Breakfast casserole

INGREDIENTS

12 slices nitrate free bacon sugar free for Whole30
2 large sweet potatoes peeled and sliced into thin rounds (approximately ¼")
1 tbsp melted cooking fat + sea salt for roasting the sweet potatoes
3 cups Brussels sprouts, tops removed and either quartered or chopped, plus about 1 tbsp cooking fat plus a pinch of sea salt for roasting
1 large onion or 2 small, sliced thin
12 eggs
⅓ cup full fat coconut milk
½ tsp salt plus to suit your taste
¼ cup nutritional yeast (this is for a cheesy flavor, you can also sub Parmesan if you include dairy in your diet)
½ tsp garlic powder
Black pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 425 F and grease a 9x13" casserole dish with coconut oil, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the bacon into 1" pieces and cook in a large heavy skillet, over med/hi heat, stirring occasionally for even browning, until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels and set aside. Reserve at least 3-4 tbsp of bacon fat to caramelize your onions
Now it's time to roast your sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts. Toss the sweet potato rounds with your cooking fat of choice and sea salt to taste and arrange, (overlapping since they will shrink after roasting) over the bottom of your casserole dish.
Now do the same with your brussels sprouts, this time arranging them on the parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer. Place the casserole dish and baking sheet in your oven to roast. The sweet potatoes will roast for about 30 minutes until soft and the brussels sprouts for about 20.
Meanwhile, it's time to caramelize the onions. Heat the pan you cooked your bacon in over low/medium heat and add the onions, tossing with the leftover reserved bacon fat
Add a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, adjusting the heat if any onions begin to brown too quickly. Your goal is to cook the onions long and slow to bring out the most flavor! Once they're deeply caramelized and very soft, remove from heat.
While the onions cook, whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Now it's time to assemble the casserole! Lower your oven heat to 400 F, then layer your roasted brussels sprouts over your sweet potato rounds in the casserole dish. Remove the caramelized onions with a slotted spoon and layer over the brussels sprouts, follow with the cooked bacon. Finally, pour all the whisked egg mixture over the casserole to evenly cover.
Bake in the 400 F oven for about 25 minutes until the center is just set and edges begin to turn light brown. Allow to cool for a bit in the baking dish before cutting into pieces and serving warm.

Chicken, bacon and avocado salad

Ingredients:

1/4 pound bacon, or 4-5 slices, cut into 1/2 inch bits

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped into 2 inch pieces, seasoned with salt and pepper

1 avocado – peeled, pitted and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped walnut

1 apple – cut into 1 inch chunks (optional)

Dressing:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoon apple cider

1 shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon mustard

pinch salt

pinch black pepper

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Mini frittatas

INGREDIENTS
1 cup fully cooked good quality ham (all natural, nitrite & nitrate, gluten, sugar & casein free), cut into cubes
1 cup broccoli, chopped into small pieces
1 red onion, minced
6 eggs
4 egg whites
3 tbsp chives, minced
2 tbsp full-fat coconut milk
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Paleo cooking fat
 
PREPARATION
Preheat your oven to 375 F.
Oil each cup on the muffin tray with some melted Paleo cooking fat.
Divide the ham, broccoli, and onion equally among the muffin cups.
In a bowl, whisk together the egg whites, eggs, chives, coconut milk, and salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the egg mixture into each muffin cup. Fill the cups almost to the top but not completely.
Place the muffin tray in the oven and cook 20 to 22 minutes or until golden.
Carefully remove the mini frittatas from the muffin tray and serve.

Lunch option

 INGREDIENTS
8 eggs
12 slices of good quality bacon (gluten, nitrate & nitrite, and sugar free)
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Assorted vegetables for dipping
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Simple Guacamole:
2 avocados, peeled and pitted
½ jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)
½ white onion, chopped
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of 1 lime
Sea salt
 

PREPARATION
Place eggs in a small pot and fill with cold water just until the eggs are fully covered, lightly salt the water and heat on high heat until the water begins to boil.
Set a timer for 8 minutes and let the eggs boil, do not cook the eggs in the boiling water any longer than 10 minutes.
Once the timer goes off quickly rinse the eggs under cold water or place them in an ice bath.
While the eggs are on the stove, place the bacon slices in a large frying pan and heat over medium heat.
Cook the bacon slices flipping occasionally until desired crispiness.
Remove from the pan and let the bacon rest on a paper towel covered plate.
To make the guacamole, mash the avocados with the garlic and lime juice in a medium bowl.
Stir in the jalapeño (if using), onion, and cilantro.
Season to taste with salt.
Arrange the eggs, bacon, vegetables, and guacamole in a lunch box or individual containers.
Slice the eggs in half and season with salt and pepper before eating.

Bacon, grape, broccoli salad

INGREDIENTS
2 or 3 heads of broccoli, depending on their size
1 cup red or green grapes, halved
10 slices good quality bacon (gluten, nitrate & nitrite, and sugar free)
½ chopped onion
½ cup slivered or chopped almonds
1 ¼ cup homemade Paleo mayonnaise
¼ cup lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION
Place the slices of bacon in a large pan on medium heat and cook for about 8 minutes on each side until crispy.
While the bacon cooks, cut the broccoli in small florets. You can use the stalks as well, making sure to cut it in pieces about the same size as the florets.
Mix the florets with the almonds, chopped onion and halved grapes.
Once the bacon is cooked and crispy, crumble and add it to the salad.
In a separate bowl, mix the mayonnaise with the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper.
Mix the dressing with the salad, mix well, and serve.

Got to try making my own bacon.....

Ingredients

• 2 lb. pork belly, skin on;
• 2 tbsp. sea salt;
• 1 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper;
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary;
• 1 tsp. dried thyme;
• 1 tsp. fennel seed;
• 2 bay leaves;
• 1 tbsp. raw honey (optional);
• 1 garlic clove, minced;
• 
  

• Preparation

  1. Rinse the pork belly and pat it dry.
  2. Combine all the seasonings in a bowl, except for the honey (if using).
  3. Rub all the seasoning over the pork. Place the pork in a big re-usable plastic bag with the leftover spices and the honey, if using, and shake well.
  4. Refrigerate the pork for one week, flipping the bag every day or so.
  5. After 7 days, remove the bacon from the bag, rinse it thoroughly, and pat it dry.
  6. Preheat your oven to 200F.
  7. Place the bacon in a baking pan and roast until the meat reaches 150 F., about 2 hours.
  8. Transfer the bacon to your cutting board and slice off the skin.
  9. Let the bacon cool down to room temperature, then wrap it in wax paper and refrigerate.
  10. When you’re ready for a delicious treat, slice the meat to whatever thickness you like, and cook it the same way as you would any other bacon.

Sweet potato hash for breakfast

Ingredients

• 6 ounces pancetta, diced (or regular bacon)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 large apple (or 2 small), cut into cubes that are no bigger than 1 inch
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil, butter, ghee, or other solid cooking fat (if needed)
• 1 large sweet potato (or 2-3 small), peeled and cut into cubes that are no bigger than 1 inch
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced (or 1 teaspoon dried)

Instructions

1. In a medium cast iron skillet over medium to medium-low heat, cook pancetta 3-5 minutes or until crispy and fat has rendered.
2. Remove pancetta with slotted spoon, leave fat in pan.
3. Add onion, apples, and cinnamon. Cook until soft, about 7 minutes.
4. Remove from pan and add to reserved pancetta. Set aside.
5. If pan is dry add 1-2 tablespoons fat and allow to melt. Add sweet potatoes to pan and allow to cook undisturbed for 2 minutes.
6. Stir, allow to cook for another 2 minutes undisturbed.
7. Continue cooking sweet potatoes, stirring as needed to insure all sides get browned and none burn, until soft (about 5-6 more minutes, about 10 minutes total).
8. Add reserved pancetta, onion, and apples back to pan. Add sage and stir to combine and warm throughout.

Stuffed sweet potatoes

• 8 sweet potatoes;
• 1 lb. large raw shrimp, deveined and tails removed, cut into thirds;
• 6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled;
• 4 garlic cloves, minced;
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced; (keep some of the green for garnishing)
• 1 tbsp. paprika;
• 2 tbsp. chili powder;
• 1 tbsp. dried oregano;
• ½ tsp. cayenne pepper;
• 6 tbsp. ghee (clarified butter);
• Paleo cooking fat;
• olive oil, to coat the potatoes;
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 450 F.
2. Rub the potatoes with the olive oil, place them on a baking sheet and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes or until soft.
3. While the potatoes are baking; over a medium high fire, melt some cooking fat and add the garlic and the green onions. Cook for about 2 minutes.
4. Add the shrimp to the green onions and garlic, cook for 2 to 3 minutes then add the paprika, chili powder, dried oregano and cayenne pepper. Stir and cook until shrimp are done, about another 2 to 3 minutes.
5. When the potatoes are done, let them cool down and leave the oven on.
6. Slice the potatoes in half horizontally and carefully scoop out the flesh into a big bowl, making sure to keep the skins.
7. Mash the sweet potatoes until smooth then add the crumble bacon, the shrimp mixture, the ghee, season to taste and combine everything well.
8. Stuff the potato skins with the filling, return to the oven and cook for another 15 minutes.
9. When done remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining green onions.

Bacon-wrapped tenderloin for Christmas dinner!!!!

This was our Christmas turkey this year....

Ingredients

4 lbs beef tenderloin

8 rashers smoked bacon

1/2 cup of finely chopped fresh thyme, rosemary and sage

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

On a piece of parchment papers, layout strips of bacon side by side to for a bacon mat. The mat should be slightly shorter than the tenderloin.

Allow the tenderloin to come to room temperature. Salt and pepper the whole tenderloin. Rub the herbs all over the tenderloin.

Place the tenderloin on the bacon mat, so that the bacon strands are perpendicular to the length of the tenderloin. Wrap each piece of bacon around the tenderloin and secure with a toothpick. If the bacon is too short to wrap around the tenderloin, use two toothpicks. 
Place tenderloin on BBQ and grill until the internal temperature reaches 130F. This should produce a medium rare tenderloin.
Once done, move the roast to a cutting board. Remove all the toothpicks, tent the roast with aluminum foil, and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes. Carve and serve.

Cross between breakfast and chili!!!!

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 to 3 cups beef stock
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & diced small
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• salt
• 1/2 lb bacon
• eggs (one egg for each serving)
• avocado

In a large soup pot, brown the meat and and saute the onions until cooked through. Add in the tomatoes, sweet potatoes and stock, followed by all the spices. Let simmer until the sweet potatoes have cooked through, about 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop up and saute the bacon until crispy. Reserve until ready to serve. Then, fry or scramble one egg for each person you plan on serving.
Serve by scooping the chili in a bowl, top with the fried/scrambled egg, some crispy bacon & some avocado slices.