Yes, this is the same cauliflower mash I made last week. It was so good with the meatballs that I wanted to try it again without all the tomato sauce.

One-Pan Crispy Paleo Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Ingredients:

• 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, each one cut in half
• 10 slices nitrate free, sugar free bacon (one for each half chicken thigh/breast)
• 2 tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp fine grain sea salt
• black pepper
• fresh herbs as desired (I used sage, thyme, and rosemary)

Directions:

1. Mix the onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl and sprinkle over all the chicken. Heat a large cast iron skillet over med-hi heat and preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wrap one slice of bacon around each chicken thigh half, twice, to cover the chicken surface as much as possible.
3. Add each chicken piece to the skillet, seam side up. Allow the first side to brown about 2 minutes.
4. Turn over each chicken piece carefully so the bacon doesn't move, so seam side is now down and browned side is up. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake until the chicken is no longer pink and bacon is crisp, about 10-15 minutes.
5. If chicken is cooked and the bacon isn't crispy enough for your preference, put the chicken under the broiler for a minute or until the bacon is cooked to preference (keep a close eye on it)
6. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired while chicken is still in the pan, and serve with your favorite veggie and potatoes. Enjoy!

Original recipe found here


Garlic Cauliflower Mash
Ingredients:

• 1 cauliflower head (I used 2 bags of frozen cauliflower)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1-2 tbsp ghee (you can also use coconut oil or olive oil) (I used 2 Tbsp)
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Chop cauliflower into large florets.
2. Steam the cauliflower in a large pot with boiling water, garlic cloves, and salt. Steam until fork tender.
3. Drain and transfer cauliflower and garlic cloves into a blender or food processor.
4. Add the ghee and black pepper. Blender until smooth. Add salt if needed.

I had to make at least one recipe on the grill over Memorial Day Weekend! This meal seriously turned out so amazing. I've never made my own BBQ seasoning before and this one really nailed it. Even if you don't want to make this recipe, the BBQ rub is worth giving a try to dress up your chicken. I apologize for another week of recipes that call for ghee (clarified butter). Ever since I bought some I have been trying to put it to use. Plus, I have also really enjoyed the buttery flavor and totally recommend you giving it a try if you are paleo! Anyways, like I said this meal was delicious. This is a recipe you must try this summer!

Grilled Malibu Chicken
Ingredients:

• 6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• BBQ seasoning Rub:
  • 1 Tbsp paprika
  • ½ Tbsp kosher salt
  • ¼ Tbsp mustard powder
  • ½ Tbsp chili powder
  • ½ Tbsp ground cumin
  • ¼ Tbsp black pepper
  • ½ Tbsp garlic powder
  • ¼ Tbsp cayenne
  • ¼ Tbsp onion powder
• 12 slices thin deli ham (​I used Applegate brand)
• 6 slices pineapple
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice (from the can, make sure to check the ingredients for unsweetened. I used Dole Pineapple in 100% juice.)
• 4 Tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
• 1 Tablespoon plain yellow mustard (I use Woodstock Organic Dijon Mustard, found at local grocery store)
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons coconut aminos
• 1 teaspoon chili powder

Directions:

1. Slice the chicken breasts in half or pound the thicker parts of the breast to make them more uniform in thickness.
2. Mix the BBQ seasoning rub together. Season both sides of the breast with the rub, cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
3. Combine the ghee/coconut oil, pineapple juice, mustard, honey, coconut aminos, and chili powder into a medium mixing bowl and whisk until smooth, then set aside.
4. Prepare your grill at medium-high heat (about 400º).
5. Quickly grill one side of each breast and each pineapple ring over direct heat until they are seared and have nice grill marks, about two minutes. Flip each breast and pineapple, brush with the sauce, and cook another two minutes.
6. Move the chicken to the indirect part of the grill (or a not-so-hot part of your pan) and brush the top of each with the sauce. Top each breast with slice of ham and drizzle the ham with the sauce. Top with a pineapple slice and drizzle yet again with the sauce.
7. Continue cooking with the grill lid down until the internal chicken temperature reaches 160º, about 10 minutes.
8. Serve with additional drizzle of sauce. 

​Original recipe found here

My Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:

• 4-6 Sweet Potatoes (Depending on how much you want to make. 5 medium sized sweet potatoes usually gets me 6 oz of sweet potato fries for 6 meals. I think my idea of medium sized is bigger than most though.)
• Olive oil spray
• Sea salt (I actually use Garlic Sea Salt on everything I cook)
• Optional: Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Skin and cut the sweet potatoes into whatever shape you want. I either do fries, wedges or circles.
3. Spray baking pan with olive oil. Lay down sweet potato fries flat (please do not just dump a pile on the pan).
4. I fill my Misto with olive oil and lightly spray the fries, then add some sea salt (sometimes cinnamon too).
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Take out of the oven and move them around or flip them over. Bake for another 15-20 minutes.
6. Keep an eye on them, if they are thin bake for less time, and vice versa. Key is to move them around or flip them over half way through baking them. I usually make mine thicker, so I bake them for at least a total of 40 minutes.

I've posted this paleo meatball recipe a couple times now, which means this recipe is clearly one of my favorites! I decided to switch it up this time though and pair it with a garlic cauliflower mash, and I even used ghee (clarified butter) as the recipe calls for. If you don't have ghee you can use your favorite cooking fat instead, which is what I have always done in the past whenever a recipe called for ghee. However, I recently bought ghee to make tasty paleo meals for my mom, so I am just making sure I put it to use. Anyways, I cannot believe how delicious the cauliflower mash turned out! I haven't had mashed potatoes in a long long time, but I really thought it tasted just like mashed potatoes. I was a little nervous that the meatballs and marinara sauce might not pair well with the cauliflower mash, but this meal tasted amazing. Also worth noting is that I used two 12oz bags of frozen cauliflower and barely had enough mash for 6 meals. These recipes are seriously worth making, both separate or together! 

Oven Baked Paleo Italian Meatballs with Marinara Sauce
Ingredients:

• 1lb ground pork
• 1lb ground beef
• 2 tbsps Italian Seasoning
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Sauce:

• 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 tbsps parsely, finely chopped
• 1 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
2. Line a sheet pan with foil
3. Mix the meat, egg and seasonings together in a bowl, then form about two tablespoons of the meat mixture into even sized meatballs and place them on the lined sheet pan.
4. Bake in a 400f oven for 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

Marinara Sauce:

1. Add the olive oil to a pan and heat up on a medium heat, then add the chopped onion and saute for five minutes. Add the chopped garlic, canned tomatoes, bay leaf and pepper.
2. Cook on a low - medium heat for 20 - 30 minutes.
3. Serve over the cooked meatballs and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Original recipe found here 

Garlic Cauliflower Mash
Ingredients:

• 1 cauliflower head (I used 2 bags of frozen cauliflower) 
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp ghee (you can also use coconut oil or olive oil)
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Chop cauliflower into large florets.
2. Steam the cauliflower in a large pot with boiling water, garlic cloves, and salt. Steam until fork tender.
3. Drain and transfer cauliflower and garlic cloves into a blender or food processor.
4. Add the ghee and black pepper. Blender until smooth. Add salt if needed.

A new crock pot chicken recipe to add to your collection! These recipes always come in handy for a quick meal prep for when you can't be in the kitchen all day. The original recipe (link below) made this chicken into Swiss chard wraps, but I opted for the stuffed sweet potato. I loved this meal! The chicken had a hint of pineapple taste, so it was not an overwhelming pineapple flavor at all. I thought it paired extremely well with the baked sweet potato too! Of note, I left the chicken in the slow cooker on low for the entire 6 hours. I checked on it at about 5 hours and it was still not easy to shred, so I left it in there for another hour. This recipe was extremely quick and simple to throw together and into the crock pot, and it turned out delicious! No reason not to give this one a try.

​Slow Cooker Hawaiian Shredded Chicken
Ingredients:

• 2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
• ½ small onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, slightly drained (make sure to check the ingredients for unsweetened! I used Dole Crushed Pineapple in 100% juice.)
• ⅓ cup coconut aminos
• 1 lime, juiced
• ½ tsp. ground ginger
• ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
• ½ tsp. sea salt
• ¼ tsp. black pepper
• For the wrap: Swiss chard leaves (or leaf lettuce), avocado slices, shredded carrots, shredded cabbage, green onions, sliced almonds, fresh cilantro, etc.

Directions:

1. Place chicken, onions and garlic in a slow cooker.
2. In a small bowl, combine pineapple, coconut aminos, lime juice, ground ginger, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir to mix, and then add to slow cooker.
3. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred with two forks.
4. Return chicken to slow cooker, stir to mix all ingredients, and set temperature to warm (or low) until ready to serve.
5. Assemble Swiss chard wraps with desired ingredients.

Original recipe found here

Another simple egg muffin breakfast option that I made for my mom this week. I bought an Applegate brand sliced ham, which is gluten free, dairy free, and casein free, and definitely the best deli meat brand I have come across. Note, this recipe only makes 6 muffins, so if you want to double this make sure you buy 2 packages of Applegate deli meat! ​Throw in your favorite veggies or just follow the recipe as is and use diced bell peppers. I added a tiny bit of cooked bacon and 1/2 tsp of dried oregano to this recipe, but the original recipe does not include that. These type of breakfast egg muffin recipes are really just an idea and you can get as creative as you want with them. This one turned out delicious and if my mom doesn't like them then I will certainly enjoy them!

Easy Paleo Ham & Egg Cups
Yields: 6 Muffins
Ingredients:

• 6 slices of ham (I used Applegate ​brand)
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
• 1/4 cup orange bell peppers, chopped
• 1/4 cup red bell peppers, chopped
• 1/4 cup yellow onions, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano​
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Olive oil or coconut oil to sauté veggies

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F
2. In a saucepan, first sauté chopped onions 3-4 minutes
3. Add chopped peppers, sauté for another 2 minutes
4. Remove from heat
5. Whisk eggs and coconut milk together
6. Add dried oregano and salt & pepper to taste
7. Grease muffin tin wells with coconut oil
8. Line each with a slice of ham
9. Next add a spoonful of the onions and peppers
10. Top with egg mixture
11. Bake at 350º F for about 20 minutes

​Original recipe found here

This meal was pretty similar to the Paleo Egg Roll in a Bowl meal I've already posted. I also have the same feedback as I did on that one as I do for this one: this is the perfect meal prep to make when you literally have no time to meal prep. There is nothing fancy to making this, it's a one-pot meal, and you are done in under 30 minutes. I also bought bagged coleslaw instead of shredding my own cabbage, so that made for an even quicker prep. This recipe as-is yields about 3-4 meals, so double the ingredients if you need to. Of note, I mixed in some coconut aminos to this at the end to add some more flavor. I really enjoyed this meal and it tasted pretty similar to the Paleo Egg Roll in a Bowl I mentioned earlier. That one uses ground chicken or pork and this one calls for ground turkey, so you can really use whatever meat you prefer. This meal is really simple, but it is still delicious and one of the best recipes for meal prep when you are lacking time or motivation to stay in the kitchen long!

Ground Turkey & Cabbage Stir-Fry
Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey 
• 12 ounces cabbage (finely chopped savoy cabbage)
• 8 green onions, finely chopped
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil 
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil (divided)
• 4 teaspoons rice vinegar (or more to taste)
• 2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the coconut oil along with 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the ground turkey, cabbage, onion, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper and cook until turkey is no longer pink and cabbage just starts to stick to pan.
3. Stir in the remaining sesame oil and rice vinegar, taste and adjust seasoning.
4. Enjoy!

Original recipe found here

This legit looks like a kids meal. I've started to cook paleo for my mom in an effort to improve her health and it is pretty difficult coming up with meals that she will actually eat. I decided while we are first starting out that I'd choose the most basic and simple meals, so this week is chicken nuggets. Surprisingly I have never made a paleo chicken nugget before, but if you have kids or love yourself some nuggets then you have to give this one a try! I taste-tested a couple of them and they are absolutely amazing! Plus, these were really easy to make and super quick as well. I bought PaleoChef Maple Mustard from Whole Foods to pair with this, which made for an easy dipping sauce. The original recipe link below also has recipes for making your own paleo ranch or honey mustard sauce if you are up for the challenge. Another sauce option that I have done in the past is just mixing Woodstock Organic Dijon Mustard (found at local grocery store) with some honey to make a really simple honey mustard sauce. Comment below if you have any other paleo sauce suggestions for people! I am hoping my mom likes this one as much as I did. 

Crispy Paleo Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken tenderloins
• 1 and ½ - 2 cups blanched almond flour - an estimate, use more if not sure
• 1 tsp fine grain sea salt
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 egg, whisked
• ¼ cup ghee or coconut oil for frying - you might need a bit more as you fry

Directions:

1. First, cut the chicken tenderloins into 1-2 inch bites sized pieces and set aside
2. In a shallow dish, combine the almond flour, salt, smoked paprika, onion powder, and black pepper and mix well to combine the flavors
3. In another shallow dish, whisk the egg. Heat a large cast iron pan over medium heat and add the coconut oil or ghee. Before adding the chicken, make sure the oil is hot enough by dropping a bit of almond flour in the pan to see if it sizzles.
4. Since the chicken bites are small, you dredge several at a time and it will come out fine. Take the chicken and first coat in egg, then coat with almond flour mixture shaking off extra. Immediately add to the hot pan.
5. Let the chicken cook about 2-4 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through. You will have to fry in 2 batches most likely. Adjust the heat to avoid burning the outside and add more cooking fat to the pan if you need to for the second batch.
6. Transfer to a paper towel lined dish to drain excess oil, then serve hot! Enjoy!

Original recipe found here

Funny story about this recipe. I had the link up for this one on my dad's computer a while ago and he apparently couldn't help himself to ever close out of it because it looked really good. Well eventually he just decided to make it for himself and he really loved it! I now know the trick to getting my whole family to eat paleo ;-). Anyways, like my dad, I really enjoyed this meal and I really loved that it was a one-pot and quick recipe to make! I am not sure why it is called a cheeseburger casserole though because there is no cheese and no casserole dish involved. I ended up doubling this recipe with the exception of the chicken stock and crushed tomatoes, but that was just because I prefer a little less liquid. I also did not mix the sweet potato noodles in and just left them on top of the meat and covered until they were soft. I only made the noodles this way though so that I could measure out how many sweet potatoes were going into each of my meals. Also, it seems like most stores sell sweet potato noodles these days if you don't have a spiralizer. I made my own using this Farberware Spiraletti Slicer Cutter I bought from Target last year and it always gets the job done. I see this recipe being a repeat in the future by myself and my dad! 

Sweet Potato Cheeseburger Casserole
Ingredients:

• 3 medium sweet potatoes, spiralized
• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 lb grass-fed ground beef
• 1 t dried oregano
• ½ t garlic powder
• 1 t smoked paprika
• ½ t chili powder
• 1 ½ cups chicken stock
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• Chopped tomatoes and green onion to garnish
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 3 minutes until onion is translucent and veggies are softened.
2. Increase heat to high and add ground beef. Cook for 5 minutes, breaking meat up as it cooks, until beef has browned and is no longer pink. Add oregano, garlic powder, smoked paprika and chili powder. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. Stir in the chicken stock and the crushed tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer; add spiralized sweet potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes until sweet potatoes are slightly softened and sauce is reduced. Remove from heat and top with chopped tomatoes and spring onions. Serve warm.

​Original recipe found here

Any recipe with "One Pot" in the name will get my attention! This one turned out amazing and was super quick to make. I thought the directions were a little confusing, so I ended up just skipping over step 3 and added the zoodles to the pan at the end like it says to do in step 6. I also did not use any arrowroot starch or added water. If you want to thicken up your sauce some though, then definitely add the arrowroot starch. Also, most grocery stores these days sell already spillarized noodles if you don't have your own spiralizer or don't feel like spiralizing your own zoodles. I used my Veggetti (I found this for pretty cheap at my local grocery store a while back), which makes zucchini noddles extremely fast and is super easy to use. This meal turned out pretty sweet and absolutely delicious! If you are in search for a one pot and easy recipe to make then this is one for you.

One Pot Teriyaki Beef Zoodles
Ingredients:
Sauce:

• 1/3 cup coconut aminos 
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch (I skipped this)
• 2 tablespoons water, plus more as needed (to thin out sauce)

For the zoodles:

• 2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil 
• 8 ounces flank steak, sliced against the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices (I used about 2lb)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup pineapple chunks 
• 4-5 medium zucchinis, cut into noodles using a spiralizer or a vegetable peeler (blotting with a paper towel helps to absorb excess moisture)
• Salt, black pepper and red chili flakes to taste

Directions:

1. For the sauce: Combine all the ingredients (except for the water) for the sauce into a medium bowl.
2. In a separate large bowl, combine steak with salt, pepper, sesame oil and drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of sauce over top. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes.
3. For the zoodles: In a large bowl, combine steak with salt, pepper, sesame oil and arrowroot starch. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes.
4. Heat cooking oil in a large skillet on medium high heat until pan starts to get smoky. Add beef and allow to sear and brown on all sides, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer onto a plate.
5. Return pan to heat. Heat another 1 tablespoon of oil, add pineapples and cook until caramelized, around 2-3 minutes. Stir the beef and sauce, coating all the ingredients. Turn heat to high and allow sauce to bubble and thicken up. Add reserved water, little by little, as needed to thin out the sauce.
6. *If cooking the zucchini noodles, add into pan and use tongs to toss and coat with sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes until zucchini is just tender but still firm. Be careful not to overcook.
7. Serve immediately and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.

​Original recipe found here

From last weeks grilled chicken I was reminded of how much easier it is using the grill to meal prep! So although this recipe calls for frying in the pan, I just threw all of these burgers on the grill. I don't typically choose burger recipes with flour in them because most people don't have coconut or almond flour, but I decided to give this one a try anyways. I think because of the name of this recipe I was expecting a ton of flavor, but my honest opinion is that the burger turned out a little dry. I didn't see fresh coriander at the grocery store though, so I used about 1/8 cup of ground coriander instead, which could have been the reason for the burgers turning out how they did. I topped my burgers with lime juice from the left over lime to give it some more taste and would also recommend topping this with avocado, guacamole, or salsa. Overall, I don't think I set this burger up for success by not using fresh coriander or frying it in the pan with coconut oil, so take my review with that in mind. Let me know if you give this one a try and what you think!
​
Lime & Coconut Chicken Burgers 
Ingredients:

• 1kg chicken mince (about 2.2 lbs)
• 1/2 red onion – finely chopped
• Fresh ginger to taste (about 2T), grated
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup (or to taste) chopped coriander
• Zest of one lime
• 2 eggs
• 4 T coconut flour
• Coconut oil for frying
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and, using clean hands, mix to combine.
2. Using damp hands, shape about 2 T of the mix into a ball and flatten into the pattie size you want.
3. Heat the oil in fry pan and cook the patties for a few minutes each side, or until golden and cooked through.
4. Sprinkle with salt and serve with crispy iceberg lettuce or as a ‘bun-less’ burger wrapped in a lettuce leaf. 

Original recipe found here

​
My Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:

• 4-6 Sweet Potatoes (Depending on how much you want to make. 5 medium sized sweet potatoes usually gets me 6 oz of sweet potato fries for 6 meals. I think my idea of medium sized is bigger than most though.)
• Olive oil spray
• Sea salt (I actually use Garlic Sea Salt on everything I cook)
• Optional: Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Skin and cut the sweet potatoes into whatever shape you want. I either do fries, wedges or circles.
3. Spray baking pan with olive oil. Lay down sweet potato fries flat (please do not just dump a pile on the pan).
4. I fill my Misto with olive oil and lightly spray the fries, then add some sea salt (sometimes cinnamon too).
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Take out of the oven and move them around or flip them over. Bake for another 15-20 minutes.
6. Keep an eye on them, if they are thin bake for less time, and vice versa. Key is to move them around or flip them over half way through baking them. I usually make mine thicker, so I bake them for at least a total of 40 minutes.