Quick & Easy Paleo Broiled Flank Steak

It was a busy day and an even busier evening. Days like these require quick fixes! But that is NO reason we have to sacrifice flavor, quality, or our Paleo diligence. Hope you enjoy this QUICK & easy Paleo feast! :-)

This would be great grilled... but it is SO cold outside, I decide to try the broiler... It worked great!

Ingredients:

~2 lbs. Flank steak

1/4 C lime juice

Spices:

2 tsp. each: sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder

2 T dried parsley

Season flank steak with spices (1 tsp. each side) and parsley (1 T each side). Really rub the spices into the meat. Put seasoned flank steak in a ziplock bag or tupperware-type container. Pour lime juice over the steak. Let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Heat broiler. Place flank steak on a broiler pan and broil for about 5 minutes on each side. Thats it! Let it sit for about 5 minutes on the cutting board. Slice across the grain and serve! It had a GREAT flavor for a quick fix! We served this with steamed broccoli and baked sliced sweet potatoes (our typical standby side).

Hope you enjoy... we did!

Salmon with Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus Spears & Sauteed Spinach

I thought this was a hearty and decadent meal. It seemed the right thing to do for a Holiday! If you enjoy bacon (and I haven't met anyone who doesn't) then I promise you will love this!

The bacon-wrapped asparagus spears make a great appetizer, too! (I know what I'm bringing to my next Paleo party!)

Enjoy! :-)

Ingredients

1 large Salmon filet (wild-caught)

1 T spicy stone ground mustard

1 T capers

1 package bacon, uncured (reserve two slices for the spinach)

1 bunch asparagus (on the thicker side)

1 T olive oil

1 bunch fresh baby spinach (or 9oz pre-washed bag)

2 cloves garlic, minced

(2 sliced cooked bacon)... chopped

ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush mustard on fish and top with capers and black pepper. Bake salmon for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Turn on Broiler. Cut bacon slices in half and wrap around a piece of asparagus. Place on a broiler pan. Broil for about 10 minutes, or until bacon browns. When bacon is browned, turn asparagus over and broil for another 10 minutes (or so) to brown the bottom side. Set aside. Put salmon back under the broiler for just about 5 minutes to brown the mustard topping. Serve with bacon-wrapped asparagus spears and sauteed spinach.

Spinach~

I cooked up a couple extra pieces of bacon to add to the spinach! Heat olive oil in a pan and saute garlic. Add spinach and toss until it cooks down. Toss in the bacon pieces!

Absolutely yummy!

Paleo Butternut Squash Soup

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

This recipe was sent to me by our lovely, new mommy, Whitney. I have to thank her... and apologize to her at the same time, because I kind of changed the recipe up a bit. Some alterations were intentional in order to keep it within Paleo boundaries, the other modifications were accidental! I failed to read the recipe in its entirety and consequently ended up with this post! It turned out VERY good! But I promise I will follow the recipe closer next time! This recipe is adapted from the Food Network Kitchens, under Butternut Squash Soup.

Perfect for a rainy Valentine's dinner! Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 T olive oil

2 lbs. ground pork sausage

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 T ground sage

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. black pepper

2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes

1 butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded and diced (hardest part of the whole meal was cutting this up)... But they do sell pre-cut/peeled butternut squash for a time-saving option!

4 C organic chicken broth

1 tsp. coconut vinegar

Recipe:

Heat olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, sage, salt and pepper. Add sausage and cook until crumbly. Cover and cook until fragrant and soft. Add Tomatoes and cook for about 10 more minutes. Add the squash and broth. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered until vegetables are tenter, about 20 minutes or so. Stir in the vinegar last. Mix well! Serve in some soup bowls and top with chives, if desired, and enjoy!

Paleo Chicken Scallopini Over Spaghetti Squash

I opted for another Italian dinner tonight. It was hearty, filling and delicious! I always hear how difficult it is to give up Italian food when choosing the Paleo lifestyle. I hope that you don't believe that's true! While it might be a little bit more challenging, it is still completely possible to enjoy Italian cuisine. Spaghetti squash is amazing as a pasta substitute ...and was particularly tasty tonight under the chicken & capers. Enjoy! :-)

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

2 T olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 C almond meal

1 T dried parsley

pinch sea salt and 1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 C sliced mushrooms

2 T capers

2 T lemon juice

1/4 C white wine (or chicken broth)

1 lemon, thinly sliced

*Spaghetti squash

Recipe:

Pound chicken breasts pretty thin (about 1/4 inch). Combine almond meal, parsley, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Dredge chicken breasts in almond flour mixture. Brown chicken breast in olive oil, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken breasts. In same pan, add garlic and mushrooms and saute until tender (you may need to add a tad more olive oil). Add wine and deglaze pan. Stir in capers and lemon juice. Add chicken breasts back to pan. Place thinly sliced lemons over the chicken pieces, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes. Serve over a bed of spaghetti squash & enjoy a Paleo-friendly Italian meal!

*This is how I make the spaghetti squash (there are other methods out there... this just works well with me):

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pierce spaghetti squash with a knife several times. Place entire spaghetti squash in the oven for about 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully slice in half. Spoon out the center seeds. Now place both halves back in the oven for about 10-15 more minutes in a baking pan with about 1/4 C water. When center is soft and tender, remove form oven. Let cool slightly and scoop out all the meat of the spaghetti squash into a bowl. It should be easy to scoop with a spoon from the shell and come out looking like strings of spaghetti noodles! A very versatile and tasty vegetable!

Paleo Italian Wedding Soup

This was a loooonng Monday. It was sure nice to come home and enjoy a comforting meal... so calming and soothing! I highly recommend this Paleo twist on an Italian classic. It was quick, easy, comforting and delicious. A perfect finish to a hectic day!

Ingredients:

1 lb. grass-fed ground beef

2 eggs, slightly beaten

4 T almond meal

1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper

6 C chicken broth

2 C fresh baby spinach

1 C cauliflower (*riced cauliflower)

1 C sliced carrots

In a medium bowl, combine the ground beef, eggs, almond meal and spices... mix well. Form into small meatballs and set aside. In a large pot, heat broth to boiling. Stir in spinach leaves, carrots, cauliflower rice and meatballs. Cook at a slow low boil for about 15-20 minutes. Ladle into soup bowls and enjoy!

*Cauliflower rice: chop cauliflower into pieces and put through a food processor and shred for a rice-like consistency. I riced a whole head of cauliflower. The leftovers I put in a freezer bag for another time. It freezes great and is easy to thaw!