February 2012
16 posts
5 tags
Hodge Podge
As I mentioned yesterday (which I’m sure you dedicated readers remember), I have an empty freezer. Well, almost empty…scraping the bottom of the freezer drawers for random frozen veggies and meats I bought ages ago with meals in mind that never got made. So now I’m combining random things to make dinners - just a little creativity at work. Tonight we had:
Grilled Grateful...
4 tags
Paleo had a little lamb
I’m not sure why we really haven’t had any lamb since starting eating paleo, but that changed today. After a fun weekend in DC, I came home to a nearly empty freezer. Yikes, my meat supply, depleted! I decided to check out Reid’s Fine Foods in Charlotte, which has been rumored to have a great meat selection. Wow - this is going to be my new spot! So much selection,...
2 tags
101 Reasons
Today I crossed a big threshold - more than 100 followers! 101! I cannot believe it. And that’s plenty of inspiration to keep me on a healthy eating track. Thank you so much for sticking with me.
Tonight I made Mango Shrimp, which was basically my Mango Chicken recipe, but with shrimp. And double the ingredients, because it was Paleo for Two. This one is a keeper for sure!
4 tags
It`s a meatball, It`s a meatloaf, it`s a burger?
Tonight’s dinner, according to the little menu I make on Sundays on a spiral notepad in my kitchen, was going to be meatloaf. Mondays tend to be a little bit slower for me at work, the calm before the rest of the week’s storm. My genius plan was to leave work no later than 5:30, taking some homework with me, to make the meatloaf in time for dinner. By 6 pm, I was still at my...
4 tags
It`s a meatball, It`s a meatloaf, it`s a burger?
Tonight’s dinner, according to the little menu I make on Sundays on a spiral notepad in my kitchen, was going to be meatloaf. Mondays tend to be a little bit slower for me at work, the calm before the rest of the week’s storm. My genius plan was to leave work no later than 5:30, taking some homework with me, to make the meatloaf in time for dinner. By 6 pm, I was still at my...
4 tags
Singapore Sunday Night
New & improved Singapore “rice noodles”! I made a version of this last Sunday for work lunches, and decided to expand on it for dinner tonight. It was so delicious - just about as good as the Singapore rice noodles my coworkers and I have a bad habit of getting every Friday for lunch. I especially like this recipe because it’s pretty light on ingredients, and you can...
2 tags
Cheat Sauce Meat Sauce
I’ve had kind of an epic week at work, leaving no time for homemade marinara sauce. Luckily, Earth Fare carries a store brand that’s almost 100% paleo. We browned ground beef and sausage, tossed in some baby bella mushrooms, and sprinkled in some cayenne pepper, and suddenly we had meat sauce. YUM! Now, if only the spaghetti squash had been a little tastier….I guess they...
2 tags
Paleo for One
Most nights, Nick & I eat dinner together, with him acting as a willing guinea pig to all of my paleo experiments. But occasionally he has work dinners, and I’m left to my own devices. Often I try to talk a coworker or friend into getting a glass of wine after work. Or I’ll splurge and order take-out. I rarely actually make dinner just for myself, but tonight I forced myself...
4 tags
Happy Paleotines Day
So cheesy, I know. But I am just thrilled that we celebrated Valentine’s Day with a paleo-friendly and super delicious dinner! Not your average meal, either - I came home from work at 3 pm to get to work on this creative cooking - nothing like negotiating loan terms while flipping a pork belly in the oven with two dogs barking in the background. So here’s the menu & recipes...
2 tags
Dinner is served
If you’ve never come home to dinner waiting on you, you have got to get a crock-pot. I think I use mine at least 2-3 times a week, and today was no exception. If you’re keeping track, I also used it yesterday. (Thanks for the wedding gift, Nick’s Uncle Dave!). Anyways, I stumbled upon some pork stew meat from Windy Hill Farm at the Atherton Mills Market last week (both are...
5 tags
Sunday Funday in the Kitchen
I’m back! Miss me?
After our wonderful dog Bo woke us up at the bright hour of 7 am this morning, I got to work in the kitchen. (What else are you supposed to be doing on a Sunday morning? Sleeping?) I made several things for breakfasts/lunches this week, all of which came out really well. I would particularly highlight two new items: Singapore Chicken & Bacon ‘n Egg...
6 tags
M&M`s
Meatballs & Mushrooms, YUM. I am so thrilled with the way this one turned out, especially because I made it up. Okay, that was shameless, but it did turn out way better than I expected. I measured absolutely nothing, so the only advice I can give is to do everything to taste & consistency…really helpful, I know.
Meatball-Stuffed Mushrooms
6 small portobello mushroom caps...
5 tags
One Pot Stop
How I love a good one pot meal - even though Nick gets stuck with the dishes most nights. I make lots of variations of this dinner…it’s easy and yummy, so why not. Work is getting crazy again, so I need to find lots more “one-pots”.
Asian Skirt Steak Stir Fry
1 lb skirt steak, sliced into 1-2” strips along the grain
steak marinade: 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp...
3 tags
Sneak Peek
I’m having a little guilt over how many recipes I’m repeating lately. I absolutely had a repeat again today. Hopefully you’re getting the hint that these are yummy foods! But I would like to step it up in creativity… So here’s a sneak peek at what I’m up to (which may be a bad idea…you may want to take a few days off of reading!).
Tonight...
January 2012
25 posts
3 tags
10th time is the charm...
I know I’ve made this many times, but it’s so easy and delicious, it’s hard not to. The last time I made it, someone commented on the post that I should cook the chicken in the coconut milk. They were right! I also took a shortcut by buying Trader Joe’s prepackaged Asian veggies. A great mix and easy to just toss in a few minutes before serving. Here we go:
Green...
5 tags
Don't Mess with Perfection
This was one of the first recipes I tried when I started eating Paleo, and it was definitely better tonight. Probably because I didn’t burn everything this time! Tonight it was so good that Nick & I finished off 4 chicken breasts worth of diced chicken…whoops. I actually didn’t have any pre-cooked chicken on hand, so I just cooked the chicken in the pan first and then set...
cookingcaveman asked: Just bought some paleo pasta for a mini-cheat meal. I'll let you know how I like it. Thanks for the recommendation.
4 tags
Pasta
We had pasta for dinner. Yes, pasta. Not spaghetti squash, not zucchini shredded like spaghetti, but pasta. Paleo Pasta. I found it while surfing around through a few paleo blogs and decided to order a bag on a whim. It’s not cheap, but it is a great substitute for the real thing…especially if you are a pasta-lover like myself. Giving up sandwiches was easy for me, giving up...
4 tags
Bacon & Chocolate - Nuff Said
I’m going to cut right to the chase with this recipe…no fluffy intro. We had chocolate bacon chili for dinner, and it was awesome! It doesn’t actually taste much like chocolate, but the cocoa does add a deep, savory flavor. The recipe for the chocolate chili is from Melicious of theclothesmakethegirl.com. I got creative and added the bacon all by myself.
Bacon Chocolate...
2 tags
Scotchies 2.0
Last week’s scotchies were both tasty and satisfying on-the-go. Just one was about all I needed for breakfast post-workout - it’s a lot of protein. So what else to do other than make them again! This time I used Asian flavors…yum!
Asian-Style Scotch Eggs
6 hard-boiled eggs
1 1/4 lbs ground pork
2 tsps coconut aminos (or wheat-free gluten-free soy sauce)
2 tsps fish...
2 tags
Back to Basics: Burgers
It’s been a while since we had burgers…probably because it’s January (it is actually my half birthday today, woo hoo, 27 1/2!). Also because I usually try to make creative recipes. But keeping it basic pays off…I am stuffed after tonight’s dinner, and it was 100% paleo. Nick is a wonderful burger-maker, and tomato/onion saute-er, and sweet potato baker. The...
6 tags
A Hall of Fame Dinner
A little play on words for a recipe shared by my pals the Hall sisters (or should I say Mrs. Frey & Mrs. Pratt!). This is definitely a good one! The original recipe is not paleo, but all you have to do is swap coconut oil for canola oil and you’re all set. I also invented a curry fried “rice” to have with it, and it was really good on its own or with the shrimp on top. So...
5 tags
Good Golly It's Garlic
Oh how I love garlic. Not exactly an aphrodisiac, but definitely one of my favorite flavors. And we went for it tonight:
Pesto & Sausage with Spicy Garlicky Broccoli
I made the pesto for the first time two weeks ago, and it’s going to be in heavy rotation. Instead of serving it over spaghetti squash, we ate it with broccoli on the side. The spaghetti squash sweetened up the overall...
4 tags
Monday Night Finale
Whew, this has been quite a three-day-weekend cooking extravaganza. I actually had to stop myself from making an orange chicken recipe I’ve been wanting to try because I’ve run out of food storage containers. During the day today, I once again made the Tikka Masala, which I’ve portioned out for lunches this week. For dinner, I re-made Stuffed Acorn Squash, which I first made...
3 tags
Get Shorty
Three-day weekends are one of life’s greatest simple pleasures. So for a very late-night Sunday post, here are the results of my slow-cooker short ribs:
DELICIOUS!
The recipe is from The Food Lovers’ Primal Palate. These are going to make an amazing lunch this week!
7 tags
Paleo Playoffs
Wow, this is my one-hundredth post! Good thing I’ve been doing a lot of cooking today so I have lots to share!
Because I cannot sit still and watch a football game anymore, I’ve been getting wild and crazy in the kitchen while cheering for the Ravens in the background. After about 4 hours of cooking, I’ve decided to take a quick blogging-break. And then I think I shall...
6 tags
Curry Craze
More repeats! Both of these curry dishes are easy to make on a weeknight…and I always wish I made more so that I could enjoy them again for lunch. So if you haven’t tried these yet, give them a shot… I promise to post more original recipes next week!
Green Coconut Curry
4 chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
1 can of lite coconut milk
1/2 jar of green curry paste
2...
3 tags
Pre-Game Pork
Pretty excited to watch the Alabama vs. LSU football championship game tonight, especially because one of the people I’ll be watching with is the creator of this amazing crockpot pork dish! I’ve got to get some of those Pure Wrap coconut wrap things so that I could turn this meal into pork tacos. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy it as-is!
Perri’s Paleo Pork
(served with...
4 tags
Sweet Repeats
Get ready for some re-runs! I’ve made some pretty delicious meals in the last few months, and there’s no reason not to enjoy them again. Tonight we had the Garden & Gun Asian chicken again, and it may have been even better this time. I also made some Asian-inspired sides with bok choy and butternut squash. To shake things up, I’ll work backwards…here’s the...
6 tags
The Master of Mayo
I’m pretty floored right now. I started this blog in August to keep myself honest with Paleo and to share recipes that I either make up or find - a creative outlet. An actual hobby that I could list if someone asked me what I like to do outside of work (aside from “hangout with friends” and “shop”). That I ever had a follower who I didn’t already know was a...
5 tags
Dixieland Delight
What a special day! My little girl dog, Dixie, is 5 today! (According to the fake birthday we made up for her when we rescued her 4 years and 8 months ago.) In honor of her special day, she got to enjoy a kong filled with non-paleo peanut butter. We enjoyed smothered pork chops, which I made with kale sauteed in bacon grease (and tossed some random leftover veggies in the pork as well)....
4 tags
Presto: Paleo Pesto
Why didn’t I think of this before?! Pesto is a great fit for the Paleo lifestyle, and thanks to the Paleo Comfort Foods cookbook, I rekindled my love for it tonight. I made a few tweaks to the recipe, and this is one of the better pestos I’ve had. Definitely putting this into our regular rotation! Plus, I was able to sneak some kale passed Nick - gotcha!
Pesto Paleo Pasta &...
5 tags
Really Simple Indian
I was delighted to get my Real Simple magazine this month…I’m actually delighted to get it every month, but this month I got to enjoy it at a leisurely pace over the long holiday weekend. What a luxury! And I stumbled upon a recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala made in the crockpot and that’s when the delight really escalated. I live a very exciting life, in case you can’t...
4 tags
Stew...again
Yes, another variation on stew! Found the recipe here: http://paleohmygoodness.blogspot.com/2011/12/paleo-crockpot-beef-and-mushroom-stew.html I didn’t have the red wine vinegar, and frankly I think this could use more garlic than the recipe calls for, but it was a hearty meal for a cold night. Leftover for lunch will be delicious!
Lots of posts today…kicking off the new year in a...
2 tags
Chicken Soup for the Paleo Soul
I love soup to the extent that when I decided to start eating Paleo, cleaning out my pantry stock of canned soup revealed I had about 30 cans of it stockpiled. I haven’t found any soups in a store yet that are Paleo-friendly, so I will be making my own this year. Yesterday I set up the crockpot to make chicken soup, and it may have been the easiest thing I’ve made to date. I put...
2 tags
Lots of Latkes
While on the road for the holidays, I found Everyday Paleo’s recipe for sweet potato latkes and thought they would be a great way to kick off the new year. I ended up making several batches to freeze and eat for breakfast during the work week. The Everyday Paleo recipe can be found here: http://everydaypaleo.com/2011/12/22/sweet-potato-latkes/ I added about 2 tbsp of coconut flour to...
December 2011
14 posts
6 tags
Smokey & Chipotle
I’m overloading you all with posts before I disappear again to celebrate New Years in a non-Paleo way. Tonight I tried Trader Joe’s South African Smoke spice, and it’s a must-have for anyone who likes southwestern/chipotle/smoky food. One grinder and most of the work is done!
I used it with leftover spaghetti squash and tossed in some bell peppers & red onions to make a...
3 tags
Back to work breakfast
Hooray for a very short work week (1.5 days)! I could get used to this… Popped these in the oven this morning, and now Nick & I are heading off to work “full and focused”.
Threw a few pieces of Trader Joe’s asparagus/mushroom/onion mix, chopped finely, into each “ham cup” (slice of ham in a muffin pan), and then cracked an egg in. Baked at 350 for 15...
6 tags
Busy as a bee
Just in case you thought I was normal, let me share that I was excited to have today off to go grocery shopping and test out a few new recipes. Not to laze around, but instead to play with food. And how I’ve missed cooking these past few days! Traveling home to my parents house for Christmas, I was met with lots of condescending looks and comments about my preference to cook a healthy...
4 tags
Cloudy with a chance of meatballs
Will I ever get sick of meatballs? Probably not. There are so many creative ways you can combine spices/meats to create different flavors. Tonight, I stuck with Italian, using a few of the ones I made last weekend (http://projectpaleo.tumblr.com/post/14195867004/east-meets-west). I also took another big shortcut and used marinara sauce from a jar. It’s hard to take shortcuts with Paleo,...
2 tags
Brisk(et) out, warm & filling in
Winter is rapidly descending upon us. It gets dark at noon (ok, 5 pm), it was below freezing out this morning (ok, 38 degrees), and I am wearing my ugg boots everywhere for the 9th winter in a row (classy). Seems like a good day for a crock pot meal. I’ve made this brisket before (http://projectpaleo.tumblr.com/post/10188990710/it-s-brisket-baby), and this time I added a couple of...
5 tags
Sunday Soupday
I’ve been holding a pumpkin hostage. Purchased a few weeks before Thanksgiving, I’ve been keeping it on my counter until I figured out what I wanted to make with it. The finalists were a paleo pumpkin pie/custard dessert thing I saw on someone’s blog, pumpkin chicken curry, or pumpkin soup. And the soup won…mostly because I needed to think of something for lunch today...
6 tags
Hodge Podge
After a busy week of work and Christmas parties, putting together a creative dinner was not on the agenda for last night. So we had a hodge podge meal of leftovers & fresh foods, and while the taste combo wouldn’t have been plated together by James Beard, each item was delicious in it’s own special way.
(Leftover) Perri’s Paleo Pork
This is my friend Perri’s...
5 tags
East meets west
Tonight I decided to multitask, making both a dinner for this evening and something to contribute to Christmas dinner. Because what’s more fun than making one dinner…two dinners!! And while these two don’t really go together (Thai+Italian=??), it made sense in my head to make them on the same night.
This evening’s dinner was green curry with curry-roasted cauliflower....
3 tags
Another Asian Adventure
I think I could eat Asian food every day and not get sick of it. Add a week or two of Cactus Cantina (my all time favorite restaurant in DC), and I would be in heaven. I would also weigh a lot and probably reek of fajitas and MSG. Luckily they make gluten-free/wheat-free soy sauce so I can experiment at home (I’m sure you all just breathed a sigh of relief). Tonight’s steak turned...