Tag Archives: paleo

Veggie & Side Dishes

Coriander Carrots: Sweet, Healthy & Delicious!

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Carrots were not always my friend, as a child I was convinced they were evil. Haha.  It is so great that nowadays kids aren’t as intimidated by healthier foods!  These Coriander Carrots are everything a carrot should be: healthy, sweet, and delicious!  While they’ll go with any or even no diet, I love that they are paleo friendly.  They bring a sweet flavor without anything that could be considered unhealthy !  IMO that is a perfect combination!

Sweet & Healthy Coriander Carrots

I’ve doubled the recipe, as my tendency is to want to have them to snack on the next day.  They only increase in their yumminess overnight!  Of course, I always wish I’d doubled my double. haha.  Can you tell I’m crazy about Coriander Carrots?  Of course, I’m also crazy about any recipe that is super easy and not too in depth!

Coriander Carrots

Ingredients:

  • 2 tsp crushed coriander seeds *see note below*
  • 2 lbs baby carrots, sliced into 4 strips or chopped
  • ½ cup water
  • 4 tbsp bacon grease (or butter)

Directions:

  1. Heat large skillet over medium high heat.
  2. Add coriander and cook 30 seconds or until toasted.
  3. Add carrots, water and grease (or butter).
  4. Coriander CarrotsCover pan and cook covered, untouched, for 10 minutes.
  5. Remove lid and cook an additional 3 minutes (or until liquid is gone), stirring when necessary.

 

While these go great with almost any meal, I love pairing them with my Herb Roasted Chicken or this amazing Spiced Tenderloin.

Please come back and let me know what you paired them with or any changes that worked for you!

***Note, I’ve found that the easiest way to grind the coriander seeds is to utilize an old pepper corn grinder.  Bonus: the container won’t waste away in a  landfill!  (Shout out to the amazing marketing people of the 90’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!)

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For Your Home, Kitchen

Healthy, Paleo Friendly Snack Food! KitchFix

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This healthy snack is so delicious that it’s hard to believe the amount of descriptions if qualifies for: paleo, dairy free, non-gmo, gluten, low-carb and preservative free! It’s the perfect snack for a pick me up and to quench that sweets craving that attacks!


KitchFix Review Yummy Healthy Paleo Snack!

Healthy Snack???

Having spent an entire life struggling with eating healthy, I had never tried a granola mix.  There was nothing anyone could say that would convince me to believe the words even I am now saying to you!  I just refused.  I finally tried it for a review (would never have done so otherwise) and I am sold on this amazing healthy snack.  Absolutely convinced.  I let my husband try it and immediately became stingy again.  While I wanted to share, I also didn’t want to run out!  haha.

Due to narcolepsy and cataplexy, my doctor instructed me to go on the Paleo diet.  I have a much harder time than my husband, but that is not surprising.  While it does make me feel better (and he is shedding pounds like crazy), I have a hard time resisting my sweet tooth.  I am pleased to announce, that KitchFix is literally the best sweet snack I’ve had that is actually paleo!  It also, as described above, has a lot of other things going for it.  The best is that it’s a healthy snack that is actually good for your body!

KitchFix has quite a few different mixes: Original, Honey Pecan, Cocoa Sea Salt, Lemon Berry Chia, and others.  Mine has been an amazing snack, especially the honey pecan!  I can’t wait to try the Cocoa sea salt!   I highly recommend checking them out!

Website

KitchFix

Win a Kitchfix Grain-Free Granola Bundle #19

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Recipes, Veggie & Side Dishes

Smoked Paleo Deviled Eggs

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Smoked Paleo Deviled Eggs!  I’m so excited!  Going paleo hasn’t been easy for me.  I’m a bit of a foodie and it’s almost like torture (probably because I’m a spoiled brat, but I SO did not ask for judgement lol).  One good and fun thing has been coming up with ways to make my favorite recipes become paleo!  Although some of them have been impossible, like cheese and milk anything haha, some have been do able.  Deviled eggs are now on the success list!  I’m so thankful I don’t have to give them up!  Sometimes I think if I could go back in time, I’d help ancient man find more stuff so when I came back to present day, my diet would include more.  haha.

There are two versions, the original, then the Paleo version at the bottom.  Be sure and get the correct version!

Paleo Deviled EggsIngredients

12 hard boiled eggs

1/3 c low-calorie mayonnaise

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp Spanish smoked paprika

Directions

  1. Set up smoker. or set up outdoor grill with foil packets
  2. place eggs in smoker until bronzed, about 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
  3. Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Cut thin slice off bottom of each half. Pop out yolks and placed in bowl with egg-white trimmings; mash with fork.
  4. Add mayonnaise, mustard, sriracha, and Worcestershire to yolk mixture; mash well. Spoon mixture back into egg-white halves. Sprinkle chives and paprika over eggs. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Paleo?  No problem!  Paleo Version

Instead of mayo, use half an avocado and add 1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar.  Mix well.  Add a little more vinegar at a time until you reach the desired flavor.  While it isn’t the exact same, it’s fabulous and you get to have deviled eggs!  I missed them when we started paleo!

Know any good tricks for making non-Paleo recipes become Paleo?

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Chicken, For Carnivores, Recipes

Herb-Roasted Chicken

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Herb Roasted ChickenI just love this recipe!  It’s amazingly simple and tastes spectacular!  You can even prepare the chicken ahead of time and then toss it in the oven when you get home from work or practice.  Although I have to admit I haven’t tried doing it that way.  Be sure and let it rest at least ten minutes so that the juices will soak into everything.  I typically toss in vegetables to roast while it is resting to complete the meal.  We’ve had no complaints from children or adults and that in itself is a small miracle.  The kids didn’t even demand ketchup!  Also, it’s healthy so it’s a total win in my book!  After a few people said that they are totally difficult I really had to try it and attempt to prove them wrong, I think I did a decent job.

  • 1 3-31/2 pound whole broiler-fryer chicken
  • 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed

 

  1. rinse inside of chicken; pat dry with paper towels. Skewer neck skin of chicken to back; tie legs to tail. Twist wing tips under back. Place chicken, breast side up, on a rack in shallow roasting pan. Brush with melted butter; rub garlic over chicken.
  2. In a small bowl stir togerher basil, salt, sage, thyme, and lemon-pepper seasoning; rub onto chicken. If desired insert a meat thermometer into center of inside thigh muscle, not touching bone.
  3. Roast, uncovered, in a 375 degree oven for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours or until drumsticks move easily in their sockets and chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken from oven. Cover; let stand for 10 minutes before carving.

I would love to hear your thoughts, additions and changes!  I know that we are all always seeking improvement in our cooking and to make dinner even better!  I have a slightly different Herb Roasted Chicken Recipe that’s also amazing, I’m not sure which one I love more.

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For Carnivores, Pork, Recipes, Uncategorized

Dutch Oven Herb Pork Loin

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Dutch Oven Herb Pork Loin: Healthy, Paleo, Auto-Immune, All-around Yummy!I love cooking things that are delicious and simple.  The Dutch Oven Herb Pork Loin was quick and easy which certainly fits the bill of both!!!  It wasn’t much work to get it together and we all enjoyed it so much there were no leftovers!  The best part is that it was so great no one added ketchup or anything else!  LOL.  Chief ZooKeeper always insists on modifying things, this one he complimented repeatedly!  It would be incredibly easy to prepare the ingredients, brown, and then start after work or school.  A one pot meal with little clean up so you can get to what’s important: your life!

For our health, we chose to go to a very paleo like diet.  That’s when I realized just how much junk was truly in my ‘healthy’ diet.  I only call it junk because since I’ve switched, I’ve learned that my body was not happy with many of my food choices.  I  feel better and am healthier, that’s totally worth the sacrifice.

Dutch Oven Herb Pork Loin

Ingredients:

  • 4 pound boneless top loin roast
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • Horseradish Sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 onions, thinly sliced (leave out for auto immune and paleo diet!)
  • carrots, bell peppers, etc as desired. sliced small

Directions:

  1. Rub pork with thyme.
  2. Heat the dutch oven on high then brown loin on all sides.
  3. When pork has been browned, brush all sides with horse radish sauce.
  4. Add the water to the pot.  Place the lid on and turn heat to low.
  5. Cook until meat reaches 140 degrees.  
  6. At 140 degrees, remove pork and place in a warming area (I use the oven typically and keep it covered, you don’t want the oven on or it will cook the meat too much)
  7. Add vegetables to oven and saute.  Cook until done. 

Need some fabulous desserts?  We have lots, check out this yummy Raspberry Almond Delight!

 

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For Carnivores, Recipes, Seafood

Not Your Momma’s Tuna

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Power Tuna.  Paleo Auto-Immune Tuna. Low fat. Super Healthy.

This is not your Momma’s tuna but it is absolutely delicious.Fabulous Tuna! No fat! Just goodness! Auto Immune Diet and Paleo friendly! With amazing flavor!

 

I recently had a doctor decide that he hates me and wanted me to start the auto-immune diet.  If you haven’t heard of it, it’s like Paleo on life hates you mode.  And I’m not at all dramatic, so there!  The auto-immune diet is designed to do a lot for ones body, helps with swelling issues and tons more.  He seems to think it will help with my cataplexy.  Medications don’t do it, so here we go with this.

Honestly, at this point I have not been loyal to it.  I’ll be honest.  I’m not giving up coffee and flavored creamer.  Just not gonna do it.  Have been doing better though.  For the last two weeks I’ve stuck very well to the paleo, with the above being my exception.  Well, almost the only exception.  LOL.

Regardless, here is this amazing recipe.  It’s not your Momma’s tuna, but it is fabulously yummy!  I was dying for tuna and the mayo being outlawed from paleo I started trying some of the recipes from Pinterest but was not digging the flavor.  It was missing something.  So I played and modified.  Here goes!

Not Your Momma’s Tuna Recipe

  • 1 can Tuna
  • ½ avocado
  • 3 TBSP lemon juice
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp fajita seasoning
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 3 TBSP Diced celery
  • 1 TBSP diced green onion (red would be great too)
  • 1 TBSP diced sweet pepper
  1. Drain tuna.  Add avocado and mix.
  2. Add seasoning and vinegar, stir.  Whip together, don’t smash at this point!
  3. Mix in the remaining ingredients.
  4. You can serve or eat it however you’d like it, but I really enjoyed it on celery!

If you are looking for some other recipes that are amazingly healthy and yummy, check out my recipe for pitas!  They aren’t paleo, they are super delicious!  You could eat them without the pitas and they’d totally be paleo, or at least I think chick peas are paleo. lol.

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For the Zookeepers, Kitchen, Reviews

Want to Try the BEST Jerky? It’s the One Your Tastebuds Have Been Looking For! @WildZoraFoods @CraftyZoo

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I’m not Jerkin you around…

Wild Zora : Best Jerky Around!This Jerky is awesome!

 

Let’s be real for a minute. Everyone loves some beef jerky. It’s like baseball, the all American snack is beef jerky just as baseball is the all American past time…everyone loves them some jerky. And the variety of flavors, chunks styles and cut sizes a consumer has to pick from. Heck it’s no wonder everyone loves it because there is a kind out there for even the strangest appetites. So I was more than happy to sample so jerky from Wild Zora, and guess what?  I loved it!!

This small family business offers cage free, grass fed jerky to their buyers with a taste that no mass production company can beat! The fact that the cattle are cage free and grass fed means no unnatural nasties hidden deep in under preservatives or disguised by competitor pricings. No this jerky not only tastes amazing but is also so much better in comparison! WAY TO GO WILD ZORA! Thank you for putting a safe yet yummy snack out there for us!

Want to Try the BEST Jerky? It's the One Your Tastebuds Have Been Looking For!

Maybe together we can soon put an end to hidden health cons in our snack foods! Once you try Wild Zora you won’t ever want a competitor’s product!  It’s amazing!  So here’s what I tried:

Wild Zora Jerky Organic, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, No Nuts! No soy! Paleo Friendly! Yum!

Parmesan Beef with Tomato, Basil & Kale: Has a fabulous flavor similar to jerky I’ve tried before, except you can’t taste any chemicals.  It’s very fresh!  (But then, all of it seems to be very fresh!)

BBQ Flavor Beef with Tomato, Pepper & Kale: Oh my gosh, I could eat this by the truckload!  Definitely my absolute favorite of all of the flavors!  Seriously, if you don’t try ANY of the others, try this one!  If you like BBQ, you’ll love the pure flavor in this jerky!  (Currently hiding it so I can rashon it out to myself and not let hubby have any, LOL.  Don’t judge, you would do it too!)

Curry Masala Turkey with Dates, Cardamom & Spinach:  While I’m not normally a fan of curry, I really do enjoy this jerky!  I has such a great flavor!  I have a feeling the husband is going to be swiping this one up!

Chili Beef with Kale, Cayenne, & Apricot: DEFINITELY HAS A KICK TO IT! If you didn’t gather by the cayenne, let me tell you!  This is the perfect jerky for those that love the hot stuff!  Pretty sure that I’ll be getting this for my Dad and brother come Father’s Day and Christmas!

Mediterranean Lamb Bars with Spinach & Turmeric: Just gonna be honest here, I haven’t tried these.  Hubby snagged them and has yet to tell me how they are.  Judging by the others, I’m sure they’ll be fantastic!  When he finally tells me, I’ll let you know!

Want to Try the BEST Jerky? It's the One Your Tastebuds Have Been Looking For!

Check Them Out!

Wild Zora

Instagram  ~  Twitter  ~  G+  ~  YouTube  ~  LinkedIn  ~  Facebook

SUBSCRIBE!!!

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Main Dishes, Recipes

Inside Out Stuffed Poblanos

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yummy-inside-out-stuffed-poblanos

One of my awesome readers mentioned they’d like to see more recipes that weren’t chicken, so I thought I’d share this one!  With Autumn quickly upon us, this recipe is just perfect for those cool evenings and the flavor is fabulous!  I found that Poblanos were far too delicate for me to make stuffed peppers with them, but this turned out amazingly well!

Printable on the bottom of this post.

Ingredients

  • 5 Poblano Peppers
  • 2 c Chopped Onions
  • 2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1 c cooked brown rice
  • 1 c corn
  • 1 can tomatoes
  • 1 Tbsp cumin
  • 1/4 c Lime juice
  • cheese, if desired
  1. Line cookie sheet with foil. Broil peppers for 6 minutes, turn over and broil 6 more minutes.
  2. Sauté onion with garlic, set aside.
  3. Cook ground turkey, drain.
  4. In a food processor or blender, combine ½ of onion mixture, tomatoes, cumin and lime juice. Blend until smooth.
  5. In a large bowl, mix 1 ½ c rice, ½ onions, gr beef, corn and part of the tomato mixture. Mix in some cheese if desired.
  6. Spray baking dish with non-stick spray, slice and seed peppers then spread them across the bottom of the pan.
  7. Spread meat mixture across peppers, top with tomato mixture.
  8. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

*if you’d like to add cheese on top, add it about 4 minutes before the peppers are done.

Printable Recipe Card:  inside-out-stuffed-poblanos

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