Paleo Cuban Picadillo (meets Ropa Vieja) with Rutabaga Hash

When I set out to make this dinner, I had a craving for some delicious Cuban flavors.  I love Ropa Vieja but I did not have the right meat cuts to make it, nor the time.  So I made something with similar flavors, but with ground beef instead.  After making it a friend of mine mentioned that it looked like a picadillo.  I then looked at those recipes, and yes its similar to a picadillo, but it has slightly different seasonings.  I have also figured out that I love mine served up over a plate of rutabaga hash.  Extra vegetable bonus!  If you are not a fan (like my husband) then just skip the hash and have it plain.  Or maybe try a sweet potato hash.






Paleo Cuban Picadillo (meets Ropa Vieja)

4 lbs ground beef (or bison)
2 large onions, minced
6-8 cloves of garlic, minced
2 small cans tomato paste
2 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dried thyme
2 cups stock (beef, chicken or veggie are great)
2 tbsp red wine or white wine vinegar
2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes
2 cans green olives (I found some in glass jars that were clean, some stuffed with pimentos some stuffed with garlic)
salt and pepper to taste

In large skillet, heat ghee (or fat of choice) over medium heat.  Add ground beef and saute until just starting to brown.  Add onions and garlic.  Saute until beef is completely and onion is translucent.  Add tomato paste and seasonings.  Stir until well combined.  Add stock and vinegar and simmer for 20 minutes or so.  Add olives just before serving, so that olives can warm up.  Serve and enjoy!


Rutabaga Hash

1 large rutabaga, peeled
ghee
salt and pepper

Grate the rutabaga.  Over medium heat melt ghee in large skillet.  Add rutabaga shreds (may need to do in batches) so that a thin layer in the in the bottom of the pan.  Season with salt and pepper.  Allow to cook until just starts to brown.  Flip and allow the other side to brown.  Serve and enjoy!

Paleo Pizza Meatloaf

My friend Kelly decided on a whim to join us on the Whole30.  Her daughter who is almost 6 years old is also doing the Whole30.  When they were out driving the other day her daughter asked, "Mommy, why isn't pizza healthy?", as she looked longingly out the window at the nearby Dominoes.  With that inspiration I decided to capture the essence of a pizza in a healthy and super delicious meatloaf.  The best part is all of the hidden vegetables that even my picky little men didn't detect.  And I am not a fan of peppers or mushrooms, but I loved this meatloaf!  So yummy and super satisfying!  Even better, this pizza is totally Whole30 approved!




Paleo Pizza Meatloaf

2 onions, minced
1 pepper, minced
6 baby bella mushrooms, minced
4 eggs
2/3 cup almond flour
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
2 tsp parsley flakes
3/4 tsp anise seed
1 tsp italian seasoning
4 lbs ground beef
3.8 oz can sliced black olives
15 oz can muir glenn pizza sauce (or whatever else pizza sauce suits your fancy)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In pan saute onions and peppers in fat of your choice (I used ghee).  Once softened add mushrooms and cook 2 minutes more.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Mix together eggs, almond flour, and seasonings.  Add beef and mix well.  Add sauteed vegetables and olives and mix well.  Form into loaf in a 9x13 inch pan.  Coat completely with pizza sauce.  Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until cooked through.  Serve and enjoy!

Paleo Tarragon Salad Dressing

I know for many people going paleo or doing a Whole30 means sacrificing many of your favorite foods.  One that frequently comes up is salad dressing.  Traditional bottled dressing is full of garbage and sugar.  Homemade dressings are simply delicious!  Here is a new one to add to your repertoire.  I based this dressing off of one my all time favorites that is at our family's favorite restaurant (the Tarragon dressing at Biergarten in Epcot, Walt Disney World).  If you have a chance, stop into the Biergarten, its super kid friendly and so fun to eat at.  Not the best for nutrition, but heck, its Disney World!



Paleo Tarragon Salad Dressing

1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 cup olive oil
1 tbsp dried tarragon
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp yellow mustard
1/2 tsp dried mustard
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth and thickened.  Serve over your favorite salads and enjoy!  Dressing will keep in the fridge for a week or two.

Paleo Butternut Squash and Carrot Mash

I made this recipe a while ago when I wasn't on the Whole30.  I decided to give it another go and adapt it to make it Whole30 ready.  I know that orange juice sounds like a strange addition, but it makes a fantastic tart tangy flavor.  This would be a wonderful thing to serve with Easter dinner for anyone on a Whole30, living a paleo lifestyle or just looking for a tasty side dish!  If you don't like using half a cup of juice, you can use less juice and more water.



Paleo Butternut Squash and Carrot Mash

3 tbsp ghee
1 onion, minced
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2-3 lbs butternut squash, cubed
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
Salt (to taste)

In large pot on medium heat, saute onions in ghee until translucent.  Add carrots and squash, cook for about 8-10 minutes, until they just start to soften, stirring frequently.  Add liquid, bring to a simmer and cover.  Cook for 20-25 minutes of until most of the liquid is gone and the squash is good and soft.  Use an immersion blender or food processor and puree until smooth.  Season with salt to taste.  Serve warm and enjoy!

Paleo Dill and Garlic Pickles

I have become quite fond of my 12 oz mason jars.  They work great for salads and now for pickles!  I used English cucumbers, because I prefer no seeds, and they are larger!  So more pickles to enjoy!  I hope you like my super simple take on pickles!  If you prefer crispy pickles, leave your sliced cucumbers slightly thicker.  These are good for at least 3 days, I am guessing a week, we just haven't had any last that long.  :)  You can chose to skip the olive oil if you want.  It can thicken in the fridge over the course of a few days.  If you find it lumpy, just let it sit at room temp for a few minutes.


Paleo Garlic and Dill Pickles

6 12oz mason jars
2 large English cucumbers, sliced thin
1/4 cup vinegar per jar (I used balsamic and cider)
1/4 tsp dried dill weed per jar
1/8 tsp garlic powder per jar
pinch of salt per jar
pinch of pepper per jar
drizzle of olive oil per jar
Evenly divide the cucumbers between the jars.  The jars should be about 2/3-3/4 of the way full.  Add vinegar to each jar.  Sprinkle the seasonings in each jar.  Drizzle in olive oil.  Cover and shake!  Refrigerate overnight.  Serve and enjoy!

Paleo Beef Stew

My hubby and I have started our second Whole30, so you are going to find that my upcoming recipes are all Whole30 friendly.  This beef stew is so hearty and delicious.  My hubby licked his bowl clean after having his second helping.  I decided to try rutabaga as a sub for the traditional white potatoes found in beef stew.  They aren't an exact match, but the texture and flavor go nicely with stew.  I made this recipe using a dutch oven, but it could easily be done in a crockpot.  And as always, I made a ton of food.  If you do not need to feed 3 growing boys or do not want leftovers for days, then just cut the recipe in half.




Paleo Beef Stew

6 lbs stew beef or chuck roast cut into cubes
1 large rutabaga, peeled and cubed
1-1 1/2 lbs carrots, peeled and chopped
3 onions, chopped
1 heart of celery, chopped thin
1 12 oz bag of green beans (or about a pound)
2 cans tomato sauce
2 cans tomato paste
2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup vegetable stock
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In large dutch oven combine meat and vegetables.  Mix tomato sauce, paste, seasoning and stock in a bowl.  Pour into dutch oven and stir to combine.  Place a piece of parchment over the dutch oven and press down to seal against the stew.  Take a knife and cut some slits into the parchment.  Place lid on top of dutch oven.  Cook for 4-6 hours.  During the last hour remove the lid and parchment so that the stew can thicken up.  Serve and enjoy!!

Paleo Snickerdoodles

Cookies are kind of my thing.  They have been for a long time.  I like making them and I love eating them.  Snickerdoodles are one of the few that I haven't tried making into a paleo-fied version of.  My four year old absolutely loved these.  Which is saying a lot, since he is not a sweets kind of kid.  He ate 5 cookies in one sitting and quite honestly I didn't mind, he is a skinny little man that could use the calories.  :)  Hope you like them at least half as much as he did.



Paleo Snickerdoodles
 
3/4 cup grassfed butter (softened), ghee or coconut oil
1/2 cup coconut sugar/maple sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup arrowroot
1/4 cup coconut flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp coconut sugar/maple sugar
3 tbsp cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 and line baking sheets with parchment paper.  In large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and eggs and mix well to combine.  Add almond flour, arrowroot, coconut flour, cream of tartar, salt, and baking soda.  Mix until combined.  In small bowl, mix remaining sugar and cinnamon.  Scoop out tablespoons of dough, and roll into balls.  Roll the balls into the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Place on cookie sheet and flatten slightly with your fingers or a fork.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Cool on sheets for 2 minutes then move to cooling racks.  Serve and enjoy!