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!!
Sweet Potato Rounds
I lovveee Sweet Potatoes… they’re a newer thing for me.. I didn’t really start to eat them till I moved up here {so maybe 5 years ish?}. Anyhoo, I love them roasted, Love them baked, mashed, the usual… But I was getting a little sick of those ways to eat them. So I came up with this way! It might seem like a little bit more work, but I think it takes the same time to cut them into “roasted fries” as it does to get them into the oven.
The best part is, because it’s a two step process, you can do part one and stick it in the fridge, and bake them off later that day or even a day or two later. So it’s a great prep-ahead side dish! Make a quick stir fry while they bake and Boom… insta-easy-dinner.
Make sure your knife is sharp when cutting these bad boys up as well! If you don’t know how to sharpen your knife or can’t try bringing it to a gourmet food store, a lot of them will sharpen your knifes for free, or at least point you in the right direction!
Ingredients:
• 2 sweet potatoes {Roughly the same thickness if you can}
• Butter {or Coconut Oil}
• Salt, Pepper, Dried Rosemary
How To:
• Pre-Heat your oven to 375 degrees{F}
• Get a big ‘ol skillet heating with a fair amount of butter, and cut your sweet potatoes into 1/4″ {ish} rounds. {Go thicker or thinner depending on your mood}.
• Drop your rounds into the skillet to get them to start browning. Flip over and brown over on the other side, and place them on a baking sheet. I have to split it up into two or three batches normally, and just keep placing them on you baking sheet.
• Generously sprinkle Rosemary, Salt + Pepper on One Side, Bake for 15 minutes.
• Take them out of the oven, flip, sprinkle this side with the Rosemary, Salt + Pepper, put bake in oven and bake for 10-15 more minutes.
Enjoy! They have a creamy inside with a slightly crunchy outside, so it’s like a roasted sweet potato spear, baked sweet potato, and a mashed potato all in one! I normally smother it in more butter or whip up a quick mayo dip. They taste great the next day too with some eggs!
Oh and if you’re not a rosemary fan, feel free to use basil, thyme, whatever dried herb is your favorite 
{And when they bake they make your house smell amazing!}
Paleo Cracker-Wafer{y}-Thing
Pre-Paleo I was obsessed with cheese and crackers or crackers and butter. I was the girl who would eat bread / crackers just to have butter…. So alas, I’ve come up with my own cracker-like-thing. It’s a little chewy in the center but the edges are crispy. Slathered with Kerry Gold, Oh man.. I was a happy camper. These would also be good with some salsa or guacamole and use it as the “chip” if you will. I was also thinking it’d be yummy to turn into sandwiches or a light snack {little bit of mayo, little bit of chicken or turkey, seasoning… boom insta-sandwich}. Or if you have a veggie plate out with dip, you could make these just to have on the side to add variety. You’re going to have to play around with how thick or thin you like them, so try it a few ways before you settle on your favorite!
I made these savory, and feel free to use any herbs you like. But if you want them “sweeter” Use cinnamon, and add like a tsp or so of honey! Should turn out great Ok Ok … here’s the recipe!
Ingredients:
• 1 cup Almond Flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp Melted Butter {I measured my butter post-melting}
• 2 tbsp Water
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh Rosemary
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• Dash of Pepper
How To:
• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees {F}
• Combine all of your ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
• You can either line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and oil it down a little or you can just use a non-stick cookie sheet, I found they got crispier just on the cookie sheet {by a little}, but a few of them broke in half. So it’s totally up to you which method you use { I preferred parchment paper oiled down}.
• Once you’ve got your cookie sheet ready to go, use a 1/2 tbsp measure and scoop mixture onto the cookie sheet, I used my finger to gentley push the mixture out a little so it became thinner, So I’d scoop, make thinner, scoop some more. That way I didn’t over crowd them. {This recipe made around 22 crackers for me!}
• Bake for 6-8 minutes. They’re done when they have a crispy outer-edge and the inside is still slightly soft.
They’re done! Enjoy!!
Best part about these? They cost me next to nothing to make. I Make my own almond flour {grind in a blender, strain through a sieve to get out the lumps / bigger pieces}. And everything else I always have in the house. I’m guessing all told these cost me around $3.00 to make, which is ~$0.14 per… which means, for a party, a movie night, a “I want to treat myself and have a wicked yummy snack”, you’re not breaking the bank…by any stretch. Which equals an epic win!
Paleo Chicken Salad with a Twist
I know this what my third chicken salad post? But it’s ssssoooo cheap and easy to make and it never gets boring {to me at least}. This is my current favorite chicken salad, but I’m sure in a few months I’ll have a new one for you guys! You ready for this epicness?!
Ingredients:
• 1.5 lb chicken
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 3 spicy sausages
• 1/2 cucumber
• 2-3 handfuls of grapes
• .5 tbsp Dried Basil
• .5 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Dried Dill
• .5 tbsp Oregano
• 3-4 Tbsp Homemade Paleo Mayo
• 2 Tbsp Yellow Mustard
• S+P
• Coconut oil or some kind of fat for the pan
• Cook the chicken however you’d like, I chopped mine up into pieces {bite size} and pan fried it in coconut oil.
• In a pan cook up your onions in your fat of choice, and get them nice and caramelized {remember to take your time with that!}. About half way through their cooking time, I like to remove the casing of my sausages and crumble it into the onions.
• Once those are cooked put them and your chicken in a big old bowl. Now chop up your grapes in half or quarters your pick, and peel / chop your cucumber into bite size-ish pieces.
• Add in the Spices / dried herbs, salt + Pepper and mix really well. It’s not a very “wet” chicken salad {not a huge fan of them} so feel free to add more mayo if you’d like, but if you’re going to let this sit over night I’d add some extra mayo just so it doesn’t dry out or anything.
• Taste test it, adjust spices as needed and it’s done!
Optionally you could switch out the cucumber for diced tomato, whatever you have on hand would work well
Enjoy!
Chicken Stock 101
Seriously, who doesn’t a love a good hot cup of chicken stock? It always perks up my mood and is a great thing to have in the freezer when you start feeling sick {Chicken Stock has the same properties as NyQuil minus all the icky stuff!}. The best thing is when you make stock this way, you also get the chicken meat.. so you’re essentially getting a whole bunch of meals for very little money. Who doesn’t love that? Also, I stink so bad at making bone broth, for some reason it always comes out terrible, like almost inedible terrible. So I’ve resorted to this method which I love!
With my stock & Chicken Meat I made Chicken soup and Chicken salad and we had some stock as is and a few nibbles of chicken and primal puggle had some with her dinner last night
Break down of price? It cost me: around $5.35 to make, divided by three meals is $1.78/meal, divided by two people = $0.891 per meal per person.
So for chicken meals.. the fact that you’re starting your base price for the chicken itself at $1.78 is huge, and it’s cooked… Hellooo easy meals! If you want though use this for lunches, eggs, stuff like that. Then you’ll stretch it a ton. You could probably safely from a 4.5lb chicken get four lunches and two maybe four breakfasts out of it… But this is ridiculously easy to do.. If you’re going to be home most of the day, this is something you can just let sit on the stove and really forget about. The putting it together took me…. maybe 5 minutes, the draining and separating the chicken took me maybe 10 minutes… So 15 minutes of actual work for yummy homemade chicken stock! Ready for the recipe?
Yes? You sure…. ok ok ok here it is!
Ingredients:
• 1 Whole Roasting chicken {around 4-5lbs}***
• 3 carrots
• 2 medium onions
• 3 stalks of celery
• Dried Basil, Rosemary, Oregano, Salt, + Pepper
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Water {Around 11-12 Cups}
How To:
• Rinse off your chicken put it in a big soup pot {Make sure you take out giblets / neck if it’s included.. you can add it into the stock but that freaks me wayyy out}.
• This is where it gets easy.. Just chop your onions in quarters {No need to peel.. just as is} Cut the carrots in half and the celery, rinse and add it in {again no peeling needed at all}.
• Top with your spices, I just did a good sprinkling of everything, DO NOT skimp on your salt, if you don’t add enough it’ll taste icky.
• Top with water, It should more than cover your chicken {like maybe an inch or two above it}
• Bring it to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer for about 3-3.5 hours {uncovered… if you start to get really low on liquid feel free to top with some more water}
• When it’s done, pull out the chicken {mine was falling apart so I ended up using a big skillet to put everything in because it has high sides to it, contain it all}, get a big bowl and a strainer and strain the liquid, set aside.
• Set the stock on the side to cool, then just shred all the meat with your fingers {or two forks} and put into separate bowl and then toss the veggies/carcass {If you’re good at bone broth save bones for said bone broth}.
• When stock is room temperature, cover and put in fridge. Next morning, skim off fat and it’s done! Either put into containers to freeze and stick in the fridge to use soon!
It seems like a lot of work, but I swear it’s not.. I just like being detailed! I’d start making some now, and have a small reserve for sinus / cold season that’s coming with the change of seasons! It’ll be a nice soothing something to drink when you need a boost!
***If your store has the chicken pieces on sale {bone in} Just get the equivalent in poundage and you should be good to go!
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}
Cauliflower Rice Gone Wild
Ahh now here’s a recipe that really makes the rice lover in me one very happy little camper. It makes me feel like I’m eating rice without actually eating it, so this might be something to try on the non-paleos in your life … they might not be able to tell the difference!
Oh and if you wanted to make this a meal instead of just a side dish add in some chopped sausages or chicken and you’ve got an insta-meal!
Ingredients:
1 cauliflower head worth of cauliflower rice
~1 lb of Asparagus
1/2 a cucumber
Ghee or Clarified Butter
Olive Oil
Red Pepper Flakes
1 Onion, small dice
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
Dried Basil
How To:
•Get your Cauliflower Rice ready for the microwave {Here’s the 101 on cauliflower rice Just use it up until the it’s microwaved part and then come back here for the rest of the recipe}. For a huge batch like this I microwave it tightly covered for 5 minutes.
•While that’s cooking, in a pan get some ghee heating and add in your Onions + Garlic, let that cook for a few minutes then add in your diced Asparagus {I used fresh asparagus here, but frozen would totally work as well}. **If using fresh asparagus don’t forget to snap le ends off { just apply pressure to both sides of the asapargus and it will naturally break somewhere along the bottom half.. }
•While that’s all cooking together nice and pretty peel and chop your cucumber {I made it roughly the same size as my asparagus}.
•When your rice is done, add in a heaping tablespoon {at least} of Ghee and a fair amount of Olive Oil, mix well with salt + pepper and dried basil.
•Add in your Asparagus mixture and red pepper flakes, mix well again.
•Now here’s the kicker, do not … I repeat DO NOT add in your cucumber until the last possible second, I literally added mine in right before I dished it up, you don’t want to cook the cucumber {I like it to still be crunchy and kind of cold}.
Boom it’s done… And it’s really not overly expensive.. it’s something I’d only make once a month or less…. As a nice added treat. It would work well with pretty much anything {I think I did it with burgers}.
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
Shrimp!
I know.. you’re sitting there in shock right now, I’m actually doing a seafood recipe. Some of you know and some might not, but I’m allergic to shellfish so I avoid it generally. But I happen to live with a man obsessed with seafood. So yesterday at the grocery store I was like “how about I make you some shrimp tomorrow”. To say it was like Christmas for him is an understatement! So here’s a really quick basic shrimp recipe that is super yummy {or at least that’s what Mr. Not So Paleo says}!
• 1/2 lb of medium shrimp, raw
• Parsley {fresh is better but dried totally works}
• In a pan get some butter melting {or Ghee} {or you could use olive oil if you don’t want to do butter…which is what I did!} {I don’t recommend coconut oil here because it’ll over power your dish}. Put in your shallots and garlic, let that cook for just a few minutes, you don’t want a ton of color on it so just go slow.
• Toss in your shrimp and let it start to cook, add in the juice of one whole lemon and sprinkle of parsley a dash of salt and some pepper.
• **** When your shrimp are literally a few seconds from being done {Done = pretty in pink}, turn off your stove and move pan to a different burner. The heat from your pan will finish cooking them all the way through. That way you don’t have tough over done shrimp!
• After it’s on your plate I like to drizzle with some oil and a few more cracks of pepper.
{The cooking times {from adding your butter in the pan} is roughly 5 minutes or less depending on how many shrimp you have to cook}
As you can see I put his shrimp over a bed of rice.
*I bought the minute rice cups you stick in the microwave for 1 minute, saved so much time {I popped it into the microwave when I put the garlic + Shallots in the pan so it was waiting for me when the shrimp was done!}
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