Paleo Fish Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Sauce

Paleo Fish Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Sauce
Recipe adapted from Ancestral Chef and Food Network
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound tilapia, cut in half longways
3 tbsp coconut flour
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cumin
Dash of pepper
3 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp garlic

Mix flour, garlic powder, salt, cumin and pepper in a shallow bowl. Add tilapia and coat on each side, flipping 6 times and placing onto a clean plate or sheet of parchment paper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic to pan and stir for 10 seconds until fragrant. Place tilapia in skillet and cook for 3 minutes on each side. Serve in lettuce wraps or Paleo tortillas with chipotle mayo (recipe below) or white sauce (1/2 cup paleo mayo; 1 tbsp lime juice; 1 tsp oregano; ½ tsp cum; dash of chili pepper).

Creamy Chipotle Sauce
Recipe adapted from Paleo Comfort Foods

½ cup Paleo mayo (recipe here)
½ cup cilantro
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
2 chioptle peppers in adobo sauce
Optional: Juice of 1 lime

Combine ingredients together in a mini blender or food processor and mix well; refrigerate until ready to serve. Add to  fish tacos, burgers, etc.

Paleo Curried Deviled Eggs

Paleo Curried Deviled Eggs
Adapted from Quick & Easy Paleo Comfort Foods

1 dozen large eggs
4 - 6 tbsp Paleo Mayo
2 tsp minced ginger, jarred
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Kosher salt, to taste
Paprika, for garnish

Carefully put eggs in a pot and cover with tap water until eggs are submerged with an inch of water over them. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, set a timer for 10 minutes. While boiling, prepare a bowl of ice water. When the timer goes off, remove pot from heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer one egg at a time to the cold water. Leave them alone for 7 - 8 minutes as they come back to room temperature. Once cooled, dry them and put them in a bowl in the fridge, or peel under cold water and eat. Halve length-wise. Place the cooked yolk in a medium bowl and place the white halves on a serving platter (cut-side up). Mash yolks with a fork. Mix together paleo mayo, ginger, dijon mustard, curry powder, apple cider vinegar, mustard powder, cayenne pepper and salt. Add to yolks. Spoon yolk/mayo mixture into eggs. Keep refrigerated until you serve; garnish with paprika.

Review: Now i'm not a hard-boiled egg person, and normally don't like deviled eggs. Something about the outside of it - so slick... Anyway, these have enough kick to them that I am able to overlook the normally unsavory exterior. I make a batch of deviled eggs every week and this flavor always goes the quickest!

Paleo Chicken Salad with Bacon & Onions

Paleo Chicken Salad with Bacon & Onions
Recipe adapted from a non-paleo Food.com recipe

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, raw
3 slices Applegate Farms Turkey Bacon, cooked and diced
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/4  tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 cup pureed sweet onion
1/2 cup Paleo mayo recipe below

Boil water. Add raw chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. In the meantime, cook bacon in the microwave or stovetop per package instructions. Add lemon juice, cumin, onion powder, worcestershire sauce, sea salt, pepper and mayo to a large bowl. Add onions to processor. Pulse until pureed. Add to large bowl with  spices. Rinse processor and add now cooked/drained chicken and pulse until lightly shredded. Add to bowl. Now, if mayonnaise isn’t made already, rinse processor and follow recipe below. Add half of the recipe below (1/2 cup total) to large bowl and mix everything together. Serve over fresh greens or wrapped in lettuce.

Review: Wonderful! We LOVED this - the bacon really gives it a smoky flavor, great combined with the onion. This particular bacon tastes a lot like ham or Canadian bacon. We may actually like this better than the grape/almond chicken salad... or maybe we're just sick of that one as we've been eating on it for a few months now! Either way - this is our new favorite. I have even served it to non-paleo peeps and they love it!

Paleo Mayo
Found on Amee’s Savory Dish
Makes 1 cup

1 large egg, room temperature not cold (very important!)
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice (1/2 lemon yields)
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp white pepper (or black pepper if you don’t mind black flecks)
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup extra light olive oil

Combine egg, lemon juice, mustard powder, pepper and salt in food processor and blend until frothy. Using drip hole in the top, drizzle oil in a few drops at a time. DO NOT rush this; drizzle oil down the tube little by little until all is mixed in and mixture is creamy.

Thanksgiving Club Sandwiches

Thanksgiving Club Sandwiches
Makes 2 Servings

2 rolls (about 200 calories each)
2 tbsp fat-free mayonnaise
2 tsp minced garlic, jarred
6 oz. cooked turkey, room temperature or warmed in microwave
2 pieces turkey bacon, cooked in microwave
1 slice reduced fat provolone cheese, cut in half
2 tbsp dried cranberries
1 handful arugula

Set oven to broil. Cut rolls in half and lay open side up on a baking sheet. Mix together mayonnaise and garlic in a small prep bowl. Spread on the inside of each roll. Top with turkey, bacon, cheese and carefully place cranberries on cheese. Broil for 3-5 minutes, keeping an eye on the oven to avoid overcooking. Remove when cheese has melted. Add arugula on top and put lid on.

Nutritional Information: 390 calories, 51 carbs, 9 fat grams and 25 protein grams.


Review: LOVED. Super creamy due to the mayo blend and cheese, soft and still crispy due to broiling and the cranberries and arugula added a nice twist. This was a yummy way to use our leftovers - it makes me want to keep cooked turkey around! You could easily take this down in calories by using a less caloric roll. This way you could add a side salad to make up those calories. While it was filling, it may be more filling this way.

The inside!

Hot Chicken Salad Pasta

Hot Chicken Salad Pasta
Adapted from a Fabulessly Frugal recipe
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ cup fat-free mayonnaise
½ cup celery, finely diced
1 can fat-free cream of chicken soup
½ tsp minced onion, dried
28 grams Cabot 75% cheddar cheese, grated (1/4 cup)
1 oz. potato chips, crumbled
8 oz. pasta, cooked

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all the ingredients except cheese, potato chips and chicken. Add chicken and stir well. Place mixture in baking dish and add cheese then chips to the top of mixture. Bake for 20 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 446 calories, 57 carbs, 8 fat grams and 37 protein grams.

Review: So I had originally made this recipe but without pasta - instead it was in a wrap. I liked it, but wanted to try it with pasta - it just sounded good! So I tweaked the recipe a bit and here goes! It was super creamy, and I liked the little bites of celery - gave it some flavor but make SURE to dice the celery very finely so it adds flavor without too much crunch/vegetable awkwardness. I think what I liked best about this one was that it was really creamy. I think if you wanted to avoid potato chips, you could easily put panko bread crumbs on top, or even crushed reduced fat ritz crackers! I like it and will make it again!

whole dish

Bacon-Balsamic Deviled Eggs

Bacon-Balsamic Deviled Eggs
Recipe adapted from My Bizzy Kitchen and Recipe Girl
Makes 24 appetizers

12 large eggs
4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped finely
1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1 tbsp red onion, finely grated
1 tsp granulated white sugar
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper, freshly ground

Carefully put eggs in a pot and cover with tap water until eggs are submerged with an inch of water over them. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, set a timer for 10 minutes. While boiling, prepare a bowl of ice water. When the timer goes off, remove pot from heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer one egg at a time to the cold water. Leave them alone for 7 - 8 minutes as they come back to room temperature. Once cooled, dry them and put them in a bowl in the fridge, or peel under cold water and eat. Halve length-wise. Place the cooked yolk in a medium bowl and place the white halves on a serving platter (cut-side up). Mash yolks with a fork. Add bacon, mayonnaise, onion, sugar, vinegar, celery salt and pepper. Stir until thoroughly combined. Use a piping bag with a star-shaped tip to fill egg white halves. Refrigerate, lightly covered, until ready to serve.

Nutritional Information (each appetizer): 43 calories, 1 carb, 3 fat grams and 3 protein grams. (could have 2 for a under-100 calorie snack!).

Review: Okay, so my first time making deviled eggs and my first time eating them. WOW. Where have I been? Loved the addition of bacon and the balsamic and grated onion really added a fun kick! Austin, a seasoned deviled egg eater really liked them, too. I also got to use my new cake decorator pump/piping tool - fun. I can't wait to make these again and can't get over how yummy it was. I even used the leftover on some crackers - WOW. If you like deviled eggs or want to try a new recipe - i'd suggest this one!

Hot Chicken Salad

Hot Chicken Salad
Adapted from a Fabulessly Frugal recipe

Makes 4 Servings

1 pound chicken, cooked and cubed
1 tbsp lemon juice
15 grams slivered almonds (2 tbsp)
½ cup fat-free mayonnaise
½ cup celery, finely diced
½ cup fat-free cream of chicken soup
½ tsp minced onion, dried
28 grams Cabot 75% cheddar cheese, grated (1/4 cup)
1 oz. potato chips, crumbled
4 Mission tortillas, burrito size

Toast almonds on cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for 7 minutes. While toasting, mix all the ingredients except cheese and potato chips. Remove almonds and add to mixture, then turn the oven to 400 degrees. Place mixture in baking dish and add cheese then chips to the top of mixture. Bake for 20 minutes Serve with wraps.

After baking - could easily spoon over noodles or rice instead! I wouldn't recommend lettuce though - I think it would make it welt. The recipe suggested croissants.

Nutritional Information: 451 calories, 48 carbs, 13 fat grams and 37 protein grams.

Review: Loved! These were insanely filling, which was awesome. The casserole could easily be put on rice or noodles, but we liked them in wraps. They were warm and gooey - the mayonnaise, cream of chicken, cheese mix really tasted like it was so bad for you, but 450 is great! Next time I may even try BBQ chips for a little kick!

BLT pasta salad

BLT pasta salad
Recipe adapted from Food Network Magazine
Makes 4 Servings

8 oz. pasta
¼ cup milk
½ tbsp reduced fat parmesan cheese.
12 slices low-fat turkey bacon
2 medium ripe tomatoes cut into chunks
1 tsp garlic, minced
½ tsp dried thyme
¼ cup fat-free mayonnaise
¼ cup fat-free sour cream
3 tbsp scallions
3 cups chopped romaine hearts
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water. Drain and toss with milk and parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Set aside. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove from pan, and add tomatoes, thyme and garlic to the pan and toss until warmed through; season with salt and pepper. Cut bacon into bite-size pieces; set aside ¼ cup for garnish. Toss remaining bacon and tomato mixture with pasta. Mix mayo, sour cream and 2 tbsp chives with pasta until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add lettuce; toss again to coat. Garnish with reserved bacon and remaining tbsp chives. Serve at room temperature.

Nutritional Information: 325 calories, 50 carbs, 7 fat grams and 15 protein grams.

Review: We REALLY liked it! I personally would have liked it better if it had cooled and like congealed together more, so I think the two servings we cooled for later this week will be better. But that’s okay – STILL very good.

Turkey, Artichoke & Swiss Panini

Turkey, Artichoke & Swiss Panini

Recipe found on Our Best Bites

Makes 1 Recipe

First, make Garlic-Herb Sandwich Spread: ¼ cup fat free mayonnaise, 2 tsp minced garlic, juiced squeezed from ½ of a lemon, ½ tsp lemon zest, 1 tbsp fresh basil, ¼ tsp dried rosemary, ¼ tsp dried oregano. Put in a food processor and process until smoothed. Makes 3 servings.

Then use the following:
½ tsp olive oil
3-4 roma Tomato slices (2" diameter)
2 slices Hormel Natural Choice turkey (36 grams)
2 slices Whole Wheat Tuscan Pane (87 grams)
Artichoke hearts, quartered and marinated (25 grams; about 4)
1 slice light swiss cheese (I used Jarlsberg lite)

Spread 1/3 of the garlic-herb spread on each slice of bread, then layer cheese, turkey, tomato and artichoke hearts on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Put top on. Brush outer sides of sandwiches and grill on Panini maker (or George Foreman!) until golden brown. Put on a microwavable safe plate and cook for 40 seconds or until cheese is fully melted. Remove, cut in half and serve.

Nutritional Information: 374 calories, 51 carbs, 11 fat grams and 25 protein grams.

Review: It was SO good! The NI is up a bit on this one because I used much more bread (57 grams on last panini), but it was fab and FILLING. I had mine with a ½ cup of Amy’s Tomato Bisque (Austin had the rest of the can - 1.5 cups - and a larger Panini!).

Tomato and Mozzarella Press

Tomato and Mozzarella Press
Makes 1 sandwich

1 Arnold Sandwich Thin
½ tsp fat-free mayonnaise
1 tsp Trader Joe’s pesto
8 grams Fat-Free Feta Cheese
8 grams Fat-Free Mozzarella, shredded
4 grape tomatoes, diced
8 spinach leaves, halved
4 basil leaves, finely diced

Spread mayo and pesto on both sides, and top one side with cheeses, tomatoes, spinach and then basil. Put top on and drop it on the George Foreman for 3-4 minutes. Enjoy.

Nutritional Information: 182 calories, 30 carbs, 4 fat grams and 12 protein grams.

Review: I was a huge fan of this little guy! Austin was jealous so about an hour later I went down and made 2 more (I had another half – Austin had the other one and a half!). He loved it too! They’re just simple, yummy and quick – I’ll def be making these again!

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Swanson website (Stacy sent it)

Makes 2 Servings

1 can (9.75 oz.) Swanson Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained
2 tbsp chopped celery (didn’t include; didn't have any!)
½ tbsp finely chopped onion
1 tbsp nonfat mayonnaise
1 tbsp nonfat plain yogurt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 slices Whole Wheat Bread
2 tomato slices
2 lettuce leaves

Mix chicken, celery, onion, mayonnaise, yogurt and pepper. Divide chicken mixture among 2 bread slices. Top with tomato, lettuce and remaining bread slices.

Nutritional Information (with bread, tomato & lettuce leaves): 223 calories, 30 carbs, 6 fat grams, 24 protein grams.

Review: This was GREAT for packing for lunch – just made a baggy for bread, a baggy for tomato/lettuce and a container for the salad. I REALLY liked the salad, yummy and filling – but I definitely want to put the celery in next time –I like a bit more crunch ya know? And to add calories I would just serve with kettle chips or hummus + pita crisps.

Fresh mozzarella BLT with pesto

Recipe from Food Network Magazine
Fresh mozzarella BLT with pesto
Makes 1 Serving

1 3- to 4-inch baguette (77 grams)
3 Slices turkey bacon
1 ½ tsp pesto
1 ½ tsp fat-free mayonnaise
1 spear romaine lettuce
2 slices tomato
1 slice fresh mozzarella (20 grams)
Salt and pepper to taste.

Slice baguette open, leaving one side attached to form a hinge. Cook bacon in skillet until crispy. Combine pesto with mayo and smear on bottom of bread. Layer romaine, then tomato, bacon and mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper. Close sandwich and serve.

Nutritional Information: 325 calories, 33 carbs, 13 fat grams and 16 protein grams.

Review: We loved it! So yummy – a definite new fave that I plan to start bringing to work – woo!

Curried Tuna Pitas

Curried Tuna Pitas
Recipe from Cooking Light
Makes 1 Serving

3 oz. drained water-packed chunk light tuna (1 can)
1.5 tbsp fat free mayonnaise
½ tsp curry powder
1 tbsp celery, finely diced
2 tbsp sliced almonds (14 grams), diced
1 pita pocket cut at top (removes ¼ of it)!

Combine mayonnaise and curry powder. Stir, then add celery and almonds. Sprinkle with salt and pepper as desired, then stuff into pita. Serve.

Nutritional Information: Each pita has 271 calories, 24 carbs, 9 fat grams and 17 protein grams.

Review: You could easily cut this back by only using 7 grams almonds (what the recipe called for!), or you could beef it up some by adding more celery, lettuce, tomato, etc. I liked it how it was though – nom nom nom. I’ll be making it again – too easy not too! Oh – you should know that it called for ½ tsp of celery seed but I couldn’t find that spice to save my life (could have SWORN I had it).

Chicken Pesto Salad Sandwich

Chicken Pesto Salad Sandwich
Food Network magazine
Makes 1 Serving

4 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast
19 grams sun-dried tomatoes (in oil)
1 tbsp fat-free mayonnaise
½ tbsp pesto
Salt and pepper to taste
1 six-inch pita pocket cut at top
Red lettuce leaves

Place chicken and tomatoes in a large saucepan and pour enough water to cover by 2”. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook 8 minutes until chicken is tender. Drain and cut chicken into 1” cubes and tomato into ½” strips. Transfer to bowl, add mayo and pesto and season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into pita pocket lined with lettuce leaves.

Nutritional Information: 360 calories, 33 carbs, 10 fat grams and 31 protein grams.

Review: Great, filling sandwich! Has a different flavor with the pesto mixed in, but we both really liked it and will make it again! Nice summertime sammy.

Crabcakes with Tzaziki sauce

Recipe adapted from For the Love of Cooking
Crabcakes with Tzaziki sauce
Makes 2 Servings

1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp mayonnaise
½ tbsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp dried mustard
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tspBay seasoning
Juice of 1/4 a lemon
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
10 oz crab meat
½ cup plain panko crumbs
1 tbsp olive oil
Tzaziki sauce (her recipe below for 1 cup!)

Combine all ingredients except crab and panko crumbs. Carefully add crab to mixture then gently fold in panko crumbs. Form into desired size crab cake by hand (we made 4!). Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the crab cakes in skillet and cook on each side until golden brown. Serve with tzaziki sauce on the side.

Tzatziki Sauce: 1/3 cucumber (peeled, seeded and diced), ½ tsp salt, 3 oz. non-fat fage Greek yogurt, ¼ lemon (juice and est), ½ garlic clove. Peel cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and, using a spoon, remove all seeds from both halves. Dice into small pieces and place in strainer, Sprinkle salt over cucumber and let it sit in strainer for 30 minutes. Pat cucumber dry with a papertowel. Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until blended. Refrigerate overnight.

Nutritional Information: 301 calories, 24 carbs, 12 fat grams and 23 protein grams.

Review: I ate 2 crab cakes and about 2 tbsp of the sauce – she was right, the crab is so good the sauce is not really needed! Ours got a little burnt (but still tasted AMAZING!), so I recommend cooking for 1 to 2 minutes on each side and flipping often to avoid them getting too brown.

Creamy Dijon Chicken

Adapted from Cooking Light

Creamy Dijon Chicken

Makes 2 Servings

8 oz. chicken
Cooking spray
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
¼ tsp paprika
1/8 cup fat-free mayonnaise
½ tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp Dijon mustard
½ garlic clove OR ½ tsp minced garlic
1/8 tsp dried rosemary

Preheat broiler. Coat chicken with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika. Place chicken on broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until done. Combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard garlic and rosemary. Remove chicken from oven and add to pan over medium heat. Mix with dressing and stir for 1-2 minutes. Serve with 1.5 cups rice; and ½ cup mushrooms and 1 ½ cup zucchini heated in 1 tsp olive oil and sprinkled salt).

Nutritional Information (including sides): 424 calories, 64 carbs, 4 fat grams and 28 protein grams. Next time, I’m cutting the rice down to 1 cup total, which would take the nutrients down to 344 calories, 46 carbs, 4 fat grams and 28 protein grams and, I think, still be JUST as filling!!

Review: Awesomely flavorful, and loved the veggie sides. It tasted pretty sinful but the variety is what made this recipe rock!