Simply Norma

I like recipes that incorporate meat with a salad. It feels ~ well, let me use the word “whole.”

These types of paleo recipes are normally very simple to make and I was glad that I bumped into this one.

It does seem to have a quite a few ingredients …

Even with all the ingredients, it still was worth making as I had most of them already in my cupboard.

I purchased the steak at Costco, sliced it thin then prepared it for the salad.

So ~ let’s take a look at the recipe, shall we?

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Bell Pepper (I used an orange one)
• 1 shallot, diced
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lemon, juiced, plus 2 teaspoons zest
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I used Grey Poupon)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 12 kalamata olives, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak, sliced thinly 
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 5 cups ~ combination of iceberg lettuce and romaine (or choose your own)
• 2 medium sized tomatoes – quartered
• 1 cup feta cheese crumbles
• Sliced pepperocini, for garnish

Directions

1. In a saucepan with cold water, add the cut sweet potato (make sure there is enough water to cover the potatoes), bring to a boil, add salt and cook until firm (approximately 4 minutes) then drain.
2. In a bowl, combine the shallot, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, vinegar, mustard, oregano and red pepper flakes.
3. Whisk in about 1/3 cup olive oil to combine.
4. Stir in the olives. This is now your dressing.
5. Pre-heat a skillet over medium-high heat.
6. Drizzle the meat with olive oil and rub it on the meat.
7. Season the meat with rosemary, salt and pepper.
8. Add the meat to the skillet and cook until the meat is cooked through. (Turn it at least once to cook on both sides.)
9. When the meat is cooked, remove from the skillet and set it aside on a plate to rest for a few minutes then slice it at an angle.
10. Wipe the skillet clean, turn the heat to medium high and add a little bit of olive oil.
11. Add the potato cubes to the skillet, season with salt and pepper then cook until the cubes are browned (3 minutes or so).
12. Flip the potatoes and add the onion and bell pepper then cook for 5 minutes.
13. Set this aside.
14. In a large salad bowl, combine the romaine, tomatoes, feta and pepperocini.
15. Add the contents of the skillet to the salad bowl and combine.
16. Meanwhile, add the dressing to the skillet and heat for a minute. Slowly, pour part of the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. (Use only as much as you’d like.)
17. To serve, arrange the salad on plates and top with steak.

Pretty easy, no? I believe this was the first time I used a cooked sweet potato in a “cold” salad.

For additional paleo recipes, click here.

This Paleo Greek Salad with Steak recipe was adapted from one by Rachael Ray.

Sloppy Joe! Now, who doesn’t like paleo Sloppy Joe? Having it with no bread is no big deal either. It’s quite simple to make and tastes scrumptious!

Take a peek at the main ingredients ~

After prepping, you’ll be putting everything into a skillet and allowing it to cook through then serving it on a bed of lettuce with, perhaps, guacamole on top. Yum! (I didn’t show the guacamole in the above picture as it was a last minute decision ~ a good one too!)

Let’s take a look at the recipe, shall we?

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Dash of red pepper flakes
• 10 ounces ground sirloin
• 1/2 cup grated carrot
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and beef to the skillet.
3. Cook approximately 5 minutes or until the meat is browned and the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the carrot, chili powder, maple syrup, oregano and cumin then cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Next, add the diced tomatoes and bring this to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 10 minutes or until it thickens and the carrots are tender. 

That’s it! Your meal is ready. Serve on a bed of lettuce with guacamole.

For more paleo recipes, click here.

This Honey Chicken Salad was deeeeelicious! It was a pleasure to try and only needed a little tweaking to make it paleo.

Have you ever run into a recipe that you know you’ll use over and over again? This is that kind of recipe. Perhaps it’s the addition of honey in the ingredients. All I know is my husband and I both like it and that’s good enough for me.

So ~ here’s what you’ll be needing to start your journey to this wonderful salad ~

First, you’ll need two skinless and boneless chicken breasts ~ season them with a little salt and pepper.

After cleaning the chicken breasts, slice them into even amounts. You’ll be baking the chicken breasts at 350° for approximately 20-30 minutes (every oven is different).

While you have the oven on, toast the pecans for approximately 10 minutes or so.

Now that you’ve got that ready, here are the ingredients you’ll be needing for this recipe ~

Yes, you will need some paleo Mayonnaise in this recipe.  Try this recipe here that I use over and over again.

Okay then ~ ready to see the entire recipe?

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken, cut into bite size pieces
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise (more or less, add a little at a time to get the consistency and taste you want)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. In a medium sized bowl, add the cooked chicken, celery, cranberries and pecans.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, honey, salt and pepper.
3. Add the chicken mixture to the mayonnaise mixture and stir everything together to combine it.
4. Taste and make sure it’s the right consistency for you along with having the right amount of salt and pepper.

That’s it! I used less honey, celery and cranberries than the original recipe called for ~ call me a rebel!

Total deliciousness!

Note:  I adapted the Honey Chicken Salad from My Recipes to make it paleo (mainly by using paleo mayonnaise).

Enjoy!

For additional paleo recipes, click here.

You’ll need a crockpot for this paleo Chicken with Tomatoes recipe.

It’s quite an easy recipe to make and in winter, I especially like to use the crockpot.

Crockpot cooking also frees up time for me to do other activities in the afternoon. It’s a win-win all around. Quilting ~ here I come!

For this recipe, I had skin-on bone-in chicken thighs in the freezer, but, after thawing, I removed the skin from the chicken.  Did you know that it’s cheaper to buy chicken with the skin on? Helps the budget out to spend just a little time removing the skin for a recipe that calls for no skin.

No charge for the tip ~ (laughing).

I used an orange pepper ~just to make it more pretty. This one looks like it was almost on its last leg (laughing) but it worked out fine.

Well, here’s the recipe without any more fanfare …

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, cut into thin slices
• 4 skinless chicken thighs, cleaned and dried
• 1 orange pepper, sliced
• 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• One (1) 14 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

1. In a crockpot, add the chicken, onion, pepper, raisins and garlic.
2. In a bowl, add the tomatoes, tapioca flour, curry powder, cumin and celery salt, mix it together then pour this over the crockpot ingredients.
3. Cook on low heat for 5 hours or on high for 2.5 hours.

We served our chicken with a baked sweet potato.

Enjoy!

For additional paleo recipes, click here.

It’s been well over a month since I’ve posted any new recipes. The “new” year just hasn’t been kind to me even if I am able to keep my optimism up, well, at least somewhat.

I seem to have developed “panic attacks.” Have you ever had them? They are unnerving.

But, I digress and will talk more about that another time. Right now, let’s get a new recipe for you to try. You’ve been waiting so patiently.

My husband made this paleo Coriander Salmon with Caper Broccolini one day when I was feeling lazy although I had made it before yet never posted it. It’s quite good!

Ingredients

• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 bunches broccoli, sliced thinly (no point in paying extra for the broccolini when you can just slice regular broccoli up)
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 6-ounce salmon fillet
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• lemon wedges (optional)

Directions

1. Combine the shallot, 1/2  teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl.
2. Allow the shallot to soften for a few minutes, then drain it.
3. Slice the broccoli into thin strips and steam it in water until it’s tender.
4. Once the broccoli is cooked, toss the broccoli with the capers, shallot, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and a dash of pepper in a bowl.
5. Season the salmon with the coriander, a dash of salt, and a dash of pepper (add more if you want it a little kick to it).
6. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat then add the salmon and cook until it looks opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
7. Serve with the lemon slices if you wish.

That’s it! The salmon came out absolutely perfect.  Hope you enjoy it.

For additional paleo recipes, click here.

Note:  This recipe was adapted from the one found at Real Simple.