Kale Chips

So I have heard all this hoopla about kale chips and have been anxious to try them, and I finally got around to making them! They are SO simple, and quite delicious! I even found myself craving more when we finished them.

Ingredients

~1 bunch of kale
~1 tablespoon olive oil
~1 teaspoon seasoned salt (I used sea salt instead)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite sized pieces (I totally used my hands to do this). Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner (first time I've ever used mine and I was EXCITED!). Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
3. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10-15 minutes.

**Note: My large cookie sheet was in use, so I had to dump all my kale onto a smaller sheet. I baked it and turned the kale a few times while baking. It was delicious the whole way through. Loved it!

Paleo Omelette Muffins

I recently pinned a ridiculous amount of paleo recipes on pinterest, so I figured it was time to start tackling them.

I have wanted to try these egg omelette muffins for a while. While there is room for improvement, I would definitely make them again.

Ingredients

~12 eggs
~1/2 cup broccoli (I used more, which ended up being too much)
~6 strips cooked bacon (this ended up not being enough in my opinion)
~Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tin. (I used cupcake liners, which I am not sure I would use again).
2. Cook up some bacon (I cooked it in the oven and it came out PERFECTLY! More on this is a future blog post!). The recipe takes about 6 pieces, but I believe more is ok! Chop or tear the bacon into little pieces when cooked.
3. While the bacon is cookin', steam some broccoli. Rinse, drain, and chop into very small pieces (I learned this the hard way).
4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together with salt and pepper. Add the broccoli and bacon and mix until combined well.
5. Pour the egg mixture into the muffin tin. They will expand, so try not to completely fill them up; however, if you do it's no biggie. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the eggs are fluffy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I turned on the broiler for the last few minutes to brown and crisp the top of the muffins.
6. Enjoy!

**Some alternate filling options include bell peppers, onion, sausage, spinach, mushroom, etc.

Thanks again for your patience with my blogs during our power outage and my sickness! :-) I am back and blogging! Happy hump day!

Apology!

Hey loyal blog readers (all like 4 of you! I love you all!)! I apologize that I have been quiet the past week. There were a few extenuating circumstances on my end...that darn derecho storm knocked out our power for two whole days which resulted in: throwing away a bunch of food, no internet for posting a blog, a whole lot of house cleaning after power came back on, etc., in addition to me getting a nasty stomach bug with no power which was just wonderful timing!

I have some exciting recipes coming up in the near future including paleo peppermint patties, egg muffins, and bacon stir fry! :-) Stay tuned!

Happy Tuesday!

Paleo Meatballs and Sauce

Who doesn't love a good meatball and marinara meal? Nom nom nom! This was one of the first recipes I tried on paleo. I became impatient and it turned out more like a chili, but it was still zesty and delicious! I know it looks intimidating at first with all the ingredients, but the majority of them are just spices you probably already have. I actually spent very little money on this recipe! :-)

Ingredients

For Meatballs:

~1 lb ground beef
~1 small onion, grated or finely chopped
~2 tablespoons ground cumin
~1 tablespoon paprika
~1/2 teaspoon pepper
~1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
~1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
~1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
~3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
~2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
~1 egg

For Sauce:

~2 tablespoons olive oil
~2 medium onions chopped
~4 garlic cloves minced
~2 teaspoons ground cumin
~1/2 teaspoon black pepper
~pinch of cayenne
~1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
~2 cups crushed tomatoes (organic)
~1 cup of beef broth (I bought organic)


Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix the beef with all ingredients. Roll into one inch balls and set aside. (Yes, I did do this step, which ended up being a waste of time for me)
2. Heat olive oil in bottom of a saute pan. Add onions and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until tender and translucent. Add garlic, cumin, pepper, cayenne, and parsley, and cook for 5 more minutes to blend the flavors. Stir in the tomato sauce and beef broth and bring to a simmer.
3. Brown the meatballs in a pan over high heat with a little coconut oil. Then add to the sauce, cook for 15 minutes, and serve the meatballs. (my meatballs were taking FOREVER, so I ended up just chopping them up and mixing them in with the sauce to creat more of a chili. Tasted awesome!)

Tips

~I get really irritated while dicing onions. It is one of the most tedious tasks, in my opinion. If you pull a Rayna and decide to just mix the cooked meat in with the sauce to create a chili, I believe you can cut down to just one onion in the sauce since there is already 1 onion mixed into the meat. I didn't find a third to be necessary.
~The serving suggestion is to serve the meatballs over fried kale or spinach, but honestly, if you do it as a chili that is just not necessary.

Grilled Chili-Lime Chicken

This recipe originates from Betty Crocker. One of my lifelong besties made this while I was visiting home a few weeks ago, and it was some of the best chicken I have ever had! I was dying for the recipe! So I immediately searched the Betty Crocker website to see if it is paleo, and technically, because of that darn 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, it is not. HOWEVER, I made the decision that 1/2 teaspoon of sugar (well, technically 1/4 since my husband and I shared the meal) would not be THAT big of a deal. And if it is to you, then feel free to omit it. I believe the next time I make this I will omit the sugar and see if I notice any difference.

Ingredients

~2 teaspoons grated lime peel (omg this took me forever to do!)
~1/4 cup lime juice
~1/4 cup olive oil
~2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
~1/2 teaspoon sugar (maybe could use stevia as a substitute?)
~1/2 teaspoon salt
~1 small jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped
~1 clove garlic, finely chopped
~4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1.25 lbs)


Directions

1. In a shallow dish or resealable bag mix all ingredients except chicken.
2. The next step is for each chicken breast to be pounded with a meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/4 inch thick, but since I do not have either of those I just bought the thin slice chicken breasts. Add the chicken to marinade and turn to coat. Cover dish/seal bag and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (and according to the recipe no longer than 24 hours).
3. Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat (I used a George Foreman grill and it honestly did not go very well, so I don't recommend it). Remove chicken from marinade. Cover and grill chicken over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, turning once, until chicken is thoroughly cooked.


Some tips:

~The recipe states that if you don't care for the taste of cilantro (which I will admit was a bit strong), try using chopped parsley instead. Will have to try this.

~To use the leftover marinade as a sauce, boil it for 1 minute to destroy bacteria from the uncooked chicken. Don't be in a hurry to bring it to a boil either.


I don't have a picture of this one, but here is a link to the original recipe

Happy Friday, y'all! :-)

Paleo Outside Your Home

I recently received the question, "I find paleo super hard outside my own home because of the lack of choices and convenience. How are you managing paleo outside your own kitchen?" (thanks for the question, Erin!)

This one gets a bit of a complicated answer. Eating paleo when out at restaurants can be very tricky due to the lack of control you have over your meal. Having been a waitress before I try not to be too much of a pain when I am out eating, but at the same time I will not hesitate to make a reasonable request for the benefit of my health. I'm not going to sugarcoat it...dining out while on paleo can definitely be a challenge. That being said, there are ways to make it easier!

1. I always google the menu beforehand if possible! Even if you have been to a restaurant a bunch of times, check out their online menu (if they have one) and see what options are available. It helps to be prepared and go in knowing what you can have. Sometimes you will have some awesome options, and sometimes not. There is a Mexican restaurant in town that I simply LOVE. We go there fairly often, and the owner is incredibly accommodating. I always get a shrimp fajita (something that is not even on the menu), and instead of the guacamole, sour cream, and tortillas, I just ask for extra veggies and shrimp. And let me tell you...it is ooooh so delicious! I don't feel jipped by any means because the fajita is just so dang scrumptious.

Now, some people may put up a paleo stink that the restaurant probably doesn't use olive oil for these fajitas...and in all honesty I would be surprised if they did! But going back to the fact that I used to be a waitress I don't want to be THAT customer who makes ridiculous demands. I love that little Mexican restaurant, and I want to maintain my reputation as the good tipper as opposed to developing a reputation of being a pain in the butt! I am not sure what oil they use, but I don't sweat it too much. I am confident that I made the best decision I could based on what was available to me. A big part of paleo, in my opinion, is knowing that it won't ALWAYS be possible to be perfectly paleo, and kind of accepting that. Some easy, go-to alternatives while you're dining out can be salad with oil and vinegar as a dressing or good ole grilled chicken.

2. Tell people you are on paleo! Sing it loud and sing it proud! It is nothing to be ashamed of. It is a lifestyle choice, and you should own it. When you make it known, people won't shy away from it. In fact, I have found that most people are very supportive! And if people have you over for a meal, 9 times out of 10 they will ask you what you can have so they know what to make! I don't like to be picky so I usually just say any kind of meat and vegetable. Either way, if you make it known that you are eating paleo, in my experience most people will do their best to help you stay that way!


3. Plan and prep. I can't stress that part enough. I work at a camp, and there are times where I may have to spend the night for a night or two at work. The night before I go I spend about 2-3 hours prepping my food for being away. It is a whoooole lot of work, but I know that if I eat the camp food I will feel like crud the whole time I am there. It takes time and dedication, but it is so worth it.



I believe that a big thing with paleo is doing the best you can with what you have available, and just knowing that you are making better choices and feeling good about that. For example, paleo really stresses organic fruits and veggies, but guess what...this girl works for a non-profit and just doesn't have enough money to pay that much more for organic! So I do the best with what I have because it is just so expensive. I would rather pay our electric bill than eat organic fruits and veggies. Priorities. One day in the future when money isn't so tight I would LOVE to buy organic, but right now I do the best with what is available to me, and I feel good about that decision.