Garlicy Green Beans and Mushrooms

I served these with the sliders below. I just had to post them on their own so I could put them in the "sides" label :-)

Garlicy Green Beans and Mushrooms:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups green beans (frozen)
• 2 cups mushrooms
• 1/2 onion
• 4 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tsp thyme
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

Saute chopped onion in olive oil, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from pan. Run water over green beans in a strainer to defrost. Add more olive oil to the pan and saute green beans about  5 minutes. Add garlic, spices, and mushrooms and onions. Cook on low heat covered about 8 minutes.

Mushroom and Bacon Sliders

Cavemen probably dreamed about bacon and beef, I know I do.. Okay, mostly I dream about bacon, but there is no way to make sliders only out of bacon so I kinda had to supplement with beef. The mushrooms were mostly for good measure. Evidently this is the week of mixing meat (or I just had a huge package of bacon in my fridge, you'll never know).

Mushroom and Bacon Sliders:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb grass fed beef
• 8 pieces bacon
• 1/2 onion
• 10 oz mushrooms
• olive oil
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp oregeno
• salt and pepper

Cook bacon until crispy and chop into small pieces. Chop onion and mushrooms and saute in olive oil about 4 minutes. Mix beef with spices, then add bacon, onions, and mushrooms (make sure these have cooled or else making the slider patties will be uncomfortable). Form into sliders (I made about 15, you could also do meatballs, or regular burgers- your call). Broil on a foil lined cookie sheet, about 8 minutes on each side.

Bacon and Tuna Two Ways

Until now I've been a one meat per meal kinda gal. Mixing meats feels weird, and mixing bacon with anything feels like cheating.. on bacon :-) Recently I've done some research about protein and realized I may not be getting enough of it, especially on CrossFit days. In a serious effort to fix the problem I made these absolutely wonderful little protein packed snacks. I had some of the tuna mixture leftover and used it the second day in a salad. See below for bacon and tuna two ways!

Bacon and Tuna Egg Boats:

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 1 can tuna
• 4 pieces bacon
• salt and pepper

Boil eggs in water until they are hard-boiled (about 17 minutes boil time). To prevent cracking, put eggs in water before it boils then start timing at the first bubble. Cook bacon until crispy, either in the oven (at about 425 degrees) or in a skillet. Chop bacon into small pieces. When eggs are done, remove the yolks and mix with tuna. Salt and pepper the mixture then stir in bacon pieces. Scoop mixture into the eggs. Store in an air tight container, these kept about 4 days.


Bacon and Tuna Spinach Salad (with Paleo dressing!)
*Dressing recipe courtesy of my mom

 Ingredients:

• Leftover bacon and tuna mixture
• 3 cups spinach
• 1/2 chopped apple
• 1 hard boiled egg
• Dressing
• equal parts stone ground mustard, balsamic vinegar, and pure maple syrup

This is self explanatory. Mix all ingredients and eat the salad. Yum :-) Oh, and the dressing will last in the fridge 48 hours. 

Smokey Paprika Chicken Strips and Honey Dijon Dipping Sauce

Several months ago I mastered the art of Paleo chicken strips- egg, almond flour, fry in coconut oil on medium heat about one and a half minutes each side. The problem is that my kitchen (and the rest of my house) would get all smokey. I also only have one skillet that is good for frying, so it was a pretty serious commitment to fry an entire pound or more of chicken. The problem with baking chicken strips is that there is always the potential they won't be crispy enough. SOOO. I found a solution! Keep reading to find out what it is ;-)

Smokey Paprika Chicken Strips and Honey Dijon Dipping Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb thin chicken tenders
• 1 egg
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 tablespoon smokey paprika
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• 3 tablespoons raw organic honey
• 2 tablespoons stone ground mustard

Mix almond flour, paprika, oregano, and pepper. Dredge chicken in egg then in almond flour mixture. Place on foil lined baking sheet. Okay get ready for it, here's the super secret magic trick that will make your chicken strips crispy...

Pour some olive oil in a little spray bottle, like this:

Spritz the chicken strips with olive oil, then sprinkle sea salt and a little extra paprika over each one. Bake at 425 degrees for 8 minutes, then flip and bake an additional 5 minutes. For the dipping sauce, mix honey and Dijon mustard. Enjoy your non-smokey kitchen and easy clean up!

Zuchinni Noodles tossed with Bacon and Roasted Tomatoes:

My plan for lunch today was to bake some chicken breasts and throw a few raw veggies in a bag (maybe cook a hard-boiled egg if I was feeling super motivated). When I woke up this morning, much to my dismay, I had forgotten to take the chicken out of the freezer. EEK! My little paleo wheels started spinning- looking in my fridge with only 30 minutes until departure for work I saw a package of bacon and a zucchini. At first I thought I was going to have to resort to a Panera salad, then by some glory of the paleo food Gods this idea popped into my head. I had read about zucchini noodles... dreamed about zucchini noodles.. but never had zucchini noodles graced my kitchen or my taste buds... until today. With 27 minutes to spare (I estimate I was thinking for roughly 3 minutes) I quickly dug around my vegetable drawer for a tomato and threw this dish together. Viola!

Zuchinni Noodles tossed with Bacon and Roasted Tomatoes:

Ingredients:

• 1 zucchini 
• 1 tomato
• 4 slices of nitrate free uncured bacon
• 2 teaspoons basil
• Salt and pepper
• olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop tomato and bacon, then toss with olive oil and basil. Roast on a foil lined baking sheet for 20 minutes. Use a potato peeler to peel slices of zucchini. Throw in boiling water for 2 minutes, then run cold water over the "noodles". Throw some salt and pepper on the noodles, then toss with the tomato and bacon. YUM!

Noodles minus tomato and bacon..

Zucchini Meatballs and Paleo Red Sauce:

I'm not usually a stress eater, in fact usually stress makes me nauseous which has the opposite effect. However, I learned today that rush hour related stress makes me want to eat my arm. This evening it took me an hour and a half to drive the distance it takes me to drive twenty minutes in the morning. AHHHHHHH. As my blood pressure increased the more I thought about these meatballs and red sauce anxiously awaiting me in my fridge. I also kept doing the math in my head about how long I would have to scarf down the meatballs before The Bachelorette came on (don't judge me). Anyway, this was my first attempt at red sauce and it turned out AWESOME. The zucchini meatballs were also a nice spin on the traditional beef and onion combo. Enjoy!

Zucchini Meatballs and Paleo Red Sauce:

Ingredients- Meatballs:

• 1 lb grass fed beef
• 1 1/2 medium zucchinis, grated
• 1/2 onion
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons garlic
• 1 teaspoon oregeno
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients by hand in a mixing bowl. Form meatballs- I made about 15- and place on foil lined baking sheet. Broil for 10 minutes, flip, and broil another 8-10 minutes.

Ingredients- Red sauce:

• 8 ripe tomatoes
• 1/2 onion 
• 4 tablespoons garlic
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 8-10 bay leaves
• sea salt
• Italian spices: oregeno, thyme, basil, rosemary, sage
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Chop tomatoes and onion. In a large high sided skillet, saute onions and garlic in coconut oil. Add tomatoes and mix. Cook on high about 5 minutes. Add salt and Italian spices and mix, then add bay leaves. Turn heat to medium and cook covered about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves and add olive oil one tablespoon at a time until the sauce starts to thicken. Cook another 2-3 minutes and serve. 

Maple Cinnamon Glazed Pork Chops

Did you miss me? I took a week and a half long "vacation" on the couch. Evidently there is this thing called labyrinthitis- although I prefer to call it the virus from hell- that plagues your ears with pain and head with vertigo for weeks on end. Since I couldn't even walk in a straight line my partner was responsible for meals :-D which means Chinese take-out and Bread Co. One day I actually ate a blueberry muffin for lunch (GASP). I know, it's awful. Fortunately I managed to muster up enough energy after work today to throw together real food. FINALLY!

Maple Cinnamon Glazed Pork Chops:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pork loins or chops, bone in our out
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon raw organic honey
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• coarse sea salt

Prepare glaze by heating coconut oil, maple syrup, honey, and cinnamon for about 4 minutes- don't let it bubble that means it's about to burn. Place pork loins or chops on baking sheet covered in foil and pour glaze over chops. Bake at 425 degrees about 15 minutes, depending on the size of the pork cut.

P.S. I served these with seasoned skillet veggies. Asparagus, zucchinni, and yellow pepper seasoned with sea salt, garlic, and parsley!