Thursday, October 24, 2013

Paleo Crockpot Beef Stew

         
 
           Happy Food Day Everyone! Celebrate this National holiday the healthy way. Forget the junk food, and let's all cook up our favorite nutritious recipes. Need a nice recipe to warm up this chilly fall day? The best part about fall is variety of yummy soups and stews you can make. They are the perfect meal to enjoy while cuddling up on the couch with your friends or family. We loved this one, and I hope you all will to!

Ingredients:
  • 1 lb beef stew meat (They had some in Simple Truth brand at Kroger.)
  • 2 tbsp Paleo cooking fat (I used bacon fat.)
  • 4 c beef stock
  • 1 c onion
  • 1 c celery
  • 3 carrots
  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • 1/2 tsp rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper (Add more to taste.)
Preparation:
  1. Dice the onion and celery into small pieces. Peel and chop carrots.
  2. Add beef to the crockpot followed by your vegetables, beef broth, and spices.
  3. Mix together thoroughly and then set your crockpot to medium for 4-6 hours. Stir the stew occasionally while it cooks. Break up the meat with your utensil.
  4. After 4-6 hours, set the crockpot on warm for 4-6 more hours. The mixture will thicken up as the meat separates and potatoes break up. It will have more of a soupy texture than you may expect, but it tastes amazing!

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Sausage and Spinach Egg Muffins

          The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of schoolwork, my job, volunteering, and Crossfit. I had the opportunity to compete in the WV Crossfit Championship last Saturday, placing second, alongside many awesome athletes and friends. My boyfriend, Tom, placed first in this championship! He is an incredible and talented athlete. I am so proud of him. Yesterday, I also got to judge the Festivus Competition at my home box, Crossfit Thunder. It was another competition full of great athletes who love what they do. I love seeing people do things they never thought would be possible.
          I finally have some time to share my recipes with you all. I promise that next time, it will not take me this long! In the midst of a busy fall schedule, we could all use extra recipes to meal prep for breakfast. These Sausage and Spinach Egg Muffins can be made quickly. They can last for days, unless you live in my house. They didn't make it through one day here! Yum!

Ingredients:
  • 1 package of nitrate free sausage
  • 1 c spinach
  • 1/4 c onions
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 8 eggs
Preparation:
  1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F, and begin to cook your sausage in a skillet on the stove.
  2. While this cooks, chop your onion and mix into a large bowl along with the spinach, spices, and eggs.
  3. Once the sausage is completely brown (be 100% sure it is cooked fully), allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes before mixing into bowl as well.
  4. Lather a muffin tin with olive oil to keep the muffins sticking to the pan then pour the mix in evenly into each individual cup.
  5. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the egg is solid. Scoop out and eat up!
          Here are some awesome photos taken by my best friend, Emily, at the WV Crossfit Championship!