Crockpot Spicy Chicken with Avocado Coleslaw

Here's a quick, easy recipe that we tried out a few weeks back.  We had some chicken in the freezer that had already been prepped for tacos/fajitas/what-have-you.  Basically, it was cut up chicken, seasoned with some taco seasoning (uncooked) that I had just stuck in the freezer for a rainy day.  When we buy chicken in bulk, I like to take a little time to do some prep work before sticking it in the freezer to make life a little easier.

So we tossed the pre-seasoned chicken in the crockpot with a can of jalapeno salsa and let it cook on low for 6-8 hours (I can't remember exactly how long it actually was...).

One it was done, we shredded it up and served it with some avocado coleslaw and chowed!  Super good, super quick, and super easy!

Italian Salad

Lately, I've been trying to increase the amount of veggies we eat.  It would seem that when you eat paleo, you would eat a lot of veggies.  However, it's pretty easy to eat just protein for breakfast and just one vegetable with lunch and dinner.  Our little dudes aren't usually begging for more veggies and they usually snack on fruit and maybe some nuts.

So, in an effort to get more veggies into our bodies, I've started eating salads again.  This may sound like a funny statement, but I think it's pretty easy to get burned out on salads.  I have a love/hate relationship with them.  We had so much lettuce in our CSA last summer that it's been a while since I actually made salad at home.

But, the drought is over.  I have been eating a big salad most nights after the kids go to bed -- and I've actually been enjoying them!  This particular salad is inspired by a salad that my friend Michelle would make that was based on the Italian B.M.T. sub at Subway.  Not that salad has a gender, but this one seems a little more manly than some.

Ingredients: Lettuce, olives, italian sausage, peppers, onions and italian dressing*.  I usually add some sunflower seeds for a little crunch.  And if I could find some decent pepperoni, I would add that too.  And maybe some bacon.

*I use this recipe for italian dressing.  It tastes just like Good Seasons (in fact, I mix it up in Good Seasons carafe).  I always have some made up and it works great as a marinade or dressing.

Broccoli Salad

As I've mentioned before, Slovenia is a country very dear to our hearts.  One of the biggest reasons is that some of our favorite people in the world live there.  One of those people is Lori.  While Lori is an American and from the same place I am from, we've never actually lived on the same continent since we've known each other.  Even still, Lori has influenced my life in more ways than I can count.  She has been a mentor and friend to me and cared for me and my family consistently.  And in the small windows of time that I have been privileged to be a guest in her house, I've gained some great kitchen knowledge and recipes.  Lori highly values making her home a comfortable place for people to come and be loved and cared for.  This comes across so strongly in her cooking. 

This particular recipe is one that I adapted from Lori's recipe.  You know it's a winner because it contains to of my favorite foods on earth -- broccoli and bacon.  You can't really go wrong when your working with those things.  It's a great salad to take to a barbecue or to just keep in the fridge to have as a snack.

Paleo Broccoli Salad

8 cups broccoli florets (about 4 medium sized heads)
1 package bacon
1/2 onion (red onion is best, but anything will work in a pinch)
1/2 cup mayo (homemade, right? :))
1 Tbsp vinegar
2 Tbsp honey
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup raisins (optional)

Chop and cook bacon.  Set aside on paper towel to cool.  Chop broccoli and onion and place in large bowl with bacon, almonds and raisins.  In small bowl, combine mayo, vinegar and honey until combined.  Pour over broccoli and stir everything until well combined.  Chill and serve. 

Paleo Tzatziki And A Fresh Salad

Last week, we had a meal that was loosely inspired by my all time favorite thing in the entire world to eat -- Kebab. Now, this isn't like kebabs that we eat here in America. It doesn't come on a stick. This kebab is Turkish (I think), but we get them at a great little kebab place in Slovenia (a country in Eastern Europe) whenever we go there. Before kids, we went there once a year. It isn't as often now, but we did have the chance to go back in February and you better believe that we made it a point to stop by and have one of these bad boys. I'm sure you can get them around here too, but there is something about this particular little stand that makes them incredible.

The sandwich basically consists of shaved meat (lamb, I believe), lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, a tzatziki type sauce and a sweet and spicy red pepper sauce on the most perfectly crispy sesame flatbread that you've ever had. I wish I could convey to you how good it tastes.

Okay, enough about that because we obviously aren't going to be eating it any time soon and it is also obviously not paleo due to the bread. But last week, we tried a new recipe out of The Primal Blueprint Cookbook -- Turkey Kebabs. Basically ground turkey seasoned with cumin, paprika, salt, cinnamon, cayenne, parsley and mint. They turned out great, although we ditched the skewers and just grilled them up like burgers. When I saw the recipe, it reminded me loosely of kebab, so I decided to make some tzatziki to go with it. We also had some cucumbers and olives and a cucumber, tomato and onion salad to go with it. The salad was inspired by a typical Slovene salad that we often have when we are there. It all turned out so good. Nice and fresh and light, but still so filling.

The tzatziki was easy to make and would be great as a salad dressing too. In fact, I think I prefer it to the homemade ranch that we usually make. It would also be a great dip with a plate of fresh cut up veggies. You could easily take it to a party with a platter of veggies and no one would even complain that it was too "healthy" or something silly like that. Tzatziki is typically made with Greek yogurt, but this version is dairy free.

Paleo Tzatziki

1 cup mayo (homemade is best!)
2 cloves garlic
1 medium cucumber
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp dried dill

Peel and grate cucumber. Drain as much liquid as you can from the cucumber. You can do this by letting it sit in a colander for a while or ringing it out in some cheesecloth. If you are cheap and in a hurry like me, you can squeeze it out in some paper towels a couple of times. A little messier, yes, but it works. In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients until smooth. Chill and serve. If you weren't able to get all of the liquid out of the cucumber like me, it may start to separate a little when it's chilling. Just give it a good stir before you serve it.

Cucumber, Tomato, and Onion Salad

1 medium cucumber
1 medium tomato
1/2 onion
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt
pepper

Slice up cucumber, tomato and onion. The size and shape doesn't really matter, so do whatever suits your fancy. Dice, slice, chop -- whatever makes you happy. Put veggies in bowl and toss with remaining ingredients. Depending on the size of your veggies and your taste preferences, you may want more or less oil and vinegar. Add a little salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

Fish Taco Salad

This was a super quick and easy meal that turned out fabulous. As our 5 year old says, "This one's a keeper, for sure!". So, it has the kid seal of approval too. We used some Alaskan Cod pieces that we picked up at Trader Joe's, which I snagged because it was cheaper than the fillets. The pieces are all different sizes, but for this recipe, it doesn't make a difference. We served the cod with some leftover Avocado Coleslaw and the results were great. Definitely our favorite meal of the week.

For the seasoning on the fish, we used some homemade taco seasoning, which I would highly recommend making and having on hand. It's fast and easy to put together and it lasts a while. Here's the mixture that we make and keep in our spice cupboard:

Taco Seasoning (from Heavenly Homemakers)

1/2 cup chili powder
1/4 cup onion powder
1/8 cup ground cumin
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 Tablespoon sea salt

Put all ingredients into a jar and shake!

Fish Taco Salad

1 pound cod pieces*
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp taco seasoning
Avocado Coleslaw

Pat fish dry and place in a medium mixing bowl with taco seasoning. Toss to coat. In large skillet, heat oil, then add fish. Cook 5-7 minutes or until cooked through. Serve on top of Avocado Coleslaw.

*I would recommend 1/2 pound of fish per person. Or more. Just increase the other ingredients as needed if you are making more than one pound. You may even go closer to 3/4 pound per person. All we had was one pound, so that's what we made due with, but we'll be picking up two packages next time!