Bacon Wrapped Dates

This is a repost of a recipe I posted at Thanksgiving, my computer was having problems and the post is all jumbled.  You can still find it but some of it is not readable.

Bacon Wrapped Dates

This is a very simple and easy recipe but mmmm...so yummy! 

Ingredients:

fresh dates

Bacon slices

toothpicks

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  You may slice your bacon into thirds or in half and then wrap each date with a piece of bacon.  Secure each with a toothpick so the bacon stays wrapped, place in a glass baking dish, keep repeating this step until you have the desired amount of appetizers.  Be sure not to over crowd them in the pan so the can bake well and get crispy.  When your pan is "full" place the pan in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes depending on your oven.  Be sure to check them frequently near the end and turn them at least once about half way through. They are done when the bacon is browned and looks crispy. Remove and cool slightly and then enjoy!

Smoked Paprika Chicken and Asian Broccoli Slaw

The other night we tried some new recipes from my new favorite cookbook, The Food Lovers Make it Paleo, both recipes were well liked.  If you don't have a copy of their cookbook I highly suggest getting one, it is a huge cookbook with over 200 recipes, and so far we have enjoyed everything I have tried out of it.  As usual I always make some minor tweaks to adjust it to either what I  have or what we like better.  The Asian Broccoli Slaw is out of their book so I can't post the recipe here, but I will share with you the changes I made to their recipe (it's on page 272 in their cookbook). 

For the Asian Broccoli Slaw I used 1/2 head of red cabbage and 1/2 a bag of broccoli florets from Costco (about1 1/2 pounds).  I added more sesame oil, more coconut aminos and more green onions than they call for and we added sliced almonds to finish it off.  It was very delicious and kept well.   It makes quite a bit which is nice and  since the leftovers keep well, you can have it handy for lunches etc.  Add some grilled chicken and you have a full lunch in a matter of minutes.

 Veggies for the Slaw.

 Asian Broccoli Slaw done and ready to eat.

Leftover Broccoli Slaw the next day, had it with lunch.

 Smoked Paprika Chicken Thighs, can be found on page 194 of their cookbook and also on their blog: http://www.primal-palate.com/2011/03/smoked-paprika-chicken-thighs.html

This recipe kind of reminds me of my childhood days when my mom would make Shake-n-bake chicken thighs.  A very warm, homey, subtle flavor which would be great paired with sweet potatoes. Another great winter food.

Kelp Noodles

Here is another helpful option for Paleo eating, you can find them both at Eureka Natural Foods or Northcoast Co-Op and they run about $3.50 per package.  No cooking required, you eat them as is, just be sure to rinse them well first.  Great for salads or we love to eat them with the meat from PORK ASIAN LETTUCE WRAPS  (or sometimes I substitute chicken for the pork).  Instead of wrapping the meat we eat it in bowls with shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, Asian Pork and Kelp noodles, sometimes we top it with FAUX THAI PEANUT SAUCE.  

They are not soft like wheat noodles but have a crunch to them, providing a nice texture. 

Guest Recipes from Susan!

Happy Birthday Susan!!

Susan, has emailed me a couple of her favorite recipes and I have been saving them for today!  

I thought her Birthday would be the perfect day to share them with you all!

Susan's Heirloom Tomato Salad

Another quick yum yummy recipe. 

My own.. sorta made it up because I LOVE heirloom tomatoes.

3-4 heirloom tomatoes ( try for 4 different colors too)
Half red onion
fresh basil leaves ( small hand full)
olive oil
sea salt ( the really course pink seas salt is wonderful , Co-Op bulk section little goes a long way super nutritious too)
very course ground black or multi colored pepper corns ( I have a mill)
then you can go one of two ways.. you can use a dash of Cabernet, or balsamic vinegar...
optional - feta.. I use just a dash of feta it just adds the right amount of flavor variety to it all.

Slice tomatoes 1/4 inch thick.. lay in a pie place or flat pan.. , slice red onion in very thin rounds , tear basil in med sized pieces, arrange over tomato slices. drizzle with olive oil liberally, top with salt, pepper, and balsamic/wine.. and of course feta if you want. I sort of toss it all after I have it put together, then straighten it out to make it look pretty, and allow it to sit out while you make rest of your dinner.. it is very delicious. 

Note * I didn't have heirloom tomatoes, but had  a bunch of homegrown tomatoes, so I used those for the pictures, I also did not have the coarse ground pepper, but I think you all get the idea :-)

Her second recipe is for a making a mocha, you can use either decaf or regular, depending on your preference.  The first recipe is Susan's and the second is my adapted version of her idea.

Susan's Mocha Yuminess!

So for the Mocha Java people out there. I took a whole can of coconut milk, added 2 heaping tbsp of raw unsweetened cocoa powder and 2 packets of Stevia and blended it. Then poured into a jar and put it in the fridge .. basically chocolate mousse right? Well, instead of eating it like a desert, I make my decaf coffee in the morning in my french press then stir in a heaping spoonful of my chocolate mousse. instant mocha. It's like a rich dark chocolate Mocha add as little or much as you need. 

Chocolate mouse ready to put in your coffee.

 So...my variation on it is this, I melted 1 whole Lindt dark chocolate bar with coconut milk, combined it well, then chilled into mouse and added by the spoonful to  coffee.  Same idea just without the Stevia.  Or maybe substitute a little maple syrup for the stevia in her recipe.
  Enjoy.

Paleo Deviled Eggs

 Today my 4 year old and I whipped up a batch of fresh homemade Paleo Mayonnaise to use in our deviled eggs.  There are so many different variations on deviled eggs, from gourmet to traditional, and many of them sound delicious!  My family usually prefers the traditional take on deviled eggs so we stuck to a simple recipe.  Feel free to substitute the above Paleo mayonaise recipe in your favorite deviled egg recipe.  Here is what we did today.

Deviled Eggs

6 hard boiled eggs

1/4 cup homemade mayonnaise

1 tsp prepared yellow mustard

1/2 tsp salt 

dash of pepper

Peel your eggs and slice in half lengthwise, then scoop or dump the yolks out into a small bowl.  Add your other ingredients to the bowl and mash well with a fork, this was my 4 year old's favorite part!  Then scoop out the egg mixture and fill a small Ziploc bag, squeeze out the air and zip the bag shut and cut off the very bottom corner or tip of the bag.  Then squeeze the contents to fill each egg.  My little helper really enjoyed that part too!  Sprinkle with a dash of paprika (we used smoked paprika for a different twist today).  Serve and enjoy!

Sauerkraut and Apple Pork Roast

 Sauerkraut and Apple Pork Roast

Tonight I decided to try something different, I bought some sauerkraut a while ago with the intentions of making this but never got around to it until today.  I was a little hesitant as I am not a sauerkraut lover and neither are the kids, but took the plunge and decided it was time to venture out and try something different.  And it was awesome, it ended up being a favorite!  So... that said here is the recipe (keep in mind this can easily be scaled down for smaller serving sizes):

3 Pork Sirloin Roast (each were about 2 pounds)

2 (32 ounce) jars of Sauerkraut

3 large apples, sliced

1/2 TBSP salt sprinkled directly on the roasts

1/4-1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 cups of spiced apple Cider Brew (or more if needed to baste during roasting)

Olive oil for browning the roasts

Start by rinsing your meat and then patting dry with paper towels.  Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.  Then heat a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet and brown each of your roasts for 3 minutes on each side over medium-high heat (or until nicely browned).  Since I did 3 roasts, I found it easier to brown one at a time.  Then remove from the skillet and place in a large roasting pan.  Sprinkle the salt and pepper on each of the roasts. Then take your sauerkraut and pour it out into a strainer, rinse with water and allow to drain well.  While the sauerkraut is draining take your apples and core and slice them.  Then sprinkle the sauerkraut over the roasts and fill in the pan around the roasts.  Sprinkle the apple slices over the top of that and then pour your Spiced Apple Cider on over that.  Place in the oven and bake for 2 hours, or less depending on your oven.  I basted my roasts part way through with a bit more Cider, probably about 1/2 cup.  The roasts came out wonderfully tender and moist, and the apples were done perfectly.  Allow the roast to rest for 10-15 minutes, slice and serve.

 Pork Roast browning in the pan.

 Apples and sauerkraut ready to be used.

 My apples sliced and ready to go.

 Sauerkraut rinsed and draining.

 The roasts, sauerkraut and apples in the roasting pan ready to go in the oven.

 The yummy Spiced Apple Brew I used, it has ginger in it and other spices, so it gives great flavor, it won't taste the same if you use something different (it does contain some fructose(NOT high fructose corn syrup!), but that didn't concern me because of what I was using it for, now if you were to drink it straight....that's another story!).

 Pork Roast coming out of the oven.

 The Roast sliced and ready to be served.

My dinner tonight, Oven roasted asparagus, Oven roasted Broccoli, Cheddar/Yellow Cauliflower (which was VERY yummy!) and my Sauerkraut and Apple Pork Roast.

Roasted Asparagus

This is one of our stand byes on a busy night.  Really easy and tasty.

I use a whole Costco package of Asparagus spears, remove the woody ends, place them on a jelly roll pan.  Pour 2 TBSP of olive oil over sprinkle with sea salt and mix it up well so they are all covered in the oil.  Bake at 420 degrees stirring and checking after 10 minutes for desired doneness.

Roasted Broccoli

Same idea as the Asparagus only it uses a bit more oil, I did about 2/3 of a Costco package of Broccoli tonight and used about 5-6 TBSP of Olive oil and sprinkled lightly with sea salt, stirring to coat completely.  Put it in the oven at 420 checking and stirring after 10 minutes, cooking to desired  doneness

Cheddar/Yellow Cauliflower

I just steamed it, by placing it in a Pyrex bowl with a little water and the lid.  Then microwaved, stirring occasionally until done.  

Enjoy!

In Honor of Good Friday

 I made fried eggs, bacon and sweet potato hash browns for breakfast.  It was the first time I have ever made Sweet potato hash browns, and I wonder what took me so long to think of it?!  They were supper easy and super tasting!   It would also make a great post-WOD snack.

SWEET POTATO HASH BROWNS

2 Large Sweet potatoes, shredded ( should equal about

4-5 cups shredded) 

3 TBSP coconut oil (or a combination of coconut oil and macadamia nut oil)

Salt & Pepper to taste Or Cinnamon and Salt to taste

In a food processor, shred the sweet potatoes with the grating attachment.  Then in a med-large skillet melt or heat your oil on med-high heat till hot.  Add your potatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir to coat with the oil.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook a couple of minutes at a time before flipping them.  Do that until they are done to your liking.  We like ours caramelized and almost burnt in places.  It's all up to your liking as far as how long to cook them.  Enjoy!  It took under 10 minutes from start to finish to make these and we loved them, hope you do too.

 

 Shredded Sweet Potatoes cooking in the pan.

Sweet Potatoes, after they are done waiting to be dished up.

Plated sweet potatoes with my eggs for breakfast, tasty!

Another take on Cauliflower Fried Rice...

Last night I made another version of "Fried Rice" and as usual it was delicious!  I used yellow onion because I was out of green onion and added some Five Spice.  I love Five Spice, so I think it added a great flavor, I think I will keep both ways in my recipe book depending on the dish it is being served with and/or my mood.  Give it a try, I would start with about 1/4 tsp of the Five Spice, taste it, and go from there.

My camera and my computer are at odds this week and will not let me upload the photos I have.  So if I can't figure it out soon and get them to play nice together I will just post the recipes without the pictures, it's just not as much fun when you can't see the finished product.

Kale Chips

I just remade my Kale chips, this time with olive oil instead of coconut oil (although cooking with Olive Oil is not recommended as it increases the Omega 6 level), it sure tastes better.  And I tried making them with Lacinato Kale instead and it was great, in fact, I like it better.  Give it a try if you haven't already, and as I mention in the recipe go easy on the sea salt, it's easy to over do it.

http://budgetpaleo.blogspot.com/2011/03/kale-chips.html

oh, and I baked this batch at 400 degrees, it seemed to work well for the Lacinato but not for the curly leaf.

Chinese Chicken Salad

 This is a bit time consuming, but worth the effort!  It is soooo good!

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 cups of chicken broth
1 1/2-2 tsp horseradish
1 tsp. hot mustard powder
2 TBSP Sesame Oil
2 TBSP sesame seeds, toasted
1/3 to 1 head (depending on the size of yours) iceberg lettuce, shredded
1/2 cup roasted almonds, finely chopped,( I roast mine with a little coconut oil in a skillet, stove top)


Boil the chicken breast in broth until the chicken is done, about 15-20 minutes.  Remove the chicken from the broth and set aside. Reduce your broth down to 1/3 cup over med-high heat (you can just let it boil away if you'd like).   While that is happening, shred your chicken into small bite size pieces and set aside.  When your broth has reached 1/3 cup remove from heat and  add the horseradish, hot mustard powder, sesame oil, and sesame seeds, mixing well.  Allow it to cool slightly, and just before serving combine the lettuce, chicken, dressing and nuts.  I find it usually needs a little shake of sea salt to finish it off. ,mix, serve and enjoy!  Delicious alternative to traditional  Chinese Chicken Salad.

Thai Faux "Peanut Sauce"

 
In a small bowl combine the following:

1/4 cup creamy almond butter

1/4 cup Sunflower Seed butter (make sure it's the kind that is not sweetened)

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup coconut Aminos

2 TBSP Fresh Ginger Minced

3 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press

1 heaping tsp of curry powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Use as a sauce for whatever you like.  

We used it on Oriental Lemon Chicken and Mahi Mahi wraps, recipes for both will be coming in the next few days.  Very flavorful and delicious!

Kale Chips

Kale is the most nutrient dense vegetable you can eat, so any way you can add it to your diet is beneficial.  This way is not only beneficial but fun too!

1 large bunch of curly leaf Kale

1 1/2 TBSP Coconut Oil Melted

sea salt to taste

Curly leaf Kale

Start by tearing your kale off the stalks into about 2 inch pieces until you have about 4 cups.  Placing them in a salad spinner, wash them thoroughly and dry well.  Then place them in a large freezer size ziploc bag, melt 1 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil and pour over the kale.  Zip your bag shut and shake well to coat, dump your kale out onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt ( be careful not to over salt them!), go easy with the salt.  

Kale with oil and salt ready to bake.

Stir, spread out evenly and bake at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes watching closely near the end.  Cool and enjoy.

Italian Summer Squash

4-5 very large yellow summer squash, cut into strips ( I cut them in half and then into strips because they were so large)

2 yellow onions thinly sliced (or any onion of your choice)

2 tsp minced garlic

1 1/2 tsp basil

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 bay leaves

olive oil

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook unti tender.  Then add the tomatoes, , squash and remaining ingredients and simmer covered over low heat until squash is done to your liking.  Stir occasionally while it is cooking and don't forget to remove the bay leaves before serving.

Spanish Cauliflower Rice

This is my version of traditional Spanish Rice with a twist, it's not rice!  It's actually cauliflower, and  it is so good, you won't believe you are eating cauliflower!

2 heads of cauliflower, just florets removed and pulsed in food processor till size of rice,  (save the stalks for making soup or broth later).

3 TBSP bacon grease

1 onion chopped

2 cloves of Garlic chopped

1/2 a small green pepper, chopped, (I was out so I subbed 1 mini red and 1 mini yellow pepper and it was great!)

1 (10 ounce) can Mexican Recipe Stewed tomatoes (I chopped my tomatoes smaller)

1 teaspoon Hot Mexican Style Chili Powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Heat your bacon grease in a heavy skillet, I always use my cast iron 10" pan.  Add the onion, peppers and garlic and saute for a few minutes till onions are soft.  

Then add your riced cauliflower and fry over high heat for a couple of minutes.  Stir in your canned Mexican tomatoes and continue to cook for a couple more minutes over high heat until the liquid has evaporated, stirring only occasionally.

And your done, serve it up and enjoy.  

A great quick, easy, tasty side dish. 

Try adding a protein to it for a complete meal.   It is a very forgiving recipe, so you could try adding some Jalapeno, cilantro, whatever sounds good to you.  I like it just like this, mildly spicy, if you want it more bland try substituting regular chili powder for the hot chili powder.  

Enjoy!

FRIED CAULIFLOWER RICE

 This makes family size servings, to make less just 1/2 the recipe.  If I were you I would make the whole recipe, you  will want the left overs.

2 heads of cauliflower

5-6 green onions, sliced

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

1 TBSP minced garlic

1 tsp grated ginger (or more if you want a stronger ginger flavor)

1 cup of diced carrots (as close to the same size as possible)

2 eggs, scrambled

6 TBSP Coconut Amino's

3 TBSP Coconut Oil

Begin by removing just the flowerets from your cauliflower, not the stems (you can save the other parts to make soup later if you would like).  Place them in a food processor a little at a time and pulse till about the size of rice.  

Place in a casserole dish covered with a lid or with plastic wrap and microwave 3-6 minutes (my microwave is weak so it took 6 minutes).  During that time take your onion, green onion, garlic and carrots and saute in about 3 TBSP Coconut oil, just a few minutes, till the onions are getting translucent.  Add your "Rice" and "stir Fry" for a few minutes, adding your coconut amino's and a good dose of salt and pepper to flavor. 

I like mine a little brown and crispy, it's all up to what you want.  If your eggs are prescrambled then just add them to the pan and mix in, if not plate your "Fried Rice" and scramble your eggs in the same pan and mix in. 

Top with a little sesame oil and/or sesame seeds if desired and enjoy!   Serve with your choice for protein, shrimp, beef, chicken, fish, take your choice.  I ate mine with some beef that had been marinated in, coconut Amino's, garlic, salt and pepper, fried in the same pan as the Fried Cauli Rice.  Plated with the rice and eaten mixed together was pure deliciousness!

PIco de Gallo

PICO DE GALLO

6 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, minced (use a little less if you are going to use the green onions too)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro ( I like a lot of cilantro, you may want to start out with 1/4 cup and go up)
1/2-1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (1/2 a jalapeno will make a really mild salsa)
1/2 lime juiced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
dash of cumin
2 green onions, diced, I personally love the flavor the green onion lends (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Stir the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper together in a bowl.  Refrigerate for a couple hours before serving.  Makes about 12 servings (or less if you are me!)  I love this stuff, so fresh and tasty!  Serve with your lettuce wrap tacos, meat, Carne Asada Wraps etc.

Fresh veggie deliciousness!  Enjoy!

Guacamole

3 very large ripe avocados- peeled, pitted and mashed (I found a bag of 5 on sale at Costco this week for $3.99)

juice of 1 lime

1/2-3/4 tsp sea salt (to taste)

1/4 cup  diced red onion (or 1/2 of a small red onion, diced)

3 packed tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro

2 Roma/plum tomatoes, diced (or I used one large tomato, because I was out of Romas)

1 garlic clove minced (about 1 tsp)

1 pinch of cayenne (or leave this out if you don't want your guacamole to have some kick)

In a medium size bowl combine you avocados, lime juice and salt.  Then mix in the onion, cilantro,tomatoes, minced garlic, and cayenne.  Add the pits back to the guacamole to keep from browning, cover tightly and refrigerate for about an hour to let the flavors mingle.  Remove from the refrigerator and serve!  

This was so delicious and totally hit the spot!

Salsa Verde

Homemade salsa is a great way to save money and have a ready go to for salads or meat toppers.

14-20 tomatillos peeled, rinsed , stemmed and quartered

3 large white onions peeled and quartered

10 ( or more if you like) whole garlic cloves

5 cored and halved jalapenos

season liberally with garlic powder, cumin, sea salt, turmeric, chili powder

Place all ingredients in a crock pot on hi for approx. 2 hours

remove from crock pot and put in blender, blend on lo until there are no more chunks.

peel and finely dice one more onion and one bunch of cilantro. Combine all ingredients to a large storage container or serving bowl.

Add 1 ounce of vinegar and further season or salt to taste. Allow to cool completely and will be best if left overnight, covered in the fridge. Enjoy and let me know how it turns out!

Instead of vinegar try juice of a lime! Apple cider vinegar is a good choice because its not a distilled grain vinegar. The tomatillos will make this salsa a bit sweeter than a red salsa but so yummy!

STUFFED SQUASH BAKE

This is one of those really quick and easy things that you can make ahead and just reheat in the microwave for a few minutes when you are ready to eat them.  Great post workout too (especially if you use ground turkey!).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Brown some ground beef (amount depends on how many you are making and the size of your acorn squash), with some finely chopped onion,sea salt and pepper until done. While the meat is browning cut the top off of your acorn squash, and scoop out the seeds and "guts", sometimes it is necessary to cut the bottom a little so it will sit flat in the pan.  Just be careful not to cut off to much of the bottom or you will make a hole in it and your contents will leak out.  When your ground beef is done spoon it into each acorn squash filling to the top.  Then pour in about 1/2 inch of water and  lay a peice of foil over the top loosely, not wrapped around, just resting on the top.  And bake for 1 hour or until done, I had so many in my pan it took longer, about 1 1/2 hours instead.  Make sure you cook it long enough that it is good and soft and browned on the peel.  It will give it a better tasting, full, roasted flavor. I have tried using other spices but I always come back to good old salt and pepper, sometimes a bit of chipotle seasoning.  Nice to have around for a quick breakfast, lunch, dinner or post WOD nutrition.  Use grass fed ground beef or ground turkey.  

Just reheated one of these for a quick dinner, and poured some El Pato on it, yummy!  Give it a try if you like spicy.