Grilling Time Saving Tip / Marinade

It's time to bring the grill out! Nothing tastes like grilled veggies, burgers and chicken!

Tip: Once you've gone to the trouble of getting the grill fired up, (and you're going to have to clean it up anyway) - save yourself time later in the week and grill an extra night or two worth of meat. You'll have a quick, easy DELICIOUS dinner and it really doesn't take that much longer.

Marinade: A really easy "sweet and spicy" marinade is balsamic vinegar with hot chili paste mixed in (to taste). The "sweet" of the balsamic works well with the spice of the chili paste. The vinegar give it a bit of a punch. Brush on meat and marinate at least one hour before grilling. Enjoy!

Easy Seafood Salad....on a budget

This is a simple but amazing little recipe. The weather is warming up and we have been in a seafood mood! We love seafood salad making enough for all four of us can get expensive. Here is a delicious, flavorful recipe with some zing "on the cheap."  Also packs a great lunch. -From our kitchen to yours. XOXO

This recipe feeds 4-6. Adjust accordingly. :)


Ingredients
2 lbs canned tuna
3 lb canned pink salmon
4 green apples - diced
1 bottle wickles spicy relish [If you don't like spice, use regualr relish. We love  red spicy wickles though!]
1 large onion - chopped
1/3c red wine vinegar
1 zucchini -spiralized, julianned or diced. Your preference.
1c mayo
1/2c-1c celery
1 large can of black olives (3.8oz)

Directions
Mix ingredients in large bowl. enjoy!

in mixing bowl

packed for lunches

"Have it my way" scallop delight creamy sauce

This is tasty and very low carb, and low fat.

You know how I roll - love quick and easy dinners that don't taste quick and easy. Love microwave food that doesn't taste microwaved. If you don't use a microwave you can definitely just steam this. Still quick and easy either way you roll with it. SO good. I could eat off this forever. It's so easy and quick (10 minutes maybe?) but rich and creamy.

You need:

Noodles:

1 summer yellow squash

1 zuchinni

Scallops and side:

slice of tomato

1/4 of a red bell pepper

1 garlic clove

6 oz scallops

Dressing:

2 large tomatoes

1c cilantro

1 T raw organic tahini (raw really makes all the difference in the world!)

1 tsp horseradish mustard (or mustard w/a bit of wasabi or horseradish root added or your fav. mustard)

1T lime juice

1/4c green onion

Scallops: You'll put scallops in a microwave bag with a little lemon juice, a sprinkle of chili powder and a chopped garlic clove. Set aside.

Side: Chop about 1/4 cup tomato and 1/4c red pepper and set aside.

Spiralize zucchini and squash - set aside. 

Blend dressing ingredients in blender. Leave a little chunky. Set aside.

Here's your prep: Noodles, tomato/red pepper, bag of scallops and dressing

I put my "noodles" on a plate and cooked in microwave until al dente....about 1:30sec.

Cook the scallops in bag for about 2 min. or done. 

Cook "sides" for 30 sec.

Put sides and scallops on top of noodles. 

After it is steamed.

Top with dressing.

Close up of dressing

Meatza Money Saving Tip

Meatza's tonight. Most of you know what that is: pizza with ground beef (or ground beef and pork) as a crust instead of a "bread" crust. Most of us use a little coconut flour, or almond flour or tapioca starch or potato flour to help shrinkage. A few months ago, I started using potato flakes in the crust- maybe a few tablespoons per pound of meat. Works great. Guys love the taste/texture and there are not enough carbs to worry about......but it is SO much less expensive!

Here is the "crust" - ground beef, potato flakes, garlic and oregano. Baked at 350 for 20 minutes before we put on the sauce and toppings and bake for 15 min. more.

Toppings: we kept it simple tonight. Pepperoni, olives and mushrooms.

You can of course, add cheese if you do dairy. :) We don't.

Love from my kitchen to yours.

Bon Appetite!

Ch-ch-ch-changes

"Changes". 

For those of you that remember the David Bowie song - it fits. Life has a lot of them doesn't it? So do our bodies - and we are wise to heed the call to listen.

I want to share some of my changes relating to food over this past 12 months with you. Maybe you can relate.

So when I started paleo, I followed it pretty much "to the letter" - meat, veggie, low carb, no processed stuff.

About the middle of 2012, my body - which had in the past always run best on high carb - began not feeling so well on low carb. I reluctantly added *gasp* white potatoes back in more along with squash and did better.

Again, my body spoke. I spent much of my adult life as a vegetarian or vegan and even raw vegan, and it began craving more fruits and veggies and less meat. Not "no meat" - "less meat". So I listened. For a while now I've been about 90% raw fruits and veggies. The other 10% is the shared meal with family. That omelet I posted about the other day? That was actually part of dinner not breakfast. Don't you love breakfasts for dinner?? Typically, that is where my cooked food is coming - at dinner.

The rest of the family is still doing "paleo as written".

How do I feel eating this way? Absolutely amazing! Top of the world. It is a bummer not being able to fit in a box or a label though, but then, I never have. I can't just tell people I eat "Paleo" - though, I could still be qualified as that, but when people think paleo they think a lot of meat - which I'm not doing as much of. I can't say I am vegan because I still eat eggs. Can't say I'm vegetarian cause I still eat meat. Can't say I am just gluten free because I'm more than gluten free, I'm paleo. But people will misunderstand if I say I'm paleo because I am eating 90% raw fruits and veggies. See my dilemma?
What I can say is I am SO healthy and feel great!  I've met several HIGH RAW paleo/primal people out there so I know I'm not alone.

What does that mean to the recipes here? No change. You'll still find them. I cook for a paleo family and have some of that meal with them along with a MONSTER salad and tons of fruit. You may get a little fruit or veggie yummy recipes here, but you can expect new fabulous paleo recipes as always.

I am not going to bombard this blog with veggie recipes though, as that is usually not what people want when they search for paleo recipes.

Meanwhile, keep your eye out for new paleo recipes - broiled, slow cooked and grilled. Just some sharing from my heart....or as the case may be....from my kitchen to yours. Lots of love!

Paying it Forward Easy Pesto Omelet: a delicious recipe and beautiful story

Some people call it karma. Some people call it "paying it forward". Long before we came up with the word "karma", scripture actually taught us that we will  "reap what we sow"....most people think of that as karma - right?

No matter what you call it, our family has been the BLESSED recipients of someone doing just that - paying it forward, and I am confident she will "sow" good things as well!

The story: My hunny works with a woman who has her own chickens, and when she has extra eggs she will bring them to the office to share.... like FRESH eggs, gathered that day from healthy chickens. GIVE them to the co-workers.

Over the course of last few days my hubby has appeared with a dozen fresh eggs. Let me show you a few of these beautiful things!

They taste so far above what you get in the grocery - even when you pay $4-$5 a dozen for the local farm fresh ones at Whole Foods.

We've been using these eggs a number of ways, but today I wanted to show you just one delicious way inspired by a craving for pesto and love for the book "Green Eggs and Ham".
 Now , her eggs are NOT green - they have the most beautiful deep yellow yokes, and I hate overcooked eggs that turn green. I am an egg snob. Totally.

The recipe: This little omelet has 1 egg scrambled with fresh basil, cilantro, fresh garlic and broccoli to taste. OH MY - heaven. I'd say for every 1 egg, use 1/2 clove of garlic (crushed), 1/8 cup broccoli, 1 basil leaf and 1/4c cilantro - but adjust to your taste. That's mine and I like a LOT of flavor and spice!)  Garnish with red pepper if you choose. I used fresh herbs to taste. Simple, quick, delicious.  Amazing, flexible. Fabulous.

So while we are enjoying the eggs with gratefulness, "paying it forward" to someone else will be on our minds.

And if the aforementioned person happens to come across this blog entry, "Thank you, you beautiful soul."

Social Eating: Fear not!

No self sabotage allowed. Love yourself. Don't be afraid of social situations involving food.

You have a goal. Your goal does not have to effect your social life. You can go where ever your friends go.

Scenario 1: They go to a bar. You don't drink. Order a seltzer water in a martini glass with a lime.

Scenario 2: They go out to eat. You want to stay paleo. You have two choices:

1. Get any meat/fish item grilled with only spices to season, no breading, no sauce. Order two vegetable sides.

2. Get a basic salad. They have them everywhere. It is one of the least expensive items you can order. Ask for oil and vinegar dressing where they bring you a bottle of oil and a bottle of vinegar. Use this for dressing. Go light on the oil.

If you know ahead of time, you can make a restaurant survival kit. Get ready, cause here comes your fruit for the day!

My husband likes to go out once a week. I don't like getting sick from eating bad foods or sabotaging my goals. Here is my restaurant survival kit. It can be stuffed in a coat pocket, purse or just carried in. They don't mind since you are paying to order their food.

This is my kit today.

 Home made salad dressing and a bag with decent salad fixings which will make the most boring salad yummy.

Close up of the goodies: Chopped apple, dates, cherry tomatoes, cilantro and raisins.