Crock Pot Chicken Fajita Bowls

This was not a complicated recipe, but it does take some forethought.  I doubled the marinade and used a whole chicken instead of just breasts.  We will definitely be making this chicken fajita recipe again!  We served ours on a bed of Mexican "Rice" per the recipe instructions, but it was more of a dump and taste experiment than following the recipe.

Paleo Friendly Biscuits & Gravy

There are so many obstacles when trying to make biscuits and gravy a paleo meal.  The first is the biscuits.  Today, I tried this recipe from the Deliciously Organic site. Several days ago I had made this biscuit recipe.  It was good, but we all liked the one I made today better.  I think it is due to the mix of flours and using butter. 


Now that we have overcome that obstacle, lets move onto the gravy.  Replacing the dairy and making the gravy thick and creamy can be tricky.  The first time I did this the flavor was right, but the arrowroot made it sticky & stringy.  This time the tapioca flour made it better.  We do not prefer pork in our household, so we use turkey sausage.  I'm sure pork sausage could be substituted if desired.

Turkey Sausage Gravy
1 lb turkey sausage
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp tapioca flour
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 1/2 cup non-dairy milk (we used a mix of coconut & almond)
1 Tbsp worchestershire sauce

Crumble sausage in large saucepan, cook until no longer pink.  Transfer to a bowl.  In the same pan, melt butter.  Stir in flour, mustard, salt and pepper.  Gradually add milk and worchestershire sauce.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes until thick.  Stir in sausage; heat through.  Serve with warm biscuits.
 
 

Old Fashioned Vegetable Beef Soup

So, I have been trying to make the most of my grass fed beef.  When the locker called for cutting instructions I said "yes" to keeping the soup bones.  I had no idea what to do with soup bones.  I kept seeing them in my freezer and being the genius that I am, I assumed I could use them to make soup.  After consulting my good friend, Google, I found this recipe that I thought would appeal to my family.  I did the first 3 bullet points exactly as the recipe instructed, then put it all plus the veggies in my crock pot for the afternoon.  I even finagled my mom into fishing out the bones and taking the meat off of them.  The soup needed some more salt at the end, but was delicious otherwise.  Any ideas on what to do with my other soup bones???

Quesadillas (Paleo/Primal) plus Taco Seasoning Mix

Quesadillas are always a hit with my family.  We like them with chicken, but LOVE them with steak!  Here is a quick & easy way to make them.

1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
3 peppers, thinly sliced (I like to use a mix of colors)
1 sirloin steak, thinly sliced
taco seasoning
1-2 limes (optional)
Coconut oil, refined

Optional toppings to choose from:
Cheddar cheese
Fresh cilantro
Diced tomatoes
Salsa
Shredded Lettuce
Cooked corn
Sour Cream
Guacamole

1.  Make tortillas.  We like this recipe.  This can be done the day before.
2.  Slice everything up.  I like to halfway defrost my meat to make it into thin slivers.
3.  Heat a griddle or wok.  Add oil.  Lay meat in single layer.  Sprinkle with taco seasoning & lime juice.  Flip meat and add veggies.  Add more lime juice if desired.  Saute til meat is cooked and veggies are tender crisp.
4.  Place tortillas on a griddle coated with butter.  Sprinkle cheese(if desired) and add meat mixture to one half.  Flip other half over to make a half circle.  Cook for a couple minutes and flip.
5.  Serve with desired toppings.

Need a good taco seasoning mix?  This is a recipe that was in our church cookbook that I have been using.  I've made one modification to make it grain free.

1 T. onion flakes
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder (I prefer granulated garlic)
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cornstarch (I sub arrowroot powder for grain free)

Combine all ingredients.  For taco meat, add mix to 1 pound of ground beef along with 1 tablespoon ketchup and 1/2 cup water.  Simmer until thickened.

I used just the mix for the quesadillas.

"Rye" Bread

I was hungry for bread this weekend.  Decided on this rye bread.  The caraway seed flavor really does give it that classic rye bread flavor!