Grilled Tuna Steaks with Spicy Cauliflower Stuffed Tomatoes

Ok, what a totally fun dinner this was! Delicious and ready to impress! And honestly not difficult at all... just a lot of veggie prep. If you give this a try, I promise you won't be sorry! Have fun with it.. and enjoy.

Spicy Cauliflower Stuffed Tomatoes:

6 ripe tomatoes

1 C cauliflower rice

2 T olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 jalapeno peppers, minced

1/4 C fresh cilantro, chopped

1/3 C reserved tomato pulp

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. black pepper

pinch sea salt

Rice the cauliflower in a food processor. Reserve 1 Cup, and save (or freeze) the rest for another time. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut 1/2-inch slice off the top of each tomato, save the tops! Hallow out the the tomatoes by scooping out the seeds and pulp from the tomatoes, reserve a 1/3 C. Rub some olive oil on the bottom of a baking dish and place hallowed tomatoes on it. Saute garlic and jalapeno peppers in some olive oil until tender. Toss cauliflower rice with tomato pulp reserve. Add garlic, peppers, cilantro, olive oil and spices. Combine well! Spoon mixture into the hallowed tomatoes, mounding slightly. Place tomato tops back on top of the stuffed tomatoes. Bake for 20 minutes, until heated through. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Tuna Steaks:

Seer tuna steaks 2 minutes on each side, and then cook 4 minutes on low. We used the grill for this. Just season with a little salt and pepper if desired.

Top steaks with some pico de gallo (recipe from Cinco de Mayo)!

This meal is a winner! I promise! :-)

Paleo Carne Asada y Pico de Gallo

Feliz Cinco de Mayo! What a great excuse to eat well! Everyone loves a good south-of-the-border flavor! Spicy and satisfying... Tonight's meal has left me full and happy! Hope you enjoy this Cinco de Mayo feast.

Carne Asada Recipe:

1 large skirt steak (about 2 lbs.)

Marinade:

juice of 2 limes

1/4 C olive oil

1/4 C fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

1/2 tsp. ground cumin seed

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. course sea salt

Sauteed Onions & Peppers:

2 tsp. olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, sliced

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1/4 C fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Combine all the marinade ingredients and the meat in a container with a lid or in a sealed bag. Marinate the meat at least 2 hours (preferably overnight). Grill meat until nicely browned on one side and then flip and brown the other side. Skirt steak cooks quickly, so be careful not to overcook it. Transfer to a cutting board and let it sit for at least 5 minutes. Slice in thin strips.

In a skillet over medium heat, saute onions and peppers in olive oil until tender, set aside. Add sliced carne asada to skillet and toss together... finally add chopped cilanto. Serve with pico de gallo!

Pico de Gallo:

2 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

1 avocado, diced

1/2-1 jalapeno pepper, finely minced

1/2 C finely chopped fresh cilantro

2 T lime juice

Pinch sea salt

Combine all ingredients and toss together well! Use generously to top carne asada! Enjoy!

We also enjoy some steamed yellow zucchini tossed with some sauteed onions and more cilantro! :-)

Celebratory Steak

Congratulations to all who completed and competed in these six weeks of CrossFit games qualifiers! What an awesome accomplishment to all who took on this challenge! I witnessed some amazing performances at CFSCC. Nothing beats seeing your peers exceed their expectations and personal goals!!! Emotions raging from stress, fear, anxiety, dread to elation, shock, pride, and jubilation (and later probable intoxication).

I had an utter blast (slightly participating), watching, coaching, cheering and judging. So tonight, I felt very celebratory! We enjoyed a very nice grass-fed ribeye steak, sauteed summer squash and... yes, a fine bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon!

Good ... no... GREAT times, my friends! Congratulations!

Recipe:

grass-fed ribeye steak, 2

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Summer Squash:

4-5 summer squash, chopped

2 tsp. olive oil

1/4 C chicken broth

1/2 yellow onion, sliced

2 T cilantro

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Heat grill to medium heat. Season steaks with salt and pepper. Grill steaks for about 5-7 minutes on each side.

In a saute pan, saute onion in olive oil over medium heat. Add summer squash. Stir in chicken broth and cover for about 5-7 minutes. Toss in cilantro salt and pepper within the last couple minutes. Cook until tender when pierced with a fork.

Enjoy!

Paleo Chicken Stir Fry with Shiitake Mushrooms & Baby Bok Choy

Stir fries rarely disappoint! They are quick, tasty and have the ability to please just about everyone! Simply put, they are "feel-good meals"! Tonight, my daughter and I picked out our favorite ingredient and built our dinner around that. Our ingredient: shiitake mushrooms! Oh, we just love those and any excuse to add those to a dinner makes for a couple of very happy ladies! I hope this stir fry makes you happy and feel good, too!

Recipe:

4 chicken breasts, sliced in thin strips

2 T coconut oil

4 baby bok choy

1 sweet onion, sliced

1 T fresh ginger, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

18-20 shiitake mushrooms, sliced

2 T toasted sesame seeds

1/2 C coconut aminos, divided

Marinate chicken strips in 1/4 C coconut aminos (for at least 20 minutes). In a large skillet, heat 1 T coconut oil over medium/high heat. Add chicken strips to pan and quickly saute until browned. Remove from skillet, and set aside. Add another T coconut oil to skillet and saute garlic, onions and ginger. After a couple minutes, add bok choy and shiitake mushrooms. Stir continuously. Slowly add remaining coconut aminos. When bok choy is slightly tender, add chicken strips back to pan. Toss all ingredients well and add sesame seeds and serve! (IF desired, drizzle with just a tad of sesame oil and a pinch of course grey sea salt). Enjoy!

Paleo Italian Pork Chops

I was SO proud that I remembered to take out some pork chops from the freezer (totally last minute) as I was running out the door this morning, but I had absolutely NO idea what I was going to do with them when I got home! In fact, throughout the entire day, a pork chop dinner never once again crossed my mind! Woops... so when I did get home I frantically investigated the pantry and refrigerator for ideas! Based on available ingredients (and personal cravings) I came up with an Italian-style pork chop recipe and it was really GOOD! ... And proof that you can have an unplanned (scour-the-pantry-for-ideas-type-dinner) with utter delicious successfulness! As long as the meat is thawed, anything is possible. Hope you enjoy! :-)

Recipe:

6 pork chops

3 eggs, lightly beaten

~3 T olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

14.5 oz can dice tomatoes

3.8 oz can sliced ripe black olives

3/4 C chicken broth

1-1/4 C almond meal

Spices:

3 T dried parsley flakes

1 T Italian seasoning

2 tsp. dried rosemary

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. paprika

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a shallow bowl, lightly beat eggs together. In a separate shallow bowl, combine almond meal and all listed spices. In a large skillet (I used a cast iron) heat olive oil over medium heat. Trim pork chops of visible fat (if desired) and dip each chop into he egg mixture, then into the almond/spice mixture (coating evenly). Place coated pork chop in the skillet and brown for about 5-7 minutes on each side (until it's nice and brown and crispy). Place pork chops in a baking dish, set aside. Add minced garlic to skillet and saute until tender (add a tad more olive oil if needed). Deglaze the sauté pan with chicken broth. Add canned tomatoes and canned black olives. Stir well and bring sauce to a low boil. Pour sauce over the pork chops and place in the oven, uncovered. Cook for about 25-30 minutes.

Salmon & Kale

Oh my Gosh... my family RAVED over this dinner and crowned me queen of the kitchen! :-D

I wore my crown proudly all evening! The truth is though... this was an easy dinner to make and really didn't involve a whole lot of talent (but we don't have to let them know that)... I like being "queen"... if only for an evening!

Recipes-

Sauteed Kale:

1 T olive oil

2 shallots, sliced

5-6 oz shiitake mushroom, whole

1 T sesame seeds

1 bunch kale, break up leaves, discard thick stems

2 T coconut aminos (non-soy seasoning sauce)

Salmon:

8-10 oz. salmon filet (serves 4)

1 T olive oil

Approximately 1 tsp. black pepper

Approximately 1 tsp. ground ginger

1 T sesame seeds

1/4 C coconut aminos

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a heavy skillet (I used a cast iron) heat olive oil. Season fish on both sides with ginger and black pepper. When olive oil is hot, quickly brown salmon... about 3-5 minutes on each side (until nicely browned). Pour coconut aminos over salmon and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Place entire skillet in oven for 10 minutes.

While salmon is baking, in another skillet, heat olive oil and saute shallots until they start to caramelize. Add shiitake mushrooms, and stir in sesame seeds and coconut aminos. Add kale and mix well. Cook until kale becomes tender. The salmon and kale should be ready about the same time! Serve together on a plate... and become queen (or king) of the kitchen! :-) Enjoy!

Paleo Jerusalem Chicken

This week I'm focusing on healing foods and recovery! I may be out of CrossFit for the week, but I'm not out of the kitchen! Sometimes when you're frustrated over things you can't control, it's beneficial to focus on things you can control, right? So it has become extremely important to me to do whatever I can to elicit healing! I'm using food (in a good way). Yep... healthy, healing-type foods packed with micro and macro nutrients and lean proteins! The typical Paleo way, personified!

Ok, so I'm not sure if tonight's dinner was as much healing for my body as it was comforting for my spirits... either way, it served its purpose!!! Road to recovery is underway! I hope you enjoy this tasty dinner! :-)

Recipe:

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

1 C organic chicken broth

4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 C white wine

1 (8 oz) package sliced mushrooms

1 (10 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained (packed in water)

1 C coconut milk

2 T fresh chopped Italian parsley

black pepper

paprika

sea salt (to taste)

2 tsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken in a baking dish and sprinkle with some black pepper and paprika. Bake chicken for about 20-25 minutes. While the chicken is baking, saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. When liquid is reduced by half, add the wine, mushrooms, and artichokes. Reduce heat and cook until mushrooms are tender and sauce thickens a bit. Finally, stir in the coconut milk (this gives the sauce that creamy texture and look). Pour all the sauce over the chicken breasts, and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes! Sprinkle with fresh Italian parsley. Serve with steamed zucchini (or vegetable of choice).

Scott raved over this! Hope you enjoy, too! It was pretty simple, delicious, and definitely comforting! ...Oh and made for excellent leftovers! I'll keep you posted as to its healing properties! ;-)

Steamed Brussels with Bacon and Shallots

You don't hear this often, but the BEST part of tonight's dinner was the BRUSSELS SPROUTS!

No joke! These were delicious. I highly recommend! This will make even the doubterest of doubters a believer in the magic of brussels sprouts. I could have macked on these all night! THANK YOU ANNIE for this delicious recipe. (You don't always go to the gym just to get a great workout, sometimes you get a great recipe, too)! Brussels sprouts are in season right now and will make an excellent side dish to any recipe! Enjoy! ... The kids will like 'em too, 'cause we all know: "bacon makes everything better".

Recipe:

about 15-20 brussels sprouts, cut in half

2 shallots, sliced

3 slices bacon, chopped

1/4 C chicken broth (or water)

sea salt and pepper to taste

Saute chopped bacon in a skillet. When bacon starts to crisp, remove bacon pieces, reserving bacon fat. On medium heat, saute the shallots in the bacon fat until they start to caramelize. Add the sliced brussels with the shallots. Cook together for a couple minutes. Add the bacon pieces back to the skillet along with the chicken broth. Toss all ingredients together well and cover with a lid for about 5-7 minutes (until brussels are tender).

A tasty side for just about any dish! :-)

Simple Baked Cod

In need a quick meal? Needs some much desired Omega 3's during these 6 weeks of CrossFit Open Workouts? This is a great emergency dinner for super busy days or when groceries and/or creativity may be a bit limited. We get these Cod fillets at Costco, and they're usually good for at least two emergency meals. They are flash frozen and do not need to be thawed beforehand, which is what I just love about these! Maybe they'll make it on your next Costco shopping list?

Recipe: (embarrassingly easy)...

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season the cod filets with desired spices!

I used garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, oregano, paprika and a pinch of sea salt.

Bake for about 20 minutes (or until fish is heated through and flakes easily with a fork).

That's it!!! ... Oh and delicious with some sliced lemon wedges, too! :-)

Chicken-Wrapped Asparagus

I have been plotting and planning this meal for about two weeks now! My first attempt did not go as planned! ... As I was about to put the chicken it in the oven, our electricity went out! So... we had to barbecue it (which was not an ideal cooking method for this dish). It was too dry and burnt on the bottom. :( Our electricity continued it's unpredictability last week with the heavy rain storms. I pretty much planned a barbecue every night since, just to be safe! So... this is Chicken-Wrapped Asparagus attempt #2! I am very happy to report that is was delicious, and well worth the wait. Hope you enjoy! :-)

Recipe:

4 chicken breasts

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 C mushrooms, chopped

1 T olive oil

2+ T fresh chopped rosemary

Asparagus spears-12 (3 per chicken breast)

Seasonings: black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika

*Baking string or cooking twine (I can't remember what it's called)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute garlic in olive oil until it starts to brown. Add sliced mushroom and saute for a few more minutes. Remove from heat. In a food processor, pulse garlic, mushrooms and rosemary until slightly paste-like. Set aside. Pound each chicken breasts fairly thin. Season underside of breast with some of the seasonings. Spread about 1+ T of the mushroom/garlic/rosemary paste on each breast - stay mostly within the center of the breasts (use it all up). Place 3 asparagus spears over chicken breast and roll. Secure with baking string (about 6"). I placed the asparagus spears perpendicular to the length of the chicken breast so that I had sufficient chicken to wrap the asparagus with. Place wrapped and twine-secured chicken breasts in a baking dish. Sprinkle with paprika and black pepper (for color), cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Serve with steamed asparagus! ...Enjoy :-)