Deviled Chicken Salad

This is currently our favorite lunch! I layer this yummy chicken salad on top of spring mix and sliced tomatoes, and it's to die for! JayC wants it everyday for his lunch, so I have to double it when I make it so it lasts a couple days at a time. I got the recipe from Mealpod.


Deviled Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• 12 oz chicken breast, cooked and cubed
• 3 hardboiled eggs, chopped
• 1 cup celery, finely chopped
• 6 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 bunch green onion, diced finely (optional)
• salt and fresh ground pepper

Cube chicken and put it in mixing bowl. Add and mix in your chopped eggs, celery and green onions, if using. Fold in mayonnaise and mustard, mix gently until well distributed. Add salt and pepper to taste. This makes about 3 cups of salad. You could even use this for sandwiches, if you like. Yummy!

Tomato Basil and Mozzarella Salad

We had this as an appetizer at an Italian restaurant we went to a couple years ago. It was spectacular! They served it with a basil pesto to dip the tomatoes and mozzarella and bread into. Well, since we don't eat much bread around here, I prefer to make it this way. We love it, especially on hot summer days when I don't want to turn on the oven!

Tomato Basil and Mozzarella Salad

Ingredients:

• 4-6 medium sized tomatoes (I prefer Roma tomatoes.)
• 1 lb mozzarella cheese (At Wal-mart, I buy the pre-sliced block of it for about $5, but you can probably find it for cheaper outside of California!)
• 1/4 cup shredded fresh basil leaves ( You could use dried, but you'd be missing out on great flavor!)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt, pepper and garlic salt to taste

Slice tomatoes and layer them with slices of mozzarella on a serving dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic salt. Sprinkle with fresh shredded basil. Drizzle with olive oil and serve! Serves 4-6 (about one tomato per person, but JayC and I eat this all by ourselves. :)

Sausage Quiche

This is one of our favorite recipes that I make at least once every 2 weeks. It's so yummy, especially with some Louisiana hot sauce on top. I've tried a lot of crustless quiche recipes, but this one is the creamiest and I love the flavor the sausage gives it. Great for breakfast or dinner! I got this from Linda's Low Carb website.

Sausage Quiche

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pork sausage, browned
• 8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• dash of pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• dash crushed red pepper (I added this, cuz it mades it so yummy!)

Brown your sausage and place it in the bottom of a large pie plate or an 8x8 casserole dish. Top with cheese. Beat the eggs, salt and pepper, and then beat in the cream. Slowly pour the egg mixture evenly over the sausage and cheese. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand about 10 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!

Fire Roasted Bacon Meatloaf

I got this meatloaf recipe from http://civilizedcavemancooking.com./ This is so yummy! I've always loved meatloaf, but I never thought of putting things like tomatoes and peppers and bacon in it! The flavor is out of this world! Don't let its looks fool you!

Fire Roasted Bacon Meatloaf

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs grass fed ground beef (original recipe called for only one, but I think 2 works better)
• 1 lb bacon, chopped
• 14 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 bell pepper, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 tbsp oregano
• 1/2 tbsp sea salt
• pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400. Mince your veggies and add everything into a large bowl. Use your hands to mix well and ensure even distribution of ingredients. You can form a loaf and put it in a bread pan, or just put it into a glass pyrex dish, which is what I did. You could even make it into meatballs.

Bake for an hour and make sure it's cooked through, especially the bacon. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before you serve. Enjoy!

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are amazingly delicious! I don't think anyone could ever tell that these are not regular unhealthy cookies, but rather made with almond flour and maple syrup. Yum!


Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies


Ingredients:

• 3 cups almond flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil or melted coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl, then mix wet ingredients in another bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir well or use an electric mixer to combine. Measure tablespoons of the cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, or until they no longer look wet. I was able to make 2 dozen cookies. Enjoy! (This one even fooled my four-year-old, because I used semisweet chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate chips.)

I adapted this recipe from The Primitive Foodie.  

Slow Roasted Lemon Chicken

This is a super easy recipe that I've made a couple times on Sunday morning for dinner after church. It turns out so yummy. I got the idea from a couple of different websites, but I just threw it together really quickly from what I had in my head. So here's my version. I call it:

Slow Roasted Lemon Chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole free range chicken
1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced
sage
salt
pepper


Rinse your chicken with water, pat dry with paper towels, and place into your slow cooker. Poke the lemon several times with a fork and place inside the chicken. Then mince your garlic and place that inside the chicken with the lemon. Sprinkle the chicken pretty heavily with dried or fresh sage until it's all evenly covered. Then salt and pepper to taste.  Cook on low for 8 hours in the slow cooker. When you're ready to serve, slice and place servings of chicken onto a plate and spoon some of the yummy lemony broth onto the chicken servings to moisten. Serve with a nice salad, or with tomato and avocado slices. Yum! 

My chicken was so beautiful this last Sunday. I should have taken a picture, but, unfortunately, I did not! This time also, my chicken was a little dry. I think if I cook it with the breast facing down, it should be more moist as it will cook in its own broth.

Smoky Bacon Chili

I got this recipe from PaleOMG, but I omitted the sweet potatoes, because I don't think you need them. The chili is awesome by itself. This is my new favorite chili recipe, and it may just be my favorite of all time. It could definitely hold its own in a chili cook-off! It's primal, so there's no beans, but you don't miss them. JayC invited one of his work buddies to come and have chili with us and play some games, and even he agreed it was awesome! (He even had seconds, so it must be good!) So here ya go. Enjoy! It is spicy, so you can adjust the spices if you need to, but that's why I liked it so much.


Smoky Bacon Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 6 slices of bacon, cubed (I used a whole package and didn't regret it once!)
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 14-oz can fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp chili powder 
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (Obviously, add less if you want it less spicy.)
• salt and pepper, to taste

  Get out a large pot, add your cubed bacon and let it cook down until good and crunchy. While the bacon is cooking, chop all of your veggies. When the bacon is good and crisp, add your veggies and let cook for 6 minutes or so, then add your ground beef and all the spices.
   Once the beef is browned, add your tomato sauce and fire roasted tomatoes. Mix well and let all the flavors meld together while cooking on low for the next 8 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. (I had the stove on medium high the whole time and it worked great.)  This yields about 4 large adult servings. We put a dollop of sour cream and some sliced avocado on top, and it was delicious! Next time we have a ward chili cook-off, I'll probably double it and add a couple cans of kidney beans. Yum!

Pepper Jack Chicken

This is my easy version of Southwestern Chicken that I have adapted from a few other recipes that I've tried. I think this one is finally perfection! I call it Pepper Jack Chicken, because I used pepper jack cheese, which turned out so yummy. Plus it's so simple and quick to make.



Pepper Jack Chicken

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast (free range or organic is best!)
• 2-3 Tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
• Pepper Jack cheese, sliced
• 1-2 cups of salsa
• sour cream

 Put the oil in a large skillet on the stove and heat on medium high. Season your chicken with salt and pepper and cook until cooked through. We like it pretty well done, so I leave it to cook until it's browned a little bit and soaks up all the oil. Then put a slice of pepper jack cheese on each piece of chicken and cover for 3 to 4 minutes to allow the cheese to melt. While your cheese is melting, warm up the salsa in the microwave.

Place a piece of cheesy chicken on each of your plates and cover with salsa and then a dollop of sour cream. I also like to slice up an avocado, one half for each plate, and a few slices of tomato, and serve immediately. Enjoy!   

Okay, so my last post of chocolate cake probably wasn't the best way to represent eating primally! But it sure is a nice treat for birthdays and other special events without going too far off track. It just kind of goes to show that it's super easy to eat a little bit better than buying a cake full of preservatives and who knows what else at the grocery store. I like to know exactly what I'm eating!

I feel like I should clarify that we are definitely not perfect at following the primal blueprint. We are doing the best we can, but even so there are days when we "cheat" and eat something like <gasp> a hamburger with a bun! Or even JayC's Dr. Pepper on Friday night game nights. I know, shocking, isn't it? But our rule, and Mark Sisson talks about this in his book, is to follow the unwritten 80% rule. If you plan on eating this way 100% of the time, you'll probably actually make it 80% of the time, and that's okay! So we don't feel too bad when it happens, because sometimes it just does. And we all know that perfection isn't going to come in this life, right?

Today's recipe is going to be an awesome recipe for salmon burgers that I made a couple nights ago. Man, they're delicious! I was actually kind of shocked by how wonderful they were, and they are going in my permanent recipe book. The nice thing too is that you can use any kind of fish that you want. I would suggest using salmon or tuna, although wild salmon is a little more pricy than tuna, but it is so tasty. This recipe comes from a wonderful website called chowstalker.com. This website is awesome, because it posts primal/paleo recipes from tons of other websites that are good. So I get a lot of my recipes from there. (Paleo is basically the same thing as primal, except that paleo doesn't allow you to eat dairy products at all. I think primal is much better, cuz we can't live without dairy!) The creator of this recipe is by Frugal Jen on TheFrugalLowCarber.com, although I have made some changes to it according to my tastes.


Low Carb Fish Cakes (OR Salmon Patties) With Dill Sauce


Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 Tbsp dried onion flakes
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp dill 
• 2 tsp parsley
• 3 5-7 oz cans of tuna or salmon, well drained.
• 1/4 cup flax meal  (I find this in the cereal aisle at Wal-mart next to the granola.)

 (Depending on how many you want to make, the important thing to remember is use 1 egg to every 5-7 ounces of fish. I used a 14.5 oz can of salmon, so used 2 eggs and it made 5 patties.)

Directions:

1. Whisk the eggs with a fork in a large mixing bowl. Add the seasonings and mix well. (We’re starting with the eggs and seasonings so the dried onion can start absorbing some moisture.)
2. Stir in the fish until the fish is evenly distributed in the egg mixture.
3. Mix in 1/4 cup of the flax meal. Start by using a fork, then move on to kneading with your hands. The mixture will begin to feel a bit more “stiff” under your hands. Knead until the texture of the mixture is even throughout.
4. You may need a little more flax meal, but not much. You want a fairly loose patty that holds together but still feels moist. A mixture that’s dry and “tight” will become too dense and gummy when cooked. Knead in just enough flax meal, then form the mixture into 8-10 patties.
5. Put some cooking oil (I prefer coconut oil) in a large skillet and heat it over medium heat. Place patties in the skillet (you’ll only be able to fit 4-6 at a time). Cook until medium brown on one side, then flip them and brown the other side. (I let them cook until they were a little crispy.)Place on a paper-towel lined plate when done.
6. Add more oil to the skillet as needed between batches. After all the patties have been cooked, move immediately into making the dill sauce (if using).

Yield: 8-10 patties.

Nutritional Information:For the tuna version, each of eight patties contains approximately 2.5 g carbohydrates, 1.5 g fiber, 1.0 g net carbs, 22.4 g protein, 4.1 g fat, and 140.8 calories.

Dill Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup cream
• 1 tsp dill
• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Turn heat to low, and add the sour cream. Stir to loosen any leftover fish bits and make them part of the sauce. (I didn't really have any leftover bits, but mix with any leftover coconut oil.)
2. Add cream to taste and stir again. A smaller amount of cream will give you a thicker sauce that may need to be served on the side, but it will allow the flavor of the sour cream to come through in the final product. A larger amount of cream will give a thinner sauce that can be used like gravy, but it will weaken the taste of the sour cream. (We used it like a gravy and JayC really loved it.)
3. Add the dill and salt. Stir again and remove from heat.

Yield: 1/2 – 3/4 cup of sauce.

Yummy! I served this with a side of steamed broccoli, and it was a meal we will repeat often. Next time we make them, I'll have to take a picture!

"I Can't Believe It's Primal" Chocolate Cake

  I think it's appropriate that the first primal dessert recipe I post is this cake I made for my baby's first birthday a few weeks ago. Not only did it look awesome and gourmet, but it tasted amazing also! I was very pleasantly surprised! My four-year-old saw right through it and didn't like it the first try, but his second try he ate the whole piece. I think he'll get there! (Or maybe it's even better the next day?) Of course if you're used to eating chocolate cakes with flour and refined sugar, then you're definitely going to notice a difference, but I've never been a huge fan of chocolate cake and loved this. So here goes...

I got this recipe from Emily's blog Joyful Abode. She made it up, and I must say I'm super impressed by her skills! I can't claim this recipe as mine, even though I made a couple changes here and there, because it's just that amazing to me that it actually works! She calls it Grain Free Gluten Free Chocolate Cake, but I call it:

I Can't Believe It's Primal Chocolate Cake


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix:

• 1 cup peanut butter (or almond butter)
• 6 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/ 4  cup cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract

After you've mixed these, taste to adjust the amount of honey or cocoa you want. If you want it sweeter or less bitter add more or less to your personal taste.

Then add:

• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp lemon juice.

Pour batter into an 8x8 round or square buttered or sprayed cake pan, then bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Emily said to do 25 minutes, but my cake was still raw in the middle, so I put it back in the oven for about 15-20 minutes longer before the toothpick finally came out clean.) Turn onto a cooling rack when you take it out of the oven. While cooling, make Ganache for the topping.

Dark Chocolate Ganache

 Mix a few Tbsp butter with a cup or so of dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate.

 Microwave about 30 seconds, then remove and stir. Microwave in 10 second increments, stirring each time, until all chocolate is melted smooth.

 Then pour in heavy cream a little at a time, stirring to completely combine after each addition, until the ganache reaches the consistency you want. (You don't want it to be too runny. I think I only put 2 or 3 Tbsp in.)

 When the cake is completely cool, spread the ganache on it with a spatula and put it in the fridge (if you like it cold). It hardens on the cake, so you can do cute little designs and it will still be there when it cools.  Enjoy!
  

Here we go Primal!

 Yep, folks, we've gone Primal. For the last month and a half or so, I've been studying a lot about the "primal" way of eating. If you know us, you know that JayC and I had a rough last year with all our health problems. JayC has a hernia that has never stopped giving him pain, even after three surgeries. (Yep, THREE, and I no longer wonder why I've always had an aversion to doctors...) Also, JayC has a little bit of a gut that sticks out and he has the constant stress of having to lose weight for the military. I've had my own problems with major back pain, which have come and gone since June of last year. Thanks to a couple of great chiropractors, I'm now mostly pain free, but I have flare-ups now and then, which makes it hard to function normally as a mother of two young children. Anyway, so we have our reasons, but mostly I just want a better, healthier life for me and my family. I want to wake up in the morning feeling energized and I don't want to be addicted to sugar anymore. I want to have more motivation to exercise to help strengthen the muscles in my back to prevent future pain. I also want to lose weight and get back to the size I was when I was in college!

 In my search, I found a book called The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson, and it explains exactly the way I want to eat and the life I want to live, so we're giving it a try. I would highly suggest checking out his ideas on marksdailyapple.com and getting a better idea of what eating primal is. Basically, he suggests we should be eating like the cavemen did: high protein, low carb (besides lots of healthy fruit and vegetables), and lots of healthy fats. Forget eating processed foods (including bread), low fat, and all junk food, because that's the stuff that got us where we are today. Here's Mark's Primal Blueprint Food Pyramid:


 So basically, that's the scoop on why we're doing this, and I feel like it's not just a diet, but more a way of living. (Kind of like being LDS, which we are!) I'd also like to report that I'm totally sold on the primal way of life, because JayC has already lost 18 lbs so far! He's looking great and feeling better already! So I'm starting this blog to help me stay motivated mostly, but to also let me share my favorite recipes that I find through my new way of eating. I've already found quite a few that are delicious, so I can't wait to share!