Sunday, November 24, 2013

Paleo Crock Pot Fajitas



  • 1- 3lb (more or less is fine) chuck roast or any beef roast of your preference
  •  4-8 oz Green chilies (use a smaller can if the roast is less then 3 pounds and use the larger can if the roast is 3 pounds or larger.  You can use the larger can if you like it spicy for any size roast) Optional- 1 diced jalapeno or 2 Serrano peppers diced.  If using fresh peppers, soak diced peppers in 4 Tbsp water for about and hour
  • 1 orange bell pepper and 1 yellow bell pepper sliced into strips
  • I yellow or white onion sliced into rings and then cut the rings in half
  • 3 tablespoons chili powder
  • 3 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • Juice of 1 lime
Spray a crock pot well with cooking spray
Add roast
Place the peppers and onions around the outside of the roast
Pour chilies or the fresh peppers and water over the roast
Mix all dry seasonings in a bowl and using fingers sprinkle all over the roast
Cook on low for 6 hours (time will depend greatly on the size of the roast)
Drain the crock pot into a colander with a large bowl under the colander to collect the broth
Shred the beef or cut into very small pieces
Spray the crock pot again, add the meat, veggies and about 1/2 cup of the broth
Stir well and cook until only a little pink remains (or your preference of doneness) and the vegetables are tender crisp

Serve alone or over a salad
If you do not follow Paleo and just want to eat healthier meals, serve in a wrap, over rice or on a  potato

Serve with a slotted spoon to drain off any excess liquid if you are serving on a wrap, if using over rice or a potato include a little of the broth.

Optional Garnish- Avocado, Guacamole, Salsa, (Greek Yogurt is good if you do not follow Paelo)

Paleo Taco Egg Pie





You can use half of the meat mixture from the Paleo Taco Pie recipe and have 2 dinners from 1 recipe or prepare the meat recipe below:

1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground lean beef or turkey
1/2 yellow or white onion diced
1/2 yellow or orange bell pepper diced
1/2 cup Medium Salsa (if store bought we find On the Border to have the least ingredients) or you can use homemade
10 eggs (unless you are using meat that was previously prepared following the recipe for Paleo Taco Pie, then only use 8 eggs)
All of the spices can be adjusted to your preference:
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Cumin (this is a strong spice, so you can use less if you prefer)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Optional- Vegan Cheddar Cheese, 2% cheddar cheese
Cooking spray or oil

Preheat oven to 400
Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and brown meat with onion and peppers, drain and return to the skillet
Add all spices and salsa and simmer on medium for about 5 minutes
Spray a pie pan well with cooking spray or oil
In a large bowl mix the eggs and meat mixture well
Pour into a pie pan and bake for 25 minutes, check the center to see if it is fully set, if not cook additional 5-10 minutes and check center again


Paleo Taco Pie




 
 
Ingredients for the filling:
2 pound ground lean beef or turkey
1 yellow or white onion diced
1 yellow or orange bell pepper diced
3/4 cup Medium Salsa (if store bought we find On the Border to have the least ingredients) or you can use homemade
3 eggs
All of the spices can be adjusted to your preference
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
2 Tsp Cumin (this is a strong spice, so you can use less if you prefer)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Optional- Vegan Cheddar Cheese, 2% cheddar cheese
For garnish- All of these or any combination: avocado slices, homemade guacamole, salsa, black olives, diced tomatoes
 
Directions:
Spray a large skillet with sunflower spray or grease with
 coconut oil or grape seed oil
On medium heat, brown the meat with the onion and pepper, drain and return to the skillet
Add salsa and all spices, stir well and simmer on medium low for a few minutes
Remove from heat and let the skillet and meat cool for about 5 minutes
Add egg and stir well
 
This will make two pies, at this point you can divide the meat and put half of it up for the next days meal or proceed to make two pies.  I divide it, put half of it up and for the second day I make an Egg Casserole (pie, quiche whatever you want to call it).  I do not advice making the second pie crust unless you are going to need to pies for that meal.  The crust is much better the day it is made, however, we still eat the leftovers, the crust just gets a little soggy in the fridge.
 
For 1 pie crust follow the Coconut Flour Pizza Crust Recipe:
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
3 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
 
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375
Mix well so that all the clumps are gone
Spray a pie pan well with cooking spray or oil of choice
Pour dough into the pie pan and evenly press it down around the pan and up the sides
Bake for 20 minutes
 
Remove from oven and pour meat mixture onto the crust
Spread meat our evenly
Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through
Add cheese and bake until cheese is melted about 5 minutes
Tip- if you prep like I do on the weekends and the meat mixture is already made ahead of time, set the meat out about 1/2 hour before using to reduce cooking time so the crust does not burn.  I set the container that the meat is in on the stove while the crust is baking since the surface of the stove gets a little warm.  You may have to cook on 400 for 15-20 minutes if the meat is cold.
 
 

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Paleo Crock Pot Warm Bacon Ranch, Broccoli and Chicken Casserole






  • 7-8 Chicken Tenderloins or 3-4 Boneless Chicken Breast (chopped or you can chop after they cook for about 2-3 hours if they are frozen)
  • 1 head of broccoli chopped or 1 small - medium size bag frozen broccoli
  • 6-8 strips of bacon, I use Turkey and Low sodium (if using pork bacon you may want to cook for a couple of minutes in the microwave and add later as it will be too chewy and fatty, turkey bacon does not crisp in the crock pot but it is not fatty and chewy either)
  • 1-2 bell peppers of choice finely chopped
  • 1/4 red onion finely chopped
  • 3 Roma tomatoes diced and drained well (any type will work, just drain the excess juice)
  • pepper
  • cooking spray

Spray the crockpot and cook all the above ingredients except tomatoes on low for about 5 hours
Add chopped tomatoes
Add pepper
Stir well
Cook for about another 2 hours (you can also cook this on high to reduce cooking time)
Using Caution, drain all contents into a colander.  You must empty the crockpot to get rid of all liquid.  You can not skip this step or you will have way too much liquid. 
Return the casserole back into the crockpot

When the vegetables are done (I like my tender crisp) and the chicken is done- add a cup of Light Ranch Dressing or more to your taste, stir and cook until it is heated through, maybe 10 minutes.  You will probably want more Ranch or you can add more when you dish it out.   (If you are using prepared Ranch, add a several dashes of minced onion and minced garlic when you add the tomatoes)

Paleo Ranch Dressing-
All Paleo Ranch Dressings I have tried involve exact science or it turns out clumpy or runny.  So I decided to make more of a ranch sauce.  Do not make this until right before you serve the meal.  It only take a few minutes to prepare.

  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (use this one to avoid coconut flavor)
  • 2 Tbsp Arrowroot Powder, add slowly and stir constantly
  • 2 tsp(s) Dry Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning ( I have tried avoiding this due to the additives, but I have not gotten it just right without it) (onion powder, garlic powder, dried onion, dried garlic, parsley and pepper should get the Ranch flavor if you want to avoid using prepared seasoning, but I have not perfected it yet)
  • Several dashes of parsley, pepper, dried minced onion, dried minced garlic, garlic powder and onion powder
On low heat stir coconut milk slowly, it will start to separate, keep stirring, add arrowroot powder slowly, and continue to stir 
Add seasonings, stir, adjust seasonings as needed, it will thicken up, just keep stirring on low heat.

Pour into the crockpot, stir well and serve.

Hot sauce in combination with the dressing or the sauce is great too.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Paleo Almond Butter Banana Ice Cream ( I add a little flaxseed)



1-2 bananas peeled and chopped
1 scoop big or small of crunchy almond butter, creamy will work too or any nut butter you prefer
1 tsp-tbsp milled flaxseed
Tip- depending on the quality of your blender or food processor, you may need to add a few drips of almond or coconut milk, you can certainly add more and make it a shake

Obviously, the add ins are limitless, Raw honey would be good too

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Paleo Spicy Sauteed Shrimp (Easy, Fast and Delicious)

 
The first time you make this you may want to omit crushed red pepper.  This is a very spicy recipe, but you can scale back the amount of sriracha sauce or crushed red pepper.  If you do not follow Paleo, it is great dipped in Blue Cheese or Ranch dressing.
 
30-50 Count Medium Deveined, Peeled, Tail on Shrimp
1 Tbsp coconut, grape seed or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Organic unsalted butter
A Few dashes each of garlic powder, minced dried garlic, minced dried onion, pepper and onion powder
Optional- A couple dashes crushed red pepper
4-5 squirts of Sriracha
 
If shrimp is frozen, place in a colander and run under warm water for a minute or two
In a large skillet heat oil and butter over medium heat
Lower heat to Medium Low, I set my heat to 4
Add shrimp and spread out in a single layer
Add all dry seasonings
Stir well, cover skillet and cook for about 5 minutes
Add sauce and stir again, cover, lower heat to low ( I set my heat to 3) and cook for about 5 more minutes
When all shrimp is opaque it is done so adjust time accordingly