Meatza!

Meatza really didn’t sound great to me at first because my favorite part of pizza was always the crust.   But I needed to mix up my meal routine and decided to finally give it a try!

“Crust” ingredients: 2 lbs ground beef, 2 cups chopped baby spinach, 2 eggs, oregano, celtic sea salt, fresh garlic, and thyme.

Mix all crust ingredients, spread into baking sheet, and bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees.  Remove from oven and drain off excess grease.  Layer sauce and toppings and then put under broiler for 5 – 10 minutes until cheese is melted and browning.

My toppings included: fresh mozzarella, onion, black olives, bacon, and feta.

I loved both how easy this dinner was to make and that I had lots of leftovers for lunches.  Another thing I liked about this pizza is I don’t feel so full and lethargic like I always used to feel after eating non-paleo pizza!

I think next time I might try my old favorite pizza combo… pepperoni and pineapple!

Here are the links I based my recipe off of:

http://www.justinowings.com/meatza-meatza/

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/greek-meatza-with-creamy-feta-kalamata-olives-and-red-onion/

- Tracy

Braised Lamb Shanks

Since my last post I got a new job so I haven’t had much time to post, but I haven’t let being busy keep me from sticking paleo!

Last week I met a local farmer at the St. Clairsville farmers market who raises pastured chickens, lambs, and cows.  I bought some chicken breasts, lamb shanks, and grass fed beef chuck roast.

I think the best way to cook lamb is to slow roast it until the meat is falling off the bones.  I started off by laying the shanks in a pan with foil and drizzling olive oil and sprinkling salt and pepper.   I then roasted uncovered for 30 minutes at 450 until the shanks were looking brown and crispy.

Then add 5 – 6 garlic cloves, rosemary, and any other seasonings you like (I used a little thyme).    Wrap tightly with foil so that no moisture can escape, and bake for 2 more hours at 300 degrees.  You can bake longer at a lower temperature if you have more time… I didn’t start this until late in the afternoon so I needed it to cook faster.

I then served with mashed cauliflower and green beans sauteed in bacon drippings.

Here’s the video I watched on youtube to get an idea of how to cook these…

 

Steak and Cabbage

Cooked an easy dinner tonight, barbecued steaks and cabbage.

This cabbage turned out a lot better than last time.  I started off with 2 slices of bacon in the pan and half a yellow onion diced.   I broke up the bacon once cooked and then added a full head of chopped up cabbage.  I was cooking the rest of my package of bacon in another pan and drained off some more bacon fat into my cooking cabbage.  You can also add butter or coconut oil.  Then I seasoned with salt and pepper and waited for it to soften and also get a little crispy around the edges.  So delicious, and so nice not to feel guilty about all that fat once you understand how good it is for you!

Last Sunday I made carnitas!  I saw Paleo Adventure had tried out a recipe for this on her blog and was inspired to try it myself.  It was a  little more work than just throwing it in the crock pot.   It required first browning the pork on the stove to get that outer crispiness started.  Totally worth the extra work though!  I ate it on a bed of mixed greens with salsa and guacamole on top.

Hamburger patty with fried egg on top with a side of bacon and fresh strawberries.

I have been trying to avoid the extra carbs in fruit, but I saw these at the farmer’s market on Saturday and had to try them.  They were seriously the best strawberries I ever ate.  They were red to the middle and the perfect amount of sweetness.

Spaghetti used to be a regular on my menu.. I love making pasta sauce!  This was my first time making paleo spaghetti.  The sauce was made with ground Italian sausage, 1 can Muir Glen organic fire roasted diced tomatoes, chopped canned artichoke, chopped celery and carrot, baby portabella mushrooms, onions, garlic, seasonings, and fresh basil.   And served on top of zucchini which I sliced with a peeler and then lightly sauteed in olive oil with fresh basil.

And before bedtime, a cup of Natural Calm magnesium tea with a fresh mint leaf.  

- Tracy

A few random meals…

Eating paleo is pretty easy once you get the jist of it.  Of course I still have my slip ups (cheese and frozen yogurt), but overall I stick to paleo pretty closely.

Here is a dinner from a few nights ago…baked chicken thigh, broccoli and brussel sprouts with a side of avocado.  I cut the chicken thigh in half to make sure it was cooked thoroughly.  

Here is my to-go salad.   Sliced turkey, bacon, avocado, and a slice of cheddar cheese over spinach.   I also ended up squirting mustard over the whole thing.  Very tasty!  The deli turkey is Dietz and Watson brand, which doesn’t have any funky preservatives.  

Lastly…. some beef brisket over shredded cabbage, topped with guacamole and cilantro.   The beef brisket was cooked for 8 hours in a crock pot, and it came out delicious and falling apart.   I am in love with my crock pot.  

-Katie =)

Rump Roast and Cabbage

I put a rump roast in the crock pot this morning with a few tablespoons of olive oil, 2 cups of gluten free beef broth, and lots of seasoning including dill, garlic salt, pepper and salt.  Set the timer for 11:30 hours.   And wah-laa….  Dinner!!

Juicy, tender, and perfect!  Served in some red lettuce “taco shells” with some smashed avocado and salsa. 

With a side of cabbage…

This was my first time actually cooking cabbage (besides boiled cabbage in corned beef and cabbage).   I started by browning some onions in a combo of coconut oil and pasture butter with pancetta.

After the onions were browned I added one head of cabbage chopped up and let it cook for about 20 mins until tender.

Turned out a little darker than planned.. (make sure to stir occasionally!)  It was still delicious though!  The cabbage was ate up, but I did have enough beef left over for 2 lunches.. 

Put my leftovers right into my lunch containers ontop of some frozen Trader Joe’s green beans.

- Tracy

Fresh Herbs

 

Yesterday was the first day of the farmer’s market in Wheeling!  I love going out on Saturday mornings and buying fresh produce from the local farmers.  This week I bought fresh mint and cilantro, 2 dozen eggs, butter lettuce,  and bok choy.

For dinner I barbecued a flank steak and served it over baby spinach with homemade guacamole and salsa.

My dinner was even more enjoyable eating it in the backyard on the deck.  And  here’s Tegan enjoying the beautiful weather with me…

 

-Tracy

Steak and veggies

Tonight’s dinner was a combination of a bunch of vegetables I had in my fridge.  Kale, onion, brussel sprouts, mushroom, and bell pepper.

The kale was baked in the oven for 10 mins at 350degrees with a tad of olive oil on them.  With a little salt tossed on afterwards, they tasted like chips! Nice and crunchy.

I stir fried the the brussel sprouts, onion, bell pepper and mushroom in some coconut oil until they were tender and browned.  Then I pan seared a steak for some protein.

Very good dinner!  Now it’s back to studying for me.  Finals next week and then I am done with college!

-Katie