The Paleo Pact

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Seasonal Menu

Dinner party season is headed our way and we know how hard it can be to come up with a Paleo-friendly dinner selection that caters to even the most discerning guest.

So, to make your life easier, we’ve put together a 5 course Seasonal Menu, that you can follow entirely, or pick and choose from to make your own perfect Paleo dinner.

Let’s get started with the first course…simply click the links for each item below to be directed to the easy to follow recipe.

1st COURSE

Pear and Prosciutto Salad – This simple yet decadent salad option is a great light and tasty start to any dinner.

2nd COURSE

Bacon Wrapped Dates with Cashew “Cheese” – A guest post recipe that we adore, this appetizer is a great way to show off how traditional recipes can be adapted to become Paleo-friendly.

3rd COURSE

French Onion Soup – This soup is always a favorite and makes for a great introduction into the main course of a dinner serving.

4th COURSE

Apple Thyme Roast Chicken – A delicious main dish that’s complete with an apple stuffing and can be roasted alongside vegetables of your choice.

Cauliflower Mash – Roast this dish in the oven alongside the chicken and have a heathy substitute to traditional mashed potatoes.

5th COURSE

Sweet Potato Pie – A twist on the ever-popular Pumpkin Pie, this recipe is the perfect end to a seasonal dinner party.

Now that should impress your guests this holiday season!

Camilla Carboni

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

@melissavandover | melissavandover.com

Date And Apricot Glazed Orange Chicken

This is the perfect dish to keep you warm as we head into the fall and winter months. It’s sweet and delicious but surprisingly filling. It also won’t take you longer than 15 minutes to make which means it is the perfect go to dish when you’re in a hurry. Not to mention that dried dates and apricots store well, so you can always keep them handy and keep this as a backup meal option.

One pot, 15 minutes to cook and nutritious…what’s not to love?

INGREDIENTS

1 chicken breast (6 – 8 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1/8 cup dried dates, sliced
1/8 cup dried apricots, sliced
1/2 cup water
1 orange, juiced

RECIPE

In a frying pan, heat coconut oil on medium heat.
Season chicken breast with salt, place in frying pan.
Add 1/2 of the orange juice to pan, cover and cook for roughly 4 – 5 minutes. (reduce heat slightly if juice is cooking off too fast)
Reduce heat to low.
Flip chicken and add remaining orange juice, dates, apricots and water. Cover and cook for 4 – 5 minutes.
After ensuring chicken is cooked through, remove and place on serving dish.
Increase heat to medium and continue to cook juice, dates and apricots (uncovered) until mixture reduces down. You’ll know the mixture is done when you still have liquid with the dates and apricots but the liquid is thick like honey. (You do not want to cook all the liquid off, this should just take a minute or two.)
Remove from heat and drizzle mixture over chicken.
You’re ready to eat.

I hope this dish keeps you happy and warm as we head into winter. If you’re watching your carbs or are craving a particular level of sweetness feel free to adjust the amount of dates and apricots added.

Happy Fall!

Melissa Van Dover

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

@melissavandover | melissavandover.com

Mediterranean Dinner Menu

I’ve been on a Mediterranean kick lately when it comes to my meal choices. Thankfully we have several paleo-Mediterranean recipes on the blog. To show case these fantastic meal options we’ve put together a menu of delicious recipes.

This menu is perfect for a dinner party or even a themed dinner for the family.

Mediterranean Dinner Menu

5 Minute Olive Tapenade– A great start to a fantastic meal.
Mediterranean Gnocchi– A great starter or main course.
Paleo Tzatziki Sauce– The perfect sauce to dress your gyros.
Paleo Garlic Naan– This may have been created from Indian inspiration but it’s the perfect wrap for your gyros.
Beef Gyros, Lamb Gyros & Chicken Gyros– It’s your choice but let us warn you…all options are delicious!
Date Orange Loaf– Of course we can’t end without something sweet.

We hope you enjoy this menu as much as we enjoyed preparing it for you.

Happy Dining!

Melissa Van Dover

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

@melissavandover | melissavandover.com

Chicken Gyros

We hinted a couple weeks ago that we’d be delivering a lighter take on our paleo beef gyros. Today we’re delivering it. Here’s our paleo take on traditional chicken gyros. Just like our beef gyros, our chicken gyros are healthy, nutritious and filling. They are a guilt free meal that will keep you fueled throughout the day. Did we mention that they are easy and quick to make?

INGREDIENTS

2 chicken breasts, sliced, preferably less that 1/4″ thick
1/2 onion, diced
1 – 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or coconut oil)
1 teaspoon garlic flakes
1 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 serving Paleo Tzatziki Sauce
1 serving Paleo Garlic Naan Bread
Desired garnish (i.e. lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers)

RECIPE

In a frying pan, heat oil to medium heat.
Add onions and sauté until they are slightly brown, roughly 5 mins.
Reduce to medium-low heat.
Add chicken, garlic, oregano, cumin, allspice, lemon juice, salt and pepper to frying pan.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is cooked through.
To plate: Stuff our “paleo garlic naan bread” with meat mixture, tzatziki sauce and desired garnish.
You’re ready to eat!

That’s all and you end up with a delicious and filling meal. As we promised a lighter fare gyro! We hope you enjoy this delicious, quick and easy meal.

Happy Eating!

Melissa Van Dover

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Lemon Butter Chicken Roast

Roast chicken is always a great dish to serve when entertaining, or even to make to portion off and have delicious pre-cooked protein available throughout the week.

This Lemon Butter Chicken Roast recipe is easy to make and comes hot out of the oven with tenderness and favor.

INGREDIENTS

1 whole baby chicken (about 3 lbs), fresh or defrosted
4 tablespoons grass-fed butter (2 x 2 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons garlic, fresh chopped or powder granules (2 x 1 teaspoon)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (2 x 1 tablespoon)

RECIPE

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Place the chicken upside down in the center of a large oven dish and separate the legs.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and pour it into a small bowl.
Mix into the butter 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of garlic.
Reach under the skin and coat the chicken with a generous amount of the lemon butter mixture on all sides. Pour the remainder of the mixture over the chicken and set in the oven for 25 minutes.
After 25 minutes, repeat the above – mix the other 2 tablespoons of melted butter with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon garlic and coat the chicken.
Turn the oven temperature down to 325 degrees F and place the chicken back in the oven to roast for about another 45 minutes to an hour.
Once the chicken is well cooked (the interior temperature on a thermometer reaches 165 degrees F), remove the bird from the oven and allow it to sit for at least 10 minutes.
Drizzle the natural juices from the oven dish over the chicken pieces for extra lemon butter flavor and to add moisture before slicing and serving.

Note: While this recipe does not call for the removal of the neck and giblets, as these parts of the chicken are excellent sources of protein, they can certainly be removed, or kept separate and cooked later on the stove top if preferred. To learn more about Nose To Tail eating, click here.

Camilla Carboni

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Crock-pot Chicken Curry Soup

Sometimes there’s nothing quite like a comforting bowl of chicken soup.

For decades, chicken soup has been believed to cure common colds and provide essentials via the moist broth that chicken exudes. Often chicken soups contain vegetable oils, legumes and wheat flour for thickening, but truthfully there is no need to add anything but natural ingredients.

In this crock-pot recipe, chicken soup gets a spice kick and a whole lot of ethnic flavor.

INGREDIENTS

1 large organic yam, chopped
1 pound chicken breast, boneless and skinless, sliced into bite sized pieces
2 yellow tomatoes
1/4 cup coconut milk (full fat, canned)
1 tablespoon ghee butter
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon medium yellow curry powder
1 jalapeño, sliced thinly
1/2 cup water

RECIPE

Place all the ingredients into a medium crock-pot. Stir and set the crock-pot to the 4 hour, high setting.

Stir occasionally, about once every hour.
Once the 4 hours have passed, check to see that the yams and soft and if they are, the dish is ready to enjoy.
Serve immediately or turn the crock-pot down to low heat and enjoy later that day, or refrigerate or freeze for enjoying later.

That’s an easy and flavorful soup recipe for a rainy day,

Camilla Carboni

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Tomato Chicken Curry

Curry is a wonderful comfort food, especially during the cold winter months. The problem is that most curries take hours to prepare and then come served atop a large bed of rice, making it not so ideal for us Paleo lifestylers on a busy schedule.

With this recipe, it takes a tenth of the time as traditional curry, but the combination of flavors in the order in which they are cooked, creates a curry sauce that tastes like it’s been in the making for hours. It’ll be our little secret!

INGREDIENTS

1/4 lb. skinless, organic chicken breast, sliced into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon ghee butter
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 dried bay leaves
1 large organic tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic
1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
1 teaspoon paprika spice
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup coconut milk (canned and full fat)
1/2 cup yams, cooked and sliced

RECIPE

In a medium saute pan, melt the ghee over medium heat.
Add the cumin seeds and bay leaves, and cook until the seeds begin to dance and splatter.
Add the tomato and garlic, mix everything together and cover.
Cook for about 5 minutes before adding the chicken, curry powder and paprika. Mix together well.
Immediately add the water, coconut milk and cooked yams and simmer with the lid on for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is well done.

Reduce the heat and remove the lid, allowing the dish to cook for another few minutes before serving hot.

Tip: This curry dish pairs perfectly with Paleo Garlic Naan Bread!

Enjoy this taste of India,

Camilla Carboni

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

@mvandover | melissavandover.com

Fired Up Chicken Fajitas

I’ve been on a lean meat kick lately. I figure if I’m going to train my butt off for Tough Mudder I might as well go all the way and get a six pack. This basically means being extra strict! I wanted to turned something I already loved (and was pretty healthy) into something even more healthy and lean. I wanted fajitas that could fuel my body through an intense workout regimen. This is fajitas done Paleo with enough nutrients to fill you up and keep you going.

INGREDIENTS

1 chicken breast (I would cook roughly .5-1 chicken breast per person)
salt & pepper (for seasoning)
Iceberg lettuce (I find iceberg provides the best lettuce cups but please feel free to use whatever it is you like best)
broccoli slaw
avocado slices(or guacamole; here’s our expert guacamole recipe)
salsa (here’s a fantastic Mango Pineapple Salsa recipe from ThePaleoMom.com)

RECIPE

Heat grill to high heat.
Sprinkle chicken breast with salt & pepper for seasoning.
Place chicken on grill and cook for roughly 15 minutes (or until chicken is cooked thoroughly). Remove chicken from grill and slice into thin slices.
While chicken is cooking, slice iceberg lettuce in half. Remove and discard top lettuce leaf. Carefully remove remaining lettuce leafs which you will use as lettuce cups for your fajitas.
To assemble, place chicken in lettuce cups and top with broccoli slaw, avocado slices and salsa.
This meal is packed full of nutrients and is totally customizable based on your taste buds.

Enjoy!

Melissa Van Dover

Sweet Citrus Chicken Wings

These chicken wings are baked, so other than the five minutes of prep-time and the 45-55 minutes of waiting while they bake, this recipe is super simple, succulent and superbly delicious. Chicken wings have never been so sweet…

INGREDIENTS

6 fresh/defrosted chicken wings
4 dates, chopped
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange (blood orange is my favorite)
6 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon thyme

RECIPE

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the chicken wings in an oven dish and top with the coconut oil.
Add the chopped dates.
Drizzle with 1/2 the orange juice and sprinkle with 1/2 the paprika.
Place in the oven and set the timer to 35 minutes.
Remove from the oven and turn the chicken wings.
Drizzle with the other 1/2 of the orange juice and sprinkle with the other half of 1/2 the paprika.
Place back in the oven for approximately 10-15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve the chicken hot, drizzled with the date and orange sauce from the oven dish and topped with the thyme.

Enjoy!

Camilla Carboni