Tag Archives: Paleo

Butternut Squash Noodles with Chicken Sausage & Kale

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Every time I make something outside of the box, my husband gives me a snarl. Then, he tries it and 9 out of 10 times goes back for seconds and thirds. This was one of those. We literally ate the entire pot and my 1-year-old ate the chicken sausage like it was Apple Flavored Puffs (her favorite).

I wanted to venture away from zucchini with my Vegetti and when I saw butternut squash at our local produce stand, I knew I had to experiment! Thus, this new little dish was created and will be duplicated!

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Butternut Squash Noodles with Chicken Sausage & Kale

1 Tbsp coconut oil
1lb chicken sausage (could use pork or turkey)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 chopped sweet onion
8 oz. of baby kale
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup chicken broth
1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground fennel
2 dashes of nutmeg
2 tsp ground sage

Remove the sausage casings if using links – I just squish it out of the ends. Heat a large wide and deep pan over medium heat. Add the oil, then brown and crumble the sausage, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Add the chopped onion and cook until the onions soften and become translucent.

Add the kale, and stir until it is wilted. It will look like it won’t fit in the pan, but it will shrink!

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the chicken stock, apple cider vinegar, and spices. Stir and cook uncovered for 2-3 minutes to reduce a bit of the liquid.

Add the “noodles” to the pan and toss until will mixed.Enjoy!

Roasted Veggies & Sausage

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As my pregnancy is in it’s last month, I’m starting to think how hard it is to lose this pregnancy weight if I don’t start eating more whole foods. While I typically do a good job, I’ve had my fair share of pasta and bread during this pregnancy. I know I can’t keep this up after the pregnancy, so I’m trying to go more towards more protein and veggie based meals. This one is so simple and delicious.

Roasted Veggies & Sausagesweet potatoes

1lb of chicken or turkey sausage (andouille style) cut into 1-inch slices
2 sweet potatoes cut into 2-inch chunks
2 large carrots, chopped into small rounds
1 red pepper, cut into large chunks
1/2 red onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 tsp garlic powder (or 3 cloves)
2 tbs of olive oil
1 1/2 tbs of Italian seasoning
Pinch of Cayenne pepper
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375-degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, add all sliced veggies and cut sausage links.
Next, add olive oil, seasonings, and toss to coat.
Grease a baking sheet with coconut oil and spread out the veggies and sausage.
Place uncovered in oven and bake 35-45 minutes turning once during cooking.
Bake a total of 35 to 45 minutes, turning veggies and sausage twice during cooking.

On-the-Go Egg White Muffins

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There are so many fun things to call these little guys and I somehow just stuck with the generic title. Egg Poppers, Egg Bites, Protein Bites…the possibilities are endless. ANYWAYS, breakfast is always grab-n-go during the week and these are a perfect punch of protein for the morning. Not to mention, they are so easy and painless to make.

On-the-Go Egg Muffins

Ingredients:eggwhite
1 carton of egg whites (I used 2 small cartons)
Veggies of choice (I used 1/4 chopped onion, 1 diced green pepper, and spinach)
Coconut Oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease each muffin tin with coconut oil.
Fill each tin with veggies.
Pour egg whites over veggies in each tin.
Bake for 10-20 minutes until eggs are firm.
Pop eggs out of the tin. They will keep in the fridge for a week. Just microwave in the AM or eat cold!

Paleo “Man” Casserole

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First, I should say, don’t let the steps turn you away – it is easy and totally worth it!

I call this “Man” Casserole because it’s beastly! It’s so filling and full of manly things like bacon, lean ground turkey, and sweet potatoes. Most casseroles are full of…well, crap…but not this one – it is as clean as a whistle! You will need a large, deep skillet/pan to brown the meat and a deep casserole dish to bake it all. It was originally adapted from Paleo Pot Paleo Hungry Man Sweet Potato Casserole, but I put my own spin on it to make it adaptable to us.

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Paleo “Man” Casserole

Ingredients:
2 lbs lean ground meat of choice (I used ground turkey)
1/2 lb bacon
8 eggs
3 large sweet potatoes
1 white onion, diced into large pieces
1 red onion, diced into large pieces
1 – 2 tbsp each: paprika, garlic powder, oregano, sage
handful of spinach
salt & pepper to taste
Coconut Oil (or butter/ghee)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400.
Peel your sweet potatoes and microwave them for 4 minutes to soften them. Then slice the sweet potatoes into thin slices.
Dice your bacon into small pieces then brown in a skillet. Drain and set aside for later.
Add beef, onions, and spices to the skillet and brown the meat. Drain and return to pan. (Be sure your meat is done and the onions are tender)
While beef is browning, whisk the eggs in a large bowl (I added some onion salt to my eggs). Add spinach to egg mixture and whisk again.
Assemble to casserole as follows:
1) Grease casserole dish with coconut oil.
2) Line the bottom of the dish with sweet potatoes, then spoon a layer of beef, then sprinkle bacon pieces. Repeat. Keep doing this until you’re done with the sweet potatoes, beef, and bacon.
3) Pour the eggs on top. They will fall into place while cooking.

Now, back for 35-40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Enjoy! (We added some hot sauce and ketchup, of course!)

Skillet Supper and Why You Should Eat Cabbage!

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Hopefully you read my post, “Tight Budget? No Problem!” In that post, I discuss several ways to get more bang for your buck when buying healthy food. One of the suggestions, was cabbage. Cabbage costs less than 10 cents per serving and packs a big nutritious boost. Cabbage stimulates the immune system, provides anti-inflammatory properties, kills bacteria and viruses, prevents the growth of cancerous cells, protects against tumors, helps control hormone levels and improves blood flow. My favorite thing about cabbage is that it is a natural detoxifier because it contains an abundance of vitamin C (more than oranges!), fiber and sulfur – all help purify blood and remove toxins of free radicals and uric acid.

So…I bought a head of cabbage…then I made dinner! This dinner takes a little prep of dicing vegetables, but totally worth it! And, it’s a one pot (errr…skillet) dinner! This dinner easily fits into a Paleo/Primal lifestyle too!

Skillet Supperskillet supper

1 tablespoon butter (real butter, not margarine!)
2 teaspoons paprika
1 large onions, diced
1 lb. grass-fed ground beef
1/4 cup soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
1/2 cup water
1 green pepper, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1/2 head cabbage, shredded
3 carrots, diced
Plenty of sea salt & pepper

Directions:

In a skillet, melt butter and add paprika, salt, onions and ground beef. Cook until beef is brown. Drain grease if needed, but keep a small amount in the pan, as this will be part of your sauce. If you drained the beef, add it back to the skillet.

Stir in soy sauce and water, then add veggies. Stir until well combined.Add salt & pepper to taste.

Reduce heat to low-medium heat. Cover and cook until veggies are softened (about 30 minutes).

Enjoy! I served this with Mashed Cauliflower Fauxtatoes!