Jalapeno's: Bacon Wrapped/Chicken Stuffed

I took these bacon wrapped chicken stuffed jalapeno peppers to the CFLC BBQ/Hooverball game. The day was tons of fun and these peppers got lots of compliments. I thought I would share the recipe (as embarrassingly simple as it is) with all of you lovely people who couldn't attend our fun day. As a side note, the peppers aren't very spicy because I removed the ribs and seeds, if you want them to have a little kick leave some of the seeds. My hubby hates spicy food and he thought these were tolerable, (even mild salsa is hot to him!)


12 Jalapeno Peppers (or how many you want to eat, they are great reheated)
1# Chicken cut into pieces that will fit into the pepper, seasoned with your favorite seasoning.
Bacon
Cut the tops off of all the pepper and carefully scrape all the seeds out, the best way I found was to take a butter knife and put it into the center of the pepper and twist it back and forth, then just dump out the seeds.

Stuff the raw chicken into the pepper cavity and wrap with bacon. It takes one full slice of bacon to wrap the pepper properly (say that 5 times fast!). I have grilled them and cooked them in the oven. Grilling them is a little tricky because of the fat from the bacon, cook it up on the top rack if you have one or use indirect heat (turning on one side of the grill or putting briquet's on one side only). They took about 45 minutes to an hr depending on the size in the oven at 350 degrees. Just make sure the pepper is soft and the chicken is thoroughly cooked. I used a meat thermometer to make sure they were done enough. Aim for 170 degrees for chicken.

Candied Walnuts

Disclosure: These nuts are addictive!

k having said that, I made these as a topping for the strawberry spinach salad,you can find the recipe here: http://cflcfood.blogspot.com/2010/07/strawberry-spinach-salad.html. I used them instead of the toasted pecans. I must say it was very good! You could make this recipe with any kind of nut, and use them as a topping or just for a little treat! Go ahead, you deserve it!

2 C. Nuts

2 Tbsp Coconut oil

1 tsp Sea salt

1 tsp Vanilla

2 tsp Cinnamon

Toss to coat, bake on a cookie sheet at 350 for 5-8 minutes

Caveman Mayo

I have never been a mayo fan. Its funny how things change when you change your diet. I went primal about a year ago and haven't looked back! I'm happier, healthier and stronger than I ever have been. Now back to the mayo, as afore mentioned; Hello, my name is Carley and I'm addicted to dipping.

Having gone primal my favorite condiment (ketchup) was no longer an option. So I turned to other things. Having said that you might think, dipping in mayo? Gross!!! And I would have thought that too, before I made my own homemade mayo. It is so creamy, flavorful and a terrific fat to consume for energy! I have made various dips using the mayo as a base and they have been a hit across the board at parties and family functions (more to come on the dips soon.)

Homemade Mayo

Adapted from Julia Child Circa 1965

2 TBSP Lemon juice

A few grinds of salt and pepper

1 1/4 C. Oil (use light olive oil or grape seed for the best flavor)

1 tsp. Dijon Mustard (Julia Child's recipe called for 1/2 tsp dry mustard, I don't have any so I have always used Dijon.)

1 Egg

The first trick to making homemade mayo is to make sure that all the ingredients are at room temperature. This will give you a better texture and more volume, which makes it even more delicious.

In your food processor or blender add 1/4 C. of the oil, the mustard, lemon juice, seasoning and the egg and let er rip for about 1 minute.

I should look like this when the time us up. Now all that is left is to emulsify the remaining oil with the ingredients already in the processor. This is the tricky part and needs LOTS of patience. You want to add the oil VERY slowly, it should take you at least 3 minutes to add 1 C. of oil. Drizzle it from a small measuring cup, in a thin stream, as slowly as possible. Think honey from a stick and slow it down from there!!! You will be rewarded with creamy thick mayo for your eating pleasure. (As a side note, it is good in the fridge until the expiration date on the egg carton, make sure to check and label the jar.)

As Long As They Hold Salsa...

I am a dipper, that change quite a bit when I went Primal. Everything used to be dipped on ketchup growing up, now I turn to mustard, salsa and homemade mayo based dips. I also LOVE chips and salsa, that was one of the hardest things to give up. Now I wouldn't say these are as good as tortilla chips, but they are salty and crunchy and the best part is they hold up to dipping!

Kale Chips

Kale

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Your choice of seasonings, I have used lemon pepper, homemade taco seasoning, garlic/onion powder, or some cayenne to give it a kick.

Super easy! Tear the kale up into small-ish pieces (they will shrink in the oven). I have an olive oil spritzer that I used to mist the kale with Oil. sprinkle with salt, pepper and spices of your choice. Bake 350 for about 7-10 minutes until they start to brown and wilt around the edges it happens fast so make sure to keep a close eye on them!

Look at that dip ability, amazing right?!?!

Fancy Chicken Fingers

After I grossed you all out with the post on how chicken nuggets are made, I felt bad, like I was taking a little piece of your childhood away; or worse yet, making it so your children never experience the delightful chicken nugget. I had to remedy this by coming up with something even better than a nugget, and I think I succeeded!

Now I do realize that chicken don't have fingers just like chickens don't have nuggets but, I didn't want you to associate these tasty little morsels with the pink goo, so there you have it... Fancy. Chicken. Fingers.

Fancy Chicken Fingers

1/4 C. Sesame seeds
1/2 C. Coconut flakes
1/2 tsp. each: Paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt
1 C. Sweet potato puree (I used organic canned potatoes that I found in the health food section)
1 Egg
1# Chicken Tenders or breast meat cut into strips
Coconut oil-to coat bottom of skillet for frying

Cut your chicken into strips and season with the salt and a little pepper. Put the coconut in a blender with the sesame seeds and spices (excluding salt) and pulse until broken up, but not too long or it will turn into a paste. Mix the egg into the sweet potato puree. Set yourself up a station near your frying pan.

Dip the chicken into the sweet potato and coat well. Toss into the coconut/sesame seed mixture, again coat very well.

Heat the coconut oil, and keep it over medium heat. Fry the fingers for about 4 minutes on each side. I ate all the fingers before I got a final picture, on the bright side, they were REALLY good, on the sad side, you will have to take my word for it and make them yourself to see the finished result!

Here's To The Baconator

There happens to be a lovely girl (who dominates the kids class by the way) who is known as "The Baconator." She like myself, has a huge love for bacon. I saw the idea of wrapping meatloaf in bacon on Rachael Ray; although, she made hers with bread crumbs soaked in milk and various other poison's. I made mine squeaky clean, and I have to say it was delicious! This recipe makes a giant meatloaf and was enough food for 2 dinners for hubby and I, plus lunch for me...

Spinach Fire Roasted Tomato Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf

2# Ground Beef

1 C. Frozen Spinach- run under hot water in a colander and squeeze all the liquid out before measuring.

1 Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes- drained in colander

2 Eggs

1 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp. each Onion Powder, Garlic Powder and Pepper

1/2 Large onion- chopped finely

3 Cloves Garlic- minced

1 12oz Package Bacon

Mix all the ingredients together, excluding the tomatoes. Mix well and add the tomatoes last gently folding them in to keep them in large chunks.

Shape your meatloaf into a log on a cookie sheet



Cover with the bacon. I laid it across the top diagonally, slightly overlapping it. Lay strips of bacon around the bottom edge to keep the bacon from folding up on the sides.

Backe at 375 degrees for approx. 1 hour. I used a digital thermometer and cooked it until it had an internal temperature of 170 degrees. Once it is cooked through, turn the broiler on high and crisp up the bacon to your liking. I think the crispier the better!

Are you kidding me with how good that looks?!!?

Cocoa-nut vs. Cinnamon Coconut

For your snacking pleasure; in one corner you have Cocoa-nut, in the other Cinnamon Coconut Crunchies. Whats your fancy? Of course I will choose Cocoa-nut every time because I'm a chocoholic! The cinnamon flavored coconut had a warm taste and was fairly mild. Either way its a PHAT fat (hehe) and a wonderful snack.

Cocoa-Nut

1 Lb shaved coconut

1 tsp Vanilla extract

1 TBSP Coconut oil

2 TBSP Cocoa powder

1 TBSP Honey- melted

Cinnamon Coconut Crunchies

1 Lb shaved coconut

1 tsp Vanilla extract

1 TBSP Coconut oil

1 TBSP Cinnamon

Bake at 375 on a cookie sheet lined with foil for an easy clean-up. You will need to babysit this snack as the coconut burns quickly and easily. Bake for a total of 8-10 minutes stirring several times during the cooking process to ensure an even browning.

Curry CauliRice

This is the recipe that I made to accompany the tilapia dish from my previous post. It has great flavor and would be a good side for just about anything!

Pineapple Curry CauliRice

1 Head Cauliflower

1 C. Fresh Pineapple

2 TBSP Toasted Almonds- sliced

4 Green Onions- sliced

1 tsp Oil

1 tsp Curry Powder

Salt and Pepper

The easiest way to cut a pineapple is to cut of the top, then cut the sides off using a large knife to cut the skin away from the flesh.

Cut the pineapple into quarters and cut down the middle to remove the hard center. After you cut away the core slice the pineapple into bite sized pieces.

Heat a large skillet with oil and add the pineapple, saute until it gets browned and caramelized. Meanwhile, rice your cauliflower and microwave it for 3 minutes to get it partially cooked. Add the "rice" to the pan with the pineapple. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until its heated through.

Grilled Tilapia with Mango Salsa

This just in, it was sunny today!!! Finally, I think we have had 3 sunny days previous to today this whole year here in N. ID. It was nice to get out and take a walk, do a little yard work and even get the grill cleaned up and going after a long winter hibernation. This was the perfect meal for a day like today. It was light, flavorful and made it feel like summer was right around the corner. I hope you enjoy this dinner as much as hubby and I did!

Grilled Tilapia with Mango Salsa

6 Tilapia Fillets

Marinade:

1/3 C. Oil

1 TBSP Lemon Juice

1 TBSP Fresh Parsley 3 Cloves Garlic -crushed 1 tsp. Dried Basil 1 tsp. Pepper 1/2 tsp. Salt

Marinade the fish for at least 1 hour to reap the benefits of massive flavor. Its best to marinade at least 4-6 hours or overnight if possible. Toss em on the grill, they only take about 4 minutes a side depending on how thick they are.

Mango Salsa:

1 Diced Mango

1/2 Diced Red Bell Pepper

3 TBSP Cilantro

1/2 Onion Minced

1 Jalapeno Seeded and Minced

2 TBSP Lime Juice

1 TBSP Lemon Juice

Salt and Pepper

Chop all the veggies and mix together with the citrus juices. Let set at least an hour in the refrigerator or as long as the fish marinades.

I served the fish with Curry "Rice" that I added pineapple to, it really completed the meal by adding another touch of fruit. I will post the recipe soon.

Best Fruit Choices

The perfect Primal diet consists of lots of lean meat, healthy fats (pure oils,olives,nuts and seeds), plenty of veggies and some fruit. I am guilty of being a fruit glutton. I could eat a piece of fruit with every meal and at snack time, I just love fresh fruit. While that's all fine and dandy fruit still has natural sugars and spikes you insulin levels, a thing that is best avoided especially when you are interested in dropping a few lb's. All fruits aren't made equally, some are much higher in antioxidants and polyphenols (disease fighters). Some fruits also have a much higher sugar content than others. If you are having trouble losing weight on a primal diet or just cant get rid of that last pesky 5 lbs, you might think about taking a serious look at your sugar intake. Look at all aspects of this, the honey or god forbid the agave, fruit and especially dried fruit you are eating. Again as I have said before life is to enjoy and enjoy things in moderation including fruit. Below I included a nifty link to a graph that Prof. Loren Cordain published, it gives an in depth look at sugar content in fruits, veggies, sweeteners and a few other various items. It is a good tool to use when planning your meals or just making better choices. Fruits and Sugars Table

Mexican Shrimp Stew

Although it is spring, you wouldn't know it if you looked outside here in North Idaho. It is 45 degrees and has been raining all day! It feels like a soup day! I made this soup for my sisters over the weekend, they both loved it and even had seconds! It is pretty spicy, if you don't like the heat you can omit the chipotle peppers.

Spicy Shrimp Stew

2 tsp. Olive oil

1 Onion

2 Stalks celery

4 Carrots

2-3 TBSP. Chipotle chile's in adobo (it is tricky to find these clean, but it can be done!)

2 tsp. Cumin

2 tsp. Chili powder

4 Cloves garlic

4 C. Chicken Stock

1 14.5 oz can Fire roasted tomatoes

1 Tbsp. Lime juice

Salt and Pepper

1 LB. Shrimp (I used medium raw)

Cilantro and avocado for garnish

Pre-chop all your veggies into even chunks. Heat the oil in a large pot, add the veggies, garlic, spices and chile's. Saute over medium heat for about 6-8 minutes or until the carrots just start to get soft. Add the tomatoes and stock. Cook until the veggies are soft, an additional 15-20 minutes.

Peel and rinse the shrimp and add them to the stew along with the lime juice. Cook for about 4 minutes until the shrimp are pink and cooked through.

Serve into bowls and top with cilantro leaves and avocado chunks.

MMM Meatloaf

If you think that eating clean means giving up your favorite comfort foods you are mistaken. I have yet to find a favorite dish from my life prior to clean eating that I couldn't modify to be Paleo. I love meatloaf! This recipe is packed with veggies and protein, not to mention delicious!

Loaded Meatloaf

2 Lbs Ground Beef or Ground Turkey

2 Eggs

1 Green Bell Pepper -diced

1 Carrot -grated

1 Small Zucchini -grated

1/2 Onion- diced

1 tsp. each: Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Paprika

Either Salsa or Classico Spaghetti sauce for the topping.


Place all ingredients excluding the salsa or Classico in a large bowl. Get in there with your hands and get messy! Mix until all the ingredients are well combined. Put into a loaf pan and top with salsa if you like a little spice or for a more traditional taste top with Classico tomatoe basil sauce. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Enjoy!

Do Chickens Have Nuggets?

What do you think this is? Does it look like delicious strawberry ice cream??? Well it's NOT... What you are looking at folks is mechanically separated chicken... Yeah, that's right CHICKEN! This is what we are eating when we put naughty food into our bodies like chicken nuggets, chicken patties and a range of other pseudo chicken products.

Basically what you have here is the whole chicken, blood, guts, eyeballs and yes even legs all mashed and ground up. It comes out looking like this pink cotton candy crap we have to the left. Next they wash it with ammonia, well more like give it a bath in ammonia. After its ammonia bath they re-flavor it to taste like chicken, because who wants to eat pink ammonia flavored goo. Lastly, they add artificial color to make it "look" like chicken again... Now next time you feel like going through the drive thru to get a 20 piece chicken nugget for $4.99, think of the pink goo and you just might make a healthier choice!

These are a few of my favorite things

When I'm feeling like a little treat these are the things I turn to. My mom got me hooked on the lemon ginger tea and after trying that flavor I had to try more and found the raspberry which is my new favorite! And of course a girls got to have chocolate! Most of the varieties offered by Endangered Species are clean, just glance at the ingredients to be sure. They are sweetened with beet sugar and some of the proceeds go to help the endangered species in the world. I like the 88% dark the best, but the mint is a close second! If you live in North Idaho you can find all these things at Super 1 Foods, Fred Meyers and Pilgrim's Market.

Carnitas

You asked for it and here it is, more slow cooker meals! This recipe is so easy I almost didn't post it, but my hubby was raving over how good it is so I thought I would share it. We ate this plain and on a lettuce leaf taco style. I also made a simple veggie slaw and topped it with the warm pork and it was to die for! Maybe you will think of a special way of eating it, post your ideas to the comments.

Pork Carnitas

1 large pork shoulder

1 large onion

salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder

1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 jar of your favorite clean salsa

Place the pork shoulder into the crock pot and season with liberal amounts of salt,pepper,cumin and chili powder.

Add the tomatoes and salsa and top with the onion cut up into large pieces.

Set your slow cooker on low for 6 hours. a bit


Use two forks to pull the pork apart, taste to make sure the seasonings are just right and dig in!

No More Excuses

I hear it ALL the time, "I'm too busy to eat clean during the week" or "Its too hard to pack a lunch, I'm so busy"... That is a lazy mentality and personally offensive, as if to imply me, being completely paleo has more time than others to prepare meals. This is not the case, I am a wife, I make 2 dinners almost every night (hubby isn't paleo), I work 40+ hours a week, I run a food blog, I crossfit 4-5 times a week, I'm going to school majoring in business, and I have a bunch of furry children (pets) who demand time, walks, brushing and attention... Now tell me again that YOUR too busy. OK now that I'm don't with my rant, let me tell you how I stay clean and pack not only lunches, but breakfast for work days.

1. I get a huge skillet and fill it with all sorts of frozen veggies. Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, mushrooms, asparagus, bell pepper strips. The list can go on and on and you can make different combinations so it doesn't get boring. I also season them well, I like to use homemade taco seasoning.

2. Separate them into dishes and these are ready to eat. I usually will take one of these veggie side dishes for lunch. Sometimes I take a little salsa to pour over the veggies to give them a little spunk.

3. Fresh veggies and fruit bags. Cut up your favorite veggies and put them I'm baggies, it gives you a little crunch and can be a good change from the sauteed veggies. I take one of these everyday to work as well and eat them with my breakfast. This is a good time to maybe peel some oranges or set aside pieces of fruit to grab on the way out the door.

4. Meat. I like burgers they are a very easy way to get your protein I usually take 2 patties to work and eat one for breakfast and one for lunch. I grill them on the BBQ, put them in separate baggies and freeze them. I take what I want out the night before work. I buy turkey burgers, salmon patties and sirloin burgers from Costco in bulk. If you aren't a burger fan you could get a rotisserie chicken and piece it out into containers or cook some steaks, cook ground beef, fish fillets... Anything you like just cook in bulk and plan ahead for the whole week, that way you aren't scrambling before bed to get something put together.

4. Hard boil some eggs. They are another good source of protein and a good snack for the afternoon.

5. Lastly, you need a little fat, as avocado half cut up with a little lemon juice will hold up or pack a bag of nuts and seeds or you could make a dressing with olive oil to dip your veggies in.

See, its not that hard, I can have all this done within 1 hour and I'm set for breakfast and lunch all week. You can do it, just give it a shot, your body will thank you!

Garlicky Egglant Maranara

I saw this recipe on Rachel Rays daytime talk show and with few tweaks it was squeaky clean and tasty.

1 head garlic
2 red bell peppers
1 eggplant
1 28oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1 large spaghetti squash

Take the garlic and cut off the top just far enough down to be able to see the tops of the cloves. Wrap it in tin foil and place on a cookie sheet. To the same cookie sheet add the peppers and the eggplant cut in half with the cut side up. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper. On a separate cookie sheet cut the squash in half and put cut side down add about 2 cups of water to the pan. Put both pans in a 450 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour.

At this point if the pepper doesn't have nice black charred spots put it over the flame on your stove turning frequently. Cut off the stem and scrape out the seeds.

The eggplant will look like this when its done. Spoon out the insides of the eggplant leaving the purple skin.

I used my handy dandy food processor, but you could use a good blender to puree all the ingredients together (excluding the squash!). Take the garlic out of the foil and squeeze the root side, the cloves will have liquefied and turned into a paste. Add the garlic, fire roasted tomatoes, eggplant insides, and the bell peppers and blend until it is smooth. Scrape the squash into spaghetti like strands. I cooked some ground beef and put it right on top of the squash and sauce.

Are You Sweet Or Savory?

I Personally am sweet, not only in personality(hehe), I have a huge sweet tooth! I am waist deep in my love for winter foods right now. What says comfort like a nice winter squash? My personal favorite is a butternut squash. It is so sweet and I feel that it can be used interchangeably with pumpkin. Its a super food and is great for a post wod re-fuel. So pick your poison are you sweet or evil I mean savory?

Step 1: For either dish is to peel your squash, use those muscles and your patience for this job!

Step 2: I like to cut it into round disc's, then cube it or cut it into strips from there, you can see both ways here.

We will start with the savory version first. I like to use the cubed squash for this. Take about 3 cups of the cubes squash and put it on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Pour over a few TBSP balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. paprika, 1/2 tsp. cayenne (you can leave this out I just LOVE the added spice) and a few dashes salt and pepper. Give it a quick toss right on the pan and put into a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes until the squash is fork tender.

Here is the finished product, it gets all nice and caramelized and is so tasty!

Now for the sweet this is simple and tastes like candy to me! Just take some of the squash and cut it into strips. Place on a lightly greased sheet pan and sprinkle generously with cinnamon and nutmeg. Add a little sprinkle of sea salt and put in the oven using the same directions as above.

Look at how good they look! They get a crust of tasty deliciousness and really are like candy trust me! I like to make a batch of both and snack on them throughout the week.