Turkey/Feta/Spinach/Bacon Meatloaf

• 2 pounds ground turkey thighs (I prefer thigh meat.  Not only is it cheaper, but the higher fat content keeps your meatloaf moist.)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 2-3 cups spinach, finely chopped
• Feta cheese (optional, of course)
• Bacon slices
• Salt, pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients (except bacon) in a bowl and mix until combined with hands. Divide mixture in half and form into two loaves. Place on baking sheet with drip rack.  Cover each loaf with strips of bacon. Cook at 325 degrees for approximately 1.5 hours, or until done (ground turkey should reach an internal temp of 165 degrees F, according to this flyer).

Grandma Rhyne’s Traditional Meatloaf

• 2 pounds meatloaf mixture (bison, pork, beef, veal)
• 6 saltine crackers, crushed
• 1/2 cup Heinz chili sauce + 2 Tbs. (I typically don’t stress over the small things. However, I understand that some of you out there are super strict either by choice or necessity, so feel free to either make your own or use plain ketchup instead–I know that most supermarkets now carry organic ketchup free of high fructose corn syrup).
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 Tbs fresh parsley, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 325.  Mix ingredients with hands. Form 2 loaves. Place on baking sheet with drip rack. Cover with additional 2 Tbs. Chili Sauce or Ketchup.  Bake for 1.5 hours or until done (according to the link above, ground beef should reach an internal temp of 160 degrees F).

Without further adieu, below you’ll find a recipe for my most favoritest (yes, I know that’s a double superlative and ‘favoritest’ isn’t a real word) hors d’oevure/snack/small meal:

Smoked Salmon Tartines

• 1 recipe All-Purpose Primal Crackers
• Smoked Salmon/Lox (Costco carries an excellent-tasting, wild option)
• Cream Cheese
• Red Onion, sliced thinly
• Fresh Dill
• Capers
• Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper

Take a cracker, layer with cream cheese (you can simply skip this step if you’re avoiding dairy), salmon, red onions, capers, fresh dill, and sprinkle with salt/pepper.  Enjoy!

Nut-Breaded Fried Fish with Spinach Medley

Fish

• 1 White Fish Fillet Per Person (I like tilapia for this recipe, but I’ve also tried it with drum)
• Course nut flour of your choice  (My favorite mix is pecan + almond)
• Fat of your choice (I prefer raw, pastured butter; but coconut oil would also be a good choice)
• Salt and Pepper

1. Sprinkle both sides of fillet with salt and pepper, before dredging in nut flour mixture.  Set aside.
2. Heat desired fat in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Be generous with your fat–you want to coat the entire pan.
3. Once oil becomes hot, place each fillet in the pan.
4. Turn heat down to medium,  and cook fish approximately 4 minutes on each side.  The fish is done when it becomes flaky when prodded with a fork.
5. Remove fish from skillet, and set aside (I put mine in the oven to keep it warm).

Spinach Medley

• Fat of your choice
• 2-3 cups baby spinach, washed
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1-2 roma tomatoes, diced  AND/OR  roasted red peppers, diced
• Salt
• Pepper
• Splash of white wine (I prefer sauvignon blanc)
• Raw goat cheese, crumbled (can easily be excluded if you like)

1. If necessary, add a little more fat to the pan you fried the fish in (it should still be over medium heat).
2. Add the onions, garlic, salt and pepper.  Sautee, being sure to scrap browned bits from bottom of pan.
3. When onions become transparent, lower heat to medium-low and  add tomatoes and/or red peppers.
4. Add  spinach.  Turn to coat in fat.
5. Add a splash of white wine, and once reduced, remove pan from heat.
6. Sprinkle with goat cheese if you so choose, and combine.
7. Serve over or beside fried fish.

I’ve always been a bit of a cheater when it comes to potluck style dinner parties. The “family secret” was stopping at the grocery store to pick something up, swapping containers, and calling it homemade. This tactic was a direct result of two things: fear of bringing over a flop and lack of time (i.e. procrastination). Enter Carla to the rescue. Her Bacon Wrapped, Almond Stuffed Prunes are TO DIE FOR!!! To. Die. For.

1. Heat the oven to 450°F.
2. Stuff the prunes with the almonds.
3. Cut the bacon in half and wrap a piece around each date.
4. Set on a baking sheet and broil* about 10 minutes, turning once, until the bacon is crisp.
5. Serve…or risk eating them all yourself (and then being very regular…you’ve been warned)

This is so easy I can preheat while prepping. Throw into the broiler while showering. Turn over with hair in towel, drying. Get dressed, do make-up. Take out of oven. Dry hair. Put in container. Step into shoes, throw the dog a biscuit and head to the party.

Guess what Team TLSP is getting as an appetizer at our dinner this Friday…

*Hint: A broiler is a grill turned upside down. So, feel free to grill these if you either A) don’t have a working broiler, or B) simply prefer the grill. Thanks to Melicious for that tip!

The first is a very simple, but delicious snack of jicama–an underground tuber that is a relative of the sweet potato and good source of potassium and Vitamin C.    Although I’ve used jicama in salads before, I had never seen it served alone as it was in Mexico, but boy have I been missing out.  

To serve, simply cut the jicama into small spears, then sprinkle with lime juice and the key ingredient–Tajin.

  It’s literally as simple as 1, 2, 3!!

Curtis Stone’s total meal cost: $8.87
Slowly cooked pork shoulder with braised cabbage

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2-pound pork shoulder
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut and diced into 2-inch pieces
• 1 onion, peeled and cut and diced into 2-inch pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 stick of celery, cut and diced into 2-inch pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• Sprig of thyme
• 1 cup of red wine
• 2 cups of veal or chicken stock (brown)

For the braised cabbage

• 3 ounces applewood-smoked bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced diagonally
• 1 leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise then cut crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces
• 8-ounce head of cabbage, cored, cut into 1/2-inch ribbons
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1/2 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• Sprig of thyme

DIRECTIONS

To prepare the braised cabbage:
Sauté the bacon in a heavy large wide pot over medium heat until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate. Add the carrots, onions and leeks to the same pot and sauté until the leeks soften, about 3 minutes.

Separate the cabbage leaves, add the garlic and thyme and add them to the pot. Cook until the cabbage wilts, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sherry and simmer until most of the liquid evaporates, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a simmer.

Cover the pot and simmer over medium-low heat until the cabbage is tender, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Stir in the cooked bacon and season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper.

To prepare the pork shoulder:
Place a large cast-iron casserole dish over a high heat, season pork with salt and pepper, place fat side down into the hot pan. Brown all sides. Remove from, the pan and pour off excess fat. 

Add the onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes until soft, add the garlic and herbs and sauté for a further 2 minutes. Add the carrots, celery and cook for 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add pork. Deglaze with red wine and reduce for 5 minutes. Add stock and cover and slowly cook for 2-3 hours until pork literally falls apart when picked up.*Remove from pot and strain, discard and remove vegetables. Strain and remove jus. Place a small saucepan over a medium heat and jus for 10-15 minutes. Place a large nonstick sauté pan over a high heat. Once the pork is cool, break into 4 pieces. Place the pork into a hot pan and sauté until the outside is crisp. Remove from the pan and serve with braised cabbage.

*Does this remind anyone of Ryon’s post?

What did I do with that chicken after it was all roasted up? Well, the first day I just had it as it was. Day Two I chowed down on a drumstick as a snack. I let it sit in my fridge until Day 4 (maybe pushing it? Even in a tightly sealed container?) and then realized I needed to get that bad boy eaten. I was running late in my evening plans after an extended evening at the dog park. I was hungry. I also wanted something a little sweet but with enough fat and flavor that I would really feel satisfied. My dad was the master of our kitchen when I was growing up. His most memorable meals were the ones where he was forced to get creative with leftovers. With that in mind, I took inventory of my fridge, asked Dad to watch over me from above and provide a little inspiration, and off I went with a pot and no plan.

I’m going to give you the “recipe” in just a second but let me get this out first. Some of your best meals will come out of thin air and you may never be able to reproduce them again. Accept it. Reproduction isn’t really the point, anyway. Feeding yourself and your family is the goal. Adding some personal style to that is just coconut “buttercream icing” on the paleo cake. What I’m trying to say is, don’t be afraid to throw a bunch of paleo goodness together and see what happens. Keep your ingredients the same but play around with different spices.  Get crazy at a comfortable pace. But in the end remember to KISS…Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Today's Last Minute Lunch

One Pot Chicken & Spaghetti Squash Curry

(for one, multiple for multiple people)

• Heat medium sized pot on medium to m/high heat
• Throw in some coconut oil
• Take a couple spoonfuls of spaghetti squash & throw in pot – I cooked mine when I was cooking the chicken
• Grab some of the chicken & pull off in bite-sized pieces. Throw in pot.
• Throw some broccoli in the pot
• Cut up half a bell pepper — mine was orange & I actually used kitchen shears to cut it up because I didn’t want to dirty a cutting board. Lazy or genius, you decide.
• Toss in a couple baby bella mushrooms. Again, cut into pieces with the shears.
• Stir.
• Add some coconut milk. I decided I wanted a soupier curry so I added enough to meet my soupy liking.
• Here’s where the flavor really comes into play: plop in some curry paste (brand recommendation below). However much you want to suit your own personal taste & tolerance for spice. I’m a 5th+ generation Texan. Therefore, bring on the heat!
• Simmer for a few minutes so everything is nice and hot and the flavor has time to seep into the food. If you’re really starving, just get the curry paste melted into the coconut milk. Have more time? Lower the temp a little and let simmer for 10 minutes. Bored waiting? Just eat when you’re ready!

How easy was that?

I did the same basic recipe for lunch today. (See image above.) Only, instead of the spaghetti squash I used chopped up cabbage. Oh, and this time my bell pepper was yellow. After it was all cooked I realize I should have used a red bell pepper so that I had some extra color to my dish. Easy lesson learned for next time!

My favorite red curry paste, Mae Ploy.

As for the curry paste, my favorite brand is Mae Ploy red curry paste from Thailand. The ingredients are: Dried red chili, garlic, lemongrass, salt, shallot, galangal, shrimp paste (shrimp), kaffir lime peel, pepper. No preservatives or colorant added. No sugar either. The 14oz container has lasted me about 5 months and it cost around maybe $5 or less? It’s available at HEB…well, the one at Parmer & McNeil anyway.

First things first, Elana is adamant about choosing the proper almond flour. Apparently the ever-prevalent Bob’s Mill doesn’t cut it; I worried my Central Market bulk section almond meal was too coarse as well. So I ordered her recommended Honeyville Grains Almond Flour at $26.99 for 5 lbs ($5.40/lb, cheaper than CM’s $6.99/lb, but doesn’t include shipping, which would be divided across everything you order) and I’m very happy with it so far.

So, here we go:

The tart is a remarkably simple combination of grapeseed oil, water, almond flour, herbs, and salt. Literally.

Since I hadn’t baked ahead, I stuck it in the freezer to cool …

… while I made the (wild, obviously) smoked salmon, browned leeks, egg, and dill mixture:

I put it all together, baked for 25 minutes, and voila!

In the meantime, I also made another crust, this one the “simple savory” one (add baking soda and shallots, remove other herbs), to freeze for the future … so I don’t have to freeze it. Hm, odd logic, but whatever. It’s much prettier and deeper than the first (this is my first pie crust EVER, people, give me a break).

Mmmm … see, you can have your tart and eat Paleo too!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Roasting Pan
• Olive Oil, or if you don’t mind a LITTLE non-Paleo dairy: RAW butter
• Orange, halved
• Medium onion, halved
• 4-6 strips Applewood Smoked Bacon
• Salt 
• Pepper
• Optional:  Garlic Cloves
• Optional:  Fresh Herbs 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Rinse chicken inside and out with cool water, and pat dry with paper towels.  Place on a roasting pan.  Loosen skin of chicken from meat by running hand under the skin (DO NOT remove skin, we’re only loosening it).  

3. If using olive oil, leave the herbs whole.   Take 1/2 of the whole herbs (I like oregano, thyme, parsley) and slip them under the skin of the chicken. Place the other 1/2 of the herbs inside the chicken along with the garlic gloves, orange, and onion. Next, liberally rub the outside of the chicken with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  

OR

If using raw butter instead of olive oil, chop 1/2 of the herbs and mash them into the butter (approx 4 oz.).  Rub mixture evenly under the skin of the chicken, as well as all over the outside of the chicken.  Then, place the whole herbs inside the chicken along with garlic gloves, orange and onion. Sprinkle outside of chicken with salt and pepper.   

4.  Lay bacon strips across top of chicken and roast for 25 minutes.

5.  Remove chicken from oven.  Remove bacon, and baste chicken with drippings.  Return chicken to oven and cook for an additional 25 minutes. The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh.

6.  When done, remove chicken from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before carving (this allows the juices to settle back into the meat).

If you’re afraid of using a whole chicken (which you shouldn’t be–it’s really easy), another money saving tip is to buy thigh meat instead of breast meat.  Typically, you pay a premium for breast meat.  Thigh meat, however, is just as delicious and significantly cheaper.  Personally, I prefer thigh meat as it is dark and more flavorful.

The food? Bolga’s soup, Faux-caccia Bread, Sauteed Kale, and Cheeeeeze. With leftover Thanksgiving desserts. In our haste to eat and drink everything in sight, we have no photos. Sign of a good night?

RECIPES:

1) Bolga’s Soup

Here’s the thing about Bolga: she’s based on Olga’s Soup, the magically delicious soup from a Men’s Health recipe. If you could read the accompanying article online, which you can’t, you would know that Olga is incredibly forceful about her NO SUBSTITUTIONS rule. Olga uses cannelini beans, which are NOT Paleo. She also doesn’t use any meat. So I ignored the beans, added some browned ground beef, and re-christened the soup Bolga. Creative, I know.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup olive oil (more or less)
• 2 onions, peeled and chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped (I omitted)
• 2 celery stalks (I used 4)
• salt & pepper
• 1 bunch parsley chopped, stems discarded
• 3 cabbage leaves, chopped (I used 6)
• 1 bunch chard, choppped
• 1/4 c. tomato paste
• 1 lb of lean ground beef, browned in a pan to pinkness in the centers before being put in the soup (I use grass-fed, free-ranging Springerhill Ranch, available at Randall’s for $5.79/lb)
  

Directions:

1. Put about a third of the olive oil in the bottom of a deep pot over medium heat. Add half each of the chopped onions, carrots, and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften (about 10 minutes).
2. Add half of the remaining oil and repeat the process, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go. Add the last of the oil with the parsley, cabbage, and chard, and cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is softened but not browned. Adjust the heat as necessary.
3. Add the ground beef, tomato paste, and any spices–I sprinkle in some cayenne, basil, and oregano, and use garlic salt instead of regular salt.
4. Keep cooking, tasting, and seasoning as necessary, until all the vegetables are very tender and the soup is hot.

2) Faux-caccia Bread

I make this bread all the freakin’ time, so I must admit that I no longer measure. It’s quick, easy, and pretty hard to mess up …

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs or 4 egg whites (works either way)
• 2 cups nut/flax meals — I suggest 1 cup almond meal, 1/2 cup flax meal, 1/2 hazelnut flour. But you can play around with flours for different flavors and textures–I’ve also used all almond (heavy), pecan, and coconut flour (gross). I DO NOT suggest chia powder for any more than 1/8 cup because I think it gets bitter.
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (not technically paleo)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• salt (not necessary with flax meal)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 355 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. What happens if you don’t? No idea, but not willing to risk it.
3. Spread bread batter onto parchment. Spread with fork or spoon. May have to grease the spoon with some of the oil. For crispier bread, spread thinly, for bigger bread, spread more thickly (duh?).
4. Bake 12-16 minutes.

Try not to eat the whole pan. It’s. The. Hardest. Part.

3) Cheeeeeze

Ah, cheeeeze. The first time Lisa and I had it, we were nowhere near Paleo (she was vegetarian), but both of us thought it might actually taste better than regular cheese. Still true.

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup cashew pieces
• 1 TBSP tahini (make sure it doesn’t have soy!)
• 2 TBSP lemon juice
• 1 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tsp onion powder
• pinch cayenne

Directions:

Blend/food process. Devour.

And that, my friends, is what we ate. You should eat it too!