Paleo Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas

 

It is a true tragedy that my husband doesn't like bell peppers in any form.  He misses out on fajitas and I just can't imagine that.  Anyway, I made this recipe for myself for lunches for a few days throughout the week.  They are SO good and addicting I swear I could eat the whole pan...but so far I've managed to not.  You don't have the be Paleo to make this.  You can add all of the traditional non-paleo fajita deliciousness and have a great time.  (Queso anyone?!?!)  But for us Paleo eaters, I eat these on warmed Siete tortillas and I occasionally add some guac if I have an avocado that needs eaten.  

1.5 lbs. frozen shrimp (I'm lazy and use frozen, raw, peeled, deveined shrimp from Costco)

1 red bell pepper, sliced thin

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin

1 orange bell pepper, sliced thin (it doesn't matter what colors you have, I LOVE green bell peppers in this too...just use 3 whatever bell peppers you have sliced thin)

1 onion, sliced thin

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. Blackening Seasoning

Lime wedges, cilantro, guac (optional)

Begin by preheating your oven to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.  

In a small bowl combine all of the seasonings and mix well.

Place the shrimp and sliced veggies on the aluminum foil lined baking sheet.  Drizzle the olive oil all over the veggies and shrimp and toss to coat.

Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the oil coated veggies and shrimp and toss again, making sure the spices are on everything.  

Roast the shrimp and veggies in your preheated oven for 16 minutes.  Once the time is up, move your oven rack to the top position and turn the oven to High Broil.  Keep a close eye on it and broil for 2-4 minutes or until the veggies and shrimp have some charring.

Serve on warmed tortillas and garnish with your favorite fajita toppings.  

*I'm a sucker for anything on a chip.  I love LOVE to serve this over a bed of warmed Siete tortilla chips like a Fajita Nacho situation.  It's SO good!  

Egg Roll in a Bowl Soup

 

I was DELICIOUSLY surprised with how this final recipe turned out.  I really like Egg Roll in a Bowl, but turning it into a soup hits all the right places in the winter time.  I make this in my Instant Pot on the Sauté feature.  You also make the entire thing in one pot so it's super easy clean up!

1lb. ground sausage

1 onion, diced

1 (10oz.) bag shredded carrots

1 green cabbage, sliced into strips

1 head of garlic, minced

6 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon coconut aminos

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. onion powder

2 tsp. salt (plus more to taste)

Turn your Instant Pot on the Sauté feature and allow it to get hot.  Add the sausage and brown.

When the sausage is almost done, add the diced onion and sauté until the onion is softened.  

Add the garlic and carrots and sauté until the carrots have slightly softened and the garlic is fragrant. 

Then add the broth, coconut aminos, garlic powder, onion powder, and cabbage to the pot.  Mix well.

Bring the soup to a simmer and allow to cook for 10 minutes or until the cabbage has softened but still has a little bit of a bite to it.

Season with additional salt and onion powder to taste.

Paleo Black Pepper Chicken

 

If you're craving some Chinese food but have to stay away from all of that sugar, this is an amazing go-to! It's full of veggies, tender chicken, and so much flavor!

My husband doesn't like bell peppers in any form so I subbed those out for yellow squash and zucchini.  But if you like bell peppers, feel free to use them instead.

Chicken Prep:

2lbs. chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes

3 tablespoons coconut aminos

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Veggie Prep:

2 yellow squash, cut into bite size pieces

2 zucchini, cut into bite size pieces (or if you like bell peppers sub out the squash and zucchini for 2 bell peppers, any color)

8 celery stalks, sliced into one inch pieces on a diagonal

1 onion, chopped into about 1 inch pieces

1 head of garlic, minced

Sauce Prep:

2 tsp. ground black pepper

4 tablespoons coconut aminos

1/4 cup chicken stock

Other:

1/2 cup avocado oil

1/2 cup tapioca starch or arrowroot powder

salt

Fish Sauce (optional)

Combine all of the ingredients for the chicken into a small mixing bowl.  Make sure every piece of chicken is coated in sauce, set aside.

Prepare the veggies and add them all to a mixing bowl.

In a cereal bowl, combine all of the sauce ingredients.

Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat, add the oil and allow it to get hot.  While the oil is getting hot, add the starch to the chicken mixture and combine well.

One by one, add the chicken pieces to the hot oil, being careful not to splatter.  Make sure the chicken is in a single layer and allow them to pan fry for 1-2 minutes per side or until done.  Work in batches if necessary.  Once the chicken is done, transfer it to a plate and set aside.  

If needed, add more oil to the skillet and sauté the veggies with a generous pinch of salt until softened, 3-5 minutes.  

Return the chicken to the pan.  Pour the Pepper Sauce over everything and toss well.  Cook over medium heat for 1 minute.  To finish it off, drizzle 1 tsp. of Fish Sauce and stir.

Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary (I usually add a bit more coconut aminos and salt.)

You can serve this just as it is.  Or if you prefer, you can serve over some cauliflower rice.  If you're not Paleo, serve over Jasmine Rice.  

Creamy Tuscan Chicken

 

If you're looking for a tasty, one skillet dinner, this one is delicious!  It's full of flavor, packed with veggies, and even the kiddos love it!  It can be pretty versatile too as far as what kind of chicken you use.  I prefer boneless, skinless thighs.  They have TONS of flavor, they crisp up nice, and they cook a bit faster than boneless skinless breasts.  But use was you have, just adjust your cooking time accordingly.

1.5-2lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 tablespoons coconut oil

sea salt and pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 onion, chopped

1 head of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder

1 cup chicken broth

1 can full fat coconut milk

1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard 

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 tsp. Italian seasoning 

1 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped

2 large handfuls of baby spinach

cauliflower rice, cooked and seasoned with salt

Season the chicken with sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.  Heat a large skillet over med-low heat, add the coconut oil, and cook the chicken thighs for 5-7 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through.  Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside on a plate.

Add additional coconut oil if needed and add the onions to the skillet.  Cook the onions until they're soft, then add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.

Whisk in the arrowroot powder and then add the broth and coconut milk.  Stir to combine.  

Add the mustard, nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.  Cook and stir over medium-high heat until it starts to thicken.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Add the tomatoes and spinach.  Cook until the spinach is wilted and the tomatoes have softened.  Add the chicken back to the skillet and simmer for 2-3 minutes.  

Serve over seasoned cauliflower rice.

Nutritional Yeast Salad Dressing

 

This is a deliciously tangy, full of flavor, easy to make salad dressing that makes any salad exciting!  You'll see 4 cloves of garlic in the recipe but if you know me, 4 cloves of garlic in anything is nowhere near enough.  So if you like a mild garlic flavor, start with 4 cloves.  If you're like me and garlic is life, I add a whole handful of minced garlic to my jar.  

For me, the Apple Cider Vinegar shines through in this dressing and I don't particularly care for the flavor of ACV.  However, you can tame it down by adding liquid stevia extract (I like Pyure) or raw honey to taste.  It's still tangy, still has that garlic spice to it but WAY tames down that ACV.  

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

4 cloves of garlic, minced (or as much garlic as you prefer)

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/2 tablespoon sea salt

stevia extract or raw honey, to taste (optional)

Pour the olive oil and apple cider vinegar into a pint sized mason jar.

Add the garlic, nutritional yeast, and salt.  Use a fork and whisk until the oil and vinegar have combined.

Taste.  Begin adding sweetener of choice a little at a time, tasting as you go, if desired.  

Store in the fridge.  Shake well before using.

40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken

 

Does 40 cloves of garlic sound excessive?  I don't know...maybe to normal people?  I don't think there's such a thing as too much garlic.  This recipe calls for 40 cloves, but I usually throw in a few more just for good measure.  The cloves get nice and browned and have an amazing texture and are slightly sweet...it's seriously amazing!  Busy mom hack, grab a bag of peeled whole garlic at the grocery store.  I get mine at Costco but I've seen them at Aldi too.  I'm sure wherever you shop has them.  It's a HUGE time saver.  Also, the Rosemary is SO GOOD but if you have everything else except for fresh Rosemary sprigs, just leave them out.  But get them for the next time you make it.  

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

8 bone in, skin on chicken thighs

Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt and ground black pepper

40 cloves (*cough cough or more*) of garlic, peeled but left whole

1 cup chicken broth

6 fresh Rosemary Sprigs

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet (I use my largest cast iron) over medium heat and add the olive oil.  Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper.

Working in batches (don't crowd them) add the chicken to the skillet, skin side down.  Allow to cook until the skin is golden brown, about 6 minutes.  Flip the chicken over and cook an additional 6 minutes.  

Once you've cooked the chicken 6 minutes per side, place the thighs in a 9x13 baking dish.  Do not wipe the skillet!  Keep all of the oil and chicken drippings in the skillet over medium-high heat.  

Toss the garlic into the skillet and cook, stirring or shaking the pan often until the cloves have started to turn a golden brown, 3-4 minutes.  Do not scorch!  Burnt garlic is awful.  You're looking for a nice, golden color.  Once the garlic is done, use a slotted spoon and scatter them as evenly as possible over the chicken thighs.  Keep the pan on medium-high heat.

Carefully add the broth to the hot pan, making sure you stir and scrape up all of those delicious browned bits on the bottom of the skillet.  Cook until the liquid reduces by half, 2-3 minutes.  My reduced liquid is always very salty so I don't add any additional salt or pepper.  However, if you need more salt or pepper, add it now.

Carefully pour the sauce all over the chicken and garlic.  Place the Rosemary sprigs all over the top of the thighs.

Put the chicken in the oven and roast for 35-55 minutes, depending on the size of your thighs and if you cooked them the full 6 minutes per side in the skillet.  35 minutes is usually plenty but check the internal temp.  Once you've reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit on a meat thermometer, you're done!

Let the chicken rest for a couple of minutes before serving.  Make sure everyone gets a healthy helping of those delicious garlic cloves and a generous drizzle of the sauce.  I love to serve this with some sautéed yellow squash and zucchini and a big salad.

Paleo White Chicken Chili

 

You'll notice some Paleo recipes coming across the blog as I try new recipes.  My doctor recently put me on a Paleo diet and I was SO nervous about it at first.  I didn't need to be.  It's not that different than how we normally eat.  The biggest change for me is the elimination of dairy (oh sweet cheese how I miss you!) and my morning piece of toast.  But other than cutting dairy and grains, we're big meat and veggie eaters which basically boils down the Paleo diet.  And I have to say, I've been SUPER impressed with all of the recipes we've tried.  This one is SO flavorful and I don't miss the dairy at all.  Give it a shot!

A couple of notes before we get started.  I'm being conservative with the garlic amounts in the recipe.  But you should know that instead of the 4 cloves listed, I add 10-12 cloves.  We are garlic lovers!  I buy the giant bag of fresh, pre-peeled garlic at Costco to save me time in the garlic department.  (Not the pre-minced garlic in a jar...I don't care for that one.)

Also, I don't add heat to this soup.  This recipe is perfect as is, but if you want heat, feel free to add a seeded, diced jalepeno or two to the chopped veggies or a can of diced green chilis with the broth.  Totally your call.

2 Tablespoons coconut oil

1 onion, diced

4 celery stalks, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced (see note above)

2 jalepeno peppers, seeded and diced (optional)

2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite sized chunks

1 Tablespoon cumin

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. pink Himalayan salt or sea salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

*Helpful hint: put the cumin, chili powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper into a small bowl prior to beginning.  That way you can just dump it on top of the chicken rather than measuring it all out while the chicken is over the heat.

4 cups chicken broth

1 (4oz.) can diced green chilis (optional)

1 (14oz) can coconut milk

Optional Garnishes: Avocado (highly recommend!), cilantro (the more the merrier!), jalepeno rings

Heat the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat.  

Add the onions, celery, garlic, and jalepenos, if using.  Sauté for about 5 minutes or until tender.

Move the veggies to the side of the pot and add the chicken and the bowl of spices.  Cook the chicken until it has started to brown on all sides.

Add the broth and the can of diced green chilis (if you're using them).  Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 10-12 minutes.

Add the coconut milk.  Bring the soup back up to a boil and let it boil at a full rolling boil for 10 minutes until the soup has slightly reduced and thickened.  (It is NOT a thick soup so don't be looking for a chowder consistency...it will just be slightly thicker than broth.)

Remove from heat and serve immediately with the optional garnishes.  

Shrimp and Mixed Greens Salad with Basil Balsamic Dressing

 

If you're looking for a delicious Paleo salad, look no further!  It's light but filling and the perfect lunch.  If I'm going to be on-the-go or if you pack a lunch for work, this is my favorite to-go salad container!  It keeps everything nice and separated until you're ready to eat so everything stays super fresh.  If shrimp isn't your thing, use whatever leftover protein you have on hand.  Some leftover chicken or steak is also delicious as well as lobster, scallops, crab meat...seriously, any protein you like is perfect!  The salad greens are also so very versatile.  Use whatever you like!  Ok, enough chat, here we go!

Basil Balsamic Dressing:

1/2 cup Olive Oil or Avocado Oil

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp. Dijon or Spicy Brown Mustard

1 tsp. dried basil or 1/2 tsp. fresh basil (I LOVE basil so I put WAY more in.)

1 tsp. Lemon juice

1/4 tsp. Sea Salt

1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder

Large Salad:

4-5 cups Organic Mixed Greens (I get mine from Costco)

1 cup (ish) Organic Baby Spinach (I eyeball all of the lettuce amounts)

1 bell pepper, cut into med-large chunks

1 english cucumber, quartered into med-large chunks

1/2 red onion, sliced

10-12 shrimp, cooked (I throw mine in the air fryer sprinkled with some Blackening Seasoning until cooked) or any leftover protein you prefer

For the dressing, combine all of the ingredients into a 2 cup measuring cup.  Whisk until well incorporated.  Set aside.  

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the salad ingredients.  Just before serving, drizzle with as much or as little of the Basil Balsamic dressing as you like.  Refrigerate any leftover dressing.

*If you're packing this for lunch, keep the salad greens and all other ingredients separated until ready to eat.