Greek-Inspired Stuffed Eggplant (Paleo)

This week, I am paying homage to one of my favorite types of food- Greek!

I’m so obsessed with all the fresh veggies, nuts, olive oil, and herbs that go into all this mediterranean yumminess! And so grateful for the mini Greek café that has opened near me 🙂

A fan of the “stuffed” appearance, I fit all my love into eggplant shells. But the real “hidden gem” is adding nuts into the meat filling (adds a surprise crunch!).   

Greek-Inspired Stuffed Eggplant (Paleo)

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant, cut in half longways

Avocado oil

1 lb grass-fed, organic, ground beef

1 purple onion, chopped

1 tbsp dried parsley

1/2 tbsp dried dill

1/2 tbsp dried oregano

salt and pepper

1 green bell pepper, diced 

1 large tomato, diced

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Olive oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. With a spoon, scape out the insides of eggplant shell, leaving a thin layer of “meat” attached. Chop scooped-out eggplant and set aside. Rub inside and outside of eggplant shell with avocado oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place eggplant skin-side-up on a greased baking pan. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, begin to brown meat in a deep skillet. As meat browns, add in onion, parsley, dill, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add in chopped eggplant and bell pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Then, add in tomato and walnuts and cook for another 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Once eggplant shells are finished, carefully flip over and spoon in beef filling. Top with parsley and a drizzle of olive oil before serving.

Note: This recipe makes a LOT more filling than will fill the eggplant. Try using extra filling in stuffed peppers, cabbage rolls, or simply by eating with a spoon 🙂

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Cabbage, Onion, Bacon, and Avocado Salad (Paleo)

Bacon might as well be a museum artifact in my house. Why? My dad has a very strict “you can look, but not touch” policy towards the stuff.

Consequently, we have a lot of “untouchable” bacon buried in our freezer.

For some reason, he believes that if he gives us free reign with the bacon, it’ll all be gone by the end of the week. I’m actually not a big bacon person, but when denied, the desire for it tends to grow…

Which is why, when my dad leaves town for a few days, I sneak a pack down from the freezer to add to meals and whatnot. Shhhhhhhh! 

But hey- I don’t feel guilty because I know he makes some for himself when my brother and I are out of town.

Another family quirk to talk about in future family therapy…

Anyways, I had to dispose all of my contraband before my dad returned, and this was an effective and yummy way to use some up!

Cabbage, Onion, Bacon, and Avocado Salad (Paleo)

Ingredients:

3 strips of thick, organic bacon

1 onion, chopped

1/2 head of green cabbage, chopped

salt and pepper

1 avocado, diced 

Directions:

In a skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and blot off the extra fat on the bacon. Set aside.

Without removing any of the liquid fat, add the onion to the skillet. Let cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring every so often.

While the onions are cooking, crumble your bacon into small pieces.

Once the onions have had their 10 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon, place in a bowl, and set aside.

Add the cabbage to the bacon skillet (depending on the bacon you use, you may need to add extra fat at this point- I didn’t need to though) and cover with a lid for 5 minutes. Afterwards, take off the lid, add salt and pepper, and sauté for another 5 minutes, until the cabbage has shrunken down sightly. 

Add the onions and bacon back into the skillet and mix around for another 2 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Transfer contents to a serving platter and gently stir in the avocado chunks. Serve.

Mushroom and Goat Cheese “Risotto” (Grain-Free)

I don’t think I was ever a big rice person. Therefore, when I cut out most grains, rice was not one of those foods I craved.

Except when it came to risotto. I mean, come on, even the word “risotto” is fun to say (risotto, risotto, risotto… try saying that 10 times fast!)

Once at a restaurant, I had a goat cheese and mushroom risotto that was AMAZING. Like, is-it-possible-that-can-marry-this??? good. So, I’ve recently tired to recreate this with a cauliflower rice version. And voila! Love is in the air again!

Mushroom and Goat Cheese “Risotto” (Grain-Free)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp ghee (or butter)

1/2 onion, chopped

2 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp dried thyme

1 large portobello mushroom, chopped into small pieces

3 cups raw cauliflower rice 

1/4 cup plain, whole milk yogurt

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

3 tbsp goat cheese

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat ghee in a pot and add in onions, garlic, and thyme. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add in mushrooms and continue cooking for 8 minutes. Stir in cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes. While waiting, add yogurt and milk to a small bowl and whisk together. Add yogurt mixture to the pot. Bring risotto to a boil for 1 minute and then turn to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in goat cheese until melted. Add in salt and pepper and serve.

Red and Blue Coconut Flour Pancakes (Paleo)

Sorry for the hiatus. A storm swept through New Jersey last week and knocked out my power for 6 days! To make matters more “fun,” I was housesitting in the middle of nowhere, so I was by myself in the dark with no means of cooking 😦

Luckily, my circumstances took a turn for the better as I then got to go to an education conference held in Orlando, Florida! It was so nice to take a shower without using a flashlight…

I will never take a lightbulb for granted again.

Anyways, the convention I went to was awesome! I got to meet and connect with people from all over the country and see how the education system differs from state to state. Not to mention, I got the chance to go to Epcot and Downtown Disney at night!

The New Jersey Delegation (Somehow, I wound up dead center in the pic)

So, I’m finally back now! And just in time for a 4th of July post 🙂

Red and Blue Coconut Flour Pancakes (Paleo)

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/3 cup water

1 tsp honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup coconut flour

2 tbsp tapioca flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup chopped strawberries

1/4 cup blueberries

ghee, butter, or oil

Directions:

In one bowl, whisk together eggs, water, honey, and vanilla.

In another bowl, mix together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Pour dry into wet and beat batter until all clumps are gone. Add in berries and let batter sit for 5 minutes to thicken (Note- your batter should be on the thicker side. If not, add in 1 tsp of coconut flour at a time).

Meanwhile, grease cooking pan with ghee, butter, or oil and place over medium-low heat. Once hot, add spoonfuls of batter until desired pancake size and cook, flipping pancakes over when the tops begin to bubble.

Happy 4th!