Cold Cucumber Noodle BLT Salad with Tomato Basil Vinaigrette (Gluten Free, Paleo, Whole30)

I'm fairly straight and narrow when it comes to following the rules. I always wear my seat belt. I don't break any traffic laws. Well, not often. I won't cheat, not even playing Yahtzee. I feel bad when I accidentally take the bank's pen. Sorry, I didn't mean to. Sure, I've broken some rules in my days, especially in my early 20's when getting pulled over for speeding was a regular thing. Hey, I have a heavy foot... I just believe most rules are made to be kept. But, there are some that are made to be broken. Like wearing white after Labor Day. Although I don't wear white before or after.

And eating summer meals after Labor Day... Okay, so it's probably not technically a rule. Labor Day is supposed to signify the end of summer (even though it's not officially over until the end of September). The end of outdoor events and parties. And for many, the end of tomato dishes and the beginning of all things pumpkin.

I actually planned to post this before Labor Day, but...stuff happens. 

Fresh Tomato Basil Vinaigrette (Paleo, Whole30)

Summer, summer, summer time.

Time to sit back and unwind.

Just a bit of a break from the norm (were you singing along?) with this tomato basil vinaigrette. Fresh summer tomatoes are one of my favorite things. Juicy. Sweet. With just a sprinkle of salt. And lately, as a vinaigrette. With basil, of course. Because tomatoes and basil just belong together.

If you like tomatoes, I think you will love this vinaigrette.

60+ Paleo Spiralizer Recipes plus How to Avoid Buying a Counterfeit Paderno Spiral Slicer

Guess who's back...back again? Well, it's been a long time, my friends. It's been a crazy, stressful summer around here, so I apologize for not posting. I hope that you are all enjoying summer wherever you are.

A few months ago, my spiralizer broke. Since I have recommended this spiralizer before, especially to those of you on Facebook, I figured I should tell you guys what I found out. I purchased (what I thought was) the Paderno vegetable spiral slicer back in September, but at the end of May (after only using it a few times a month), part of the handle broke. Turns out it was a counterfeit unit (purchased through Amazon, but sold by another seller).

I also scoured the Internet for spiralizer recipes from many talented bloggers. For those of you that already have a spiralizer or plan to get one, I didn't want to leave you hanging without recipes to use this thing. It only took me a few months to put this together. ;-)

So...after contacting the company, Paderno World Cuisine, this is what I learned from the CEO:

Carrot Top Pesto (nut-free) with Roasted Carrots

I didn't always like cooked carrots. My first memories are of those mushy, boiled ones. Probably from a can. They made their appearance at home and were a regular feature in school lunches. That was when my strong dislike for cooked carrots began. Once I hit adulthood, I was free. No more cooked carrots for me. Even when I moved into my first apartment and begin cooking everyday, carrots were off the menu. The blurry memory of sitting at the dinner table with nothing but carrots left on my plate was enough to make me swear them off forever.

Or so I thought...

It wasn't until I started following paleo over a year ago that I decided to try out roasted carrots. I was roasting every other vegetable known to man (I like to exaggerate), so there was no reason to leave out the carrot. At first, I sliced them and tossed them with coconut oil and cumin. They were divine and I was hooked. No mushy carrots are welcome here. But, although these roasted carrots are delicious on their own, this recipe isn't really about the carrots...

Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri (Paleo, Autoimmune, Whole30)

So...I love a good steak. Cauliflower steak, of course.

I'm kidding. I actually really, really love a good steak. But a steak is rare around here. (Actually, I take mine medium.) Steak is really not in my budget unless I catch a good deal. So today, we are replacing beef steaks with cauliflower steaks. They are really good and I love the way they look on a plate. Serve them along side some crispy chicken thighs (if you choose to eat meat, of course).

The best part about cauliflower steaks -- much less mess. Am I the only one that cuts a cauliflower into florets and finds tiny pieces all over the kitchen for a week?  How do they get across the room like that?

Chimichurri (Paleo, Autoimmune, Whole30)

This chimichurri recipe goes along with post for Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri. To serve with cauliflower steaks, find the full post here.

Chimichurri
Makes approximately 1 cup 

What you need:

1 cup packed flat-leaf parsley (about 1/2 cup finely chopped)
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro
1 tsp dried oregano (or 1 tbsp fresh)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil  (more if needed)
2 tbsp red or white wine vinegar*
1 tbsp lemon juice (or additional vinegar)
2-4 cloves garlic (I use 4)
1/2 tsp cumin (optional, omit for AIP)
1/2 - 1 tsp salt, to taste
1/8 - 1/4 pepper, to taste (omit for AIP)

How to make:

By hand:  First, wash and dry your herbs. Mince the garlic, sprinkle it with salt, then crush it with the flat side of your knife. Alternatively, you can use a zester/grater (This is the zester/grater I use). You may use less garlic as desired -- I use 3 or 4 cloves. Remove thick stems from herbs and finely chop the leaves of the parsley, cilantro, then oregano. In a non reactive bowl or mason jar, mix together the garlic, vinegar, lemon juice, cumin, and herbs. Pour in the olive oil (add more if need to cover the herbs). Add salt and pepper to preference. I use 1/2 tsp salt and a few grinds of pepper. Adjust flavors and add more oil if desired.

Food processor: Add everything except for oil to food processor and pulse until you reach desired consistency. Transfer to a nonreactive bowl or mason jar and pour oil over mixture. Add more and adjust flavors as desired.

Let stand for about 20 minutes at room temp. If you make ahead, bring to room temp before serving. This can be refrigerated for several weeks. Serve with cauliflower steaks or regular steaks or anything else desired (you can use it as a marinade as well).


To serve with Roasted Cauliflower Steaks, here is the full recipe.


I purchase most my pantry items from Vitacost in order to save money. If you are a new customer to Vitacost, you can save $10 off your first order using my refer-a-friend link here)


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Crispy Avocado Fried Egg with Yolk Only Option (Egg in a Basket)

There were two motivations behind this recipe. I'm not really sure I can call it a recipe. It's more of an idea, I guess. A few months ago, my sister was testing out possible allergens to determine the cause of her child's severe eczema. So the main reason for this idea was for my niece. She had a possible sensitivity to egg whites, so I wanted to create some way for her to consume egg yolks. I wanted something easy, but also something she would really enjoy. (She wasn't having any issues eating gently washed egg yolks.)

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp with Zucchini Noodles and Spinach (Gluten Free, AIP, Paleo)

There was this pasta dish I used to make often -- back when I ate pasta. It involved butter (eh, I probably used margarine back then), wine, tomatoes, garlic, shrimp, and of course, pasta. I actually rarely eat shrimp anymore (I'm all about sardines now), but I wanted to try to recreate this dish. I started out making it with zucchini noodles and it was very good. But I decided to leave out the tomatoes and wine (and just drink it instead) to reduce the time it takes to make this. I'm all about the quick and easy lately. Instead I added some herbs and baby spinach. Feel free to adjust garlic and lemon to taste.

(By the way, did you know you can freeze lemon juice. Just defrost the cubes as needed.)