Paleo Chicken & Dumplings

I LOVE chicken & dumplings. 

But, I think we have made it in our house one time simply because of how time intensive it is and it's not "healthy" (cue the tears). I had been craving a hearty soup so Jason found a paleo (healthier) version of them for me to try and make. I'll be the first one to tell you, they don't taste JUST like "real" chicken and dumplings but, my craving was satisfied and these were really, really good--and much easier than I thought they would be. 

This recipe came from Real Food with Jessica, an online blog. 

Which she said came from this book, Paleo Soups & Stews--which I am now convinced I need to buy since this dish turned out so well. 

I need to preface and say that we went a little off the path when it came to this recipe and I did my best explaining it below but, I'm not sure I did the best job. If you want to try this and the recipe makes no sense, I'm here to help. I'm mainly sharing it so I can refer back to it when I want to make them again!

Paleo Chicken & Dumplings

What you need: 

for the soup:

1/2 cup arrowroot starch (had to get ours off of amazon & 
actually didn't even end up using it, you'll see why below)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (she used 8 thighs) 

(Jason homemade broth for me so we used that chicken for the recipe

 it easily shred after simmering for 48 hours)

2 tablespoons ghee

1 medium onion, diced

2 celery ribs, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 quarts 8 cups chicken broth 

3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk

for the dumplings:

3/4 cup almond flour

3/4 cup cassava flour 

(I had not heard of this flour but lo and behold, it can be found at Kroger)

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk

What you do: 
I need to preface by saying since we made our own broth, we did not follow these first steps pertaining to the chicken. Jason homemade a broth for me and so I used that broth with the chicken, shredded in it. He slow-cooked it on the stove-top for 48 hours before all of this. So, what's italicized it from the original recipe but, I did not do it.

In a large bowl, whisk together arrowroot powder, salt, and pepper. 

Dredge the chicken pieces in the mixture, coating them on all sides.

In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, heat the ghee. 

When hot, add the chicken in batches and cook until golden brown on all sides, 4-5 minutes a side.

Remove the chicken and set aside. 

***Rather than doing all that was listed above, I had the shredded chicken in the broth on the stovetop on low, ready to add all the below ingredients, eventually***

If you make your own broth like we did, then you'll do the following in a medium sized pan...
(if you did what the original recipe suggested and cooked the chicken separately, follow along exactly as written below--if you did it the way I did with the homemade broth and shredded chicken already ready, then skip the italicized parts)

Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the pot and sauté for 5-7 minutes,
until the veggies have softened.

Stir the thyme and turmeric into the vegetables. 

Pour in the broth, scraping up any brown bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot.

Return the chicken to the pot and bring to a simmer 

Simmer the soup until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. 

Remove the chicken pieces and set them aside to cool.
(didn't do this part, mine was already in the broth)

While the soup is simmering, make the dumplings.

Mix together the almond flour, cassava flour, baking soda, salt, and coconut milk. 

Use your hands to form the dough into 24 small dumplings. 

The dumplings should be somewhat round, but still rustic looking.

Drop the dumplings into the simmering soup and cook for 5 minutes (or longer, if needed).

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and shred it. 

Discard the skin and bones. (Save the bones for making broth, if desired). Add the shredded chicken (my chicken was already in the broth and good to go) and coconut milk to the soup and simmer another 3-4 minutes, until heated though.

Garnish with fresh parsley or chives, if desired.

Jason liked it, I liked it, and we shared with my Mom & Dad, who both liked it--it was a hit! 

I froze some to see how it reheated and the only thing is that the dumplings don't keep their shape with the reheating/stirring and that's my favorite part of chicken and dumplings but, they were still tasty when reheated, they just took on the form of creamy chicken soup instead--ha!

Coconut Macaroons

It's been a while since I've shared a recipe on here--that's been reflective of how little Jason and I have been cooking but, we're hopping back on the train and we've been making a lot of yummy meals that will be shared soon. Most of the time, our goal when we're cooking is ease of preparation and that's it's easily used for leftovers/freezing...and that it's tasty, but that's a given.

That being said, these coconut macaroons have been on repeat at our house and for good reason. 

They are SO easy to make and as far as sweet treats go, they are a "healthier" option. 

5 ingredients--most of which you probably already have--and you can spruce them up by dipping them in chocolate, adding dried fruit, etc. if you wanted to. 

The possibilities are endless. 

The recipe comes from Kenzie Swanhart's "Paleo in 28"

Coconut Macaroons

What you need:

5 large egg whites

1/4 cup honey 

(85 grams if you want to weight it on a scale already in the bowl)

2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

dash of sea salt

Optional Ingredients:

dark chocolate chips

dried cranberries (as pictured above)

rasins

nuts

That it's. 

That's all you need and it's as easy as it sounds. 

It's very easy to double it, too. And trust me, you'll want to after you try them!

What you do:

Preheat the oven to 350

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg whites and honey until fluffy

Add the coconut, vanilla, and salt to the bowl, and mix well. 

If you're adding any of the optional ingredients, I would put those in here and use a spoon to hand mix them in. 

Spoon out 1-tablespoon balls of the coconut mixture onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet (I've used one of those ice cream scoop shaped measuring spoons so I could easily plop it onto the baking sheet).

Bake for 12-15 minutes (I do 13), until lightly golden brown, and serve. 

Again, that's it. 

It's so easy and quick. 

The last batch I made, we ate on for 3-4 days and they kept really well in a sealed container but of course, they are best when they are fresh out of the oven. 

Now, go and make yourself some of these bad boys and let me know what you think!

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

It has been wayyyyy too long since I've posted a recipe. 

In all honesty, Jason and I have been keeping it simple since July and just baked chicken and a vegetable most nights so, things haven't been as creative lately! 

But THIS! This is a good, easy (soooo incredibly easy), and tasty recipe. 

It comes from the "Paleo in 28" cookbook--which is full of all kinds of amazing recipes. 

This recipe is perfect for Jason and I because we can throw the ingredients in the crock pot before we leave for work and then, BOOM! Dinner is finished when we get home. 

So here it goes:

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

What you need:

2 pounds boneless chicken breasts

1 1/2 tablespoons cumin

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 cups salsa

(and then we also add:)

1 can black beans, drained

1 1/2 cups of quinoa
Diced jalapeños 

What you do:

Place the chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker (I've done it with the chicken frozen and thawed--either way). 

In a small bowl, stir together to cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper along with salt and pepper. 

Pour the seasoning mixture over the chicken. 

Pour the salsa over the chicken as well. 

Cook on low for 10 hours (or the original recipe says cook on high for 4 hours). 

When you are ready to eat, shred the chicken with two forks. Stir to coat the chicken with the salsa and serve. 

Then, Jason and I improvise after that and do the following:

Once the chicken is shredded, add in the black beans (don't forget to drain them).

Mix the black beans into the salsa chicken mixture. 

Put the lid back on and place on warm. 

We have found that we like to eat this over quinoa. 

Get you a bag of quinoa and cook it as the bag suggests (only takes about 15 minutes).

After that, enjoy the taste and ENJOY HOW EASY THIS WAS!

Cranberry (or Cherry) Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

These bad boys were DELICIOUS.

Cranberry Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

What you need:
4 sweet potatoes, previously baked
2 chicken breasts, diced
4 cups fresh spinach, chopped
3⁄4 cups fresh cranberries (we used cherries, we couldn't find cranberries (without sweetner) anywhere--I think the cherries were good!)
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Cooking fat

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

What you do:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
This recipe calls for pre-baked sweet potatoes; you could do this any way that works for you:
Put the potatoes in the oven 45 minutes to 1 hour (depending on the size of your potatoes) before you plan to start cooking the chicken; by the time you’re ready to stuff them, they should be done.

Melt some cooking fat in skillet placed over a medium-high heat (we used coconut oil).
Cook the diced chicken until just cooked through.
Add the cranberries (or cherries) to the chicken and cook until soft.
Add the spinach and nutmeg.
Sauté until the spinach has wilted and remove the pan from the heat.
Once the potatoes are cooked to your liking, take them out of the oven and slice them open and divide the filling equally among them.
Season each sweet potato to taste and bake just until everything is warm (about 10 minutes).

This was so good and since it made 4, we have them for lunch tomorrow as well!
I will definitely be requesting this one again!

This recipe originally comes from here.

Indian Butter Chicken & Recuperation

Happy Wednesday everyone! 

We are halfway through the week. 

My fellow teachers and friends who have summer's off--it is FLYING BY! 

I can't believe that it's almost July. 

Only 34 days left before we go back to work (cue the tears). 

Today, I have an amazingly delicious recipe to share with you all plus a little update on what's been going on here of late. 

Indian Butter Chicken

What you need:

2 tablespoons ghee or butter

2 pounds boneless chicken thighs (we used breast), cut into bite size pieces

1 yellow onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon freshly minced ginger

2 teaspoon garam masala (whole foods carries this spice)

1 teaspoon tumeric

½ teapsoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon salt

2 (14 ounce) cans of full fat coconut milk

1 cup tomato sauce

cilantro, to garnish

lime wedges, to garnish

coconut cauliflower rice (we used wild rice for convenience--for it to be truly paleo you would need to make her coconut cauliflower rice--I provided you with the link). 

What you do:

Add ghee (or butter) to a large sauté pan over medium heat. 

Add chicken and a pinch of salt and cook on all sides until chicken is browned but not fully cooked through, about 10 minutes. 

Remove and set aside.

To the pan, add onion and garlic and cook for about 3-4 minutes, until onion becomes translucent. Add ginger, garam masala, turmeric, cayenne pepper, cumin, and salt. 

Mix with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom of the pan for about 30 seconds.

Add coconut milk and tomato sauce and bring to a low simmer for about 5 minutes, then add chicken back to the pan and let cook for 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Serve with coconut cauliflower rice (or wild rice), cilantro and squeeze fresh lime juice on top.

Original recipe found here. 

This recipe was AMAZING. Jason and I love Indian food (we are big, BIG Spice Avenue fans) and this dish hit the spot. 

In other news, the tooth fairy still comes to see you when you're almost 27 years old and you get 3 of your permanent teeth removed 

When I was about, 10 (I think--possibly younger) we went to the Dentist for a routine cleaning, x-rays, and all that jazz. It was that day that we were told that I have little to no root in my upper teeth. Before I start this up, let's keep in mind that I am no dentist and I'm just sharing what I've learned over the years from dealing with all of this "tooth mess". Most people's roots in their teeth are super long and are part of what hold your teeth in your head. I found myself googling "tooth x-ray of someone with little to no roots in their teeth" and found nothing that looks remotely like mine. I'll have to upload them for you all one day so you can see what I'm talking about.

Simply put, because of my lack of roots, my permanent teeth were not stable--with some more loose than others. In February 2008, I got my first tooth implant. Then, Monday, I got my 2nd one, along with removing 3 of my permanent teeth for a future implant bridge. 

So now, all four of my front teeth are G.O.N.E. I look like a 1st grader who lost all those teeth at just the right time ;) Thankfully, dentistry can work magic and I am NOT walking around with my front, four teeth missing. I do have a retainer with some teeth attached to it to get me through the next few months. So now, we are waiting 6 months for my gum to heal and for some bone to...set??...(not sure of the right words for that?) and then, will come the final teeth. 

We have been praying over and waiting for this (what we hope to be) final step for many, many years now and it's a little scary and makes me a little nervous, but I am thankful that it's even an option and hopeful that I will love the outcome! 

My sweet, sweet husband has been the best caretaker while I'm recovering and I am so very thankful for him and all he's done/is doing. 

For the time being, I'm sleeping, watching movies, catching up on TV and relaxing. 

Order Up!

Guys. 

My first, full meal cooked all by myself. 

My hubby is a mean, mean beast when it comes to being in the kitchen (the good kind of beast). He can cook anything and it always turns out tasting amazing. 

Me on the other hand, I over salted oatmeal the first time I tried to make it by myself--let that sink in and give you an idea of what kind of cook I am. 

But, this week--I did it! 

Wifey accomplishment.

I've done single dishes before. But, never three things at once! I even timed them fairly close. 

I am a proud woman right now! 

I'm not sure I could have made it through without my Cupcake: Red Velvet Wine though ;)

I wanted to share the chicken & squash recipes with you all--they were really good & different. The green beans were just, nothing special, good ole' green beans.

Honey Sriracha Chicken topped with Crushed Pineapple
What you need:
3-4 chicken breasts
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium if you choose)
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons sriracha (I did 2.5 because we love sriracha)
3 tablespoons water
can of crushed pineapple (soaked in pineapple juice)

What you do:
In a large ziplock bag add garlic, soy sauce, honey, sriracha and water.
Close and shake to combine.
Add in the chicken (I flattened the chicken before doing so--just preferential) and place in the refrigerator--let sit for an hour (when I made this, I didn't plan too well and wasn't able to marinade for an hour--mine only marinaded about 15 minutes and were still really, really good).
Take chicken out of the marinade and put it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I poured the marinade over the chicken on the sheet as well.
Top each piece of chicken with crushed pineapple--I did a good bit, but I love pineapple on chicken.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place in the oven and cook for about 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.


This chicken was amazing--I can't wait to make it again when I actually marinade it the full suggested time.

Original recipe found here. 

Sage Butter Summer Squash with Dill Garnish
What you need: 
2 pounds Yellow Summer Squash
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
5 sage leaves (I didn't have leaves so I looked up a conversion to the ground sage and uses 1/8 tsp)
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped (I didn't use fresh, I used dried)

salt
splashes of lemon

What you do:

Wash and chop the yellow squash into medallions.
Put a saute pan on the stove top burner at medium-high heat.
Add the butter and sage leaves.
Allow the sage leaves to infuse the melting butter for approximately 5 minutes, stirring on occasion to avoid frying the leaves (since I used the sound sage, I didn't do this. I just let the butter melt and then added in the sage to have it mix well).
Add the chopped garlic and yellow squash to the saute pan.
Mix the ingredients to incorporate butter, garlic and squash.
Saute and cook until soft, approximately 10 minutes (fairly sure I cooked mine closer to 15 mins).
Once cooked, sprinkle on the fresh chopped dill, season with salt to taste and, if desired, sprinkle on juice from a fresh lemon.
Mix and serve.

Original recipe found here

Oh and don't worry, the green beans were really good too--but they were just simple, yummy, fresh green beans!

Happy Eating to you all!

Cold Brew Coffee

Cold Brew Coffee has become my newest obsession. 

I've tried to drink black coffee, so many times. 

I know, I sound like a whimp, but I can't. I know I physically can, but I don't like it one bit. 

But, cold brew. 

THAT'S a different story. 

I can FINALLY drink my coffee black. 

What is cold brew coffee?

"Cold brew coffee refers to the process of steeping coffee grounds in room temperature or cold water for an extended period. Cold brew coffee is not to be confused with iced coffee, which generally refers to coffee that is brewed hot and then chilled by pouring over or adding ice"

I've had a few people ask me how we make ours so keep in mind, these measurements are just for what we have/use to make ours.

We have a French Press, like this one here.

We use whole bean coffee--365 Brand from Whole Foods "Pacific Rim, Vienna Roast" it's a big ole bag for about $10. One of the better deals that we've found.

We have a grinder like this one here--one of our most used wedding gifts--we grind the beans for about 10-15 seconds. This ends up being about 4.5 tablespoons (1/3 cup) of ground coffee (not finely ground).

Then, we pour the grounds into the french press and fill it with 4 cups of water. We just use the filtered water from the refrigerator.

Once you've put the water in, we give it a good stir and then put the lid on but don't press down the filter. Just leave it at the top.

Put it in the fridge overnight and when you're ready for your coffee in the morning, give it a little stir/swirl (this helps it to press down easier) and then press the filter down.

Get you a cup with some ice, pour your cold brew over ice and enjoy!

Slow-Cooker Chipotle Pork Carnitas with Pineapple Guacamole

We are trucking along on our Whole30 and while searching for recipes we found this DELICIOUS recipe (originally from here).

I am always looking for slow-cooker recipes. I feel like they are lifesavers but I haven't found many that were appealing to me or were compliant with paleo/primal and now Whole30. 

But lo and behold, these bad boys. 

Slow-Cooker Chipotle Pork Carnitas with Pineapple  Guacamole

What you need: 

Carnitas:

2 lbs, bone in pork chops (ours didn't have bones, we read this AFTER we bough the chops from the market)

1 cup chicken stock (sugar free) (we used beef, bone broth that Jason had previously made)

1 tbsp cumin

2 tsp chili powder

2 tbsp fresh thyme

8 cloves garlic

1 dried chipotle pepper (we didn't use this, this time. We couldn't find it! I'm sure Whole Foods or Fresh Market would have it. But, it taste delicious even without it)

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper, to taste

Pineapple Guacamole:

3 ripe avocados

1 lime, juiced

3 tbsp minced red or green onions (we like red)

3/4 cup fresh, pineapple that's diced

1/2 jalapeño, deseeded and finely diced

salt and pepper to taste

Rutabaga Fries:

1 large (or 2 small) rutabagas

salt

pepper

garlic powder

cayenne pepper

olive oil 

What you do: 

Carnitas:

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. 

Cook on low for 8 hours. 

Before serving, remove bay leaves, bones, and any excess fat. 

Shred pork with two forks. 

**Original recipe calls for this to happen next: Heat 2 tbsp avocado oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat, brown pork until crispy** (We didn't do this)

Instead, we did this:

Strained the liquid from the crock pot into a pot.

Add the shredded meat to the pot and let it cook in the juice on medium heat for about 10 minutes. 

Pineapple Guacamole:

Mash avocados in a bowl.

Work in all the remaining ingredients. 

Salt and Pepper to taste. 

Rutabaga Fries:

Cut the rutabaga into "fry-like" spears.

Put them in a zip lock bag and drizzle with olive oil.

While in the bag, dust with spices (salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper)--coat well. 

Put the fries on a baking sheet with parchment paper on it. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes depending on the thickness of the fries. 

This was so full of flavor and really different with the pineapple guacamole. 

We loved it. 

Buffalo Ranch Stuffed Peppers with Guacamole

I've always wanted to find a stuffed pepper recipe that I like. Jason and I have tried 2 or 3 and they were, okay, but these bad boys hit it out of the park! 

The original recipe comes from here. 

Buffalo Ranch Stuffed Peppers with Guacamole 

What you need: 

4 chicken breasts 

1 medium onion, sliced

1/2 teaspoon of each: dried parsley, dried dill, dried chives, garlic powder, onion powder

sea salt and pepper to taste

extra butter (or ghee--or other fat of choice for greasing)

4 peppers, with the tops cut off and seeds cleaned out

1/2 cup hot sauce 

1/4 cup butter or ghee

If you really like it spicy, add more hot sauce and use less butter--if you want it more mild, use less hot sauce and more butter. 

Jason also added a bit more dried dill to ours to give it more of the ranch taste that I love so much!

Guacamole:

2 avocados

1/2-1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

1/4 of a medium red onion, finely chopped

2-3 tablespoons of cilantro, finely chopped

1/2 lime, juiced

sea salt, to taste 

What you do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix your dried spices together. 

Place the chicken breast and sliced onions together in a single layer on a greased or parchment paper lined baking pan. 

Sprinkle the entire pan with the dried spice mixture & salt and pepper to taste. 

Place a small pat of butter (or other fat choice) over each chicken breast. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. 

While chicken is cooking, melt 1/4 cup butter in a pot over medium-low heat. 

Once melted, add in hot sauce and stir. 

Set aside. 

If you are making the guacamole, make it now--mash all guacamole ingredients together until desired consistency. 

Once chicken is cooked, run a knife through the chicken and onions until chicken is in small, bite size pieces.  

Combine chicken with the hot sauce mixture. 

Spoon chicken mixture evenly into all 4 peppers. 

Place stuffed peppers in a baking pan. 

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until peppers are softened to your liking. 

Serve with the guacamole. 

Cilantro Garlic Lime Chicken with Zucchini Noodles

Jason and I really liked this dish. It was not only delicious but tasted really fresh. 

The recipe originally comes from here. We've started doing the Whole30 so we've been trying all new kinds of recipes around here and this one topped the charts tonight. 

Cilantro Garlic Lime Chicken with Zucchini Noodles

What you need:

1.5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 1 inch pieces

4 large zucchini made into noodles (I use this AMAZING zoodle--it's my new favorite kitchen tool--I promise it will be the best $13 you've ever spent) some use a potato slicer, too. 

1-2 jalapeños deseeded and diced

1 & 1/2 limes, juiced

1 cup, chopped, fresh cilantro

1 heaping tablespoon of taco seasoning (or 1/2 tablespoon of both cumin & chili powder)--I did the cumin and chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic salt (which I didn't have so I did 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. 

Non-stick cooking spray (avocado spray)--I didn't have so we used coconut oil

salt and pepper to taste

What you do:

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray (or coconut oil). 

Heat the skillet to medium-high heat; then add the diced chicken breast & chopped jalapeño. 

Season with taco seasoning (or mixture of cumin & chili powder) along with the garlic salt.  

Cook until the chicken is lightly browned and cooked through. 

Once cooked through, transfer the chicken to a separate dish; set aside. I put it in a mixing bowl and placed a plate on top of it (like a lid) to keep it warm. 

In the original recipe, she suggests to wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel and then use it again--I didn't wipe it clean, I just kept going. 

Spray with cooking spray (or add more coconut oil) and turn the heat back to medium-high. 

Add the zucchini noodles, dust them with salt, and cook for 1-2 minutes--stirring continually. 

Add the chicken back to the skillet. 

Sprinkle in the chopped cilantro and add in the lime juice. 

Remove from the heat and toss to combine thoroughly (I couldn't toss, because there was a good bit of liquid in my pan--which was fine and actually added a good bit of flavor!) I just stirred and stirred. 

Season with salt and pepper.

Go and make your tummy happy!

2 Delicious Recipes, 1 Post

I know, I've been on a bit of a plantain kick here lately. 

They are so versatile and so awesome. 

Friday morning, we had our usual breakfast of eggs and bacon but this time around, we added some plantain bread in the mix. 

When you try to avoid grains at all costs, you jump with glee when you find "bread" recipes.

This particular one was SO EASY and really, really good--especially with egg. It originally came from this site which seems to have a lot of  good recipes--I'll be trying some of their other stuff too. 

Plantain Bread

What you need:

1 plantain (on the ripe side--more yellow than green--the more yellow the sweeter)

2 whole eggs

THAT'S IT! That's part of what makes this so amazing!

What you do:

Peel the plantain--this is harder than you may think--take it and slice it down the side and then take off the peel--don't try peeling it like a banana. 

Put the plantain in a blender along with the 2 eggs and blend. 

Once it's well blended, pour mixture onto the baking sheet (we used a round one).

Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.

Once again, THAT'S IT! It's so incredibly easy and so yummy. 

We are trying to eat more raw, leafy greens (which is not my favorite thing to do). 

But, I stumbled upon this gem of a recipe from our "Make it Paleo" recipe book and let's just say, I can do raw, leafy greens when they are in a "Taco Salad". 

Yep, Taco Salad---really good, delicious, and super filling salad.

Taco Salad

What you need:

1 lb ground bison (we just used grassed beef)

8 cups mixed salad greens (we used spinach)

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 of a red onion, thinly sliced

10 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (we didn't use these)

1 avocado, skin and pit removed

1/2 cup cilantro

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Buffalo sauce

1 tsp each of: smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, chipotle, and black pepper

What you do:

Brown the meat in a large skillet over medium heat.

Once the meat is no longer pink, top with seasonings and stir until meat is evenly coated in spices.

Remove seasoned meat from heat and allow to cool slightly. 

Rinse, dry, and prepare all vegetables (we sprinkled them all with salt and pepper).

Plate the lettuce and top each plate with red bell pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, ground meat, avocado, cilantro, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and a drizzle of buffalo sauce. 

Jason and I decided we wanted our peppers and onions a little on the cooked side (still crunchy though) so we threw the peppers and onions in with the meat for a few minutes to flavor them up some. 

Both of these recipes are awesome!

Let me know what you think if you decide to give either one a try. 

Patacones or Tostones (Plantains)

Jason and I are always looking for fun, new things to cook because let's face it, healthy eating is not always yummy or fun--but, we are always looking and trying new things (most that are super delicious)! 

I've always wanted to cook (with) plantains--I had them when in Haiti and liked the simplicity of them. The good news for us was that they are in fact, paleo/primal approved (in moderation since they are starchy). I searched high and low on Pinterest to decide what exactly I wanted to do with this new "plantain territory" I was embarking on. I found some really amazing recipes for things using plantains such as--brownies, chips, cookies, apple fritters, bread, loaded nachos--need I go on? 

I decided though to start with the safe, simple recipe that I found here. 

Patacones or Tostones (Fried Plantains)

What you need:

2 green plantains (one of my plantains had ripened some already, so it was yellow (which means sweeter) and Jason said he actually liked the ripe ones better--the sweet/salty combination)

Oil for frying (I used coconut oil) the actual recipe calls for any oil that won't burn at high temperatures

Salt to taste 

Optional: garlic powder (what we used) or any other seasoning that your heart desires--part of the beauty of these...little banana looking beauties. 

What you do:

Peel the plantains, the easiest way to peel a green plantain is to make the lengthwise cut on one of the angles, the cut should be skin deep without touching the actual flesh of the plantain (I accidentally got into the "flesh" and all was well--so don't worry!), then use the knife to raise the skin and peel it off. This is actually a lot harder than you may think. All I can say is that you will see for yourself when you make these ;)

Cut the plantains into thick slices, you can make straight cuts or slightly diagonal cuts. I ended up getting 8-10 slices from each plantain. 

Heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat in a frying pan – use enough oil to almost cover the plantain slices--I didn't make the oil cover the slices, I just flipped them using tongs as I went. 

Fry the plantains until they start to get yellow, but not golden. As you can see, mine got a little on the golden side...once again, all was still well!

 remove the plantains and place on paper towels to drain the oil.

Use the bottom of a glass (or small bowl (I used a tervis tumbler)) to smash and flatten the plantains, do this gently to keep the slices from breaking, a few cracks is ok as long as the whole slice remains in one piece. It is best to do this when they are still warm.

Sprinkle the plantain slices with salt and other seasonings (garlic powder for us). 

 Reheat the oil and fry the plantains until golden on each side, about 1-2 minutes per side.

Remove from the oil, drain again on paper towels, and add additional seasoning if needed. I added a little more salt at this point--I was afraid they would be bland (they weren't!). 

Serve warm as a side dish or as an appetizer with dipping sauces.

They were SO GOOD and actually quite easy--they didn't last long, at all. 

If you're wondering what they taste like--think french fry/chip(ish) without the heavy gut feeling afterward!

Next on my list is figuring out what dipping sauces I want to use--I am thinking we will use them with guacamole next go around. 

YUM!

Chicken "Lo Mein"

Another delicious, easy meal to add to our weekly arsenal

This one comes from the recipe book, "Make it Paleo" which has a TON of delicious recipes in it. 

Chicken "Lo Mein"

What you need:

Toasted sesame oil (we used coconut oil)

1 tbsp minced ginger (fresh ginger!)

1 tbsp minced garlic (we forgot this one and just used garlic powder)

1 lb. chicken, cubed

2 cups broccoli

1/2 water chestnuts (I'm not a fan, so we omitted these)

1/4 cup celery, chopped (Jason's not a fan, so we omitted this as well)

1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and cut in half

1/4 cup almonds, chopped

2 cups shredded cabbage

1/4 cup green onion, chopped

1/4 coconut aminos (we couldn't find this--we used tamari sauce, which is basically soy sauce but wheat free)

sesame seeds to garnish

What you do:

Heat the wok or skillet over high heat. 

Add sesame oil (or coconut oil), minced ginger, and garlic and sauté for 1 minute to allow the flavors to infuse the oil.

Add chicken to the wok (or skillet), and cook, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes, or until the chicken is mostly cooked.  

Add in broccoli, water chestnuts, celery, and shiitake mushrooms; sauté for 2 minutes. 

Add in almonds, cabbage, and green onion.

Pour in coconut aminos (or tamari (or soy sauce if you must ;) )(2-4 tbsp).

Cook 2-3 minutes, until cabbage softens a little. 

Remove from heat, and garnish with sesame seeds.