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.

Shrimp Etoufee

NO! this is not paleo... but i'm still finding some recipes I never posted pre-paleo!

Shrimp Etoufee 
Adapted from Family Circle Magazine
Makes 4 Servings

2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tbsp olive oil 
1 cup onion, diced 
½ cup green pepper diced 
1 cup celery, finely diced 
2 tbsp mincd garlic 
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce 
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
2 tsp Cajun seasoning 
1 pound shrimp, peeled/tail-off 
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped 
1 cup Jasmine rice (dry) 
1 lemon, cut into wedges 


 In a large pot, whisk together flour and oil until combined. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes until reddish-brown in color. Add onion, green pepper, celery and garlic. Cook 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato sauce, 1 cup water, Worcestershire sauce and Cajun seasoning; simmer 15 minutes until celery is soft. Cook longer if it’s still ‘crunchy.’ Add shrimp and simmer 4 minutes. Stir in parsley. Serve shrimp over rice. Squeeze lemon wedges over each plate. 


Nutritional Information: 407 calories, 53 carbs, 9 fat grams and 28 protein grams. 


Review: Powerful dish! It had so much flavor and everything mingled together great! We used fresh shrimp and it was excellent. Shrimp dishes typically don't reheat well, but the heavy sauce made this one do well, just heat at 50% so that the shrimp doesn't become rubbery. I thought this dish was easy to put together, although my processor made it easy to dice up all of the veggies. Make SURE you dice the celery well - no one wants a crunchy bite in the etoufee! I still can't get over the calorie counts - it tastes much more calorific.

Stuffed Green Peppers

Stuffed Green Peppers 
Recipe adapted from Blog Chef
Makes 6 Servings

½ tbsp olive oil
½ tbsp. minced garlic
1/3 cup onion (chopped)
1 pound 96/4 ground beef
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ cup uncooked long-grain rice
½ cup water
6 green bell peppers
salt ( to taste)
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup
4 oz. shredded 75% fat-free cabot cheddar cheese, divided

In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and garlic. Heat until fragrant, then add ground beef and onions. Cook for 5 minutes or until beef is browned. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes, rice, ½ cup of water and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to boil. Cut the tops off the peppers. Remove the seeds, discard the tops, and place the bottoms into the boiling water; boil for 5 minutes. (you may need to do in batches) Drain and sprinkle salt inside each pepper. Once done, remove meat mixture from heat. Stir in half of the cheese. Preheat oven to 350. Stuff each pepper with the beef and rice mixture, and place peppers open side up in a baking dish. In a medium bowl combine tomato soup with just enough water to make the soup a gravy consistency. Pour the soup over the peppers. Cover with foil (spray inside with nonstick cooking spray) and place in the oven for 25 minutes. Uncover, top with remaining cheese and bake for 5 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 323 calories, 36 carbs, 8 fat grams and 26 protein grams.

Review: Awesome! Loved the tomato soup topper and they reheated wonderfully - even brought them to work in a tub! I will say they take a while, between boiling the pepper to making the mixture to scooping it in, etc. - it can be a bit much. But I think it's worth it and fun for a weekend meal when you have a bit more time. We made it during the week and it took a bit too long for me! Regardless, great, yummy recipe and we'll absolutely have them again.

Cheeseburger and Fries Casserole

Cheeseburger and Fries Casserole
Recipe adapted from Lauren’s Kitchen
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound 96/4 ground beef
¼ tsp salt and pepper
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
8 tbsp fat-free sour cream
8 oz. frozen French fries
2 oz. 75% Cabot reduced fat cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Bake french fries on baking sheet for 10 minutes while preparing beef. In a skillet over medium heat, brown beef in half of Worcestershire sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally until beef is no longer pink. Drain excess grease, and add seasonings and remaining sauce. Return to heat, and stir in the cheese soup and sour cream until blended. Heat through, 3 minutes, and remove from stove. Transfer to an 8x8 inch baking dish. Cover the ground beef mixture with a layer of partially cooked French fries. Bake for 10  minutes. Remove casserole from oven and sprinkle cheese on top. Return to the oven and bake until cheese has melted, 5 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 403 calories, 26 carbs, 17 fat grams and 31 protein grams.

Review: It really tasted like a cheeseburger! I loved the recipe, the Worcestershire sauce went a long way and the dish was super cheesy and creamy. I worried about how it would reheat, but while the fries did lose their crispiness, it wasn't mushy like I'd feared! The serving size filled me up, and it's definitely a fun, childlike dish. I wouldn't make it for guests (it's just too silly of a dish!), but would definitely make it again for us and think it would be a great meal for kiddos.

One serving!

Breakfast Ham Sliders

Ham sliders
Adapted from Say Cheese
Makes 4 Servings

8 small potato/slider buns
8 servings Oscar Meyer black forest ham, sliced
4 slices Jarlsberg light Swiss cheese, cut in half
4 tbsp reduced fat chive and onion cream cheese
2 tbsp light butter with canola oil
1 tsp died onion flakes
½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp parmesan cheese

Slice rolls in half, place bottoms in a baking dish. Layer ham and cheese on each roll. Spread ½ tbsp cream cheese on each roll top and complete sandwich. Melt butter and stir in Parmesan, Worcestershire and onion flakes. Brush on top of sandwiches. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Heat oven to 350, cover baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 412 calories, 35 carbs, 13 fat grams and 37.5 protein grams.

Review: Love these little guys! The cream cheese and swiss cheese mix so well together, making this a very tasty little sandwich. I also love how the ham, worcestershire and onion work together, adding a lot of flavor and a nice salty kick. You could serve these as appetizers, but I really liked it as a great, filling breakfast with lots of flavor and lots of protein.

Best Ever Chicken Soft Tacos

Best Ever Chicken Soft Tacos
Recipe adapted from My Bizzy Kitchen Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen
Makes 4 Servings

1 tsp canola oil
2 tsp minced garlic, jarred
2 tbsp canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced
1/2 cup cilantro, diced and divided
½ cup orange juice
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp yellow mustard
Pinch of salt/pepper
8 small soft tortillas (about 80 calories each)
Toppings: 2 oz. Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese, 4 tbsp fat-free sour cream and 1 cup lettuce, grated (I used arugula) - all divided into 4

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chipotles and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Stir in 1/3 cup cilantro, Worcestershire sauce and orange juice. Nestle chicken into skillet, cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 7 minutes. Remove lid, flip each piece and cook for 7 minutes. Cook for additional 2-4 minutes if still pink. Remove chicken from pan with slotted spoon and transfer to a cutting board. Continue to simmer sauce over medium heat until it starts to reduce, 5 minutes. While sauce reduces, shred chicken loosely using 2 forks. Remove sauce from heat; stir in mustard and remaining cilantro. Add in chicken and stir. Serve chicken on tortillas (147 grams of chicken for each serving/2 tacos) with desired toppings.

Nutritional Information: 421 calories, 37 carbs, 6 fat grams and 51 protein grams.

Review: These were amazing. So flavorful and tangy - we loved the kick. I'd never used chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - I can't wait to find more recipes with it. I've also never cooked with orange juice but it added such a nice citrus zing. I can't WAIT to eat the leftovers and to make this again - next time i'll be doubling for even more leftovers - seriously - it was THAT good.

Cowboy Spaghetti

Cowboy Spaghetti Recipe
Makes 6 Servings
Recipe adapted from Blog Chef

12 oz. pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
3 slices turkey bacon
1 pound 96/4 ground beef
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
black pepper (to taste)
2 tsp hot sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
½ cup light beer (1/3 of beer/4 oz.)
1 can fired roasted diced tomatoes
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
¼ cup green onions, for garnish

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. While pasta cooks, heat a large skillet to medium heat. Add olive oil and bacon. Fry bacon until crisp, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. In the same skillet, add ground beef and chop up with a spatula while cooking until browned. Add onions and garlic; stir into meat. Season with salt, pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Add beer and stir in. Cook for 5-6 minutes and stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Dice bacon. Divide pasta into six servings. Top each serving of pasta with 1/6 of meat sauce, and then top with bacon and green onions.

Nutritional Information: 399 calories, 55 carbs, 8 fat grams and 25 protein grams.

Review: This one is a winner - a nice mash up between spaghetti and chili! I don't know if this is the right word but I would say TANGY! It has a lot of flavor. It really is like a spaghetti meat sauce, but with a great, flavorful kick and the bacon adds a lot too! I loved cooking with beer - first time! :) This one was easy, love the 400-calorie count and LOVE that it makes six servings. This one is a keeper!

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

Makes 4 servings

6 oz. barilla pasta
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
Olive oil
Nonstick cooking spray
½ cup chopped onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 14.5-oz can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1tbsp low-sodium Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ tsp dried Italian seasoning, divided
½ tsp salt
30 grams shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
60 grams crumbled fat-free feta cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to package. Drain. Cook chicken in a sprinkle of salt and ½ tsp Italian seasoning. Coat skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat until hot. Add garlic and onion; sauté 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp Italian seasoning and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Stir in half 30 grams feta, 30 grams mozzarella, cooked pasta and chicken. Stir for 2 minutes, then spoon into 1.5-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 383 calories, 47 carbs, 3 fat grams and 41 protein grams.

Review: We love this one! One of the first pastas I ever made. It comes out a bit like brucshetta as far as soupy but thick – if that makes sense. The Worcestershire added a little kick too which was nice. Great recipe for a crowd too – the servings are generous!

whole dish

Spicy Shrimp and Pepper Skillet

Spicy Shrimp and Pepper Skillet
Recipe from Cooking Light
Makes 2 Servings

5 oz. frozen pepper stir-fry thawed
Cooking spray
2 tsp olive oil
½ tbsp minced garlic
10 oz. shrimp, thawed
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp creole seasoning
¼ tsp pepper
1.5 cups rice

Thaw shrimp (over night or run hot water over them). Place peppers in a colander, and rinse running water; drain well. Set aside. Heat oil in skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add garlic and pepper stir-fry; sauté 5 minutes or until peppers are tender. Add shrimp and next 3 ingredients to pan; sauté 3-4 minutes or until shrimp are done and mixture is heated. Serve shrimp mixture over rice.

Nutritional Information: 455 calories, 61 carbs, 6 fat grams and 30 grams of protein.

Review: I couldn’t even eat it all – SO filling and yummy! It was SUPER spicy, so the recipe above has been edited a bit to tone it down – wowza! It was really yum – and my first time using frozen pepper stirfry. Cooking Light is a huge advocate of this ‘recipe starter’ and I can see how it can come in handy. It’s good, but just doesn’t have the crunch fresh veggies have which is what makes me love them!So all in all, it's pretty good if you like spicy and don't mind frozen veggies, but I don't know if it's for me. :(

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.