Recipes

Here you will find the best tasty Paleo/ Modern Paleo recipes the trainers & athletes have tried and tested. All recipes found here are a staple among our training staff & athletes with a real picture, ingredients list, detailed directions, reflection, & rating from the cook. Enjoy the art of cooking great food for fuel in the gym!

Chipotle Glazed Chicken & Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 jalapeño pepper
1 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, plus additional to taste
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds), rinsed and patted dry
Chopped cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Scatter the sweet potatoes on the bottom of a roasting pan and toss with the olive oil.  Roast for 15 minutes.
  3. While the sweet potatoes are roasting, mince the jalapeño pepper, including the ribs and seeds (for flavor and spice.)
  4. In a small bowl, mix together the minced jalapeño, garlic, honey, vinegar, salt, cumin, cinnamon, and chipotle powder to make a paste. Rub the paste evenly over each breast.
  5. Place the chicken breasts on top of the sweet potatoes and roast until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 to 35 minutes. Serve garnished with cilantro if desired.

Tasty Rating: 10

The combination of sweet and spicy is powerful and delicious in this dish!  Be careful, as the spice can get a little out of control here.  If you don’t like spice, remove the ribs/seeds from the jalapeño before mincing, and eliminate the ground chipotle chili powder.  To turn the spice up a notch, add a dash of cayenne pepper or chili powder to the paste.  This can get a little tricky to cook, because the sweet potatoes can get a little overdone while waiting for the chicken to cook through – I might try a smaller pan, or a little larger sweet potato pieces, next time.

-Adapted from a recipe from Fitness Magazine website

 -Submitted by Alli

 

Chicken Zucchini

Total Time: Approx. 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 – 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken (breasts or thighs)
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons potato starch
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 teaspoon dried basil
2 zucchini or yellow squash
(optional) 1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

1. Cut the chicken up into 1” cubes.  (If they’re on sale, I buy chicken breast tenders, which makes the cutting go a little bit faster!)
2. In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, and pepper, then toss chicken cubes thoroughly in the mixture to coat on all sides.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and allow to heat.  Then add the chicken.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes – until almost cooked through.
4. While chicken is cooking (or beforehand), chop zucchini into coins, and cut the larger coins in half.  Slice your mushrooms, if not already sliced.
5. When chicken is almost cooked through, remove from the skillet and set aside.
6. If necessary, add a bit more olive oil to the skillet at this point.  Add the garlic and stir around a bit – but not too long; it will start to brown quickly because the skillet is so hot!
7. Add in your vegetables, and stir the basil in.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until they are crisp-tender, probably 5-6minutes.
8. Toss the chicken back into the skillet, and then add the water and lemon juice.  Mix everything around.  Bring to a simmer, and simmer for 3-6 minutes – until the vegetables are tender and chicken is fully cooked.
9. Scoop into bowls and enjoy!  (You may want to use a slotted spoon if there is water remaining in the skillet.)

Tasty Rating: 10

This is a repeat recipe in our house!  It is an easy, flavorful, one-pan recipe that packs in your meat and veggies!  You can sub out different veggies depending on what you have, or what you like – often, we don’t use mushrooms; sometimes we’ll add leeks or green onions.  If you don’t like spice, use less cayenne pepper – or you could even use ground black pepper to tone it down a lot.

Inspired by a recipe The Everything Food Allergy Cookbook (but mostly made up by Alli)

-Submitted by Alli

Honey Dill Carrots

Ingredients:

1 lb baby carrots
1 Tbs coconut oil
1 Tbs raw honey
2 sprigs fresh dill, chopped (substitute 1 Tbs dried dill if fresh dill cannot be found)

Directions:

1. Heat 1-1/2″ water in a medium pot with steamer basket over high heat until water boils.
2. Add carrots to steamer basket and cover. Steam for 20-30 minutes, or until tender.
3. Remove from basket and add coconut oil. Drizzle with honey, sprinkle with dill, and toss to coat. Serve warm.

Tasty Rating: 10

I am a big fan of these little guys!  They are VERY simple and quick to make, which is always a plus, they taste great, and it’s an easy way to add more veggies to your plate.  I am always looking for new veggie recipes and this one is definitely a staple of my family menu.

*Recipe from Paleo Plan

-Submitted by Chris

Pigs in a Blanket

Ingredients:

6-8 pork sausages

1 head of cabbage

mustard for dipping

toothpicks

Directions:

1. Grill sausages for about 8-10 min, or until done.

2. Peel the leaves off the head of cabbage.  Cut out the bottom half of the middle stem from each leaf, as this part tends to be tough and chewy.

3. Microwave the leaves for 3-5 minutes, or until soft. If the cabbage leaves are too dry for your liking, drizzle with a little melted coconut oil or butter.

4. Set a sausage on the far end of a cabbage leaf and roll the leaf up.  Secure the leaf around the sausage with several toothpicks.  If the sausages are too short, you can roll the leaf twice, then fold the sides in and continue rolling.

5. cut cabbage-wrapped sausages into bite-sized pieces and serve with mustard for dipping.

Tasty Rating: 10

These puppies are great (who doesn’t like sausage?).  Although not 100% Paleo (most sausage has sugar in it), this recipe is great!  This is a perfect recipe for those nights you need a quick meal because it’s super easy to make and doesn’t take much time at all considering most sausage is pre-cooked and you just have to heat it up.  You can also eat the left-overs as a snack the next few days.

*Recipe from Mark Sisson’s book Primal Blueprint

-Submitted by Chris

Berry Crumble

Ingredients:

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup pecans
pinch salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cardamom or nutmeg
1 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
1 tbsp vanilla

3 cups berries (frozen or fresh)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven broiler to low (I did 4:50 but it may have been a tad too high).

2. In a food processor or blender, grind walnuts so they are very finely chopped. Add pecans, salt, cinnamon, cardamom and butter and pulse until just blended, 10-15 seconds.
3. In a small pot, heat berries with vanilla. Bring to a gentle boil for 5 minutes, so the berries are well heated.
4. Drain off any liquid the berries have released and spoon the berries into a small oven-proof dish.
5. Spoon the nut mixture evenly on top of berries. Put under the broiler and heat for several minutes until the topping is lightly browned. Keep an eye on the crumble as it cooks; if the broiler is too hot the nuts are bound to burn.
Tasty Rating: 9
The only reason this wasn’t a 10 was that it can get a bit expensive due to the berries and it isn’t very filling.  I made this as a breakfast option (Mark suggests it in his book) but I think it fits in the dessert category.  It’s sweet and the nuts add a nice texture, reminds me of pie.  keep your portions small and this will last you.  I would recommend doubling the recipe, makes enough for about 12 portions and can double as a sweet snack as well.
-Submitted by Chris
*Recipe from Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson

 

Chocolate Coconut Bark

Ingredients:

2oz (55g) dark chocolate (85% cocoa or higher is preferred)
1c coconut oil (I tripled the recipe and used only 1/2c of coconut oil, I felt 3c was WAY too much and too expensive.  I couldn’t tell a difference)
Handful of coconut flakes
Handful of silvered almonds
1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Melt chocolate pieces in double boiler.

2. Take off heat and stir in coconut oil until completely blended. Add coconut and almonds.
3. Pour batter into 8×8 pan lined with parchment (I used wax paper, make sure there are no crinkles or holes in it though).

4. Sprinkle sea salt on top.
5. Put in freezer for 15 min or until solid, then cut into squares. Store in freezer, they melt quick!

Tasty Rating: 10

Of course it’s chocolate!  A good dessert substitute!  You can make a large batch, cut and store in the freezer for those times right after dinner when you are craving something sweet.  Careful though, these taste so good you may want more than one piece.  And I’d suggest making the pieces bite-sized because you will eat whatever size you cut.

-Submitted by Chris

*Recipe from Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson

Pork Fried Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons sesame or coconut oil

1 white or yellow onion, thinly sliced

3/4 lb meat, raw or already cooked, cut into small pieces

4 Tablespoons tamari

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 small head of cauliflower, graded in a food processor

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup frozen peas

4 scallions, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. Heat a wok or skillet over high heat and add 1 Tbsp of oil.

2. Add onion and saute until it starts to brown, about 2 min.

3. Add the meat and 1 Tbsp of tamari.  Saute 2-3 min (or longer if raw meat needs more time).

4. Add the remaining oil, garlic, and cauliflower.  Saute for 2-3 min.

5. Add the eggs and remaining tamari.  Stir constantly as the egg cooks.

6. Add the peas and chopped scallions.  Cook a min or two more.

Tasty Rating: 10

This is by far one of my new favorite meals!  My wife used to make (pre-Paleo) a mean chicken fried rice recipe and this brought back fond memories of chowing that down.  We added bacon and carrots as well because her old recipe had that and it definitely added flavor.  I also used coconut aminos as a topping (like soy sauce, but Paleo) and that made it less dry. My wife said it was very easy to make, which is always a bonus.  We’ll be making this again, very soon!!!

Ground Pork & Apple Sliders

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground pork

1/2 cup minced white onion

1 & 1/2 cups finely diced apple

1 & 1/2 Tablespoons of Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 & 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Mix the ground pork with the minced onions, diced apples, and spices.  If you prefer a milder slider, first saute the minced onions in a little coconut oil.

2. Evenly separate the meat mixture into 8-10 portions and form those into patties.

3. cook on a grill or in a large skillet over medium heat for 7-10 min. per side or until the patties are done all the way through and no longer pink in the middle.  You can serve them like burgers wrapped in lettuce with some homemade ketchup (recipe below), mustard (always Paleo), or topped with sauerkraut.  You can also enjoy the sliders topped with a fried egg and hot sauce.

Tasty Rating: 8.5

It took a bit of time to make these just because I was doing a double batch and that’s a lot of small patties.  They were also a bit bland, but these are a great alternative for regular hamburgers.  Side this with some sweet potato fries and it’s almost like you aren’t eating as weird as your friends say you do.  I never tasted the apple so next time I plan on using more.  The size of these burgers is nice because it can work for a snack or if you pack 3-4 it makes a nice lunch.  I would recommend packing the lettuce separate from the burgers though to keep it crisp.

*Recipe found in Everyday Paleo Cookbook by Sarah Fragoso

-Submitted by Chris

Homemade Ketchup

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

1/4 cup minced white onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

7 oz organic tomato paste

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1 & 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 cup apple juice

Directions:

1. In a medium skillet, melt the coconut oil over medium heat and cook the minced onions until they become translucent.

2. Add the garlic and saute just until fragrant.

3. Add to the skillet the remaining ingredients and whisk together.  Bring the mixture to a simmer; turn heat to low, and cook for an additional 5 min., stirring often.

4. Remove from heat and let the ketchup cook down before storing it in a glass container.  Makes approximately 2 cups ketchup.

*Recipe found in Everyday Paleo Cookbook by Sarah Fragoso

-Submitted by Chris

Rocket Fuel

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chopped almonds

5 dates, finely chopped

2 egg whites

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Coconut oil or ghee

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F

2. In a large mixing bowl, add the nuts and finely chopped dates

3. In a separate bowl, drop in the egg whites, add the cinnamon, and beat with a fork until the cinnamon is blended with the egg whites

4. Pour the egg whites over the nuts and dates and mix until everything starts to stick together

5. using your hands, create balls of the nut, date, and egg white mixture (about the size of golf balls), and place onto a baking sheet greased with coconut oil or ghee.

6. Still using your hands, compact each cookie so that they hold together in the oven (I did not do this, I kept them in balls)

7. Bake for 15 min.  Makes 14 cookies

Tasty Rating: 9

Considering the only sugar in these is from the dates, I was AMAZED how sweet they tasted.  These tasted like they were dusted with sugar.  Add a drizzle of honey on top and these are a great snack or treat.  I like to wrap each ball individually in foil so they are an easy pick-up and go treat.  Very simple and quick to make as well, which is always a key for those of us on the go!

*Recipe found in Everyday Paleo Cookbook by Sarah Fragoso

-Submitted by Chris

Family-Style Short Ribs

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons coconut oil

5-6 lbs beef short ribs

Sea salt & black pepper

2 cups Brother Mark BBQ Sauce (recipe below)

Directions:

1. Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat.

2. While the oil is heating, season the short ribs generously with salt & pepper.

3. Sear the ribs in the hot oil for 3-4 minutes per side or until browned and crisp on the outside.

4. Place the seared ribs in a slow cooker, cover with 2 cups of Brother Mark BBQ sauce, and cook on low for 8-9 hours (low) or 4-5 hours (high), or until the meat is falling off the bone.

Tasty Rating: 9.5

The only thing keeping these babies from a 10 was that the sauce was a bit bland, we even added honey.  I think next time a bit of cayenne pepper will do the trick.  Although ribs are expensive, they make a great treat for a Paleo dish that rivals “bad” food.  These ribs were amazing!  Not only do they fall off of the bone but searing them gives a bit of a hard exterior and but the slow cooker helps them stay moist and flake off the bone.  The BBQ sauce seemed like it was going to be Italiany when we were cooking it but it made a great BBQ sauce.  I would recommend these puppies to any rib lover!

Brother Mark BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

6 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 yellow onion, diced

3 Tablespoon coconut oil, or bacon grease

2 teaspoon lemon zest

1 small sprig rosemary

1 cup pineapple juice

1 cup apple juice

1/2 cup organic tomato paste

1/4 cup red wine

1 Tablespoon coconut aminos

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 Tablespoon paprika

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1/2 Tablespoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon red chili flakes

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup water

Directions:

1. Over medium heat in a medium skillet, saute the garlic, and onions in 2 Tablespoon of the coconut oil or bacon grease until the onions are translucent.

2. Add the lemon zest, rosemary sprig, 1/8 cup of the pineapple juice, and 1/8 cup of the apple juice to the onion and garlic mixture and bring to a simmer; then turn heat down to low and simmer while you continue to prepare the sauce.

3. While the onion mixture is simmering, in a separate large skillet heat the remaining Tablespoon of coconut oil over medium-low heat and whisk in the tomato paste.

4. Turn the heat up to medium to medium-high and slowly add the wine as well as the remaining pineapple and apple juice, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly.

5. Strain the liquid from the onion-and-rosemary mixture pan through a sieve or strainer into the tomato sauce mixture and let the sauce cook down and thicken while stirring constantly over medium to medium-high heat (approx. 7-10 min).

6. Add the remaining ingredients, whisk together well, and simmer for another 7-10 min.  makes approx. 2 cups BBQ sauce.

*Recipe found in Everyday Paleo Cookbook by Sarah Fragoso

-Submitted by Chris

 

Paleo PB & J

Ingredients:

1 table spoon of almond butter

1-2 berries or fruit of your choice

Directions:

1. Top a spoon full of almond butter with your favorite fruit

2. Enjoy!

Tasty Rating: 10

No, this won’t completely give you the same feeling of eating a true PB & J but it is a great snack.  Works well for a post workout snack with a protein punch and carbohydrate refill.  I like to use berries commonly seen in jams like raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.  Grapes work well also.

-Submitted by Chris

Omelet Muffins

Ingredients:

Coconut oil or paper muffin liners

8 Omega-3 Cage-free eggs

1/8 cup of water

8 oz cooked meat (uncured ham or sausage works well, cut or crumpled into small pieces)

2 cups diced veggies (I used broccoli, peppers, onion, & carrots)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease 8 muffin cups with coconut oil or line with paper muffin liners.  Fill any remaining muffin cups with 1″ of water so they do not scorch while baking.

3. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl and add meat, veggies, salt, pepper, and any other ingredients you’d like to add. (I like to add a splash of coconut milk to the eggs when I whip them).

4. Pour the mixture into the muffin cups.

5. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until eggs are fully cooked.

Tasty Rating: 10

I loved these for their great taste, easy packing option for traveling, high veggie content, and how easy it is to double up the recipe and freeze leftovers for later.  I eat about 3 with a side of breakfast meat and fruit.

-Submitted by Chris

Fruit Rainbow Kabob

Ingredients:

Strawberries

Cantelope

Pineapple

Green grapes

Black grapes or blue berries

Red grapes

*Amount is dependent on how many kabobs you’d like to make.

Directions:

1. Cubed the cantelope & pineapple,  halve the strawberries.

2. Place on kabob in order like picture shows.

Tasty Rating: 10

This one is all about the presentation.  Not many Paleo meals turn out looking this spectacular!  My wife made this for lounge duty one day and it was immensely popular.  Very sweet and a fun way to start the day or to enjoy as a snack.  This one is a popular snack among kids too, great for parties and other get-togethers.

-Submitted by Chris

Bananas with Almond Butter & Coconut Milk

Ingredients:

1 large banana

2 table spoons almond butter

2 table spoons coconut milk

Directions:

1. Slice banana and place in a small bowl.

2. Top with almond butter and coconut milk.

Tasty Rating: 10

I LOVE this quick dish.  It is a nice super fast option for breakfast on those work days you seem to be running low on time or if you’ve forgotten to prepare a meal.  It’s also nice to top with raisins, cinnamon, and slivered almonds if you so desire.  You may get strange looks when eating this one but it’s an awesome way to start the day.  It would also work well as a snack anytime of day!

-Submitted by Chris

Nor-Cal Margarita

Ingredients:

2 shots of 100% agave tequila

juice from 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons of lime juice)

splash of sparkling mineral water

Directions:

1. Pour tequila, add lime juice and splash with mineral water.

2. Garnish with lime wedge.

Tasty Rating: 10

Considering drinking alcohol is not necessarily Paleo, sneaking in a drink every now and then can do well to unwind from the busy, stressful work week on a Friday night.  So, next time you are reaching for something to clear your head, consider a drink that’s more “Paleo” than most.  100% agave tequila is very pure and natural (and pricey), lime juice and sparkling mineral water are both natural and Paleo as well so there’s no wonder why this drink is loved by CrossFitters everywhere.  And anything sponsored by Robb Wolf has got to be good!

Robb’s Top 5 reasons why he loves this drink.

  1. Tequila is delicous.
  2. Tequila is fermented agave juice, which makes it gluten- or and starch-free. Gluten, as nutrition geeks know, is a gut irritant and just generally bad stuff, and starches are way too dense with unnecessary carbs.
  3. Lime juice blunts the insulin response of the alcohol, maintaining your precious and hard-earned insulin sensitivity.
  4. The lime juice also provides a net alkaline load when it gets to the blood stream, which is a good thing. Most other foods provide a net acid load, and it’s nice to balance that out.
  5. The carbon dioxide bubbles in the soda water help get the ethanol into your blood more quickly. This has the practical effect of allowing you to drink a bit less for the same effect.

-Submitted by Chris

Sausage & Pepper Omelet

Ingredients:

1 pepper of your choice (I used a mixture of jalapeno, chile, and bell peppers)

1/4 yellow or red onion

4 eggs

1 tablespoon coconut milk (optional)

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoon coconut oil

1 lb of nitrite-/nitrate-free sausage

2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped

Directions:

1. Brown sausage in medium sized pan over medium heat.

2. While sausage is cooking, dice peppers and onion and mix in a small bowl.

3. While sausage is cooking whip eggs & add coconut milk and pepper.

4. When sausage is fully cooked, pour into a small bowl and add coconut oil to pan until melted.

5. Keeping the heat at medium, add eggs until bottom of pan is covered (thin layer).

6. Cook until no longer runny, then spoon peppers/ onions and sausage to desired amount on half of the omelet.

7. Fold over other half of omelet with a spatula and continue to cook for about 1 min.

8. Repeat steps for next omelet.

Tasty Rating: 9

I like the simplicity of this meal.  I like to double the recipe up and cut the omelets in halves and freeze half of the batch (about 4-5 half omelets).  I then pair with a favorite breakfast fruit/ fruit medley and a side of breakfast meat such as uncured bacon or uncured ham.  The fresh peppers and sausage add just enough spice to this meal to perk up anyone’s morning.  A great way to start the day.

-Submitted by Chris

Savory Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini)
3 eggs
1 Tbs coconut flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
coconut oil or bacon grease

Directions:

  1. Shred zucchini by hand or in a food processor (rough chop) and set aside (if it is very wet, lightly blot it dry with a paper towel).
  2. In a large bowl, beat eggs together.
  3. Sift coconut flour into eggs and beat together. Note: coconut flour often has clumps, which is why sifting is important.
  4. Mix shredded zucchini, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper together, and combine with egg mixture.
  5. Meanwhile, set a large cast iron skillet over medium-low heat.  When hot, add coconut oil or bacon grease to coat the bottom of the pan.
  6. Spoon the mixture into the pan in desired sized fritters.
  7. Serve warm or at room temperature.
  8. Optional: add other spices or fresh herbs to the recipe in step 4.

Tasty Rating: 6

I screwed this one up with the cooking.  I tried many different methods to get the fritters to crisp but they kept a doughy consistency.  I even cooked them a lot.  Maybe somebody who knows more about tapioca flour can make this work, the fritters were quite tasty though and this is a good option for breakfast.

-Submitted by Chris

Roasted Balsamic Acorn Squash

Ingredients:

1 acorn squash

extra virgin olive oil

sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper

red pepper/ chili flakes

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

3. Slice the acorn squash into thin circles.  Slice the circles into half moons.  Remove the seeds with the knife or a spoon.

4. Douse squash half moons in olive oil, sea salt, pepper, & chili flakes.

5. Place in the oven and bake until tender, about 15 min, however you don’t want mushy, just easily pierced with a knife.

6. While the squash is baking, pour the balsamic vinegar in a small sauce pot & heat to a simmer.  Let the vinegar reduce by at least half.  The goal is a syrupy consistency.  You won’t necessarily be able to see that consistency while the pot is over heat, so if you think it’s reduced enough, take it off the heat & you’ll be able to see it thickening.  If it’s not thickening, give it some more time over the heat.

7. Do NOT put your face over the top of the vinegar while it’s reducing.  The vinegar released some kind of horribly bothersome vapor.  Not fun.

8. Drizzle the reduced vinegar over the squash.  Make sure you do this right away otherwise the syrup will turn very gummy & it will be impossible to drizzle until heated again.  When finished, heat the pan again to liquify the remaining syrup & clean right away.  Again, the gummy syrup will be impossible to manage without doing this.

Tasty Rating: 10

Based on other veggies sides I’ve eaten, this has been the best so far! We used some acorn squash from our garden and this being the first year we’ve grown squash, we didn’t have any acorn recipes.  The vinegar candies well and add just the right amount of flavor to the squash.  The pepper flakes add an unexpected zing that lingers in your mouth bite after bite.  A very intriguing and interesting set of tastes.  I expect to make this recipe at least once a week as a side item to my dinners and lunches.  As with many other recipes, I’d suggest to make double the recipe to get more meals out of each time you cook.

-Submitted by Chris

Melon Balls in Crumbled Walnut

Ingredients:

Your choice of melon (I used honeydew)

Walnuts

Directions:

1. Using a melon ball scoop, create as many melon balls as you would like.

2. Crumble the walnuts into as small of bits as you can, I use a rolling pin but you can also use a food processor and make walnut meal.

3. Place the melon balls in a Ziploc bag and pour in nuts, shake well to coat the nuts.  If you are going to eat this later, I would suggest to hold off on this step until just before you eat it, otherwise it will turn the crunch of the nuts soggy.

Tasty Rating: 5

I found out eating this recipe I don’t like walnuts.  Also, make sure you don’t use the melon ball scoop too close to the rine, otherwise it won’t taste very good.  Well, you live and you learn!  And like any recipe, you can adjust it to fit your individual tastes.  I look forward to trying this recipe with almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, and others.  I’d suggest to use this recipe as a morning snack, it’s super easy and quick to make which is always good for the work week.

-Submitted by Chris

Mixed Herb Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1 cup mache (lamb’s lettuce), I used spinnach
1 cup arugula
2 tablespoons walnut oil (I used almond oil)
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 lemon wedges (I didn’t count these & chose rounds instead)

Directions:

1. Combine basil, mint, lettuce, & arugula in a large bowl.
2. Toss with walnut oil & lemon juice.
3. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Tasty Rating: 9

I have been eating the same salads for far too long so this tasteful gem was just waiting to happen!  I’ve got to warn you, the flavor is POWERFUL!  But that is my main attraction to it.  This salad has more taste than any other I have tried.  It’s even got more taste than many meals I’ve eaten!!!  I love it!  I like the mix of greens, diversifying your salad with different colorful greens is always good.  Another warning, eating mint leaves can seem very herbivorous, I felt like a dinosaur eating the rough stems & leaves but I also thought how cool it was that I was eating something that felt more natural than just fluffy, crisp, typical salad greens.  You’ve at least got to try this out once!  I also ate leftovers with a salmon fillet on top the next day and liked that as well.  I’d suggest to try it with other meats as a meal rather than a side too.

-Submitted by: Chris

Paleo Sweet Potato Chips & Salsa

Paleo Salsa

Ingredients:

1 can of organic diced tomatoes
1 can of organic diced tomatoes with green chilies
½ purple onion
1 garlic clove
1 jalapeno pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon cumin
½ cup of cilantro
1 lime
1 teaspoon of raw honey

*I used veggies from my garden & decided to use more peppers than this called for.  Also, my wife doesn’t like cilantro so no cilantro either.

Directions:

  1. Open your two cans with a can opener and place tomatoes in your food processor.
  2. Grab your sharp knife and chop onion and jalapeno pepper on your cutting board. Place both ingredients in your food processor.
  3. Peel garlic and press garlic (using your garlic press) into the food processor.
  4. Wash and dry cilantro, place it in your food processor.
  5. Using your measuring spoons, add required amounts of cumin and sea salt to the food processor.
  6. Using your citrus juicer, squeeze your lime in the food processor.
  7. After all of the above ingredients have been added to you food processor, you can start processing.
  8. Pulse for about 30 seconds or until your salsa has reached its desired consistency.
  9. Feel free to add more salt and cumin if you feel the need of more seasoning.
  10. Refrigerate for an hour or more before eating. I like my salsa a bit cold.

* Makes two 16oz mason jars worth of salsa.

Paleo Sweet Potato Chips

3 medium sized sweet potatoes
4 tablespoons of olive oil
2-3 teaspoons of paprika
1 teaspoon of sea salt

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and arrange rack in the middle.
  2. Cover baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. (I used aluminum foil)
  3. Wash, dry and de-skin your sweet potatoes. (I didn’t peel because they are more nutritious with the peel on)
  4. Using Mandolin (at the thinnest slicing setting), slice your sweet potatoes into thin chips. (The first time I made these I tried slicing them thin and they didn’t turn out well.  I recently bought a Mandolin for $10 at Bed Bath & Beyond.)
  5. Place sweet potato chips in Zip-loc bag and add oil. Close Zip-loc bag and shake well. Making sure all chips are covered with the oil.
  6. Place sweet potato chips in a single layer on the baking sheets. The sweet potatoes should not overlap. Make sure each chip has its own space.
  7. Sprinkle paprika and sea salt evenly and to taste.
  8. Bake one sheet at a time until your sweet potato chip edges curl up and get golden brown. Takes around 1o minutes for each baking sheet. (I found this step extremely hard to do and even with the Mandolin cutting the slices thin, I had trouble with them turning cripsy.  They were mainly soggy, so, I’d suggest with experimenting with this.  Next time I plan on using a food dehydrator like I do when I make banana chips).
  9. Let the chips cool down until they get a bit crispy.
  10. Place your chips in a bowl and eat with salsa!

Tasty Rating:7 (individually the chips were a 6 due to inability to crisp up, and the salsa was an 8 )

Over all the salsa was fantastic!  The chips were a major disappointment though.  I would suggest to experiment to find a way to crisp the chips up.  I tried broiling for 1 min, I tried different oils, I even bought a Mandolin to make thin slices.  I’m going to try and use my food dehydrator next time and maybe purchase the expensive Mandolin to see if I can get really thin slices.  I LOVE chips & salsa so I’m determined to figure this one out!  That being said, the chips tasted fine, just floppy & not good for dipping.  The salsa, again, was great and I plan on making it again and freezing it for other dishes.

Submitted by-Chris

Tomato Sauce with Mushrooms

1/3 Yellow (Sweet) Onion

1 Tbsp Fat (I used bacon fat)

4 Garlic cloves

½ tsp Sea Salt

28 oz Diced Tomatoes (if using canned, get “in juice”, I used fresh tomatoes from our garden)

¼ cup Water

¾ tsp Black Pepper

¼ cup Basil leaves (fresh, I used dried)

¼ cup Parsley (fresh, I used dried)

1/8 tsp Red Pepper Flakes  (or more if you like it spicy, careful unless you like it HOT!)

6 Baby Portobello Mushrooms (or White Button, we didn’t do this because I hate mushrooms)

Directions:

1. Dice the onions and garlic, but keep them separate. Heat your chosen fat in a medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat (I found this to be too high and turned it down to medium).

2. Once hot, add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes until caramelized (you’ll want to stir frequently and continue to cook until the onions are a nice light brown. Once they do, add the garlic and sea salt and continue to cook for one minute.

3. Add the water and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Set the timer to 1 hour, turn the heat down to low (about a 3 on my oven) and stir in the remaining ingredients (I only cooked for about 20 minutes until it started to become over cooked, not sure why so careful here).

4. Stir occasionally. Serve when the desired consistency is achieved (for us, its about an hour on low).

Tasty Rating: 9

The only addition to this sauce that would have made it better would be peppers (for me, I love it HOT).  The aroma of this sauce cooking was mouth-watering and I plan on next time making a huge batch of the stuff and freezing it.  This would go well with the Eggplant Parmesan listed below, on top of spaghetti squash, on cabbage noodles, or for dipping.  Even though buying tomato sauce is so much easier, I would recommend everybody to try this at least once!

-Submitted by Chris

Primal Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients:

1-2 cups tomato sauce homemade or purchased (I used the homemade one listed above)
1 egg beaten
1 tbsp water1/2 cup almond flour1/8 tsp sea salt1/2 tsp basil dried
1/2 tsp oregano dried
1/2 tsp garlic powder1/8 tsp cracked pepper2 tbsp olive oil1-2 large Eggplants
1 lb sausage

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Using a medium skillet, brown the sausage on medium-medium high heat.
  2. Put the egg and water into a small bowl and beat til well mixed and set aside. Slice eggplants into 8-12 slices total (depending on size of eggplant).
  3. Mix together almond flour, basil, oregano and garlic powder, and spread this mix onto a large flat plate. Sparingly sprinkle sea salt and fresh ground pepper across the plate and mix it in with the flour mix. This will be the ‘breading’
  4. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tbsp of oil or enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Dip eggplant slice into the egg and let the extra egg drip back into the bowl. Next, place the eggplant slice into the breading mixture, covering both sides, and then place slice into frying pan.  Careful not to have any excess egg on the plate because this can cause quite the mess.
  5. Only fry as many slices as your skillet can handle at a time. Fry slices only until the breading slightly browns and turn over once, giving about 3 minutes per side. Transfer slice to a plate with a paper towel on it. Add oil before putting the next batch of slices in. Also, keep a fan/vent on – this can get a little smokey.
  6. In a casserole/baking dish, cover the bottom with a thin layer of tomato sauce (I used a tasty, homemade tomato sauce). Put half of the eggplant slices into the dish, spoon tomato sauce onto each slice,  as well as the sausage.  Stack the rest of the eggplant slices on top of these slices and cover with tomato sauce and sausage.
  7. Pop into the oven until eggplant is tender and cheese is melted – about 15 minutes.

Tasty Rating: 8

I was putting off this meal for about a week, the egg plant sat hopelessly in my fridge, sad that I wasn’t interested in cooking him.  Then the day came, for me to try my first egg plant meal.  I was VERY surprised at the taste of this meal!  The original recipe didn’t call for any meat, but me being Paleo and all, I thought I NEED MY PROTEIN!  The egg plant doesn’t really have much taste, I compare it to zucchini.  We ate this in a bed of Cabbage Noodles (see Sausage & Cabbage Noodles recipe far below) and that was awesome.  If you like Italian food, then this recipe may be one of your faves!

-Submitted by Chris


Paleo Tangy Meatballs

Ingredients:

One small onion, diced
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (I used garlic salt because we were out of regular salt)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pound ground beef, preferably Grassfed
(I also added 3-4 tablespoons of almond meal to help hold the meatball together a little bit, but that’s not in the original recipe)
2 tablespoons palm shortening or coconut oil
1/4 cup beef stock or water
15 oz can organic tomato sauce, no salt added
2 tablespoons raw honey
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, (gluten free)

Directions:

1.  Mix onion and spices in a bowl.

2.  Add ground beef and mix well.

3.  Shape into small meatballs.

4. In a skillet, melt shortening and brown meatballs.

5. Drain shortening.

6. Combine water, tomato sauce, honey, chili powder and worcestershire sauce and pour over meatballs.

7. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes.

Makes about 20 ping pong ball sized meatballs

Tasty Rating: 7

This was a really easy recipe to make since there are not too many steps to complicate it. Not only was it easy, but it tasted really good. I used very lean venison meat instead of beef, so the meatballs were a little on the dry side by themselves, but the sauce solved that problem. I am making a bunch of these meatballs this week to freeze for a tasty, healthy meal on those nights when I don’t feel like cooking after we get back from the gym.

-Submitted by Emily

Paleo Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients
1 onion chopped
2 small carrots, sliced into coins
2 stalks celery
3 chicken breasts, grilled, shredded, or whatever
1 cup peas (optional, since it’s not technically paleo)
1 cup coconut milk
2 Tablespoons chicken or vegetable stock
1 head cauliflower broken in pieces
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 egg
1 Tablespoon coconut flour, or other flour substitute
1 tablespoon almond meal
Salt and Peppwr to taste
2 tsp thyme

Directions
1.  Add a little oil to a pan and sauté the onion, carrots, and celery until the veggies are tender.
2.  Add the chicken, peas, stock and coconut milk, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the milk thickens.

3.  Add the thyme add simmer for another 5 minutes. Place chicken mixture in a 9×9 casserole dish.
For the cauliflower crust:
1.  Steam the cauliflower.

2.  Put in a food processor with the coconut oil and blend to a course purée.

3.  Season with pepper. Stir in the egg, coconut flour, and almond meal.

4.  Mix well. Pour cauliflower mix on top of chicken mixture.
5.  Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the cauliflower starts turning to a light brown.  Enjoy!

Tasty Rating:8

I love pot pie, so I was determined to find a Paleo substitute. This is an adaption from one of my recipes. Instead of gravy, coconut milk and chicken stock. Instead of a pastry crust, I made a cauliflower ‘crust’ that seems to work pretty well. One of the best things about a pot pie is that you can throw in whatever veggies you have on hand, and it’s great for using up leftover chicken, so it’s a very flexible dish. I liked this one a lot, but it does take a little longer to make. Totally worth it in my opinion. I would rate this recipe an 8. Not bragging or anything…..  Don’t over blend the cauliflower, it’s better with chunks still in it. And then put it in a bowl before stirring the other stuff in with a spoon.

Submitted by: Emily

 

Zucchini Berry Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbs cinnamon
1 Tbs allspice
1 cup dates, pitted (I used dried dates)
3 ripe bananas
3 eggs
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 10-oz bag frozen berries (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries) OR 1 1/4 cup fresh berries
¾ cup zucchini, grated
¾ cup almonds, finely chopped
muffin paper liners

Directions:

  1. Take berries out of freezer to thaw, if applicable.
  2. Preheat oven to 350℉.
  3. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice.
  4. In a food processor, combine dates, bananas, eggs, vinegar and oil.
  5. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and blend until completely combined.
  6. Finely grate zucchini (or food process it).
  7. Fold in berries, zucchini and almonds, do not whip.
  8. Spoon mixture into paper lined muffin tins.
  9. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

Tasty Rating: 10

One of the best Paleo recipes I’ve found yet!  This has been the first recipe that has that bready texture I’ve been missing from not eating grains.  The blend of all the flours really makes the great, bread-like texture possible.  The tang of the berries with the crunch of the almonds creates a muffin that rivals any wheat-based, processed muffin I’ve had EVER!  I look forward to trying out different combinations of fruit and nuts.  I’d suggest to store these in the fridge and eat them often because they tend to mold in about 4 days time if left out, even if covered, due to the organic berries.  I’ll be making this recipe at least once a month as a part of my weekly snacks!  It’s a little long to prep but well worth the time!

-Submitted by Chris

Zucchini Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

2 cups of zucchini, grated

Extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 lb ground beef, game meat, or turkey

2 large bell peppers

Directions:

1. Grate 2 cups of zucchini and add to a pan on medium heat with olive oil, add spices.

2. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then add meat. Cook uncovered stirring occasionally for about 15min or until the mixture releases no more water.

3. Scoop the zucchini/meat mixture into a pepper that has been prepared in one of two ways:

1) The top and seeds removed. This is fairly portable and can be eaten “in hand” once the mixture cools.

2) Open faced with the pepper cut lengthwise down the middle (this is what I did).

*For a snack you can use smaller peppers for more of a one-bite goodie!

Tasty Rating: 10

This was an amazing dish!  It is also VERY easy and quick to make which is always a treat with the Paleo-lifestyle.  I love the fact that you can just throw this into a lunchbox for a snack or easy lunch at work.  I think adding bits of chili and onion with the meat/ zucchini mixture would create an even better dish, maybe next time.

-Submitted by Chris

Italian Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

Your choice of salad greens (about 2 cups per salad)

Sunflower seeds

Uncured pepperoni cut into halves (amount desired)

2 chicken breasts

Sea salt & pepper to taste

Sprinkle of paprika

Sprinkle of parsley

Directions:

1. Using the stove, set a pan on medium.

2. Coat the bottom of the pan with extra virgin olive oil.

3. Add spices to chicken while cooking.

4. While the chicken is cooking, wash and place the greens into a large mixing bowl.  Add sunflower seeds and pepperoni and then toss.

5.  Place portioned salad in bowls and top with chicken and Paleo-friendly balsamic vinegarrette.

Tasty Rating: 10

I’m not the biggest salad fan in the world but I love meat and this one has plenty of it.  The pepperoni and spices with the chicken go well with balsamic-vinegarrette and this is a great summer dish since it is cold.  I’d advise you to check your balsamic-vinegarrette ingredients though because many of them aren’t clean with added sugar and ingredients.  This recipe is very easy and fast to prepare, basically just cooking chicken and throwing it all together.  I saved the left-over chicken and had the same thing for lunch, very good left-over as well.  I’ll definitely be eating this salad often!

-Submitted by Chris

Coconut Encrusted Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

Ingredients:

6-8 Large Organic Chicken Tenders
6-8 Uncured Bacon Slices (pork or turkey)
4 Tbsp. Coconut Oil
½ cup shredded coconut and 2 Tbsp. coconut flour (we couldn’t find pure shredded coconut so we bought coconut flakes and blended them in a food processor)
sea salt and pepper to taste
paprika and garlic powder to taste
2 Tbsp. Parsley

Directions:

1. Prepare the coconut coating: in a large bowl add coconut shreds, flour, and spices. Mix around with fork or hands.

2. Prepare the chicken: Small bite-size tender (cut from large) with about ¼ bacon strip, skewer to hold with 4 pieces.  Lay the bacon strip on a cutting board to measure the size of your tender.  Cut bacon and wrap, secure with toothpick or skewer.

3. Heat skillet to medium heat, add coconut oil. Allow to heat!

4. Dip the chicken, coat evenly by flipping or coating with hands, be gentle with wrapped tenders as the bacon can come undone! Make sure every nook and cranny of the chicken is coated with coconut and spices.

5. Add each tender to oil, one at a time, let cook for about 3 minutes, flip chicken cook for 3 and repeat about 3 times. If you have a cover, cover the bacon wrapped tenders for ONE of the round of 3 for a completely cooked chicken tender. Add more parsley towards end for taste and garnish.

6. Remove, allow to cool and enjoy!

Tasty Rating: 10!

This is such an amazing recipe (isn’t anything wrapped in bacon wonderful!?).  I will definitely be eating this at least once a month.  Next time I plan on making a trillion of them and freezing them to enjoy later.  This would also make a good snack because they are bite-sized!

-Submitted by Chris & Sara

Strawberry Apple Fruit Leather

Ingredients:

strawberry applesauce (see recipe below)

Directions:

1. Make strawberry applesauce

2. Spread evenly on fruit leather tray

3. Place in your food dehydrator for 4 hours or until it is not longer moist and has a leathery feel.

Tasty Rating: 8

If you don’t have a food dehydrator yet, find one!  They run about $100 for a good one but I’m sure you can find one on Craig’s List.  This is a quick recipe (prep at least) and is very tasty as a treat after meals.  I wouldn’t eat it as a snack however, because it does not yield very much food for how long of a process it is.  If it was a bit easier I would use it more often.  I usually make about 4 batches in a row and that will last a week as a dessert.

-Submitted by Chris

Strawberry Applesauce 

Ingredients:

how ever much no sugar applesauce you’d like

how ever much strawberries you’d like (I use frozen strawberries because they are cheaper)

Directions:

1. Thaw out frozen strawberries

2. When the strawberries are nice and mushy, load them up in a food processor and blend to make strawberry sauce

3. In a large bowl, mix in applesauce

Tasty Rating: 9

A very simple and cheap recipe that puts a spin on traditional applesauce.  I don’t know if you are like me but I eat applesauce like it’s nobody’s business, it’s easy, Paleo and nice for packing lunches and for the kids.  I am interested in trying other flavors as well with different types of fruit.

-Submitted by Chris

Italian Beef and Green Pepper Casserole

Directions:

2 pounds ground beef, preferably grass-fed
2 teaspoons \sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped or 2 teaspoons dried
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped or 2 teaspoons
dried
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 small delicata squash, peeled, seeded and cubed (I couldn’t find this type of squash so we used acorn and it tasted good)
4 green bell peppers

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. Heat a large, heavy, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat; add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula, until it’s almost browned and much of the fat and liquid has been released. Season with the salt and pepper and add the onion. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened. Add the garlic to the pan, stir and cook for another minute or until the ground beef is completely cooked through.

3. Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, herbs and red pepper flakes, if using. Add the squash and peppers; cover and place in the oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender and the peppers are done.

Tasty Rating: 8.5

This is one of those dishes where the looks are deceiving, it tastes better than it looks.  The aroma of the spices and peppers fill the house with a very pleasant smell and the taste is excellent as well.  I personally like spice and may kick it up a notch next time by using a different kind of pepper, adding cayenne or something but this was a very good recipe.  The original recipe called for green beans instead of bell peppers (remember legumes are not our friend), with a little modification most recipes can be made Paleo if they start out fairly clean.

-Submitted by Chris

Paleo Breakfast Taco

Ingredients:

6 cage-free organic eggs

1 bell pepper (or any of your favorite peppers for that matter)

1 leaf romaine lettuce (or your favorite lettuce)

1/3 onion

6 strips of uncured bacon (turkey or pork)

organic salsa

splash of coconut milk or water

cooking spray or oil of choice

pepper to taste

egg frying pan (looks like a mini-frying pan)

Directions:

1. Dice pepper and onion, mix in a bowl.

2. Add oil to the bottom of a small frying pan, saute pepper and onion medley until the onions are translucent.

3. While the pepper and onions are cooking, crack eggs into a medium sized bowl and add coconut milk or water, whip into a batter.

4. Turn stove burner onto medium low and add cooking spray or oil to prevent the eggs from sticking to the pan.  Cover bottom of pan with batter, you can use a little like I do (only enough to coat the bottom) or more (about 1cm thick), depending upon how thick you want your egg-taco shell.

5. Cook until solid and flip to cook the other side.

6. Add about 1 teaspoon full of the pepper & onion medley, pepper to taste, lettuce and 1/2 teaspoon of salsa.

Tasty Rating: 8

I love Mexican food!  This is a nice option away from the typical eggs medley, or omelets.  The spice of the salsa is a nice touch in the morning as well and the egg patties make a pretty darn good shell!  This will be good to try with different meats as well.  It’s always nice to have options for breakfast!

-Submitted by Chris

London Broil with Lime-Garlic-Ginger Marinade

Ingredients:

1-2 pounds top round steak, flank steak, sirloin, or skirt steak
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
1 tablespoon coconut aminos (gluten-free, soy-free sauce)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 heaping teaspoon minced or grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon honey
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Combine lime juice, fish sauce, coconut aminos, garlic, ginger, and honey.

2. Make shallow slashes across the surface of the steak with a knife.  Place the steak in a resealable bag or shallow glass dish.  Pour the marinade over the steak and rub it into the surface well.  Marinate, refrigerated, for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days (I did 2 days).  Turn occasionally so that all surfaces of the steak have good contact with the marinade.

3. When near the end of the marinating time, remove from the refrigerator and allow to return to room temperature.

4. Prepare a grill for direct cooking at 450-500 degrees.  Dry the steak well with paper towels.  Season with freshly ground pepper and salt.  (Go lightly on the salt since coconut aminos and fish sauce may be salty.)

5. Grill the steak for approximately 5 minutes per side, until internal temperature reaches 125F.  Let steak rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing, covered, to allow the meat to relax.

Tasty Rating: 9

This is a very good marinade and marinades minus non-paleo sauces (teriaki, soy, bbq, etc…) are hard to come by!  This was very good.  If you have time, I’d suggest to definitely marinate it for at least 1 day, since I did 2 it was especially juicy and flavorful.  This steak also smelled delicious cooking it.  The lime, garlic and ginger do very well together and add a bit of a zing to the steak when most marinades are more of a zip (do I sound crazy or do you know what I mean?).  I will definitely come back to this dish when grilling in the summers.  I was even thinking it would go well with shish kabobs because of the citrus flavor.

-Submitted by Chris


Paleo Nut & Fruit “Granola” Bars

Ingredients:
2.5 cups of assorted nuts & seeds (I used almonds, pecans, walnuts, & sunflower seeds)
1 cup of dried fruit (I used raisins & dried cranberries)
2 cups of shredded coconut (this is not the sweetened sticky stuff you put on top of cupcakes! This is pure coconut, nothing else. I couldn’t find this shredded in the store, so I bought pure coconut pieces & shredded them in my food processor).
1/4 cup of melted coconut oil
1/2 cup of melted local honey
Splash of vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
generous sprinkling of cinnamon

Directions:
1. Scoop out 1 cup of the assorted nut mixture & give a rough chop.
2. Dump the other 1.5 cups of nuts into your food processor, and pulse until they’re chopped much, much smaller. Be careful not to pulse too much or you might end up with nut butter! We’re just aiming for a variety of sizes of nut pieces. The smaller bits help make the bars more dense and help them stick together better (next time I plan on using some almond flour to help my granola bars stick together better).
3. Stir to combine with the larger chunks of nuts and seeds.
4. Add 1 cup of dried fruit.
5. Add 2 cups of shredded coconut.
6. In a small saucepan, combine coconut oil, honey, a splash of vanilla, salt, and cinnamon.
7. Cook, stirring, over medium-low heat until it starts to bubble. Then remove the pot from the burner.
8. Pour your honey mixture over your fruit and nuts, and stir to coat it all. At this stage it reminds me of wet playground sand.
9. Dump your fruit and nuts into a parchment-paper-lined baking dish (I used foil). You can even use a muffin dish to make granola bar bites instead of bars!
10. Press firmly all over the mixture to make it more compact. This will help keep your bars together (you can never press too much).
11. Wait 2-3 hours for it to cool in room temperature (I put mine in the freezer because the bars were not sticking together).
12. When it’s cool flip the pan, peel off the lining, & cut into bars.
13. Then store in fridge (I era Ed mine individually to take with me as a quick snack).
*Note: if you cook the honey mixture longer your bars will turn out crunchier

Tasty Rating: 10

Granola bars are viewed by the public as a healthy snack, even though they are nothing short of a glorified candy bar. Regardless of their lack of “healthiness”, I still crave them! I was prepping for a backpacking trip but still wanted to maintain much of my Paleo lifestyle when I came across these gems. They taste the sme, if not better than a typical granola bar & are a very quick snack to make & very portable as well! Definitely goin to incorporate these in my monthly snack cycle.

-submitted by Chris

Carb Lover’s Cauliflower

Ingredients:

2 cups cauliflower florets

1 large zucchini, sliced into 1-inch rounds

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 garlic cloves, diced

1/2 cup Chicken Broth (page 193)

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 

Directions:

1. Fill a 2-quart pot with 1 inch of water and insert steamer basket.

2. Bring water to a boil.

3. Add cauliflower and steam until tender, about ten minutes.

4. Remove cauliflower and set aside to cool.

5. Add zucchini rounds to pot and steam until soft, about ten minutes.

6. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium flame.

7. Add garlic and cook while stirring for five minutes.

8. Turn off flame and cover.

9. Drain zucchini and let cool for five minutes.

10. When both cauliflower and zucchini are cool, place in blender and add broth.

11. Add garlic and oil mixture.

12. Puree until smooth.

13. Spoon entire mixture back into pot and heat over low flame, stirring occasionally.

14. Sprinkle with chives and pepper to taste.

Tasty Rating: 7

I’m not a big fan of mashed potatoes but it’s always good to find a veggie you can add as a side to the meal you cook, so this is as good as any.  The texture is different but it tastes pretty comparable to mashed potatoes!

-Submitted by Chris

 

Dry Rub #1

1/4 cup coconut crystals -optional (no idea what the heck these are so…I didn’t use them)
2 tablespoons smoked paprika (we just used paprika)
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons sea salt
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon dry basil (crushed)
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Mix ingredients together

2. Coat both sides of meat (I used steak but you can use any meat you’d like)

3. Fire up the grill and enjoy!

Tasty Rating: 8

This isn’t as good as Hugh’s dry rub but it is still great and it’s always good to find a new flavor for those summer BBQs!

-Submitted by Chris

Perfect Paleo Pancakes

1 1/2 cups  almond flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4-1/2 tsp  salt
1/2 tsp   cinnamon (optional)
3 large  eggs
4-5 Tbls full fat coconut milk (I used vanilla flavored coconut milk and skipped adding vanilla)
2 Tbls  honey
1 tsp vanilla or juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup fruit (optional, I used apples)
Oil for frying (I used cooking spray)
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, sift and/or mix together the almond flour, baking soda salt and optional spice.
 2. In a separate bowl, blend together the eggs, coconut milk  honey and vanilla.
 3. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix well. Let rest for 5 min. Pre-heat your pan over medium heat(I use cast iron). Watch the heat closely, it likes to climb. If it gets too hot, not only will the pancakes burn, they will be badly shaped.

4. Add about 2 TBLS  of batter to pan.  If you have trouble flipping the pancakes, try making them smaller, about 3-4 inches round.
5. Fry the pancake till it starts to bubble and the edges just start to form (and dry a bit). If they start cooking to quickly (burning before it’s time to flip) then adjust the heat. Every stove top is different. Flip over carefully using a THIN spatula. Continue to cook till the pancake firms up.  Makes about 25-30 silver dollar size pancakes
7. Top with honey, maple syrup, or your favorite natural sweetener and or cold coconut cream.
Tasty Rating: 9
I found this recipe and decided to give it a try since I’ve been using the same old recipe for quite some time.  We make almond flour pancakes about once a month so I figured I’d try something new.  We usually make 2 breakfasts on Sundays and eat it for the work week, sometimes longer.  In order to make enough I doubled the recipe and that held me and my wife about 3 days.  Out of all recipes for Paleo pancakes, these are the best tasting ones yet!  I think the baking soda really helps these puff up compared to the other recipe.  I usually top mine with maple syrup or unsweetened applesauce with a side of bacon and a fruit medley.
-Submitted by Chris

Mini Omelet Paddies

Ingredients:
10 cage-free eggs
1 pack of bacon (turkey or pork)
1/2 onion
1/2 bell pepper
Mini frying pan (egg pan)
Cooking spray

Directions:
1. Fry bacon & tear into little pieces, dice the onion & pepper while the bacon cooks.
2. Whip eggs in a medium sized bowl with a little bit of water to create a froth.
3. Spray egg pan with cooking spray & set on medium low heat.
4. Add egg froth until bottom of pan is covered with froth (the thickness of your omelet is up to you, we prefer thin ones.
5. Add as much bacon & peppers/ onion as desired while the egg mixture is still wet.
6. Cook until eggs are fully done.
7. Repeat for remaining omelets.

Tasty Rating: 9

Our family loves this simple breakfast dish! This is a great tasting, easy meal which gives it such a high rating. We haven’t gotten super creative with it but to spice it up you can add any of your favorite omelet ingredients such as spinach, broccoli, Canadian bacon, sausage, mushrooms, etc…

-submitted by Chris

Kale Chips

Ingredients:
2-3 bunches of kale, washed and ribs taken out
1/2tsp salt
1Tbsp coconut oil
1Tbsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300degrees.
2. In a large bowl, add the kale and coat with half of the coconut oil then add the remaining oil and vinegar.
3. Spread evenly onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and bake approximately 20-25 minutes.
4. The kale should be crunchy to the touch and not soggy. If there are some soft and some crunchy, remove the crunchy ones and continue to bake the soft ones.
Note: The oven may smoke when you open the door, but don’t be alarmed as long as the kale isn’t burning, it’s fine.

Tasty Rating: 7
This is a good snack to fulfill the need for a healthy “chip-like” crunch, but these are not going to fill you up. The way I look at it, when we snack we aren’t ever really hungry, we are just looking for something to stuff in our mouths, so it may as well be healthy!

-submitted by Chris

Paleo Fajita Stir-fry

Ingredients:
2 lbs skirt steak, pounded thin with meat tenderizer & cut into 1 in strips
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 small yellow onion, cut into thin wedges
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 in strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/4 in strips
1 medium plum tomato, diced
2 tablespoons dark rum (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
1. Place meat in bottom of a glass dish.
2. Combine 2 tablespoons of the oil with garlic, lime juice, chili powder, & cumin in a jar & shake well.
3. Pour over meat & marinate at least 2 hours in the fridge.
4. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium flame.
5. Add meat strips in a single layer & cook without stirring for one minute.
6. Turn meat & continue cooking for one minute.
7. Add onion & peppers & continue to cook for four minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Combine tomato & rum in a small bowl.
9. Stir with a fork & pour into a skillet.
10. Cook for one minute.
11. Sprinkle with cilantro.
12. Remove from heat & cool for three minutes.

Tasty Rating: 8

Very tasty meal, smelled INCREDIBLE as well! Meals like this makes it easy to go Paleo!

-Submitted by Chris

Coconut Curry Chicken

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin with a meat tenderizer

1 cup Coconut Curry (see recipe below)

1/4 cup chopped roasted raw cashews

 

Directions:

1. Combine chicken and curry and marinate in the fridge for at least two hours (we did overnight).

2. Remove from the fridge thirty min before cooking

3. Preheat oven to broil

4. Place chicken on wire rack and cook for 20 min (turning at 10 min), you may also want to scoop some marinade and make sure the chicken is coated

5. Remove from the oven and scatter with cashews

Tasty Rating: 7

I felt that the curry had a very bland taste but the chicken was very moist which gives this dish a semi-high rating.

Coconut Curry

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon salt-free garam masala spice blend
8 ounces fresh, whole coconut milk

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium flame.
2. Add onion & tomato.
3. Cook for five minutes.
4. Stir in ginger & garlic & continue cooking for one minute.
5. Reimage heat to low & simmer for ten minutes while stirring occasionally.
6. Add garam masala & continue to simmer for five minutes.
7. Remove from heat & cool for ten minutes.
8. Pour into a blender & puree until smooth.
9. Return mixture tom skillet &’add coconut milk.
10. Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly for ten minutes.
11. Serve warm or cold.

-Submitted by Chris

Cashew Broccoli

Ingredients:

3 stocks of broccoli

1 cup raw cashews

1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)

1 teaspoon graded ginger root

garlic salt to taste

black pepper and sea salt to taste

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Bring a small pot of water to a boil, add broccoli and boil for 4 min

3. Remove broccoli from pot, strain, and put it directly in a bowl of ice water

4. Chop cashews

5. Put broccoli and cashews on a foil-lined baking sheet.

6. Cover in coconut oil and sprinkle with ginger, garlic salt, sea salt, black pepper, and cashews

7. Bake until cashews turn golden brown

Tasty Rating: 10

Anything with coconut oil on it is AMAZING in my book!  I also LOVE cashews.  This is a very easy side and if you are like me and you find it hard to diversity the dark green veggies you eat, this will be a great addition to any meal you make!  Definitely a staple in the Hall household!

-Submitted by Chris

Honey Ham

Ingredients:

1 ham (2.5 lbs)

2 table spoon raw honey

2 table spoon fresh orange juice

1 table spoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 pinch ground cloves

1 cup white wine

1 cup water

1 orange, cut into slices

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Place the ham on a roasting rack, in a roasting pan.

2. Pour the wine and water into the pan, and line the pan with the orange slices.

3. Cover the pan tightly with tin foil and roast for 30 minutes.

4. While the ham is roasting, get the glaze ready. Combine the honey, mustard, orange juice, ground cloves and pepper and heat everything on low for about 15 minutes.

5. Keep everything at a very gentle simmer, stirring often; it should thicken slightly.

6. After the ham has roasted for 30 minutes, remove the tin foil and brush on half of the glaze, rotating the ham to glaze all sides.

7. Roast for another 15 minutes, uncovered, and then brush on the rest of the glaze (rotating like before). Keep an eye on the level of liquid in the pan, and add water if needed.

8. Roast for an additional 15 minutes and check the internal temperature; it should register at 155-160 degrees. If it’s not there yet, just keep checking it every ten minutes.

Tasty Rating: 10

It’s hard to have honey ham and not like it but this is especially great because of the hint of citrus flavor.  This is great because the left-overs packs easily as lunch or snack.

-Submitted by Chris

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Stuffed Jalapenos

Ingredients:
4 large jalapeno peppers, sliced in half lengthwise
2 chicken breasts
8 slices bacon
2 teaspoons chili pepper seasonings (Cajun or chili powder)
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Slice chicken breasts in into pieces that will fit inside of the  jalapenos.  Season with chili pepper seasonings and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cut jalapenos in half and scoop out the seeds.

4. Place chicken breast pieces in middle of jalapeno and wrap in one slice of bacon.

5. Fix with toothpicks if needed.

6. Do the same to the remainder to make 8 poppers.
7. Bake 20-25 minutes on a lightly oiled baking dish, until bacon is crispy and chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Tasty Rating: 10

These came from Ryan, on Memorial Day Murph 2011.  What a great appetizer or snack!  These are also great for those potlucks during the summer.  I love bacon, I love chicken, and I love jalapenos…so…OF COURSE I LOVED THIS RECIPE!  You got to try it!  You may also want to double or triple the recipe because these babies go fast!

-Submitted by Chris (recipe from Ryan)

         

Hugh’s Dry Rub

Ingredients:
1/2 cup paprika
3 tablespoons cayenne pepper
5 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons onion powder
6 tablespoons salt (I used sea salt)
2 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 1/2 tablespoons dried thyme

*I didn’t have that much paprika on hand so I did about 1/3 the recipe.  This gave me plenty of rub for a large T-bone me and my wife shared as well as some left-overs we plan on using for pork chops next week.
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, combine the paprika, cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, oregano, and thyme. 2. Mix well, and store in a cool, dry place in an airtight container.

Tasty Rating: 10

This was an amazing dry rub!  It was, however, too spicy, so next time I plan on using less black pepper and cayenne.  The kick in the face of the spiciness was excellent though because I LOVE spicy food.  This was by far the best dry rub I’ve ever had!  I plan on trying it with pork chops, chicken, for burgers, or any other creative way I can come up with.  THIS IS A MUST TO TRY!  I was a bit hesitant to do a rub at first because I like the juiciness of marinades, but I just took the steak off of the grill while there were some juices left in the meat and it all worked out wonderfully!

-Submitted by Chris

 

Paleo Almond Encrusted Tilapia

Ingredients:

1.5 #s tilapia
1/2 cup almond meal
1 egg
1-2 tbsp garlic powder
1-2 tbsp onion powder
1-2 tbsp paprika
Juice of 2 lemons
Extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
1. Mix almond meal, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika into bowl
2. Crack egg into separate bowl and whip
3. Dredge fish in egg, then in spice mixture

4. Firmly pack spice mixture on all sides of fish
5. Squeeze lemon juice over fish to coat
6. Sprinkle some more garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika on fish
7. Heat oil in pan over medium heat
8. Add fish to pan and cook on each side for about 4-5 minutes
9. Remove from pan and top with a little extra lemon juice
Tasty Rating: 6
I’m not the biggest fan of anything breaded, even if it’s breaded in Paleo approved breading.  I knew, however, that I can’t keep eating the same tilapia recipe over and over and keep my sanity.  So, I found this recipe.  It tasted a little bland to me, maybe next time I’ll use more onion powder or lemon juice.  Since I am trying to incorporate more fish into my diet this recipe has it’s place.  Although, it may be only once every few months or so.
-Submitted by Chris

Beefed-up Mini Wraps

Ingredients:

4 roast beef slices

1 small avocado, mashed

1 cup of raw spinach, washed and coarsely chopped (I didn’t chop mine, which made it hard to wrap)

1 small apple, cut into 8 slices

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

Directions:

1. Place beef slices on a smooth surface.

2. Spread avocado over each piece of meat.

3. Layer with spinach and apple slices.

4. Sprinkle with oregano and rosemary

5. Roll carefully and secure with toothpicks to create wraps.

Tasty Rating: 7

I’m not a big fan of avocados, but I wanted to try it…still not a fan.  I think if I didn’t have any avocado it would’ve rated an 8.  This is a great snack for work or home or even a side item for a lunch/ dinner.  I will definitely eat this about once a month and add as a part of my snack cycle!  I’ve been eating a lot of turkey and chicken slices lately so this will be a nice change of pace.

-Submitted by Chris

Pam’s Paleo Crunch

Ingredients:
Dry
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 1/2 cups almond meal
3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut (I used coconut flakes because they didn’t have any unsweetened shredded coconut)
4 cups raw slivered almonds (I used 2 cups because they were $5 a cup!)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
Wet
1 cup liquified coconut oil
1/2 cup raw organic honey (local is always the best!)
3 tsp pure vanilla extract

Optional
1/2 cup unsweetened dried fruit (I used raisins and Craisins)

 

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
  2. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well to ensure ingredients are evenly distributed.
  3. In a medium bowl, add wet ingredients and whisk together until well combined.
  4. Mix the wet ingredients thoroughly into the dry ingredients.
  5. Divide the mixture in a thin layer onto two rimmed baking sheets.
  6. Press mixture down with your hands or the back of a large spoon.
  7. Bake until lightly toasted, approximately 1 hour. Remove pans from oven and gently stir the mixture with a large spoon. Carefully return warm pans to the oven and continue to cook for another 15 minutes.
  8. Remove from oven and stir in optional ingredients, if desired. Let the mixture cool completely in the pans.
  9. To store, place a folded paper towel (to absorb any excess coconut oil) in the bottom of a lidded storage container. Add paleo crunch to container and cover. Enjoy plain or with coconut or almond milk.

Tasty Rating: 10

I had heard that this treat is referred to as “CrossFitter’s Crack”, now I know why!  This is by far the best tasting Paleo recipe I’ve made yet!  This is pretty expensive to make, but VERY easy and makes a lot of Crunch for snacks.  I’m thinking it will last about 3 weeks if you eat it everyday.  This will be great for those days I feel like eating chips when I am at work or when I get home from work before dinner!  I just store this in little, one-snack containers and throw it either in my lunch, eat as a morning or pm snack.

-Submitted by Chris

Chorizo Burgers

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 lb fresh chorizo
1 red onions, thinly sliced
6-8 eggs
2 tomatoes, sliced
2 avocados, sliced
1 lime, sliced into wedges
Sea salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Set your oven to 400ºF.
2. In a large bowl combine the beef and chorizo. Mix well with your hands. Patty the meat into as many burgers as you’d like.
3. Place the burgers on a pan (or grill them) and s&p them.
4. Bake until the burgers are medium to well, whatever you like best. Cooking times are going to depend on the thickness of your burger, so check them, don’t rely on our times.
5. While the burgers are cooking…Grease a non-stick frying pan & sauté the onions until they’ve developed a nice carmel color–this may take a while, so if you’re in a hurry, crank up the heat and get the onions charred and crispy.
6. Once the burgers are done and resting…Fry the egg to your liking in the same pan you used to caramelize the onions. Sunny side up, over easy, over hard, doesn’t matter, but if you find the buyers to be dry you can have a runny egg to create a ‘sauce’.
7. To serve, top with sliced tomatoes, avocado, a squeeze of lime juice and a fried egg (we don’t like tomatoes or avocado, hence the lack of both in the pic).

Tasty Rating: 8

This is a staple in our house, my wife LOVES it. The mixture of the spice of the chorizo & the sweetness of the onion go hand-in-hand. Sweet potato fries are a must sidekick to this dish as well.

Submitted by Chris

South Sea Island

Ingredients:

3 papaya (skin & seeds removed, I couldn’t find papaya so we used mango with the pit removed)

3 kiwis

18 strawberries

1 pineapple

Directions:

1. Place fruit in juicer

2. Enjoy!

Tasty Rating: 10

This one is the ticket (of course it tastes good, it’s all fruit).  Although this one isn’t the main purpose for my juicing (my main goal in juicing is to take in more micronutrients from veggies since I don’t eat as many veggies as I’d like), it sure beats the store bought juice.  I wouldn’t recommend drinking a ton of juice since it is high in sugar but it sure as heck beats pop, or store bought juices.  I have also found that juice is a great alternative to coffee in the mornings!  Nothing starts your day better than a glass of your own homemade juice.  I usually water it down to increase the volume and decrease the amount of sugar per glass.

Submitted by Chris

One Potato Sweet Potato

Ingredients:

3 oranges (peeled)

3 pears

6 carrots

3 sweet potatoes

Directions:

1. Place veggies & fruit in juicer alternating the soft and hard ones.

2. Enjoy!

Tasty Rating: 7

Whenever I juice I usually triple the recipe so that I can save the juice for the next few days (usually lasts me about 3 days), so this juice is tripled.  I liked the taste of this juice, the orange comes from the sweet potato but you cannot taste is very much so that was nice.  However, the starchiness (trust me, it’s a real word) made the juice chalky.  I would suggest to stir thoroughly before enjoying this one.  Also, since there is limited veggies in this one I gave it a somewhat low rating, if it’s going to be high in carbs it better taste better than this one!  Still good though, I will make it again.

Submitted by Chris


Egg Muffin

Ingredients:
Coconut oil (or other oil/ fat)
2 Eggs (or as many as you want)
2 slices of bacon (or as many pieces as eggs)
Chopped onions (about 2 Tbsp)
Chopped sun dried tomatoes (about 2 Tbsp, I don’t like tomatoes so I chopped some peeled zucchini)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degree.
2. Put a small amount of coconut oil into muffin tins and place in the oven until melted.
3.Spread around to coat the bottom and sides of the muffin tin.
4. Loop one slice of bacon around the sides of the muffin tin to form a circle.
5. Fill the bottom with chopped veggies.
6. Gently crack one egg into the center of the muffin tin (careful you don’t overflow with egg white)
7. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until the egg is white and set.
8. Let sit and using a knife gently remove the bacon egg cup from the muffin tin and enjoy! Store in fridge or freezer and reheat in oven or microwave for later!

Tasty Rating: 9

I thought these were mighty tasty & VERY simple. Will be a “go-to” meal for us in the future. When you cook on Sundays breakfast & snack for the week it can take a while so it’s nice to have a recipe this simple sometimes! We did notice, however, the eggs cooked faster than the bacon so I would suggest to cook the bacon 1/2 way & while it’s still bendy put them in the cups & start the recipe. That way the bacon gets fully cooked. We stored these in individual foil pouches so when we need them during the week we can just pop them in the oven to heat up & head out the door.


Power Balls (not Paleo but still a healthy snack)

Ingredients:
1 cup of oats
2 cups almond meal (I used flaxseed meal)
3 teaspoons baking powder
4 tablespoons honey
1 cup of mashed carrots (I used the pulp from carrots & zucchini I had leftover from juicing)
4 tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup crushed almonds, finely crushed pecans, or cashews (I did almonds & cashews)

Directions:
1. Ground the oats into an oatmeal/oat flour.
2. Mix the oatmeal with 2 cups of almond meal.
3. Add 3 full teaspoons of baking powder
4. Mix it well and add about 4 tblsp of honey.
5. Add 4 tablespoons of coconut oil – you can melt it in the microwave to make it easier to mix
6. Cook 1 cup of carrots until they turn soft and mash them just like you would mash potatoes. You can also use a food processor.
7. Add the mashed carrots into the mixture in the bowl and mix it all well together to create a dough for the balls. The dough should be moist and little bit sticky – if you find it too soft you can always add little more almond meal. The amount of dough you need for one ball depends on how big you want them to be. I made about 18 big balls & doubled the recipe).
8. Roll the ball in crushed nuts to cover the entire surface.
10. Place the balls in a non stick baking sheet and bake them in the oven for about 25 minutes on 350F.

P.S. The balls will be very tender when you take them out of the oven so don’t touch them. Let them cool down for 10 – 15 minutes and then put the entire sheet with all of your balls into the fridge. They will become more solid and won’t fall apart when you bite them.


Sausage N’ Cabbage “Noodles”

Ingredients:

1 lb mild Italian pork sausage or other ground meat of your choice

1 red onion, thinly sliced

½ head or 5 cups thinly sliced green cabbage

2 tablespoons grass fed butter (or ghee, or coconut oil)

½ teaspoon caraway seeds

½ teaspoon paprika

Fresh ground black pepper and sea salt to taste

Directions:
1. In a large skillet brown the sausage.
2. Once the sausage is fully cooked, remove it from the pan and set aside.
3. Add the butter to the same pan with the sausage drippings and add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions start to brown a bit.
4. Add the cabbage and cook for another 7-10 minutes or until the cabbage is soft and “noodle-y.”
5. Add the sausage back to the pan, add the spices, mix well and serve! Serves 4.

Fried Apples

Ingredients:

3-4 small organic apples, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)

2 tablespoons coconut oil

¼ cup raisins

½ tablespoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons canned full fat coconut milk

Directions:
1. In a medium sized saute pan, heat the coconut oil over medium heat.
2. Add the apples and saute for about 5 minutes or until they start to soften.
3. Add the raisins and cook for 2-3 more minutes.
4. Add the cinnamon, mix well and add the coconut milk.  Stir the coconut milk in with the apples just until warm and serve.  Serves 4.


Garlic Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 pork tenderloin

Directions:
1. Stir together garlic, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small bowl.
2. Rub mixture all over pork.  Let marinate 30 minutes to 2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. Heat a large, heavy, and oven proof saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add olive oil.  Add pork, and brown on each side, about 4 minutes on each side.
5. Transfer pan to oven.  Roast pork turning occasionally until an thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 145 degrees to 150 degrees, about 20 minutes.  6. Transfer pork to a cutting board; tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Citrus Baked Talapia

Ingredients:
1lb Tilapia Fillets
1 Tbsp. Lemon Zest
1/4 C. Lemon Juice (Preferably Fresh)
1/4 C. Orange Juice (Preferably Fresh)
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper

Directions:
1. Start off by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a baking dish, mix together the lemon zest, lemon juice, orange juice, olive oil, chili powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
3. Place tilapia fillets in the baking dish and turn them over, coating both sides with the liquid.
4. Place in the oven for 15 minutes until the fillets flake easily with a fork.
5. Serve.

Tasty Rating: 10

HOLY COW! I’ve found the best fish recipe yet! This was AMAZING!!! The sweetness of the lemon zest & fruit juices infuses a magnificent taste into the talapia. Definitely eating this on a weekly basis! Easy to make to boot!

Submitted by Chris

Sweet Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:
2 Lb of sweet potatoes cut in strips. You can leave the skin on or peal it.
1/4 cup of coconut oil.
2-3 teaspoons or your favorite fresh or dried herb (thyme and rosemary a well suited for baking because they won’t burn as easily as other herbs and will leave a great taste)
Sea salt and black pepper to taste. You can easily omit the salt, but it is a great addition if you don’t mind it.

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 425 F. Liquidize the coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl.
2. In a bowl, coat evenly the sweet potato wedges with the oil and the herbs.
3. Add the salt and pepper
4. Place the strips on a baking tray in a single layer so they cook evenly. Roast to sweet potato fries for about 20 minutes
5. Test with the tip of a knife and see if the knife easily slips in. If not, bake for another 5 minutes and test again

Tasty Rating: 10

I was interested to see if a new sweet potato fry recipe would be worth it, & boy am I happy I did! Making them with coconut oil adds a great new flavor. I was hesitant that the rosemary would be weird but it was VERY good!

Submitted by Chris

Paleo Slow Cooker Carnitas

Ingredients:
2.5 lbs boneless pork shoulder-trim fat & cube into 1.5″ pieces
5 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano (I used plain oregano)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons sea salt
Black pepper to taste
1 onion, quartered
3-4 dried bay leaves

Directions:
Add pork, garlic (minced), oregano, cumin, vinegar, salt & pepper to slow cooker and stir
2. Add onion & bay leaves- mix
3. Cover & cook on “low” for 6 hours- stirring once if possible
4. Once meat is all cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat to a plate. Use 2 forks to shred.

Tasty Rating: 8

This is a good meal, & like most slow cooker recipes is very simple & feeds a lot. This is a good idea to do on a Sunday & have a few lunches ready to go for the work week.

Submitted by Chris

Lemon Rosemary Broiled Salmon

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1lb wild salmon

1 lemon

1 teaspoon rosemary

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to broil.  Coat baking dish with coconut oil.

2. Place salmon in the dish skin-side down and sprinkle with rosemary.

3. Put a few globs (offical term) of coconut oil on top of salmon and top with slices of lemon.

4. Broil for about 10-15 minutes or until the salmon flakes easily with a fork.

Tasty Rating: 10

This is by far my favorite salmon dish yet.  I am not a big fish fan but the coconut oil mixed with the lemon cooks well into this dish and makes for a very tasty meal.  This is as good as any steak I’ve had!  This is a very simple and quick recipe too which makes it much more of an option for those busy days!

Submitted by Chris

 

Roasted Baby Squash & Carrots

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I used grape seed oil)

1 or 2 garlic cloves, crushed (I minced it, not sure if that’s different from “crushed”)

8 ounces of baby zucchini, cut into 1/4-in rounds (I used 2 zucchinis)

8 ounces of baby carrots, sliced in half (I forgot to slice)

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh dill (I used dill found in the spice aisle)

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to broil.  Combine oil with garlic in a glass or ceramic baking dish.

2. Add vegetables and mix in the dill and thyme.

3. Broil for 10 minutes.

4. Stir vegetables, then continue broiling for one minute.  Vegetables are done when easily pierced with a fork.

5. Cool for five minutes before serving.

Tasty Rating: 10

I LOVE this veggie side!  It is hard for me to find sides with taste, but this does the trick (and I usually don’t like squash).  The taste is great and how easy this dish is to make, it’s quick, and the fact that you can easily double the recipe and keep the leftovers for lunch the next day or two makes it a 10!

Lemon BBQ Chicken

Ingredients:
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon sea salt
4 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cili powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 medium onion, chopped
1 whole chicken cut up (3 & 1/2 – 4 lbs)

Directions:
1. Combine 1st 11 ingredients, set aside 1/4 of a cup for later.  Pour remaining marinade into a large heavy-duty resealable plastic bag or tupperware.

2. Add chicken.  Refridgerate for 8 hours or overnight.

3. Remove meat and discard marinade.

4. Brown chicken over medium heat turning frequently for 20 minutes.

5. Cover and continue to grill for 10-20 minutes or until done (160 degrees internal temperature at least).

6. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Tasty Rating: 7

This was fairly flavorless otherwise it would’ve had a higher rating.  I’d advise to toy around with the marinade to make it more flavorful.

Submitted by Chris

Easy Baked Salmon

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons light olive oil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
2 (6 oz) salmon fillets

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, prepare marinade by mixing garlic, light olive oil, basil, sea salt, pepper, lemon juice, & parsley.
2. Place salmon fillets in a medium glass baking dish, & cover with the marinade.
3. Marinate in the fridge for about an hour, turning occasionally or over night.
4. preheat oven to 375 degrees F
5. Place fillets in aluminum foil, cover with marinade, & seal.
6. Place sealed salmon in the glass dish & bake for 35-45 min until easily flakes with a fork

Tasty Rating: 9

This is a great salmon dish.  I’ve been tyring to add as much seafood to my diet as I can and this is an easy one (hence the name).  Even if you do not like fish, this tastes good!

Submitted by Chris

Broiled Pork chop

Ingredients:
4 boneless pork chops
Cayenne pepper to taste
Parsley to taste
Black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to broil
2. Combine seasonings & season both sides of pork chop
3. Place on broiling pan & broil for 8 min on each side or until 160 degrees F

Boiled Artichoke

Ingredients:
1 artichoke
1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice

Directions:
1. Bring pot of water to boil
2. Place artichoke in
3. Add lemon juice
4. Boil for 30-45 minutes until a knife can be inserted in the stem easily

Chicken & Fennel

Ingredients:

1 fennel bulb with stalks

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 chicken cutlets ( or a breast sliced in half to be thin)

sea salt

black pepper

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1/4 c dry white wine

3/4 c organic chicken broth

1/4 c raisins

2 tsp red wine vinegar

Directions:

1. Fine chop 1 tbs of fennel fronds.

2. Thinly slice the bulb into 2 inch long thin strips not including the core.

3. Slice 1 small apple into small pieces. ( I leave the skin on)

4. Heat about 2 tbs of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

5. Add the chicken cutlets and sprinkle with salt pepper, fennel fronds, and rosemary.

6. Cook 4 minutes on each side until done.

7. Remove from the pan and keep warm in foil.

8. Add fennel bulb to pan and saute 1 min.

9. Stir in wine. Add a pinch of salt, chicken broth, raisins , apple and vinegar; cover and cook 4 to 5 minute until fennel softens.

10. Return chicken to pan and stir. Serve hot.

Tasty Rating: 10

I was amazed by my new discovery of this root called fennel!  It took me a while to place the aroma but it smells just like the licorice root.  I was wondering what this would do to the flavor and was pleasantly surprised!  The sweetness of the fennel accompanied with the raisins and apple made this dish very tasty. The  texture of the raisins paired well with the slight crunch of the fennel.  This is a meal I am definitely putting on the Hall menu to come back to time and time again!

-Submitted by Chris

Ingredients

Paleo Egg McMuffin

Ingredients:

Canadian bacon (as many slices as items you’d like to make)

Omega-3 eggs (as many eggs as items you’d like to make)

Directions:

1. Grease muffin tins

2. Place slice of Canadian bacon in tin

3. Crack egg on top of the Canadian bacon

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-14 minutes depending upon how done you want the egg (check often)

Tasty Rating: 8.5

Super yummy!

-Submitted by Mikki

Beef Bacon Brunch Casserole

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & sliced into thin rounds

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

10 Omega-3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon herbs de province (I couldn’t find this so I used thyme & basil)

1/2 cup of carrots, peeled &shredded (I used a bit more)

1/2 cup of zucchini, peeled & shredded (I used a bit more)

3/4 lbs of sliced uncured, nitrate free bacon (I alternated turkey and pork bacon)

Directions:

1. Grease a 12 x 5″ (or equivalent) glass dish thoroughly with coconut oil

2. Lay out the sweet potatoes in a single layer, overlapping to fill any gaps so that the crust can be formed by sealing out the egg (since the egg will be runny, you can’t prevent this 100% from happening)

3. Whisk together eggs, seasoning, carrots, and zucchini until frothy with air bubbles

4. Pour eggs over sweet potatoes

5. Gently lay strips of bacon in an overlapping pattern over the uncooked egg mixture

6. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes

Tasty Rating: 9

I found this to be a very good alternative to my repetitive eggs & bacon medley for the weekday mornings.  I am usually scared of casseroles but this one tastes as good as it looks!  It makes a lot so it is great to make on a Sunday and eat as a quick breakfast during the week.  Couple this with some fresh fruit and you are ready for those cases of the “Mondays”!

Jicama

Ingredients

Jicama root

Directions:

1. Peel Jacima

2. Cut into slices or any other bite-size shape

3. Enjoy!

Tasty Rating: 10

I know this isn’t really a recipe but it’s a great snack and one that is not well known.  When I first read about JicamaI was hesitant to try it (“Really!  You just peel it and it it…a root!?”).  I was very surprised to find that this is a great tasting treat!  The consistency of Jicama are very similar to apples and the flavor is just like sugar snap peas.  They are very crisp, watery, refreshing, and sweet.  They do not brown so you can cut up the whole thing and put it in the fridge to eat as a snack at work or before dinner.  The taste is almost as good as how quick it is to prepare!  Finding out about this tuber (like potatoes) was great because I’m always looking for good, healthy snacks.  There aren’t many starchy foods that fit the “Paleo” category but this one is great because it’s a great source of Vitamin C, A and B, as well as calcium and phosphorus and there are only 7 grams of carbs per 3 oz of the stuff (2 grams being fiber).  This will make a great potato substitute for some of my future stir fries and I look forward to finding ways to incorporate this new found food into my meals!

-Submitted by Chris

Marinated Deer Tenderloin

Ingredients:
1 lb deer loin or deer steak
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 table spoon olive oil
1 table spoon of Dijon-style mustard
1 bay leaf, crushed
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
1. Make marinade with all ingredients except loin
2. Place loin in baking dish & cover with marinade, make sure all sides get coated.
3. Cover dish with plastic wrap & refrigerate for 2 hours or over night.
4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees while searing meat in a skillet for 3-4 min on each side before roasting (use some oil).
5. Place loin in oven for 8 min.
6. Take out of oven & cover, let sit for 10 min.

*this is for cooking a rare steak

Tasty Rating: 9.5

I could eat this every night! Now I know why they invented mustard! The subtleness of the mustard is what makes this dish stand above the rest. I truly don’t see myself using another marinade for a steak anytime soon!

Submitted by Chris

Bacon Wrapped Mini-meat Loafs

Ingredients:
1 lb ground hamburger
1 lb ground pork
1/2 onion, minced
Handful of mushrooms, minced
2/3 cup of almond flour
2 eggs
2/3 cup tomato sauce
Sea salt & pepper to taste
7-8 slices of bacon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees while you line a baking sheet with sides (a lot of liquid will come out) using aluminum foil
2. In a large bowl, combine meats, eggs, veggies, flour, tomato sauce, salt & pepper and mix well with hands
3. Separate mixture into 7-8 portions & form into mini-meat loafs. Place on lined sheet.
4. Cut a piece of bacon in 1/2 & lay parallel across loads & tuck ends under.
5. Bake for 40 min.
6. Turn on broiler & cook for another 10 min.

Tasty Rating: 9

This meal definitely didn’t sound good but…meat loaf + Paleo = awesomeness!!! These taste more like meatballs & are definitely a meal I will eat often. The texture of the meatballs is perfect & the bacon is of course a nice touch!

Submitted by Chris

Alkaline Juicer’s Recipe’s Heaven

Ingredients:
1 cup of spinach
1/2 cucumber
2 stalks of celery including leaves
3 carrots
1/2 apple

Directions:

1. Wash all vegetables thoroughly, top the carrots, remove apple stem but don’t peel apple (the peel is full of flavonoid antioxidants).
2. Alternate items in juicer

Tasty Rating: 8.5

This is a great tasting & easy to make snack that is packed with nutrients. The carrot & apple add just the sweetness you need to hide any veggie taste. I usually have a juice before a morning WOD every other day & other than a good shower, I can’t think of a better way to start a day!

Submitted by Chris

 

Bacon Sea Scallops

Ingredients:
1/2 lb bacon
10 large sea scallops
3/4 lb ready to eat shrimp (optional, we noticed the meal needed more meat so we’ve started adding this)
3 shallots, chopped
4-5 kale leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon basil, chopped
1 tablespoon chives, chopped

Directions:
1. Chop bacon into small pieces
2. Cook bacon on medium heat for 5-7 min
3. Add shallots & continue to sauté for 5 min
4. Remove mixture from heat
5. In the same pan, add scallops (& shrimp) & cook in bacon fat for 5 min per side on medium heat
6. Pour the bacon mixture, chives, basil, & kale over scallops & continue to cook & stir for an additional 3 min

Tasty Rating: 8

Everything taste good with bacon! This is a nice & quick meal for those weeknights you find yourself with limited time to cook. The bacon & herbs add great flavor to the sea food leaving you with a great non-fishy aftertaste.

Submitted by Chris

Mean Green Juice

Ingredients:
6 Kale Leaves
1 Cucumber
4 Celery Stalks
2 Green Apples
1/2 Lemon
1 piece of ginger

Directions:
1. Place ingredients in juicer alternating items for a good mixture

Tasty Rating: 8

This was my 1st veggie juice blend & I loved it! I did use too much ginger though & man was that potent! So, be aware. Buying a juicer is quite the commitment, $100 for mine, but I had done the same with a food dehydrator a few months back & it has saved my snacking a ton. I plan to make juices every other morning or so to boost my micronutrient intake at breakfast & can definitely see this appliance paying itself off shortly!

Submitted by Chris

Chicken Fajita Salad and Glazed Butternut Squash

Chicken Fajita Salad

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

1/2 onion, diced

4 bonless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 large bell pepper, chopped

1 large head of romain lettuce or any other dark green leafy lettuce

1 avacado

Directions

1. Cut chicken into 1/2 in. slices

2. Heat skillet over med-high heat, when hot add coconut oil & onions and saute until onions are soft & slightly translucent.

3. Dice pepper and onion

4. Add chicken, cumin, oregano, sea salt, & stir often

5. When chicken has browned add peppers & cook until tender

6. Wash & shred lettuce, divide between plates

7. Slice avacados

8. Top lettuce with chicken fajita mix & avacados

Glazed Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash

1 cup of coconut oil

2 tablespoons cinnamon

 

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

2. Peel butternut squash, scoopout insides anc cut into 1×1 in cubes

3. Melt coconut oil

4. Place cubes in a large bowl, pour melted coconut oil onto cubes

5. Lay cubes on a foil-lined baking sheet in a single layer and sprinkle with cinnamon

6. Bake until browned, about 30 min

Tasty Rating: 7

I didn’t particularlly like this recipe, it was very dry, however adjustments can be made to make it more juicy.  The glazed butternut squash truly makes this recipe worth it however and has become a side my family eats often.  This is also an easy meal for lunches, just pack the lettuce and chicken seperately.

Submitted by Chris

Sweet and Savory Swordfish

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons minced ginger root, unpeeled

4 garlic cloves minced

Juice from 1 lime

2 Teaspoons chili powder

4 6-ounce wild swordfish steaks

 

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to broil

2. Combine oil, ginger, garlic, lime juice, and chili powder in a small bowl and mix well

3. Evenly coat the surface of a 9 & 1/2 x 11-in baking dish with half of the giner mixture

4. Add fish and cover with the remaining mixture

5. Place in oven and broil for 15 min, turning at the 1/2 way point

Tasty Rating: 9

I made this with a Tilapia because King Soopers was out of swordfish but did find out you can order it and they will call you when it comes in, kinda neat.  This was extremely tasty and I am not a fish fan one bit, but am trying.  Meals like this sure do help.  I accompanied the meal with steamed broccoli seasoned with sea salt and a fruit medely of green grapes, green apples, and pineapple.  This is definitely a meal I will add to our family menu as a frequent repeat!

Submitted by Chris

Bison Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients

4 bell peppers, assorted colors

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 lb of ground bison

1 omega 3 egg

1 scallion, thinly sliced

Garlic powder, to taste

Cayenne papper, to taste

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees while you thinly slice the scallions

2. Cut tops from peppers and remove seeds

3. Rub the outer surface of each pepper with oil

4. Place the peppers, cut sides up, in an oiled baking dish

5. Combine ground bison with egg in a medium bowl

6. Using your hands, mix well

7. Add scallion and mix again

8. Sprinkle with garlic powder and cayenne pepper

9. Stuff peppers with equal portions of meat mixture

10. Cover and bake for one hour

11. Remove from oven and cool for five min

Taste Rating: 8

This my favorite stuffed pepper recipe yet.  We made it with deer meat instead of bison (thanks Tim B!) that was premixed with onion and bacon bits which added flavor as well.  For the nights you have a bit of time to set aside for this hour long cook, it is well worth the wait.  Plus you’ll probably have left-overs for lunch the next day!

Submitted by Chris

Meatza Pizza

Ingredients

1 & 1/4  lbs of ground meat preferrably wild game (3/4 lbs can be italian sausage for a bit more flavor & spice)

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 & 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder

2 teaspoons oregano

1 can of sugar free organic spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce

toppings of choice (good options are broccoli, mushrooms, olives, peppers, etc…)

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees while  you mix the meat, salt and spices in a large bowl

2. Spread the meat out on a baking sheet thinly with no holes

3. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 min

4. Pour off grease, cover with sauce and toppings

5. Bake for an additional 5 min or so to warm toppings

Tasty Rating: 8

Thank you Megan for this great tasting meal, not much like regular pizza but good.  it isn’t as firm as regular pizza which makes it harder to eat but it’s a good substitution, plus you get a lot of veggies in!  When we make it my wife and I go half on the pizza with our favorite toppings, she likes cheese though :(

Apple Cinnamon Paleo Pancakes

Ingredients
6 omega 3 eggs
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of vanilla
1 granny smith apple
2 cups almond flour
Unsweetened apple sauce

Directions
1. Dice apple while skillet or pan is heating up (315 degrees on skillet, medium on burner)
2. Mix all ingredients in a mixer (like a Kitchen Aid) or beat until mixed thoroughly
3. Spray skillet/ pan with olive oil spray
4. Cook until air bubbles pop on cakes or until brown
5. Flip & cook other side
6. Top with unsweetened apple sauce & enjoy!

Tasty Rating: 9

These babies are amazing! A bit drier than flour pancakes but they taste great! I actually use the cakes to scoop the apple sauce up. Fruit & bacon make great sides & this makes enough cakes to last a few mornings. I eat this about once every 2 weeks.

Submitted by Chris

Paleo Chili

Ingredients
1 lb of ground meat (preferably wild game)
1 package of all beef hotdogs (the most natural with least ingredients)
1 can of Rotel tomatoes
1 can of no salt added organic tomato sauce
2 chipotle peppers
4 jalapeño peppers (if you like it spicy, if not substitute a green bell pepper)
1 onion
1 table spoon garlic powder
1 table spoon of cumin

Directions
1. Brown ground meat in large skillet
2. Dice onion, peppers & place in bowl
3. Chop hotdogs into pieces equivalent in size of beans
4. Add Rotel tomatoes & tomato sauce to cooked meat & stir
5. Add onions, peppers, hot dogs & spices & coom stirring repeatedly formabout 10 min to cook the onions & peppers fully
6. Let simmer while covered until ready to serve

Tasty Rating: 10

Thanks Ryan for finding this one! I absolutely LOVE this recipe & make it about once every two weeks in a double batch for lunches. It is fullnof flavor & you can make it as spicy as you’d like by adding cayenne pepper & jalapeños. It is super easy & quick to make. I love chili & don’t even notice missing the beans!

Submitted by Chris

 

*The picture shows without ham because the deli didn’t have any quality ham at the time.

Italian Meat Wraps

Ingredients
sweet/honey ham
capicola ham*
salami
tomato, sliced thin
banana peppers
spinach or other lettuce
dried oregano
olive oil
mayo & mustard

Directions
1. Use the ham for the outside layer. Overlap that coldcut about 1.5 inches, making a long outer wrap.
2. Make sure it’s overlapping, then layer your other meats on top.
3. Squeeze on the mustard and mayo, but only on one half. This will be the half that is going to be the inside or middle of your roll.
Layer your thinly sliced tomato, the banana peppers and spinach (and any other toppings you choose) over the mayo/mustard.
Other adds that would be yum – olives, red wine vinegar, cucumbers, onions
4. Roll from the filling side first as tight as you can.
5. Wrap in parchment or wax paper, like a burrito, or toothpick to keep in place
.
*Capicola ham is similar to proscuitto, however capicola is meat from the shoulder of the piggy and proscuitto is meat from the thigh. Boar’s Head sells it as “cappy ham” and it’s usually located around the salami and mortadella.

Submitted by Mikki

 

Turkey Burgers

Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Prepare the grill, or turn the broiler on low.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and use a fork to mix well.
Divide into 4 portions and shape into patties.
Grill or broil until cooked to desired temperature.

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients
1 sweet potato
Sea salt
Cayenne pepper
Olive oil

Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut sweet potatoes into thin wedges & coat with olive oil, sea salt, & cayenne pepper.
3. Toss wedges on a cookie sheet & into oven to cook until done (roughly 30 min total).
4.Turn over 1 time about 1/2 way through (15 min).

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Ingredients
1 bunch of asparagus
8-10 strips of turkey or pork bacon
Olive oil
Sea salt
Black pepper

Directions
1. Rinse & trim asparagus.
2. Place in a bowl & coat in oil, salt, & pepper.
3. Divide asparagus spears by # of bacon strips you have & wrap bacon around spears.
4. Place bundles on grill & turn frequently until bacon is cooked.

Tasty Rating: 7

Pretty good meal overall but pretty plain & dry. The sweet potato fries & bacon wrapped asparagus are amazing! We frequently use those sides in our meals.

Submitted by Chris

Roasted Trussed Chicken
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Set chicken on wire roasting rack breast side up
3. Place a 2-foot piece of kitchen twine under the body of the chicken, making sure to leave an even length on each side
4. Tuck the drumsticks tightly together to cover the open cavity at the bottom of the chicken & secure with the twine; tuck the wings under the legs & crisscross the twine to secure
5. Turn the bird to the side to tie tightly, then return it to the breast facing up
6. Rub the olive oil & paprika over the breast, legs, & wings of the bird
7. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper
8. Cook for 1 hr & 15 min
9. Remove from oven
10. Tent with foil & set aside for 10 min
11. Remove from wire roasting rack to carve

This may be a bit of work but it goes a long way. We used it for a dinner a few days & utilized the left overs to make the following snacks (snacks are one of the hardest things we’ve noticed to prepare for with Paleo). We eat this & make the snacks about every other week.  This recipe came from The Paleo Diet Cookbook by Loren Cordain Ph. D., a cookbook me and my wife use regularlly.

Tasty Rating: 6

Fairly plain but a good staple dinner every once in a while. This may be a bit of work but it goes a long way. We used it for a dinner a few days & utilized the left overs to make the following snacks (snacks are one of the hardest things we’ve noticed to prepare for with Paleo).

Grapes of Wrap

Ingredients:
-8 oz of Roasted Trussed Chicken, shredded
-1 oz raw walnuts, chopped
-1/2 cup red grapes, chopped
-1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
-1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
-4 Bibb or Butter lettuce leaves
-1 tablespoon cold-pressed flaxseed oil

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, combine chicken, walnuts, grapes, tarragon, & rosemary. Mix well.
2. Spoon equal portion into each lettuce leaf.
3. Drizzle with flaxseed oil.
4. Roll lettuce leaves carefully & secure with toothpicks.

Tasty Rating: 8

Very tasty & full of many flavors & textures. A bit awkward to eat if lettuce is too wet or not secured well. We love this for lunch sides or snacks for those time you have the munchies! This snack also came from The Paleo Diet Cookbook by Loren Cordain Ph. D.

Submitted by Chris