Dinner Salad with Shrimp and Chicken

I was craving the fresh crab salads my mom used to make. Crab is way too expensive for us to get here in Colorado, so I just made do with what we had in the freezer. This salad makes two adult portions, and was very filling. I’m sure my dressing is not Paleo-approved. But it’s very yummy, and I think people should give themselves a break here and there. You could top with olive oil and vinegar if you wanted to follow Paleo more specifically.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup salad shrimp
• 1 chicken breast, grilled with your favorite grill seasoning, then chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 head of romaine, chopped
• 2 boiled eggs, sliced lengthwise
• 1 avacado, cubed
• 1 carrot, cut into coins
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• toasted almond slices (I used about 1/8 cup)
• pepper to taste

This dressing is sort of like Thousand Island, only with a lot more kick.

Dressing:

• 4 tbs lite mayo (make sure it’s gluten free of course)
• 1 tbs A1 sauce
• 1 tbs Heinz 57
• 2 tbs ketchup
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
• 1 tbs Tabasco

Broccoli and Sweet Potato

Quick and easy side dish.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 3 tbs slivered almonds
• 1 tsp canola oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Microwave the sweet potato, peel the skin off, and cube the potato. Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium. Add all ingredients and saute until the broccoli is just done.

Spaghetti with Squash

This is super duper easy “comfort food” that I like to make when I don’t feel like cooking.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pork sausage
• 1 jar of gluten free spaghetti sauce (I like Classico)
• 1 spaghetti squash
• 1 cup white onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbs dry sherry
• 2 tbs Italian herb mix

Directions:

Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Put the squash cavity-side down on a plate and microwave for 12 minutes. When the squash is done use a fork to scrape out the noodle-like squash into a serving bowl. Brown the sausage, drain the fat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook over medium until translucent. Add the sherry and herbs, and cook down, about 5 minutes. Add the spaghetti sauce, stir to combine, and let simmer on low for 10 minutes (or as long as you want). Serve the sauce over the squash, and top with parmesan if you like.

Spicy Tomato Soup and Grilled Chicken

Soup Ingredients:

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 large white onion, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 cups gluten free chicken broth
• 28 oz canned diced tomatoes
• 1 tbs thyme
• 1 tbs basil
• 1 tbs pepper
• 1 tbs red chili flakes
• salt to taste

Soup Instructions:

Heat the oil and butter in a large soup pot over medium. When melted, add the garlic and onion. Saute until translucent, but not browned. Add all the other ingredients and bring to a boil. Cook on low for at least 30 minutes, but you can let it simmer for over an hour. After 30 minutes, put half the soup in your food processor, and blend until smooth. (I say half, because I like the larger chunks of tomato in my soup, put it all in if you like it to be completely smooth). Return to pot and serve.

Spicy Grilled Chicken Ingredients:

• 2 lbs chicken breast tenderloins
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbs paprika
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs tabasco
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp red chili flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt

Combine all marinade ingredients, and pour into a gallon sized ziplock bag, over the chicken. Marinate at room temperature for an hour, or up to 12 hours in the fridge. Grill over medium heat, about 5 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink.

I served this along with a simple green salad. A really nice light meal with a lot of kick to it.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

This is a double recipe of filling, so that half may be frozen for a busy weeknight dinner.

Ingredients:

• 3 bell peppers (any color), halved lengthwise, seeds and stem removed
• 1.5 lbs sausage
• 1.5 lbs ground beef
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 cups cauliflower minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbs dried basil
• 1 tbs salt
• 1 tbs black pepper
• 1 tbs red chili pepper flake

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375. Boil the peppers for 5 min. Then set them on a plate and sprinkle with salt. Invert them over paper towels, and let them rest while you are cooking the stuffing.

Brown the meat, drain the fat. Add the veggies and saute until onion is translucent. Stir in the cheese, herbs and Worcestershire sauce. Stuff the peppers and cook for 20 minutes.

Ham & Asparagus Frittata

This is a super easy weeknight dish. You can change the ham for whatever meat you prefer, and the asparagus for a different veggie.

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs, beaten
• 1 tbs canola oil
• 1.5 lbs ham, cubed
• 1 onion diced
• 2 jalapenos, minced
• 1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
• 2 cups asparagus, diced
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Heat the oil in an oven-proof skillet. Saute the asparagus, ham, onion and jalapeno in the skillet for 10 minutes, or until the asparagus has softened a bit. Beat the eggs, add the cheese to the eggs. Add the egg mixture to the veggies. Make sure it’s evenly distributed with the vegetables and ham. Put the skillet in the oven and cook for 15 minutes.

Breakfast Bars

The original recipe for this is from elanaspantry.com, I’ve only changed a few things.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup almond meal
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, diced
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, combine and whisk the agave, oil, eggs and vanilla. In a large bowl combine the almond meal, salt and baking soda. Add the wet to the dry and combine. Add all of the other ingredients and stir to combine.

Put the mixture into a greased (with grapeseed or coconut oil) 8×8 baking dish. Press it lightly to make it even in the pan. Bake for 20 minutes. I find it easier to cut into portions while it’s still warm.

Birthday Workout

Yesterday was my 37th birthday. My husband made a partner wod for us, and we finished it at 24:22.

Chris was Partner #1, and I was #2

Me doing the wall ball portion, 18# ball

Trout

My husband caught these beauties for our dinner last night! This is super simple to prepare.

Ingredients:

• 2 trout, gutted and cleaned
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 2 tbs almond meal
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt

Combine the almond meal with the seasonings. Put the fish onto a sprayed piece of foil. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture inside and out of each fish. Sprinkle with lemon. Wrap the fish up and throw it on the grill, over medium for about 15 min total.

Chinese Chicken Salad

Salad Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken tenderloins
• 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbs. gluten free tamari
• 4 cups mixed salad
• 1 cup shredded red cabbage
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 2 thinly sliced green onions
• 8 oz. can water chestnuts
• 1 mandarin orange, peeled
• 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

Preheat the oven to 350. Put the chicken in a nonstick 13 x 9″ pan, and drizzle with the sesame oil and tamari. Bake for about 7 minutes on each side. Combine all salad ingredients, and make the dressing while the chicken is cooking.

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 3 tbs gluten free tamari
• 2 tbs canola oil
• 2 tsp chili sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 tsp minced fresh ginger

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together. When the chicken is done, chop it into bite-sized pieces and add it to the plated salad. Drizzle the dressing over the top and serve.