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.