Barbecue Bacon Burgers

This recipe comes straight out of the book Against all Grain.  I didn't alter the recipe at all and it turned out amazing!

Barbecue Bacon Burgers
ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef 
• 4 slices cooked bacon, chopped, cooking fat reserved 
• 1/4 cup bbq sauce (no high fructose corn syrup) 
• 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard 
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika 

mushrooms: 

• 1 tablespoon reserved bacon fat 
• 4 oz mushrooms, sliced 
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary or dried 
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic 
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 

1. Cut your bacon into small pieces and place in a pan over medium high heat.  Cook until crispy.  
2. While your bacon is cooking combine the other burger ingredients in a medium size bowl.  
3. Add in your bacon into the medium size bowl. 
4. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon fat for your mushrooms.  
5. Mix all of your burger ingredients really well in the bowl with your hands. 
6. Make 4 large patties with your meat mixture.  (They should be about 1/2-3/4 inch thick) 
7. Cook until no longer pink in the middle on the grill OR broil them. 

1. Heat your pan back up over medium high heat that you cooked the bacon in.  
2. Add all ingredients for the mushroom and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. 

Serve with a cooked sweet potato or a roasted vegetable. 

 

Pasta with Turkey Meatballs

This recipe comes from the book Against All Grain. I didn't use the Tzatziki sauce with like the book says.  I am guessing this is meant to be a cold dish but I am going to alter it a bit than the original recipe.



The original recipes name is Greek Gyro pasta with Lamb Meatballs.  They don't have lamb at Aldi, but they do have turkey! Enjoy!

Meatballs

1 1/2 pounds turkey or ground beef
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons EVOO
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano (or dried)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Pasta

4 large zucchini
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon EVOO
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Sauce:
1 jar of organic pasta sauce of your choice


Combine meatball ingredients and mix well with your hands.  Let the mixture sit out for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Form your meat mixture into 2 inch diameter meatballs.  Place them in a  rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.

While your meatballs are cooking peel your squash length wise with a julienne peeler to make noodles.  Put the noodles in a bowl with the remaining ingredients for your pasta.  Toss, cover, and refrigerate.

Heat your sauce up and serve with the pasta and meatballs.

Happy Monday!

Meal Plan 11-10

I know I haven't posted for a while.  Life gets in the way.
I am going to do the grocery list a bit different today.  I am sure many of you don't follow my meal plan to a T and maybe only want to use a few of these recipes.  So, I have put the ingredients that you will need into the individual recipes.  Please comment and let me know if this helps you plan for your week better! :)

Happy Sunday Everyone!

All of these recipes come from the book
Against All Grain: Delectable Paleo Recipes to Eat Well and Feel Great
I have started this book and will probably start altering these recipes for my own recipes.  I hope everyone had a great week!

barbecue bacon burgers with rosemary-garlic mushrooms
pasta with turkey meatballs
honey-lime salmon tostadas
lemon-basil sea bass
seafood, ground beef, and chicken Paella

Barbecue Bacon Burgers
ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef 
• 4 slices cooked bacon, chopped, cooking fat reserved 
• 1/4 cup bbq sauce 
• 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard 
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika 

mushrooms: 

• 1 tablespoon reserved bacon fat 
• 4 oz mushrooms, sliced 
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary or dried 
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic 
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 

Pasta with Turkey Meatballs 
ingredients:
Meatballs: 

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef/turkey 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons EVOO
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or dried 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano 
• 1 teaspoon sea salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper 

Tzatziki Sauce:

• 3/4 cup coconut milk yogurt store-bought or homemade 
• 1 small cucumber 
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice  
• 1 teaspoon chopped dill 
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint 
• 1 clove garlic, minced 
• 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 

Homemade coconut milk yogurt: 

NOTE this takes 18-24 hours

• 2 13.5 ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk 
• 3 teaspoons unflavored gelatin 
• 2 tablespoons honey 
• 1 50-billion IU probiotic capsule or 1 dairy-free probiotic yogurt starter kit

Pasta

• 4 large zucchini 
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 
• 1 tablespoon EVOO 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped oregano fresh/dried 
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced 

Honey-Lime Salmon Tostadas
ingredients:

• Salmon 
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 
• 2 teaspoons honey 
• 1 teaspoon cumin 
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper 
• 1 lb salmon fillet with skin 
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil -- use EVOO if you don't have any

Toppings:

Pico:

• 3 roma tomatoes, chopped (seeds removed) 
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped 
• 1 jalapeño pepper, diced, seeds removed 
• 1/4 red onion finely diced 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt 
• 1 t fresh lime 
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• pepper to taste 

shredded carrots
cabbage

Avocado sour cream: 

• 1/2 cup Cashews 
• 1 avocado
• 2 tablespoons lime juice 
• 1/2 seeded jalapeño 
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

Lemon-Basil Sea Bass or white fish 
Ingredients:

• 3 zucchini--Julienned 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 
• 4 6-ounce firm white fish 
• 2 roma tomatoes, sliced into 12 slices 
• 2 lemons, sliced into 12 slices 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 3 tablespoons EVOO 
• salt and pepper 
• 4 sheets parchment papper 

Seafood, ground beef, and chicken Paella
Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower 
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth 
• 1 cup clam juice 
• 2 tablespoons EVOO 
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubbed 
• 6 oz ground beef 
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 2 teaspoons sea salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper 
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika 
• 6 littleneck clams, scrubbed clean 
• 6 mussels, scrubbed clean 
• 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or dried 
• lemon wedges 

Chicken Pot Pie

I am sorry I have been absent to post! Life gets in the way sometimes!
Good news- My husband gave me my first adjustment yesterday! It made me so excited! His first table is ordered and should be here in two weeks.  You all may not be as excited as I am but, I felt it was something that needed to be shared! He is working so hard in school.  I am so proud. :)

Chicken Pot Pie

I was watching the Today Show last week and they were making chicken pot pie. It had heavy cream and a fluffy breaded topping on top.  It looked so good! That is how this recipe started :)
Here you go:


Ingredients: 

For the filling:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 cup diced mushrooms
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 cup of greens- I used spinach.  Feel free to use peas, kale, broccoli, okra or any other green vegetable 
• 1/2 of a head of cauliflower, chopped
• 3-4 cups of cooked chicken, chopped or shredded (from a roasted chicken if possible)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• a pinch of Turmeric for color
• 1/2 cup coconut milk

For the topping:

• 3 cups almond flour
• 2 Tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup solid coconut oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes, chilled
• 1 Tablespoon honey

directions:

To make the filling:Heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium high-heat. Add the chopped onion and mushrooms, Sauté for about 3 minutes. Throw in the carrots, celery, and cauliflower, cook for an additional 5-7 minutes.  Poor in your white wine and scrape any burnt bits off of the bottom of your pan. Poor in your broth and coconut oil and bring to a simmer. Add your chicken and cook for an additional minute. Add in your thyme, turmeric, and your salt and pepper, to taste. Stir until blended well. Remove from the heat. Cover with foil while you prep your topping.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

Your guys should know by now I am NOT a fan of using a lot of almond flour but, this recipe is BOM. 

To make the topping:Combine the almond flour, baking powder, and salt in a food processor. Pulse to blend. Add the coconut oil in pieces, pulsing until the mixture is crumbly. Add the eggs, honey, and sweet potato and pulse until the mixture resembles a very soft dough. Let it sit for 5 minutes before moving to the next step.
If you are using an oven safe pan for your stove top cooking, spoon the dough on top of the chicken filling in several mounds. Other wise, put your filling mixture in a pie pan and then spoon the dough onto of your filling.  It's not necessary to cover all of the filling, but the mounds should be spread evenly. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the biscuits begin to brown and are cooked through. If the tops begin to get dark quickly, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the top while it finishes baking.


Yup, this is the only picture I got... a blurry picture...

Brady's reaction to this recipe- HOLY CRAP.. that was GOOD!

Happy Monday Everyone :)

Beef Stew

Beef Stew 

I love having a stew in the fall! I might be pushing it since it will be 75 degrees today. That is okay, I am in the fall spirit!

Feel free to change this recipe to what you have in your fridge. I use a cast iron skillet in this recipe.  I believe everyone should invest in a cast iron skillet and a nice Le Creuset Pot.  I know it sounds scary to cook in and clean but if you use them correct way, you will be surprised at how easy it to clean them! For this recipe I am using a 12-inch cast iron skillet.


Ingredients:

• 2 tbs evoo (extra virgin olive oil)
• 2 lbs chuck steak, cubed
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups mushrooms 
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes or 3 cups sweet potatoes chopped and cut into 1-inch cubes. 
• 2 cups chicken broth (preferably homemade)
• 1/2 cup white wine 
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• fresh ground black pepper and salt, to taste

Heat 2 tbs of oil in cast iron skillet over medium flame. Add meat to skillet and brown evenly on all sides, for approximately 12 minutes. Remove from skillet and place in your slow cooker.  

Add the onion, and garlic to your cast iron skillet. Saute for five minutes.

 Toss in carrots, mushrooms, celery, and squash (or sweet potatoes) and saute for 5-7 additional minutes. 

(next part is very important to help clean your skillet)

Poor in your white wine and scrape all the little burnt bits off of your skillet. Poor everything into your slow cooker. Wipe your cast iron skillet clean and BAM your skillet is spotless! Don't wash it.  Just make sure it is wiped clean. 

Pour broth into your slow cooker. Add oregano, salt and pepper and mix everything together in your slow cooker.  Place your rosemary and bay leaf on top of your stew.  Cook on low for 8 hours or until meat is tender.  

Happy Thursday Everyone! 

Meatloaf

The first time I made Brady eat meatloaf he was VERY skeptical... honestly I was too.

Anyways, don't be skeptical.  Just eat it! It is yummy and full of nutrients!


Meatloaf 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb ground turkey 
• 1 t marjoram (if you don't have it just omit it) it does taste great with it though! 
• 2 eggs
• 1 red onion, finely diced 
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 T sea salt 
• 2 t ground black pepper
• 1 (6-oz) can tomato paste 
• 1 T dried basil or 1/2 fresh basil 
• 1 zucchini, finely diced 
• 2 cups spinach, finely diced

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

Mix all ingredients, with your hands, in a large mixing bowl. 

Put your meat mixture into a large baking dish.

Bake for 1 hour or until the meatloaf is no longer pink inside. 

Eat with Mashed Cauliflower

Seafood Chowder

Alright, I altered this recipe a bit but it originates from Sarah Fragoso's Every Day Paleo Family Cookbook.

Seafood Chowder

• 1 T coconut oil
• 8 uncured bacon strips, chopped 
• 6 celery stalks, diced 
• 5 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes or butternut squash 
• 1 (13.5) can full-fat coconut milk 
• 2 2/3 cups Homemade Chicken Broth 
• Black pepper to taste 
• 1 (10-ounce) can wild-caught shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 bay leaf 

Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat.  Add your coconut oil and cook your onion for about 5 minutes.  Add your bacon and cook until crispy. 

Personally my next step is to drain the excess fat from my soup pot.  Along with having Celiacs my husband and I have sensitivities with too much fat.  It hurts our stomachs. I will stop there :) 

So, if you wish to leave the fat, which most paleo goers will do, great!  If you choose not too because of sensitivities I understand! Do you remember that fat does not make you fat.  Not having a deficit in your calories and carbs does. Certain fats are great for the functioning of your brain and 50% of your calories should be coming from fats for a healthy diet. So, I chose to not keep the fat in my dish. I stored it in an air tight container in the fridge to use instead of oil or butter in another recipe. 

Moving on. 

Add your celery and sweet potatoes and cook for an additional 5 minutes. 

Add your coconut milk, chicken broth, and pepper.  Bring to a simmer.

Add your bay leaf and let the soup simmer (not boil) for 20 minutes.  Use a potato masher and mash some of the sweet potatoes up to thicken your soup.  Leave some chunky.  Add the shrimp and cook until pink (about 5 minutes). Drain your clams and chop them into small pieces.  Stir them in until they are warm. 

SO GOOD 

What else could you do with this recipe?  Just get a "seafood blend" from a grocery store and add in place of shrimp and clams or what ever meat you want to put in this dish! It is amazing! 

Happy Tuesday :)