Quick Mixed Seafood Snack in Cream Sauce

I got up had a few eggs for breakfast, went for a mid-morning run, had a delicious post run shake, and a few minutes later was still starving.  The peanut gallery suggested I make something quick and random for a snack and the blog.  I grabbed a bag of Trader Joe's seafood blend I had recently picked up but wasn't sure what I was going to do with.

This ended up being a pretty tasty snack, although I think the recipe could be refined a lot.  If nothing else this will give you an idea of non-traditional snacks you can whip up quickly when you need a solid Paleo option.

• PREP5 mins
• Cook
  5 mins
• READY IN10 mins

Ingredients:

• 1/2 bag of Trader Joe's seafood blend
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 cup pastured cream
• 1 tbsp homemade butter
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• A pinch of curry powder
• A pinch of lemon zest
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Note: all these measurements are approximate since this was truly on the fly.

Directions:

1. Thaw the seafood in cold water for a few minutes
2. Saute the minced garlic in the coconut oil, butter, thyme, cayenne, salt, and pepper until garlic is browning
3. Add the seafood and cook for about a minute
4. Add the cream, coconut flour, and lemon zest, mix thoroughly and simmer for 5 minutes
5. Pour into a bowl, top with a pinch of curry powder, and tear it up.

The coconut flour made it a little grainy. I might try and find another way to thicken the sauce in the future. All in all it wasn't to shabby.

Enjoy!

Chuck

Awesome Curry Burgers

Since we recently took possession of half a grass-fed beef our consumption of ground beef has increased drastically.  So it seemed time to throw up our curry burger recipe.  We have found that getting crazy with spicing your burgers keeps them interesting and you never know what king of glorious combo you will find.  You may want to try things like cacao powder, cinnamon, or virtually anything you might have in the spice cabinet.  This is one of our go to combos.  Of course you can never go wrong throwing some bacon, maybe an egg, avocado mayo, or even fresh ground almond butter on top of these or any burger creation.

• PREP10 mins
• Cook
  10 mins
• READY IN20 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 Lb. grass-fed hamburger
• 1/2 tsp. Himalayan sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. cracked pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. red curry powder or more depending on your preference
• 1 Large minced clove garlic

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a Large mixing bowl and mix until combined. 
2. Form into 1/4 lbs patties 
3. Pan fry or grill to medium
4. Add your favorite toppings and Enjoy!

The Paleo Tacos were a hit!

We seem to be going back to ThePaleoMom's site again and again for recipes. Her recipes are usually pretty easy to pull together and always delicious.  There are a lot of great Paleo recipe sites out there but ThePaleoMom truly stands out. You can tell from each recipe that she has spent real time refining the recipes and they are tested by her own family.  We tried her Paleo Tacos  tonight and they were a huge hit with me and the kids!  Give the tacos and her other recipes a try and you won't be sorry.

Sesame Tomato Avocado Salad

This is an amazingly simple and delicious Asian style dish.  We saw this on a Japanese cooking show years ago and it was pared with a Japanese curry dish which we have also modified to be Paleo

• PREP5 mins
• CHILL20 mins
• READY IN25 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 tomato
• 1 avocado
• 1 tbps. sesame oil
• 1 tbps. sesame seeds
• 1 tbps. rice vinegar

Directions:

1. Mix sesame oil, sesame seeds, rice vinegar together and set aside. 
2. Cut tomato in 1/2 inch slices and avocado 1/2 inch slices place on large plate 
3. Drizzle tomato and avocado with sesame oil mix and refrigerate  for 20-30 mins.

NOTE: Sesame seeds and sesame oil are avoided by some in the paleo community.  While they have some negatives in terms of omega-6 concentration and mild anti-inflammatory properties they also have decent nutrient density.  We recommend using these items in moderation and we try to keep our dishes with sesame to once a week.

Crispy Duck Breast

My wife and I had a few minutes without the kids and decided to check out Charlottesville's Organic Butcher,  We were mainly interested in what kind of game meats were available.  The prices were comparable to other gourmet meats in the area and with the other specialty shops in the West Main Market this is a perfect destination prior to preparing a special meal.  As far as I can remember I have never had duck but have heard how wonderful it can be.  I saw some very good looking duck breasts in the cooler and snatched them up.  I had no idea how to cook these but wanted something simple so that I could fully savor the meat.  I found a recipe at theawl.com   This page very thoroughly explains how to handle duck.  I slightly modify the recipe times and ended up with a perfect medium rare.

My daughter and I are the adventurous ones and according to my daughter the duck was "deeee-licious".  The other half of the family was a little less enthusiastic.  This dish will have to be a special treat for Dad daughter diners.

• PREP5 mins
• COOK20 mins
• READY IN25 mins

Ingredients:

• 2 Duck breasts
• Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees
2. Separate the two duck breasts
3. Season both sides with fresh ground salt and pepper
4. Slice the skin on each breast in a diagonal pattern creating diamonds shapes
5. Place the duck skin down in an oven safe room temperature frying pan
6. Slowly increase the heat to medium high
7. Periodically pour the rendered fat off and reserve (We used a smaller pot lid to hold the breasts while pouring of the fat.  Careful, the fat is a lot like bacon grease and is very hot!
8. When the skin is a crispy brown, after about 7-8 min turn the breasts and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
9. Turn the breasts back skin side down and place in the oven for approximately 10 minutes.
10. Remove and serve with your favorite paleo sides, this time we chose garlic mashed cauliflower and zesty sweet potato chips.

Zesty Sweet Potato Chips

Sweet potatoes are delicious and incredibly good for you.  We eat sweet potatoes regularly and are always trying new ways to eat them.  This is one very simple and very healthy way to prepare them.  The old bay is just one way to spice them up but you can go with just about anything.  These pretty much go with anything or are great as a snack.

• PREP10 mins
• COOK20 mins
• READY IN30 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 3 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
• 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Add olive oil, salt and pepper in mixing bowl and set aside. 
3. Cut potatoes into 1/4 inch slices and add to the mixing bowl and toss until coated
4. Place the slices on a cookie sheet and spread them out as even as possible 
5. Cook at 400 degrees  for 10 min. on each side or until the slices are slightly brown on both sides.
6. Place chips on serving plate, sprinkle with Old Bay, and serve.

Spicy Sesame Kale

Kale is a veggie that has found its way in and out of my heart over the years.  This Asian style kale has sealed its fate as a regular item in our house.  This is one of the most delicious ways to prepare kale and it goes perfectly with salmon or any of your favorite Asian paleo creations.  Try bumping up the cayenne pepper for a little more excitement.

• PREP5-10 mins
• COOK10 mins
• READY IN15-20 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of kale or 1 bag
• 2 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• 2 tsp. sea salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:

1. If you have a bunch of kale cut in to small pieces rinse (if in bag rinse). 
2. At medium high heat toast the sesame seeds in a large sauce pan until just toasted then set aside.
3. Pour water in sauce pan then add the kale, salt, and pepper.  Cook until soft and add to the serving bowl.
4. Toss the kale with the cayenne pepper, ginger, sesame oil, and sesame seeds and serve immediately.  

NOTE: Sesame seeds and sesame oil are avoided by some in the paleo community.  While they have some negatives in terms of omega-6 concentration and mild anti-inflammatory properties they also have decent nutrient density.  We recommend using these items in moderation and we try to keep our dishes with sesame to once a week.

Crispy Brussels Sprouts

I have seen similar recipes on a lot of different sites so this one is not unique but I can tell you this, these are delicious!  If you don't like Brussels sprouts then you have to give them one more try.  I hated Brussels sprouts my whole life and once Steph laid these on me they became a staple that we have at least twice a week. The recipe below calls for salt and pepper but you can get creative and add any number of your favorite spices to mix things up. Enjoy these with a thick cut steak and some paleo mayo!  They are also great for lunch leftovers.

• PREP5 mins
• COOK20 mins
• READY IN25 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 bag Brussels of fresh sprouts (we get bag at Whole Foods)
• 4 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 2 tsp. sea salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine oil,salt and pepper in mixing bowl and set aside. 
2. Cut brussels sprouts in half and put in mixing bowl stir and coat well. 
3. Place the sprouts on cookie sheet and cook for 10 mins. on each side until slightly browned take out of oven and put in bowl and serve.