PaleYo

Archive - May 2015

Jersey Scramble

I’m dubbing this the Jersey Scramble…because I’m from Jersey, I made it up, it’s delicious, and all you gotta do is scramble it.  Now before you blow a gasket over whether or not Taylor Ham is Paleo, it’s technically not.  I know this, but I’m from New Jersey and it’s a staple here.  You can substitute the Taylor Ham for some other kind of delicious not processed meat, but then it’s not technically a Jersey Scramble.  🙂

Jersey Scramble

Ingredients 

  • 2 eggs, whisked
  • 2 pieces of Taylor Ham, cubed
  • handful baby spinach
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 tsp cilantro
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp grass fed butter
  • sea salt, to taste
  • Frank’s Red Hot

Melt your butter in the pan; add the diced pepper, taylor ham, and spinach.  Stir occasionally for a few minutes until the spinach is cooked down and the peppers start to sweat.  Add the whisked eggs, cilantro, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt.  Use a spatula to scramble!  Plate and add Frank’s Red Hot.  Mmmm….  

“New Jersey… because you can’t get real pork roll anywhere else.”

Breakfast For Dinner

Do you ever crave breakfast for dinner?  I do…often.  Here’s something I came up with…

Breakfast for Dinner

Ingredients

  • 2 C. brussel sprouts, halved
  • 2 TBSP coconut oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped
  • grass fed ground beef
  • 1 C. mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 eggs per burger
  • 2 tsp. onion powder
  • salt, to taste

Directions

Steam your brussel sprouts for a few minutes (this helps them get softer).  Then melt the coconut oil in a pan; add minced garlic and parsley.  Let that get fragrant and then add the halved brussel sprouts.  Stir them up so they get coated with the coconut oil.  In another pan, cook your burgers.  Season with salt and onion powder.  When you flip the burgers, add the mushrooms to the pan and mix them up so they get covered with the pan juices.  Keep stirring the brussel sprouts.  I kept the heat high so that they browned a bit.  When the brussel sprouts and the burgers are almost done, cook your eggs.  I made mine over easy.  When everything is done, put the brussel sprouts on the plate first, then the burger, then the mushrooms, and then the eggs!  Enjoy.

“Eat diamonds for breakfast and shine all day.”

 

Tuna Every Which Way

I love tuna, it’s really no secret.  I like finding new ways of enjoying it…here’s one I came up with recently.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Tuna-Every Which Way

Ingredients

  • 1 can of solid white albacore tuna 
  • 2 tsp. spicy brown mustard
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 C. spring salad
  • 1 C. baby spinach, chopped
  • 1 endive, chopped
  • 1/3 C. carrots, shredded
  • 1 tomato, quartered
  • white balsamic vinegar, to taste

Directions

In a bowl, put your tuna, spicy brown mustard, sea salt, and parsley.  Break up well with a fork, and mix well.  On a plate, put the spring salad, spinach, chopped endive, shredded carrots, tomato, and balsamic vinegar.  Place the tuna on top of that, and enjoy!  You can add whatever vegetables you want!  I just find this to be a good mix that I enjoy.  

How do you enjoy your tuna??  Let me know.  Tweet me @paleYoblog or e-mail me paleYoblog@gmail.com.

“Why do people say they are having a tuna-fish sandwich?  No one ever says they are having a chicken-bird sandwich.”

 

Back to Where It All Began

Hope everyone spent this Memorial Day weekend remembering the men and women who served and paid the ultimate sacrifice for us.  I went on a few adventures this weekend, even saw an old rusty pick up in the woods.  I love me some old cars!  (main photo)

Today I started doing a 3 day juicing.  I don’t call it a cleanse, because that’s not what it is.  I just jump start myself back into less snacking and less sugar.  On Friday, I will be going back to the first 30-day paleo plan that I started with!  For the juicing, I am following recipes from Caveman Cookbooks: Paleo Juicing Recipes.  They are actually not that bad!  Unfortunately, since I’m allergic to a lot of fruits, there are some recipes I can’t actually enjoy.  If you have a Kindle with a subscription to Amazon, you can get it for free.  They add a lot of supplements, too.  I had one juice for breakfast, and one for lunch, so far today.

On Friday, I’m going back to the 30 Day Guide to Paleo Cooking…back to where it all began.  I wonder how it will be now, having much more knowledge about Paleo eating.  I know food shopping will be so much easier!  I always went back to the book here and there in the beginning, but now I’m committed to following this for 30 days again!

Summer time is around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to feel good.   I’m not sure if I’m going to lose a ton of weight this time around, but I may.  I’ve been plateaued for awhile.  I can go up and down 5-10 lbs. depending on what day it is.  If I can stay really focused, I may be able to lose 10-15 lbs. but Paleo may just help me tone up, which may result in a weight gain of muscle, or just no weight loss.  I’ll keep you guys posted, don’t worry!

Now go…be healthy!

“eleutheromania- (n.) an intense and irresistible desire for freedom”

No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

Bottom Layer

  • ⅓ C. raw pecans
  • ½ C. blanched almond flour
  • 5 pitted medjool dates
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ TBSP coconut oil, melted

Top Layer

  • 6 TBSP coconut oil, melted
  • 3 TBSP coconut milk, full fat
  • 1½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 TBSP raw honey
  • 1½ C. almond flour
  • ½ C. Enjoy Life chocolate chips

Bottom Layer:

Using a blender, grind the pecans into course meal and place it in medium bowl.  Then remove pits from dates and blend into a paste.  Using your hands, mix together the pecans with the almond flour, dates, vanilla extract and coconut oil until all ingredients are combined.  Line a 7×5-inch baking dish with parchment paper and spread the mixture.

Top Layer:

In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, coconut milk, vanilla extract and honey.  Add almond flour and mix until all ingredients are combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips. Spread the cookie dough mixture on top of the brownie.  Refrigerate until firm.  Take it out and cut into bites.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

This is good for breakfast or a snack.

“Sometimes me thinks ‘What is a friend?’ and then me say, ‘Friend is someone to share the last cookie with.'” 
-Cookie Monster-

Chorizo Chili is So Good

Been working out pretty hard the last few days.  Also, slacked on posting recipes!  My bad!

Chorizo Chili

  • 1 lb. fresh chorizo sausages, casings removed
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 can of Ro*tel
  • 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste

Brown off all the meat in a skillet.  Then add onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes.  Pour in can of tomatoes and stir. Then add can of ro*tel and chipotle peppers, stir well.  Let it come to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.  Put in bowl and top with diced avocado, green onions, and cilantro.

“If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.”

Allison’s Cherry and Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream

It’s Wednesday…we are half way through the week.  For this feat, I decided I would gift you with this awesome recipe from my friend Allison.  She has a blog called, “My Stills and Spills: Adventures Inside and Outside the Kitchen.”  She is an incredible cook and photographer, hence, her posts are about her stills and spills.  So clever.  Go check it out.  Her recipes are all GLUTEN FREE, too!

So she lives in California with her husband, and the other day they went cherry picking.  We were talking about her adventures and what she could do with the cherries…I suggested ice cream (because when am I NOT thinking about ice cream)….she liked the idea and was in!

This is what she came up with…Cherry and Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream.  Go read it and make it happen…read her other posts, too!

Thank you, Allison, for this awesome recipe!  (photo credit: Allison)

“Why not go out on a limb?  That’s where the fruit is.”

Sore is the New Black

Yesterday I participated in the HARDEST workout I have ever done…in my life!  It was called Strike Zone, and it was insane.  I would consider myself pretty fit, but this class was ridiculously hard!  It was awesome, I feel great (and extremely sore), but it was great.  I ate a banana before bed and I think it helped with my soreness a bit.

Here’s your breakfast!

Italian Scramble

  • ½ tsp. coconut oil
  • 1 ½ C. kale
  • ½ C. cherry tomatoes
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp. balsamic vinaigrette
  • ¼ avocado

Melt coconut oil in small pan. Add kale, 3 TBSP water, pinch of salt, and the cherry tomatoes. Stir to coat, then put the lid on. Let it cook 3-4 minutes, stirring once or twice. Take a spatula, and press the tomatoes. Scramble 2 eggs in a bowl, and pour over veggies. Stir it up, and cook to your liking. Plate and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve with avocado on the side.

Then for dinner…

Bacon-Wrapped Barbecue Chicken

  • 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 C. barbecue sauce (I recommend Googling a recipe – find one to your liking)
  • 1 package of bacon

Marinate the chicken in the barbecue sauce for 8 hours or overnight. Before grilling, wrap each piece of chicken with two slices of bacon, securing with toothpicks.  Place chicken on grill and cook for about 10 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Simple. Delicious.

“If you don’t get hurt, you’re not working hard enough.”

Have No Fear, Ketchup is Here

So you love ketchup, but now that you’re paleo…ketchup is no more?  Not true!  You can make your own paleo version of ketchup.  You can make it spicy, too!  As a ketchup lover myself, I wasn’t sure anything would replace it….until now.  Here’s how you make some ketchup.

Ketchup is Back

  • 1 can tomato paste
  • 2 TBSP vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp dry mustard
  • 1/3 C. water
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/8 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/4 jalapeno, finely chopped (optional)

Blend jalapeño, water, and vinegar, put aside.  Add remaining ingredients to a bowl and mix well.  Then add the blended ingredients and fold in.  Refrigerate overnight.

There you have it!  Ketchup.

“Always have an extra bottle of ketchup on the shelf.”

 

That’s a Spicy Meatball

Made some meatballs for dinner…because, who doesn’t love meatballs!?

That’s a Spicy Meatball

For the meatballs

  • 2 lbs. grass fed ground beef
  • 1/2 onion
  • 3 medium dried chipotle chilies, seeds out
  • 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 TBSP EVOO
  • 1 tsp of sea salt
  • 3 TBSP ghee

For the sauce

  • ½ onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 medium dried chipotle chilies, seeds out
  • ½ tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 can diced tomatoes or tomato puree
  • ½ tsp sea salt

If using dried chipotle chilies, place in hot water for at least an hour before using to rehydrate.

Sauté the onion in 2 tsp ghee for, until translucent. Use half of the onion in the meatball mix and use the rest for the sauce.  While onion is cooking, get the other ingredients ready for the meatballs.  Chop the chipotle chilies, removing the seeds.  Combine ground beef with half of the cooked onion, garlic, chilies, paprika, cumin, coriander, salt and EVOO.  Combine with your hands.  Preheat ghee in the large frying pan until sizzling hot.  Roll the mix into small balls and cook for 3 minutes on each side, until well browned.  Add the rest of the cooked onion, garlic, two chopped chilies and sauce spices to the pan with the meatballs.  Stir, then add the diced tomatoes/tomato puree.  Cook for 10-12 minutes uncovered, stir occasionally.  Enjoy!

Serve over spaghetti squash or gluten free pasta (if you’re not paleo).

“The beauty of life does not depend on how happy you are, but how happy others can be because of you.”