Meatza

Tags

low carb, meatza, paleo, paleo diet, sausage

 

Pizza is one of Brent’s favorite foods. His top three favorite foods are Pizza, Ribs and Chicken Wings. Pizza is by FAR his absolute favorite. On nights when take-out is in order, I have to actually protest pizza before the idea is even brought up… Its a good thing we live in NY – the pizza here is good enough to eat at on a weekly basis. But when we were on Paleo, I could tell Brent was going to have a hard time giving up his pizza. It was a good 2 months in to our Paleo regiment when Brent saw the pizza delivery guy in the hallway of our apartment building and the guy said “HEY! We Thought You Moved!!!! Long time no see!”

And that’s when he started to request pizza again. Because I really wanted us to stick to the 90 day plan, I started to do some research on pizza and found a paleo pizza crust (review coming soon) but with a 2 week wait for shipment, I got sought instagram for inspiration. Stupid Easy Paleo had a gorgeous photo of a mediterranean meatza….oh, what is meatza, you ask? Meatza is a pizza made with a meat “crust”. It is in no way a crust but more like a meat party with some sauce and veggies. Basically, Brent’s dream meal.

Meatza supreme (feeds 2-4 people)

1 lb hot italian sausage, casings removed

1/2 cup marinara sauce

3 leaves of fresh basil

1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced

handful of pitted sliced black olives

Preheat oven to 400*. In a large skillet (i used a 9 inch), prep pan with a spray of olive oil and add sausages to pan. Create one giant meat patty in the pan and heat over medium heat. The idea here is to get the meat on the bottom caramelized.

drain any excess liquid in the pan.

Assemble the Meatza with sauce, mushrooms, olives, peppers, onions and basil leaves.

Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until veggies are wilted.

Cut into 4 pieces and dig in. Served with a side salad.

Knife and fork are a must.

This was really good. And filling. But I’m a NYer, i need my crust.

Getting back on track

Tags

cabbage, chicken, healthy, low carb, paleo, paleo diet, plantains, sweet plantains

 

Its been a while.

Between getting engaged, losing my wedding venue and moving (yes, moving!) I haven’t had the time nor the mental energy to sit down and commit to a post. But in the weeks that have passed, a lot has changed. I am sitting in my new living room with my new view of the Manhattan sky line, I have appointments with potential wedding venues and my healthy diet has been on track. Everything gets put into perspective when you go through trials. Before Brent and I moved, the potential move hung over my head and stressed me out. I was depressed over having to start over looking for a new wedding venue. But that all changed when we got the keys to our new home and started the moving process. Moving in general sucks. The only good thing is the fresh start and forcing yourself to get rid of things you don’t need. For five long days, we made a million trips from one apartment to the other with a shopping cart and a dolly. I didn’t think of our wedding once during the move and when the move was finally done, I was so appreciative that I could check one thing off my list. And you can imagine my relief after Brent and I moved heavy furniture with just the two of us and one out of two elevators out of order. One thing is certain, looking for a venue will be a cake walk compared to this move.

I won’t lie, the next few posts are back logged from when i was cooking regularly. Brent and I have been surviving on take-out for 3 meals a day, for 7 days straight. The day we moved in, I made a breaded tilapia filet with broccoli and mac and cheese. It was all we had in the new place but was so happy to use my new kitchen! Below is a hearty low-carb dinner that was thrown together last minute. If you’re paleo, this is 100% paleo. If you’re not paleo, this is 100% delicious and just so happens to be low carb.

Roasted chicken with sauteed cabbage and sweet plantains.

 

To start, I preheated the oven to 450*. I lined a baking pan with foil (for easy clean up) and placed well seasoned chicken thighs and drumsticks in a single layer. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes on each side.

 

While the chicken is roasting, prepare the sides. For the cabbage, i shredded half a head of cabbage and sauteed with a sliced of chopped bacon. The bacon drippings made for a nice base for the cabbage. Season the cabbage with salt and pepper and saute over a medium heat for about 10 minutes or until cabbage reaches desired texture.

To plate, i served B 3 pieces of chicken, a cup of the sauteed bacon cabbage and half of a plantain that was lightly fried in olive oil. I had 2 pieces of chicken.

A simple, healthy, and delicious dinner for any week night. Just give yourself a little extra time for the chicken. I like mine with a nice crispness on the skin.

Seared Ribeye with arugula salad and Plantains

Tags

dinner, healthy, low carb, paleo, plantains, ribeye, Steak

I have become a HUGE fan of steak. I have always liked steaks but before Paleo didn’t really have a method for preparing it. Once I figured out my method, I ventured out into all the different steak house cuts that known to be expensive when dining out, but making at home saves tons of money and really allows you to do just about whatever you like with it.

While dining out the other day at a steakhouse with BR, a woman at a table seated next to us ordered a filet mignon and asked for it to be cooked “super well done”. While everyone is entitled to their preferred temperatures, choosing a filet mignon at a restaurant and having the chef cook every ounce of moisture out of it, is a total waste of good meat and good money! Want a well done steak? No Problem- make one at home!

BR and I prefer our steaks medium. So, if you are going to make this recipe and you like your steaks a little more done, just leave the steaks in the oven for a little longer.

For this particular dinner, i had taken these ribeyes out of the freezer and had a green plantain. I had just run out of sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts. Then i remembered, my CSA dropped off a beautiful bag of arugula. Arugula can be very bitter, so i always dress it in an acidic dressing to balance out the bitterness.

Ingredients: for 2

2  6-8 oz rib eyes

1 TBSP of your favorite steak seasoning (i use a blend of salt, garlic, onion, and cayenne pepper)

1 tsp oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 450*.

Season ribeye on both sides.

Heat an 8 or 9 inch cast iron skillet or heavy bottom frying pan with oil over a medium high heat for about 2 minutes.

Once the pan is screaming hot, carefully add the two ribeyes and allow them to cook undisturbed for 6 minutes. After 6 minutes is up, turn over and allow to cook for 3 minutes.

transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 10 minutes. (if you want it well done, leave it in the oven for 15 minutes). Once the pan is removed from the oven, allow to rest undisturbed for 10 minutes.

Serve atop an arugula salad. I dressed my salad with lemon juice and a touch of olive oil.

And a side of plantains!

P.S.

PALEO!

 

Balsamic Chicken and Mushrooms over Creamy Polenta

Tags

chicken, dinner, low carb, mushrooms

 

 

The problem with having a queue of photos to blog about is sometimes you see a photo of something you ate and think “what the H is that?”. I take notes and menu plan but once the week is over, the source of the menu plan disappears. With water stains or even food stains, the piece of paper just never makes it. So, as I am about to upload a whole new slew of photos, i recall this recipe that Lauren from Healthy-Delicious inspired.

For anyone watching their refined carbs, this hearty dish sits atop some creamy and hearty polenta. 

 

 

Lauren jokes that this dish is nothing to look at…while its no masterpiece, its certainly delicious. And i should note, hers looks MUCH better than mine.

I made some changes based on what i had available but I kept to the her instructions for the most part.

Ingredients:

2 thin chicken breasts

2 tsp flour

1 Tbsp olive oil

6 ounces white button mushrooms

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup chicken broth

 

But please check out Lauren’s recipe here for further instructions and her stunning photography!

 

Paleo Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps

Tags

beef, diet, dinner, Gluten free, healthy, low carb, paleo

When Brent and i first started our Paleo journey, a long time friend sent me some emeals, Emeals is a weekly meal planner that you can customize based your dietary needs. No meat? No Problem. No Grains? thats okay too! Looking at her emeals, the recipes were listed with directions and a shopping list was attached. 7 meals per week sent right to my inbox. I decided to subscribe for a little inspiration since I felt like our diet was in a bit of a rut.

I loved having an idea of what to prepare. Since Brent and I bring lunch to work on most days of the week, i opted for the family size meal plans to have extra.

One of the first recipes I used with emeals was this Asian Beef Lettuce Wrap recipe. It was simple to follow and there was plenty of room for me to tweak this to make it more my own preferred style. I just really enjoy the inspiration. 

 

Asian Beef Lettuc Wraps (serves 4)

1 lb lean ground beef

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 carrots, peeled and shredded

2 cloves garlic, minced

16 oz package sliced fresh mushrooms

2 cups shredded green cabbage

¼ cup coconut aminos (or substitute soy sauce)

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 heads Bibb or butter lettuce, leaves separated

Method:

Cook beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 8 minutes or until   browned; drain and set aside. Heat oil in skillet; add onion, carrots and garlic. Cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add mushrooms; cook 8 minutes or until browned. Add cabbage, and cook 3 minutes or slightly wilted. Add coconut aminos, stirring to combine. Return beef to skillet, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Spoon beef mixture onto lettuce leaves; roll up and devour!

I nearly ran out of room in my largest frying pan for all the meaty veggie goodness. The dish was really tasty and filling. Also who doesnt love faux tacos! Also, if lettuce wraps arent your thing, you can totally use regular tortilla wraps or eat this over rice. Its a jack of all trades dish.

wanna try emeals??? Click the banner below  🙂

Asian Marinaded Chicken Thighs with Asparagus bundles

Tags

asparagus, bacon, chicken, dinner, Gluten free, healthy, low carb, paleo, sides

 

 

 

One of my go to, easy put together dinners is this asian marinated chicken. This chicken dish is super quick to put together, not to mention delicious. 

 

Ingredients (serves 4, or two really greedy hungry people)

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1/2 cup coconut aminos, or soy sauce

2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

1/4 cup raw honey (regular honey is ok too)

1 tsp fresh grated ginger (1/2 tsp if using powdered ginger)

2 cloves of garlic, minced (or 1 tsp powdered garlic)

1 bunch of scallions, sliced (optional)

 

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together coconut aminos, rice wine vinegar, garlic, ginger, honey and sesame oil. Pour mixture over boneless chicken breasts, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

While the chicken marinates, I prep my side dishes. Since Brent and I follow a low carb diet on a more regular basis these days, I made some bacon asparagus bundles. We found a great hardwood smoked organic bacon, sliced to order with our local grocer that doesn’t run cheap but we find we cant stay away from it! Its so good. 

 

Bacon Asparagus Bundles

1 bunch of asparagus

6 slices of bacon

a sprinkle of natural sea salt

Preheat an oven to 450*. Arrange a baking sheet with parchment paper or non stick foil.

Trim asparagus of woody ends.

Wrap several stalks of asparagus with bacon. Some prefer to tie the bacon in a knot but i prefer the spiral method for more bacon coverage.

Sprinkle the asparagus lightly with sea salt. Roast in the oven for 10 -12 minutes, depending on how you like your asparagus. I like mine with a little char/crunch. 

 

Back to the chicken.

Heat a large grill pan or non stick skillet over a medium high heat. Allow the pan to fully heat to get the desired effect with the chicken. If the pan sizzles wildly after a sprinkle of water hits the pan, place the chicken on the pan and allow to cook undisturbed for 6 minutes. Turn over and cook for an additional 6 minutes or until the center is no longer pink.

Allow the chicken to rest and while resting, garnish with chopped scallions.

 

This is, hands down, our favorite chicken dish. I added a bit of sauteed fennel to the dish.

The leftovers are great for lunch!! (if there are even any leftovers)

Paleo Crockpot Chicken and Veggies

Tags

chicken, crock pot, dinner, low carb, paleo, recipes, slow cooker

 

Love Love LOVE my Crock Pot!

 

I love a freshly cooked meal but I cannot stress enough the relief I feel when I come home after a long day and dinner is already done. Nearly every crock pot recipe I post, I praise my slow cooker for saving the day. Don’t get sick of it- i will never stop loving it. 

One thing I used to LOVE to make was “rotisserie” chicken in the slow cooker.  I’d let a regular chicken, rubbed with everything good, slow cook in the vessel for nearly a day. The chicken would FALL off the bone and even in some parts get a roasted looking skin- but- the parts of the chicken not all golden brown were swimming in their own juices making for one soupy chicken. It wasnt terrible. It just wasnt that roasted effect that I wanted. 

Normally, the solution to keep the chicken from swimming in juices would have been to stick foil wrapped potatoes in the bottom and them problem solved… but not wanting any potatoes I decided to just use balls of foil to prop the chicken up. And for bulk i added some celery and carrots.

The results were a complete dinner in one crock pot. The only job for the night was cleanup. 

Ingredients: (serves 4)

4 drumsticks (skinless)

4 thighs (skinless, bone in)

2 Tbsp of your favorite seasoning (i use a mixture of onion powder, garlic powder, italian seasoning and salt)

4 medium sized balls of foil

1 cup baby carrots

2 stalks of celery, sliced

Directions:

Using a large plate or bowl, arrange chicken in a single layer and generously apply your favorite chicken spices on each side of the chicken. set aside.

place the carrots and celery in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Place balls of foil on top.

arrange the chicken legs and thighs on top of the foil balls.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

The juiciest chicken ever.

And tons of tender carrots and celery that slowly cooked in chicken drippings.

Complete crock pot dinner? Check!

 

Paleo Zoodles Bolognese

Tags

bolognese, dinner, healthy, low carb, paleo, recipes, zoodles

Hope you all had a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. My family and I had an intimate family gathering for the holiday that was complete with all the yummy classics. Fried turkey, stuffing, mac and cheese, bacon smothered greens, maple glazed squash, freshly baked bread, and tons of dessert.

NONE OF IT PALEO!

Mind you, I was still in Birthday mode when thanksgiving rolled around so my 3 months of Paleo were out of the window. I can say now that going on full on cheat mode wasn’t the smartest thing- while i enjoyed it tremendously- my body is paying the price. I’m sleepy, head-achy, bloated and overall just not awesome. Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, I am making preparations for Christmas. So as of today, its Day 1 of whole 30 all over again- minus a few days to enjoy the office Christmas party and dinner with my family.

Might as well get a jump start to the typical January 1 diets, right?

So, to get back to basics, I thought I would prepare something quick and satisfying. Nothing in the world is more satisfying and comforting than a bowl of spaghetti bolognese- which is why, on day 1 of our whole 30 again, we are having ZOODLES! and Meat sauce!

Zoodles Bolognese (serves 4)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 lb 85% lean ground beef (i used grass fed)

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp dried basil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

4 medium green zucchini, julienned or spiralized

Method:

In a large sauce pot, heat olive oil over a medium-high flame until piping hot- about 1-2 minutes. Add onions to the pot and stir with a big spoon and allow to cook until translucent- about 4-5 minutes. Next, add the ground beef and stir as it cooks, breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks. Allow to cook until no longer pink- 6-8 minutes.

Pour in the crushed tomatoes, and add the tomato paste. Stir it to get the paste fully incorporated into the tomato sauce. Add in the salt and basil and bring the sauce to a low and steady simmer. Once it starts to simmer, cover the pot and lower the flame to the lowest setting. Allow the sauce to simmer for at least 30 minutes.

I like to taste the sauce at least once as it simmers to determine if it needs more herbs or salt. Feel free to adjust it according to your liking.

Once the sauce is done,  ladle to heaping spoonfuls onto a bowl of freshly julienned zucchini, AKA Zoodles. Depending on my mood, i like to lightly saute the zoodles before adding sauce. But its perfectly fine to enjoy them as is- since the hot sauce will soften the zoodles.

Yield one zucchini per person. go ahead and eat the whole thing!

It feels good to get back on track!

 

Paleo Bacon Meatloaf with Mushroom Sauce

Tags

bacon, beef, dinner, low carb, meatloaf, paleo, recipes

 

When I first started my Paleo journey, I was always afraid BR and I weren’t eating enough. Not in the sense that we had to eat like birds but I wanted to make sure that the meals were satisfying and healthy.

One of the greatest “tricks” to succeeding during my initial 30 days was adding good quality bacon to our diet. For so long, I always saw bacon as “bad” and “unhealthy”. So when I started shopping for our first week, holding the pound of freshly butchered bacon made me so excited. It started to feel like anything but a diet.

GIVE ME BACON!

And that love for bacon is the reason why when I was making a beautiful grass fed beef meatloaf that I added bacon to it without the slightest feeling of guilt. And for BR, he dug in and said “this is a diet?!?! SIGN ME UP!” It was definitely satisfying, especially with the addition of some great veggie sides. Even if you arent following a low carb diet, this is a really satisfying dinner.

Ingredients:

2 lb 85% lean grass fed ground beef

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup almond flour, or flour of choice

1 egg

1 tsp granulated onion powder

1/2 tsp granulated garlic

6-8 slices bacon

For the sauce:

8 oz mushrooms, i chose cremini, sliced

1 Tbsp butter

1 tbsp arrowroot flour, Or flour of choice

1/4 cup beef stock

 

Preheat the oven to 350*. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef with onions, salt, flour, egg, garlic and onion powder. Combine until all ingredients are well incorporated. Place in a non stick baking pan and form into a loaf shape. Top with bacon.

Place in the oven and bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes.

While the meatloaf was baking, I prepared the mushroom gravy. Heat the butter in a large skillet over a medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the sliced mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are softened, about 5-7 minutes. When the mushrooms are cooked, sprinkle in the arrowroot flour and stir until its well combined. It will thicken up, add beef stock in 1 Tbsp at a time until desired consistency is reached. Allow the mushrooms to bubble while stirring constantly. When it reaches a bubble, lower the heat to allow it to simmer while the meatloaf cooks. When the meatloaf is complete, slice and serve with mushroom sauce over it. I served this alongside some sauteed cabbage, roasted red beets and a tomato and cucumber salad.

The mushrooms sauce was great, however, it congeals quite a bit once it cools. Not to be alarmed though, the sauce gets better when its heated.

 

Easiest Paleo Pesto Shrimp Ever

Tags

healthy, low carb, paleo, paleo diet, pesto, shrimp, zoodles

You know the drill. You are starving. You’re on your way home from work. And the commute that should have taken 35 minutes just took an hour. You are THIS CLOSE to ordering take out when suddenly, you remember the shrimp that you defrosted.

This recipe was put together in a record 20 minutes. From start to finish.

Paleo Pesto Shrimp -serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lb large shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1 cup pesto (homemade or store bought)

Optional side: Zoodles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450*. Prepare a shallow baking dish with cooking spray and arrange shrimp in a single layer. Pour the pesto all over the shrimp and stir around till shrimp are coated with pesto.

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until shrimp are no longer opaque. Serve with pasta or zoodles.

An absolutely delicious dinner that was ready in 20 minutes.

The zoodles were prepared with garlic oil.