Tag Archives: paleo

Easy Orange Chicken

I’m always looking for easy meals that I can make on Sunday that makes lots of extra food for the week. This chicken recipe is perfect with tons left over for lunches. The secret ingredients is fresh squeezed orange juice it helps caramelize the meat and add a little bit of sweetness.

Ingredients:
5 Pounds chicken on the bone with skin on (see below for details)
1 Orange
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon poultry seasoning (optional)

Chicken- you can basically use any kind of chicken as long as it’s skin and bone on. One option is to use 1 to 2 chickens and just cut them apart into pieces. Another option is to either get a pack of chicken wings, quarter legs and breast or any mix of the three.

The first step is to prepare the chicken. If you’re using a whole chicken have it cut into pieces. Start rinsing the pieces under cold water and pat dry. Place the chicken in a large bowl and add olive oil, salt, pepper and any other seasoning if using. Mix together well by hand. Now, squeeze the juice of one orange on top of the chicken into the bowl. Mix together one more time by hand trying to get some seasoning underneath the skin of each piece chicken. Next, place the chicken on a large foiled baking sheet skin side up. Bake the chicken at 450 to 500°F for about an hour and 15 minutes. Chicken is done once skin on top is a crispy dark golden brown. Serve hot and enjoy.

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Whole 30 Power Lunch

As my Whole 30 adventure continues I am coming up with fun new lunch items. I was craving a good egg salad sandwich and this is what I came up with.

Ingredients:
1 Avocado
2 Hard Boiled Eggs
2 Tablespoon Mayo (see my paleo version)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch pepper

Place the peeled eggs in a bowl and mash with fork. Add mayo, salt and pepper to bowl and mix. Next, cut the avocado in half and remove the seed. Gently spoon out the inside of each half of the avocado in one piece and place aside. Then fill the each half with even scoops of the egg salad. Enjoy!

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Whole30 “Candy Pecans”

I’m currently trying to do the whole 30 challenge. The rules are you can’t eat any grains, sugars or basically any starches. It is inherently gluten-free and Paleo but you can’t have maple syrup, honey or any type of sweetener. I have been trying to come up with a new snack ideas. This one came out great!!

Ingredients:

2 cups whole pecans
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Start by melting the coconut oil in the microwave in a small bowl. Place the pecans in a large bowl, add the melted coconut butter and toss. Add the cinnamon and continue to toss gently. Spread the pecans out on a foiled baking sheet. Bake at 250° for about 25-30 minutes. Toasting the nuts in the oil will help them caramelize and bring out some sweetness. Allow the nuts to cool and then enjoy.

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Cave Man Ribs

Since I was a little kid I always loved bbq ribs. Normally they’re covered in some type of barbecue sauce or brown sugar but I want to do something that would fit into the Paleo lifestyle. Many people are intimidated by making ribs. May think it takes a long time and it’s really hard to do but this recipe is super simple.

Ingredients:
1 rack baby back ribs
3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 teaspoon salt (I had a smoked salt on hand that worked great the plain salt is fine)
2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning

Start by rinsing and patting dry the rack of ribs. In a separate bowl mix together all the seasonings. Place the ribs on a large foiled baking sheet. Now using all the seasoning mix, rub and coat both sides of the ribs. Make sure the entire rack is evenly coated top and bottom. Place the ribs meat side down on the baking pan. Place the ribs in the oven at 215°. Cook for one hour and gently flip over. Cook for an additional hour on the other side. Finally place the ribs meat side up in the broiler for 4 to 5 minutes until they start to caramelize on the top. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 mins before cutting.

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Nutty Coconut Chicken

Who doesn’t love breaded chicken nugget and chicken fingers. Most breaded chicken is flour, breaded, fried and super not healthy. Using nuts and baking chicken instead makes it sweeter and healthier.

1/4 Pound Nuts (walnuts, almonds or pecans)
1/2 Cup Flaked Unsweetened Coconut
1 tsp Salt
2 Pounds Chicken Breast

Start by placing nuts in a food processor to help crush and turn into a nut meal. Add coconut and salt into the food processor and continue to break up.  Now, cut the chicken breast into large pieces. Pour the nut mixture in a bowl and evenly coat each piece of chicken. Place the chicken on a foiled pan and bake at 400 degrees for 20 min.

 

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Sweet Potato Pancakes

Regular potato pancakes are very traditional in my family. I like sweet potatoes way more than regular potatoes plus when you try eating Paleo that’s the only way you can go. This is a full potato pancake recipe that is 100%.

Ingredients:

4 medium sweet potatoes
1 onion
1/2 cup tapioca flour
3 eggs
1 tsp salt
Lots of olive oil for frying

Start by cleaning and peeling the sweet potatoes. Grate potatoes into a large bowl. Next, chop onion fine and add to bowl. Add eggs, salt, tapioca flour to the mix. Combine everything well by hand. Start to heat a good amount of oil in a large sauce pan. You want to fry the pancakes well so you need enough oil that they’re all completely covered. Now using either a quarter of a cup measuring cup or a ice cream scoop measure even pancakes. Flatten the pancakes lightly and gently place in the hot oil. Cook each side until crispy and golden brown then remove. You will need to do a number of batches in order to finish the mixture. Before putting in a new batch clean the oil with a spoon to remove any small pieces that may burn. Serve hot with applesauce.

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Greek Salmon

Mediterranean flavors are filled with fresh citrus and herbs. This marinade can be used on fish, veggies or even as a wonderful salad dressing but is a simple solution to dinner.

Ingredients

1 Lemon
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon dry oregano
1 pound salmon

Start by juicing the lemon into a bowl. Add olive oil, honey, salt and oregano to the bowl. Whisk all ingredients together well for 3-4 minutes. Next, place the salmon into a large bowl and pour dressing on top. Mix together by hand until each piece is coated evenly. Place each piece on a bbq or in the broiler, cooking for about 8 minutes.

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Paleo Candied Yams

Sweet potatoes are a mandatory side dish at all holidays. Normally candy yams or most sweet potato dishes are filled with sugar and junk. This year I wanted to make a healthy version that taste just as great.

Ingredients:

7 medium sweet potatoes
1/3 cup coconut butter
1/2 cup maple syrup (real stuff)
1 teaspoon cinnamon optional

Start by peeling potatoes but leaving them whole. place peeled sweet potatoes in a large pot of cold water. Turn on heat and bring to boil. Cook at boiling for about 8-10 minutes until a knife can be pushed in but they are not falling apart. They need to be firm to hold shape. Time will depend on thickness of potatoes. Once ready strain potatoes and let cool.

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Decadent Paleo Hot Cocoa

I was playing around with coconut milk I want to come up with a recipe that was like real European hot chocolate but Paleo. Again Paleo is not a low cal or low carb diet, it’s going back to eating real natural food like cavemen did. It’s very possible to cut out the junk including the refined sugars and flour to still have a sinful dessert.

Ingredients:
1/2 can coconut milk
1 1/2 tablespoon honey
2 1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder

Start by shaking or mixing together coconut milk and cocoa powder. Pour the mixture into a pot and start to heat on low. At honey and bring to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes constantly risking or stirring together. Pour into a glass and enjoy hot.

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Chicken Tikka Masala

Indian food is so good. I have been trying to come up with easy slow cooker recipes that are creative and I figured an indian dish would be great. This recipe is simple, gluten free and paleo.

Ingredients:
1 Onion
3 Tablespoons Fresh Grated Ginger
3 Tablespoon Tikka Masala Spice
1/2 Can Coconut Milk
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1- 15oz Can Crushed Tomatoes

Start by slicing onion thin and placing in slow cooker. Add ginger, tikka masala spice, coconut milk, honey,salt, red pepper flakes and tomatoes to slow cook. Mix together well. Slice chicken thighs into large chunks and add to mixture. Took on low for 7 hours stirring occasionally if possible. After the 7 hours remove the lid, mix and turn heat on high to help sauce thicken a bit. Serve hot!

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