Chocolate Covered..... BACON

Chocolate and Bacon are probably two of the best foods ever.  So why not put them together??  I came across this recipe on paleodish.com.  I made it for a picnic at my parents house this weekend, they liked it, but they aren't used to the dark chocolate, so it wasn't that big of a hit with them.  But I loved it!  Dark chocolate and bacon lovers will really enjoy this treat!  Check out the recipe here : http://paleodish.com/2010/12/19/chocolate-and-coconut-covered-bacon/

You will need:
-1 lb of bacon
- 2 bars of 83% dark chocolate (or dark chocolate of your choice)
- unsweetened coconut to sprinkle on top
- 1 tbs coconut oil ( i added this when melting the chocolate to make it a little smoother)

-
1. cook bacon - its better nice and crispy
2. melt dark chocolate with 1tbs of coconut oil- I did so by putting a bowl on top of a pot of boiling water ( last time I burnt the chocolate trying to melt it in a regular sauce pan)

3. the recipe said to dip each piece of bacon in the chocolate, but I just tossed it all in and mixed it up.

4. place bacon on cookie sheet lined with wax paper
5. sprinkle on unsweetened coconut
6. refrigerate until ready to serve!

Enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers

After eating chicken for three nights in a row, I decided it was time for some beef tonight.  I love stuffed peppers, but every time I try to make them something doesn't come out how I wanted it to.  Last time I made them, I cooked the meat first then added it to the peppers and baked it afterwards, but I didn't like how the peppers didn't seem cooked all the way.  This recipe I got straight from the Paleo Cookbook I bought ( I added a few things) and it called for putting the meat in the peppers raw and cooking it covered for an hour.  I thought this would be great because all the juices would allow the peppers to get nice and soft. I was right, after an hour cooking it covered the peppers were perfect!  But the meat was only browned on the outside and I do not do pink beef, especially in stuffed peppers!  Ugh!  I was too hungry to put them back in the oven for another 1/2 hour or so, So I ended up scooping all the meat out and finished browning it in a frying pan, then added it back to the peppers.  So my suggestion to you would be to the brown lightly the meat first, then add it to the peppers and then bake it covered with foil for about an hour.  Despite the set back they were still delicious and I was full after one!

Here's what you need:
- 1 pound ground grass fed beef
- 4 large bell peppers or 6 smaller
- 1 egg
- 1 scallion chopped thinly
- 2 cans diced tomatoes
- dash of garlic powder
- dash of sea salt
- tbs melted coconut oil or coconut oil spray

-- preheat oven on 350
1. cut the tops of the peppers and scrape out the seeds

2. place in a coconut oil sprayed or greased baking dish
3. in a bowl, mix the beef, egg, scallion, garlic powder, sea salt, and one can diced tomato
4. lightly brown meat in frying pan
5. add mixture to peppers
6. any left over mixture just dump into the dish and top off with the other can of diced tomatoes

7. cover dish with tin foil and cook for about an hour

Enjoy!  I'm still looking for the Perfect Paleo Stuffed Pepper Recipe, let me know if you have it!

Lime in the Coconut Chicken

Well, I had left over limes from the margaritas and tons of left over cilantro from the mango salsa.  So when life hands you limes and its not an acceptable day to be drinking margaritas, make lime chicken!  This is very very simple.  Only ingredients being lime, cilantro, scallion, chicken, and coconut oil.  The less ingredients there are, the better it is for your health(usually) and the better it is on your wallet. 
When I first started trying to eat paleo, I ate everything plain. Plain chicken, plain turkey, plain beef, plain veggies, plain everything. Plain anything gets old pretty quick.  I knew most of the things I used to add flavor to my foods were out of the question.  Normally, I would have put cheese and sauce on chicken, gravy on turkey, BBQ sauce on burgers, ketchup or ranch dressing on ANYTHING.  I have no idea why it didn't occur to me at first that there were healthy, natural herbs, spices, veggies, and fruits that could add a ton of flavor to my foods.  Here's a list of a few natural flavorful/acceptable paleo ingredients you can try adding to your plain ol' chicken.
Oils: olive oil, coconut oil, walnut oil,
Dried Spices: onion powder, oregano, paprika, parsley, sage, thyme, tumeric, rosemary, cinnamon, curry powder, bay leaf, garlic powder ( basically any dried spice without sodium added-stay away from pre mixed seasonings-usually packed with sodium)
Herbs: basil, chives, cilantro, dill, parskey, tarragon
Veggies: onions, scallions, mushrooms, celery, garlic
** of course there are many more but this is just a start for those new to paleo.

Ok here's the Lime in the Coconut Chicken

- 3-4 tbs coconut oil for cooking chicken
- 2 tbs cilantro
-2 tbs scallions
-4 thin chicken breasts
-1/2 lime

1. Add coconut oil to a skillet and squeeze as much of lime juice in as you can.  Heat until coconut oil is melted-- I added the lime after the coconut melted and the cold lime and hot oil was a bad idea- got sprayed with hot oil.
2. when oil is melted add scallion and 1 and 1/2 tbs cilantro. sautee for about a minute
3. add chicken- cook until white all the way through

4. thats basically it!  I put some mixed greens on a plate put about a tsp or 2 of olive oil over them and squeezed some lime over it, then served the chicken over my mixed greens salad and sprinkled the remaining cilantro over the top.  You can serve this with your favorite veggie.
** would be yummy with some mango salsa ontop as well!! note to self..

"Paleo" Margaritas

Is tequila Paleo? Some people say yes because it comes from the agave plant and some say no because reguardless of what it is made from it is still alcohol and does have negative affects on your body.  With that being said, most of us are going to drink once in a while anyway!  So if we are going to drink, lets at least try to make a better option right? 
I love a good margarita.  There is nothing better than sitting outside on a sunny day, with a margarita in hand, maybe some Jack Johnson playing in the background, and with some good company. All margarita mix you buy at the store has SO much sugar.  Real margaritas actually give me instant heart burn with all the sugar and sour mix.  So I like to make my own.  I made these last night, continuing the graduation celebrations.  I'm already ready for the celebrations to end and i've still got the big 2-5 coming up soon.  Yikes my poor body.

Side note: this post is for people who chose to drink while on paleo diet (aka fun people...just kidding..kinda), its not intended to strike a debate about if tequila is paleo or not. K thanks.

 Margaritas:
- 5 large strawberries cut into chunks/ or container of blackberries/raspberries
- 1 lime- cut a couple slices to decorate your glasses and the rest used for fresh squeezed lime juice
-1/2-3/4 cup of silver tequila of your choice
- 1/2 cup of lemon-lime club soda
- 2-3 tbs honey/agave nectar- add more or less depending how sweet you want it
-ice
-1/2 cunsweetened coconut- for rim of glass
** makes one pitcher-about 4 large margaritas

1. Add berries, tequila, club soda, honey, lime juice in blender.  Fill the rest of blender with ice.  Blend it all up!

2. get to small plates, put unsweetened coconut on one plate and a few squirts of honey or agave nectar on the other plate. 
3. dip rim of margarita glass in honey first, then dip in cocout.

Enjoy Responsibly!

Build-a-burger

It is nursing school graduation week!  I have never felt more relieved in my life.  I feel like the next couple months are going to be fulll to the max of celebrations. Graduation parties, memorial day, birthday parties, and just your average nice weather picnics.  What comes along with celebrations?? Food, food, beer, food, margaritas, and more food.  Picnic food is always the best/worst.  Worst because its mostly carbs.  Buns for the hot dogs/burgers, fruit salad, potato salad, pasta salad ( you know, every kind of salad, EXCEPT just a veggie salad), deserts, and so on.  I decided to dedicate the next few posts to "paleo party" recipe ideas.

The only purpose a hamburger bun has is to be able to eat with your hands.  Well, ditch the bun and eat with a friggin fork and knife.  Other than holding the burger together the only thing it will add is lb's to your problem areas.  Maybe the bun makes us feel a little more satisfied after eating a burger, because at the usual picnic most of the time the only toppings available are ketchup, lettuce, and tomato.  So why not make a "burger bar" at your next picnic!  Find tons of yummy toppings to give your guests more options for their burgers, leaving them satisfied even without a bun! Lettuce, tomato, onions, salsa ( check out my last post for mango salsa recipe), sauteed mushrooms, avacado, spinach, pesto ( I have a Kale Pesto recipe posted also), sweet potato chips ( yum I just thought of this right now, will have to make these next time), or anything else you can think of!  Maybe have a package of buns available for your non-paleo friends who may think the only thing more evil then Bin Laden is a burger without a bun.

I didn't have myself a little picnic tonight, but I made turkey burgers from the new recipe book i purchased and had a friend over for dinner, so I made a mini " build-a-burger" station in my kitchen.

Turkey Burgers:
- 1 lb ground turkey breast
-1 egg
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1/2 a small shallot, minced
- 1/2 clove garlic minced ( i know this sounds silly, but it was a HUGE garlic clove-- but for garlic lovers add as much as you'd like)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- pinch celtic sea salt

My toppings:
- one avacado-cut into chunks
- 1 tomato sliced
- lettuce
- one package of white mushrooms- sauteed with a couple tbs olive oil and 2 tbsp of red wine- you can leave the wine out if you want.

1.  Preheat oven to broil
2. combine turkey, egg, shallot, garlic, oregano, olive oil, and salt.  Mix well and shape into patties- this made 5 burgers.

3. place on sprayed cookie sheet and put in oven and broil for 4-5 mins on each side.-- You could also grill these if you wanted .
4. set up your burger bar, simple as that! 

Enjoy!
~Nicki "Clean Eats" Peet ~

Tilapia Tango's ( Tilapia "Taco's" w/ Mango Salsa)

I have not forgotten about Clean Eats!  It was just temporarily put on the back burner.  I finished up with finals last tuesday and left wednesday for a mini vaca to california to visit my brother.  I'm still trying to get my body back to normal between the time difference, 24 oz beers @ country concerts, and over indulgent meals.  The only exercise I really got in besides a mini hike was walking to my towel on the sand, where I layed for hours on end.  I never thought my favorite thing to do would be laying still on a beach for hours with nothing but my ipod and some trashy magazines.

On mother's day I was at Barnes & Noble trying to pick out a very last minute gift for my mother.  I didn't find anything for her there, I did purchase a new book, which will greatly benefit my blog.  "The Paleo Diet Cookbook"- by Loren Cordain.  While this cookbook is pretty simple, lacking any pictures at all for any of the recipes, it is full of great recipes and ideas for those who, like myself, who get sick and tired of eating the same old thing. 



Myself and my new cookbook- please ignore my post-workout look



Anywho, i'm not a fan of fish ,I know i've probably mentioned this a million times.  I want to like it so badly so I have more options.  I actually like sushi much better than cooked fish, maybe its the rice, soy sauce, and saki that usually go along with it.  I am well aware of the nutritional benefits of fish so i'm trying to find ways that I actually enjoy eating it, instead of trying to force down that wierd textured meat.  I found this recipe for Tilapia "Tacos" and Peach Salsa( which I changed to Mango, when I couldn't find a peach anywhere in Whole Foods) in my new book!  I really liked this recipe, the cilantro and sweetness from the salsa really complimented the Tilapia well. 

"Ok Nicki, stop talking about yourself and just show us the stinkin recipe"

You will need:
4-6oz Tilapia Filets
Cayenne Pepper to taste
2 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 red bell pepper chopped( I left this out, peppers haven't been treatin me well lately)
2 scallions diced
2 garlic cloves- left this out also, the garlic/onion/pepper family is no good for those with tummy troubles.-- for those who have bellys of steal--go for the extra flavor.  At least those less fortunate will have better breath.
2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro
whole Romaine lettuce leaves
1 avacado- chopped
1/4 of a lemon



These guys will be your taco shells

1.squeeze lemon over Tilapia filets and season with cayenne pepper and pinch of sea salt-- set aside for now
2. heat oil in skillet over medium flame.  Add scallions ( and peppers if you are adding them) and saute for 3 minutes.
3. Add garlic if you are using it and cook for another minute or two.
4. move veggies to side of pan to make room for fish.  Add Fish and cook for four minutes- turning after two minutes. ( or until cooked all the way through-- will fall apart easily when cooked through)
5. remove fish and run fork through it--should fall apart very easily into tiny pieces.
6. scoop into whole lettuce leaves to form a taco
7. sprinkle with cilantro- there is also cilantro in the salsa, so if you aren't a big fan leave the extra cilantro out.
8. Add Avacado and Mango Salsa for taste.

Mango Salsa

Roughly 1 cup chopped Mango- I bought the pre-cut mango from whole foods.

1 tbs fresh squeezed lime juice

2 tbs red diced onion- add more if you like

1 tbs minced fresh cilantro

5 chopped cherry tomatoes

2 tsp Hot sauce

Enjoy!

~Nicki "Clean Eats" Peet

Skinny-Girl (or guy) Coconut Shrimps

First of all, hopefully I don't get sued by "real housewife" Bethenny Frankel for using her product name "skinny girl" in my blog title.  You never know these days. Moving on,  "Skinny girl coconut shrimp? Sounds more like fat girl coconut shrimp to me!"  Yes, I am creating voices in my blog from imaginary people.  So in response to that imaginary voice, Fat doesn't make you fat!  Good fats actually help control you're weight, not to mention you need them for energy.  Here's an article from Marks Daily Apple on fat http://www.marksdailyapple.com/sara-says-eat-fat/

I went to a naturopathic doctor in milford on friday for acupuncture on my troublesome shoulder.  To my surprise the first thing she asked me about was my diet.  She is the first doctor that has ever told me to increase my "good fat" intake because it helps to decrease inflammation.  I did already know this information because I have heard our crossfit trainers mention this numerous times, but I have never heard increase your fat out of the mouth of a doctor.  Instant respect for this doctor from me. 
Good fats: eggs, olive oil, avacado, fish, nuts, coconut oil, heavy whipping cream

Ok about those shrimps!

You will need:
-1/2 lb of raw shrimp ( this is plenty for 2 people)--take the tails off those things, peeling the tails off while trying to get food in your face as fast as possible when you're starving is very annoying.
- couple tbs of coconut oil for frying
- about a cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 egg-beaten
- pinch of celtic sea salt

1. melt coconut oil in frying pan
2. put coconut on plate- add small pinch of sea salt
3. dip shrimp in beaten egg
4. coat in coconut
5. toss in frying pan
~ thats it!  cook until brown on both sides and until the shrimp has turned white all the way through.
~ You can drizzle on some honey, eat on a salad, maybe add some salsa, or serve with your fav veggies.
~ I had my shrimp with my two favorite veggies, asparagus and mushrooms.  I just tossed t hem in a baking dish, sprayed with some coconut oil and added a pinch of sea salt and roasted them for about ten minutes.

** note this was only half the shrimp.
Enjoy!