Grilled Spice Rubbed Pork Loin, Zucchini & Pineapple

As the weather was still on the warm side, I decided to stick to the BBQ for our dinner! Tonight we grilled everything... even the pineapple slices!

Delicious with minimal dishes! :-)

Recipe:

Pork loin

1 tsp olive oil

Rub:

2 tsp. coconut crystals (this added a little sweetness, but it's not necessary for the rub)

2 tsp. paprika

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. coriander

Pinch sea salt (optional)

Zucchini, halved lengthwise

Sliced pineapple rings

Trim pork loin of visible fat. Coat loin with olive oil. Combine spiced ingredients and rub over the pork loin. Let it sit that way for about 15 minutes. Slice your zucchini and pineapple slices. The pineapple slices I left bare. The zucchini slices, I coated with a tad of olive oil and sprinkled with a little pepper and garlic powder. Heat grill to medium. Put pork loin on the grill, off to the side... not over direct heat. Cook for about 20-30 minutes (until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees). Place zucchini and pineapple on the grill (also in indirect heat) for about 8-10 minutes. Hope you enjoy!

Grilled Flank Steak Salad

It's hard to decide what to cook when it's so hot out! There was no doubt the oven needed to be avoided at all costs, so a quick grilled meat and a refreshing salad was all I could think of. I hope you're staying cool in this hot September!?

Recipe

2 lbs. Flank Steak

2 T Spicy Brown Mustard

1 T lemon juice

2 T Balsamic vinegar

3 T Olive oil

1 tsp. black pepper

1 T dried oregano

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

pinch sea salt

Trim all visible fat off flank steak. Place in a ziploc bag. Combine all remaining ingredients and add to ziploc bag with meat. Seal well, and mix up all the flavors. Let marinate for at least 2 hours (preferably longer if you can). Heat grill to medium temperature and grill flank steak about 5-7 minutes on each side. Let cool... slice in slender strips... and place on top of your green salad!

Burger on a Portobello Bun

I was desperately in the mood for a good old juicy hamburger tonight! When a craving like that hits, you have to just go for it! I knew my family wouldn't mind. In fact, the kids were thrilled! I've been skimming around Robb Wolf's new book, The Paleo Solution, and noticed he used a Portobello mushroom cap in place of the bun on one of his burger recipes. I thought that sounded like an excellent idea! I also felt obliged to serve tonight's dinned with some baked sweet potato rounds and a large crisp green salad! Everything was delicious and it completely hit the spot! But let me warn you... this burger was particularly filling! Wow, that portobello, as delicious as it was, makes for one hearty burger! Hope you enjoy!

Recipe:

2 lbs burger (preferably grass fed beef)

Season burger with spices of your choice...

I used, garlic powder, dried oregano, and black pepper

portobello mushroom caps

olive oil

Mix seasoning with ground beef and form hamburger patties. Rub a little olive oil on portobello mushroom and season with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper (optional). Grill burgers to desired doneness. Grill portobellos just enough to heat through. Place hamburger patty on top of the mushroom cap. Top with a sliced tomato, lettuce, spicy brown mustard, onions or avocado... basically whatever you like, and ENJOY!

Shrimp & Broccoli Stir Fry

A good old shrimp stir fry is such a great stand-by dinner! You can really use whatever vegetables you have on hand! And you can change up the spices to whatever suites your fancy! It doesn't take much time, and it always turns out delicious! I always keep the 2 lb. bag of frozen shrimp handy from Costco. I buy the raw, tail-on, peeled & deveined! This is one of my favorite quick meals.... Hope you enjoy!

Tonight's stir-fry:

Shrimp, (I took out about 20 frozen shrimp and did a quick thaw in warm water)

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 C grated carrots

1 C chopped broccoli

3 small red sweet peppers, chopped

1/4 C coconut aminos (soy substitute)

2 tsp. olive oil

dash cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. black pepper

pinch sea salt (optional)

Heat olive oil in a skillet, and saute shrimp (this is when I added a little cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes). Cook until nicely pink! Set aside. In same pan, heat a little more oil (if necessary) and saute onion and garlic. Add peppers, broccoli and carrots. Add the coconut aminos and cook until vegetables are just tender. Add shrimp back to pan. Season with a little black pepper and sea salt (if desired). Toss well and serve! Enjoy!

Grilled Jerk Chicken with Grill Sweet Peppers

Have you noticed it's getting darker earlier? It's really starting to feel like Fall! Right down to all the leaves on my driveway and roof! But I'm not willing to give up the BBQ just yet!

The days are getting shorter, and it seems busier! I am needing week night dinners that are not too labor intensive. I need my sleep! Especially... after all those deadlifts today! I did get a PR today... which is just stronger reinforcement that I'm eating correctly!

Gotta love the pay-off days!

Jerk Chicken:

4 Chicken breasts

1 tsp. olive oil

1/4 C lime juice

Jerk seasoning spice medley (spice quantities are rough estimates... I mixed them until I found a blend I liked):

1 tsp. ground ginger, 2 tsp. ground chipotle chile, 2 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. paprika, 1/2 tsp. allspice, 1 tsp. thyme, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 1/2 tsp. cumin, 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, dash cinnamon, and pinch of sea salt! Feel free to adjust to taste preference!

Trim chicken breast from visible fat. Coat with olive oil and rub spice medley over chicken breasts. Place in a ziploc bag and pour lime juice over the top. Marinate for at least 1 hour (2-3 hours would be best). Heat your grill to about medium temperature and cook chicken breasts for about 6-7 minutes on each side, until nicely browned and internal temperature is 170 degrees.

We slice up some sweet peppers in half and grilled those as well. We grilled those for about 10-12 minutes, right along side the chicken!

For an extra side, we sauteed some spinach with 1 tsp. olive oil and 2 cloves chopped garlic.

Hope you enjoy! :-)

Paleo Chili aka "Monday Night Football Dinner"

Well it's football season, and around my house that means Monday Night Football Dinners (or "Niner Dinners") as we like to call them. Simply stated, this is something quick, easy, tasty, and obviously an excuse to forego all mealtime etiquette! No setting of the dinner table, no sitting AT the dinner table... NO table at all ...(unless you count the coffee table)!

Our first "Niner Dinner" is a family favorite... Chili. It's just a big bowl of perfect football food and a nice change of season meal, too. Hope you enjoy! ... If only the 49ers had a better outcome. :-(

Paleo Chili Recipe:

2 lbs. ground buffalo or grass fed beef or one of each!

1 yellow onion

1 green bell pepper

3 cloves garlic

1 T olive oil

1 - 15 oz. can tomato sauce, organic, no added salt

1 - 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (I used fired roasted)

8 oz beer (Red Bridge or St. Peter's)

2 T ground chipotle chile

1 T dried oregano

1 T cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

pinch sea salt

In a large pot, heat olive oil and saute onions, garlic, and bell pepper. When vegetables are tender, add the spices and blend well. In a separate skillet, brown the ground meat, and add to the pan. Pour in the beer and mix well. Add in the cans of tomato sauce & diced tomatoes. Stir well. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until all ingredients blend well and chili thickens nicely. Serve hot with a cold beer and enjoy some Monday night football! May the team you're rooting for give you reason to cheer!

... Enjoy!

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Paleo Coconut Fried Chicken

We made this recipe only because we wanted to enjoy the leftovers for a picnic! Cold fried chicken is total picnic food, don't you think? And a tangy vegetable salad, too (a specialty my grandfather use to make when harvesting his garden)! This was a tasty combo, and even better on the beach over looking the Golden Gate Bridge! :-)

Coconut Fried Chicken:

Skinless, boneless chicken thighs, about 12 pieces

1-2 C shredded, unsweetened coconut

1/3 C cocnut flour

1/4 C arrowroot powder

1 tsp. of each spice: sea salt, black ground pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ground sage, dried thyme, and dried oregano

1 T paprika

1/4 C water

2 C unsweetened coconut milk

about 1/4 C coconut oil and/or olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix coconut flakes, pepper and paprika on a plate and set aside. Combine coconut flour, arrowroot powder and remaining spices... mix well. Mix in water and slowly add coconut milk with a fork to make a smooth batter (you may not use all the coconut milk to a good batter-like consistency). One at a time, dip each chicken thigh into the batter and arrange on a tray. Really coat the pieces well, and try to use all the batter. Now, dredge chicken thighs in the shredded coconut mixture, and coat each piece well. Heat oil in a larger skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot (make sure oil is hot)... add chicken pieces, careful not to over-crowd the pan. Cook until golden brown on each side (about 2 minutes). Transfer chicken thighs to a baking dish. Place in a preheated 350 degree oven, and cook for about 10-15 minutes.

Tangy garden salad:

1 basket cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1 red onion, diced

2 cucumbers, chopped

1 green bell pepper

2 T chopped fresh cilantro

1 T lemon juice

2 T balsamic vinegar

pinch sea salt

1 tsp. black pepper

Anniversary Dessert

This weekend we celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary. We enjoyed an amazing day in the city (San Francisco). The weather couldn't have been more perfect. We worked out at SF CrossFit with Kelly Starrett , walked the Golden Gate Bridge, Paleo picnicked at the beach, strolled the streets of SF (even visited a Lululemon store), enjoyed some sushi and traveled back home to the Santa Cruz mountains. A fun-filled day for sure! But how special is it to walk in your own front door, after an amazing day, to the fan fair of your 14 year old daughter serving you a special Anniversary dessert? .... not just any dessert... A special PALEO dessert, that she worked especially hard to coordinate appropriate ingredients, and prepare herself! That was the "cherry on top" of our special day. I'm a Paleo Proud Parent and so touched!

Recipe (Molly improvised and altered this recipe from a website she found on the internet: http://nuttykitchen.com/?s=bananas+in+coconut ...She made due with ingredients we had on hand, and cut the recipe in half) .... It was delicious!!!

Molly's version (serves two):

2 bananas

1/8 C coconut nectar

3/4 C coconut milk

1 pinch sea salt

1/2 tsp. organic vanilla extract

Peel bananas and cut them vertically and in half (basically resulting in 4 pieces for each banana). Pour coconut milk into a small sauce pan and heat on high util it begins to boil. Once the coconut milk is at a boiling point, add vanilla, sea salt and bananas, reducing heat to medium. Cook bananas until tender... but be careful not to over cook them (you do not want them to be mushy). Once they are tender, turn off the heat. Now add the coconut nectar to the pan. Carefully stir until all the lumps have disappeared. Let it cool for 15-20 minutes and serve warm. bananas should remain in distinct pieces. Top with a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg. Enjoy... we certainly did!

Thank you, Molly!

Baked Chicken with Shallot Wine Sauce & Cauliflower Rice

This dinner was pretty simple and packed in some good flavor! It was also heartily filling & satisfying. Scott helped a lot with this dish... his inspiration was shallots (which made a great sauce... rich and full of flavor). Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, pounded and cut in half

1/2 C almond meal

2 T dried parsley flakes

1 T Italian seasoning

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. paprika

2 T coconut oil

2 tsp . olive oil

1/4 C shallots, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 C white wine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Saute shallots and garlic. When done remove to a small bowl. In same skillet, add coconut oil. Keep heat on medium. Trim and pound chicken breasts. Combine almond meal, parsley flakes, Italian seasoning and black pepper in a shallow bowl. Coat chicken breast in the mixture and add to hot skillet. Sprinkle paprika over the top. Cook for about 4-5 minutes until browned. Turn chicken over and repeat.

Add chicken to a baking dish when nice and browned. Add shallot and garlic mixture back to skillet and deglaze pan with white wine, scraping all the bits and making a nice sauce to pour over the chicken. After pouring shallot sauce over the chicken, cover with foil, and bake for about 10 minutes. While chicken is baking, makes your sides! We cooked up some cauliflower rice, and steamed zucchini. The cauliflower rice has really become a household favorite! It was especially nice with this dish as it sopped up a lot of the shallot sauce! Be sure to spoon some extra sauce over the top of your chicken and cauliflower rice.

Super delicious... Hope you enjoy! :-)

Crock-Pot Paleo Pot Roast

Well, school's back in session and evenings are getting busy again. Time to dust off that crock-pot and keep it handy! Tonight we enjoyed one of my favorite, EASY crock-pot fixes! Not a lot of cooking talent, but a lot of flavor (and yields great left-overs)!

Ingredients:

Cross Rib Roast, boneless, 3-4 lbs

4-5 cloves garlic, peeled whole

1 large yellow onion, sliced

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut in chunks

1/2 C water

Place pot roast in crock pot and cover with water. Surround roast with garlic cloves, onions and celery. Set the crock pot on low for about 6-8 hours! When I got home I added the sweet potatoes, (a little more water), and turned the crock pot up to high... I cooked just until sweet potatoes were tender (about 20 minutes). Serve with a side salad and enjoy! Easy & delish! There is nothing like walking into your house after a long day and smelling dinner... ready and waiting for you! :-)

Paleo PIZZA!

Pizza anyone? YES, I said Pizza! This was really and truly good, and a great alternative to one of the most mentioned sacrifices with the paleo diet. I was pleasantly surprised by the success of this and would definitely keep this on the menu on a regular basis! What fun! (... and the kids were happy, too)! ~PIZZA... it does a family good! :-)

Pizza Crust:

2 C cauliflower rice, cooked

1/2 C almond meal

2 eggs

1 T coconut oil

1/2 C chopped fresh basil

1 T dried Italian seasoning

1 tsp fennel

1/2 tsp black pepper

olive oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rice your cauliflower, by sticking it in your food processor with the grater blade. Heat it in a bowl, in the microwave for about 6-8 minutes at 80% power (or stove top). There is no need to add water when cooking the cauliflower! When cauliflower is cooked, combine all the additional ingredients. Mix well. Spray cookie sheet with olive oil cooking spray. Place cauliflower mixture on baking sheet and press out evenly, making your pizza crust. (It will seem a little mushy... that's okay). Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges start to brown. Remove from oven.

Sauce:

1 6oz can organic tomato paste, no added salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T oregano

1 T Italian seasoning

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp black pepper

Combine sauce ingredients. Spread over cauliflower pizza crust (you probably will not use all the sauce)... save the leftovers for next time!

Add toppings to your pizza! We used fresh basil leaves, artichoke hearts, and organic chicken sausage. Have fun with your toppings! Place pizza under the broiler until toppings are hot (3-5 minutes). Serve and enjoy!

*We had leftover cauliflower rice, too. I put it in a ziplock freezer bag and stuck it in the freezer... Ready for next time! :-)

*This recipe was altered and adapted from Jamie VanEaton, Low Carb Examiner:

http://www.examiner.com/low-carb-in-national/cauliflower-pizza-crust-worth-its-wow-gold