Paleo Chunky Peanut Butter Cups (adapted from several pins on Pinterest, not listing due to so many variations)

Yields about 6-8 depending on size and thickness of cups

1 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips
1 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil

Melt in a small bowl in the microwave (about 1 1/2 minutes on power 6)
Check and stir at 1 minute

1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, almonds or pecans (I love walnuts in this recipe)
Optional- 1/2 scoop paleo chocolate protein or 2 tbsp. PB2

Melt the almond butter and stir in the nuts and powder if using

Cupcake tins and liners

Pour a thin layer of chocolate in the bottom of the cupcake liners
Freeze for about 10 minutes
Cover entire tops of frozen chocolate with butter mixture
Freeze for about 10 minutes
Cover completely in remaining chocolate, re-heat if needed
Freeze for about 15 minutes
Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator

Paleo Grilled Avocado, Goat Cheese, Garlic and Herb Stuffed Chicken

If you do not allow goat cheese on occasion, just omit but add a few dashes of garlic powder, oregano and basil to the mashed avocado

4-6 Chicken Breast pounded with a mallet to about 1/4 inch thickness
1 avocado mashed
1/4 cup goat cheese, more is fine (I like to use one with garlic and herbs or tomato and basil)
a few dashes of pepper
Oil of choice
1 Tbsp minced garlic
onion powder

Mix avocado, cheese, garlic and a few dashes of pepper (add garlic powder, oregano and basil if you are using plain goat cheese or not using any at all)

Spread mix evenly over chicken breast, do not go all the way to the edges, roll up or fold over and hold together with short bamboo sticks or toothpicks, drizzle oil over breast and season with pepper and onion powder

Heat grill to high, reduce to low, line a metal pan with foil, spray with cooking spray of choice, carefully place chicken in the pan
Try to spread out the chicken so it is not touching and it will cook faster.

I use an older pan for the grill, but if you are using a newer metal pan, line the outside of the pan with foil to keep it looking pretty

Cook for 20-30 minutes, there is no need to turn the chicken, you may need to rotate the pan if the grill is not cooking evenly
Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken, check at about 15 minutes and judge additional cooking time at about 5-10 minutes

Taste great with a simple cucumber, tomato and onion salad with apple cider vinegar, grape seed oil, a little Sugar in the Raw, pepper and onion powder.  This is also great with your left over goat cheese.

Feta, Kale, Mushroom and Garlic Stuffed Flank Steak

2 cups fresh or frozen kale (thaw the kale and drain well)
3 garlic cloves minced
2 cups mushrooms
pepper to taste
cooking red wine
3 Tbsp grape seed oil or oil of choice (1-2 Tbsp in the kale, mushroom mix, 2 Tbsp marinade)
1 cup tomato basil feta
2 lbs. flank steak (in a zip lock bag, pound with a mallet to about 1/4 inch thick)
1 Tbsp unsalted organic butter
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp pepper

Marinate the steak in a ziplock bag with the red wine, pepper, garlic and oil for at least 4 hours

Heat the butter in a skillet over high heat and reduce to medium heat, Sautee kale and mushrooms for a few minutes until the mushrooms are tender.  Drain well if needed

Pour the sauté mix into a food processor and add the oil.  Blend until the texture is like a spread but not runny.  Pour into a bowl, add oregano and basil and stir well

Spread the mix over the flank steak, cover in feta cheese, and carefully roll up tight and hold together with kitchen twine or bamboo sticks.  Apply the twine in at least 3 places or use 3-4 bamboo sticks and make sure you poke the sticks all the way through the roll (you may need someone to help you hold the roll together as your apply the twine or bamboo sticks)

Heat the grill on high heat, clean the grill and spray well with cooking spray or brush olive oil on the grates, reduce heat to low ( if you are worried about the stuffing leaking out and making a mess, cook the roll over sprayed foil)

Grill the steak roll for 20-30 minutes, carefully turn every 5 minutes (cooking time will depend on the thickness of the roll and your desired doneness of the flank steak)

Flank will dry out quickly if over cooked, so check on it every 5 minutes.

Slice into circles

Paleo Protein Pancakes

Makes 4 medium size pancakes

• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1 scoop Paleo vanilla or vanilla almond powder
• Optional- Not Paleo but good, 1 Tbsp PB2 (powdered peanut butter)
• This is an odd amount but it works best, just a little less than 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk, a little more than 3/4 cup and a little less than 1 cup
• 3 eggs
• 1 Tbsp Agave syrup or 100% pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

100% maple syrup, sliced banana, sliced strawberries, walnuts , pecans or melted nut butter for topping

Combine all ingredients and mix well, let sit for a few minutes, this will help them rise better

Heat a large skillet and melt 1 Tbsp organic unsalted butter over high heat

Reduce heat to about a 4 out of 1-10 heat settings

It works best to do 1 at a time unless it is a large skillet then cook 2 at a time.   If you overcrowd the pancakes, they will be hard to flip.

Cook each one until lightly bubbling and you can flip the pancake without them falling apart, they will start to puff up, about 4-5 minutes.  You may find it helpful to use 2 spatulas to flip the pancakes.  Use one spatula to scoop up the pancake and use the other spatula to help push the pancake onto the spatula.  Test the time on the first pancake as not to burn the first side, that is why it is important to cook on low.

Cook on the other side for about 2 minutes or until cooked through.

Add more butter or spray olive oil if needed

Paleo Cabbage, Kale, Chicken and Everything in your Fridge Stew

The beauty of this recipe is you can add whatever veggies, broth or meat you have on hand or need to use up

1/4 - 1/2 head of cabbage chopped
2 cups kale leaves chopped
1/4 red onion diced chopped
6 chicken tenderloins or 2 chicken breast
2 cups or more fresh or frozen carrots, peas, green beans (green beans and peas are debatable, I think they are healthy for you and my kids eat them, so I don't completely cut them out)
Optional- for a low fat meal but not Paleo- 2-3 diced potatoes with skin for the nutrients (you could use a sweet potato or add more cabbage)
Optional- Cooked chopped Bacon for garnish
1 carton Organic low sodium chicken or vegetable broth to cover all of the ingredients

All of the seasonings are adjustable from here:
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme

If the final product is too mild, serve with hot sauce or add more pepper

Instructions:
On medium heat cook the chicken, potatoes and red onion in the broth in a large covered sauce pan, about 10 minutes once it starts to boil lightly

When the chicken and potatoes are almost done remove any fat that might have floated to the top (if any), chop the chicken

Return the chicken to the pot, add all remaining ingredients and simmer on medium until everything is tender about 15 more minutes

Add more water if needed and taste and add additional seasonings as needed to preference, could be savory or spicy, if adding more spice, simmer on low as to not overcook the veggies and chicken but to allow the seasoning to blend

Optional- garnish with bacon

Paleo Breaded Parmesan Chicken Strips

Yes, Parmesan is not Paleo, the rest of the ingredients are, so this is still way better for you than other breaded chicken strips.   You can omit the parmesan and they still are delicious; I have made them both ways.  Another option would be unsweetened shredded coconut.  You can also adjust the amount of parmesan to just get a hint of the flavor, or just add it to some of the flour mixture for household members that you feed healthier meals, but maybe not full Paleo.

10 boneless skinless chicken tenderloins or 4 chicken breast sliced into "chicken finger" size slices
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup milled flax seed
About 1/8 cup coconut flour (or you can use just the almond flour and milled flax seed, do not use all coconut flour, it does result in the same texture, my favorite breading is a combo of all three)
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup shredded parmesan ( for some reason the shredded is better in this recipe compared to the powder, but powder would work, but the shredded is my recommendation)
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp dried chives

Optional- Italian seasoning, pizza seasoning, oregano, basil, chili powder, savory, really the list is endless

Water, egg or milk of choice

Pre-heat oven to 425

Chicken needs to be thawed

In small dish, mix all of the ingredients except chicken, water, egg and milk

Line a baking sheet with rimmed sides with parchment paper, spray with oil of choice, I like olive oil spray

Rinse the chicken in water or dip it in the egg or milk, and let excess moisture drip off

Coat both sides heavily in the flour mixture

Lay breaded strips on the sprayed parchment paper, be sure none of them are touching


Carefully spray the top sides of the coated chicken to help both sides brown slightly

Bake for 30 minutes turning at about 20 minutes

Bake until no pink remains and the breading is starting to brown.  You may be able to cook for a shorter time, but the breading usually is not ready.  It will depend on the amount of breading and the thickness of the strips.

This is great with sweet potato or zucchini fries

Paleo Spaghetii Squash Loaded Pizza Crust (adapted from a recipe on bloglovin.com)

 

This was a huge hit at our house, and I will be making this often with so many different options

 

Prepare Spaghetti Squash

Pre-heat oven to 375

Slice in half, remove seeds, line a baking pan with parchment paper, lightly oil the parchment paper with olive oil or grape seed oil, bake for 40 minutes or when you can easily pierce through it with a fork

Allow to cool

Remove the strands into a large bowl

 

Ingredients

1 large egg

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or a few dashes red pepper flakes

1 tsp oregano

1 can Organic Pizza Sauce, (you will likely not use the whole thing, so you could heat the extra up and serve over the cooked pizza or save it for next time)

1 green bell pepper diced

1 thick slice of red onion diced

Pepperoni or Turkey pepperoni

Vegan Mozzarella Cheese (if you allow it, I only like Trader Joes or Daiya)

Pizza Seasoning (this really makes it great)

 

Pre-heat oven again to 375

Place the baking pan with a new sheet of parchment paper into the oven while the oven pre-heats

 

Mix the 4 ingredients into the spaghetti, mix well so the egg and seasoning are all well distributed

 

When the oven is pre-heated, remove from oven and pour onto parchment paper, spread out well, a spatula that is not slotted works well for pressing the mixture down flat, work the edges back in to try and get an oval or rectangle, spread thin like a thin crust pizza, but make sure you do not make holes.

 

Bake for 25 minutes

 

Remove from oven and layer the remaining ingredients ending with a few dashes of pizza seasoning

 

Bake about 10-12 minutes or until the edges of the pepperoni start to crisp, cheese is melted and the edges of the crust are starting to crisp.  Don't rush it but don't burn it either, the more solid the crust is, the more delicious it is

 

Options- spinach well drained, black olives, mushrooms, any other bell pepper, thinly sliced egg plant, fresh basil, finely chopped broccoli steamed, thinly sliced zucchini rounds, thinly sliced tomatoes, sausage, chopped chicken, fresh mozzarella (for a treat meal),  homemade bbq sauce (BBQ Chicken Pizza, grilled chicken, yellow or orange bell pepper, red onion and vegan cheddar cheese, skip the pizza seasoning and skip the cayenne if you already use cayenne in your bbq sauce)

 

Many of these vegetables are better if you slightly steam or sauté for a few minutes before using them since they will only be in the oven for 10 minutes

 

You will likely need to eat this with a fork, depending on the amount of toppings you use. 

 

My husband even likes this better than cauliflower pizza crust

 

 

 

 

Paleo Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers

A twist on your typical taco meat preparation.  This picture has American Cheese for the kids, but you can skip cheese or use vegan.

4-6 Bell Peppers, Tops cut off and seeds removed (cut close to the top so you have plenty of room to stuff the pepper full of goodness)
2 to 2 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey (left over meat is great in a lettuce wrap, over a salad or by itself)
1 to 1 /2 cups organic salsa of choice
Juice of 2 small limes or 1 large lime
3 cloves garlic
1 yellow onion sliced
1 Tbsp dried cilantro
1/2 cup organic reduced sodium chicken broth (adjust amount as it simmers, you want the meat mixture to be moist but not to have excess liquid)
2 Tbsp chili powder (adjust this and the cumin to taste if this seems to be too much, or if you are  not a fan of cumin just omit it,.  I use the full amounts)
1 Tbsp Cumin
1/4 Tsp pepper
1 Tbsp Oregano
Diced avocado
Diced tomato
Sliced black olives rinsed well
Vegan Cheddar
Additional Salsa

-Pre heat oven to 400

-Line a large baking sheet with foil or use Jumbo muffin tins if the peppers can not stand up
Bake the peppers for about 8 minutes

-In a food processor combine salsa, lime juice, garlic, onion and cilantro

-In a large skillet sprayed with olive oil, brown the meat and drain, return to the skillet and season with chili powder, cumin and oregano, add salsa and broth, stir and heat through for about 5 minutes or until well blended, it should not be runny

-Fill the peppers, add extra salsa to the top, return to oven and bake for about 10 minutes or until heated through and peppers tender crisp, time may depend on the size and thickness of the peppers.  Do not overcook or they will start to cave in

-Add optional cheese to the top and bake until melted, about 5 minutes
Serve with optional toppings, additional salsa, avocado, tomatoes, black olives

Paleo Egg Plant Pizza Slices

1-2 large Egg Plant washed, slice ends off and slice into 1/2 inch thick circles
Pizza Seasoning to taste
Pepper to taste
1 bell pepper of choice cut into strips (cut strips in half if needed to fit on the slices)
1/4 onion diced (whatever onion you like)
3 garlic cloves minced
Frozen fresh spinach (amount depends on your preference)
Organic unsalted butter, coconut oil or cooking spray
Pepperoni or Turkey Pepperoni
Vegan mozzarella cheese ( I like Daiya)
Organic pizza sauce
Optional-  chopped broccoli, diced tomatoes, sliced black olives rinsed, diced red onion, shredded cooked chicken, browned ground sausage or turkey sausage

Make sure all veggies are patted dry and let juice drain from the tomatoes

Pre-heat oven to 425

Heat a small skillet with a small amount of cooking fat of choice listed above
Sautee the bell pepper, onion, garlic and broccoli or spinach if using
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
Lay the egg plant slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet
Lightly Season the slices with pizza seasoning and pepper
Bake for about 10-15 minutes, check at 10 minutes, the slice should be soft but not mushy
Remove from oven and layer sauce, veggies, pepperoni and cheese
Return to oven until cheese is melted, no more than 5 minutes or the slices will get too mushy

Serve with additional sauce

My husband likes when the pepperoni gets a little crispy on the edges, so you can layer this anyway you wish

Paleo, What I Wish I Knew When I Started, Crushing Myths, Necessities, Quick List of Paleo Accepted Foods and Food Prepping

Disclaimer: This is my experience with the Paleo Lifestyle from January 2013 –  Present.  If you do not agree with any of my statements, that is your right and your adaptation to the Paleo Lifestyle or your Healthy Lifestyle, this is just my experience.  This is what I found works for my household.  We are healthy; we lost the last pesty pounds we could not lose all the years of exercising and eating the previous U.S. idea of “healthy.”  My husband and I lift heavier than before, and I have muscles I never saw before.  In addition,  95% of the time I do not wake up to blood sugar in the low 50’s due to hypoglycemia.

I have had over 2 dozen people in the last couple of weeks ask me personally or refer someone to me for Paleo information.  I am going to sum it up, include things I wish I knew starting out, necessities for your kitchen, necessities in order to stick with it and kill some myths.  Also, prepping is a necessity as you will feel like you are at the store and chopping food most of your life.  Think fresh, not prepackaged with added ingredients, food in the rawest form,  trash the 100 calorie packs, Here goes:

Myths-

No, it is not Atkins, it is not bad for you, you do not live on too much protein and you get plenty of fiber through vegetables, seeds and nuts to offset the lack of grains.  Also, unlike Adkins, you will not hear people running around bragging about how they are living on fried bacon, sausage links and eggs and other less than quality protein sources.  ( of course eggs are a great protein source, just not fried in vegetable oil).  You will also never hear that you can’t eat carbs or fruit.

If you are not sensitive to eating too much protein or you have two functioning kidneys you are not going to eat too much protein and make yourself sick.  Portion control people, you don’t need a 10 ounce steak, 4-6 ounces is plenty.  If you do not buy organic chicken breast, do not eat the entire breast, they are way too big.  Eat ½ or ¼ depending on the size. 

Yes it is expensive, but it is manageable, some people eat more eggs, frozen fruits and veggies and some people eat more filet, sea bass and organic fruits and veggies.  Buying dried fruit, flours and nuts in bulk is not that expensive compared to buying a pound here or there at the store.  Double a recipe so you have lunch for the week or so that you have 2 nights worth of dinner.  Most meals require more time since you are making most things from scratch, so make it last, double the recipe.  Also, if you have a little one that does not like onions, peppers and garlic and you are making burgers, sloppy joes, fajitas, whatever, separate some of the meat and make a small amount for them in a separate skillet or on the grill at the same time.  It will take you 1 extra minute.

 

I Wish I Knew-

I wish I knew that there were so many adaptations, and you have to find what works for you and your family.  For example, some would consider store bought organic salsa or spaghetti sauce non-paleo, I find it practical as long as it has only a few ingredients, low in sodium and sugar and it does not contain anything that I can’t pronounce.  I also will add corn to my Mexican dishes or chili because my family loves it and it goes further.  I also always use peas in my chicken pot pie and some casseroles, because my son loves peas.  Now I don’t eat corn and peas all the time, but I also know that from a budget standpoint, a frozen bag of corn, carrots, peas and green beans is cheap and it makes a lot of chicken pot pie, etc.

Always be on the lookout for all tasty Paleo treat recipes.  Keep an open mind and try several recipes until you find your new favorite treats.  Always have a treat prepared for the week and ready to grab when you want something sweet.  Only grab one a day at most though.   A few examples:  chocolate coconut haystacks, chocolate chia energy bars, trail mix, chocolate mint pudding, raspberry coconut chia popsicles.  Use Pinterest

Lara Bars are inexpensive and are basically Paleo minus the chocolate chip ones that might have like .00005 mg of dairy in it.  Again, LOL, who cares unless you are intolerant?  They make it impossible for you to be out in public without a portable snack, they last a long time and there are some great ones out there, oh and they are way less expensive than the ones labled  Paleo Friendly bars.  I love the chocolate chip cookie dough, chocolate chip brownie and the pecan pie flavors.  Kroger often has them 10 for $10.

I wish I knew how horrible you might feel by week 2 and how great you feel by week 3.  The crash and then the amazing feeling of being wheat and refined sugar free is a tough ride for some people, but the result will have you feeling amazing.   You are left pretty much free of cravings.  I promise junk food still looks delicious, but you don’t feel like you “have to have it”.

I wish I knew how 1 cheat will leave you bloated with a stomach ache for days and days, and I wish I would remember that the next time I cheated.  If you have a non-Paleo treat, opt for one that is still gluten free.  We love Dippers, low sodium veggie chips.  They contain soy, but they are gluten free and very low in sodium, so if you are not sensitive to soy, it makes for a great occasional treat when you want a chip.

I wish I knew all the best places to buy the ingredients prior to paying way too much, and I wish I knew to buy in bulk.

In the summer, freeze everything from chicken bones to fruit cores, when you eat this much meat, fresh fruit and veggies, it is not something you want in your trash until trash day.

Don’t force your family, encourage them.  Don’t preach your lifestyle or judge what others are eating.  Don’t jabber on and on about it unless you are asked by someone that is truly interested. 

You must experiment and learn to make Paleo muffins, breads, casseroles, pizza, new ways to prepare veggies, new marinades,  step out of your comfort zone and use new spices.  You will never make it on grilled chicken and a dry salad meal after meal.  Learn to make your own BBQ sauce and perfect all your family favorite meals. 

Do not even waste your time or money on store bought Paleo sandwich bread.  Make your own or use bell peppers as the bread. 

 

Necessities-

Great Knives, not your everyday set, but really great chef knives, spaghetti squash will not cut with cheap knives

Cutting board with slip resistant bottom, again spaghetti squash incident or those really giant sweet potatoes

Lots of great Tupperware to store all your prepped veggies and fruits

Buy Almond and Coconut flour in bulk, people will be so jealous when they find out you eat pizza every Friday and Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Muffins for breakfast and are still down 15 pounds and strutting some killer biceps

A Variety of unsalted nuts and unsweetened dried fruit, Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips, Raw Honey, unsweetened almond milk, unsweetened coconut milk, nut butters, quality unsweetened cocoa, unsalted organic butter, eggs, bacon to add to your favorite chicken dishes for variety, chia seeds , grape seed oil, coconut oil, tons of new seasonings, fresh garlic, sweet potatoes for those clean carbs, Daiya Cheese for your splurge days like pizza, lots of fresh fruit and veggies prepped, homemade guacamole  that goes on everything when you give up ranch and mayo,  hot sauce,  organic reduced sodium broths, parchment paper, silicon muffin and bread pans, a good quality low sodium veggie chip (most have soy, so keep for a treat if you have a non paleo meal)

Follow tons of FB Paleo pages and Pinterest Pins for Paleo recipes and information

 

Quick List of Accepted Food, Prepping, Meal Planning and Grocery List-

Commonly accepted foods:
First and foremost the foods are gluten free.  Adaptations on accepting some food or ingredients that contain soy, dairy, casein or eating legumes are usually when exceptions are made on occasion.  For example, Tamari is a gluten free Soy Sauce but it still contains soy yet a lot of people following a Paleo lifestyle use it on occasion.  Another example is the common use of organic unsalted butter. 
Meats and Eggs- Red meat, lean pork, chicken with or without skin, fish, veal, bacon and turkey bacon (debatable due to nitrates try to buy without nitrates, I have heard Trader Joes carries a good one), eggs (aim for cage free)
Fruits and Vegetables- most fruits and vegetables except peas
Snacks- unsalted nuts and seeds, unsweetened dried fruit, homemade power bars or trail mixes made with nuts, seeds and unsweetened fruit
Starch- sweet potatoes
Milk- unsweetened coconut milk or almond milk
Baking and Cooking- coconut or almond flours, milled flax seed, nut butters except peanut butter, raw honey, coconut or grape seed oil, coconut palm sugar, coconut aminos, arrowroot powder

Debatable Foods: Bacon, Turkey Bacon, Tamari ( GF soy sauce), hot sauce, organic store bought sauces or ketchup

Foods Generally Avoided: gluten, soy, dairy, casein, legumes
White flour, wheat flour, bread unless made with almond or coconut flour, oats, grains, milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, store bought mayo and dressings, peas, peanuts, lentils

Plan your meals for the week, then make your grocery list.  To ensure you do not miss ingredients, pull up the recipes, write down any ingredients you do not have already including all fresh produce needed.  After you have all the ingredients listed, proceed to make your grocery list.

Pick a day each week that works for you after you have meal planned and shopped.  Chop all of your veggies for each meal and put in separate containers or zip lock bags.  Items that can be cooked together at the same time in a recipe package together for example: onions, garlic, mushrooms and bell pepper for fajitas.  If the recipe has green onions only for garnish, package separately.  Cut enough fruit that you can eat before it goes bad.  Peel oranges to last a few days.  Chop a few bananas and wrap each separately in plastic wrap and freeze for milkshake like smoothies.  Pre-cook meat for the next two meals if it will not make it tough cooking it ahead of time.   Cook chicken in the crockpot with organic broth and it will shred with little effort for a variety of meals.  Also, season it and it makes for several pre-made lunches and you will not be stuck, starving and turn to lunch meat.  Chop raw meat if needed for a recipe if you are going to cook within the next day or two.  Make breakfast sweet muffins, spinach, sausage egg muffins, egg casseroles, etc. for the next couple of days for an easy breakfast that won’t have you reaching for boxed cereal in a pinch.  Make your own protein bars for a breakfast or snack you can eat in the car.

I love it, I love the creativity it has brought out in me, I love that I found that I have some pretty stellar cooking skills, and I love that I know what I am feeding the family.

 

 

Paleo Roasted Garlic and Crushed Red Pepper Broccoli

1 medium to large bag of frozen broccoli thawed or 1-2 fresh florets
1-2 Tbsp grape seed oil or melted coconut oil (make sure all the broccoli is coated, the amount will depend on your amount of broccoli
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp minced onion fresh or dried
Black pepper as much or little as you want
A few shakes of crushed red pepper, amount will depend on how spicy you want it or try it the first time with 1/4 tsp and if it is not spicy enough use 1/2 tsp the next time you cook it
Parchment Paper

Pre heat oven to 400
Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper
Pour broccoli onto sheet
Cover the broccoli with all the ingredients starting with the oil, try to cover all of it as you pour each ingredient
Stir well, spread it out
Roast for 15-20 minutes for thawed or 20-25 for fresh or until the tips just start turning brown
Check the broccoli at 15 minutes for both thawed or fresh

Paleo Beef Stroganoff

1 large chuck roast or flank steak cut into bite size pieces, (keep the flank steak pieces a little larger so it does not dry out)
3-4 cloves garlic minced
1 package mushrooms, (small or large package, it does not matter)
1 yellow onion diced
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup organic reduced sodium beef broth
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk (you can use full fat for a thicker sauce, but I just add arrowroot powder)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder, you can adjust this and add more to taste
1/4 tsp pepper or more to taste
Optional- Not Paleo, but it taste good in this recipe, just a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, It will still taste good if you skip this
Arrowroot powder added 1 spoonful at a time, you will most likely use 2, you can add more as it cooks until you get the consistency you desire
2-3 green onions diced

Directions:
In a large skillet melt 2 Tbsp(s) of coconut oil or Organic unsalted butter
Adjust heat to medium and sauté the mushrooms, garlic and onion for about 5 minutes, stir occasionally to distribute the oil or butter
Add white wine and simmer for about 3-4 minutes or until liquid reduces
Add the broth and milk and simmer until the mixture reheats and stir
Add spices
Add the meat, stir well and push the meat down to make sure it is mostly emerged in the liquid, this will help it from drying out
Reduce heat to medium low, about a 3 out of 10 setting, cover, and stir occasionally to turn the meat and press the meat back down each time.  If it starts boiling, remove the lid for a minute or so, stir and place lid back on.  You will simmer the beef for about 15 minutes.  When the meat starts to brown, check the liquid consistency and begin adding arrowroot powder.  It clumbs easily, so be sure to stir it in well and scrape the bottom each time you return to stir.  Time will vary depending on if you use chuck roast or flank.  Do not over cook, leave the middle of the meat slightly pink, but no blood. 
Garnish with green onions
Optional- Hot sauce when serving, it goes with everything even stroganoff, but leave it out if you want more of the traditional stroganoff flavor

Tip- when cooking with arrowroot powder, I find it clumps less if I dust the meat with it instead of pouring it right into liquid, then I stir the meat well to distribute it

Serve as is, or over your gluten free choice for the sometime Paleo family like rice or a baked potato.
I like it with spaghetti squash for dinner and the leftovers by themselves for lunches.

Italian Salad with Pepperoni

This disappears at every party or pitch in. 

Also, add grilled chicken to make it a complete meal.

Romaine lettuce chopped
1-2 chopped tomatoes, chop the tomatoes and place in a colander to drain for a few minutes
1/2 red onion sliced into rings or diced
1 can whole black olives rinsed
1/2 to 1 package turkey or regular pepperoni  or use less and add chopped grilled chicken
Slivered almonds, as many or as few as you want
Optional- 1/2 to 1 package feta cheese, I prefer the basil sundried tomato in this recipe

Arrange the salad in a large bowl in the order above

Dressing-
A dressing shaker or a food processor (If using a dressing shaker with the markings already on the bottle for the liquids, just follow those lines)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil or grape seed oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp water ( I actually use a little more water and a little less oil)
1 Tbsp oregano and basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp thyme


You can also use the Good Seasons Zesty Italian dry mix and follow the instructions on the package instead of the above dressing ingredients.

Add liquid and then seasonings to a shaker or food processor, mix well and let sit for about 15 minutes.  Mix again and pour half of it over the salad, stir well, taste and adjust if you need more dressing.  Do not pour dressing over the salad until you are ready to serve.
When serving the salad use additional pepper, basil or oregano as needed.

If you are serving a large crowd, double the romaine, tomatoes, onions and olives and use the whole package of pepperoni and feta cheese.  There is no need to double the dressing.

Paleo Chicken and Bacon Baked Spaghetti

 

1 medium to large spaghetti squash baked and stands removed

3 boneless skinless chicken breast or 6-8 chicken tenderloins baked or grilled until just short of being done and then dice the chicken

6 slices cooked and diced turkey or pork bacon

1 onion diced

3 cloves garlic minced

1 Tbsp coconut oil or organic unsalted butter

2 eggs

1 small package of frozen spinach thawed and drained very well, squeeze all moisture out of the spinach

2 cups vegan cheddar cheese (if you allow it, if not omit)

1/2  tsp pepper (adjust to taste)

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper or more to taste

1/4 cup organic low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

2-3 green onions diced

 

Pre-heat oven to 375

In a small skillet, melt the oil and on medium heat sauté the onions and garlic until onions start to become translucent but do not caramelize (about 4 minutes) 

Set the onions and garlic aside

Spray or grease a 13 x 9 dish

Pour the cooked spaghetti into the dish, add the sautéed onions and garlic, eggs and seasonings, mix well so that all of the spaghetti is coated in egg

Add the cooked and diced bacon and chicken to the dish

Slowly pour the broth over the spaghetti so you pour it from end to end

Add the cheese and spinach (make sure the spinach is not clumped up)

Optional- you can just cover the top of the casserole in cheese instead of mixing it in, closer to a baked spaghetti

Mix well and spread the spaghetti out evenly

Top with diced green onion

Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbling, remove from the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes

 

Great served with hot sauce, my son loved it with Ranch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paleo Cauliflower Fritter (this was adapted from agoodappetite.blogspt.com)

 

The mixture will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for about 3 days, so you can cook 1 or more at a time

 

1 head of cauliflower chopped and steamed until tender

2 large eggs

Optional as not true Paleo, but I choose to use it- 1 cup vegan cheddar cheese ( I like Daiya)

1/4 tsp black pepper

Several dashes of cayenne pepper

a few dashes onion powder

Optional- a dash or two of crushed red pepper

Optional- 1 clove garlic minced

Organic unsalted butter works best, but spray olive oil or coconut oil will work too

 

In a medium size bowl mash the cauliflower well with a fork ( I made the mistake the first time by mashing the cauliflower in the food processor, it will not hold together, mash it well but do not make it smooth like mashed potatoes)

Add all ingredients and mix well

Heat a skillet over medium high heat, add about 1 Tbsp of butter or spray well, allow to melt

Form thin patties as seen in the picture above, place in skillet turn heat to medium

After 5 minutes, test to see if it will hold together with a large spatula, if it is not staying together, reform with the spatula and press down, cook longer and try again after about 2-3 more  minutes, you will learn the correct time, it only took me two tries

Have additional butter or oil of choice ready to go

Turn carefully with a very large spatula and if needed use a second spatula to push it onto the large spatula all the way

Re-spray skillet or add a little more butter,carefully turn, press down and reform if needed, and cook about 4 more minutes, or until it stays together well

Paleo Crock Pot Meatloaf Packed with Colorful Veggies, Seasonings and Nutrition

If you have a picky eater adult or child, shred the vegetables-

A trick I learned to remove excess liquid from zucchini and yellow squash is to dice it, put it in a colander, cover in salt and let sit for about 15 minutes, rinse well to remove all of the salt and pat dry


2 - 2 1/2 pounds lean ground meat or lean ground turkey
1 zucchini diced very small
1-2 carrots shredded, diced, chopped in a chopper
1 can organic no salt added diced tomatoes, drained
1-2 cans organic no salt tomato sauce
1 onion diced very small
2 cloves garlic diced
1 green bell pepper diced very small
1 red, yellow or orange pepper diced very small
Optional- diced mushrooms
1 tsp turmeric (great for memory)
1 tsp savory
1/2 tsp black pepper or more to taste
1/2 tsp onion powder
3 eggs
Spray or oil for the crock pot

Mix all ingredients well using only half the can of tomato sauce for now
Spray crock pot and set to low
Pour meat into the crock pot and press evenly all around edge to edge
Cook for about 6-8 hours, when it is set well and done through, carefully drain using a very large spatula, careful not to lose the meatloaf (cooking time will depend on the crock pot, mine cooks faster than most, I like to cook on low so it does not dry out, some could take 8-9 hours on low)
When the loaf is completely cooked, pour additional sauce over the top

Paleo Sesame Beef and Red Chilies Lettuce Wraps with Tahini Sauce

Sesame Red Chili Beef
2- 2 1/2 pounds ground beef or turkey
3-4 cloves garlic minced
3 green onions diced
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil, add more to taste as you stir it in a dash at a time until you taste a hint of the sesame flavor throughout the meat
2 Tbsp Reduced Sodium Tamari or coconut aminos
2 Tbsp Red Chili Garlic Paste (depending on your diet, you can buy this prepared but many of these paste contain wheat, a homemade recipe is below)

Brown the meat in a large sprayed skillet with the garlic
After about 3 minutes add the mushrooms and green onion, continue to stir and chop up the meat and mushrooms as it cooks
When the meat is fully cooked, drain the meat in a colander
Turn the stove to Medium Low and return the meat to the skillet
Add the oil and paste, stir well and simmer for about 5 minutes, taste and add a little extra oil or paste if needed to taste ( you will likely want more paste for a stronger flavor that pops)



Red Chili Garlic Paste- From the website below
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/recipe-of-the-day-chili-garlic-paste/?_r=0

Ingredients

• 10 to 15 dried whole chilies, preferably a mixture of mild and hot, about 2 to 3 ounces
• 2 tablespoons grape seed
• Sea Salt
• 2 cloves peeled garlic

Method

• 1. Put the chilies in a bowl and cover with boiling water and a small plate to keep them submerged. Soak for about 30 minutes, or until soft. Reserve a bit of the soaking water. Clean each chili: remove the stem, then pull or slit open; do this over the sink, as they will contain a lot of water. Scrape out seeds, retaining some if you want a hotter paste.
• 2. Put the chilies along with any seeds you might be using, the oil, a large pinch of salt and the garlic, if you are using it, in a blender or food processor. Purée until smooth, adding a spoonful of soaking water at a time, until consistency is a thick paste.

Tahini Sauce
½ cup tahini, stir well to distribute oil evenly throughout the jar 
½ cup grape seed oil (depending on how much oil is in the tahini paste, you may be able to use a little less oil)
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons of lemon juice ( I used a little more)
2 teaspoons of grated ginger  
2 cloves garlic, more to taste
1/4 tsp pepper, more to taste

Combine all ingredients in order in a blender.  Blend until smooth. 
If you have never used Tahini or have only used it in hummus, this sauce alone has a very different taste (don't worry), but a little spread on the wrap with the beef is a wonderful blend of flavors).


Wrap and Veggies
Boston Lettuce, Green Leafy Lettuce or Iceberg (I prefer Boston)
Optional- 1 bag broccoli slaw

Ready to Serve
Carefully tear the lettuce leaves careful to keep them whole, rinse and pat dry
Arrange Lettuce Leaves on plates, fill with the meat, slaw mix and drizzle sauce over the top, wrap it up and enjoy. 
Tip- It is usually easier to eat and the wraps stay together better if you use 2 lettuce leaves for each wrap.

Paleo Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken Soup

All optional or non Paleo Friendly ingredients are in bold print.  The picture is shown with corn, because I was taking it to a pitch in and this helped to make a lot more soup.

• 6-7 chicken boneless skinless tenderloins or 3-4 full chicken breast
• 1 green bell pepper diced
• 1 yellow, red or orange bell pepper diced
• 1 white or yellow onion diced
• Optional, this will make it really spicy- 1 jalapeno or Serrano pepper seeded and diced
• Optional- (If following a clean or lean eating plan but not Paleo, a small to medium size bag of frozen corn is great in this recipe and/or 1 can reduced sodium black beans rinsed to remove excess sodium)
• Optional- spinach, diced zucchini or mushrooms
• 1/2 to 1 carton organic reduced sodium vegetable or chicken broth (start with half of the carton and add more if needed as it cooks to reach your desired consistency, the veggies and chicken will also create liquid)
• 1, 14.5-15 oz can organic no salt added diced tomatoes (2 cans work well too)

Most veggies or broths will work in this recipe so adjust to use whatever you have on hand.

Starting here you will want to adjust all spices depending on your level of spice preference:

• 2 Tbsp Chili Powder (adjust to preference)
• 1 Tbsp cumin (you can start with less and adjust to preference)
• A few dashes crushed red pepper
• Optional -  A few dashes chipotle pepper, Again this recipe is spicy
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper (adjust to taste)
• A few shakes of crushed red pepper

Spray or line a crock pot and set to low
Add all ingredients starting with the veggies, then the broth, then the spices, stir, add the chicken and stir again
Cover and cook on low for about 5 hours
Remove chicken and cube
Return chicken back to the crock pot and cook until veggies are tender crisp and the chicken is cooked through
Tip- If using full chicken breast, you may want to cut in half before adding to the crock pot to reduce cooking time.

If your family members have different preferences for the spice level and you made the soup mild, add a few dashes of hot sauce to individual bowls to crank up the heat

This is great served with Paleo Almond Biscuits for dipping.  These can be found in my Paleo Sloppy Joes Recipe.  http://flavorfulandfit.blogspot.com/2013/02/paleo-sloppy-joes-over-paleo-biscuits.html

Paleo No Bake Protein Cookie

 

1 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup Almond Butter Creamy or Chunky

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup unsalted pecans 

1/4 cup  unsalted almonds

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 scoop Paleo Chocolate or Vanilla Almond protein powder

Optional- unsweetened dried fruit, cherries, cranberries, chopped apricots, etc

 

In a sauce pan on medium low heat or in the microwave melt the chips and almond butter, slowly do not burn it, stir often

When it is melted, remove from the heat

Add all of the ingredients except the powder and mix well

Add protein powder and mix well

 

On a large cookie sheet covered in parchment paper, use a spoon to dip out each cookie

Once all the mixture is used, pat each one down with the spoon or with fingers

Place in the refrigerator for about 4 hours or overnight

Place in a container with a lid and store in the refrigerator

Paleo Easy Baked Cinamon Apples, Apple Crisp or an All Natural Scent for your Home

 

Cinnamon Apples

Dice any Red Apple of choice and Granny Smith Apple

Microwave in a covered container for about 2 mintues or bake in a sprayed dish on 400 for about 20 minutes or until tender

Mix in several dashes of cinnamon and a couple dashes of Nutmeg

If you allow it, mix in 1 heaping tbs of Splenda brown sugar, Brown Sugar in the Raw, Raw Honey or Sucanat (use brown sugar if using for a scent for your home as shown in the picture.  It will smell great)

(Sucanat is natural replacement for brown sugar, if using Sucanat add to the raw apples before baking but you will need to use honey too so that it will create more of a syrup)

Stir well to coat all of the apple pieces, return to the oven for a couple of minutes

 

The apples are ready to eat

 

Apple Crisp

Topping will need to be made the night before to refrigerate overnight.  Follow the link below for this easy topping.  I did not use full fat coconut milk because I did not want it to turn out like a spread, I wanted it more like streusel topping.  Don't worry, it really does thicken up overnight. When crushing the nuts, leave some larger pieces, do not crush it to a powder.  If you use unsweetened coconut milk (not the full fat canned kind), it will turn out like a "streusel" topping.

 http://www.pinterest.com/pin/555350197771830683/ 

If you want to make an apple crisp, use 2-3 of each type of apple.  You want enough to cover the bottom of an 8x8 dish.

You may need to increase cooking time slightly, but no need to return the apples to the oven a second time just yet.

Increase the amount of cinnamon, nutmeg and sweetener slightly.  You want a syrup consistency, so add the sweetener as needed.  Sometimes it is necessary to add a little warm water, 1 Tbsp at a time to create enough syrup but not always if you have juicy apples.

After the apples are cooked and spices added, stir and spread out evenly in a sprayed 8x8 dish

Reduce oven temp to 350

Spread topping over the apples as well as you can or just use your fingers

Bake for about 15 minutes

 

All Natural Scent for Your Home

If  using the apples for a scent, pour about a cup of apple cider into warmer, add the apples as shown in the picture.  There is no need to return the apples to the oven the second time.  Also, use more cinnamon to increase the scent.

Paleo Veggie Packed Chili (Don't worry, there is plenty of meat in this recipe too)

 

 

This recipe looks very long with tons of ingredients, it is really easy to prepare.  It looks like a lot of ingredients because I gave many options on what to throw into your pot of chili.  All optional or low fat but non Paleo ingredients are in bold print.

• 1 1/2 - 2 lbs lean ground turkey or beef
• 1 green bell pepper diced
• 1 yellow or orange bell pepper diced
• 1 white or yellow onion diced
• 1 medium size bag or container of fresh or frozen spinach
• Optional- (If following a clean or lean eating plan but not Paleo, a small to medium size bag of frozen corn is great in this recipe)
• Optional- Diced zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, diced eggplant, prepared spaghetti squash or frozen green beans chopped
• 2, 14.5-15 oz cans organic no salt added tomato sauce (depending on how much meat or Optional salsa you use, you may need to add a little more sauce or a second can of tomatoes)
• 1, 14.5-15 oz can organic no salt added diced tomatoes
• Optional- 1 cup medium salsa homemade or we like On the Boarder (lower sodium, very few ingredients)
• Depending on how many veggies you add and what consistency you want your chili to be, you may need to add a little Organic Beef, Chicken or Vegtable broth.  I use low sodium Vegtable broth.)
• 2 Tbsp Chili Powder (adjust to preference, I use closer to 3 Tbsp)
• 1 Tsp cumin (you can use more and adjust to preference, I use closer to 1 Tbsp)
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper (adjust to taste)
• A few shakes of crushed red pepper

This recipe is very easy to adjust to spice preference either by adding more or less medium salsa,  crushed red pepper or chili powder.  A few dashes of hot sauce or cayenne pepper will kick the taste up.  If you do not follow Paleo just a low fat diet, a can of Rotel in place of the organic diced tomatoes or in addition too is very good in this chili.

In a large sprayed skillet, brown the meat, peppers and onion, after about 5 minutes add the spinach, mushrooms and corn, stir and cover, stir occasionally and break up the spinach if frozen

When the meat is done, drain

If using zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant  or green beans, steam to tender crisp (do not over steam) and add to the chili before simmering.

In a large sauce pan add the sauce, salsa, diced tomatoes and all of the spices.

Add the meat and stir well

Add any Optional steamed veggies

Cover and simmer on medium low for about 25-30 minutes, Stir occasionally

If you like noodles in your chili, Add spaghetti squash after the chili is finished and stir well

You could also combine all the ingredients into a crock pot to simmer after the meat mixtures is browned and drained

This is great served with Paleo Almond Biscuits for dipping.  These can be found in my Paleo Sloppy Joes Recipe.  http://flavorfulandfit.blogspot.com/2013/02/paleo-sloppy-joes-over-paleo-biscuits.html