Pork Chops with Apple and Sweet Potato Compote

I used to think that pork was a migraine trigger, so I avoided it like a primal eater avoids potato chips. It turns out all the other processed crap I was eating was probably the culprit (like the potato chips). I've been migraine free since going Paleo, and thoroughly enjoyed my new-found freedom for pork consumption with these chops and compote. Enjoy!

Pork Chops with Apple and Sweet Potato Compote:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pork chops
• 1 large sweet potato
• 2 medium apples
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt
• cinnamon
• nutmeg

Chop sweet potato and apples then toss with olive oil and spices until covered. Pour over pork chops in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake on 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Paleo Chicken Fajitas

These were a pretty big hit at my house, mostly because I could eat them totally Paleo and my partner could eat them with flour tortillas and cheese :-) I really like to entertain, but none of my friends are Paleo, so I'm always trying to come up with dinner ideas that allow some flexibility. I tried it out on my partner first and I am calling it a success. Next time I have a dinner party these will most definitely be on the menu with primal and non-primal options for wrapping and topping. P.S. Applications for Paleo friends are now being accepted :-)

Paleo Chicken Fajitas: 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken
• 2 bell peppers
• 1 onion
• oregeno
• chili powder
• cumin
• corriander
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• Lettuce
• avocado

Cut chicken into strips or cubes. Chop peppers and onion. Add chicken to the skillet with coconut oil and cook until both sides are brown. Add peppers and onion. Mix lemon juice with spices separately then add to the skillet. I would start with 1/2 teaspoon of each spice and then add additional to taste. Serve in lettuce wrap and add freshly chopped avocado before serving. 

Roasted Cauliflower and Onion

My best friend moved to Saint Louis last year; it was probably one of the most exciting days of my life. We made a commitment to see each other once a week- during the summer we made a habit of shopping at the local farmers markets together then having a long brunch. Now that the weather doesn't allow for that, we've been making new recipes together on the weekends. Our kitchen adventures began before I became Paleo; we would make complicated recipes with a million ingredients (many of them really really bad for you). Sometimes it was exhausting, and by the time we were done cooking and baking we didn't have energy for much else. Now that we have both become more conscious about the food we are putting in our bodies, our recipes are actually more simple- which means we get to spend more quality time together. Last weekend we threw together a chicken dish and she made this roasted cauliflower and onion. The food was delicious, and there were several hours left in the evening for talking about life :-)

Roasted Cauliflower and Onion:

 

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 onion
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• paprika

Chop onion and cauliflower then toss with olive oil and spices. Roast on 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until vegetables begin to brown. 

Bacon, Apple, and Spinach Salad

OOOHHH bacon, how I love thee. You wanna know the best part about being Paleo? BACON. You wanna know what bacon tastes delicious with? EVERYTHING. There is no better way to fatten up a salad than with three slices of bacon, the walnuts and fruit are just for good measure.

Bacon, Apple, and Spinach Salad:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups spinach
• 3 slices bacon, chopped
• 1/2 large apple or 1 small apple
• handful of walnuts
• handful of cranberries

Mix and enjoy. 

Kale, Avocado, and Blueberry Shake

I was really scared this shake would turn out green.. PHEW, a nice shade of purple and you wouldn't even know I hid a couple servings of vegetables in there. I've been on a quest for breakfast recipes with hidden vegetables. I know some hardcore Paleos that can eat raw veggies and hard boiled eggs for breakfast, but sometimes I need something that goes down a little easier. This shake is perfect. Add some almond butter if you need a protein kick.

Kale, Avocado, and Blueberry Shake:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup kale
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1/2 avocado
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 cup water
• squeeze of lemon
• 1 tablespoon raw organic honey

Boil kale without stems for 1 minute. Blend all ingredients. 

Restaurant Review: The Block

The Block: Restaurant, Butcher, and Bar

Located in quaint and cozy Webster Groves, The Block provides simultaneous restaurant, butcher, and bar. The atmosphere marries a comfortable combination of family friendly and hippie chic with a tinge of romance in the air via semi-dim lighting and an extensive wine selection. Upon entering the restaurant, it is hard not to notice the unique industrial architecture intelligently turned modern by wood paneling, elegant seating, and simplistic light fixtures. A delightful dining atmosphere is paired with a menu full of creative cuisine reflecting the restaurant's "we bust chops" slogan. The primal meal selections are plentiful: grass fed beef burger under a fried egg, Rensings farm pork chop aside steamed veggies and sweet potato hash, and Double Star Farms Amish chicken served with butternut squash, mushrooms, and arugula are just a few of the many options that are sure to satiate the paleo palate.

Check it out at http://theblockrestaurant.com/

The Block was voted Best New Restaurant in 2011 by Saint Louis Magazine; Photo courtesy of SLM.

Paleo Salted Caramel Brownies

A few years ago Starbucks started making a salted caramel mocha that was to die for. I was in undergrad when I discovered it and unfortunately for me (and my budget) there was a Starbucks on campus. I was avidly working out at the time, but I realize now no amount of time on the elliptical could make up for the crap I was consuming from that white cardboard cup with the weird green mermaid logo. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Starbucks. In fact, I think if you want to buy stock in something it should probably be Starbucks. America is addicted to coffee and even more addicted to the idea of being one of those business people always sucking caffeine out of one of their cups. Here's the thing though, Starbucks isn't actually ALL that creative when it comes to flavor combinations. Salted caramel and chocolate? I bet the cavemen thought that up. Here is my version of a salted caramel and chocolate treat, Paleo style.

Paleo Salted Caramel Brownies:

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1/4 cup organic unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup organic maple syrup
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup roasted macadamia nuts
• 1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries
• 1/2 cup Enjoy Life Chips
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate bowl whisk eggs, maple syrup, and coconut oil. Add wet ingredients to dry and fold in nuts, cherries, chocolate chips, and coconut flakes. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Put in fridge for an hour before serving. Store in fridge and reheat.

Paleo Salted Caramel Sauce:

• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup raw organic honey
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Sea salt

Heat maple syrup and organic honey over medium heat. As soon as you see bubbles turn the heat down to low and stir continuously for about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and add baking soda. Return to heat for an additional 3 minutes. Pour over brownies and sprinkle sea salt on top.

*I'm not going to tell you how many calories these have. Just pace yourself.

Coconut Lime Salmon

"She put the lime in the coconut and drank em both up" I'm dancing in my chair right now because that song has been in my head ever since I made this dish a few nights ago. When I heard the song growing up I always thought the lime and the coconut were a good combination- like maybe the doctor was recommending the lime and the coconut to cure whatever aches and pains this individual was having. I am famous for getting song lyrics a little tiny bit confused and jumbled. The most embarrassing example is "Who Are You?" by The Who (also the CSI theme song). For a really really long time I thought they were saying "OOOO Ollie". I actually named one of my dogs Ollie because friends and family members found such hilarity in my confusion. It turns out the coconut and lime combination were not a good thing in the song, she drank the lime and the coconut and then woke the doctor up due to her aches and pains. Well Harry Nilsson, I'm proving you wrong with this recipe. Lime and coconut are a delicious combination and I had no aches and pains after consumption.

Coconut Lime Salmon:

Ingredients:

• 3 salmon fillets
• 2 limes
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

Zest the limes and mix with shredded coconut. Beat egg in separate bowl. Dip fillets in egg then in coconut and lime. Fry in coconut oil. Juice limes over salmon and serve. 

Organized Paleo

Eating 100% primal requires a certain degree of planning and organization, especially in the beginning. I have been asked on several occasions how I manage to make all of my meals and snacks paleo and only go to the grocery store once per week. Now that my kitchen is fully stocked with essential ingredients it isn't as hard, but I still follow a weekly routine for planning, grocery shopping, and cooking.

Step One: Recipes.

I bought a really cute pink spiral notebook to write down recipe ideas (this is the way cavepeople did it, but if you want to use Microsoft Word that's cool too). By now I have a collection of recipes I want to make and am constantly adding new ones, but at first I was just keeping track of the recipes I wanted to make in the upcoming week.

Step Two: Meal Planning.

I meal plan two days at at time (so I plan to make one breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipe for Sunday and Monday, something else for Tuesday and Wednesday, and so on). Most recipes make about 4 servings so this is really easy since there are two people in my household. On weeks where I will be really busy I make extra at dinner and take leftovers for lunch so I don't have to make an additional salad or protein dish. My partner only eats Paleo at dinner, so I usually get the leftovers all to myself :-D

Step Three. Grocery List.

Based on the above two steps, I then make a detailed grocery list.. on pink paper of course. I'm sure the caveperson's list looked more like "hunt animal, gather fruits and vegetables, make last whole week". It sounds easy but it probably wasn't.

*The planning process takes me between 20 and 30 minutes per week, depending on whether or not I'm creating my own recipes or making something easy. Am I crazy? Eh maybe a little. Is it worth is? Yeah definitely. If you catch some of my crazy I guarantee you will be eating a well balanced diet and you won't fall victim to ordering pizza after a busy day or eating oreos as an afternoon snack.

Paleo Pancakes. YUM!

Saint Louis is an ice tundra right now.  The whole city shuts down when this happens- one of the grocery stores actually ran out of milk and bread. Luckily I don't eat either one of those things so I didn't really care. While everyone else was fighting for these items at the grocery store I was knocking down old ladies to get to the almond butter and bananas.. just kidding.  I was already stocked up on almond butter.  Here is what I made to keep warm!

Paleo Pancakes:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup organic canned pumpkin
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons raw honey or agave 
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour

Whisk pumpkin, eggs, coconut oil, agave, and vanilla together. Add baking soda and spices. When incorporated, add coconut flour 1/2 tablespoon at a time until the batter has reached desired consistency (you may not need the entire 2 tablespoons).  Cook in greased skillet. This made about 6 medium sized pancakes.

*To flip these the first time I had to use two spatulas- one on each side of the pancake then I flipped it toward me. After the first flip they start to look more like pancakes and you can use just one spatula.  Store leftovers in the fridge- these actually reheat in the microwave pretty well.

Need paleo pancake topping ideas? 

I ate mine with (wait for it).. almond butter! and bananas.  You could also try organic maple syrup, a drizzle of honey, fresh berries, butter and chopped nuts, mango salsa, a squirt of lemon, roasted coconut flakes, flax seeds, cooked apples and cinnamon.

Turkey Stuffed Peppers

These turkey stuffed peppers are super cute. It turns out eating them is not. I made these one evening and packed one for work the next day thinking it would be a great on the go lunch packed with proteins and veggies. I tried eating it like a cupcake and was quite unsuccessful. I actually had to pour all the stuff out of the pepper, cut the pepper, and mix it all together. So, this is actually another recipe for turkey hash masquerading as a stuffed pepper. The good news? It tasted really good and was very filling! I'm bringing the second one to eat over spinach.

Turkey Stuffed Peppers:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 onion
• 2 zucchinis
• 4 red peppers
• garlic
• salt and pepper

Brown turkey and saute onion in separate skillets. Chop zucchini and add to skillet with onion. Add garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix in the turkey and cook an additional 1-2 minutes stirring all ingredients together. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut tops off of peppers and stuff other ingredients inside.  Bake in shallow baking dish for about 25 minutes.

*Leftover turkey, onion, and zucchini? Make a scramble or throw it in with some squash and have a post-workout paleo hash!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs

I may or may not be a bacon hoarder. I also may or may not make an entire package of bacon when my partner is out of the house then hide it in the fridge. Furthermore, when the hidden bacon is found, I may or may not clarify that the bacon is in fact mine and I have important plans for it for the week. Important plans= me consuming the bacon. There was great excitement when I made these YUMMY bacon wrapped chicken thighs for dinner. Don't worry, I shared...but the leftovers are now safely hidden in the fridge ;-)


Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken thighs
• 1 package bacon
• sea salt
• pepper
• smoked paprika

Create a dry rub with the sea salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Rub on both sides of each chicken thigh then wrap each with a piece of bacon. Cook at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Sweet Potato Dessert

Sweet potatoes with cinnamon MIGHT be the new almond butter.  Except this is definitely a dessert...and you can't smear this on bananas.. and you really shouldn't be eating this haphazardly by the spoonful... but you'll want to :-) The first time I made this I used two sweet potatoes and seriously had to pace myself. I ate about 1/4 of the dish then realized I had gone too far so I hid the rest in a container in the back of my fridge. But every time I opened the fridge it called my name from the deep depths of the wee corner on the bottom shelf. Given this experience, next time I will use only one sweet potato. I will also blog the recipe using only one sweet potato to save you from all the trouble.

Sweet Potato Dessert:

Ingredients:

• One sweet potato
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• Raw honey or agave for drizzling 

Melt coconut oil in pan on high heat. Chop sweet potato and put in skillet, covering completely with oil. Cook about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Then cover, turn heat down to medium, and cook an additional 4 minutes. Remove from pan, drizzle with raw honey or agave and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Roasted Chicken

Have you ever had the pleasure of eating veggies cooked in pure animal fat? If not, go out and purchase the following items: raw vegetables, organic whole chicken, and a roasting pan with metal rack. These three items will cost you about thirty bucks and it's totally worth it. I purchased a roasting pan and metal rack this weekend to roast my first whole chicken and now I'm conjuring up all sorts of ideas for roasting meat so I have an excuse to consume fat soaked veggies.

Roasted Chicken:

Ingredients:

• Whole chicken (Trader Joes is a safe place to purchase one)
• Organic butter or olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Veggies

Prepare chicken by taking out all the stuff in the cavity. Rub butter or olive oil and salt and pepper on chicken. Chop veggies, toss in olive oil and salt and pepper then place in roasting pan with metal rack. Cook on 450 degrees for two hours or 350 degrees for 3.5 hours. Chicken is done when meat thermometer inserted in thigh registers 165 degrees. Wait 10-15 minutes before carving, liquids should run clear.

*Cooking times will depend on the size of the chicken, google it if you aren't sure.

Give Yourself Some Paleo Love

I'm always looking for an excuse to make a Paleo baked good. Good excuses include: the weekend, half birthdays, the State of the Union Address, 10 hour work days, out of town visitors, mid-life crisis, pending due dates of things such as exams, papers, or work deadlines, Tuesdays, lifting heavy things, doctors appointments, and Valentines Day.  Here are the cookies I made this week, give yourself a little Paleo love too. If you missed Valentines Day, don't worry, love is always in season (and so are cookies)!

Paleo Cookies:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups almond flour
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup raw honey or agave 
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup coconut milk

In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. In a smaller bowl combine coconut oil, agave, and egg. Mix wet ingredients with dry. Add in coconut milk until ingredients are smooth and firm.

Separate dough into two balls then freeze for 30 minutes. Shape into hearts (or just place by rounded tablespoon), about 1/4 inch thick, then bake on foil lined cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown.

Paleo Cookie Icing:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup raw honey or agave
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 tsp arrowroot powder
• 1/8 cup coconut milk

On low heat, heat 1 cup coconut milk, coconut oil, agave/honey, and salt. In a bowl mix arrowroot powder and 1/8 cup coconut milk. On low heat add the arrowroot paste to the pan. Let thicken, then remove from heat and cool.

After the icing has cooled blend for 30-60 seconds. Then refrigerate for 45-60 minutes. Ice cookies!

Fish and Chips

I don't really like pubs. Every time I go into a pub I feel guilty that I don't like sports and even more guilty that I don't like beer. It seems like pubs are the nesting place for this secret club of really cool people who sit around and shoot the shit over something on tap while watching some inning or quarter. Then they all stand up and high five each other yelling "we won!"  YOU didn't win. Those professional athletes won. You've been sitting here drinking all night. Anyway, my partner really likes fish and chips so every once in awhile I'll go into a pub and be the beer and sports hating loser eating a chicken sandwich without the bread.

Here is my rather delicious Paleo version of fish and chips. If you are like me, you may want to enjoy it in your lounge pants while watching Law and Order and drinking almond milk. Make sure you high five your partner and yell "we solved that case!" when the episode is over.

Fish and Chips, Paleo Style:

Ingredients:

• 4 white fish fillets
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup hazelnut flour
• 3 tablespoons Rosemary Salt blend (see my last post for recipe)
• 1 egg
• 2-4 tablespoons of coconut oil

Crack and beat the egg in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix almond flour, hazelnut flour, and rosemary salt blend. Dip fish fillets in egg then in dry mixture. Make sure fish is completely covered in dry mixture before frying in coconut oil over medium-high heat. Oil should be nice and hot before you throw the fish in the skillet.

*This works best with thin fillets. If your fillets are thick, fry both sides until crispy then throw them in the oven at 350 degrees to finish.

For the chips: slice sweet potatoes very thinly. Mix in olive oil and salt and pepper then bake at 410 degrees on a foil lined baking sheet for 15-20 minutes. 

Rosemary Salt Blend

I used to be a little scared of fresh herbs. They look like plants (because they are plants) and I never knew whether to use only the leaves, or the stems, or which herbs to pair with which meat, or how much to use, or which ones to mix... It was all just very confusing. Generally, when something is confusing I approach it, I seek understanding... I'm curious about life and I need answers. Not with fresh herbs. Those little green leaves and stems peeping out from the produce bar at the grocery store just held too much mystery and I couldn't handle it. Clearly I got over it. Be a brave Paleo. Spice up your life and make some salt blends to keep in your kitchen.

Rosemary Salt Blend:

Here's what you do: Lay fresh herb on baking sheet. Bake on 'warm' oven temperature or 250 degrees for 4 hours. When finished, the herb should break when you touch it. When the herb is done baking, use a mortar and pestle or a food processor to grind into pieces. Add sea salt and grind again.

*Always use twice as much herb as salt. I used 1/2 cup rosemary and 1/4 cup sea salt. Store in a cool dry place in a glass jar.

P.S. You can use the leaves and stems or only the leaves :-) 

Paleo Mayonnaise/Chicken Salad

Paleo Mayo:

I am in awe of science right now. It's amazing to me what a few simple ingredients can make. If my high school science teacher had taught us to make mayonnaise instead of mixing scary chemicals in test tubes I would have been much more excited about science class. 

Ingredients:

• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp mustard
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• salt and pepper

Start by whisking egg yolks, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and mustard in a bowl. Mix oils together in a separate bowl. Very very very slowly (drop by drop) mix in oil while vigorously whisking. As the mixture starts to thicken you can incorporate oil more quickly. When all oil is incorporated put mixture in a food processor. Add the rest of the lemon juice and salt and pepper and pulse for 10-20 seconds until desired thickness. Store in refrigerator in a glass jar.


Paleo Chicken Salad:

A dish that incorporates meat, nuts, and fruit is pretty much the primal eater's best bet when it comes to quick meals. Chicken salad is a great solution for meals on busy days, and a great excuse to use that Paleo Mayo you just made ;-)

 Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup chopped green grapes
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 apple
• 1 avocado
• 1/2-3/4 cup Paleo Mayo
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Boil chicken. Chop everything else and mix. When the chicken has cooled dice it and add. Mix paleo mayo and lemon juice together then incorporate. Enjoy over spinach or greens! 

How to be a Superhero

Okay listen closely. I'm about to give you some really important information.

How to be a Superhero:
1. Eat primal.
2. Play hard. Run hard. Lift heavy things.
3. Put organic free-range chicken bits in your dog's food.

Seriously, this was the most exciting moment in my house today. Tails were wagging like crazy and I was a superhero for about 30 seconds.

Of course you always run the risk that the picky one will only eat the chicken...

Really I just wanted an excuse to post pictures of my super cute paleo pups. :-)

Sweet Potato Bacon Hash

Remember when I said I love scrambles? If you don't remember you clearly have been skipping the random ramblings on my blog and only reading the recipes. Well, I'm over scrambles...now I love hash. And I don't mean weed. This sweet potato and bacon hash will get you high on Paleo life though.

Sweet Potato and Bacon Hash:

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cubed sweet potato
• 1 package uncured organic bacon
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper

Saute onion with salt and pepper in olive oil. Add cubed sweet potato, cover and cook 5 to 7 minutes. Add water, cover and cook 10 minutes. Add (cooked and chopped) bacon and cook covered an additional 10 minutes. YUM. 

Honey Dijon Chicken Thighs

Honey is the new sugar. For real people, throw your sugar away.. unless you have a partner who still demands non-Paleo baked goods every now and again, in that case shove your sugar really really far back in a cabinet and leave your raw organic honey out on the counter. I didn't realize I was eating the fake stuff all these years! I probably consume way more raw organic honey than is recommended by avid Paleoers, if I turn into a bumble bee don't be alarmed. Not only will I eat the stuff by the spoonful, but I've also started to put it on any piece of meat I can get away with. Here is the latest and greatest in raw organic honey.

Honey Dijon Chicken Thighs:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken thighs (bone in or out)
• 1/2 cup raw organic honey
• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons rosemary
• salt and pepper

Here's what you do: Mix honey, mustard, olive oil, and rosemary until incorporated. Add an additional teaspoon of olive oil if the mixture looks too thick. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then brush the entire mixture over chicken. It's really delish if you let it marinade all day. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

*I sprinkled rosemary and pepper on our roasted veggies as well! 

Turkey Hash

When I was growing up my mom made a lot of casseroles. It was an easy way to feed a family of four for a couple of nights without much complaint from the two picky red heads living in the house (I'll own it, I was one of them).  My best friend was a frequent visitor and her first stop when she came to our house was often the refrigerator to see what kind of casserole my mom had made that week. Those casseroles were some of the most comforting foods I remember from my childhood and adolescent years, and some of my fondest memories were eating the leftovers late at night with my best friend.  Most of those familiar casserole recipes are definitely not Paleo friendly- this Turkey Hash is the closest thing I've made and it was SO good. The picture doesn't do it justice. My partner even went back for seconds, score!

Turkey Hash:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb turkey
• 3 cups cubed squash
• 1 onion
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper

Brown turkey. In a separate high sided skillet saute onion in olive oil. Add squash, cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Add water, cover and cook 10 minutes. Then add cooked turkey, cover and cook an additional 10 minutes. Serve with veggies.

*You can use ground turkey or chop turkey breasts for this recipe. Also, cubing an entire butternut squash takes approximately 42 minutes. If you aren't a total penny pinching paleo I would highly recommend paying the extra two dollars for the pre-cubed squash to save yourself some serious time. 

Holy Moly...

Guacamole! This guacamole is so easy the cavemen probably made it ;-)

Ingredients:

• 3 medium avocados
• 1 firm tomato
• 1/2 white onion
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Salt and pepper 

Mix all ingredients together. *I pulsed together all ingredients in a food processor after mixing because my avocados weren't as ripe as they should have been. I recommend using ripe avocados so you don't have to use the food processor.

Enjoy on salad or for raw veggie dipping!

Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes

My love for kitchen appliances stops with the food processor. My mom bought me a very nice one a few months ago and this weekend was the first time I touched it. The thing is freaking scary- that really huge blade looks so daunting and all the parts have to be attached just right. My partner is a saint for putting up with my grouching from the kitchen when I couldn't get the thing to work. However- TOTALLY worth it. The cupcakes I made are so yummy I will totally use the scary pain-in-the-butt kitchen appliance again if it means I get to have these delightful chocolate Paleo goodies on another occasion.

Chocolate Paleo Cupcakes:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 4 eggs

Pulse together all dry ingredients in a food processor. Add coconut oil and honey then pulse again. Add eggs and pulse one last time. Scoop batter into paper lined muffin tin-makes about 8 cupcakes. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes.

Chocolate Glaze:
Melt 1 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips and 1/3 cup coconut oil over low heat in saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Refrigerate for 30-45 minutes then mix with hand mixer. Glaze cupcakes.

*This glaze hardens in the fridge, store your glazed cupcakes at room temperature.