Paleo Vegetable Beef Curry

Paleo Vegetable Beef Curry
Adapted from Quick & Easy Paleo Comfort Foods

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 pound steak, diced
1 cup onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 tbsp green curry paste
2 cups broccoli florets, fresh/raw
¼ cup basil, diced
1 cup beef broth
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 cups cauliflower rice (cauliflower shredded through processor)
¼ cup water

Heat oil over medium heat in a large pan. When oil begins to smoke, add meat and brown on all sides, 3 minutes. Add onions, peppers and curry paste; saute for 3 minutes. Add broccoli and basil; saute for 2 minutes. Add broth, milk, fish sauce, and red pepper flakes; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes covered; stir; cook 10 more minutes uncovered. When curry is almost done, add cauliflower rice and water in a large microwave safe bowl. Cover with a paper towel and microwave on high for 2 minutes to steam. Plate rice and serve curry over top. Add red pepper flakes and salt to taste.

Review: We really enjoyed the flavors, but had to add a lot of red pepper flakes to give it some kick, so I added this to the recipe. Also, it was more soupy than we like, so I reduced the beef broth a bit and think that will make it even better next time. It was more like a soup than a curry to me and very thin, so know that going in! All in all, we did really enjoy this and I loved how packed it was with  yummy veggies.

Paleo Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Paleo Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
Recipe adapted from Quick & Easy Paleo Comfort Foods

2 tbsp olive oil
1 pound chicken breasts, skinless boneless diced
1 pound chicken thighs, skinless boneless diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 tbsp minced garlic, jarred
6 cups broccoli florets, fresh
5 cups cauliflower florets, fresh
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup organic chicken broth
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp paprika

Preheat oven to 425. Heat oil in a large skillet. Brown and cook chicken for 5 minutes until no longer pink. drain and add to a rectangular baking dish. In same skillet, add onions and garlic; cook 5 minutes. Add broccoli and 1/2 inch water. Cook broccoli 5 minutes until tender. Meanwhile, in a large pan, add cauliflower, coconut milk and broth. Bring to boil, then reduce to medium and cover for 10 minutes until fork tender. Add drained broccoli mixture to dish with chicken. Transfer cauliflower mixture in batches to food processor; add spices to processor and pulse until no lumps remain. Pour over chicken and broccoli in batches. Top with paprika and bake for 10 minutes or until slightly browned and bubbling.

Review: So creamy and fabulous! Tasted like a Thanksgiving creamy "bad" casserole. The curry spices definitely made the cauliflower taste especially like mashed potatoes. Next time I'm going to consider adding mushrooms - I believe the author of the recipe suggested spinach, too, but I don't love spinach so I probably won't try this. I haven't freezed it, but this is the recommendation for freezing: do not bake; instead, layer plastic over top then foil. Place in refrigerator to cool then move to freezer. When ready, thaw in refrigerator for 2 days, then bake at 425 for 20-30 minutes until heated through.

Paleo Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes”

Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes”
Adapted from Quick & Easy Paleo Comfort Foods

without curry powder , which makes it yellow!

5 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup organic chicken broth
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp curry powder* (remove for a different non curried flavor)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan, add cauliflower, coconut milk and broth. Bring to boil, then reduce to medium and cover for 10 minutes until fork tender. Transfer cauliflower mixture in batches to food processor; add spices to processor and pulse until no lumps remain.

Review: I just love this. I make a batch almost every week and serve it alongside drumsticks, steak, etc. It's a great addition and really makes me feel like I'm having potatoes! I often double it to make sure I always have it on hand. Sometimes I'll do a version of 'regular/garlic' and then the one with 'curry' - they taste very different!

Paleo Coconut Curry Chicken

Paleo Coconut Curry Chicken
Recipe adapted from Cosmopolitan Girl
Makes 4 Servings

1 ½ pounds chicken thighs(still in tact), skin on
1 cauliflower (to make the rice)
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 cup onion, finely shopped
5 tsp minced garlic
1 red chili pepper – seeds removed, chopped
1 can light coconut milk
2 tbsp curry powder

In a large skillet, heat coconut oil to a med-high heat. Put chicken pieces into the skillet and cook until each side golden-browned (about 3 min per side). Remove chicken and set aside.Add onion, garlic and chili – saute for about 3 min or until soft. Add the coconut milk and curry powder – mix together thoroughly. Add back chicken and simmer at medium heat covered for about 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. (The coconut milk the chicken is simmering in should cover about 1/2 of the chicken; if it doesn’t add chicken stock.) For the cauliflower rice, use your food processor to chop the cauliflower to a rice consistency. Cook, covered, in microwave for 3-5 minutes (no need to add water).

Nutritional Information: 379 calories, 18 fat grams, 18 carbs and 40 protein grams.

Review: We love this one! Next time, I will probably use full-fat coconut milk, but other than that it was great and super creamy. The minced garlic added a lot, as did the chili pepper. If you can't find the chili pepper, use red pepper flakes and/or hot sauce for some kick. Great paleo recipe!