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Crispy Paleo Plantain Chips

January 28, 2015 By Natasha 1 Comment

crispy-paleo-plantain-chips

Crispy Paleo Plantain Chips

Chips.

Chips and Salsa.

Chips and Guacamole.

Both are equally my downfall at Mexican restaurants! I wanted to make a healthier version of my favorite snack, and I had a green plantain just hanging out waiting to be used. Crispy Plantain Chips it is. I love that I can easily grab a bag of these at Trader Joe’s, but I’m not in love with the fact that they use Sunflower oil in them. So, I decided to quickly fry my green plantain up in Nutiva coconut oil to make sure I got a nice crispy texture to them. I might try to bake them next time, but these took just minutes to fry up in my cast iron skillet!

crispy-paleo-plantain-chips-3

Prepping the green plantain for chips was easy since I used my handy dandy mandolin to slice it. I set the mandolin at the thinnest slice setting so the chips would crisp up very quickly in the coconut oil. If you don’t have a mandolin, just grab a sharp knife and try to cut them very thin into uniform slices. If you want a more “rustic” look, you can slice into 1/4″ rounds and smash tip flattened. These will look more like traditional tostones.

You will definitely need to watch these closely depending on the heat output of your burner, but all in all, it only took me approx 10 minutes for the whole process using just one large plantain. I wasn’t sure how long they would keep crispy, so I only used one plantain. Maybe next time I’ll make a bigger batch and keep them in an airtight container.

Serving suggestions: chips and salsa, chips and guac, nachos, croutons for a salad, or just solo for a crunchy snack!

crispy-paleo-plantain-chips-2

Equipment You’ll Need:

Crispy Paleo Plantain Chips

Recipe Type

Snack

Author:

Natasha Gildea

Prep time:

5 mins

Cook time:

5 mins

Total time:

10 mins

Serves:

2-3

Ingredients

1 green plantain
1/4 cup coconut oil
sea salt
Flavor God Chipotle seasoning (optional)

Instructions

Using mandolin or knife, cut into thin uniform slices
Heat coconut oil in a cast iron skillet over medium to med-high heat for a few minutes.
Try putting one plantain slice in the oil to make sure it’s hot enough. It should start to sizzle.
Cook in single layer batches (took me 3 batches) for a couple minutes each side.
When lightly browned, transfer to a paper towel lined plate and season immediately while still hot with sea salt and additional seasoning if desired.
Serve with salsa and/or guacamole for a snack!

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Vietnamese Pork Meatballs

January 22, 2015 By Natasha Leave a Comment

vietnamese-pork-meatballs

Vietnamese Pork Meatballs

Enjoy these little Vietnamese inspired pork meatballs as an appetizer as pictured below, in a soup, in a salad pictured above, or even on a sandwich! I wanted to create a meatball and I knew flavors like fresh ginger, garlic, cilantro and lemongrass would pair nicely with pork. So here’s my take Vietnamese meatballs that are light and full of fresh flavors!

Tip: I used a small ice cream scoop to keep the meatballs uniform in size. Then gently rolled into round balls and placed on a lined baking sheet with all the sides touching. This method ensures the meatballs stay very juicy while cooking and don’t dry out.

vietnamese-pork-meatballs

Here they are wrapped in raw zucchini slices as a fun way to present the meatballs for an appetizer/finger food dish. Great for parties.

vietnamese-pork-meatballs

Equipment You’ll Need:

Vietnamese Pork Meatballs

Recipe Type

Main

Author:

Natasha Gildea

Serves:

16-20 balls

Ingredients

1 lb ground pork
1 large handful cilantro, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1T fresh ginger, grated on microplane
1T fresh lemongrass, grated on microplane
1t sea salt
1T FlavorGod lemon and garlic seasoning
1/4 c red bell pepper, chopped small
1/4 c yellow onion, chopped small

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F degrees
Line baking sheet/dish with parchment paper/foil
Using small ice cream scoop, roll into small 1 inch balls
Place on baking sheet with sides touching each other. (keeps moist while baking)
Bake 20-25 minutes or until no longer pink inside
Serve with zucchini ribbons like pictured above for an appetizer, or in soup, salad, or sandwiches!

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Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

January 22, 2015 By Natasha 1 Comment

Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

Don’t you just love sweet potatoes! They are probably one of my favorite carbs to indulge in. And they are so versatile too! I had been wanting to make hasselback potatoes for a long time, but I very rarely, like once a year rarely, eat white potatoes. So why not try it with sweet potatoes? This recipe is super easy and a fun presentation for the humble sweet potato too!

Here’s what I did… On a cutting board, put the sweet potato in the middle and on either side of it place a chop stick or wooden spoon handle. Using a sharp knife, cut down until you hit the chop stick, and you will not cut through the potato. Make a slice approximately every 1/4″ until the whole potato is evenly sliced. I am wishing I would have taken step by step photos for this one. Maybe I next time I make these!

Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

Drizzle with the melted butter/ghee and seasoning mixture. In this case I used ghee from OMGhee, sprinkled on sea salt and Flavor God Chipotle seasoning, and fresh minced garlic and parsley. You want to make sure the mixture gets in between the hasselback slices. I baked in a cast iron skillet in a 425F degree oven for approximately 35 minutes. Added a teeny bit of shredded cheese and put back in oven for another 5 minutes or until cheese melted. When out of oven, I topped with more chopped parsley, some chopped scallions, and finally, chopped bacon from 5280meat in Colorado!

This dish is a wonderful accompaniment to your steak! Or really anything! Also great for making ahead for meal prepping since the leftovers are delicious!

Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

Recipe Type

Side

Author:

Natasha Gildea

Prep time:

10 mins

Cook time:

40 mins

Total time:

50 mins

Serves:

Ingredients

4 sweet potatoes
4T ghee/butter, melted
2T Flavor God Chipotle seasoning
1t sea salt
4T fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
4T chopped scallions
4T shredded cheese (optional, omit for paleo)
4T cooked bacon, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
Using technique above, cut slices into potatoes (don’t cut through to bottom)
In a small bowl, combine melted ghee/butter, chipotle seasoning, sea salt, parsley, and garlic.
Drizzle/brush on 1T of mixture to each sweet potato getting in between the slices.
Bake in cast iron skillet or baking dish for approx 35 min or until soft.
Add cheese and cook another 5 minutes until cheese melts (optional.)
Remove from oven and top with more scallions and chopped bacon.

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Spicy Whole Roasted Cauliflower

January 19, 2015 By Natasha 1 Comment

Spicy Whole Roasted Cauliflower

This whole roasted cauliflower will surely impress your guests at a dinner party! I have always liked cauliflower. Lately I’ve added it to some of my meals as “cauli mash” to replace mashed potatoes. I’ve also tried it out as “cauli rice” for a low carb rice option. And of course roasting or steaming the florets is a go to option most of the time. But sometimes, the simplicity of having something in it’s original state is, well, elegant and even dramatic. Don’t be intimidated to roast this beautiful vegetable whole.

I had just received my bottles of Mina Harissa and knew I wanted to create something beautiful with the amazing color of the red pepper sauce. And the contrast of the red with the white cauliflower was sure to give me the elegant and dramatic look I had imagined. I knew I had to roast at a high temperature to bring out the natural sweetness in the vegetable, so I decided on 450 degrees fahrenheit. But I also knew that the core of the cauliflower inside would be harder to cook through and get soft. I had seen other recipes that called for blanching or steaming the cauliflower before roasting it to insure the core got done. But, I decided to try something different.

Spicy Whole Roasted Cauliflower

First thing I did was to line a baking sheet or roasting pan with foil to ensure an easy clean up at the end. Next, I chose my cooking fat to coat the cauliflower. I having been using ghee pretty exclusively in my cooking lately as it tastes amazing, has a high smoke point, and is good for you! Next, I added a smoky element using Flavor God Chipotle seasoning, then I brushed on the Mina Harissa and made sure to coat evenly. In the oven for approximately 30 minutes.

Spicy Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Okay, next step is to ensure the cauliflower core gets tender. To the baking dish, add about 1/2 cup of water or about 1/4 inch of water in dish, season top with more Flavor God or just sea salt, and cover with ovenproof lid or foil. Roast another 20 minutes and then check with a wooden skewer in the middle. It’s done when the skewer slides through easily. Make sure to let it cool for at least 5 minutes before cutting through as it will be very hot! Enjoy as a side dish to any meal. This one is sure to impress your friends!

Spicy Whole Roasted Cauliflower

Recipe Type

Side

Author:

Natasha Gildea

Prep time:

5 mins

Cook time:

50 mins

Total time:

55 mins

Serves:

Ingredients

1 whole cauliflower
2T melted ghee (I used OMGheebutter)
1T chipotle seasoning (FlavorGod), or sea salt and pepper
3T harissa (I used Mina)
1/2 cup water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 placing rack in lower third, and line baking dish with foil.
Remove green leaves and cut off bottom of stalk so cauliflower will sit flat in baking dish.
Pour/brush melted ghee over cauliflower and sprinkle with chipotle seasoning or salt and pepper.
Using brush, add a layer of harissa evenly oven whole cauliflower covering completely.
Roast for 30 minutes.
Take out dish, season with more chipotle or sea salt, and add water to dish, then cover with foil or ovenproof lid.
Roast another 20 minutes or until wooden skewer can be inserted through cauliflower with ease.
Let rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting into to serve.
Enjoy with any meal for an elegant dinner!

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Paleo Broccoli Salad

January 15, 2015 By Natasha Leave a Comment

Paleo Broccoli Salad

Broccoli Salad. I know this isn’t quite something you’d think of for the middle of January, but I got it stuck in my head, and had to make it. So there’s that. My version has a few twists in it but still reminds you of that classic Broccoli Salad that your aunt or somebody would bring over to the summer potluck!

I don’t care for raisins. Like not one bit, so I subbed in organic dried goji berries and still achieved that little hint of sweetness in the dish. Raw red onions are another one of those things I just can’t do. Luckily I do like raw shallots, so that was a perfect substitution in this recipe and I opted to add it in minced in the dressing portion rather than in a dice in the salad, so it’s just a hint. I also don’t care for sugar and soybean oil filled mayos. Gross. I was lucky enough to get my hands on some new Paleo Approved Mayo by Mark Sisson‘s Primal Kitchen Foods… It’s sooo yummilicious! It’s made using avocado oil, cage free eggs, and it’s free of sugar, soy and canola! It’s amazing! Since I don’t use regular cane sugar in my daily life anymore, I surely didn’t want to add it in here for the dressing portion as many recipes call for. I very lightly sweetened it with a teaspoon of raw honey whisked into the dressing. You can definitely adjust it up or down or omit altogether especially if following the Whole30 or The 21 Day Sugar Detox like many people are this month. And lastly, I did keep in a few of the traditional ingredients such as bacon and sunflower seeds and added some grape tomatoes just for fun!!

In my opinion, this version kept the main components of a broccoli salad with a few alterations that still kept it tasting true. It’s no secret that hubby doesn’t always like the same foods as me, but I’m happy to say that, once again, I was able to “fool’ him into eating my “hippy sh*t” as he sometimes refers it.

I love to cook and eat seasonally, but sometimes your body just wants what it wants! So don’t wait for Spring or Summer to enjoy your favorite dishes. Make them whenever you want! I hope you enjoy this recipe and if you have any questions, please let me know! If you make this or any of my dishes, I’d love to hear your feedback!

Paleo Broccoli Salad

Recipe Type

Side Dish

Author:

Natasha Gildea

Prep time:

15 mins

Total time:

15 mins

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

Salad:
12oz bag broccoli florets, cut into uniform size
1/4c grape tomatoes, cut into 3rds
1/4c goji berries
1/4c sprouted sunflower seeds
4 pieces bacon, cooked and chopped
Dressing:
1/3c paleo mayo (I used Primal Kitchen Foods brand)
1T Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar
1T Brain Octane or MCT oil (I used BulletProof Exec brand)
1T shallot, minced
1t raw honey (omit for #whole30 and #21dsd)
Himalayan pink salt & pink peppercorns (I used Flavor God)

Instructions

In a medium bowl, add all salad ingredients.
Separately, in a small bowl, add all dressing ingredients except S&P.
Whisk until combined and then season to taste with S&P.
Add dressing to salad and stir to ensure all broccoli is coated.
Refrigerate for 30 min to allow flavors to mingle

Pomegranate Apple Mango Salsa

January 14, 2015 By Natasha Leave a Comment

Pomegranate Apple Mango Salsa

Salsas are so fun and easy to make and you can really go in any direction flavor-wise to suit your meal, mood, or season! For this one, I was inspired by the amazing photos on Half Baked Harvest’s blog and Instagram feed. Check her out for amazing recipes and photography! Anyway, back to the salsa. Pomegranates speak Fall, as do apples. Mangos, maybe not so much, but I always love a good mango salsa. So, I added it anyway. This salsa is super fresh and can brighten up any seafood dish, especially shrimp or fish tacos! See my recipe for Paleo Shrimp Tacos, where I added this salsa!

Paleo Shrimp Tacos

Pomegranata Apple Mango Salsa

Recipe Type

Condiment

Author:

Natasha Gildea

Prep time:

10 mins

Total time:

10 mins

Serves:

1 mason jar

Ingredients

1 pomegranate, seeded
½c mango, sm dice
½c Granny Smith Apple, sm dice
Sm handful cilantro, chopped
½ lime, juiced
pink sea salt, to taste

Instructions

In medium size bow, add all ingredients and stir well.
Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to mingle!

Sweet Potato, Bacon, Egg Breakfast Skillet

January 14, 2015 By Natasha Leave a Comment

Sweet Potato, Bacon, Egg Breakfast Skillet

I love sweet potatoes. And bacon. And eggs. Especially when you add all 3 of these ingredients together in a cast iron skillet. The sweetness of the sweet potatoes with the saltiness of the bacon, and that gooey yolk that acts like a sauce. Here’s an easy recipe that incorporates all 3 ingredients together along with some smoky chipotle seasoning. Enjoy this for breakfast, or really any meal of the day! I use FlavorGod Chipotle seasoning, however you may use a combination of sea salt, cracked pepper, chipotle powder and cumin to achieve a nice smoky flavor with a little bit of heat. In addition to using FlavorGod in all my dishes, I also love using OMGhee brand ghee, however you may choose to use regular butter instead. Ghee is made from butter that has been heated and the milk solids and water removed. I have switched to using butter made from grass-fed/pasture raised cows, such as Kerrygold, due to the health benefits versus grain fed cows.

Sweet Potato, Bacon, Egg Breakfast Skillet

Sweet Potato, Bacon, Egg Skillet

Recipe Type

Breakfast

Author:

Natasha Gildea

Prep time:

10 mins

Cook time:

25 mins

Total time:

35 mins

Serves:

Ingredients

1.5 lbs multi colored sweet potatoes, diced
1 lb smoked bacon (I use 5280meat)
2T ghee
1-2T Chipotle seasoning (I use FlavorGod, or you can blend salt, pepper, chiptole pepper powder and cumin)
4 pastured eggs

Instructions

Place bacon on baking sheet and put in oven at 425*F for approx 15-20 min. Set aside in paper towels.
Meanwhile, heat a cast iron skillet over med-high with ghee and add diced the potatoes. Season with FlavorGod seasoning.
When potatoes can be softly pierced with a fork, approx 10-15 min, add in half of your cooked bacon, chopped (save the other half for dinner), and crack 4 eggs over top. Tip: I crack each one in a small bowl to make sure I don’t get any shell in skillet)
Cook on stove or in oven until egg whites are set. You may put a lid on to help steam.
Sprinkle more FlavorGod Chipotle and ENJOY!

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Quick and Easy Paleo Shrimp Tacos

January 14, 2015 By Natasha Leave a Comment

quick and easy paleo shrimp tacos

Paleo Shrimp Tacos

I like TACOS. Like, I really like them. I could eat them on the daily, but especially on Taco Tuesdays! Shrimp tacos cook super fast, so this recipe is great when you need a quick dinner! I like to always have a bag of frozen, uncooked shrimp in my freezer because they are super easy to defrost in a pinch.

For the shrimp, my favorite way to cook them is in the oven under the broiler for approximately 6 minutes. It’s fast and hassle free. I melt some ghee and my seasonings and toss the thawed shrimp to coat both sides. Then lay them flat on a foil lined baking sheet for easy clean up. You know the shrimp are cooked when they turn pink.

For the tortillas, I used Stupid Easy Paleo’s recipe for Simple Paleo Tortillas. They are stupid easy! And so good!

For the Cumin-Lime Crema, I used the recipe from the Tacolicious’ cookbook. When I’m in SF every other week, I enjoy going to TLish for some Taco Tuesday!!

For the salsa, I made a Fall inspired Pomegranate Apple Mango Salsa. This may seem to be an unlikely combo, but trust me, it worked!

Paleo Shrimp Tacos

Quick and Easy Paleo Shrimp Tacos

Recipe Type

Main

Author:

Natasha

Prep time:

5 mins

Cook time:

6 mins

Total time:

11 mins

Serves:

Ingredients

Shrimp:
1lb uncooked shrimp, deveined, tail on or off
2T ghee, melted (I used OMGhee)
1T chipotle FlavorGod seasoning
1t pink sea salt
Additional:
cilantro
cumin-lime crema
salsa
jalapeños
tortillas of choice

Instructions

Pre-heat broiler
Line baking sheet with foil
In medium bowl, mix melted ghee with chipotle seasoning and sea salt, stir to mix
Add thawed, shrimp to ghee and toss to coat
Line shrimp on baking sheet
Broil for approximately 6 minutes or until shrimp are pink
Assemble tacos with your favorite garnishes and ENJOY!

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Best Meatballs Ever

January 11, 2015 By Natasha Leave a Comment

Meatballs

Best Meatballs Ever.

I like my meatballs to be full of flavors not just blah balls of meat. And I like big flavors. So, I made sure to add some big flavors to these. I must say they taste pretty darn good. Hubby agreed and ventured to say these were by far the best ones I’ve made yet. That’s all I needed to know to label them Best Meatballs Ever! He’s a very honest food critic and I value his opinion as my number one taste-tester! I originally called these “Greekish 50/50 Meatballs” due to the fact that they have some Greek flavors with the addition of the green olives, and I used 50% grass-fed beef and 50% pastured raised ground pork. I had on hand some Double Stuffed Green Olives (with jalapeños and garlic cloves) made locally in Corning, CA, known as the “Olive City,” at the Olive Pit. You can definitely use any olives you have on hand. In fact, that’s generally how I come up with many of my recipes. I look in the pantry and refrigerator and pull out things I think will pair well together and go from there. I highly recommend the “free style” cooking method in the kitchen!

This recipe also highlights the amazing protein from 5280meat! I know I already mentioned this before, but I buy all my grass fed beef and pasture raised pork products from them. Their customer service is amazing and I know these animals are raised humanely and Rachel and Ty give them a great life while here on the earth. Plus they aren’t pumped full of antibiotics or hormones, so that is huge to me and has definitely made a difference in helping me heal my Hashimoto’s thyroid condition.

I am currently doing a Whole30, and I never eat regular pasta anymore since the gluten doesn’t like me, so I came up with something new. The cabboodle. I have try zoodles many times and they are ok. But you have to have a zoodler, or a fancy peeler, or a some cool kitchen gadget that I probably don’t have. I love shredded brussels sprouts and cabbage is pretty much just humungous brussels, so that works for me. My brother actually made my meatball recipe the other night and told me he added shredded cabbage to the cast iron skillet after cooking the meatballs and he loved it. So, cabboodles it is! Oh, and I did declare on my Instagram the other day that according to me, zoodles are so 2014, and cabboodles are now in! Everyone can thank me later, so go to the store and grab some cabbage! You’ll only need a knife and a cutting board to slice them up and throw them in your skillet with some ghee. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Best Meatballs Ever

Recipe Type

Dinner

Author:

Natasha Gildea

Prep time:

10 mins

Cook time:

30 mins

Total time:

40 mins

Serves:

14 med meatballs

Ingredients

•1 lb grassfed ground beef 85/15
•1 lb pastured ground pork
•1 egg
•1 handful flat leaf parsley, minced
•1 c green olives, stuffed w/ garlic and jalapeño, minced
•2T FlavorGod garlic lovers seasoning
•1T lemon zest

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400*F.
Gently mix all together and form into meatballs (I made 14 med-large)
Bake on lined sheet tray at 400* for 25-30 minutes. Or until no longer pink inside. Can broil for a few min to finish off and give nice color!)
Serve with pasta, zoodles, or my new favorite thing, ‘cabboodles’ which is shredded cabbage and your favorite clean marinara sauce!

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