Paleo Cauliflower Broccoli Mash and Ground Beef Bowl

Funny lookin' bowl of food eh?  Yep, sure is.  And you know what- who cares?  It's tasty, it's easy, it's chock full of veggies, and it is FAST!

I was rummaging through the freezer yesterday, trying to locate my frozen bags of cauli, when I

thought- ugh how boring, cauli mash again.  Why not switch things up a little and make a cauli/broccoli mash?  It will be bright green and a totally new flavor.  Sounds fun right?

This is not even a recipe.  You throw a bag of steam-in-the-bag cauliflower and a bag of broccoli in the microwave and then get your stick-blender and mash it all up in a bowl with butter and salt and you're dunzo.  Cook your ground meat and spoon it over the top and you are good to go!  Obviously this side would be totally appropriate for whatever protein you have on hand, but I thought this sounded appealing and it was already defrosted so there you go.

The best part is that leftovers are perfect for my twin one-year-olds.  This is a great meal for little eaters as it is soft and easy to chew.

So next time you are considering cauli mash for the hundredth time, swap in some broccoli for some green mash that will give you and your kiddos the giggles.

Ground Beef Fajita Bowl

You know those nights when you have no fresh food, practically no food to speak of, you're stumped on what to make, you don't want to go to the store, you don't feel like making anything difficult, you're tired, hungry for nothing in particular, and need to to please an adult and a picky toddler?  No? Really? Geez I thought everyone had nights like that!

Gorgeous pic isn't it?  Maybe not.  But it's a slam dunk recipe, using minimal ingredients, all of which were frozen/pantry ingredients.

Have you tried Trader Joe's grassfed ground beef?  It's in the frozen meats section.  Ummm, hello awesomeness!  It's delicious!  Great to have on hand for nights like these.  This meal could not have been easier, all it used were the items to the right- ground meat, frozen fire roasted peppers, guac, salsa, and beans.  For those of us adhering strictly to whole 30/primal protocols, please abstain from the beans.

Ground Beef Fajita Bowl
1 package grassfed beef
1 bag Trader Joe's fire roasted peppers and onions
some guac, or just some sliced avo
some salsa
some beans (or not)
shredded lettuce if you have any (I didn't, no bigs)
and the following spices, to taste:
cumin
paprika
oregano
cayenne
salt
pepper
onion powder
garlic salt

Brown your meat and spice accordingly once it's browned.  Remove meat from pan onto plate.  Sautee thawed veggies in your leftover fat from the meat, and spice to taste.  Warm up your beans.  Throw everything in a bowl and enjoy!  Easy peasy.  Dinner done in 20 minutes or less.

This post is admittedly not very fun, truthy, or challenging.  We are in chicago for my grandfather's funeral this week, and so at the moment I am not feeling up to digging deep.  Rather, I'd like to dig deep into my bed, snuggle in, and not get up until I damn well please.  But, LGO right?  However, look for a sugar detox update soon.  Is anyone doing it with me?  Or something similar?  Don't be shy!!  And if not now but you are planning to, let me know too!  I am anxious to hear how everyone does.

Thanks a bunch, XoXoGFG

Thai Beef with Basil

Or in this case, thai ground turkey.  Beef would have been more appropriate but it was easy and "licious" as S calls things she likes.  Most recipes call for a few additional ingredients that would have made this really shine, but for a quick weeknight dinner this is really great.  A huge bump up for plain old ground meat for sure.  If you can get your hands on some thai chiles and thai basil, instead of the regular kind, good for you!  And of course some sliced red peppers would be great and another pop of color.

Thai Beef with Basil
1 package ground meat, mine was about 22 oz
2 tbsp Thai Chile Garlic Oil (HUGE shortcut, rather than mincing garlic and chopping up thai chiles!!! find it at your specialty olive oil store)
2 cups french green beans
juice of one lime
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp gluten free soy sauce or wheat free tamari
1/2 packet of stevia (i used pure via)
1 cup chopped basil, use thai basil if you can, and throw in some mint too for extra authenticity

Heat your oil in a large pan and add your meat, cooking on high until starting to brown.  Throw in your green beans and salt and pepper liberally.  In a small bowl, juice your lime and add sweetener (optional) soy sauce and fish sauce.  When the beans have cooked, add your sauce and coat evenly.  Turn off the heat and sprinkle in your chopped basil.  Serve and enjoy!  Drizzle some extra thai chile garlic oil if desired.  This is not very spicy, so feel free to turn it up a notch with some red pepper flakes.  But for the discerning toddler's palate, I chose to keep it on the milder side.

Enjoy peeps!

Want a Meat Cupcake? Or How 'bout a Meat Muffin?

It was only a matter of time before these became a reality.  I'm surprised I didn't make them sooner.  Think of them either as big meatballs, or baby meatloaf.  Whichever you prefer.  But they are meaty, yummy, packed insanely full of nutrients, and portable!

We are trying to incorporate grassed beef-liver into our diets.  We had some last month, and while good, not something I'll be making again soon.  It was just too tough and liver-y.   But mixed with ground meat and baked with herbs?  Now there's a winner.  This made quite a lot.  MKG ate maybe 4 of them, S ate 1,  so a normal servings is probably 3.  I highly recommend you try making these as described, with 100% grassfed beef liver.  Just try it!  Even grassfed liver is cheap- like $2.99 for a pound!  Can't beat that.

I made these with ground turkey- 1) because that's what I had and 2) i thought these would be heavy enough with the liver, so though some light meat might be nice.  Use what you got.

Meat Cupcakes with Grassfed Beef Liver (makes approx. 16)
1 lb 100% grassfed beef liver
1 1/2-2 lbs ground turkey, however much is in your container
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 red onion, chopped finely
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tsp oregano
your fave marinara sauce for dipping

In your cuisinart, pulse your beef liver until it is well broken up, basically a liquid.  Sorry- this is not fun and way gross.  I really don't know what else to tell you.  But I would feel terrible not giving you a little warning.  Maybe you won't be grossed out like I was, hopefully not!  Pour the liver into a bowl with your ground meat and throw in your onion, garlic, salt and pepper, oregano, and basil.  Incorporate well with a fork but don't over mix.  Spoon into lined muffin tin and bake at 425 for 30 minutes or so.  There will be a considerable amount of liquid so don't worry when you see it bubbling at the top.  The tops should brown nicely.

Want meatballs instead?  Be my guest!  But you'll need to add something starchy because this is a very wet mixture.  Or just bake as a loaf instead.  That will just take longer.

With some yummy marinara, this is a really great recipe and easy to eat/snack on and grab and go.  We have quite a few left and I bet these would even freeze well!

Try them and let me know what you think!  Or perhaps, sub the liver for pastured chicken liver if that's more accessible.  But please, don't use livers from a grain-fed, sick animal.

Enjoy GFG's!  Xoxo
Edit:  These actually get better in the fridge the next day, or the day after.  I actually much preferred them two days later.  Just FYI!

Pastured Beef Liver, Prosciutto, and Onions

Liver seems to be one of the big food trends right now- well, at least in my little grain-free/paleo corner of the world.  Why?  Well, it's basically like eating a giant multivitamin.  "But it's high in CHOLESTEROL!!!!" my MIL says.  That is correct, it is.  Just like egg yolks, pastured butter, and many other foodstuffs that we now know to be good for you, heart-healthy, and chock-full of nutrients.  Hopefully by now most of us have realized that consuming dietary cholesterol is not what contributes to high blood cholesterol.  Trans-fats, copious amounts of sugar and a diet high in refined-carbs will do that.  So don't knock it til you try it!  And whatever you do, make sure you purchase 100% grass-fed, pastured beef liver for this recipe.  Do not use grain-fed, hormone-filled meat from a sick animal.  Don't like the taste/texture?  This recipe might do the trick for you, there are tons of tasty caramelized onions and crispy prosciutto bits.  If that still sounds yucky- then grind up some liver and mix it with ground meat for meatballs or meatloaf- you won't even know it's there.

Liver with Prosciutto and Caramelized Onions
1 lb pastured liver
6 slices of prosciutto
3/4 onion, sliced
kosher salt
your preferred fat of choice- i used some nitrate-free bacon fat!

Chop up your prosciutto and crisp it up in just a teensy bit of oil/fat in a large sauté pan.  Once it's nice and crispy, remove it and dump in your sliced onions.  Caramelize those suckers till they're nice and brown.  This will take forever.  Sorry.  Caramelizing onions takes crazy long.  But it's worth it.  Remove your onions, and your pan should be nice and hot.  If it's dry, use a bit more fat/oil.  Then place your liver in the pan.  Season the top with some salt and pepper.  You want your pan really hot so it sears the outside.  Flip it over after about three minutes, to sear the other side.  Your flame should be med-high.  After another three minutes, turn the heat down to medium, and let it cook for about 5-7 minutes so it cooks through.  Before serving, top with onions and prosciutto.

This isn't like, my favorite thing to eat in the world.  But it is very good.  And certainly not gross like so many purport.  Maybe it's because MKG and I grew up eating chopped liver, that we actually really like the taste of it.  I don't know.  I do think that's what I'll try next time around.  Some yummy chopped liver with sliced cucumbers and carrots.  S tried a few bites of it and wasn't so enthused, but that's ok.

Best part about this meal is that it costs like, a dollar per person or something.  Even though it's 100% grass-fed, buying liver is pretty cheap.  I mean, it's offal for christs sakes.  Peeps just aren't that into offal these days.  No worries, more for us.

Try it!  And enjoy that megadose of b-vitamins! XoXoGFG

Tangy Grilled Flank Steak

I make a lot of flank steak, and top round.  They are lean, and cheap, and for whatever reason I prefer the chewier cuts than a more tender filet for example.  But they do need a nice long marinade, that's for sure.  Usually I go asian with marinades but that can get redundant.  This was an awesome marinade that went great with my spicy chickpea poppers.  Try it out next time you need a quick marinade!  And also- if you don't have a nice heavy cast-iron grill pan, get one!  I must use this thing 4 times a week.  It is awesome!  Little smokey though.

Tangy Grilled Flank Steak
1 large flank steak
4 tbsp lime juice (i actually only had bottled which worked out great)
2 tbsp meyer lemon EVOO
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Combine juice, oil, and seasonings in a bowl and mix well.  Place your steak in a ziploc bag and pour over.   Don't worry that it doesn't look like very much marinade, you don't need a whole lot.  Seal bag and leave it in the fridge for 3-7 hours.  Grill steak 5 minutes per side and you're done!

What's new with everyone?  I bet there are some awesome super bowl recipes floating around out there!  I have a crab dip recipe I'm going to try.  I haven't been posting too many recipes lately.  One- I've been making a lot of the usual standby recipes, and two- I haven't been making any treats lately.  I don't really miss them or feel like making them, although I know M wishes otherwise.  If I want a treat I'll have some dried cherries, or a piece of dried mango, or some SF chocolate from TJ's.  So, my pinterest board is kind of sad right now as a result.  Oh well.

Have a great Super Bowl weekend everyone!

Crockpot Beef Stew

I finally did it!  Pulled out my ginormous crockpot I've had since one of my bridal showers over three years ago.  I don't know why but I was always a little hesitant to use it.  Maybe because it's such a beast.  Takes up a lot of space on the counter that's for sure.  Most beef stew recipes call for potatoes, which I left out.  I think that with plenty of vegetables (throw them in frozen even) you'll have a hearty meal all the same.  I made this recipe last Friday- but have had a not-so-fun stomach flu the past few days and eating/cooking has not been high up on my list of priorities.  Anyways- I will definitely be trying out many more recipes in the crockpot as this turned out great.  Just beware, if you've never used your crockpot before, don't assume the cooking time on the recipe will be true for your crockpot, and the size of the pot will also alter cooking speeds and how much liquid you need. 

Crockpot Beef Stew (Serves 3)
1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat
1 can of tomato paste
2 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tsp rosemary
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pepper
1 package sliced button mushrooms
2 cups baby carrots
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 cup beef broth, vegetable broth, or water
1/2 tsp minced garlic
add frozen veggies as desired, green beans, asparagus, spinach, etc.

If you have time, brown your stew meat first in a bit of oil with S&P.  If you don't, no worries.  Into your crockpot, toss your beef, veggies, balsamic vinegar, seasonings, tomato paste, and broth.  Stir so tomato paste is well distributed.  If adding frozen veg, add these last.  Set your crockpot either to high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8, depending on how big your crockpot is, how old it is, etc.  Super easy, and dinner done with almost no effort and NO DISHES!  Yeah!