Butternut Squash Soup by Alex

It is getting cold outside!  Tomorrow is going to be even colder.....So, my go to is Soup!  The only way to avoid all those extra ingredients and sodium found in store bought soup is to make your own.  Here is a recipe for a delicious butternut squash soup brought to you by Balanced Bites

Ingredients:

1 Butternut squash, roasted

1 Tbsp bacon fat, coconut oil or ghee

1 yellow onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, peeled & smashed

celtic sea salt

2 pinches of dry sage

black pepper

16oz chicken or vegetable broth

2 Tbsp coconut milk (optional but recommended)

2 Tbsp water (or more for thinner soup)

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Halve the squash and place it face down in a glass or ceramic roasting dish about 30-55 minutes. After the squash has been roasting for about 20 minutes, begin to cook the rest of the soup ingredients on the stove-top. 

Use a large pot and sautée the bacon fat and onions until the onions begin to brown on the edges. Then place the garlic in with the onions and add salt, sage and pepper. Allow this to cook for just couple of minutes to take the edge off of the raw garlic then add your chicken stock, coconut milk and water.

By now your squash should be roasted and you can add it to the mixture and stir together. When it's combined, add the orange juice as the last thing you do before you turn off the heat. 

Allow the soup to cool a bit and then pour it into a blender and whir it up until it's smooth. Be careful not to fill the blender to the top when you're blending hot liquids as the steam tends to expand the liquid when you blend it - blend in batches if necessary.

This makes 4-6 servings depending on how big you serve up the bowl!

Salmon for Breakfast? Yes! By Jess

I often hear clients say the hardest part about going Paleo is breakfast. Traditionally breakfast is thought of as starchy carbs such as cereal, oatmeal, bagels and more. When people switch to paleo eating eggs every single morning can get boring. So don't!!! Mix it up just like any other meal. One of my favorites is a few pieces of smoked salmon with 2 sides...1/2 a pear and 1 Tbs. Nut Butter of your choice. This breakfast is loaded with healthy Omega3s and a perfect balance of protein, carb and fat!

INGREDIENTS:
3-4 oz Smoked Salmon
1/2 Pear or Apple
1 Tbs. Nut Butter (Almond, Walnut, Cashew, etc.)

Deviled Eggs by Coach Megan Parsons

I made Deviled eggs for a Thanksgiving appetizer. Total success and pretty simple to prepare if you already have the Paleo Mayo whipped up. This morning I ate a few Deviled eggs along side sauteed spinach for breakfast.

PALEO MAYO

Ingredients: (makes about 1 cup to 1 1/4 cup)

• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp mustard
• 3 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup coconut oil

Technique:

1. Put the yolks in a bowl with the mustard and 1 tsp lemon juice
2. Start whisking vigorously (blender or food processor on low) while dripping the oil very slowly, even drop by drop in the beginning. You’re creating an emulsion and if you put too much oil at once, it will separate and will be very hard to save. Whisk non-stop and use a towel under the bowl to help stabilize it. Mys sister helped me here!
3. As you add more oil, the emulsion will form and the mayonnaise will start to thicken and you can pour the oil faster at this point.
4. When all the oil is incorporated and the mayonnaise is thick, add the rest of the lemon juice and taste your creation. You can season to taste with salt and pepper.

DEVILED EGGS

Ingredients:

• 12 eggs
• 1/2 cup Paleo Mayo (see above)
• 1 TB mustard
• 1 TB cumin
• 3 slices bacon
• Paprika for garnish
• Sea salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Cook the bacon slices until crispy. Let cool.
2. Crumble the bacon to small bits.
3. Place eggs in a pot filled with cold water.
4. Bring to a boil and let boil for 12 minutes. After the 12 minutes, remove from the heat, drain and run some cold water immediately on the eggs. The cold water will cool the eggs so you can work with them and will also stop the cooking process.
5. Once the eggs are cold enough to handle, peel them and cut them in half.
6. Scoop out the yolks and mash them in a bowl with the mayo, mustard, bacon bits, cumin, salt, & pepper.
7. Spoon the yolk, mayo, and bacon filling into the egg whites.
8. Garnish with paprika.

Bacon Broccoli Salad

Bacon Broccoli Salad

By Coach Karen

(Primal Blueprint Cookbook p.139)

Ingredients:
2 cups of hommade mayonnaise (see below)
2-3 tablespoons raw honey, grad B pure mable syrup, or coconut/palm sugar
1-3 tablespoons unfiltered apple cider vinegar, preferable raw (may be ommitted)
10 slices of cooked bacon, cooked or crubled into bit-size pieces
2lbs of fresh broccoli (about 2-3 large crowns), rinsed well and cut into small florets about the size of a walnut or smaller
1 cut nuts, chopped coarsely (try almonds or walnuts)
1/2 cup assorted raisins or dried fruit, or 1 cup cut up fresh fruit: grapes, cherries, blue berries, or chopped apples (optional)


Insctuctions:
Combine mayo and honey or maple syrup in a large bowl and mix well (adjust sweet-tart taste with cider vinegar). Add bacon, borccoli, nuts, and dried fruit (if using) and mix until everythign is evenly distributed and coated with dressing. Flavor is best if allowed marinate in the fridgerator or on ice in a cooler at least a few hours.

Mayonnaise
Ingredients:
1 whole egg or 2 egg yolks
2-3 table sppons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Dash of paprika
Pinch of salt
3/4 to 1 cup pur olive oil (not that extra virgin olive oil can create a very bitter flavor when blended with an electrice device. Eitehr use refined or "light" olive oil, or blend with a whisk instead of an electric device)

Instructions:
Place egg, vinegar, paprika, and salt int eh container you will whisk it in. I fyou are using a hand-held or "stick" immersion blender, make sure the container is tall enough to prevent splattering yet wide enough to accommodate the immersion blender. Drizzle the oil in while blending. If sing a hand-held whisk, a glass or stainles steel bowl works best. Measure 1 cup oil into sperate container, ideally with a good pouring lip. Whisk or blend the egg misture for 10 sec. while continuing to whisk, begin to slowly drizzle oil into the container in a very thin, steady stream, no thicker than pencil lead. When about half the oile is mixed in, the mayonaise will start to thicken and take shape. Continue blending and drizzling until the oil is gone, or until no mroe oil will disappear into the emulsion. Season to taste with more salt if necessary. If the emulsion shoudl seperate, add1 teaspoon water or vinegar and whisk again briefly.

Crystal Nelson's Cinnamon Walnut Turtles

Happy Thanksgiving!!! It's very likely you are already enjoying some other treats, but I thought that this might be an easy dish to take to a party as an appetizer or simple dessert.

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Walnuts
1 Cup Raw Honey
1/2 Cup of Cinnamon
1 Tsp of Vanilla Extract

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix honey, cinnamon and vanilla into paste. Stir in walnuts and thoroughly coat. Form into small clusters and dehydrate for at least 24 hours. You can also bake 20-30 minutes if you don't have a dehydrator.

Your new Thanksgiving Sweet Potato dish by LBT

Yes, we're gonna consider sweet potatoes Paleo - especially since it's Thanksgiving!

What You Need
• 3 pounds sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 head radicchio, chopped - No, I didn't know what this was either...but you can find it!

• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped and roasted - about 10 minutes on 325 in the oven if you wanna make your own without all the added 'stuff'

Dressing
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 jalapeño, finely diced aka minced for all you chef's out there!
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

How to Make it
1. Boil peeled and chopped sweet potatoes in large pot until tender. Drain water off when cooked.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, olive oil, honey, jalapeño, salt and pepper.
3. In a large bowl, combine cooked sweet potatoes with chopped radicchio, cilantro and roasted walnuts. Toss gently with dressing and serve!

Coconut Macadamia Bark-by Coach Alex

photo: Coconut macadamia, Coconut macadamia and blue berries and coconut peppermint chocolate and macadamia bark

The sugary season is upon us!  It is also the season of giving, so try this paleo treat and bring some along to your parties!
Below is the instructions for the coconut macadamia bark but don't be afraid to have fun and try some variations.


Ingredients:
1/3 Coconut Flakes (unsweetened)
1 cup Coconut Oil
2/3 Macadamia Nuts

Instructions
Mix together oil, coconut flakes and nuts. Line a pan or plate with parchment paper.  Pour the oil mixture onto the parchment paper. Freeze for at least 30 minutes. Break apart into pieces of bark. Store in the freezer.

Paleo-ISH Pumpkin, Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies by Jess

Mmm, 3 of my favorite things, pumpkin, coconut and chocolate!! Even though these are a healthier option they should still be considered a TREAT! Enjoy =)


INGREDIENTS:
1 C. Canned Pureed Pumpkin
1 Large Egg
1 C. Turbinado Sugar
6 Tbs. Coconut Oil
1 Tsp. Vanilla
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
1 Tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder
2 C. Hazlenut Flour
1 C. Shredded Coconut
1 C. Dark Chocolate Chips



DIRECTIONS:

*Pre-Heat oven to 375

1. In a large bowl beat all of the wet ingredients until mixed with no lumps.

2. Add Flour, Coconut and Chocolate Chips and stir until mixed.

3. Scoop 2 tablespoons of dough onto a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper and bake 14-16 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool and ENJOY! Mmmmm

Almond Crusted Mahi Mahi by Coach Megan

Almond-Crusted Mahi Mahi
1 Mahi Mahi fillet
1 tsp coconut oil
2 tsp of almond flour
Salt & pepper for seasoning

Mahi Mahi was on sale at Sun Harvest so I stocked up. Melt the coconut oil in the skillet place the fillet on the skillet and sear 1 min on each side then add the almond flour to one side and continue to grill. I sauteed onions, spinach, and asparagus with my meal.

The fish tasted similar to fried fish without all the trans fats.

Lunch To Go by JenC

Today I needed some food at the gym! I dropped into People's Pharmacy across from Central Market on Lamar and got this great salad. I added the gluten free tuna salad and had a great lunch...with bacon!

Crystal Nelson's Egg-licious Recipe

The last few weeks I have cut back drastically on my egg intake.  Now, eggs feel like a special treat that I get to eat a couple of times a week!  That means that I want to make my eggs feel special!

This is my go-to egg breakfast dish.  It doesn't take a lot of time and gets you off to a good start!

Ingredients:
Eggs
Kale
Garlic
Bacon
Fresh Salsa

Directions:
Cook bacon and remove from pan.  Set aside and cut into bite sized pieces.
Throw torn kale into bacon grease and cook.  About 30 seconds later throw in chopped garlic.  Cook to your preference.

Add in bacon and eggs.  Let eggs sit and cook until slightly firm, then stir everything together to finish cooking.

Add salsa and mix together cooking another 20-30 seconds.  Voila!  Enjoy!

K.I.S.S: BenderThiel Green Drink

This Green Drink isn't a new one for many of you and a few of you may have tried this recently when I posted it to my blog. However, I this one is so delicious and simple, I think we should share it with everyone!


1/3 can coconut milk
1/2 avocado
1/2 cucumber - skin and all!
Handful of spinach
2-3 stalks of Kale
1-2 stalks of celery
Splash of lemon juice
Squeeze of honey
2-3 dashes of cinnamon
Splash of Vanilla
1 serving of Paleo Meal protein powder

Put all of the above in a blender with enough water for it to "blend". I like to blend ice in mine to make it really tasty.

Sounds like an odd combo of goodies, right?! Don't take it form me - to try it for yourself.
It's surprisingly refreshing and sweet :)

Coconut Crusted Chicken with a Side of asparagus and Spinach Salad by Coach Alex

 

photo compliments of my PT Client Yvonne Para.  She is on the last week of her 21 day paleo challenge and loving it! GO YVONNE

Coconut Crusted Chicken

 Ingredients

4 skinless boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts

1 egg

1 teaspoon water

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 to 1 teaspoon coconut oil or enough to just coat the bottom of a heavy skillet

 

Instructions

Whisk egg with water in a flat dish and set aside.

Place chicken pieces individually between 2 sheets of waxed paper. Using a meat mallet pound the chicken to uniform sized pieces. Uniform pieces allow for even cooking.

Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture until coated.

Place chicken in coconut and turn until coated evenly.

In the meantime heat the coconut oil in a heavy skillet. Place the chicken pieces in the skillet and cook until coconut is browned and chicken liquid runs clear flipping once. Cooking takes about 3-4 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the meat. Serve with a salad and a Grilled Pineapple slice.

Asparagus

Ingredients

• 1 bunch asparagus
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp thyme

Instructions

1. Remove the tough ends off of the asparagus.
2. Place in a roasting pan
3. Drizzle the oil and thyme over the asparagus and toss together until well coated.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 250 for 15 more minutes.

Quick and Easy Paleo Chili by Jess

Sunday was cold and gloomy and I was craving something warm and cozy so decided to make Chili and it was delicious! Great things about making chili:

1. It's not time consuming!
2. Buying the ingredients is relatively inexpensive
3. It makes a TON so you have lots of meals for the week or great for a big family!

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs. Organic Grass fed Beef
2 Large Cans Organics Tomato Sauce
1 Small Can Organics Stewed Tomatoes
Chopped Onions
Chopped Carrots
Chopped Celery
Chopped Red Bell Pepper
Sliced Mushrooms
Coconut Oil
Sliced Jalapeno
1 Box DL Jardine's Chili Seasoning Kit
Salt and Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large saucepan brown beef, onions, salt and pepper

2. Sautee Celery, Carrots, Bell Peppers and Mushrooms in 1 Tbs. Coconut Oil

3. In a large pot pour in tomato sauces and then add the meat, vegetables, jalapeno and seasonings. Stir and let simmer for 30 mins.

Paleo Pizza

Paleo Pizza

by Karen

This pizza version removes the grain and dairy and still taste good! This is a basic pizza recipe. You can alter it and add whatever veggies and meats that you like to make your favorite style of pizza.
Ingredients
3 tsp olive oil, divided
1 cup almond flour
3 Tbs cashew butter
1/3 cup egg whites
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 chopped red pepper
1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes
1 large Italian sausage, cut in 1/2" slices
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp fennel seed

Instructions
Mix almond flour, cashew butter, and egg whites in a small bowl. This makes the dough.
Cover a pizza baking sheet with 2 tsp of olive oil, then spread the "dough" mixture over it, making a 1/4" thick crust. Preheat the oven to 250 F. In a skillet, add the remaining olive oil and the sliced sausage. Once browned remove from skillet and place in small bowl. Add the garlic, onions, and red pepper to the skillet. Sauté the veggies shortly. You do not want them to be too soft.
Cover the dough with the marinara sauce, then add the meat and all the vegetables except the tomatoes. Add the oregano and fennel seed, then bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, add the halved tomatoes. Make sure to be careful when lifting slices off the pan. The dough will be be as thick as normal so make sure to use a spatula.
Makes 4 servings.

OMG this is amazing!! I have made it a few different ways! I have even used almond butter vs cashew butter and I can't taste the difference. I would recommend cooking the crust for a few mins before you add in all the toppings. It will make it easier to removed from the pan when comes time to eat! Enjoy!

Homemade Cobb Salad

One of my favorite things to order at Central Market is the Cobb Salad, minus the blue cheese and ranch dressing.  I usually get it to-go so I can weigh and measure everything to make sure it's zone-paleo friendly.  Here's my homemade version of the Cobb salad.

What You Will Need:

- Chicken breasts, grilled or baked (however you prefer)

- Nitrate Free, applewood smoked bacon ( I usually buy Applegate Farms)

- Mixed salad greens

- Avocado

- Boiled eggs

- Olives (rinsed and drained)

- Cherry tomatoes

The great thing about this recipe is there is no magical way to make it; except for the few following steps:

1. Grill or bake chicken breasts

2. Cook the bacon until crispy

3. Cut up avocado, dice the boiled eggs, halve the cherry tomatoes, rinse the olives

4. Measure out your blocks for each ingredient and toss all together!

Sometimes the avocado, olives, and tomatoes make enough moisture that you don't really need any dressing.  But feel free to use whatever dressing or oils you normally do and enjoy!

Heather Reed's Fab Kale Chips

Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
3. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

I LOVE kale and here this is just one more tasty way for me to get it in and have a salty crunchy treat!!!! 

JenC's FAT IS PHAT breakfast

This is my breakfast most of the week. 

1/2 link of sausage ( any ) 

1/4 package of turkey meat

3-4 eggs

lots of pre-cut veggies, or left over veggies from dinner the night before

2 slices of Applegate Farms Sunday Bacon

BAM!  A great thing about this breakfast is I make two at a time. So when I  coach early on M/W/F I can grab and go, eat it after class or in the car.  Always cook for those imaginary four roommates that you live with and you will never go hungry. 

A New Spin on Salmon

Confession-- I haven't made this yet, but it looks SO good I had to go ahead and share it before I try it.  I hope it tastes as good as it looks!

Ingredients:

• Coconut Oil
• 1 lb salmon (wild caught)
• 2 tbs pecans
• 2 tsp rosemary
• sea salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Add a bit of coconut oil to a baking pan, coat well.  Lay the salmon in the pan skin side down.

Chop the pecans.  Sprinkle the pecans, rosemary, and sea salt over your fish, then bake for 12-15 minutes.  Make sure it flakes easily with a fork; be sure to check the middle portion of the salmon.

Enjoy!!  Simple, easy, yet creative and appealing.  My kind of recipe for sure.

--Crystal Nelson

Yum Yum for my Tum Tum!

Nothing difficult here peeps! We like to keep it simple but tasty at the Kepler house.

You will need:
1 spaghetti squash
1 lb grass fed beef
1 lb local organic ground pork
1 jar organic marinara sauce
Fresh basil from the garden
Salt and pepper to taste

Bake spaghetti squash at 350 for 50 min
In pan cook beef and pork together completely then
pour in marinara sauce

Take spaghetti squash out and let cool, scrape out the inside onto plate, 3 + tablespoons of sauce placed right in center of squash! Bam! Yum, yum for your tum tum!

K.I.S.S - bagged lunch by LBT

So, I am not the best chef in the world and this surely stems from the fact that I could probably eat the same thing (more or less) everyday.
When it comes to my recipes there is one word that sums it up:
K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid)
With that in mind, today I've got a recipe for a quick and easy Paleo bagged lunch.
I often hear that snacks and bagged lunches are the hardest part of the transition when you're transitioning to a more Paleo lifestyle.

My K.I.S.S. bagged lunch/snack includes:

Main Ingredients:

• 1 packet of Organic Sweet Potato baby food (yes, baby food)
• 1/4 cup raw almonds
• 1 packet of StarKist white meat tuna
• 1 bell pepper stuffed with Chicken Salad

Dressing:

• Lululemon Bag - unless you have a "real" lunch bag!

How To Make It:

• You can find a variety of organic, quality baby food options at Central Market or Whole Foods. They are a great post WOD snack and taste surprisingly good
• Chicken Salad: makes enough for 4 stuffed peppers

Mix the following together and fill a fresh uncooked bell pepper:

1. 2 large cooked and diced chicken breast
2. 1 tbsp lemon juice
3. 1 mashed avocado
4. Dash of sea salt and pepper
5. 1/2 diced green apple
6. 1-2 chopped celery sticks
7. 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Enjoy!

Green Chili Turkey Burgers- By Coach Alex

I made these a while back but revisited them last night and I am glad I did.  Simple and quick just the way I like to cook.  Add some avocado for some added flavor as well as fat (turkey is a lean meat so you are getting very little fat unless you add).

 

I ate it way to fast and totally forgot to take a picture so the pic above, sorry to disappoint, are not my burgers.  Mine were not that pretty, but they were darn good!

2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chiles
1 pound ground turkey
1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
½ cup onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt

1. In a medium sized bowl mix diced chiles with turkey, cilantro, onion, cumin, chili powder and salt
2. Form into burgers and grill
3. Serve

Side Dish: Almond Glazed Brussel Sprouts by Jess

Brussel Sprouts are one of my favorite veggies and almond butter is up there on my list of favorties as well so these two are a match made in heaven. Sounds weird but Almond Butter Glazed Brussel Sprouts are DE-LI-CIOUS and nutritious!! Enjoy these with your lean protein source of choice!

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. brussels sprouts
2 tbsp smooth unsalted almond butter
2 tsp soy sauce (trivial amount)
2 tsp raw organic honey
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp coconut oil
1 clove garlic

INSTRUCTIONS:
- Trim about ¼ inch from bottom of each sprout.
- Separate and remove loose outer leaves of each sprout.
- Place leaves into a bowl and set aside.
- Slice each sprout in half.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together almond butter, 1 ½ tbsp water, soy sauce, honey, lemon juice and cayenne. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium- high heat.
- Add garlic and halved sprout centers and sear for about 1 minute.
- Add leaves and sauté until light golden brown and wilted, about 4-6 minutes.
- Add about 2 tbsp water to pan and stir once.
- Reduce heat to medium, pour in almond butter mixture and stir until sprouts are coated.
- Cook for about 30-60 seconds longer, until sauce has thickened slightly.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Turkey Kebabs

I told y'all I LOVE this book! I'm determine to make almost everything in it.


Turkey Kebabs by Karen

Ingredients:
1.5lb Turkey Breast, de-boned, trimmed of most of the skin and cut into thin strips

1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon cummin
1/2 teaspoon salg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon or less cayenne pepper
2 tablsppos cup finely chopped parsley
1 tablseppon finely chopped mint

Serving: 6-8 kebabs

Instructions:

In a food processor, blend meat until ground. Add all remaining ingredients and pulse a few times until well belended. Lightly grease yourhands and form meat into balls that are longer and more oval in shape than regular meat balls. Drizzle the formed meatballs with oil and slide a skewer through them. Gently lift onto a hot grill and grill for 6-8 minutes a side.

*Personal note* These were yummy but I might try rolling them in some almond flour just to add a little bit of a "crunchy" outside.

Showout Megan: Hearty Breakfast

Some mornings I know I need a large breakfast, because the next time I will be able to eat is 5-6 hours later. Today was the case. Below is a typical breakfast for me; however, I added 2 slices of bacon and a larger portion of ground beef then usual. I felt completely satisfied all morning and through my workout.

3 eggs
whole stalk of swiss chard cooked with 2 slices of bacon
Grass-fed beef made into a hamburger patty
Spoonful of salsa
Avocado slices

JenC's starving gotta eat NOW dinner

Have you ever been so hungry even the shitty fast food place looked appetizing? I HAVE. And just for these situations I always keep a package of pre-chopped over priced vegetables from Central Market. Why you ask? Because sometimes you have to eat NOW, not an hour from NOW...NOW. So I pull out any random protein I have de-thawed ( the beauty is any protein tastes good with it!) and throw it in the pan with the veggies. 8 minutes later I am inhaling the entire pan. I WIN- I have fought off a possibly sugar nightmare by eating a clean high quality dinner. 

Crystal N's "Go To Meal": Chicken Marinara

My favorite go to meal when I want food in a hurry!  I was a Pasta LOVER before Paleo and this gives me total satisfaction when I have a pasta craving.

All you need is this:

4 chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
Olive Oil
Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce (or your favorite that is all real ingredients)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place chicken in oven safe dish and season with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper.  Place in oven for 20 minutes.

Pour desired amount of marinara sauce on top of chicken and bake an additional 10 minutes.

You are done!  You can pair this with spaghettii squash, sliced yellow squash and bell peppers, or even asparagus as the "noodles".  Enjoy!!

Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes - Perfect Fall Breakfast by LBT

One of the hardest things for me to 'give up' were pancakes! I still melt a little when I smell pancakes from Austin Java or Magnolia Cafe.
Luckily I found the perfect way to settle my pancake craving.

These are easy to make and taste surprisingly like the "real thing".

Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes:

• 1 whole egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup smooth almond butter
• 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce (careful!!! make sure it's apples only)

Step 1: Put all the ingredients in one bowl.
Step 2: Mix thoroughly. A whisk works well and 1,2,3 it all comes together in a thick, creamy batter!
Step 3: Drop batter into a medium hot pan with a touch of coconut oil and cook about 3 minutes on each side.







I enjoyed the pancakes with some an egg and spinach scramble. Oh and of course coffee!
Lisa Bender Thiel

Egg in a Tomato Bowl- by Coach Alex inspired by Casey Rowe

A dish brought to you by Casey Rowe-

Ingredients:

Tomatoes

Eggs

Spinach Leaves

Bacon -Nitrate Free/Uncured Bacon

Pepper

Instructions: 

• core out a tomato - be careful not to poke through the bottom
• mix 2 eggs, spinach leaves, one strip of cooked, nitrate free/uncured bacon, and dash of pepper and pour into the tomato
• cook on 400 for 20-25 minutes (or until egg is cooked)

Roast Beef with Cabbage, Squash, and Carrots by Melissa

People always ask me where I get my recipes from to cook Primal/Paleo.  Besides, using recipes from The Primal Blueprint Cookbook by Mark Sisson and The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook from Elana's Pantry, I usually use regular 'ole recipes and tweak them a little to become Primal-friendly.

This recipe came from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine and hardly needed any tweaking.  I could not find the actual picture and because I was in such a hurry to eat it when it was finished, I didn't get a chance to take one with my camera.

Ingredients:

-2 lbs boneless top loin roast beef

- sea salt and ground pepper

-1 medium butternut squash; peeled, halved, and sliced 1/2 inch thick

-3 medium carrots or how ever many baby carrots you want

-1 small head red cabbage, cored and cut into 8 wedges

- 4 sprigs of fresh thyme

- 2 tsp. of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

** This next step is not in the original recipe, but this what makes my mom's pot roast that much better than the average

2. Heat a pan on medium, meanwhile season beef with salt and pepper, pat one side with almond flour and place in pan.  Cook on one side for about 3 minutes; turn over, pat other side with almond flour and cook for 3 minutes.

3. Transfer beef to either a crock pot of oven safe roasting pan.

4.  in a large bowl toss cabbage, squash, carrots, and thyme with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper.

5. Scatter vegetables around beef in the pan

Roast until squash is tender when pierced with a knife and beef is medium rare - about 40 minutes.

I made this dish without the cabbage and substituted the butternut squash with sweet potatoes since the squash at the grocery store was abnormally huge and expensive.

Side note: If cooking this recipe in a crock pot you can leave it cooking for about 2 hours on medium OR I left mine in the oven at 325 degrees while I sat in traffic, coached the FREE CrossFit Central Endurance workout, and sat in traffic home (about 2 hours) and it was the perfect tenderness!

Enjoy!