Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Everyday Paleo Curried Meatballs

Another successful recommendation from the Helmer House!  Just made these meatballs last night.  Delicious, moist and super flavorful.  Goes well with mashed sweet potatoes and steamed or roasted broccoli.  I made a double batch and threw some in the freezer for another time.


Curried Meatballs

Meatballs

3 lbs ground beef

1 cup finely diced red onion

1 cup apple finely diced

1 egg

2 tablespoons curry powder

½ tablespoon sea salt

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl, place all of the meatball ingredients and mix well.   using your hands.  Form into meatballs just a little bit bigger than a golf ball and place into a large glass baking dish.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Makes 24 meatballs.  While the meatballs are cooking prepare the sauce!

TIP - If you have a food processor this is even faster!  Throw your onion and apple in there and pulse until finely diced.

Curry Sauce

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

1 tablespoon raw organic honey (optional)

1 tablespoon curry powder

2 tablespoons tomato paste

½ cup chicken broth

In a large skillet saute the garlic in the coconut oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the honey, curry powder, and tomato paste and whisk together.  Add the chicken broth and continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth.  Bring to a simmer.  After the meatballs come out of the oven, add them to the sauce in the skillet and coat well.  Cover and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.  Serves 6-7.

Original recipe and blog post at Everyday Paleo.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Planet Box Sale!!!


PlanetBox Sale!!!  We know a lot of you have kids and take your own lunches to work! Here are some great lunchboxes!

Starting today (2/11-2/18),
PlanetBox is offering $14 off a "PlanetBox Rover Complete Set with Rocket Red Carry Bag" with the code: RED14 This code only applies towards orders placed between Feb 11 and Feb 18, 2014 with a Rover Complete Set with a Rocket Red Carry Bag.

Check out https://www.facebook.com/OrganizedBites for more information!
 

Sweet Potato Soup with Bacon



Thought I would share a recipe that is a favorite in the Helmer House.  Yup, lotta cooking going on by Max and Rachel Helmer these days and this is one that I've heard about on many of occasions.  Gotta be good right!  Sweet potato and bacon.  Everything is good with bacon.  Enjoy.

Ingredients:
6 slices sugar-free, nitrate-free bacon (like this from US Wellness Meats)
1 onion, finely diced
1 teaspoons Ras el Hanout
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
dash cayenne pepper
5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 pounds sweet potatoes (2-3 large), peeled, quartered lengthwise, and sliced thin
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
garnish: fresh or dried chives
Directions:
1. Cut bacon into 1/4-inch slices and place in a cold soup pot. Heat the pot over medium-high heat and cook the bacon until it’s crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate covered with paper towels and set aside to drain and crisp.
2. Keep 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan and discard the rest. Re-heat the fat over medium-high heat, then add the onions, Ras el Hanout, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 5-7 minutes. Toss in the garlic and stir, cooking until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Add the sweet potatoes, broth, and water to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
4. Working in batches and being careful (please be careful, friends!), purée the soup in a food processor or blender until it’s smooth. Return to the pot, taste, and adjust seasonings. Ladle into bowls, then sprinkle with a little bacon and chives. Both the bacon and soup hold up well in the fridge for a few days.
Serving Ideas
I ate mine at breakfast, just like described above, but you might want to try a few of these:
— serve in a shallow bowl and top with fried eggs
— make it dinner by topping with cooked ground beef, shredded chicken, or pulled pork
— drizzle with a little melted ghee and extra Ras el Hanout
— sprinkle the top with some crushed Savory Paleo Granola

Monday, February 3, 2014

Paleo Sheperds Pie



Made this last week for my family and I have to say that all but one loved it.  That is a four out of five.  I consider that a success!  It was my boy who is not a cauliflower lover so he just ate the meat mixture.  But, don't let the cauliflower stop you if you too are not a lover of cauliflower.  Pureed with some butter and it is delicious!  


This was a dish I ate a lot growing up and I missed very much.  So glad to find this Paleo version. I'm sure it would also be delicious with mashed sweet potatoes on top.  Be sure to taste the recipe as you prepare it.  Because of the broth and tomato paste this can increase the salt content in a hurry.  So you have to be sure when adding the salt to do it slowly and taste at the same time.  Enjoy!


Ingredients
  • 1 pkg frozen cauliflower, cooked and drained
  • 2 tablespoons fat (lard, tallow, ghee, coconut oil, etc)
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 celery ribs, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound ground beef, lamb, or pork
  • 1/4 - 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 tsp dried parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons fat (lard, tallow, ghee, etc)
  • OPTIONAL BUT NOT WHOLE 30 APPROVED - ½ cup shredded grass fed cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 2-3 quart casserole dish and set aside.
  2. Cook frozen cauliflower according to package directions and drain.
  3. Heat 2 tablespoons of fat in a large skillet or saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic and cook until beginning to soften, around 5 minutes.
  4. Add the ground meat to the pan and cook until browned. Add beef broth as necessary to keep the mixture wet. Add the tomato paste, parsley and season with salt and pepper. Let simmer while you prepare the cauliflower topping.
  5. To make the topping, put the drained and cooked cauliflower into a blender or food processor.  Add two Tbl of fat and season with salt and pepper.  Puree with a stick blender until smooth.
  6. To assemble, spread the meat mixture on the bottom of the dish. Top with the cauliflower mixture and smooth with a spoon. Cover with shredded cheese, if using.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is brown and bubbly. Serve warm.