Fresh Coconut Curry Chicken

I originally saw this recipe used for a sir fry, but my lack of time to prepare for dinner, and my constant simplification of recipes brought me to this simple, easy and flavorful recipe. It is one of those go to recipes that find its way to the back of the recipe shelf. Every time I make it I think, "Man this is so good! I should make it more!" The truth is, I feel that way about most things I make. There are so many amazing Paleo recipes out there! So here is one more recipe to add to your repertoire.

Fresh Coconut Curry Chicken
1 Lb. Chicken Breast
1 Can Coconut Milk (canned milk, not from a carton)
Curry Powder
Fresh Minced Garlic
Sea Salt


*Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

*Place chicken in large glass baking dish (or whatever fits your chicken- you can cook one breast at a time if you are cooking for one)

*Generously sprinkle curry powder and salt over both sides of chicken.

*Pour coconut milk around chicken and add garlic to the surrounding milk and on top of chicken.

*Bake for one hour or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

*Remove, and plate chicken. Drizzle juice over chicken and enjoy!

(If you have time you can toast some unsweetened coconut to add to the chicken before you serve it. Toast the coconut on your stove top over med heat till it starts to turn light tan)

The Hipster "Bacon"

Recently it has been pretty "cool" to be into bacon. You can find bacon socks, bacon necklaces, bacon shirts, bacon candy, bacon anything! Hipsters sport their fatty accessories and Paleo lovers enjoy the strips of heaven. BUT, is all bacon created equal???? Is it a good idea to eat the whole batch of that sizzling meat in one serving? Let's just slow down the trendy train and take a look at what we are consuming. We know that any toxins an animal ingests will be filtered out into his fat. (This is one reason why we should be choosing grass fed, organic meat) We also know that pigs are one of the most mistreated and widely factory farmed animal. So maybe we should take a second look at that food choice. It may be trendy to wear bacon socks, but your body may not think its so cool when you are making poor bacon choices, or overeating your portions. Check out this blog by Whole9. It gives some great information regarding your bacon selection. It made me look at bacon in a whole new way, hopefully it will do the same for you.

Bacon Socks

Bacon Bandaids

Bacon Necklace

Fresh Baked Cauliflower

One reason I enjoy going to my Paleo friend's houses to eat is that I inevitably learn some new trick or recipe. This is a simple and delicious way to cook your cauliflower, that I my friend Janelle recently shared with me.  By cooking it in the oven it becomes a little bit crunchy on the outside, and perfectly cooked on the inside. Wow- so good. I hope you make this soon and enjoy it!

Fresh Baked Cauliflower
1 head of Organic Cauliflower
Olive Oil or Organic Butter
Sea Salt
Paprika

*Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

*Cut cauliflower into large florets.

*Place cauliflower onto cooking sheet.

*Using a basting brush cover florets with melted butter or olive oil. (Don't have a basting brush? Throw all your ingredients into a plastic bag and shake till covered)

*Sprinkle with sea salt and paprika.

*Bake for approximately 30 min or until fork enters cauliflower easily and edges are browned.

*Remove and enjoy!

Fresh Deviled Eggs

Getting tired of those plain hard boiled eggs? I know I was, so I decided to use the hard boiled eggs in my refrigerator and make some Paleo "inspired" deviled eggs. (I say inspired because I used the organic olive oil mayo, which isn't 100% Paleo) If you are feeling "chef-like" try this recipe for Paleo mayo. I haven't tried it, but if anyone out there does, let me know how it goes!

Fresh Deviled Eggs
Hard Boiled Eggs
Mayo
Mustard
Pickles cut into small pieces
Pepperoncini cut into small pieces
Pepper
Paprika

*Remove shell from hard boiled eggs.

*Cut egg in 1/2 lengthwise. Remove yoke and put into a bowl. Save the whites for the end.

*Once all the eggs have been divided and yoked add mayo, mustard, pickles, pepperoncini's and pepper to the yokes. Depending on your tastes you may add more or less of any one ingredient. Start with a small amount and add till satisfied. The mixture should be well blended yet hold together.

*Spoon the yoke filling into eggs.

*Sprinkle eggs with paprika.

*Serve and enjoy!

PS- these also make a great snack or treat for a party!

But it's PALEO!!!???

Just because something says it's "Paleo" doesn't mean that you can eat it everyday and maintain quality health. Maybe you have been eating Paleo and your weight loss is plateauing or maybe you are even gaining weight? It's not Paleo's fault. . .check out this article off Robb Wolf's site. It clearly explains how we can get ourselves off track by letting the broad term of Paleo be our standard for quality food. Feel free to still enjoy the "Paleo Treats", but just be informed and know what you are putting into your body!

  vs.

Fresh Buternut Squash Salad

I found this "pasta" sauce at Costco the other day and decided to give it a try.

 The ingredients looked pretty good! It did say contains dairy, but wasn't listed in the ingredients. Hmmm- so check it out and decide for yourself. I browned some beef and added the sauce to it. Then I placed it on top of spinach and we were ready to eat. Doesn't look like much, but it was good! I was thinking of a member of our gym who is allergic to tomatoes, and who may want an alternative to marinara sauce. I think I will also try it on spaghetti squash soon.

Fresh Bacon Wrapped Sweet Potatoes

The other night my sister-in-law was over and we thought we would try this recipe out. The plan was to make a batch, have some, and save some for Mr. Man when he returned home. UH- not so much. They were GONE in 5 min. I did make him some more last night and he and his brother finished off 2 batches. Let's not over analyze how many carbs, fats, protein that was. . . let's just focus on the fact that they are GOOD! :) I am warning you to make these at your own risk- you cannot have just a few.

Fresh Bacon Wrapped Sweet Potatoes
Bacon (Thick cut is harder to work with)
Sweet Potatoes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

*Peel sweet potatoes and cut into rounds, then into "fry" shapes.

*Cut bacon in half long ways and down the middle. This will give you 4 skinny pieces of bacon for every strip.

*Place foil over cookie sheet. (Be sure to use a cookie sheet that has a raised edge to catch the bacon grease).
 side note: Once you have removed your sweet potatoes, let the fat cool on the foil. You can remove the foil and throw it away- it makes clean up a breeze!
 
*Wrap bacon around  the sweet potato and place on foil. If you have extra sweet potatoes, just put them on the sheet too. Everything will cook evenly.

*Cook at 350 for 15 min. When finished cooking, broil on high for a few minutes or until the tops are crispy. (My oven took 5 min. on a high broil)

*Remove from the oven and enjoy!

Fresh and Local

As I became more and more comfortable with the concept of eating real food, I began to look a little deeper into the nutrient, chemical (or lack thereof), and environmental level of the food I was eating. Check out this article by Whole9 that gives some great tips for taking your Paleo Diet to the next level.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Apple cinnamon anything and a warm cup of coffee- does it get any better? I don't think so. I finally ordered bulk almond flour and quickly made these tasty little treats. I like to bake them in the mini muffins so the recipe stretches further and I can enjoy them longer. I gleaned this recipe from Elana's Gluten-Free Cookbook, and changed up the ingredients so it was more Paleo friendly. This is a great cook book- just stay clear of the grapeseed oil and the dairy she includes in her recipes.


Apple Cinnamon Muffins
2 C blanched almond flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup walnut or coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup raisins or cranberries (optional)
1 egg
1 T vanilla extract
2 medium apples, peeled, cored and diced into 1/4 inch cubes

Pre-Heat Oven to 350 Degrees
Line 10 muffin cups with paper liners.
I used my silpat mini muffin pan, so the liners or non-stick spray was not needed.

* In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients together: almond flour, salt, baking soda, arrowroot powder, and cinnamon.

* In another bowl mix the wet ingredients together: oil, honey, egg and vanilla.

* Add the wet and dry ingredients together and stir until thoroughly combined, then fold in apples.

* Spoon batter into your muffin cups. Bake 30-35 min. for regular muffins 20-25 min. for mini muffins or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the muffin comes out clean.

* Let the muffins cool in the pan before serving. (Approximately 30 min- if you can wait that long. :) )

* Enjoy!

Fresh Lunch Rolls

Not long into my new Paleo life, I began to remember back to the days of quick and easy lunches from Subway. The pickles, lunch meat, veggies, peperoncinis, yum! Then I found this idea and the trip down memory lane made a quick u-turn. I have been making these lunch wraps ever since. You can make them into single rolls or add toothpicks (as pictured) and cut up for a fabulous hors d'oeuvre.

Fresh Lunch Rolls

Turkey Breast Lunch Meat
Ham Lunch Meat
Salami
(Applegate has some great organic options for lunchmeat- look for it at your grocery store)
Mustard
Your choices of veggies (ie- spinach, tomatoes, peperoncini, pickles, red peppers, olives, etc)
Oregano (optional)
Mayo (not paleo - optional)

Lay out lunch meat over each other. I start with the ham since it holds together the best, then lay one piece of turkey on top followed by 2 pieces of salami side by side. (In the picture I didn't use salami since we were out of it, but you see the idea)
Next add your condiments and veggies.

Even picky eaters, (not to mention any names -ahem) like the ones on the left, will enjoy these wraps. They can be modified to anyone's tastes.

Sprinkle oregano over the ingredients. (Optional)

Roll up.

You can enjoy them as is, or you can add toothpicks and cut for your dinner party. (See pictures below)

Enjoy!

You May Need a Break Up and a Fresh Start.

The women of the 60's may have burned their bras, but these days ladies everywhere, not only in the CrossFit gyms, are taking a different approach to liberation = breaking up with our scales! We have all been enslaved to it. It has probably sparked a happy dance a time or two, and it has quite possibly caused tears as well. Check out this article listing the 5 reasons we need to BREAK UP with our scales. Oh the freedom, and it is so much more supportive than the liberation of our ancestors. Dudes, don't feel left out- you should break up with your scales too!

Breakfast for Dinner!

What is easier than making breakfast for dinner!?! If you haven't tried it out yet, what are you waiting for? Get your Paleo lovin' bootie in that kitchen and get to work for. . . maybe 10 min. I usually like to make these omelets after I have a weeks worth of leftovers in my fridge.  Grab as many veggies as you can and if need be, prepare them by blanching or steaming them. Get your lunch meat (Applegate makes some great organic lunch meat) or any other meat for that matter ready (either cooked or warmed up if using leftovers).

Fresh Omelet (serves one)
3 eggs
Vegetables of Choice
Meat of Choice
Herbs of choice
Sea Salt
Pepper

Spray non-stick pan with cooking spray. Break eggs into pan. As eggs cook- break yoke. Cook on med-high heat until eggs are cooked thoroughly. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.  Your eggs will start to "lift" out of the pan letting you know they are done cooking. (Air bubble and pockets will cause eggs to lift)

Add meat, veggies, and herbs to the middle of the pan and fold one edge of the eggs over making a pocket. Turn heat to medium - low heat. Cover dish and let cook for a few minutes longer till ingredients are warmed. Plate your omelet and enjoy!

The Perfect Steak

One of my favorite things about Paleo is that I get to eat steak. There is nothing better than a perfectly grilled steak. During this past summer I was out to dinner with my husband and his softball buddies. I was sitting next to our friend who is always interested to see what I order.  He asks lots of questions about Paleo and has witnessed my transformation. After I ordered he laughed and said, "I love that when we go out to dinner you will put down a steak or a rack of ribs." Yeah buddy -I will! Give me a steak, a mound of steamed broccoli and a little avocado and I am a happy girl.

One of the worst things is when you buy the steak from the store, bring it home and ruin it by overcooking it. Check out this blog for some excellent tips on how to cook a perfect steak.