Easy Carnitas (AKA Meat Candy)

4-6lb Pork Shoulder (or boneless Pork Butt)
1 Large Onion
4 Garlic cloves
1 TB Cumin
1 TB Coriander
1 TB Oregano
2 bay leaves
2 tsp sea salt
1 jar of Chipotle Salsa
1 carton of chicken broth (aprx 4 cups or 1 litre)
olive oil

Cut the onion into large chunks, mince the garlic, and cube up the pork into 2" chunks. Place them in a large stock pot or slow cooker and add the cumin, coriander, oregano, and bay leaves.

Add the chipotle salsa and the chicken broth. The liquid should cover the meat, but if it doesn't just add a bit more chicken stock or water.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let it cook uncovered for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally. When it's done all the liquid should be gone and the meat should be falling apart.

Heat the oven to 400F and transfer the meat to a foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, tossing to coat. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the meat gets just a bit crispy.

Saskatchewan Fried Chicken

8-10 Chicken Drumsticks
8-10 Chicken Thighs
2 eggs
1/2 Cup Finely Ground Almonds (almond flour)
1/3 Cup Coconut Flour
4 tsp paprika
2 tsp sea salt teaspoons salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp tarragon
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground celery seeds
Bacon grease or coconut oil


1) Whisk the two eggs in a bowl


2) On a large plate, combine all the dry ingredients


3) Dunk each piece of chicken in the egg and dredge in the dry mixture


4) Melt a 1/4" layer of coconut oil or bacon grease (or a combo of the two) in your frying pan. Fry the chicken, covered, on low heat for 10-15 minutes on each side. Don't have the heat too high or the outside will burn before the inside is cooked through.

Meat Cupcakes with Jalapeño Butternut Squash Icing

I first heard rumors about Meat Cupcakes from a few of our athletes around the gym. Upon googling, I found this recipe on seasidekitchen.blogspot.com. They were a big hit at the last family dinner hosted at my house!

For the cupcakes:

1 lb ground turkey

1 lb ground pork sausage

1 tbs fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tbs fresh parsley, chopped

1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped

1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup almond meal

1 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

Preheat oven to 400 and spray a muffin tin with olive oil, or grease with coconut oil. Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl (using your hands works the best) and place meat mixture in to a muffin tin. You can fill up the cups to the brim as the meat won't expand out and up. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until cooked thoroughly.

For the "icing":

1 small butternut squash

1 tbs coconut oil

2 tbs pickled jalapeños (plus extras for garnish)

Cut squash in half and remove seeds. Wrap each 1/2 in foil and bake until tender. Scoop out the roasted flesh and pulse in a food processor with the coconut oil (easier to work with if you warm it up) and jalapenos until you have a smooth paste. Frost away!

Notes:

• I used 1lb of grass finished ground beef and 1 lb of ground pork. I left out the cilantro as I have some cilantro-hating family.
• My easy cooking tip for the butternut squash (or any squash) is to place the whole thing in the microwave and hit the "baked potato" auto sensor cook button. It comes out perfect every time in about 10-12 minutes!
• I wasn't sure how many jalapeños "2 tbs" would really be, so I used about 15 slices. It has the tangy sweetness, but wasn't too spicy. Oh and I used butter in the icing instead of coconut oil... cause, ya know.. butter makes everything delicious

Ginger Beef

Loosely based off of this recipe from Everydaypaleo.com, here is a delicious ginger beef recipe to satisfy any asian flavor cravings.

1-2lbs of grass finished beef

2 TB Coconut Oil

Marinade:

1 medium piece of ginger root

Juice of 1 orange

2 TB Wheat free Tamari

2 TB Sesame Oil

Fresh ground black pepper

Sauce:

1/4 Cup of beef broth

1 TB honey (optional)

1/2 tsp red chili flakes (optional)

Veggies - anything you want!

2 Stalks of celery

2 Carrots

1 head of swiss chard, sliced thin into "noodles"

Slice the beef into this strips. It's easiest to do this when it's partially frozen.

Peel the ginger and squeeze through a garlic press to yield mostly juice and a few small pieces. Discard the dry, fibrous material that remains after juicing. Add the ginger juice and all the marinade ingredients to the beef. Set aside to marinate.

Heat the coconut oil on high heat in a wok or large skillet. Fry the beef until cooked through, then reduce the heat and add the veggies. Stirfry for 2-3 minutes, then add the sauce mixture. Simmer until liquid is reduced.

Notes: We had this served over spaghetti squash and it was delicious. It would also be excellent over zucchini "noodles" or shredded broccoli. The only thing I left out that I would add next time is 1-2 cloves of crushed garlic in the marinade.

Morroccan Beef Stew

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 3/4 pounds beef tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup halved pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon lemon peel

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add beef to pan and brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per batch. Transfer to plate. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, onion, carrot, and garlic to pan. Cook until vegetables are soft, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add spices; stir 1 minute. Add broth, olives, raisins, and cilantro; bring to boil. Simmer until juices thicken, about 5 minutes. Add beef and any accumulated juices and lemon peel to pan. Stir to warm through and serve.

Notes

I made this receipe with elk and let it simmer in the slow cooker all day. The meat turned out tender, flavorful, and delicious

Cilantro Pesto Chicken Strips

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast

Marinade:

3 TB walnuts

2 garlic cloves

1.5 Cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 Cup Fresh parsley

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/4 extra virgin olive oil

1 lime, cut into wedges

Pulse the walnuts and garlic cloves together in the food processor. Add the cilantro, parsley, salt, and pepper and process until finely chopped. You'll probably need to scrape down the sides periodically.

Slice the chicken breasts into strip and dredge thoroughly in the marinade. This might be easiest in a big plastic bag. Leave it in the bag or a sealed container in the fridge for 2 hours.

Thread the chicken onto skewers and grill over direct high heat. You'll need to turn them once and they'll be done in about 6-8 mins. Serve warm with the lime wedges.

Laura's Spaghetti (Squash) and Meat Sauce

Thanks again to Laura and her culinary inspirations. Looks delicious!



Ingredients:
1lb ground beef
1 large spaghetti squash
1 yellow onion (chopped)
3 cups chopped spinach
2 TB olive oil
1 jar of organic pasta sauce
3 large cloves of garlic (crushed)
2 tsp pepper

Scrub the squash well. Though you'll only be eating the flesh, you don't want any grime making its way into your dish. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Split the squash and remove the seeds and 'guts' with a spoon. Place it in a baking dish and leave it in the oven for about 30-35 minutes. Check for tenderness.

While the squash is cooking, start frying up the ground beef on the stove top in a large skillet or frying pan. Cook until all pink is gone and then add onions, garlic, olive oil, and pepper. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes. Then add spinach and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Add pasta sauce and continue cooking for another 10 minutes or so. The longer it cooks, the better it will taste.

When the squash is done baking remove from the oven and scrape the flesh of the squash with a fork; you should get orange spaghetti-like strands. Then scrape strands with a spoon into a bowl. Serve the meat sauce over spaghetti squash and enjoy!

Simply Natural Organic Pasta Sauces are available at most grocery stores and in pack of 3 at Costco (you know I love my bulk bargains at Costco!). With ingredients like this, why would you make your own?? :-)
Ingredients: Organic Tomato Puree, Organic Tomatoes, Organic Basil, Salt, Organic Soybean Oil, Organic Chopped Onions, Organic Garlic Powder, Organic Oregano and organic Chopped Garlic

Pork Chops with Butternut Squash and Apple Compote

1.5 Cups Unsweetened Apple Juice

1 TB Honey Mustard

1 TB Pure Maple Syrup

1 TB Cider Vinegar

Salt and Pepper

4 Bone-In Pork Chops

2 TB butter

1 large leek or medium onion

1/2 small butternut squash, peeled and grated

2 unpeeled red apple, thinly sliced

Whisk together the apple juice, honey mustard, maple syrup, cider vinegar, and salt and pepper. Set aside.

Sprinkle the pork chops with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat 1 TB of the butter (or coconut oil) in a skillet on medium heat. Fry the chops for 4-5 min on each side or until the juices run clear and the insides are only slightly pink. Set aside and keep warm.

In the same skillet, melt the other 1 TB of butter. Saute leek/onion and squash for 2 minutes (until softened). Add sliced apples and the apple juice mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes or until apples are softened (not mushy!). Return pork and accumulated juices to the pan and bring sauce back to a boil then remove from heat immediately. Serve pork heaped with a couple of generous spoonfuls of sauce and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

Laura's Turkey Marinara

From awesome CrossFitter/Paleo Princess Laura: "I have been making this dish lately. It is just something I kind of made up. I don't know if you will like it. But it is quick, easy and packed full of vegetables :)"

1 package of ground turkey
1 zuchinni
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 orange pepper
1 yellow onion
4-5 tomatoes
1 small can of tomato paste (preferably organic)
2-3 tsp pepper
4-5 cloves of crushed garlic
frank's red hot (as much as you like. I usually use about 1-2 tsp)

So I cut up all of the veggies and onion (in bite size pieces). Then fry up the ground turkey in either a pan on the stove or in a wok. Once the turkey is cooked, then add the onion and the garlic. Cook and continue stiring for about 5 minutes. Then add the peppers, zuchinni, and tomatoes. Cook for about 5 minutes or so. Then add the can of tomato paste. Sometimes you have to add a small amount of water (not even a 1/4 cup) just so the mixture does not burn to the bottom of the pan. Then add the pepper and the frank's red hot. Cook for about 15-20 minutes on low (just let it simmer). Make sure it does not burn. Tomato can burn very easily!!!! I serve it with cut up veggies, or just by itself. Mmmmmm I like it.

Paleo Made Simple From Mama L

Here comes a variety of paleo food ideas with simple, delicious ingredients courtesy of David's mom, Leslie. Pictures and all! Thanks mama L for sharing your recipes!

Walnut Chicken Skewers
Slice up chicken, crush walnuts. Wet chicken with something you like (beer, oil, water). Dip in the crushed walnuts. Make a yummy sauce. Bring to potluck - instant popularity!

Roasted tomatoes
Delicious way to serve tomatoes, cooking sweetens them right up: cut tomatoes, coat with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, roast at 250 for 4 hours.

Roast chicken
Get a good hutterite chicken. Sprinkle with coarse salt and peppercorns. Roast. Enjoy and then make soup!

Breakie
Gotta love it when, for the entire summer, every carton of hutterite eggs have double yolks...served with fried green tomato salsa.

Canning Galore

20lbs of peaches, pears, plums, tomatoes and apples turned into... ...a winter stock of local produce! Just add a touch of sugar and lots of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove! The salsa is great!

Shredded Pork Tenderloin With Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients
2 Pork Tenderloins
1/4 Cup Hoisin Sauce
1 TB Tomato Sauce
1 TB Soya Sauce
1 tsp honey/sugar/brown sugar
1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled & grated
2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 Cup Soya Sauce
1/4 Cup Rice Vinegar
1 TB Sesame Oil
1 whole spaghetti squash
2 large carrots, peeled & grated
1 small bunch green onions, sliced
1/4 Cup fresh cilantro

Directions:

1) Place the pork tenderloins and the next 6 ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 1 hour, then reduce heat to low for another 5 hours.

2) Remove the pork from the slow cooker and let stand for 10 minutes while you do the following steps.

3) Liberally stab your spaghetti squash all over to prevent it from exploding. Microwave on high for 12 minutes.

4) Meanwhile, to the liquid remaining in the slow cooker, stir in soya sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Cover and cook on high for 10 mins

5) Shred the tenderloins with two forks.

6) Return the shredded pork to the sauce in the slow cooker along with the shredded carrot and sliced green onion.

7) Cut the cooked spaghetti squash open lengthwise. Be careful! It will be hot hot hot. Scoop out the middle stringy gunk with the seeds and discard. Pull the "noodles" away from the sides with a fork and scoop out with a spoon.

8) Serve the shredded pork over the spaghetti squash noodles, garnish with fresh cilantro, and enjoy like the happy guy at the top!

Inside Laura's Fridge

Kaiser the dog approves.

Laura (one of CrossFit BRIO's cavegirl athletes) prepares for the week of paleo food that lies ahead with a fridge full of ready-to-eat options. The elk jerky is marinating, the veggies are sliced, the eggs are waiting, and the fresh roasted chicken is ready! The non-primal food, she says, all belongs to her fiance!

Cavegirl at Costco: What's in the Cart

Costco is mostly known for 12lb bags of doritos and giant boxes of more microwaveable burritos than any person should consume in a life time. But hidden between the tubs of jumbo M&M cookies and the frozen pizza aisle is this little oasis of paleo heaven: the meat section and the fresh produce section. From a foraging expedition this afternoon, here's a peek in my cart:

• 2 bags of spinach
• 3-pack of cucumbers
• 1 bag of broccoli
• tub of blueberries
• head of cauliflower
• 6-pac bag of red and yellow peppers
• 3-pac bag of celery hearts
• 5lb bag of sweet onions
• 1kg of pecans
• 1kg of almonds
• Alder smoked bacon
• Pack of fresh figs (not sure what I'm going to do with those yet...)
• 2 eye round beef roasts
• 4 pork tenderloins
• 1 large tray boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 large tray bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
• 1 large tray chicken drumsticks
• 2 racks pork back ribs

Prosciutto Turkey Roulades with Beurre Blanc and Caulitatoes

Turkey Roulades
2 whole boneless, skinless turkey breasts
prosciutto
sage
salt
pepper
2 TB coconut oil

You can use the turkey breast as one big piece or cut it into thirds so each is about the size of a chicken breast. Costco carries fresh turkey breast that is prepared in smaller pieces like that. Place the meat between two pieces of saran wrap and beat the daylights out of it until is it thin and spread out (but not absolute mush!).

Hammer time

Sprinkle each piece of turkey with salt, fresh ground black pepper, and sage then cover with a layer of thinly sliced prosciutto. Roll it up, starting at the thicker end.

Spice and roll

Heat the 2 TB of coconut oil in a large skillet on med heat and cook each of the roulades until golden brown on all sides.

Beurre Blanc Sauce
1 Cup White Wine or Chicken stock
1/2 Cup Lemon Juice
1/2 medium onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp table sugar (gasp!)
1/4 tsp black pepper
pinch of salt
2 egg yolks, at room temperature
1/3 cup butter, cubed

In a saucepan, bring wine/stock, lemon juice, onion, garlic, sugar, pepper, and salt to a boil. Simmer to reduce by half. Pour into a heat-safe bowl and let cool.

Heat, but do not boil, a shallow amount of water in a medium sized pot. Place the heat-safe bowl overtop as a "double boiler". Gently whisk in the egg yolks and stir over the heat until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and add the butter cubes. Serve over the turkey roulades.

Whisking in the egg yolks with the caulitatoes on the back burner

Caulitatoes
1/2 head of cauliflower
1 parsnip
2 cloves of garlic

Steam all three together until soft and then blend in the food processor. You should not need to add any other liquid.

Spiced Pork Chops

Ingredients:

4 bone-in pork chops

2 TB honey

2 TB dijon mustard

1 TB olive oil

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 cinnamon

1/2 tsp whole allspice kernels

Brown the pork chops in a skillet for a few minutes on each side. Transfer to a slow cooker and drizzle with the sauce. Be sure to layer the glaze if you have to layer the chops (depends on the size of your crock pot). Simmer on low for 5-6 hours. This will make your house smell like pumpkin pie!

Grilled Pineapple Tenderloin Skewers

Ingredients:
1 LB Beef tenderloin chunks (you could use a lesser cut...)
1/2 a pineapple, cut into chunks

Marinate the meat in a mixture of the following:
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 TB soya sauce
1 TB sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1" chunk fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Be sure to soak the skewers first. Alternate chunks of pineapple and steak. Grill over direct medium heat and enjoy!

Sesame Ginger Chicken Thighs

(Szechuan Vegetable recipe in the post below)

Marinade

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 TB Dijon mustard
1 TB Sesame oil
1 tsp grated fresh ginger root
1 TB water

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Sesame seeds

Take a large tray of approximately 24 boneless skinless chicken thighs and trim of any obvious connective tissue or remaining bits of bone. Dip each piece of meat into the sauce and roll it up. Line up the rolls tightly in a deep pan, smooth side up. Drizzle any remaining sauce on top and then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 400F for aprx 30 mins.

Dad's Brandy Mushroom Sauce

1 TB olive oil

2 slices alder smoked bacon

1/2 onion, chopped fine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup brandy

1 cup beef broth

1 cup red wine

3 sprigs fresh tarragon

salt and pepper

Slice the bacon into small strips and fry in the olive oil until cripsy. Add the onion and garlic to sautee in the bacon drippings. Throw in the mushrooms and cook for another 3-4 minutes until softened. Pour in the liquids, add the tarragon, and salt & pepper to taste. Allow to reduce by half.

We had this over cajun spiced grilled pork tenderloin, but it would also be fabulous with beef or bison. Shout out to my dad and his mad culinary caveman skills!

Grilled Lamb Mini Meatloaves

Step One: I bought a whole lamb leg, and ground it using the meat grinder attachment for my KitchenAid mixer. Because this was not a grass finished lamb, I trimmed off all the major chunks of fat and of course, removed the tough connective tissue. It's a little bit of extra work to grind your own meats, but well worth it, I think.

Lamb Meatloaf Recipe
2lb ground lamb
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 TB Marjoram
1 TB Ground Rosemary
2 tsp kosher or sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Puree the onion in a food processor until it has the texture of apple sauce. Pour it out into the center of cheese cloth or a kitchen towel and wring out all the liquid. Pulse the ground lamb in the food processor to further soften its texture. Add the onion back in along with the rest of the spices. Process until thoroughly incorporated.

At this point you could shape this into a meatloaf and bake in the oven at 325F for about 1 hour. Once it's done, eat it warm or chill and slice for lunch meat.

I shaped the mixture into mini meatloaves and skewered into kabob form. Chill for at least an hour before placing on a well-oiled grill over medium heat.

Paleo Tzatziki

1/2 Cup Mayonnaise

1/2 cucumber

2 cloves of garlic

fresh dill

Shred the cumber with a fine rasp. You can mince the garlic and add it raw or roast it before hand for a sweeter flavor. Mush all the ingredients together and enjoy!

Coconut Curry Chicken with Cauliflower Rice

5-6 Chicken Breasts
Olive Oil
1 large sweet onion
2 cloves garlic
1 TB chili powder
1 TB curry powder
1 TB turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 Cup chopped cilantro
1 can coconut milk (350-400ml)
Salt and pepper to taste

Slice the chicken into strips or small chunks. Heat the oil in a large pan to med-high. Saute the onions and garlic until they soften. Add the chicken and stirfry until cooked through. Add the spices and toss to coat the chicken is evenly. Add the tomatoes, cilantro, and coconut milk. Let it simmer for at least 5 min. If you have time, let it go for an hour or more to really intensify the flavors.
Normally a curry would be served over rice. An easy sub for the carb-o-rific, nutritionally void little grainy wonders is finely chopped cauliflower. I pulse it in the food processor until it's ground to about the texture of rice. Cauliflower is firm enough it won't turn into total mush. Warm it lightly in the microwave if you like or simply put your hot curry right over top which will cook it just enough.