Mahi Mahi

I havn't updated much. But I've found those few things I like to eat over and over again, on purpose!  But. I did make some Mahi Mahi tonight and I found a recipe that I liked a lot!

3 Tbs. Honey (I used about 1 tsp maple syrup)
3 Tbs. ginger (I just grated a little bit of fresh ginger)
1 clove garlic
3 Tbs. olive oil
3 Tbs. basalmic vinegar

I put it all in a baggie with the fish.  The recipe calls for 4 fish, but I only had two.  I used about the same amount of oil and vinegar and garlic, but less ginger and honey.

I put the mahi mahi on a skillet on medium each side for about 4-5 minutes each side. 

in addition, we ate asaparagus, okra, and brussel sprouts.

Stuffed Zucchini

I found this recipe online, and it sounded and looked pretty good.  She said it didn't turn out the way she thought, so if I change any ingredients, i'll let you know!  I know for sure that i'm only going to buy 1 zucchini for the both of us.  When I make a paleo meal, I always try to include 2-3 different vegetables and vary the colors. 

 Ingredients
5 Zucchini
1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
3 Garlic cloves
1/2 Cup Almond Meal
2 eggs

Directions:
"Poke zucchini with fork. Boil for 5-12 minutes until soft and easily can poke with fork. Drain and let cool. Half the zucchini length wise and Preheat oven to 350. With a spoon scrape out pulp and put it in a food processor. Add 1/4 cup Parmesan and remaining ingredients. Process until smith. Spray and glass dish and put in zucchini skins. Even fill the skins with the mixture. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes. This recipe turned out ok. My boyfriend liked it, I didn't care for it. I may try it again using some meat, mushrooms and tomato paste/sauce. So I would wait for version 2!" - paleo gurl's kitchen

Leftovers?

 

I had some leftover spaghetti sauce the other day.  It's so easy just to put some burgers on the george foreman, slice some avocado, slice some pickles, and just go to town with my marinara burger salad.  Get creative!

Paleo Pizza

I found this paleo pizza on Paleo Gurl’s blogger. There are some things I'd do differently next time, but it was definitely better than the one I made with Almond meal.  Because I added the basil, oregano, and garlic to the dough it really helped me feel like this pizza was "complete."  All the regular font are words from the original blogger, and the words in bold are additionally my thoughts. This meal will feed a hungry man and a hungry woman.

This is a picture of my pizza. yum!

Crust

• 3 eggs
• 1 clove garlic, crushed or minced
• 1 cup whole milk or coconut milk
• 1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil

Toppings:

• Marinera Sauce/pizza sauce (watch out for sugar!) )
• 1 small can pineapple
• canadian bacon
• green onions
• 1 red bellpepper

My toppers were different.  And, if you cut up too much, you can always save it for your omlet in the morning.

•  Marinera Sauce/pizza sauce (watch out for sugar!) (I found a great pizza sauce pack.  It comes in 3s at Bloomingfoods called Rustic Crust "Old World Pizza Sauce." It was tastey)
• red, yellow, orange sweet mini bell peppers
• onions
• mushrooms
• bacon (I cut it up into pieces and cooked it until it was almost done)

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Beat eggs in a medium sized bowl. Mix in milk and garlic.Add remaining ingredients and beat into the milk mixture. The dough will be thinner in consistency then regular dough (more like a batter). Add just a bit more coconut flour if needed. The dough needs to be spreadable and thin but not extremely liquid-y like pancake batter. Spread thinly and evenly on a pizza pan or cookie sheet.  (I would probably spread it even Thinner than what I did so I can taste more veggies than bread). Line it with greased parchment paper (parchment paper is a must require!! This sticks terribly!). (I, unfortunately, was using someone elses kitchen and only had Pam and Foil.  It worked out well for me).

Bake for 12-20 minutes in preheated oven. Crust is done when fully cooked through and bottom edges begin to brown. Remove crust from oven and turn over. Carefully peel parchment paper from the bottom of the crust and place crust back on parchment paper with the bottom side up.Top your pizza with sauce and whatever else you would like. Bake for another 5-10 minutes, depending on the toppings.

Biscuits and Gravy

I found this recipe on Facebook somewhere, and it lead me a post on  Robb Wolfs Website.

I give this meal an 8 out of 10 paleo stars.  Shaun would probably rate it a little less; it's not one of his favorite breakfasts (he personally enjoys my egg tacos). I found this to be awesomely close to the real thing, but obviously it's going to be a little different in texture.  I posted the biscuits first because the gravy seemed to be made in minutes...You can, however, go ahead and brown your sausage.  Turn your oven on 400 degrees.

Paleo Biscuits

1/2 cup coconut flour (you can purchase this at Sahara Mart)
1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp cold grass-fed butter (coconut oil is fine here too)
6 egg whites
a little coconut oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease up 6 cups of a muffin tin with coconut oil.
2. Put coconut flour, almond flour, salt and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is incorporated. The butter pieces should be about the size of peas.
3. In a blender (or by hand if you’re feeling energetic, whiz the egg whites until they are frothy (I used my crossfit grip strength and whisked). Add them to the food processor and pulse a couple times until they’re incorporated. Don’t go crazy though, just pulse it a few times until just blended.
    
   
   
   4. Distribute the batter evenly into the 6 cups of your muffin tin. It should fill them about 3/4 full. These biscuits don’t rise, so that’s okay. Bake for 15 minutes until the tops are browned. (I kept them in for a few more minutes)

Paleo Sausage Gravy

16 oz. country style pork sausage
2 tbsp arrowroot powder (If you are a member of Hoosier Crossfit, I'll give you some or you can go to Sahara Mart)
1 can coconut milk (I didn't have a can, so I just measured about a cup or so)
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp dried, rubbed sage
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (this made it a little spicy, you can leave it out)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt

1. Heat up a skillet over medium-high heat and brown the sausage. Break up the sausage into fairly small pieces so it will cook easily, but I like to leave some bigger chunks in there too. Once the sausage is thoroughly cooked, remove it with a slotted spoon and set it aside. Discard most of the fat, but leave about a tablespoon in there, and leave all the stuck-on brown bits of sausage in the bottom of the pan.
2. Turn the heat down to medium. Add the arrowroot and stir it into the fat & brown bits, whisking constantly for about a minute so it doesn’t burn. It will get pretty thick and almost dry.
3. Add the coconut milk about 1/3 of the can at a time, and whisk together with the “roux” you just made, incorporating it thoroughly. Some of the browned bits should start to come off the bottom of the pan, too. This is what we want. Keep adding in the coconut milk until it is all incorporated. Add the fennel, sage, cayenne, salt and pepper and mix it in.
4. Add the sausage back in and incorporate throughout the gravy. Cook for a moment so everything is heated evenly. Serve immediately over biscuits.

The Best New Breakfast!!! No-oatmeal!!!

You need to make this recipe right away! It is so delicious, so ALMOST JUST LIKE oatmeal! When you grind the nuts and add the spices in advance, it's just as easy as making morning oatmeal.  You have to try it soon.  Recipe from Mark's Daily Apple.

 

What it's supposed to look like....What mine looked like :)

Ingredients: *Bold/underlined notes items I left out of the recipe.  They were not on hand.

• 1 small handful of walnuts
• 1 small handful of pecans
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1 pinch ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon almond butter
• 1 banana, mashed
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (add more if you prefer it a little runny)
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin seeds
• 1 handful of goji berries or fresh berries

Instructions:
1. Add walnuts, pecans, flax seed and spices to a food processor and pulse it down to a course grain, making sure to stop before it’s totally ground into a powder. Set aside. (you can save time by doing this step on a lazy sunday and storing it until later.  When I was finished I made about 6 more cups worth of nuts!! yum!!)

2. Whisk together eggs and almond milk until the consistency thickens a little bit into a loose custard. Thoroughly blend together the mashed banana and almond butter and add it to the custard, mixing well.

3. Stir in the nut mixture. Microwave or gently warm on the stove until the “no-atmeal” reaches your desired consistency ; this should only take a few minutes. In both cases, stir the mixture frequently as it cooks. I put it in the microwave for about 90 seconds and it worked well for me.

Sprinkle pumpkin seeds and berries on top. Add more almond milk if you want. Lick the bowl clean!

Primal Mayo

 

This is supposed to look like That...

 Ok. Time to try something really new.

Ingedients:
1 egg or 2 yolks
2-3 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. dijon mustard
a dash of paprika
pinch of salt
3/4-1Cup of olive oil (recipe says to go with a light oil if you are using metal blending equipment.


The following is quoting the recipe so I don't mess it up:
"Place egg, vinegar, paprika, and salt in the container you will whisk it in.  Drizzle the oil in while blending.  If using a hand-held whisk, a glass or stainless steel work best.

Measure 1 cup oil into seperate container, ideally one with a good pouring lip (I used a measuring glass).

Whisk or blend the egg mixture for 10 seconds.  While continuing to whisk, begin to slowly drizzle oil into the container in a very thin, steady stream, no thicker than pencil lead. When about half the oil is mixed in, the mayo will start to thicken and take shape.  Continue blending and drizzling until the oil is gone, or until no more oil will disappear into the emulsion.  Season to staste with more salt if necessary.

So, the following was my experience:

I began with 2 Tbs of cider vinegar instead of 3, and I also added some dry garlic for additional flavor - maybe 4 shakes worth. I became a bit confused when it told me to drizzle the oil in in the first section, then it told me to measure and drizzle...again...in the third section.  I only drizzled once, and it was after measuring.  I called Shaun to the kitchen to assist me in pouring.  He did a great job creating a stream no thicker than pencil lead; in addition, it's easy to lose a rhythm when you have to whisk for minutes straight. You CrossFit so you don't wimp out on the whisking.  Needless to say, my first try at the primal mayo was more runny than it was supposed to be, but I think I'll still taste ok to be able to use it in some recipes from the book, and add it to my can tuna on spinach.

Cinnamon Roasted Pecans and Almonds!!!

We all want to know how to snack!!  I get this question all the time.  If you aren't asking it right now, you will in 3 months.  This is a snack you are going to want to make all the time!

Ingredients: preheat oven 350 degrees
5 handfulls (small mixing bowl full) of mixed pecans and walnuts
About 1 tsp. cinnamon
About 1 Tbs. maple syrup

I'm drooling over this while i'm typing!  Get a mixing bowl and mix your ingredients until everything is evenly covered.  On a baking sheet w/ parchment paper (it's like wax paper but you can put it in the oven) spread it around and put in the oven for 10-12 minutes.

Wait until it cools and you have a really awesome snack!

Dried Fruit

It's time to get a dehydrator or dig it out of your garage and dust it off.  Dry fruit from the store is gross. Dry fruit made from home is THE BEST SNACK EVER.  I have mangos, pears, bananas, and cranberries (flop)!  All the sudden the banana chips were gone! In Shaun's belly! They dried for two days and they were gone in seconds! Well. bananas are so cheap,  I just made more.

Just Chicken

Ingredients: warm the George Forman or go out and buy one
7 strips of chicken
1 sweet potato
1 bowl of broccoli
1/2 or so butternut squash
some olive oil
1 garlic clove minced (I hope by this point you always have one in your fridge)
sprinkle of Thyme
sprinkle of Sage
sprinkle of pepper

I got home at 9pm thinking, "I don't want to make a big meal, so I'll just have chicken." It's usually just that, but I really enjoyed my homemade chicken seasoning.

First, heat a pan on medium for the chicken, then start on cutting the Sweet Potato. 1/2 sweet potato per person is a good amount.  So cut it up into little fry pieces.  Make sure you oil them up with olive oil.  Put them in the George Forman, turn them once or twice, and YUMMI!  It should take around 10-15 minutes for them to cook.

When the pan gets warm, add about 1tsp olive oil - or just dribble around the pan.  Add minced garlic to the oil, stir for a second.  Add the chicken to the pan.  I sprinkled the Thyme, Sage, and pepper only on 1 side on purpose. They will cook rather quickly, about 3 minutes per side. I usually just watch the chicken cook through until it's only half rare, then I flip.

While the chicken is cooking put 1Tbs. water in your broccoli bowl and cover with saran wrap or put it in a steam bag or steam it on the stove top if you have the pans.  I added some leftover brussel sprouts to the broccoli.  Put it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes for a medium bowl. If you make a lot for the family, it'll be longer.

You can put butternut squash in a bowl with some water and cover for . . . lets say 6 minutes? Just make sure you can easily poke a fork into it like a soggy potato.  Shaun and I traded cooking places and he did a wonderful job finishing the 3rd veggie side!  He had both the broccoli and the squash in the microwave for 10 minutes (I already had the broccoli in for 2 before trading).  The squash was uncovered but drenched in water.  It turned out super moist when i drained it, and it was super Tasty!

Roasted Baby Squash and Carrots

You are going to need energy on paleo. How do we get it?  "So we should eat a lot of carbs, right? Uh, no. As you will see we are better served if we can encourage most of the body to run on fat and just provide enough carbohydrate to meet the needs of these truely glucose-dependent tissues.  By reducing the body's total need for carbohydrate, we actually protect ourselves from Blood Sugar Crashes."  Excerpt from Robb Wolf's The Paleo Solution.  Buy it and read it.

Ingredients: preheat oven to broil. Serves 2 or maybe even 1 if you're hungry
The Paleo Diet Cookbook

1Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove minced
1/2 zucchini cut 1/4 inch
baby carrots (handful sliced in half long ways. Some I cut in 4s long ways)
sprinkle dill across - aprox. 1/2 tsp. (recipe called for fresh, I used dry)
sprinkle thyme - 1/2 tsp.

preheat oven to broil. In a baking dish add the oil and garlic (I used a baking sheet with foil on it).  Add the veggies and mix in the herbs. I used my hands to toss.  Broil for 10 minutes.  (just in case you didn't know, broil is only using the top burner in the oven, and it gets pretty hot.  Sometimes you'll broil bread and butter so the top is crispy and the bottom is soft. dont eat bread.)  keep it in for 10 minutes. stir. and keep them in for another minute or so.

Bison Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients: Serves 4. preheat oven 350.
The Paleo Diet Cookbook

4 Bell Peppers (make sure when you buy them that they can stand on their own)
1 Tbs. olive oil
1lb bison
1 egg
1scallion diced
garlic powder to taste (I used 2 small, fresh cloves)
cayenne pepper to taste (I used 1/4 tsp.)

Preheat oven. cut the tops off the peppers and remove seeds.  Rub the outer surface with oil. Instead of measuring, i just poured about 1tsp in my hand and rubbed. Get a baking dish, add some olive oil to the bottom of it, put the peppers in the dish and set aside.

In a bowl combine ground bison and egg. You can use your hands but I just used a spoon.  Add the Diced scallions, pepper, and garlic.  Keep mixing till it's all even looking.  Stuff your peppers (great for kids to do!)

 You might have already realized this before stuffing the pepper, but your baking dish is going to be slippery when you put the pepers in.  It was quite a challenge to get my peppers to stand on end when full, so I had to put two small shot glasses to help hold them up.  This is what took me the longest to accomplish!  So now you have your baking dish, peppers bison spout up, and now cover ( I covered with foil).   Bake for 1 hour. let sit for 5 minutes.

OK. 1/4 tsp. of cayenne pepper was perfect. 2 tiny cloves of garlic or 1 big clove was perfect!  How can you add an ingredient to taste when the product is RAW? gross.  I'm glad my guesses worked out.  But before I get ahead of myself, I did do a couple things wrong. I'm all cavewoman, so I wanted more meat in my pepper!  I stuffed 1/2 pound in 1 pepper and 1/2 pound in another pepper (I didn't stuff 4 peppers like the recipe said).  The bison was very rare and more like luke warm. Which is ok for some people.  But we put ours back in the micrwave to a more medium cook.  I think if I would have put 1/4 pound in a pepper, it would have been fine. Oh, and when it's all done and you put it on your plate, juice might go everywhere.

Pumpkin Nut Muffins

Ingredients: preheat oven 400 degrees, makes 12 muffins
1/2 C. coconut flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. pureed pumpkin
6 Eggs, beaten
4 Tbs. coconut oil OR gently melted unsalted butter
1/3 C. pure maple syrup or honey (Grade B or less)
1 tsp. real Vanilla extract
some pecans
12 aluminum muffin liners

Holy Cow! Where was this recipe when I had my last 45 day, no cheating, paleo challenge!? Now that I'm preparing for a lifetime of paleo, I'm extremely excited that I have The Primal Blueprint Cookbook to give me amazingly healthy, delicious recipes like this. GO TRY IT RIGHT NOW.  If you don't have coconut flour, go buy it, and you can also make a pancake recipe that I'll post soon.

Grease a muffin pan very well, or you can prevent the mess by getting aluminum muffin liners. 1st, combine all the dry ingredients in one bowl #1; blend, stir well, and set aside.  Get bowl #2 and add the pumpkin puree. One by one add the eggs and mix well.  Add the oil/butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.  Mix well. Add the dry ingredients from bowl #1 and whisk until you don't see any lumps. You can add chopped nuts if you want. I added mine on top.  Use a spoon to fill in muffin pan or liners 3/4 full.  They will rise a little bit.  Bake 18-20 minutes.  I kept mine inside for 20 minutes.  You can get a toothpick to poke through the muffin; if it comes out "clean" then they are ready to come out.  I prefer the muffins warm, but they are yummi warm or room temp.  The muffins stuck to the liners just a little bit. It wasn't big problem, though.