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Slower Cooker Pulled Pork (Carnitas)(Paleo, Primal, Gluten-Free)

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My family didn’t eat a lot of pork when I was growing up.  We stuck mainly with chicken, beef, and seafood.   We occasionally ate bacon when traveling on family vacations, but it wasn’t a part of our daily diet.

Once free of my parent’s clutches ;), and free of my fear of fat after embarking on health and lifestyle change upon learning about the Paleo diet, I got the green light to dive into bacon!

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Just kidding.  While I love bacon, I use it primarily as a flavor enhancer for roasted vegetables (check out my recipe here for roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes with bacon).  I’m sure, based on the name of my blog, you may imagine me sitting down with plates piled high with bacon.  Only in my dreams………..

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Sorry, I got distracted talking about bacon.  Where was I again?  Right, not having a lot of experience with cooking pork.  Well, I decided to get out of my comfort zone, and figured carnitas were the way to go!

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It was a good decision.  These carnitas are full of flavor, seasoned with bold Mexican spices like oregano, cumin and garlic.  In addition, the acidity from the orange juice and the lime juice along with the low and slow heating process using a slow cooker transform the pork into tender and delicious chunks of meat!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork (Carnitas)

Servings: 8-10

Ingredients:

3 ½ – 4 pounds’ boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2 inch chunks (visible fat trimmed)

2 large oranges, juiced (approximately 1 cup) (keep spent halves of one orange)

Zest from one orange

1 lime, juiced (approximately 2 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon pepper

t teaspoon paprika

1 large onion, peeled and sliced into quarters

2 bay leaves

2 cups water

Directions:

  1. Combine the oregano, salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, garlic and orange zest in a small bowl, stirring to combine.
  2. Coat the pork with the seasoning, and then place the pork in the bottom of a large slow cooker.
  3. Add the orange halves, the onion quarters and the two bay leaves to the slow cooker.
  4. Pour the orange juice, lime juice and water into the slow cooker.
  5. Cover the slower cooker, and cook the pork on low for approximately 8-10 hours (low and slow is the way to go!).
  6. Once the pork is cooked (you’ll know the pork is done when it shreds easily with a fork), turn the slow cooker off and remove the pork from the liquid, placing the pork into a large bowl.
  7. Shredded the pork into smaller pieces with two forks, and then its ready to serve.
  8. Use the pulled pork in your favorite taco shells, and top with your favorite toppings (e.g., pico, salsa, sour cream, cheese, cilantro, pico de gallo, etc.).

Inspired by Cook’s Illustrated Mexican Pulled Pork Carnitas 

 


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Creamy Chicken Fajita Spaghetti Squash Casserole (Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Primal, Low-Carb)

Food critics rave over this dish, giving it two thumbs up!

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And by “food critics”, I mean a five year old boy.

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Food critic in action!

And by “two thumbs up”, I mean I think he thought it was okay.

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Mother and son working it out!

I invited some new members at my CrossFit gym over to dinner at my home a couple of weeks ago to test out a variation of this recipe.  They brought along their five year old son.  At first he refused to even taste the dish.  After some encouragement from his mom, he agreed to try a small serving.  I braced myself for his reaction.

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After a couple of bites, he looked at me and said, “I like macaroni and cheese.  This tastes kinda like macaroni and cheese.”  To seal the deal, he asked for a second helping.

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Since it’s received a 5 year old’s blessing, you know it has to be good.  Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken Fajita Spaghetti Squash Casserole (Paleo-Friendly option below)

Servings: 8-10

Ingredients:

  • large spaghetti squash (1 1/4 to 1 3/4 lbs)
  • 2 pounds chicken tenders
  • 16 ounces chunky salsa
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
  • 8 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil for cooking (can substitute butter, avocado oil or other preferred cooking oil)

Fajita Seasoning:

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.  Scoop out the seeds from the center of each half of the spaghetti squash.*
  4. Place the spaghetti squash cut side down on the lined baking sheet, and bake in the oven for approximately 35-40 minutes until tender (you’ll know the squash is done if you can pierce the spaghetti squash noodles easily with a fork).
  5. Once the spaghetti squash has cooked, take it out of the oven, flip the halves over and let the squash cool.
  6. Once the spaghetti squash has cooled enough to handle, use a fork to scrap the squash noodles into a large mixing bowl.
  7. While the spaghetti squash is cooling, mix together the fajita seasoning.  Reserve 1 tablespoon of the fajita seasoning mix.
  8. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Once the skillet is hot, add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive to the skillet.
  9. Add the chicken tenders to the heated skillet, then add the fajita seasoning mix (reserve 1 tablespoon of the fajita seasoning mix for later use).
  10. Sauté the chicken in the large skillet over medium high heat until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.  Once the chicken has cooked, remove the skillet from the heat and set aside, allowing the chicken to cool slightly.  Once the chicken has cooled, chop the chicken tenders into 1/2 – 1 inches pieces.
  11. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Once the skillet is heated through, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
  12. Add the sliced peppers and onions to the heated skillet, then add the remaining tablespoon of fajita seasoning mix.
  13. Sauté the vegetables over medium high heat until softened, 10 to 12 minutes.  Once the veggies are done, remove the skillet from the heat and set aside to allow the veggies to cool slightly.
  14. Preheat the oven to 350.
  15. While the oven is preheating, in a medium size bowl, mix together the cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses, salsa and sour cream.
  16. Add the chicken and veggies to the spaghetti squash in the large mixing bowl and stir to combine.  Then add the sour cream, cheese and salsa mixture and stir to combine.
  17. pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 baking pan.
  18. Place the baking pan in the middle of the oven, and bake until heated through, approximately 40-45 minutes.
  19. Once the casserole is done, take out of the oven, serve and enjoy!

Notes:

  •  Quick tip, to make the spaghetti squash easier to cut, microwave for 1-2 minutes to soften the shell before attempting to slice.
  • To make the recipe Paleo friendly, omit the dairy (the cheese and sour cream). Starting at Step 16, once you have mixed the chicken, veggies, spaghetti squash and salsa together, add in 4 large eggs (beaten) and stir until combined.  Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 baking pan.  Place the baking pan in the middle of the oven, and bake until heated through and the egg is no longer runny, 65-75 minutes.  Once the casserole is done, take out of the oven, serve and enjoy!


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Maple and Balsamic Vinegar Roasted Sweet Potato Frittata with Caramelized Onions, Bacon and Gruyere Cheese (Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Paleo Friendly)

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I made the BEST QUICHE EVER.  The flavor profile included a combination of sweetness from maple vinegar (that I purchased from a local olive oil specialty store), along with the salty deliciousness that only bacon can provide.  The addition of an onion caramelized in butter and maple vinegar along with copious amounts of Gruyere cheese took the quiche to the next level.  The first bite of quiche was a taste explosion in my mouth.  I was in heaven.  I made the quiche for a monthly potluck with the women from my CrossFit gym.  The ladies loved it, and one of my friend’s Becky texted me later on that night after I got home to  tell me it was hands down the  best quiche she had ever tasted.

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I should be happy about this, right?  I make an amazing quiche that everyone loves.  What could be wrong?  Well, I didn’t write down the modifications I made to the original quiche recipe I adapted from Spicy Southern Kitchen, and therefore couldn’t remember the exact steps I made to create the quiche.  I went to recreate the quiche the next week, but after the first bite I noticed that it didn’t have the same flavor.  I MADE THE PERFECT QUICHE AND COULDN’T REMEMBER HOW TO RECREATE IT.  I was absolutely horrified.  What had I done?  After I finished my dramatic hysterics, I calmed down and got to work attempting to recreate the quiche recipe.  The result is this recipe, which I am happy to share with you below.

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Maple and Balsamic Vinegar Roasted Sweet Potato Frittata with Caramelized Onions, Bacon and Gruyere Cheese

Recipe adapted from Spicy Southern Kitchen

Servings: 8-10

Ingredients:

  • one medium purple sweet potato, peeled and cubed into 1/4 inch cubes
  • one medium regular sweet potato, peeled and cubed into 1/4 inch cubes
  • 1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
  • 6-9 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 8 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 teaspoon sea salt, divided
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Place the cubed sweet potatoes in a large-sized bowl.  Add 2 tablespoons maple syrup, two tablespoons balsamic vinegar, two tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, Italian seasoning and toss to coat.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  4. Pour the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet into a single layer, and place in the oven.  Roast the sweet potatoes for 30 minutes, removing the sweet potatoes half way through to stir.
  5. Once the sweet potatoes have finished roasting, remove them from the oven and set aside.
  6. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-heat.  Add the onions to the preheated skillet, and stir until the slices are evenly coated with the butter.  Continue to stir regularly for 5 to 10 minutes until the onion slices begin to soften.
  7. Once the onion slices have softened, turn the heat to low, and continue to cook the onions, stirring every few minutes.  The onions will begin to brown and caramelize in about 35 to 45 minutes.
  8. After the onions have finished caramelizing, stir in 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, and continue cooking the onions for 3-5 more minutes before removing the skillet from the heat.
  9. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  10. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
  11. Mix together the roasted sweet potatoes, caramelized onions and bacon crumbles.
  12. In a 9 inch pie dish, layer half the sweet potato/onion/bacon mixture.  Then layer on 1/2 of the Gruyere cheese.
  13. Repeat the layer with the remaining half of the sweet potato/onion/bacon mixture and then the remaining 1/2 of the Gruyere cheese.
  14. Pour the egg and milk mixture into the pie pan over the pie filling.
  15. Line a baking pan with foil or parchment paper, and place the pie dish on the lined baking sheet.
  16. Place the dish in the middle of the oven, and bake until set, approximately 45-50 minutes.
  17. Once the frittata it is done, take out of the oven and let set for 15-20 minutes before slicing .


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Apple Cinnamon Raisin Bread with Pecans

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This recipe for Apple Cinnamon Raisin bread is sooooooo flavorful and moist, packed full of cinnamon, vanilla, shredded apples, raisins and pecans!  With the change in season just around the corner, this would be a perfect treat on a fall day, especially with a cup of hot cocoa.

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I’ve got to give a big shout out to the ladies at my office, who made the ultimate sacrifice in testing each batch of this recipe as I worked on getting it just right before sharing with you guys!  It was a group effort as each version got closer and closer to the texture and flavor I wanted.  Thankfully, the ladies at my office were willing to step up to the plate and give their feedback on each batch of bread I brought for testing.  Oh the sacrifice! 😉  Version four of the recipe finally yielded the texture and flavor I was looking for, and now I get to share the recipe with all of you!

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I love reading your feedback about the recipes you try, so please leave me a comment below sharing your thoughts!

Apple Cinnamon Raisin Bread with Pecans*

Servings: 8-12

Ingredients:

  • 1 and 1/4 cup almond flour
  • 3/4 cup tapioca flour
  • 3/4 cup apple sauce
  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1 large apple, peeled and cored
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • butter or coconut oil to grease the baking pan

Streusel topping

  • 1/4 cup almond flour
  • 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  2. Grease a 9 x 5 x 3 inch bread pan with butter or coconut oil.  Then, line the bottom of the greased pan with parchment paper.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine with almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, apple sauce and vanilla extra.  Then add in the melted butter and stir to combine.
  5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir thoroughly until the mixture is fully incorporated.
  6. Grate the apple using either a hand held grater or the grating attachment on a food processor.  Once the apple has been grated, squeeze out all excess moisture and add the grated apple to the bread batter.
  7. Add raisins and pecans to the bread batter and mix to fully combine.
  8. Pour the bread batter into the greased and lined bread pan and place in the preheated oven.  Bake the bread or 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
  9. Once the bread has finished baking, remove from the oven and set aside to cool on the counter for at least 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

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*To make this bread into muffins, use a muffin pan and fill each well approximately half way.  Then sprinkle the streusel topping over the batter.  Bake for 25-30 minutes  until a toothpick inserted into the muffin comes out clean.  The batter makes 14-16 muffins.


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Orange Honey “Soy” Chicken

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I love lifting heavy things.  Picking up a heavy dumbbell or barbell in the gym gives me a sense of accomplishment.  This love didn’t until later on in my life.  Before I started CrossFit, I was a gym bunny, taking 7-9 exercise classes a week including zumba, Krav Maga, body pump, spinning, kickboxing, step aerobics and boot camp classes.  I really enjoyed the body pump classes (an hour long strength training class focusing on different body parts for 2-3 minutes using light dumbbells and barbells), but never felt like I was getting any stronger.

I joined CrossFit back in 2011 after I moved to Oklahoma, nervous and excited but ready for a new challenge.  Fast forward over 3 years later, and know I can’t imagine a week without picking heavy things up and putting them back down.  Back squats are my all time favorite strength training movement, with front squats a close second (and dead lifts dead last on that list.  Get it?  Deadlifts?  dead last?  Okay, stop groaning, did you at least crack a smile?).

It’s also a sense of accomplishment when my strength gains at the gym show up in other areas of my life.  Telling the checkout lady at the grocery store that she can overload my bags, and then carrying all of my shopping bags from the car to the house in one trip?  Score!  Being able to move heavy objects in my house without having to call someone for help?  Yes thank you!  Lifting heavier than the guys at my gym?  Don’t mind if I do 😉

It’s also great to hang out with other women (and men) who are care about lifting heavy too!  The sense of camaraderie at gym is great, and sometimes I get just as excited about watching my friends reach their strength training goals as I do when I reach my own.

These same friends help me taste test recipes for the blog, and my taste testers have given these Orange Honey “Soy” Chicken thighs two thumbs up!

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The marinade for this chicken is a balance of sweetness from the honey and saltiness from the coconut aminos (the “soy” part of the recipe) and salt.  The addition of fresh grated ginger and minced garlic add a level of flavor that is sure to please your taste buds.

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Enjoy!  I love reading your reviews of the recipe after you’ve tried it.  Please leave a comment below sharing your results.

Orange Honey “Soy” Chicken

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 – 3 pounds of chicken thighs
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup coconut aminos
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic (approximately 4 large cloves)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

  1. Place all of the ingredients except for the chicken in a medium size bowl, and stir to combine.
  2. Place the chicken wings in a large resealable bag.
  3. Pour the marinade mixture over the chicken thighs to coat and then seal the bag tightly (making sure to remove as much of the air from the bag as possible before sealing).
  4. Refrigerate the marinated chicken thighs for 4-6 hours (can refrigerate overnight).
  5. To cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  6. using a 9 x 13 baking dish, place the chicken thighs skin side down in the dish (make sure to remove excess marinade from the chicken thighs before placing in the baking dish).
  7. Bake the chicken thighs in the oven for 20 minutes.
  8. After 20 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven, flip over so that the skin side is up, and place back in the oven.
  9. Continue cooking until chicken thighs are done, approximately 25-30 more minutes (bake until the internal temperature of the chicken thighs is approximately 185 degrees).

Inspired by the Honey Soy Baked Chicken Thighs recipe from She Wears Many Hats


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Sweet Potato and Parsnips Fritters with Bacon and Green Onions

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I invited my friends Clint and Shay over to my house for dinner a couple of weeks ago.  I met them several months ago at my local CrossFit Gym, CrossFit 405. Shay is a regular at the gym and Clint is one of the coaches on staff.  They had never been to my house for a meal before, so my goal was to make a lasting first impression.   And I did make a lasting impression that evening, but not for the reason you may think……

As it turns out my A/C stopped working that weekend, leaving my house at a sweltering 90 degrees.  I had called the utility company earlier that weekend, and they walked me through adjusting my thermostat to the right setting.  Thinking I had fixed the problem, I eagerly waited for the house to become cooler.  As it turns out, the A/C wasn’t even hooked up to the thermostat, and the problem was still glaringly apparent as I meal prepped for the week and made dinner for my guests. With my kitchen blistering hot from my all day cooking fest, and no air circulation in my house, my house was like a sauna by the time my friends had arrived.

Clint and Shay were really good sports about the entire evening, and we made do with a picnic style meal in my living room (the coolest room in my house).

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Dinner was somewhat bearable thanks to the mini fan they brought with them, but suffice to say they didn’t stay to long 😉 Wanting to make it up to them, I invited them over the next week for another meal.  With the luxury of a working A/C, we were able to have a much better evening.  Even better, these sweet potato and parsnip fritters were the star of the show!

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Clint and Shay loved the taste and texture of these fritters, reminding them somewhat of hash browns.  Plus I added bacon and cheese (optional) to the recipe, so how could it be anything but amazing?

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I’ve been working several months to get this recipe just the way I want it, so I’m very excited that I have the opportunity to finally share it with you guys.  Enjoy!

Sweet Potato and Parsnip Fritters with Bacon and Green Onions

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded
  • 2 cups parsnips, peeled and shredded
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
  • 3 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 4 slices bacon, fried and broken into crumbs
  • 1/3 cup tapioca flour
  • 4-6 tablespoons cooking fat for frying (i.e. bacon, lard, tallow, avocado oil, coconut oil, butter, etc.)
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic (approximately 4 large cloves)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions:

  1. Add all of the ingredients into a large bowl, and stir until fully incorporated.
  2. Line a large baking tray with paper towels.
  3. Add 2 tablespoons cooking fat to a large skillet and place the skillet over medium heat.
  4. Once the cooking fat has heated, place heaping scoops of the vegetable mixture (approximately 1/4 cup for each scoop) into the skillet.  Flatten the vegetable mixture down with a fork into rounds making sure that the ingredients are evenly distributed and that the fritters in the pan are not crowded.  Cook the fritters for 3 to 4 minutes on one side until browned.  Once browned, flip the fritters over and cook another 3-4 minutes.
  5. Once the fritters have cooked, remove them from the skillet and place on the paper towels to drain.  Repeat this process with the remaining vegetable mixture, using additional cooking fat as necessary to cook the fritters.


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Roasted Chicken in a Bundt Pan

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Have you ever decided to spend just a couple of minutes on instagram before bed, and then somehow you are led down a rabbit hole of pictures and then realized it’s been 45 minutes and you’re staring at some weird pictures from a friend of a friend, and wonder what in the heck your friends are into?  And it’s way past your bedtime?  And you can’t unseen what you’ve just seen?  Darn you instagram, darn you!  Okay, I digress.  Anyways, if you’ve never experienced that, you’ve got much more self-control than I, and I applaud you for your efforts.  By the way, I’m working on weaning myself off of social media, especially before I start winding down in the evening and getting ready to go to sleep.  However, as a blogger, amateur photographer and social media coordinator for my gym, it’s proving to be somewhat difficult.

In addition to following my friends, fellow food bloggers, CrossFit related pages, manbunmonday (just look it up, trust me ladies you’ll thank me), and fashion, I also follow some more mainstream instagram pages like Food and Wine.  I love their pictures and short cooking video tips.  One of their more recent videos was a tutorial on how to roast chicken in a bundt pan.  After watching the video, I wondered how I had never heard of this cooking technique before.  I immediately set out to try it, and discovered that it’s a total game changer.  Now I’m excited to share this method for roasting chicken with you.

I’m sure some of you are wondering what could possibly be a benefit to roasting chicken in a tool meant for baking angel food cake?  Well, I’m here to rock your world.  Okay, may not exactly rock your world, but at least offset your center of balance with a slight breeze.

Roasting chicken in a bundt pan allows the skin to get crispy on all sides, leaving you with a crispy flaky skin on the outside and moist and tender meat on the inside.  Adding vegetables to the bundt pan makes this a one pot meal that’s easy to prep and cook.

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This chicken has gotten rave reviews, and people are pleasantly surprised by the text and flavor.  I’d love for you guys to try it out.  It may be become your new favorite way of roasting chicken.  I’d love to hear your experience in using this technique.  Please leave your results in the comments below!

Roasted Chicken in a Bundt Pan

Ingredients:

  • 3 1/2 – 4 pound whole chicken, neck and giblets removed
  • 1 – 1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, quartered
  • 1/2 large onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 lemon
  • 3 tablespoons cooking fat (i.e., olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil)
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (approximately 5 cloves)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Place the chicken on a paper lined plate and allow the chicken to come to room temperature, approximately 1 hour (this helps the chicken to cook evenly, and also helps the skin get even more crispy).
  3. 15 minutes before the chicken is ready, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  4. In a small bowl, mix together the thyme, oregano, basil, black pepper, paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper (if using), 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt (reserving 1/2 teaspoon salt), 3/4 teaspoon black pepper (reserving 1/4 teaspoon black pepper) minced garlic and cooking fat to form a smooth paste.
  5. In a medium size bowl add the quartered new potatoes and the roughly chopped onion.  Add 1 tablespoon of cooking fat, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper to the bowl and toss the vegetables to coat.
  6. Rub the spice paste all over the front and back of the chicken and underneath the skin as well, making sure that the entire chicken is fully coated.
  7. Cut the lemon in half and place the halves into the bird cavity.
  8. Place a bundt pan next to the chicken.  Take a sheet of foil, fold it in half, and cover the hole in the center of the bundt pan with the foil so that the juices from the bird don’t drip through the hole while the chicken is roasting in the oven.
  9. Here is where you have two options.  If you have a larger bundt pan, evenly distribute the vegetables in the bottom of the bundt pan.  Then place the chicken on top in the center of the bundt pan, making sure that the foil covering the center stays in place.  If you have a smaller bundt pan, place the chicken over the center of the bundt pan, with the chicken cavity over the middle piece so that the chicken is anchored.  Then evenly distribute the potatoes and onions around the bird.  Since a smaller bundt pan means a shorter center, you’ll need to place the chicken in the bundt pan before the vegetables or you may have difficulty keeping the bird upright.
  10. Place the bundt pan with the chicken in the oven, and roast for 75-90 minutes until the chicken is done (the chicken is done when the breast reaches and internal temperature of about 165 degrees  and the thighs reach an internal temperature of about 180 degrees).
  11. Remove chicken from oven and let rest for several minutes before cutting into it.  Serve the roasted chicken with the potatoes and onions.


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Honey, Lime and Garlic Chicken Wings

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Honey. Check. Lime. Check.  Garlic.  Check.  The results; a marinade for chicken wings that results in a sweet and spicy dish with just a hint of heat from the addition of red pepper flakes.

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I went to the grocery store a couple of weeks ago looking for new salad dressings to try out.  Sometimes I get into a food rut, and I wanted to branch out from my usual go to salad dressing of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Unfortunately, most of the store bought dressing options included ingredients that I don’t consume on a regular basis as part of a Paleo/Primal/clean eating diet, such as soybean and canola oil, soy sauce and cane sugar.  However, several of the ingredients in the salad dressings; specifically honey, sesame oil, and garlic, peaked my interest, and gave me the idea to create a recipe for chicken marinade using those ingredients as part of the marinade recipe. After a couple of tweaks to the recipe and some trial and error, the end result is this delicious recipe for Honey, Lime and Garlic Chicken Wings.  Enjoy!

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Honey, Lime and Garlic Chicken Wings Servings: serves 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds of chicken wings
  • 1/4 cup sesame oil
  • 1/4 cup coconut aminos
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (approximately 3 large cloves)
  • 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions:

  1. Place the chicken wings in a large bowl.  Sprinkle sea salt and pepper on the chicken wings, and toss to evenly coat.
  2. Place the chicken wings in a large resealable bag.
  3. Place the remaining ingredients in a medium size bowl, and whisk  thoroughly to combine.
  4. Pour the marinade mixture over the chicken to coat and seal the bag tightly (making sure to remove as much of the air from the bag as possible before sealing).
  5. Refrigerate the marinated chicken for 4-6 hours (can refrigerate overnight).
  6. To cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  7. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil.  Place a cooling rack over the aluminum foil.
  8. Place the chicken wings in a single layer on the cooling rack.
  9. Bake the chicken in the oven for 25 minutes.
  10. After 25 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven, flip over, and place back in the oven.
  11. Continue cooking the chicken wings until wings are cooked through, approximately 25 minutes more.


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Slow Cooker Chili

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Peanut butter, sugar, beer, pickle juice and chocolate.  What doe these things have in common?  These are some of the things people swear by when making chili.  I was somewhat surprised by the type and variety of ingredients people add to their chili recipes when doing research to create my own slow cooker chili recipe.  In addition to the ingredients mentioned above, I also viewed recipes that called for coffee, masa (made from corn and used as thickener to get chili to desired consistency), cinnamon, corn and siracha sauce.

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Chili is a versatile dish that can be created a variety of ways.  I’ve seen recipes for southwest chicken chili, beef and butternut squash chili, chipotle steak chili, turkey and bean chili, bison chili and vegetarian chili.  No matter what your preference, there is a chili recipe out there to please your taste buds.  As far as chili recipes go, I’m a chili purist; I like to use traditional ingredients found in standard chili recipes (you won’t find pickle juice or siracha sauce in the slow cooker chili recipe) and hold firmly to the belief that there should be no beans in a bowl of chili.  This has less to do with the ongoing discussions within the Paleo/Primal community regarding consumption of legumes as part of a healthy diet.  I’m less concerned with this issue, and more concerned with beans ruining my meaty bowl of goodness.  As Texas chili champ Wick Fowler so eloquently stated, “If you know beans about chili, you know that chili has no beans.”

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No matter what your chili persuasion, I think you’ll love this recipe!  Allowing the ingredients to cook low and slow in the slow cooker results in a thick, smoky, flavorful bowl of chili.  I like to prep this chili on Saturday night, adding all of the ingredients into the slow cooker before heading to bed.  When I wake up the next morning, it is ready (making my Sunday morning meal prep a breeze)!

Enjoy, and please feel free to share in the comments below if you try this recipe!

Are you team beans or team no beans?

Slow Cooker Chili

Servings: serves 6-8

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1/2 pound bacon, sliced
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 green bell  pepper, diced
  • 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 6 ounce can tomato paste
  • 4.5 ounce can chopped green chilies
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 8 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions:

  1. Pre-heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add bacon slices to the skillet to cook, flipping once halfway through.  Fry bacon until just crispy.
  2. While the bacon is cooking, line a large plate with paper towels.  Once the bacon is finished cooking, remove skillet from heat and place the bacon slices on the paper lined plate to drain.  Once the bacon has cooled and is safe to handle, crumble the bacon into small pieces.
  3. Pour the excess bacon grease from the skillet into a small bowl, reserving 1 tablespoon of the grease in the skillet.
  4. Place the skillet back on the stove over medium heat.  Warm 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon grease in the skillet.  Add the diced onion and peppers to the skillet, and sautee for approximately 8-10 minutes until the vegetables have softened.  Once the vegetables have finished cooking, add them to the bowl of the slow cooker.
  5. Place the skillet back on the stove over medium to medium-high heat.  Warm 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon grease in the skillet.  Add the chuck roast cubes and sear the meat until browned, stirring occasionally to make sure that the chunks don’t stick together while browning.  Once the meat has browned, remove the skillet from the heat and add the meat to the bowl of the slow cooker.
  6. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl of the slow cooker, and mix until thoroughly combined.
  7. Cover the bowl of the slow cooker with the lid, and cook on low for 10-12 hours.
  8. Once the chili has finished cooking, ladle the chili into serving bowls and top with your favorite chili fixings (i.e. cheddar cheese, cilantro, diced red onion, sour cream, etc.)

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Yellow Squash, Fried Shallot and Bacon Quiche

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Some things are just meant to go together; milk and cookies, chocolate and peanut butter, bacon and well, pretty much everything!  I’ve been wanting to make another quiche recipe for a while.  I just love the way a quiche allows different ingredients to come together in combination with eggs and coconut milk to create unique and incredible flavor combinations.  In my first forage into making a quiche, I created a recipe for Balsamic Vinegar Glazed Caramelized Onion, Bacon and goat Cheese Quiche.  The recipe for it can be found here.  As it turns out, by making this new recipe, I can add another group of foods that are definitely meant to go together, yellow squash, fried shallots and bacon.

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When I first came up with this recipe, I planned on using zucchini as the base of the quiche.  In fact, the first two times I made this quiche, I used zucchini.  However, when I went to the grocery store to buy the ingredients to make the recipe for the third time as part of my recipe development, I learned that the store hadn’t gotten in their daily shipment of vegetables that morning.  In a fit of genius inspiration (and the fact that I didn’t want to go to another grocery store to shop for food), I decided to grab two yellow squash as a substitute for the zucchini.  For most people, yellow squash and zucchini are interchangeable, and there isn’t suppose to be much, if any, type of difference is flavor.  Therefore, I wasn’t to concerned about the swap.  But when I used the yellow squash in the recipe, for some explainable reason, the flavor of the quiche turned out even better.  I’m not sure if  the difference in taste was psychological, or the grocery store had a really good shipment of yellow squash over the past couple of weeks, but the results of this squash swap turned out pretty great, if I do say so myself.  I got third party confirmation of the better taste of this quiche from two of my friends, so my results are obviously steeped in heavy scientific research and are completely legitimate ;).

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This recipe calls for a pre-made pie crust.  My go to recipe for a gluten-free pie crust can be found in Danielle Walker’s Paleo cookbook Against All Grain (one of my favorite cookbooks for amazing Paleo, Primal, gluten-free and grain-free recipes).  There are many Paleo friendly pie crust recipes available.  Check out this almond flour pie crust from Elena’s Pantry, or this recipe for a savory pie crust from the Grain Free Kitchen.

This quiche would be perfect for breakfast or dinner.  I served this quiche alongside pan roasted asparagus, and it made for a scrumptious and filling meal.

Please let me know your results in making this recipe by leaving a comment below.  I really enjoy reading about your experiences in making the recipes I share!

Yellow Squash, Fried Shallot and Bacon Quiche

Servings: serves 6-8

Ingredients:

  • pre-made pie crust
  • 2 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced
  • 7 eggs
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese (optional)
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 4 slices bacon
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions:

  1. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
  2. While the oil is heating, line two plates with power towels.
  3. Once the oil in the skillet is hot, add the shallots and fry for approximately 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently while they cook until the shallots begin to brown.
  4. Once the shallots have browned, remove the skillet from the heat, and scoop the shallots out of the oil on place on one of the paper towel lined plates in order to get rid of the excess oil.  Once the shallots have drained and cooled, crumble them into smaller pieces and set aside.
  5. In a separate large skillet, add 4 slices of bacon.  Place the skillet on the stove, and cook the bacon on medium heat until the bacon is cooked through to desired consistency (I like my bacon cooked just until slightly crispy).  Remove the skillet from the heat, and place the bacon in the second paper towel lined plate in order to drain the bacon grease.  Once the bacon has cooled, crumble the bacon into small pieces and set aside.
  6. Wipe down the large skillet used to fry the bacon, and place the skillet back on the stove over medium-high heat.  Once the skillet has heated, add 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet and allow the butter to melt.
  7. Add the minced garlic to the skillet, and sauté in the melted butter for 15 to 20 seconds.  Then add the yellow squash to the pan, and continue to sauté the yellow squash and garlic over medium-high heat until the yellow squash becomes tender, approximately 5-7 minutes.  Remove the skillet from the heat and allow the squash to cool slightly.
  8. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  9. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
  10. Add the coconut milk to the egg mixture, and whisk further to throughly combine.
  11. Add the mozzarella to the egg mixture, and stir to incorporate (if using cheese).
  12. Lay the yellow squash all along the bottom of the pie crust, making sure that the yellow squash is evenly layered.
  13. Next sprinkle the fried shallots evenly over the squash.  Then sprinkle the bacon over the fried shallots.
  14. Pour the egg/coconut/mozzarella cheese mixture into the pie pan over the pie filling.
  15. Line a baking sheet with foil.  Place the pie dish in the middle of the baking sheet,  and cover the top of the quiche with foil (make sure the foil is tented over the quiche so that the foil does not touch the top of the quiche before it goes into the oven, or else the foil will stick to the top and be difficult to remove – learned that the hard way).
  16. Place the baking sheet with the quiche in the middle of the oven, and bake the quiche covered, for 45 minutes.
  17. After 45 minutes,  remove the baking tray from the oven and take off the foil from the top of the quiche.
  18. Place the baking tray back in the oven and continue cooking the quiche for 15-20 minutes.  Once it is done baking, take the baking tray out of the oven and let the quiche cool on the counter for for 5-10 minutes before serving.
  19. Eat up!