Cajun Paleo "Unrolled" Cabbage Rolls

This recipe reminds me so much of my Granny's Cabbage Rolls.  I've never had the skill or the patience to make rolls like my sister and Granny, so I had to "unroll" them!  ;)  My Granny would be proud!  Hope you enjoy!

 

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 Tbsp. organic extra virgin coconut oil
• 1 1/2 lbs. grass fed ground beef
• 1 lb. med. gumbo size shrimp
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups trinity (chopped onion, bell peppers, celery)
• 2 cloves minced garlic or 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 head of green cabbage, washed and chopped
• 1 can of Rotel
• 1 cup tomato puree or sauce
• 1 head of grated cauliflower (To make cauliflower rice, just grate the top of cauliflower into skillet.)
• 1 Tbsp. Cajun Seasoning (see below)
• Pink Himalaya salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. On med. high heat, saute trinity in the coconut oil until soften and lightly golden.  Add Rotel with juice and continue to saute until softened.
2. Add ground meat to skillet and brown.
3. Add tomato puree, garlic/powder, chopped cabbage, cauliflower rice, Cajun seasoning, and salt/pepper.  Continue to saute mixture until cabbage softens and all ingredients are incorporated.
   
 

4. This is when you can continue to cook in skillet until done or add to Crockpot.  I cooked mine in Crockpot for 3 hours on high, b/c I've had a ton of stuff to do and don't feel like watching a skillet.
5. After cooking for 2 1/2 hours, I added my shrimp and cooked the last 30 mins. or until shrimp are just done.  (Cooking shrimp too long will make them tough.)
6. Serve and enjoy!

How to Make Your Own Cajun Seasoning (from Emeril):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• (Yields about 2/3 c.)

Paleo Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork

Ingredients

• 5 lb. boneless pork shoulder
• 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
• 3 Tbsp. garlic powder
• 3 Tbsp. onion powder
• 2 Tbsp. fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. Pink Himalayan Salt
• 3 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/2 cup bone broth (chicken broth will work, but bone broth is so much better)
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups Paleo BBQ Sauce (see below for recipe I used)

Directions

 

Using cold water, rinse pork and pat dry with paper towels.  Combine all dry seasonings and rub pork until completely covered. 

 

Place seasoned pork shoulder into the Crockpot with the fat side up (fat will drip into the meat this way). Pour in bone broth and add Apple Cider Vinegar.  I cooked on low for 10 hours.  Occasionally, when I passed the Crockpot, I would spoon the juices over the meat.  When done, my pork was extremely easy to shred with two forks. 

Once shredded, add BBQ sauce and pork back to the remaining juices in the Crockpot.  My Crockpot has a "Warm" feature, so I just let the meat and sauce warm together for a while, then served the family.

We served on large Romaine lettuce leaves and topped with purple onion and avocado slices.  YUM!

 

 

Easy Paleo BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce (no sugar added)
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste (no sugar added )
• 1 teaspoon coconut aminos
• 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 3 tablespoons local honey
• 3 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

 

Direction

 

Whisk tomato sauce and paste together in bowl.  Continue to whisk in the remaining ingredients until well combined.  Use what you need and store the rest in a jar, in the fridge.  Enjoy!

Paleo Banana Nut Bread

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

• 4 extremely ripe bananas (mine were almost all brown)
• 4 duck eggs (trust me, they make a difference)
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 4 tablespoons melted grass-fed butter, plus one teaspoon to grease pan (I used KerryGold)
• 2 teaspoons Madagascar vanilla
• 2 teaspoons local honey
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 3/4 cup coconut flour
• 2 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of Pink Himalayan salt
• 1 box of organic raisins
• 1/2 cup of cupped pecans

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine all wet ingredients: bananas, duck eggs, nut butter, melted grass-fed butter vanilla, honey, and maple syrup in a bowl and mix well with whisk or fork.  (Note: Small chunks of banana in the mix works well).  Next, whisk in dry/powdered ingredients: coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and Pink Himalayan salt. Once well mixed, stir in raisins and pecans.  Pour into a greased 9×5 loaf pan and spread evenly.  Bake for 50 mins.-1 hour (ovens will vary).  Remove from pan and cool.  Slice and serve.  My family loves to drizzle each slice with a little maple syrup and eat hot.

3.2.2029

Slices store well in Ziplock and taste great when reheated.

 

 

Cajun Seafood Bisque

Ingredients
2 Tbsp coconut oil
2 cup Trinity (chopped onions, bell pepper, and celery~a lil parsley too)
2 cans tomato paste
2 Tbsp. smoked paprika
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. onion powder
2 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. hot sauce
2 cans unsweetened coconut milk
2 cup chicken bone broth or chicken broth (if you don't have a fresh batch of bone broth)
2 bags frozen butternut squash chunks
2 bags frozen sweet potato chunks
3 lbs. med. shrimp (I used frozen b/c it was what I had)
2 packs frozen crawfish tails (Again, I used frozen b/c it was what I had)
15 oz. lump crab meat
Cajun Seasoning to taste (see recipe below)
Pink Himalayan Sea Salt to taste
2 to 4 Tbsp. chives (I added to the pot during the last 5 mins. of cooking time and as garnish)

Directions
In large soup pot, saute the trinity in 2 Tbsp. coconut oil until the onions become translucent.

Whisk in tomato paste, paprika, garlic powder, cinnamon, Cajun seasoning, hot sauce, and salt.  Once combined, slowly whisk in coconut milk and broth.  Next add in butternut squash and sweet potato.  Bring to a boil and then turn down to simmer until the veggies soften until desired consistency.  I simmered about 15 to 20 mins.  This is where you can adjust your seasoning.  Add, simmer, taste~~until you find your cajun spice level!  ;)

Finally add shrimp, crawfish tails, and crab meat and simmer until shrimp and crawfish are just cooked.  Note that overcooking will make your shrimp and crawfish tough and rubbery.

This makes a LARGE pot, but it is nice to freeze and have some another day!

Cajun Seasoning I used(from Emeril):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• (Yields about 2/3 c.)

 

Paleo Fried Backstrap (Venison) w/Cajun Dipping Sauce

Here is a southern favorite that has been Paleofied!  Deer meat is a staple here in the south and backstrap is almost every ones favorite hunk of meat!  This recipe has allowed me to enjoy the venison favorite, while still keeping it Paleo (healthy for me)!

 

Paleo Fried Backstrap

 



 

Ingredients:

 

   Backstrap

• Backstrap (will vary in size, but should be around 2 to 3 lbs.)
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups arrowroot flour
• 1 Tbsp. sea salt
• 1 to 2 Tbsp. Cajun Seasoning (see recipe below)
• Coconut oil (Amount depends on if you are using skillet or deep fryer)  I used about 5 cups in a large skillet

   Cajun Dipping Sauce

• 1 cup Paleo mayo of choice
• 1 cup Paleo ketchup of choice
• 1 Tbsp. horseradish
• 1 Tbsp. hot sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• Sea salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning to taste

Directions:

 

One thing my family has always done is soak deer meat in milk to remove the "wild game" taste.  I did not do that for the backstrap.  I do soak my deer roast in coconut milk however and it works great.  I sliced my backstrap into thin slices (about 1/2 inch or so). 

 

I then used a meat tenderizer to pound the meat into thin rounds.  Note that I placed plastic wrap over the meat before tenderizing to prevent splatter (works like a dream and helps with clean up of the kitchen).

 



Whisk eggs in a large bowl.  Slowly whisk in small amounts of the arrowroot, sea salt, and Cajun Seasoning until batter resembles the texture of household glue.  Important to work the dry ingredients into the eggs a little at a time.  Add each deer slice and coat completely.

 



Add coconut oil to skillet or deep fryer and heat to high temperature.  Test the meat to see if the oil is hot enough but dropping one piece and making sure it sizzles.  This is where I would suggest you test the seasoning by cooking one piece first and tasting to ensure you are happy with the seasoning.  Remember you can always add seasoning, but can't take it out.  You may want to add the smaller amount of seasoning suggested first, and then add after you taste!  Once you are happy with seasoning, frying the rest of the meat until crisp on each side.

 



For Dipping Sauce:

Mix together all ingredients well and serve.  Sauce can be store in refrigerator and used for dipping your boiled crawfish as well.

Cajun Seasoning I used(from Emeril):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• (Yields about 2/3 c.)

I make this and store in a shaker in my spice cabinet.  I use this on everything.  I love Cajun seasoning but can't use store bought variety due to MSG and other not so great ingredients.  So glad I found this one to use regularly.

Serve with Cajun Dipping Sauce and enjoy!

 

 

Hawaiian Bacon Sliders w/Pineapple Slaw

Hawaiian Bacon Sliders

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. ground beef
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• a few dashes of Liquid Smoke
• salt and pepper to taste
• Smokey seasoning (I use the mix from Practical Paleo)
• fresh pineapple or canned chunks
• bacon (one slice for each burger you make--I made 6, so I used 6 pcs. bacon)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.  Mix ground meat, garlic powder, onion powder, Liquid Smoke, salt, and pepper together.  Flatten a meatball size portion of meat into small patty.  Top with a few chunks of pineapple and then wrap each patty with one slice of bacon.  Sprinkle Smokey seasoning mix atop each patty.  Cooking times will vary, about 20 minutes.  Cook until desired wellness and the bacon is crisp.

 

Pineapple Slaw:

1 bag of Cole Slaw (I know, I was a little lazy today.  Use fresh if you have the time and energy.)
3/4 to 1 cup mayonnaise (your favorite Paleo Mayo works great)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp. local honey
1 cup pineapple chunks

Since I had just made my mayo in my Ninja, I just added all the above ingredients and processed.  Pour dressing over Cole Slaw in bowl and chill in the fridge.  Serve on side of your burgers!  Maybe even on top!  Enjoy!

 

 

Breakfast Bowl

 

 

 

I'm not sure why, but sometimes I just crave spinach and eggs!  Here is my simple way to add those greens to breakfast.

 

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. KerryGold grass-fed butter
• 2 cups or more of fresh baby spinach
• 1 or 2 slices of Applegate ham
• 1 or 2 eggs
• Sprinkle of onion and garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

Saute spinach in 1 Tbsp. of butter until softened.  Move to bowl.  Grill ham until warm.  Cut and add to bowl.  Fry eggs to desired texture and top spinach and ham.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

Sometimes You Just Need a Biscuit!!!

 

One of most cherished childhood memories was breakfast, which included BISCUITS!  Now don't get me wrong, I love eggs and bacon, but sometimes you just need a biscuit to dip into those yolks!  This is not an everyday thing for me, but more like a "Sunday morning breakfast" treat.  I use the Easy Breakfast Biscuit recipe, http://fastpaleo.com/easy-breakfast-biscuit/, which is from Fast Paleo.  It taste great and is simple. 

 

Here are my prep photos:

 

 

To make it even more convenient, I make several biscuit mixes at one time and store them in Ziploc bags.  Each bag contains the dry ingredients for one biscuit.  On the outside of the bag, make sure to label and write the rest of the wet ingredients, oven settings, and cooking time.  I also reuse these bags!  This makes your Paleo lifestyle a little easier.  It is kinda like having your own Paleo Bisquick, ready to bake when you are crunched for time!

 

 

 

 

Paleo Spicy Teriyaki Glazed Salmon

I LOVE teriyaki sauce, but the soy in it just DOES NOT love me back!  Spicy Teriyaki Glazed Salmon was one of my favorite recipes to prepare before my Paleo eating began.  So I decided today to experiment in the kitchen until I came up with a replacement for the glaze, that tasted the same and was safe for me to eat!  This is what I came up with!



Spicy Teriyaki Glaze:



4 to 6 salmon fillets
1 cup Coconut Aminos
1 Tbsp. ground ginger
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. onion powder
2 Tbsp. coconut sugar
1 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. juice from orange
1 to 2 Tbsp. Sriracha sauce
1 Tbsp. arrowroot powder (for thickening)
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
Sea salt and red pepper to taste

Directions:

Whisk the first 8 ingredients together in a skillet.  Bring mixture to boil and reduce.  Whisk in arrowroot powder and continue to heat until you see the mixture thickens. 

 



Set aside and let cool completely.  Once cooled, pour mixture over salmon fillets and let marinade in Ziplock bag, from 2 hrs. or even overnight.

Heat coconut oil in skillet and sear salmon on each side for 3 to 4 minutes or until desired wellness is achieved.

 

Searing allows the glaze to harden in some areas and gives a crisp sweetness!  Enjoy!

 



 

Paleo Cajun BBQ Shrimp

Paleo Cajun BBQ Shrimp



Ingredients:

 

2 pounds fresh, jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1/2 cup grassfed butter (Kerrygold), melted
1/2 can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
3 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. onion powder
2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. sea salt
3 tablespoons EVOO or coconut oil
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 to 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper or 1/2 tsp. Capsicum, depending on the heat you want
1 1/2 teaspoons Liquid Smoke (hickory)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Chipotle Tabasco sauce

*Chipotle Tasbasco, Liquid Smoke, and Smoked Paprika add to that "Smokey" cajun flavor.

Directions:

Add all ingredients, except shrimp, in skillet or saucepan, stir and let simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat and let cool to room temperature.  While sauce is cooling, peel and de-vain shrimp.



Toss shrimp and sauce together and pour all into a 9x11 casserole dish

Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or more, even overnight if time is available.

When ready to eat, preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake shrimp for 20 minutes.

 

 

Enjoy with some great veggies sprinkled with some cajun seasoning or even a fresh Baby Spinach Salad!  Of course, at my house they were gone before I could prepare anything to go with them.  If you are wondering why I don't have a picture of the shrimp done in the casserole dish, THEY SCOOPED THEM UP AND ATE IT ALL BEFORE I COULD GET THE CAMERA!  Had to use my bowl to take a picture! 



Use It or Lose It Paleo Casserole

I don't know about you, but sometimes I have really good intentions that never make it to reality!  LOL!  I had a fridge full of fresh veggies to make several meals during the week, but sometimes I just can't be "Superwomen"!  So I had to use them or lose them.  What better way to use them all than to make a casserole.

Here is what I had on hand, but don't let my list limit you.  Use what you have.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. coconut oil (to grease pan)
1 large white onion, chopped in large chunks
1 large red onion, chopped in large chunks
4 small zucchinis, chopped
1 bag of baby carrots
1 each of yellow, orange, and red bell peppers
1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped
1 bottle of Paleochef Ginger Cilantro Dressing (http://stevesoriginal.com/cart/Paleochef/)
3 to 4 links of a good quality sausage (I had Whole Food's sausage that was great, but I wish I had some WF Chicken Cilantro Sausage!  That would have been awesome!


Directions:
I grease a 9x12 casserole dish with coconut oil.  Mix all chopped veggies into dish. 

 

Pour entire bottle of Paleochef Ginger Cilantro Dressing over veggies and give them a toss to coat completely. Cover the tray with aluminum foil and place into a preheated oven. Bake at 450F for 45 minutes.

 

While veggies are in oven, lightly brown 3 to 4 sausage links.  Once browned, slice in each link into several chunks.  Place back into oven uncovered for 25-30 minutes.  Give a quick toss half way through.

 

 

Enjoy!

 

Paleo Chili-Lime Drumsticks

I found this recipe on Jan's Sushi Bar Blog and loved it.  I just needed to make a few changes of ingredients, cooking methods, and measurements to make it work for me.  Her recipe was great, but I just made a few tweaks to fit my family's needs and likes.


Chili-Lime Drumsticks

2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken drumsticks (about 12 to 16)
2 medium lime, use juice and zest of both limes
2 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoon grain free Dijon mustard
3 to 4 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons olive oil

Whisk together all of the ingredients except for the chicken legs in a small mixing bowl. Roll each chicken leg in sauce and place into Ziploc bag (Note: I used two Ziploc bags).  Pour the remaining marinade over the chicken (half in each bag). Zip bags by squeezing out as much air as possible.

Refrigerate, turning the bag occasionally, for 2 hours or even overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375 F. I placed my chicken on a grill pan so that the juices are allow to dip down into the pan and the skin will crisp.

 

Bake the chicken for 45 to 50 minutes.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Paleo Cookie Dough Bites

Not my recipe, but it is pretty AMAZING! These are a must try!  Not an everyday food, but works great for a special treat! 

Chocolate Cookie Dough Bites from Fast Paleo! 

http://fastpaleo.com/chocolate-covered-cookie-dough-bites/

Ingredients being mixed!

All my ingredients mixed in the bowl!

 

At this point, put in the fridge and let get cold and harden a little.  Once the dough is firm, take out and roll into 1 inch balls.  Place onto Parchament paper lined tray and place into freezer until semi frozen.  Dip into melted chocolate and place back into fridge.  Sorry for the lack of pictures at this point, but spoons were scooping like crazy.  I had to fight to save the dough to roll and could not hold the camera!  LOL!  I will try to get some pictures the next batch I make.  Check out Fast Paleo link for the details.

Cajun Girl Crawfish Omelet

 

This is how we celebrate Mardi Gras, with a lil Cajun Girl Paleo Flair!

What better way to start the day than with this protein power punch breakfast!!

Cajun Girl Crawfish Omelet

" Laissez les bons temps rouler "

A.K.A.

Let the Good Times Roll!

Ingredients:



• 3 eggs
• 2 Tbsp. chopped trinity (onions, bell peppers, celery)
• 1 baby portabella mushroom, chopped or a few chopped slices of large one
• 2 to 3 Tbsp. crawfish tails
• 1 meatball size scoop of loose breakfast sausage (love U.S. Wellness Meats)
• 1 Tbsp. butter (I used KerryGold Grassfed butter)
• 2 strip bacon
• Cajun seasoning to taste (see recipe below)
• Sea salt to taste

Directions:
In a skillet, add butter and melt.  Add trinity and mushrooms.  Saute until onions are softened. 

 



Add sausage and brown. 

 

 

Add crawfish to mix and cook about 45 sec. to one minute, until crawfish are cooked. 

 



Scramble eggs with Cajun seasoning and sea salt.

 

 

Pour eggs over your meat and veggie mix in the skillet.

 

 



Cook omelet until firm or to your liking.  Serve with a side of bacon and ENJOY!

I use this recipe from Emeril for my Cajun Seasoning.  I make and keep in a shaker jar so I always have on hand.  Great way to have that Cajun kick without all the MSG and chemicals from the Cajun mixes sold in stores.

 

How to Make Your Own Cajun Seasoning (from Emeril):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• (Yields about 2/3 c.)