Paleo Beef Goulash

Goulash is a Hungarian dish using beef and paprika as its main ingredients. In fact, it’s also sometimes called Paprikash. Goulash comes from a word that means cattle stockman in Hungarian and this stew will really give a great flavor to the beef. This recipe is very easy to prepare and will cook for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours in the oven or a crock-pot.
It’s very savory and can easily become a favorite for you and your family.
This recipe serves about 2-3 people.

Ingredients

• Cooking oil (lard, tallow, or butter are three good choices) - I USED BACON GREASE 
• 1/2 Lb stewing beef, cut in cubes - I CUBED A ROAST FROM OUR GRASS FED BEEF
• 2 medium onions, sliced;
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed and minced;
• 1 bell pepper, sliced;
• 2 tbsp paprika (this can be adjusted to taste, don’t be scared to use a lot of it);
• 2 tsp caraway seeds;
• 1 can chopped tomatoes (fresh tomatoes is even better);
• 1 1/2 cups of beef  stock ;

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. You can also use a crock-pot, on low temperature.
2. Brown the beef cubes in a pot with the cooking oil.
3. Put the beef aside and now brown and soften the onions. Add the garlic and bell pepper and cook to soften about 5 minutes on medium heat.
4. Put back the beef to the pot and add the spices, tomatoes and stock.
5. Put a lit on the pot and transfer to the hot oven or put the preparation in your crock-pot.
6. Let it cook for about 2 hours to 2 1/2 hours, until the beef is fork tender.

I didn't use a crock pot - I used my stone roaster from Pampered Chef.  The house smelled heavenly all afternoon from this dish cooking.

The meat was super tender and the flavor of the sauce was out of this world good.  I'll make this again because it's better then just making a roast that can sometimes end up dry.  

Because of the no grain rules of the Sane Challenge I ate it just like this in a bowl.  For the non-paleo eating husband I served it up on a bed of white rice.

Bon Appetite' 

Carrot-Pineapple Slaw

Summer Time Salad Must Make!!!

This was sweet and refreshing and will be made several times this summer for sure.

Paleo Carrot-Pineapple Slaw

1 cup diced fresh pineapple
1/2 cup dried cherries
1 (10-ounce) package matchstick-cut carrots
2 tbs. olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbs. maple syrup - pure, not Log Cabin brand.
1 tbs. fresh pineapple juice
2 tbs.chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley - I used fresh from my herb garden

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl.

Combine oil and next 3 ingredients (through pineapple juice), stirring with a whisk. Add oil mixture to carrot mixture; toss well.

Add parsley, toss well. Cover and chill.

Bacon, Food Prep and 1st Day of Sane Challenge

 I'm not a big one to sit in front of a TV very much.  In fact most days I don't even look at the TV.  I don't watch news nor do I watch reality shows.  I am a fan of a few programs however, one being Orange is the New Black.  And I'm happy to say last night I sat for three hours and watched the first episodes of season two.  YAY  It was a relaxing evening all by myself.  The best way to watch the few shows I love.


Today is the first day of the Sane Challenge. We have a lot of new members and I'm excited because I see potential for all of them to be successful.  And I'm excited because helping others be healthy and learn about their own bodies and how food affects them is a passion for me.  I can't wait to see everyone results.  My own included.

I was suppose to spend the day Paddle Boarding with friends, but mother nature had other plans for me.  So I spent the day cleaning.  Believe me, it was a much needed day.

I also was able to do some cooking and food prep to get ready for the next couple days of eating.  Yesterday I bought 2 lbs of Boars Head Lunch meats, sliced about 1 1/2" thick so I could cube them.  I measured 4 oz for a serving and packaged them up for easy meals.  I figured a bag of lunch meat, along with some almonds and a baggy of grapes, or a pouch of applesauce will serve as a perfect balanced meal.




I also cooked up some of my favorite bacon.  It's hard to find good bacon in the grocery stores because of the added sugars and nitrates.  Applegate Naturals have a very good bacon and I found Vermilion Farm Market carries it in the freezer section.

I cooked some up and planned to have it for a couple breakfasts.

 Ha, I ended up eating it all today. Oh well.

Spicy Baked Cauliflower and Sweet Potatoes

Easiest thing to make, one of the most delicious 

ways to have Cauliflower

I am not a big fan of cauliflower but it's a veggie and sometimes you've had enough broccoli to last a year and different is good. AND I am a big fan of sweet potatoes.  NOT YAMS.  Sweet Potato.  Know the difference.

They are both acceptable in the Sane Challenge but they will cook and taste differently.  So use Sweet Potatoes for this recipe. 

For Blind Dog Sane Challenge information click here

http://blinddoggym.weebly.com/food-list.html

Ingredients

• 1 head of cauliflower, stem and leaves removed, roughly chopped,
• 1 sweet potato, diced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 tablespoons fat of choice, melted (i used bacon fat) 
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Add all ingredients to a 9×13 glass baking dish. Mix well.
3. Place in oven to cook for 30-35 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender.

Spicy Drumsticks w/ Baked Broccoli

I've committed myself to blog as much as possible during the next few months.  For a couple reasons.  One, I think it will help me stay on track and focus. Two, it will help others who visit my blog get ideas for ways they can practice a better eating lifestyle and try recipes I've already made so I know they are yummy. With the Sane Challenge starting next week and lots of newer people joining the gym and joining the challenge, I'm sure it will be helpful to someone.

Today was Deadlift Day!

Everyone loves ME deadlift day.  For me they have not been so exciting since I have not PR'd since last year.  I've been stuck at 275lb. 

Today I hit 285lb like a boss.  It's all mental.  I was working with another member. I kept going back to where a few others were lifting heavy.  I would ask them if I could cut in .  No problems.  They kept adding weight but I was so focused on helping who I was working with.  And she killed it like a boss and got a huge PR today also.  YAY

So the bar was pretty loaded, but I just walked over, asked how much? and if I could lift.  They both said sure!  So I walked up and lifted it.  Like it was nothing.  That my friend was how I got 185lb.  Tried 300lb but by then the mind took over.
Lifting is a huge mind game. 

Breakfast today was a green smoothie made with my Majic Nutribullet. It had Spinach, melon, cucumbers, almonds, flax seeds, egg white protein, orange and orange juice.  Big power booster for the morning.

Lunch was a chopped salad from subway, double sweet teriyaki  chicken meat so I skipped any dressing.  Spinach with all the fresh veggies. 

Snack was a bag of sweet potato chips, I found some at the farm market with just sweet potato's, sunflower oil and sea salt.  Pretty tasty. not sure how they get them so crispy.

Right before the gym around 4pm I ate one of my Kratos high protein beef bars and bunch of purple grapes and about 8 almonds.  Probably why I got a deadlift PR.  LOL  Kratos Web Site

Lots of water all day.....

Dinner was started by the time I got home from coaching.  We had Spicy Drumsticks!  And they Were good.  Along with some simple baked broccoli.  The husband left the skins on...but I would recommend removing them.  He used coconut oil and followed the recipe exactly as written.

Baked broccoli was easy, toss with salt/pepper and a infused olive oil.  Bake on cookie sheet in 400 degree oven for a good 20 minutes.  Let them get really brown on the edges.  Splash and mix a little flavors balsamic right before serving.  Good stuff.

I used oil and vinegar from the Olive Scene in Vermilion.  If you've never been, I'd recommend going.  The flavors were Persian Lime infused oil with a splash of blackberry ginger aged balsamic vinegar. The Olive Scene web site

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp coconut oil, clarified butter or another paleo fat, melted;
• 3 cloves garlic, minced;
• 2 tsp chili powder;
• 1 tsp garlic powder;
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;
• 10 chicken drumsticks;

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 375 F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the garlic, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper as well as the cooking fat. Dump in the chicken and mix well to ensure all the meat is evenly coated with the seasonings.
3. Place the chicken drumsticks on a large baking sheet with space in between each to prevent overlap. Cook for about 1 hour, until the chicken is well cooked, turning the pieces once during the cooking process.

Almond Butter with Dark Chocolate and Raspberries

Sometimes you just have to have Chocolate right?

When is eating clean the hardest? I find the 7-8 o'clock hour.  I developed the habit early on of eating in the evening after a full dinner.  I use to have junk food, cookies, cupcakes, CEREAL....anything sweet.

Naturally I still have this bad habit and fight it daily.  But on this day I was staring into the open fridge (as I often do) and saw the raspberries.  And next to it was almond butter.  I thought what could I do with these two items to make a sweet treat?  Then I remembered I had Ghirardelli Intense Dark 86% Cocao in the drawer. SCORE

I took about 2 TBls of almond butter and a small chunk of the chocolate and stuck it in the micro wave.  Then I dunk the raspberries in and savored the flavors.

Be careful, almond butter is high in natural fats so only a TBLs or two MAX.