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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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Instant Pot Shredded Chicken {w/ Recipe Ideas & Slow Cooker Option}
Easy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken is a meal prep staple and this simple, no-fail recipe is super versatile, too. Shredded Chicken is an easy, healthy protein that you can add to salads and veggie bowls, burritos, enchiladas, tacos, wraps, sandwiches, omelettes or scrambles. Add your shredded chicken to your favorite soup, stew or stir fry. It’s a great addition to cauliflower fried rice or breakfast egg bites. Serve over rice (or cauli-rice) or pasta (or zoodles), or simply add your favorite mayo and make a quick chicken salad for lunches or quick meals.
Like my shredded beef recipe, this Instant Pot Shredded Chicken is a meal prep and meal planning super-star staple in our house and for so many of my clients. Of course if you don’t have an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, you can also easily make this in the slow cooker, I included those directions below. I personally find the Instant Pot brings the best results, the meat is always moist (yuck, I hate that word) and ready in a jiffy. You can even make your Instant Pot Shredded Chicken from chicken thighs, or a mix of chicken thighs and chicken breasts.
See all my tips and recipe suggestions below, to make this a weekly staple food you can always have on hand. Cook once and eat LOTS – a great way to stay planned out, to feel less overwhelmed at mealtime and ultimately successful with your health goals.
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Carne Asada Burrito Bowl {gluten-free and paleo-friendly}
With Cinco de Mayo later this week, it felt more than appropriate to share a Mexican-inspired dish to kick this week off right. As someone who loves Mexican food, with a preferred avoidance of corn, beans and most dairy, it can make hitting up a local authentic So Cal taqueria challenging, at best. Burritos are nearly out of the question.
At best I can always hack any Mexican menu and throw together a killer salad with fajita meat or carne asada, a bed of lettuce with the meat and just load up on guacamole or avocado and skip the cheese, sour cream, rice and beans. I generally avoid the tortillas and skip the chips (or pack my own) – but more and more I am finding this isn’t enough. Many restaurants use spice blends and marinades that contain gluten. Going out for Mexican is just not as fun as it should be.
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Baked Eggs with Spinach, Chorizo and Salsa Macha {Paleo, Keto, Whole30}
If you follow me on Instagram, you probably know that I am having a bit of a moment right now with Salsa Macha. It’s a very deeply rooted love affair and I have no shame in the fact that every single breakfast for the last week has featured it, among other meals and snacks.
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Salsa Macha
We returned home last Monday after spending over a week Loreto, Mexico, in the Baja California Sur, celebrating the nuptials of our very good friends, Debbie and Dan. Since I was coming off a full month + of exceptionally strict eating, since I did Whole30, I was feeling really, really great, but on top of it, I was also several weeks in on experimenting with the ketogenic diet, as an attempt to get my autoimmune kidney disease into remission (more on this soon as I continue to experiment).I had some slight trepidations in spending a week at a resort, both in how hard it would be for me to keep up my preferred way of eating, but also from the standpoint of my actual health and well-being, if 1 week away would ruin 1 month of hard work.
The answer is it wasn’t hard and no it didn’t.
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Paleo Breakfast Burrito Bowls
Over the years, breakfast has slowly become one of my favorite meals. It’s amazing to me there was ever a time I skipped this glorious and powerful meal. I can truly see (and feel), just how important a meal it is and how it sets the tone for the rest of my day. With a solid “log”(as we call it around here) to build a long lasting fire with for the day, I find a breakfast loaded with lots of veggies, and quality fats and proteins to be the best hope for a successful and productive day. These Paleo Breakfast Burrito Bowls are possibly one of my most favorite ways to start my day in a major ass-kicking way!
This is another un-recipe recipe, of sorts. I call it that, because while there are certainly ingredients and instructions, this is truly just a guide, the options and variations are endless. I am super into these types of recipes lately. I find this is the kind of cooking that has always inspired me to get into the kitchen and create, with direction but open-ended options, I feel free to make choices that speak to my personal (and hubby’s) tastes, without rigid rules or fear of screwing it up.
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Warm Kale Salad with Roasted Fennel and Cranberry Meyer Lemon Salsa
‘Tis the season for sweets and treats, Christmas cookies and cocktails galore. You guys already know by now that I am one for balance and not setting such strict rules on yourself that you restrict everything completely and end up flailing around and ruining your lifestyle after one “slip up”. Balance and occasional indulging is important, especially during this special time of year. However, I am also someone that absolutely HAS to have my daily greens. It absolutely is not an option for me to skip out.
I believe a few treats here and there during the holidays can be a special indulgence without derailing all the special attention you give to your food, lifestyle and your health throughout the year. But, I also feel that just means it is more important than ever to make sure you are getting the good things. Nourishing, properly prepared, nutrient-dense foods – this is precisely the fuel our body needs to get through this hectic, and oftentimes stressful, time of year.
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Grain-free Coconut Shrimp with Mango Salsa
I feel like I have to start this post out by addressing the fact that yes, this is the second seafood recipe in one week. And they are in fact the first seafood recipes I have posted on this site in probably well over 2 years. I don’t usually eat much seafood, in fact I spent quite a few years feeling quite indifferent about most seafood, minus the occasional sushi dinner or crab legs, when I was craving them.
As of the past few months, I have been slowly reintroducing healthy, sustainable seafood back into my diet. Once a week at the most. Now that I have removed meat from my diet for the time being due to my naturopathic doctor’s suggestion, I am exploring incorporating more seafood into my meal planning. It’s a fun challenge for me. More specifically (though I shared two shellfish recipes in a row), I have been looking to incorporate healthy, fatty fish, as fish oil has been proven to provide great results in those battling kidney diseases. I am taking a daily high-quality liquid fish oil supplement, but I truly believe in getting as much as you can from your diet, whenever possible.
When it came time to find a recipe to feature for this week’s Foodie Friend Fridays post, I turned to this gorgeous book – The Paleo Foodie Cookbook from my girl Arsy Vartanian, of Rubies and Radishes. There are countless gorgeous and tasty recipes in this cookbook, but the Grain-free Coconut Shrimp with Mango Salsa really caught my eye, primarily because I have a husband that loves the deep-fried, carb loaded, unhealthy version found at many restaurants. I love that I have a healthier version I can make him at home now.
It wasn’t easy to select just one recipe to share from The Paleo Foodie Cookbook. A gorgeous collection of 120 healthy, gluten-free, grain-free & delicious recipes fit for food lovers, this book is the cookbook for people that love good food. Written by someone that clearly has a passion for creating delicious, nourishing meals, it’s more than apparent that Arsy takes pride in sharing the nourishing meals that she makes for her very own family.
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How-to Make Restaurant Style Salsa
As summer’s end nears, we are left with the last few bites of the season to savor. I feel like a bit of a hoarder whenever I go to the markets this time of year and I see the beautiful heirloom tomatoes, the beautiful Hatch chiles, fresh herbs and all the other goodness. I can’t help myself. I want it all.
What better way to enjoy the final tastes of summer than a perfect fresh homemade salsa. For me, though I love a chunky, classic-style pico de gallo, what I don’t love is the amount of time all of the chopping takes. This restaurant-style salsa is a smoother, classic salsa and it is a cinch to whip up.
When Blendtec offered to send me one of their beautiful high-powered blenders, I immediately became excited about all of the possibilities. The middle of the road KitchenAid blender we got for our wedding 7 years ago, was nearing the end of it’s life and though it’s made literally hundreds and hundreds of smoothies, it also never overly impressed me, it was no powerhouse and it definitely couldn’t handle anything too thick.
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Strawberry Avocado Jalapeño Salsa {Gluten-free and Vegan}
It’s strawberry season, it’s strawberry season and I might be just a little bit excited! Iapologize in advance, I know it isn’t quite strawberry season for those of you not in Southern California. But, that just means you can start bookmarking and saving all of these yummy strawberry recipes I share and they’ll be all ready for you to get to cooking as soon as they are in season near you.
This slighty sweet, kinda tart, and a little bit spicy, Strawberry Avocado Jalapeño Salsa, is just as amazing as it is beautiful. Great on tortilla chips, over your favorite tacos, on grilled chicken or fish, or even just with a spoon. We have already had some hot weather here in Southern California, so I have been enjoying summery treats a little early. This salsa is simple to make and just full of so much flavor. I don’t always love fruit in savory dishes, but this one is incredible. I have a feeling this is going to be a staple snack around here this strawberry season! Read the rest of this entry »
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Slow Cooker Chicken Chile Verde {Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Paleo-friendly}
I have really come to love my slow cooker over the years. Crock Pot cooking is one of my favorite ways to make easy dinners, especially recipes that make multiple meals. I have said it before and I will say it again – a meal made in a slow cooker is just about the closest I may ever come to a personal chef. I load it up in the morning and by dinnertime the house is filled with incredible aromas and all I have to do is set the table and serve. It is amazing.
I have shared many plant-based slow cooker recipes here on Tasty Yummies, over the years. Like this Butternut Squash and Chickpea Coconut Curry or this Chipotle Black Bean and Quinoa Crock-Pot Stew, which is a reader favorite. I also have a simple recipe for Slow-Cooked Black Beans, that are great for vegan tacos or it can just be pureed into an amazing soup. Speaking of soup, this comforting Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup can be made with or without ham, to be vegan. Or for a really different Crock Pot experience, try my Creamy Crock-Pot Pumpkin Risotto recipe.
Since I have shared so many plant-based Crock Pot recipes, I thought it was time to share a meat-based recipe since, I know many of you are like me and do eat meat from time-to-time. Plus, when I asked on my Facebook page, a good majority of you were lookin’ for a “meaty” recipe. I had tons of ideas I was working on, but I had a beautiful locally-raised whole organic chicken that I thought would be perfect to create something different with. I thought about making my Chicken and White Bean Chili again with the whole chicken, but then I saw the beautiful tomatillos at the market and came up with the idea for this Slow Cooker Chicken Chile Verde.
This post is extra special – because it’s actually a two-part recipe. Besides the amazing chile verde, first – I have a super simple salsa verde/sauce that can just be used as-is, a salsa perfect for dipping your favorite corn tortilla chips into, or even better, served warm in this amazing chile verde or it’d also be great as a topping for homemade veggie enchiladas. So many possibilities. This salsa verde is just loaded with amazing fresh flavors, so bright and unique. You could certainly use the tomatillos raw if you wish, but I have found that roasting the tomatillos first really brings out their incredibly bright flavor. I have a feeling I will be making homemade salsa verde way more often now. It was so easy. Read the rest of this entry »
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Fermented Salsa – Gluten-free, Vegan
First off, I know for many of you, your very first question will likely be “Why?” Why would you ferment salsa? Well, I suppose that could be asked about many things. Why ferment? Admittedly, fermentation and cultured foods is something I am newly interested in and I am still learning a lot about. So, I will just share some of what I have learned about why fermented foods are so good for us.
There is so much more to having a balanced and happy gut than we realize. It is now estimated that over 500 species of bacteria are present in our intestinal track with reports of 50 – 75% of our immune system activity residing there. In our modern world filled with antibiotic drugs, chlorinated water, antibacterial soap and pasteurized foods, we are killing off all of the good bacteria we need to maintain good health and digestion. If we don’t actively replenish this good bacteria that we need, we won’t get the proper nutrients out of the foods we are eating.
Why Ferment?
There are so many healthy enzymes that flourish and live cultures that are created when vegetables are fermented, creating an environment full of probiotics, enzymes and minerals which are important in maintaining healthy digestion and a healthy body. These live cultures, usually bacteria or yeast, that fermented foods contain, help balance the microflora are a little city of tiny organisms in our large intestine that, when working well, help digest fiber, protect us from things we’d rather not absorb like carcinogens, and keep the bowel healthy.
The probiotic good bacteria and enzymes in fermented foods help to populate our gut and intestines with Lactobacilli which are really important for healthy digestion. They also help to eliminate toxins from our body, so eating them will allow your intestines to detox, which is a really good thing! All of this beneficial bacteria (or probiotics) have also been shown to help slow or reverse some diseases, improve bowel health, aid digestion, and improve immunity! I am a huge proponent of taking a daily probiotic, which has changed the way my gut feels on a daily basis.
