Baked Delicata Squash

Tis the season for squash.  A couple of weeks ago, we got a couple of delicata squash in our CSA basket.  I've never had one of these bad boys before, but they were pretty good.  And not only is squash abundant this time of year, but it's pretty easy to prepare as well.

Here is what a delicata squash looks like (in our dark kitchen)....

Once we cut them in half and scraped out the seeds, we put a little bit of butter and cinnamon on them, baked them at 350 for about 30 minutes in a baking dish with about 1/4 inch of water, and...

...served them up with some delicious pork chops for a simple, quick fall meal!

Jack's (and Sam's!) Favorite: Mashed Rutabaga & Carrots

Our kids LOVE mashed rutabaga and carrots.  Actually, at our house, we usually call it swede and carrots.  Both my mom and my mother in law are British citizens and that's what the Brits and Scots call it.  Swede (pronounced sweed) rolls of the tongue a little better than rutabaga, doesn't it?  If you're looking for a rutabaga at the grocery store, you'll find it right next to the turnips.  They actually look like a turnip, but the color is slightly different.

We made this last week to go with a pot roast that we tossed in the crockpot on one of those lovely rainy Oregon days.  Both of the boys devoured their swede and carrots before they even touched their meat.  Although Sam usually feeds himself, he has yet to master (or even begin to show interest in...) the use of utensils, so Brandon and I tag teamed feeding him.  There's nothing worse than a hungry Sam, so we do what we have to do around here to keep the kid fed.

 

Mashed Rutabaga & Carrots

2 medium sized rutabaga
4 large carrots
2-4 Tbsp Kerrygold Irish Butter (made from grass fed cows milk)
Salt to taste

Peel and chop rutabaga and carrots into 1 inch pieces.  Steam or boil until soft and drain if needed (if you boiled them).  Mash with butter and add some salt to taste.  Pretty simple, huh?

Paleo Cauliflower Fried Rice

This is definitely one of my favorite go-to meals.  It's quick, easy, and tastes like regular old fried rice.  I generally throw some bone-in chicken thighs in the crock pot the night before, essentially making this recipe.  Then I shred some cauliflower in our food processor and chop up a bunch of other stuff--cabbage, peppers, onion, and broccoli this particular time.  And then I grab the secret ingredient: Coconut Aminos. Like I've said before, this stuff tastes exactly like soy sauce, but it's made from coconuts.

Since we don't have a pan big enough to cook all of the veggies at once, I usually do it in two batches.  I threw the chicken, onion and peppers in the first batch and fried it up with some coconut aminos.  Once it was done, I set it aside and tossed everything else in the pan with a little more coconut aminos.  Once that was done, I just mixed it all together -- pretty quick and simple!

If I'd had more time, I would have scrambled up some eggs and added those in as well.   This is also a great recipe if you've got some leftover meat as well.  I'm thinking it would be a great meal to make with leftover pork tenderloin or even Thanksgiving turkey.  At the same time, it could easily be made without meat too!  Super easy and versatile.

Kale Chips

This last week, we finally made kale chips for the first time.  I saw them on a lot of blogs last fall and apparently they were all the rage.  We're just a little behind the trends around here. :) 

Basically, you just toss the kale in olive oil and a little bit of salt (a little goes a long way and I over salted this batch) and bake them in the oven at 350 for about 15 minutes.  Pretty simple!  Had I not over salted these, I probably would have eaten the whole batch myself.  They'd be great as a side with a burger or just as a snack while watching a movie.

Zucchini Fries

When my twin sister and I were little, my mom would order one happy meal between us.  My sister would eat the burger and I would eat the fries.  To say that I love fries would be an understatement.  Fries and chips are probably the thing that I miss the most since going Paleo.  Although my body doesn't miss them much...   

I'm not one to toot my own horn, but this recipe rocks.  I seriously could have eaten the whole batch myself.  For a french fry lover like myself, this definitely fills that fried potato craving in me.  They really don't taste zucchini-y.  They just taste good.  So good.  Man, I'm getting hungry just typing about these.

Zucchini Fries

1 medium zucchini
2 Tbsp olive oil (coconut oil would work too)
2 eggs
Coating: (you'll make 3-4 batches of this...I'll explain below)
3 Tbsp almond meal
1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 425.  Line a large baking sheet with foil, pour oil on and spread around (using a brush) to cover entire sheet. Next, slice zucchini into matchstick pieces.  We found that the smaller the pieces, the more they crisped up.  Once you have sliced up everything as uniformly as possible, dry off any extra moisture on the zucchini with a paper towel.  In shallow pie plate, beat eggs.  Set aside.  Again in shallow pie plate or dish, mix together coating mixture.  You only want to mix up a little at a time because the eggs will muck everything up if you have too much.  Next you'll want to set up a little assembly line with the zucchini, eggs, and coating.  From there, just start coating the zucchini in eggs and then dredging them in the coating mixture and place it on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes, turn and bake for another 12-14 minutes.  Enjoy!!

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!

Sweet Potato Chips

Oh my goodness. Chips. My weakness. And my standards are not that high either. I could down a bag of Cheetos Puffs or Nacho Cheese Doritos in no time flat. Since going Paleo, when I want to "cheat" and have some chips, I generally stick with Kettle Chips, but I'm thinking my days of buying chips are (mostly) over. The other day we had burgers for lunch and I really wanted something fried and salty to go with them. These little guys definitely fit the bill. Although, next time around, I (a former salt lover) would probably skip the salt altogether.

Sweet Potato Chips

Coconut Oil
Sweet Potato

In large skillet, over medium heat, heat enough coconut oil to have about a half inch to fry your sweet potatoes in. While the oil is heating, slice sweet potatoes as thin as possible using either a knife or a mandolin slicer. Once oil is heated, drop sliced sweet potatoes in and fry for about 2 minutes on each side. Once done, let cool on a paper towel. These taste best after they have completely cooled, but sometimes it's hard to wait. :) It might take a batch or two to get the hang of it...my first batch doesn't always turn out. Oh, and I would recommend you wear an apron too!

Date Night In

The other night, things were a bit hectic around dinner time because we'd been working on projects around the house, so we decided to feed the kids something quick (salmon burgers from Costco - not 100% paleo, but they are great in a pinch) and then eat after they went to bed. And since our kids are both out by 7, we got to eat out on the deck while the sun was making it's way down. A very nice way to end the day.

For dinner, we tried out some new recipes. Some of Brandon's coworkers turned him on to grilled avocados, which he loves. A coworker also told him about coleslaw made with avocado instead of mayo, so I made something similar, and it turned out great. And for the salmon, we made Moroccan Grilled Salmon on the grill.

Our dinner plates. Can you guess which one is mine and which is my hubby's?

Grilled Avocados

Avocado
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Pepper

Slice avocado in half, remove pit. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill about 4 minutes.


Avocado Coleslaw

1 bag coleslaw mix
1 large avocado
1 jalepeno (or 2 if you like a little more spice)
1 lime
1 bunch green onions
1 bunch cilantro

Mix avocado, jalepeno and lime together. (I did mine in the food processor, but if you chop the jalepeno finely enough, you could just mash it up. Basically, you're making guacamole here.) Chop onions and cilantro and mix with coleslaw mix. Add avocado mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.

Grilled Chicken and Moroccan Beet Greens

This was one of those "What are we going to have for dinner in an hour?" meals. We had thawed some chicken, so I threw it in a dish with some garlic, coconut oil, and the last little bit of coconut aminos* that we had on hand, along with some salt and pepper. We let it sit for a few minutes and then grilled it up and it turned out great.

The beet greens came in our CSA basket and, I'll admit, I had no idea what to do with them and I thought they were a little weird. However, a couple of recipes were thrown in our basket as well, so we tried out one of them. From my understanding, beet greens are pretty similar to spinach, so I think this recipe would work with either.

Moroccan Beet Greens
(adapted from the recipe given to us in our CSA basket)

2 bunches beet greens
2-4 garlic cloves, minces
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper

Once rinsed and dried, roughly chop greens, set aside. In a large sauce pan, add oil and garlic. Saute for about a minute and then add the chopped greens. Cook for about two minutes, stirring often. Add remaining ingredients and cook a few more minutes, until done.

*Coconut Aminos tastes just like Soy Sauce and we get it at Whole Foods or locally at Lillian's.

Steak Kebabs with Cauliflower Rice and Roasted Broccoli

Oh man, this was a good meal! I seriously think that I could eat roasted broccoli everyday (and actually, I pretty much already do that) and cauliflower rice has to be one of the best kept secrets in the world. Someday soon I'll post a cauliflower fried rice recipe that will have you dreaming of Paleo Chinese food.

On to this meal though...for the kebabs, we used sirloin steak, red onion, mushrooms and green peppers. For the seasoning, I used the the Everyday Paleo cookbook version which basically consists of basil, oregano, garlic powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. We loved it. The cauliflower and broccoli couldn't get much easier either.


Cauliflower "Rice"

1/2 head of cauliflower
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chives, chopped (green onions would be fine too -- we just had chives in our CSA basket this week)
1/4 red onion, chopped
1/3 cup chicken stock
salt

To "rice" the cauliflower, use the shredder attachment in your food processor. Then, place it in a saucepan with the chicken stock and cover to steam. (You can also just steam it in the microwave if that's easier. I was just being lazy and trying to avoid washing another dish...) Once it is cooked, toss the remaining ingredients in the pan and cook about 3-5 minutes on medium heat. If your pan gets a little dry in the process, feel free to add a little olive oil to keep things moving. This is such an easy dish to play around with too -- change up the seasonings however you wish.

Roasted Broccoli

1 head broccoli
1-2 Tbsp olive 0il
sea salt

Preheat oven to 425. Cut broccoli into florets and place in one layer in a baking dish. Sprinkle olive oil and toss to coat. Roast in oven for 10-15 minutes, until broccoli is at desired done-ness. We like ours with a little brown on it, which usually takes 15 minutes. If you like just tender, aim for closer to 10. All in all, a pretty simple, quick recipe!