Balsamic Vinaigrette and more....

Wow, where does time go?  I had know idea it had been so long since I posted on here, crazy  how busy life can get and how fast time can fly.  Recently I have been really busy and consequently really tired so when it's time to make a meal it's been the quick throw it together but tasty meals.  And honestly I have been experimenting more in the treat department, like homemade Paleo Ice cream, Paleo chocolate cake etc.  Which by the way I have a wonderful recipe I discovered this week (for July 4th) to share with you all later.   Anyway, not really the type of recipes I strive to share on here.  But...I did throw together a dressing for a salad this week that ended up being a winner.  It is sooooo yummy, we really enjoyed it.  With summer here and an abundance of fresh lettuce sprouting in my garden I hope to have more salad dressing recipes for you.  But here is this one for starters:

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

1 TBSP Spicy Mustard

1 tsp of raw honey ( this could be optional, but I think it makes the dressing)

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot Cayenne Pepper Sauce)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup macadamia nut oil

1 clove of garlic pressed in a garlic press

1/4-1/2 tsp dried basil (to taste really)

pinch of sea salt and pinch of ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a glass jar with a lid and shake well.  Pour on your salad and enjoy. 

*Note* As with any recipe the higher the quality your ingredients are the better taste you will achieve in your end product.  Be sure to use a good quality, vinegar and oils.

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Meaty Frittata

A new spin on breakfast, leftovers will be great to grab on the go throughout the week.

MEATY FRITTATA

3/4 cup chopped bacon ( I use Beelers Bacon Ends)
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
3cups *(see note) pre-cooked crumbled breakfast sausage (see here for recipe, probably about a pound, I make 3-4 pounds at a time)
1 TBSP Bacon fat or other oil
12 eggs
1/2 tsp basil
salt and pepper

 Bacon, onions and green peppers ready to saute.

Frittata going into the oven.

Ready to eat.

Preheat your oven to Broil.  In a 10 inch cast iron skillet, combine bacon, onion and green onion, bacon grease (if needed) and saute on med-high for about 5 minutes stirring often.  While that is happening you can work on cracking your eggs into a medium bowl,  adding the basil and salt and pepper if you would like.  Beat them to combine. Then add the sausage to your skillet  and saute another 3-4 minutes until heated through and mixture is very hot.  Pour egg mixture over and cook over low heat for about 4-5 minutes, then remove from the burner and place in hot oven under broiler about 6 inches away, for another 4-5 minutes (or until eggs are done).  Remove from oven, slice and enjoy!  The girls and I have enjoyed this for breakfast the last 2 mornings.  Delicious!  
Oh, and be careful not to over cook this or you will have a very rubbery, dry, mess, if you know what I mean.

*NOTE* The Frittata in the pictures has more meat because I used 4 cups, we decided it was to much meat so I reduced it to 3 cups.  We like the layer of egg above the meat, so feel free to use more, it's really how you like it that matters. Pin It

Paleo Hummus Recipes

I've been trying a couple of different Paleo "Hummus" recipes lately and found one that I really like.  It does have a high amount of sesame seeds, which means a high amount of the wrong Omega's so I would say this is a special occasion or once in a while item.  It makes a wonderful vegetable dip for carrots, celery, red pepper, snap peas, etc.  My kids will wolf down their veggies, as will I with this dip to eat them with.  I made this for a baby shower this past weekend along with a non Paleo ranch dip.  When I am attending functions were food is involved I love to find a Paleo alternative that others won't turn their noses up at (okay at least not to much) and that I know I can enjoy at a party.  My favorite recipe so far is from: Food Lovers Primal Palate, it's their HOT PEPPER HUMMUS, for more of their recipes please visit their site: http://www.primal-palate.com/2010/08/hot-pepper-hummus.html

Hot Pepper Hummus:

Ingredients:

• 2 Medium Zucchini, peeled and quartered
• 3/4 cup Tahini
• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 medium/large cloves of minced garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
• Food Processor or High Speed Blender
  

Process-

1. Peel and chop zucchini and place in food processor.
2. Add in Tahini, Olive Oil, and fresh lemon juice, and blend.
3. Add garlic, cumin, and salt, and blend thoroughly.
   
   
   
   
   
   

For the peppers and pine nuts:

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red and green peppers
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• a little salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts

Process:

1. Saute chopped peppers and red pepper flakes in olive oil until tender.
2. Lightly toast pine nuts in the toaster oven. (be sure to watch carefully so they do not burn.)
3. *NOTE from Sheilla*  I don't roast my pine nuts I just throw them in with the peppers and saute them too, they get a little toasted at the same time.

For the eats:

Garnish the hummus with the spicy peppers and pine nuts. Feel free to eat as is, or mix the topping into the hummus. Either way is delicious!

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Susan Helms' Pre-WOD Energy Balls

This recipe is courtesy of our friend Susan, thank you for sharing the recipe with us!  I will issue a word of caution, they are heavenly!  So be careful to only pack one or two so you don't over eat and eat the whole batch in one sitting.  Think moderation here folks!  

That said enjoy, they are tasty and a wonderful source of Pre-WOD energy.

Susan's Divine Energy Balls

3 ounces Macadamia nuts, ground ( I used dry roasted with sea salt simply because it's what I had), 

for those of you who don't want to weigh it, that's about a scant 1/3 cup

1/3-1/2 cup Coconut Butter, Manna, or creamed coconut, slightly melted (I used 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup coconut oil, softened

a splash of real vanilla 

Coconut shreds for rolling in 

Ingredients

I used my food processor and ground the nuts first, then added the remaining ingredients and let it mix.  Poured it into a bowl and chilled in the fridge for about 15 minutes, just until firm, stirring every few minutes because the edges will get hard quicker.  

What the mixture should look like after chilled.

Place shredded coconut in a bowl, plate or other surface to roll your balls in.  Then using a tablespoon measure, scoop out 1 TBSP of the mixture drop in your coconut shreds and roll into balls.  Place on a clean plate or container, chill and enjoy! 

Rolling them in the coconut flakes.

*Using 1/2 cup coconut butter made me exactly 10, Tablespoon size balls.*

100 calories each, and 3-4 grams of carbs, 4 fiber and 2 protein, the rest is healthy, happy,  Pre- WOD energy fats. 

Ready to enjoy!

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My Menu for this week:

Going grocery shopping tomorrow, and unless I find some screaming deals, and/or the items I need don't end up costing an arm and a leg.  This is my menu plan for the week:

1) Oriental Chicken Bowls

2) Chili

3) Taco's

4) Aritichoke and Sundried Tomato Stuffed Chicken

5) Grilled Hamburgers with Bacon, Guacamole, grilled onions, etc.

6) Beef Stroganoff

7) Oriental Celery Beef (a non-paleo recipe, I will be attempting to modify, will let you know how it goes) Pin It

Happy Fathers Day!

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STEAK RUBS and Grilled Asparagus

I have been doing some experimenting with rubs lately both on steaks and  hamburgers.  Some were successful others weren't horrible, but not good enough to mention nor to make again.  So with that said here are two of our favorites.  The first one we used tonight on some Tri-Tip steaks and it was really good!  

Garlic Steak Rub

3 TBSP garlic granules or garlic powder

1 TBSP sea salt

1 1/2 TBSP ground black pepper

1 TBSP Chili Powder

1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (we used 1/4 and it had some nice kick) but if you don't want it spicy tone it down)

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.  Either rub all over the steaks or what I like to do is pour the seasoning into a large Ziploc bag, and add one steak at a time shaking it to coat each steak, then remove place it on a plate and repeat it again, until all the steaks are covered ( I had about 3- 4 pounds worth and used all the seasoning).  Let it sit for at least 1/2 an hour and then grill, the longer you let it sit the better it will taste.

Top Sirloin Steaks all rubbed and ready to grill.

This is another variation that we had on Top Sirloin this week, it was so delicious and the steak was so tender.  

Chili Rub

2 tsp Chili Powder

1 tsp garlic granules/powder

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

This one will make a lot less, and did about 4 small steaks

 GRILLED ASPARAGUS

Asparagus ready to be grilled.

Another one of our favorites is to grill Asparagus along with the steak.  This isn't really a recipe but more of an idea.  Break off the woody ends of the Asparagus, sprinkle with olive oil and Balsamic Vinegar, then sprinkle with a little ground black pepper and some garlic granules.  Mix it up a little to be sure they are all evenly coated and grill for a few minutes until tender.

Grilled and ready to eat!

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