After a weekend of unspeakable gluttony...

After a glorious long weekend at a cabin in Lake Chelan  with friends, eating untold paleo-faileo foods & several (many) beverages which were not just water - Mr. Buck and I are both feeling the after effects. Bloating, water retention, sluggishness, fatigue & feeling a bit pukey during today's WOD. 

So, for dinner: 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 carrot, 1 apple and 1 grapefruit + black decaf tea. 

Detoxification time has come

Chicken with Artichokes

I made this for the dinner group we participate in several weeks ago (and again this past Memorial Day weekend) - and it's one of my favorite recipes because it is SO easy & great for a big group!

Chicken Thighs with Artichoke Hearts and Feta Cheese 

Adapted from:  Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes

• 6 skinless boneless chicken thighs, excess fat removed
• 6 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 cup feta cheese (optional & can easily be omitted if you don't do dairy)
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
• salt and fresh pepper

Combine artichoke hearts along with liquid and chicken and let it marinate about 20 minutes or longer. After it's marinated, drain all liquid, add garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.

Grill chicken & artichokes until cooked. Artichokes just need a minute or two to get a little crispy & do best in a grill basket so they don't fall through the grate of your grill to be lost to the fiery abyss - so sad because they are delicious!.

Place chicken & artichokes in an oven-safe dish. Then top chicken with feta and broil in the oven for a minute to melt the cheese. Remove from oven and top with fresh parsley.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Happy long weekend friends!

Cheers to lots of grilled meat & veggies (and lots of wine - wine's from grapes, so it's Paleo, right?)

We're in charge of dinner for 7 people tonight and Sunday night - so you can bet lots of protein & veg on the grill are in our future!

Tonight: hamburgers, brats & grilled corn on the cobb

Sunday: chicken with artichokes (recipe coming soon) & a greek salad

My mouth is watering already!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Source: fitnessmagazine.com via Julie on Pinterest

I like vegetables!

found c/o: The Clothes Make the Girl

Pesto Green Beans & Spice Rubbed Pork Chops

Last week Mr. Buck and I took advantage of a sunny Seattle day to fire up the grill. I also was super excited that Trader Joe's has brought back their $2.99 basil plants - and ours had tons of leaves ready to be used up - so pesto it is! Now, green beans are debatable as far as their compliance with the stricter tennets of the Paleo diet - but I'm not going to debate that here. I'm just going to say this...we eat them occasionally.  If you prefer not to eat green beans, this pest would be great on just about anything so  use it as you see fit.

Pesto with Green Bean Ingredients:
(this recipe makes enough for one meal, I'd recommend doubling to have some on hand for dipping veggies or sauce for spaghetti squash later in the week)

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 4 medium sized garlic cloves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 lbs green beans

Place it all (except the green beans) in your food processor or blender (both will work) & blend to combine.



Then get your greenbeans ready. Yes, we used frozen, but fresh would be great as well.



I microwaved them to steam as the bag suggested & then threw them in a pan with the pesto sauce to finish them off.




Spice Rubbed Pork Chops Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 4 pork chops

Mix all spices together & rub on all sides of your pork chops. Rub all that spicy goodness in real good!



Then get your husband to grill them up - he prescribes 5 minutes on one side, 5 minutes on the other, then 5 minutes on the first side again but turn the chop 45degrees and repeat for 5 more minutes on the second side. That should do it, but of course check them to make sure the juices run clear and they're cooked all the way through.



Plate & enjoy!

Biggest Loser Contestants Adopt Paleo Diet!

In order to kick it up a notch for the big finale, 2 of the Biggest Loser final 4 have adopted the Paleo Diet to take their fat loss to the next level.

I haven't really been watching this season - but I guess now I'll have to check it out to see how they do!

You can check out the article HERE


image c/o: Bitten & Bound

Grilled Coconut Kale & Roast Beef

Tonight's dinner came together based on what we had available in our fridge - and was a repeat (with some minor changes) of a meal we enjoyed with some friends last week. The kale has a wonderful almost meaty texture & is really complimented by the coconutty sauce.

These two pair very well together and the cooking of both is quite complimentary.

Grilled Coconut Kale:

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of Kale
• 1 can of Coconut Milk 
• 1 tsp. Paprika
• 3/4 tsp. Cayenne
• 1 tbsp. Lemon Juice

Directions:
Wash & dry the kale, remove the rough lower stems, but leave the leaves intact. Put in a large bowl. In a saucepan over low heat combine the can of coconut milk, paprika and cayenne. Warm just until everything combines. Add the lemon juice & then pour over the kale. Mix well & let marinate for 4 hours. Just when you're ready to eat, grill the kale for 2-3 minutes on each side.

Roast Beef

• Beef Bottom Round Roast (2.5 - 3 lbs)
• 1 1/4 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Mix all ingredients (except the roast) in a small bowl. Set aside to let the flavors come together for a few minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare your pan. We don't have a roasting pan w/rack, so I make-do by creating tin foil spirals & placing them on the bottom of a Pyrex dish. Coat the meat with the spice mixture, rub all over. Place on your roasting pan w/rack, or on top of the tinfoil spirals in your Pyrex dish. Roast in pre-heated oven for about 1 hour or until thermometer inserted into the middle reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from oven, cover loosely with tin foil & let rest for 15 minutes. Slice & Serve.

Roast Beef recipe adapted from here
Kale recipe adapted from here