it’s been awhile! i am currently taking a much needed break from my normal work & spending lots of qt with my family, acting as the in-house chef. we’ve been doing family dinner once a week, feeding 6 & tonight i prepared some healthy tacos.

ingredients (serving 6):

• romaine lettuce
• ~8 cherry tomatoes, cubed
• 1 yellow pepper, sliced
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 2 small white onions, sliced
• 2 lbs of grass-fed ground meat
• extra virgin olive oil- to drizzle in the pans
• salsa
• guacamole (or sub sliced avocado)

• taco seasoning (based on a recipe found here):
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp salt

directions:

• turn stove on low, drizzle some evoo in a med size pan & throw most of the onions in- leave a handful for the pan the beef will be cooked in
• while the onions are softening, mix the taco seasoning together in a small bowl & slice up the veggies
• once the onions are soft & translucent, add the peppers- turn heat to med & let cook until the peppers have softened up a bit
• turn another burner to med heat, use a large pan, drizzle some evoo & put the rest of the onions in there
• once the onions have softened a bit, place the beef in the pan, breaking it up, stir every so often & let it brown
• once the beef is browned, add the taco seasoning & let the flavors mix in for a little bit
• setup the tacos to be assembled- use the romaine leaves as the shell (yes it will get messy, let it happen) & line up the beef, peppers & onions, tomatoes, salsa & guacamole in bowls, ready to be assembled

enjoy!

perfect Sunday meal by Everyday Paleo to prep for the week:

http://everydaypaleo.com/2011/03/09/sun-dried-tomato-chicken-bake/

ingredients:

brownie

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup dates
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoons agave
• 3 drops mint extract

frosting

• 1/4 cup softened coconut oil (mixable)
• 3 tablespoons agave
• ~ 3 tablespoons cocoa (to taste)

directions:

• process walnuts & almonds in a food processor until ground
• add the rest of the ingredients, process & taste
• form bites on a plate
• mix frosting ingredients in a medium bowl & taste
• top bites with frosting

cooking.com’s sauteed chicken breasts with fennel & rosemary & roasted asparagus tossed in extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper & rosemary

yamanana bread is ideal for post-workout nutrition, breakfast and a quick complete snack. it is the perfect combination of protein (eggs), carbs (yam & banana) and good fats (coconut oil). there are many possibilities with this dish, so as always feel free to take some liberties with it. i don’t know exactly where this recipe originated from, so my guesses are the docs at franson family chiropractic, merrimack family chiropractic and bonfire health.

ingredients:

• 2 large yams- baked, boiled or steamed & remove skin
• 3 bananas (riper the better)
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 2 tablespoons sifted coconut flour (or 1/4 cup almond flour/meal)- used to make this more of a bread than a quiche
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• pinch of sea salt
• coconut flakes to top (optional)
• 1 apple, diced to top (optional)

directions:

• turn oven to 350 degrees
• grease 2 glass loaf pans or a 9×9 glass baking dish with coconut oil
• in a large bowl mash yams
• add in bananas & mix together with a hand mixer
• in a medium bowl, whisk eggs
• whisk in cinnamon, nutmeg & salt
• pour egg mixture into the yam & banana mix
• stir in coconut oil
• add in coconut/almond flour & hand mix until well combine
• pour mixture into dish
• top with coconut flakes and/or apple
• bake in over for 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean

sarah’s breakfast, comparable to cream of wheat or oatmeal breakfast

ingredients (no right measurements for these, just based on how you prefer it):

• 1-2 tablespoons chia seeds
• (~1/2 teaspoon) cinnamon
• (~ 1/2 cup) hot water
• (~ 2-3 tablespoons, depends on preference) hemp/almond milk (hemp milk is a little thicker- similar consistency to cream)
• chopped walnuts
• currants/raisins
• chopped dates
• coconut flakes
• 1/2 fresh peach (seasonal fruit) cut into cubes, handful of blueberries, raspberries and/or half a banana

directions:

• scoop chia seeds into a bowl & stir in cinnamon
• switch off adding hot water & almond/hemp milk (a little at a time)- the chia seeds will expand with the liquid- give it some time to soak up the liquid & stir to desired consistency
• mix in walnuts, currants/raisins & dates
• top with coconut flakes & fresh fruit

ingredients:

• top-round steak, grass-finished beef
• coconut oil for grill pan
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup honey
• evoo for pan
• sliced onion
• 1/4 apple cider
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• cauliflower rice

directions:

• heat grill pan (medium heat) & coat with coconut oil
• in a bowl, pour red wine over beef
• mix pumpkin & honey in a separate bowl
• place raw beef on grill pan & brush meat on both sides with pumpkin/honey mixture (save some for the sauce)
• grill on each side until meat has reached the desired color

• in a separate pan heat ~2 tablespoons of evoo on low heat
• add sliced onions & let caramelize
• then, add the rest of the pumpkin/honey mixture into the pan
• add in apple cider, coconut milk & a pinch of sea salt
• allow flavors to mix

• serve beef over cauliflower rice & top with caramelized onions & pumpkin sauce

this post goes out to my bro. he lives out in sunny california with his new bride & just took on a sweet new job with a lobster-man. i couldn’t be prouder of him; he is one of the hardest workers i know & he’s burning lots of energy out on the boat now that the lobster season is officially underway in SoCal. the alarm goes off at a ripe 2:30am & he doesn’t get back to the harbor until evening. he’s been looking for some protein snacks to eat throughout the day & since this is a common question, i thought i’d write out a go-to list & i’ll add to it along the way. i’m sure some of you seasoned-paleo eaters have some favorites to add to the list, so please do!

• organic beef/turkey jerky (be sure to check out the ingredients) & veggies
• raw walnuts, coconut flakes & raisins
• tuna & spinach
• roasted chicken & carrots
• hard boiled eggs, handful of spinach & 1/2 avocado
• celery sticks & almond butter
• lox & cucumbers
• bonfire’s green monster smoothie: kale, spinach, banana, avocado, coconut oil, coconut water, fish oil
• sweet & salty trail mix
• yamanana bread

here is another take on elana’s cauliflower rice:

ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 medium red onion
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1/4 cup evoo
• 1 roasted chicken, cubed
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup chopped parsley
• 1 cup dried cranberries

directions:

• warm up evoo in a skillet with medium heat
• add onions & sauté for about 10 minutes
• meanwhile, shred cauliflower using one of the fancy attachment blades on a food processor
• back to the skillet.. add chopped celery & sauté for a few minutes until softened
• add in shredded cauliflower & cook for about 5 minutes
• add in walnuts, parsley, dried cranberries & roasted chicken & cook for about 5 more minutes to blend flavors

related post: (simple) cauliflower rice

here’s a birthday take on the pumpkin almond butter dessert/bread frosted with elana’s vegan chocolate frosting (instead of 1 teaspoon of vanilla, i used 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract & 1/2 teaspoon almond extract) & topped with shreds of coconut.