Salmon with Mango Salsa and Sauteed Spinach

Have I told you how much I am loving my new mini non-stick pan I got at Dierberg's the other day? It is probably about 6 inches in diameter and the perfect size for single size paleo meals, which happen frequently in my house of carb-lovers. Tonight I cooked a piece of salmon (you can by individually vacuun sealed fillets by the bag just about anywhere) in my handy little pan. Since it is non stick I simply put the thawed fish in, covered with a lid and flipped after 5 minutes or so. When it is almost done I added some mango salsa on top and replaced the lid to heat up the salsa and steam the fish. Easy and tastes great! Along with this I had the sauteed spinach recipe listed below:

Sauteed Spinach with Pecans and Goat Cheese

2 tbspn olive oil
1/2 red onion thinly sliced
1 1/4 lbs baby spinach
2 Tbspn sherry vinegar
1/2 cup pecans toasted and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (optional)

Heat oil in large skillet over medium. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add spinach; cook, tossing until spinach has started to wilt about 2 min. Transfer to a serving platter. Add vinegar to skillet, and heat for 5 seconds. Drizzle over spinach and onion. Sprinkle with pecans and goat cheese and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Other ideas for spinach - sub garlic, pinenuts and chopped apple for onion and pecans(pictured)

Fun Facts on Spinach:

• Loads of vitamin K, essential for blood clotting and bone health.
• high doses of B6 and C as well as folate and magnesium
• to get the most of spinach's fat-soluble nutrients, cook the greens with a healthy fat, such as olive oil.
  

Warrior Dash - Any Takers??

Hey Crossfit and Paleo Enthusiasts - Dawn W. clued me in to this race next October that looks like it would be right up our alley. The Warrior Dash takes place all over the country, and on October 15th, 2011 will be hitting the St Louis area. Go visit http://www.warriordash.com/ for all the details. If you are interested shoot a comment back to this post and lets get a group together to go experience this sadistic fun!

Paleo Friendly Hummus

Ladies night at Crossfit Valley Park tonight and I am feeling the pressure to bring some tasty treats to maintain my foodie reputation. I feel like I have been pushing the sweets lately, so I am heading savory tonight with a paleo hummus recipe to serve with fresh vegis. Just finished blending up this recipe I found on http://libidiny.blogspot.com and I love it! Don't miss the chickpeas at all.

Paleo Friendly Hummus

1 zucchini peeled and chopped
1/2 cup unsalted raw macadamia nuts
2 T Tahini (found in a jar in the salad dressing aisle)
2T olive oil
2 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic minced
1 tsp sea salt
1 rounded tsp cumin
dash of cayenne pepper

Dump all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. For variety add roasted red peppers, pine nuts, artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, or kalamata olives. Serve with baby carrots, red, orange or yellow pepper slices, celery, etc.

Blueberry Muffins

Have you noticed that blueberries are plentiful in the stores right now? I have been taking full advantage of this and have been going berry crazy! Had a taste for blueberry muffins this morning and couldn't find a good recipe so I concocted my own. It tastes great, looks great in the paper, but comes out a little mushy on the bottom. I just scraped the good bits off the paper - that works for me!

Paleo Blueberry Muffins

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use BSN Dessert line)

1 scoop almond flour

1 scoop flax meal

1 egg

1 scoop coconut milk (I use light)

1 scoop egg whites

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use your protein powder scoop to measure just about everything. Mix all ingredients together and spoon in paper lined muffin pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 min. Makes 6 muffins.

Roasted Papaya

Still going with the hot fruit theme - tried roasted papaya tonight. Real easy, here is what I did:

Cut papaya in half and scoop out seeds. Cut again in quarters and roast in oven for 30 min at 450 degrees. I put a little a little drizzle of organic blue agave nectar on top but you don't really need it. After I took it out of the oven I topped it with some of my paleo granola, or you can use walnuts or macadamia nuts. Very tasty if you like papaya.

A couple of papaya fun facts:

• Ripe papaya contains a three day supply of vitamin C and lots of vitamin A and E, all powerful antioxidants.
• Papayas help improve skin and strengthen nails and hair.
• The enzyme papain found in green papaya reduces the itch and irritation caused by mosquito bites - just rub the bite with a piece of the fruit.

Hot Fruit

I have spent all day trying to avoid the oatmeal raisin cookies I made for my grandma this morning, who is 96 and is allowed to eat whatever she darn well pleases. Yes, I finally did succumb, but it got me thinking about the need for treats and what can fill that sugar void in the land of Paleo. The obvious choice is fruit of course, high in natural sugars, but also packed with nutrients and permitted in moderation. I have found lately, especially since it is so cold outside, that hot fruit really satisfies that dessert craving. I have a couple of recipes I have posted lately including the protein blueberry pancakes, and the apple blueberry crumble. Here are some other great suggestions:

grilled fruit - pineapple rings, peaches,
baked fruit - apples, papaya, pears,
chips - apple chips, beet chips, sweet potato chips, parsnip chips
fried - bananas
microwave - blueberries, raspberries, blackberries

Take some time and experiment and let me know your favorite combinations. Try adding cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, garam masala, nuts, almond flour/dried fruit crumble, coconut flakes, paleo granola. Also, try making your own applesauce or pear sauce. Skip the cookies and go for Hot Fruit!

Apple Walnut Pulled Pork

The plan was to make the Apple Walnut Pulled Pork out of my leftovers from yesterdays pork, but unfortunately we ate it all up. I did have an extra tenderloin though so I subjected my family to day 2 of pork to try out the leftover recipe I found in the Post Dispatch. This turned out pretty well, but my family still added barbeque sauce on the pulled pork for a little more flavor. A nice easy dish for the crockpot.

Apple Walnut Pulled Pork

1 granny smith apple peeled and diced
1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 pound leftover pork tenderloin from last nights Apple Dijon Pork - shred with fork

Combine apple, apple juice, honey, and walnuts in a large skillet. Saute over medium heat for 4-6 minutes, until the juices reduce slightly. Stir in shredded pork, simmering for 3 to 4 minutes or until heated through. I served this with the fried cauliflower rice, and the family ate it on a bun with some bbq sauce.

Apple Dijon Pork Tenderloin

Its the end of the weekend and turned out to be a perfect day to hole up and cook while the rest of the family vegged on the couch watching football. Friday and Saturday nights are typically eat out night for our household, which can be a challenge satisfying this Paleo girl. Truth is I LOVE to eat out and am not willing to sacrifice this pleasure, so I have made it my mission to hunt down restaurants that will accomodate my quirky requests. Friday night we hit Gulf Shores Restaurant on Olive - great spot we just discovered. A cajun seafood joint with lots of healthy fish options and sides that are interchangeable so you can double up on vegis no problem. Salmon, steamed spinach, and steamed mixed vegis - all so good I keep ordering the same thing each time. Next time I promise to try a new fish dish. Lets get some comments going on your favorite paleo friendly restaurants.

Ok back to Sunday cooking - the Post Dispatch had some great recipes for two nights in a row. Tonight is Apple-Dijon Pork Tenderloin with butternut squash and broccoli. Tomorrow night the leftover meat will go into Apple-Walnut Pork which I plan to serve with sauteed spinach and that cauliflower rice I made the other day. I am trying to organize the shopping and plan out my meals for the week. Love to hear what others do to plan for their busy weeks.

Apple-Dijon Pork Tenderloin
2 Pork Tenderloins
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup applejuice
1/4 cup dijon mustard
2 apples peeled cored and chopped

Brown pork tenderloins in pan and then transfer to crockpot. Mix applesauce, applejuice, and mustard. top tenderloins with mix and top with apples. I cooked for 4 hrs on high, but you could also do 8 hours on low. This had a good flavor, I might even add dried cherries on top during the last 1/2 hour or so, just to add a little more sweetness. Very easy meal to prepare.

Blueberry Protein Pancakes

I know I just posted chocolate pancakes a couple of days ago, but my pancake experience this morning has forced me to blog on pancakes once again, because they were fantastic! I will confess, it is very hard to get a pretty protein pancake, but even if they break apart they still taste great and will leave you forgetting about the good old fashioned bisquick pancakes.

** Ok, I think I have perfected the sticking problem. Found a tiny non-stick pan at dierbergs that is the perfect size for 1 protein pancake. Make sure you use a plastic spatula to flip so you don't scratch the pan. It comes out picture perfect!!

Blueberry Protein Pancakes

1 heaping scoop vanilla flavored protein (I use BSN Lean Dessert brand - anyone tried Advocare??)
1/4 cup egg whites
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 tsp ground flaxseed
handful of blueberries
pinch of shredded coconut

Mix until a pancake batter like consistency. Play around with the liquid/powder combo until it seems right. Fold in blueberries. Heat skillet and spray generously with olive oil spray. Spoon out three mini pancakes and flip when it starts to come up around the edges. Be prepared to spray the pan while flipping so the other side doesnt stick.
Serve with a little paleo granola on top (and I admit I squirted 2 sprays of spray butter) Delish!

Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry with Cauliflower "Rice"

With super lean stew meat sitting on the counter to defrost this morning Abby walked by and asked what we were having for dinner. How about beef and broccoli mom - well, can't refuse a paleo friendly request from my daughter so I went searching for recipes and found a great one on the Crossfit Santa Cruz Central food blog. Here is the link:

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry with Cauliflower Rice

The whole family loved it, definitely a keeper for the recipe box!

Apple Blueberry Breakfast Crumble

We woke up to a winter wonderland this morning! No school, no work, no crossfit - definitely time to hunker in for a warm comforting breakfast. The girls opted for waffles so I started searching the net for warm fruit ideas. Found this recipe for Paleo Fruit Crumble on another paleo blog you might want to check out. I modified it slightly for what I had in my pantry.

Apple Blueberry Breakfast Crumble

2 honeycrisp apples, peeled and chopped
1 tsp of lemon juice
1/2 cup of blueberries
1/2 tsp of arrowroot
1 tsp cinnamon
6 prunes
1/2 cup dried cherries
3/4 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. Peel and chop apples and lay in 8X8 baking pan. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Add blueberries on top and sprinkle with arrow root and cinnamon. Chop up prunes and cherries in food processor or mini chopper. Pulse in nuts at the end. Crumble topping over top evenly and bake for 20-30 minutes. Make sure it is bubbly. This was very tasty and the girls ended up having some on top of their waffles.

Sweet and Spicy Sloppy Joes

I have gotten alot of complaints that eating Paleo is expensive. Well, yes buying fresh fruit and vegis and quality meat is more expensive than loading up on the cheap eats like mac n cheese, twinkies, and ramen noodles. This is part of the reason for the obesity problem in America. Statistics show that obesity is more prevalent in lower income areas. So, I admit, I don't buy all my food at whole foods and the farmer markets. I hit Walmart and Food for Less and would shop at Sams and Costco if I had the membership cards. I think it just takes a little time and education to figure out where you can get the best bang for your buck. So today - Walmart products rule as I make Sweet and Spicy Sloppy Joes in the crockpot. What is your opinion on the quality vs. value controversy?

Sweet and Spicy Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey (Purdue white meat on sale)
1 jar Calavo brand Salsa Lisa (sweet pineapple ginger salsa)
1 can tomato sauce
2 Tbspn apple cider vinegar
salt
garam masala

Brown the meat over med high heat and season with salt and garam masala. Add to crockpot with jar of salsa, can of tomato sauce, and apple cider vinegar. Cook on low 4-6 hours. Serve over spaghetti squash, roasted portabella mushroom cap, or buns for the holdouts in the family.

Easy Microwave Frittata

I was looking for a way to spice up my typical egg and vegi breakfast this morning and found a great recipe on everyday paleo.com. Here is the link to the recipe and a beautiful picture.

Coconut Curry Egg Frittata

Ok, after trying it, I had to throw it away, because yukk, I really didnt like it. So take two on breakfast, I went back to my old standby and thought I would repeat the directions:

Steph's Easy Microwave Frittata

2/3 cup liquid egg whites
leftover meat (pictured with chicken italian sausage)
spinach
broccoli (again, any vegis you have on hand)
Salt
A little cheese if you are eating dairy (I used parmesan this morning, feta or goat cheese also good)
sliced avacodo

spray small casserole dish with pam and pour in egg. Layer in all ingredients except avacado and microwave for 4min 30 sec. Top with sliced avacado. Works every time!

Chocolate Protein Pancakes

Its the weekend, and weekends definitely call for pancakes! After Dawn was telling me about these protein pancakes that Mandy told her about I had to give them a try. Measurements are all by feel, and truly an experiment, but they were not half bad and although I missed piling on the butter and syrup, it was nice to have a breadlike breakfast. You know me, I had to add sliced banana into the pancakes and smear them with sunflower butter, a well rounded breakfast with protein, fruit carbs, and good fat. I plan on trying these again with different flavored protein powder and different fruit. Thinking of vanilla powder and blueberries next time.

Chocolate Protein Pancakes

1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I use the BSN Dessert line - chocolate fudge)
about 1/4 cup liquid egg whites
a couple of tablespoons coconut milk
1/2 a banana sliced

Stir ingredients into a pancake batter like consistency. Add powder if its too runny or egg whites or coconut milk if its too dry. Heat skillit and spray generously with pam. spoon out into three pancakes and turn when edges start turning up. Spray again as you flip so they don't stick. Serve with almond butter or sunflower butter.

**Hey, if anyone tries any of these recipes, why don't you comment and rate them. It would be nice to know what others think and what you did to tweak the recipe to make it different or better. Lets give 'em a letter grade A through F just like school.

Butternut Squash Spinach Salad

I was looking for a way to add green into my Chicken dinner the other night and decided to combine my butternut squash and bag of spinach which was just waiting to expire in a tasty little salad.

Butternut Squash Spinach Salad
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
salt and pepper
2 bacon strips - cooked to crispy, patted dry, and crumbled
bunch of spinach
pine nuts
dried cherries
Boathouse Olive Oil Vinaigrette w/ blue cheese

Preheat oven to 400 and layout the squash on a sprayed sheet. Spray the top, salt and pepper, (or salt and cinnamon) and cook for 30 min. For salad, in large bowl mix spinach, 1 cup of the hot cubed cooked squash, cherries, pinenuts, bacon crumbles and dressing. * You can use any dressing of your choice, and if paleo keep it simple. I have been loving this boathouse variety lately, so I use it alot!

Coconut Encrusted Chicken Fingers

Whew, been busy the last couple of days, but let me share a couple of recipes from Thursday's dinner. For whatever reason, if I add the word "Fingers" to any Chicken recipe I make I get a much more positive response from my girls. So Thursday night was Coconut Chicken Fingers and they were tasty. Jeff and I used Trader Joe's Satay Sauce as a dipping sauce which was a perfect complement. The girls tend to gravitate to ranch dressing or bbq sauce, go figure.

Coconut Encrusted Chicken Fingers
1/2 can coconut milk
1/2 cup Almond flour
1/2 cup coconut
1 - 1/2 lbs of chicken breasts cut in strips
olive oil or pam
salt and pepper

dip the chicken strips in coconut milk and then roll in almond flour and coconut mixture (mix together in separate bowl). Heat olive oil in large sauce pan and brown fingers on all sides. I then put the fingers in the oven for 15 minutes to finish the cooking process, but I think you can fully cook in the pan. Respray pam before turning over to keep crust from sticking and falling off the chicken. Serve with favorite dipping sauce (we used trader joes satay sauce - warning: this is a peanut based sauce for strict paleo eaters).

Chicken Sausage "Pasta" with Asparagus, Red Pepper & Mushrooms

I get a daily email from AllRecipes.com everyday, and this one caught my eye the other day. I decided to make it in two batches, half with bowtie noodles for the paleo holdouts and 1/2 with spaghetti squash for me. Mine looked just as good and everyone seemed to like it, even though my kids have a tendency to pick out anything red or green.

Chicken Sausage Pasta with Asparagus, Red Pepper and Mushrooms
Ingredients:
1 pkg of 5 Trader Joe Chicken Sausages
1/2 box of bow tie pasta for the family and 1/2 a spaghetti squash leftover from the other day
1 clove garlic minced
1 tbspn olive oil
1 bunch asparagus bottoms cut off and cut in 1 inch segments
1 red pepper diced
1 carton sliced mushrooms
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbspn basil
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 cup parmesan cheese

Boil the noodles and drain, prep the spaghetti squash and fork shred. In saucepan saute garlic in oil and then add vegis and chicken cut up in 1/2 inch rounds. Continue to saute for 5-7 minutes (I stirred the meat first to brown a little and then removed into a separate bowl while I sauteed and boiled the vegis). Then add broth and bring to a boil.Add back noodles, meat and stir all together. Remove from heat and fold in cheese and another tbspn of olive oil. (I split the meat/vegi mixture between the noodles and the spaghetti squash and added 1/2 cup cheese to each). No cheese if you are doing strict paleo, but sorry, not as much flavor either.

Why Sunflower butter?

I have had a couple people ask me why I prefer sunflower butter over peanut butter. Well, first off, I was turned on to sunflower butter last year when we did our first Paleo challenge at the gym. Peanuts are considered a legume, which are restricted on the Paleo Diet. I tried both almond butter and sunflower butter, both acceptable alternatives, but found I simply like the taste on sunflower butter better. In researching the differences it looks like sunflower butter is nutritionally better containing the following nutritional advantages:

• 1/3 less saturated fat
• 27% of Vitamin E per serving
• huge protein, fiber, and iron content
• antioxidents Vitaman E and selenium
• B Vitamins
• copper and zinc
• folate and phytosterols (helps lower cholesterol)
• high in linoleic acid
• high in essential fatty acids

Here is the link to my source. http://www.differencebetween.net/

Paleo Pumpkin Blueberry Muffins

Woke up looking for a treat this morning and I have lots of leftovers in the fridge that went perfectly into this recipe.

Paleo Pumpkin Blueberry Muffins

1 egg
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup coconut
3/4 cup applesauce (i used my leftover pear sauce)
1/2 can pumpkin
2 tsp baking powder
1 squirt of honey
nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon to your liking
1 cup fresh blueberries

Mix ingredients and then fold in blueberries. Spoon into muffin pans lined with paper cups - yes, take the time to line them, they don't come out very well otherwise. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes for mini muffins - longer for bigger ones - just keep an eye on them.

I think these taste great, but they came out a little mushy this time. Jeff and Abby just thought they were ok.

** Something else I learned tonight - parsnips slow cooked in the crockpot with a roast are NOT good. Much prefer parsnips cut up as fries and roasted or real thin like chips.

Turkey Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms

When I opened the refrigerator door this morning to get my morning sunflower butter I noticed that the mushroom fairy had hit the Teague house. A mysterious large bag of big monterray mushroom caps was sitting there on the top shelf. I decided not to look a gift fungi in the mouth and started thinking mushroom recipes. Turns out the Monterray Mushroom Co is a client of my husbands and he brought home a sample bag. I have had a box of TGIF spinach artichoke sitting in my freezer left over from New Year's eve which spurned my taste buds toward spinach artichoke. Here is my creation, it is cooking as I write so I will let you know how it turns out.

Turkey Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients
16-20 mushroom caps
1 can artichoke hearts chopped
1 box frozen chopped spinach
1/2 lb turkey breast chopped fine
2 tbspn mayo
2tbspn trader joe's aioli garlic mustard sauce
1/4 cup almond meal
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 400. Spray cookie sheet with pam and lay out single layer of washed mushroom caps. Spray caps with Pam. Mix the rest of the ingredients except the cheese. Stuff the caps and sprinkle cheese on top if you are permitting a little cheese. Bake about 30 min or until it looks done.

** Here's the review - Jeff and I both really enjoyed these. Only thing that would have made them better was maybe using crab instead of turkey. Make sure you let them cool for about 5 minutes or they will burn your mouth!

Roasted Vegetables - Tips

Ok, today is leftover day and I am too tired and cold to head out to the grocery store so I am heating up all my bits of leftovers and roasting some broccoli to go along with it. As I am cutting up my broccoli and spreading it out on the pan my 13 year old daughter is very dramatically telling her friend about this CRAZY paleo diet her mom is on and how I make these weird dishes all the time. The entire time she is telling the story she is sneaking broccoli off the cookie sheet. Pretty sure she crammed in a full serving of vegis as she dissed my eating - the evil plan is working!!

Roasted Broccoli, parsnips, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, asparagus, brussel sprouts, butternut squash or any other vegi that comes to mind

Ingredients:
Pam olive oil spray
Mrs dash Garlic and Herb seasoning or Lemon Pepper, or Caribbean Jerk
Salt

I use a pampered chef stone but any cookie sheet will do. Spray with pam and then place a single layer of vegis on the sheet. Spray generously with Pam (or toss lightly in olive oil) and load on the Mrs Dash (its salt free and adds lots of flavor). I do salt slightly because I am a salt freak and have not wrestled that demon yet. Place in preheated 400 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes. EVERY member of my family will eat vegis cooked this way. Not soggy like steaming, microwaving or boiling.

Crockpot Pork and Sweet Potato Curry

Ok, its thursday after a great crossfit workout and Im inspired because someone has actually looked at some of these recipes - Hey Jamie!! Today I looked in the fridge and cupboard and came up with the last pack of meat I have (pork short ribs - lean cut). So, here is the crockpot creation I am trying tonight - will let you know how it turns out.

Crockpot Pok and Sweet Potato Curry

Ingredients:
1 lb lean pork cut in cubes
4 sweet potatoes peeled and cut in chunks
1 tbspn olive oil
1/2 can of light coconut milk
1 jar trader joes Curry Simmer Sauce

Brown meat in pan with oil. Transfer to crockpot with potatoes and pour coconut milk and curry sauce over the top. Cook for 6 hours.

This recipe was a winner with me, my husband and the girls - everyone gave it two thumbs up.
I served it with pear sauce - peeled 6 pears cubed and cooked with cinnamon and 1/4 cup honey. Blended in the blender for 10 seconds and refrigerate. Just like applesauce.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Just wondering what recipe to post today when Janet forwarded this healthy tomato soup recipe from Jillian Michaels. Sounds tasty to me, let me know what you think!

Roasted Tomato Soup
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs large tomatoes cut in half crosswise
1 med sweet onion cut in half and peeled
3 garlic cloves
4 tsp Olive Oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups reduced sodium chicken or vegi broth
1/4 cup tomato juice
1 tsp tomato paste
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1 tbspn basil
**I added half a can of light coconut milk for a little creamier consistency


1. Preheat oven to 400. Coat sheet with pam
2. Toss vegis and garlic in bowl with oil and seasoning. Then roast vegis on cookie sheet for 30 minutes. Let vegis cool enough to handle.
3. Peel and seed tomatoes. Strip off onion ends and peel garlic. Place vegis in blender with 1 cup broth and 1 tsp oil. Pulse to desired consistency
4. Transfer to large pot and add remaining broth, juice, paste, worcestershire, basil(and coconut milk)
5. Simmer over med heat and serve.

Pumpkin Turkey Burgers

Tonight I plan on experimenting with pumpkin. I found this recipe for Pumpkin Turkey Burgers and plan to try it out with a couple of paleo tweaks. Will let you know how they turn out.

Pumpkin Turkey Burgers
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup onion, minced
1/4 cup almond meal
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and form patties. Grill and eat!

** These turned out great, very moist and good flavor.

Easy Egg and Vegetable Bake

two recipes in one day, almost forgot about the great breakfast I had this morning. This is not a new one for me, but super easy and a great way to get your vegis in in the a.m. Again, I cheated and topped with a little greek plain yogurt - dairy = non paleo:( , but as I said before, this is a personal cheat I am adding back in, because it is no fat and mega protein.

Easy Egg and Vegetable Bake

1/2 cup egg whites
meat (ham, turkey, chicken, steak, whatever is leftover)
handful cherry tomatoes, cut in half
handful of mushrooms
spinach
anything else you have - be creative! (onion, red pepper, broccoli, etc)

Spray a round small casserole dish with Pam olive oil spray
Add egg whites and any vegis you have in the fridge. Salt and Pepper if you like and microwave for 4min 30 sec. Turn over onto plate, top with sliced avacado and a dollop of yogurt if you want.

Roasted Lemon Dill Parsnips, Butternut Squash, and Carrots

Today was all about using up the half empty bag of all my random vegis in the fridge, which happened to be carrots, parsnips, and 1/2 of a butternut squash. This turned out great and since my family was not courageous enough to try it I have leftovers for tomorrow!

Roasted Lemon Dill Parsnips, Butternut Squash and Carrots

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbspn dill
Garlic Herb seasoning
salt
2-3 parsnips peeled and cut in bit size pieces
1/2 a bag of baby carrots
1/2 a butternut squash peeled, seeded and chopped in bite size chunks

Preheat oven to 400. Mix olive oil, lemon juice, dill, spices in big bowl. Add vegis and toss to coat. Spread out in single layer on cookie sheet (I use a 9X13 stone from pampered chef for just about everything I roast/bake). Roast in oven for 30-40 minutes until fork tender and they look done.

Scallops and Spaghetti Squash

First day of the new year and I am going to try and be diligent about blogging the paleo recipes I experiment with - the good, the bad, and the ugly. New Year's Day off to a good start with a yummy main dish and super easy.

Scallops and Spaghetti Squash

1 pound fresh scallops
1 tbspn olive oil
1/2 lemon
1 spaghetti squash
1 Tbspn Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 cup greek plain yogurt
3 tbspn toasted pine nuts

saute scallops in olive oil. Season with old bay and squeeze lemon over top. Cook spaghetti squash in the microwave (I pierce it and cook it whole for about 6 min. then I cut it in half, scrape out seeds, and place two halves down in shallow dish of water and microwave 6 more minutes.) Fork out in bowl. Add scallops, greek yogurt and pine nuts. Toss and enjoy.
** Technically, no dairy on Paleo diet. I am leaving greek yogurt in the diet since it is fat free and has an ungodly amount of protein. Can't figure out what could be wrong with it, so it stays!