Best Mistake of the Week: Mashed Veggies with Roasted Garlic – so yummy!

Roasted Garlic Autumn Root Vegetable Mash

Well, I intended to make this Roasted Garlic Root Vegetable Mash recipe for Thanksgiving Dinner.  But, of course, I ran out of time!  Since the ingredients were still available I decided to make it as a side dish for my leftover Turkey.  Boy oh boy, this is definitely the best mistake I’ve made all week!

The recipe can be found at nomnompaleo.com and is definitely delicious!!!  It would be a great side – and I will try to make it ahead of time for the next holiday.  In the meantime, I will be happy for this mistake … it saved the day!

http://nomnompaleo.com/post/67492566195/roasted-garlic-autumn-root-vegetable-mash

Nourishment on the Road!

Summertime is travel-time for many people … and I was no exception this Summer.  My travels took me to Colorado to celebrate the 4th of July events in the Denver/Boulder area.  At first, I was quite concerned that it would be difficult to make healthy choices on the road – but (in fact) I am happy to report that “it was not difficult at all”!

Here is a quick look at what nourishment on the road looks like to me:

Breakfasts:

• Poached Eggs with veggies, avocado and fresh fruit (the Buff in Boulder, CO)
• Bacon, Eggs and fresh berries (The JW Marriott, Boulder, CO)
• Bacon, Eggs and fresh fruit (the Buff in Boulder, CO)

Lunches:

• House Salad with 1/2 Turkey/Bacon/Avocado sandwich “deconstructed” (The Rock Ship Grill at the Red Rocks Amphitheater, Morrison, CO)
• Flatiron Steak Salad [no potato, no cheese, dressing on the side] with fresh avocado (the ModMarket, Longmont, CO)

Dinners:

• Herb Crusted Wild Salmon with sage-cauliflower puree and roasted root medley (Blooming Beets Kitchen in Boulder, CO)
• “Barker Burger” Grass Finished Bunless Burger with sage-cauliflower puree and Swiss Chard medley (Blooming Beets Kitchen in Boulder, CO)
• The Elk Burger with Bacon and Avocado [no bun]  (Wapiti Restaurant & Pub in Estes Park, CO)

Snacks:

• Raw macadamia nuts, pistachios and coconut flakes – a sort of trail mix that traveled with us everywhere we went (Sprouts Supermarket in Boulder, CO)
• Water, water and more water!
• Yes  … coffee, too!!!

See how easy that was?  whew!!!!

Summer Seafood Grilling – Wild Caught and Paleo of Course!

Summer Seafood Grilling – Wild Caught and Paleo of Course!

 

This herb marinated salmon is delicious!

Marinate 2 wild caught salmon filets in a mixture of fresh herbs (I used parsley, thyme and rosemary), plus sea salt, black pepper and the juice of one lime.

While that marinates for 30 minutes, cut up (or “spiralize”) your veggies.  I sautéed one spiral cut zucchini and 1/2 onion, sliced in a bit of ghee … and sliced a fresh tomato, and cucumber up (tossed in olive oil, lemon juice and fresh basil) for a side-salad.

Once the veggies are ready, fire up your charcoal or gas grill 🙂  Grill the salmon on warmest part of your grill – about 4 to 6 minutes – then flip to grill the other side.

Plate your salmon and veggies .  We topped the spiral zucchini with a dollop of sun-dried tomato and olive pesto (you can make your own, or use the store bought version shown here) or your favorite seasoning.

Ahhhhh! Enjoy the wonderful flavors!

Refreshing Paleo Chicken Salad – a Lovely Lunch!

Refreshing Paleo Chicken Salad – a Lovely Lunch!

The warm summer weather has had us yearning for refreshing foods … and this lunch (or dinner if you prefer) will definitely satisfy your cravings with all-out nourishment and full-flavor.  Start with a bed of your favorite organic greens.  We had an abundance of organic romaine lettuce, so that is what you see here along with a delicious tomato fresh from the garden and a sprinkle of fresh dill and sliced olives!  The chicken salad recipe is ….

• 2 Organic Smart Chicken breasts ($9 from Strack and Van Til) – poached, grilled or baked – or leftover from last night!
• 3 Cage-Free Organic Eggs, hard boiled and diced to 1/4″ pieces
• 4 Stalks Organic Celery, diced to 1/4″ pieces
• 3 Dill pickles, diced to 1/4″ pieces
• 1/2 cup Homemade Paleo Mayo (made with Avocado Oil) thanks to Nom Nom Paleo
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh snipped dill
• Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients and refrigerate for 30 minutes if you can.  This will allow the flavors to blend.  But, if you cannot wait – we understand!

Serve it up and enjoy!

Serves 3 or 4 for about $10 … about $3 per serving!!!

Yay for affordable paleo nutrition!

Have an hour? Check out “Cereal Killer”

Earlier today a friend posted a link on Facebook that led me to some interesting information ….. very definitely worth a one hour of your time!  Check it out using this link:

 http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/06/28/cereal-killers-movie

FREE VIEWING: Cereal Killers

articles.mercola.com

“Cereal Killers” talks about the American food pyramid, how to eliminate sugars and grains, and how to boost your fat intake.

Let me know what you think after you watch ….

Grilled Chicken and Fruits with Fresh Greens

Grilled Chicken and Fruits with Fresh Greens

I have already confessed that I love cooking on the grill – now I must confess that I love cooking for more than one meal at a time.  It really saves time and money, and makes it so much easier for me to grab something healthy when I get hungry.  My fridge is nearly always full of “intentionally leftover proteins” for my next lunch.

My “go-to” lunch nearly always starts with a bowl full of greens – different every day, because I do NOT like boring food!

Today’s lunch was a mix of:

• Organic mixed greens and some extra Organic Arugula
• 1/2 Organic Nectarine
• 1/2 Fresh Avocado
• 1/2 Grilled Organic Chicken Breast – which I cooked up the night before when I was grilling burgers!
• Olive Oil and Vinegar to taste
• Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Plan ahead –  for an easy, nourishing, and deliciously fresh lunch – you will enjoy it so much more 🙂

 

 

Grass Fed Beef Burgers on the Grill!

Grass Fed Beef Burgers on the Grill!

I just love cooking on the grill during warm weather!  This is one of my favorite “go-to” meals.

Finding great grass fed beef, is getting easier here in Northwest Indiana … but this batch came from Tallgrass that I found at Welch’s Meat Market in St. John, Indiana.  The flavor was amazing.

• 1 pound Tallgrass Grass Fed Ground Beef ($8 from Welch’s Meat Market)
• Organic Portabello Mushroom Cap – seasoned with Turkish Spice Blend from Penzy’s Spice
• Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Serve with an assortment of your favorite condiments … organic lettuce, fresh organic tomato, onion, pickles and mustard are always on hand around this place.

TIP:  I generally grill twice the amount we need for serving dinner, and use leftovers on salads the following day.

There you have it!  Two meals for the work of one 🙂

 

Oh – and the side dish of sweet potatoes was super easy, too:

• 1 Organic Yam ($2 from Produce Depot) – it was a giant!
• 3 Strips  Sugar Free Pork Bacon
• A sprinkle of cinnamon

Still hard to find (okay – it is impossible) in my region of Indiana, but US Wellness Meats sells great Sugar Free Pork Bacon.

Paleo Lemon Chicken Dinner

Lemon Chicken and greens

This dinner was inspired by the fresh asparagus from my own little garden (yay!) and the organic chicken breasts I found at the market this week.  Most of other ingredients I had on hand.

• 2 Organic Smart Chicken breasts ($9 from Strack and Van Til)
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 3 Organic Scallions, diced to 1/4″ pieces
• 1 Tablespoon Melted Organic Coconut Oil for marinade
• 1 Tablespoon Organic Coconut Oil for cooking
• Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Combine the chicken breast, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to make your marinade.  Let the chicken marinate for about 30 minutes.  Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add coconut oil.  Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side or until completely cooked through.  Let the meat rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

I served this with an organic salad (arugula and grape tomatoes) and the asparagus and mushrooms, but you could use almost any greens or vegetables you have on hand.   So refreshing on a warm summer evening!

And … if you are lucky enough to have leftovers, it makes a great salad for tomorrow’s lunch!

Enjoy 🙂

 

Paleo Friendly Sweet Potato Bread :)

Sweet Potato Bread

Somewhere along my journey into Paleo eating, I gave up all bread.  Even if it was made with ingredients that were not problematic for me … I felt that it might trigger a desire for less healthy bread items, and I wanted to avoid that, of course.  But now – nearly 2 years into my journey – I am happy to share this great bread recipe!

• grain-free,
• dairy-free,
• free of refined sweeteners, &
• full of natural, wholesome ingredients

A great big serving of gratitude to the “Grass Fed Girl” and her great blog, that gave me this Sweet Potato Bread recipe.  Thanks for all you do – and all you share!

Sugar Free Bacon for Breakfast!

Sugar Free Bacon for Breakfast

Breakfast without bacon … just isn’t quite as satisfying.  That’s why I was so thrilled to find a great source for Sugar Free Bacon 🙂

I am happy to tell you that US Wellness Meats has three pages of Sugar Free Products – all minimally processed – my favorite so far is the Sugar Free Pork Bacon.  For me, it tastes just like Grandma’s bacon from her farm in Southern Illinois.  Yep – and here’s why:  the only ingredients are pork and sea salt.  No white sugar, brown sugar, honey powder, agave, turbinado sugar, MSG, nitrates or nitrites.

So … fry some up – and serve it with some organic eggs scrambled with a few handfuls of fresh organic spinach and you’ve got yourself a nutritious and delicious start to the day.

🙂

Enjoy!