Tag: paleo

Pork Tenderloin with Tomatillo Sauce

Pork Tenderloin with Tomatillo Sauce

I can’t believe I’m constructing a rooster tail out of chicken wire and feather boas right now. The hubby has a work trip next week which includes attending a costume party so in true form, he wants to go as a giant, ahem, “rooster” except 

Summer Strawberry Salad

Summer Strawberry Salad

I’m just going to hit pause on the awesomely easy summer strawberry salad for a sec… I get to go dancing in two days!!!  Maybe that’s not exciting for you, but it is for me 🙂 The hubby and I used to do fun things like take latin 

Southwest Salad with Chipotle Dressing

Southwest Salad with Chipotle Dressing

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Half of the summer is nearly gone already! How does that happen?!? At least that’s how I’ve always perceived the 4th of July holiday. It’s always marked the halfway point in my mind though we really do have two full months left until school starts up again. I shouldn’t be surprised that the 4th is already here but for some reason the busy-ness of the past month or so has caught me off guard and left me feeling drained and in need of a vacation.  Soon enough I’ll get that vacay!  In the meantime, I’ll focus on easy to make salads-as-a-meal like this southwest salad with chipotle dressing!

Southwest salad has a few layers of healthy greens as the base. Then it’s topped with fiberlicious black beans, grilled corn on the cob, scallions, grape tomatoes and a light summery chipotle dressing that has a little kick to it.  Depending on how hungry I am, I’ll add avocado for the healthy fats or you can add grilled steak or chicken to it as well for a more filling dish. Add crushed tortilla chips for a little crunch and this southwest salad will be your go-to easy meal!

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Southwest Salad with Chipotle Dressing
 
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Author:
Recipe type: salad
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 cups mixed greens (romaine, spinach, spring greens)
  • 1 corn on the cob, grilled and kernels cut off (or use ½ cup frozen and then cooked corn kernels)
  • 2 scallions, grilled if desired and then sliced into bite size pieces
  • 15-20 grape tomatoes, halved
  • ½ can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1-2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • crushed tortilla chips for garnish/crunch (optional, omit for low sodium or use no salt added chips)
  • DRESSING:
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey (or agave nectar for vegan)
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon pink himalayan salt (omit for low sodium
  • 1 teaspoons chipotle in adobo, finely chopped
Instructions
  1. In a large serving dish, layer the greens, corn, scallions, tomatoes and black beans.
  2. Add tortilla chips if desired.
  3. Garnish with cilantro.
  4. In a small bowl or mason jar, add all dressing ingredients and whisk until combined. If using a mason jar, screw on lid and shake until combined.
  5. Pour over salad and enjoy!
Notes
Also delicious with chopped avocado, diced grilled chicken or steak!

For low sodium, omit salt = 84 mg per serving
Nutrition Information
Calories: 225 Fat: 14g Carbohydrates: 22g Sodium: 189mg* Fiber: 4g Protein: 5g

 

Chorizo Meatloaf

Chorizo Meatloaf

I thought I was done with casserole type meals for awhile as the weather has been that perfect temp where I’m equally comfortable wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt or shorts and a tee.  Two days of gloomy rain and more yet to come lends 

Mushroom Dijon Chicken Skillet

Mushroom Dijon Chicken Skillet

  I am so happy right now!  I’ve been outside in a tank top all morning shoveling dirt and getting my garden soil prepped for planting.  Yeah, I realize that sort of work isn’t necessarily fun for all but I LOVE it.  AND it’s only 

Pizza Awesome Sauce

Pizza Awesome Sauce

pizza sauce

Happy hump day!  I’m in a midweek scurry to get things yet to be accomplished off my to-do list. I’ve had a winter project list that’s been in dire need of completion now that spring is merely a few weeks away (or so I’m hoping). Paint the guestroom, help hubby build a coat rack and entryway hooks, build a frame for a large painting, finish my son’s scrapbook that should have been done two years ago (turns out I hate scrapping so it kept getting put off)…. It feels so GOOD to get things done and checked off the list.   This week has therefore been a week for easy meals so I’m making pizza tonight with this quick and awesome pizza sauce and therefore I’ve been calling it pizza awesome sauce!

This sauce is super fast to put together using dry spices, smoked salt, tomato paste and fire roasted diced tomatoes. Toss it all in a blender and puree.  Then use it as a pizza sauce, or a dipping sauce for other fun munchies, in your scrambled eggs, or whatever else you want some awesome sauce to spice up your life with.

Pizza Awesome Sauce
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Sauces and Dips
Cuisine: paleo, vegetarian, vegan
Serves: 2.5-3 cups
Ingredients
  • 1 (15oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 (6oz) can tomato paste or use ½ cup pumpkin puree
  • 2-3 teaspoons dried oregano to taste
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 clove fresh minced garlic)
  • ¾ teaspoon salt (smoked salt is awesome here if you have it)
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • ⅛-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until blended.
  2. Makes enough sauce for about 3 pizzas depending on size of pizza.
Notes
If you prefer a thinner sauce, use tomato sauce instead of tomato paste or thin it out with a little water.
Sauce can be frozen or canned.
To can via water bath, add 1 Tbsp lemon juice to each pint or 2 Tbsp lemon juice to quarts. Fill sterile jars with sauce to ½" headspace. Wipe rim, add lid and ring until finger tight. Submerge in boiling water 35 minutes for pints, 40 minutes for quarts. Let cool for 12-24 hours and be sure each jar has sealed before storing.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ¼ cup Calories: 30 Fat: 0g Carbohydrates: 6g Sodium: 235mg Fiber: 2g Protein: 2g

 

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Korean Flank Steak

Korean Flank Steak

It’s raining!!!  Now I know that may not be all that exciting for most of you but when it’s February in Minnesota, rain is a very welcomed thing.  It means the snow is melting and Spring is soon to show her beautiful face. It was SUCH a 

Dark Chocolate Lava Cakes

Dark Chocolate Lava Cakes

May I just take a moment to tempt your taste buds with these AMAZING dark chocolate lava cakes?  Okay good!  These perfect little confections have been given a slight makeover in the nutrition department.  I’ve made them gluten free (you can still use regular flour if 

Roasted Garlic Cream of Mushroom Soup {Dairy-Free}

Roasted Garlic Cream of Mushroom Soup {Dairy-Free}

roasted garlic cream of mushroom soup

I dream of sipping warm sumptuous soup in the long winter months. It’s so soothing and extremely good for you.  I was recently reading an article (well, more like 4 or 5) and apparently “souping” is a thing. Like the “juicing” craze that happened a few years back for anyone who was dieting, but now with soup.  Honestly though, I can get behind a souping craze for multiple reasons. Soups are primarily vegetable based and use the whole food so you’re getting the fiber as well as the nutrients.  If it happens to be a soup made with a bone broth you’re getting a super packed nutrient dense combo with the dissolved gelatin/marrow from the bones which benefits your digestive tract and give you a healthy glow.  This roasted garlic cream of mushroom soup has all that and then some.

Roasting garlic brings out a sweet nutty component to the garlic and creates a deeper flavor profile which is less pungent.  Combining this with sautéed earthy mushrooms like oyster mushrooms, shitake and cremini make it exquisite.  Roasted garlic cream of mushroom soup gets its creaminess from pureeing a portion of the mushrooms and you can also add coconut milk or almond milk to give it a traditional “creamed” look. Of course, you can use dairy cream if you don’t need it to be dairy free.  This soup is so flavorful and is so much more nutritious and easy to make than canned versions making this the perfect one to use in all of those casseroles or hot dishes that typically use canned soup.  Try it in this recipe in place of the cauliflower mushroom mixture for an all-Minnesotan healthier tater tot hotdish!

cream of mushroom soup

Roasted Garlic Cream of Mushroom Soup {Dairy-Free}
 
Prep time
Cook time
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Author:
Recipe type: soup
Cuisine: paleo, vegetarian
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 10 ounces mixed mushrooms (cremini, shitake, oyster), roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil or butter
  • 1 head garlic
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 1 tablespoon tapioca starch or gluten free flour blend (see notes for additional info)
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • 2 cups broth of any kind
  • ½ cup coconut milk, almond milk or dairy cream
  • 1 teaspoon pink himalayan salt
  • fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
  2. Slice the top ¼" off of your head of garlic and place on a small piece of aluminum foil (or use a garlic roaster).
  3. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  4. Fold edges of foil up around garlic to make a little packet. Place on baking sheet and bake about 1 hour until cloves are soft. Remove from oven and let cool until cool enough to handle.
  5. While garlic is cooling, sauté the shallot and mushroom in a soup pot with olive oil until the shallot is starting to carmelize and mushrooms have given up most of their moisture.
  6. Add white wine and saute a few minutes.
  7. Add stock and roasted garlic cloves. Remove the soft cloves by squeezing them out with your fingers or a butter knife.
  8. Puree ¾ of the soup by either using an immersion blender for a short time or pour part of the soup into a blender. Pour the blended soup back into the soup pot.
  9. In a small dish, make a slurry of the coconut milk and tapioca starch.
  10. Add coconut milk/tapioca mixture along with the salt and pepper to the pot and let simmer until slightly thickened.
  11. Serve warm and garnish with additional sautéed mushrooms if desired.
Notes
If you're using this in place of a canned condensed soup in casseroles, thicken with an additional 2-3 tablespoons of starch or flour. It should be a gravy consistency for cooking.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 174 Fat: 13g Carbohydrates: 11g Sodium: 757mg Fiber: 1g Protein: 3g

 

 

Mediterranean Chicken Spaghetti Squash Bake

Mediterranean Chicken Spaghetti Squash Bake

Why has it taken three weeks to recover from the holiday season??  I’m guessing it has something to do with a full two months of busy-ness leading to I-just-want-to-do-nothing syndrome.  I’m still trying to catch my breath.  The outdoor temperatures here in Minnesota were comparable to