Italian Pot Roast

My friend, Emily, shared this recipe with me four years ago and I have to say it is my favorite pot roast recipe so far.  I only made a few small modifications to the original recipe to fit my way of eating.  This takes several hours to make, but it is relatively simple and worth the wait.  Give it a try because I promise it will not disappoint.  Some people serve their pot roast over pasta, but I used quinoa cooked in beef broth instead.  Quinoa is not technically ‘paleo’, but I am still a fan of this grain substitute.  If you are on a strict ‘paleo’ diet, skip the quinoa.

Ingredients:

• 3 – 4lb grassfed chuck roast (I used a roast from Indian Creek Angus Farms and it was awesome! Their beef has minimal fat)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 1 pound cremini or white mushrooms, quartered
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (14.5- ounce) can diced fire roasted tomatoes
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 large garlic heat, outer papery skins removed, then halved **See picture at bottom of garlic**
• 1 large sprig fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary

Directions:

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Pat the roast dry with paper towels and season with salt & pepper.

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the roast on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer the roast to a large plate. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the onions, celery, mushrooms, and tomato past until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, 1/2 of the wine, garlic and thyme. Return the roast and the accumulated juices to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Place a piece of foil over the pot, cover with the lid and transfer the pot to the oven.

Cook until the roast is just fork-tender, 2.5 to 3.5 hours, flipping the roast after 1 hour. Uncover the pot and let the roast rest in its juices for 30 minutes, skimming the surface fat after 20 minutes. Transfer the roast to a carving board and tent with foil. Remove and reserve the garlic head and skim the remaining fat from the pot. Add the remaining 1/2 cup wine to the pot, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until the sauced begins to thicken, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, carefully squeeze the garlic from the halves and mash into a paste. Add the rosemary to the pot and simmer until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove the rosemary and thyme springs, stir in the mashed garlic, and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Cut the meat against the grain into 1/2 inch thick slices, or pull it apart into large pieces. Place quinoa onto serving platter and top with meat and sauce.

This is how the garlic looks when I add to the roast. It never looks perfect when you cut in half.

Ceviche

This is my favorite way to make Ceviche.  It is very simple to make but needs to marinate for several hours in order for the lime juice to ‘cook’ the shrimp and scallops.  This dish could be served with tortilla chips but I try to avoid grains as much as possible.  I used Boston Lettuce instead of chips.

Ingredients

• 1lb shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut in to bite size pieces
• 1lb scallops, cut in to bite size pieces
• 1.5 cups fresh lime juice
• 2 cups avocado, cut in to bite size pieces
• ½ cup red onion, diced
• 1 tomato, finally chopped and seeded
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp jalapeno, minced
• ½ tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• ¼ tsp cumin

Directions

Pat the seafood dry and place in a glass bowl.  Cover with the lime juice and let marinate until opaque, about 3 hours in the refrigerator.  After the shrimp and scallops have turned opaque, put in to a clean bowl and reserve the lime juice.  Add the remaining ingredients to the seafood, gently stirring to mix.  Add reserved lime juice to taste.  Refrigerate for an hour and serve chilled.

Indian Creek Farms

Indian Creek Farms

My husband and I took our two kids on a field trip today.  It is important to me that they learn how food should get to the dinner table.  I want them to know there are more responsible ways to purchase meat than walking in to the local grocery store and buying whatever is offered on the shelves.  Buying meat at the grocery store, in most cases, supports ignorant behavior and fuels the food industry to continue irresponsible treatment of animals.

Indian Creek Farms was only an hour and half drive from our home.  We were greeted by a down to earth and friendly woman named Carol.  She loaded us in to her Rhino and gave us an hour tour of her beautiful 320 acre farm.  I could tell how much she loved and cared for her cattle.  All of the animals were tagged with a number, but she knew them all by name.  The 320 acres was sectioned off in to 5 to 10 acre lots and the cattle are rotated in to different sections on a regular basis.  She took great pride in telling us about her farm.  They plant kale, turnips and other greens so the cattle have a variety of greens in their diet.  The cattle are also crossbred to avoid inbreeding and genetic disorders.  This farm not only offers grass fed beef, but is certified organic as well.  They do not spray chemicals and other nonsense on the grass the cows eat.  The processing plant that Indian Creek Farms uses is a small family owned company and dry ages their beef for 21 days.  This is an added bonus as most grass fed farms do not offer dry aged beef.

My husband and I purchased half a cow.  The hanging weight (the weight of cow before dry age process) of our half of the cow was 200 pounds at $4.25 a pound.  I broke down the different cuts of meat below.  A conservative estimate of our purchase ended up being $7.50 a pound, but could have been under $7.00 a pound if I broke out a scale.  Whole Foods charges roughly $8.00 a pound for grass fed ground beef, around $12.00 for roasts and close to $20.00 a pound for steaks.  I am really happy with the value of our purchase.

Indian Creek Farms offers smaller bulk amounts if you do not have the storage capacity.  They sell whole, half, quarter, 1/8, 1/16 and 1/32 boxes.  I encourage you to check out this farm.  We need to support our local farmers who are responsible.

•  Ground Beef – 37lbs
• T Bone Steaks – 9
• Boneless Stew Meat – 4 X 1 lb = 4lbs
• Sirloin Roast – 3x 2 lbs = 6lbs
• Shoulder Roast – 3 x 2lbs = 6lbs
• Ribeye Steak – 12
• Sirloin Steak – 4
• Chuck Roast – 3 x 2lbs = 6lbs
• Short Ribs – 7 x2lbs = 14lbs
• Flank Steak – 1
• Skirt Steak – 1
• Stir Fry – 3 x 1lb = 3lbs
• Rump Roast – 2 x 2lbs = 4lbs
• Back Bone – 3 x 2lbs = 6lbs

Roasts are 2 to 3 pounds

Pumpkin Pancakes

I have tried several ‘paleo’ pancake recipes that were awful.  Most have a strange consistency; that do not come close to the real thing.  I was pleasantly surprised with this version and the kids love it too.

If you decide to make these, you need to cook them differently than a regular pancake.  The batter is thick so you need to spread them out with the back of a spoon after scooping the desired amount on to the griddle.  You also need to cook these over a lower heat to avoid burning the outside.  These cook a lot slower than a normal (grain) pancake.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup coconut flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 12 eggs
• 4 Tbsp canned full fat coconut milk
• 4 Tbsp melted coconut oil + extra for the skillet
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp maple syrup (read the label to make sure the only ingredient is maple syrup)

Directions

Heat the extra coconut oil over medium low heat (I use a cast iron griddle). Mix the coconut flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl.  In another bowl mix the eggs, coconut oil, coconut milk, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and pumpkin.  Add the dry ingredients in to the wet and mix until combined.   Spoon the batter onto the skillet in whatever size you prefer.  Spread the batter out to a thinner consistency with the back of the spoon.  Flip after they are light brown on one side.  Remember to cook these on a lower heat so they do not burn.  These cook longer than a regular pancake.

This should serve 2 adults and 2 small kids.

Raspotle Chicken Wraps

I was reminded the other day of a restaurant that my husband and I loved when we lived in Ahwatukee, AZ.  Florencia Pizza Bistro makes a pizza called the Raspotle and it is amazing.  I miss the sauce more than the pizza itself so I decided to make my own version at home.

Overall, I am happy with the end result.  These wraps would be great for a picnic or just make the sauce by itself and use to top chicken, pork or beef.  Like I mentioned before it’s really all about the sauce.

Ingredients

• 12 oz bag of frozen raspberries
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¾ cup local raw organic honey
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp adobo sauce **
• 2 tsp chipotle peppers, minced **
• Bibb lettuce (if you are making wraps)
• Chicken Breast, cooked and sliced ***

Directions

In a medium saucepan add raspberries and heat over medium high heat until thawed and soft, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the vinegar, honey and salt.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens by half, 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

**I used one tablespoon of adobo sauce and two teaspoons of minced chipotle peppers from a can of chipotle chilis in adobo sauce.  I saved the rest of the can for another use since I cook with these often.  You can find this in the ethnic aisle of your grocery store.

***I grilled the chicken on an indoor grill.  The boneless, skinless chicken breasts I had were thick so it took 7 minutes per side on medium high heat.

Ice Cream

I had a 30% off coupon to Kohls the other day and figured it was a good time of year to buy an ice cream maker.  I did not have to spend a ton of money to get one that does the job well.  In the past, I have tried to make ice cream in the freezer where you stir it yourself every 30 minutes.  I was not pleased with that method, but have to say that I love the new ice cream maker.  It is worth the small investment.

Over the past week, my daughter and I have experimented with different flavors.  Everything we made; is dairy and processed sugar free, and very simple to make.  There are no artificial flavors, colors or ingredients that we can not pronounce.  Mint chocolate chip was the family favorite, but we have enjoyed sampling all of the flavors so far.  These make small serving sizes that should be enough to feed 2 adults and 2 kids.  I am not sure how these recipes would keep in the freezer since there are never any leftovers.

Mint Chocolate Chip

• 1 can coconut milk, shake before opening
• 4 Tbsp raw honey
• 1 Tbsp real vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup fresh mint, chopped
• 1 cup 70% cocoa chocolate chips
• Pinch of salt

Mix coconut milk, honey, vanilla and salt in a mixing bowl.  Add mint and chocolate chips, cover and refrigerator for at least 2 hours.  Pour in to ice cream maker and follow ice cream manufactures instructions.  For our machine, we turn machine before pouring in the mixture.  It only takes 15 minutes for desired consistency in our machine.

Mint Chocolate Chip

Chocolate Strawberry

• 1 can coconut milk, shake before opening
• 4 Tbsp raw honey
• 1 Tbsp real vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup 100% cocoa powder
• ½ cup strawberries, chopped
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• Pinch of salt

Mix coconut milk, honey, vanilla and salt in a mixing bowl.  Add strawberries and chocolate chips, cover and refrigerator for at least 2 hours.  Pour in to ice cream maker and follow ice cream manufactures instructions.  For our machine, we turn machine before pouring in the mixture.  It only takes 15 minutes for desired consistency in our machine.

Chocolate Strawberry

Strawberry Spinach Salad

I love this salad.  It’s quick and easy to make.  Serve the dressing on the side so you do not drown the salad.  There will be plenty of dressing left over to use again or you can cut that recipe in half.

Take the time to read about all the health benefits of strawberries.  They are full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients.  Eating this little fruit can help maintain healthy blood sugar levels; help prevent certain cancers as well as cardiovascular disease.  It is hard to believe that something so delicious can be extremely nutritious.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 Tbsp poppy seeds
• ½ cup raw honey
• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
• ¼ tsp paprika
•  10 oz fresh baby spinach
• 1 quart strawberries, cleaned, hulled and quartered
• ½ cup almonds, blanched, slivered and toasted

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, honey, olive oil, vinegar and paprika.  Cover and chill for an hour.

In a large bowl, combine spinach, strawberries and almonds.  Serve with dressing on the side.