Saturday, October 27, 2012

Avocado Chocolate Mousse


2 avocados
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/3 honey
1/2 t vanilla
pinch salt
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips (high cacao %)

Blend avocado until creamy.  Add cocoa, honey, vanilla, salt, and coconut milk; blend.  Melt chocolate chips in microwave and add to mixture; blend.  Chill and serve.

Paleo Meal Plan - Week 5

Breakfast

Monday-Tuesday

Wednesday-Thursday (eggs)
Omelet with prosciutto, spinach and cherry tomatoes

Friday
Bacon
Sauteed Kale
leftover Chicken Breakfast Sausage

Saturday-Sunday (fancy)
Spinach and Cauliflower Breakfast Casserole
(not crazy about this recipe, but like the idea; must tweak)

Lunch

Monday-Tuesday  (chicken salad)
Best Chicken (WF)
Middle Eastern Cucumbers (WF)

Wednesday-Thursday (ground beef)
Salad with Citrus Dressing

Friday
Asian Chicken Salad Wraps

Saturday-Sunday
Paleo Pizza Salad (HB)
Leftovers

Dinner

Monday-Tuesday 
Costco Roast Chicken
Carrots

Wednesday-Thursday (portable)
Using Beef Broth from US Wellness

Friday
Leftovers

Saturday-Sunday
Salmon and Zucchini

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Paleo Meal Plan - Week 4


Breakfast

Monday-Tuesday

Wednesday-Thursday
(I used grated sweet potatoes, chicken sausage, and no cheese)
Peaches

Friday
Bacon (save a few pieces for lunch)
Sauteed Bell Peppers
leftover Chicken Breakfast Sausage

Saturday-Sunday
Omelet with Roasted Asparagus and Prosciutto

Lunch

Monday-Tuesday 
Wednesday-Thursday
Curried Fish Chowder with "Crou-tains"
leftover salad 

Friday
Chicken BLT
(saute chicken cutlets until done; use chicken as "bread" to hold lettuce, tomato, bacon)
Baby Carrots

Saturday-Sunday
Leftovers

Dinner

Monday-Tuesday 

Wednesday-Thursday
Tuna Salad with Paleo Mayo
Cucumbers & Carrots

Friday
Leftovers

Saturday-Sunday
Beef Brisket (leave out the sauce made with catsup and brown sugar!)
Sweet Potatoes
Green Beans

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Paleo Meal Plan - Week 3

This was a bad week of cravings for me.  I had to resort to my Paleo Cookie Dough a night or two!  I also did a lot of yard work and snacked on apples with almond butter.

Breakfast

Monday-Tuesday

Wednesday-Thursday

Friday
Bacon
Sauteed Kale
leftover Chicken Breakfast Sausage

Saturday-Sunday

Lunch

Monday-Tuesday 
Wednesday-Thursday
Spaghetti
Cook regular spaghetti sauce with ground beef; serve with baked spaghetti squash. Make sure spaghetti sauce is only tomatoes, olive oil, and spices; no sugar or vegetable oils).

Friday
Baby Carrots - 4 oz

Saturday-Sunday
Leftovers

Dinner

Monday-Tuesday 
Shrimp Creole
Sautéed Yellow Squash

Wednesday-Thursday
Baked Chicken
Bell Peppers (cooked or raw)

Friday
Leftovers

Saturday-Sunday
Fish Taco-Less Salad (I used Hake fish from the frozen bagged section at Costco)

Not Peanut Sauce

Original recipe from Paleo Comfort Foods

1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp red curry paste
2 cups coconut milk
1/2 cup almond butter
2 tsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Heat oil in pan.  Add curry paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add coconut milk, stirring.  Add almond butter, fish sauce, and vinegar.  Simmer on low 5 minutes, until warmed.

Middle Eastern Chicken Salad

This is a portable salad that can be eaten cold or at room temperature.

4 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp cider or white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 lb carrots, shredded
8 radishes, diced
1 handful parsley, chopped.
1 lb chicken, cooked and cubed

Mix all liquid ingredients together.  Pour over veggies and chicken; mix.  This salad tastes best after the flavors blend; mix the day before and refrigerate overnight.

Fajita Frittata

Original recipe from Health-Bent.  My modified ingredients below.  I do not eat fresh onions (except for green onions) due to high FODMAPs and indigestibility.

1 Tbsp butter
1 red bell pepper, chopped
leftover chicken, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
1 handful cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup salsa verde (I use Herdez brand)
1 tomato, sliced
6 eggs
1 pinch of salt per egg

Preheat oven to 375.  Heat oven-proof skillet on medium-high.  Add butter; allow to melt and stop sizzling.  Add bell pepper; cook until softened.  Add chicken; cook until lightly browned.  Add green onions, cilantro, and salsa verde; stir.  Lay tomatoes on top in 1 layer.

Mix eggs in separate bowl with salt.  Pour gently into skillet.  Cook on stove-top until middle 1/4 of the eggs are mostly cooked.  Transfer to oven and cook about 15 minutes, until done.




Stuffed Mushrooms

Original recipe from Primal Blueprint Quick and Easy Meals

2 large portobello mushroom caps, cleaned and de-stemmed
olive oil
2 handfuls baby spinach
2 eggs
leftover Spicy Chorizo Chicken Sausage (about 1/2 cup)

Preheat over to 425.  Drizzle olive oil on mushroom caps; sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place upside down on baking sheet; bake for 15 minutes.  Flip right side up (allowing collected juices to run out into pan).  Bake another 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare filling.  Heat skillet on medium-high.  Add olive oil; add spinach and cook until lightly wilted.  Add eggs; scramble.  Add sausage; warm until heated through.

Top mushroom caps with egg mixture.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Spicy Chorizo Chicken Sausage

1 lb ground chicken (dark meat or combo, not breast meat)
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp coriander
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cayenne
pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar

Brown chicken in skillet until almost done but still watery.  Sprinkle seasonings over top and mix in.  Simmer until water evaporates.  Let chicken continue to cook until it starts to brown slightly.  Add vinegar and scrape up browned bits.

I serve this sausage over Sauteed Kale, topped with Paleo Gravy.

Paleo Gravy

Original recipe from Paleo Comfort Foods.  This recipe uses the same techniques as traditional gravy (make a roux, add liquid, add seasonings, etc).

2 Tbsp fat (butter, bacon grease, beef tallow, etc)
1 Tbsp almond flour
1 Tbsp arrowroot
1 can coconut milk, shaken
1 tsp sage
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt (taste; you may wish to add more)
chicken broth (optional)

Heat fat in saucepan.  Add almond flour and arrowroot; whisk until just starting to brown (very light - don't let it get too dark).  Add in half of coconut milk and stir quickly.  Cook 1 minute.  Add seasonings and rest of coconut milk.  Reduce heat and simmer until warmed.  Add chicken broth if you wish to thin it.

Meatza

Google "meatza" and you will discover an abundance of different recipes.  It's yummy.  It really satisfies the pizza craving, especially if you are going to have "real" pizza in the house and need something else to eat!   Also a great way to use up leftover veggies.

Meat "Crust"
1 lb ground beef
1 tsp sage
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp salt
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp onion powder

(alternate: 1 lb beef, 1 egg, 1/7 of 4" link of chorizo)

Pizza Sauce
you can use jarred sauce, as long as it has no sugar
8 oz tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp basil
3/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Toppings
should be pre-cooked
steamed broccoli
sauteed mushrooms
squash
sliced tomato (raw)
olives
pepperoni
etc

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix meat with spices; press into a small square baking pan.  (I line my pan with parchment paper to make lifting it out easier.)  Bake 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool a few minutes.  Lift meat from pan, being careful to pour grease back into pan.  Place meat on a baking sheet (again, lined with parchment or foil - I hate washing dishes!).

Top meat base with pizza sauce and veggies.  Put back in oven for a few minutes, until warmed*.

*I usually put mozzarella on half the meatza for my kids, so I pop it in the oven until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Almond Dressing

Original recipe from Primal Blueprint Quick and Easy Meals

1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp tahini
3 Tbsp almond butter
1/2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp sesame oil or macadamia oil
2 Tbsp tamari*
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

*Tamari is a "real" soy sauce made from fermented soy.  It minimizes the problems with soy, and should be wheat-free if it is a good brand.

Mix together until smooth.

Souffle Frittata

Original recipe from "Primal Blueprint Quick and Easy Meals"

This souffle is great when you need something different to do with eggs.  It is light and almost flaky.  It tastes just as good as  leftovers, or at room temperature if you need a portable meal.

2 Tbsp butter, melted & cooled
6 eggs, separated into yolks and whites
filling, such as 8 strips bacon

Preheat oven to 350.  Cook filling.  (You can microwave bacon.  Place 4 strips in a glass pie plate.  Cover with wax or parchment paper.  Cook 4 minutes.  If not done, cook in 30 second increments until done.  You can also cook it in a 12-inch oven-proof skillet you will use later to cook souffle.)  Cut into small pieces.

In a small bowl, mix cooled butter with egg yolks.  With a mixer, beat egg whites until stiff.  Fold the butter-yolk mixture and the bacon filling into the whites.

Heat 12-in oven-proof skillet on medium-high.  Add a little of the bacon grease and heat a few seconds.  Pour souffle into skillet; let cook 2 minutes.  Move to oven and bake 15 minutes.

Paleo Meal Plan - Week 2

I had a bag of frozen blueberries this week that I used for snacking.

Breakfast

Monday-Tuesday

Wednesday - Thursday
Omelet with Avocado and Tomato

Friday
Bacon
Leftover Breakfast Meatballs
Leftover broccoli, steamed
Paleo Gravy

Saturday-Sunday
Spicy Chorizo Chicken Sausage
Sauteed Kale or Mashed Cauliflower
Paleo Gravy
(save about 1/2 cup of the sausage to use in Stuffed Mushrooms in Week 3)

Lunch

Monday-Tuesday
Raw Broccoli

Wednesday - Thursday
Peaches, fresh or frozen

Friday
Raw Carrots
Mixed Nuts

Saturday-Sunday
Leftovers

Dinner

Monday-Tuesday
Cauliflower

Wednesday - Thursday

Friday
Leftovers

Saturday-Sunday
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Green Beans