Shrimp, Mushroom, and Asparagus Sauté

Shrimp, Mushroom, and Asparagus Sauté Recipe [paleo, primal, keto, gluten-free]

Heather and I are almost 13 months into our parenthood journey, and we’ve continued to learn about the need to have great time management skills (and to function on dysfunctional levels of sleep). While we enjoy cooking, and cooking together, the hazards of trying to do that with a waddling one-year-old in the kitchen or keeping him occupied has been a new challenge. As I write this, Otto is walking and crawling around the room and is anxious for me to be done.

We love this recipe because it is made quickly  in one pan and almost entirely with ingredients available at Costco. Taking advantage of frozen and bulk ingredients allows us to streamline our meal planning without sacrificing flavor or quality. We know you’ll love it. Even our little guy had seconds.

Beef and Mushroom Ragù

We recently bought a big container of baby Bella mushrooms to simply roast and serve as a side dish or snack on them during the week. But, when it came to it, I wasn’t excited about roasting them. I used to dislike mushrooms, and while I like them a lot now, I still prefer them mixed in with other foods.

Meanwhile, Otto loves mushrooms. I’m pretty sure they are his favorite food, and that feels like a serious parenting win. So, I came up with this recipe for him. We hope you enjoy it as much as he did!

Pork Belly Buffalo Keto Bites

Pork Belly Buffalo Keto Bites Recipe [paleo, primal, gluten-free, dairy-free]

A few weeks ago Heather and I decided to pick up a large package of pork belly at Costco (never go to Costco hungry, folks). We had no plan for what to do with it at the time, but we went ahead and picked it up. Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs that shopping trip, so we ended up with way more food at home than we needed and it came to a point where we needed to cook or freeze this pork belly. Since I’ve been mainly following a keto diet for the past 5 months, I decided to pan fry some of the pork belly for fun. As a fan of spicy foods, I quickly tossed the fried pork belly in some Frank’s Red Hot, and I was blown away with how much these taste like tiny, boneless buffalo wings. They’re addictive and super easy—my favorite combination. My only warning is to wear an apron and use a splatter guard, as they kick up a bit of hot grease (especially if you’re making multiple batches).

Enjoy these as buffalo bites, or experiment with your favorite buffalo wing flavors (barbecue, curry, asian sweet and sour). We’ll do a follow up post some time soon with some variations. Happy eating!

Summer Cauliflower “Couscous” Salad

Summer Cauliflower Couscous Salad Recipe [paleo, primal, gluten free, vegan] (1)

The mom’s group in our area is very active, and so large that it’s subdivided into groups based on the children’s ages. I’m a “Llama Mama” and this year, it was the Llama Mama’s turn to host the annual pot-luck family picnic. I volunteered and also took a side salad. Now, a typical picnic side salad dish might involve leafy greens or cold pasta and chopped veggies plus some form of cheese and dressing. Given that we’re gluten- and dairy-free and I know at least a couple of the moms in the group are vegan, I wanted to avoid those “normal” options.

As I planned for the day, I was chatting with a college friend. Feeling somewhat nostalgic, I reflected on the things she often made when we were roommates–Matza Ball Soup, latkes, bagels with cream cheese and lox (OK, no, she didn’t make that one from scratch). Now, couscous isn’t a “traditional” Jewish food (it originates from Northern Africa) but it’s commonly enjoyed in Jewish communities and I can remember having cold, crisp couscous salad in the spring and summer or hot couscous with toppings in the fall and winter. This rendition of a cold couscous salad pays homage to those while being vegan- and paleo-friendly. We hope you like it and choose to serve it at your next picnic or barbecue!

Taco Tuesday Keto Taco Bowl Recipe

Taco Tuesday Keto Taco Bowl Recipe [paleo, primal, gluten-free, keto]

Last week we shared with you our homemade habanero guacamole. While it’s great on its own, we also put together this great taco bowl for your taco Tuesdays (and other days that end in -y). This taco bowl is saucy and flavorful without being overly sweet or complicated.

Whether you have the spiced ground beef over a bowl of iceberg lettuce or with guacamole, you’ll easily keep your net carbohydrates low (so long as you don’t eat the full recipe with guacamole in one sitting!) if you’re following a ketogenic diet. Although you’ll be tempted to eat it all in one go, we know you’ll manage your moderation.

Keto or no, you’ll feel full and ready to get after it.