Chicken Soup For The Primal Soul

Fall has officially fell and so have the temperatures. I hate being cold. I sat in my office today with my coat and scarf on. I think management is trying to save money by refusing to heat the building. Regardless, all I could think about was something to warm me up and what does that better than homemade chicken soup?

Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes
2 small zucchini, halved and sliced
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 can diced tomatos
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
4 TBSP minced garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp basil
sea salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
red pepper flakes if you want to add some spice

Method:

Combine all ingredients in large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 1 hour minimum.

*NOTE* This can also be made in the Crock pot. Just set pot to low and cook 8 hours.

Hearty Paleo Beef Stew

In came the cold weather and my need for a warm, hearty meal. I love beef stew and figured it would be pretty easy to make a Paleo version. I decided to make it in the crock pot and let it simmer overnight and it was delicious! I hope you enjoy!

Hearty Paleo Beef Stew

Ingredients:

2 lbs stewing beef or roast cut into 1" cubes
1 rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1/2 " cubes
5-6 stalks of celery
1 cup baby carrots, whole
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 head of garlic, peeled (I left the cloves whole, but you could chop if you prefer)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups beef stock/broth (low sodium)
1/2 cup red wine
1 can tomato paste
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp tarragon
1/2 tbsp thyme
1/2 tbsp black pepper
sea salt to taste
2 cups boiling water

Method:

Chop meat and vegetables and place in large Crock Pot.

Boil water and add tomato paste and spices (hold the salt) until well blended. Pour over meat and veggies.

Add in beef broth, wine, bay leaves and garlic.

Pour remaining bottle of wine in two large glasses and consume.

Turn Crock Pot on low and cook 8 hours.

I recommend only using the sea salt on a per serving basis as needed.

I fell off the wagon...and was run over by the one behind it.

Last weekend marked my first solo CrossFit competition. It was an absolute blast and I loved every minute of it. Unfortunately, however, I chose to celebrate my accomplishments immediately following the competition by indulging in a few glasses (or bottles) of wine and, worst of all, glorious nachos and dark chocolate m&m's. Look, I'm no food Nazi. I'm all for having the occasional cheat meal to remind your taste buds of all the flavors you have forgotten in your diligent work to eat healthily. The problem for me is that once I get started, I cannot stop. I have eaten more left over Halloween candy, french fries, cheeseburgers, and even rice crispy treats in the past two days than I have in my entire life. And now I'm feeling guilty and gross.

So, today I am jumping back on the Paleo wagon and I'm strapping in tight; back down the road towards health.

Pico de Gallo a.k.a. Salsa Fresca a.k.a. A Little Bit of Deliciousness

This recipe has been on the site for some time, but it was held captive under another recipe and, clearly, not visible enough. Today it gets promoted and has a link dedicated solely to its greatness.
Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:

2 large, ripe, red tomoto (or 4-5 small roma tomatoes)
1/2 yellow or white onion
1-2 jalepenos, chopped
Chopped fresh cilantro, to taste
1/2 TBSP olive oil
1 tsp course sea salt, or to taste

Method:

Chop tomato and remove seeds and pulp. Finely chop onion, jalepenos (remove seeds to minimize heat), and cilantro. Mix all ingredients and enjoy!

Spiced Pecan Butter

This recipe came about because I was trying to make a creative pecan crust for a pumpkin pie. This butter was too sticky to make a crust, but I licked my finger and realized it was amazing. Love those recipes that come from mistakes! This would be amazing with apple slices!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 C pecans
4 large pitted dates
2 TBSP Almond Butter
1/3 C water
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves

Method:

Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. Serve with your favorite veggies or fruit.

Ugh: My Culinary Hiatus

Sorry folks. It's not that I've been away from the kitchen; it's that the last three recipes I've made have been complete flops. Total disappointment. Keep your fingers crossed that tonight's creation will earn blog status and I can give you something worth eating!

Pumpkin Bars - To Die For

It's Halloween and I am a complete sucker for two things: candy corn and pumpkin anything. Since I highly doubt I'll be able to modify a candy corn recipe to make it Paleo, I decided to try the next best thing and make some pumpkin bars. Thanks to elanaspantry.com, I was able to make them Paleo-friendly and absolutely delicious. I found they are even better the next day. Best of all, they are super easy to make.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pumpkin puree (I used Libby's)
1/2 cup agave nectar (this is where I modified the original recipe. I used raw, unfiltered honey instead)
2 eggs
1 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (I used 1/2 teaspoon because I heart cinnamon)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves

Method:

In a food processor, combine pumpkin, honey (or agave) and eggs. Pulse for 2 minutes (I'm lazy, so I just let it blend for about 30 seconds, then pulsed it a bit to make sure it was well blended).

Pulse dry ingredients into wet for a full minute, until well combined.

Pour batter into a greased 8x8 baking dish and bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes.