Paleo Buffalo Chicken Nuggets

Paleo Buffalo Chicken Nuggets

Today’s post is written by my husband G who is a Baltimore, Maryland native and die hard Ravens fan. He’ll introduce our new recipe for Paleo Buffalo Chicken Nuggets just in time for Sunday’s Ravens-49ers match-up. The following recipes may come in handy for Super Bowl parties if you are looking for some delicious finger … Read more

Creamy Spinach-Artichoke Dip (Paleo & Vegan)

“It might choke Artie, but it ain’t gonna choke Stymie!” The entire time I was making this dairy-free spinach-artichoke dip the above line was going through my head. I’m not sure how many of you remember “The Little Rascals” but it was a show I used to watch all the time growing up. I LOVED … Read more

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus

Many of us started a month of Strict Paleo eating (aka Whole30) recently. This recipe for Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus helped our family get through day one and we hope it will find its way into one of your meals soon. One thing is clear, following a paleo way of eating is not going to mean deprivation. Just look at our breakfast. I mean, really. This is good stuff.

prosciutto-wrapped asparagus

Before getting to the recipe I wanted to mention G’s last post. In it, my husband wrote about his fall off the “paleo wagon”. In order to enter his giveaway he asked that readers include a comment on one of their New Year’s resolutions. It’s been really interesting reading the comments and I know many of you are excited, like we are, to start with a clean slate in the New Year. Several people noted their resistance to making “resolutions” feeling this could be a set-up for failure. Instead, there are lots of people who set “goals” which is probably a better way to look at it. No matter what time of year, it’s always a good idea to strive for health and wellness.

Here are some highlights of comments we’ve seen so far:

  • Loss weight and/or add muscle
  • Complete a month of strict paleo eating (Whole30) without cheating
  • “Run an 8 minute mile”
  • “To believe in myself”
  • “Make our children healthier”
  • Be able to “keep up with” kids and grandkids
  • One random act of kindness once a week
  • and many more…

I’m really glad G posed the question because we have enjoyed reading the responses very much. So thank you to all who have participated.

Now for the recipe for these tasty morsels!

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus: Paleospirit.com

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Spaghetti Squash Gratin (Primal & Gluten-free)

Spaghetti Squash Gratin: Paleospirit.com

Warning! The recipe for Spaghetti Squash Gratin contains dairy ingredients. This one is going to be hard to resist. So if you are strictly dairy-free you might want to stop reading now. Okay, if you are still reading I will assume you eat dairy products from time to time. Minimally, I hope you are not … Read more

Superstorm Sandy and a Paleo Stuffing Recipe

paleo stuffing

It’s been quite a while since I have written a post! I usually try to post at least once a week but we’ve had some unusual circumstances around here recently which have made it more difficult. For one thing, I started a new job and getting into the swing of that plus home and family … Read more

Venison Steak with Cauliflower Couscous and Red Onion Compote (Paleo)

venison steak and cauliflower couscous paleo

When my neighbor Tony gifted me with some very fresh venison steaks recently I was excited and a bit apprehensive. Where we live the deer are plentiful and I have long viewed them as pests. Prior to the installation of a high fence for my back yard, our garden was the scene of daily deer … Read more

Asian-Style Beef Short Ribs (Paleo)

paleo asian beef short ribs

paleo asian beef short ribsBeef Shorts Ribs is/are one of those foods I mostly avoided prior to “going paleo”. They just seemed way too fatty to be a reasonable option for someone concerned with eating “healthy.” Or so I thought. I do remember being on vacation in New Orleans years ago and dining at Emeril’s Delmonico restaurant. We were on vacation so I was going to go a little wild. Okay, when talking about vacationing in New Orleans and going “wild” I should probably qualify that by saying my going wild amounted to eating a huge plate of beef short ribs and polenta. I was going craaaaazy I tell you!

Anyway, the meal was so fantastic I still remember it fondly not only because of the splurge on beef ribs but the accompanying polenta which was beyond delicious. For years I wondered what in the world could have been in that recipe to make it so amazing. Well, I’m pretty sure I’ve figured it out and….it is beef fat (aka tallow). Duh! That exquisite polenta was soaked in tallow from the short ribs. So imagine my delight when I read information like this telling the truth about red meat.

asian-style beef short ribs from PaleoSpirit.com

Of course, we know now that grass-fed/finished beef is higher in Omega-3 fats than conventional beef. So I do recommend when eating fatty cuts you use grass-fed beef. Although I must confess I did not follow that advice for this recipe simply because I did not have access to a higher quality product. Here’s a shot of the ribs I used.

raw beef short ribs

Instead of making polenta to go along with the short ribs (too much corn) I decided to take an asian path. Asian food is one of my favorites. Never having been able to achieve results at home that matched the food in good asian restaurants, it has usually been my preferred cuisine when eating out. The problem is I have celiac disease and am intolerant to all kinds of weird ingredients. If you have ever taken a stroll down the asian food aisle at the grocery store and peeked at the labels of some of the packaged food you will understand the problem. To get my beef AND asian food “fix” I came up with this recipe that avoids troublesome ingredients. If you are following an “autoimmune paleo protocol”** this recipe will work for you. The only ingredient that might be considered unusual is coconut aminos. Coconut aminos is a product derived from coconut that tastes like soy sauce but does not contain wheat (gluten) or soy.

When I was putting this post together I looked at the photos on my camera and had to laugh at what I saw. There were photos of beef short ribs then photos of flowers, then photos of more ingredients for asian-style beef short ribs, then vegetables from the garden and back to food and on and on. I just bought a new camera lens and I’ve been having fun practicing with it. But this is only part of the explanation. The truth is, flitting from activity to activity is pretty much standard operating procedure for me. Hmm, wonder what that means…Oh look, a spider!

spider waterdrop blackeyed susan @Paleospirit.com

Veggies from the garden.

veggies on towel

Sorry, what were we talking about? 

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Roasted Beet and Cucumber Salad with Yogurt Dressing

roasted beet and cucumber salad with yogurt dressing

roasted beet and cucumber salad with yogurt dressing

We planted some chiogga beets this year. Ordinarily I buy vegetable plant seedlings and transplant them into our raised garden beds. But because these are heirloom beets we ordered the seeds online and that meant planting them ourselves. So we’re kind of proud of these beets. It was fun for the boys to see what comes from a little seed they planted themselves. Here’s Nathaniel with a few of our crop.

Chiogga beets

We may have let them grow a little bigger than what is best for flavor. Smaller beets tend to be tastier.

Here’s what chiogga beets look like when you slice them. They are kind of mesmerizing if you stare too long.

chiogga beet slice

Even though chiogga beets would have worked perfectly well in this roasted beet and cucumber salad, the ones I used this time were “regular” beets. Still delicious, still beautiful and nutritious – cancer-fighting, actually. I remember my aunt Norma making a beet and cucumber salad when I was a kid. I have no idea what was in it other than beets and cucumbers and some sort of creamy sauce. But I do remember it was really tasty so you might say this recipe is an homage to Aunt Norma!

The yogurt dressing in this version is close to a tzatziki sauce with garlic and mint. I just love the combination of cool cucumbers, sweet roasted beets with a garlicky yogurt sauce. It’s a perfect (primal) summer side dish.

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Heirloom Tomato Salad with Garlic Scape and Kale Dressing

heirloom tomatoes by window

If I were a better gardener and lived a little farther (further?) south I MIGHT have grown these heirloom tomatoes myself.

But I’m not and I don’t and I didn’t.

So, instead, what we have here are heirlooms I found at a standard grocery store and Costco. But let’s not turn up our noses shall we? Look how gorgeous.

heirloom tomatoes by window

The whole time I was taking these photographs I was pondering what to do with the heirloom tomatoes. We needed a side dish to go with our roasted chicken dinner. Tomato, cucumber and avocado salads are always a big hit around our house so I thought that might be nice.

heirloom tomatoes bowl

But these tomatoes seemed to cry out for something a little different.

heirloom tomatoes

After all, they are special…and beautiful and, well, heirloomy.

heirloom tomatoes vertical

Then I remembered I was in possession of another, rather unique, ingredient.

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Paleo 4th of July Recipes + Spicy Cilantro Lime Slaw

Paleo 4th of July

The 4th of July (Independence Day) celebration is coming up in a couple of days. For the last several years our church congregation has held a big barbecue dinner for members, family and friends. It is always a great time of fellowship and fun. The church provides the meat (barbecue ribs, burgers, hot dogs and sausages) and the members bring side dishes and desserts.

Paleo 4th of July Recipes!

In case you have been looking for some paleo 4th of July menu ideas, I thought it would be nice to highlight some of my personal favorites for summertime celebrations.

Paleo 4th of Julypaleo 4th of July salads

Paleo Dry-Rubbed Barbecue Ribs and Sauce

Chimichurri Sauce and Marinade

Kale and Avocado Salad

Spicy Cilantro Lime Slaw

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

Fireball Margarita

This year I will be taking a Kale and Avocado Salad just as I did last year. It was a big hit even with people who said they had never enjoyed kale. Avocado does that. It makes almost anything better IMHO. I will also be taking a Spicy Cilantro Lime Slaw. It is really colorful and has great crunch and just enough spice to give it a nice kick. It will go great with those ribs our minister will be cooking up!

Spicy Cilantro Lime Slaw Recipe

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