Paleo Spaghetti with Grass Fed Meat Sauce

Before going Paleo, I would have pasta at least once a week. Spaghetti was a cheap and easy dinner to throw together in a hurry. After going Paleo, I tried spaghetti squash as a pasta substitute for Italian dishes and found it to be delicious! There is debate on how to cook spaghetti squash. Some say to cut it in half first, scoop out the seeds, and then roast it in the oven. I find it difficult to cut it when raw and roast it whole instead. With the variety of pasta sauces and recipes out there today, you have endless options to make a meat sauce. Just remember to use grass fed beef, gluten free and preservative free past sauce to make this Paleo classic.

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash (3-4 pounds)
1 pound ground grass fed beef
1 jar natural pasta sauce (I used Mezzetta Napa Valley Bistro Pasta Sauce)
3 large cloves fresh garlic minced
1 medium sweet onion diced
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Method:
1.) Pre heat oven to 375 degrees. Wash spaghetti squash and poke wholes all over squash. Place squash in large baking pan and pour water up to 1 inch into pan. Roast squash in oven for 1 hour. Turn squash and roast for 30-45 more minutes or until outside skin in golden brown and squash is soft. (You can cook it for a longer or shorter amount of time depending on how "chewy" you want your squash). Let cool for 30 minutes before cutting open.
2.) In a large skillet, add 1 teaspoon EVOO, garlic and onions. Sauté for 5 minutes over medium high heat. Add in ground beef and cook until browned.
3.) In a medium sized pot, add 1 jar of pasta sauce (or make your own). Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add in ground beef and continue simmering for 15 minutes.
4.) Cut spaghetti squash in half. Using a large spoon, scoop out seeds and throw away. Take a fork and "rake" down the sides of the squash forming "noodle" like strands. Place squash in bowl, add sea salt and 2 tablespoons of grass fed butter or EVOO. Toss to coat. Serve sauce over spaghetti squash.
*Make it Primal by serving fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top and grass fed cottage cheese on the side.

Almond Cashew Baked Chicken Tenders with Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce

Lately I have been having cravings for chicken strips! Most all chicken strips you buy at the store or order when eating out consist of thick breading, fried in grease with little meat. For my Paleo chicken strips, I use crunchy Almonds and Cashews as the "breading" and then bake the strips in the oven to savory perfection. Sweet and spicy dipping sauce made of raw honey and Sriracha is the perfect dip to pair with these meaty treats!

Ingredients:
1.5 pounds of fresh chicken breast (cut into strips and chunks)
1 large omega-3 egg
1 cup raw cashews (finely crushed using a food processor)
1/2 cup sliced raw almonds
1/2 tablespoon coconut flour
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Method:
1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the crushed cashews, almonds, coconut flour, and seasonings. In a medium sized bowl, add egg and whisk.
2.) Working in small batches, first dip chicken into egg and then roll in nut mixture. Place on greased baking sheet. Once all the chicken is coated in the nut mixture, place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Flip chicken once half-way through baking. Remove from oven and serve with dipping sauce.

Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce

In a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons raw, unfiltered honey. Add in 1 teaspoon of garlic and chili Sriracha (more or less to your liking). Add in 1/8 teaspoon wheat free Tamri (optional). Mix together and serve.

*Shown with Paleo raw honey mustard sauce

Italian Dressing Marinated Grilled Chicken

Fresh chicken breast marinated in Italian dressing and then grilled is a simple way to make chicken delicious! Unfortunately, most all store bought Italian dressings are full of scary ingredients and preservatives. My recipe for home-made Paleo Italian dressing is a perfect marinade for full flavored, juicy chicken minus the junk found in store bought dressing. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh chicken breast

Dressing:

3/4 cup EVOO

1/4 Roasted garlic red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon celery salt

Sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste

Method:

1.) In a larger bowl, combine EVOO, red wine vinegar and all seasonings. Whisk together until well mixed.

2.) Add chicken breast to dressing mixture, toss to coat and cover with a lid or foil. Place in refrigerator for at least 4-8 hours or overnight.

3.) Pre-heat grill on high. Remove chicken from refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking. Grill chicken over medium-high heat for 7-8 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through. 

4.) Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Creamy Primal Chicken and Sweet Potato Bake

Fall is here and it's my favorite time of year. The weather is perfect for rich and hearty dishes that taste of comfort. This is a quick and delicious chicken bake that combines hearty vegetables with creamy goodness. Perfect for a cold night or when you are in need of comfort food, this primal chicken recipe will do the trick.

Ingredients:
1.5 pounds of fresh chicken breast diced
2 medium Japanese purple sweet potatoes (or any sweet potato) diced
1 cup fresh button mushrooms sliced
2 1/2 cups fresh green beans diced (steamed in microwave for 2 minutes)
1 tablespoon diced sweet pimento pepper
1 sweet onion diced and caramelized in grass fed butter
1 can Amy's organic gluten free soup (vegetable)
8 oz all natural sour cream (Daisy brand)
1 teaspoon Kame Fish Sauce
1 cup grated grass fed cheese (Mozzarella)
Seasoning (garlic powder, chili powder, sea salt, black pepper, poultry seasoning, red pepper flakes)

Method:
1.) Pre heat oven to 400 degrees. In a 9x13 glass baking dish, place diced sweet potatoes evenly on the bottom.
2.) Place diced chicken in large bowl and season with 1/2 teaspoon of each spice. Next add in mushrooms, green beans, pimento pepper, onion, soup, sour cream, and fish sauce. Stir together until all ingredients are mixed.
3.) Pour chicken mixture evenly over sweet potatoes in baking dish. Top with cheese and cover with foil.
4.) Cook for 45-1 hour, or until chicken is done and sweet potatoes are tender. Remove foil for last 5 minutes of cooking time.

Asian Cashew Chicken Wraps with Spicy Mushroom Egg Drop Soup

Typical Asian chicken wraps are made with a rich peanut sauce and served in lettuce cups. My Paleo version uses savory cashew butter as the sauce base and crunchy Napa cabbage for the wrap. Topped with toasted cashews and served alongside an egg drop soup, this is a quick and satisfying weeknight meal.

Asian Cashew Chicken Wraps

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh ground chicken breast
3 green onions (diced up to 2 inches of green)
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 tablespoons shredded carrot
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/4 cup raw cashew butter (if cold, warm up)
1 tablespoon Tamri
1 teaspoon Sriracha Chili Garlic Sauce (more or less to taste)
1 tablespoon unfiltered apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon chicken stock
1 head Napa cabbage
2 tablespoons raw cashews toasted

Method:
1.) In a large cast iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon EV Coconut oil over medium high heat. Add in garlic, ginger, ground chicken, carrots, and green onions. Cook until chicken in brown (about 10 minutes).
2.) Meanwhile, mix together cashew butter, Tamri, apple cider vinegar, Sriracha, and chicken stock in a small bowl. Add mixture to cooked chicken, mix well and remove from heat.
3.) Serve chicken in Napa cabbage leaves and top with toasted cashews.

Spice Mushroom Egg Drop Soup

Ingredients:
1 carton organic gluten free chicken stock
1 egg whisked in small bowl
3 green onions diced (up to 2 inches of green) *Reserve a few onions to garnish on top
1 cup mixed mushrooms (Shiitake, Oyster, Cantrell) thinly sliced
1 clove garlic minced
1 teaspoon Tamri
Red pepper flakes to taste

Method:
1.) Combine onions, garlic, red pepper flakes and mushrooms in a medium sized pot with 1 teaspoon of EVOO. Cook over medium heat for 4 minutes, or until garlic is tender.
2.) Add in chicken stock and Tamri and bring to a slow boil.
3.) Reduce soup to a simmer. With a spoon, slowly stir the soup and pour in the eggs. The eggs should form into "noodle" like shapes.
4.) Remove from heat and garnish with fresh green onion.

Venison Sausage Hash Scramble

My Dad hunts deer every season and loves to make smoked venison sausage. After a recent trip home, I was given several pounds of venison sausage, sealed in freezer proof  bags. One morning after discovering I had used up all the bacon, I decided to try the venison sausage for our breakfast protein. The venison seared up nicely and went well with the sweet potatoes. This delicious breakfast hash scramble is a great change up to the everyday bacon and eggs.

Ingredients:
1 cup sliced fresh pre-cooked venison sausage
6 omega-3 rich eggs (whisked together in a bowl)
1 medium sweet potato diced
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Method:
1.) Heat 1 tablespoon of EVOO or Grass Fed Butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add in sweet potatoes and cook for 8-10 minutes.
2.) Add in sausage. Cook for 4 minutes, flipping regularly.
3.) Add in eggs, reduce heat to low and continue cooking until eggs are done. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Country Style Pork Ribs

If you are craving ribs, but are wanting more meat and less work, give country style boneless ribs a try.  By precooking the ribs, you are able to achieve tender and juicy meat minus the bone. Add the smokey taste of a grill and charred on BBQ sauce to make these ribs taste amazing.

Ingredients:
1 pound hormone free country style boneless pork ribs
Rib seasoning (1 teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, chili powder and sea salt)
1/2 cup Gluten Free Spicy BBQ Sauce

Method:
1.) Pre heat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl combine all seasonings together. Dry the ribs and generously rub the seasoning on the ribs. Place 1 tablespoon of EVOO in a large Dutch oven. Heat over medium high heat. Sear each rib for 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Add 1/4 cup of water to Dutch oven.
2.) Place lid on Dutch oven and continue slow cooking in oven for 1 hour 30 minute or until ribs are tender.
3.) Heat grill over medium high heat. Once hot, add cooked ribs to grill. Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes or until grill marks appear. Baste each rib with BBQ sauce during last minutes of cooking.