Burger and Fries

This combination has yet to get old. Grass fed beef burger with baked sweet potato fries and all the fixin's!

Chicken Sausage Frittata

I didn't even know there was such a thing as chicken sausage until I stumbled across it at Earth Fare. It's not bad! I made my weekly breakfast frittata, this time with sliced chicken sausage, leeks, potato, mushroom, asparagus, garlic, and salt/pepper. So filling!

Lazy Girl Chicken Parm

Okay, slightly misleading name because this isn't a true Parmesan dish (no cheese or pasta), but it is easy and yummy. Peel and slice an eggplant and salt each side (drying with a paper towel) to pull out bitterness. Saute eggplant in a pan about 8 minutes (or until nearly done) with some olive oil, then throw in a big handful or two of quartered cherry tomatoes and some diced pre-cooked chicken. Throw on some garlic salt and pepper, then top with chopped basil once everything is warm. Dig in!

Just Because

I want it to be fall so badly--I want to pick a pumpkin and drink a hot beverage and wear a sweater with boots. But the 80-90 degree weather has been making that tough. So I bought these cute little salt and pepper shakers in an attempt to encourage fall to make an appearance (is that too much to ask?)!

Broccoli Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Whole30 now says potatoes are okay, so I went nuts making a twice stuffed potato! I like to poke holes with a fork and then microwave mine for about 8 minutes (until it starts getting tender), then wrap it in some tin foil with olive oil and sea salt and bake it for another 20 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees.

When potato is done, scoop out all the innards and stir in steamed broccoli, ghee, and garlic salt until it's a nice mashed potato consistency, then place mixture back inside the potato skin. Easy peasy.

Paleo Pumpkin Cookies

This was before the challenge at our gym started, but I didn't want to forget the recipe! They were more pie-like than cookies, but still tasty.

Ingredients
1 cup almond flour
1 cup pumpkin (I used a can)
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 egg
2-4 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1. Whisk egg, coconut milk, and maple syrup together. Add dry ingredients. Add pumpkin and mix well.

2. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Allow to cool completely before removing from pan. Makes about a dozen cookies.

Recipe Source:  Paleo Magazine

Butternut Squash, Carrot, and Cauliflower Soup

It still doesn't feel like fall (temps in the mid to high 80s, but who am I to complain?) but I was craving a nice bowl of soup. So I threw together this delicious mash-up of vegetable goodness, just in time for our 45 day Paleo Nutrition Challenge at the gym. This shiz is GOOD.

Ingredients
3-4 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 head of cauliflower, cut into 1 inch chunks
8 oz. of chicken broth (or veggie)
1 small can of coconut milk (about 1/2 cup)
Small bunch of chives, roughly chopped
Tumeric
Salt and pepper
Pumpkin seeds (for garnish)

1. Simmer all ingredients except for coconut milk in a large sauce pan for about 20 minutes, or until veggies are very tender.

2. Using an immersion blender (a regular blender would work but be messier), blend everything until smooth. Stir in coconut milk and season more as needed. Garnish with pumpkin seeds and serve.

Scotch Eggs

John is a big fan of Scotch eggs but the fried breading is not exactly paleo-friendly. He made them using chorizo and sausage, and baking them. I'll get the recipe soon and update!

Chicken with Carmelized Onions and Roasted Veggies

This one was easy but time consuming, and absolutely delicious. First was the veggies.

Roasted Veggies
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 turnips, peeled and cubed
4 carrots, peeled and cubed
4 beets, peeled and cubed
1-2 cups of brussel sprouts, bottoms cut off and halved
Olive oil
Thyme
Garlic salt, pepper

Toss all veggies with several tablespoons of olive oil and a generous covering of seasonings. Stir until evenly coated and roast at 425 degrees for about 40 minutes (until tender).

While the veggies were cooking I gave myself a 10 minute break and then got the chicken dish going.

Chicken with Carmelized Onions
1 large red onion, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandarin)
1 mini bottle of white wine (I used Chardonney...maybe 1 cup?)
Olive oil
Ghee
Garlic salt, sea salt, pepper
2 lbs. thinly filleted chicken breasts (you could also butterfly regular ones)

1. Pour a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and add in the sliced onions and several generous pinches of sea salt. Let them cook down on medium heat for a good 15 minutes or so (I like mine extra gooey).

2. Season chicken with garlic salt and pepper, then add to a hot skillet full of ghee (several tablespoons) over medium-high heat. Go ahead and turn the oven vent on, it's gonna get smoky. Let the chicken cook until the fillet is about 2/3 white and it easily removes from the pan (if it sticks, it needs to cook longer). When it easily comes up, flip it and continue cooking another few minutes. Add ghee as needed to cover the bottom of the pan.

3. Slice up chicken and add it to the onions once they finish carmelizing. Turn off heat and add the mini bottle of wine to the pan the chicken was cooked in (deglaze it). All the yummy crispies will unstick and become sauce. Simmer on medium heat until wine reduces by half and sauce starts to thicken. Pour chicken wine sauce over onions and chicken slices and you're done!

Dad's Birthday

My Dad would have been 60 on October 6th. It's the second birthday since he's been gone and I still miss him every day. His favorite was lemon cake, so I made some gluten free Betty Crocker cupcakes with lemon icing and had a family dinner at Wild Olive to celebrate.

Paleo-ish Bolognese

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef
4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/4 cups dry red wine, divided
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
Big handful of kale
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
1/4 cup coconut milk
2-3 zucchini, spiraled into noodles

1. Brown meat in olive oil about 5-7 minutes. Add mirepoix (onion, carrots, celery--which I pulsed in a food processor) and kale, oregano, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook another 2 minutes.

2. Pour in wine (the non-paleo part, but it's for flavor not getting wasted) and tomatoes, stirring and simmering another 10 minutes or so as wine reduces.

3. Finish off with basil, coconut milk, and salt/pepper to taste. Simmer another 10 minutes and serve over zucchini noodles.

Based on this recipe:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/weeknight-bolognese-recipe.html