Easy Healing Chicken and Vegetable Soup (AIP, Paleo. Whole 30)

Tell me this is not a familiar situation for you: you come home from work to sick child or spouse or even you are getting the sniffles. The fancy dinner you had planned for this evening is not going to work now. You have nothing else defrosted and ready to go, but you know you have to make something for the family. More importantly, you want to stop this cold/flu before it takes down the whole family.

This was the situation I found myself in yesterday. Enter my favorite kitchen gadget ever: Instant Pot. I absolutely love that you can just throw everything in it and not worry about defrosting things. You just turn it on, and walk away. Then, like magic, you have the most delicious meal ever and barely did a thing to make it.

This soup took only about 5 minutes to prep and about 45 minutes to cook (counting in pressure and depressurize times). Who doesn't want a big bowl of chicken soup when they aren't feeling so great? Plus, with homemade bone broth, ginger, and turmeric, this soup is ready to battle that cold away. I am unofficially calling it my "Get Better Soon Soup!"

Easy Healing Chicken and Vegetable Soup 

{aka Get Better Soon Soup}

Ingredients

• 1 lb frozen chicken thighs
• 3-4 carrots, peeled and chopped or sliced (your preference)
• 3 celery sticks, diced
• 2 shallots or ½ a medium onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 sweet potato, peeled, and diced
• 4 cups of bone broth
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to Instant Pot.
2. Close lid and make sure it is sealed. Using manual, set for 25 minutes.
3. When done turn off Instant Pot and either let the pressure release naturally, or if you are hungry manually release pressure.
4. Remove chicken thighs, and shred with forks. Once shredded, and back to pot and stir to combine.
5. Serve, enjoy and kick that cold to the curb! 

Makes 4-6 servings

Easy Braised Cabbage (AIP, Paleo, Whole 30)

Recently, I had the pleasure of guest posting on for Leslie of the The Whole Life Balance. She is a an amazing blogger who shares how to find the balance between life, health, and so much more. In fact, Leslie did a fantastic guest post on Don't Eat the Spatula covering my most favorite topic, Meal Planning. If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend doing so now!

The recipe I shared on her site is a very simple way to make cabbage that can be cooked up at the beginning of the week and used as leftovers with almost any dish. I usually make a batch of this every week to have it as an easy side. Click here to view the recipe.

Cabbage and Ground Pork Curry (AIP, Paleo)

Prior to AIP, I was actually never a huge curry fan. Mostly because it always made me feel so icky afterwards. Having now learned about AIP, I realize that is likely I am sensitive to those spices like cumin and coriander. It was not my intention to create a curry recipe. Right now, I am seriously obsessed with putting ginger and turmeric in any dish that works. Additionally, sage and cinnamon are basically the only spices I use when cooking pork, so I decided to through them all in a pan together with some cabbage and see what happened. To my surprise, it tasted great! So I've decided to share this one pan dish with you all.

Cabbage and Ground Pork Curry

Ingredients 

• 1/2 large head of cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground sage or 1/2 teaspoon of rubbed sage
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric* 
• 1/4 cup of bone broth (preferably pork or beef)

*If you have access to fresh turmeric, you can also add another 1/4 teaspoon of freshly grated turmeric.

Instruction

1. Preheat large pan over medium-high heat. Add ground pork and cook until browned.
2. Divide cabbage in half and add half to the pan with pork. Mix and cook for about 2-3 mins, or until cabbage starts to wilt a little. 
3. Add in the remaining cabbage and sea salt to pan and stir to combine and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
4. Add cinnamon, garlic powder, ground ginger, ground sage, and ground turmeric to pan and stir until seasons cover the pork and cabbage.
5. Lastly add bone broth to pan. Once broth is boiling, reduce heat to low and cover pan with lid or aluminum foil.
6. Cook covered for 20 minutes on low heat. 
7. Remove lid and cook for another 5 minutes or until all liquid has disappeared.
8. Enjoy!

Shared on AIP Recipe Roundtable

Super Easy Pork Shoulder Roast (AIP, Paleo)

I have absolutely zero luck with pork in the crock pot, there I said it. Phew. I try recipes over and over again, either I over cook or under cook or I grab the wrong cut and it just never seems to work out. This may sound strange, but it's the truth. I am also super bad at following directions, so this may be part of it. This was the reason why I need something that required the least amount of instruction to equal the best results.

The recipe for this came as a bit of a fluke. I picked up a pork shoulder roast for a good deal at the store and had no clue what I was going to do with it, but had to buy it. When I went to prepare it, I literally grabbed a few of my favorite herbs, tossed them on top of the roast, turned the crock pot on low, and walked away. What came out was perfection! I love it when that works out. And best of all, this is completely approved by my non-paleo hubby, so you know it's a hit!

Super Easy Pork Shoulder Roast

Ingredients

• 3-5 lb pork shoulder roast
• 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons each of the following: oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil, and rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

Instruction

1. Place pork shoulder roast in slow cooker. If it is wrapped in kitchen netting, you can leave it on.
2. Rub garlic over the top of roast. Mix herbs together and sprinkle over the top of the roast.
3. Set slow cooker on low and cook for 9-10 hrs or until roast reaches 165 degrees F.
4. Remove roast and set on cutting board. Tent it with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 mins. This would be a good time to make your sides, like the Caramelized Fennel and Sweet Potato Sauté
5. Slice, serve, drool, and enjoy!

Shared on AIP Recipe Roundtable

Shepherd's Pie (AIP, Paleo)

We all have that one comfort food that reminds them of their childhood and just brings you back home. For me it's, without a doubt, Shepherd's Pie. Growing up, I could eat it every day, all day, all the time. Each year for our birthday, my mom would make us a meal of our choice, and I can positively say, this was always my pick. Then after dinner, I would pass through the kitchen and sneak a bite more of it until it was put away in the fridge.

I have tried on numerous occasions to replicate my mom's famous dish with no avail. Even prior to becoming paleo, I still couldn't get it right. Then one magical night, on a cold Wednesday evening, I finally figured it out. The recipe is inspired by Hold The Grain's Individual Shepherd's Pie recipe with some AIP tweaks as well as a few spice tweaks from my mom's recipe. What I love so much about Tess's recipe is that instead of mashed cauliflower or sweet potatoes in lieu of mashed potatoes, she introduces the idea of mashed acorn squash. GENIUS! It is exactly the perfect topping to take me home!

Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

• 2 acorn squash
• 1 tablespoons of avocado oil
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 lb of grass-fed ground beef
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon marjoram
• 4 whole cloves
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 cup of bone broth
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half and bake for about 40 mins or until you can press shell with your finger. 
2. Meanwhile, in a large pan, on medium heat avocado oil. Cook ground beef until browned then remove from pan and set aside.
3. Return pan to stove top and add onion, celery, and carrots and cook for about 4-5 mins. 
4. Add garlic, beef, salt, thyme, marjoram, cloves, and bay leaves to the pan with veggies. Stir to combine.
5. Pour bone broth over the mix.
6. In a small bowl whisk together arrowroot flour and water.
7. Add arrowroot flour to pan and stir until sauce begins to thicken (about a minute). Remove from stove and pour mix into 2.5 quart casserole dish.
8. By now your squash should be ready. You will want it to sit out for about 10-15 mins to cool down so you can handle it.
9. Peel skin off of squash and place the good stuff in a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher until desired consistency.
10. Pile mash on top of meat mixture and spread out evenly.
11. Bake dish for 40-45 mins or until edges start to brown.
12. Enjoy and try not to eat it all in one sitting.

Featured on AIP Recipe Roundtable

Smoked Salmon, Spinach, and Artichoke Dip (AIP, Paleo)

Cheese is one of the things I have missd the most since going Paleo/AIP. If only cheese agreed with me. I am sure in small doses it would be fine, but I have very little self control when it comes to it.

The day the genius Hayley Stobbs, from I Eat Real Food, introduced her Zucchini Cheese it was a total game changer to the paleo world. Soon there were so many amazing variations and adaptations to this genius recipe and we all had cheese alternative again to use!

This recipe combines the original zucchini cheese recipe with a adapted cauli-cheese sauce by the equally talented Martine Partridge from Eat Heal Thrive. This guilt-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and soy-free dip is perfect for any party.

Smoked Salmon, Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

• Cauli-Cheese Sauce by The Paleo Partridge
• Zucchini Cheese by Gutsy By Nature
• 1- 3.5-4 oz package of smoked salmon, chopped
• 1 cup of frozen spinach
• 7 oz (about 1 cup) of canned artichoke, chopped

Preparations

1. Follow the instructions for both the Cauli-Cheese Sauce and Zucchini Cheese as originally outlined. These can both be made in advance.
2. Warm a large pot on medium heat. Slowly begin to melt the zucchini cheese (if made previously), then add in the Cauli-Cheese Sauce.
3. Once sauces are combined, add in remaining ingredients. 
4. Stir frequently and heat until spinach is fully warmed, about 10-12 minutes.
5. Serve immediately with cut veggies and/or plantain chips. Store leftovers in fridge using an airtight container. Simply reheat in microwave.

Shared on AIP Recipe Roundtable

Oven Baked Plantain Chips (AIP, Paleo, Vegan)

Prior to starting AIP, I could easily eat entire bag of Trader Joe's Plantain chips in one sitting. However, since they cooked with sunflower oil they are a no-no for me right now, so I had to find a way to feed my addiction. Plus, I am always looking for an excuse to use my mandolin.

These are super yummy and perfect to add a little crunch to any snack.

Oven Baked Plantain Chips

Ingredients

• 2-3 green plantains
• 2 tablespoons of avocado oil
• Sea salt
• Garlic powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut off ends and peel plantains. Using a mandolin or very sharp knife slice plantains as thin as a possible.
3. Line two cooking sheets with parchment paper. Light brush the the parchment paper with oil.
4. In a single layer, lay out plantain slices on the cooking sheet and brush the top with a little more oil.
5. Cook slices for 15 mins, flip and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes. Keep an eye on the slices as they burn quickly. Remove them as they start to brown.
6. Place chips in a bowl and season with sea salt and garlic powder to taste.
7. Enjoy!

Japchae: Korean Scallop Stir-Fried Noodles (AIP, Paleo)

Last weekend the hubby and I finally got ourselves to a local Asian market and all I can say is "what in the world took us so long!?" I was like a kid in a candy store with all the many things that are just impossible to find else where, not to mention the prices. We easily spent 2 hours there just looking through everything, though I'm sure we missed something. Next week!

One thing I have been dying to find and try are Korean glass sweet potato noodles. I love my zoodles, don't get me wrong, but there is something that you miss about the gummy like noodle texture. What's great about these noodles is that they are simple made from sweet potato starch and water.

Then of course once I found the noodles I had to figure out what to do with them. After visiting my trusted friend Google, I decided something Asian inspired, uh duh.

After I made the dish and struggle to figure out what to call, I realized exactly what I had made. I had made is Japchae, which is a Korean stir fried dish using the sweet potato noodles, veggies and sometimes a protein. Typically, this dish is made with soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar, but you won't find any of that in mine.

Japchae: Korean Scallop Stir-Fried Noodles

Ingredients

• 1 lb of bay scallops, washed and thoroughly pat dry
• 1 lb of bok choy, cut in 1 inch strips
• 2 medium carrots, cut in to match stix
• 1 bunch of green onions (8-10), sliced white parts + slice green parts
• 3.5 oz of glass sweet potato noodles
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos
• 1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons avocado oil 
• 2 tablespoons of a sweet red wine (AIP gray area) alternative would be honey or maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon ume plum vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of sea salt (for boiling)

Preparation

1. In a large stock pot with strainer, bring salted water to boil.
2. Add bok choy and carrots to water and par-boil for 2-3 minutes, strain and place in a bowl.
3. Bring water back to a boil and add glass sweet potato noodles and cook for 5 minutes, strain and place in bowl with veggies.
4. While noodles are cooking, put coconut aminos, 1/4 cup of avocado oil, wine, ume plum vinegar, and sliced green onions (white parts) in a small bowl and whisk to combine. 
5. In a large pan, heat 2 teaspoons of avocado oil over medium-high heat.
6. Add scallops to pan and cook for 3-4 minutes. Flipping them half way through.
7. When scallops are cooked, add veggies and pasta to dish and stir to combine.
8. Pour sauce on top of mix in pan and stir to combine. Continue to cook until sauce is almost all absorbed. 
9. Serve in a bowl topped with sliced greens onions (green part).

Raw Beet and Carrot Salad (AIP, Paleo, Vegan)

I love beets! They are so deliciously good and so good for you! According to Health Impact News, the help lower blood pressure, boost your stamina, fight inflammation, have anti-cancer properties, and provide detox support. Sign me up! So many great benefits in one little root, it's hard to ignore.

Usually I roasted my beets, but decided to do something with them raw. I have thrown raw beets in a smoothie (which is delicious), but the idea of a cold shredded salad sounded great. Also, I was dying to use my new mandolin slicer I got for Christmas from the hubby. So, I combined the shredded beets and carrots to make this delicious raw salad.

Raw Beet and Carrot Salad

Ingredients

• 1 large beet (or 2-3 medium ones)
• 3-4 large carrots
• 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp of salt

Preparation

1. Cut the top and bottom off of the beet(s) and peel. I use a sharp knife to cut of the outer skin. Then cut beet(s) into quarters.
2. Use a mandolin with the smallest blade to shred beets. Alternatively, you can use cheese grater to shred the beet. Place shredded beet(s) into a large mixing bowl.
3. Peel carrots and shred as well using either mandolin or cheese grater and place in mixing bowl with beets.
4. Add balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and salt to carrots and beets. Stir to completely combine and coat.

ENJOY! I love this either one its own or as a side to your favorite dish. This salad pairs perfectly with the Cracklin Chicken by Nom Nom Paleo. The salad can be stored into the fridge for up to a week, though it hasn't lasted that long in our house.

Featured on AIP Recipe Roundtable

Allergy Friendly Waffles (AIP, Coconut-Free, Paleo, Vegan)

Six weeks ago my mom finally gave me her old waffle iron. I was super stoked. There are so many delicious Paleo waffle recipes out there I have been dying to try. So of course the next day, I whipped up a batch and they were perfect. Fast forward to 3 days later, and I am officially starting my Autoimmune Protocol Journey (read more about it here).

This means no more eggs, nuts, or any dairy at all, which in my mind meant no waffles for me. I attempted a few other recipes I found online and let's just say, they didn't go so well.

It took a few weeks for me to recover, but yesterday, while watching the show 'The Kitchen,' I had an idea. There was this very easy pizza recipe I found the other day that created a dough that baked well. Since I was treating the mix as a dough rather than a traditional waffle mix, I realized that if you drop portions of the dough in the waffle iron it might work. And it did!!

I am so excited to share this recipe with you. These waffles hold up like real waffles and can even be frozen and reheated in the toaster. What's better is they are sugar-free, egg-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, and even coconut-free, making them the perfect Allergy Friendly Waffles.

Allergy Friendly Waffles

Ingredients

• 1 green plantain, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1/4 cup of organic pumpkin puree or mashed sweet potato
• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
• 2 tablespoon of avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• A pinch of sea salt

Instruction

1. Preheat waffle iron.

2. Combine all ingredients in blender and mix until combined into a paste.

3. When waffle iron is ready, brush with coconut oil or avocado oil to grease it.

4. Using a 1/4 measure cup, scoop just under a 1/4 cup of the mix and place it in the center of each waffle impression.

5. Close the iron and cook for 7 mins.

6. Carefully remove and enjoy as you would your favorite waffle. This will likely not fill out the whole waffle pattern, but that is to help it from spreading too much and keep the waffle fluffy.

This mix will make 8 of these mini waffles. Again, these will freeze just like your regular waffles and can be reheated in the toaster oven.

Shared on AIP Recipe Roundtable

Bacon Fat Roasted Cabbage (AIP, Paleo)

This recipe was just too good not to share with you asap. It is now my favorite way to eat cabbage.
On a completely different note, I've made a few changes to the blog, hope you like it.

Bacon Fat Roasted Cabbage

Ingredients 

1 head of cabbage 

2-3 tablespoons of bacon fat, melt
A pinch of sea salt

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 degree F.

2. Cut cabbage in quarters, then cut 1/4 thick slices. Try and make the slices as similar as possible so that some won't cook faster than others.

3. Place cabbage slices on a Silpat or parchment paper lined cooking sheets (you will probably need two).

4. Brush cabbage slices with melted bacon fat. If you don't keep a mason jar of bacon fat in your house like I do, you can chopped up 2-3 slices of uncooked bacon and sprinkle them over the cabbage. Sprinkle with a little sea salt.

5. Cook cabbage in oven for about 45 mins or until the edges begin to brown.

6. Enjoy!

Shared on AIP Recipe Roundtable

Sardine and Anchovy Pâté (AIP, Paleo)

I have tried so many times to make and eat liver Pâté and I just cannot do it. It is boosting with so many goodies for you, but the flavor and smell make me just, ugh, nope can’t do it. This is my alternative to a liver Pâté. 

Real Food Liz explains how sardines contain several great nutrients like: omega 3, taurine, selenium, calcium, vitamin D. Additionally, anchovies contain more omega 3, calcium, and vitamin D, plus iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin B-12 and many more! While, it doesn’t have all the same nutrients as a liver Pâté, this is a very nutrient dense snack on its own.

Sardine and Anchovy Pâté 

Ingredients

• 3.75-4 oz can of sardines in olive oil, drained (wild caught)
• 2 oz can of anchovies in olive oil, drained and rinsed (wild caught)
• 7-8 kalamata olives
• 1 tsp capers
• ½ juice of one lemon
• Optional – 1-2 tsp of olive oil

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients into blender or mini food processor.
2. Blend until it reaches a past like consistency. You may need to add up to 2 tsp of olive oil if the mix is too dry.
3. Enjoy with fresh cut veggies or plantain chips.

And here is Owen saying "I'm handsome, so you should share this with me." 

Shared on AIP Recipe Roundtable

Bison, Kabocha Squash, and Cabbage Skillet (AIP, Paleo)

Two posts in a one week time period, that can only mean one thing, I am avoiding doing things I should be doing, such as cleaning, doing dishes, washing laundry, and showering. You know, stuff of the living.

I have lots of too share, but I want to get all my thoughts together. Instead, I am just going to jump straight to this yummy recipe.

Just before thanksgiving I bought a kabocha squash because I’d seen a few people post pictures of recipes with them, but have been too chicken to cook with it. Well, that and I just couldn’t find a recipe I liked. Then, this past week we found organic bison at the grocery store on sale, and I had a good idea of what I was going to do.

P.S. This is a one skillet/pan recipe, which makes it even better because who likes washing dishes? Not me!

Bison, Kabocha Squash, and Cabbage Skillet

Ingredients

• 1 pound grassfed bison
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• ½ medium kabocha squash – seeded, peeled and diced (roughly 2 - 2 ½ cups)
• 1 small head of cabbage – thinly sliced
• 1 small onion – chopped
• 3 tablespoons of coconut aminos
• 1 tablespoon of ume plum vinegar
• Pinch of sea salt

Preparation

1. In a large skillet or pan warm up pan over medium heat. Once warm, add oil to pan.
2. Add bison to pan and cook until browned and you see no more pink.
3. Add onions to meat and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until they become aromatic.
4. Toss in diced squash and cook for 10 minutes, until they start to soften.
5. Finally, add in cabbage (it will look like a lot, but it cooks down), coconut aminos, and vinegar. Cover and cook for an additionally 15 mins. Stir occasionally.
6. Once the squash is soft and cabbaged is cooked down it is ready to devour! Enjoy in a bowl or topped on whatever you want. Be creative.

Shared on AIP Recipe Roundtable

Cranberry + Pumpkin Pork Loin (AIP, Paleo)

Cranberry + Pumpkin Pork Loin

If you are like me after the holiday, you find yourself with plenty of leftover pieces of the meal, such as cranberry sauce and pure pumpkin. Even though you got a whole can, you only needed a cup to make the pumpkin pie.

Ingredients

• 1 cup pure pumpkin
• 1 cup cranberry sauce (homemade, store bought or you can try the recipe listed below)
• 4-5 lb boneless pork loin (boneless pork tenderloin could work as well)
• 1 cup of chicken or turkey bone broth (or stock)
• 1 medium onion, cut into thick strips
• Kosher Salt
• Ground black pepper (omit for AIP)
• 1 teaspoon of arrowroot flour 
• 1 teaspoon of filtered water

Instructions

1. Heat a large pan to medium heat and sear pork loin on all sides. This helps trap in all the good flavors.
2. Line crock pot with onion slices. Lay pork loin on top of onion and top off with chicken broth.
3. Sprinkle salt and pepper (omit for AIP) all over the top of pork loin.
4. In small bowl, mix cranberry sauce and pumpkin until well combined.
5. Pour cranberry and pumpkin mix on top of pork loin.

6. Cook in crockpot for 5-7 hrs or until it pulls apart easily.
7. Remove from crockpot and let rest for 15 mins.
8. While pork loin is resting, take 1 cup of the drippings left in the bottom and transfer to a small sauce pan and bring to boil.
9. Mix 1 teaspoon of arrowroot flour (or tapioca starch) with 1 teaspoon of water and then slowly whisk it into the sauce.
10. Turn heat down to a simmer, and continue to stir until sauce thickens to become gravy.
11. Slice pork loin and serve topped with some homemade gravy

Cranberry Clementine Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 clementines
• Zest from one clementine
• 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries (no need to thaw ahead of time)
• ½ cup coconut palm sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1/4 cup water

Instructions

1.       Zest on clementine and then peel and roughly chop both and add to small sauce pan.

2.       Add cranberries, coconut sugar, zest, cinnamon sticks, and water to plan and bring to boil at a       

medium-high heat.

3.       Once boiling, drop to a low heat and let simmer, stir occasionally.

4.       When most of the cranberries have popped and the sauce is thick, remove from heat.

5.       Let cool and serve or put in the refrigerator for later. You can remove the cinnamon sticks or leave them.  If you are going to make the pork loin recipe, I would leave them in the sauce.