cooking – that paleo couple

Pomegranate and Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies

December 12, 2018December 11, 2018 by Heather Schrader 1 Comment

When I told Brent I was going to make these cookies, he looked at me and said, “I’m not sure I will like Pomegranate seeds in cookies.” I shrugged. He doesn’t care for sweets nearly as much as I do anyways. I realize it may sound weird, and it may not appeal to everyone, but these cookies are quite good and the pomegranate seeds are part of the magic for me. They’re not too sweet and the pops of red make them feel perfectly festive for this time of year.

Cardamom Baked Pears

December 5, 2018December 11, 2018 by Heather Schrader 1 Comment

After ten days in Europe (primarily Germany) and our first ever hiatus from this blog, we’re trying to get back into the swing of things. So I wanted to keep things super easy this week. We did a bunch of batch cooking over the weekend, and our recipe is simple: a baked fruit.

I was inspired by the cardamom and pear bundt cake I saw at Whole Foods this weekend. I love pears and I love cardamom! It’s a perfect spice for this time of year—warm and slightly spicy. If you can get Bosc pears, they are best because they are quite sturdy and hold up against baking and bold spices well. Otherwise, you might want to reduce the cooking time. Enjoy!

Harvest Bake

October 3, 2018October 2, 2018 by Heather Schrader Leave a comment

It’s October and even though the weather is fluctuating between “normal” fall weather and summer temperatures, I have the autumn spirit. Our local grocery stores have all kinds of fall produce, from gourds and pumpkins to beets and turnips. I couldn’t resist the “pie pumpkins,” also known as sugar pumpkins. But I wanted to do something savory with them.

After perusing the fresh produce area, I decided to make a mash-up bake with a rainbow of vegetables along with uncooked chicken breast that we had leftover in the fridge from something else. It not only looks beautiful, it tastes good. The overall flavor is very earthy and savory, but the pumpkin and beets give a light sweetness while thyme adds a slightly bright note. We hope you enjoy it!

Breakfast Taco Lettuce Wraps

September 26, 2018September 25, 2018 by Heather Schrader 1 Comment

Sometimes, I want breakfast for dinner. Other days, I want dinner for breakfast. Still others I want brunch (a.k.a. a silly but glorious excuse to eat pancakes, waffles, and other decadent dishes); and then there are the days when I just can’t decide. Let’s face it: our designations for what food we eat at various times of the day are somewhat arbitrary, based on years of tradition and societal norms that formed over time. I’m of the mind that, as long as it’s good food, you can eat it anytime of the day.

This quick and easy recipe comes out of my inability to decide between breakfast and dinner foods for dinner one night. I sort of wanted to eat eggs. I also kind of craved tacos. “Why not have both?” Brent asked. It’s ridiculously simply and fast to make, but we enjoyed it. We hope you will too!

Macadamia and Curry Crusted Salmon

September 12, 2018September 11, 2018 by Heather Schrader Leave a comment

When wild-caught salmon is “in season” (read, available at Costco), it becomes a staple in our weekly meal rotation. We’ll buy it on Saturday or Sunday, cook it on Monday or Tuesday, and enjoy any leftovers later in the week. Most often, we bake the salmon with garlic, dill, and oil or ghee. It’s quick and easy, and always tasty.

Recently, though, I’ve wanted a break from our standard salmon meal. I was staring at our pantry, and felt inspired by the macadamia nuts. I have also been on a bit of a curry kick. So, I put the two together and I think it turned out rather well. We hope you will agree!

Reverse-Seared Pork Chops

August 8, 2018August 8, 2018 by Heather Schrader 3 Comments

We haven’t made pork chops in a long time. A really long time. When I think of pork chops, I think of dry, chewy white meat smothered in apple sauce or gravy. That’s how they were served (at least to me) when I was a kid. But it doesn’t have to be that way!

Our new favorite method of cooking steaks is reserve searing, and it worked beautifully for these pork chops. It does take a while, but most of that time is the baking process. I like that because it means I can spend time reading to or playing with Otto while dinner cooks—parenting win!

Chicken and Vegetables in a Coconut Cream Sauce

June 20, 2018June 19, 2018 by Heather Schrader Leave a comment

This is one of those recipes we threw together using what we had in the fridge and freezer, unsure if it would work. I told Brent, “I want to use those chicken breasts and vegetables in the freezer. Can you help me figure out what else we can cook them with to make it more than just a basic chicken and veggies sauté?” He said, “Sure. I can try,” and got to work.

When he first pulled out the rosé and coconut cream, I was skeptical. But it worked rather well. In fact, this dish reminds me slightly of chicken marsala. I think that’s because of the combination of truffle (a very umami flavor, like mushrooms), wine, and cream.

It’s kind of magical how sometimes he has a rough idea and I can execute it perfectly, but other times I’m the one with the vague idea and he execute a delicious dish. Still other times we bounce ideas off each other, split the prep and cooking work, and even make edits to our original plan as we’re cooking. Ultimately, what matters is that the food we make is delicious—for us, for our son, and for you.