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15-Minute Paleo Taco Skillet Dinner
This 15-Minute Paleo Taco Skillet Dinner is ready in just about 15 minutes and it’s loaded with quality protein, fibrous leafy greens and if you top it with avocado, you’ll get some bonus healthy fats. A perfect, low-carb, one pan meal to please all!
I have been loving a good one-pan meal these days. Despite the, I am sure, blanket assumptions that when you don’t have kids, you have all the time in the world for meal planning, it can actually be quite hard, even still, in a child-free home. Without the forced structure and routines that comes with having little ones, we can often flail and have to just “make do”.
I am not that great at planning ahead some weeks and I am often not that methodical with our meal planning, so there are always staples that we have around, so there are always those staple-inspired meals. You know the ones – they aren’t all that glamorous and they are more about the function than the fashion.
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Lemon Tahini Dressing {Paleo, Vegan, Whole30, Keto}
This Lemon Tahini Dressing is a kitchen staple food for us. It’s naturally paleo, vegan, keto, nut-free and Whole30-compliant, so it’s a really great option for entertaining. Creamy, flavorful and so quick to whip up it makes an amazing dressing, dip or sauce with just a few ingredients.
If you haven’t sensed the theme, this year on Tasty Yummies, it’s been all about getting back to basics. Both with the foundations of cooking and in our health. I think both have gotten somewhat unnecessarily complicated. I find that having a solid base of pantry staples, meal prep and batch cooked recipes, sauces and dressings that you always have on hand – this is key to being prepared and ready to take on the busy weeks with your health and well-being at the forefront. No excuses.
I have been taking notice of the kinds of foods we make week in and week out, in our house. The uncomplicated, not-so-fancy, easy-to-make foods that keep us organized and feeling in control. We have several non-negotiables around here, top of that list, is always having a solid, super tasty, homemade, dressing on hand. Since we have Big F-ing Salads just about daily around here, having a tasty dressing already made and waiting, makes it even easier to make good choices.
For us, it goes between Dad’s Greek Dressing, Homemade Dairy-free Ranch Dressing, 5-Minute Green Goddess Dressing and this tasty Lemon Tahini Dressing. This thick and rich dressing is one of my personal faves, because I will forever love a good creamy dressing, but definitely prefer to avoid dairy. Not only does this Lemon Tahini Dressing not have any dairy, but there’s no mayo or eggs, no nuts, just simple ingredients. Tahini is a paste made from toasted and ground sesame seeds. This dressing is paleo, vegan, keto, Whole30 compliant, nut-free, etc etc so it’s great for entertaining a crowd.
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Easy Quick Pickled Onions Recipe
Easy Quick Pickled Onions will instantly upgrade just about any dish. We love them on salads, sandwiches and wraps, burgers, pizzas, tacos, eggs and more.
With nearly 8 years of recipes, Tasty Yummies is filled with lots of main dishes and side dishes, special occasion recipes, treats, easy weeknight meals and loads of simple how-tos, but I am always trying to check back in with the staple foods that continuously make appearances in my own kitchen, that might be beneficial for you guys, too. The foods that are on repeat and that I continue to come back to. The ones that offer the most bang for the buck, in terms of flavor vs time involved to prepare.
Quick Pickled Onions are pretty high up on top of that list. Quick Pickled Onions, more specifically quick pickled red onions, these are something I love to have on hand for a pop of flavor and crunch whenever I need it. They are great on top of salads, wraps, burgers, shredded chicken or beef, tacos, pizzas, veggie bowls, on chili or soups and so on.
The nice part of Quick Pickled Onions is that they bring the crunch that fresh, raw onions do but the flavor is far more mellow and less intense. It doesn’t hang on your tongue the way that raw onions can.
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Paleo Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Soup {Keto, Whole30} w/ Stovetop and Slow Cooker Options
Whether it’s for game day or just a random Thursday, this Paleo Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Soup brings the classic flavors of Buffalo Chicken wings, in a cozy, comforting soup. Ready in no time in the Instant Pot, it can also be made in the slow cooker or on the stove top. It’s also Whole30 and Keto compliant.
You guys know that my Buffalo roots run deep! I don’t mess around when it comes to Buffalo-inspired food, especially not Buffalo Chicken Food. See also: Buffalo Chicken Sweet Potato Sliders, Buffalo Style Loaded Sweet Potato Fries, Grilled Buffalo Wings, Buffalo Chicken Fingers! I told you, this love affair runs deep and I have no plans of ending things! Clearly, even after 5 years in Southern California – you can take the girl out of Buffalo, but you can’t take the Buffalo out of the girl.
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Easy Paleo Cauliflower Fried Rice {Gluten-free, Keto, Whole30}
One of our favorite go-to weeknight meals, this Easy Paleo Cauliflower Fried Rice comes together in just about 15-20 minutes, start to finish. Plus, it’s great for a solid fridge clean out, when you’ve got a bunch of rogue veggies and a little quick-cooking or leftover protein.
We all know that part of having food allergies, intolerances and restrictions on your diet (whatever the reason – choice or not) can be cause for many food funerals. You know what I’m talking about, having to mourn the loss of our favorite foods, dishes from a lifetime before you truly recognized what makes you feel bad and what makes you feel good. You can just go ahead and toss in certain restaurants and basically all of the best take-out into that list too, especially if you have a true intolerance or food allergy.
We can’t deny it however, takeout, as a concept, it’s rad. It’s quick and easy, usually pretty dang delicious and there’s little thought (and clean-up) required. But here’s the reality of takeout, it’s generally overpriced for the quality, they often use sketchy oils and can contain hidden ingredients/contamination that some of us may be allergic/intolerant/reactive to. For most of us, takeout will leave us feeling pretty gross. Problem solved: My super versatile Quick Paleo Cauliflower Fried Rice is so darn delicious, it’s a breeze to whip up, ready in about 15 and it’s so so much better for you. Win-win-win.
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How-to Make Quick Pickled Veggies
With the end of summer not too far off, it’s time we start planning our graceful exit strategy, for me this usually includes preserving as much of the summer flavors as possible. Besides preserving fresh herbs in olive oil, I find quick pickled veggies to be an excellent way to hang on to the tasty abundance of summer, just a little bit longer.
Sure, canning, fermentation and other more long-term storage options are always available, but this is a super quick method, that you can throw together in a mere 15 or 20 minutes. No mess and no fuss.
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Slow Roasted Citrus Fennel King Salmon with Crispy Fried Lentils
Recently I was approached by someone I met at a party, when discussing the work I do with Tasty Yummies, with one of the questions I dread most – “What are you?”. I am always taken aback by this question, to be a smart ass, I usually want to reply “a woman”, “I am human”, “a lady boss”, “a feminist” – or something of the like.
Now, I am smart enough to know exactly what they mean, but I always play dumb – “sorry, what do you mean?”. To which they usually reply “well, are you vegan, vegetarian or paleo, or like, what are you?”
While I have many wonderful friends, whom I greatly respect, that fit into each of those categories and so many others, I have always personally chosen to leave the labels off of my living. I jokingly always say “labels are for packages”, but I honestly, truly feel this way. This choice doesn’t come with judgement for those that choose to label their diet, but for me, I prefer to simply live my life and follow whatever “rules” or “non-rules” I have taken on at that specific time. But this is an ever-evolving set of “rules”, if I can even call them that. Evolving as I am. I also rarely feel as if these self-professed rules are hard-fast set in stone laws that I MUST abide by. What kind of living is that?
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Grain-free Salmon Cakes with Old Bay Aioli
Truth me told, the loaded fries and the chicken wings, those are more my husband’s football food. He begs and pleads for junk food on football Sundays, so I have always caved by simply recreating the classics for him, but in a healthier way. It’s a good deal for both of us. Me, I am a bit more uppity when it comes to what I want in a party spread. Give me an epic charcuterie or crudités platter, a little homemade roasted red pepper and feta dip, some tasty, fresh homemade salsa and chips (I reach for the plantain chips these days), a simple, but flavorful chili, the best darn gluten-free soft pretzel bites or these…tasty, crispy salmon cakes!
These Grain-free Salmon Cakes with Old Bay Aioli may seem a more fancy option at your Super Bowl spread, compared to the chips, fries or wings, but don’t let these fool you. They are whipped up in a mere minutes and they are the perfect small bite, party food. A little crispy on the outside with a soft, fluffy, perfect interior. Do not, I repeat do not skip out on the Old Bay Aioli. It’s a must here.
Though salmon cakes aren’t a food I grew up eating, these are comfort food to me. They are totally fuss-free, so they actually make for a very simple weeknight meal or a quick lunch or brunch, even. We almost always have canned salmon on hand, but this recipe is also great for leftover cooked salmon, as well. I love these served over a mixed baby greens salad, but they make an amazing appetizer, as well. Make the patties even bigger and go for more of a burger vibe, if you’d like.
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Tuna and Arugula Salad with Avocado, Black Olives & Lemon Parsley Vinaigrette
Sometimes you find yourself in places and situations you hadn’t planned. Life is funny that way. How do you handle it? Can you roll with the punches? I like to believe that ultimately there is a plan for me, it helps with those little bumps and the unplanned surprises. As Seane Corn, one of my favorite yoga teachers says “everything happens as it is supposed for our souls to transform”. Not only do I now believe and live by this, but it has also allowed me to be much more open and flexible in my life. I know that things unfold as they should, oftentimes to teach me something. It has allowed me to see things with clearer eyes and to allow things to transform and evolved as they are meant to. I wasn’t always able to do this. This is a practice I have been working at for sometime now. In the past, if I set a plan and things veered off course, I would at times get a little freaked out and possibly allow to ruin my day or whatever situation I was in. It was never fun. Not only did it make the situation harder to deal with, but it made me harder to deal with. It’s not to say that is still doesn’t happen now and again, that I too don’t need these reminders once in a while.
What does this have to do with a tuna salad I’m sure you are wondering? The first time I made this salad, was in one of these very situations where I was being tested. My husband, Mark, and I, were planning a quick summery dinner of grilled ahi tuna steaks. We bought these beautiful wild-caught tuna steaks and I had planned an Asian-inspired meal around them, we were going to to serve them over cauliflower rice with a quick arugula salad on the side. I was thinking ginger, coconut aminos, garlic, sriracha. I asked Mark to grill them up quick, a task he has done many, many times before. Seared tuna steaks need but a couple minutes per side, to keep that beautiful rare center that this particular cut lends itself so well to. Overcooked tuna steaks can be a bit dry and tough.
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Chickpea, Tomato & Feta Salad
Now that we work from home, I love lunch time. My lunches at the store used to consist of leftovers or veggie burgers, even though I still eat and love both of those, a lot of days I can have more fun creating healthy lunches. Especially with my vegetable garden in full-force, I can just hop into the back yard, grab some lettuce and/or cucumbers, fresh herbs, etc and toss together a quick salad.
I saw a delicious recipe, a while back, for a Chickpea, Spinach & Feta Salad, on my friend Margaux’s blog that she keeps with her aunt, Sweet & Savory Kitchens. I couldn’t wait to play around with my own version. Such a simple, quick and healthy salad, why haven’t I been making this every single week?
I decided to use what I had on hand, so I cut up some red onion, a whole tomato, a roasted red pepper, some fresh oregano, etc and it was that easy. An incredible lunch salad in minutes. I served mine over some romaine lettuce, you could also add chopped up lettuce, spinach or other leafy vegetables like kale or arugula directly to the salad when mixing. Cucumbers would also be delicious. In Margaux and Aunt Suzy’s original recipe they included cooked broccoli which sounds like a tasty, crunchy addition. I think like most salads, the possibilities are endless with this one. This is definitely going to be a staple in my house at lunchtime and as a side at dinner. This would make a delicious dish to share at a picnic or party and with all of the beautiful colors, it’ll definitely impress everyone.
Chickpea, Tomato & Feta Salad
adapted from Sweet and Savory KitchensThe Dressing
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, roughly chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
Salt and black pepper to tasteThe Salad
1 large or two small cans of chickpeas (about 3 cups cooked)
1 large tomato, diced
1 large roasted pepper, diced
1/2 large (or 1 small) red onion, diced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, or more to tasteAdd all of the dressing ingredients to a small bowl, whisk thoroughly to combine. Set aside.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas if using canned. Combine all of the salad ingredients in a bowl, except the feta cheese. Add the dressing and gently stir to thoroughly blend. Add the cheese and stir again to blend.
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Pasta with Kale, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Bacon (gluten-free)
Last weekend, we took the drive out to Olean to visit our farmer (I love the sound of that). We were picking up our pork share for the winter, as well as our Thanksgiving turkey. We are so lucky to have found Pierre and Sojourner Farms. The fact that every animal on the farm is pasture-raised and not pumped full of antibiotics and hormones means so much to us. I am so happy to support a wonderful place like that. It’s truly the only meat we buy.
After making the drive, it seemed wrong not to at least cook up a quick dinner with some of the delicious food we picked up. It was pretty late by the time we were ready to make dinner, so I decided to whip up a quick pasta dish for us (yeh, I know, more pasta!). The kale in my garden was still holding on and I had everything else on hand, so I thought this would be perfect. It was so perfect and delicious. Light but still hearty, it was a great quick dinner. The smokey bacon flavor was delicious and cooking the kale in the same pan as the bacon gave some of the edges that nice crisp as well. There are so many great flavors in this dish that you really don’t need much more than a pinch of Parmigiano-Reggiano on each serving, it’s that good. I am really going to miss my kale this winter, it is such a versatile green that really stands up to so many dishes. Here’s to next year’s gardening season!
Pasta with Kale, Bacon and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
serves 416 ounces organic gluten-free brown rice pasta
4 cups kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
3 slices pasture-raised farm fresh bacon (we get ours from Sojourner Farms)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup of freshly shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeseCook pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain.
While pasta cooks, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, 4-5 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, set aside. Crumble when cooled. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add kale to the pan and cook 3-5 minutes until tender and a bit crisp around the edges.
In a large serving bowl, add the cooked pasta, bacon, sun-dried tomatoes, kale, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Toss to combine. The little bit of grease from the bacon should be enough for the pasta, if it isn’t, add a drizzle or two of olive oil. Top the pasta with the shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Serve.
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Chickpea Red Curry with Coconut Milk
When trying to come up with this recipe, I came across many, many variations on chickpea curry dishes, some with yellow curry, some with potatoes or tomatoes, I saw a few that added in spinach or root vegetables. There really is a lot you can do. Because this was a weeknight dinner, I wanted to keep it simple and quick, so I went fairly basic. It really is a quick and easy meal (less than 30 minutes) and you only have to dirty one pot and your rice cooker. My Thai basil is still hanging on in the garden so I thought this would be the perfect dish to use it in. I also really love red curry, it is filled with so many fragrant aromatics like the lemongrass, ginger and red chilis. Red curry can pack a lot of heat, so taste as you go and add more or less depending on your love of spice. Play around with this recipe and the ingredients, I plan on making this often throughout the winter. It is hearty, spicy and perfect for the cooler weather. If you have never cooked with coconut milk, you need to, it is a highly underrated, tasty addition to so many dishes. Lastly, I cannot recommend enough serving this over jasmine rice, it is the perfect addition to this meal and the smell from the rice is one of my favorite smells in the whole world. Of course, brown rice or any other rice will do just perfectly.
Chickpea Red Curry with Coconut Milk
serves 42 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 25 ounce can organic chick peas, drained
2 tablespoons red curry paste (I use Thai Kitchen brand)
1 can light organic coconut milk
Pinch of kosher salt
1 teaspoon Thai fish sauce (omit if you’d like to make this vegan)
Large handful of fresh Thai basil, chopped (regular basil will do if you can’t find Thai basil)Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat, add onion and saute a few minutes before adding the garlic, then add the garlic and cook both until they just start to take on a bit of color, about 10 minutes. Add the red curry paste and coconut milk, whisk briskly to combine the paste with the milk. Bring the sauce to a simmer, taste and add more curry paste if it needs it. Add the chickpeas, a pinch of salt, fish sauce and half of your Thai basil, stir to combine. Allow the sauce to simmer for at least 15-20 minutes. If your sauce becomes a bit too thick for your liking, you can thin it a bit with vegetable broth.
Serve over jasmine rice and top with fresh Thai basil. Salt to taste, as needed.
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Toasted Spicy Almonds
Sorry for the lack of posts – we have been very busy over here. We were in Chicago this past weekend for the Pitchfork Music Festival and Flatstock 26 and before that we were busting our butts designing and printed, getting ready for the festival. I have still been cooking, but pulling out the camera, trying out new recipes, etc., gets put on hold when life gets this crazy. Before we left town I did get a chance to make this delicious snack to munch on in the car on the road trip to Chicago. I know most of the reason I crave salty snacks in the car is due to boredom, but I have accepted that and I am happy to enjoy not having a mountain of work and a long to-do list, and to sit back watch the road and enjoy my hubby’s company. Rather than salty processed potato chips from a random gas station, I thought that these would be the perfect alternative. We also packed up some of the gluten-free blueberry muffins that I had previously made and froze and some chipotle hummus with sliced cucumbers from our garden. No reason to hit a drive-thru for lunch or to eat junk!
These almonds were so satisfying and easy to make. I started with roasted almonds since that is what I had on hand, but you could also start with raw almonds, and just toast them even longer. Mark and I both really love spicy food, so you can adjust the peppers accordingly. I used a premade salt-free Black and Red Spice mix from Penzeys, that was a mix of Tellicherry black pepper and hot cayenne red pepper.
We leave again in less than one week for San Francisco for the Renegade Craft Fair, then we are back home for a bit. Hoping to be able to cook a bunch and really use all the goodies we’re getting from the garden.
Toasted Spicy Almonds
1 tablespoon organic butter
8 ounces organic roasted almonds, unsalted
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher saltSlowly melt butter in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the nuts, peppers and salt. Toss with a rubber spatula to coat the nuts and spread them out in the pan in a single layer. Allow the nuts to start to brown a bit, then toss or stir to flip, allow them to continue to toast. This process only takes a few minutes (3-5), remove the pan from the heat when the desired amount of doneness is achieved. Adjust spices and salt to taste. Allow to cool before serving.
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Penne with Pistachio Pesto, White Beans and Arugula
I am not super crazy about this photo, but it was late and I was hungry so I did my best.OK, so it is fair to say my pasta addiction is probably very obvious by now. It has always been one of my favorites and it is definitely both my go-to quick dinner option and my favorite comfort food. When I learned of my gluten intolerance, the loss of pasta in my life is what scared me most, then I discovered Tinkyada’s rice pastas. They are so amazing!! They are light and tasty. I much prefer them to regular pasta, any day, though I really don’t have much choice. Mark actually really loves rice pasta and always mentions how much lighter it is in your ‘gut’.
We got home late from work last night and we were both very tired from a long day of printing and other projects, so while I was contemplating dinner, Mark pulled a Wegman’s pizza out of the freezer for himself. I had pulled this recipe from a recent issue of Cooking Light and had all of the ingredients for it on hand, since it seemed so easy and quick, I decided to make it. In the time it took the oven to preheat and for the frozen pizza to cook and cool, I had made this pasta dish, served it, photographed it and I was finishing up eating, just about the time Mark was sitting down to eat his pizza. Granted, I produced WAY more of a mess and tons more dishes, but I would say cooking from scratch and eating fresh foods wins again!!
The pesto had an amazing flavor to it from the pistachios and the arugula had that lovely peppery crisp that just added to the creaminess from the beans. I was a bit unsure on the beans, but I thought they were really nice and was glad I decided not to omit them. Admittedly, I don’t usually buy romano cheese, as I tend to go for parmigiano-reggiano every time, but the romano had a stronger taste that went perfectly with these flavors, a bit saltier and sharper. I will definitely be buying more of it for pasta dishes.
Penne with Pistachio Pesto, White Beans and Arugula
serves 4
adapted from Cooking Light Magazine, July 20108 ounces uncooked organic brown rice penne pasta (any pasta will do)
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup roasted shelled pistachios
6 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped seeded tomato
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (15-ounce) can organic great northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups arugula
1/4 cup shredded fresh pecorino Romano cheeseCook pasta according to package direction. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain.
Combine basil, nuts and garlic in a food process; process until finely chopped.
Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add basil mixture, cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in pasta, tomato, and next 3 ingredients (through beans); cook for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, tossing to combine. Remove from heat. Add arugula to pan, and toss slightly to wilt.
Place about 1 1/4 cups pasta mixture in each of 4 bowls and top each serving with 1 tablespoon of cheese.
