Green Meatloaf
24 Apr 2012 Leave a Comment
in Recipes Tags: paleo, recipe
I wanted to make a dinner that would sneak vegetables on the boys plate, but didn’t want to do that same old “kid” recipes. Instead, I wanted to create something that would appeal equally to us parents as it did to the boys. After digging through the pantry and refrigerator, I settled on meatloaf…green meatloaf because it’s loaded with spinach, sautéed red bell pepper, and Asiago cheese. If you have picky eaters that prefer a white diet or would like a healthy twist on an old standby, give this one a try. It’s loaded with flavor and is simple to make.
Green Meatloaf
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 3 handfuls spinach
- 2 egg whites, whisked
- 1/3 cup Asiago cheese
- 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbs Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs (can sub regular bread crumbs or oats)
- ketchup or bbq sauce (optional)
- salt and pepper
Heat a sauté pan over medium heat, and then add the oil. Once the oil comes up to temperature, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the bell pepper and continue cooking until it begins to soften. After the peppers soften, transfer the garlic, peppers, and oil to the food processor and pulse until smooth. Add the spinach in batches and process until very smooth–almost liquid.
In a large bowl, combine until mixed the ground beef, whisked eggs, Asiago cheese, spinach purée, Worcestershire sauce, bread crumbs, mustard, and season with salt and pepper. Instead of baking in the oven, which takes 1 hour+, I made mini meatloaf and grilled them outside until cooked through.
I served the mini loaves with smashed cauliflower and blanched broccoli that I finished in the garlic/pepper pan. This was a great, healthy spin on an old classic that had everyone–even our pickiest eater–coming back for seconds. And, yes, this is perfectly paleo as long as you omit the bread crumbs and ketchup.
Paleo Shrimp with Saffron Cauliflower Rice
25 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in Recipes Tags: paleo, recipe, shrimp
During the drive home, Traci called with a Paleo Challenge. What? How long has it been since the last Paleo Challenge? Obviously too long because my first reaction was, “No!” I was too tired from work to think about mashing ingredients together for dinner. But, as I drove home, I found myself becoming more and more relaxed as I mulled over the contents of our fridge and pantry: chicken, shrimp, spinach, cauliflower, gluten-free lemon and pepper pasta, tomatoes, and a few other odds and ends. The initial response was easy: pasta with shrimp and spinach. But I could do better than that. Here’s what I ended up doing.
Paleo Shrimp with Saffron Cauliflower Rice
- 1 lb. shrimp
- 1/2 onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
- 4 tbs olive oil, divided
- 1 tbs dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- 2 hand fulls baby spinach
- 1/2 handful of coarse parsley
- 2 tsp butter, divided
- 1 head cauliflower (rice substitute rice)
- pinch saffron threads soaked in 2 tbs hot water for 10 min
Prepare the cauliflower rice by grating the cauliflower into riced-sized pieces. This can be done using a hand grater or a food processor. Add 1 tbs olive oil and 1 tsp of butter to a hot skillet. Add in cauliflower and saffron with a little salt and pepper to taste. Stir and then cover and cook until softened.
While the cauliflower cooks, prepare the shrimp and chop the onion, garlic and mushrooms. Heat another pan over medium-high heat and then add remaining oil, onions and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently for 3 minutes or until the onion softens. Add in the mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes. While the mushrooms cook, add the lemon juice, dijon mustard, and 1 tbs olive oil to a bowl and whisk. Add the shrimp, lemon juice dressing, and remaining butter to the pan and toss to coat. Cook 2 to 3 minutes and then toss to flip shrimp. Top with lemon zest, spinach, and parsley and cook until the spinach wilts, stirring to mix everything. Season with salt and pepper.
To server, add a serving of cauliflower rice to a plate and then top with 1/2 of the shrimp. Be sure to add any remaining juice to the dish!!! Enjoy.
Baked Pears with Honey and Curry Powder
27 Feb 2011 1 Comment
in Recipes Tags: paleo, recipe
Yes, pears with curry powder. I would like to claim this recipe as mine considering how creative it is, but I found it The Daily Dish. I’m sharing this one because it’s so interesting and very good. This is a great paleo dessert that is simple to make! And, by the way, The Daily Dish is now bookmarked on my computer.
Baked Pears with Honey Almonds
Ingredients
2 large pears, halved and cored
1/4 c. finely chopped dried apricots
1 1/2 T. unsalted butter
1/4 t. no-salt-added curry powder
1 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. sliced or slivered almonds
1 1/2 T. honey
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the pears cut side UP in a small baking pan. Fill each pear with chopped apricots. Sprinkle each pear with curry powder, then drizzle with butter. Drizzle the lemon juice over the pear halves, then cover pan with aluminum foil. Place pan on middle rack in oven and bake 40 minutes. Remove pan from oven. To serve, place each pear half on a plate, sprinkle with almonds and drizzle with honey. Serve immediately.
