Sweet Potato Enchilada/Lasagna

I made the original enchiladas from PaleOMG a few months ago. Since I didn't feel like buying ground beef this time, I decided to try shredded chicken.

Forgive the awkward picture but we ate it too fast to get anything better.

For the shredded chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Dehydrated garlic (fresh garlic would work too)
Chicken broth
Salt + pepper

Arrange the breasts in the crock pot and add garlic, S + P, and any other seasonings you want, depending on what you'll be using the chicken for. I knew I'd have leftover chicken to use for other dishes, so I didn't make the whole batch spicy, but you could add some green chiles/peppers/cumin here. Add chicken broth to cover chicken about halfway. Turn crock pot on high for 4 hours or until chicken is cooked and shreds easily with a fork. Remove chicken (carefully, it may start to fall apart), and shred in a large bowl.

From here, I continued with the original recipe, except instead of thinly slicing the sweet potatoes, I just shredded them and cooked them like hash browns, in a large skillet with coconut oil. Then I pressed about half of the pile of potatoes into a 8x8 pan and started baking that while I prepped everything else.

For the chicken, I added about half my shredded chicken to a skillet with the green chiles and spices, poured a little chicken broth over the whole thing and let that simmer and heat for a while.

I followed the original recipe for the sauce.

Now, layer half the chicken over the sweet potatoes, and keep layering until everything is in the pan. Pour the sauce over the top and bake for 15 minutes at 350.

Let it cool a little...then eat it all.

Pork Tenderloin with Butternut Squash

Thank you Em, for recommending this to me. I've gotten so tired of my usual meat (chicken, ground beef), so this is a welcome change.

I had maybe (I don't remember, shocker) a 1.5-2 pound pork tenderloin, unseasoned...just hanging out in its own juices. I put the whole thing in a bowl and ground a bunch of Trader Joe's Lemon Pepper, Everyday Seasoning, and salt over all sides and rubbed it in. I put it on a foil-covered cookie sheet with a roughly chopped onion, sprinkled the whole thing with 21 Seasoning Salute, and put it in the oven at 425 for about 30 minutes.

I don't have a meat thermometer, so I just cut it open after about half an hour and checked for pink...at this point it was still just a teeny bit pinker than I wanted, so I put it under the broiler for a few minutes. I've never cooked pork tenderloin before, so I wasn't sure how much pink was okay, and how much would poison me, so I went for well-done.

I roasted some butternut squash at the same time (for probably only 20 minutes or less) and drizzled that with TJ's balsamic glaze. I don't have a picture because I ate it too fast, but you can imagine what it looked like. Bonus: I ate maybe 1/4 of it, so I have lots of leftovers.

Voila. New favorite thing.

Pumpkin Spaghetti Squash

Looks appetizing, doesn't it?

So Kendall told me that her mom bought pumpkin spaghetti sauce, so naturally I wanted to try to recreate it for my spaghetti squash. I've been buying lots of canned pumpkin lately and putting it in my mug cakes, so I thought I'd try it with my dinner this time.

As usual, I didn't measure a single thing, so I'll do my best to estimate, but its not an exact science anyway, right? The amount I made was for half a spaghetti squash.


1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 - 3/4 can pureed pumpkin (give or take a spoonful)
2 cups broth (I used veggie)
2 tbsp olive oil
Seasonings (steak seasoning, italian herb blend, garlic powder, salt, pepper, etc)
Tomato paste


In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add the oil and onion. Once the onion softens, add some garlic...I added maybe a teaspoon. Then add your pumpkin and broth and mix well. Add your seasonings (whatever kind you like/have on hand) and olive oil and keep stirring. I just sprinkled the herbs and stuff in the sauce and mixed it and tasted it, added more, etc. Turn the heat down and let it simmer for a bit until it all looks blended. I added a little more broth to get the consistency I wanted, so you can experiment here. Taste it and add more seasonings if necessary. I added about a tablespoon of tomato paste at the end...I don't know why, I just felt like it should have some tomato essence in there. I think that's all I put in it. I had done the squash in the microwave while I made the sauce, then I cut up some sausage and sauteed that in a pan to put on top.

The kale/chard was just in a big skillet with some onion/garlic/steak seasoning/broth...the usual.

Yummy Chili

I've been so hungry for chili or soup, or even the weather to eat chili or soup. And yesterday was it!

I threw this together in the pressure cooker, since I didn't start until about 4:00 pm. It would work great in the crockpot if you browned the meat and vegetables first and started it in the morning. A pot on the stove would work too. As usual, this is a guideline, not a scientific report. This is what I had on hand and used - you can sub almost anywhere!

Greene Chili (ha ha)

1 pound ground turkey
1 pound ground beef
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
1-2 bell peppers
5 ounces mushrooms
2-3 carrots
2-3 stalks celery
1-2 cups chopped sweet potato
1 can crushed tomatoes (medium can)
1 can chopped tomatoes (I used a large can)
chili spices to taste: cumin, chili powder, paprika, green chile seasoning
salt/pepper to taste

Brown meat, crumbling, and remove to a bowl. Saute vegetables in same pan until they start to soften. Return meat to pan and add tomatoes and seasonings.

Using the pressure cooker, I added about 1/2 cup of water to make sure it wouldn't burn or go dry. I covered it, put the weight thingy on top and brought it up to full pressure. I lowered the heat until it just "sang" a bit and let it cook under pressure for about 15 minutes. I then lowered the heat to low, and let it simmer for another hour or so. The pressure dropped naturally during that time, so I was able to check on it. It was ready after about 20 minutes, but I let it simmer until we were ready to eat.

On the stove, I would also add water and bring the chili up to a simmer (gentle barely bubbling boil), then turn down very low and let it cook as long as you can. An hour would be fine (you want the veggies soft), but longer is good. Add water as necessary to replace the steam that burns off.

In the crockpot, you probably don't need any additional water. Just put the chili into the pot, turn it on low, and go about your day for 8 hours or so. If you're in a hurry, turn it to high for part of the time. If you're really in a hurry, I highly recommend a good pressure cooker.

This was really delicious. I went a little heavy on the spicy side (think it was the green chile seasoning I added), but Stuart thought it was perfect.

Next time, I would add more vegetables. There was plenty of meat. The sweet potato adds the perfect touch of sweetness and mellows out the flavor. And Hil, the mushrooms are optional, but they pretty much disappeared into the chili and even you couldn't have found them!

Make a lot and freeze some for that day that you know is coming, when you are tired and hungry and want something that Mom would have made. ;-)

P.S. The almond muffins were great with this!

Almond Muffins

I rarely look at Pinterest, unless one of the girls tells me to, or sometimes I get an email from Pinterest with something that looks interesting. Then I get all excited and "pin" something and decide to use this fun tool more often. And then I forget. Lather, rinse, repeat.

But today I saw a pin about cooking pancake batter in muffin tins, and zipped into the kitchen to experiment. Here's my grain-free version.

Almond Muffins

3 large eggs
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp oil (coconut or mild olive oil)
1 cup almond flour (the finely ground kind)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
dash of stevia or honey if you want them sweet

Beat eggs, water and oil with a fork, and add dry ingredients. Grease 6 muffin tins very well, and fill each about half-way. (Mine made exactly six). Bake in preheated 400 degree oven about 10-12 minutes, or until very lightly browned and firm to the touch.

Makes a good quick breakfast -- you decide what to put on them. I tried a little butter and I think they would be a great accompaniment to soup for dinner. A good substitute for cornbread, which I confess that I miss. 

(And yes, this batter makes really good pancakes.)

(Steph, this is for you!)

Crustless Quiche

I found this recipe on Pinterest and wanted to try making something similar. So I just used most of the veggies in my fridge plus some eggs and coconut milk. The only labor-intensive part was pre-cooking the veggies, but that actually didn't take too long.

4-5 big leaves of chard
1 small sweet potato, shredded
1 small zucchini, shredded
1/2 red bell pepper
1 onion
1/3 spaghetti squash
1 lb ground pork
6 eggs
1/3 cup coconut milk

Preheat oven to 375. Have a 9x13 pan ready.

I chopped the stems of the chard and the bell pepper and started those in a big skillet with coconut oil. Then I chopped the onion and the chard leaves and added those after a few minutes. Once those were all getting soft, I added the sweet potato, zucchini, and spaghetti squash (which I had already cooked and shredded) to warm up. I didn't stress about cooking all of these completely because they would soon be sitting in an oven for 40 minutes. In a separate skillet (or remove the veggies and use the same one) I cooked a pound of ground pork with quite a bit of seasonings (21 seasoning salute, chili powder, garlic powder, Italian herbs). This could easily be replaced with sausage or whatever meat is on hand. Put a layer of veggies, then meat, in the 9x13 pan.

In a small bowl, mix the eggs and milk. Add a little pepper. Pour this over the meat and veggies. This can be done with less eggs in a smaller pan, or more eggs to make a thicker quiche. Once the meat/veggies are covered, pop it in the oven for around 40 minutes or until the egg looks firm/cooked.

Voila.

Pumpkin Mug Cake

I've played around with this recipe for a while, I like that it doesn't have added sugar and its pretty easy to adapt. And since it has pumpkin in it, I feel like its not totally bad for me.

I made it last night with applesauce and cocoa powder and I think its my favorite version so far.

• 1 big spoonful pumpkin puree (maybe 1.5 tablespoons?)
• 1 tablespoon coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon cocoa
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon applesauce
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients in a mug (I used my 2-cup Pyrex) and microwave for 2:30, then an extra 30 seconds if the middle is still gooey.

I dumped my cake into a bowl, cut it in half, and tossed a handful of chocolate chips in the middle to melt. Perfect dessert.

Sliders on Paleo Bread

Paleo bread. Red meat. Sweet potato. Oh my.

I had to deconstruct it to eat it...with a fork and knife, like a civilized person.

Start with the bread, since the batter has to sit for a few minutes before you microwave it. And definitely toast it before you build your burger.

Cook your hamburger. I think mine was just ground beef with some seasonings then shaped into a patty. I made a few last weekend and froze them individually for nights like these, but I can't remember exactly what I did to it. Once the burger is done, I let it rest for a while on a paper towel-covered plate.

While my burger was cooking, I did some kale in a big skillet. Coconut oil and garlic in a hot pan, toss in a bunch of kale, add approximately half a cup of liquid (I use chicken/veggie broth) and let it simmer for a while. I don't have a lid yet for my big skillet, but if I did, I would use it here. Add steak seasoning and stir every few minutes until the kale is soft and liquid is gone.

And because I'm me, and I had just run a speed workout, I shredded a sweet potato and cooked that in the same pan my meat was in. I just left the meat grease in there, I don't know if that's gross, but it tasted good, so I went with it. I probably seasoned the potato too, but that's just my preference.

Once the bread is cooked, cut it in half (like a hamburger bun) and toast it.

I didn't build this in a way that made it easy to eat, but this is what ended up on the burger: paleo mayo (on the bun), avocado, shredded sweet potato, meat, bbq sauce. And my kale just ended up piled on the plate. It made for a messy meal, but those are the best anyway, am I right?



Coconut Flour Bread

1  Tablespoon coconut flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 egg
2 Tablespoons coconut milk
1 tsp olive oil

Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Make a well in the center. Add the egg, coconut milk and oil. Stir well with a fork. Let rest for a couple of minutes to allow the coconut flour to absorb the liquid. Spray the inside of a straight sided mug with cooking spray. Spoon half the batter into the mug. Tap it on the counter to remove air bubbles. Cook in the microwave for 65 seconds. If the center is steaming, but firm to the touch,  run a knife around the edge and remove the bread, allowing it to cool on the counter. To make a slider bun, slice the bread in half.

Fish Tacos with Coconut Flour Tortillas

Yes, I do love labor-intensive meals. How did you know? This one took me a while since I made the tortillas, and had to cut up a giant frozen block of mahi-mahi...but it was a free giant frozen block of mahi-mahi, so no complaints here.

Fish tacos:

1 lb mahi mahi

Coconut oil

Minced garlic

Lime/Lemon juice

Avocado

Tomatos

Paleo Mayo

Garlic powder, chili powder

Paleo Tortillas (recipe below)

Start with the tortillas since you have to let the batter sit for a while before cooking. While those are doing their thing, cook the fish in a large skillet. I had a pound of mahi-mahi that I cut into chunks (2 inches? I don't know, I didn't have a ruler) Then, a spoonful of coconut oil in a hot pan, and some garlic perhaps, then toss the fish in, and let the chunks cook for a while. I didn't time it, and I fear uncooked fish, so I made sure they were done by cutting some of the bigger pieces with a knife to check the middle. Once all the middles were cooked (white + flakey), I put all the fish on a paper towel-covered plate and sprinkled them with some garlic powder, chili powder, and lime juice. Then I went back to my tortillas and cooked a bunch of those in a small skillet (street taco size).

Tortilla, Paleo mayo, shredded cabbage, diced tomato, avocado, fish, fish, fish, lime juice and some more mayo (or salsa). Eat.

Coconut Flour Tortillas

Ingredients (makes 8-10)

½ cup coconut flour

½ teaspoon grain-free baking powder

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 ½ cup egg whites (16 egg whites)

¾ cup coconut milk

Directions

Mix all of the ingredients in a non-reactive bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes so the coconut flour can soak up some of the moisture, and then whisk again. The batter should be runnier than that of pancakes, about the same as a crepe batter.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat and spray with oil or melt enough butter to coat the bottom and sides of pan. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan, swirling the pan while you pour to ensure the bottom is coated and the tortilla is thin.

Once the bottom looks set (about 1 minute), carefully release the sides of the tortilla with a rubber spatula and turn over. If your first couple break, don’t fret and don’t throw them away. Add a little more coconut flour and try again.

Sweet Potato Chicken Salad with Paleo Mayo

I found this recipe on 3, 2, 1 Paleo (http://321paleo.blogspot.com/2012/04/sweet-potato-chicken-salad.html) and changed a couple things. I made the Paleo Mayo (look at me go), and got a little weirded out because of the whole raw-egg-thing. But I ate it anyway, and it was totally worth it.

• 1.5lb Chicken
• 1 large Onion, sliced thinly
• Broccoli slaw (small-ish bag?)
• Garlic powder, TJ's 21 Seasoning Salute, other spices if you want them...
• 1-2 Sweet Potatoes
• Coconut Oil
• Good Olive Oil
• Salt + Pepper
• Paleo Mayo (see recipe below)
• Sausages- 4 “breakfast” sized ones (I didn't have these, but I want them next time I make this)
• Mustard

So I started with defrosted chicken breast cutlets and did some oil/21 S.S. and put them in the oven (at 400) for maybe 20 minutes...or until they were cooked. In a separate dish, I diced up sweet potatoes and onions with the same oil/seasonings and put those in the oven too. In a skillet, I did some coconut oil and garlic, then threw in my broccoli slaw with 1/3 cup of chicken broth and let that soften for a while.

While all that was happening, I made Paleo Mayo (scroll down) in the food processor, then put that in the fridge.

Once everything finished cooking, I let it all cool for a while. Then started dicing/shredding the chicken and put that in a bowl, tossed in the potatoes/onions and the broccoli slaw. And because I was impatient and hungry, I put the bowl of stuff in the freezer to cool faster. When I decided it was cool enough (like 2 minutes later), I put maybe 1/3 of that mixture in a bowl with 1/4 cup mayo (more or less depending on your taste) and some garlic powder. Et voila.

Update: chop up some bell peppers and throw them in there raw. Just do it.




I had already eaten most of it by the time I thought about taking a picture.


Paleo Mayo
2 eggs (I've heard that these should be at room temp or it doesn't work right)
1.5 cups olive oil (I did 1 cup olive, then ran out, so I used grapeseed for the rest)
2 T apple cider vinegar
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp crushed garlic

Put the eggs, apple cider vinegar and mustard into a blender and blend until smooth. Next, add in your olive oil VERY slowly with the blade still running. Don’t get impatient and just dump it all in! Let it thicken up and add it in a very slow drizzle. After the olive oil is all added, toss in the chili powder and salt and blend a couple more seconds. Lastly, add the crushed garlic and blend by hand or in the blender – up to you! This keeps about a week in the fridge.

Grilled Vegetables

When I said I roasted veggies every night, that wasn't quite true. If we are grilling chicken, fish, or even hamburgers, I usually also grill some vegetables. I usually use "softer" vegetables for grilling, and really like to make lots and lots so there are leftovers. Hopefully.

Grilled Vegetables

Veggies
olive oil
favorite seasoning (mine is Montreal Steak Seasoning, salty and peppery)
You need a grilling wok or pan to do this -- mine looks like this.

veggies to use: bell peppers, any kind of summer squash, potatoes, mushrooms, onions, eggplant, spicy peppers too

Cut veggies into consistent sizes, toss with some olive oil and seasoning. Again, use your hands to rub the good stuff into the vegetables.

Dump the vegetables into the wok and grill on a bbq, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are browned, tender and delicious. 

If I am lazy, I throw the veggies into the pan, swizzle some EVOO and seasoning over and mix it up there. Most of the time. These are before seasoning.

Don't crowd the pan though. If you need a lot, do the in batches and then just heat a minute in the microwave when you are ready to eat. Yum.

Bacon Wrapped Dates

BACON WRAPPED DATES:

You're welcome in advance because your lives are about to change. For the greasier.

You'll need:

Pitted dates. Costco has a giant tub of yummy ones.
Bacon.


You'll need to:

Wrap each date with a half piece (or third of a slice, depending on how much bacon you like) of bacon

Place on a baking sheet with edges to catch the bacon fat that comes out

Place wrapped dates on sheet, bacon end side down to keep them together

Bake at 400 for as long as it takes for them to crispify. (about 25 mins)


Now eat them before lions even know you made them. This was my mistake.

Scrumptious Veggies, easier than pie

Since we eat a LOT of vegetables (I try to serve at least two different ones with each dinner, and often more), I need a fool-proof, fail-proof way to quickly cook them. Sometimes I do a stir-fry, once in a while I will quick-boil broccoli or green beans, but this is how I cook fresh vegetables almost every night.

Roasting the vegetables creates a whole new flavor -- rich and caramelized and delicious. Since trying asparagus and cauliflower this way, I've never cooked them any other way. 

Roasted Vegetables
  
fresh vegetables, choose from:

• asparagus
• carrots
• sweet potatoes
• red, purple or white potatoes
• red, white or yellow onion
• summer squash, including zucchini
• brussels sprouts
• beets
• kohlrabi (yes!)
• cauliflower
• broccoli
• green beans
• red, green, yellow, orange or other sweet peppers
• probably lots of others I can't think of now

Extra-virgin olive oil
Favorite seasoning (my go-to is Montreal Steak Seasoning, easy and delicious) (Salt and pepper will work fine, so will chili powder, paprika, garlic salt, TJ 21-Seasoning Salute, Mrs. Dash, etc)

Choose your vegetable(s), and cut them into a consistent size. Somewhere around an inch is good, but some experimentation is necessary. I cut brussels sprouts in half, most others into about one-inch chunks. Cauliflower is fabulous but tricky - aim for the florets to be a consistent size. I like to cut carrots, beets, and kohlrabi into french-fry-style sticks. You can do the same for potatoes, and you will (voila!) get roasted "french fries." 

Dump your vegetables into a rimmed baking pan - I have a 9x13" pan that came with my counter-top oven that is just right for us. The pan should allow the veggie pieces to be in one layer for even cooking. Surface area is important. Drizzle some olive oil over them and then shake your desired seasoning on. 

Now the most important part: USING YOUR HANDS, rub the olive oil and seasonings lightly into the vegetable pieces, so they are fairly evenly coated. Spread them around on the pan into one layer. This takes about 10 seconds; do it next to your sink so you can then wash your oily, seasoned hands.

Pop into a 425-degree oven and leave them alone. Depending on the vegetable, check with a fork in about 10-15 minutes -- poke the fork in and sneak one out for tasting. They should be tender but not overcooked. Asparagus and summer squash cooks quickly; carrots take 20-30 minutes. Others are somewhere in between. Meanwhile, you can quickly cook your protein on the grill or in a skillet, and poof! dinner is ready.

Note: combinations of veggies are especially good. I started with sweet potatoes and red onions (our Thanksgiving tradition). Carrots and potatoes obviously are a good choice. 

Last night I did summer squash and sweet peppers. The photo at the top is carrots, kohlrabi and a lonely beet (all three of which were getting a bit limp and needed to be eaten).

Make extra (duh!) and enjoy them for lunch the next day. Or as Hil says, put a fried egg on top and call it breakfast!

Squash, Spinach, Sausage

I don't have a name for this meal, since it was something Em and I threw together with things from our fridges. But it was still good, and can be easily altered and added to depending on what veggies you have. This made enough for 2 relatively hungry girls.

Maybe a bit blurry, but it still looks good

3 summer squash (or zucchini)
1 lb ground sausage (any kind of meat, this was probably chicken)
a couple handfuls of spinach
Garlic
Oil
Salt + pepper
Parmesan (unless you're strict Paleo)


In a skillet, cook the ground sausage. While it's cooking, make "noodles" out of your squash. I used a potato peeler and just peeled the squashes down to the seedy parts. When the sausage is done, put it on a paper towel-covered plate. Then toss the squash noodles into the empty-but-hot pan with some oil and garlic. Let these cook, stirring frequently until they're soft-ish, probably around 8 minutes (depending on how crunchy you like your "noodles"). A few minutes before the squash is done, throw in a few handfuls of spinach, and let those wilt while the squash finishes cooking. Then toss in your sausage to let it all heat together. Salt, pepper, and parmesan, then serve.

Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops, etc.

After making this family favorite "recipe" a bunch of times, I decided to actually write down what I usually do. The inspiration and basic ingredients came from a Rachael Ray recipe I found a few years ago, which is now spread across the internet and does not always credit her appropriately. Oh well. The original is from "Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats, A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners" and can be viewed here. The original also gave options to use the glaze and technique with chicken and swordfish, as well as instructions for a rice pilaf with arugula (and you know I don't make that part).

 

Basamic-Glazed Pork Chops

4 1" thick pork loin chops
2 tbsp EVOO
salt and freshly-ground pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped (thyme or sage works too)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup good balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1/2 - 1 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp butter

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork with salt and pepper and add to the skillet. Cook about five minutes on each side, and remove to a platter and cover to keep warm. Return pan to heat and add a bit more oil if necessary, and the onion, herbs and garlic and saute about four minutes. Add the vinegar, honey and chicken stock. (I use about 1/2 cup stock; the original called for a cup.) When the sauce has reduced and thickened a bit, turn the heat off and add the butter and stir. Return the chops to the pan and coat in the glaze, warming them up a bit before serving.

This is a great basic recipe and is also delicious with chicken.

For our Labor Day "Pork Day" I served it with fresh green beans, and some root veggies that I cut into french-fry size, coated with olive oil, salt and paprika, and roasted at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes. (We had some carrots, 2 kohlrabi and one lonely beet that needed to be eaten.) Yum.

Pulled Pork, Slaw, Sweet Potato Fries

This is one of my new favorite dinners.

Pulled Pork
4-5 lb pork butt roast (mine was 3 lbs)
2 onions, sliced

Dry Rub:
3 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp coriander (I skipped this one..I don't know what coriander is.)
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp onion powder (I used garlic powder)
1 tbsp dried parsley (I skipped this too..I don't have dried parsley)
1/4 tsp chipotle powder (again, not in my spice cabinet yet.)
2 tsp salt

Mix all dry ingrdients together then rub the mixture on the roast. Place a layer of onions in the crock pot, then the roast on top. Put the rest of the onions on top of the roast. Cook on high for 5-6 hours, then low for 3-4 more hours. My roast was small so I did 5 on high, 3 on low. The meat should be easy to shred from here. Mom says to put it in the fridge overnight to cool and then de-fat. Since I am impatient, and Mom said she does this too, I just took some out and made it into dinner right there. The rest is sitting in the fridge waiting for fat-removal (I'm looking forward to this process, obviously). Once I shredded my pork, I mixed in BBQ sauce (Trader Joes).

For the coleslaw dressing, I followed (for the most part) a recipe but now I can't find it. I think it was something like this:

1/4 cup canned coconut milk
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
4 cups cabbage/slaw/stuff (I used broccoli slaw)

Since I only had about 2 cups of broccoli slaw, I cut the dressing recipe in half. It also called for celery seed, but I didn't have any, so I finely chopped some celery and threw it in there (not an exact substitution, but whatever). Mix the coconut milk and vinegar, then slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking together. Pour over the slaw. I added some salt, pepper, and paprika on top.

This isn't my favorite coleslaw dressing, but it was still good.


Sweet Potato Fries

2 medium sweet potatoes
1 tsp of each: paprika, chili powder, garlic powder (I'm guessing here, I didn't measure them)

Wash, peel, slice the potatoes. In a mixing bowl, toss them with enough coconut oil to coat them evenly. Mix the spices together (add others if you want to) and toss with the potatoes. Add more if you want them spicier.

Toss them onto a cookie sheet in a single layer and bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes, watching them toward the end (unless you like them charred). I took them out early and threw on some parmesan and baked for 5 more minutes at 450. Bake longer for crispier fries.

Serve with BBQ sauce.

Sweet Potato Fries

I wanted to do fries, but I forgot to buy any kind of dipping sauce, so I just made them kind of seasoned/spicy and they turned out great. However, I didn't write down my recipe, so I don't know how much of anything I used. But its not an exact science, right?

3 lb bag of sweet potatoes (8-10 medium potatoes?)
Coconut oil
Garlic powder
Paprika
Chili powder
Salt + pepper


Preheat oven to 425. Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut them into fries-sized pieces and toss in big mixing bowl with enough oil to coat them. From here, I just started adding spices, enough of each kind to cover all the fries, plus some salt and pepper. Lay them in a single layer on cookie sheets and bake until they start to crisp. The time to cook them will depend on how thick the pieces are, so keep an eye on them after around 15 minutes.

I baked mine until they were soft, then took them out and tossed some more oil and parmesan cheese on and baked them for around 8 more minutes (this might have been under the broiler).

Next time I make these, I'll pay more attention to how I do it, and I'll actually write it down  :)

Sweet Potato Pancakes

I've found that I like having pancakes in the fridge to eat as a snack. Almond butter and apple sauce has been my favorite topping combination. And of course, I'll eat anything with sweet potatoes. These turned out more like crepes, since the batter is pretty runny. 

Here is the recipe from http://www.health-bent.com/treats/paleo-sweet-potato-pancakes

• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ c sweet potato (about 1 large)
• ½ c almond butter
• ½ c carton unsweetened coconut milk (we used So Delicious brand)
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t baking powder
• 2 t cinnamon
• ½ t nutmeg
• ½  t salt
• coconut oil

Peel, chop into small pieces,and boil your sweet potato until it’s fork tender.

Once the sweet potato is cooked and cooled, add all ingredients to blender and blend thoroughly.

Your batter should be pretty liquid-y thin. If it wouldn’t run off a spoon, it’s too thick…add a little more coconut milk until you get the right consistency.

Heat your griddle/cast iron/non-stick skillet over medium heat. Melt a generous bit of coconut oil and pour in the batter, in whatever shape or size you’d like. When the pancake begins to have surface bubbles near the center flip and cook other side (each side 2-3 minutes). Add more coconut oil to cook surface as needed between batches.

Getting your heat right is the key to cooking these babies. If it’s too hot you’ll burn your pancakes before they’re cooked through. Try a small dollop of batter as a “tester” to see if the temp is just right before committing the entire batch. If your oil is smoking at any point it’s probably too hot. So adjust your heat accordingly during cooking. It can be a little tricky, don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Let your pancakes rest in the oven on “warm” on a paper towel lined plate until all batches are complete.

Sweet Potato Patties

The obsession with sweet potatoes continues...I've been trying to cook them in unique ways to avoid getting stuck in a roasted-with-onions-rut. So I shredded a sweet potato last night and added some things and fried them in a bit of coconut oil. My roommate even approved (she isn't Paleo and "hasn't had good experiences with sweet potatoes").

The patties! (with honey mustard chicken in the corner)

I'm working from memory now:

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and shredded
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup minced red onion (or a whole red onion...either way, throw some onion in there)
• 1 tbsp (?) coconut flour
• big plop of minced garlic
• chopped rosemary (I used dried, but fresh would probably be even better)
• salt & pepper

Mix all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, add some other veggies if you want (kale would probably be good in here). Heat a spoonful of coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. The potatoes will absorb a lot of oil, so be generous here. When the oil is hot, use a large spoon to scoop the potato mixture into the skillet and mush it into a patty-shape. Let it cook for a few minutes (maybe 3-4)  and flip when the first side is nice and brown. Cook a few more minutes on the other side. I found that when the heat was too high, the outside of the patty would get semi-burned but the inside hadn't cooked yet, so watch for that and turn the heat down if necessary.

That's it. I made this up, so I'm sure the recipe could use some tweaking (movie quote, anyone?) so let me know if you have any suggestions. I did some honey mustard chicken in the oven (honey + dijon + oil + apple cider vinegar over chicken in the oven for a while...mmmm) which went well with the potatoes.

If there are any leftover patties, throw a fried egg and sausage on there and call it breakfast.

Basic Vinaigrette

Finally, a salad dressing that works! Easy to make, tastes delish.

Basic Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
4 tablespoons good balsamic vinegar
1/3 tsp powdered stevia (or 1 teaspoon honey)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Shake, shake, shake. I use my Pampered Chef salad dressing gizmo that stirs it up and then you can pour it out.

Optional: clove of minced garlic.

Tonight's Cheater Dinner

So I have not been much in the mood to do anything elaborate for dinner lately. It's too hot and I'm too much distracted with other things.... but we need to eat. So tonight this is what we did.

I heated some coconut oil, added a good scoop of Thai green curry paste and let that "get happy" for a while. Added a cup or so of shredded carrots and a bag of broccoli slaw and sauteed it for a while. Then added about half a cup of water and a spoonful of Coconut Cream Concentrate, a few chopped green onions and a small zucchini that I shredded (have to use those things somewhere). Stirred, covered and let it simmer for five minutes.

Oh the yummy meatballs? Those are Chicken Teriyaki Pineapple meatballs from Costco - found them in the freezer and it seemed a good complement to the veggies. It was - yum.

Sweet Potato Kale Chicken Patties with Spaghetti Squash

This dinner was loosely based on a recipe from Multiply Delicious, but I changed some things as I went along. I had ground chicken, leftover sauteed kale, and I wanted sweet potatoes and spaghetti squash..so this is what I ended up with.

 

 

Here is the original recipe:
2 green onion, finely chopped (I used red onion)
1/2 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into tiny little cubes (I shredded it)
2 1/2 cups kale, finely chopped (leaves only) (leftover sauteed leaves and stems, chopped)
1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks (I had ground chicken already)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 garlic clove, minced (does anyone actually measure garlic?)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 egg
2 tablespoons coconut flour

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat with 1 teaspoon coconut oil or avocado oil (or bacon grease) add green onions and cook until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Add sweet potatoes and cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, until barely tender.  Add kale and cook until wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes.  Set aside.

Add chicken to a food processor and process on pulse until ground.  Transfer meat to a large mixing bowl.  Add salt, garlic, paprika, Dijon mustard, rosemary, egg, coconut flour, and sweet potato mix.  Mix together with hands until well combined.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or even better overnight.

Divide your chicken mixture into 6 to 7 even patties.

Coat a large non-stick pan with coconut oil or even better bacon grease to just coat the bottom (not a lot).  Add patties and cook until golden crust forms, about 5 to 6 minutes, then flip to the other side and cook until golden and cooked through.

I cooked my sweet potatoes and onions for a few minutes then mixed in my leftover cooked kale (maybe a cup...maybe more..) and put that aside to cool. Then I threw my ground chicken in a bowl with a big plop of minced garlic, some paprika, mustard, salt, pepper, rosemary, 1 egg, and a couple teaspoons of coconut flour. Then I mixed in my potatoes and kale and scooped big spoonfuls into a skillet (with coconut oil) and formed them into patties with the spoon. They took a few minutes to cook on each side.

Doesn't that look yummy?

While all of that was happening, I did half a spaghetti squash in the microwave (cut in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds, put one half face down in a dish with 1/4 cup water, microwave for around 8 minutes or until the skin gets soft). Then I tossed the shredded squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper and set that aside.

THEN, I mixed an avocado with some olive oil, lemon juice, and mustard (and salt and pepper) and mushed that up.

Plate + chicken patty + squash + guac.

Chicken Basil Meatloaf

Chicken Basil Meatloaf

5.0 from 9 reviews

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Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 2lbs US Wellness Meats Ground Chicken
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 1 cup almond flour/meal
• 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients for meatloaf in a bowl.
3. Place ingredients into two loaf pans.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until there is no pink remaining in the loaf.
5. Eat!
6. OMG, that was easy.

Fudge!

Double Layer Fudge

5.0 from 25 reviews

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Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil
• 1 cup almond butter
• 1/2 cup raw honey
• 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 4-5 heaping tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• a handful of Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips or your choice of dark chocolate chips
• extra sprinkle of unsweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

1. Add your coconut oil to a food processor. It doesn’t have to be melted so don’t you worry your little heart about melting it down!
2. Then add your almond butter, unsweetened shredded coconut, vanilla extract, and honey and just a small pinch of salt.
3. Mix all ingredients until fully combined.
4. Pour half the ingredients into a bread pan and use a spoon to spread out evenly. It doesn’t matter what size bread pan you use. The smaller it is, the taller your fudge will be and vise versa.
5. Place in freezer to harden.
6. Then place food processor bowl back on the motor and add your cocoa powder. Add 1-2 tablespoons at a time, mixing as you go to make sure you don’t use too much.
7. Once cocoa powder is incorporated in, add a pinch of salt, mix thoroughly, then pour your chocolate fudge on top of your now hardened light fudge.
8. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, shredded coconut, and a bit of salt and place is freezer for 10-15 minutes.
9. Cut into chunks.
10. Eat the chunks.
11. Store the leftover chunks in the fridge.

Notes

This serves either one person or a lot of people. You be the judge.