Sometimes a girl just needs something sweet to eat. But truth be told, I don't keep much in the house in terms of "sweet treats" because if I know they're in the house, I will hunt them down and devour them. Last week I really wanted something easy to make and we had a bunch of leftover apples from a camping trip we took. I decided to slice them up and bake them, but I wanted more than just cinnamon on top. That's when I started raiding the pantry to see what sort of concoction I could come up with. Honey? Yum! Yep, that should happen. Almond butter? Absolutely. Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips. Um, duh! You can really do whatever you want to the apples, but I recommend the combo of all three with the cinnamon and sea salt. It was super easy to make and made the perfect evening treat after a long day!
Baked Cinnamon Apples
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 10-15 minutes
Total Time: 20-25 minutes
Serves: 3-4
Special Tools:
Apple corer, or knife, to remove the seeds and hard center
Foil lined baking sheet
Small bowl
Ingredients:
Two medium apples, I used pink ladies
Sea salt
Cinnamon
Honey (optional)
Almond butter (optional)
1/4 cup Enjoy life chocolate chips
2 tbsp of full fat coconut milk
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325.
2. Core the apples and then slice them horizontally so that you have circles. I had a total of 12 slices with both apples.
3. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt and a little more than a pinch of cinnamon onto each slice.
4. Put in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
5.If you're going to use the chocolate, place them in a bowl with the coconut milk and microwave in 30 second increments until they're totally melted. Stir until you get a smooth consistency. Add a little more coconut milk if you prefer your chocolate more runny.
6. Take the slices out of the oven. They should be soft, but not falling apart.
7. Use a spoon to drizzle each slice with honey, almond butter, and chocolate.
8. Make sure you have friends to share with, because these are easy to indulge in!
In my past life, wings and beer were a weekend routine. We have this place in Jacksonville called Gators Dockside. You could get some of the best wings in town and a pitcher of really crappy beer that was only like $5. I would hit that place up all the time, especially during football season. I still love a good sports bar. The energy there is always upbeat! However, I don't typically order wings for myself anymore, because I am painstakingly aware of the processed sugar content in wing sauce. Well, fortunately for me (and subsequently now for you too), I've been able to come up with a couple of wing sauce recipes that are paleo approved! Frank's buffalo wing sauce contains zero grams of sugar, making it the perfect pairing with any chicken wing. Teriyaki wings used to be my go-to flavor in college, so a substitute recipe had to be created. I'm also a big fan of honey mustard, and garlic parmesan. So pick your favorites, or make them all, but these wings are sure to be a hit during your next gathering.
____(insert flavor here)_____ Chicken Wings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Serves: 2-3
Special Tools:
Kitchen scissors or a wicked sharp knife
Foil lined baking tray
Large bowl
Sauce brush
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
1 pound of chicken wings and/or drumettes, separated and wing tips removed (this is where you might need the scissors)
1 tbsp of coconut oil, melted
1 tsp of course sea salt
1/2 tsp of cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp of garlic powder
1/2 tsp of onion powder
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
Buffalo sauce:
2 tbsp of grass-fed butter, melted
1/4 cup of Frank's buffalo sauce
Sweet and spicy sauce:
2 tbsp of grass-fed butter, melted
1/4 cup of Frank's buffalo sauce
1 1/2 tbsp of honey
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
Teriyaki sauce:
1 tbsp of grass-fed butter, melted
2 tbsp of coconut aminos
2 tbsp of blackstrap molasses
1/2 tbsp of rice vinegar
1/2 tsp of fish sauce
1/2 tsp of toasted sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp of freshly grated ginger
Honey mustard sauce:
2 tbsp of dijon mustard
2 tbsp of honey
1/2 tbsp of worcestershire sauce
Garlic parmesan sauce (this one is not strict paleo):
3 tbsp of ghee or grass-fed butter
1 tsp of tapioca starch (combine first with ghee before adding the rest of the ingredients)
2 tbsp of garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp of dried parsley flakes
1 tbsp of grated parmesan
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Prepare the wings by using kitchen scissors or a wicked sharp knife to separate the drum from the wing and the wing tip from the wing. You can discard the wing tips. If you already bought them separated, then you can skip this step.
3. Toss the wings and drumettes into a large bowl with the coconut oil and seasonings, coat well, and lay them out on the foil lined baking tray.
4. Put them in the oven for 10 minutes and then flip them over and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. While the wings are cooking, prepare the sauce you want to use in a bowl.
6. For the remaining 20 minutes, brush the wings every 5 minutes, turning them each time to allow the sauce to cook into the wings.
7. Remove from the oven and enjoy!
Note: If you double the batch of sauce, you can take the wings out and toss them into the bowl with the sauce to make it extra saucy!
If there's one thing that I've come to love doing in recent years, it's cooking. I love that I can combine ingredients, add some heat (usually), and then end up with something new (and tasty!). My mom isn't a huge fan of cooking and I didn't grow up living near my grandparents, so the skills and techniques of cooking and baking were not instilled in me at a young age. Actually, my dad loves to tell the story of how I almost killed them all with undercooked chicken. It was ONE TIME! Haha. But sadly, it did happen. I had the temperature up too high, and so the outside was definitely done, but it never reached that internal temp. of 165. Yikes! Luckily, everyone survived and they live on to tell the tale...again...and again...and again! In truth, I bet they're just jealous of how far I've come and are now sad they don't get to experience the magical creations that come out of my kitchen. Ha! Well, I say all of that to say this, sometimes I just don't have the energy to cook. Especially Fridays. By the end of the week, I'm pooped. Fridays are usually crockpot days! Crockpots are pretty magical in their own right. Take it out, combine the ingredients, turn it on low, and voila 6-8 hours later you have a beautifully prepared entree, side dish, one pot wonder, dessert, etc. One of my favorite things to make in the crockpot is pork tenderloin. With the right ingredients you can turn this nice piece of meat into something really spectacular. I'm a fan of combining balsamic vinegar and maple syrup together, because it gives the meat a lovely sweet and savory flavor. This would also be a great with a beef roast. I actually use beef and pork interchangeably when making this entree.
Balsamic-Maple Pork Tenderloin
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 7 hours
Serves: 5-7
Special Tools:
Crockpot
Ingredients:
2 pounds of pork tenderloin
3 tbsp of maple syrup, grade b
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp of coconut aminos
1/2 cup of low sodium beef broth
1 1/2 tbsp dried thyme
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp of onion powder
1 tsp of paprika
1 tsp of coarse sea salt
1 tsp of freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
Instructions:
1. Put the pork into the crock pot and give it several stabs (but not all the way through). Stuff the minced garlic into the pork where you stabbed it.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients over the top of the pork
3. Turn the crockpot on LOW.
4. At 6 hours, take two forks and shred the pork. It should absorb most of the liquid left in the crockpot. Add a bit of water (maybe 1/4 to 1/2 a cup) to prevent it from drying out.
5. Cook for one more hour until it is super tender. I like to serve mine along side some garlic cauliflower mash and brussels sprout slaw. The leftovers also make a great accompaniment to some fried eggs in the morning!
Yesterday was Cinco de Mayo. I heard people all weekend gearing up for the celebration. One of our CrossFit gym's sister locations shares a parking lot with a well known Mexican restaurant, so a fun partner WOD was created, both to entertain the patrons and to encourage us all to celebrate afterwards. This is how it went:
400m partner run with med ball
25 handshake push-ups
25 wall ball tosses
25 sit-up med ball passes
200m partner carry
5 Rounds. 30 minute time limit.
It was a nasty little workout. Definitely challenging! But in truth, the worst part was the heat. Yesterday was in the mid 90s, which hasn't happened all year! There were only two other girls in my 3:30 class, so we just did a triple team and made it 30 reps. I ended up running with the med ball for most of the rounds because I got carried every time during the partner carry. Out of the three of us, I was the smallest...but not by much, lol. I had two great teammates! In any event, it was a lot of fun, just super hot! Then I trained 4:30 and 5:30 and got to watch some really awesome people workout. I just love my CrossFit family!
Last night's dinner was a quasi mash-up of a dish I love to make (pork chow mien) with a marinade/dressing from another dish I've made. It's funny how you can just alter a few ingredients and the dish is totally different. I love making these kinds of meals because you end up eating a ton of veggies, which I love, and there isn't a lot of effort involved. I really enjoyed it and hope you do too! My Chinese food craving was 100% satisfied.
Moo Shu Pork
Marinate Time: 2+ hours
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2+ hours, 50 minutes
Serves: 3
Special Tools:
Storage container with lid (for marinating pork)
Large non-stick sauté pan
Large bowl
Ingredients:
1 tbsp of ghee
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp of shallots, minced
1 tbsp of ginger, grated
3 tbsp of coconut aminos
1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil (make sure it's toasted!)
1 tbsp of rice vinegar
1/2 tsp of fish sauce
1 lb of thin cut boneless pork chops
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp of coconut oil + more if needed
1 large carrot, shredded
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
4 oz of shiitaki mushrooms, sliced
3 cups of green cabbage, thinly sliced
1 cup of red cabbage, thinly sliced
1/4 cup of scallions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp of freshly chopped parsley, to garnish
1 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds, to garnish
*Note: Prep your veggies before you start cooking. The cooking part goes by pretty quickly and you won't have time to cut and cook at the same time.
Instructions:
1. Cut your pork into quarter inch thick strips. Mine were still partially frozen, making it super easy to slice.
2. Place the strips in a container and mix in the first eight ingredients. Let it marinate in the refrigerator for two hours or up to overnight.
3. Place the large non-stick sauté pan over medium high heat. Once it's hot, add 2 tsp of coconut oil and let it melt completely.
4. Add in the beaten eggs and let them spread out like a pancake. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes until it's firm enough to flip. Then cook the other side for a minute or two.
5. Add the egg to a large bowl and slice the egg into strips.
6. Add another tsp of coconut oil if needed and allow to melt. Put half of the pork strips into the hot pan with some of the marinade and begin to sauté for 3-5 minutes. Scoop out the pork and add to the bowl with the eggs. Then put the rest of the pork strips into the pan and cook again for another 3-5 minutes. (You don't want to add them all at once, because this causes overcrowding, leading to steaming the pork rather than sautéing)
7. Pour any remaining juice from the marinade into the pan and turn the heat up a little for about 20-30 seconds.
8. Add the carrots and celery and move around the pan until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Remove them from the pan and add to the bowl.
9. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 1 minute and then move the mushrooms to the bowl.
10. Place the remaining cabbages and scallions to the pan. Saute until they begin to wilt slightly, turning constantly. You might want to put a splash or two of coconut aminos in the pan with these guys, but it's totally optional. But I did. And it was delicious.
11. Remove from heat and add everything back into the sauté pan, mixing well to combine all the ingredients.
12. Top with sesame seeds and fresh parsley.
Nail polish is probably one of the most frustrating things. No seriously. I never wear it for several reasons. Mostly because I feel like it's a waste of time since it only lasts for a couple of days. I refuse to spend money putting fake nails on, because they just seem to get in the way anyway, or they break, and then I'm even more frustrated for having spent money on something that barely lasted 48 hours. (Side note: I'm not knocking those that get their nails done. My friend Lyndsey has BEAUTIFUL nails and I'm super jealous of how good they always look.) But even when I take an hour to file, buff, wash, and polish, it always seems that within a couple of days (if I'm lucky) the polish has chipped away. It's usually from washing the dishes and showering. Why? Why, water, must you ruin my nails?! And of course, once it chips, I don't have time to sit there and fix them. So now my nails start to look all gross, but I can't leave them alone. Oh no. What do I do? I begin to pick and scratch at them, and before I know it, half the polish is off each nail, making me look like a wild child with zero self-control. This goes on for several days, or until I have scratched off every last bit of polish, leaving me once again, with plain Jane nails. As I type this now, my entire left had has been scratched clean, while my right hand has three nails with partial polish. Oy vey. It's unfortunate, too, because I really liked the color I had on.
Ok, enough about nail polish. There are certainly more important things in the world than what I have going on with my nails. Like this amazing milk shake I discovered last night. I altered the recipe to be less sweet, because coming off of a sugar detox makes everything taste sweeter than what it used to. If you want to try out the original, head over to The Spunky Coconut's website. She's an amazing pioneer in the world of paleo and I just love all of her ideas. This is my spin on her Choco-Chia "Milkshake."
Paleo Chocolate Milkshake
Prep Time: 3-5 minutes
Total Time: 3-5 minutes
Serves: 1
Special Tools:
Coffee grinder
Blender
Ingredients:
1 cup of full-fat coconut milk (I used the milk from the can, not the carton)
2 tbsp of ground chia seeds
1 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp of raw honey
4-5 drops of chocolate Stevia
6 cubes of ice
1/2-1 tbsp of raw cocoa nibs
Instructions:
1. Grind your chia seeds in a coffee grinder. Otherwise, the seeds will expand and create a lumpy shake.
2. Blend all of the ingredients together except the cocoa nibs. I would add one or two cubes of ice at a time while it blends to help break it up better, but that could just be my blender!
3. Pour into a cup or glass and garnish with the cocoa nibs. Enjoy!
When I was little, we had Italian night probably once a week. My sister and I LOVED spaghetti. And I know my mom didn't mind cooking it because it was such an easy process. Brown the meat, heat a jar of sauce, and then boil some pasta. We ate it until we looked like we were carrying little Italian babies in our bellies (I say Italian because that's what we were eating. If it had been Chinese food, it would have been a Chinese baby. Get it?). Man did we love to eat! Fast forward to when my husband and I started dating and imagine my devastation when I found out he wasn't a huge spaghetti fan! Whhhaaattt?! NO! Who doesn't like spaghetti? Well, it turns out that he isn't a huge marinara fan because as a kid, his mom would make his plate of spaghetti and she would always put way to much for his liking. In those days, he didn't have a choice, except to eat it. Then it would give him heartburn from all of the acidity. Poor guy. I can sympathize with the association of heartburn and marinara sauce, but still, not having spaghetti in my life was just not an option. I set out to create my own version that was thick and hearty. I think this meat and veggie sauce is a great way to have your protein and veggies in one pot. I love adding all kinds of vegetables, but you could stick to just your favorites. The final transition I made with this meal was moving away from real pasta. I heard about spaghetti squash a few years ago. I didn't know it even existed, but there it was, beautiful, bright, and yellow next to all of the other squashes in the store. The first few times I made it, I boiled it in water, which is fine, but you'll end up with watery "noodles." Instead, I recommend baking it. It takes a little longer, but the payout is not having soupy "spaghetti" on your plate. Unless that's your preference. Then go for it! So here it is, Paleo spaghetti. Enjoy!
Spaghetti Squash "Spaghetti"
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Serves: 4-5
Special Tools:
1 foil lined baking sheet
1 large pot
Ingredients:
1 large spaghetti squash
1/2 tsp of garlic salt
1 lb of grass-fed ground beef
1 tbsp of bacon fat (or fat of your choice)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp of sea salt, divided
1 and 1/2 tbsp of Italian seasoning, divided
1 tbsp of dried basil, divided
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
6 oz package of baby bella mushrooms
Other veggies I like to add: 1 large diced carrot, 1 chopped zucchini, 5-6 chopped asparagus stalks, and 1/2 a head of chopped broccoli
6 oz can of tomato paste
1 large tomato, diced
1 bay leaf
optional: up to 1/2 cup of beef broth
Instructions:
1. Cut the squash in half, sprinkle with the garlic salt, and bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes or until the outside gives. Let it cool, and then remove the seeds with a spoon.
2. While the squash is cooking, add the bacon fat to the pot over medium heat. Then add the garlic and saute until fragrant.
3. Add the beef and let it begin to brown. When you start to break it up, add the salt, and 1 tbsp of Italian seasonings + 1/2 tbsp of dried basil.
4. After the beef is cooked, scoop it out with a slotted spoon (leaving behind the fat) and then add whatever cut up veggies you want.
5. Once they’ve softened a little (about 5 minutes), add the can of tomato paste and stir. Season with the rest of the Italian seasoning, dried basil, and bay leaf.
6. Add the diced tomato. Mix well.
7. Then put the beef back in and stir. Let that simmer on low-medium heat for at least 20 minutes, but up to an hour. The longer it sits, the better the flavors will be. *If the sauce is too thick for your liking, you can add up to 1/2 cup of beef broth. My husband likes his thicker, so I usually don’t add any.
8. Shred the squash with a fork and divide among the plates.
9. Top with the meat and veggie sauce. Devour!
I have a confession. I totally skipped my workout on Tuesday for the most amazing nap. If you know me, you know I've got a pretty strict daily routine and I haven't missed my 3:30 workout in...well, I can't remember the last time I missed it. Mostly because I have to train the 4:30 and 5:30 classes right after, so 3:30 really is my time to get my WOD in for the day. But my whirlwind weekend up in Atlanta caught up with me on Tuesday and I was literally nodding off at work! My head was pounding and I could barely stare at the computer screen to get any work done. So rather than suffer through a really tough hero WOD (Nukes), I scrambled home and took a much needed power nap. Yesterday, I felt a little drowsy in the afternoon, but I blame this depressing weather we're having. Grey skies ALL DAY! Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the rain, but it definitely effects my mood. Today is looking like more of the same, but I slept well last night, so I'm feeling more pep in my step!
Have you tried Trader Joe's bone-in french cut pork chops yet? If you haven't, you definitely should. They're really meaty, and I love how it cooks. It makes for a really pretty presentation. Last night I made a ranch seasoned dry rub for the chops that was absolutely delicious. I really think this is probably my favorite way to eat these pork chops now. Make sure you buy the fresh herbs. I think it makes all the difference. Plus it made my house smell wonderful!
Paleo Ranch Pork Chops
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Special Tools:
Large saute pan
small bowl
Ingredients:
4 bone-in 1-in thick pork chops
1 heaping tbsp of coconut oil
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp of sea salt
1 tsp ground pepper
Instructions:
1. Mix the seasonings in a small bowl
2. Melt the coconut oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, about 2-3 minutes
3. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture liberally on one side of the chops, leaving a little bit for the other side.
4. When the oil is hot, add the chops to the pan and cook seasoned side down for about 6 minutes until a golden brown crust forms
5. Sprinkle the remaining seasoning mixture on the other side of the chops, flip the chops over, and then cook the other side for another 6 minutes.
6. I served mine with a sides salad and PaleOMG's Roasted Rosemary Apples and Sweet Potatoes
