Paleo Mushroom, Onion & Spinach Frittata (with optional sweet potatoes)

I'm a big fan of breakfast foods. Yesterday afternoon, my husband and I stopped by Whole Foods to buy a few things for dinner. While shopping browsing, he suggested we get some fancy sausage for Sunday breakfast. That prompted us to buy bacon. Then my brain thought frittata, so I grabbed some veggies for that. One thing led to another and we walked out of there with quite the haul.

As soon as I awoke, I got started on breakfast. It was a pretty easy dish to put together though.

Paleo Spinach, Onion and Mushroom Frittata

Serves: 4

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2-3 T. fat of choice
• ½ onion, diced (I used yellow)
• 8 oz. sliced baby bella mushrooms (could use button/white mushrooms)
• 3 large handfuls of baby spinach
• 1 cup of roasted sweet potatoes, diced (optional)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 8 eggs, whisked
• Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. Heat fat in a cast iron skillet (or other oven-safe pan) over medium to medium-high heat.
3. Add onions and sauté for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in mushrooms and allow to cook down for 5-7 minutes, stirring every minute or so.
5. Season with sea salt and pepper, to taste.
6. Toss in the spinach until it is wilted.
7. Add sweet potatoes, if using. I happened to have some leftover from a previous meal.  
8. Add garlic and stir to distribute. Spread the veggies out evenly in the skillet.
9. Pour the whisked eggs evenly over the veggies and let the frittata cook for about 7 minutes, or until bottom is set. Push away the edges a couple times and tilt the pan so the uncooked egg will cook properly.
10. Put frittata (in pan) on the middle rack of the oven. The broiler will cook the top of the egg. Broil for approximately 5-7 minutes or until the top is slightly browned.
11. Remove from oven and cut into 4 pieces. Remember, the pan is extremely hot, so use your oven mitts!  
12. Serve with sausage, bacon and fruit. 

Blueberry-maple sausage and applewood-smoked bacon from Whole Foods

This is a great basic recipe for a frittata. You could easily swap out some of the veggies for other veggies. I considered buying asparagus instead of the spinach. You could also add a little meat directly to the frittata.

Hope you enjoy this dish as much as we did! I will definitely be making more frittatas in the future. It was so easy to make and different from the usual omelette or fried eggs. 

Question of the day: What meats and/or veggies would you put into your ideal frittata? I would love a sausage, mushroom and onion frittata drizzled with pizza sauce. Pizza frittata! That may be next on the docket.

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Paleo Naked Chicken Fajitas + guacamole

I love chicken fajitas. My mom started making fajitas for our family when I was an early teen. She served them in flour tortillas with sharp cheddar cheese. Definitely not Paleo. The fajita filling itself is Paleo. You really can't get much more Paleo than meat, veggies and spices. Add in some healthy fats in the form of guacamole and you're set. My mom shared the recipe she used, which she actually found in a magazine at a doctor's office nearly two decades ago. I've changed the recipe a bit, so I consider this more of my own at this point. I also put together my own guacamole to top the fajitas. It's super simple and only takes three ingredients (plus sea salt and pepper).

Paleo Naked Chicken Fajitas

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 ½ t. Sea Kelp Delight Seasoning
• 1 ½ t. dried oregano
• 1 ½ t. cumin
• 1 t. garlic powder
• ½ t. chili powder
• ½ t. paprika
• 2 jalapeños, minced and divided
• 1 ¼ to 1 ½ pounds chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 T. coconut oil
• 3 bell peppers (I used green, yellow and orange), sliced
• 2 onions, sliced

Guacamole:

• 3 avocados
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• Juice of 1 lime
• Sea salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste

Garnish:

• Crushed plantain chips (I buy them from the bulk bin at Sprouts, but you could also purchase Inka Chips)

Directions:

1. Make your marinade first, so the chicken can soak up all the delicious flavors while preparing the rest of the dish. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, spices and 2/3 of the jalapeños.
2. Add the chicken to the marinade and stir with a spatula to coat every piece evenly. Set aside.
3. Melt the coconut oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Once the pan is hot, add the sliced onions, bell peppers and remaining jalapeños. Toss to coat with the coconut oil. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes. You still want the veggies to be slightly crisp.
5. While your veggies are cooking, prepare the guacamole in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
6. Mash the avocado with a fork or masher. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.
7. When the veggies are done, pour them out into a bowl and tent with foil to keep warm.
8. Add the chicken and the marinade to the skillet. Allow chicken to cook on the first side before stirring/flipping. Continue cooking the chicken until no longer pink, around 4-5 minutes per side.
9. Add the veggies back to the pan, tossing everything together so the veggies get coated in the spices from the marinade.
10. Serve with a large spoonful of guacamole and top with a handful of crushed plantain chips. 

I will be adding this dish into our regular rotation of meals. It's such a simple, but flavorful dish. It's definitely not very photogenic, but tastes amazing.

Question: Do you have any recipes that were passed down to you from your parents that you've made your own? 

Paleo Hamburger Deluxe Meatza

Hamburgers. Pizza. Bacon. Combine it all together and you get a Hamburger Deluxe Meatza. I was inspired last week when I made PaleOMG's Meat Quiche Crust. I was so excited as I lied down for bed that night that I could hardly sleep. My mind started thinking of all the different creations for meatzas. I came up with this idea for a hamburger deluxe meatza. What does deluxe mean? I consider deluxe a hamburger with mushrooms, onions and bacon. I also knew I couldn't make a meatza without some sort of "cheese." I came up with a "cheddar cheese" sauce with raw cashews, nutritional yeast, basil, red bell pepper and garlic. Such a fantastic meatza. I can't wait to create my next one!

This recipe seems like it's labor-intensive. There are a few parts to making it. Some can be done in advance, such as: cooking the bacon and slicing the mushrooms and onions. Be sure to soak the raw cashews in a bowl of water. I typically do that part in the morning before going to work. If you plan a little bit, the cooking and assembly will be a breeze.

Hamburger Deluxe Meatza

 

Serves: 5-6

Ingredients:

Meatza Crust:

2 pounds grass-fed ground beef

1 egg

1 t. onion powder

1 ½ t. garlic powder

Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Toppings:

2 T. fat of choice (I used coconut oil, though you could use bacon grease since you are cooking bacon)

2 onions, thinly sliced

3 Portobello mushroom caps, sliced

8 slices bacon, crumbled

1 15 oz. can sugar-free pizza sauce (I used Muir Glen Organic)

“Cheddar Cheese” Sauce:

1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 6 hours

1 small to medium red bell pepper, cut into a few large pieces

3 garlic cloves

2-3 T. fresh basil leaves

2/3 cup nutritional yeast

Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

To make the crust:

1. Mix all crust ingredients in a large mixing bowl. You may have to get your hands meaty in order to combine everything.
2. Pour onto a rimmed metal baking sheet and spread into a thin, consistent layer. I used a 15.25” x 10.25” pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
4. Drain off excess grease (there will be quite a bit).

To make your toppings:

1. Cook your bacon. I prefer to bake it in the oven (this can be done in advance). If you cook it in the frying pan, you can use the leftover bacon grease to cook your onions and mushrooms. Once cooked, crumble and set aside.
2. Melt fat of choice in a large pan over medium heat.
3. Add your onions and toss in the fat so they’re all coated. Season with a dash of sea salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes.
4. Add sliced mushrooms and toss. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for an additional 6-8 minutes, or until the mushrooms are cooked.
5. Set aside.

To make your “cheddar cheese” sauce:

1. Drain and rinse the raw cashews. Add to a high-speed blender (I use my Vitamix). Add enough fresh water just to cover the top of the cashews. Blend until smooth.
2. Add bell pepper, garlic, basil, nutritional yeast, sea salt and pepper. Blend until everything is incorporated. Taste and adjust seasonings, as needed.

To assemble your meatza:

1. Spread pizza sauce on top of your meat crust. You may not use all of the sauce, so save leftovers for another use.
2. Add your mushrooms and onions atop the pizza sauce. Spread them evenly across the entire meatza.
3. Ladle the “cheddar cheese” sauce over the top and cover the entire meatza. You'll have extra sauce. It can be used in/on omelettes in the morning. 
4. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon on top.
5. Put back into the oven for 6 minutes. Turn your broiler on high and cook for 4 more minutes.
6. Cut into 5 or 6 pieces and enjoy! Serve with a simple side salad to round out the meal.

This meal was love at first bite. The meat crust was so incredibly moist (I was worried it would turn out dry). The pizza sauce blended perfectly with the “cheddar cheese” sauce. The bacon added a beautiful crunch. After making and devouring this meatza, I am even more excited to get to work on my next one. I have a really phenomenal idea in mind and hope it turns out as amazing as this one. 

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