Main Dishes
Each of these main dishes are our over the top favorites
Recipes
Each of these main dishes are our over the top favorites:
This is perfect for a quick meal. If you have these ingredients on hand, this can be whipped up in about five or ten minutes. You don’t need to bake it. Serve this with a big toss salad.
Brown in a pan the following four ingredients:
1 pound ground organic beef or ground turkey
½ minced onion (I speed cook with minced dried onion.)
½ chopped green pepper
1 jalapeno pepper chopped
Add in:
½ TBL garlic powder
1-2 TBL hot sauce as desired. We use Jalepeno Tabasco sauce and makes it really good.
1 can of diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Add to top after browned (if desired):
One mashed avocado with 1 TBL lime juice and some salt, pepper on top.
This is also delicious served on an Easy Paleo Tortilla
Enchiladas – Paleo Delicious
I got the basic idea for these from Erin’s Post on Crossfit Ammo. Thank you Erin. I didn’t have the ingredients I needed (like ready-made Enchilada sauce), so I made up one. It turned out surprisingly delicious.
Ingredients
- 8 to 12 Paleo Easy Tortillas or Naan Flatbread
- Shredded Lettuce (I like to use Romaine knowing iceberg lettuce has little nutrients.)
- Filling below
- Sauce below
- Topping below
- Optional Salsa
FILLING
- 20 oz. Ground Beef
- 1/2 Green Bell Pepper
- 2 TBL Dry Onion Flakes
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Cumin
SAUCE
- 1 Can Full Fat Coconut Milk
- 1 Can 140x Dice Tomatoes
- 1 Cup + Beef Broth
- 4 tsp Arrowroot Powder
TOPPING
- 1 Avocado
- 1/8 to 1/4 C. Coconut Milk
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Chopped Cherry Tomatoes
How to Make
FILLING
Saute in a big skillet the ground beef and green pepper.
Add in and Cook on low heat:
All Seasonings
SAUCE
Prepare SAUCE in a medium saucepan
Combine: Full Fat Coconut Milk Can and 4 tsp Arrowroot Powder
Heat until sauce thickens, stirring all the time
Add in 1 Can Tomatoes and 1 cup Beef Broth
Combine thoroughly and heat
ASSEMBLE
- After the Filling is cooked, place a good amount into each Paleo Easy Tortilla and wrap it up. Place the tortillas in a big oblong glass dish.
- Pour the thickened sauce over the Enchiladas to cover them completely.
- Bake at 350 for about 20 to 25 minutes. Watch carefully during the last minutes so you don’t overcook and dry them out.
- While cooking, prepare the Guacamole Topping by mashing a ripe avocado in a bowl with some coconut milk. Add in salt and pepper to season to taste. Combine in the cut up cherry tomatoes.
- Serve hot Enchiladas with a big spoon of Guacamole Topping and/or Salsa on top.
Recipe – Marinara Chili Proves Paleo Approved Recipes are Delicious
Marinara Chili
I found this in my beginning Paleo days at Crossfit Ammo. It possibly came from a handout Erin gave to me. My compliments to the chef who created this! We make it often in our family and freeze 1/2 of it for another meal if there is any left over.. There were a couple of adjustments I had to make as I didn’t have all the right ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 Tablespoon raw, certified organic, extra virgin coconut oil
- 2 Pounds ground beef (or other ground meat of choice). I use a 20oz package of organic hamburger meat that I find at Costco.
- 1 Organic onion, chopped It was a lot of onion. Next time I will process it in the food processor instead of hand chopping. (Actually using minced onion really speeds up the process and tastes great.)
- 2-3 cloves organic garlic No garlic in my refrigerator so I had to skip the garlic and substitute Garlic Salt for the required salt. (Now I have Garlic Granules on hand.)
- 1 jar of organic Marinara sauce (or make it yourself) I used the Classico brand of sauce.
- Diced organic tomatoes (14.5 oz can)
- 2.5 tsp organic cumin
- 2-3 tsp organic chili powder
- 1-2 tsp organic thyme leaves No thyme leaves in my cupboard so I used just the regular thyme seasoning.
- 2 tsp Celtic sea salt NOTE:I used Garlic salt in place of this because of having no garlic cloves. (Add this ingredient if you are using the garlic cloves and not the garlic salt.)
- A couple of Serrano peppers (or jalapenos, if you want it extra spicy) One jalapeno pepper with the seeds removed and processed in the blender with just a little of the sauce was perfect for us.
DIRECTIONS:
1. Saute onions & garlic until the garlic is browned (about 5 minutes)
2. Add the meat, chili powder, thyme, and cumin
3. Stir mixture in pan for around 5 minutes
4. Pour in marinara sauce, add tomatoes, serrano peppers, and salt. Mix.
5. Simmer for at least an hour.This chili is delicious! Here’s some tips:
I like putting the serrano peppers in a food processor to almost puree them, and then mix them in. Speed cook using dry onion flakes. Tastes amazing. Yes it does!
A Version of a Great Salad at
Cheesecake Factory
A salad I selected at Cheesecake Factory was so delicious, I decided to replicate it best I could. Since the Cashew Chicken is one of our very favorite main dishes, I decided this would work.
Salad Base Ingredients
Toss Mixed Greens Organic
Shredded Carrots (I like a bunch. Cheesecake Factory just had a little.)
Fresh Cilantro (lots)
If desired, Add:
Cherry Tomatoes
Dried Cranberries
Chicken Topping
We love to get Rotisserie Chicken once and awhile. This makes such an easy way to have the chicken to combine in the Cashew Chicken recipe.
My photo for this post actually has more chicken in it than I like. I make extra sauce and then put this on top of the salad. Cheesecake Factory did have thin tortilla strips on theirs. Hmmm. ….we could cut into strips and bake slightly one of the Easy Paleo Tortillas to place on top if we wished.
Maybe you have some of these tortillas already made up and packaged in your freezer. This is the best way to have them on hand. Two days after I make the Tortillas, I divide into sets of four with a piece of wax paper between each and place in sturdy zip loc bags to rest in the freezer until I need a few.
By the way, both of these recipes are included in the Fabufit Paleo Recipe Index Cards.
Here’s a recipe from Wellness Mama I tested and adapted in my kitchen and found absolutely delicious. The cashews and maple syrup add the crunch, and placing it in a lettuce wrap makes it a light and refreshing. Serves 4.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound of chicken breast or thighs, cut in to bite size pieces (The recipe originally called for 1 pound of chicken breast, but this is way too much chicken for this amount of sauce. Even with 1/2 pound chicken, I like to triple the sauce.)
- ¼ cup ghee or coconut oil
Here is my revised recipe:
Sauce and Spices
- 1 tsp of garlic powder or 2 cloves of minced garlic
Cashew Chicken
- 1 tsp natural sea salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp dried basil (optional)
- 9 TBSP (or more to taste) coconut aminos or naturally fermented soy sauce
- 9 TBSP (or more to taste) maple syrup
- ½ cup+ toasted cashews
- Bibb lettuce leaves for serving or Paleo Tortillas
Instructions
- Place the bite size pieces of chicken into a large skillet of melted ghee or coconut oil.
- Sprinkle with the seasonings and sauté until chicken is almost done and no longer translucent.
- Add the coconut aminos and continue to stir until the liquid starts to evaporate.
- Add the maple syrup and continue stirring for two or three minutes.
- Add cashews and stir until heated.
- Cool slightly and serve in lettuce leaves or Paleo Tortillas.
John and I don’t very often eat real bacon; however……Making this recipe with a good quality real bacon is totally fabulous.
Ingredients:
- 4 raw, 6 oz. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 8 full strips of uncooked Bacon
Instructions:
- Lightly grease broiler pan
- Wrap each breast with 2 strips bacon, securing with toothpicks on sides only so you’ll be able to flip them over.
Glaze
Ingredients:
- ½ C Dijon Mustard (check label for lowest sugar content)
- 2 TBSP Raw Organic Honey
- Pinch of Onion Powder & Garlic Powder
- Bacon Chicken Wraps 2
Instructions:
- Using silicon basting brush, brush tops, sides of each to cover bacon and chicken.
- Put broiler pan on second high rack. Place in oven @ 350 degrees Cook about 45 min. if partially frozen or 30 min. if thawed.
- Switch oven to broil and broil a few minutes until you see bacon crisping. Flip and broil a few minutes more being careful not to overcook and dry out the chicken.
(Turkey Bacon can be substituted for regular bacon.)
Baby Manna Bread
Manna Bread (Naan Bread) is one of our very favorite recipes. It is so easy with only 3 ingredients and a dash of salt. Yesterday, we had put a Crock Pot Chicken on early in the morning to have in time for lunch. I made a batch of Manna Bread but made it in little small breads about the size of small pancakes. I put them on a baking sheet to reheat just at lunchtime along with a big green salad.
If you haven’t made the Manna bread, here is the link: Manna Bread. This will definitely be in the next Paleo Fabufit Cooking Cards.
The Chicken recipe is easy and any left over can be frozen for a later meal.
Chicken in a Pot
Taken from an old old Rival Crock Pot Slow Cooker Cookbook
This has been a family favorite of ours for years and years. I realize it perfectly meets Gluten Free and Paleo Approved guidelines. This particular crock pot has long worn out, but the recipe book is still readable. A crock pot will be a great tool in helping you prepare ahead.
- 2 carrots, slices (or package baby carrots)
- 2 onions, slices
- 2 celery stalks with leaves, cut in 1-inch pieces
- 3# whole broiler/fryer chicken
- 2 tsp. sea salt
- ½ tsp. coarse black pepper
- ½ cup water or chicken broth
- ½ to 1 tsp. basil (So good using fresh basil)
Put carrots, onions, and celery in bottom of crock pot. Add whole chicken. Top with seasoning (except basil) and liquid. Sprinkle basil over top. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours or high 3.5 to 5 hours (use 1 cup vs. ½ cup water if cooking on high.) Remove chicken and vegetables with spatula.
Using Spaghetti Squash instead of pasta in your favorite spaghetti and sauce recipe can turn a somewhat debit food into a nutritiously delicious credit food.
You can use a jar of organic Marinara Sauce for a quicker version. UPDATE: (Actually, this weekend I discovered the Classico brand of Organic Pasta Sauce from Costco and it was delicious. I just added a bay leaf as I simmered it. Doing it this way I just combined the ingredients for the meatballs before cooking and cooked them in the olive oil on low heat.)
If you use the Organic Pasta Sauce, then go ahead and combine the ingredients for the meatballs a little differently as they need to hold together as you brown them in Olive Oil:
- 1 large yellow onion, coarsely grated
- 1 1/2 # lean ground beef
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/4 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
Shape into balls and brown in olive oil.
If you don’t have a favorite sauce recipe and prefer to make your own sauce instead of buying the ready made sauce, here is mine:
- 2 large yellow onions coarsely grated – ( I generally speed cook using onion flakes:)
- 1 large green pepper, coarsely grated
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 # ground beef
Discard juice from grated onions. Saute Onion, Pepper in the olive oil for 10 minutes. Saute lean ground beef in with onions, pepper.
Transfer to cooking pan.
Add remaining ingredients:
- 2 cans 8 oz tomato sauce
- 2 cans 8 oz Italian tomato paste
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1 medium bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp. basil
- 1/2 tsp. oregano
- 1 tsp. aguave nectar or honey
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Cook over low heat about 45 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning. Just before serving remove garlic clove and bay leaf.
Cook Spaghetti Squash
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
- Cut squash in half. Place spaghetti squash with cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.
Paleo Guacamole Hamburger
The hamburger is covered up by the delicious guacamole and the egg on top.
I saw this recipe on the Paleo Ammo postings and have made it many times now. My family loves these burgers. You can make them as spicy as you like, or eliminate the jalapeno all together. NOTE: the first time I made them, I included too much of the juice from the tomato. The second go round was much better. We had ours on a big lettuce leaf. Now we love the leftover on Stupid Easy Paleo Tortillas.
Ingredients
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1 small tomato, diced
- ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
- Juice from half a lime, Salt to taste
- 1 jalapeno, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 tsp chili powder (optional)
Make the Guacamole:
- Cut the avocados in half, remove the stone in middle and scoop out flesh into a bowl.
- Mash up the avocado flesh using a spoon or fork.
- Add in juice from half lime
- Add in diced tomato (avoid adding too much liquid here)
- Add in ¼ cup cilantro, jalapeno, chili powder
- Add salt to taste and mix all well.
Cook the burger (can be precooked)
Fry an egg
(preferably in coconut oil or olive oil). This is still great even without the egg.
Place the fried egg on top of the burger and top with the guacamole.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Cold weather calls for soup. Here in Texas, we have had a rare few days of very cold weather. I discovered this delicious soup in my Ninja Cookbook.
Ingredients & Easy Directions:
- 1 large white onion, peeled and quartered
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 4 jalapeno pepper, seeded
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded (Place first four ingredients in blender and pulse until chopped)
- 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil (Heat the oil in stockpot over medium heat)
- 8 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 3 TBLS. Fresh cilantro, chopped (Add above chopped vegetables, tomatoes and 2 TBLS of the fresh cilantro. Saute and stir about 5 minutes.Reserve 1 TBLS for garnish)
- 4 to 6 cups chicken stock
- 2 TBLS fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper (Add next four ingredients above. Reduce the heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.)
- Place 2/3 of the soup into the blender.
Fresh Chicken Fruit Salad
- 1 whole Rotisserie Chicken
- 2 Celery Sticks
- 1 C Grapes
- 1 C chopped Green Apples
- 1/3 C Almonds or Walnuts
- ¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar (or to taste)
- 3 TBLS Olive Oil (or to taste)
- Dried Cranberries (Optional)
Mix and serve. Keep chilled. This is also a delicious lunch served on a Stupid Easy Tortilla with a piece of dark lettuce and the chicken salad on top.
We bought a big size crock pot this year to accommodate extra guests and to possibly have a little bit to save to have for the next day’s lunch or to freeze. (Unlikely)
Depending on the size of your family and your crock pot, purchase a big pot roast.
Seer the piece of meat in a hot skillet just enough to seal in the juices and brown both sides.
Slice about 3 or 4 big carrots, an onion (or use dried minced onion for speed cooking), and a chopped sweet potatoes.
Put the chopped vegetables in the bottom of the crock pot.
Place the roast on top of the veggies
Sprinkle with a package of dry Lipton Onion Soup mix – yikes this probably doesn’t meet Paleo, but I don’t have a replacement.
Pour a can of beef broth over all the top.
You can put this on early in the morning and let it cook all day. You can also freeze left overs or have the next day.
So delicious!
This recipe is modified from an old Dr. Phil book. We love this meal. It is a yummy company dish, or perfect for that special meal at home.
- 1 piece of salmon per person
- Grated carrots
- Asparagus
- Dijon mustard, sea salt and pepper
- Parchment paper
- Spaghetti squash baked
Prepare a square of parchment paper for each serving.
Place cooked spaghetti squash on each paper
Next Place piece of salmon uncooked on each serving of squash
Next brush the top of each piece salmon with Dijon mustard
Place grated carrots and asparagus on top
Fold up the parchment paper tightly to seal in the ingredients for each serving
Bake at 375 about 25-30 minutes.
