Lemon Roasted Asparagus & Peppers

I'm Back!  Thanks to pregnancy & being a new mom this blog has been on the back burner for over a year. Since my last post, I have had a beautiful baby girl Penelope, have been so sleep deprived I thought I might be going crazy, found a passion for natural remedies & aromatherapy (check out my other blog Aroma Nurse ) & have discovered Costco.  Yup, that about sums it up. But seriously, Costco is  amazing!  A big thanks to everyone who uses & enjoys my many recipes. I have been contacted by wonderful people all over the WORLD telling me how much they enjoy my food & how Paleo has changed their lives.  It is so rewarding & inspiring to speak with each & every one of you!  Well I have great news:,I am ready to pick back up where I left off starting with this simple spring side dish.  It is officially the first day of spring after all!  Enjoy!

Perfect to accompany any meal this spring!!!

Ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus, washed, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
2 large red bell peppers, washed, cored, and cut into thin strips
1-2tbs organic extra virgin olive oil
3-4 drops DoTerra lemon essential oil (To read about the benefits of lemon oil see my blog post here.  To purchase go to My DoTerra Wellness Store)
1/4c parmesan cheese (optional)
Sea salt & fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil.  Spread veggies evenly over the baking sheet.
2. In a small bowl mix lemon essential oil and olive oil.  Pour over veggies and toss.  Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top.
3. Throw them in the oven, check in 10 minutes and stir. Mine took 15-20.  You want them to begin to brown on the bottoms and be fully cooked.  If using parmesan, sprinkle over the top, turn the oven to broil and broil a few minutes longer until cheese melts.  Enjoy!  Enjoy!  Enjoy!  I've made these 3 times already.

Pineapple Teriyaki Beef over Crazy Sweet Potatoes & Asparagus

This meal is ridiculously easy and delicious.  I used a simple homemade teriyaki sauce to gently braise a chuck roast in the oven over low heat until perfectly tender and juicy.  When the meat was almost done, I made some crazy sweet potatoes (nick-named "crazy" because that is how amazing they are) and simply grilled asparagus.  The mixture of textures and color make this dish pleasing to the eye as well as the palate.  Rest assured that everything here is gluten free.  This meal is one of my favorites and I hope it is one you will go back to again and again.  Bon appetit!

Delicious & Satisfying

Pineapple Teriyaki Beef Ingredients:
3lb chuck roast
6oz pineapple juice
1/2tbs sesame oil
1tbs rice vinegar
1tbs minced garlic
2tbs brown sugar (optional) plus 2tbs reserved
1tbs minced ginger
2-3c baby carrots

Crazy Sweet Potato Ingredients:
5-6 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 stick butter
1/2c coconut milk (more until desired consistency reached)
2tbs pure maple syrup (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Simply Grilled Asparagus:
2 bunches asparagus, washed and trimmed
2tbs olive oil (or use an olive oil sprayer)
sea salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325F.  In a large bowl, mix pineapple juice through ginger.  Place carrots in a bean pot, dutch  oven, or large glass dish.  Top with roast and pour teriyaki sauce on top.  Bake, covered, in the oven for 4 hours or until very tender.  Alternatively, you could use a slow cooker on high for about 6 hours.
2. At the last 10 minutes of cooking, uncover and sprinkle the top with brown sugar.  Let it caramelize on top before taking it out of the oven and serving.
3. When the meat is about 40 minutes from finished, start your potatoes:  Boil them in a large pot of water until soft.  Drain.  Add butter, maple syrup and coconut milk and beat until smooth.  Add more coconut milk until you reach your desired consistency.  Season with salt and pepper.
4. As the potatoes are boiling, heat up your grill to medium high heat.  Spray your veggies with oil, sprinkle with salt, and grill until charred on all sides (about 10 minutes).
5. Serve asparagus and potatoes with a mound of teriyaki beef and carrots.  Enjoy!

Pan Fried Fish w/ Lemon Almond Crumble & Asparagus

I absolutely love nut crusted fish.  There is something about delicate fish with a nutty crunchy coating that sends me straight into culinary heaven.  For some, the process of creating a nut encrusted meal is a long messy process.  For myself, after experimenting with several different ways to use nuts with fish and I specifically created this recipe for the busy no-fuss cook.  In less than 15 minutes, you can serve yourself and your loved ones a simple gourmet meal.  Stick with a mild flavored wild caught fish for this dish.  I like rock-fish, but in a pinch tilapia will do just fine.  Enjoy!

Fresh fish with a lemony almond crumble:  simple and delicious!

Ingredients (serves 4):
4 filets of wild caught fish, a mild white fish works best (I used Rock-fish)
4-5tbs butter
2tbs extra virgin olive oil
pinch thyme
1/2c unsalted roasted almonds, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
zest of 1 lemon
sea salt, to taste
1 large bunch asparagus

Directions:
1. Preheat your broiler and place the rack about 6 inches from heat.
2. Wash and trim your asparagus, toss with 1tbs olive oil and spread on a foil lined baking sheet.  Place under the broiler and cook until crisp tender and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes (flip half way though).
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 1tbs butter and 1tbs olive oil over medium high heat.
4. Season fish with a bit of salt and a pinch of thyme.
5. Place fish into the skillet and pan fry until golden on one side, about 3 minutes.  Flip and cook on the remaining side until golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes more.
6. While the fish is cooking, melt the remaining 3tbs butter in a small dish.  Stir in lemon juice.
7. Melt a bit more butter into a small skillet or sauce pan over medium high heat.  Add the almonds and stir until coated. Pour half of the lemon-butter mixture into the small pan and stir well.  Add another pinch of thyme, a few pinches of lemon zest, and a bit of salt.  Cook and stir until the liquid is reduced.
8. When the asparagus is done, drizzle with the remaining lemon-butter.  Top with lemon zest.
9. Serve a plate with some asparagus.  Top with a fillet of fish and pour a quarter of the almond lemon crumble over each fish.  Serve hot and enjoy!

Wild Salmon with Grilled Asparagus & Carmelized Shallots

It's finally spring so fresh asparagus is easy to find and very inexpensive this time of year (I found mine for $1 per pound).  To complement this fantastic veggie, I found an amazing deal at the grocery store for frozen wild caught Alaskan salmon (only $11 for 10 individually wrapped fillets!).  This salmon is so delicious the only regret I have is not buying more of it!  For this simple, spectacular meal I coated the salmon with stone ground mustard, lemon, butter, and dill and paired it with a big helping of grilled asparagus.  To add a bit of pizazz to the whole thing, I caramelized some shallots in a pan with butter, olive oil, dijon and white wine vinegar until they were brown and rich with flavor.  Throw them on top of the asparagus and you can call this my favorite lunch.  Will it be yours too?

A simple spring meal for any occasion

Ingredients (serves 3):
3 boneless wild caught salmon fillets, skin side down
2tbs butter
1 1/2tbs stoneground mustard
1/4-1/2tsp dill
1 lemon wedge
sea salt
1 bunch fresh asparagus
2tbs extra virgin olive oil
6 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
2tsp dijon mustard
2tsp white wine vinegar

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 400F.  Preheat your grill to medium high heat.  Note:  If you like your salmon grilled, you could do this as well but I prefer mine baked since I didn't marinate it ahead of time.
2. In a small bowl, melt 1tbs butter.  Mix in stoneground mustard, dill, a squeeze from a lemon and some salt.  Mix well and taste to adjust seasonings.
3. Place salmon skin side down on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Spread about 1tbs of your mustard butter mixture over each fillet evenly.  Place in the center of a pre-heated oven and bake for about 10 minutes per inch of thickness (mine took 15 minutes).  Your salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork.
4. Wash your asparagus, trim the ends and place them on a large tray.  Coat them evenly with 1tbs olive oil (alternatively use an olive oil sprayer and coat them well).  Sprinkle with sea salt.
5. Place asparagus on the grill and grill until softened and blackened on each side (this takes about 10-15 minutes).
6. While your salmon and asparagus is cooking, heat your remaining tbs butter and tbs oil in a large pan.  Add your shallot and cook over medium heat until softened and deep brown.  Add a bit of dijon and vinegar and stir well.  Season with salt.
7. Serve salmon with grilled asparagus topped with caramelized shallots.  Delish!

Macadamia Nut Crusted Salmon with Coconut Curry Drizzle and Roasted Asparagus

This meal combines most of my favorite things: seafood, nuts, coconut and veggies.  I cannot tell you how much flavor it has.  I made this for my husband Anthony's 29th birthday and he was in heaven.  His favorite fish is salmon so I went with some fresh wild caught salmon from Wholefoods (my favorite place for seafood) and it did not disappoint!  I strongly suggest you add this to your grain-free repertoire.  Enjoy.

A decadent mix of seafood, veggies and a grain free nut topping with a rich coconut sauce

Ingredients:
1lb wild caught salmon
1/3c macadamia nuts

1/4c pure coconut flour
sea salt
1tbs extra virgin coconut oil
2tbs coconut milk (full fat, not light)
1 bunch asparagus
macadamia nut oil

For the curry drizzle:
1 can full fat coconut milk (take 2tbs out for the fish topping)
1tbs red curry paste (gluten free)
2tsp lemon grass
1tsp curry powder
1/4tsp cumin
1/2tsp gluten & msg free chicken base powder
1/4tsp cinnamon
sea salt to taste

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400F.  In a food processor, pulse nuts until finely chopped.  In a bowl, mix nuts, coconut flour, and a bit of salt.
2. Place the salmon, skin side down, on a baking sheet.  Top each fillet with coconut milk and spread evenly (will help the coating stick).  Then press some of the nut mixture onto the fillet so it is evenly coated (you will have some left over).  Warm up the coconut oil (hard at room temp) and drizzle over the fillets.  This will help the coating brown.
3. Meanwhile, toss the asparagus in some macadamia nut oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

The finished dish:  decadent and healthy at the same time!

4. Place the fish and asparagus in the oven.  The fish will cook at about 10minutes per inch of thickness (in my case, 20 minutes).  The asparagus takes about 20 minutes to roast, so if your fish is thin, put the asparagus in first.  Pull out when the fish flakes easily with a fork.
5. Meanwhile, make the sauce.  Heat the coconut milk in a sauce pan until warm.  Add the rest of the seasoning and whisk well.  Continue to heat until hot.  Taste and adjust as needed.
6. To serve, place the fish and asparagus on a plate.  Drizzle with curry sauce and sprinkle a bit of the leftover nut mixture over the asparagus, if desired.