Paula Deen's Beef Stew

• 2 pounds stew beef
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 or 2 bay leaves
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• Dash ground allspice or ground cloves
• 3 large carrots, sliced
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

I usually double this recipe and add a lot more broth. Always feeding a crowd!

Brown meat in hot oil. Add water, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, and allspice. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves and garlic clove. Add carrots and celery. Cover and cook 30 to 40 minutes longer. To thicken gravy, remove 2 cups hot liquid. Using a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup water and cornstarch until smooth. Mix with a little hot liquid and return mixture to pot. Stir and cook until bubbly. I think I skipped the whole cornstarch step, it was thick enough, and added a few potatoes.

Flank Steak with Pineapple Salsa

This was surprisingly very good. It's amazing what spices can do for a meal!

• 1 pound flank steak
• 1 Tablespoon Chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil

Combine the oil and spices. Rub all over the steak. Grill 5 minutes on one side, then 3 on the other. Remove from heat and cover for 10 minutes. This is just a basic. I had to cook mine a little longer, but I always have to double every thing to feed the family. You want it still reddish pink in the middle, it is more tender and so flavorful. This could be eaten with some butternut squash or kale, or even in a fajita form. I would totally squeeze some fresh lime over the steak as well. We ate it with some pineapple salsa that was surprisingly very good.

• 1/2 red onion chopped
• a few slices fresh grilled pineapple, diced
• fresh cilantro chopped
• fresh lime (half) 

Combine ingredients, squeeze lime and eat with flank steak!

Martha’s Scalloped Potatoes

by Martha Stewart

My friend Julie brought these to the ward Christmas party. I and my counselors (and she) had to serve the food to the ward first, so we knew we wouldn't get any of the good food. So we begged her to leave this in the kitchen so we could sample it. Boy were we glad we did, it was FABULOUS! I am craving it!

• 3 pound yellow potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 cups milk
• 5 ounces Gruyere cheese
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream

1. Heat oven to 325. In a large saucepan, combine sliced potatoes and milk, and place over
high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low; cover, and simmer until potatoes just
begin to get tender, about 3 minutes. (it seems to take my potatoes a little longer)

2. Meanwhile, grate cheese and set aside. Place a colander over a large bowl, and drain
potatoes, reserving milk. (You should have 2 cups of thick, starchy milk. If the potatoes
have absorbed more than 1 cup of milk, you must add enough milk to bring the reserved
milk volume to 2 cups.)

3. Rub a 3 ½ quart oval casserole with garlic and butter. Arrange sliced potatoes in the
casserole in two layers, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Dot remaining butter and
pour in the reserved cooking milk and cream. Scatter grated cheese over the top. (I have
about 4 or 5 layers in my casserole dish and between each layer I put a little bit of the
grated cheese. The remaining cheese goes on the top.)

4. Place casserole in the lover third of the oven and bake until the cheese has turned deep
golden brown and the milk has reduced and thickened, 80 to 90 minutes. Remove from
oven and serve immediately.

Sugar Cookies

My friend April is a great baker. She gave me this recipe.

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 Tablespoon milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar until light color. Add egg, milk, and vanilla. Gradually add flour and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide dough in half, wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Roll out dough  to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shape. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes.
I used this recipe every year for my preschoolers Christmas party.

Omelet Muffins-Paleo Plan Recipe

• 8 eggs
• 1/8 cup water
• 1/2 lb chicken, ham, or sausage, cooked and cut into small pieces
• 2 cups diced veggeis (1 red bell pepper, 1/4 lb asparagus or broccoli, 1/2 yellow onion recommended)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground pepper 

Preheat oven to 350 F
Grease 8 muffin cups with coconut oil or line with paper baking cups.
Beat the eggs in a medium bowl and add the rest of the ingredients.
Pour misxture into the muffin cups.
Bake for 18-20 minutes.

YUM YUM!

Chicken with Cumin, Kale and Red Pepper

Another paleo dinner that was a keeper. I am into kale lately.

(I diced up my chicken like a stir fry, but couldn't find any yummy pictures, this one looked best, you get the idea!)

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp sea salt (optional, I left it out and salted to taste after)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 bunch kale removed from woody stems (I generally just use baby kale from a package from Costco, much easier)
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted

Combine chicken, cumin, chili powder, sea salt ( if desired), and garlic in a medium bowl until chicken is fully coated.

Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add coconut oil.

Add chicken (it should sizzle). Brown and stir occasionally (about 5-7 minutes).

Add kale and red pepper. Stir and continue to cook until chicken is 165 degrees (no longer pink) and vegetables are slightly tender (about 5 more minutes).

Serve hot, topped with toasted almonds.

This is great plain, but we all agreed if we were not doing paleo, it would be served GREAT on RICE! Brown if you are going healthy, white if you don't care! I doubled this recipe and we didn't have leftovers.

Chicken, Yam, and Chard Soup-Paleo Plan Recipe

I love soups, so trying out a different soup is exciting, and it was yummy. This is totally paleo as well.

• 2 Tablespoons coconut or olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano

Heat large pot over medium-high heat. When hot add those ingredients and saute until onion is slightly translucent.

• 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken (I used leftovers from a rotiserrie chicken we had) diced into 1 inch cubes (or shredded if using rotiserrie)
• sea salt
• pepper

Toss those ingredients and add to pot and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• 4 cups broth (chicken, veggie, beef all fine)
• 6 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 oz jalapenos, canned and diced
• 1 large yam (I used a sweet potato), diced
• 1 bunch chard, chopped (I used kale--can use spinach too)
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced
• juice of one lemon

Reduce heat to meduim, add the remaining ingredients.

Just before serving, season with sea salt and black pepper and fresh lemon juice. DELICIOUS! For my family, one and a halfed this recipe, so not quite doubled, and it made plenty, with leftovers for lunch, or second dinner...:)

Butternut Squash

We have been going strong on a Paleo diet. Sometimes I get really tired of eating the meat. Night after night! Thank goodness there is usually a vegetable served with it. I usually double up on the veggies and don't finish the meat. Don't get me wrong, I love meat, but in small doses! Veggies on the other hand, I can eat a lot of! This was surprisingly really really good. Even MICHELLE, our picky eater (who has been changing her ways) loved it.

• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
• a package of butternut squash (I got the Costco kind, pre-washed and cut)
• 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2-3 Tablespoons fresh thyme

Heat a skillet, melt coconut oil til hot, throw in garlic and thyme and saute a few minutes. Throw in squash. Toss around. Then let brown on one side, flip and let brown on other side. Then lower heat and let cook til tender. It is delicious and nutritious!