BBQ Beef Pizza (AIP, Paleo)

Last week, I was lucky enough to receive samples of KC Natural AIP Paleo BBQ sauce, and to say I was excited is an understatement. Don't get me wrong there are some awesome AIP BBQ recipes out there, but there is something so nice about having a pre-made version you can dig right into.

Immediately after getting the bottles, I had to open each to test them out. First, I tried the Primal Cherry. It has a nice sweet and smokey flavor which would be amazing drenched over some ribs. Then I tried the Mastodon flavor. It has this sweet, peppery kind of tone that I knew would make a perfect topping for either shredded meat or ground meat like in this recipe. It actually reminds me a little of a sloppy joe type of flavor. Both sauces have such great notes of flavor that make them so different, but really encompass that smokey and sweet flavor you want in a bbq sauce.

This recipe combines my most favorite AIP pizza crusts, from The Healing Kitchen, and this new AIP product by KC Natural to make a yummy pizza that won't make you feel like you are missing anything.

BBQ Beef Pizza

Ingredients

• One Pizza Crust from The Healing Kitchen
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 medium carrots, finely diced
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 3 celery stalks, finely diced
• ½ a medium onion, finely diced
• ½ cup, KC Natural AIP Paleo Bbq Sauce, Mastodon
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate infused balsamic vinegar or just balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ packed cups arugula

Instructions

1. Follow instructions to make one pizza crust. This can be prepared ahead of time.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
3. Place pizza crust on a parchment paper lined cooking sheet and set aside.
4. Heat medium frying pan over medium high heat.
5. Add ground beef and sea salt to pan, and brown.
6. Once ground beef is cooked, add carrots, celery, and onions to pan allow to cook for at 5-6 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened.
7. Reduce heat to low and add bbq sauce, balsamic vinegar, coconut sugar, and garlic powder to the meat mixture and stir to combine. Cook for about 3-4. Stir frequently.
8. Remove meat mix from heat. 
9. Use extra virigin olive oil to lightly coat pizza crust. This will help keep the meat mix on in the pizza, but also prevent it from soaking into the crust.
10. Spread the meat mix on top of pizza. Depending on the size of pizza you make, you may have leftover meat. You can either super load up your pizza, or just snack on it.
11. Place pizza in preheated oven and cook for 8-10 minutes.
12. Remove from oven and top with fresh arugula. 
13. Devour and enjoy!

Stuffed Pattypan Squash (AIP, Low-FODMAP, Paleo, SCD, Whole 30)

Recently, I met my first pattypan squash. They were so cute and look like little pumpkins, what is there not to like about them? When I picked these up the other day at my local farm stand, I immediately knew I would stuff them. The question was, with what?

Through my research online, I found most recipes used rice as a main ingredient in the stuffing. Of course this wouldn't work, so I had to get creative. On top of that, I couldn't use cauli-rice again, because the hubby said he won't eat it anymore (whatever, I could eat it every day, but to each their own). So what to rice? After looking through what I had in the kitchen, I settled on diakon radish because it basically my new favorite snack. I am super excited how well these turned out, and even the hubby approved!

Stuffed Pattypan Squash

Ingredients

• 8 small pattypan squash
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 lb grassfed ground beef
• 2 cups diakon radish, cubed
• 3/4 cup bone broth
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup frozen spinach

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and place cooking sheet in oven to heat as it comes to temperature.
2. Wash and dry squash, and slice the top off about a ½ inch from stem. Level out the bottom of the squash by cutting of a little so it sits flat.
3. Scoop out the squash seeds and flesh, leave about a ½ inch shell. Reserve the flesh. 
4. Lightly coat the cut parts of the squash with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.
5. Remove cooking sheet from oven and place squash on the sheet, opening side down.
6. Roast for about 15 mins or until it is tender and the flesh side is brown.
7. While the squash heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat in a large frying pan.
8. Once pan is hot, add ground beef and brown.
9. While meat is browning, place cubed radish and squash flesh in a food processor or blender, and pulse in 2 second intervals until it is riced. About 5 times.
10. When beef is browned, add in the riced radish and squash flesh and bone broth. 
11. Bring to boil and let simmer for 5 mins or until most of liquid is gone.
12. Add spinach and sea salt and stir to combine. Cook for another 5 mins over medium heat.
13. Remove from heat when done
14. When squash is cooked, remove from oven and flip them over so opening is face up.
15. Spoon stuffing mixture evenly into the squash rounds. 
16. Serve and enjoy!