My Favorite Paleo Recipes: Bacon Crock Pot Roast

Lots of women impulse buy things like shoes or purses.  I tend to linger at the butcher counter, which inevitabley means I buy meat that I have no plans for.  Which means I then have to scour the internet looking for the perfect recipe.  Luckily one of my first "go-to" websites is Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations.  Not only does he create amazing recipes, he's funny as well.
From Twitter:

21hCivilized Caveman ‏@CookingCaveman

I just changed my own life. I fried avocado in bacon fat and then ate it with hot sauce. OMFG

My most recent impulse buy was a Beef Chuck Roast that was 50% off and just looked so pretty I had to have it.  I decided to use it in CCCC's Bacon Crockpot Roast recipe, which was a GREAT idea.  I'd never stuffed garlic and bacon into a large slab of meat before, and it turned out to be surprisingly entertaining.  And nothing beats putting in a large slab of meat into the crockpot, knowing that by 5p you're going to be digging into it.  This is a perfect Football Sunday recipe, in my opinion.

BACON CROCK POT ROAST

Servings: 5
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 7-10 Hours

Ingredients:

Pot Roast served with
Sliced tomatoes and steamed broccoli

• 3lb Chuck Roast
• 1 White Onion, sliced
• 3-4 Slices of bacon cut into 1 inch pieces
• 6 Garlic cloves halved
• 2 Tsp Sea Salt
• 1/4 olive oil
• 1 Tbsp Smoky Paprika
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Parsley
• 1 Tsp Oregano
• 1 Tsp Thyme
• 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar 

Process:

1. Using a thin knife create about 12 holes deep into the meet about 1/2 inch wide, you need to be able to fit some garlic and bacon in the hole
2. Now place bacon and garlic in each hole
3. In a small mixing bowl, mix your Sea salt, paprika, parsley, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, EVOO, and red wine vinegar and mix well
4. Rub your spice mixture all over both sides of your roast
5. Line the bottom of your crock pot with your sliced onions and whatever left over pieces of bacon you have
6. Place your roast on top and cook on Low for 7-10 hours.  Remember chuck roasts are tougher cuts of meat so the longer it cooks the better

My Favorite Paleo recipes: Apple - Dijon Burgers

Two events collided this weekend to point me in the direction of the BEST BURGER RECIPE EVER.  Yes, I realize I shouted that.  If you were here in person you would have actually heard my enthusiasm for this burger recipe.  Event #1: On saturday I picked up my order from Golden Share Foods.  It's "Southern California's largest LOCAL food cooperative".  While the meats are not technically paleo since they aren't grass fed beef and free range chicken, it is REALLY REALLY cost effective and it alleviates me from having to search the ads for meat sales for about 2 weeks out of every month.  I totally recommend using this program.  Event #2: I took the kids Apple Picking while Hubby was trying to survive the Run For Your Lives, a zombie infested 5k obstacle course.  So the kids and I picked probably 10 pounds of apples and you can only eat SO many before you're bribing the children to "eat just one more, for mommy?"  I needed to find recipes to cook them in.  And lo and behold there was the Apple Dijon Burger recipe from Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations.  These burger patties are a bit crumbly, best eaten with a fork rather than in an unstable lettuce "bun".  But they are SO good.  The apples, onion and dijon mustard give them almost an asian flavor which I just adore.  I made these on Saturday, and lucky for the hubby, I'm making them AGAIN tonight because I love them that much.  

My slave labor, I mean, the kids had fun picking apples!

APPLE - DIJON BURGERS
serves 4 cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 Lb Grass-Fed Beef
• 1/2 Cup Shredded Apple
• 1/3 Cup Minced Red Onion
• 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 Tsp Black Pepper
• 1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
• 1 Egg

Process:

   

1. Place all the above ingredients except the egg in a mixing bowl and mix well.
2. Use your hand to form 4 even size burgers.
3. Have your grill on medium heat (350-400 Degrees F) and grill for approximately 5-6 minutes per side or until done to your liking.
4. Once you place your burgers on the grill, fry your egg in bacon fat on the stove and set aside.
5. You can now plate your burgers how you see fit.  I used romaine lettuce as a base. The Civilized Caveman suggests serving the burger with grilled onions, and topped with the fried Egg. I ate mine topped with guacamole and tomatoes.  
6. Enjoy

Nutritional Info: 381calories, 30.1g fat, 12.2 g sat fat, 96.4mg cholesterol, 458.4 mg sodium, 6.9g carbs, 1.6g fiber, 19g protein

My Favorite Paleo Recipes: Smoky Beef-andMushroom Skewers with Roasted Sweet Potato Puree

There are loads of reasons to be Paleo.  Some people have medical conditions that are lessened by a diet without processed foods, others follow the diet on their path to greater physical fitness and others live a Paleo Lifestyle because it's better for the planet.  I'm paleo to lose weight.  It's low carb but high energy (thanks to being high fat) so I can still be an endurance runner and lose weight.  It's not often that I find a paleo-friendly recipe in a fitness magazine.  The industry of "fitness advice" still hasn't widely recognized the benefits of a Paleo Diet.  But the "whole foods" approach certainly has and so there are recipes out there to be found.

I found this recipe for Smoky Beef-and-Mushroom Skewers with Roasted Sweet Potato Puree in the September issue of Fitness Magazine.  This recipe is easy to make, quick to prep and can impress guests, especially those who think "this paleo thing" is weird.  Who says the Paleo Diet cant' be Haute Cuisine?  I like to serve this with a side of strawberry and arugala salad with a basalmic vinaigrette.

Smoky Beef-and-Mushroom Skewers 

with Roasted Sweet Potato Puree

Serves 4  Prep time: 10 minutes  Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 tbsp chipotle chile powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1.5 pounds trimmed top sirloin steak, about 1 inch thick, cubed
• 24 cremini or white button mushrooms
• 2 tsp basalmic vinegar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Slice the sweet potatoes in half length-wise and place cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Roast 20 minutes or until they are easily pierced with a fork
2. Meanwhile, heat a grill to medium-high heat.  Combine chipotle chile powder, cumin, and 1 tsp kosher salt; add steak and toss to coat.  Thread steak and mushrooms on 12 skewers and cook for about 8 minutes for medium rare, turning halfway through   
3. Remove sweet potatoes from oven, let cool 5 minutes and peel.  Place peeled sweet potatoes and vinegar in a medium mixing bowl and mash with a fork until smooth.  Season with kosher salt.  Divide mashed potatoes among four plates and top with 3 beek-and-mushroom skewers each.  

Nutrition from magazine: 304 cals, 34g protein, 25g carbs, 8g fat, 2.6g sat fat, 4g fiber, 751 mg sodium