Easy Paleo Turkey Satay Burgers

I'm just going to throw this out there:  Satay sauce is next to Godliness in my humble opinion.  

It's creamy, nutty and sometimes spicy -- and really what more can you want from a sauce? Just typing that made my mouth water.  The only two problems I have with it?  The peanuts make it very un-Paleo (Peanuts are a legume and not actually a nut...who knew?) and there is generally some type of soy sauce in it which I avoid like the plague (mostly due to gluten).  So while I occasionally throw caution to the wind and order if I am out, I wanted to make a version that I could eat anytime and know I wasn't  deviating from the style of eating that has kept me happy and healthy over the last year. 

I set out to make a sauce that would hit all the same notes as a good peanut satay (and would be a nice dipper for chicken) but also because I am lazy on most weeknights (shocker!) I wanted to find a way to turn it into a burger.  Burgers = King of Easy Weeknight Recipes! Everybody knows (said in my best Phaedra impersonation) that if you are looking for a good burger recipe, Rachael Ray is a great resource.  She's written something like 1000 burger recipes so whenever I'm in a pickle I seek out one of her recipes.  This time I used this recipe as inspiration (and did some tweaking to satisfy my own dietary needs.) 

The results were PHENOMENAL.  I have to admit this surprised me a little.  I thought for sure it would be edible, but I wasn't certain I would love it.  I only had turkey on hand and I thought it might be a weird combination, but it actually works out awesome because the creaminess of the sauce lends well to turkey because and its low fat content.  The toppings give a great texture combo and overall I LOVED IT!  I hope you will too.

Paleo Turkey Satay Burgers (adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine)

Ingredients

for burgers
Fat of Choice (I used coconut oil on this one)
1.25 lbs of Ground Turkey

2 Large Garlic Cloves, grated
1 Inch Ginger Root, grated
3 Green Onions, finely diced
Salt + Pepper to taste  (I went lighter on the salt than usual due to the salty sauce.)

for sauce
1/2 Cup Almond Butter
3 TBS Coconut Aminos/Tamari 
1 tsp red pepper flakes (less if you don't want your sauce to have some kick) 


for garnish
1 Bag of Broccoli Slaw (My favorite thing to have in the fridge! So useful!)


Instructions


1.  Heat fat of choice over medium in a 12 in skillet (or you could grill these -- I just chose a pan because I'm lazy, remember?)
2.  In a medium sized bowl, mix all ingredients through salt and pepper.  Form into 4 patties. 
3.  Cook patties for 6 minutes one side, flip, cook 3 minutes on the other side so that the surface gets brown, then cover and continue cooking until inside is desired temperature.  I like my turkey fairly well done so I cooked it another 5 minutes covered.
4.  When turkey is almost done cooking, in another small pot, combine almond butter and coconut aminos over medium low heat.  Stir until combined and sauce has a creamy consistency.  If it thickens over the heat more than you like, feel free to thin it out with some chicken stock (or even water would be fine!)
5. In a separate bowl toss broccoli slaw with a few TBS of satay sauce
6.  Serve cooked burgers on butter lettuce garnished with a dollop of the satay sauce as well as the sauced broccoli slaw
7.  Enjoy your super rich, spicy Paleo-friendly satay dish!

The flavor is so complex considering the ingredients are so simple and it has become a great way to fancy up your everyday turkey burger.  If you end up trying this let me know how you like it! 
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How To Grill a Bad Ass Salad

The first time I ever heard of anyone grilling lettuce was on a Food Network episode that involved The Neelys.  Grilling Salad?  I was pretty sure they were smoking more than just the pork butt in their BBQ Restaurants.  But I did bookmark it in my brain as something to try at another time, and one night -- feeling kind of lazy about the idea of chopping up a million ingredients -- I tried it; and lo!  The Lazyman's Salad was discovered.  

Grilled Romaine, specifically, is one of my favorite creative ways to enjoy a vegetables when cooking out.  There is a bit of showstopping appeal when you put a head of lettuce on a BBQ, and who doesn't love a little showstopping now and again?  You can thank me later for not embedding the video for that similarly titled awful Danity Kane song in this post.  If I promise you one thing, I promise you that this recipe is better than entire Danity Kane oeuvre (and a Rainbow Cadillac, whatever the hell that means!)  

(P. Diddy is such a linguistic visionary.)

So back to the salad!  Even though I have only ever grilled with romaine, I am going to assert that it is the perfect Grillin' Lettuce.  (I believe that's what's called Begging the Question.  Miriel, please school me on this.) Idiom debates aside, the only preparation that a head of romaine needs is to be sliced in half, keeping the core in tact, and brushed with a bit of Olive Oil, Salt + Pepper.    (You can brush oil on both sides, but I find that it is really only necessary on the inside)  If you want to get really nutty, you could add other dried herbs at this point too.

In the meantime, light your grill and let's get that sucker going on a relatively high heat.  While you are waiting for it to heat up, let's talk toppings, shall we?


This is a salad, so toppings are really up to you.  Ok, that was a good talk.   

Just kidding.  This is where you can customize to meet any of your dietary needs.  Paleo friends, for example -- cut the cheese.  You know, um literally.  For the sake of demonstration, today I want to talk about Grilled Cobb-Esque Salad, because really...why not?  It's a salad full of bacon and stuff and well, I tend to agree with this sentiment:

 

Found on pinterest.  Thank god there is now a website where I can find blurry, terrible pictures of signs about bacon.  THANK GOD.  

So while taking a break from pinning arbitrary pictures, and waiting for my grill to heat, I chopped up some Avocado, Tomatoes, Blue Cheese (actually Costco chopped that up, Thanks Costco!), Red Onions, and a Hard Boiled Egg.  I also grabbed a stash of bacon bits from my fridge that I pre-cooked over the weekend.  What? You don't have bacon bits in a tupperware in your fridge?  GET WITH THE PROGRAM AND GET YOURSELF SOME, they will not go to waste!  Well unless of course you are a vegetarian.  Then don't do it.  That would be weird. 

 

So we are now about to reach the hardest part of this recipe, but I assure you it is all mental.  We are going to -- wait for it -- put the lettuce on the grill.  I know, you never saw that coming, did you?

Your brain will say no, but I promise your tummy will say yes!  Just try it!  

I know.  It kind of makes you want to shake your head.  Have faith.  Have I steered you wrong yet?   

So you will be standing at the grill watching all of this go down and wondering what I've been smoking (been there) for about 5-6 minutes.   Then your heart will do a little flip.  Well not your heart, the romaine heart.  And actually, you will be doing the flipping.  See what I did there?  That's what's called lame comedic wordplay.   

Thank you!  I'll be here all day.  

Then, Behold!  Grilled Lettuce!  Could you die?  Wait, don't die.  The ending will totally worth it and this is not the end.  This is the part in an episode of Law & Order where they bring the first and most obvious suspect in and arrest him, even though there is like, 30 minutes left in the episode so it can't possibly already be solved.

So you will want to go ahead and leave it on for another minute or two just to get everything a bit tender.  The thing about this lettuce is that it doesn't get all wilty and gross, which -- isn't that what you think when you think about hot lettuce?  But it is the furthest thing from that, I swear.  It's crunchy, tender, and full of flavor -- and that's even before you add the toppings.  


Ah yes, back to the toppings.  


So when you pull that shrimp off the barbie and put it on the plate, make sure to dress it before you add the toppings.  Let all of that dressing deliciousness seep into the nooks and crannies of the lettuce so that every bite is full of flavor.  For my Cobb-esque Salad I used a blue cheese vinaigrette.  I could bathe in blue cheese vinaigrette, but you can feel free to pick your own favorite salad dressing.  

I'm open minded like that.  


Then, let's add our toppings.  Feel free to pretend you are a food stylist while you do this, but just for the sake of full disclosure, these salads taste the best when they look like your produce drawer threw up.  It's not always a pretty dish, but is ALWAYS delivers on the tastiness.

I think P. Diddy would approve!  

Although I chose to put a lot of toppings on this particular incarnation of a Bad Ass Salad, I have also made it really simply with only lettuce + tomatoes or lettuce and thinly sliced red onion -- really it works with whatever you have on hand.  It's an exciting texture experience, plus all you have to do is cut your lettuce in half.  I mean people presume it to be fancy and high maintenance but it's just lazy and easy masquerading as awesome! 

It is the Ke$ha of the salad world, people.


So go forth!  Grill Your Lettuce!  

And when you do, tell me know how you like it, would ya?


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6 Easy Steps to A Fabulous Frittata

Hello, lover

It has been a bit of a Frittata Frenzy around my house lately, and frankly I am wondering why I didn't discover these easy and delicious little breakfast delicacies sooner.  Well, that isn't entirely accurate, I knew about Frittatas but they just seemed a little too chi chi for my tastes.  Also I have an irrational fear of brown eggs.  I don't know where that comes from, but there you are.  I wish someone would have tapped me on the shoulder and pointed out that IT'S JUST A CRUSTLESS EGG CASSEROLE, DUMMY!  Because then I would have known, you know?  So here, let me do that favor for you.  

*tap tap*

Frittatas have all the protein/vegetable goodness that I am always aiming to get at breakfast, but in a portable and gourmet seeming kind of way.  And let me tell you, I generally need a little gourmet to spice up my Monday mornings.  But also (and here is why they are great!) Frittatas are easy.  I'm not going to say effortless, but pretty damn close when it comes to a fancy hot breakfast.  One pan + Delicious Ingredients = A Happy Tummy.  It's math, my friends.  And rarely can you argue with math, right?

So, shall we talk about steps? 

Step One:  Cook up meat of your choice in a 12 inch oven safe skillet.  (Most generic non stick pans are oven safe up to at least 350 degrees, that's why I cook this at 325 degrees -- BOOYAH!  No fancy cookware needed.)

Meat Ideas:  Bacon goes without saying.  Sausage is always good.  Ground beef works well depending on the vegetables you add.  Frittatas even help me enjoy ham (pictured above), which I otherwise detest.  They make miracles happen, clearly!

Step Two:  Saute onions with your choice of base vegetables in the meat renderings (Bacon, obvs is a favorite!)

Combos I particularly enjoy:  Onions and Peppers, Onions and Broccoli Slaw (Tell me you enjoy pre-packaged broccoli slaw in your kitchen?  It is awesome for quick easy cooking), Onions and Zucchini -- The combos are ENDLESS.  It's like pizza for breakfast, only healthy!

Step Three:  Add Salt, Pepper + Seasoning to compliment your vegetable choice.  This is what gives your Frittata its depth of flavor.  Get experimental here, it's pretty fun!

Combos I particularly enjoy:  Onions and Peppers with Taco Seasoning, Onions and Broccoli Slaw with Herbs de Provence.  Onions and Zucchini with Italian Seasoning.  Easy Peasy!

Step Four:  Pour 8-10 whisked eggs (depending on size -- I usually use 8 Extra Large Eggs) over your magnificent mixture and move it all around so it allows the egg to penetrate to the bottom of the pan, and let it set for a minute or two.  (This makes the bottom of your frittata more stable so it comes out all in one piece when you slice it.)

Step Five:  Add any additional Mix Ins.  What do I mean by mix ins?  Anything you want in the Frittata that doesn't need to be sauteed.  

Good Mix Ins: Diced Tomatoes, Cheese, Vegetables you want crunchy, fresh herbs  

Step Six:  Bake in a 325 degree oven (remember this from Step One) for 25 minutes.  

*************************************

Obviously the step where I tell you to "Enjoy!" is implied, ok?  I don't want anyone to get overwhelmed and 7 Steps was my personal tipping point.

Here are some Frittata Combos I have thoroughly enjoyed:

*Ground Beef, Onions, Green Chilis from a can (classy!), Taco Seasoning, Cheddar, Tomatoes

*Ham, Onions, Red Bell Peppers, Broccoli Slaw, Herbs de Provence, Cheddar (Pictured Above - and also the one I'm currently OBSESSED with)

*Bacon, Onions, Tomatoes, Cheddar (served with shredded Romaine in Italian Dressing on top)

*Bacon, Onions, Zuchini, Italian Seasoning, Parmesan

Are you a Frittata Fan?  What combos have you invented?

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Caramelized Italian Pork Chops with Sweet Onion Jam

Pork chops are such a fantastic blank slate and this is such a great way to spice them up. 

Like chicken breasts, they can be a bit bland and dry out easily, but with a few tweaks they can also be a superior weeknight supper. Seasoning and Steam are the keys here. 

I served these up with a salad and some simple roasted broccoli last night (toss broccoli with olive oil, garlic powder, salt + pepper at 400 degrees for 40 mins) and our mid-week dinner turned into quite the treat. 

Ingredients for two servings:

4 boneless pork loin chops sliced about an inch thick
2 Sweet Yellow Onions (or any onion, really)
Salt + Pepper
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder 
Italian Seasoning
Herbs de Provence
Fat of Your Choice
Balsamic Vinegar

For the pork chops:

Heat a pan over medium high and add your choice of fat (I used ghee here.  YUM.)

Liberally Season both sides of your chops with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. 

Drop them in the pan:

(I like to buy in bulk and butcher it myself just like my friend Sarah taught me.  Easy and cheap!)

Allow them to develop a nice brown crust (for about 5-7 minutes) then flip and repeat on the other side.  Don't worry about them cooking all the way through, we are going for crispness and color here.

When they are dark and gorgeous, drop 1/8 cup of water in the center of the pan to do a little deglazing of all of those bits.  Then quickly cover and allow them to steam for 3-4 more minutes just until they are cooked through.  They will be crispy on the outside but still juicy on the inside.

 

For the Onion Jam:

Peel onion, cut in half, then thinly slice and throw into a pan heated on medium with a fat of your choice.

Toss them around and let them get nice and golden.  Patience is a virtue here.

When they get a little color on them toss in some salt, pepper and Herbs de Provence.  Herbs de Provence sounds so snooty -- it isn't, I promise.  It is worth procuring though, because it gives them a magical little kick -- I think Giada taught me that.  She also taught me how to pronounce Limoncello.

 Photo Credit

Thanks Giada! 

So, now that we've cleared that up, once the onions begin to really caramelize (about 25-30 minutes in) drop in a tablespoon or two of balsamic vinegar. No need to measure, you can't screw this part up.

 

Allow the vinegar to reduce a bit (3-5 minutes) to make your onions nice and jammy. 

Top your chops with the jam and serve along your favorite vegetables.  Tons of delicious flavors, beautiful presentation, weeknight simplicity.  

Now that is something I can get behind!
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Paleo Banana Bread Muffins

 

My friend Katie (who is as talented in the kitchen as she is when it comes to music) sent me this recipe for grain free, dairy free banana muffins and it was so good I had to pass it on.  Especially for all of my friends at ARCFit who are currently doing a 6 Week Paleo Challenge.  Sometimes we all want a little treat for breakfast or with our coffee and one can only have eggs so many times before it gets old right?  (My second favorite breakfast:  this smoothie.)

Confession:  the first time I made these I threw in a few dark chocolate chips so they weren't 100% Paleo, but the next batch I made was just plain and they were still so good! Flavorful and moist (god I hate that word, but it's a necessity when describing recipes like this!) it tasted just like my favorite banana bread.  I even served them to my mom and aunt last weekend (who aren't even Paleo) and they raved.  

Also, they're a cinch! 


(Recipe makes 12 servings)

Ingredients


1/2 cup coconut flour
6 eggs
1/3 cup honey or agave -- whatever floats your boat
1/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup crushed walnuts (optional)
2 bananas
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda. 

Instructions 


Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix all together adding finely chopped bananas last 
Pour into silicone muffin cups, or greased and lined muffin tins 
Top with some nuts 
Make a juvenile joke about your love of nuts
Bake 20-25 min.


Hot out of the oven, these will knock your socks off!
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Paleo* Eggs Benedict Over Spicy Sweet Potato Hash

My Grandma Marian taught me a number of very important life lessons:    

*A good hostess always has cookies in her freezer.
*If you keep the empty expensive bottles of booze you can always refill them with the cheap stuff in a pinch. (Which I only did in college, I promise!) And of course,
*A lady never refuses a second serving by saying she is "stuffed," but rather she delicately reclines and says she's "had plenty."  

More importantly though, she taught me about the magic of poached eggs in hollandaise.


My family usually chooses to brunch on Easter, forgoing the ham dinner with all the trimmings for a stiff Bloody Mary (or two) and a Hallelujah.  As an a non-religious adult, I always kind of forget about Easter (what with the changing dates and all of that) but when I realize it's coming around I never forget my grandma's tradition:  Eggs Benedict!

Since going Paleo I have definitely come to embrace the egg, but I never take the time to poach them -- and for no good reason since it is so much easier than it looks.  A pan of simmering water with a splash of vinegar, dropping the egg right in, and then giving it exactly 2 minutes before you rescue and plop it atop various accouterments.  This year I skipped the English Muffin and set it on canadian bacon over the world's most amazing Spicy Sweet Potato Hash. 

It was so good, I'm making it again for Garrett this week for dinner since he was in Reno all weekend and missed out.

For the eggs:

This video breaks down poaching eggs quite simply.  Plus at the end she puts in on a "nice, tasty crumpet."  And how can you not love that?  I like a 2 min egg though, just FYI.   I always fear I will ruin the egg, and it always ends up working out just fine.  Vinegar is kind of a miracle worker.


For the Hollandaise:

In a blender mix 3 egg yolks, 1 TBS lemon juice, 1/2 tsp of salt, and a few shakes of cayenne pepper.  Melt 1/2 cup of grassfed butter (That's why it is Paleo* -- but this is a special occasion thing, don't get freaked out!) and slowly pour in the melted butter as you blend up the other ingredients.  This will make enough sauce to coat at least 6 eggs and may change your life.

For the hash:  

Cook up 6-8 diced up slices of bacon in a pan.  (Dude, just cook 8.)  Remove the bacon bits and add one diced red onion and diced red pepper.  Saute until softened.  Add 3 diced sweet potatos.  Mine were small-medium sized.  Generously season with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and add a dash of chili powder for flavor and cayenne pepper for heat.  Cook over high heat until potatoes are at your desired texture (everyone likes their taters a bit different). I did mine for about 20 minutes, tossing them around occasionally so they browned but didn't burn.  


For the entire experience:

Throw the hash on a plate, top with canadian bacon you have warmed in the oven, add your perfectly poached eggs, cover with hollandaise, add some cracked black pepper to the top, and die of happiness.  


You will not regret it.  But I assure you, after two of those eggs, you will delicately recline and say you've had plenty.  

It's a breakfast (or dinner in our case this week) of champions!
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Easy Weeknight Paleo CrockPot Recipe: Asian Pork Lettuce Wraps

One of the things I missed most when I first went Paleo was the ability to throw a chunk of meat in the crock pot, cover it in sauce, serve in on a freshly baked roll and call it dinner.  Most pre-made sauces are loaded with sugar and since I no longer eat anything on a bun, my crockpot gathered a bit of dust while I transitioned.  But when I rediscovered my love for lettuce wraps (HOLY MOSES those are good!) I busted out my crockpot again and sang love songs to it because it makes my weeknight life so much easier. 

After a few trials and tribulations, and some super disgusting dinners (which, HELLO, seem like an extra betrayal when they happen in the crockpot because you come home expecting dinner to be ready only to find out that you have to figure out a Plan B!)  I finally came up with a a combo of yummy flavors that has found its way into the regular rotation in our kitchen.  And a bonus, it gets Garrett to eat pork with a smile!  Although you could certainly substitute chicken in this dish and get great results.  

Asian Pork Lettuce Wraps  

For the chunk of meat
2-3 lbs of pork shoulder or any type of pork roast (or this would be super good with chicken thighs or chicken breasts)
Liberally salt and pepper and if you're feeling really crazy throw in 3-4 smashed whole garlic cloves.  If you don't feel crazy, just sprinkle on some garlic powder

For the sauce
Mix all of the following:
4 TBS Coconut Aminos (or Soy Sauce if that's your bag)
2 TBS Almond Butter  (Peanut Butter would be fine too)
1 TBS Honey  (I eyeball it)
2 TBS Vinegar (I've used a bunch of different ones, just to get some acid in there)
2 tsp Sesame Oil
1 TBS Sriracha (or more if you are real spicy)
1/2 tsp of Black Pepper
1 TBS minced ginger  (dude, I totally used the jarred stuff sometimes, go for it!)

Recipe Steps
1.  Put prepared chunk of meat in crockpot
2.  Pour sauce over it
3.  Resist the urge to add more liquid (you will want to, don't you worry you don't have to)
4.  Set and forget  (well for about 4-6 hours at least on your low setting)

THIS, internet, is how I like my crock pot recipes.  Short, sweet and tasty!

When it is done cooking shred with a fork and serve atop your favorite lettuce and add the garnish of your choice.  Because I am usually lazy on the weeknights, I throw on some pre-shredded cabbage or broccoli slaw and slice up a bell pepper for some color and call it a day.  You could do any toppings you want -- chopped peanuts, jicama, cilantro, shredded carrots.  And Garrett says don't forget the extra hot sauce!  But that guy is crazy for heat, so take his advice with a grain of salt (and a glass of water!) 

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Part Seven: A Week in the Life of Our Bellies

This is a continuation of my weight loss series.  If you missed The Prologue, Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four , Part Five, or Part Six check them out first. If you are not into this kind of stuff, here is your warning:  Go ahead and skip this one.

 

I think a lot of people hear that we eat a mostly Paleo Diet and think we are super restricted in what we eat.  I beg to differ.  This has been the most delicious way I've EVER lost weight, and I feel infomercial AMAZING!  

Here's a peak into what we're eating this week:

Breakfast
Breakfast at our house is sort of grab and go.  Garrett usually works sometime between 5am and 11am so he takes some fruit with him.  He hates eating breakfast and I yell at him about that.  I think he kind of likes it.  I'm lucky enough to have a cafe at work so I generally grab 2 scrambled/hard boiled eggs and bacon.  I'm sure it's not nitrate free hippie bacon, but I think I'll live.  It keeps me more than full until lunch.  Sometimes if I'm running on time in the morning I will make myself a smoothie.  If I can get my act together on the weekend I will make a dozen or so Bacon, Egg & Cheese Muffins because they are THE BOMB and Mini-Frittata muffins are easy to grab on the go.  Or I even sometimes do dinner leftovers because I'm not queasy about eating chicken for breakfast.  Sure, my coworkers probably think I'm a nut, but that's ok.  I think they already knew I was nutty before they even saw what I was eating. 

Lunch
This weekend I am grilling up a crapload of chicken breasts/thighs, zucchini, squash, red onions, and asparagus.  I marinated the chicken breasts in a mesquite marinade that is probably not STRICTLY Paleo, but again I think I will live.  I did this last weekend as well and I'm still standing.  I think you have to be reasonable with your dogma.  We do the best that we can to avoid sugar, grains, and gluten but meat marinade is not the hill I'm going to die on, you know unless it has some Partially Hydrogenated crap, wheat, or Corn Syrup.  Then, HELLS TO THA NO. Anyway, then I package them up in little tupperwares for a quick lunch grab.  We will alternate eating that and having dinner leftovers all week so we don't get bored.  It's easy, takes about an hour on the weekend, and it's 5 days of lunch.  On the weekends I don't worry about lunch too much -- we either forage the leftovers, go out to eat while we run errands (Chipotle salads, anyone?) or sometimes sleep late and only eat two meals, so who even needs lunch?  I need to remember how awesome that last option is while we don't have kids.

Dinner

This week we will be enjoying the following:

• Asian Beef and Fried Cauliflower Rice Bowls - This is such a delicious and man-pleasing meal.  Last time I made it for Garrett he said, "Can we have this again tomorrow?"  Win. This time I will probably double the recipe so we have leftovers for lunch.

• Turkey Meatloaf Minis + Mashed Cauliflower + Roasted Garlicky Broccoli - I love to roast broccoli in Olive Oil with salt, pepper + garlic powder (The Trifecta).  It gets crispy and delicious and we can demolish probably 2 lbs in one sitting because we are CRAZY BROCCOLI LOVERS.

• Santa Maria Seasoned Grilled Tri-Tip + Bacon Roasted Brussels Sprouts+ Salad  These brussels sprouts change lives.  No joke.  Please try them.  It is hands down Garrett's favorite thing to eat.  I was just going to roast the brussels with The Trifecta this week and Garrett said, "Please, with the bacon! with the bacon!"  So we'll indulge a little.

• Orange Chicken + Shallot, Zucchini, and Squash Sautee with The Trifecta - OMG this is so good, but I add a little honey and ALOT of red pepper flakes for kick. Also, I don't season the chicken first, because I did that the first time I made this recipe without thinking and whoa, was that salty!  Easy, tasty, and like a mini Paleo Panda Express.

• Southwest Turkey Burgers with roasted carrots + parsnip fries and roasted red onion wedges (roasted with Olive Oil and The Trifecta, of course) - I use this burger recipe, serve on a bed of bibb lettuce and top with bacon and avocado slices)

• Grilled Grass Fed New York Steaks (from our meatshare!) + Roasted Garlic Green Beans + Salad  - This will probably be our Friday night meal because I love to grill on a Friday night with a good glass of vino in hand.  I'm especially excited since we just picked up our Wine Club Subscription.  YUM!  I've also been enjoying the occasional Skinnygirl Margarita on a Friday night, and WOW, those are delish. I don't know if discovering them was a good thing or a bad thing.  I foresee those being included in many a summer evening.

• Chili Colorado + Veggie Must-go.  Do you do Must-Go in your house?  As in, "everything in the crisper drawer must go."  This is a new recipe I'm trying and I'm thinking about making the chili part this weekend so we can use it for lunches too, we'll see. 

 Snacks/Post-Workout Meals

So honestly, I'm not that into snacking.  All of these good eats keep me relatively full throughout the day, so I'm a 3 square meal type of gal.  Post-Workout I generally will have a Coconut Water and sometimes a few slices of turkey or salami while I am cooking dinner.  


Garrett, on the other hand does more snacking and has a different Post-Workout routine since we have different goals (Me:  Lose Weight, Him:  Stop Losing Weight)  He snacks on nuts and some fruit during the day.  The boy is a whore for bananas.  Post-workout he will usually mix himself up a Protein Shake with some Almond Milk + A Banana, and will usually enjoy a sweet potato, which we always have ready made in the fridge because I usually just roast up a big batch of on the weekend when I am grilling that chicken. That one hour of weekend prep accomplishes a lot with a little planning.  I'll peel them while the chicken is resting and stick them in a tupperware.  He likes to nuke them and eat them with a little grassfed butter.  For the record, I would like to take a bath in that butter, it is AWESOME.  If you are not eating Paleo, do yourself a favor and slather that on a baguette.  Holy shit, the thought of that makes my head spin a little.


Dessert
As for dessert, again I'm usually not that interested, although when I have a box of mangoes in the house I definitely enjoy those.  Sometimes Garrett will slice an apple and dip it in almond butter, or pair it with some chunks of dark chocolate.  If we are feeling extra special, we'll whip up a fruit cobbler like this.  Or my favorite dessert is some greek yogurt over berries with a touch of honey.  The truth is, I'm trying to eliminate the dairy completely because it doesn't always agree with me, but sometimes it is just too good and you've only got one life.  If some greek yogurt is my one vice, I'll take it.  We are Practical Paleo People.  Someone make me a Twibbon, will ya? 


Anyway, I hope that was some insight into the fact that we don't just eat hunks of meat all the time. With a little planning you can have a ton of great eats at your fingertips.  And the weight loss?  Well that is just icing on the (grain-free, gluten-free, sugar-free) cake!


*If this is helpful and you'd like to see more of what we're eating, let me know.  And if you have any other questions, leave them in the comments and I will address them in a future post.
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Linky-Loo

TGIF, you all.  I don't know about you but I wasn't sure I was going to make it!  I am soooo ready for the weekend.

So we established this week that Old Navy Pants Suck Super Hard, yes?  But guess what, I don't plan to stop shopping there anytime soon.  Know why?  Because all of a sudden Old Navy is rocking some cute jewelry for relatively cheap.  Today I'm wearing this necklace which I bough on clearance for $7.99

Worth it!  Plus, look at all of this.  Cute stuff, I think.  (Thanks to my cousin Kelly for reminding me of all this FUN JEWELRY -- remind me to tell you guys the "fun jewelry" story someday.)  Maybe you aren't dead to me just yet Old Navy.  But be warned, you are on life support. 

So since we are talking about fun stylish things (I almost said "fashion"  BAHAHAHAHA) can we talk about Academichic.  I love this site.  I am generally not that inspired by fashion-y websites because they are always like, "Here is what I wore, it's thrifted and totally vintage and you'll never be able to find it, and I'm going to frolic like I think I'm a model in urban looking locales that are just 'in the neighborhood', aren't you sooo inspired to dress cuter?"  And I usually am not to say the least.  But I think they give good advice on Academichic -- like advice for fashion novices who are intersted in looking pulled together but don't have time to clip out meaningful articles in Vogue.  Plus they are all adorable and don't only talk about fancy, fabulous outfits.  They do a lot of casual, a lot of how-tos, and great inspiration if you are pregnant, IMHO.  (Hat tip for Kateo for turning me on to that site.)

Completely unrelated this list of 75 Things Worth Watching from Netflix made it into my bookmarks recently and there are some fun things on that list.  And if I can interject my own recommendation, we have been making our way through The Up Series and it is super interesting.  It's a series of documentaries about British children starting at age 7 and updated every 7 years.  If you like your documentaries with a Sociology bent, check it out. 

And if you don't care a lick about documentaries, let's talk food for a minute shall we?  Who doesn't like food?  I made a Turkey Curry Sweet Potato Casserole (scroll down for the recipe at the bottom) because I had heard about it on the internet almost as much as I had heard about the Crock Pot Pepperocini Beef.  I realize the name sort of sounds like a mish-mash of random, but it is more accurately a mish mash of AWESOME!  I wanted to use the word awesomesauce right there but I refrained.  You're welcome.  Anyway, it was so good I am counting the minutes until I can consume the leftovers.  I bet they are even better!  Liz  sent the recipe my way and I can't help but think that she just changed the trajectory of my life in some small way -- it was THAT GOOD. I was going to post about it on its own but it is one of those meals that just don't photograph that well.  Aren't those usually the best dishes though? 

Also on my list of recipes I plan to make soon:  this salad.  I'm not usually a salad for dinner type of person but when the weather gets warmer I start to tolerate it.  Doesn't it just sound like a delicious thing to throw together on a warm spring evening (sans croutons for me, but you should totally add them and then tell me all about it!)  Now if we can just have one of those lovely evenings already so I have an excuse to make it.  Link courtesy of @NatalieDaily for just mentioning it on Twitter, which peaked my interest enough to google it.  What?  I get bored at work sometimes. 

My last arbitrary link is to an idea I am thinking about completely stealing to get the creative writing juices flowing.  Have you guys read or followed City Wendy's Alphabet: A History series?  She started it ages ago and it has been one of my favorite little blog features to read.  Obviously she is a great writer which is part of it, but I just think it is a fun way to get to know bits and pieces of a person's life.  She was originally inspired by Amy Krouse Rosenthal's Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life which is a very fun book if you ever have a chance to read it.  I enjoyed it, and think I may try it that feature out around these parts, so act surprised would ya?

Hope you all enjoy your Fridays!  What are you planning on cooking/watching/reading this weekend?   
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Nutella Banana Bread

My friend Natalie (hi Natalie!) sent me this recipe a few weeks ago and I have mentioned it casually on Facebook or during random conversations only to met my by the same reaction every time:   


"I need this recipe, IMMEDIATELY!"

Something about Nutella seems to get everyone worked up into a lather, and I have to say, I finally understand.  Can you believe I had never tried Nutella until I made this for the first time?  My life is forever changed and I say that without even a hint of hyperbole.  The problem is I bought the two pack in Costco and now every time I pass the cupboard where it is stored I have to use absolutely every ounce of strength I have to not grab a spoon from the drawer below and dive in. 

I mostly look like this when I walk around the house now.  The situation is getting slightly out of hand. 

I've been avoiding sugar, flour and other refined grains since August of last year so this is definitely a treat for me, and hopefully now it can be a treat for you!

Gooey Nutella Banana Bread
My comments in italics below


2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups mashed ripe banana
1/3 cup skim milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 heaping cup Nutella
Directions


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick spray. (I used a 9x5). In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda & salt.


3. In a separate large bowl, beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, milk and vanilla. Beat until blended.


4. Add flour mixture, beat at low speed just until flour is incorporated (don’t over mix).


5. Spoon Nutella into a small dish and soften in the microwave for about 15 seconds. (Eat a spoonful out of the jar.) Add 1 cup of the banana bread batter to the Nutella and stir until blended well. Spoon Nutella batter alternately with plain banana bread batter into the prepared pan. Swirl batters together with a knife.


5. Bake 50 to 60 minutes (I did about 65 minutes) it will seem a tiny bit undercooked but that’s what makes it good. Cool for at least 15 minutes in the pan, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.


*Then, experience true bliss for the first time.


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Dip Dip Hooray!

 With the Super Bowl coming up I am pretty darn excited.  I have to confess though that my excitement doesn't really stem from the football.  Sure it's fun to watch, and of course I love the commercials, but what I really love is having an excuse to eat appetizers for a meal!  It is literally on my Top 10 list of Favorite Things.  YUM! 


This year I have other plans so we aren't having a get together like we usually do, but I am definitely leaving Garrett a few munchies so he doesn't starve while yelling at the television.  I was thinking up my menu the other day and it dawned on me that I should share my recipe for the easiest most crowd pleasing dip EVER.  Despite its humble ingredients, I've never met anyone who didn't love this.  


Dill Dip
2/3 Cup Sour Cream
2/3 Cup Mayo
1TBS Dried Dill 
1 TBS Dried Parsley
2-3 TBS minced green onions
1 TBS Beau Monde   (Super random spice, but readily available in grocery stores.  Also good just mixed with cream cheese as a spread on crackers!)


Mix the following together in a small bowl.  Then place in serving dish and Enjoy!

And because it is the season, here are a few other places where you can dunk those chips, crudite, or baguettes.

Caramelized Onion Dip from 101 Cookbooks

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip from Paula Deen

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa from Tyler Florence (Garrett will eat this with a spoon!)

Do you have a favorite dip I can add to my arsenal?  Do tell!

Dude, It's Really Good Chili

I don't know what you do for fun, but I like to cook things and sometimes inspiration strikes at weird times. 

Maybe I need some more morning friendly hobbies, I don't know.  Matt Lauer just doesn't do it for my like my Le Creuset.   

All I know is if I could find a job where all I did was cook, read, drink coffee, and sometimes watch bad reality television in the morning but free in the afternoon, well -- I would be an EXCEEDS Employee.   Excuse me while I go update my LinkedIn Profile.   

Anyway, today I made some chili and it occurred to me that I need to share this chili recipe here because: 

1.  It is Easy -- so easy you can sleepwalk through it at 5am and have lunch ready by 6am!  2.  It is Very Customizable and Packs some Major Vegetable Punch in One Pot-- flexible with the ingredients you have on hand, and efficient. 

3.  It is Delicious. 

That is quite the trifecta, I think -- so here we go.   

Holly's Famous to Dozens Chili

The Basic Ingredients

Your Favorite Oil to coat the pan

1 Large Onion

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

3-4 Carrots, chopped

1-2 zucchini, chopped

1-2 yellow squash, chopped

1 LB Ground Beef or Turkey

The  Spices

2 TBS Chili Powder

1 TBS Paprika

1-2 tsp  Red Pepper Flakes (depending on how spicy you like it!)

1.5 tsp Cumin

Some Cayenne if you feel really spicy -- I rarely do, but Garrett LOVES it

Salt & Pepper, OBVIOUSLY

Other Liquid Stuff

1 Can Diced Tomatoes with liquid (the 14 ish oz kind)

1 14 oz Can Tomato Sauce

1 Cup Broth (chicken/beef depending on what meat you used)

1 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar

The Final Ingredients

2 Peppers (any color) diced

1 Can Beans (whatever you have on hand, if going Paleo, leave them out)

Toppings

Cheese

Avocado

Sour Cream

Green Onions

Corn Chips (if you are feeling really crazy!)

Instructions

• Dice all your Basic Ingredients (minus the meat) and get them cooking in your favorite oil.  Salt and Pepper generously.
• Add the meat and let it cook up a bit.  Salt and Pepper generously. 
• Add The Spices, and give it a good stir.  It will start to actually look chili-like.  Weird. 
• Add the Other Liquid Stuff and bring to a boil.  Lower heat, then cover and let simmer for about 40 minutes
• Add The Final Ingredients and cook with the lid off for about 10 more minutes
• Serve with Toppings!

That last part is the best part, you know.