Asparagus with Mushrooms and Hazelnuts

2 TB Red Wine Vinegar

1 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

Fresh Ground Black Pepper

1 pound fresh asparagus

1 TB butter

1 LB (about 6 cups) mushrooms

1/2 Cup Green Onions, sliced

2 TB Hazelnuts, toasted and finely chopped

Combine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Cook the asparagus in boiling water for just a few minutes until they are edible, but crisp. Drain and plunge directly into ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain again

Heat the butter in a pan on medium high heat. Add mushrooms and saute until they are softened and the liquid evaporates. Add green onions, saute 1 minute. Add the asparagus, and cook another 3 mins. Remove from the heat then add the vinegar mixture. Sprinkle with the toasted hazelnuts.

This would also be excellent with green beans, but those are a legume and not a vegetable so it would be less "paleo".

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!

Gigi Barbina Salad

(Photo stolen from Oprah.com)

This recipe was sent to me by my mother-in-law, who saw it in the Oprah Magazine. I took the original and replaced canola oil with olive and eliminated the cheese to give it an easy primal makeover:

4 beets, 2- to 3-inches
1/2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1" pieces
6 TB extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound mixed mushrooms (tough stems removed), halved or quartered
2 TB mayonnaise (The real stuff!)
2 TB sherry vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 small shallot , coarsely chopped
1/2 pound mixed baby greens
1/3 cup chopped walnuts , toasted

Note: If using a mix of beets, you can prevent colors from bleeding by roasting them in separate foil pouches; then peel and reserve separately.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Wrap beets tightly in foil, and roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven; let rest 10 minutes. Unwrap foil. Peel and cut beets into bite-size pieces; set aside.

Toss squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt and pepper to taste; spread in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast, tossing halfway through, until tender and golden, about 30 minutes. Repeat process with mushrooms, roasting about 15 minutes. Set both aside to cool.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette: Put mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, and shallot in a food processor. Pulse to combine. With the motor running, drizzle in rest of olive oil to make a puree; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide vegetables among four plates. Toss greens with vinaigrette, then arrange on top; sprinkle with nuts.

Recipe variations:
Replace squash with…
Spring: Roasted sugar snap peas, snow peas, or asparagus.
Summer: Blanched or roasted green beans.
Fall/winter: Sweet potatoes; also can scatter pomegranate seeds on 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!

Garlic Mayo Veggie Dip

The veggie and dip tray is a staple of summer BBQs everywhere, but usually the delicious creamy delight in the center is either sour cream or cream cheese based. Here's a tasty recipe for a paleo approved version:

Ingredients:
1 cup real Mayonnaise
3 Cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp Lemon juice
2 tsp White Vinegar
1 tsp Mustard seed
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp fresh Dill
1 tsp Chili powder
Sprinkles of Louisiana hot sauce (to taste)
Fresh group black pepper

Instructions
Mix. Chill. Eat. Mmmmmm....

Szechuan Vegetables

Ingredients

2 TB olive oil

1 TB grated fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

Any assortment of fresh vegetables

3 TB oyster sauce

1 TB water
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Saute the ginger and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat for just a couple of minutes in a large pan or wok. Add all the veggies and stirfry until softened. Mix the oyster sauce, water, and red pepper flakes and pour this sauce into the pan with the veggies. Stir to coat and serve!