Thursday, June 27, 2013

Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps

         I threw this recipe together this morning, and it made a great post WOD meal to get my body refueled. I have already had three, and it is not even dinner time yet! This is a perfect mix of sweetness and spice.

Ingredients:
  • 1 package all natural chicken tenders
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1/3 c onion
  • 1/3 c bell pepper
  • 1/4 pineapple
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/3 c cashews
  • 1 avocado
  • 1/2 head of lettuce or container of the fresh lettuce wraps (I found these at Kroger.)
Preparation:
  1. Add the coconut oil to a pan and begin to warm over low heat. Mince the onion, bell pepper, and pineapple then mix into the coconut oil.
  2. Sprinkle the sea salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper into the mixture. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
  3. Next, add the chicken on top of the cooking veggies and fruit. You may want to add a hint of extra sea salt and pepper to the top of the chicken.
  4. Add your cashews to the pan next.
  5. Continue to cook until chicken is cooked thoroughly.
  6. To eat, I added 1-2 pieces of chicken, as well as the veggie/fruit mix into each wrap of piece of lettuce. Chop your avocado into 1 inch pieces, and add to the top of each wrap!
 
          This is one of the best meals that I have had in a while! I always look for new ways to make my meals more fun. If you are looking for a new recipe to try for dinner, this one will not let you down. It is a quick and easy eat as well! Enjoy!

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Paleo Strawberry Ice Cream

          This is not simply gluten free ice cream that you can purchase from the store. This ice cream is 100% Paleo approved! This recipe does not quite have the same texture and sugary taste of regular ice cream, because it is truly a healthy snack without the added sugars and preservatives. If you are wanting to cool down on a hot summer day, let this Paleo ice cream solve your problems!

Ingredients:
  • 1 lb of frozen strawberries
  • 1 (14 oz) can of coconut milk
  • 2 tsp  agave
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Preparation:
  1. The preparation is as simple as can be. Add all of the ingredients to your blender or food processor. You may need to take a few breaks to mix the strawberries by hand. They will get stuck in the blades and on the sides. You can eat it as soon as you are done mixing. It will have a yogurt like texture. You can also put it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes and allow it to harden. It will then have more of a strawberry ICEE taste. The picture below is after allowing it to sit in the freezer after preparing.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Paleo Spinach Artichoke Dip

          It's almost the fourth! We all know what that means, cookouts full of awesome food. If you are looking for Paleo friendly snacks to make, the Spinach Artichoke Dip has to be on your list! I will never miss having this dip at restaurants, because this Paleo recipe tastes even better. It is fun to eat healthy.

Ingredients:
  • 2 (14 oz) cans of artichoke hearts
  • 16 oz frozen spinach
  • 1 c cashews
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp sea salt
Preparation:
  1. Add spinach to a large saucepan and begin to simmer over medium heat. Chop the artichoke hearts into smaller pieces before adding to this mix. Sprinkle the spinach and artichoke with a pinch of sea salt.
  2. While the artichoke and spinach cook, get out your food processor.
  3. Add the cashews into the food processor until you get a flour consistency. Next, add the olive oil. You will be wanting a nut butter like texture.
  4. Once your spinach is completely cooked, drained the excess water. Place the spinach and artichoke into a large bowl.
  5. Add the cashew cream as well as other seasonings to the bowl. Mix thoroughly.
  6. Serve!

          I have eaten this with homemade sweet potato chips, mixed with other veggies, on top of meat, or simply by itself!

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Crockpot Paleo Chili

          I will have to give Tom the credit for this one. He first made this for us last winter, and we have made it many times since then. This recipe is a great one to make if you are having people over, or if you want to meal prep and have it for several meals throughout the week. I hope you like it as much as we do!

Ingredients:
  • 1 package of lean ground meat or ground turkey
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 green peppers
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 1 can of tomato paste (6 oz)
  • 2 cans of diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tsp sea salt (extra if needed for browning meat)
  • 1 tsp pepper (extra if needed for browning meat)
  • 1 tbsp olive or coconut oil
          * Some of the spices may vary depending on how spicy you like your food. Also, I use organic tomato paste, as well as diced tomatoes. Like the meat, you want to always check and make sure your ingredients are Paleo friendly.

Preparation:
  1. In a medium sized pan, coated with olive or coconut oil, brown the meat at a low to medium heat. Add the salt, pepper, and garlic powder to the meat.
  2. While the meat is cooking, chop your green peppers and onion into fine pieces. Once the meat is finished cooking, add to crockpot along with the peppers and onion.
  3. Add the tomato paste as well as the diced tomatoes. Pour it equally over the meat mixture.
  4. Turn crockpot on high and cook for 5 hours. When there is 30 minutes left, stir the contents of the pot. Depending on your serving size, this could feed anywhere from 4-8 people. It also is great served over a warm sweet potato. Yum!
 

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus and Turkey Stuffed Peppers

          I have not posted in several days, and it is good to be back! I have loved seeing everyone posting their delicious summer meals. There are so many new things that I am wanting to try. I will be attending a local Crossfit competition this weekend, so stay tuned for some great on the go snack recipes! I always want to be prepared with Paleo treats when we have busy schedules. I made these two recipes the other day, and they were  favorite with the guys!
 
Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Ingredients:
  • 1 bunch of fresh asparagus
  • 1 package of nitrate free bacon
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
Preparation:
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Bend the end of each pieces of asparagus over and chop off the bottoms. Continue by rinsing off the asapragus.
  3. Wrap two pieces of asparagus in the bacon, then place on the cooking sheet.
  4. After you have wrapped the asparagus, sprinkle the salt and pepper over the pan of bacon wrapped asparagus.
  5. Roast the asparagus for 10 minutes then take it out, rotate each piece of asparagus over, then continue to bake for 10 more minutes.



Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:
  • 1 package of all natural ground turkey
  • 5-6 large bell peppers
  • 1/2 white onion
  • 1/3 c spinach leaves
  • 1 tomatao
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 2 tsp black pepper
Preparation:
  1. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F.
  2. Wrap the bell peppers in aluminum foil, and bake for 10 minutes.
  3. While the peppers are in the oven, begin to brown the turkey on the stove over medium heat.
  4. Chop the onion, tomato, and spinach leaves. Next, add these to the turkey meat.
  5. Season the mixture with oregano and black pepper.
  6. When the peppers are finished, take them out of the oven and cut off the top. You will want to scoop out the centers before you begin to add any of the meat and veggie mix.
  7. Stuff the peppers as full as you can get them, and then bake for 15 minutes.


Sunday, June 2, 2013

Bacon Wrapped Dates

         Delicious. That is the best word to describe this sweet snack!

Ingredients:
  • 1 package of pitted dates (I found some without any preservatives from a local Wal-Mart.)
  • 1 package of bacon
  • 1/4-1/3 c raw almond butter
Preparation:
  1. First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Cut each date in half, and slice each piece of bacon into thirds.
  3. Next, spread a small pinch of almond butter onto the cut side of the date, and wrap the bacon around to hold it in place.
  4. Cook these in the oven for 20-25 minutes, but be sure to keep an eye on them so they do not get too brown!
 
          This recipe is as simple as that! It can be a long preparation process due to having to slice everything and wrap each individual piece, but this snack is definitely worth it! These bite sized treats are great to have during a movie night at home or if you are taking a road trip. I have to thank a lovely Crossfit friend, Elizabeth, for sharing this recipe with me. I am thankful and regretful at the same time, because I can not seem to stop eating them after I start! Enjoy everyone!