Paleo Mexican Beef Soup

I've been eating paleo for two months now, and while my kids will gobble up the occasional paleo meal, they're not ready to jump on board full-time, so I tend to nab whatever chance I get to cook paleo food that my kids will enjoy. This morning I lucked out when I was hit with a wave of creativity while cruising through old facebook posts. I saw pic of a beef stew/soup posted by a friend on mine and fellow blogger mom over at momontherun.ca and decided to use the pic as inspiration for lunch!!

A quick look in the fridge revealed we had lots of fresh veggies, as well the end of a roast beef from the the previous night's dinner. I literally started cutting things up and tossing them into a big pot. Once it was all in, I brought the pot to a boil, then simmered, covered, for 1/2 an hour. I ladled the soup into bowls and topped it with sliced avocado. and a dollop of organic greek yogurt (my one paleo exception). So delicious, and a great warmer on a cold rainy day. Makes 8 bowls.

Finished product before serving

Ingredients

28 ounce tin diced tomatoes

tin tomato paste

6 cups reduced sodium beef stock

2 cups water

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 cups cubed cooked roast beef

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

2 tsp oregano

1 small green pepper, diced

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup celery, diced

3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

1/2 cups cilantro, chopped

Topped with avocado and greek yogurt

Nutritional Information (per bowl, without toppings)

Calories 234, Fat 3.6 g, Saturated fat 1.1 g, Sodium 1220 mg, Potassium 717 mg, Carbohydrates 27.6 g, Fiber 4.6 g, Protein 23.8 g

Beef Noodle Soup

I haven't posted a recipe in a few weeks, and this one is too good to skip. I made this soup last weekend, with some leftover roast beef from dinner the night before. It was absolutely delicious. The asian-inspired ingredients provide a unique flavor, while the veggies and rice noodles add important nutrients. Relatively low carb, this soup makes a great meal. It's also low fat, gluten free, and contains over 20% of daily iron and folate needs!

Ingredients

8 oz beef top sirloin grilling steaks, thinly sliced across the grain (I used leftover sirloin tip roast)

2 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp sodium-reduced soy sauce

2 tbsp sherry (optional)

1 tsp sesame oil

3/4 tsp five-spice powder

3/4 tsp granulated sugar

6 oz wide (1/2 inch/1 cm) rice noodles

2 carrots

4 heads baby bok choy

4 cups sodium-reduced beef stock

1 egg, beaten

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Procedure

In bowl, combine steak, half each of the cornstarch, soy sauce, and sherry (if using), the oil, five-spice powder and sugar. Let marinate for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions; drain and divide among 4 bowls. Peel carrots; cut into thin 2-inch long strips. Separate bok choy into leaves. Set aside.

In large Dutch oven, bring stock, remaining soy sauce and sherry and 2 cups (500 mL) water to boil. Stir in steak mixture, separating with spoon; reduce heat and simmer
for 3 minutes. Add carrots and bok choy; cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.

In small bowl, whisk remaining cornstarch with 1 tbsp water; stir into soup and simmer until glossy and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Return soup to boil. With fork, stir in egg in slow thin stream, pulling into strands. Pour over noodles; sprinkle with green onions. Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Information (per serving) Cal 315, Protein 20g, Total Fat 5g, Carbohydrates 47g, Fiber 4g, Cholesterol 76mg, Sodium 67mg, 

Source Canadian Living Magazine, March 2007

Oh yummy ~ Tangy Barbeque Beef

Wow, this recipe is delicious. Between the savory aroma wafting through my house all aftenoon yesterday, and the sweet and spicy combo created by the fresh mango and hot sauce, this recipe is amazing, and super easy to make. Perfect for a busy day; simply throw the ingredients into the slow cooker, heat on low for 10 hours, and enjoy. Leftovers may be frozen for up to 3 months too! Mmmm.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon celery seeds

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 3-pound fresh beef brisket, trimmed of fat

2 onions, thinly sliced

1 cup bottled smoke-flavored barbecue sauce

½ cup beer or ginger ale

8 large sandwich buns or Portuguese rolls, split and toasted

Bottled hot pepper sauce (optional)

Mango slices

Directions

1. Combine the chili powder, celery seeds, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture onto all sides of the brisket. Scatter half of the sliced onions in the bottom of a slow cooker. Place the brisket on the onions, cutting the meat to fit the cooker, if necessary. Scatter the remaining onions on top of the brisket. Stir together the barbecue sauce and beer or ginger ale. Pour over the brisket and onions.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or until meat is fork-tender. Transfer meat to a cutting board and let stand for 15 minutes. Halve meat crosswise. Using 2 forks, pull meat apart into shreds. Return meat to sauce mixture in crockery cooker. Heat through using the high-heat setting.

3. To serve, use a slotted spoon to transfer beef and onion mixture into the buns. If desired, season to taste with bottled hot pepper sauce. Top with mango slices.

Nutritional Information

Servings Per Recipe 8. Calories 442, Total Fat 11g, Saturated Fat 3g, Monounsaturated Fat 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat 2g, Cholesterol 98mg, Sodium 971mg, Carbohydrate 41g, Total Sugar 17g, Fiber 3g, Protein 41g, Vitamin C (DV%)16, Calcium (DV%)9, Iron (DV%)28. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

I found this recipe on Better Homes and Gardens website, at http://www.bhg.com/

Good Old Comfort Food ~ Meatballs and Pasta

Meatballs and pasta. They go together like peanut butter and jam. Good old fashioned comfort food. This particular version was created by one of my favorite chefs, Jamie Oliver. We tested it on Monday evening for dinner, after Dylan specifically requested spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. I've made meatballs many times before, but lately I've been testing quite a few of Jamie's recipes, so I figured I might as well check this one out! Everyone in my family loved it and gobbled it up quickly; we'll definitely be making this again.

The thing I love about Jamie's recipes is that he always uses fresh ingredients and basic cooking techniques. Nothing's super fancy, it's just delicious food made with things grown close to home. And this recipe is no exception. The aroma that filled my kitchen as I lightly fried the fresh rosemary was absolutely divine. And then when I combined the rosemary scented meatballs with the tomato sauce mulling with balsamic vinegar and lots of fresh basil, my kitchen was transformed into a little italian villa. Mmmmm....

So here is the recipe itself, taken from Jamie Oliver's website.

Ingredients

4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
12 Jacob’s cream crackers
2 heaped teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 lb  good-quality minced beef, pork, or a mixture of the two
1 heaped tablespoon dried oregano
1 large egg, preferably free-range or organic
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

olive oil
a bunch of fresh basil
1 medium onion
2 cloves of garlic
½ a fresh or dried red chilli
2 x 14 oz tins of chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 lb dried spaghetti or penne
Parmesan cheese, for grating

Directions 
(From Jamie Oliver's website)
To make the meatballs: Pick the rosemary leaves off the woody stalks and finely chop them. Wrap the crackers in a tea towel and smash up until fine, breaking up any big bits with your hands. Add to a mixing bowl with the mustard, minced meat, chopped rosemary and oregano. Crack in the egg and add a good pinch of salt and pepper. With clean hands scrunch and mix up well. Divide into 4 large balls. With wet hands, divide each ball into 6 and roll into little meatballs – you should end up with 24. Drizzle them with olive oil and jiggle them about so they all get coated. Put them on a plate, cover and place in the fridge until needed.

To cook the pasta, meatballs and sauce: Pick the basil leaves, keeping any smaller ones to one side for later. Peel and finely chop the onion and the garlic. Finely slice the chili. Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Next, heat a large frying pan on a medium heat and add 2 lugs of olive oil. Add your onion to the frying pan and stir for around 7 minutes or until softened and lightly golden. Then add your garlic and chilli, and as soon as they start to get some colour add the large basil leaves. Add the tomatoes and the balsamic vinegar. Bring to the boil and season to taste. Meanwhile, heat another large frying pan and add a lug of olive oil and your meatballs. Stir them around and cook for 8–10 minutes until golden (check they’re cooked by opening one up – there should be no sign of pink). Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer until the pasta is ready, then remove from the heat. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions.

To serve the meatballs: Saving some of the cooking water, drain the pasta in a colander. Return the pasta to the pan. Spoon half the tomato sauce into the pasta, adding a little splash of your reserved water to loosen. Serve on a large platter, or in separate bowls, with the rest of the sauce and meatballs on top. Sprinkle over the small basil leaves and some grated Parmesan.

*Nutritional information for this dish has been omitted because it varies so much depending on the ingredients chosen.