Tag Archives: Paleo

Try something new – Lemon Calamari Steak

I was at Sprouts the other day and in an effort to always buy wild caught fish I picked up a calamari steak.  There was nothing else!  I’ve never cooked calamari steaks before and had no idea what I’d do with the thing.  I searched online and all the recipes I found were breaded.  Then the stars aligned and I found this recipe on pracitcallyprimal.com.  I had to tweak it a bit to make it Paleo but it was fate that I had all the ingredients and I had even already put broccoli on to steam when I noticed it suggested serving it with steamed broccoli!

1 squid steak

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 lemon

salt and pepper

calamari steak in panPat the steak dry and coat both sides with salt and pepper.  Heat the oil in a saute pan.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute over medium heat.  Don’t let it turn brown.   Add the juice of the lemon.  Add the squid steak.  Cook for 90 seconds per side.  Serve with steamed broccoli and pour the lemon sauce over everything.

Lemon Calamari Steak with steamed broccoliThis turned out really good!  I will probably add calamari steaks to my regular rotation.  Happy cooking!

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Au Jus Doing? – Halibut au Jus with Mushrooms

I’ve missed doing big fancy Sunday dinners at my place so when I had the time I decided it was time to put that tradition back in place!  Rob wanted fish so here’s what I chose!

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced

2 large beefsteak tomatoes, coarsely chopped

2 large Portobello mushrooms, wiped clean, stemmed, dark gills scraped out, coarsely chopped

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 teaspoons died oregano leaves

Two 6- to 8-ounce skin on halibut fillets

Salt-free garlic powder

2 cups mesclun greens, loosely  packed and spun dry

2 cups baby arugula, loosely packed and spun dry

Chopped portobello mushroom

 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 8 minutes, until browned.  Add the tomatoes and mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until the tomato has softened.

Pour in the chicken stock and wine and turn up the heat to medium-high until boiling.  Set aside a pinch of the oregano and add the rest.  Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels and season to taste with garlic powder.  Place the fillets, flesh side down, on top of the tomato mixture, cover and cook for 15 minutes.

Combine the mesclun and arugula and place equal portions onto each of two plates.  Place a fish fillet on top of each, followed by half of the sauce. Garnish with the reserved oregano.

IMG_2071If I had this to do again I’d probably add salt.  It was a little bland.  Or maybe I’m still getting used to the Paleo way of life.  But hearty and healthy!  Happy cooking!

 

 

Get your cold weather fix – Paleo No-Bean Turkey Chili

Okay, okay so it was 88 degrees here today and I sweat profusely as I ate this dish but it’s cold everywhere else in the country right??  If there’s one thing I miss on the Paleo diet it’s beans (hey, I’m half Brazilian, we live on the things).  I loooooove chili.  So when I came across this recipe in the book Paleoista is had to try it out.  I wasn’t disappointed either!  No chili powder in it so I’m still figuring out how and why is tastes to chili-y!

10 oz ground turkey

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped

4 Roma tomatoes, chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

2 cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

1/8 cup dried cilantro

2 cups broccoli florets, lightly steamed

Sauteing onions in dutch ovenPreheat oven to 300 degrees.

Heat oil in a large cast iron dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and cook 5 more minutes.  Add the ground turkey and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up clumps.   Add the garlic and jalapeno along with the stock.  Bring to a simmer.  Add the paprika, oregano, and cumin.  Cover and place in the oven.  Cook 1 hour, stirring every 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven, stir in the cilantro, and let sit for 10 minutes.

Place 1 cup broccoli in each of two bowls.  Ladle the chili on top.

Paleo No-Bean Chili in a bowlI have been enjoying this for lunch this week.  There’s no salt in the recipe so add some in if you think it will be too bland.  I recently rediscovered my dutch oven and have been using it a lot more recently.  I highly suggest everyone invests in one!  I have a Lodge but my next one will definitely be a Le Creuset! Hope you enjoy this chili.  Happy cooking!

Eggciting Veggie Frittata – My Paleo Breakfast Staple!

Paleo breakfasts can be difficult because you need to eat a lot of protein and who wants a steak for breakfast every morning?  I’ve done the Paleo thing before and this is what I had for breakfast pretty much the entire time.  It’s super easy to make and lasts a while.  I usually triple the recipe so it lasts me all week.  Rob’s sister and brother-in-law got me a cast iron skillet for Christmas so now I really have all the tools necessary to make it.  I swear it tastes even better from cast iron!

eggs with beater

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 oz white mushrooms, thinly sliced

4 large pasture raised eggs, beaten

onions, red peppers, and mushrooms in cast iron skillet

Showing off my new Lodge cast iron skillet!

Preheat oven to broil.

Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium flame.  Add pepper, onion and garlic.  Saute while stirring for about 5 minutes or until tender.  Mix in mushrooms and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Pour in eggs and continue to stir occasionally for 2 additional minutes.

Place in over and broil for 3 to 4 minutes until eggs are brown on top and firm to the touch.

vegetable frittataI usually add a little salt and pepper before I put mine in the oven but if you want to be truly Paleo, leave it out.  I use this recipe all the time and switch out different veggies to keep it interesting.  Hope you like it as much as I do.  Happy cooking!

Holy Moly this is DELICIOUS – Apple Pork Roast

I don’t eat pork all that often but it tends to do really well in the slow cooker so I’ve been eating it more often.  Since my schedule is unbelievably crazy with my new job, commute, and school I’ve been doing slow cooking a lot more.  This recipe is unbelievably yummy.  I wanted to lick the plate clean after eating!

IMG_18021 tablespoon coconut oil

2 pounds pork loin

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon coarse black pepper

2.5 apples cut into slices

1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice

1 tablespoon maple syrup

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

IMG_1803Turn slow cooker on high while you get ingredients ready.  In a large frying pan, place the coconut oil and allow it to heat.  Place the pork loin in the frying pan and brown on all sides.  Transfer the pork to your slow cooker.  Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper.  Put the apple slices in the slow cooker around the meat.  In a measuring cup, stir together the apple juice, maple syrup and ground ginger.  Pour the mixture over the pork.  Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 10 hours on low.

IMG_1804I couldn’t believe how juicy and tasty this was!  I ate the entire two pounds of meat myself over a week’s time.  This is probably my favorite slow cooker recipe to date!  Happy cooking!

Bok Bok Mafia – Chicken Italiano

I was feeling a little mafioso so I decided to make this recipe adapted from a recipe in the Paleolithic Slowcooker cookbook.  It turned out pretty yummy!

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1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 1/2 pounds skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips

1 carrot, sliced

1 onion, sliced and popped into rings

1 zucchini, sliced

1 1/2 can of tomato sauce

1/4 can tomato paste

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon raw honey

1 spaghetti squash, baked and pulled into strings

IMG_1780Turn your slow cooker on high while you get your ingredients ready.  Put the coconut oil in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Place the chicken strips, carrots, and zucchini into the slow cooker.  In a bowl, combine the tomato sauce, paste, garlic, pepper flakes, and honey and mix together. Pour over the chicken and vegetables.  Turn the slow cooker down to low and cook for 8 to 9 hours.

IMG_1781I loved the spaghetti squash with this as an alternative to actual noodles.  It tasted awesome too.  This is a good one!  Happy cooking!

 

 

Slow Cooker Monday – Very Berry Good Pork Roast

I’m starting the week off with a slow cooker recipe.  This one is from my favorite slow cooker cookbook Paleolithic Slow Cooker. This is my new favorite slow cooker recipe.  When I opened my front door after getting home from work I almost drooled.  It smelled SO good!  And is tastes just as good as it smells!  Like all of my slow cooker recipes, I made a huge roast and ate off of it all week.

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1 4 pound pork roast

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons coarse black pepper

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons ground cloves

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

1/3 cup maple syrup – grade B

2 pounds frozen organic mixed berries

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Turn your slow cooker on high while you get the ingredients ready.  Place the pork roast in the bottom of the slow cooker and season it with salt and pepper.  Combine the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, orange zest, and maple syrup and mix together.  Pour over meat.  Pour the frozen berries over the meat and and place the lid on the slow cooker.  Cook on low for 10 hours.

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This is truly a delicious meal!  I hope you like it as much as I did.  Happy cooking!

A Hearty Lunch – Sausage Skillet Stew

I lieu of my potential Paleo transition, today’s recipe was found on fastpaleo.com.  I love this recipe because I love to take soup to work for lunch but it often doesn’t keep me full.  Not so with this soup.  Its very hearty and keeps me full until late afternoon.  I don’t love that it uses canned tomato sauce because commercial canning uses a lot of preservatives and if it doesn’t go bad I’m not so sure it’s good for you (except honey of course), but it’s still a pretty good recipe.  I just need to look up the recipe for tomato sauce in my Vitamix!  Next time I make this I’ll do that but this time I just used organic canned tomato sauce.

16 oz sausage of your choice

1 onion, sliced

16 oz mushrooms, sliced

4 zucchini, sliced

3 cups tomato sauce (2 cans)

4 cups spinach leaves

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

2 tsp garlic powder

Red pepper flakes to taste

IMG_1724Using a large, deep skillet, brown your sausage over medium heat.  I used pork jalapeno links.  If using sausage meat, break up with the back of a spoon into crumbles, then remove from pan and put aside.  If using links, brown evenly and also set aside until cool enough to slice.

Remove any extra grease from the pan other than what is needed to saute the onions, if necessary.  Add them to the pan over low-medium heat and soften slightly before adding the zucchini slices.  Saute a few minutes before adding the mushrooms.

Add the tomato sauce, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.  Add the sausage back to the pan; slice links first if using.  Bring almost to a boil, then cover (with a little gap to let steam out).

Turn the heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables have released their juices.  Uncover the pan and add red pepper flakes to taste.  Let simmer about 10 minutes until it is slightly thickened, then add the spinach leaves and allow them to wilt.

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This is such a tasty, yummy stew and it’s packed with healthy veggies.  I will definitely be making this again.  Happy cooking!

 

Slow Cooker Tuesday – Paleo Chicken Fajitas

So I’m thinking of going paleo.  I haven’t decided yet, I’m reading a book about it.  Once I’m done reading it (which will probably be next year with my schedule) I’ll make a decision.  But in the mean time I’ve been trying more paleo recipes and trying to cut grain, legumes, and dairy from my diet.  I did another slow cooker Sunday because I went to a zumbathon that lasted until late and I wanted dinner to be ready when I got home.  These were a success.  Very yummy!

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2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 large onions, sliced and popped into rings

4 bell peppers, sliced into rings

3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

3/4 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons cumin

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chili powder

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Turn your slow cooker up to high to get it warmed up.  Place the coconut oil in the bottom to melt.  Put the onion and pepper rings on the bottom.  Place the chicken breast pieces in next.  Pour in chicken broth and lime juice.  Mix cumin, salt, and chili powder together in a small bowl.  Sprinkle seasonings over the chicken.  Place the lid on the cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.  When finished pull the chicken apart with tongs and a fork.  Serve on large romaine lettuce leaves with a scoop of paleo guacamole or your favorite fajita toppings.

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Thank you to my Paleolithic Slow Cooker cookbook for this recipe.  It turned out well.  I will try to repost my  paleo guac recipe.  It’s on the old tumblr blog.  Happy cooking!

Slow Cooker Wednesday – Pot Roast with Turnips

This week I made a HUGE pot roast.  I’m going to be eating it for days!  It turned out okay.  I think I made a mistake when I prepped it the night before and put the vinegar in.  I think sitting in vinegar all night made the taste a little strong. Next time I would put the vinegar in right before turning the cooker on for the day.  But it was still good!

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2 tablespoons coconut oil

5 pound bottom round and chuck roast

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 onions, diced

2 teaspoons oregano

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

4 medium carrots, sliced

3 celery stalks, sliced

4 turnips, chopped into cubes

1 cup beef broth

1 cup red wine vinegar

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Turn your slow cooker on high while you begin to prepare the dish.  In a large skillet, heat up coconut oil.  Once hot, place the roast into the pan and sear it on all sides (about 2 minutes each side).  Transfer the roast to the slow cooker.  Place all the remaining ingredients into the cooker and place the lid on it.  Cook on low for 8 to 9 hours.

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The meat is so tender on this and the veggies melt in your mouth! Note that I didn’t peel my veggies.  I believe that a lot of minerals and nutrients reside in the skin so I leave it on.  Just make sure to really scrub it clean!  Another super easy week day meal and it’s Paleo!  Happy cooking!