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

What’s a girl to do without her almonds or even more her almond butter….well she resorts to coconut butter.  Have you had coconut butter?  It’s a little scoop of heaven in my opinion.  If you buy coconut butter from the store the little jar is a little pricey so every scoop you take is very valuable.  These days I like to take several scoops so when stumbling across Nom Nom Paleo’s recipe for coconut butter it wasn’t hard to twist my arm into making it.  After all, the list of ingredients are small and the cost  of all these ingredients is a whole lot less then the jarred treat.  I changed things up slightly and added cinnamon to the coconut butter, but if you aren’t a cinnamon fan just don’t include.  If you are a huge cinnamon fan like me you can add more if you so desire.  Either way you will have your own little jar of coconut butter that you won’t feel too guilty about taking all the scoops you want.  But fair warning…..this stuff is addicting!! 

I’m going to scoot now because I’m one tired girl.  I was away for work since last Thursday and just got back home yesterday afternoon and I spent today with my little munchkins who were out of school for MLK Day.  That all equals to me being very tired and very behind on lots, ok everything!  Amazing how being away for a short period can really set you back.  Don’t worry I have some yummy recipes on tap this week.  Now to figure out which to post next. 

Now excuse me while I run and take a scoop of my coconut butter and head to bed…..by the way they claim a scoop of coconut butter helps you to sleep swimmingly.  I’ll use that for my excuse to take a dip into my coconut butter jar every night. 

Enjoy!!

Cinnamon Coconut Butter

8 ounce package of unsweetened coconut flakes

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (can add more if desired)

1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Instructions:

In a bowl of a food processor or blender, place all of the ingredients.  Turn food processor on and let it work it’s magic.  This process will take a while to blend down to a coconut butter consistency.  Stop halfway through processing to scrape down the sides of the processor or blender.  Continue processing….yes a lot of processing in the food processor.  Your food processor will be nice and hot after making your coconut butter but it’s worth it!

Makes about 1 cup of coconut butter

Enjoy!

Yesterday I gave you a little hint that I would be posting something very special today.  However I didn’t tell you why I thought about it.  Well, Monday morning while at my 6am Crossfit WOD I was talking to a fellow crossfitter and MVT challenger and she said her biggest obstacle was coming up with her weekly menu.  And because I was curious when I first started down the Paleo lifestyle route I wanted to share a sample week menu with links to some of my recipes and some from other Paleo Foodies out there.  And for another sample, check out the latest post by Elana from Elana’s Pantry where she is also sharing a Paleo Weekly Menu.   As I mentioned to all of you yesterday, I’m not a Paleo expert by any means and every person may need more or less in their diet.  What I worked on below is only my suggestions and I only hope this helps someone out there as they start down the road towards a Paleo Lifestyle….which I happen to think ROCKS!

Sunday                              

Breakfast:

Skillet Sweet Potato, Sausage, and Spinach Hash

Fresh Berries

 Lunch:

Chicken Salad with Roasted Bell Peppers in Avocado Cup                                               

Green Salad with Veggies

Dinner:

Sundried Tomato Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf Rounds

Cauliflower Carrot Herb Mash

Monday                             

Breakfast:          

Egg Muffins

Mixed Berries

Lunch:

Portabella Chicken BLT Stack

Sweet Potato Chips

Dinner:

Garlic Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin

Roasted Asparagus

Sweet Potato Mash

Tuesday                            

Breakfast:

2 scrambled eggs

Turkey or Pork Bacon

½ avocado

Lunch:

Chicken Vegetable Lettuce Cups

Guacomole

Dinner:

Salmon with Sweet and Spicy Rub                                               

Cauliflower Rice

Roasted Broccoli

Wednesday                       

Breakfast:

2 fried eggs

Breakfast Sausage

Fresh Raspberries                                                  

Lunch:

Lemon Herb Rubbed Chicken

Beet, Carrot, Apple Salad

Dinner:

Paleo Spaghetti

Thursday                          

Breakfast:

Veggie Scramble

Bacon

Lunch:

Tabil Seasoned Sauteed Shrimp

Dinner:

Chicken Pot Pie

Side Salad

Friday

Breakfast:

Apple, Butternut Squash, Bacon Hash

Mixed Berries

Lunch:

Mint Lamb Burgers

Butternut Squash Fries

Dinner:

Crispy Chicken Thigh, Sauteed Spinach, Califlower Garlic Mash

Saturday                              

Breakfast:

Apple Coconut Waffles

Turkey or Pork Bacon

Lunch:

Sundried Tomato Herb Chicken Sliders

Side Salad

Dinner:

Cinnamon Chili Rubber Pork Tenderloin with Apple Salsa

Carrot Parsnip Puree

Snack Ideas: Carrots, Deli Turkey/Meat, Paleo Stixs (Steve’s Original), Almonds, Fresh Fruit, Coconut Butter, and fresh veggies. 

Remember, this is for people that want to incorporate more nutrient dense foods into their diet by eliminating the grains that are toxic to a large percentage of us. So, bottom line…eat your veggies for your “carbs” because they’re far more nutrient dense than grains.  And if you are totally scared and worried about time during the week fix a few things over the weekend to heat up during the week.  You don’t have to follow this by any means, these are just suggestions.  Many times I find myself making a lot in order to have left-over’s for the week.

You can find other great menu suggestions in Robb Wolf’s book The Paleo Solution, Sarah Fragoso’s book Everyday Paleo, and from the awesome Whole30 plan.  And if you are not familiar with the blog Nom Nom Paleoyou better get familiar soon!  She pretty much rocks.  I’m always looking forward to reading her blog to see what she ate and cooked in her day.  She posts everyday on what she ate….I seriously don’t know how she does it but I’m so glad she does! Looking for other Paleo bloggers to follow? Here are some of my everyday reads:

Nom Nom Paleo

Paleo Parents

Balanced Bites

Primal-Palate

Everyday Paleo

Health-Bent

Robb Wolf

The Clothes Make the Girl

Paleo Comfort Foods

Hopefully this helps some of you that have just jumped on the Paleo wagon and even for those Paleo followers who are looking for some new recipes to try.  And for those newbies, I welcome you to a new lifestyle that will amaze you in more ways than one.

Happy Paleo Eating!!

Happy Monday everyone!  This recipe has moved to the front of my posting line-up for the week because it’s a new favorite.  Yesterday morning I got in the kitchen and threw this together for my Sunday morning breakfast and after taking one bite I was so excited to not only keep on eating it but to also share with all you out there.  It’s my new food crush.  The recipe started after my first assessment and discussions with my trainer for my MVT Challenge at Crossfit Delray Beach.  We talked a lot but most of the focus was about what I currently ate and some things I needed to change.  I’m a routine type of girl.  I have been since I was kid.  I’m ok with having the same thing day after day.  However, AJ (my trainer) told me I need to start learning to switch it up more often.  Try different proteins and get more into my daily diet than I was currently taking in!  So thanks to him I did and this recipe was created.  Thanks AJ!  Some other things AJ told me to do was to eliminate nuts….gasp!  Nuts?  Really?  Yes, folks I’ve removed nuts.  So no more baking with almond flour for awhile!  I have to say in the three short days I have removed them from my diet I have already started to see a difference.  However, not having a scoop of almond butter every now and then will be heartbreaking!  Another weakness of mine is fruit, so AJ said only one serving a day and only in the morning.  Another gasp!  I guess a challenge wouldn’t be a challenge with some MAJOR personal challenges, right?  I have a few more things on my list that AJ gave me; like eat more protein, carb intake should come from veggies, and more sleep.   And many of these you will see in my post for my 2012 goals over on the random page.

Before jumping to the recipe I wanted to let you know tomorrow I will be sharing something for my Paleo readers and for my fellow MVT CrossFit challengers.  I’m working on a suggested Paleo Weekly Menu!!  Yay!  When I started down the Paleo road I was desperate for a direction in terms of how to plan my meals and what to eat!  So stay tune for tomorrow post.  I’m busy compiling recipes from my recipe index and from some of my favorite Paleo foodies.  And I’m super excited to share with you.  Remember, I’m not a Paleo expert by any means and every person may need more or less in their diet.  What I’m working on is only a suggestion and my goal is to hopefully help someone out there as they start down the road of a Paleo Lifestyle….which I happen to think ROCKS!

Now for the recipe….

Skillet Sweet Potato, Sausage, and Spinach Hash

2 small to medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (or one large)

1 apple, peeled cored and diced

2 tablespoon coconut oil, divided

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, optional

2 Mild Italian chicken sausages, removed from casing

2 to 3 large cups of baby spinach

1/3 cup sweet yellow onion, diced

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a large nonstick skillet heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil over medium-high heat.  Once heated, add diced sweet potatoes and apples.  Add a pinch or two of sea salt and cinnamon to the pan.  Cook sweet potatoes and apples until cooked and softened.  I prefer my sweet potatoes to be slightly browned.

While the sweet potatoes are cooking, heat a large skillet with 1 tablespoon coconut oil over medium heat.  Add to skillet the chicken (or pork) sausage and onion making sure to break the sausage up in small pieces while it cooks.  Once the chicken is no longer pink in color and completely cooked add spinach to the skillet.  Don’t worry the spinach will wilt down when cooked.  The spinach should wilt down within 1 to 2 minutes.  Once spinach is cooked add the sweet potato apple mixture to pan and stir to combine all. 

Serve warm and with a side of choice.  I served with a side of fresh raspberries.

Makes about 3 to 4 servings depending on if you are serving as a side or main course.

Enjoy!

Looking for another great Paleo Breakfast Hash recipe? Check out Urban Posers new recipe for Apple, Butternut Squash, Bacon Hash.  It’s on my list to try very soon! 

Happy 2012 everyone!  I hope everyone had a wonderful new years.  Mine unfortunately was spent with a little brush with food poisoning.  Ok, not a little brush….a big brush!  And let me tell you, it was not fun!  I pretty much felt like doing nothing at all so while the hubby ran around with the munchkins I stayed close to the bathroom and close to bed.  Booo!  Not what I envisioned the end of my vacation being like.  Luckily by new years day I was feeling a little closer to my normal self and actually got back into the kitchen to cook a new years dinner.  New years also marked the start of my MVT Challenge at my Crossfit Delray Beach.  Two plus months of a clean Paleo diet filled mostly with meats, veggies, and some training.  You know with all those Paleo rules, which you can find a great post by Fitbomb on “What the Paleo Diet is”.  I’ve been Paleo since July so it’s nothing really new to me, but it is a challenge I need after the holiday season where I had a few treats.  So I’m packing up the almond flour and coconut flour for a little bit on the blog and hope to bring you some of my MVT meals while I taking on the Crossfit challenge.  Are ready?  Are you excited?  Boy, I sure am!

First up a garlic herb tenderloin that is super easy to prep and even more to cook.  There is nothing better about using fresh herbs too.  Makes this tenderloin pretty darn delicious.  I partnered our tenderloin with roasted asparagus tossed with a little olive oil and a dash of balsamic vinegar and some sauteed diced sweet potato (sauteed in coconut oil).  It was a great meal to get back to normal after my brush with food poisoning.  And I can’t even begin to tell you how great it is to feel normal….don’t ever get food poisoning!  Ha!  Easier said than done, but I seriously don’t wish it on anyone.

Enjoy the tenderloin everyone!  And HAPPY 2012!

Garlic Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin

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

Instructions:

Stir together garlic, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small bowl.  Rub mixture all over pork.  Let marinate 30 minutes to 2 hours. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

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.

Transfer pan to oven.  Roast pork turning occasionally until an thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 145 degrees to 150 degrees, about 20 minutes.  Transfer pork to a cutting board; tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve along side your favorite sides and enjoy!

I’m very excited about today’s post and partnering with some very talented bloggers and Paleo mom’s, Stacy at Paleo Parents and Jenni at Urban Poser.

Stacy reached out to Jenni and I and we all tossed around some ideas and decided to each feature a “course” to give you a full New Years Eve menu.  I’m featuring an appetizer with these Sundried Tomato Herb Chicken Sliders surrounded by a Paleo Herb Bun.  Jenni took on the main course of a chicken pot pie – which sounds amazing!  I haven’t had chicken pot pie since cutting gluten out last January so I’m excited to try her recipe.  And the wonderful Stacy did a dessert – a take on Jenni’s marshmallows, a S’more Marshmallow! Yum!

Here is a glimpse at these fabulous ladies recipes.

Jenni at Urban Poser used leftovers to make an amazing looking main course, Chicken Pot Pie.  Can’t wait to try this!

Warm, savory and the perfect match to a cold winters day…Try this grain free rendition of the classic ‘Pot Pie’. These personal sized pies are chock full of hearty chicken, seasoned vegetables, and thick (grain free) gravy. Then they’re topped off with a flaky almond flour crust, just like my Grandma used to make…only better for you!

Now for Stacy’s fabulous dessert of Marshmallow S’mores….can you say YUM!  A great end of the year treat for your New Year’s Eve!

These marshmallows won’t have you missing anything. Especially the sticky burning goo on your fingers. Or the smoke in your eye. But, if you’re into that sort of thing, by all means – eat them beside a bonfire and let the chocolate melt in your hand instead of your mouth! But first, you have to make them…

Click the links and head to their sites for the full recipes!  You won’t be disappointed, I promise!

 Now to skip to the front of menu to the appetizer.  Here is the recipe for my Sundried Tomato Herb Chicken Sliders with Paleo Herb Bun with a Garlic Herb Aioli.

Sundried Tomato Herb Chicken Sliders

1 pound ground chicken

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (packed in olive oil), chopped

2 slices bacon, just cooked and crumbled

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

1/2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh garlic, finely minced

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Paleo Herb Buns

Fresh Baby Spinach

Garlic Herb Aioli (optional), recipe below

To make burgers:

Heat a nonstick grill pan over medium high heat.

In a large bowl, add chicken, sundried tomatoes, bacon, thyme, basil, garlic, salt and pepper.  With a fork combine the ingredients make sure not to completely over work the slider mixture.

Form mixture into small sliders and place on the preheated grill pan and grill sliders for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until slider is cooked through.

Garlic Herb Aioli

1 egg

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground mustard powder

1/2 cup avocado oil

1/2 cup light olive oil

1/2 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 tablespoon rosemary, minced

1/2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

To make aioli:

In a food processor, process egg, lemon juice, and mustard powder.

Slowly add the avocado oil and olive oil while processing to fully emulsify.  When the oil has all emulsified and you have a creamy mayonnaise, add salt and pepper, and continue to blend

Add garlic, rosemary, and basil and process until smooth.

So there you have it folks, a “Trifecta” post with some very special ladies for a NYE Menu.  Now go and check out these recipes!  And most importantly HAPPY NEW YEAR!!  See you back here in 2012 for another fun filled year of recipes.