PALEO Weekly Menu

Good morning! Good evening.

It took me over 2 hours to write this menu plan (and another post for later) because I got interrupted a bazillion times. There was some yelling involved…. Not sure if this post is entirely coherent, but here ya go

My favorite season it here! I enjoy all the seasons, but summer is my favorite because there are so many fun things to do… and I don’t know about you, but I usually feel healthier in the summer, too. I realize sometimes the heat can get to us and make us grouchy, but I think that’s a sign to just slow the heck down and relax.

Feeling anxious, overwhelmed? Along the lines of AA’s (or my grandma’s) mantra, “One day at a time”, I like this one from coach Chip Kelly: “Win the day.” I think it is helpful for when you are making difficult changes. You can’t do everything at once, and you might (you will) lose some battles along the way. But if you do your best with each decision you make, and pick up and keep going when you fall, striving to make each day a step further in the right direction, focusing on conquering what is right in front of you… well, it feels pretty good to know that when you lay your head on your pillow at night. Win the day.

So the light in this new kitchen is not so great… especially at sunset. On the left: $30 at Price Chopper. Beef, blueberries, and grapes were on sale. On the right: $26 at Whole Foods – just condiments and coconut and tapioca flours. I wanted some Tessemae’s salad dressing (because I sometimes get tired of making my own), but I couldn’t find any I’ll swing by Aldi for some other stuff today, too.

I’m back to packing lunches on camp days for my children. Things to make today or tomorrow to prep for the week:

roasted chicken thighs (for chicken salad and broccoli salad)
salad dressing
stupid easy paleo tortillas (going to experiment and try making these in the waffle iron because I could make 4 at once and I hate standing over the stove and am sloppy at flipping things… we’ll see if it is a success or royal mess).

Here’s the plan for the week.

Breakfasts:
eggs
homemade turkey sausage
avocado
blueberries (or coconut flour blueberry dutch babies*)
coffee
cream

Lunches:
deli roll-ups or chicken salad in tortillas (if they turn out)
chipotle deviled eggs
dill pickles
carrots or other veggies
fruit

Dinners:
Monday – BBQ chicken, salad greens, dressing, root veggie chips
Tuesday – salmon with mango salsa, roasted green beans
Wednesday – 2 ingredient slow cooker roast beef, salad greens, dressing, sweet potatoes
Thursday – broccoli salad with chicken
Friday – burgers and sweet potato fries
Saturday – TBD

*My kids usually request a “special” breakfast (i.e. not eggs) on days we stay home, and I try to oblige.

3 unrelated things:

This might be the year I start coloring my hair
I wrote something snarky here and decided to delete it.
I was just thinking… I used to only “cook” dinner every other night. Because we had enough leftovers for a second night’s meal when my kids were babies… Not anymore. An average of 2 lbs. of meat gets demolished at each dinner. And the kids are still little. Yikes.

Gotta go. Good night.
http://www.thinpedia.com/paleo-weekly-menu.html

This Week’s Meatless Meal Plan | 04.28.14

On the menu this week: Penne with Asparagus and Lemon Pesto, Roasted Portabella Mushrooms on White Bean Puree, Miso Roasted Veggie Tofu Bowl, Baked Fried Brown Rice, and Mediterranean Calzones.
http://www.thinpedia.com/this-weeks-meatless-meal-plan-04-28-14.html

Holiday Cabbage Rolls

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! There is so much to be thankful for, especially our good health and the health and well-being of those around us.With that in mind, this year I again made my Cabbage Rolls as a healthy vegan centerpiece dish. T…
http://www.thinpedia.com/holiday-cabbage-rolls.html

Spaghetti Squash Primavera

Spaghetti squash and fresh vegetables simmered with a quick marinara sauce and topped with fresh mozzarella if you desire – easy, cheap, gluten-free and perfect for Meatless Mondays!
This was inspired after watching a marathon of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, but this time we actually decided to go to the nearest DDD restaurant, The Pit Stop which was featured on the show for their spaghetti squash primavera.

As a spaghetti squash lover myself, I ordered it and loved it and knew I wanted to re-make this at home. Super easy to make and you can use whatever vegetables you like – I used broccoli, carrots and zucchini but you can use asparagus, eggplant or bell peppers. To speed this up I made the spaghetti squash in the microwave which takes only about 8 minutes to cook, but if you have more time you can make it in the oven, the directions below are for both.
Of course, I had to top mine with fresh mozzarella which was just made and still warm when I bought it this morning! Leave the cheese out for vegan, dairy-free or paleo diets, nutritional info is provided below both ways. This dish comes together in less than 20 minutes, and you can easily double the recipe to make it 4 servings using a larger saute pan. You can also freeze this once cooked and reheat it in the oven for another day, enjoy!
Click Here To See The Full Recipe…

http://www.thinpedia.com/spaghetti-squash-primavera.html

Pork Ribs with Tomato Marinade

Thanks to this week’s Wednesdays with Donna Hay challenge I have got over a long standing fear: cooking pork ribs. It turns out they are easy! All I did was mix together a marinade and leave the ribs overnight. Then bake for 40 minutes and they are don…
http://www.thinpedia.com/pork-ribs-with-tomato-marinade.html

Feta and Eggplant Meatballs

This is the tastiest meal I have ever made.When I served these meatballs to my husband he took a picture before beginning. Then he took a bite, put his fork back down again, and moaned. “Ooonh, my!” Pause. “Wow, that is amazing.” Pause. Gentle, low int…
http://www.thinpedia.com/feta-and-eggplant-meatballs.html

Crab and Avocado Phyllo Bites

Quick and easy! These bite sized appetizers are the perfect treat whether you’re watching the game or just need some finger foods to munch on.

These were actually a happy accident. I had leftover fresh lump crab meat that I didn’t want to waste after making crab cakes so I whipped up this easy appetizer. They turned out really good! For best results, don’t fill the phyllo shells until you’re ready to bake, and eat right away!
Click Here To See The Full Recipe…

http://www.thinpedia.com/crab-and-avocado-phyllo-bites.html

Healthy Super Bowl Party Recipes

Hi Everyone! My baby Layla is 2 weeks old today I can’t believe how fast time has passed since we came home from the hospital. The husband and I have learned so much in these first two weeks of her life, and I’m sure that will just continue as she gets older! Some little snippets […]
http://www.thinpedia.com/healthy-super-bowl-party-recipes.html

Three Cheese Tortellini and Mushroom Soup

I’m working on my manuscript edits this week for my upcoming cookbook, so I thought I would share this delicious soup from the archives!
This is one delicious bowl of soup! Warm and satisfying, with tortellini in every bite. Top this with some fresh shaved Parmigiano Reggiano and you’ll experience a wonderful unami taste sensation.
Soup is the perfect one pot meal. Vegetarians can swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth (also perfect for Meatless Mondays). Using the rind from the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is optional, but if you have it I recommend using it, it adds so much depth and flavor.

And a little nutritional tidbit about mushrooms, courtesy of registered dietician, Heather K Jones. This veggie has achieved superfood status and with good reason. It’s loaded with important vitamins and minerals, including heart-protecting copper, B vitamins and antioxidants. These fabulous fungus come in a lot of different varieties and are very versatile. 

Heather has generously offered to provide nutritional tidbits on lots of the fruits and vegetables I use in my future recipes. Call me a geek, but I love knowing what I’m eating is not only delicious, but is benefiting my health as well.
I’m sure most of you know I am currently working on my first cookbook, but I’m not sure if you all know that Heather K Jones is working with me on this book. Heather is a great asset to Skinnytaste and has written and contributed to many books for Self, Prevention, Good Housekeeping, and more. She is my go-to person when I have a nutritional question and has posted some great articles on Skinny Bits including The Skinny On Sweeteners. 
For those of you who don’t like mushrooms, you can certainly swap them for a vegetable you like, or try this Spinach Tortellini en Brodo recipe. Enjoy!
Click Here To See The Full Recipe…

http://www.thinpedia.com/three-cheese-tortellini-and-mushroom-soup.html

Pepper Cream Sauce

I have waxed eloquent before about my love of salt and pepper. Pepper, particularly, is the perfect condiment. But to be honest, this simple pepper sauce is pretty versatile. In the words of MFK Fisher, “the following recipe… can be varied according to the herbs and ideas you possess.”
The key is to add plenty of pepper, or your desired seasoning. I was shocked to find that in this one cup of sauce (all of which is pictured here) there is a full one tablespoon of cracked pepper. It makes for a very fiery, yet familiar taste. The vast quantity of pepper is perfectly foiled by the thick cream.

Pepper cream sauce goes well with vegetables, fish and meat. I used some of it as a salad dressing, too.
Pepper Cream Sauceadapted from Modern Classics 1 by Donna Haymakes about 1 c (250 ml)
The stock can be beef, chicken, vegetable, or any you have on hand. The cream should be heavy (35% milk fat or whipping cream). And the pepper can be substituted with your favourite seasoning. Just be sure to use lashings of it.
2 c (500 ml) stock1 c (250 ml) cream1 T cracked black pepper
This dish is part of our Wednesdays with Donna Hay blogging group. If you want to join us, next week we are making pickled carrots. Visit the others in my blogging group to see if they liked the recipe: Margaret from Tea and Scones, Gaye from Laws of the Kitchen, and Chaya from Bizzy Bakes.
Do you wax eloquent about your favourite condiments?
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http://www.thinpedia.com/pepper-cream-sauce.html