Sweet Potato & Sausage Salad

Do you like sweet potatoes? If so... you'll LOVE this! This dish has become one of my new favorite salads! It's easy. It yields leftovers. It can be served warm or cold. And... it's delicious! Great for summer picnics or barbecues... and sure to be a Paleo-fan favorite! This salad was inspired by a salad they serve in the deli at New Leaf Market. Hope you enjoy!!!

Recipe:

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 1" cubes)

1 bunch green onions, diced

4 chicken sausages (any flavor)

1/4 C olive oil

Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste!

Grill chicken sausages until brown and cooked through. When cool, slice and set aside. Peel and chop sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Put in a pot and cover with water (just enough water to cover potatoes). Bring to a boil. Continue to cook sweet potatoes on a LOW boil for about 7-10 minutes. When potatoes are just tender, drain, and rinse with cool water. You do not want to overcook the potatoes! Place in a bowl and cover with olive oil. Add sausages and green onions and gently stir all ingredients using a wood spoon or rubber spatula. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled!

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!

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Spinach & Sausage

Winter vegetables are the best! This was meant to be an easy, don't have to think-to-hard kind of dinner! But it turned out to be a delicious "where-did-this-come-from?" kind of treat!?!

I love pleasant surprises! WOW, acorn squash is really good! This recipe also has a lot of room for fun and interesting variations... Have fun with it! I know I'll be making this again! Hope you enjoy.

Recipe:

1 large acorn squash

1 lb. sausage (I used an Italian pork sausage)

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1- 10 oz. pkg. frozen, chopped spinach

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper

pinch sea salt (optional)

1 tsp. olive oil

1/4 c water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut acorn squash lengthwise and remove seeds. Place cut side down on a baking dish. Add water to pan. bake for 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté onions. Add sausage and cook until crumbly. Steam frozen spinach slightly or microwave with a little water until thawed and ready to add to saute pan with onions and spinach. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Remove squash from the oven. Turn over, so that cut side is up. Fill centers with the sausage mixture and return to oven. Cook for an additional 20 minutes (until squash is truly tender).

Serves two. (I suggest doubling). :-)

Enjoy!!!

Chicken, Shrimp & Sausage Jambalaya

I have been craving Jambalaya! On these cold days, there is nothing better to warm you up! It's spicy and hearty and absolutely deliciously satisfying! I cooked it in my crock pot, too. Which allowed me to take my time cooking it throughout the afternoon. I just added the delicate ingredients, that I didn't want to overcook, close to serving time. Stay warm and enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken breasts

2 sausages (any variety)

1 lb. raw, peeled shrimp

1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes

4 C chicken broth

2 tsp. olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 C spinach

2 C cauliflower rice

1+ T Cajun seasoning (I made my own)... combine following spices:

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. paprika

In a large skillet, saute onions, garlic and bell pepper in olive oil. Add to crock pot. Brown chicken breasts on both sides in skillet, cut into bite sized pieces and add to crock pot. Cook sausage, slice and add to crock pot. Now add chicken broth, tomatoes, and cajun seasoning to crock pot. Cook on high for about 1 hour. Turn crock pot to low. Lastly, about 30 minutes before serving, saute shrimp. Add cooked shrimp, spinach and cauliflower rice to crock pot. Cook for about 15 more minutes! This recipe is sure to help you stay warm this winter! Cozy up and enjoy! :-)

Paleo Pumpkin Soup

I made this soup last year around this time, and was reminded I should post it again! It's a delicious seasonal soup that is sure to warm you from the inside out! I made a few slight changes to my original recipe based on some suggestions from last year, and it was super tasty ... still a recipe keeper! Hope you enjoy!

Recipe:

1- 29 oz can organic pumpkin puree

32 oz organic chicken broth

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. olive oil

3/4 C coconut milk

2 tsp. black pepper

2-3 T fresh chopped chives

2 lbs. ground sausage

Heat chicken broth, pumpkin puree and black pepper in a stock pot. Brown ground sausage in a separate pan and add to stock pot. Saute onions and garlic in 1 tsp. of olive oil and add to stock pot. Bring soup to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and fresh chives (save some chives to garnish the top with). Cook on low for about 15 more minutes. Hope you enjoy this easy seasonal delight! :-)

Seafood Sausage & Kale Stir Fry

This was another great Trader Joe's find and another quick fix dinner! I got home late tonight and needed a quick and easy dinner. I had never really heard of seafood sausage and was a tad skeptical, but I though it was really good!!!

Recipe:

2 bunches of kale

1 large sweet onion, sliced thin

2 tsp. olive oil

1 package (1 lb.) TJ's Seafood sausage (frozen section)

Brown sausages in a pan with a little oil. Slice and set aside. In another pan, saute onions with olive oil. As they start to caramelize, add kale. Continue cooking for about 8-10 minutes, until kale is soft. Add sausage to pan. Mix well and serve! I squeezed a little fresh lemon juice over the top! Super tasty... hope you enjoy this quick paleo fix! :-)