{primal} italian sausage & mushroom bake

{Recipe updated 12.7.15}
I'm always on the lookout for a good low-carb recipe, and this one uses Italian sausage! I have a couple recipes I use this for, then I'm left with the rest of it. Now I can add this one to the rotation. Hubby REALLY liked this on!

Photo & Recipe from Fast Paleo

ITALIAN SAUSAGE & MUSHROOM BAKE

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds of white mushrooms, stems removed & quartered
• 1 pound ground Italian {sweet} sausage
• 14oz can organic diced tomatoes
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• pinch of red chili flakes
• pinch of kosher salt
• optional items: a couple tablespoons of fresh pesto, crumbles of goat cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and heat up a large skillet to medium-high.
2. Place your cleaned mushrooms in a casserole dish. Greasing is not necessary.
3. Add the sausage, onions, garlic and seasonings to the pan and brown.
4. Add the tomatoes.
5. Before placing in the preheated oven, add dollops of pesto and crumble on the goat cheese. If you are transitioning and still eating cheese, this is phenomenal with a layer of mozzarella, however, non-dairy goat cheese is equally as delicious and keeps you on the Paleo track.
6. Cover and bake for 20 minutes or until the juices are bubbling and the mushrooms have softened. Let sit for 5 minutes or so once removed from the oven.

{our best bites} baked fish sticks

I found this recipe is one of my Our Best Bites cookbooks. It's also available here online. Its a very delicious recipe, although it's very time-consuming. It felt great to make something that was so yummy that we all loved!

Baked Fish Sticks with Tartar Sauce
Picture and Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 lb white fish such as cod, halibut, or tilapia
1 Tbs canola oil
1-2 eggs
6 Tbs flour
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 C panko bread crumbs
1/2 C unseasoned breadcrumbs

Tartar Sauce
1/2 C mayonnaise
2 Tbs sour cream
1/4 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 Tbs finely minced onion
1 T minced dill pickle
1 pinch seasoned salt
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

 Tartar Sauce: Mix all tartar sauce ingredients and stir well to combine. Chill for at least one hour before serving. (The longer the better, make ahead if you can!)

Fish Sticks: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush canola oil on a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.

Crack egg(s) into a shallow dish and beat lightly (start with one egg and crack another if you run out). In a separate shallow dish combine flour, seasoned salt, pepper, and paprika. In one more shallow dish combine panko and bread crumbs.

Cut fish into sticks about 3-4 inches long and 1/2-1 inch tall.

Working with a few pieces of fish at at time, dredge first in flour and then shake off excess. Then dip each piece in the beaten egg, and finally the bread crumb mixture. Make sure all sides are well coated with bread crumbs and then place fish on the baking sheet.

When all pieces are on baking sheet, place in oven and cook for about 10 minutes. Cool for a few minutes and then serve with tartar sauce for dipping.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I was flabbergasted when I looked through my recipes to find I didn't have one for pumpkin chocolate chip MUFFINS. I have one for cookies and bread, but now I have one for muffins. (I realize I could've used the bread recipe but I wanted to try something new.) I found this recipe (it's a keeper!) from allrecipes.com

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins 

12 servings, 197 calories each

Ingredients:

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup water

11/2 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2-1 cu semisweet chocolate chips 

Directions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.

2. Mix sugar, oil, eggs. Add pumpkin and water. In separate bowl mix together the baking flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Add wet mixture and stir in chocolate chips.

3. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

peanut butter snack bites

I was given this recipe from a close family member. She suggested them as a quick, healthy after-school snack. I whipped them up and they are DELICIOUS!

Peanut Butter Snack Bites

Yield 15-16 goodies

88 calories each (!)

1 cup oats (I used quick oats)

1/3 c honey

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/8 c (or 2 T) ground flax meal, optional

1/3 cup chocolate chips

Mix oats, honey, peanut butter and flax meal, then stir in chocolate chips. Use a small cookie scoop to scoop and place on a cookie sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.  Refrigerate until ready to eat.

favorite meals for the WHOLE family

Sometimes I wish I had a list of the recipes our WHOLE family likes. Now I do. :) I hope this list will continue to grow.

Alice Springs Chicken
Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos
Baked Ravioli
Beef Stroganoff
Braided Pizza Loaf
Cafe Rio Chicken or Pork
Chicken Milan
Creamy Chicken Casserole
Crockpot Chicken Teriyaki
Crockpot Mac & cheese

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

French toast, scrambled eggs and bacon
Grilled hot dogs & tangy hamburgers
Guiltless fettuccine Alfredo with chicken
Hard boiled eggs
Honey Mustard & Bacon Smothered Chicken
Lasagne Soup

Lemon Rosemary chicken with sweet potatoes
Mozzarella Ham Stromboli
Paleo chicken tenders

Pap's Baked Chicken Legs
(our best bites) Pizza dough -> Homemade pizza
Pizza Hut pan pizza
Priest Lake Lasagne
Roast Beef, mashed potatoes and gravy
Roasted red potatoes & pearl onions

Skillet Mac & Cheese

Three-cheese Chicken & Penne
Ultimate Spaghetti & Meatballs

This list does NOT include almost all of the cookies, bars and brownies we ALL love, but those aren't MEALS so they're not on this list. ;) 

Low- carb (Paleo/primal) meals

As I "try" and meal plan each month I'm always wishing I had a master list of all of our low-carb meals. I always come us short when I think about which ones we like. So, I sat down and went through all my recipes and made up this list. This is REALLY going to come in handy. Maybe you'll glean some gems from this too.

Most of these recipes can be found on my Recipes page, or they'll be posted there soon.

Snacks-

*Roasted garlic chickpeas

Breakfast-

Baked Ham and egg cups 

Spinach bacon and mushroom crust less quiche 

Ham and cheese quiche 

Boiled or fried eggs 

Lunch-

Broiled chicken with green salad

- pear pomegranate salad

- winter green salad

Berry kiwi salad with mint lime dressing 

Dinner-

Chicken and bacon crockpot chowder

Italian sausage and mushroom bake 

Paleo Maryland crab cakes 

Paleo chicken tenders 

Herb roasted crockpot chicken 

Slow cooker 20 garlic chicken 

Slow cooker roast beef or pot roast

Steak

Roasted Salmon, red onion and fennel

Crockpot chicken teriyaki

Cilantro lime chicken tacos 

Cafe rio chicken 

Cafe rio pork 

Alice springs chicken 

Roasted red potatoes and pearl onions 

Baked sweet potatoes

Roasted asparagus 

Sautéed chicken and mushrooms 

Chicken DaVinci (sans noodles)

Pork & sauerkraut

Stir-fry sesame chicken and asparagus

Chicken tortillas soup

Taco soup

Lemon Rosemary chicken with sweet potatoes

Pioneer woman's beef stew 

Cauli pizza

Grilled taco chicken 

Paps baked chicken legs 

White bean chicken chili 

Italian style shrimp

Sweet potato fries 

Cauli rice

Some carbs-

Easy chicken cordon bleu 

Lighter sesame chicken 

Fiesta fajitas

Peanut Butter Snack Bites

{pioneer woman} beef stew

I was craving a nice Beef Stew. I haven't really ventured out for this much before. I found this recipe in one of my newer cookbooks. The Pioneer Woman always has wonderful recipes. The one is a keeper! Beef Stew recipe? Check!

THE PIONEER WOMAN'S BEEF STEW

Average beef stew is, well, average. But good beef stew is out of this world, as evidenced by the joy you'll experience while chowing down on this dang delicious version.

Ingredients:
3 T olive oil
1 T butter
2 pounds beef stew meat
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can or bottle of beer 14 oz beef broth
4 cups beef broth
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T tomato paste
1/2 t paprika
1 1/2 t. sugar
1/2 t. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 new potatoes, quartered
4 carrots, unpeeled, roughly sliced
2 T all-purpose flour
minced parsley, for garnish (optional)
crusty bread, for serving

Directions:

1. Start by heating the olive oil and butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Throw in the stew meat and quickly brown it on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove the meat to a clean plate and set aside.
2. Throw the onion into the pot, then reduce the heat to low. Stir the onion around to cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Then throw in the garlic and stir it around to cook for a minute. Pour in all the beef broth, add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, paprika, sugar, salt and pepper.
3. Finally, return the meat to the pot, cover it, and simmer the stew over very low heat for 1.5 - 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender. If the liquid level gets too low, add 1-2 cups hot water as needed. 
4. Add the potatoes and carrots to the pot. Stir them in and continue simmering for 30 minutes more or until the vegetables are tender.
5. To thicken the stew, remove 1 cup of the cooking liquid and whisk in the flour. Pour the flour mixture into the pot and simmer for an additional 1- minutes, or until the stew is very thick. Add parsley at the end if desired.
6. Dish it up and serve it with crusty bread and a very, very hearty appetite.

Slight short-cut: This was my FIRST time making this stew (and it's a keeper!). I didn't read through the recipe closely enough. I didn't realize the meat had to simmer for 1.5+ hours, BEFORE I add the potatoes. Once I figured that out I finished dicing my potatoes, then put them in a bowl, covered them in cold water and put them in the fridge. I added then in @ Step 4. Magically, they only took about 20 minutes to cook and I didn't have to thicken the stew at all; adding the potatoes took care of it. Pretty nice! I think I'll do that same thing next time too. :) Beef stew may not LOOK very pretty, but MAN is it delicious!

Note: Stew freezes beautifully.