The ingredients list is for dinner for 4. Size accordingly if you want to plan for leftovers. If you make it on Sunday, you could probably get through Wednesday lunch with the leftovers. But you can’t push it much further without the fries & asparagus going soggy.

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 6 Tbs olive oil
• 3 Tbs each dried sage, dried thyme
• 3 yams/sweet potatoes
• 1 lb asparagus
• 2 Tbs coconut oil
• salt, cracked black pepper

Into a ziplock bag or tupperware container, place the chicken, 3 Tbs of the olive oil, and the dried spices. Stir around to coat evenly, and let that all sit for a while to marinate. Even a half-hour is worthwhile, but a couple hours would be better.

Preheat your oven for 365. Slice the yams into oven fry shape, about 1/2″ thick. Toss in a bowl with the remaining 3 Tbs of olive oil, and a healthy dose of salt & pepper, maybe 2 Tbs each? If you’d like, about 2 Tbs of garlic powder is also great here. Once that’s all mixed well, lay onto a rimmed baking dish in a single layer. The more you can keep the fries from touching each other, the crispier they’ll get. Pop those in the oven and set your timer for 15 minutes. When that goes off, turn them over with some tongs, and back in for another 10 minutes or so.

At the same time you initially put the fries in the oven, throw your chicken on the grill. If you’re indoor-bound tonight, then you could also slice the meat into quarter-breast sized pieces, like chicken finger sized. You could then fry those up in a separate saute pan as you stir-fry your asparagus.

And speaking of asparagus, heat up a wok or saute pan nice and hot. By preheating the pan before adding the oil, it allows the pores in the pan to close up, giving it a more slippery quality. As it’s heating, snap any woody stems off of your asparagus, and cut the remaining stalks in half. Basically, you grab each end of each stalk (one at a time), and you bend the stalk. You’re trying to see where the naturally stiff bottom part stops, and the more supple top part begins. That’s where you snap. Depending on your batch of asparagus, sometimes it seems like you’re throwing away half of what you bought. It’s up to you of course, but if you’re not gonna enjoy eating that tough part, why torture yourself. Consider it a lesson learned, and next time, buy younger asparagus!

Okay, by now your pan’s hot. Turn the burner down to medium-high, add the coconut oil, and as soon as that melts, throw in your asparagus and sprinkle on some salt & pepper, maybe 1 Tbs each. Let that cook until you start getting a little browning on the tips, and the thick end of a stalk feels tender when you stick a knife point into it.

Enjoy!

Best. Stew. Ever.

This was my make-ahead lunch concoction for the week. Fully paleo-compliant, fully delicious! And maybe 15 minutes total prep time. I made it in a crockpot, but you could use the oven as well.

• 2-3 lbs sirloin, cut into 1 inch cubes.
• 1 Tbs coconut oil (optional)
• 1 large onion, sliced into thin rings
• 1 small to medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed into 1/2″ pieces ( Or just use half of a package of the precut butternut from Costco. I love that stuff. So convenient! )
• 3 large yams, cubed into 1/2″ pieces. I find the skins on Garnet yams too bitter, so if that’s what I’ve got, I peel ‘em. If you use regular yams or yellow sweet potatoes, feel free to keep the skins on.
• 8 oz coconut milk (I like Thai Kitchen brand, but any brand’s fine as long as it’s from a can, okay? Not that sugared-up, watered-down crap they sell next to the soy milk in the dairy cooler.)
• 4 oz red wine
• 8 oz beef stock (or chicken or vegetable stock if that’s all you’ve got handy)
• 2 Tbs fresh minced garlic
• 2 Tbs each: dried cilantro, basil, ground black pepper, salt

Heat a nonstick skillet nice and hot. Depending on exactly how “non-stick” your skillet actually is, feel free to drop in a spoonful of coconut oil in once the pan is hot. Or you can skip it…up to you.

Chop the steak into bite-sized cubes, sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt and black pepper, and add to the skillet. Stir it around quickly for about a minute. Our goal here isn’t to cook the  steak, just to get a nice sear on the outside. When that’s done, dump into a crockpot, or into a Dutch oven or covered saute pan if you’re gonna use your oven.

Add the wine, stock, onion, garlic and dried spices to the pot, give it a quick stir, and cook on low for about 3 hours. If you’re using the oven, set if for 325, and cook for about an hour.

After that time is up, stir in the squash, yams and coconut milk. Another 3 hours in the crockpot, or another hour – 90 minutes in the oven. Check to make sure a piece of yam is tender, and you’re good to go. Enjoy!

beef stew

2 1/2 pounds top sirloin, trim off all visible fat, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1/3 cup tomato paste
3 T balsamic vinegar
2 T olive oil
2 T oat flour
2 medium onions, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
5 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 pound carrots, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 cup red wine
6 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1 t cracked black pepper
1 t salt

Crock Pot Version:
Add ingredients to crock pot in this order: olive oil, beef, tomato paste, vinegar. Sprinkle flour all over the top, then add the veggies, garlic, bay leaves and wine. Cook on high for about 5 hours, or low for about 8. If you’re not cooking it overnight, then give it a big stir once or twice during cooking. If you are cooking overnoght, don’t worry about it.

Oven Version:
Heat oven to 350. Use a dutch oven or saute pan with a lid. Over high heat, add the olive oil, beef, and a pinch of the salt and pepper. Stir beef continuously until browned (about 5 minutes). Add all other ingredients, along with 3 cups of water or stock. Stir and bring to boil. Put on the lid, and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is tender, about 2 1/2 hours.

Serves 10 @ 330 calories
10 g fat (28%)
30 g carbs (41%)
23 g protein (31%)

image credit: flikr user thebittenword

Yup, spaghetti omelet…trust me.

3 cups cooked spinach spaghetti
4 eggs
1 cup broccoli florets
4 tbs. Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 oz. protein powder
2 tbs. fresh chopped parsley
2 tbs. fresh chopped basil
1 tbs. butter
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
pinch salt

Boil the pasta and steam the broccoli. Place the cooked, drained spaghetti in a bowl. Mix in the broccoli, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, protein powder and butter. When the butter is melted, stir in the cheese. While the mixture cools, stir occasionally. Beat the eggs, then add to the pasta. Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray, stir the spaghetti once more, then pour mixture into the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat. When the egg starts to firm up, flip the omelet. Serves 4

Blocks: 3
Calories: 310
Carb: 27g (38%)
Protein: 23g (33%)
Fat: 10g (29%)

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image courtesy of ccharmon

This is one of our family’s favorites. We eat it all the time in the winter. Even our normally picky kids love it.

1 1/2 lb. chicken breasts
2 large green peppers

2 cups onion
2 cups carrots
1 cup tomatoes
1 1/2 cups corn kernels
1/2 cup green chiles
1 qt. water
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cups wheat flour
5 tbs. butter
6 cups milk
2 tbs. garlic powder
1 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tbs. cumin
1 tbs. Cajun spices
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbs. seasoned salt
2 tbs. onion powder
5 tbs. chili powder

Start by broiling the chicken. When cooked, shred or dice it, and place in a large stock pot. Dice the peppers, onions, carrots and tomatoes.

Note, we normally add the chopped veggies to the pot now. But if you’ve got picky eaters at home, you could always give these a quick shot in the blender first. It’ll grind them up so they’re unrecognizable, but they still give the soup a ton of flavor, and some added thickness as well.

Add in all remaining ingredients except for the butter, flour and milk. Bring to a boil, then let it simmer on a low burner.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. In another saucepan, heat the milk until steaming, then remove from the burner. When the butter is melted, slowly whisk in the flour. Avoid lumps. As the mixture becomes too dry to work with, slowly alternate adding the flour and the milk. When you’ve combined all of the butter, flour and milk, whisk this mixture slowly into the simmering soup. Let the whole thing cook on low for another 20 minutes.

Makes 10 servings. It will keep in the refrigerator for about a week, and freezes well.

Blocks: 4
Calories: 390
Carb: 36g (41%)
Protein: 28g (31%)
Fat: 12g (28%)

Another winter family favorite, and one batch will also provide for several brown bag lunches.

1 14 oz. can kidney beans
1 14 oz. can black beans
1 14 oz. can red beans
6 medium tomatoes
2 large white onions
2 bell peppers, green or yellow
3 cloves garlic
2 lbs. ground turkey
8 oz. tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock
3 tbs. red chile
3 tbs. basil
1 tbs. parsley
1 tbs. cumin
2 tbs. black pepper
1 chopped serrano pepper (seeded)
red pepper to taste
4 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Brown the meat in a nonstick skillet, and then place it in a large stock pot. Chop the tomatoes, onions and peppers, and add to the pot. Press the garlic and add it, as well as the other spices. At this point, add about 1 tbs. of red pepper.

In a bowl, mix the tomato paste and chicken stock until smooth, then add to the pot. Stir everything up, and cook on a medium stove for about 15 minutes so the flavors can start to mix. Give it a taste, and add red pepper as needed. Cook for about another 20 minutes, or until the kidney beans start to mash when you stir. Serve hot with cheddar on top. Makes 8 servings, and freezes well. 

Blocks: 5
Calories: 480
Carb: 45g (41%)
Protein: 35g (31%)
Fat: 15g (28%)

1 lb. turkey sausage links
1 large onion
1 tart apple
1 cup defatted chicken stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 small (15 oz) can navy beans
4 oz. smoked turkey breast
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
2 teaspoons olive oil

Brown the sausage in a large nonstick skillet. While that’s going, dice the apple and onion. When the sausage is done, slice it into 1/2-inch pieces and return them to the pan. Add the onion, apple and 2 tablespoons of the chicken stock. Saute until the onions and apples are softened. Stir in the tomato paste and the rest of the chicken stock. Cook for about a minute, then transfer it all to a large bowl. Stir in the beans, turkey breast, thyme and pepper.

Coat a large casserole dish with non-stick spray, and add the mixture. In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs, parsley and oil well. Sprinkle the topping over the bean mixture, and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serves 8.

Blocks: 3
Calories: 260
Carb: 27g (40%)
Protein: 20g (31%)
Fat: 8g (29%)

2 lb. cooked chicken meat (light and dark)
2 lb. red potatoes
4 stalks celery
1 medium onion

4 cloves garlic
2 cans cream of chicken soup (Healthy Choice or other reduced fat)
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tbs. olive oil
3/4 cup bread crumbs

Shred the chicken. Chop the potatoes into bite-sized pieces, and steam or boil until about half cooked. Dice the celery & onion, and peel and chop the garlic finely. Mix all of that in a big bowl with the almonds, soup, broth, juice, salt and pepper. Stir it all well, and pour into a greased 13 inch X 9 inch pan. Mix the oil and bread crumbs thoroughly, and sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Serves 8.

Blocks: 4
Calories: 415
Carb: 40g (39%)
Protein: 30g (29%)
Fat: 15g (32%)

8 dried Shitake mushrooms
1 cup flour
1 tbs. olive oil
1 cup water
1 tsp. salt
2 lb. white fish filets
6 tbs. vegetable oil
6 tbs. vinegar
2 green onions
4 tbs. sugar
1 tbs. soy sauce
4 tbs. crystallized ginger root
2 tbs. fresh ginger
1 tbs. cornstarch
3 tbs. parsley

3 cups cooked brown rice

Cover the mushrooms in water and let them soak for about half an hour. After they’re done, reserve 1 cup of the water they were soaking in. Mix 1/2 cup of it with the flour, olive oil and salt. Mix well. Dip the fish in the mixture on both sides. Fry the fish in a nonstick skillet, using the vegetable oil.

Chop the mushrooms finely, and combine with the green onions, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and both gingers in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. In a bowl, whisk the cornstarch in with the remaining half cup of water until smooth. Slowly whisk this mixture into the saucepan. Stir constantly, and cook at a low boil for about 5 minutes.

Arrange the fish on a platter over the rice, top with the sauce, and garnish with the parsley. Makes 8 servings, or 4 plus leftovers for lunch.

Blocks: 4
Calories: 415
Carb: 38g (41%)
Protein: 30g (31%)
Fat: 13g (28%)

This is a great date night meal. Looks impressive, but it’s really not hard at all.

Red Pepper Butter:
5 medium red bell peppers
small bunch fresh parsley
1 minced clove garlic
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. room-temperature butter
black pepper

Carrot Puree:
1 lb. Carrots
2 oranges
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
black pepper
nutmeg
1 tbs. butter

4 small baked potatoes
4 veal shoulder chops

This looks complicated, and has lots o’ingredients, but it’s really very simple to make. Consider it a great way to impress dinner guests. Let’s start with the pepper butter: cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds, and flatten the peppers skin-side up on a cookie sheet. Broil until the skins are thoroughly blackened, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the carrots and start them boiling. 

When the peppers are done, toss them into a paper bag, close it tightly, and let them sit in the freezer for another 10 minutes to cool. When you pull them out, the skins should peel right off. Combine the peppers, parsley (reserve several sprigs for garnish), garlic, salt, lemon juice, butter, and pepper to taste in a food processor. Pulse it on and off until you have something just short of a puree, more like the consistency of pesto sauce. Clean the food processor.

This would probably be a good time to start the chops. Rub in a little freshly ground black pepper, and broil them until pink in the center. When the carrots are cooked, place them into the food processor along with the oranges, brown sugar, butter and spices. Puree the mixture. Serve each chop with a baked potato. If you really want to score chef points, get yourself a cake decorating bag and some tips. Both the carrots and the peppers are the right consistency for using the frosting bag to squeeze out fancy presentations. Makes four servings.

Blocks: 5
Calories: 520
Carb: 49g (40%)
Prot: 38g (31%)
Fat: 18g (29%)