What's for Dinner?

Lemon "Pesto" Salmon with Spinach

Last night I planned to cooked my wild salmon, but I had no idea what to do.  7pm came around and I had made no progress, but I was hungry.  TIME TO ACT FAST! 

I decided even though I didn't have the exact ingredients to make pesto I was going to try and make something tasty... And I think my creation worked AMAZING!!! 

Sarah's Garden Lemon "Pesto"

Juice from 1 lemon (From my lemon tree)

10 basil leaves (From my basil plant)

1 tablespoon of Almond Butter

Few shakes of Garlic Salt

1/4-1/3 cup of olive oil

Put all ingredients but olive oil into a blender or food processor slowly add the olive oil while blending until the basil is the size you desire. 

Place the Salmon in foil and make a little boat around the salmon to keep all the sauce in while grilling.  

Pour Sarah's Garden Lemon "Pesto" on the salmon.

Pinch the foil at the top to create a tee-pee over the salmon.  Cook in the foil on the grill for about 7 minutes.  

Sautee Spinach in a pan on the oven. Top the Spinach with the Salmon. 

EAT

Picnic at the Mission

So I have always wanted to do a picnic at the mission, it is just gorgeous on these summer nights. 

We all brought some delicious food to share and enjoy with a glass of wine on lawn. 

Bailey's Meatballs

Prosciutto Wrapped Peppers

Peaches & Creme (Paleo)

Umm soooo good!  Here is the recipe.  I did 4 times the recipe.  Make sure you have really coconut milk, not the light stuff, and I added some extra flavor with cinnamon! 

What's for dinner?

STEAK & POTATOES! Kinda...

Tri-Tip with Santa Maria Style Seasoning and Mashed Garlic Cauliflower

This dinner was great, quick and easy, and very tasty! We season the tri-tip with South Seas Tri-Tip Santa Maria Style seasoning (buy it here or check your local store), put it on the grill and let it cook.  The Mashed Garlic Cauliflower was almost just as easy, cook cauliflower in water, drain, season, and blend (try not to blend too much, it will lose the right texture)! I used this recipe, but I accidentally forgot the butter...Oops!

Nutritional Info come from MyFitnessPal

Serving Size/Nutritional Info*: 

6 oz of Tri-tip, 

1 cup of Cauliflower Mash

What's for dinner?

Bunless beef burger with a fried egg, broccoli slaw, and grilled cinnamon sweet potatoes with pancetta!

Homemade Mayo!!!

Soooo I just received my new Vitamix blender on Friday, and it has change my life!  And if you are willing to make the investment I strongly encourage you to do it NOW!   I have used it already everyday.

Friday: Cauliflower rice
Saturday: Banana Coconut Green Smoothie (this recipe was just taken to the next notch with the Vitamix, it is so silky smooth, I LOVE IT)
Sunday: Homemade Mayo!

I used this recipe from The Clothes Make the Girl blog.  And I have to admit I had to do it twice.  Flowing the recipe, I noticed that it never stated the power or the speed needed to emulsion properly.  So I went all out, increased the speed to High, and started the drizzle process... The mixture started to steam and was not combining like a mayo should.  I had to ditch that batch.  The second time, I took it down a notch, well 9 notches.

When I combined the egg, oil, and mustard mixture I ran the Vitamix at Variable 2, then started to drizzle the rest of the oil at 2 and once it started to thicken I increased it to Variable 3 to finish it off.  It came out perfect and delicious.

C.C.C. with C.

Coconut Curry Chicken with Cauliflower (fried rice)

One of my favorite Whole 30 meals to date! I love Thai food, but I can't just buy Whole 30 approved at your local Thai food place so I made my own.

First I used this recipe to get me started, but it required a few modifications. I substituted the veggies on the recipe for sweet potatoes, onions, and eggplant. Then instead of rice I cooked a basic cauliflower fried rice!

It was great, filling, and I honestly didn't miss the real thing! I guess this is the real thing now.

Here are the steps to my meal! 

Ingredients

Brown the Chicken

Chop the Veggies

Place the Veggies in the Crock-Pot

Place chicken in the Crock-Pot

Make the Sauce

Mix the Sauce

Add to Crock-Pot

Cook

EAT! 

What's for dinner?

Paleo fish tacos with Dairy-free Avocado Crema and Pico De Gallo. 

This recipe is worth sharing and I highly recommend making!

 

Banana Muffins...OMG!

Wow, these are good!!!

I have been waiting and waiting to make these muffins, and I can't believe I waited for so long.  They are absolutely delicious! See recipe here at Today's Letters.  

Ingredients

Blend Cashews & Coconut Oil (I used instead of Walnut Oil)

Add Bananas

Blend.  This was so good, I think I could eat spoonfuls, or spread on this bread.

Whisk eggs, add banana cashew butter and all other ingredients. 

Put in muffin pans, cook at 375 degrees for 12 minutes. 

EAT!

Whole 30 plan here!  I am not full on Whole 30, but I am trying my best to follow the rules most of the time.  The best part, I have been introduced to some pretty amazing grain-free, gluten-free, and sugar-free recipes.

2nd Time is a Charm: Home Made Sausage

 This guy is awesome and he knows how to cook, and cook well.  I am trying out this paleo/REAL FOOD thing, I mean not exclusive, but most of the time and I have found some great recipes.  Two of them from Mark's Daily Apple through Today's Letters, one of my favorite blogs. 

I initially thought making home made sausage was easy, I would just grind any meat, add spices here, add spices there and it would turn out right... oh man was I wrong and I made the nastiest chicken sausage.  I made almost 3lbs and threw it all out, it was that bad! So Attempt #2 was about to happen and I was going to look at a recipe.

AMAZING NEWS, it worked and it was sooooo goood!!!!  I think a few keys to my success were chicken thighs not breasts, don't forget the red wine vinegar, and don't use too much garlic.  Here is how I made my Home Made Fresh Herb Sausage and Sausage & Egg Casserole. 

Fresh Herb Sausage

• 2 pounds of raw chicken thigh meat, cut into 1-inch chunks (include all fat)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or red wine

Read More: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-make-homemade-sausage/#axzz1x4aI8qJQ 

 

 

Sausage & Egg Breakfast Bites

• 1 12oz bag of spinach
• 1/2 of the Fresh Herb Sausage above. 
• 8-10 eggs
• Salt & Pepper

Read More: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/sausage-egg-breakfast-bites/#axzz1x4aI8qJQ

What's for dinner?

Zucchini Spaghetti with Tomato Basil Ground Beef

Simple, tasty, delicious and REAL FOOD!

Smoothies are the new black!

Summer is almost here and getting in shape is a must.  I have been very good at working out, Pilates at least 4 days a week, plus a little running and cycle here and there, but it isn't doing the job.  Most people say 80% of weight loss is your diet.  So I guess eating bone marrow, pizzas, cupcakes, croissants, and fried fish isn't helping me get ready for beach wear! So bring on the smoothie!

Now this isn't the smoothie you pick up at one of those places that could be filled with sugar, this is made right at home, and it is simple, quick, cheap, and easy! 

Banana Coconut Green Smoothie

1 frozen banana

2-4 cups of fresh spinach

1/4-1/2 cup of light canned coconut milk

1/4-1/2 cup of water

Place all into a blender. 

Blend until completely smooth.  

Viola!  Drinking 4 cups of spinach in a delicious smoothie is much easier than eating it!