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Creamy Tomato Soup

Ingredients:
• 1 tbsp. EVOO
• 1 tbsp. coconut Oil
• 1 medium sweet onion (I like to shred it, but chopped is fine)
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes in their juices (Check label for Sugars)
• 1½ cups chicken broth (I use Kitchen Basics)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/3 cups coconut milk (If you consume dairy, you can use heavy cream)

Make:
Heat EVOO and oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt, and fresh ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion become soft and start turning brown. About 15 mins.

Add the entire can of tomatoes and their juices to the pan and stir. Add in the chicken broth and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Simmer until tomatoes begin to fall apart, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and discard bay leaves. If you have an immersion blender, you can blend the soup until completely smooth and it thickens. If not, you will need to pour the soup into a blender/food processor and purée. Once smooth, return to the pan and reheat over a low flame. Stir in the coconut milk/cream. Stir for a few minutes and then remove from heat.

You can add additional herbs and more pepper, to taste. If you consume cheese, you can also add in some White Cheddar or Fontina cheese.

Put into a bowl and serve! Enjoy!

Lemon Artichoke Chicken

Ingredients:
• Artichoke Hearts
• Lemon, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp. fresh thyme
• 1 medium sweet onion (I like to shred it, but chopped is fine)
• 1 ½ lbs. of boneless chicken breasts, thinly sliced or pounded.
• 3 tbsps. EVOO
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

Make:
Heat 2 tbsps. EVOO to saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, a pinch of salt, and fresh ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion become soft and start turning brown. About 10-15 mins.

Add chicken and brown on both sides. Thinly sliced chicken should not take too long to brown, so watch it.

In a separate pan, combine additional EVOO and artichokes. Cover the saucepan and sauté, on low heat, for about 5 to 6 minutes. Uncover, and add in lemon slices and sauté for 2 more mins. Add the chicken to this saucepan, along with thyme and salt & pepper. Stir a few times and remove from heat. Plate and serve! Enjoy!

Filet Mignon with Cauliflower Hash Browns

Ingredients:
½ head of Cauliflower
1 tsp. Paprika
1 tbsp. Parsley
2 cloves Garlic
3 tbsps. EVOO
4 (6 oz.) Filet Mignon, or beef of choice
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Make:
Break cauliflower into small pieces and mash or place into food processor to break up.

Heat 2 tbsps. EVOO in large pan, over medium heat. Once hot, add in pieces of cauliflower, in a single layer. After about 3-4 mins, cauliflower should start to brown. Add in salt and garlic and coat cauliflower completely. Simmer for about 3 to 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in parsley and paprika.

In a separate pan, heat additional EVOO until hot. Season beef with salt & pepper. Sear each side, in the pan, until preferred temperature.

Happy New Year! If you are not already addicted to healthy eating and Paleo recipes, let’s start the new year off showing how it is possible to eat out and still stay Paleo. A lot of people ask about eating at restaurants. Here is a prime example. (Keep in mind this was off their original menu, not made special for me.)

Let’s set the scene: Williamsburg, Brooklyn. A quaint new spot on North 8th and Berry called Oregano. From outside looking through the glass windows, past the casual low key candlelight and charming decor, lies a distinctive design feature….a massive wood burning oven. Intrigued, I enter. The Italian smells that fill the room make my mouth instantly start to salivate. But what could I possibly eat here? I glance at the menu and am pleasantly surprised that there are several options for me! I immediately get seated in the picturesque window seat where I can eat and people watch. (Two big things for any New Yorker!)

My eyes are drawn to two of their specials on the board:

To start: a Zucchini stuffed appetizer and for my entree Shrimp stuffed with crabmeat over an arugula salad with cherry tomatoes. I’m in heaven.

My senses are in overload. While my nose soaks up the garlic aroma, my ears soak in the sounds of Frank Sinatra and his rat pack and my eyes are people watching. I await my meal. This must be a dream.

Yes, the place has an at home family feel to it and the decor contains an old-school coca-cola refrigerator, that they actually use for sodas and water, but it will be the food that will have me returning again.

The moment of truth arrives…. Delicioso!

The Stuffed Zucchini appetizer is not only unique, but amazing. It is stuffed with a meat, zucchini & mozzarella cheese mixture and topped off with a thin layer of pecorino cheese. It is then baked in the wood burning oven. You can also get it without the cheese, for those who do not consume dairy. Everything is made fresh here and nothing is premixed ahead of time. While I do not consume a lot of dairy myself, this was definitely one of those times I did. It was a minimal amount and really just used on top to seal everything inside and bake it. Amazing!

At this point, just with the appetizer, I would have left a happy camper…then the entree arrived and I was in utter bliss. Huge pieces of shrimp, sitting tails up, perfectly overstuffed with crab meat. To accompany them, an arugula and tomato side salad. Then the chef, drizzled the plate with a homemade balsamic reduction.

Moral of this story, go out to eat and do not worry about not being able to find things and stay Paleo. Some places are harder than others, and sometimes sauce needs to come on the side, and then there are places like this….where it’s perfect, as is.

Y-U-M!!!

**I was so excited I ate everything before taking a picture for the article! Chef Gianpiero was nice enough to do a mini recreation for me!**

Shopping Hours Left!

The holiday season is here!  That means lots of parties and festivities to attend.  Bring this dish to any get together and you will be lucky if you snag a piece for yourself!

Paleo Eggplant Lasagna

Ingredients:

4-6 Garlic Cloves, minced (I like it with 6.)

2 Large Eggplants, peeled & thinly sliced (I use my Kitchen Aid processer attachment.)

2 Onions, diced finely

2 pieces, Fresh Basil

2lbs. Grass Fed Beef

2 tbsp. Fresh Oregano

2 tbsp. EVOO

1 jar Victoria Fradiavolo Sauce (You can make it fresh)

½ tsp. Sea Salt

Pinches of S&P, to taste

**If you consume dairy, add Fontina Cheese into the beef mixture and shred additional and add to each layer of beef that you create and then some additional on the top center**

Make:

Pre-heat the oven to 350°.

In a large pan, sauté EVOO, onions and ½ of the garlic for about  3-4 mins.  Add in the beef and stir until browned.  Drain and add back to the pan.  Over low heat, stir into the pan, the rest of the garlic, oregano and S&P.  Add the jar of tomato paste.  Stir completely. 

In a Pyrex or baking dish, create a layer of the thinly cut eggplant.  Add a scoop of the beef mixture over this layer and create an even layer of beef.  Add another layer of eggplant, making sure to completely cover the beef below it.  Then, another layer of beef.  Finish with a third layer of eggplant.  You can add a small amount of beef (if any is left over) to the center of the top layer.  Place the two pieces of basil into the center of the beef area.  Cover the entire dish, tightly, with aluminum foil and place into the oven for about 30-35 mins.   

Remove from the oven, let the lasagna settle in its baking dish for about 10 mins before serving!  Enjoy!!

CHECK OUT MY OTHER GREAT RECIPES IN MY WEEKLY COLUMN AT:   PaleoLifestyleMagazine.com

Rosemary Olive Oil “Bread”

Ingredients:
5 eggs
½ cup coconut flour
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. natural vanilla
½ cup EVOO
½ cup honey
a handful of fresh rosemary, cut up ultra tiny

Make:
Pre-heat oven to 350°.
In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
In another bowl, the whisk the 5 eggs, then add in the wet ingredients.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients bowl. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for about 40-50 minutes.
Remove, cool and serve! Add Almond butter or pumpkin butter as a topping! Enjoy!

There are many methods on getting that super moist, mouth-watering turkey to your table, successfully. One method – brining. Brining increases the moisture content, ensuring that your turkey will remain moist during the entire roasting process.

Brining breaks down and extracts some of the proteins from the turkey, which allows the liquid to be absorbed inside. Once cooked, the proteins coagulate, preventing the liquids from escaping. The salt draws out the blood, which cleanses the little guy, and is absorbed into the meat, which results in a juicy and seasoned turkey right down to the bone.

NOTES:

• Be sure not to pick a pre-basted or kosher turkey, when brining.
• Do not stuff the turkey. Stuffing will become too salty.
• When buying a bird, the rule of thumb is 1lb = 1 person (This will create leftovers!)
• Make a small investment in a thermometer!

Getting started:

Choose a small, fresh turkey in the 14-16lb category. The larger the turkey, the longer the cooking time. If you are the host/hostess to more than a dozen guests, try buying two small turkeys rather than one big one.

Turkey must be completely thawed before brining. You will need to soak the turkey for at least 10-12 hours, if not overnight. Use a container that will be large enough to submerge the turkey and cover completely with brining solution. The flip side of that, make sure you can still fit it into your refrigerator!

If you do not have a container, you can also use a brining bag. Add the solution and turkey to the bag, just like you would in a container. Be sure to get all the excess air out of the top of the bag before sealing it. To avoid leaks, place the bag into a deep pan.

How much brining solution to use:

• To determine how much salt to use, place the turkey into its container and pour measured amounts of cold water over it, until completely covered. For each 1-gallon of water use 1 cup Kosher Salt. (For example, a 16lb turkey requires about 2 gallons of brining solution.)
• Remove the turkey, temporarily from the container. The salt should be completely dissolved first, before the turkey is returned to the container. You can do this by adding the amount of salt you will need to two quarts of water and boil until all salt is dissolved. Once cool, add to container and let the turkey bathe. You should cover the container when placing in the refrig. Additional spices can be added to the solution like herbs and spices.

After 10-12 hours, remove turkey from bine, pat dry and discard the solution. Place the turkey breast side up on a roasting rack, or in a roasting pan. If you have the time, place it back in the refrigerator, uncovered, overnight to allow the surface to dry thoroughly. This will insure a crispy, golden skin on your roasted turkey.

In the oven:

The turkey should stand at room temperature 1 to 2 hours before cooking. Now brined, you cook your turkey by roasting, grilling, smoking, etc. A brined turkey will generally cook faster, so watch that thermometer. Remove when the deepest spot (between the leg and breast) reads 180°F on your thermometer. Rule of thumb, 1 hour in the oven for every 4 lbs. on your turkey.

If you have a poultry injector, go ahead and inject it with your flavorful liquids…broth, olive oil, etc. You can use your fresh herbs to tuck under the skin of the turkey, place it directly into the cavity, or sprinkle herbs over the exterior.

Once you get the turkey in the oven, resist the temptation to keep opening the oven door. Fluctuations in temperature result in drying out the turkey.

START HOT. For perfectly crispy, browned skin, start the oven at 425° for at least 20 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350° for the rest of the cooking time.

DON’T OVER BASTE. Basting is a good thing; constant basting is not. Every time you open the oven door to baste, it lets out heat, preventing the bird from cooking properly. You can protect the turkey breast from overcooking by roasting on the lowest rack in the oven. Once browned, loosely cover it with foil to prevent it from becoming too dark.

Keep a careful eye on the thermometer during the last half hour of cooking since the turkey’s temperature may rise rapidly toward the end.

IT’S DONE COOKING!

LET IT SIT. Plan on taking the turkey out of the oven and letting it relax about 20-30 mins before serving. Resting ensures juiciness. It’s not imperative that the turkey be served piping hot—better to be moist! You can place foil over the turkey to keep it hot.

START CARVING:

Instead of slicing meat from the whole turkey, break it down into manageable pieces–breasts, legs–and carve those first. Remove both wings first. Separate each wing from the body at the joint. Remove each leg and set aside. Remove each breast half from the bone in one piece, and then thinly slice each half crosswise. Cut each leg at the joint, and then carve the meat from the thigh and drumstick.

Plate and serve with your sides! Enjoy!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM IT’S A LIFESTYLE!

What will you do with all the pumpkins sitting around your house?  Here are two extremely quick and simple ideas:

Paleo Pumpkin Butter

Need:

• Pumpkin
• Peeler
• Strainer
• Large Saucepan/Dutch Oven

Ingredients:

• 1 medium pumpkin
• 2 tsps. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• ¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg, optional
• Pinch ground cloves

Make:

Wash & peel pumpkin. Cut in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp with a melon baller or spoon. Save the seeds for roasting later!

Cut the pumpkin into 1”cubes. Place cubes into a large saucepan in a single layer. You can also use a Dutch oven, if available. Add water to the pan, so that the pumpkin cubes are about halfway covered. Simmer over medium heat, stirring once or twice, until completely tender. (About 30 mins)

Remove from heat, strain water and puree in food processor/blender until all chunks are gone. Return to the pan and add in the spices. Stir until thoroughly mixed in. Simmer on medium to low heat for about 40 more minutes. Stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool at room temperature before serving. Store the rest in a sealed container and refrigerate!

This can be used as a spread, in shakes, desserts as a filing, with eggs, yogurt etc. Enjoy!

Spiced & Roasted Paleo Pumpkin Seeds

Need:

• Pumpkin
• Peeler
• Strainer
• Baking sheet, foiled

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin seeds (medium size pumpkin yields 1 to 1½ cups)
• 1½ tbsps. evoo
• ½ tsp. smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 tbsp. red pepper flakes (optional, if you want added heat!)

Make:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

If you have set aside seeds, grab them! If not, cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the inside, separating the seeds from the pulp. It’s ok if you’re not able to get out all the pulp, just as long as most of it is separated.

In a bowl, add the evoo and seeds. Toss them around until evenly coated. Add in your seasonings and toss again until evenly coated.

Spread the seeds, in a single layer, across the foiled baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 30-40 mins or until golden brown looking. You can stir the seeds around, at the midway mark, for even baking, but not necessary.

Remove from the heat, let cool and serve in your favorite holiday bowl as a snack or use to top off your favorite dessert! Many uses, so be creative! Enjoy!!

Spanish Style Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Sautéed Garlic Kale

Need:

• Frying Pans/Skillets
• Overnight prep

Ingredients:

• EVOO
• Kale, 1 bunch
• 2 Pork chops, bone-in

For Marinade:

• 1 tbsp. freshly chopped rosemary
• ¼ cup Lime Juice, freshly squeezed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

For Spanish style seasoning:

• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Salt
• Parsley
• Oregano
• Cumin
• Black Pepper
• Tumeric

For the Sautéed Garlic Kale:

• ½ cup chicken stock (veggie stock could be used as well)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 tbsp. EVOO
• S&P, to taste

Make:
Overnight Prep: Using the above marinade, let the pork chops bath, fully covered in a deep dish, overnight in refrigerator. Wash kale, shake to dry. Remove center stem and tear leaves into several smaller pieces. Store in bowl in refrigerator.

Seasoning: Depending on quantity of pork chops, create about a cup of the following ingredients, using equal proportions of each spice: Garlic powder, Onion Powder, Salt, Oregano, Parsley, Cumin, Tumeric and Black Pepper.

Pat the pork chops dry and sprinkle with the Spanish style seasoning. Heat up the skillet, over medium heat, and add EVOO. Wait until its extremely hot and then add the pork chops. Sear each side for about 3 minutes or until browned then flip and repeat on other side. Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes until Kale is ready.

Over medium heat, add EVOO and garlic. Sauté until soft, but not browned. Add kale and chicken stock and cover. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Kale should be wilted, but still bright green. For the last minute, toss kale around and sprinkle with S&P. Immediately plate next to the chops and serve! Enjoy!!

FOR MORE GREAT RECIPES, CHECK OUT OUR WEEKLY COLUMN IN PALEO LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE ONLINE.

Moroccan Spiced Spaghetti-ish Bolognese

Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash, about 3lbs
1 cup water
S&P, to taste
Make:

Preheat the oven to 375º. Cut spaghetti squash in halves, lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place the halves, cut side down, into a Pyrex dish with about a cup of water. (Lined baking sheet can also be used.) Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until soften. Remove from oven and let cool. Flip over and scrape your heart out. You should be seeing “spaghetti” looking strings.

Spiced Bolognese

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp chopped shallots
2 Tbsp EVOO
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 can tomato paste
1 tsp ground coriander
1 to 2 peppers, for added heat (finely diced) Use Jalapeño, Serrano, Chilies, etc.
1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 cup water
1lb grass fed ground beef
S&P, to taste
Make:

In a large pan, add EVOO and brown the beef, remove & drain. Using the same pan, add in onions and garlic. Heat on high for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beef back into the pan along with the chopped tomatoes, paste and water. Stir. Add in all other ingredients and let simmer for about 10 minutes, with an occasional stir. Lower the heat and continue to simmer for an additional 25-30 minutes.

Remove from heat and spoon over spaghetti squash and serve. Enjoy!

Being Paleo – It’s A Lifestyle…And there are tons of recipes to keep it that way!

Welcome back to our weekly column of Paleo Recipes, that will keep you on the right track while tapping into your culinary skills to create dishes that even the non-Paleo folks in your life will crave!

Grilled Lemon Veal Paillard

Need:

• Brush
• Grill (You could also make this on the stove, if no grill available)
• Wooden Mallet

• 4 thinly sliced pieces of Veal (Chicken can also be used)
• EVOO
• ¼ tsp. lemon zest, finely grated
• ½ tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

Make:

To make the Lemon dressing: Add a tsp. of olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt into a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is smooth and blended. Remove from processor and transfer to a bowl. Stir chopped parsley into dressing and set aside.

Time to get your frustrations out… Brush both sides of each veal steak with EVOO and place in between a large piece of plastic wrap. Grab your wooden mallet, using the flat side, and pound away! You want the steaks roughly about 1/8-inch thick.

Re-brush the veal with EVOO, season with salt & pepper to your liking and place them on the grill. You will only need to grill them a minute or so over direct heat.

Remove from grill and plate with a colorful salad or delicious veggies of choice. Add some additional lemon on the plate, and serve! Enjoy!

CHECK OUT OUR WEEKLY COLUMN IN PALEO LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE FOR MORE RECIPES!

Gorgonzola Sweet Potato Chips

Need:
Baking Sheet
Brush
Grater

Ingredients:
Sweet potatoes, peeled
Garlic salt
Onion powder
Green chili powder
EVOO
Gorgonzola cheese (Can be left out of the recipe, for those not consuming dairy. Instead chips could be made with Cinnamon too)

Make:
Preheat oven to 375°.
Peel and thinly slice sweet potatos. I use my KitchenAid attachment to get really thin slices.
To create seasoning mix, blend onion powder and garlic salt with green chili powder in a 2 to 1 ratio, as needed. Depending on the amount of chips you are making, you may need to make additional mix. Just use two parts onion powder, 2 parts garlic salt to 1 part green chili powder each time.
Brush each side of the chip w evoo lightly and then dip into the seasoning mix. Be sure each side is coated well. Place the chips on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for about 15 mins and then turn the chips and bake an additional 15 mins more.
Grate some Gorgonzola cheese onto a plate and sprinkle over each chip. I like to move the chips closer together at this point, but still in a single layer. Let bake for additional 5 minutes to melt the cheese.
Remove from oven and plate. You can sprinkle extra bacon slivers and scallions on it for taste. Enjoy!

Check out this recipe and our others in our weekly column at: http://www.paleolifestylemagazine.com/

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

Need:
Baking Sheet
Grater

Ingredients:
10 bacon strips
20 uncooked medium shrimp, ready to eat
Garlic salt
2 finger limes
Gorgonzola cheese (Can be left out of the recipe, for those not consuming dairy.)

Make:
Preheat oven to 375°.
Cut each bacon strip in half down the center, lengthwise.
Sprinkle some garlic salt and the citrus caviar, from the finger limes, onto each piece of shrimp prior to wrapping them in bacon.
Starting from the tail, wrap a piece of bacon around each shrimp toward the head and then back down.
Place shrimp on a foiled baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes or until bacon is crispy.
Grate some Gorgonzola cheese and sprinkle over the shrimp and bake about 5 minutes longer, to melt the cheese slightly. Enjoy!

Check out this recipe and more in our column at: http://www.paleolifestylemagazine.com/