Menu Monday – From Scratch Spaghetti Sauce

Our Menu Monday this week is a made from scratch spaghetti sauce.  Now hold on before you say “who has time for that mess”, because this recipe is for the slow cooker.  Saute up your meat and veggies, throw it all in the crockpot, and boom…you can come home to a delicious sauce that has made the house smell amazing.  Depending on your diet, throw this over some pasta or spaghetti squash and everybody is happy!

Spaghetti Sauce 

Ingredients:

– 1 pd. ground beef

– 1 pd. ground breakfast sausage

– 1 Tbsp. lard/bacon fat or tallow

– 1 small onion, chopped

– 4 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed

– 2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce

-1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

– 3 medium sized tomatoes, chopped (or one 28 ounce can diced tomatoes)

– 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

– 1 tsp. sea salt

– 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

– 1 Tbsp. dried oregano

– 1 tsp. dried ground thyme

– Dash red pepper flakes (or more if you want more heat)

– 1 Tbsp. raw honey (optional)

Directions:

1. Prepare vegetables. Melt lard/bacon fat or tallow in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and garlic and saute for about 3 minutes. Add ground beef and ground sausage and brown the meat. Drain any excess fat.

2. Pull out your slow cooker and turn it on low. Add all of the ingredients and stir to combine. If you like your sauce a little sweeter use the raw honey, otherwise leave it out and add it later if needed.

3. Cook the sauce on low for 6-8 hours.

I hope your family enjoys this as much as mine does!  Happy Cooking!

Menu Monday – Paleo Almond Butter Bread

This Paleo Almond Butter Bread looks so warm and delicious right out of the oven!  One of our members, DJ Clancy, his wife Lori shared this mouth watering picture on Instagram and the recipe with me.  I can’t wait to make it soon!  From her recommendations, it’s easy to make & freezes well, works great as sandwich bread or a delicious protein packed snack, topped with a nut butter, honey & fruit.  Yum!

Paleo Almond Butter Bread

Ingredients

• 3/4 c smooth almond butter
• 4 eggs
• 1 tbsp honey (Lori uses 1/2 tbsp, so it’s not too sweet)
• 1/4 c blanched almond flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together the almond butter, eggs & honey until creamy.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the batter & blend until creamy.
4. Pour batter into a greased baking pan (3 1/2 x 7 1/2 in loaf pan.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Let cool & slice.  Seal & store at room temp for a few days, in the fridge for a few weeks, or in the freezer for a month.

Enjoy!

Menu Monday – Spaghetti Squash & Bacon Fritters

You had me at bacon!

Our Menu Monday is a delicious dish that can be eaten on the side or just as the main event.  These little fritters are a great addition to any meal!  Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Spaghetti Squash & Bacon Fritters

Ingredients

• 4 cups spaghetti squash, cooked and cooled enough to handle
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbs coconut flour
• 5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 3 green onions (the green parts), chopped small
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper (optional)
• cooking fat, as needed (we love avocado oil)

Instructions

1. Need to cook your spaghetti squash first? There’s a wonderful tutorial right here on the Paleo Parents blog! For recipes using pre-cooked bacon, I like to bake it – about 15 minutes at 400 degrees!
2. Put cooked and cooled spaghetti squash in a bowl and lightly salt. Walk away for 10 minutes to let the salt draw out some of the moisture. Then, put the spaghetti squash in a nut milk bag and squeeze until most of the moisture is out. This step is vital – it helps prevent the fritters from falling apart. Watery spaghetti squash = mushy fritters. And that’s no fun. If you don’t have a nut milk bag, squeeze the squash with your bare hands (or paper towels) in a colander over the sink.
3. Whisk eggs in a large bowl, then add bacon crumbles, green onions, coconut flour, salt, and pepper. Add cooked, wrung out spaghetti squash and mix everything.
4. Add 2 or more Tbs of cooking fat of choice (ghee is also amazing here) to a skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Drop about 1/4 c of mixture at a time into skillet, quickly flattening with a fork or other utensil. Fry for 3-5 minutes on each side.
5. NOTE: You can also bake these fritters if you choose. They won’t get the amazing crispy “crust”, but they still taste good! Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Scoop about 1/4 c mixture onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet and flatten with a fork or back of a spoon. Cook for about 15 minutes

Click here for the original recipe!  Enjoy!!!

Menu Monday – Paleo Cornbread Muffins

Yes, you read that right…Paleo cornbread.  I am southern girl through and through, so I love some cornbread.  It goes perfect with a nice bowl of chili, a side of greens, or just all by itself.  You can imagine how pumped I was when I came across this paleo version.  I must say they are so good, I didn’t even feel like I was missing out!!!  Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!!!

Paleo Sweet “Cornbread” Muffins

Serves: 9 muffins

Ingredients

• 1 C Blanched Almond Four, packed (Honeyville Brand)
• ⅓ C Coconut Flour*
• 4 Tsp. Grain Free Baking Powder (see link above)
• 1 Tsp. Sea Salt
• ¼ C Honey*
• 3 Eggs, room temperature
• ½ Cup Dairy Free Milk
• 2 Tbsp. Refined Coconut Oil, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with 9 baking cups.
2. Whisk the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and sea salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the eggs, honey, and milk to another bowl and mix well.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well, then stir in the coconut oil (so it doesn’t solidify)
5. Evenly divide the batter between the baking cups.
6. Bake 17 -19 minutes or until lightly browned.
7. Cool completely to properly set up.

Click here to take you to the original recipe.  Happy Eating!!!

Menu Monday – Homemade Taco Seasoning

This Homemade Taco Seasoning (from AllRecipes.com) has become a staple in our house!  Pre-made Taco Seasonings from the store are full of junk…preservatives, MSG, soy, milk…why do you need milk in taco seasoning??  This recipe is super easy to make, easy to make in bulk & store to have on hand, & super tasty with a kick!

I use a heaping tablespoon’s worth of the seasoning per pound of ground beef, ground turkey, shredded chicken, shrimp, etc.  There are lots of options!  I usually double or triple the recipe & keep the leftovers sealed tight in the freezer.  Keep these spices stocked in your pantry & you’ll never need to buy taco seasoning again!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Store in an airtight container.

Easy peasy.  ENJOY!!

Menu Monday – Sausage Egg Cups

In these days of go-go-go, sometimes it is hard to get in a good breakfast.  Well have no fear, we have the answer…these healthy and delicious sausage egg cups.  They are a great grab-n-go snack that you can make ahead of time.  These cups are sure to get you ready to face the day!

Ingredients

• 2-3 chicken sausage, cooked and chopped (I use the Adele’s chicken and apple)
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• ¼ yellow onion, chopped
• 8 eggs, whisked
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper, to taste
• avocado, to garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Cook sausage until cooked through.
3. In a large bowl, add sausage, red bell pepper, yellow onion, eggs, garlic cloves, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined.
4. Use a ladle to pour mixture into 8-10 muffin tins. (I used a silicone muffin tray and did not have to grease it. If you are using a regular metal pan, thoroughly grease all of it or use muffin liners.
5. Place in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until cooked through.
6. Garnish with avocado.

We hope you enjoy these egg cups as much as we do!  Get a great start to a great day!

Menu Monday : Oven Roasted Garlic Cabbage

Menu Monday this week is a delicious twist on a traditional Italian favorite.  Who doesn’t love the taste of garlic bread?  It is so buttery and garlicy.  Unfortunately, with all that yumminess comes all those calories.  Here is a way to get those tasty flavors while still keeping those macros in check!

Ingredients

• 1 big green cabbage, cut into 1″ thick slices;
• 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil or melted ghee;
• 5 large garlic cloves, mince
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 400 F.
2. Brush both sides of each cabbage slice with the olive oil or ghee.
3. Spread the garlic evenly on each side of the cabbage slices, and season them to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Roast in your oven for 20 minutes; then turn the slices over and roast them again for another 20 minutes or until the edges are crispy.

Click here for the recipe.  We hope you enjoy this yummy side dish!

Menu Monday : Primal Fudge

Menu Monday kicks off this week with a creamy treat to satisfy your sweet tooth.  These fudge cups are so delicious, you would never know they were paleo. Hope you enjoy these as much as we do!!!

Primal Fudge

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup high quality cocoa powder
1/2 cup smooth almond butter
1/4 cup raw honey or maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Melt coconut oil.  Blend all ingredients together in a food processor or blender.  Pour into paper-lined muffin tin cups or silicon muffin cups and fill half-inch full.  Makes 10.   Chill for 30 minutes or freeze for 10 minutes.  When firm, remove.  Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Click here to view the original recipe.

Enjoy and you are welcome!

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ModPaleo Blog – The Real Cost of Eating Good Food

Our local pre-packaged, Paleo meal delivery service – ModPaleo – recently shared a great article on their blog.  The Real Cost of Eating Good Food is a quick, easy read that tackles the common complaint of “ModPaleo (or eating healthy in general) is kind of expensive.”

And the truth is, yes, eating healthy does cost more than the “Standard American Diet”.  But does it really cost more than eating out at your local Subway, Panera or Chipotle?

The article makes a good point that your standard foot long sub (before drinks & a side) at Subway is $6-8, a meal at Panera is $8+ and if you want a burrito bowl at Chipotle plus guac you’re easily pushing $10!  So is ModPaleo’s $10 meal really that expensive?

You can either invest in your health now – buying whole, organic foods, having a gym membership, making time for working out – or invest in your healthcare later in life – Dr bills, prescriptions costs, working through pain & muscular degeneration.  Where would you rather put your money?!

Check out ModPaleo‘s site if you’re interested in trying their food.  They’ll ship right to your door step!  You can order as needed or on a subscription.  But at least you know you’re getting quality, locally sourced foods in a convenient heat & eat package!

Menu Monday – Sweet Potato Enchiladas

This recipe is so amazing and a must-have in our house.  If you are like me, you could eat Mexican food all the time.  The problem is the calories and fat you end up consuming when you got out to eat in the restaurants.  This recipe allows you have the taste of Mexican you crave, without those pesky calories!

This is an adapted recipe from PaleoOMG.  In this new form, it is more work night friendly and more of a casserole style dish.

Sweet Potato Enchiladas

For the enchiladas

• 3 sweet potatoes, sliced thin
• 1lb grass fed ground beef
• ½ yellow onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (4oz) can diced green chiles
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 3-4 tablespoons coconut oil
• shredded cheese – optional

For the sauce

• 1 (14oz) can tomato sauce
• ¼ yellow onion, minced
• ⅓ cup vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Brush sliced sweet potatoes with coconut oil and place on a baking sheet.  Cook in oven until softened.  Remove and cool.
3. Once your sweet potatoes are cooling, use skillet to cook your meat on the stove. Add in a bit of oil then add your minced garlic cloves along with your onion.
4. When the onion becomes translucent, add in your ground beef along with your green chiles and spices. Let that cook down until cook completely through, using a wooden spoon to break up the ground beef and incorporate all the flavors.
5. While the meat cooks, place a saucepan over medium heat for your sauce. Add your tablespoon of oil along with your minced onion.
6. When the onion becomes translucent, add your tomato sauce and vegetable broth, as well as all your seasonings. Let that cook down until it thickens just a bit.
7. Now once everything is done cooking, you can start layering.
8. In an oiled 8×8 glass baking dish, start with sweet potatoes, then put a layer of your beef mixture, then sauce.  Continue until done ending with sauce.  If you are a cheese eater, sprinkle the top with shredded cheese.
9. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Or until heated through and the cheese is melted.
10. Cool then eat your heart out!

To cut some of the fat, you can substitute ground chicken or turkey and cut down the amount of coconut oil you use. I hope you all enjoy this one as much as I do!!  Click here for the original recipe.