Nutrition

Nutrition is a vital component to any athlete’s training program. Whether your goal is to lose weight and change your body composition, increase energy throughout the day, improve your quality of sleep, improve your immune system or enhance athletic performance, the type of food and fluids you consume ultimately determine your success.

There are many types of diet programs out there and individual’s results vary. Some of this is genetic so you must take this into account. Every athlete has to determine which program works the best for them.  As CrossFitters, we support several programs such as the Zone, Paleo, or Macro diets. 


For Mad City members- meals are posted more regularly on our Mad City Nutrition Support Group page (via facebook), or checkout Fueling the Forys for other great recipes and tips!
MOW: May 23
Turkey Stir Fry

1 lb or 1 lb and 1/2 ground turkey
Chopped veggies (Fresh or frozen)
*2 bags of stir fry mixed frozen veggies works great!
For the sauce-
1/4 cup coconut aminos (could use low sod. soy sauce)
1 tbsp. coconut crystals (palm sugar)
1 tbsp. sesame oil (could omit, but this is highly recommended)
Sprinkle of ground ginger
Sprinkle of black pepper

The insanely easy steps:
Begin to brown your turkey (if using onion or peppers in our mix, go ahead and add those).  You could add all of your veggies to the meat and begin to cook together OR I have found the easiest route is to go ahead and cook or steam the veggies separately (can we say meal prep ;)) and then you can combine them into one pan.  And then dump the sauce (just mix everything together in a small bowl) over top of the meat and veggies.  Saute everything together for a bit.  Tip: You could add chopped cashews to this to enhance it.  We like to also sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (the cheap kind in the green container, haha!)  after we have our own portions. Serve with white rice (also cooked ahead to make your life easier) or even cauliflower rice (the steamable bags are quick and easy).  Individuals can add more coconut aminos as desired. 

Veggie ideas include: green beans, carrots, zucchini, onion,
broccoli, water chestnuts, etc...


 MOW: March 9-
Flourless Banana Muffins

2 ripe bananas- mashed
1 cup GF oats
1 egg
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 tbsp (or even less) maple syrup or honey
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Desired amount of dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Mash the banana and literally just add all other ingredients except choc. chips and mix well.  place in muffin cups in muffin tin and bake for about 20 minutes or until set. (We like them when they're a little toasty on the top)  Another tip: We like to eat our "health" muffins cold.  Place in fridge and it will give them a great texture and make them a little less messy to eat as well!


Save a step- You can add all ingredients to your blender
(except chips) Blend, cook and enjoy!
MOW: March 18-
Marinara Meatballs

2 lbs grass fed beef
1/4 cup (or desired amount) parmesan cheese
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
About 1 to 1 1/2 cup "bread crumbs"  (oats, nut flour, crushed nuts, etc...)
1/4 cup almond milk

Mix well and make into balls.  Place in crockpot (or you can bake as well) and pour your marinara sauce over top.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
For the marinara sauce- you can use any store bought brand that you like, but if you can easily make your own.  I use: 2 can tomato sauce, 1 small can tomato paste, (can add/sub can of crushed tomatoes if you want)  1 tbsp basil, 1 tbsp oregano, (can also sub Italian seasoning), about a tsp of garlic powder and onion powder.  Taste and add seasonings as you see fit.  *serve over spaghetti squash or zoodles.






MOW: January 10-
Breakfast Veggie Bake

Back to it! It's been a while... Here's to having a happy and healthy kitchen in 2019!  Plan a brunch with family and friends in the near future and serve them this yummy breakfast casserole!

2 or 3 medium to large sweet potatoes
Desired amount of mushrooms (sliced)
1 small jar roasted red bell peppers (may not use entire jar)
onion (optional)
one small zucchini, shredded
12 -14 eggs, beaten
almond milk (optional)
salt and pepper

Wash and peel skins from sweet potatoes and chop into chunks. Place chunks into your food processor and pulse until shredded.  Place your sweet potatoes, small diced onion (or just some onion powder), mushrooms and zucchini into skillet and begin to saute to make a hash.  Use grass fed butter or olive oil to grease your pan.  Once the hash is to a soft, cooked consistency set aside.  In a large bowl, crack your eggs and whisk them all together (add about 1/4 cup almond milk and whisk again) If you do dairy, you can add a small amount of shredded cheese to the eggs with desired amount of salt and pepper.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with your cooking spray and then place a layer of the hash on the bottom of the pan, along with a layer of the roasted red pepper.  Put the rest of the hash into the bowl with the beaten eggs and mix.  Poor the mixture into the baking dish on top of you veggie layer.  Bake for about 40/45 minutes at 350.  *Feel free to add chopped spinach or any other veggie you want.  You could even sub shredded carrot or white potatoes in place of the sweet potatoes.  Whatever you prefer!  Enjoy :)

Well, according to the picture, I definitely added spinach!
Get your greens!



 MOW: June 16-
Crock pot Honey Garlic Chicken

1 lb red potatoes (because they're paleo now :))
1 lb long carrots
1 1/2 bone in chicken thighs (can use breast also)
'Long' fresh green beans
For Sauce:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce or *coconut aminos for stricter paleo
8 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp chili flakes

Chop your potatoes (or leave whole) and peel and chop carrots (leaving them somewhat long).  Place your chicken, potatoes and carrots in the crock pot.  Mix your ingredients for your sauce together and pour over chicken and vegetables.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours and in the last 30 minutes add your green beans to the pot.  (You could also just cook these separately, but why dirty the dishes, right?  This recipe is from my mom and it is YUMMY!   The carrots really soak up the flavor from the sauce.  I would cook carrots with this sauce as just a separate side dish actually.  ENJOY!





 MOW: April 30-
Banana Coffee Cake

Wow! Has it really been two months since I last posted a recipe?  So sorry!  Find the link here to make some super yummy, comforting banana coffee cake!

http://paleomg.com/coffee-cake-banana-bread/




MOW: February 29-
Gluten Free Energy Bites

1 cup GF oats
1/2 cup almond butter (or sub PNbutter)
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/3 cup raw honey (can sub maple syrup)
1/4 cup ground flax seed
Tips-
*can sub raisins, or dried cranberries for the chocolate chips- or use both!
*can add a tbsp. or so of chia seeds to the mixture as well
*crunchy peanut butter adds a little bit of texture too

Combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix well.  Roll out teaspoon sized balls and place on a baking sheet (lined with parchment or wax paper) Freeze until set- about one hour and then remove and enjoy!  Best stored in the refrigerator.  WARNING: These are GOOD!  Practice self-control ;)

Thank you, Brittany, for sharing your yummy snack with us!


 MOW: January 26- 
Ground Turkey Burgers

1 lb ground turkey
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tbsp. worsteshire sauce
1 tbsp. "Happy Salt" (found at www.amishfarms.com) Google it ;)
1 egg
1/4 cup oats (or ground up nuts)
1 tbsp. almond flour
dried parsley (didn't measure this)

Combine ingredients together in a bowl and mix well with your hands.  Form patties.  I baked mine in the oven to avoid extra mess and smelling up my kitchen, but you can pan fry and certainly grill- if the weather allows!  Serve on a lettuce leaf and top with bacon, mustard and mayo.  Yum!




MOW: January 5- 
Caribbean Style Pulled Pork Shoulder
(Crock pot meal)

2-3 lb. pork shoulder
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup orange juice (fresh or not)
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. pepper
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt

Place meat into your crock pot and then top with the chopped onion.  For the sauce- start by mixing the liquid ingredients together and then add all other spices and mix well.  Pour evenly over your pork and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Shred and enjoy with avocado, slaw or veggies!





 MOW: November 24-
Roasted Carrots and Sweet Potatoes

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 bag organic baby carrots
1 onion, diced
1/4 cup chopped pecans
About 2 tbsp olive oil
Desired amount of cinnamon
Drizzle of honey
Salt and pepper

So much healthier (and just as tasty) then covering canned yams with marshmallows and more sugar!  Simply combine all of your ingredients together and mix well in a bowl until potatoes and carrots are evenly coated.  Pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Cook at 350 for about an hour or until the tops of the veggies turn golden brown or the carrots are tender.  *If you want a more savory option, you can omit the honey and add a tsp of cumin, a tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp chili powder and fresh herbs to top them off.



 MOW: October 27-
Paleo Pumpkin Pie
(Crust and all!)

I used the recipe from "Elana's Pantry" and made a few slight changes.  Follow the link below and feel free to follow her exact recipe or try the changes I made.

*Instead of 1/2 cup honey (that is a lot of honey), I decided to change it to 3 tbsp, plus 1 tbsp of coconut crystals and it turned out just fine :)

http://elanaspantry.com/paleo-pumpkin-pie/
Happy FALL, Y'all!




MOW: September 15-
Jazzed Up Tuna Salad

2 cans tuna, drained
2 Tbsp. mayo
1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. shredded carrots
2 Tbsp. red bell pepper (cut into 1 inch pieces)
1/2 stick celery, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Romaine lettuce

Mix tuna, mayo, mustard, lemon juice and salt and pepper.  Then, stir in carrots, peppers and celery and mix well.  Place tuna on top of your lettuce leaves or eat however you'd like.  SO EASY!




MOW: August 13-
Baked Kale Chips

1 bunch kale
1 to 2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt

Wash your kale and then peel the leafy parts from the stems and tear them into bite size pieces.  Spin the pieces dry in a salad spinner or you can pat dry with paper towels.  Place all of the kale pieces into a large bowl and add your olive oil and desired amount of salt.  Toss gently with your hand until coated and then place the kale onto a foil lined baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 15 (or more) minutes or until the edges of the chips are crispy and brown.  (Note- The chips will cook more evenly if they are spread out on the pan and not piled on each other)



 MOW: July 31-
Banana Nut Mini Muffins
Happy "Back to School Week"!

2 small (or medium) bananas, mashed
1 egg
3/4 cup almond flour
1 tsp baking powder
About 2 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
A few tbsp. flax seed *optional
Sprinkle of salt
Desired amount of *mini chocolate chips
1/3 cup chopped walnuts *optional

Mash bananas well and add beaten egg, then all other ingredients.  Mix well.  Grease your mini muffin pan cups with cooking spray and divide your batter into them.  (Should make 2 dozen)  Bake for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

These make great on the go snacks and would be perfect for
packing in your kiddos lunch box!
MOW: June 26- 
Paleo Blueberry Cobbler

This recipe is courtesy of Miss Becky Canida.  She went blueberry picking and decided to share her treasure with my family. The cobbler was delicious!  Follow the link below and note the changes she decided to make:

*About 5 cups of blueberries (fresh if possible)
*Butter instead of coconut oil- if you choose
 (this will make the dish primal)
*Add ice cream on top.... if you're feeling naughty ;)
http://paleogrubs.com/blueberry-crumble-recipe


MOW: May 20-
(Primal) Dill Chicken Salad

3 large chicken breasts
1/2 cup mayo
2 tbsp sour cream (optional)
1 tbsp whole milk (also optional)
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (or combo)
1 cup grapes (chopped) red or green
1 tbsp. dried dill

Bake or boil your chicken breasts until done.  Shred the chicken in your food processor or with a pair of choppers (pampered chef ones work great!)  Add all ingredients together and mix well. (I know the milk sounds weird) But just pouring a little in before stirring will add some extra creaminess to the salad.  All measurements are approximate, so adjust according to your liking... Great for quick and easy lunches!




 MOW: April 3-
Pork with Dry Rub/Seasoning

For the seasoning:
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander (will work without this- or you can sub fennel)
1 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp salt.
Olive oil- optional

Mix all seasonings together.  You can sprinkle it like a regular seasoning on your pork chops or pork loin and cook to your liking.   If you would like an olive oil rub (with add some moisture to your meat and could even marinate the pork for a while just add a few tsp olive oil with the spices and mix together. Rub over your meat before baking or grilling.

Chop some apples to add with your pork
before cooking.  Because apples are always
a great compliment to pork :)

MOW: March 12-
Homemade Lara Bars

This recipe is courtesy of Angela Elles.  She is always trying new things in the kitchen.  She's found what works for her and her family and they embrace their nutrition.  Thank you for sharing and passing along your recipes to all of us, Angela!

1 cup raisins
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
coconut oil

Toast sunflower seeds in a pan with your coconut oil until browned. Then blend them in the food processor with your raisins.  Add sea salt to taste.  Form into balls (about 2 tbsp. each) Store in the refrigerator.  How simple! :)

The lighter colored cluster at the top is a maple covered
peanut cluster from the Maple Festival.  Sorry, no recipe
for these :) 




 MOW: February 8-
60 Second Mug Muffin
(doubles as banana pancakes)

This literally will take 1:00 in the microwave.  I pretty much used a tiny bit of my leftover banana pancake batter from the morning (it was just enough to make a muffin).  Here's what I used for the whole batter:

1 small banana (very ripe)
1 tbsp sun butter (almond butter or even coconut oil will work too)
About 1 tbsp. flax seed (can sub almond meal)
1 egg
Sprinkle of cinnamon (optional)
Dark chocolate chips (optional)
*could also add blueberries or chopped pecans

Mash banana well in bowl and then add your egg and whisk together.  Add all other ingredients and mix well.  If you are making pancakes you want to grease your electric griddle and then pour your batter into small circles (small ones will be hold together better- be patient before flipping!) If you are making muffins you want to pour just about a quarter cup of the batter into the bottom of a greased mug.  Drop a few dark chocolate chips into your mug and press them into the batter.  Microwave for one minute.  Turn mug upside down on your plate and it should slide right out :)  Enjoy!

Just look at that oozy chocolate chip! Mmm


 MOW: January 21-
Buffalo Chicken "Pasta"

Follow this link to get the "official" recipe.  Read below if you want to see how I changed it up a little just to prepare it a little quicker.  (Life of a busy mommy) :)  It was still VERY good.  But I would like to try the extra ingredients one day soon.
http://paleomg.com/buffalo-chicken-pasta/

You will need-
Cooked chicken breasts- cut into small chunks
(Already had this pre-cooked on the grill- score!)
One spaghetti squash- cooked
(also had this pre-cooked!)
One onion- sliced and sauteed
Sauce- Mix about 1/2 cup mayo with desired amount of hot sauce

Literally mix it all together and you're done!  Who doesn't love and easy meal?!





 MOW: December 25-
Sausage and Herb Stuffing

You will need:
2 lb. Italian sausage (I made my own with regular breakfast sausage and seasonings) *see below
1 onion- diced
About 1 cup diced celery
2 apples - peeled and cubed
2 tbsp. parsley
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 cup cranberries (I used fresh - frozen)
1 egg- beaten
*melted grass fed butter (for sauteing)
*chopped pecans (optional)

This recipe is a Food Network recipe that originally had bread in it, but I played with it and "paleo-fied" it.  I loved the way it turned out.  Tasted just like the holidays.  There are some things I may do differently next time- such as maybe putting a scoop of almond flour and an extra egg to get it to stay together better when you serve it, but we thought it tasted great - formed together, or not! :)

Chop your veggies and apples and set aside.  In a saute pan, melt the butter and add the onion, celery, apples, parsley, salt and pepper.  Saute for about 10 minutes until veggies are softened.  In anothe pan, brown your sausage (if you are making your own Italian seasoning for it, you will need to add these seasonings as you cook it- just go the link below)  When fully cooked, mix your sausage with your veggie and apple mixture in a large bowl,  Add your whisked eggs and chicken stock and some chopped pecans (optional, but makes for a great texture)  Bake in a 9 x 13 dish for about 25 minutes.

So pretty!  
Find out how to turn your regular breakfast sausage into Italian:
http://backtoherroots.com/2013/03/14/how-to-turn-pork-breakfast-sausage-into-italian-sausage-for-recipes/


MOW: December 13-
A Holiday Treat- Pumpkin Chia Seed Cookies

Here is a link to recipe that I tweaked to make these cookies.  I substituted almond flour for oats
and may have used honey instead of maple syrup.  Also I used dark chocolate chips.  I didn't have "mini" ones, so just chopped them up, but large chocolate chunks wouldn't hurt I'm sure ;)

http://www.beginwithinnutrition.com/2013/07/29/chocolate-pumpkin-chia-seed-cookies/





 MOW: November 25- 
Homemade Sweet Potato Butter

4 medium sweet potatoes (more if you want)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp organic cane sugar (or coconut sugar)
About 1/4 cup water

Bake sweet potatoes in the oven for about an hour or until they are soft and tender.  Let them cool and then peel them and place them into your food processor.  Add all of your ingredients and blend together until smooth.  Add more water if you'd like a thinner consistency.  And as always (I eye-ball the seasonings, so play with how much you like)  This is great for dipping your bacon in at breakfast time or use it as a dip for pecan halves as a midday snack!



MOW: October 20- 
Raisin Nut Pumpkin Bread

1 cup almond flour (I ended up using 3/4 cup + 1 cup gluten free
baking mix)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
About 2 tbsp honey + sprinkle of stevia
3 eggs
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped pecans
*feel free to add more nuts and raisins if you like

Combine flour, salt, baking soda and spices in your food processor and pulse until smooth.  Add the rest of your ingredients- pulse until smooth.  Remove blade from your bowl and stir in your nuts and raisins.  Grease your mini loaf pans (makes two small loaves) and pour batter into the pans.  I only own one mini loaf pan, so I baked them one after the other.  Bake at 350 for about 25 mintues.  Keep an eye on it so the bread doesn't get too dry.  Enjoy warm with some melted grass fed butter on top...  Happy Fall!

Recipe inspired by www.elanaspantry.com  Check out her
blog for some more great paleo friendly recipes :) 




 MOW: October 1- 
Apple & Cranberry Pulled Pork

So easy... Place all of these things in your crock pot and cook on low for about 8 hours:

Whole pork loin (about 4 lbs) - can easily do half of one
1 onion- cut into slivers
1 large apple- peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 cup whole fresh cranberries (I keep mine frozen in freezer)
1 tbsp. dried thyme
A few dashes of paprika
About 1/3 cup water

When after pork is cooked shred with a fork or if you own the nifty Pampered Chef "choppers" -  those work great!  Apples and onion should be cooked down so much that it's really just adding flavor instead of a lot of texture.

In the crock pot ready to go

Topped with some hot sauce and Dijon mustard - Yum!


MOW: September 10- 
Sweet and Spicy Chili (with Spaghetti Squash- optional)

September is here! And hopefully the start of some cooler temperatures.  Here's your first "fall time" recipe for the season.  (Recipe can easily be doubled) You will need:

1 lb. grass fed beef
1 sweet potato- peeled, cooked and cubed
1 yellow bell pepper- chopped
1 onion- diced
1 can diced tomatoes (drained)
1 handful spinach- shredded (by hand is fine)
About 5 1/2 oz. vegetable juice (I used a small V8 that I had- not completely paleo I know) B
But you can also sub regular tomato juice
2 tbsp. chili powder
Desired amount of cinnamon
Coconut oil

Lightly grease your skillet (or your chili pot) with your coconut oil and add diced onion.  As they begin to cook, you can add your beef and start the browning process.  When beef is halfway done you can add your bell pepper and continue cooking.  When that mixture is finished you can add all of your other ingredients and let them all simmer together. (About 20 min) When all is combined, taste to make sure you like the "spicy to sweet" ratio.  You may add extra chili powder and/or cinnamon to your individual servings.  (Evening a drizzle of honey makes a good accent)  Add your thick chili on top of spaghetti squash for a complete meal.




MOW: August 27-
Tuna Patties

Okay, I'll be honest... Nick and I whipped these tasty things up and then didn't write down the exact ingredients we used.  (Oops!)  I think I remember mostly, but just in case, I've left a few links for other paleo tuna patties.  Enjoy ;)

3 cans tuna
1/2 red bell pepper- chopped very small (pampered chef chopper works great)
1/4 cup almond flour
1 egg
Seasonings of choice (salt, pepper, a few red pepper flakes, a little garlic powder, some lemon juice, onion powder)
coconut oil (for frying)

Let your coconut oil melt in your pan, and mix all of your ingredients well and then form into patties.  Let them fry in your pan in the oil for a few minutes on each side or until each side appears light golden brown and crispy.  Goes great with some paleo tartar sauce (Use your paleo mayo to make) That's it!  So easy.

Other tuna patty recipes-
http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-tuna-patties/
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-tuna-patties/  (just sub bread crumbs with a scoop of almond flour and some Italian seasoning)



 MOW: July 8- 
Paleo Blackberry Cobbler

2 cups fresh blackberries (give or take)
Honey
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1 egg
2 tbsp coconut oil (or melted butter or ghee)
Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place blackberries in pie pan and drizzle with some honey.  In separate bowl, combine almond flour, beaten egg,  melted coconut oil and plenty of cinnamon.  Mix together until well blended.  The mixture will be lumpy.  Pour on top of your blackberries and bake for about 30 minutes.  Almond flour mixture will be a crispy golden brown.  Cool and top with some whipped coconut milk if you wish!





 MOW: June 18-
Strawberry Peach Pops

1 cup fresh (stems removed) or frozen strawberries
1 cup sliced peaches (skins removed)
1/2 can full fat coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp stevia (only if strawberries are more tart than sweet)
Plastic popsicle molding tray

Combine all ingredients in your blender, ninja or magic bullet.  If you are using frozen fruit, thaw out to get soft first.  Blend until smooth.  Fill your popsicle molds and freeze.  To thaw out, place the tray in warm water a few inches deep for about a minute.  This will make the popsicles easier to remove. Enjoy your summer treat!  (Also works great unfrozen as a delicious smoothie)




 MOW: May 29-
Spinach & Sage Sausage Bacon Balls

1 lb. ground sausage
1 large handful fresh spinach
1 tbsp. (or more) dried sage
1 egg
1 package bacon

Combine all ingredients except bacon in a large mixing bowl.  (You will need to chop spinach into small pieces.)  If mixture seems a little too gooey you can add a little almond flour.  Form mixture into balls with your hand and wrap each one with a half piece of bacon and set in a lightly greased baking dish.  Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until done.

Pre-oven


 MOW: April 17-
Appetizer- Roasted Pepper and Walnut Dip

You will need:
2 cups walnuts
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
12 oz. roasted red peppers (you can use jarred if you like or roast your own in oven)
Desired amount- garlic powder
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice

Combine walnuts, cumin and salt in your food processor and process until walnuts are finely ground.  Add the rest of your ingredients and process together until smooth.  Will look like hummus when it is done.
Serve with raw veggies at your next party! :)



 MOW: April 3-
Salmon Patties

This is one of my favorite dinners.  They don't sound great, but they are.  Pretty easy to whip up, and my favorite part:  Nick makes them!  That's always nice.  I just have to whip up the sides.  Measurements may not be exact, but that's how we do it.  Hope you enjoy!
You will need:

1 can salmon
1 tbsp. mayonaise
2 spoonfuls banana peppers (whole slices)
Cumin, Cayenne pepper, Paprika to taste
A few drips of hot sauce
1/8 cup almond flour (enough to bind them together)
1 egg
Coconut oil for frying

Mix all ingredients together in small bowl and form into patties.  (This recipe makes 4 good sized patties) But you could easily double the recipe.  Place a spoonful of coconut oil in a pan and let melt over medium heat.  Place the patties in the pan of oil and begin cooking.  They are ready to flip when one side is a golden brown.  They should only take about 5 minutes to fry up.

Pairs well with roasted veggies! YUM!



 MOW: March 17-
Beef Stroganoff

*Recipe for paleo/primal cream of mushroom soup http://fastpaleo.com/recipe/paleo-cream-of-mushroom-soup/   OR (1/2 block cream cheese and 2 scoops sour cream, chopped, sauteed mushrooms and whole milk or cream)
3 small zucchini squash
1 container mushrooms- chopped
1 lb. beef or *deer burger
1 onion- chopped
garlic- minced
salt and pepper to taste

First, you will need to chop or sliver your onions and place in a skillet with your meat. (Add coconut oil or olive oil)  Begin to to brown the meat with the onions and add a tsp or so of minced garlic about half way through the cooking process.
*Options for your zucchini- You can chunk your zucchini up into pieces and steam them with some butter and salt and pepper or you can saute them with your chopped mushrooms to give them a little more flavor and texture.  Both will be good.
Once your meat and onions are fully cooked you can add your soup (that you have already prepared- just follow the link)  OR you can add your dairy (FULL fat, of course) and let it melt in with your beef and onion mixture.  This will form a "stroganoff" like sauce that you can put over top of your zucchini chunks (like a spaghetti sauce) or feel free to mix the zucchini right in with the beef mixture.  Mmm, Mmm!

This is actually made with deer burger here, and served with
a side of cauliflower mashed potatoes :) 

TREAT: March 5-
*Legit* Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
A little less than 1/4 cup coconut crystals
1/2 stick grass fed butter- softened (ghee would work also)
pinch of salt
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. honey
Desired amount of *dark chocolate chips (I used "Bakers' Corner" brand)
(You could easily double this recipe)

Whenever I want some chocolate chip cookies, this will be the recipe I stick with.  I "paleofied" a regular cookie recipe that I had and this is what I came up with.  They are GOOD!  Warning:  You will need to practice some self control when these are fresh from the oven.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all dry ingredients together.  In another mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients- you may need to put your butter in the microwave for a few seconds to soften.  Combine wet and dry together and then add your chocolate chips (make sure your butter isn't too warm so the chips do not start to melt) Spoon your cookies onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet (not sure if the paper is necessary, but I decided to use some)  about 1 to 1 1/2 inch drops of dough should work well.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Keep an eye on them so they don't overcook.  Remove from parchment paper onto a cooling plate and ENJOY! (Made about a dozen cookies)




MOW: February 15- 
Primal Cauliflower Casserole
(Inspired by bravoforpaleo.com)

1 head cauliflower
1/2 block (4 oz) cream cheese- melted
1/4 cup whole milk (almond milk would work)
1 tbsp. coconut oil melted
Desired amount of onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper
About 4 pieces bacon (cooked crisp) - save a drizzle of the bacon grease

Steam or boil cauliflower and then place in food processor.  Place in medium mixing bowl and add the soft cream cheese, coconut oil, milk and seasonings and stir.  (Add more seasoning if needed - after tasting)  Crumble bacon and drizzle a little of the grease onto cauliflower mixture.  Mix well and place in small (greased) casserole dish.  I used an 8 x  8 I believe... Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Comfort food!


 MOW: January 24-
Paleomg's "Spaghetti Pizza Pie" or "Baked Spaghetti"

This is wonderful!  It's totally satisfying and you won't even feel like your eating a paleo meal.
Here is the link to the goodness, along with some notes of what I did/changed when I cooked mine.
http://paleomg.com/almost-5-ingredient-pizza-spaghetti-pie/

I did not have Italian Sausage (it's hard to find in Madison) So I made my own using breakfast sausage + these ingredients:  1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp dried parsley, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp rosemary, 1/2 tsp black pepper.  (Add when sausage is almost fully cooked)

I did not buy pizza sauce, but made my own.  To do this, mix well, one 6 oz. can of tomato paste, 1 can tomato sauce and desired amount of Italian seasoning and garlic powder.  So easy.  I make this often when I want something to curve a pizza craving :)

Also, I added the spaghetti squash, sausage-onion mixture and sauce all together in one big bowl and mixed.  Then added mushroom, shredded spinach (just shredded by hand), and diced tomato and mixed again.

Good news- Mine filled up a whole 9 x 13, so you can get a few meals out of this.  Leftovers are always fun!
Enjoy!

Ready to be mixed up

Pre-oven... I decided to put cheese on one half of the casserole,
if you do primal (some dairy) you could also do this.  It's great when it
gets a little broiled on top.


MOW: January 13- 
Pancetta Sweet Potato Hash

About 4 oz. pancetta, chopped small (I found a pkg. already chopped)
  - bacon also works if you like
2 apples (any kind), cubed
2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed
*1 onion, chopped small (didn't have this ingredient but it would've added some good flavor)
About 2 tsp onion powder
About 2 tsp thyme
Olive or coconut oil - for frying
1 tbsp. butter
Salt/pepper to taste (if desired)

Saute your pancetta in your oil, until it  becomes crisp- set aside on a paper towel lined plate.  Now in the same pan, brown your apples and set aside as well.  While you are working with your apples and pancetta, microwave your sweet potatoes (peeled already)  for just a few minutes to make them tender enough for chopping.  And fry them up in your same pan for just a few minutes.  Add your apples, pancetta, seasonings, and butter and cook all together for a few more minutes.
Add a fried egg on top or even some sauteed spinach.  SO GOOD for breakfast or dinner!



Fried egg on top! I put fried eggs on everything... it's perfect!


MOW: December 30-
New Year's Appetizer - "Zesty Chicken Meatballs"

1 lb. ground chicken
3 tsp. minced garlic
1 eggs, whisked
3 tbsp. almond flour (for binding)
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. coconut crystals (could add a drizzle of honey if you don't have this)
A few drops of lemon juice
Desired amount of salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together in medium sized mixing bowl.  Your hands work best!  Preheat oven to 350 and grease the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish.  Roll into 1 inch balls and place into your dish.  Bake for 20 minutes or until done.
*Homemade honey-mustard sauce goes well with these meatballs.  I just combine regular liquid mustard and a little bit of honey and stir in small dish.
*NOTE- these could be done in the crock pot with a mustard sauce on top or some chicken stock in the bottom of pot for extra flavor.  Also- You could pan fry them with coconut oil and get the outside of them crispy good!  Happy New Year!



MOW: December 22-
Christmas Breakfast Muffins
(Chocolate and Blueberry)

Chocolate Cupcake Muffins-
1/2 cup coconut flour
6 eggs
1/2 cup palm shortening (or coconut oil, melted- or butter, softened)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  In large mixing bowl, blend all ingredients together with electric mixer.  Place muffin papers into your pan and fill muffins cups with batter- about 3/4 of the way full.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Check often.  You don't want them to become too dry.



Blueberry-
1 cup almond flour
⅛ tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
2 tbs honey
½ heavy cream (I mix quarter cup water and quarter cup cream) Can also use coconut milk.  
2 tbs coconut oil, melted (I used butter... mmm)
1 egg
¼ cup frozen or fresh blueberries (add a little more if you like)

 Preheat your oven to 350.  Mix all dry ingredients in mixing bowl and set aside, then all wet ingredients in another bowl.  Combine the two mixtures together and then fold in your blueberries.  Grease your muffin pan or use paper muffins cups.  Fill with you batter and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.  

Didn't get a picture of these for you... Sorry! Just know that they are YUMMY :) 
MOW: December 14-
Holiday Paleo Stuffing

It's no secret that I LOVE the sausage stuffing from paleomg.com.  It's amazing, and probably one of my favorite paleo meals.  I decided to give it a twist.  I took out the sweet potatoes, added yellow squash and some spinach, so you get a few more veggies in the mix.  Nick and I loved this just as much.  You can use this for a holiday side dish or Christmas breakfast!

1 lb ground sausage (Appleton Farms' breakfast sausage from Aldi's works great!)
1 medium sized yellow squash - chopped
1 onion- sliced in slivers
1 container mushrooms- chopped
2 handfuls spinach- chopped
1/2 cup pecans- chopped
2 eggs
2/3 cup chicken broth
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. rosemary (feel free to add more seasoning if you wish)

Brown your sausage and cook your onion together in a medium sized skillet.  Steam your chopped squash for a few minutes and then combine in another (greased) skillet with your chopped mushrooms and cook together.  Salt the mushroom-squash mixture.  Place sausage and squash mixture together in a large mixing bowl.  Combine all other ingredients and mix together.  Cook stuffing in a 9x11 or 9x13 glass baking dish (9x13 works, but it will be thinner)  Cook for 20 minutes or until set.

All mixed up...

A wonderful dinner.  Paired with roasted broccoli, fried egg
and hot sauce!

MOW: December 5-
Pistachio Crusted Swai

You could also use other types of wild caught fish for this recipe, such as salmon or tilapia.  Aldi's usually has a great price on their fish fillets of swai, so that's what I used.  The pistachios give the breading a different type of taste than you may be used to for your breaded treats, but it's a GOOD "different"  :)

You will need:
6 tbsp (or so) shelled pistachios
1 tbsp dried parsley (more if you wish)
Desired amount of garlic powder
A few drops of lemon juice
Salt and pepper for extra flavor
A few tbsp. of melted grass fed butter
Extra lemon wedges on the side (for serving)

In your food processor pulse the shelled pistachios, parsley, garlic powder, lemon juice and salt and pepper together until ground up.  Meanwhile, place your pieces of fish onto a lightly greased foil lined baking sheet.  Cover lightly the tops of your fish with your melted butter.  This will serve as extra flavor and kind of like a "glue" for your breading.  With a spoon or your hand place your nut mixture on the tops of your fish.  Press it down onto the fish so it sticks well.  Bake at 350 for 15 min or until fish is cooked through and topping is crisp.

Pre-oven

Photo taken back when tomatoes were still in season (happy time)
Fish recipe pairs well with roasted asparagus


 MOW: November 26-
Primal Pumpkin Apple Crisp

This will be the last pumpkin recipe for a while!  I hope you've enjoyed using this festive ingredient this fall!

1 1/2 cups apples- peeled and chopped (about 2)
1 cup pumpkin puree
About 3 tbsp. honey (or maple syrup) or sweetener of your choice
1/4 cup whole milk (or evaporated milk)
1 egg
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Topping:
1 cup crushed pecans
1/4 cup ghee (melted)
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Sprinkle of cinnamon
Sprinkle of coconut crystals (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.  Spread chopped apple along the bottom of a glass 9 inch pie plate and microwave 4-6 min until apples are tender.  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat together pumpkin puree, egg, milk, 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice, and sweetener you are using until smooth.  Poor mixture over the apples in the pie dish.  For the topping- mix all ingredients together until blended and spread over the top of the pumpkin layer.  Bake for 30-35 min until golden brown.  Optional- Top individual servings with whipped coconut milk and cinnamon.

I confess... I may have added a few oats to my topping mixture,
but it's not necessary.  It was cheat day!


MOW: November 18- 
Cream of Pumpkin Soup

I have ohsnapletseat.com to thank for this recipe.  You may want to check out this blog if you haven't already.  There were a lot of ideas for fall/holiday paleo recipes.  It gave me some great inspiration! This soup is really simple and pretty tasty, but may be better for an appetizer or side dish with your meal.
You will need:

1 small onion- chopped in small chunks
2 cups chicken broth/stock
2 tsp minced garlic (or 1 clove chopped)
1 can pumpkin puree (15 oz)
1 can coconut milk (Tai kitchen is best because it is thick)
4 tbsp. butter (you can sub coconut  milk if you need 100% no dairy)
1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp, cinnamon, 1/2 tsp all spice (or pumpkin pie spice will work)
Desired amount of salt and pepper

Melt your butter in a large pot, and add onions and garlic to saute.  Cook until onions are translucent.  At this point, you can add your chicken stock and stir as it comes to a boil.  Then add the rest of your ingredients and spices.  Continue to cook for about 5 minutes and let cool.  You can add extra salt, pepper or any of the spices to your individual servings if you wish.



MOW: November 13
Paleo Apple Butter

You will need:
A dozen (or more) apples, I prefer candy red- peeled and chopped
1/4 cup honey
3 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Crock pot

Peel and core your apples and chop into chunks and place in your crock pot.  Add all other ingredients on top of the chopped apples and let sit there until apples begin to get warm.  As they heat you can begin mixing the ingredients and mashing your apples.  Let it cook on low for 8 hours. At about hour 6 you can mash the apples in your pot.  To get everything super smooth to the consistency of apple butter, you can place the mashed apple mixture in your food processor and blend until smooth.... and wa-lah! (Not sure how you spell that) Let cool and store in the refrigerator in jars or glass containers.

Dip sweet potato chips in your apple butter for a great snack!
Also, top your eggs or bacon with it.  The combination of the
sweet butter with salty bacon is AMAZING!


 MOW: November 6
Sweet Potato Chili

This is very similar to my pumpkin chili (MOW September 19)  I just varied the ingredients just a little bit and of course, added sweet potatoes!

You will need:
1 lb ground turkey (beef will work just as well)
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 bell peppers, chopped (green and yellow add a great variety of color)
1 small can green diced chilies
1 can diced tomatoes
About 2 to 3 cups peeled and chopped sweet potato
About 1 cup chicken stock
1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. chili powder (you can add more to the top of individual servings if you wish)
Desired amount of salt and pepper

Brown the ground turkey (with the chopped onion) in the bottom of the pot or dutch oven you will be using for the chili.  While you are waiting on your meat to finish, peel and chop your sweet potatoes and your peppers. When the turkey is about half way done, add your chopped peppers and minced garlic and let simmer for a few minutes.  **You will want your sweet potatoes to be tender, but not mushy. I steamed the potato cubes in the microwave for just a few minutes to make them a little softer before adding to the chili pot.  Add the rest of your ingredients and let simmer on low for 20 plus minutes.  This could also be made in the crock pot.  I would go ahead and brown the meat and then add everything else as is.  Cook on low for about 6-7 hours.



MOW: October 22
Fun Fall-time Treats

Caramel Apples-
"Paleo" Caramel Sauce
Remember, sugar is sugar so definitely make this a "sometimes" treat.  But I hope you enjoy making these with your kiddos.  You will need:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Heat pan on stove top and then add your honey and maple syrup.  Bring to a small boil while stirring.  After bubbles form turn down your heat to medium and continue stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.  The color should darken a bit.  Remove from heat and add your baking soda, and stir vigorously.  Add back to your heat for a few more minutes and let sauce thicken.  This caramel sauce should last in an air tight container in the fridge for a while.  If you want to cover apples with the sauce you will need:
Whole Apples
Skewer sticks
Chopped walnuts

Poke the skewers int he bottom of the apple (not the stem side).  Roll or dip apple in the caramel sauce then roll in your chopped walnuts or you can spoon the walnuts onto your apples if it saves you a little bit of a mess.  Let it set for a bit and ENJOY!



Jack-o-lantern Stuffed Peppers
Refer to stuffed pepper recipe from "MOW" August 21 or February 19.  This will tell you the ingredients you will need, except you will want to have all orange bell peppers to stuff.  Clear the middle part out of your peppers, but make sure you keep the tops so you can top them to look like pumpkins.  After the middles are clear you can cut and design your jack-o-lantern face.  (The little ones may need help with this part).  Follow cooking directions for the stuffed peppers MOWs and refer to this fun picture for the rest :)


Pumpkin Face Fruit Bowl

How simple!  Just arrange your oranges, apples, and grapes like this to make a pumpkin face.  You can even sub chopped banana coins, strawberries, anything with different colors.  Of course, keep the orange wedges the same, so it looks like an orange pumpkin ;)  Have fun making these Fall and Halloween Treats!



MOW: October 11
Crustless Quiche

7 eggs- beaten
Large handful spinach (shredded or torn in small pieces)
1/2 cup chopped smoked sausage (or turkey sausage)
About 3/4 cup sweet potato, shredded
1/3 cup whole milk or heavy cream + 1/4 cup water (to beat with eggs)
*you can use all water if you do not want any diary
*Small handful shredded cheese- primal option
Salt and pepper to taste

Beat eggs well, add cream and water with the eggs and continue to beat.  Add sausage, shredded potato, spinach, and salt and pepper and mix together.  Pour into deep pie baking dish (lightly greased).  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until middle is baked through.  Again, if you do dairy you could sprinkle cheese on top towards the end of cooking and broil for the last two minutes or so.  Enjoy a great breakfast... OR dinner!



 MOW: October 3-
Cranberry-Sweet Potato Pork Chops

Fall is here!  This is the time of the year we start to crave those "Thanksgiving" like foods.  Pumpkin, sweet potatoes, cranberries, stuffing... the list goes on.  I think this easy crock-pot meal is good for any time of year, but hopefully you and your family will be able to enjoy it as a great supper this October :)

-About 6 pork chops (I like the thin cut, get what you wish)
-1/2 cup fresh cranberries (start to look for these NOW, while they're in season and stock up on a few bags so you can use them in recipes throughout the year.  They keep well in the freezer... so actually I used "frozen" fresh...)
2 apples, chunked and peeled
2 sweet potatoes, chunked and peeled
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 onion, chopped
drizzle of honey
Pepper to taste

Place half of your pork chops on the bottom of your crock-pot and place half of your chopped onion and half of your cranberries on top of them along with a sprinkle of pepper.  Repeat your chop, cranberry and onion and pepper layering.  On top of all your layers, dump your apples and sweet potatoes and top with your drizzle of honey. Lastly, pour in the chicken stock for added flavor.  Cook on low for about 8 hours.
Early Thanksgiving!




 MOW: September 25-
Rice-less Jambalaya

1 lb wild cod (or another white fish of your choice)
(You could also add a lb of deveined shrimp for extra chunkiness and meatiness)
1/4 cup grass fed butter or coconut oil
4-5 carrots (julienned)
2 red bell peppers, sliced in strips
A few tsp. garlic- minced
Dash of salt
1 tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
Black pepper
2 cups chicken broth
*Hot sauce to taste

Thaw your fish and/or shrimp and chop into cube like pieces.  Pat it dry with a paper towel. Melt your butter or coconut oil in your soup pot and saute your julienned carrots in the butter for about four minutes.  Add your sliced peppers and garlic and cook for another 4 minutes or so.  Add all of your spices and broth and bring to a boil.  Now, you can add your fish.  When the fish begins to float, it should be done.  (By this time, the carrots should just be part of the broth because they have gotten so soft, making it an orange color.  You can add your hot sauce to the whole pot or just add to your individual serving.  Eat up!

Option- make cauliflower rice and sprinkle into your bowl
for extra heartiness- Yum! 


MOW: September 9-
Sweet Potato Biscuits

What I love about this recipe: It only uses a tiny bit of your paleo flour!  We all know how expensive those bags of coconut or almond flour can get.  Enjoy your biscuits :)

You will need:
2 medium sweet potatoes
2 eggs- whisked
3 tbsp. bacon fat (melted) or butter (I used butter)
*coconut oil would also work, but the butter or bacon grease will add flavor
2 tbsp. coconut flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Drizzle of maple syrup

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Cook your sweet potatoes in oven or microwave to soften, then remove the peel. Mash in the sweet potatoes in a bowl and then combine your other ingredients and mix well. Spoon into circular balls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 400 for about 22 minutes (I would check a little before 20 to see how they're doing)  Top with ghee or grass fed butter.  Add apple butter or homemade paleo preserves, or don't forget about an egg breakfast sandwich with bacon!  These will give a nice paleo twist to your usual paleo "breakfast for dinner".  

Fresh from the oven
They cut very easily in half with knife.  Spread your ghee
and preserves in the middle, and eat up! 


MOW: August 26-
Scotch Eggs

Nick and I have actually ordered these in a restaurant and were disappointed because we like the ones we make at home better.  Most recipes for Scotch balls have breading around the outside.  Not these.  They're great without it.

You will need:
6 hard boiled eggs
1 lb. pork sausage
Dry Italian seasoning (optional)
That's it!  How easy.

Tip- My mom taught be to boil my eggs like this and it works perfectly every time.  Put eggs in your pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil with the burner set on a higher temperature, but as soon as they start to boil well, turn the burner temp. down to a lower heat and then set a timer for 10 minutes.  This should perfectly boil the eggs to where your yolks aren't overcooked and green or under cooked and gooey.
For the sausage- we really like the pork sausage at the local meat market- for those of you in Madison- you should try it.... But a pound of Italian sausage or breakfast sausage would work just as well.  You can add some Italian seasoning to the plain pork sausage if you want, but you do not have to.  You will need to peel your eggs after they're cooled from boiling and take a chunk of sausage (flatten it in your hands a little) and carefully form it around an egg.  You will do this until you run out of eggs and/or sausage.  Place all of your sausage-eggs on a baking dish (it should look like 6 big balls of sausage.  No eggs should be visible.  Bake at 350 until the sausage appears done.  The baking time shouldn't be long, because the layer of sausage is pretty thin.  These are great to have in the fridge for a quick breakfast, easy snack or even to have a few for a quick dinner one night.  Drizzle with hot sauce or dip in a dab of ketchup (Guilty pleasure)
MOW: August 14-
Roasted Veggies

Veggie season is in full swing.  Everything is so fresh and so good, but lets face it.... Steamed broccoli and zucchini just gets BORING!  Start pre-chopping your veggies and preheating your oven and roast them ALL!  Roasted veggies are just as addicting as french fries and you don't have any guilt if you continue to shove them in your face- it's a WIN.  Here are a few ideas of how to roast cauliflower, broccoli, carrots and sweet potatoes- but like I said... you can roast any veggie- so go for it :)

Roasted Curry Cauliflower- 
Preheat oven to 400.  Place chopped cauliflower, desired amount of curry seasoning and a drizzle of olive oil into a bowl and toss until cauliflower is coated.  Line a baking sheet with foil (do this always before roasting- it saves a big mess and make dishes easier) and place cauliflower onto the sheet in a single layer.  Keep veggies in the oven for about 20 plus min. or until tops of florets are a crisp brown color (you may need to toss in between to keep the oil coated over the cauliflower.

Roasted Broccoli (with BACON option)
Place chopped broccoli in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet.  Drizzle olive oil --or melted butter, or melted coconut oil over the layer of broccoli-- OR melted bacon grease- YUM (always save some of this in your fridge).  Seasoning options- Add small pieces of bacon that you have already cooked about half way on top of the broccoli and spread out evenly.  If you decide not to do a bacon-y taste, you can just use salt and pepper, or pepper with garlic salt.  Your choice.  Roast on 400 for about 15-20 minutes or until broccoli is slightly charred on top.

Roasted Honey Carrots-  (Parmesan Option)
Chop carrots into french fry size pieces (you can use baby organic carrots to make it easier, but it's just fun to eat something that mimics a french fry)  Place carrots in a large bowl and add your ingredients.  For a sweet carrot- drizzle with melted grass fed butter, cinnamon, and raw honey.  Coconut oil can replace butter, but let's face it- butter is better :).  Toss carrots until evenly coated and place a single layer onto your foil lined baking sheet.  Roast at 400 degrees for 20 to 30 plus minutes or until carrots are tender and have turned a crisp brown on the top.  *Remember always feel free to remove veggies from the oven and toss during the middle of their roasting.  Parmesan:  This time toss your carrots with melted butter (or olive oil) and regular salt and pepper and some fresh grated Parmesan cheese.  You can use garlic salt in place of regular salt if you would like a garlic flavor on your carrots.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes (Add apples for extra -natural- sweetness)
Peal and chop your sweet potatoes (about 4 or 5 large) into 1 inch cubes.  This is a workout!  Again, line your sheet with foil and lay a single layer of potatoes onto the sheet.  Drizzle a light layer of olive oil over the potatoes, sprinkle with cinnamon and then drizzle a thin layer of honey.  Roast on 400 for about 40 minutes. Apple option- Go through the same process, but this time peal and chop two large apples and place throughout the layer of sweet potatoes.  Still drizzle the veggies (and fruit) with the same things and roast for the same amount of time.  You could also add some chopped pecans about half way through.  **This would be a great sub for your marshmallow and syrup smothered Thanksgiving sweet potatoes :)  The apples really make these a sweet treat!

Happy roasting! You'll never want to eat regular steamed veggies again.


Left: roasted potatoes, ready to eat
Right: potato and apple chunks- ready for the oven





.   MOW: August 7- 
Cool Berry Smoothie

It's back to school this week!  These smoothies will make for a great after school snack for the kids (and parents too!)

In blender, combine about 5 ice cubes (the large kind), a large handful of frozen blueberries (plus strawberries and/or raspberries), poor in 1/2 can coconut milk and a few drops of vanilla.  Blend until smooth.  Enjoy!  So simple the kids can do it :)
-This recipe makes one medium sized smoothie- pictured below-




 MOW: July 29-
Fried Green Tomatoes - Paleo Style!

You will need:
2 large green tomatoes (you can do it with any amount)
1/2 cup to 1 cup almond meal
coconut oil
1 egg, beaten

Drop a few Tbsp. of coconut oil into your skillet.  Let it melt and get hot.  Slice tomato in circular pieces and set aside.  Beat the egg in a small bowl and add about 1/4 cup water and beat again.  Sprinkle your almond meal onto a plate and spread out and press lumps out of it.  Coat your circular slices of tomato with the egg-wash and then place onto the plate of almond meal. Press each side of tomato into the flour until coated completely.  Drop the tomato into your oil and watch sizzle.  Keep an eye on each side- they may burn quickly.  However, you may like them a little crispy.  I know I enjoy them dark brown- right before that burning point.  Mmm, Mmm!

Yummy, Yummy, Yummy AND Easy, Easy, Easy!




MOW: July 16
Ground Chicken Burgers

1 lb. ground chicken
1 tbsp. dill weed
desired amount of onion powder
drizzle of lemon juice (or fresh lemon)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. paprika
pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl.  Mix well with your hands and then form into patties.  Place them on a warm grill and begin to cook.  There is less fat in the chicken than in regular beef (so be careful as you are cooking them on the grill that they do not dry out too much).   You can cook them on the stove with coconut oil to keep them more moist if you like.  When the chicken burgers are cooked through, remove from heat and dress them however you like.  You can go with traditional burger toppings or maybe just stick to lettuce, tomato and avocado to keep them tasting fresh.
**Note For leftovers- I was in the mood for tacos the next night instead of chicken burgers, so I placed the leftover patties in the food processor and then put the ground meat into the skillet with oil, cumin, paprika, and chili powder and made some pretty good chicken tacos!  Just a suggestion :)




MOW: July 9
Paleo Apple Fritters

Guess what... It's fair week!  To some of you that may mean showing animals, pageants, or taking your kiddos for a night of fun rides, but to me it means DONUTS! That NUMC church booth sure does have their donut making down pat.  I look forward to sinking my teeth into a warm blueberry one (and maybe a cinnamon too) every summer.  These apple fritters taste somewhat like donuts, but they're paleo :)  Perfect, right?

You will need:
2 medium size apples (peeled & chopped in cubes)
1 cup almond meal
2 eggs
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 tbsp. coconut oil (for frying in pan)
3 tsp. water
1 tsp. honey
Handful of chopped pecans

First peel and chop your apples, and set aside.  Whisk your eggs and combine with your almond meal and other dry ingredients (except coconut oil and pecans).  Add most of your chopped apples to the almond meal mixture and stir together. (You should save some to stew so you can top the finished fritters with them)   Meanwhile, let your coconut oil melt in your skillet.  Once the oil is hot, place a few large, flat spoonfuls of the mixture into your hot oil.  Flip after a few minutes and begin cooking the other side.  You don't want to cook them on super high heat, because you don't want the outsides to be burnt and the inside to be raw.  Flip over when one side is golden brown.  When both sides seem to be done and the fritters are cooked through, remove them from the pan and place on a large plate to cool.  Meanwhile, melt some ghee into a pot on the stove and add the remaining chopped apples with a drizzle of honey, cinnamon and your handful of pecans.  Let them simmer together for a few minutes.  When the apples are glazed and are soft when you poke them with a fork they are finished and ready to go on top of all of your fritters.  The apples may make them sweet enough, but a tiny drizzle of maple syrup can be added before you eat them if you want.  They may not be quite as good as fair donuts, but you can make these whenever you want, ALL year round :)





 MOW: July 1
Fourth of July BBQ

There are several recipes out there for the "perfect paleo BBQ".  If you like a sweet sauce, you can use honey for a sweetener.  However, some of you may like a tangy sauce with a mustard flavor.  I have listed multiple links below so you can choose one that best fits your flavor profile. You can choose to shred your pork loin after cooking for several hours, or you could always slice it in large pieces and cover with your preferred sauce.

http://www.theluckypennyblog.com/2013/05/pulled-pork-with-no-sugar-added-bbq.html
http://www.multiplydelicious.com/thefood/2013/05/paleo-bbq-sauce/
http://www.killfatme.com/2011/07/19/my-homemade-paleo-bbq-sauce-recipe/#.UdGxYDusiSo

What goes best with BBQ? Slaw!  When you don't eat bread with your BBQ, it's great to smother the pulled pork with a cool crispy slaw.  Nick and I are convinced it's one of the best combos EVER.  Kind of like milk and cookies, peanut butter and jelly or spaghetti and meatballs.  Hungry yet?  There are also several paleo slaw recipes out there.  You may like a sweet slaw, a vinegar based slaw, or a super creamy slaw.  Here are some options for you. Just follow the links below:

Mayo-less coleslaw: http://cupcakesomg.blogspot.com/2012/05/twofaced-tuesday-shrimp.html
http://www.paleocupboard.com/coleslaw.html
http://www.threedietsonedinner.com/2013/04/old-fashioned-paleo-coleslaw.html




MOW: June 25
Yellow Squash and Sausage Bake

I pretty much switched up my zucchini lasagna recipe.  The only non-frozen veggies we had in the house were some yellow squash and a bag of spinach, and the only meat that was thawed was a pound of sausage.  So- I layered them together like I would do in my 'lasagna' and it was pretty great!  A repeat dish for sure!

1 lb. ground sausage
3 small (or 2 medium) yellow squash
A few handfuls- spinach leaves
1 small onion (optional) I didn't have any, but wish I did
Chopped sweet bell peppers

If you are using onion, start to saute them in skillet in your coconut or olive oil.  Add the chopped bell pepper and your pound of sausage and start to brown.  Set aside when you're done.  (The only seasoning I added is pepper)  The sausage is already salty.  Sage or thyme may be something you'd like to add if you enjoy those specific flavors.  Chop squash into coin size pieces.  I used an 8x8 glass baking dish, but if you double the recipe, you could get a 9x13 or atleast 9x11 size meal.  Lay the yellow squash coins out on the bottom of your baking dish.  Then spoon the pepper-onion-sausage mixture on top.  Follow with putting a handful of spinach (tear apart the leaves to make them smaller) on top.  Repeat the layering process once more.  (*For those who follow a more primal diet- a small amount of shredded cheese could be great added in as a layer)
Cover with foil and bake in oven for about 25-30 minutes on 350.  The sausage on top may get a little crispy- it's okay- it added a little texture and we enjoyed it like that :)

Top: Pre-oven
Bottom: Ready to eat! 


 MOW: June 17
Paleo "Custard"

1 Tbsp. coconut oil
Desired amount of eggs/whites (2 full eggs + 2 whites works nicely)
1/3 to 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
Cinnamon
Frozen or fresh berries (blueberries are best!)
Chopped walnuts or pecans

Melt cocnut oil in small pan on the stove.  Once oil is melted, add your eggs and whites.  Let the eggs begin to cook in the pan while you are stirring them together.  As you stir, add your coconut milk and continue mixing slowly while the eggs are still cooking.  Next, add your desired amount of cinnamon and your chopped nuts (you may also want to add ginger and/or nutmeg).  *Key- let your egg mixture cook at a high heat (even up to boiling) This will allow the water to cook out and your eggs will thicken into a "custard" or oatmeal like texture.  Let the mixture cool.  Add plenty of berries when you distribute into bowls (or bowl)- you can eat the whole thing by yourself if you want!  You can eat this warm OR it's really good cold.  This can easily be precooked at night and ready to take to work the next morning :)



 MOW: May 29
Carrot-Cake Breakfast Muffins

More breakfast this week!  This was an experiment gone GOOD! Hope you enjoy this "can't even tell it's paleo" recipe :)

2 very ripe bananas- mashed
2 eggs
3/4 cup almond flour
1 tbsp. melted coconut oil
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. (or more) cinnamon
1 tbsp. honey + a drizzle of maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
About 1/4 cup shredded carrots
A few small handfuls of raisins (this is how I measure) sorry...
1 large handful chopped pecans (walnuts would work too)

Mash bananas in medium sized bowl.  Add eggs to the banana and mix well.  Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, oil, honey/syrup and vanilla - mix thoroughly. Finally, add your carrots, raisins, and nuts and mix.  Put in muffins cups or grease muffin pan generously.  This will make about 9 muffins.  Bake for 20 + minutes at 350 degrees.  Super moist.... Super GOOD!




MOW: May 22-
"Cheeseburger" Salad

Sounds weird, but when you think about it... when don't put our burgers on buns anyway so it kind of ends up being like a salad when we eat it with our forks.  Really, I decided it was easier to brown the burger in a pan, rather than get my hands messy forming beef patties, so there you have it: Cheeseburger Salad :)

1 lb. grass fed beef
1 small onion, chopped (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped tomatoes
Chopped pickles
Chopped lettuce
*Chopped bacon- if you like bacon burgers (who doesn't?!)
*Shredded Colby-jack cheese (if you do occasional dairy)
Mustard
Homemade ketchup
Paleo mayo  (all condiments are optional, but give great "cheeseburger" flavor)

Begin sauteing chopped onion in pan with coconut or olive oil.  Add burger and cook until brown.  Add some salt and pepper to taste (or whatever seasonings you like in your burgers)  When meat is done, remove from the burner an add a few handfuls of your shredded cheese.  This will gradually melt as you stir it into the meat.  It's pretty easy from here.  Add all of your ingredients and stir together like you were getting ready to eat a taco salad.  Only it will taste like a yummy cheeseburger in every bite!  YUM!  Goes great with grilled or baked and broiled sweet potato spears.

Not stirred up yet... You can coat your burger with the
condiments before eating or drizzle on top like this. 


 MOW: May 14-
Cinnamon-Banana Waffles

3/4 cup almond flour
2 eggs
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 very ripe banana mashed
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
Coconut oil

Plug in waffle iron to get it warm.  Mix all ingredients together and grease iron with  cooking oil (spray).  This will make one large circular waffle, plus 1/4 of another one.  *Or one large square waffle depending on the size of waffle iron you have.  When waffle is finished, top with ghee or sprinkle cinnamon over the top.

Cut in fourths and serve as waffle sticks... fun treat!

 MOW: May 6-
Sausage-Bacon Meatloaf

1 lb. ground sausage (I used Appleton Farms breakfast sausage)
1 onion- chopped small and sauted
1 tbsp. sage
1 tsp. mustard
2 tbsp. tomato paste (or homemade ketchup)
1 tbsp. hot sauce
1 egg
Sprinkle of pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (pecans and almonds work well)
4-5 slices bacon

Saute your chopped onions and then combine them with all of your other ingredients (except bacon) in a large mixing bowl.  Mix all ingredients together well (Your hands work nicely).  Form meat mixture into a loaf on a cookie sheet or a baking dish would work too... Once loaf is formed lay your strips of bacon along the top of it.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or more.

Ready for the oven!
Pure PERFECTION!  Your taste buds will thank you! 


MOW: April 29
Tomato Bisque Shrimp Sauce (over Spaghetti Squash)

1 large spaghetti squash
1 lb. shrimp (deveined and tales removed)
Depending on which bisque recipe you want to follow you may need:
Multiple vine ripened tomatoes
Minced garlic, onion, chicken stock, olive and/or coconut oil, basil (fresh if you can)
Coconut milk or Heavy cream
Salt and pepper

Here are two links for tomato bisque recipes:
http://www.paleoeffect.com/recipes/paleo-tomato-bisque-paleo-effect/
http://stiritup.me/?p=5595
Here is a link for a tomato basil soup- still great flavor but not quite as thick and creamy as a bisque:
http://www.primalpalate.com/recipe/tomato-basil-soup/

*Follow the directions for cooking your tomato bisque, while your spaghetti squash is cooking in the oven. (Bake squash in two pieces face down for 40 min- 1 hour at 350) You will need to scrape the "spaghetti" out of squash pieces once they are cool enough to touch.  For this particular recipe, I got lucky and found an organic jar of tomato bisque that was all natural and only had a few ingredients- tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and seasonings, so I was able to just use that sauce.  However, I have played around with making it homemade too.... so you'll be just fine... trust me :)
*You will need to cook up your shrimp in some olive or coconut oil.  This will not take long if your shrimp is already defrosted.  Once the shrimp is cooked, add in your soup/sauce and begin to toss together and let simmer.  Just like a pasta meal you can top your spaghetti with the sauce or you can toss it all together.  If you choose- add a little fresh parmesan, basil, or parsley to the top.  Eat up!



 MOW: April 16
The Ultimate Sauce!
-This is the recipe I use for my lasagna or spaghetti sauce.  I love this sauce because you can literally put it on anything! (If you love spaghetti sauce) I do!  You can even just eat it like an Italian chili because of it's thickness.  It's pure bliss in your mouth :)

You may omit or add just about anything to your sauce however the (*) next to the ingredient will stand for a MUST have to make it REALLY good!

*1 lb. ground beef
*2-3 bell peppers, chopped (any color) -really if you have children who don't like these, you could     proabably get by without them, but they give the sauce great texture and taste
-1 onion, chopped small
-1 carton mushrooms, chopped
*1 can diced tomatoes
*2 tsp. minced garlic
*2 tbsp. oregano (can adjust amount)
*2 tbsp. basil (can adjust amount)
*salt and pepper to taste
*1 small can tomato paste
- 1 can tomato sauce (adding this and the paste will make it a thinner sauce, which is also delicious)

Begin by browning beef in a large skillet.  When the beef begins to cook, add your chopped onion and then your bell peppers and garlic a little later. (You may need to add some coconut oil to your skillet at this point) This will allow your onion and pepper to cook up with your beef so they aren't so "crispy" when the sauce is finished. Next add your mushrooms and let cook.  When the beef is fully browned and onions are cooked add the rest of your ingredients and fold in. Turn the burner to a low setting and let simmer for 15 plus minutes.  (Sometimes if I'm in a hurry, I do not let it simmer this long, but the flavors will set in more if you do.)  Like I said, you can put this sauce on a plethora of things.  If you are doing spaghetti night, sub your noodles for chopped, steamed zucchini or shredded spaghetti squash.  Sometimes if you have baked shredded pumpkin that isn't too sweet it works wonderfully too!  For breakfast- you can even put your leftover sauce  on your omelette.  For a snack- a small amount of sauce in a bowl works wonderfully for a thick soup or chili :)  Enjoy!

Shown on top of steamed zucchini chunks and spaghetti
squash. Top picture shows a thicker sauce with mushrooms.
The bottom sauce is a thinner sauce with no mushroom or onion.

"Loaded" sauce, on top of a spinach egg omelette - Yum! 


 Recipe of the Week: April 9
Warmer weather has FINALLY arrived!  Who's in the mood for ice cream?!

Paleo Mango Ice Cream-
1 can coconut milk (full fat) preferably the thicker kind
2 mangoes, peeled and chunked
1 tsp vanilla

Blend all ingredients together in blender and freeze.  Tastes like Summer!



 MOW: April 2
Slow Cooked Bacon-Apple Chicken

About 2 bounds boneless chicken breast
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 apples cored and chunked
1/2 onion (or more) chopped
About 8 strips bacon, cooked and diced
1/4 cup chicken broth (you can get by without this, but it will add extra moisture and flavor)

This recipe is EASY! Place thawed chicken in the bottom of your slow cooker, add your salt and pepper and throw all of your other ingredients in!  The bacon and apple will give a salty-sweet flavor and be a great accent to go with your tender chicken.  Let cook for 6-8 hours on low.



MOW: March 25-  EASTER FAVORITES
Avocado-Deviled Eggs & Paleo Carrot Cake with (primal) Cream Cheese Icing

Deviled Eggs-
1 doz. hard boiled eggs
1 perfectly ripened large avocado
Original mustard
A few tbsp. dill pickle juice  (you can opt for lemon juice and/or other salty seasoning)
Drizzle olive oil (if extra creaminess is needed)

I use my regular deviled egg recipe and just replace the mayo with creamy avocado.... First, cut all of your hard boiled eggs in half and remove yolks for inside into medium sized bowl.  Then, mash and cream avocado until it has a cream like texture and add to the yokes.  Use a fork to cream the yokes and avocado together.  Add a few drizzles or mustard and a few tbsp. of your pickle juice and cream together.  Taste mixture as you go along to see if you need any extra flavor.  If you have paleo mayo already made, you can add a dollop to make the mixture even creamier if you wish.  Fill the empty egg whites with the smooth green mixture and sprinkle with paprika.  **Adding small crispy bacon chunks to the top can really give an extra pop of flavor and add to the presentation :)

Paleo Carrot Cake-

With this recipe as well, I played with my regular carrot cake recipe and "paleofied" it.  I will list what you need below for TWO 9 inch circular cakes (for layering).  I sometimes half the recipe and just make one flat 9 inch cake... For Easter I'll go all out with a double layer cake!

Cake-  4 eggs- beaten, 2 cups almond flour, 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 3 cups finely shredded carrot- pack lightly, 3/4 cup coconut oil- melted, 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, 1/4-1/2 cup raisins (this makes it extra special!), 1/4 cup (or more) shredded pineapple (optional--but worth it!)

Grease two 9 1/2 " round cake pans (or one, if you are halving recipe).  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Meanwhile, in large bowl, stir together almond flour, honey, syrup, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and soda and set aside.  In another bowl combine your beaten eggs, shredded carrot, and coconut oil.  Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until well combined.  Pour batter into the two prepared pans.  Bake for 30-35 min. Do the "toothpick test" in the center.  Cook cakes on wire rack for about 10 min.  Now, you can remove them from the pans and cool thoroughly on the wire racks.

Icing options- 
You have a few frosting options for your cake.  You can top with whipped coconut cream for a completely paleo treat http://www.paleoplan.com/2011/10-09/coconut-whipped-cream/ OR you can use the below recipe for "Primal" Cream Cheese Frosting.

Frosting-
16 oz. full fat cream cheese (room temp.)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. ginger (grated)  It is still quite tasty if you do not have the fresh ginger.  I used just a dash of ginger (in powder form)

Blend all ingredients together with hand mixer.  Refrigerate if you do not plan on using right away.
*Ice one of your circular cakes on the top.  Stack the other cake layer on top and put remaining icing on the sides and the rest of the cake.  HAPPY EASTER!

1. Avocado-deviled eggs  2. Primal Cream Cheese Frosting
3. Cake, pre-oven  4. Whipped Coconut Cream
and Cinnamon for topping!

MOW: March 19
Paleo Biscuit-Breakfast Sandwich

6 eggs whites
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp chilled coconut oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Mix your dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  Cut in the coconut oil and mix with a fork until the mixture is crumbly.  Refrigerate the mixture for about 10 minutes.  In a separate bowl whisk the eggs whites well and then fold them into the chilled flour mixture.  Scoop batter out by 1/4 cups onto parchment paper.  Smooth out the tops to form each biscuit. Bake for about 15 minutes or until tops are light golden brown.  Cut the biscuits in two and make any desired breakfast sandwich.  Egg & Ham, Sausage-Egg, Egg-Bacon & Avocado... Go crazy! (And feel like your getting a little bit of the Micky D's goodness)  Face it- that place has great breakfast sandwiches!
*Also good with paleo apple butter and/or grass fed butter!

Ham & Egg Biscuit


 MOW: March 6
Apple-Raisin Chicken Salad

4 (or more) chicken breasts- boiled and shredded with fork
1 large apple, chopped in medium sized chunks
1/4 - 1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup or so paleo mayo-  http://paleodietlifestyle.com/paleo-mayonnaise/
Salt/pepper to taste
Dairy option- a few tbsp. full fat- sour cream (makes it super creamy)
Desired amount of chopped pecans

Boil chicken breasts until done.  The chicken should shred with a fork quite easily.  This is better than a food processor, because you still get hearty chunks of chicken in your salad.  Add chopped apple (peeling on), and all other ingredients.  Mix well.  There you go- easy-peasy meal!  Goes great with cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado on top, and crispy bacon chunks! (I discovered this when eating it for leftovers the next day)
YUM!

Freshly made
Leftovers... topped with avocado and bacon!




 MOW: February 25
Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I have paleomg.com to thank for this recipe.  I got my inspiration from her.  I did not use garlic or mushrooms (because I did not have any) but was still able to season and make good flavors.  Stuffing your chicken with bacon and spinach DEFINITELY makes it more exciting.  I agree that plain chicken can get boring after a while.

How mine turned out:

Butterflied chicken with spinach bacon mixture inside
Finished Product... DIG IN!
Follow this link for a guide on how to make this stuffed chicken:
http://paleomg.com/bacon-and-spinach-stuffed-chicken/


MOW: February 19
Italian Stuffed Peppers

You will need:
1 lb. grass fed beef
1 onion, chopped
2-4 whole bell peppers (any color)
garlic, minced
1 can organic diced tomatoes (I believe I used fire roasted)
Basil (about 2+ tbsp.)
Oregano (2+ tbsp.)
3 large handful leaf spinach
Salt and pepper to taste

Chop onion in small chunks and place in your skillet with your beef.  This will get the onions soft, while browning your beef.  When beef is done, add your can of tomatoes, basil, oregano, and handfuls of spinach. At this point, your mouth will be watering from the aroma! While you are letting sauce simmer on low to cook up... chop the tops off of your bell peppers and clean out all of the stem and the seeds.  Taste your sauce and add salt, pepper, or any additional amount of spice that you need.  Sauce is done when your spinach has cooked down and flavors have meshed together.  Fill your uncooked bell peppers to the top with the Italian beef sauce.  Cook at 350 for 30 + minutes.  These tend to taste better if you let the bell peppers cook until they are soft, but if you like crunch to your peppers, 30 minutes will be plenty.  If you do diary, you can top with a small amount of Parmesan cheese.  Pairs well with a salad and makes a yummy dinner :)  Enjoy!

Finished sauce, and filled peppers: pre-oven


 MOW: February 12
Paleo Chicken Pot Pie or Chicken Soup... your choice!

You will need:
About 4 cooked and shredded chicken breasts (I used tenderloins-boiled)
1 package chopped mushrooms (optional, but I LOVE mushrooms) You can sub celery, I guess
About 2 large carrots chopped
1 cup, or more peas
1 onion, chopped
olive oil or coconut oil
Celery seed
Thyme
Parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Chicken stock (1 found organic, free-range, low sodium at Aldi's... love that place!)
1 tsp arrow root powder (find at Kroger- on a good day) You can sub corn starch, not paleo but at least gluten free.

*For the filling, start to saute your chopped onions in your olive or coconut oil- do this is a pot rather than a skillet.  When those begins to get tender, add your carrots and begin getting your carrots softer.  Then add mushrooms, or celery (I suppose both if you like), and peas along with about a cup of chicken stock, desired amount of thyme and celery seed (Picky husband who doesn't care for these spices so I did dashes of each until I had the flavor I needed).  Also, add salt and pepper to taste.  In the meantime, add your arrow root powder to another 3/4 cup or so of chicken stock.  Mix together and let thicken and then add into vegetable mixture.  Continue simmering.

*At this point, I realized I could just have a nice chicken soup because it looked, smelled and tasted yummy. I decided to leave a bowl of soup aside and just add the remaining mixture into two bowls, so the hubby and I could each have our own pot pie.  You could put it in a casserole dish, whichever you prefer.

*You're probably wondering... what about the good part... the crust?!  I was not in the mood for a 'heavy' almond flour crust so I decided to top ours with "paleo panko".  For this- just finely shred almonds and or/cashews in the food processor. Add parmesan cheese, a little parsley, and some salt pepper.  You can store the extra in an air tight container and use for future recipes.  I topped our soup mixture with the 'bread crumbs' and baked at 350 for 30-35 min.  It gave the pot pie a little crunch and it felt like I was eating  major comfort food, without being so heavy on the stomach :)

*Follow this link if you'd like an all out crust on your pot pie:
  http://www.health-bent.com/poultry/paleo-chicken-pot-pie

Finished 'filling'
Topped with panko and ready for the oven!

MOW: February 4
Smothered Bacon-Onion Pork Chops and Roasted Brussels Sprouts

About 6 pork chops (thin sliced)
6 + pieces of bacon, chopped
1 onion ,chopped
small amount olive oil - for skillet
1 container uncooked Brussels Sprouts

Drizzle olive oil in skillet and add chopped bacon and onion. Saute together until onions are caramelized and bacon is still slightly soft.  Place uncooked, pork chops in lightly greased baking dish.  Smother chops with the bacon-onion mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until pork chops are done.
For Brussels sprouts,  add them - uncooked to your pan of leftover bacon grease.  Saute them in the grease until they begin to cook and are coated well.  Cover with salt and pepper and toss.  Place these in a baking dish and drizzle with a little olive oil and put in the oven with the pork chops.  NOTE- these will take a little longer than the chops.  When you remove the meat, you will probably have to cook these for a longer amount of time.  Broil for the last 2-3 minutes to get a slight "char" on them.  If you are doing the sprouts without the pork chops, you could probably roast at about 400 or 425 degrees....
Makes for a tasty meal :)



 MOW: January 28
Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

1 medium butternut squash
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, mince
1-2 tsp. ginger
3 carrots chopped (or shredded)
Coconut oil
1-2 tbsp red curry (can omit, depends on how spicy you like it) Pepper will do just fine
1 cup coconut milk
2 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
toasted pecans and coconut flakes for garnish on top

Preheat oven to 375. Cut squash in half, scoop seeds out and bake face down for about 40-45 minutes or until tender.  While squash is cooking, place coconut oil in pan and begin to saute the onions, garlic, ginger, and carrots until tender.  If you're using red curry paste, stir in until melted. (I did not use this, I believe I subbed red pepper and regular pepper) Once squash is done, place about 3 cups in blender with all other ingredients and blend until smooth.  (The toasted coconut and pecans are the best part... to do this just lightly grease a pan and place chopped pecans and a pile of shredded coconut- spread out on pan. Roast on low heat for about 10 min. Keep and eye on them though, so they don't burn.  A light brown is best, Yum!)
Top warm soup with the garnish and enjoy on a chilly day!





 MOW: January 20
Breakfast Cassrole!

I consider breakfast casserole a comfort food. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner... you can enjoy it any time of day! And... they're so easy to make PALEO :)

You have options with these. The first recipe I'll share is a sausage-sweet potato, that served as a wonderful brunch over the holidays.
You will need:
About 8 eggs, beaten
2 sweet potatoes, shredded
1 lb pork breakfast sausage

*Option 1-Beat all of your eggs and add a little water (about 1 tbsp per egg) and beat some more.  This will help them to be fluffy. Cook sausage until done and set aside. Meanwhile, peel the skin off of the uncooked sweet potatoes and shred using a hand shredder or you can food process. (I liked the consistency/size of the potato shreds with the handheld grater.  Mix sausage and potatoes into the eggs and spread in a greased 7 x 11 in baking dish. (Size can vary... add more eggs to mixture if you wish, for a bigger pan)  Bake at 350 for about 20-25 min or until eggs are set.
*Option 2- Use the same amount of eggs for your casserole. Replace the shredded potatoes with one green bell pepper (chopped in small chunks), and replace the pound of sausage with a pound, or 1/2 pound of bacon, cooked and chopped in small pieces. Follow the same steps.

Sausage-Sweet Potato Option

Green Pepper and Bacon Option (Only 5 pieces of bacon in this
particular casserole)

MOW: January 14
Baked Chicken with Pepper-Tomato Basil Sauce


This recipe came about when I was trying to use up leftover ingredients that were in my fridge.  I had diced tomatoes and sliced peppers that I didn't want to go bad.  So I made an italian style sauce to top our chicken with. 
You will need:
About 2 bell peppers (any color)
2 tsp (or more) garlic, minced
About 1 can diced tomatoes
Basil (desired amount)
Chicken Breasts

Bake about 4 chicken breasts (or tenderlins) at 350 degrees.  Cook 30 minutes or until done.  Before baking, sprinkle them with salt, pepper and a small amount of basil. 
Saute the copped peppers and garlic together in pan with melted coconut oil or olive oil.  Add tomatoes and basil when peppers are getting soft.  Simmer together for about 5 minutes. 
When chicken is done you can top them with the amount of sauce that you want.  A quick and easy dish!

Finished sauce, ready to top the chicken


Treat of the Week:
Paleo Chocolate "Fudge" Brownies (Egg free)

1 cup pitted dates, chopped
3/4 cup hot water
1 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
2 tsp. vanilla extract,
2 tsp. ground coffee or espresso (instant coffee works too)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp baking soda,
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8x8 pan. Combine dates, hot water, coconut oil, coffee and vanilla and let dates soak. Combine all other ingredients separately and whisk until there are no lumps. Put date mixture in food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add dry ingredients to blender and blend with date mixture until smooth. Bake for 15-20 min or until toothpick comes out clean.  Keep an eye on them, because you may want a super gooey brownie or a more "done" one... whatever you prefer.  The only sugar source is dates, so these are not bad at all!  *NOTE- if you are a dark chocolate lover, these are for you.  The combination of cocoa powder and coffee gives a really 'dark chocolatey" taste.

Dig in! 
MOW: January 7
Pecan Crusted Chicken with Mustard Sauce (optional)

You will need:
Thawed chicken breasts or tenderloins
1 cup crushed pecans
about 1/2 cup spicy brown mustard (regular would work too)
*If you use regular mustard and honey you can add herbs such as sage, thyme, basil or rosemary*

Crush pecans (you can use food processor, but I prefer them a little chunky so I place them in a baggie and bang the crap out of them with a large ladle :)  Spread the pecans out on a plate.  Prepare your mustard sauce in a bowl and dip the chicken in or "paint" the chicken with the sauce.  This is fun, if children are helping you.  The sauce will serve as your "glue" for the pecans.  Press the mustard covered chicken in the pecans to cover each breast or tenderloin.  Place chicken in a greased baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes or until cooked through.
*NOTE- You do not need mustard for your covering.  Egg wash works also to "glue" your pecans to your chicken.  If only using egg wash, season with salt and pepper or something for taste.
Enjoy your crispy chicken! The pecans are so toasty and make your chicken taste oh so GOOD!

Served with steamed veggies and sweet potato with cinnamon


MOW: December 31
Ham Salad

Too much ham leftover from the holidays?  Try this easy-peasy ham salad. (Pickles are debatable) But below, you will find a link for a homemade pickle recipe that will fit your paleo needs.
You will need:
About 3 cups ham, shredded
1 bell pepper, shredded (I used orange)
2 small dill pickles (or 1 large)
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/naturally-fermented-dill-pickles/#axzz2GfNoG
1/2 cup (or less) paleo mayo (there are all sorts of recipes out there... use whichever one you enjoy)

Combine ham chunks, peppers- cut into strips, and pickle slices into food processor.  Pulse until you have consistent small chunks.  Add to a bowl and mix in your mayo.  Add pepper to taste, but NO salt is needed since ham already tends to be a salty meat.  *An option may be to add some hard boiled egg to your mixture* Do whatever you prefer :)



MOW: December 17 - Tis the Season TO COOK!

Cooking Paleo for Christmas:
So many irresistable goodies surround you during this wonderful time of year.  Here are a few paleo recipes that will allow you to still feel like you're having holiday treats!

A favorite appetizer... Primal Crockpot BBQ Meatballs! 
-1 lb. ground beef
-2 tsp parmesan cheese
-1 tsp. chives
-1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 egg
-  about 1 cup finely ground almonds/pecans (use food processor)
-1/4 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup dried onions
*Combine ingredients and mix well.  Form into balls and place in crockpot.  Prepare Sauce below and pour over meatballs Cook for about 5 hours. 
BBQ Sauce:  Gather 1 onion, minced,1 clove garlic, minced, 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste, 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup homemade ketchup, 3 tbsp homemade mustard, 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce, 1 pinch ground cloves, 1 pinch cinnamon, Smoked paprika to taste, Hot sauce to taste (optional)
In a large frying pan, with a bit of cooking fat, brown the onion for about 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add all the other ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.
Taste the sauce and adjust with more smoked paprika, vinegar or hot sauce to the desired taste. You can let cool and store what you don't use in the refrigerator.



Christmas Morning Breakfast:
I love nothing more than a huge breakfast with my family on Christmas morning.  Loaded omelettes and Paleo Blueberry Pancakes will be something the whole family can enjoy :)
Loaded Omelette:
Very easy... Grease pan lightly with coconut oil. Pour in as many eggs as you need- (beaten... add water instead of milk to your eggs to make them fluffy) Add things to your eggs such as: browned sausage, shredded spinach, peppers (already sauted), zucchini (already sauted), mushrooms, tomatoes, etc... You can comine these ingredients to your eggs as you cook them OR use them as toppings when your plain eggs are done.  A must have ingredient: top with slices of avacado while omelette is still warm! Mmmm...

Scrambled eggs topped with sauted zucchini, fresh tomato and
salt and pepper

Pancakes: 
2 cups almond meal
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
3 eggs
1 cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
1 apple, (grated) Not a must, but very good addition
1 cup fresh (or frozen) blueberries
3 Tbsp. cinnamon
*Mix all ingredients together and place scoops of batter (about 1/4 scoop) on hot griddle (greased with coconut oil).  Cook for about 4 min per side.  NOTE: paleo pancakes do not bubble as much as a regular pancake and are much harder to form and keep together.  Be patient before you flip them over.  You can serve with more blueberries and cinnamon on top and melted ghee... and since it's Chritmas, go ahead and throw on some maple syrup!



MOW: December 10
Paleo Pizza... with Crust!

Crust:
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 cup almond meal
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp garlic powder
4 eggs
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup coconut milk (you can use whole milk also, for a primal pizza crust)

Preheat Oven to 350. For your crust: Combine and mix all wet ingredients and then add to mixed dry ingredients.  Mix well until there are no lumps.  This will seem a little thinner than a regular pizza crust.  Poor the mix into a greased, rimmed pizza pan (I used two nine inch pie pans for two different pizzas). Bake for 15 or 20 min before adding your toppings. 

For sauce combine one small can of tomato sauce, desired amount of diced tomatoes, desired amount of garlic powder, basil, oregano or italian seasoning. 

Add sauce to crust and then other toppings. Topping suggestions:  banana peppers, sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, ham, bacon (cook 1/2 way first), spinach, mushrooms, etc. 
After toppings are added on top, sprinkle with a little italian seasoning and put in oven to bake.  Bake for an additional 10 min and there you go! Enjoy your pizza night!

Ready for the oven!


MOW: December 3
"Mom's Veggie Soup" (Minus the corn and potatoes :)

1 lb grass fed ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 can carrots
1 can green beans
1 can peas
1 can organic diced tomatoes
1 small head cabbage, chopped in medium chunks
1/2 (or more) of a large can of tomato juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Thyme to taste (optional)

Okay, so technically peas are not "paleo" because they are considered to be like a bean, but I have found that they are light on the stomach and do not upset mine like beans would do, so I say, "What the hey"... You can use them in your soup if you wish.  I always say my mom makes the BEST vegetable soup.  It's true.  Unfortunately, it does have potatoes and some corn in it.  I do not keep those ingredients in my house, so when craving my mom's warm soup this December, I just left them out!  Tastes pretty close to hers! It's a win :)
*In dutch oven,  brown hamburger and add onions to the burger as it is cooking.  When beef is cooked through, reduce heat and add all other ingredients.  If you like a thicker soup, you may not want to add as much tomato juice to pot.  Let boil/simmer for 30 minutes for flavors to set together.  Simple comfort food!





MOW: November 27
No Shell Beef Enchiladas

1 lb. grass fed beef
1 bell pepper
1/2 onion
Desired amount of cumin, paprika, and chili powder
Coconut oil

Enchilada Sauce:
2 cups tomato puree (make your own using 4 large tomatoes pureed in a food processor)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

*Cut the onions and peppers into skinny strands and saute them in a few tsp of coconut oil. After a few minutes, add the beef and cook until brown.  Add your desired amount of cumin, paprika, and chili powder (a few tsp of each)
*For the sauce- Add the tomato puree, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt. Mix well and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often.  You can add sauce to food processor to make it even smoother if you want. 
*Drizzle the sauce over the beef, pepper and onion mixture.  Eat with lettuce, avacado slices, tomatoes, or guacamole :)   -Baking this in the oven to get the sauce to "coat" the top is an option too




"Paleo... Holiday Style"

If you are wanting to attemp Paleo Holiday meals, here are a few tips, tricks and recipe ideas to get you started...

The MEAT: This is an easy one because we LOVE meat and we're aloud to eat it.  Just make sure it is quality and you don't smother it in anything processed (For instance, some people cook their ham/turkey with coca-cola)

SIDES- Trade your startchy sides for other fresh veggies. Try cauliflower "mashed potatoes" or sweet potatoes with butter, toasted pecans and cinnamon, sauted cabbage, steamed honey-cinnamon carrots,
raw cranberry sauce http://www.elanaspantry.com/raw-cranberry-sauce/, roasted brussels sprouts, slow cooked green beans with bacon and onions, and grilled/roasted zucchini and yellow squash.  The options are endless!

You're probably thinking... what about STUFFING?!  I know, the stuff is yummy.  Me...I'll probably just cheat and have some of the real stuff, but here are some links for some "breadless" options:
http://cookingcaveman.tumblr.com/post/12926107475/a-paleo-thanksgiving
(You'll find a handy-dandy gravy recipe at the cooking caveman site as well)
http://paleomg.com/paleo-thanksgiving-stuffing/

And the most important part.... DESSERT!  -One of my favorite holiday desserts in an apple-cranberry pie that I make.  Sometimes when I'm craving it I throw together this little number to satisfy the need and it is yummy! (And makes for a beautiful dish as well!)

*Chop your desired amount of apples, drizzle with honey and desired amount of cinnamon.  Add fresh cranberries (I stock up on these when they're in season and freeze them)  You only want a few cranberries to compliment the apples.  You don't want the cranberries to be overpowering.  Add chopped pecans and top with a few dollops of ghee (or grass fed butter).  I place all of this in my steamer, but you can simmer in a pot on your stove until the apples are soft and glazed.  Top with a bit of thick coconut milk if you like! This is the perfect amount of sweet.

Apple-Cranberry Dessert
Steamed Honey-Cinnamon Carrots

MOW: November 5
Smoked Sausage-Sweet Potato "Stew"

4 large sweet potatoes, mashed
3 tbsp butter
1/2 lb. to 1 lb. smoked sausage (cut into round pieces)
1/2 to whole onion, chopped small
2 cups low sodium chicken stock (more depending on how creamy/thin you want it)
Desired amount of cinnamon (Tbsp or more)
Salt and pepper to taste

Place smoked sausage pieces and small onion pieces in glass dish and bake for about 20 min at 350.  You can cook longer, depending on how "charred" you want them.  Bake sweet potatoes, remove skins and mash them in a large bowl.  Melt butter and whip potatoes. Begin to add chicken stock (I didn't measure.  I added a little at a time until it was the flavor and smoothness that I liked) You can add cinnamon a little at a time too. Also salt and pepper if you wish.  When sausage is done drain grease and add the onions and sausage to the mashed potatoes and mix together well.  The sweetness from the potatoes and salty smoked flavor from the sausage make for a yummy combo :)


Next day's breakfast! Reheat stew and top with an over-easy egg... Yum!

Treat of the Week: November 5
Zucchini-Banana Bread

1 cup almond flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup shredded zucchini (water drained)
2 eggs
3 tbsp. maple syrup
1 ripe banana (mashed)
1 tbsp. coconut oil (melted)
1/4 cup raisins (more if you like)
I didn't use these- but pecans/walnuts make ANY bread better!
So add if you have some on hand :)

Combine all ingredients and place in loaf pan. Bake at 350 for about 30 min.  Should be super moist!



MOW: October 23
Chunky "Cowboy" Chili

2 lbs ground beef (grass fed)
1 onion, diced
1 red, yellow, green, and orange bell pepper (more if you like) chopped in big chunks
1 package mushrooms, chopped
2 small cans organic tomatoes
12 oz tomoto juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pkg McCormick original chili seasoning (this is not strict paleo)
*See seasoning recipe mix below to make your own....
(3 Tbsp Chili powder, 1 Tbsp onion powder, 1 Tbsp garlic powder, 1 Tbsp & 1 tsp salt, 1 Tbsp cumin
tsp coriander, tsp paprika, tsp parsley, tsp oregano, tsp basil, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp pepper)

Brown beef and onions in bottom of dutch oven.  When beef and onions are half way cooked add pepper and mushroom chunks to mixture.  When beef is completely done, drain (if needed) and add all seasonings and other ingredients.  Let simmer on low so flavors can marinate together at least a half hour.  Depending on how spicy you like your chili, you can add more regular chili powder.  I add more!! :)



MOW: October 11
Fish (or shrimp) Tacos with Cauliflower Spanish Rice

At least two large fish filets (thawed) and chopped in chunks
(I use swai)
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 tsp (more if you like) Chili Powder
1 tsp paprika
1/4 cup (varies) water
1 Tbsp coconut oil
(Adjust seasonings depedning on size of your family meal and your personal preferance)

Melt coconut oil in large pan and place chunked fish in the pan and begin to cook.  When fish has began to cook slightly sprinkled all seasonings. (You may want to add salt and pepper to taste) As the fish stars to dry when its cooking gradually add the water so it can create some tasty juice and moisture.  It shouldn't take long for the fish to cook up into little golden fish "nuggets". 
Meanwhile:
For your Cauliflower rice: Chop one head cauliflower and place the florets in your food precoessor.  When it is a rice like consistency put the "rice" in a  cocnut oil greased pan.  You can add different ingredients for flavor:  I can chopped tomatoes, 1 can green chilis, chopped bell peppers and onions.  You do not have to add all of these, just choose a few.  Do not drain the tomatoes or chilis, the juices will help the "rice" cook.  Also, if you're choosing to use onion and bell pepper, saute them in pan to cook before adding the cauliflower with them.  For flavor, add salt and pepper to taste, lime juice, and I like to add a few tsp of a "fiesta lime" seasoning that I have.  Just play with the flavors :) The rice is finished when it is soft and has a cooked rice texture. 
Serving:  Place cauliflower rice on bottom of your bowl and place fish, chopped tomatoes, lettuce, avacado (or guacamole), and salsa on top.  Yum!


"Shrimp Tacos" are shown on the plate. Make the
same way, using deveined ready shrimp.

MOW: October 3
Southwest Chicken and Vegetable Soup

About 2 cups shredded and cooked chicken (I boiled it and then food processed it)
4 (or more cups) chicken broth
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 small bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup prepared tomato salsa
1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp oregano, salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredient in your slow cooker and cook for 6-8 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.
Again: Depending on your dietary preferences.... a dollop of all natural sour cream is great on the top if you choose to do some dairy in your diet.



MOW: September 25
"Grain Free" Meatloaf

2 lb grass fed ground beef
1 bell pepper (I like green for this recipe)
3/4 finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 egg
About 1 cup of crushed almonds and pecans (very fine- food precessor works well)
1 tbsp worchesier sauce
less than 1 tsp hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
1/8 cup parmesan cheese
(you can add 1/4 cup or less of ketchup depending on how strict "your paleo" is)

Saute onion, pepper in skillet.  Add garlic half way through. Meanwhile, combine all other ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Mix well with your hands (it works best) Don't forget to add the pepper/onion mixture to it.  Put in lightly greased glass baking dish and bake at 350 for 50 min to 1 hour.  (Topping with a thin layer of ketchup before baking makes it extra tasty) I know, not paleo.... So another tasty option???  Top with BACON! :)   Enjoy!

Sorry this is not the best picture, but when you and your husband
are both starving and cannot wait another second to dig in...
this is what you get :)




Welcome Fall! MOW: September 19
Pumpkin Chili
*I know what you're thinking... GROSS! But I promise you, this is a great combination of sweet and spicy.

1 lb. ground beef
1 yellow onion, diced
1 bell pepper (any color), diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1, 14.5 can organic fire roasted tomatoes
2, 4oz. cans diced green chilies
1, 15oz can pure pumpkin
1 cup chicken or beef stock (I use chicken)
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp chili powder (I recommend more, especially if you enjoy a spicy chili)
salt and pepper to taste

Slow Cooker: Set crock pot to a low setting.  Add all ingredients together and stir well.  Cook on low for 7 hours, until meat is cooked through.

Stove top: Add meat and onion together in dutch oven and start to brown.  When beef is halfway done add bell pepper and garlic and simmer.  When beef is cooked through dump all other ingredients in and mix well.  Simmer on low for 30 minutes.  Serve with extra chili powder sprinkled on top if you like :) Oh the wonderful tastes of Fall!



MOW: September 12
Cauliflower Mashed "Potatoes"

This is more of a "side-dish of the week", but tasty none the less :)

Cut the florets from one head of cauliflower (or more) and place in a pan or steamer to steam them.  After cauliflower is soft, place it into your food processor and process until smooth.  (You can mash with a fork also, but the consistency is much better with a food processor.  Add salt and pepper to taste and some garlic salt if you want, and melt some real butter or ghee into the mixture.  (Ghee will give it a sweet taste)  Also, if you do dairy, a scoop of full fat sour cream and a few tablespoons of whole milk make it super creamy!  So yummy and easy, you may want to sub for real potatoes on Thanksgiving :)



MOW: September 5
Sweet Potato Waffles

4 eggs (it usually works with just 2 or 3... I've tried :)
1/4 cup mashed sweet potato (1 small potato or so)
1 tbsp coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tbsp vanilla

Blend ingredient together in blender (just mixing well with a spoon or fork works too) When mixture is smooth, pour batter into greased waffle iron.  Top with maple syrup, ghee (butter), or cinnamon!


Treat of the week:  Coconut Banana Muffins-
3 ripe bananas (mashed)
1/3 cup coconut oil- melted
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)
Optional- add shredded unsweetened coconut flakes to mixture, YUM!

Mix ingredients together and bake at 350 for 20-25 min.  Enjoy your sweet treat!
 


MOW: August 29
Roasted Bell Pepper and Pineapple Pork Chops

-Coconut oil
-Crushed pineapple
-4 porkchops
-1- 2 red bell peppers
-Pepper, ginger and paprika to season

Melt tbsp of coconut oil in pan.  Begin to saute sliced red bell peppers and pineapple together.
Cook porkchops in skillet with melted coconut oil (or olive oil)
Season porkchops with a little pepper, ginger and a little paprika.  Flip half way through and season other side as well. 
Pepper and pineapple mixture is done when peppers are soft.
When porkchops are done (no pink in middle and golden brown) top with the pepper and pineapple sauce. 
This is a simple recipe that gives just a little sweetness to your pork and kind of feels like you're getting Chinese food  :)  Yum!




MOW: August 21

"Brunch Stuffed Peppers"

-Peppers (any color)
-1 lb sausage (you can use hamburger, but sausage gives a great breakfast taste)
- 4 or more eggs, beaten
-onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 lb or more of bacon, finely chopped
-shredded cheese (depending on diet you follow)

Brown the sausage in skillet with the chopped onion. When sausage is done, pour in beaten eggs and remove when they are "almost" cooked. Cook bacon and chop in small pieces.  Cut the tops off of the peppers and remove seeds and insides.  Put a layer of bacon and (cheese) on the bottom of the pepper.  Pour the sausage/egg/onion mixture into each pepper and fill up to top.  Finish them off by putting a final layer of bacon on the very top and a tiny sprinkle of cheese, if you wish.  Bake for about 30 - 40 minutes.  Broil at the end if you want some crispiness on top.  Goes great with paleo pancakes or waffles :)  Recipe to come later! 

In the picture below there is some shredded Black Forest Ham on the top as well.  I ran out of bacon!


Pre-oven

MOW: August 15

No Pasta "Zucchini" Lasagna

-2 to 4 zucchini (will vary depending on their size)
-1 onion, diced
-diced bell peppers (optional)
-garlic
-2 lb ground beef (or you can do one lb. beef and 1 lb. italian sausage)
-2 tbsp. oregano
-2-3 tbsp. basil
-salt and pepper
-1 can diced tomatoes (drained)
-1 small can tomato paste
-black olives, sliced (optional)

-Begin to saute onion, garlic and peppers in coconut or olive oil in pan, add meat and start to brown.
-Once meat is done, add seasonings and tomato sauces and (olives) and let sauce simmer for a few minutes mixing well. 
-In a 9 x 13 dish line a layer of sliced zucchini (you can mandolin slice it like lasagna noodles or you can just place coin shapes of it) on bottom of pan.  Coin sliced work just as well :)
-On top of zucchini, layer the meat sauce.  Repeat layering until sauce runs out. 
-Cover with foil and bake for 30 min at 350 degrees.  I broil mine for a few min. at the end for a crunchy top layer... 
**If you still incorporate dairy into your diet you can sprinkle cheese in between the layers, and also use full fat cottage cheese in middle layers for an extra bite!
You can replace meat with shredded chicken and it works just as well for a chicken lasagna :) Enjoy!

This portion has some cheese sprinkled on top...



MOW:   August 8

Hungry Man Sweet Potato "Breakfast" Casserole
Yummy for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner!
-2 lbs ground sausage (you can use other ground meats too, but I like the breakfasty flavor from the sausage)
-1 onion- chopped
- about 4 sweet potatoes (maybe more of less depending on size)
-about 1/2 pound bacon (more or less depending on how much you like)
-8 eggs (beaten)
-Cook sweet potatoes in microwave for just a few minutes (until they are easy to slice into round pieces/peel skin off of them before cutting)
-Brown sausage and saute onions together in skillet
-Cook bacon while sausage is browning
-Chop bacon into small pieces when it's crispy
-In a crockpot (Yes, a crockpot... how easy!) grease the bottom and sides and place a layer of sweet potato coins.
-Next, layer the sausage mixture, and then a layer of bacon. Repeat the layering pattern until you are out of ingredients.
-Now you will poor the beaten eggs over the layers.
Cook on low for about 6 hours in the crockpot. Enjoy!
*Feel free to half the recipe* That's what I usually do. If not, you will definitely have tastey leftovers!

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