Salmon with Almonds & Asparagus

Can you believe I have never done a salmon recipe on here??  In fact, I can't even remember the last time we had salmon.  So, considering my husband LOVES it, and I'm always looking for something new, I decided it was time.  I found this recipe on Pinterest and it intrigued me, so I knew I had to try it.  Turns out, it was super quick, easy, and delicious.  Another great healthy meal that tastes great!  Win!  Here is what I did:

Salmon with Almonds & Asparagus
(serves 2)

• 2 salmon fillets, skin on
• 2 T olive oil
• salt & pepper
• 1/2 T dried parsley (or 1 T fresh, chopped)
• 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 t red pepper flakes
• 2 T sliced or chopped almonds
• 2 lemon wedges

Preparation

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle some olive oil over the fish, then sprinkle on salt, pepper, and parsley.  Rub it all over the fish.  Place skin side down on the pan and cook for 5 minutes, then turn and cook on the other side for 2 more minutes.  Remove from pan and cover with foil to keep warm.

Add 1 T oil to heat back up in the same pan.  Toss in the asparagus stalks and let them cook up for about a minute or so. Add in the garlic and chilli flakes and toss the aspargus through it.  Season with salt and pepper.  Continue to cook for another minute or so until the asparagus is slightly tender.  Toss the almonds with the asparagus and cook for another 30 seconds to brown the almonds slightly.

Remove the asparagus and almonds from the pan and divide between two plates.  Place one fillet on top of each plate and finish off with a squeeze of lemon juice.

As I said, this is a really easy meal to make, and is very healthy as well!  This is definitely one to try out- I am sure you will enjoy it!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Sweet Potatoes with Bacon

This is a super simple and delicious recipe that I originally came across on Pinterest.  As readers may know, I am really into Brussels sprouts, even though they are one of those veggies that so many people shy away from.  But they are delicious!  Especially with bacon.  But doesn't bacon make everything better?  So I tried it out and we really enjoyed it- and I even left out the cheese!  It is a really healthy and flavorful side dish that you should definitely try out.  Here is what I did:

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Sweet Potatoes with Bacon
(serves 3-4)

1 container fresh baby or regular brussels sprouts (about 12 ounces)

2 big sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

sea or kosher salt and fresh black pepper

3 slices bacon

2 - 3 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Read more at http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/side-dish-saturdays-roasted-brussels-sprouts-sweet-potatoes-and-bacon/#MWr0w0fVrp2vsPj3.99

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
• 12 oz (or about 2 big handfuls) Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• olive oil
• salt & pepper
• 1/2 t dried thyme
• 3-4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Preparation
Heat oven to 400.  On a large baking pan, combine potato chunks and sprouts.  Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme.  Use a spatula (or your hands) to ensure that everything is mixed and evenly coated.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, until everything is browned.

Once you remove the pan from the oven, toss/stir in the bacon crumbles, and serve!

I served this alongside some nice sliced pork tenderloin, and it was a wonderful meal.  Try it with any of your favorite main courses, and enjoy!

1 container fresh baby or regular brussels sprouts (about 12 ounces)

2 big sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

sea or kosher salt and fresh black pepper

3 slices bacon

2 - 3 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Read more at http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/side-dish-saturdays-roasted-brussels-sprouts-sweet-potatoes-and-bacon/#pUIKfJp3U7fFJHbB.99

1 container fresh baby or regular brussels sprouts (about 12 ounces)

2 big sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

sea or kosher salt and fresh black pepper

3 slices bacon

2 - 3 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Read more at http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/side-dish-saturdays-roasted-brussels-sprouts-sweet-potatoes-and-bacon/#pUIKfJp3U7fFJHbB.99

Paleo Baked Pizza Spaghetti

Alright, so I will admit that I did not come up with this one- it was going around on Pinterest for awhile and I knew I had to try it.  Regardless, this recipe is really awesome and my husband and I both loved it.  There are a few awesome things about it: 1. You can really change up/add any ingredients you want and 2. It actually doesn't need cheese to taste delicious.  I know, this is huge.  I am typically skeptical of Paleo "pizzas" and "pastas" because I always want to top them with cheese, but this was different.  The use of eggs makes it all bind together like cheese, and the flavors/textures are great.  We gobbled it up!  The only downside is that it takes a while to put together, because there is a lot of bake time, but it is simple and worth it.  Here is what I did:

Paleo Baked Pizza Spaghetti
(serves 3-4)

• 1/2 large spaghetti squash
• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 1 c Paleo pizza sauce
• 1 t dried basil
• salt and pepper
• 3 eggs, whisked
• additional items of your choice (mushrooms, pepperoni, cheese, etc)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350.  Cut the spaghetti squash in half, scoop out the seeds, season with salt and pepper, and bake on a baking sheet for about 45 minutes, or until soft.  Once it is done baking, scrape out the spaghetti-like threads and place in a greased 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish.  (I only used half the squash and saved the rest). 

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, peppers, and onion. Cook until sausage is browned.  Add pizza sauce, dried basil, and salt and pepper to the pan and mix well.  Add sausage mixture to the baking dish and mix well with spaghetti squash.

Finally, add whisked eggs to the baking dish and mix everything together until you can no longer see the eggs.  Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the top of the mixture forms a slight crust and the edges brown.

I served this alone, but it would be great with a salad too!  It was very delicious and quite filling, and we would highly recommend you try it out!  Enjoy!

Light & Fluffy Paleo Waffles

So I realized that I haven't done a new breakfast recipe in a long time, so I was definitely in need of one!  In reality, I was just majorly craving breakfast food the other day (along with every other pregnancy craving in the universe), and actually made these for dinner!  As you may know, breakfast for dinner (brinner) is a favorite in my house.  I decided I FINALLY needed to try Paleo waffles- can you believe we haven't made these yet?? Considering how much we love waffles, it's kind of ridiculous.  Anyway, I found a recipe that looked easy enough and tried it out.  These are awesome.  Super light and fluffy, and I love the hint of almond taste.  If you want Paleo waffles, I am not sure you can do better than this!  Here is what I did:

Light & Fluffy Paleo Waffles
(makes 2 large waffles)

• 3 eggs, separated
• 1/4 c almond milk
• 1 c almond flour
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 t vanilla*
• 1 t maple syrup*
• 2 T coconut oil, melted

*if you want to make savory waffles, omit the sweet stuff and use other herbs/spices instead

Preparation
Preheat waffle iron.  Separate the eggs, putting the yolks in one bowl and the whites in another.  Add the almond milk to the egg yolks and whisk together.  Add almond flour and salt, and combine well.  Stir in the melted coconut oil, then the vanilla and syrup. 

In your other bowl, beat the egg whites until they form moist, stiff peaks.  I used my hand mixer for this.  Fold about 1/4 of the egg whites into batter.  Fold remaining egg whites into the batter a scoop at a time, until all the batter is mixed but still light and fluffy. 

Pour half the batter onto a preheated and greased waffle iron.  Close the lid and bake until golden brown.  Repeat with the rest of the batter, and you are done!

I served these with scrambled eggs and bacon, and of course poured some nice maple syrup over top.  They were amazing!  Seriously, try these out for yourself, and enjoy!

Paleo Butternut Squash Tetrazzini

I came across this recipe on Pinterest the other day, and I was immediately intrigued.  In my family, we have always made a version of tetrazzini that we are all obsessed with.  It involves spaghetti, canned soup, and a lot of cheese.  Of course, that is definitely not Paleo-friendly.  So I was hoping that this would be a great healthy alternative.  This is really yummy and definitely healthy, but obviously nothing compares to real pasta and cheese!  Regardless, it's a nice option if you want the same idea, but more veggie-packed and healthy.  You can use any meat you want- the original uses turkey but I opted for chicken- either would be tasty.  Here is what I did:

Paleo Butternut Squash Tetrazzini
(serves 3-4)

• 1/2 large spaghetti squash
• 1-2 T olive oil, plus additional 1/4 c
• 1/2 c diced onion
• 1 c white mushrooms, sliced
• salt & pepper
• 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 medium shallot, chopped
• 1 c cooked butternut squash (I roasted half a squash in the oven)
• 1/4 c plain almond milk
• 1/4 c sherry (OPTIONAL if you don't use alcohol)
• 1/4-1/2 c chicken broth
• 1 c frozen peas (OPTIONAL if you are strict anti-legumes)
• 2 c cooked, cubed chicken (or turkey)

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the squash about 50 minutes, or until cooked and tender.  I baked half a spaghetti squash and half a butternut squash.  When they are done, scoop out the innards for each.

In a large skillet, heat 1-2 T olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, and some salt and black pepper.  Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally; the onion should be translucent and the mushrooms should have released their juices.  Lower the heat to low.

In a bowl with an immersion blender, or with a food processor, combine the garlic, shallot, squash, almond milk, sherry, broth and more salt and black pepper.  Pulse/blend until well incorporated. While blending, gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup of oil to form a smooth sauce.  Transfer the sauce to the skillet with the onion-mushroom mixture; add the cooked spaghetti squash, peas, and chicken.  Stir to incorporate and coat evenly.

Serve alone or add another veggie or a salad.  For us, this was tasty, but of course not the same as the usual cheesey-goodness we are used to.  But for a healthy meal, this was a great option.  Enjoy!

Stuffed Zucchini

Okay, disclaimer: this is technically not very Paleo.  Mainly because it uses corn, which doesn't exactly count as Paleo.  Though it is a vegetable in my book, so oh well.  Make these if you want, or change the ingredients if you want.  Regardless, I love this idea, and I really enjoyed this recipe that I found (modified, of course).  As many of you know, I do love stuffed squash meals, and this was no different.  It was great, and even though not totally Paleo, I loved it.  Here is what I did:

Stuffed Zucchini 

(serves 2)

• 1 zucchini, sliced in half like a hot dog
• 1/2 c frozen corn
• 1/2 c red onion, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1-2 T olive oil
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (OPTIONAL)
• fresh parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper

Preparation
Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat a skillet over medium and add some olive oil.  Scoop out the innards of the zucchini, discard the seeds, and dice up the rest.  Add the corn, onion, garlic, and zucchini bits to the pan and saute for a few minutes until cooked.  Season with salt, pepper, and parsley.

Place the zucchini halves on a baking sheet and scoop the mixture into each one, divided evenly.  If you are using cheese, sprinkle some on top before putting into the oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cooked through.

This is a great, healthy side dish, that you can change up to meet your needs.  Remember, this isn't truly Paleo, so switch ingredients if you want!  Enjoy!

Caramelized Pork Chops with Onion Jam

I saw this meal idea when someone posted it on Facebook, and I thought the recipe looked super easy but super delicious.  And it is, both of those things.  Now, if you want your onions really good and caramelized, this will take a bit of time, but it's more waiting than working.  You just need some patience! This is a great pork chop recipe and it will likely become a staple in our recipe repertoire.  Here is what I did:

Caramelized Pork Chops with Onion Jam
(serves 2-3)

• 2-3 pork chops (I used bone-in, but boneless is fine too)
• 1 yellow onion
• Herbs de Provence
• olive oil 
• 1-2 T balsamic vinegar
• salt & pepper
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• Italian seasoning
• splash of chicken stock (water is fine, too)

Preparation
First, get started on the onions.  Slice the onion into thin slices and heat a skillet over medium heat.  Add a bit of olive oil, then toss in the onions.  Move them around a bit and cook them for a few minutes until they start to get translucent.  Season with salt, pepper, and some Herbs de Provence.  Continue to cook, stirring around occasionally, for about 30 minutes until completely caramelized.  Add the end, add the balsamic vinegar and stir it around, then let the onions sit just a few minutes longer.

As those cook, season the pork chops with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning on both sides.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high and add about 1 T olive oil.  Once it is hot, add the pork chops to the pan and cook for about 5-6 minutes on each side, or until browned.  Once they have nice crispy sides, pour a splash of chicken broth (or water) into the pan and cover immediately.  Steam the pork chops for about 5 minutes to cook them through.  It will be very hot and steamy in the pan!  Once cooked, remove them from the pan.

To serve, scoop some of the onions onto each pork chop, and serve with a delicious veggie side.  I roasted some butternut squash to go along with the chops.  The meal was super flavorful and delicious, and we would highly recommend it. Enjoy!