Fish Taco with Cauliflower Wraps

I love Mexican food and here is another one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy!

Crema
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tbsp paleo mayo
1 tsp grated lime rind
1 1/2 tsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 garlic clove, minced

Tacos
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 pounds red snapper fillets/tilapia or other white fish

Paleo cauliflower wraps
2 cups shredded cabbage
2 tbsp white vinegar


Preheat oven to 425°. To prepare crema, combine the ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.Place cabbage and vinegar in a bowl together and set aside.

To prepare tacos, combine the spices in a small bowl; sprinkle spice mixture evenly over both sides of fish. Place fish on a baking sheet covered with parchment. Bake at 425° for 9 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Place fish in a bowl; break into pieces with a fork. Prepare wraps from previous blog post. Divide fish evenly among tortillas/wraps; top each with 1/4 cup cabbage and 1 tablespoon crema.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from My Recipes

Chicken Strips with Honey Mustard

1 lb boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 cup almond flour
1 egg
3/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper

Honey Mustard Sauce
5 tbsp raw honey
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with the other sheet of parchment paper, and set aside.

Combine paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Lay out the chicken strips and season both sides. In a small bowl, whisk the egg. In another place place the almond flour. Take each piece of seasoned chicken, dip it in the egg, and then flour with the almond flour. Make sure all the pieces are well coated. Lay each piece on your parchment lined cookie sheet. Once they are all coated, bake for 15-20 min
Note: these will not brown up like fried chicken strips. 

While the chicken is cooking, make the honey mustard sauce. In a small bowl whisk together the honey, mustard and apple cider vinegar – it’s that easy!

Chicken Satay with Almond Butter Sauce

Chicken Satay
Boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders (or chicken breasts cut into pieces) and a corresponding number of skewers
1/2 cup coconut cream (store your coconut milk can in the back of your fridge for a few hours and the cream will to rise to the top of the can)
2 tsp fresh ground ginger
2-3 minced garlic cloves
1 tbsp of curry powder
A squeeze of lime juice, plus a little bit of zest
Salt and pepper

Combine the coconut cream, ginger, garlic, curry, and lemon zest in a ziplock bag and squish it all around. If the coconut cream is too thick, loosen it up with a little lime juice and water. Add salt and pepper, then taste for seasoning. Add more curry powder, if you love the flavour.

Add the chicken to the bag and massage the bag to get the chicken coated. Marinate for a minimum of an hour, the longer the better. Once the chicken is done marinating, thread each piece onto a wooden skewer. Soak the skewers first if you choose to prevent them from burning. 

Place them on a heated grill and cook till no longer pink about 8 - 12 minutes. 

Almond Butter Sauce
1 tbsp almond butter
1/4 cup coconut aminos
1 tsp crushed red pepper
Juice of one lime
Some hot water

This sauce is the easiest thing in the world. Just mix all the ingredient together, adding the hot water last and add in just a little at a time until it loosens up the sauce to the consistency you want. 

Serve with chicken and enjoy! I made this for the first time this week and I love it! I will definitely be making this recipe again!

Mexican Chicken with Pico de Gallo

Chicken
4 chicken breasts
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

Pico de Gallo
3 tomatoes, diced
1/2 white onion, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 lime, juiced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pinch garlic powder
1 pinch ground cumin
sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Heat grill to medium heat. Place chicken breasts in a large ziploc bag. Tenderize/pound out the chicken with a rubber mallet or rolling pin until chicken is an even thickness. Place chicken on a plate and sprinkle cumin, oregano and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and give the chicken breasts a massage to work the spices into the chicken. Place on heated grill and cook for 10 - 15 minutes or until the juices run clear. 

For the pico de gallo: Stir the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, garlic, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

Top chicken with pico de gallo and enjoy!

BBQ Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
10 slices bacon
toothpicks

Preheat grill for medium heat.
Wrap shrimp in bacon, and secure with toothpicks.

Lightly oil grate, and arrange shrimp on grill. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once. The shrimp will be done when the bacon is fully cooked. Serve with lemon herb aioli.

Lemon Herb Aioli
1/4 cup paleo mayo
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp basil, chopped

Mix together and enjoy!

Blackened Chicken with Mango Salsa

Blackened Chicken
4 chicken breasts
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 olive oil

Mango Salsa
2 ripe mangoes
1 long English cucumber
3 green onions
3 tbsp cilantro, chopped
Juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste

Combine the chili powder, cumin and garlic powder. Add the olive oil, almost making a paste. Add the chicken breasts and coat with the spice mix. Place in the refrigerator and let marinate for 4 to 6 hours. 

For the salsa, chop the mangoes, cucumber, green onion and cilantro into fine pieces. Add the lime juice and olive oil. Add salt to taste. Place in refrigerator and let sit for a minimum of 30 minutes to allow the flavors to incorporate together. 

Turn the BBQ to medium high heat and cook the chicken breasts for 15 - 18 minutes, may need to be longer if thicker. Cook until no longer pink in the middle. 

Top with mango salsa and enjoy!

Salsa recipe courtesy of my friend Nat. 

Mango Chutney

Classic mango chutney has sugar added to the recipe, but I relied solely on the ripe mango for the sweet flavor of the dish. This mango chutney packs a powerful flavor punch, and is a great accompaniment for fish, crab cakes or chicken. 

1 ripe mango, chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped into bite size pieces
1/4 of a large red onion, chopped into bite size pieces
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
The juice of 1 lime
2 tsp coconut oil
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

In a large frying pan, heat coconut oil on medium. Add garlic and ginger to the frying pan and saute for 2 minutes. Add red onion and red bell pepper to the frying pan and continue to saute for another minute. Add the chopped mango, lime juice, curry powder, and red pepper flakes. Continue to saute until the red bell pepper, onion, and mango have softened. About 5 minutes. Turn heat down to simmer, and cover with a lid until serving. I then placed mine in the blender for a smoother consistency (but this is up to you - you definitely don't have to). 

Fresh Pineapple Salsa

1½ cups diced pineapple 
1 mini seedless cucumber, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, diced (remove ribs and seeds if you can’t stand the heat)
¼ cup diced red onion
¼ cup minced cilantro
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 1 lime
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper









Chop all ingredients and combine everything in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve with chicken, pork or beef. 

That’s it!

Recipe from Nom Nom Paleo.

Jerk Seasoning

This past weekend I went to one of my favorite restaurants in Saskatoon: the Konga Cafe. It is a Caribbean Restaurant with amazing food and the best key lime pie I have ever eaten, but that's for another post. I was inspired to find a recipe for a jerk rub that I could use with various meats. I tried this blend with burgers, that will be posted in a few days, and it was great! Not quite that same as the Konga Cafe but still good!

Jerk is a style of cooking native to Jamaica in which meat is dry-rubbed or wet marinated with a very hot spice mixture called Jamaican jerk spice. Jerk seasoning is traditionally applied to pork and chicken. Modern recipes also apply jerk spice mixes to fish, shrimp, shellfish, beef, sausage, lamb, and tofu. Jerk seasoning principally relies upon two items: allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers, other ingredients include cloves, cinnamon, scallions, nutmeg, thyme, garlic, and salt.

2 tbsp dried minced onion
2 1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt

In a small bowl, stir together the dried onion, thyme, allspice, ground black pepper, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and salt. Use as a rub for chicken, pork or mixed with beef for burgers.

Marinated Steak and Eggs

Happy Birthday to me!

I decided to post this for my birthday because who doesn't like steak and eggs! A large Starbucks coffee + steak and eggs = great start to my birthday!

Marinated Flank Steak
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch ground black pepper
1 pound flank steak

In a medium bowl, mix the oil, vinegar, ginger, lemon juice, garlic, and ground black pepper. Place meat in sealable plastic bag. Pour marinade into the bag and seal. Refrigerate for 6 hours.


Steak and Eggs
Marinated steak
2 eggs
1/2 yellow onion
fat of choice - I used bacon fat
2 tbsp chopped green onions

Heat up 2 small skillets over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of bacon fat to one of your skillets and add your sliced onion. Salt and pepper your onions to your liking. Use a wood spoon to stir the onions around to make sure they don’t burn and help them caramelize.

While the onions get to caramelizing, add steak directly to your hot pan. Cook your steak on both sides for about 3-4 minutes. After your steak is cooked, put on a plate to rest for a few minutes. Once rested you can slice the steak into thin strips. Add a bit more bacon fat to that same pan, if needed. Now crack both of your eggs into the pan (this is where you can cook your eggs however you’d like). When eggs are cooked to preference, pull off heat and top on your steak. Once onions are caramelized, after about 10 minutes,add the green onions, and top on steak and eggs.

**The steak marinade can be used for any kind of steak and works great on the BBQ!

Recipes adapted from PaleOMG and Crave Paleo

Guacamole

Guacamole is an avocado-based sauce that originated with the Aztecs in Mexico. It is commonly used in Mexican cuisine and something that I always have in my house!

1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and mashed
1 lime, juiced
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/4 cup diced onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 roma tomato, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tsp cumin

In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cumin. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.

Greek Salad

Traditional Greek salad is made with pieces of tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, onion, feta cheese, and olives (usually Kalamata olives) and is typically seasoned with salt and oregano, and dressed with olive oil. This version has all those same flavors but without the feta cheese (you almost don't even notice it's not there!)

Paleo Greek Dressing
1 cup White Wine Vinegar
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp Crushed Capers
Zest & Juice of 1 Lemon
1 tbsp Greek Seasoning (I use club house)
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper

Combine all ingredients together in a large measuring cup and stir well.

Paleo Greek Salad
1 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 long English cucumber, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
1/2  cup Kalamata Olives 
1/2 cup Pepperoncini Peppers
Paleo Greek Dressing

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the salad dressing.

Borrowed from Fed & Fit

Fresh Basil Pesto

Pesto can be used in a variety of ways
such as on chicken, spaghetti squash or fish.

Pesto. A classic sauce originating from Italy. Did you know it is considered a wholesome food? The basil and the pine nuts are nutrient dense ingredients, the olive oil offers needed healthy fats and the garlic provides compounds with various health benefits.

2 packed cups fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3 garlic cloves, minced
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Place skillet on medium/low heat. Once hot, add pine nuts/walnuts. Be sure to stir nuts constantly using your wooden spoon, as they release oils quickly and might burn faster than you think (don’t let them burn!). You want the nuts to be toasty and brown. Remove the nuts from skillet and let them cool on a plate.

Put the basil, garlic and nuts in a food processor and pulse until everything is chopped. Add the olive oil  and pulse again until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy immediately or make a bigger batch and freeze the leftovers.

Ice cube trays make a good vessel to freeze the finished pesto. Simply pour the pesto in the small cubes and freeze. When making a recipe with pesto, thaw a couple of cubes and you’ve got your pesto.

Grilled Steak with Roasted Jalapeño Chimichurri

Chimichurri is a sauce used for grilled meat. It is originally from Argentina but is also used in Uruguay.

2 jalapeño chilis
2 cups cilantro leaves and sprigs, finely chopped
2 cups parsley leaves and sprigs, finely chopped
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons juice from 3 to 4 limes
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds skirt steak

Prepare a grill (I used my George Foreman Grill). Grill or char the jalapeños until blackened on all sides and quite soft, about 5 minutes total. Place them in a small bowl covered with a plate or towel and allow the skins to steam and loosen. Peel, stem, and seed the chilis.

In a small food processor or blender (I used my magic bullet), combine the jalapeños, cilantro, parsley, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse (or blend) until the mixture is a coarse puree. Taste and adjust for salt and blend again.

Rub the steaks with olive oil and season very generously with salt and pepper. Grill until medium rare, 2 to 4 minutes per side depending on thickness (center of steaks should register 125°F on an instant read thermometer). Remove to a plate and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes.

Slice the steak across the grain with the knife at a 45 degree angle. Arrange on a serving plate and spoon some chimichurri over the steak. Serve with the extra sauce.

Recipe from Ted Allen

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

I love this recipe. By cutting the pork into smaller pieces it allows for the meat to have more flavor! 

Pulled Pork

6 pound lean pork roast (center cut pork loin, or similar)

1/2 cup the Ultimate Spice Blend

3 cups chicken stock

1 large onion, chopped

Remove as much fat as possible from pork roast. Cut roast into 3-4" pieces. Pour dry spice rub into shallow dish. Roll each piece of pork in spice rub, covering all sides. I then leave mine in the fridge overnight to enhance the flavor but it is not necessary. 

Place onion on the bottom of the slow cooker. Place pork in slow cooker. Add chicken stock. Cook on low 8-12 hours, or on high for 6-10 hours. When done, pork will easily flake apart with a fork. Remove pork from slow cooker and shred with 2 forks. Strain broth through fine wire mesh strainer. Remove fat with grease separator or spoon. 

Return pulled pork and onions back to slow cooker.

Paleo BBQ Sauce

1 small can of tomato paste

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup broth after the pork has cooked

3 tbsp of the Ultimate Spice Blend

Add all ingredients to a saucepan and simmer on medium/low heat for 15 minutes. 

Add sauce to pork in the slow cooker on high; heat through. Serve with creamy coleslaw.

The Ultimate Spice Blend

This is a versatile rub that is sweet, savory, and spicy, all in one blend. It can be used on almost any protein (chicken, pork, beef)!

1/4 cup seasoned salt 
1/4 cup smoked paprika
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp celery salt
3 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp basil
1 tbsp oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves

Combine all ingredients and sift through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl and whisk them until mixed. Store in airtight container.

This mix has many uses. Sprinkle dry rub mix on all sides of the meat (chicken, beef, or pork) and rub it in. If you have time, wrap or cover the meat and refrigerate it for 1 hour (or as long as 12 hours) before cooking. The fridge time will enhance the flavor, but it's also good if you cook the meat right away. Grill, pan fry, or bake the meat according to your preference. Also good for seasoning meat in slow cooker.

Adapted from www.theyummylife.com

Fish Tacos with Pico de Gallo and Avocado Crema

I love Mexican food! This recipe would appear to have a lot of steps but almost everything can be made in a food processor/magic bullet. I had this completely made in under 30 minutes, the clean-up on the other hand may have taken a little longer...

Pico de Gallo

1 medium tomato, cut into chunks

1/4 medium red onion, cut into large chunks

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 jalapeno, seeded

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Add all of the ingredients to a food processor (or magic bullet) and pulse a few times until everything is roughly chopped. Easy as that!

Dairy-Free Avocado Crema 

1 avocado

2 tbsp paleo mayo

1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 1/2 tsp fresh lime juice

1 tsp graded lime rind

1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine ingredients in food processor (or magic bullet) and pulse till combined. 

Tacos

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 pounds white fish fillets (tilapia, basa, red snapper)

1 cup shredded cabbage

Whole lettuce leaves 

Combine cumin, coriander, paprika, pepper, salt and garlic powder in a small bowl; sprinkle spice mixture evenly over both sides of fish. Place fish on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake at 425° for 9 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Place fish in a bowl; break into pieces with a fork. Take whole lettuce leaves, place fish on top of lettuce; top each with 1/8 cup cabbage and 1 tablespoon crema and pico de gallo.

Paleo Mayo

Okay, now before you skip this post and think that you are not going to be able to do this, hold on! I had never done this before and thought I would give it a go. It took all of 10 minutes and was super easy!

2 egg yolks

3 tsp lemon juice

1 cup olive oil (good quality)

Salt and pepper

(Yup that's it!)

Put the yolks and 1 tsp of the lemon juice in a bowl and mix those ingredients together. I made mine in my kitchen aid which is likely why it was so easy!

Start whisking vigorously (kitchen aid on medium speed) while dripping the oil very slowly. You’re creating an emulsion and if you put too much oil in at once, it will separate and will be very hard to save. Whisk non-stop or continuously on medium to high speed in the kitchen aid. As you add more oil, the emulsion will form and the mayonnaise will start to thicken and you can pour the oil faster at this point. When all the oil is incorporated and the mayonnaise is thick, add the rest of the lemon juice and taste your creation. You can season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes about 1 cup of mayo. Enjoy without guilt and store in the refrigerator! 

Adapted from Paleo Diet Lifestyle