg with meat and veggies, top with salsa, fold like a taco and consume!

Nom Nom!

Beef Bulgogi

Lately I have been craving some oriental food, and so I decided on Korean! I have never cooked a Korean dish before, or even had Korean food (that I know of). One of the fun things about cooking is the experimentation aspect. I wanted to try a new dish and so I just decided to try my hand at a new cuisine as well! This dish was super easy and I served it with Cumin Roasted Carrots and Riced Cauliflower. I also made a side of rice for Adam. I got this recipe from EveryDay Paleo and you can find the site link over on the right.

Ingredients:

Marinade-

• 1/4 cup coconut aminos
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp fresh grated ginger
• A pinch of black pepper
• 3 green onions, sliced

Meat & Veggies-

• 2 lbs rib eye (or other cut), sliced thin
• 1 head of green cabbage
• 3 Tbsp coconut oil

Instructions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk all Marinade ingredients together. Thinly slice the rib eye and add it to the marinade. Using your hands, rub the marinade into the meat and then let meat marinade in fridge for 20-30 mins. 
2. Shred the cabbage (I used my food processor - so easy!)
3. While the meat is in the fridge, heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the shredded cabbage until soft, then remove cabbage from skillet and set aside
4. Add the beef and marinade to the skillet and cook over medium to medium high heat until the thin slices have been browned (or cooked to your preference)
5. Serve the Bulgogi over a scoop of cabbage with a few sprinkles of sesame seeds and a few extra green onions if desired. 

“Fettuccine” with Meat Sauce

I LOVED this meat sauce. So much, in fact, that I could have just had a bowl of the meat sauce for dinner and called it a night. The beautiful thing is that there aren't many ingredients, which in all honesty is probably why I thought it was so tasty. The flavors of this dish created a nice dimension.

Ingredients:

Squash "Fettuccine"

• 3 tsp coconut oil
• 4 yellow squash (is the plural of squash, squish?)
• Sea salt & pepper to taste

Meat Sauce

• 1 lb grass fed ground beef
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (or more :) )
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 3 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 6 oz organic tomato sauce
• Sea salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat a skillet on medium heat - add coconut oil. Use enough oil to keep the squash from sticking or burning
2. With a vegetable peeler, create fettuccine noodles by running the blade lengthwise down the squash around all sides until you reach the seedy center. Don't use the center, but save it to chop and saute into a veggie mix for another dish
3. Cook the squash until it's just done, but not browned. Then remove it from pan
4. In the same pan (or simultaneously in another pan if you prefer) brown the beef - seasoning it with sea salt and pepper. When the beef is just about finished, add the garlic, tomato, basil and tomato sauce. Heat through
5. Pour the meat sauce mixture over the squash noodles
6. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Short Ribs and a WOD rant.

So, yesterday I did something crazy. Something I have never done before, and I probably won't do it again any time soon. :) I did a WOD.....twice in the same day!!! Yesterday was the grand opening of IronTribe's downtown location and I just HAD to be there in the morning for the very first WOD. I have WOD'ed with the morning coach and I know that I really enjoy his coaching style, but I have never WOD'ed with the evening coach; therefore, I wanted to go to the night class, too, so I could see how I meshed with that coach. I also wanted to try the evening out because I figured that class was when some of my 280 friends would show up. I also thought it would be interesting to see how I performed in the morning vs. evening. I will say that in the morning, I felt a little more weak and dehydrated than I am used to feeling since I mainly WOD in the evening. I did beat my morning time by THREE seconds! Ha. I also really enjoyed the evening coach (not that I expected any different) so now I'm going to have to split my time evenly :)

Knowing that I would be WODing twice, and that I probably wouldn't be up for cooking, I whipped out the ol' crock pot sunday night. I really like using the crock pot over night, instead of during the day, because when it is done in the morning, I can just throw it in tuper ware and warm it up that night for dinner. I can also go ahead and clean it that morning and so I have very little to do at night. It's really refreshing. Whole Foods was having a sale on Short Ribs, and I knew they would be excellent cooking for a long period of time in the crock pot. And I was correct!! They were so tender, that when I pulled them out of the crock pot, the meat literally slid right off the bone. During dinner, Adam made it clear that he wanted me to flag this recipe as a very-successful one and to blog about it so we would always have this recipe on hand. He loved it :) and that makes me happy.

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lbs short ribs
• Coconut oil
• 1 15oz can organic tomato sauce
• 4 cloves smashed garlic (just smash with back of spoon)
• 1/2 TBSP dried basil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Heat coconut oil in skillet on high heat
2. Sear all sides of meat for approx 1 min/side
3. Transfer ribs to crock pot and season generously with S&P
4. Place garlic directly on meat along with basil
5. Cover ribs with tomato sauce
6. Cook on low for 9 hours

I served this dish with green beans and a few berries. The green beans were very simple as well. Since it's Valentines Day, here is a recipe for the green beans :)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb green beans, washed and trimmed
• 2 TBSP pine nuts
• coconut oil
• S&P to taste

Preparation:

1.  Heat saucepan of water until boiling
2. Meanwhile, heat coconut oil in small skillet over medium heat
3. Once skillet is hot, add pine nuts and, stirring occasionally, saute until they begin to brown
4. Once water boils, add green beans and cook for 6 minutes
5. When green beans are finished season with S&P, transfer to plate and top with pine nuts.

Smoky Bacon Chili

I have officially made the best chili ever. I'm not kidding. This stuff was amazing. I adapted the recipe from my new favorite blog: paleomg.com. You should check it out. The writer is HILARIOUS and has so many good recipes. Back to the chili.....why is it so good? Well, it has bacon in it. We all know that bacon makes everything better. It also has a nice smoky flavor to it. I've never had chili that has had a smoky flavor, and now I will never make my chili without it. Adam loved this so much that he asked if we could run back to the store to buy more meat (I had all the veggies on hand) to make more. I laughed and promised him I would make some this weekend so we can freeze it and he can warm it up anytime he liked. He loved it, too :)
You will not regret making this. The only thing I would do, is double the recipe. You can't possibly make too much of this.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 6 slices of bacon, cubed
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (14oz) can of fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 (8oz) can of organic tomato sauce
• 1 TBSP garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 2 TBSP smoked paprika
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 sweet potatoes*

Preparation:

                 Here is a quote from the original recipe: "This really ain't that hard people. Check this out. I served my chili over sweet potatoes because I think I'm cool like that. So do it." - Couldn't have said it better myself.

1. Get a large pot and add cubed bacon to it. Let it cook until crispy
2. While bacon is cooking, chop up all the veggies
3. When the bacon has cooked, add the veggies and let cook for about 6 minutes. Add ground beef and spices
4. Mix well and let meat brown
5. Once brown, add the can of fire roasted tomatoes and tomato sauce. Mix well.
6. Cook on low, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes, or until ready to serve.
7. While the chili is heating through, throw the sweet potatoes in the microwave and cook as directed
8. Cut the sweet potato in half, place in bowl, and pour chili on top.
9. Eat your heart out

*If I am cooking sweet potatoes to eat whole (not cutting up for fries, or something else) I will buy the kind from Publix that are wrapped in Siran Wrap. There are directions attached to the sweet potato on how to cook it - its only like 7 minutes. If you want to buy the regular sweet potatoes, you will need to cook them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. Make sure you poke some holes in the S.P. and this should be step 1.

Home Made Tortilla's and Flank Steak Tacos

I got this recipe from the Paleo Comfort Foods cookbook and it turned out great!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup coconut flour (I think almond flour would be good, too)
• 8 large egg whites
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup water
• coconut oil

Preparation:

1. Whisk all ingredients in bowl. Make sure no lumps remain
2. Preheat small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tsp of coconut oil to pan. Swirl around to coat bottom to get a thin tortilla. (The thinner, the better, I think)
3. Pour about 3 TBSP batter into skillet. Tilt pan back and forth to spread batter. Do not attempt to flip tortilla until you are pretty confident that side is golden brown (bc otherwise it will rip)
4. Once golden brown, flip tortilla and brown that side. Remove from skillet and repeat with remaining batter.

This gave me about 8 tortillas that I refrigerated in a ziplock bag and reheated as needed. I used them mainly for tacos and I dipped it in some chili, as well. 

Flank Steak Tacos

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Flank Steak
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tsp garlic, minced
• juice of 1 lime
• lettuce, chopped
• cucumber, chopped
• avocado, sliced

Preparation

1. Season meat with salt and pepper. Put in a gallon sized ziplock bag and add in garlic and lime juice
2. Marinate in fridge for a few hours
3. Heat oven to 400 degrees
4. heat non stick skillet over medium heat and sear both sides of meat for about 3 minutes
5. Remove from heat and place on cookie sheet
6. cook in oven for approx 12 minutes, or until done 
7. Slice meat and place on tortilla shell with lettuce, cucumber, and avocado