Paleo Mongolian Beef

Yum!

Here is what you'll need:

1 lb Beef Skirt or Flank Steak (your choice) cut into strips
3 TBSP bacon fat or coconut oil
1 TBSP garlic or garlic powder
1 Tea dried ginger
1 Tea red pepper flakes
1 TBSP sesame oil
1/3 c coconut aminos (I used soy sauce cause I ran out..oops not Paleo)
1/4 c honey
salt/pepper to taste
2-3 green onions, chopped

In a sautee pan, add the bacon fat/coconut oil and the meat. Add in the salt, pepper, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and red pepper flakes and sautee for about 3-4 minutes. Next, add in your coconut aminos and honey and sautee about 4-5 more minutes. Lastly, add your green onions and mix well. Serve and enjoy!

I served mine with home made (not paleo) won ton soup. Yum!

Paleo Pumpkin Butternut Squash Soup with Sausage

This was a delicious Fall dinner, I will make it again!

Here is what you'll need:

2 shallots, chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, chopped
1.5 TBSP chopped sage
2 TBSP bacon fat
1 medium sweet onion sliced
1 medium butternut squash (or 3 cups of cubed)
1/2 of a 14oz can pumpkin
1/2 of a 14 oz can coconut milk
3 c chicken broth
Sausage of your choice (I chopped mine up before I cooked it)
Salt and Pepper to taste

First, roast your butternut squash. I halved mine, and baked it flesh up for 45 minutes at 375. Remove the butternut squash from the skin and set aside. In a large pan, add the bacon fat, sliced onion, chopped garlic, sage and shallots. Saute this mix for about 5-8 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add in the butternut squash and saute for about 5 more minutes. Next, add what you have in your pan to a high powered blender. Also, add in your coconut milk, pumpkin, salt and pepper, and half of your chicken broth. Blend the ingredients until you have a smooth soup consistency. Add what you have in your blender to a large pot, along with the remaining chicken broth, and simmer for 8 minutes. In your saute pan, add the sausages and cook until they're nice and crispy on the outside. Serve up the soup, with a scoop of sausages on top and some chopped sage for extra credit. Enjoy!

Easy Paleo Chicken & Veggie Bake

This certainly was easy!

Here is what you'll need:
Chicken Thighs (however many you'd like to eat/serve)
4 celery stalks, cut in 2" pieces
1/2 c baby carrots
1 onion, chopped in large chunks
1 sweet potato, chopped in large chunks
1/2 c mushrooms, sliced
1 TBSP garlic powder
3 TBSP olive oil
1 tea salt
1 TBSP pepper
1 TBSP bacon fat


In a bowl, toss the veggies with the olive oil and the salt, pepper and garlic powder, then dump all the veggies in a large roasting dish. Preheat your oven to 375. In a large saute pan, pour the bacon fat and sear both sides of the chicken, add a little salt and pepper to each thigh, and then place on top of the veggies. Cover the dish with foil, and bake for 35-40 minutes. Enjoy!

Meatza

First things first, yes, my recipe has cheese, you do not have to have cheese on yours if you are strict Paleo!


I was pleasantly surprised with this meal, I mean it was really good! It's probably because it had cheese :)

Here is what you'll need:

1 lb ground turkey
1 lb mild italian sausages, out of their casings
1 TBSP parsley
1 TBSP oregano
1 TBSP basil
1 Tea Salt
1 Tea Pepper
2 eggs
marinara/tomato sauce
mozzarella cheese (optional, and the amount you use is up to you, I used a ton)
veggies/ extra meats of your choice.

First, add the two meats, the eggs, and all the spices together in a bowl, mix it up good, use your hands. Next, preheat your oven to 450, then press the "meat dough" into a cookie sheet, make sure the cookie sheet has a lip/edge on it. Place the meat dough into your oven, and cook for 10 minute increments, about 30 minutes total. After each 10 minute increment, take the meat dough out and drain it a little. This is especially important if you use Turkey, as it is more watery than other meats. Once the meat has cooked through, switch the oven to "broil" on high and then add the sauce, cheese and veggies/extra meats of your choice. Place the pan back in the oven and watch it. I cooked mine under the broiler about 8 minutes. When the cheese it brown and bubbly, it's ready. Yum Yum!

Paleo Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Bites

So I had these brown spotted bananas starring at me for a few days, and with this pregnancy my sweet tooth is out of control, so I cam up with these little mounds of Joy!

Here is what you'll need:
3 over ripe bananas
2 eggs
1 c almond flour/meal
3/4 c coconut flour
1/2 c coconut oil
1 TBSP Vanilla
1/2 tea baking soda
1/2 tea baking powder
1 tea cinnamon
1/2 c chocolate chips (Enjoy Life brand is as close to Paleo as I could find)

I am lazy so I just mixed/smashed all the ingredients together, then baked little mounds of the dough for 18 minutes at 350 degrees. Hope you like them!

Paleo Chicken Vegetable Soup

We've all come down with the nasty summer cold that's going around so I wanted soup!

Here is what you'll need:
2 c rotisserie chicken
4 carrots chopped
4 celery stalks chopped
1 onion chopped
1 c mushrooms
1 can chopped tomatoes
1/4 c bacon fat
2 c vegetable broth
1 c chicken broth
Garlic Salt & Pepper to taste

Pour the bacon fat along with the onions in a large pot and saute until the onions are kinda soft. Next, add everything else and let simmer on medium about 45 minutes. That's it!

Chili Stuffed Baked Sweet Potatoes

First off, bake some sweet potatoes for a long time. I do mine at 375 for about an hour.

Next, gather these ingredients

1 lb ground meat of your choice. I used beef.
1 white onion (chopped)
1 red bell pepper (chopped)
1 cup-ish cherry tomatoes (chopped)
1 8oz can tomato paste
.5 c salsa (any kind will do)
1 c water
2 TBSP cumin divided
2 TBSP oregano divided
1 TBSP salt
1 TBSP black pepper
1.5 TBSP chili powder
1 Tea cayenne pepper
1 TBSP olive oil

In a large pot, add the olive oil and the onion, toss to coat. Then add in the ground meat and 1 TBSP of cumin, 1 TBSP of oregano, 1 TBSP salt, 1 TBSP black pepper, 1 TBSP of chili powder, and 1 tea cayenne. Blend the meat and spices and onion so that everything is covered. Once the meat is browned, add in ALL other ingredients, stir and simmer for 1 hour.

Once the chili is ready, cut your sweet potato down the middle and remove the skin, pour the chili over the potato and top with whatever you would like: cheese, onion, sour cream! Yum Yum!

Summer Melt

I am really excited to announce my very first Advocare event, the Summer Melt.

This challenge is meant for anyone who is ready to get in shape and shed some pounds for bathing suit season. Along with world class supplements from Advocare, clients will receive a day to day meal plan, as well as daily workouts that can be done virtually anywhere with little to no equipment. This event is not solely for people in the Orange County area, if you are out of town, you can do this too!

I am extremely excited to launch this program, as I know it breeds success. If you are interested in learning more, please email me at psadvocare@gmail.com, or check out my event page summermeltsgregrow.eventbrite.com

Let's melt off our "Winter Coats" and get ready for Summer!

Making Differences...

Well, this is not going to be a recipe post, but more of a life update.

Paul and I have recently taken on a new challenge. I could not be more blessed for being given this opportunity.

About a month ago, we were introduced to Advocare products by a great couple, Jill and Brian. Advocare is a company that gives people so much. Advocare has products for people of all ages, body types, and lifestyles. We began taking the products and we have not had one complaint yet. I started out on the Advocare 24 Day Challenge. What the challenge includes is an easy diet plan, as well as a "cleanse phase" consisting of a fiber drink and probiotics, and a "max phase" consisting of meal replacement shakes for breakfast, and nutritional supplements to aid in weight loss and wellness. At the end of the challenge, I have lost 3lbs, 2 inches in my waist, and 2 inches in my hips, and I feel great! I have since takena coffee out of my routine and I am overall feeling phenomenal. I have been setting PR's (personal records) in the gym on both my lifts, and I have been able to string two muscle-ups together, almost three! We had some of our close friends and family join us for the challenge. My step-dad lost 24 lbs in 24 days! My sister in law reduced her bodyfat percentage going from 17% to 12% and she lookd amazing!

Paul has been on the Elite Line of Advocare products and he is feeling great. He qualified for the Crossfit Southern California Regionals and he has been hitting it hard in the gym, and he has been feeling great too. He doesn't look too bad either ;)

Advocare is more to me than just 3lbs and 4 inches lost though. Advocare has helped me to see that I have the ability to help others with their weightloss journey, and that is pretty special. Not a day goes by where I don't hear something like "I am exhausted" or "I really need to lose about 20lbs" or "I need to eat better" in the staff lunch rooms at work. I see Advocare as my opportunity to spread the wealth of knowledge about health, nutrition and exercise that is out there. I see myself helping my family members and friends that really need to change their lives for the better. I have found my true passion, and that passion is to help others. I am really excited about this.

Well, I wanted to leave this post with some results pictures. If you are reading this and you are looking to make a change in your health, please contact me, I would be so happy to help. You can email me at psadvocare@gmail.com If you're interested in checking out Advocare products, visit our distributor site at psadvocare.com

Paleo Steak Fries

As close to the real thing as it gets!

This was just a random, and delicious idea. And yes, I used "white" sweet potatoes, which may be against some people's view of what Paleo is, but in our house, we are down with them!

Here is what you'll need:

Sweet Potatoes (the white/beige ones)
Bacon Grease

I was baking my bacon in the oven prior to this (at 375 degrees), so I already had two cookie sheets lined with tin foil and small pools of bacon grease left over after removing the bacon. I left the oven on and peeled the skin off the potatoes, then I sliced the potaotes in halves, and then sliced them again into about 1/2" thick pieces. I laid the potatoes on the sheet and cooked them about 20 minutes, then I flipped them over and let them cook about 10 more minutes.

They were magical.

Paleo Steak Topper: Mushrooms & Onions

This was absolutely delish! We ALWAYS sautee onions when we eat steaks, and sometimes we will add mushrooms, but I wanted a carmelized taste tonight, why didn't I think of this earlier?

Here is what you'll need:

1 medium onion
1 c sliced mushrooms
2-3 TBSP bacon fat (or Olive or Coconut Oil)
1.5 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 TBSP Garlic Salt
Pepper to taste

Start by heating your pan with the bacon grease over medium heat, then add the onions. After about 3 minutes, add the mushrooms and spices and stir. Next add the balsamic, and toss to coat. Saute for about 10 minutes, or until the mushrooms and onions are cooked to your liking. Remove from the flame and let sit for about 2-3 minutes. Pour the goodness over your steak (or chicken even!) and enjoy!

A 2-fer Picture-less Post

I have slowed down on the Paleo recipes because Paul and I have been doing the Zone diet for the past 3 weeks. So, a lot of Paleo recipes call for several different ingredients which are just too complicated to figure out all the blocking for, so we have been eating a lot of basic meals. Grilled or sauteed meats, and fruits and veggies on the side, with a little healthy fat as well.

However, I managed to make a couple new recipes which were rather yummy. One is Paleo, and one is not really Paleo, but not that bad for you...

First, Pistachio Pesto (Paleo)

Blend all ingredients:

1 c Fresh Basil
1/4 c Shelled Pistachios
1/4 c Olive Oil
1/4 c Water

You could also add garlic or coconut milk to make it more of a creamy sauce. You may also have to add a little extra of one ingredient or another. We poured this sauce over some chicken and spaghetti squash, and then we had more for another meal. It was quite tasty.


Second, "Special Potatoes" (Paul named them)

4-5 Large Sweet Potatoes (The yellowish white ones, not YAMS)
1 TBSP Dried Dill
1 TBSP Garlic Salt
Sprinkle of Pepper
1/4 c Coconut Milk
1/2 c Greek Yogurt
2 TBSP Butter or Ghee

Boil the potatoes until they are completely soft, then drain them. Add all of the other ingredients to the pot and mash it all together. I used a big fork to mix it all, but you could use a hand mixer if you feel the need. These were soooooooooo good, and really, the only "non-paleo" thing about them is the greek yogurt, which is a very tiny amount when compared to how many potaties you're working with.

Hope you enjoy them!!!

Sweet & Savory Turkey Sheppard's Pie

This was a spin off of my other Sheppard's Pie you can find here.

Here is what you'll need:

For the filling:
1 lb ground Turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c each: frozen peas, frozen carrots, frozen green beans (thawed)
2 TBSP Olive Oil
1 TBSP Oregano
1 TBSP Thyme
Salt & Pepper
1/2 to 3/4 C broth (I used Chicken)
2 TBSP Almond Flour
2 TBSP Coconut Flour (If you don't have this, double the Almond Flour)

For the topping:
2-3 Cooked (and very mushy) sweet potatoes
2 TBSP Butter or Ghee
Salt & Pepper

Place a large saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil and onions. Once the onions start to cook, add in the turkey and stir a bit. Next, add the (un)frozen veggies and seasonings, and stir to coat everything. Next, pour in your broth and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Lastly, add in your Almond and Coconut flour. This step serves to soak up any of the broth that is in the pan, you don't want it to be soupy, but more of a creamy to dry consistentcy. Add the filling to an 8x8 baking dish. Preheat your oven to 375.

Mash up the sweet potatoes in a bowl with the butter or ghee, and some salt and pepper, the smoother the better. Smooth the potato mixture over the top of the filling and place the dish in the oven for 25 minutes. After the timer goes off, switch the oven to broil on high, and leave it in for another 5 minutes. Check the top to see if there is a crisp to it, that's what you want. Mmmmm. If you don't see a crisp, leave it in a little longer, but be sure not to burn it!

It is hard not to enjoy a second helping of this meal!!! Yum, yum!

*** Disclaimer: I used frozen corn in the recipe pictured above, cause I didn't have carrots, which was still delicious, but not 100% Paleo.

Paleo Pumpkin Chili

Such a great warm treat for cold weather!

Here is what you'll need:

1-2 lbs. Ground beef or turkey
1 onion, diced
1-2 bell peppers, diced (any color)
14oz can of canned pumpkin
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cumin
1 jar salsa, or 1 14 oz can of tomatoes
1 box of Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Start by browning the meat in a large pot, as the meat starts to cook, add in all the veggies and saute for about 5 more minutes. Next, add all the spices, the canned pumpkin and tomatoes/salsa, and soup. Turn the burner to a low/medium and let simmer for an hour to and hour and a half, stirring every 20ish minutes.

This recipe is so easy. I love to make it because I can clean, play with Ellie, watch TV and it cooks on it's own.

*** Also, I have added different veggies to this recipe when I needed to either get rid of them, or I was out of the bell peppers. I have used zuchinni, sweet potatoes and carrots just to make the chili chunkier, it's all tasty, just toss it in!!!

Paleo Egg Muffins

I have been trying out new breakfast grab and go ideas since I will be heading back to work on Monday. Sad!

Here is what you'll need:

1 tube pork breakfast sausage
1 dozen eggs
Veggies of your choice (I used some leftover broccoli)
Ghee, Bacon Fat or Cooking Spray

Preheat your oven to 350. Crumble and brown the sausage in a pan. Grease or spray a muffin tin with your fat of choice. I used Coconut Oil and I don't think it was very useful, cause a lot of the muffins stuck to the pan. I think Cooking Spray would work best. Next scramble your eggs and mix in whatever veggies you like. I would probably pre-cook most veggies, that's just my preference though. Distribute the sausage evenly at the bottom of each muffin circle of the tin, then pour your egg and veggie mixture over so that it's almost to the top of the pan. Cook for 20-30 minutes, depending on your oven.

Paul ate 9 of the 12 muffins in about 5 minutes. I guess he liked them!

Paleo Blueberry Muffin Bread

Here is what you'll need:

2 cups Almond Flour
1/2 cup Coconut Flour
4 eggs
1 TBSP Vanilla
1/2 Tea Baking Soda
1/2 Tea Salt
1/3 cup sweetner of your choice (honey/maple syrup/agave)
2 cups blueberries

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Mix all the ingredients together, adding the blueberries as the last thing you add. Grease a bread pan with coconut oil or cooking spray. Place the batter in the pan and bake for 40 minutes.

I was skeptical because the batter appeared very dry, but it came out rather moist after cooking and was pretty delicious.