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Paleo Pro Protein Powder

7/21/2016

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Actually Paleo Protein Powder-finally! And it's great!
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Hey paleoers, fitness fans, and people who just don't want to put junk in their bodies,

I recently saw some buzz about Paleo Pro, actually fully paleo protein powder, and I was quite intrigued. I've tried a lot of protein powders over the years, as post-workout recovery and/or as a means to get more protein crammed in during a strength cycle. I never seemed to get as much out of it as my fellow athletes and even more frustratingly, some of the powders really ripped up my stomach. So I was definitely in the market for something which would a) actually work, and b) not work over my digestive system.

I reached out the the nice folks at Paleo Pro and they agreed to send over samples so I could give things a shot. I checked the mail pretty excitedly for a few days until this box turned up, containing samples and a new blender bottle! I lose blender bottles like it's my job so I was pretty pumped.
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So was Roo
To me, what sets Paleo Pro apart are two things: what's in it and what's not in it. In it is protein from grass fed beef and eggs. Not in it is whey, soy, gluten, or sugar. Well heck yeah.

​I was in love from the ingredients label alone-but wait, did it mix into liquids well? Did it taste at least ok? I was about to find out.
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The first sample I tried was the recovery powder. I had it post morning run and drank it while I was stretching. It was thick enough to be interesting to the pallet, but without the thick chalkiness that some powders create that makes it hard to choke down. The flavor was well rounded and overall fine. (If you feel like I'm describing a snooty wine vintage, just wait, it gets better).

More important (to me), than the flavor was its effectiveness. I feel like this powder actually did its job in helping me recover, both post-run and then a few days later post-WOD. I found that I had a better and sustained level of energy and good spirits post-workout, and that was a great feeling.
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The second sample I tried was the Aztec Vanilla protein powder and Oh My God it was DELICIOUS. I know taste is hardly the entire point but it was soooooooooo yum. I am asking for a full sized package of it for my half birthday, because that's the closest gift-giving holiday to right now that I can think of. Incredibly rich and well-rounded flavor, it tastes like a vanilla cupcake but of course not too thick. Filling and enjoyable, and took the edge off the hangry for a solid hour.

The Ancient Cacao was also a standout. I feel like I could add it to some coconut milk or coffee as a fun treat, but it's also more than good on its own.

Finally was the plain naked powder. I combined it with my morning coffee and a ton of ice and it was a fantastic start to the day. It helped keep my blood sugar/hunger level at an even keel, and actually did a better job of it than my typical scrambled eggs and veggies breakfast. 
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Overall I was immensely pleased by and impressed with this product. I was floored by how easily it mixed into water, coffee, and anything else I dreamed up, how great it tasted, and most importantly, how well it actually worked. I couldn't ask for more from the product and I'm so glad I discovered it.

​Happy lifting and loving and living!!
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Cauliflower Fritters

7/11/2016

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Cauliflower fritters made with ham, cheese, and sun dried tomato are packed with flavor and nutrition
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The other day I was in the produce section of one of our local grocery stores well known for its produce selection and prices and I saw a little bag of sun dried tomatoes. I knew I had to have them and use them to jazz up a few recipes I had planned, including this one. I grabbed the bag, finished my shopping and hurried home, reflecting that this is not actually the first time I've made a tomato-related impulse buy. Hmmm.

Nonetheless, the SDT really added more than its share of flavor and heartiness to this dish and I'm betting you'll enjoy it as much as we did.

This makes enough for at least 4 adults

Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into 1-2 inch pieces
1lb ham (uncured ham for your best paleo option), cut into 1/2 in cubes
1 1/2 cups sun-dried tomatoes, diced
1/2lb grass fed cheese, goat cheese, cheese substitute, or however you paleo, chopped small or grated
3 large eggs, farm fresh for preference
2 Tbsp almond or coconut flower, to help hold the fritters together
2 cloves garlic, diced and smashed
1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Chop up your cauliflower and steam or boil it until it is just barely fork tender
2. While the cauliflower is steaming, contemplate what you'd do with the millions you'd make if you could invent an easy way to clean your counters (and floors and walls) after chopping up a cauliflower. Then chop and grate the ham, cheese, and SDT
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3. Drain cauliflower, then return it to the pot or a large bowl. Mash it with a fork until is overall soft but still chunky. Take a clean dishcloth or handful of paper toweling and press the cauliflower to pull out as much water as you can, lest the mixture get soupy
4. Add in the eggs, salt and pepper, and almond or coconut flour, and combine
5. Mix in the garlic, ham, cheese, and SDT
6. Put a non-stick frying pan or skillet on the stove and get it hot. Be sure to add enough grapeseed oil or ghee to keep the surface stick-free
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7. Once the skillet is hot, roll a heaping tablespoon of the mixture into a loose ball with your hands and place the ball on the hot surface, pressing down gently to create the fritter shape. The fritters won't shrink much as they cook so be generous with spacing
8. Unlike pancakes, which form bubbles and let you know when they are ready to flip, the fritters won't be very forthright about timing. Check to see if a fritter is cooked on one side by gently sliding a spatula under it. If the the spatula smoothly picks the fritter right up, go ahead and flip it, otherwise retreat with your spatula and give it another minute. With my pan and my stove, it took about 3 minutes on one side and 90 seconds on the flip side (pun obviously and gigglingly intended)
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9. Once your fritters are cooked through and the cheese is bubbly, serve and devour. Enjoy!!
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How did this recipe go for you? Ideas or suggestions for fun, fresh, and funky other ingredients? Like each recipe on this blog I tried to create something even non paleo-ers would enjoy. Do you have non-paleo friends? Firstly, why? (only kidding), Secondly, what did they think when you made this? Looking forward to hearing from you in the comments.
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Pork Stuffed Zucchini 

6/29/2016

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Garlic Pork Stuffed Zukes with sundried tomato and carrot are
​some kind of summer savory
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I have a confession-I don't usually like stuffed bell peppers or stuffed zucchini. The stuffing to fibrous veggie ratio just never works for me. If I wanted to just eat a bell pepper I just would, you know?

So when I picked up some delicious fresh zukes at the farmers market this afternoon I decided to take on the challenge and make some yummy stuffed veggies with a delicious savory filling. I fully approve of the ratios of yummy stuffing and yummy fresh veggie and I'm confident you will too.

This dish serves 2 

Ingedients:
1 lb ground pork 
3 medium zucchini
1 1/2 Cups Sundried Tomatoes 
1/2 Cup Grated, Diced Carrot
2 close garlic, smashed
1 egg
1/2 tsp each of salt and paper 
1 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Directions:
1. Slice the ends off the zucchini, slice them in half widthwise, then lengthwise
2. Using a teaspoon, scoop the seeds/innards from the zukes
3. Pour the olive oil in the pan, season the zucchini pieces with small pinches of salt and pepper, then saute them covered flesh-side down on medium heat for 4-5 minutes
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4. Remove the zukes from the heat, transfer them to a nonstick casserole dish or dishes, then chop and smash the garlic
5. Put the garlic in the pan, along with the the ground pork and brown the pork.
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​6. While the pork is browning, grate and then dice the carrot


7. And the sundried tomatoes

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8. Once the pork is finished browning, combine the pork and garlic with the carrot and sun dried tomato in a large dish, then add the egg and mix 
9. Flip on the broiler to high (or 'hi' as it says on my oven for reasons I don't understand)
10. Spoon the yummy mix into the zuke halves, then put them under the broiler for 5 minutes. Note that you will likely have some mixture left over. Cook that in a separate pan and then toss it in a lettuce wrap tomorrow for lunch.
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11. Serve and enjoy
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I've been using a fair amount of grassfed and goat cheeses in recipes lately, which can be paleo depending on what works for you, but in deference to those for whom no forms of cheese work, I left the cheese off here. If cheese works for you, please feel empowered to go nuts with that.

If you feel especially adventurous, go whole hog, pun intended, and try this dish with bacon. Simply start the bacon cooking in another pan around the same time as your zukes are sauteing. Get the bacon about 3/4 cooked then set it aside to cool off enough to handle. Just before sticking the stuffed zukes under the broiler, wrap a slice or two of bacon around each zucchini half. My honey bunches of gluten free oats came up with that idea, so all credit to him.

How did this recipe work for you? Leave me a comment about which veggies and flavors you incorporated, which veggies are ripening where you are depending on your state and/or hemisphere, or what you think about the Brexit vote. I'm all ears.
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Thai Meatballs

6/28/2016

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Paleo Thai Meatballs are spicy and zippy and perfect for any season
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This is an amazingly versatile fusion dish. You can whip it up with beef, pork, chicken, turkey, or just about any meat which holds its moisture during baking (I'd stay away from bison for this one, with sincere apologies because bison is amazing). There's a fair amount of chopping and ingredients involved here but the prep goes pretty fast and it's well worth it. 
Ingredients:

For the Meatballs
1 lb moisture-retaining meat of your choice, I used grass fed beef but chicken would be more traditional for this style of dish
1 egg
2 carrots
4 green onions
​1 red chili pepper
1/2 standard sized bunch of parsley (I used curly parsley but until I figure out the actual flavor difference between italian and curly parsley, use whatever kind moves you)
1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp grated ginger
1 Tbsp ground coconut, coconut flakes, or coconut aminos
salt and pepper to taste

For The (Holy Yum) Sauce
1/4 cup gluten free reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth (bone broth for incredible added nutrition benefits)
2 Tbsp cup fish sauce (if you are missing either the fish sauce or the soy sauce you can sub in the other ingredient to do double duty. As always, it's not my goal to send you running to the store in order to make these great dishes)
2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp Red Chili Sauce
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
​2. Chop up all meatball ingredients
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Notice the shred to diced shred evolution here
3. Grate the carrots, then chop the shreds so they'll hold together in the meatballs

4. Make sure that when you dice your red chili pepper and add it to the mixture, that you include the seeds to keep up the spice factor
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These are great seeds for keeping an even spice throughout the dish
5. Add the chopped ingredients to a large bowl, crack the egg into, and mix thoroughly
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6. Add the ground meat and roll the mixture into 1 1/2-2 inch rounds, then place those balls on a parchment paper-lined pan. Don't worry about placing them a certain distance apart, they will shrink slightly as they cook
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Can we talk about the gorgeous colors this dish brings together?
7. Bake for 22-26 minutes
8. While the meatballs are sizzling their way towards glory, bring together your sauce. Stir together all sauce ingredients in a small or medium saucepan on medium heat
9. Once sauce is bubbling, use the back of a spoon to or a whisk to break up the globs of chili sauce, then turn down to a simmer for 4 more minutes
10. Appreciate how awesome the meatballs look when they come out of the oven
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11. Then drench with the sauce 
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12. Repeat the sight and smell appreciation, then serve
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I sliced these in half and wrapped them in romaine leaves to create a juicy, spicy, crunchy meal that takes the traditional thai lettuce wrap to another level. How did it work for you? Let me know in the comments what you wrapped it in, what you served it over, or how you feel about the latest season of Orange is the New Black. Looking forward to reading your thoughts!!
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Turmeric Pork Skillet

6/20/2016

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Turmeric Pork Skillet with Bok Choy and Scallions
​is full of flavor and packed with nutrition 
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I am really into bok choy right now. It's a crispy and nutritious addition to any skillet or stir fry and it takes on the flavor of the dish like an absolute champion. It's also really easy to grow. I grew the bok choy I used in this recipe in a vertical pallet planter and by 'I grew it' I mean I planted it, watered it anytime it hadn't rained in a few days, and mother nature took care of the rest. 

Seriously easy to grow. Seriously easy to cook. Majorly easy to nom.

That's bok choy. 

Whip together this skillet and munch it on its own, over quinoa if that's how you paleo, or like we did, in lettuce wraps. Any way you do it is amazing. Serves 2-3 without quinoa or 4 with it.

Ingredients:
1 lb pork, humanely raised and free range for preference
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 heads of bok choy
1/2 lb scallions
1 head of buttercrunch lettuce, romaine could also work
​1 1/2 Tbsp Avocado Oil
1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp Turmeric
​1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
Directions:
​1. Heat the avocado oil in a skillet over medium high heat, add the smashed garlic, and get it sizzling
2. Turn the heat down to medium low and begin sauteing the pork
3. While the pork is cooking, chop up the bok choy. You can use as much of the greens as you like, I went about halfway up the stem
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4. When the pork is mostly but not fully cooked, add the bok choy to the skillet
5. and mix it in


--Intermission--
Can we talk about how pretty this awesome vibrant green veggie looks?
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6. Chop up your scallions and toss them in the delicious mix and combine
7. Add the salt, pepper, and turmeric, mix, and let it all get fragrant and awesome together for just a few minutes
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8. Serve with lettuce wraps or however you're serving it, and dig in

You can add chili oil or red pepper sauce to make this skillet zippier, or ginger to add to the turmeric to turn up the tremendous healing properties of this flavorful dish. Turmeric, especially when combined with black pepper is a fantastic anti-inflammatory 

How did you interpret this dish? How did you serve it? Leave me a comment below and let me know in which direction you took this and how it worked for you. Cheers!!
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Paleo Chicken Parmesan

6/16/2016

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Paleo Comfort Food at its Finest
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Chicken Parm or, colloquially, chicky chicky parm parm, is the kind of rich, cheesy comfort food that many paleoers think is off limits. Well, get ready to welcome chicken parm back into the meal lineup with this completely doable recipe. Add some zoodles alongside, and you've got a delicious meal which, unlike its non-paleo cousin, will leave you feeling great in the tummy and ready to go.
--This recipe feeds 2 but there was plenty of leftover marinara and 'breading,' so you could easily make it for 3 or 4 by simply upping the amount of chicken--

Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs (2/person. We're trying to lift heavy stuff here)
1 large jar of crushed or diced tomatoes (we always have canned tomatoes around because my mom cans veggies like a demon. Reach out to her and see if you can get it on this sweet deal)
1/2 large red onion
​3 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
4 large slices of grassfed cheese, goat's milk cheese, raw mozzarella, or cheese alternative (different paleoers have different tolerances for different types dairy, so be true to what works for you and your performance)
3 large eggs
1 3/4 Cups Almond Flour (or almond meal. One of these days I'll figure out the difference. But it is not this day)
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper and Paprika

Directions:
--Preheat oven to 350---
1. In a large pan, turn up the heat on your olive oil. Dice your onion and smash your garlic and toss them into the pan
2. While the onion and garlic are sizzling and making wonderful aromas, get the pan for your chicken ready. Line a 9x9 inch glass or metal pan with parchment paper and set it aside
3. Once the onion and garlic have sauteed, add the crushed tomatoes to the pan. Stir to combine, turn the heat down and let the sauce simmer uncovered so the flavors can meld together and some of the liquid from the crushed tomatoes steams off
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If only smell-o-vision was real
4. While the sauce is simmering, get the chicken thighs ready for baking. (You can definitely use chicken breasts for this recipe but the chicken will be baking uncovered and chicken breasts may wind up a bit dry). Crack the 3 eggs in a medium sized bowl and whisk to uniform consistency
5. In another medium sized dish, combine the almond flour, salt, pepper, and paprika, and mix thoroughly
6. Dip each thigh in the egg, coating thoroughly, and then dredge it in the almond flour mixture, coating both sides
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7. Place your 'breaded' chicken pieces in the pan. Don't be afraid to cram them in there for space purposes, they will shrink a bit as they cook and leave plenty of room
8. Add a generous scoop of your newly created marinara sauce to each chicken thigh in the pan, then pop it into the oven
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Hurry up!!
9. Cook chicken for 20 minutes. While it's cooking you can get your zoodles ready, or just stare impatiently at the timer, your choice. I was so hungry and could smell such tasty things that I chose to let the hubby do the zoodles while I willed the timer to go faster
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10. After 20 minutes, remove the pan of deliciousness from the oven and top with a generous portion of the cheese or cheese alternative of your choice. Pictured here is Kerrygold brand cheese made from grass fed cow's milk
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11. Put the pan back in the oven for 6 more minutes or until the cheesy is super gooey (this will vary depending on which type of cheese you use, so be sure to utilize your oven light and keep an eye on things)
​12. Dinner time!!
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How did this recipe work for you? I know that traditional marinara and most red pasta sauce have a little sweetness to them and this sauce is much more zesty. I thought about adding a touch of coconut sugar to the sauce but went the more strict paleo route and skipped it. If you try it with a bit of sweet, please let me know how it went in the comments. Leave me any questions, comments, or thoughts on the designated hitter rule below and make it a great day!!
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Pork and Sweet Potato Frittata 

6/13/2016

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Pork, Sweet Potato, Carmelized Onions, and Leek combine to make this amazing and savory frittata that's perfect for any meal of the day
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Us paleo veterans know that when you're paleo, anytime is breakfast time. For you paleo newbies, welcome to the promised land in which you can eat any delicious breakfast item any time of the day. Think of it: almond flour pancakes, eggs and bacon, omelets, frittatas, whenever you like. Power that next workout with a dish courtesy of the most important meal of the day.

This dish feeds 3 if served on its own or 5-6 if served alongside some zoodles or a healthy portion of salad greens
Ingredients:

​1 small sweet potato, or half of a large one
1 medium or large yellow onion
1 lb (or thereabout) pork, or chorizo to make things spicy
1 large leek
¼ cup + 2 tbsp coconut oil, ghee, or sauteeing medium of your choice
3 garlic cloves, sliced and smashed
6 eggs
½ tsp paprika, Hungarian smoky for preference
¼ tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cumin
Directions:
--​Preheat over to 400 degrees--
1. Caramelize the onions - melt ¼ cup of coconut oil in a medium or large pan
2. Thinly slice the onions and add them to the pan, tossing to coat and covering them, then saute on medium until soft and brown, about 20-25 minutes
3. While the onions are moving toward caramelized glory, get the sweet potatoes going. Slice them thinly as well, making enough to cover the bottom of a 9 inch round pan
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4. Melt 2 Tbsp coconut oil in a large skillet or frying pan and then add your sweet potato slices, once again tossing to coat and then covering the pan
5. Stir your onions. You forgot about those, didn't you? We all do, don't worry. Stir them now, they'll be fine
6. Cook the sweet tater slices until they are slightly soft and are beginning to brown, about 7-8 minutes (don't worry if a few of them are a little extra brown, it will bring an additional yummy flavor to the dish)
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As you can see, between stirring the onions and the sweet potato slices, one onion sliver jumped ship and joined the potatoes. No biggie. I could have used separate utensils stir the two things but who has the time for extra dishes?
7. While the sweet potato slices are cooking, slice up your leek and set it aside
​8. Once the taters are done, arrange them in a single layer on the bottom of the greased 9 inch pan
​9. 
Keep the skillet and burner hot and add the pork or chorizo into the pan along with the smashed garlic, and cook the meat almost all the way through
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10. Just before meat is done cooking, add in the caramelized onions and leek slices and saute them together so the flavors meld all yummily, and let cook and additional 2-3 minutes or until pork is thoroughly cooked (Webster doesn't think yummily is a word because Webster lacks imagination. My fight with a man who lived centuries ago continues...)
11. While yummy flavors are being yummy as per above, whisk together your 6 eggs, and the sea salt, paprika, and cumin
12. Add the pork/onion/leek/awesomeness mixture to the pan over the sweet potato slices, then add the egg mixture over the top
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It looks a little weird but there are a lot of different kinds of amazing all getting to know each other so it will naturally look a little chaotic. Once they've all been through orientation together it will work out.
13. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until the egg mixture doesn't jiggle when you jab at the pan. <--- All of those were clearly very technical cooking terms, be sure to memorize them for later. Some of your coconut oil may have slipped into the dish and have bubbled to the surface during cooking, in which case just pour it off once you've brought the pan out of the oven
14. Slice and enjoy. Feeds 3 if served on its own or 5-6 if served alongside some zoodles or a healthy serving of salad greens
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Om nom nom. Like I said earlier, this dish is excellent for dinner, breakfast, brunch, high tea, whatever. Ok maybe it's a little heavy for high tea. Let me know how it turned out for you in the comments section, or share a variation you think would be good. Looking forward to hearing from you!!
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Paleo BLT Wraps

6/6/2016

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Paleo BLT's -  Crunchy, Crisp, and Filling
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For summer nights when it's much too hot to even think about turning on the oven, turn on just one burner on the stove and create these paleo BLT's with avocado and wrapped in rice paper. I know rice paper isn't the most paleo of ingredients on the planet, but the actual grain content is negligible. This recipe serves two but can be adjusted with some simple math 

Ingredients:
12 slices bacon, uncured bacon for the best paleo option
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 avocado, sliced
6 rice paper wrappers
6 large butter lettuce leaves or 3 romaine leaves torn in half widthwise
3 teaspoons paleo mayo or dressing of your choice
Directions:
1 - Fry the bacon and drain it on some paper towels

​2 - In between flipping the bacon as it cooks, chop up the vegetables that you'll need
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3 - Once the bacon is cooked and the veggies are chopped, set the tomatoes, avocados, and bacon aside. Fill a large bowl with water and prepare the rice paper wraps. One at a time, dip them in the warm water and hold them in the water while the paper changes texture and becomes pliable. (Jeez this sounds violent. I promise it's not).
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4 - Lay the rice paper wrapper flat on a dinner plate and layer the lettuce on top
5 - Next, place 2 slices of bacon, 4 or 5 tomato halves, and 1 avocado slice on top
6 - Drizzle your favorite paleo dressing or mayo on top like a tasty punctuation mark
7 - Roll it up tightly, folding the ends into it as you go. If the wrap folding motion reminds you of your last cheat meal burrito at Chipotle, you're doing it right
8 - Place 3 wraps on each plate and chow down
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This recipe is delicious and crisp yet hearty and filling. How did it work for you? Leave a comment on this recipe, your favorite bacon for this or other creations, or how your tomatoes are growing this season
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Caprese-Stuffed Avocados 

5/31/2016

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Caprese-Stuffed Avocados - drooling okay, and practically compulsory
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You know the rain showers which come and are *supposed* to draw the humidity up and away but for whatever reason, don't? You had one job, rain. Ok, two. The first was to water everything. Well today's humidity could have been worse but I'm not sure the rain showers did much to quell it. 

What we needed was a crunchy, crispy, fresh beyond-all-reason dinner. And thus, caprese stuffed avocados occurred. 

Ingredients: 
-2 avocados, or one for each person you are feeding
-Tomato to yield 1 Cup when chopped (roma are traditional for caprese but cherry also work well for this dish)
-Mozzarella to yield 1/2 cup when chopped; I used goat's milk mozzarella because goat's milk doesn't bother my system the way cow's milk does (you needed to know that)
-1/2 cup basil pesto (cilantro pesto also works, and makes the whole dish more zesty than the earthy basil pesto)
-1/2 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
-1 tsp coconut sugar or 1 1/2 tsp honey
​-3 cups salad greens

​Directions:

1. Get your avocados ready by slicing in half lengthwise and removing the pit (also called the stone, probably because of how hard of a mass it is)
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Can we say 'inexact science?' Don't worry if your scooping doesn't produce perfectly even results, the filling will more than cover it and guess what-this is all going to taste amazing, so don't worry about it
2. Very carefully, widen and lengthen the valley made by the 'cado pit to create more room for the caprese filling. ***Important: do not simply toss the extra bits of 'cado. Save them in a small container and throw them over your omelet tomorrow morning. Your future self will thank you..and me, probably
3. Plate the avocado over the bed of greens.
​4. Spoon enough pesto into each avocado half to generously coat the inside of the little valley. If you're like me you'll have to fight the urge to spoon in extra pesto but the pesto can and will dominate the dish if you're not conservative with it, so keep it real
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See, you can't even tell that these are the same fruit which so recently looked a little misshapen due to zealous scooping
5. Make the balsamic reduction. This is tricky, ready? Put the balsamic vinegar and the coconut sugar or honey into a small saucepan, and heat on medium until it reduces. That's it
6. Wait, there is one little extra thing. Once you have your reduction, put one large ice cube into the reduction and swirl it around the pan for about 20 seconds or until the ice cub is about half melted, then discard it. You don't want to water down the reduction but you do want to cool it off so it doesn't create a weird temperature variation in your dish
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7. Chop the tomatoes and mozzarella. I waited until this point in the process to chop these two because I want them to be as crisp and fresh as possible but the difference is, let's be honest, probably negligible. If you decide to all your chopping at once, no worries, but please don't set the the tomatoes and mozzarella pieces in the same dish while you get everything else together because the flavors will meld and then the seas may rise. Or turn to blood. Or both. Or is boil? I don't remember which happens first. Just don't do it.
8. Portion your tomato and mozzarella pieces into your avocado halves, thus completing stuffing the avocados
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9. Drizzle the balsamic reduction over everything, and enjoy. You'll notice that this recipe contained no meat (the horror), so serve alongside a small piece of fish, or bacon-wrapped waster chestnuts (recipe coming soon). Or, you can increase the amount of greens, add an extra half of stuffed avocado, and it's a meal in its own right. This recipe can easily be adjusted up or down with some simple math but the quantities here will feed 2
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Bacon is never not the answer
How did this recipe work for you? Additions or things you did differently? Hilarious and unrelated stories? Leave me a comment below. Looking forward to hearing how this worked for you
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Chili Lime Steak Salad with Boozy Salad Dressing

5/26/2016

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5 Dinner Salads 5 Dinners 5 Days: Thursday - Chili Lime Steak Salad with Boozy Salad Dressing
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Who knew you could celebrate Thirsty Thursday with salad dressing? I knew I went to college for a reason. This salad is everything and more if you've got time to throw together a marinade *but* can still be everything good if you don't.

Thursday was another great day to ring in the growing season here in Southern Wisconsin. I harvested both buttercrunch lettuce and spinach out of the garden this morning so apparently it's planting, growing, and harvesting season. Lots of weather happening all together is very Wisconsin. 

By way of reminder, here's the lineup for this weeks 5 Dinner Salads in 5 Days Growing Season Celebration--
Monday: Nicoise (hooray)
Tuesday: Seared Tuna Salad with Cilantro and Ginger Vinaigrette (zippy)
Wednesday:  Grilled Chicken with Antipasto Salad (rich and flavorful)
Thursday: Tequila Lime Flank Steak Salad with Chile Lime Vinaigrette
Friday: Quinoa Apricot and Arugula Salad

Ingredients:


Tequila lime flank steak plus marinade (if you have time for the marinade)
-1- 1 1/2 grass-fed flank or skirt steak or something cost-effective that will respond well to marinade or light searing 
-1/3 cup tequila
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1/4 cup lime juice
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon pepper
-zest of a lime

Salad Ingredients
-3 1/2 - 4 cups salad greens
-1 bell pepper, sliced
-2 jalepenos, sliced (don't forget the seeds if you want to keep the spice up)
​-1 avocado
-that's it. It's a rather low maintenance salad

Chile Lime Vinaigrette
-2 Tbsp tequila if you didn't already use it for the marinade
-2 tablespoons olive or sesame oil
-1 tablespoons rice or apple cider vinegar
-1/2 tablespoon red chili paste or chili oil
-the juice of 2 limes
-pinch of salt
-pinch of pepper

Directions:
1. If you're making the marinade, mix all the ingredients together. Put them in a gallon plastic bag with the steak and marinate for 2 hours or even all day, flipping it a few times. If using disposable plastic isn't your thing, you can also use an airtight dish, pouring the marinade over the steak so it coats thoroughly. If you're not doing the marinade, skip this step.
2. Broil the steak, marinated or not. If you haven't used the marinade, made sure to slightly blacken the steak under the broiler while leaving it as moist as possible. Broil the steak on high for 2 1/2-3 minutes per side for medium rare or 4-5 minutes for medium well.
3. Let the steak rest while you get the rest of the meal ready. Leave it for 10-15 minutes on a cutting board to let the moisture run off so your salad doesn't get watery
4. Chop your peppers into bite-sized pieces, slice your avocado, and get your greens ready
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You know what a diced pepper looks like but here's a picture in case you forgot
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Please excuse the shadow of my thumb, I had to reverentially hold up the dressing
5. Assemble the dressing. If you didn't add the tequila to the marinade, add it to the dressing. If you did add it to the marinade, and you're 21 or older, it's ok to add it anyway. Whatever works for you.
6. Assemble the salad minus the steak. Be as artful as you feel like
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7. Once your salad is assembled, add the rested steak pieces to the salad. Then drench with the dressing. Toss if you like; the flavors will permeate the salad quite well either way
Enjoy! Depending on the amount of steak used, this salad feeds 2-3 adults. How did this go for you? Leave something in the comments with what you added to the recipe to make it even more fun. Stay tuned for another fantastic salad tomorrow evening!!
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    About the Author

    Hi, I'm Amanda, a competitive strength athlete, CrossFitter, and extremely slow distance runner in beautiful Madison, Wisconsin. I believe that your food is already perfect, so you and and your cooking don't have to be. Read on for great, totally doable recipes with step by step instructions and tips, and remember that you are worth great nutrition and wellness.

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