Do you listen to Podcasts?  I’m currently addicted to them and they help my day at work go by a little more quickly, always a plus!  As I work away I plug my ears and listen the latest podcasts from my very favorites in the Paleo world.  Always great information! 

Here are some of the podcast I listen to regularly:

Balanced Bites Podcast

Underground Wellness Podcast

Robb Wolf Podcast

Chris Kresser

In a recent podcast from Balanced Bites, Diane spoke to Karen Pendergrass from Paleo Approved and I can’t even begin to tell you the interesting stuff in this talk.  It’s scary to think of what is on our shelves and what we think is “good” but in reality not good at all.  One of the things that stood out the most in the podcast was the talk about how grass-fed beef is labeled at the stores. So you see grass-fed and you think good, right?  In Karen’s talk I learned that if the beef is not labeled 100% grass-fed then it’s not truly grass-fed.  Ok, if you knew this I apologize for being so behind the game.  You have to remember it was only recently I start to purchase beef again.  Anywho, finding this out made me mad.  Shame on me for believing those signs in my local Whole Foods!  The reality is in the last 3 months they feed the cow corn and grain….so real…. it’s not 100% grass-fed.  So all this time when I head to Whole Foods and pick up grass-fed beef…..thinking it is 100%….I was wrong!  Scary, right?  Just a little note when you are shopping make sure you are getting 100% grass-fed beef.  From now on I’m going to make sure my freezer is well stocked with the good stuff.  Listen to the podcast because that is one of many valuable information Diane and Karen touch on in their talk. 

Ok, I’m tired and need some shut eye….but before I leave you, here is a yummy recipe for taco lettuce cups.  If you like a little spice then you will like the taco seasoning.  If you don’t want as much spice just don’t include the red pepper flakes.  These cups are easy and quick and a great way to not only get dinner on the table fast but also a great reheat option for lunch the next day.  Top with the garnish of choice and you have a great Paleo meal.  I happen to think guacamole makes these taste pretty spectacular….but I love guacamole!

Enjoy everyone!  See you back next week.  Thinking up some Valentine Paleo treats…

Taco Veggie Lettuce Cups

1 pound 100% grass-fed beef

1 bell pepper, diced (color of choice, I used half red and half orange)

2 to 3 green onion, diced

Taco Seasoning (see below)

Lettuce Leaves, washed and dried

Fresh Guacamole and Salsa

Cilantro, green onion, and bell pepper for garnishing (optional)

Taco Seasoning

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons oregano

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes ( a dash or two)

Add all of the above in a small bowl and mix to combine

Instructions:

In a large skillet over medium-high heat add beef and cook until no longer pink.  Add bell pepper and green onion to beef mixture and stir to combine and cook for 2-3 minutes until veggies are slightly soft. 

Add seasoning to skillet and stir until evenly distributed.

Scoop beef mixture to lettuce leaves and garnish as desired.  Guacamole and Salsa is a must in my opinion.  Enjoy!

Makes about 6 to 8 servings

The big day is coming….Super Bowl Sunday!!  I have to admit I’m not a huge NFL girl.  I mush rather watch a college football game then I would NFL, but I make an exception for Super Bowl Sunday.  Yes, the commercials are fun…and the halftime show….but my favorite is cheering for the underdog.  Makes it a little more exciting to me for some reason.  So who will the underdog be this weekend….we shall see and I promise I’ll be cheering them on till the end. 

Another favorite thing about Super Bowl Sunday is the food.  I love mapping out the bites for the game!  With that being said I had to test out a test run this weekend on these chicken salad crostini’s.  The exciting part about these crostini’s is they are totally Paleo and your guest will totally not know they are Paleo either.  

I’m going to keep this short because I’m one totally tired girl and need a little shut eye.  It’s going to be a busy week.  Working and mapping out some things that I hope will change a few things around here.  Don’t worry nothing too major….just exciting!  Stay tune and enjoy these Paleo Crostini’s!   

Sundried Tomato, Bacon, Chicken Salad Crostini

1 pound chicken breasts

1 quart low sodium chicken broth

2 bay leaves

3 slices sugar-free bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (packed in olive oil), diced reserve some for topping the crostini’s

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

2 to 3 green onions, diced

Garlic Herb Mayonnaise

Paleo Herb Buns

Instructions:

Wash chicken and season with salt and pepper.  In a large pot bring chicken stock with bay leaves to a boil.  Place chicken breast into the stock, cover and remove from heat.  Let chicken sit in the stock for 40 to 50 minutes until cooked through. 

Remove chicken and dice or shred chicken.  Place chicken into large bowl and add sundried tomatoes, bacon, fresh basil, green onion, and garlic herb mayo.  Remember to reserve some of the sundried tomatoes to top the crostini’s.

Cut the paleo buns in half and lightly toast in a toaster oven.  Top each half with chicken salad mixture and top with sundried tomatoes and extra chopped fresh basil.

Makes about 14-16 crostini’s.

You can also serve chicken salad as is without the paleo bun/crostini’s.  Still delicious!

Enjoy!!

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day especially on weekends with the family.  I can’t say it’s a calm and relaxing breakfast by any means because 4 year olds are just not calm and relaxed no matter what anyone tells you.  But this past weekend was an exception.  The girls had already had their breakfast and quickly decided that they wanted to color.  So off they went to their table to color.  And I jumped on the opportunity to fix my husband and I a nice breakfast/brunch.  It also helped that on Saturday I hit up our local Green Market and stocked up on fresh veggies and some local pastured eggs.  Eager to use them, I threw what I am calling Southwest Scramble together.  Don’t you love it when things happen on accident and they turn out amazing?  Of course having a rare moment to sit down with a cup of coffee and the paper and eat breakfast in somewhat peace and quiet was pretty darn amazing too.  Can you tell that doesn’t happen very often?  Ahhhh, but when it does….you remember it and you hope that you can have another moment like that again soon!  Anywho, the scramble was awesome but if you top it with homemade guacamole and salsa it takes it to a whole new level of awesome-ness!  And no, I didn’t make the homemade salsa and guacamole, I picked those up at the market too!  Another bonus about living in South Florida during the winter, the Green Market is open and is filled with all sorts of great stuff!  Ok, once again I’m rambling.  But seriously, the scramble made my weekend…along with a quiet breakfast with my husband while two little girls drew to their little hearts desire.  Thank you crayons and coloring books.  I will buy more of you very soon to insure that just maybe I might get lucky again this weekend and have a quiet breakfast…..to be continued.

Enjoy everyone and have a great weekend.  I’ll be back next week with more recipes.  

Southwest Scramble

8 eggs

2 mild chicken sausages (or pork or sausage of choice)

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 zucchini, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced

1/2 orange bell pepper, finely diced

1 plum tomato, chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, oregano, and paprika.  Set aside.

In a large skillet or seasoned cast iron skillet, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil (or coconut).  Add sausage, zucchini, bell peppers, and tomato and saute, stirring constantly, until sausage is cooked through and vegetables are tender.  Drizzle egg mixture over top and stir constantly until eggs are cooked, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm with a side of fresh berries and your morning cup of coffee or tea.  For even a added touch have some salsa and guacamole on the side.  Enjoy!

Makes 4 to 5 servings.

So as you can tell I wasn’t able to get this post up last Friday (sorry), but better late than never….right?  As I told you last week, life is pretty much a crazy mess but a crazy mess is sometimes good.  At least that is what I’m telling myself.

Now let’s get right into things.  As I’ve told you, I’m taking part in my CrossFit’s MVT Challenge.  You can find more about the challenge from some of my other posts here, here, and here.  I’m pretty partial to my CrossFit box and totally think it rocks.  I have recently been the go to in asking menu and recipe questions too.  Just last week my phone buzzed and it was one of my fellow 6am WOD friends asking me for help….she needed snack ideas.  Hmmmm…..I thought to myself.  Then I texted back a few easy quick choices and she texted me back telling me she was tired of all the those.  I chuckled out loud because I’m ok with the same old same old snack every day…call me boring?  So because of her I was encouraged to put together a post all things involving Paleo Snack ideas.  Some quick and some that you will have to get in the kitchen and make yourself.  Don’t worry you’ll have leftovers to enjoy for a few days.  Ok, that’s the boring me talking again.  I’m hoping this post will not only help my fellow CrossFit peeps but all you other Paleo peeps out there on your own challenge.  Whatever that may be at the moment.  Now some of the below ideas are from my recipe archives and some are from some of my other favorite Paleo bloggers.  You can refer to this postif you want to see some of my favorite Paleo bloggers.

Oh, and if you have a favorite Paleo snack idea include it in the comments below.  Happy snacking everyone!  

Easy Grab and Go Snack Ideas:

Carrots dipped in Guacamole

Steve’s Original Paleo Stix or Jerky – yummy!

Turkey Slices and Guacamole

Apple slices and Almond Butter

Paleo Friendly Trail Mix or this Grain-Free Granola

Steve’s Original Crunch Bars

LARABARS – one of my favorites is the Ginger Snap Bar

Mixed Berries with toasted coconut flakes

Steve Original Paleo Kit

*Anything left over from the meals from the prior day are great snacks too*

Get in the Kitchen Snack Ideas:

Chicken Salad with Roasted Red Bell Pepper in Avocado Cups

Kale Chips

Fruity Chocolate Protein Bars

Deviled Eggs

Hard Boiled Eggs

Turkey Roll-Ups

Coconut Butter – my addiction

Chocolate Almond Coconut Bites (treat/sweet snack) – from The Food Lovers’ Primal Palate

Brussel Sprout Chips - from Nom Nom Paleo

Bacon & Guacamole Sammies (pictured above – from Nom Nom Paleo)

Paleo Coconut Chicken Nuggets

Paleo Pizza Bites - from Health-Bent

Paleo Herb Crackers

Remember folks, I am not a certified Paleo nutritionist.  These are only my ideas based on the knowledge I’ve gain since starting my Paleo journey. 

 

Life is busy and hectic these days which means my brain is in over load.  I’m going to apologize in advance for the short post today and the lack of posting on the other sides of the blog lately.  I’ve been trying to keep up with everything but realizing that sometimes everything can’t get done.  I’m also realizing that sleep is an important thing, especially as my body is trying hard to fight off all the colds that are going on around me.  Got to love cold season!  A interesting fact since switching my diet, I haven’t had a cold in the longest time.  Yes, I know since I said that I will probably jinx myself but it is true.  If you put good things in your body and add in exercise, it’s amazing how good you’ll feel and how your immune system will reward you. 

I’m going to stop rambling, something I do best, and share with you a new love of mine and that is this salad.  It’s packed with super vitamin packed greens.  One being kale which is one of the healthiest vegetables around.  Though greens in general are nutritious foods, kale stands a head above the rest. Not only is it one of your best sources of beta-carotene, one of the antioxidants believed by many nutrition experts to be a major player in the battle against cancer, heart disease, and certain age-related chronic diseases, it also provides other important nutrients.  Then we have brussel sprouts, which are loaded with vitamin A, folacin, potassium, calcium. They have 3-5 grams of fiber per cup, and at 25 calories per 1/2 cup cooked, they give us a reason to eat them more often. Brussels sprouts are one of those foods that will fill you up, without filling you out.  How can you go wrong with these super greens?  This salad is great as a side dish, but I have to admit it’s even great as a snack cold or reheated.  I was in a crunch yesterday and needed a snack and lucky had packed some in my lunch box.  It saved me in my afternoon need for a snack. 

Enjoy everyone!  And stay tune….I’m dreaming up another similar post to this one which was a hit.  Trying to have it up by the end of the week, but again it all depends on how the next few days go.  I promise it’s coming and hopefully it will be worth the wait.

Brussel Sprout, Kale, and Bacon Salad

5 to 6 slices nitrate-free bacon

1 pound brussel sprout, trimmed and shredded

1 bunch of kale (about 3 cups), stems removed and shredded

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

Juice of ½ of lemon

Dash or two of red pepper flakes

Instructions:

In a large non-stick skillet cook bacon a few slices at a time until cooked through.  Once cooked set aside on paper towel.  Do not disregard the nice bacon grease you have in your skillet. 

Heat the same skillet you cooked the bacon with (and still has the bacon grease) over medium-high heat.  Add garlic  and cook for about 30 seconds, then add shredded brussel sprouts and kale and continue to toss the two until it’s slightly wilted.  Remove from heat and add lemon juice and red pepper flakes (to taste) and mix together. 

Cut the cooked bacon into bite size pieces and add to the greens and toss to combine.  Serve warm as a side dish and enjoy!

 Serves 6

 Recipe adapted from With Style and Grace

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