Mediterranean Barbecued Salmon

I got this recipe with quick verbal communication between classes from Rachel Frankl (who is also on CF Santa Cruz Central's web site tonight)! Perhaps there are other reasons why she is always one of the first one's to finish a wod with impeccable form! She has an impeccable diet, too! We just can NOT deny that outstanding performance in the gym typically coincides with good nutrition!!! (Especially Paleolithic nutrition standards). Thank you, Rachel for sharing your wonderful, healthy and Paleo-terrific recipes! You're an inspiration... both in the gym, and in the kitchen!!! Thank you and keep up the awesome work! :-)

Recipe:

Salmon filet (cut into about 4oz individual portions)

Place each 4oz portion in its own tin foil wrap, and top with Mediterranean salsa.

Salsa:

2 tomatoes, diced

1 small yellow/sweet onion

2 cloves garlic,l minced

1 Avocado, chopped

Olive oil

some salt & pepper

lemon juice (or lemon slices)

Top each salmon piece with a little olive oil, mediterranean salsa, sprinkle with a little sea salt and pepper and place a slice of lemon (or lemon juice) over the top. Seal the tin foil around the filets and barbecue for 12-15 minutes on medium heat. You will be able to hear the juices bubbling in the foil before you take it off the barbecue. Adjust the time and/or heat accordingly. This was delicious! Fresh, fun, simple, and Paleo! ENJOY! :-)

Thank you Rachel!

Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Pan Fried Chicken

Sledgehammers? Back squats? 800 meters? Are you hungry yet? I'm not sure if it was today's CrossFit wod or this funky foggy July weather we're having, but I was hungry for a hearty meal tonight. This dinner was just that! ... and managed to satisfy my appetite.

*Bonus: it yielded leftovers. Leftovers=Lunch tomorrow. Yay!

Mashed Sweet Potatoes: (I loved these)

2 good-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into about 1-2 inch chunks

1/2 C shallots (or sweet onion), chopped fine

3 cloves garlic, mince

1/2 C fresh basil, chopped

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 C coconut milk

1 T coconut oil

Bring about 4 qts. water to low boil, and add sweet potatoes. Boil for about 10-13 minutes (until potatoes are tender). Drain and mash. (I used a potato ricer... which is nifty kitchen tool that enables the perfect fluffy smooth texture for mashed potatoes) But, mashing with a fork is just fine, too! Add Coconut milk and mix well. In a separate small pan heat coconut oil an saute shallots and garlic, when they are just about done (about 5 minutes), add basil. Saute for a few more minutes and add to sweet potatoes. Stir well, add a little ground black pepper, and serve with the fried chicken!

Fried Chicken:

4 chicken breasts, pounded thin (I cut mine in half, too)

3/4 C almond meal

3 T dried parsley

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 T oregano

1/4 C fresh basil, chopped

2 T Coconut oil

Heat oil in large skillet. Combine almond meal and spices. Dredge chicken breast in almond meal mixture (really pressing the spices into the chicken). When oil is hot, add chicken breasts to pan. Cook on each side for about 5-7 minutes (until chicken is cooked thoroughly and crispy).

That it! ...Hope you enjoy. :-)

Baby Back Ribs in Paleo BBQ Sauce

Hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July, and more importantly enjoyed the extra long weekend with family and friends! In addition to the 4th festivities, we also celebrated Scott's birthday, where he was able to enjoy his much anticipated, all time favorite, birthday meal... Baby Back Ribs! He found a Paleo BBQ sauce somewhere on the wide world web, which we tried and very much enjoyed! Hope you do, too! :-)

Recipe:

about 3 racks baby back ribs

Season with a little sea salt and pepper

Grill over medium low heat until almost done. Remove from BBQ and cut in pieces, and put in a dutch oven. Pour Paleo BBQ sauce over the ribs and cook on low for about 2-3 more hours.

Paleo BBQ Sauce:

2, 6oz. cans organic tomato paste

2 1/2 C organic beef stock, no added salt

1 medium onion, finely minced

6 cloves garlic, finely minced

4 T dijon mustard

4 T apple cider vinegar

2 T extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. sea salt

4 T chili powder

Dice onions and garlic as fine as possible. Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan. If you like your sauce a little thinner, add an extra 1/2 C of broth. Heat sauce on the stove on a medium-low setting. Cover and simmer, stirring frequently, for about 30 minutes... That's it!

We thought it was delicious (albeit, a little on the tangy side). Hope you enjoy! :-)

PALEO CHALLENGE RESULTS ARE IN!

Paleo challenge is compete! I am pleased to announce our winners!

These "two" winners posted outstanding results with outstanding effort! I am super proud to announce the paleo challenge winners!!!

Stacy Craig!!!

She has been crossfitting for 2 1/2 years! After changing to the paleo diet, she has improved her performance and changed her physique dramatically! She also dramatically improved her performance in her daily crossfit regime! Can you say, pull ups? ...YES! During her paleo challenge, she got kipping pull ups!!! HUGE accomplishment. Congratulations Stacy! You are truly an inspiration!!!

Rory Graetch!!!

Rory made some amazing transformations with his athletic health and performance! He is going to continue to shine with his crossfit potential!

He lost weight, gained HUGE strength, and showed massive performance strides!!!

More detailed information to follow... SOON!!!

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS! YOU ROCK!

Each contestant won $160.00 EACH.

Whoo hoo!

*(That's like getting a free month each!!!)

Keep up the good work! You both showed amazing results!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Chops With Sage Leaves

I don't know about the rest of you, but CrossFit has worked me this week so far! And I love it!! It's weeks like these when I really appreciate and can put to the test... my Paleo ways!!!

Results . results . results! Are you seeing them???

I felt tonight's dinner was a simple Paleo success. Scott said there is no way anyone will believe this was quick and easy... but I will tell you that is truly was! It also turned out very presentable, too, and I would comfortably serve this meal to guests! :-)

Hope you enjoy!

Recipe:

6-8 pork loin chops, trimmed of all visible fat

16-18 sage leaves (I was fortunate enough to have some growing in my garden!)

1 package Prosciutto, 4-6 oz. (preferably natural prosciutto free of nitrates and antibiotics!)

black pepper

garlic powder

onion powder

olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Trim pork chops and sprinkle with black pepper, garlic and onion powder. Place sage leave on top of pork chops and wrap prosciutto around pork. Spread a little olive oil over a baking dish. Place pork chops in dish, prosciutto seam side down. Bake for about 25-35 minutes. Pork is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. It turned out so pretty! We served this with some cooked Japanese sweet potatoes, and a garden salad. Very Tasty!

* Paleo challengers... the results are in! Stay tuned for the big announcement!!!

Community Supported Agriculture!

Organic, grassfed beef! Makes your mouth water, doesn't it? The above Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)-style meats came from Morris Grassfed Beef ranch in San Juan Bautista. Their cattle are born and raised in the ranges of coastal California. Their diet is fresh grass and clean water! If you've been thinking about ordering your own CSA-style meats... check out their website for more information: http://www.morrisgrassfed.com/index.htm (I've attached their website on my "Links" list)

Thanks for the information, Neile! I know you'll be enjoying your beef! Maybe even the Rib Eye tonight? This is such an awesome tip, and I can't wait to order some of my own! :-)

Shrimp Stir Fry

This was a fun and delicious meal! My daughter and I knew we wanted a shrimp stir fry for dinner, but we couldn't agree on the vegetables. So, we took a trip to New Leaf Market and compromised our choices. We ended up having so much fun looking at their selections, a lot of which neither one of us had ever tried. This turned out to be an educational approach to "healthy eating negotiations"! Not to mention, it was an excellent stir fry! I highly recommend a tour through your local vegetable isle or farmer's market with your kids! Having them pick things out themselves is magical. Hope you enjoy our collective creation! :-)

Recipe:

about 14 raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 small carrot, grated (Molly insisted on grated carrots!)

1 bunch bok choy, sliced (both agreed)

1 large handful (about a cup) shiitake mushrooms (Molly wanted to try)

2 purple beauty bell peppers, julienned (we both wanted to try!)

1 to 1 1/2 T coconut oil

2 T coconut aminos (soy sauce substitute)

Heat oil in skillet, add shrimp and saute about 3-5 minutes, until shrimp is cooked through and no longer pink. Remove from pan. Add a little more coconut oil to pan if needed and saute the vegetables. I added the shiitake mushrooms last. Saute until veggies are cook through, but tender. Stir in the coconut aminos. Add the shrimp back to the pan, and toss well.

Serve and enjoy! Simple, fresh organic, paleo, kid approved and delish!

Sesame Seared Wild Salmon Filets

I sort of felt like this was our "last meal" as I was making dinner tonight. The truth is, tonight was our "pre-Fran" dinner. So you can see how there's not much difference?! Yes, tomorrow's WOD is FRAN (followed by a Lululemon trunk sale) ... which is suppose to make everything all better. But as much as I try... there is still that sense of dred looming over me! However, dinner was great! Healthy fat?... check. Omega 3's?... check. Protein?... check. Vitamin D? ... check. Thrusters & pull-ups? .... we shall see! :-)

Recipe:

2 salmon filets

1 egg

1 T coconut aminos (or water is fine, too)

about 2 T lightly toasted sesame seeds (maybe more)

1 tsp ground black pepper

2 tsp parsley flakes

2-3 tsp olive oil

(cast iron pan if you have one)

Combine sesame seeds, pepper and parsley flakes. In a separate bowl, mix egg with coconut aminos or water. Heat skillet with olive oil. Dip salmon filets in egg mixture and press into sesame mixture (you want the sesame mixture to entirely coat the non-skin side of the salmon). Then place in hot cast iron pan (sesame coated side) and cook for about 3 minutes. Turn over and cook for another 5-7 minutes (skin side down this time). When fish is cooked through and flaky, remove from heat. I flipped it over and pealed the skin off easily (and then flipped it over again to the pretty sesame side). A lot of flippin' .... but it was flippin' good! Hope you enjoy!!!

We enjoyed this with some steamed yellow squash, and fresh cantaloupe slices. YUM.

Paleo Quick Pick

We are utilizing these longer summer days and spending some time doing a little home maintenance! This week's project: sealing the deck... So cooking was not a priority today. Instead we settled on a Paleo Family Quick Pick! Grilled burgers, broccoli and some veggies on the side! I used extra lean ground beef and made very simple patties with a lot of ground pepper, garlic and onion powder. Sometimes our busy lives just call for ease! I know the kids were happy. According to them... this was the best meal ever! Hahaha.

Hope you're enjoying your long summer days! :-)

Basil & Spinach Rolled Chicken Breasts

Stuffed chicken breasts! Yum. Usually when I think of cooking rolled chicken breasts, I think labor intensive meal with lots of dirty dishes and a messy kitchen! Well, that was NOT the case tonight! This was pretty simple and easy (and Paleo). After all who wants to come home and cook a huge laborious meal after 30 heavy clean & jerks?!

Hope you give it a try! Enjoy...

Recipe:

6 chicken breasts

1/2 C basil, chopped

1/2 C spinach, chopped

1 tsp. lemon juice

2 T olive oil

2 T almond meal

1 shallot, minced (about 1/4 C)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. olive oil

sea salt

ground black pepper

paprika

parsley flakes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In 1 tsp. olive oil, sauté shallots and garlic together. Set aside.

Pound chicken breasts fairly thin. Sprinkle with salt (always optional) and pepper. In a separate bowl, combine basil, spinach, lemon juice, olive oil and almond meal. Add shallots and garlic and mix together. Place about 1 T of the mixture in the center of each chicken breast. Roll the chicken breasts and secure with a couple toothpicks. Place in a baking dish and sprinkle the tops with some black pepper, paprika, and parsley flakes (adds some pretty color). Bake for 45 minutes. We served this with a side of sautéed spinach and steamed yellow squash. Hope you enjoy! :-)