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roasted beet & brussel sprout salad

October 17, 2011 By Cindy 12 Comments
I need to preface by saying this is one yummy little number.  I decided to combine one of my all-time favs (beets), with something I have never EVER tried before (brussel sprouts).  This Saturday morn, we took another visit to the Evergreen Brickworks Farmer’s Market.  Something that has become an awaited weekend adventure.  I love the atmosphere.  I love the people.  I love chattin’.  Week after week, the icing on the gluten-free cake is when the vendors and farmers start to recognize your face and call you by name.  Really cool!

Amongst our market haul, were amazing organic heirloom beets, brussel sprouts and fresh perch.  To put this dish over the edge, I thought it would be ideal to cook up some bacon in the oven first and then roast the beets, onions, garlic and brussel sprouts in the fat afterwards.  Two words.  Fantastic decision.  It was so flavourful and delicious.  After slowly roasted in a big pan in the oven, everything caramelized together, to make one huge mound of goodness.  While still warm, we platted this on same mixed greens and drizzled with some really good quality olive oil.  Trust me…once you actually have a taste of what olive oil should really taste like, you will never want to go back to your other ‘cheapy’ brand.  I highly recommend paying the few extra bucks and getting something worthwhile if you are able.

roasted beet & brussel sprout salad
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Recipe type: side, appetizer
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Total time: 35 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 6-8 beets – I used heirloom beets (different varieties) – cubed
  • 1 small basket of brussel sprouts – cleaned thoroughly
  • 1 medium white onion – thinly sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic – chopped
  • .5 – 1 lb bacon
  • 3 tsp dried thyme
  • ground pepper
  • sea salt – I used coarse rosemary & lemon
  • chopped nuts – I used a mix of pecans, walnuts, almonds and cashews (optional)
  • handful or two of mixed greens
  • a splash of olive oil
Instructions
  1. on a tin foil-lined baking sheet, lay and cook bacon in oven until desired crispiness
  2. remove and set aside, keeping the bacon fat for cooking the vegetables
  3. in a large roasting pan, add beets, brussel sprouts, onion and garlic
  4. drizzle with leftover bacon fat
  5. add in a few dashes of ground dried thyme, ground pepper and sea salt
  6. roast in the oven at 350(ish), until softened and browned
  7. in last 5-7 minutes of roasting time, crumble in the bacon and set to broil (watch carefully)
  8. on a dish, plate a couple handfuls of mixed greens
  9. while warm, scoop out several spoonfuls of the roasted mixture
  10. top with a sprinkle of chopped nuts (optional, but they were a yummy touch!)
  11. finish by adding a drizzle of good quality olive oil (optional as well, but recommended)
  12. enjoy!
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Filed Under: Appetizers, Mains, Salads, Sides, Snacks Tagged With: bacon, beets, brussel sprouts, fish, garlic, Nuts, one-pot wonders, onion, perch

bacon-wrapped cajun sweet potato wedges

July 12, 2011 By Cindy 11 Comments
Rewind to a few days ago…my husband and I were walking along the beach discussing what was on the menu for dins.  I was saying that I was totally in the mood for chicken wings.  Feeling adventurous, we decided to make our own.  They turned out fab (we made 2 different types), but that recipe will be featured in another blog post later this week.

Anyhoo…we also knew we wanted something ‘bacon-wrapped’ to be partnered along side it.  My initial thinking was to do some bacon wrapped asparagus in the oven.  Then we conquered…meh…a solid choice, but we really wanted to kick it up a notch.  I wanted to try making something new.  Creating a dish which was a better pairing for the wings was definitely in order.  And besides, who doesn’t love the classic good ‘ol bacon n’ sweet potato combo?!? I DO…I DO!!!

Disclaimer:  Not gonna lie…as we continued strolling on our merry walk…there was perhaps a mini-domestic, ummm, I mean a friendly discussion on how to tackle these babies!?  LOL!  The Duster was somewhat skeptical to say the least!  Should we pre-cook the bacon a little bit first?  Hmmm…or should we wrap ‘em up and cook  it all at once?  Will the bacon make them super soggy?  Geezzzzz, or do you think that they turn out crispy-ish?  In the end, we just decided to go the most simple route and chop up the sweet potato into chunky-sized wedges, wrap them with wild boar bacon, sprinkle with some Cajun spice…and basically hope for the best!  To our surprise and content (bellies were growling at this point)…our fingers crossed method totally worked!  They actually turned out INCREDIBLE!!!

Since I posted a photo on Facebook…3 friends have made them, and have been more than happy with the way that they have turned out!  Oh ya…BTW –  you don’t need to use wild boar bacon (that’s just what we had on hand).  Go with your favourite variety.  However, I would stress good quality bacon is a better choice!  This lil’ number is fully excellent right out of the oven, but equally as wonderful at room temperature to serve as a fantastic appetizer at a party or wee shindig!

P.S – Later that Saturday evening we met up with a good friend of ours, and brought him all the leftovers.  Let’s just say…he gobbled them up like nobody’s business.  No talking  at all, and perhaps not even coming up for air, as they were demolished!  In the end…super easy and one of my fav’s to date!!!  Try ‘em…(but beware…highly addictive!)  ;)

* quantity of ingredients depends of size of desired batch

bacon-wrapped cajun sweet potato wedges
5.0 from 1 reviews
Print
Recipe type: appetizer, side
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 40 mins
Total time: 50 mins
Serves: 4 +
Ingredients
  • good quality bacon – we used wild boar (pretty thick)
  • sweet potatoes – peeled and chopped (fairly chunky – into wedges)
  • a dash or two of Cajun spice
  • some sea salt
Instructions
  1. start by peeling and chopping the sweet potatoes into wedges (chunky style) and place in a bowl
  2. sprinkle with Cajun spice and mix thoroughly
  3. then take the sweet potato wedges and wrap them with slices of bacon (if bacon is too wide, you can slice length-wise…it really depends on the cut!)
  4. line a baking sheet with some tin foil and then arrange bacon-wrapped wedges evenly on the pan
  5. preheat oven to approx. 325-350 degrees and cook until bacon becomes crispy (40-ish minutes depending on oven)
  6. if you wish to make them ‘extra-crispy’…turn the oven to broil for the remaining 5-10 minutes
  7. plate and sprinkle with coarse sea salt (we used lemon & thyme – yummy!)
  8. for extra enjoyment…we dipped them in some delicious spicy guacamole
  9. enjoy!
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Filed Under: Appetizers, Mains, Sides, Snacks Tagged With: bacon, baked, cajun, grub, sweet potatoes, yams

triple love salad

May 29, 2011 By Cindy 5 Comments

I was at work, on my break, when I received a text from our friend Stew.  No words…just a pic of his lunch.  I responded with “mmmmm…looks yummy, what is in the salad?”  He replied…”bacon, garlic, tomato, red onion, olive oil, balsamic and salt/pepper.  So good!”  I continued on the conversation, by declaring, “oh my!  you are making me hungry!”  Then the bell rang.  Break time was over.  The afternoon continued on…In the meantime, I honestly couldn’t get the image of this dish out of my head.  What a fab combo of ingredients, I thought.  In there, were 3 of my top 10, all-time fav foods…bacon, avocado and roasted garlic.  Triple love…hence the name.  End of the day came, and I text-ed back once again…”I am fully making a version of your salad tonight!” 

Btw…I love it when my friends send me pics of their paleo(ish) meals.  Kinda nerdy you might say…I say nothing short of wicked!  I get so happy when I see people enjoyin’ and lovin’ amazing food!!!  Sooooo…on my way home from work, I decided to make a pit stop at the market near our house to pick up a few of the ingredients I didn’t already have in the kitchen.  I was good to go with most of it…which was a bonus!  I stuck to to most of his recipe, but decided to switch it up a tiny bit, based on things that I needed to use up…plus some leftovers aka…shredded chicken from the night before.  Fully inspired by Stew’s salad, while adding a few things and subtracting a couple…this is the concoction that I came up with.

Ingredients:

  • shredded chicken (leftover from whole cajun chicken  the night before.  Also see, dutch oven chicken)
  • bacon - cooked and torn into bits (use as much as you desire here)
  • 2 avocado – diced (chunky)
  • 1/2 red onion – thinly chopped
  • tomato medley – quartered (one container contains various types)
  • roasted garlic cloves – I did these on the same pan as the bacon!
  •  olive oil
  • 1 lemon and 1 lime – freshly squeezed juice
  • sea salt and ground pepper
  • fresh cilantro – chopped

Prep:

  • arrange slices of bacon on a tin foil-covered baking sheet and cook for 25-30 mins at 375 heat – keep an eye on it, as thickness of the bacon can vary cooking time
  • when cooked, set aside to cool
  • in the meantime, quarter the tomatoes, thinly chop the red onion, and peel and dice the avocado
  • put all of these ingredients into a large salad bowl
  • next, tear up the bacon slices into and shred the chicken into pieces
  • then, add the protein into the mix
  • drizzle with lots of olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice
  • sprinkle with sea salt and group pepper
  • garnish with freshly chopped cilantro
  • use tongs to mix thoroughly
  • plate and enjoy!

Modifications:

  • I omitted using balsamic vinegar, because I left it at work! Lol!!!
  • Instead, I added in freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice (wanted to use them up!)
  • Also, added in some chicken, because I had made a whole chicken the night before.
  • Finally, I added in some fresh cilantro, just because I LOVE it so much!  (I know Stew definitely
  • wouldn’t as he is NOT a cilantro fan!!!)

I totally encourage you to try this one!  It is so fresh, easy and a solid addition to our weekly repetoire… that is forsure!!!  Devour with love…

Filed Under: Appetizers, Mains, Salads, Sides, Snacks Tagged With: avocado, bacon, chicken, citrus, fresh

bacon n’ dill sweet potato salad

April 26, 2011 By Cindy 14 Comments

Make it your own.  Cooking paleo-styles doesn’t have to be all that difficult.  It is quite simple actually.  Read on to see how easy it can be.  This may be especially helpful to you if you are new to paleo.  Substituting for paleo ingredients is highly doable in most cases.  Take an old family recipe and make it your own.  Grab a friend’s go-to dish and make it your own.  Spruce up a meal idea from your past, by adding a new somethin’-somethin’ and make it your own.   Shake up meals that you see being prepared on T.V, by mixin’ and matchin’ and make it your own.  Or…….even try, transforming an entree from your favourite restaurant and make it your own.  Have a looksy at a recipe from a cookbook and make it your own.  Add in your own twist or flair, to make it unique. ’Own it’, by adding in ingredients that suit your tastes and desires.   ‘Own it’ by being upfront and giving credit, when and where credit is due.  When inspired by someone or something, be sure to make note.  Although most of the dishes I make, I think up on my own or create by throwing random ingredients together…this one was not a PALEOdISH  ’original’ to speak . 

I purposely choose to post this one because – a) I love it so much and b) – knew the initial ‘store-bought version’ (source of my inspiration) wasn’t fully paleo.  It was my mission then, to make a more paleo-ish recipe.  You can do this too!  Why re-invent the wheel!?!  Let’s face it, we have all done this before.  Is it copying?  Naww…not in my books.  Again, just be sure to show appreciation and acknowledgment towards the ‘thing’ or the ‘being’ that gave you the idea in the first place. 

I first tried this salad quite some time ago (last year), when I was competing in the Element CrossFit Challenge.  We were running behind and crunched for time…(as per usual), so I decided to pick up a few things to bring with me from the grocery store down the street.  I walked in…did my littl’ stroll about and grabbed some ‘sweet potato salad’ from the “meal-to-go counter” (some of you from Toronto, may know the salad I am talking about – think Loblaw’s or ValuMart).  In my mind, I thought this would be a quick, easy and yummy ‘post-wod’ meal.  So off I went…and was good to go. 

Since then, I have been meaning to ask them what the exact ingredients were…and from there, substitute ‘this and that’ in order to make my own.  So, this is exactly what I did.  Many people are hestitant or afraid to ask store owners, farmers, restaurant managers etc…what is in their food!  Don’t be!  Most places have the information readily available and are happy to provide it to you.  Alright, on with the story…I proceeded to ask the young lady behind the counter and she responded by pulling out a big binder from beside the meat slicer.  She flipped to the appropriate page and rhymed off the goods…the salad included: sweet potatoes, green onions, cranberries, raisins, sunflower seeds, minced garlic, cilantro, canola oil, balsamic vinegar, mixed herbs, salt and pepper….and SUGAR.

After reading/hearing the list of ingredients, I thought to myself…meh…not too…TOO bad, but I can def make it more paleo and geared towards my taste buds.  So this is what I did.  I was influenced by the basic foundation for the recipe, so I obviously stuck with the roasted sweet potatoes and green onions, but made the following modifications.  I took out the dried fruit…and added bacon.  Why bacon?  Well because it is wicked in damn near everything.  Then I threw in pumpkin seeds, rather than sunflower.  I wanted to try pine nuts, but they were nowhere to be found!  Kept the garlic, but roasted the cloves instead.  Yum!  Switched the cilantro for fresh dill, because it is my fav!  Ixnayed the canola and opted for olive oil instead.  Stayed on par with a splash of balsamic and a sprinkle or two of sea salt and fresh ground pep.  However, gave the mixed dried herbs the boot and added in some chili flakes instead, to kick it up a notch.  I totally garbaged the sugar, while wondering why it was really even in there in the first place!?!  Oh ya…I also squeezed in some fresh lime juice, because lately it goes in just about everything!!! 

As you can see, a few  minor changes here and there, but they def made a noticeable and fairly drastic change in the end product’s taste.  I would have to say that the 3 ingredients that altered it the most were – the bacon, the fresh dill and pepper flakes.  The roasted garlic was a close 4th, as that flavour was more prominent in my concoction.  Again, back to the real purpose of my post.  I wanted to show you that recipes are ever-changing.  One individual person does not ‘own’ the only ’egg frittata’, ‘beef stew’ or sole ‘roasted chicken’ recipe.   Be creative, don’t over-think it and experiment with an array of amazing substitutes.  Cooking can be an old pastime, a new venture or something to be shared among family and friends.  Find a way to make it your own.  Make it fit your lifestyle.  More importantly, find a way to make it enjoyable.  It is possible…explore a little. 

Signed,

the gal who never used to like to cook

Bacon n’ dill sweet potato salad

Ingredients:

  • 3 medium sweet potatoes – chopped and roasted
  • 4 cloves of garlic – chopped and roasted
  • olive oil for roasting and dressing
  • 8 slices of thick bacon – cooked and ripped into pieces

Dressing:

  • 2 limes – freshly squeezed juice
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 2 green onions – thinly chopped
  • a handful of fresh dill – chopped
  • a dash or two of pepper flakes (optional)
  • a few sprinkles of sea salt and fresh ground pepper
  • garnish with a handful of raw pumpkin seeds

Note: as with any dressing, feel free to taste and tweak it as you go!

Prep:

  • arrange slices of bacon on a tin foil-covered baking sheet and cook for 25-30 mins at 375 heat – keep an eye on it, as thickness of the bacon can vary cooking time
  • when cooked, set aside to cool
  • next, peel and chop sweet potatoes and garlic into cubed-like chunks
  • toss in some olive/coconut oil and arrange on another baking sheet and roast for 30 mins or so at the same heat, until slightly browned
  • remove and set aside to cool
  • in the meantime, chop up green onion, fresh dill and prepare the other ingredients to form the dressing mixture in a bowl.  Stir all dressing ingredients together.
  • once the roasted sweet potatoes and garlic are cooled, proceed by adding in bacon pieces.
  • finally, pour in dressing and mix everything together thoroughly – I like to use my hands here to make sure all is coated well!
  • garnish with raw pumpkin seeds or other nut/seed of choice
  • can be stored in refrigerator and is even more delicious and flavourful if served cold the next day!

Lastly, I want to leave you with a fabulous post by Mark Sisson, who outlines and discusses various Primal Substitues for Non-Primal Foods.  Enjoy!

Filed Under: Appetizers, Mains, Salads, Sides, Snacks Tagged With: bacon, dill, sweet potatoes, yams

chocolate and coconut covered bacon

December 19, 2010 By Cindy 12 Comments

Oh soooo good!   ”Chocolate and coconut covered bacon?”, you may ask. Yep you got it!  It may seem bizarre at first, but it is actually a really amazing combo!  If you are a fan of  ‘sweet and salty’, then this dessert is a must try for you.  In the past couple weeks I have tried two different versions of this recipe, one topped with shredded coconut and the other with crushed macadamia nuts, while both drizzled with coconut butter.  Super easy peasy to make and will be a guaranteed hit at your upcoming holiday parties.  A rich treat that is immensely satisfying.  Go ahead…choc it up!

Ingredients:

Prep:

  • cook bacon in frying pan on medium to high heat, until crispy (I had to do this in a couple batches)
  • remove from heat and plate to cool for a few minutes
  • in the meantime, melt dark chocolate in a double boiler (avoid burning the chocolate) – stirring frequently
  • when completely melted, take a pair of thongs and fully immerse the slice of bacon in the chocolate sauce
  • when coated, place on a baking pan lined with parchment paper
  • sprinkle with shredded coconut and place in the fridge to cool for 10-15 minutes
  • while it is solidifying in the fridge, melt some coconut butter (manna), by placing the jar in boiling water
  • once melted, take a few tbsp and spoon it into a Ziploc bag
  • take the chocolate covered bacon out of the fridge, snip a tiny hole in the corner of the Ziploc bag and drizzle lightly with coconut butter
  • place back into the fridge and let cool once again (doesn’t take long to solidify)
  • when ready remove bacon strips from parchment paper and plate
  • enjoy!

There was a little bit of dark chocolate left over, so I decided to take a pint of fresh blueberries and toss them in the pot.  From there, I stirred them around, making sure they were all covered with the sauce and then placed them on some parchment paper.  I followed the same process by sprinkling and drizzling them with the shredded coconut and the butter.  Threw them in the freezer to harden…and voila…another simple, yet fabulous dessert!

* see paleo in a nutshell section

Filed Under: Desserts, Snacks Tagged With: bacon, chocolate, coconut

collard greens with bacon

July 21, 2010 By Cindy Leave a Comment

You may have read in my last post that we were away for a few days in Cambridge/Boston, MA, a couple weeks ago. While we were there, we went to this AMAZING restaurant in a neighboring area called Redbones BBQ.  We arrived fairly late in the evening and the place was still packed, line up out the door, which was and still is totally typical of this hopping joint!

I wanted to have a little (well actually a large) taste of a variety of different kinds of ribs, so I ordered the “Barbecue Belt”, which was a combo that included Memphis, Texas and Arkansas ribs along with the Beef Brisket.  The beef brisket was by far my fav, as the meat totally melted in your mouth.  So scrumptious!!!  We passed on the usual side, which was baked beans and cornbread and opted for the collard greens (as recommended by Mat).  Prior to this, I had never really heard of, let alone even tried collard greens.  As I slowly worked my way through the savoury mound of ribs, I finally got to taste them.  They were hidden underneath all the meat, but definitely had rights to stand on their own ~ they were to die for!

After having our dins, I was inspired to come up with a similar, yet recipe of my own for how to prepare collard greens.  So yesterday, I set off and headed to the grocery store to pick up the necessary ingredients.  To be honest, I wasn’t totally certain what I was looking for, but improvised in my head and imagined what would make them taste yummy.  I browsed around a couple local stores and was unable to find collard greens, until I went to The Wholesome Food Market in the Beaches.  I was in luck!  There were 2 bunches left and I was happy to see that they were organic and Ontario grown…BONUS!!! =)  Excited to get started in the kitchen, I headed back home with my bags full of goodies and got cookin’…

"A Taste of the South - Memphis, Texas & Arkansas Ribs & Beef Brisket"

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch collard greens- washed and chopped
  • 6-8 slices bacon (optional, but highly recommended!)  – could also sub in turkey or ham here
  • 1-2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 3 cups or chicken stock or water- I used Ontario’s Own- Pure & Simple Chicken Stock
  • 1 medium yellow onion- diced
  • 3 cloves garlic- crushed
  • fresh ground pepper and sea salt (to taste)
  • a few shakes of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Prep

  • begin by cooking the bacon in a frying pan over low to medium heat (cook to desired crispiness)
  • when finished cooking, pour bacon grease into a container, keeping approximately 2 tbsp of it in the pan
  • in addition to this, you can also add in 1-2 tbsp of coconut oil if you wish
  • chop up the onion and crush the garlic cloves
  • cook until golden brown in the rendered lard/coconut oil
  • next pour in the chicken broth or water, which ever you choose and bring to a boil
  • reduce heat to medium and add in chopped collard greens, and cover (tip- the leaves are quite large, so I washed, then rolled a few together to chop them = “Chiffonade” cutting technique)
  • cook on this heat, stirring occasionally for approximately 40 minutes, or until completely softened.
  • add in crushed red pepper flakes, reduce heat to low and cook for another 5-10 minutes
  • finally, drain out access liquid and add in crumbled slices of bacon
  • mix together and plate
  • top with fresh ground pepper and sea salt and garnish with several slices of lemon
  • enjoy!

“Long a staple of the Southern United States, collard greens, unlike their cousins kale and mustard greens, have a very mild, almost smoky flavor. Although they are available year-round they are at their best from January through April.

While collard greens share the same botanical name as kale they have their own distinctive qualities. Like kale, collards are one of the non-head forming members of the Brassica family along with broccoli and cauliflower. The dark blue-green leaves that are smooth in texture and relatively broad distinguish them from the frilly edged leaves of kale.” To read on, click here. (Taken from WHF website)

 

chillin' beside their delivery van...waiting in line to get in!

Filed Under: Mains, Salads Tagged With: bacon, citrus, collard greens
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