Day 30: Stuffed Poblano Peppers

I adapted this recipe from one that I found in Food and Wine Magazine, and it was a huge success! Great way to wrap up our mini-paleo challenge.

Ingredients:

One 5-ounce bag of baby spinach

4 Tbsp almond flour

1/4 cup coconut milk

1 large egg

2 Tbsps pine nuts

2 Tbsps chopped red onion

1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed

Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 large poblano peppers - halved, stemmed and seeds removed

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup canned tomato sauce

1 cup chicken broth

Directions:

1. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a very large skillet. Add spinach and cook until wilted (2-3 minutes). Remove spinach from skillet and set aside.

2. Add Italian sausage and red onion to the skillet and cook until the sausage is just browned. Drain the sausage/onion mixture, and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, knead the almond flour with the milk and egg to form a paste. Knead in the pine nuts, onion, sausage and spinach and season lightly with the salt and pepper.

4. Using lightly moistened hands, divide the mixture among the pepper halves and lightly pack in.

5. In the skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the stuffed peppers, filling side down, and cook over high heat until well browned, about 4 minutes. Turn the peppers and cook until the skins are browned and blistered, about 4 minutes longer.

6. Add the tomato sauce and chicken broth, cover and simmer until the peppers are tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to plates and serve right away.

Day 27: Acorn Squash

I decided to tackle acorn squash tonight. I grew up hating all kinds of squash - mostly because my parents hated it and prepared it half-heartedly. After discovering how amazing squash can be (hello, spaghetti squash?) last year, I'm determined to at least try several different varieties. I'm sure they won't all be successes, but this one was. The mashed acorn squash had a nice sweetness to it. The cinnamon flavor in the background makes it almost taste like oatmeal. Seriously, you could eat this for breakfast (I probably will tomorrow)!

Ingredients:
1 medium acorn squash
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 pinch of nutmeg
1 egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut acorn squash in half and remove seeds and "guts". Place squash cut-side down in a glass baking dish, in about 1/2 inch of water. Bake until tender (about an hour). Scoop squash into a bowl, add spices and egg. Mash. Return squash to an oven safe container and bake for another 20 minutes*. Enjoy!

*Optional: top with pecans before baking. Yum!

Day 22: The Theme is Purple

Stuffed purple bell peppers and beets for dinner tonight. I have never cooked a fresh beet, so I was a little nervous, but it turned out great (recipe is below). Also, we added a fried egg on top of the stuffed pepper. We would have previously topped it with cheese, but I found that the egg yolk helps replace a little of that ooey-gooeyness.

Ingredients:
1 large or 2 medium fresh beets
Olive oil
Salt
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Dice beets into approximately 1 inch square pieces. Place beets on top of a large piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and add the rosemary sprigs to the top. Fold foil up around the beet mixture and seal tightly. Bake on top of a baking sheet for approximately 1 hour, or until beets are tender. Remove rosemary and enjoy!

Day 19: Baked Bacon

I tried out the baked bacon recipe on the Cosmopolitan Primal Girl website and it was AMAZING! Truly the best bacon I've ever had and so simple. I mean look at the picture - awesome, right? I had to share it, but please know that it's like crossing a threshold. Once you've had baked bacon, no other preparation method will ever be good enough.

Ingredients:

Bacon

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

Place a wire rack (I used a cooling rack) on top of a foil lined baking sheet (the rack is key)

Place bacon on top of wire rack

Bake for 20 - 24 minutes (depending on how crispy you like it). Do NOT touch or turn it.

Enjoy!

Day 18: Chicken Florentine

I'm still looking for tasty chicken recipes. I tried this one out for lunch today in an attempt to use up some of our produce before it went bad. Good stuff! Kind of hits that chicken soup note, but without the noodles and small pieces of chicken and vegetables. It's a somewhat rustic dish, and I think it would be great on a cold night.

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 cups chicken broth

1/3 lb fresh spinach (approximately - I just used whatever was left in our Costco 1 lb box)

2 dozen cherry tomatoes (approximately)

1 clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper

olive oil

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper - add to the pre-heated pan. Brown the chicken on both sides and add in the chicken broth and garlic. Bring to simmer. Add the spinach and cook for approximately 20 minutes (or until chicken is nearly cooked through). Add the tomatoes and cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until they burst. Enjoy!

Day 16: Tangy Chicken

Chicken is not a protein that I generally get excited for. I'd much rather sit down to a dinner of grassfed beef or wild caught fish, but in the interest of eating somewhat economical, we mix chicken into the rotation every now and then. With that said, I'm constantly looking for new ways to prepare chicken and infuse flavor. This recipe is a winner - the chicken tastes like it was barbequed (minus the sauce). Yum!

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken

1/2 Cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 Cup olive oil

1 Tbsp raw honey, melted (omit for a purely paleo recipe)

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Mix vinegar, olive oil, honey, garlic, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper in a large ziploc bag. Add chicken and marinate for approximately 4 hours or overnight. Remove chicken from the marinade and grill over medium high heat for approximately 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Enjoy!

Day 13: Honey Jalapeno Pork Chops

Zack and I had an amazing meal at Cafe 28 on Saturday night (honey jalapeno pork chops served with sweet potatoes). We attempted to recreate it tonight despite the fact that honey is not paleo. After some debate, we both conceded that the dish needed the sweetness from the honey. To make ourselves feel a little better, we used organic, raw honey and didn't put it on direct heat (in order to preserve as many nutrients as possible). Overall, I'd say our version was pretty successful - yum!

Pork Chops
Ingredients:
2 pork chops
1 cup chicken broth
1 jalapeno, minced
1/4 red bell pepper, minced
1 1/2 Tbsps raw honey
salt and pepper

Directions:
Heat chicken broth and peppers over medium heat until chicken broth is reduced. Remove from heat and slowly stir in honey. Set aside.

Meanwhile, season pork chops with salt and pepper. Grill for approximately 5 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature is about 155 degrees. Allow to rest. Spoon the jalapeno and honey mixture over the pork chops before serving.

Sweet Potatoes:
Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
Pinch of tumeric
Black pepper

Directions:
Boil sweet potatoes for approximately 20 minutes (until fork tender). Drain and mash with seasonings.

Day 12: Paleo Chili

Football season is finally here, so Zack and I made our version of paleo chili today. Don't let the large amount of ingredients scare you - once you get everything mixed together, you can forget about the chili for a few hours and focus on your fantasy team. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 lbs grassfed ground beef - browned and drained

2 sweet peppers, chopped

1 1/2 medium onions, chopped

4 jalapenos, chopped

6 cloves of garlic, minced

2 28oz cans of diced tomatoes

1 small can of green chilies

4 Tbsps chili powder

2 Tbsps cumin

1 Tbsp paprika

1 Tbsp sea salt

1 tsp dried oregano

1 pinch of cinnamon

1 pinch of tumeric

1 bay leaf

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a large slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Adjust seasonings as necessary. Serve with fresh chives and avocado (optional).

Day 8: Burger Showdown

Zack and I had a paleo burger showdown. I will admit that Zack's probably wins based on looks, but mine was super flavorful. Bottomline: as lame as it sounds, we couldn't decide on a winner. Tie.

My Burger - Green Chili Burger (shown on left)
Ingredients:
2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chiles
1 pound ground grassfed beef
½ Tbsp dried cilantro, (the original recipe calls for fresh cilantro, and I recommend using that if you have it on hand. Make sure to increase the amount.)
½ cup onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon grey sea salt

Directions:
In a medium sized bowl mix diced chiles with beef, cilantro, onion, cumin, chili powder and salt
Form into burgers and grill
Serve with guacamole or avocado slices

Zack's Burger - Garden Pepper Burger (shown on right)
Ingredients:
1 lb grassfed beef
2 cayenne peppers, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 pinch of salt

Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients
Form into burgers and grill
Serve with avocado, bacon, tomato (all optional)

Day 3: Pulled Pork

Meat slow-cooked in giardiniera is a popular dish in my hometown. Zack and I used a pork shoulder, but you could also use a beef roast or even chicken.

Ingredients:

Pork shoulder (about 3 lbs)

1 pint of giardiniera (See recipe from yesterday's post. Also okay to use store-bought giardiniera, but most tend to be vegetable oil based, which means they're higher in Omega 6)

Directions:

Place pork shoulder in slow cooker and top with giardiniera. Cook on low for approximately 7-8 hours. Trim fat and shred. Enjoy!

You'll have a substantial amount of leftovers. The photo above is from breakfast the following morning. I topped the leftover pork with two poached eggs - delicious!

Day 2: Giardiniera Recipe

Zack recently tried his hand at homemade giardiniera, and the results were fantastic. This tastes so much fresher and crisper than store bought giardiniera - and it's super easy!

Ingredients

4 red cayenne peppers, diced

8 fresh jalapeno peppers, sliced

1 medium carrot, diced

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup fresh cauliflower florets

1/2 cup saltwater to cover

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup olive oil

Directions

Place into a bowl the cayenne peppers, jalapenos, carrots, onion, and cauliflower. Stir in salt, and fill with enough cold water to cover. Place plastic wrap or aluminum foil over the bowl, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, drain salty water, and rinse vegetables.

In a bowl, mix together garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Pour in vinegar and olive oil, and mix well. Combine with vegetable mixture, cover, and refrigerate for 2 days before using.

Mini Paleo Challenge: Day 1

Zack and I are doing a mini-paleo challenge during the month of September. I'm going to try to keep the blog updated with what we're eating and the corresponding recipes. Thankfully, we chose a short month!

The photo above is for Chicken Paprikash. I adapted this recipe from one that I found on the Cosmopolitan Primal Girl website, and it was a big hit!

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs – cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 medium yellow onion – sliced
2 red cayenne peppers – chopped
1 large garlic clove - chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
4 Tbsp coconut milk
1 Tbsp coconut flour
1 Cup chicken broth1 Tbsp fresh basil

Directions:
Heat 1/2 of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for about 5 minutes until there is no more pink. Then remove and set aside.

In the same skillet, add the rest of the olive oil. Add onions, garlic, paprika and chili powder. Cook for about 3-5 minutes until onions have softened.

Add coconut flour and broth. Stir it around and bring it to a simmer. Add the cayenne pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are softened. About 5 min.

Add back the chicken and coconut milk. Continue to cook and stir until chicken is fully cooked and sauce is creamy. About 2 minutes.

Top with fresh basil and serve