Paleo Mayo!
Paleo mayo… haha all mayo should be paleo but sadly, if you read what comes in a jar from the store.. you’ll have a WTF moment when you come across “sugar” or “soy” or “corn syrup”. Mayo doesn’t need to be sweet.. at all. But I will be honest if you’re new to eating “real” mayo it might take a few tries to learn to like it w/o the sugar. Just like any other food that transitions with you {Milk Vs. Dark Chocolate is a great example for some people}. And just for the record.. those “Mayo made with Real Olive Oil” Commercial scare the you know what out me… it literally makes me cringe to think what could actually go into it… *shudders* Ok back to my story!
My mayo has gone through a very very long process of becoming what I want. I’ll be honest, this is like my second or third recipe I’ve used. You can see my original Recipe and method here. If you don’t like this version check out that one, it might work better for you! I then found Modern Paleo Warefare’s youtube video on their mayo {And yes of course I went all ADD and just now re-watched the youtube video hahaha}… and viola.. this version of my mayo was born!
I do my mayo by hand…. some might call me crazy, but I get a better result every single time. My mayo rarely breaks and I have more control over it. {I also live in an apt, so I can now make mayo at any hour of the day haha}. All you really need is a bowl {I prefer a glass bowl for some reason, don’t ask.. it works better for me}, a whisk {This is my favorite one: OXO Good Grips 11-Inch Balloon Whisk
A lot of people say to use a room temperature egg… Erm, I’m way to lazy for that.. so as a result my eggs are never room temp when I make my mayo, it’s your call make it how ever you want. I just know I never either remember to take it out…or I need my mayo a bit too quickly to wait for it to be “room temp”.
Ok Let’s get to it!
You will need:
• Bowl, Whisk, etc
• Extra Light Olive Oil
• 1 egg {I like using a Large one}
• Apple Cider Vinegar {you could use lemon juice}
• Salt + Pepper
How To:
Ready? I swear this is easy and not scary!
• In a small bowl {not the one that you’re making your mayo in}, crack your egg, gently scoop out your yolk with your hand. By doing it this way you are making sure you only get your egg yolk, if you get some egg white in it, you’re mayo will come out a little bit more runny… You can also do the Liz-Lazy method and crack the egg over the sink and dump it in your hand and gently move it from hand to hand to get all the white off… Really it’s whatever you like the best, I’m just lazy and hate dishes so I refuse to make extra for myself hahaha
• Egg yolk goes into your mayo bowl. Get your whisk in hand and give your yolk {as is} and good whisk to break it up. Then SLOWLY.. So Slowly it hurts… whisk in a bit of Olive Oil, you’ll notice the emulsion take almost instantly… {After you’ve made yourself a few mayos you’ll be able to tell almost instantly if it’s going to be broken or not}. After I’ve added in some olive oil while constantly Whisking, I’ll stop pouring the Olive oil and give my mayo a really good whisk to make sure its all incorporated. Then go back to slowly pouring olive oil and whisking. I might take two more breaks like that just to make sure the olive oil is really well mixed in.
I can’t give you an exact measurement for how much olive oil to use, every egg yolk, kitchen, person, pouting speed, situation is different. But you’ll go through around 1/2 to 1 cup of olive oil…
• You’ll know it’s all done when the majority of your mayo is basically in a ball on your whisk. You’ll have just a bit left in your bowl {You can literally pick your whisk up and hold it upright, and your mayo won’t move}. It looks like mayo doesn’t it… yeahh it does! Isn’t it pretty? Now Add in some salt, pepper, and a splash of your apple cider vinegar. I prefer a wicked tangy mayo, so I add in a far amount {which means my mayos are a bit looser than you might like} but add a smidge of it in, mix, taste test and repeat as needed. Also 99% of my mayos have a dried herb in them — Basil, Thyme, Rosemary, Depending on what I’m serving it with… It’s an easy flavor boost!
• Now.. This is as important {to me} as actually making your mayo– Storing it… I keep mine in the bowl I make it in and cover with plastic wrap, but I push the plastic wrap down so it’s covering the mayo and not just the bowl. If you don’t your mayo can form a “skin” or discolor slightly. I find it keeps it fresher longer! Your mayo should last a week or so after the egg’s expiration date… but Really lets be honest, You’ll be lucky if it lasts to the next day!
Enjoy!
Questions? Need help? Comment on here or email me! {Liz@Paleoonabudget.com}
{I’ll be making a separate post uber soon about broken mayos, double vs. single batches, etc… stay tuned!}
Sweet Potato Chicken Salad Noms
Right, Sweet Potato Chicken Salad.. you heard that right folks. Now some of you are going to be like… omgomgomgomg genius gotta try it, others… well you might think I’ve gone off the deep end… but trust me… this is wicked yummy. The best part though is that it’s a one bowl dinner, literally.. One bowl serves everyone. The only thing you could add to it is a side salad. Or maybe slices of Avocado, or something similar. The other nice thing is, you can make this ahead of a time, making sweet potatoes for dinner monday night? Cook up an extra one while you’re at it, toss it in the fridge and use it Tuesday or Wednesday. Or make this dinner on Sunday Night, in the fridge it goes until you need it. I also personally think it’d be a great after school snack, it’s easy for kids to get themselves and good for them, and not a “typical” snack {Which I know when I was a kid… I prefered the snacks that didn’t feel like a “snack” I liked chicken with mustard or salad, or soup or something similar after school}.
Oh and it’s cheap to make, because I’m guessing most of you have almost everything in your house right now. Yessss epic I know I know
Ok here it is!
Ingredients:
• 1.5lb Chicken
• 1 large Onion, sliced thinly
• 1/2 bag frozen green beans
• Dried Dill, Rosemary, Basil, Garlic Powder
• 1-2 Sweet Potatoes
• Kerry Gold Butter {or coconut oil}
• Good Olive Oil
• Salt + Pepper
• Paleo Mayo
• Sausages {I used 4 “breakfast” sized ones}
• Mustard
How To:
• Crank your oven up to 375 degrees {F}
• Get a baking sheet out, and dice up 1-2 sweet potatoes into bite size cubes {I’d go with 2 the first time, because it’s completely personal choice how much goes in, if you don’t want to use all of it after it’s cooked, save it and use it for breakfast the next morning, or a great post-work out snack!}. Drizzle with Olive Oil, Salt + Pepper, and Bake for 30-40 minutes, until cooked through and crispy.
•While those are going, add some butter {or coconut oil} into a skillet, chop your onions and let those caramelize, remember low and slow is a good idea… no one likes burnty onions! While that’s going, dice up your sausages, add them in the pan, then dice up your chicken into bite sized pieces, add that in. Let them all become bffls… and cook through. I let the chicken get a little crispy as well {Mr. Not So Paleo loves it that way}, but you can cook it until it’s done to your liking.
• Right before your chicken is done, add in your green beans. Let all that cook.
• Toss it into a bowl, let it cool down {I stuck mine in the freezer for like 10 minutes}. When you’re sweet potatoes are done, add them into the bowl.
• Then add in your mayo { I make my mayo extra tangy… if you don’t, you might want to also add in a splash of lemon juice too}, How much mayo you might ask, as much as you want! Add in two squirts of mustard, salt, pepper, and your herbs and garlic powder.
• Stir it up, taste taste, adjust if needed and Enjoy!!
Chili Got A Re-Do
That’s right! You read it here first, Chili has gotten a re-do, it’s gone from the older recipe to something a bit more new and more mellow. This isn’t a spicy one, but you could easily add pepper flakes or jalapenos or something and make it spicy! But I really wanted something that was full of flavor and not a omg-that’s-hot sorta dinner you know?
Cool tip? If you miss sour cream on your chili, make some mayo and add extra Apple Cider Vinegar or some Lemon Juice to it to make it tangy. Put a dollop ontop {or you know.. maybe two} And you’ve got insta- feels like sourcream with out the dairy!
I also think avocados, chopped tomatoes, scallions, and olive oil are great Chili toppers!
Ingredients:
• 1 lb pork
• 2 medium onion, medium dice
• 4 carrots, medium dice
• 1/2 – 1lb of some kind of meat {See How To For Details}
• 8 oz package of mushrooms
• 3.5-4.5 tbsp Chili Powder
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tbsp of Dried Basil and Oregano
• Salt + Pepper
• 1.5 Tbsp Cumin
• 1 Big {28 oz} Can Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 14 oz can diced tomato
• 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
How To:
• In your crock pot put your chopped onions and carrots in and your mushrooms. I bought the pre-sliced because they were one sale, but feel free to use whatever is cheapest at the grocery store.
• Then Add your Ground Pork and Meat… I had left over roast so I used that, use whatever left over steak you might have or if there’s bits and pieces in the freezer use that. Doesn’t matter… just steak / red meat of some kind… cooked uncooked.. whatever floats your boat and makes it as cheeaaappp as possible for you!
• Then add in all your Herbs / spices, Canned tomatoes, and Apple Cider Vinegar. Stir it all up, cover, and set on low in your crock pot for 6-8 hours {or High for around 4 or so}.
• It’ll look thick when it first starts, but about 30 minutes before serving it, if it looks a bit watery / thin, feel free to add in a tablespoon or so of Tomato Paste to thicken up!
{{You could also do this over the stove, just add in veggies and meat, cook all the way through, add in your spices and tomatoes, etc. Then let simmer for around 30-45 minutes}}
Enjoy!
Roasted Tomato Slices
Oh please I so went there. And oh boy you’ll be happy when you do. This week the huge tomatoes were on sale for $0.79 per pound so I took it as the perfect chance to A.) Make a HUGE salad {with steak and butternut squash… oh it was good}. And then to make this for lunch this morning {I don’t really eat breakfast… but this works for that too}. It was beyond easy but really flavorful and versatile. I topped mine with two eggs, but you could use it on top of a burger, with some fresh mozzarella, use it for the base of a tomato sauce, endless possibilities. And if you grow your own tomatoes this is a great way to use the ones that might not look that great or a little over-ripe.
Ingredients:
• 2 Large {ish} Tomatoes
• Dried Basil
• Salt + Pepper
• Olive Oil
How To:
• Pre-heat your oven to 375 {F}
• I like to thinly slice off the top of the tomato where the stem is.. totally optional, then slice your tomato into thick slices. I got mine into thirds but you might get four slices out of yours.
• Place slices on a wire rack that’s fitted into a baking sheet, top each slice with a little bit of salt, pepper, and basil. Then Drizzle a little Olive Oil over each slice.
• Bake for 20-30 minutes {I like mine to still have a smidge of a bite so I go the 20 minutes but if you’re using it for a sauce go a bit longer!}
It’s done! Top with whatever the heck you’d like, or just eat as is.
Here’s Mr. Not So Paleo’s Meal:
For Him I did it with English Muffins Pizza Style
{ I just topped a half of English Muffin with Provelone Cheese, Tomato Slice, Little bit of Ketchup, Egg, Salt + Pepper & More Basil. }
Then made him sausages to go with it {I use Jones all Natural that are Paleo for the sausages}
Burgers
Have I done a post dedicated to burgers? I don’t think I have… weird right? I mean I eat them at least twice a week {They are sooo good }. Before I get to the recipe exciting news!
I got a standing desk.. it’s epic, but weird to get used to.. I’ve been working off of the couch for a while now and just wanted a change, so I used a microwave stand /butcher block top thingy I have {My parents bought it for me way back when I was in Rhode Island from Target}. This thing is a beast and I hated moving with it… Ok back to my story.. anyhoo if there’s any way you can make yourself a standing desk for when you’re home I think you’ll like it a bit more, I just feel more productive with it.
{I don’t even need to wear heels to work at it like most typical standing desks.. so double bonus for me!}
Now this recipe was an accident actually… I had bought myself a ton of dried spices and not really realized what I was putting into my burger.. well it was a very happy accident. This works with Pork or beef last night I did pork for the first time and it was really stupidly yummy… and this is easy Really easy…
And for those of you starting up a Whole 30 with us on Friday this is totally Whole 30 approved as long as you use either clarified butter or Coconut oil for your fat 
And the picture for it almost didn’t get taken… why you ask… This is why:
She’s so cute but so freaking. sneaky…….. ok onto the recipe!
Ingredients:
• 1 lb of ground beef or pork {just use what’s in the freezer}
• Salt + Pepper
• 1 tbsp of dried Rosemary
• 1 tsp of garlic powder
• Some sorta fat, Clarified Butter, Ghee, or coconut oil {Bacon fat is wicked good w/ this too}
How To:
• Heat le big skillet with fat
• Dump all ingredients into a bowl. Mix well {but don’t over mix, meat gets tough when over mixed}
• Form into patties and cook until done.
Cheap and easy…. It cost me what I think $2.75 to make it and I made 9 burgers {we make smaller burgers so it feels like you’re eating more.. and they’re not going a bun so they don’t need to be ginormous }.
Quick tip: Make the patties in the morning or even the night before and stick them in the fridge. That way when you get home from work they’re ready to go! I made these with carrot fries, so while the carrot fries were cooking up I could cook up the burgers and it was all done at the same time
No Chopping Dinner
You know those nights when you just can’t cook… those are the nights that you’d normally grab a pizza or take out right? STOP don’t grab the phone… come back… Ok now before you do that try this first. It’s a dinner of literally no chopping, you dump in a pan, stir and eat. Just as much effort as calling in take out {because lets face it..deciding on what to eat takes way to much brain power}. It’s also kind of nice because it’s a semi-freezer dump where you can use bags of veggies that are only 1/2 or less full and clear that out.
This is recipe is JUST a method, don’t think you have to follow it to the letter, use what you have and make it work for you. From start to finish you’re looking at 10 minutes {maybe more if you’ve got a ton of veggies heating through in the pan}.
You ready? Here you go…
Ingredients:
• 1 lb of some sorta ground meat {I used pork}
• ~ 1.5 bags frozen veggies {I used a big bag of california veggies and 1/4 of a bag of Peppers + Onions}
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Some sorta fat {I used KerryGold Butter}
• Herbs {I used Rosemary and Basil and Pepper Flakes}
• Salt + Pepper.
How To:
• Heat your fat up {literally anything works but I love veggies drenched in butter so I used a ton of it}.
• Dump the veggies and let them and the butter do the bffl thing
• Add your ground meat of choice, stir.. cook.. when it’s half way cooked through sprinkle in your seasoning and apple cider vinegar {Apple cider vinegar was a 2 times around the pan and spices to taste}.
• Let it finish cooking, taste test, adjust seasoning.
• Boom. You’re done, that’s it. I did however drizzle some good olive oil over the top of the bowl for some extra noms.
**** A note from Mr. Not So Paleo: It had an “Asian theme” to it {according to him}, so for the Non-Paleos adding rice and soy sauce into it is a very very good idea. {If adding rice for the Non-Paleos, use the quick cooking rice, and get that rocking and rolling before you start cooking… I’d rather have the rice waiting for me than vice versa}.
Kale + Tomato{ish} Soup
What?! I know right… that’s crazy. But it’s freaking epic. It was easy and yummy and for the most part cheap to make. I’m guessing you have most if not everything in your kitchen right now. Yeah…. you’re getting even more psyched for this.
Here’s the skinny… if you don’t have Kale or its too pricey just switch it out for spinach, cabbage, or some sorta leafy green no big deal. Buy what’s on sale and fits el budget.
In other news, the new blonde roast at Starbucks is AMAZING. It’s a light roast but it doesn’t lack in flavor which is what I was worried about. So try it out next time you’re there!
Ok I’ll stop rambling… Price break down of this yummyness at the bottom.. and P.S. This was not only dinner last night but breakfast this morning, and there’s still leftovers!
Ingredients:
• 1 lb Spicy Sausages
• 1 Medium onion, medium Diced
• 1 Big Bunch of Kale
• 1 12oz bag frozen pepper strips {or two fresh ones}
• 1 14oz can diced tomatoes {or 1-2 diced fresh tomatoes
• 1/3 of a 28oz can of crushed tomato
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp oregano
•1/2 tbsp Italian Seasoning + Basil
• 4 cups chicken stock
• Coconut Oil
• Fresh Lemon Juice, Black Pepper, salt
How To:
• Get your onions and coconut oil being all bffl-like in soup pot, you want to sweat them so a medium heat is good, this should take around 5 minutes to do.
• While that’s happening I decided to start tearing up my kale leaves { and separating them from the stem} and just put them into a big bowl until I was ready for them. When your Onions are done start to crumble in your sausage {take the casing off of them and break into pieces}.
• Then add in your peppers and let that cook for a few minutes. Toss your kale in.. and here’s the trick.. ready? Cover the pot, and let it steam for a few minutes to wilt the kale, then stir it all together.
• Add in your diced tomato + crushed tomato + Spices, stir together, add in chicken stock.
• Cover and let simmer for a minimum of 30 minutes. Right before you serve squeeze in 1/2 a lemons juice. Stir. When I put it in the bowl I finished it off with a smidge bit more pepper, another spritz of lemon juice and a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil.
You’re done! If you’ve got non-paleo family that loves grilled Cheese + Soup… this is the soup to do it with it’ll meet everyone’s needs.
Price Break Down: The Whole soup {And I’m over shooting the price} was $9.00 for two people = $4.50 per person and each person can get two meals {at least} out of it so thats $2.25/serving.
You go out and get a soup like that at Bertucci’s and it’ll cost you at least $6.00
Enjoy!! I should have Whole Foods Matchups today for you!
Chicken Salad Revamp
So my chicken salad needed a revamp.. it had way to many ingredients. And I never had all of them on hand and I love chicken salad… so here we go… round two! According to Mr. Not So Paleo this is yummier than the last chicken salad.. which is totally high praise considering he loves chicken salad more than I do {which is a lot}!
This goes great with well.. anything really and it’s another paleo meal that can go non paleo super easy. I made Mr. Not So Paleo some English Muffins and made him sandwiches with it! Totally versatile.
Ingredients:
• 1.5lb Chicken breasts, cut up into bite size pieces.
• Medium Onion, diced
• 1/2 carrot {ish}, diced
• Scallions
• Homemade mayo
• Mustard
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Salt + Pepper, Italian Seasoning, Cumin
• Sausages {or bacon or both!}
• Some sorta fat source I used coconut oil {but you could use bacon grease, butter, ghee, etc}
How To:
• Get a big skillet heating with your fat, and dice up your chicken, toss into pan and cook it through. I like it a bit crispy so I let it go for a while. While it’s cooking chop up your sausages, onions, and carrots. {the amount is really a personal choice}.
• Put chicken into big bowl add bit more fat into skillet and toss in the carrots, onion and sausages to cook. {While thats cooking up you could make your mayo if it wasn’t already}. Once those are done add those into the bowl.
• Salt + Pepper to taste go in, about two drizzle around the bowl of apple cider vinegar {so like 2 – 3 tsps {or more if you’re me}}, two good squirts of yellow mustard, two big spoonfuls of mayo, and cumin + Italian Seasoning to taste.
• Mix it all together, taste, adjust spices, taste again. Then add in chopped up scallions mix again. You’re done!
Enjoy!
Meatballs | Sauce + Green Beans| Oh My!
These are one of my absolute favorite dinners! It’s based off of an Ina Garten recipe and wicked easy. You can switch out the meat for whatever you have at home, don’t go out special and buy ground pork, it does however taste the yummiest! I’ve also excluded eggs and nuts from this because it doesn’t really need either. But go ahead and play around with the recipe
Ingredients:
- 1.5lbs lean ground pork
- 1.5 Medium Onion
- 3 Carrots
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- Scallions
- Salt, Pepper, Cumin, Chili powder, Thyme, Oregano
- Frozen Green Beans
- Coconut Oil.
How To:
- Combine pork, 1/2 of a finely diced onion, salt, pepper, dash of cumin in a bowl… really mix them well together. Then in a pan that’s been heated with coconut oil, drop in your big ‘ol meatballs… I make them decently sized like a hamburger almost, but a bit more rounded. You could make them tiny… but that takes forever.
- Brown them on either side {like maybe 2 minutes}, they don’t have to be cooked through! While they’re browning I normally chop the rest of my onion and my carrots. When they’re browned, pull them out of the pan and put them on a plate and set them off to the side.
- Use a spatula to scrape the bottom, add my onions and carrots in. While those are going I add a smidge bit of apple cider vinegar in the pan, loosen the stuff on the bottom up a little.
- Add in salt, pepper, more cumin, and two shakes ish of the chili powder bottle, oregano and the thyme, mix it about, dump in your sauce. I stir it a bit and give it a taste, and add however much apple cider vinegar and extra spices are needed. I really like a tangy sauce, so I add in like 3 or 4 tablespoons, but you might not. Then nestle your meatballs back in, cover and let cook for a half hour on low {make sure you pour whatever drippings were on the pan into your sauce, and if any bits fell off….that’s a tong of yummy flavor!}.
- About 10 minutes before they’re done, I toss the green beans in {I don’t like them overly mushy}, recover and they’ll steam/ cook.
- Serve up, drizzle with some olive oil and top with scallions!
Enjoy!
Paleo Chili
Ha! Here it is… I decided to hold off on the meatball / sauce / green bean recipe and upload this tonight, I’ll upload the other one tomorow.. Both are good for the Whole30|Whole9, not sure about the 21 Day Sugar Detox though… I’m going to assume both are good to go! {If it’s not let me know so I can leave a note in here!}
Ingredients:
• 1.5 lbs ground beef
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 medium onion
• 4 carrots
• 1/2 medium sized bag green beans
• 1/2 medium sized bag pepper strips
• 1 28oz can Crushed Tomato
• 1/2 28oz can Tomato Puree
• 4-5 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp cumin
• 1/2 tbsp thyme & Oregano
• 1.5 tbsp Italian Seasoning
• 1.5 tsp salt & crushed red pepper flakes, cracked pepper
• 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
How to:
• Dig out the crockpot
• Chop up your onions and carrots {share a few pieces of carrots with the puppy or kids!}. I like bigger pieces in my chili but cut them to however you like it.
• Chop up your chicken, toss that in with the ground beef {this is where you’d add in steak or sausages if you wanted to}
• Layer on your frozen veggies.
• Spices go in next, then give it a mix, you want to coat the meat in the spices before the tomatoes go on!
• Now your tomatoes. I also took the can and rinsed it out {filled it like 1/4 the way up, to loosen the chili and get all the extra sauce out }
• One last stir, cover… let it go for as long as you can {On high 4 hour min. on low 6-8 hour min.}
Enjoy!
You can serve with sliced avocado, homemade mayo on top, almond bread, or topped with a fried egg !
Check This Out:
Find Us On…
