Fresh Herbs & Lemon Parsley Swordfish

I love spring and summer, because on my back deck I grow herbs. I love cooking with fresh herbs. Growing in my pretty pots, in all their greenery are dill, oregano, mint, thyme, basil, parsley, chives, sage and rosemary. The flavor that they add to each dish is not only aromatic but gives the dish a fresh flavor. There is nothing better than homegrown herbs straight from your backyard garden. Of course, you can enhance any recipe with dried spices or herbs you get from your grocer. Whenever possible, try to add fresh herbs. It just adds a favorable, light note to any dish. Cooking Paelo doesn't have to be tasteless and boring. Add ompf to your cooking with lots herbs.

The next few posts I am going to highlight herbs as the flavorful ingredient. Enjoy these recipes.

Lemon Parsley Swordfish

4 fresh caught (7 oz) swordfish steaks
1/2 teaspoon course sea salt
1/2 cup finely minced fresh parsley, divided
1/3 cup olive oil
Juice from one fresh lemon
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Brush 13 in. x 9 in. baking dish with olive oil. Place fish in the dish and sprinkle the course sea salt on top. Combine 1/4 cup parsley, oil, lemon juice, garlic and red pepper flakes. Spoon over fish.

Bake uncovered, at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork, basting occasionally with the sauce. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and top with thinly sliced lemons for decoration. Yields: 4 servings

Left Over Mexican Chicken with Cauliflower Rice

Ok…this is gross. Chicken dinner candy???? Now that I got your attention….my point is this: Leftover chicken doesn’t have to go this far and it doesn’t have to be this gross. You CAN have flavorful leftover chicken entrees for just pennies.

For Cauliflower Rice
• 1 head of cauliflower
• 2 TBSP coconut oil

Clean and remove green leaves from cauliflower. Slice out some of the stem. Rough chop the rest of the head. Place in a food processor and pulse to consistency of rice. Place coconut oil in a stir fry pan, and sauté until softened.

For the Chicken Mixture
• 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green pepper, chop into ½ inch pieces
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• Leftover cooked chicken
• 1 can of organic tomatoes, drained
• 2 TBSP cumin
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 TBSP coconut oil

Toppings:

• Cilantro
• Fresh sliced lime
• Avocado

Clean and chop all peppers & onion. Place coconut oil, minced garlic, peppers & onions in a sauté pan. Saute until tender. Add leftover chicken, tomatoes, & cumin. Let simmer for flavors to blend. When blended, pour over rice and top with fresh cilantro sprigs, fresh slices of avocado and squeeze lime juice on top.

Three meals out of one chicken!

On a budget? Watch this week for three meals you can make out of one roaster chicken.

Meal One - Easy Herbed Garlic and Leek Chicken
• 1 whole roaster chicken
• 12 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• 1 TBSP Olive Oil
• 1-2 leeks, sliced
• 4 sprigs of rosemary
• 4 sprigs of thyme
• Coarse Sea Salt
• Fresh Cracked Pepper
• 2 cans of chicken broth or white wine

Wash the whole chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Ensure that you have removed the gizzard packet from the chicken. Peel and slice the cloves of garlic. Place ½ of the garlic cloves under the skin of the chicken. Place the whole chicken in a crock pot. Rub the outside of the chicken with Olive Oil. Sprinkle the rest of the garlic on top of the chicken. Salt & Pepper the top of the chicken as desired. I am very generous with the pepper. Slice your leeks and sprinkle on top of the chicken. Pour the cans of chicken broth or white wine around the sides of the chicken, being careful not to pour on top. Then add the rosemary & thyme on top of the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

Pair with roasted brussel sprouts, beets, carrots, and parsnips for a wonderful meal.

Watch this week for the other two recipes you can make from leftovers of this chicken.

Crock Pot Carnitas

This post is in honor of the new mom, Sandra Exline. This is her “ paleofied” take on Carnitas. I have to say, this is a great recipe. It takes a little prep to begin with, but then you can put it in the crock pot and forget about it. We did this one in the first week after the baby was born. It was a hit. Zach loves this recipe and so does everyone else.

Crock-Pot Carnitas

• 1 to 1 ½ onions


• 4 cloves garlic


• 1 jalapeno


• 2 bay leaves


• 2 tbsp coconut oil


• Pork Shoulder Roast


• Cilantro


• 1 Cup Chicken Broth

Broth:

• ½ cup White cooking wine


• ¼ tsp Paprika


• ¼ tsp Ground Mustard


• ¼ cup Coconut milk (just a little bit)

Spice Mixture: (normally I just wing the amounts)

• ½ TBSP Cumin


• 1 TBSP Coriander


• 1 TBSP Chili Powder


• 1 TBSP Garlic Salt (I use garlic and sea salt)


• 1 TBSP Pepper

Place sliced onions, garlic, jalapeno and bay leaves in the bottom of a large Crock Pot. Trim fat from the pork and cut into large but manageable chunks. Make the spice mixture, just put them all together and mix them in a large bowl. (I would be careful with the cumin since it’s pretty strong). Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet. Dredge all sides of each chunk of pork with the spice mixture and sear it in the coconut oil. Once the pork is seared or browned on all sides, place it on top of the onions and spices in the Crock Pot.

In a separate bowl, mix the white cooking wine with the coconut milk and stir in the paprika and ground mustard. Pour this mixture on top of the pork. Pour the chicken broth around the sides of the meat into the bottom of the Crock Pot. Rinse and chop off course ends of the cilantro. Place cilantro on top of the pork. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours (or on high for 5 hours).

When cooked, shred the pork with a fork. Serve with fresh lime, cilantro, avocado. It’s great with “cauliflower rice” or shredded cabbage.

A Heart Healthy Valentine's Entree - Blackened Salmon

Monday is Valentine's Day! Wow your sweetie with a romantic dinner for two. A delicious heart healthy entree to make is a Blackened Salmon dish. Pair it with a romaine, spinach, and kale salad topped with strawberries and walnuts for a little twist that is sure to please Cupid's palate. Of course, all these foods are rich in Omega-3s.

Blackened Seasoning Mix

• 1 1/2 TBSP ground paprika


• 1 TBSP ground onion powder


• 2 Tsp iodized sea salt


• 1/2 tsp of ground white pepper


• 1/2 tsp of ground black pepper


• 1 tsp of ground cayenne pepper


• 1/4 tsp of dried thyme


• 1 tsp of dried basil


• 1 tsp of dried oregano

Mix all ingredients together. I triple this recipe and place in an old spice bottle and save use on other dishes like chicken or steak.

Blackened Salmon

• Blackened Seasoning Mix


• 2 wild caught salmon fillets


• 2 TBSP coconut or olive oil

Brush salmon fillets on both sides with oil, and sprinkle evenly & generously with the blackened seasoning mix. Drizzle one side of each fillet with remaining oil. In a large heavy skillet, over high heat, cook salmon, oil side down. Cook until blackened, about 2- 5 minutes. Turn fillets and drizzle remaining oil, and continue cooking until blackened and fish is easily flaked with a fork.

Something even your kids will love - Build a Burger Night

Having trouble convincing the kids (or even yourself) to eat Paleo? Are you hearing "I don't like that" or "But I WANT Mac n Cheese"? Let's face it, sometimes it is hard to get the kids to eat, PERIOD! We can all understand the benefits to why our kids should eat healthy, just like us. But, in the end, that STILL isn't going to get the kids to eat their veggies.

Why not make eating fun and get the kids involved? Sometimes just doing something out of the ordinary helps them eat what you want them to eat. Here's a suggestion...why not plan a BUILD A BURGER NIGHT. Instead of taking them out to Red Robin or McDonald's (YUCK!) set up your very own burger joint in your own home. Get them involved in choosing Paleo ingredients. Here are some suggestions:

Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Green Peppers, Olives, Spinach, Jalapeno Peppers, Over Easy Eggs, Cucumbers, Avocados, salsa, Paleo BBQ sauce, and guacamole - BE CREATIVE! If they are old enough, get them involved in the preparations. Set out all the ingredients so each person can top their own burger. Go an extra mile by decorating and serving the burgers (without the bun) in paper serving trays. This helps to make it special.

Here is one of my favorite toppings: GUACAMOLE

• 1 Avocado, cubed (or mashed)


• 1 tomato, cubed


• 2 TBSP shallots, finely diced


• 2 TBSP rough chopped fresh cilantro (or more to taste)


• Juice of 1 fresh lime- more if needed for moisture


• Sea Salt & Fresh Cracked Pepper to taste


• to kick it up a notch - add cayenne or red pepper flakes

Mix all ingredients together. Serve on top of burgers, or as a side dip with cut veggies. This is great over top of blackened chicken or fish.

Build a burger and make some memories with your family. And best of all, your kids will love it!