Sausage and Artichoke Heart Skillet

I put these ingredients into a skillet over medium heat:

1 small yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced thin
1 TBSP coconut oil

I cooked this until soft.
I added 2  lbs of pork sausage to the skillet and browned that. (If you don't feed as many hungry Crossfit bodies as I do, this recipe works fine with 1 lb of sausage)

When the sausage was all browned, I simply added:

1 jar pasta sauce (one with no sugar - read labels!)
2 small jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup organic raisins (yes, raisins)
1 tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper


There. Dinner is ready. It's delicious. It's healthy. It will fuel you up for all your WODs and adventures. It didn't take long. If you eat on paper plates, you've just got one skillet to wash!
You can do it!

Dense Paleo Bread

I've tweaked my Paleo Bread Machine recipe countless times and never blogged it. I think it's time to get a few versions blogged here for you. This one makes a dense and heavy bread, perfect for ease of slicing and delicious on its own, slathered with KerryGold butter, or under 2 slices of bacon and a fried egg.

I made sure my paddle was in the bottom of the bread machine bucket. Then, I put the following items into the bread machine bucket:

1 cup + 2 TBSP water
2 TBSP chia seeds
2 eggs
1 tsp smoked sea salt (salttraders.com - I love the Cherry Wood Smoked Sea Salt)
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
2 TBSP honey
1/4 cup coconut oil, warm

I waited 5 minutes, so that the chia seeds could soften and start to soak up some liquid.

Next, I added:

3 1/2 cups almond flour
1/3 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup arrowroot flour
1 package yeast  (make sure your yeast is not old if you don't make bread often!)
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano

I put the picket into the bread machine and used the setting WHEAT.  (That's a 4 hour wait on my bread machine...)  I checked on it once, early,  and  saw that I needed to take a spatula and push the ingredients out of the corners and into the "dough."

Remember, this is not going to be a light fluffy bread.

Cocoa Hazelnut Cast Iron Skillet Cookie

Have you tried hazelnut flour? I got mine from nuts.com. Bob's Red Mill has it, too. You can also make your own with hazelnuts and your food processor. This recipe also works with almond flour if you want to make it that way, but you won't have that hazelnut taste that I was going for. It's really a great recipe.

I stirred up the following dry ingredients:

1  1/4 cups hazelnut flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt

I stirred up the wet ingredients in a big bowl:

1/4 cup grass fed butter, softened
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup honey
2 tsp molasses
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened coconut chips (the big chunky stuff)

I added the dry ingredients to the wet and stirred.
(I WANTED to add 1 cup Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips, but I made it right before regionals, so Ger didn't want them in there..... I'm making this one again tomorrow, at Cassie's request, with the chocolate chips - she says he'll eat it right now.)

I rubbed a good bit of coconut oil in my big cast iron skillet and then added the cookie batter

I baked this Cocoa Hazelnut Cast Iron Skillet Cookie  in a 325 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Wow! It was delicious!  Tomorrow, it will be even better!

Yak Burgers

Tonight's dinner was a FIRST, and I love firsts. I love to cook new meats. These are YAK burgers. Leslie Koehler and her husband run Koehler's Heritage Farms in Otway, Ohio. She Crossfits down-river from us and met me today so I could feed Ger Sasser some of their Yak, and blog about it. 

They have a Facebook page and here's some of their information.  

Yak info:
Ground/ $10 lb.
Cube steak/$12 lb.
Sirloin/$15 lb.
NY and Rib eye/$20 lb.
Tenderloin/$30 lb.
eggs are still a suggested donation of $3/dozen
Home # 740-372-3282
Les Cell # 740-961-1255

So, this yak burger is like really top-end grass fed burger, which it is, it's just yak. It's lean and grass fed (although they are not certified grass fed yet - ah, red tape?) and delicate and we loved it. 

I wanted to keep it simple, so I would know what the yak really tasted like.  I cooked them in a skillet with coconut oil. I did one pound as 1/3 pounders and one pound as 1/4 pounders. I didn't want to overcook them. There's no game taste at all, just a delicious burger taste!  

I seasoned them with garlicgold.com's Garlic Gold Nuggets, salttraders.com's Maine Cherry Wood Smoked Sea Salt, and freshly ground black pepper. 

When they were done, I added a simple guacamole to the top. They were PERFECT with:

http://feedinggersasser.blogspot.com/2012/07/paleo-baked-eggs-in-roasted-tomatoes.html 

My Paleo Baked Eggs in Roasted Tomatoes were the PERFECT compliment to the perfect yak burger. Those farm-fresh eggs are from Leslie, too. Yum!

Here's what the meal looked like before it was attacked, which is the first photo. 

Here's what Ger looked like in Event 1 of Central East Regionals when he did a hang snatch with SUCH nice form at 280. That put the pressure on Rich Froning to do the same and they tied! (Who can say they tied the champ?)  What a moment!   Then, in Event 7, on Sunday, Holmberg and Sasser both beat the champ. I was one proud mom - and one with no voice! I've been watching these guys all compete for 4 years now, so I know how hard they all work.

I like to think that great nutrition plays a part in this Crossfit love we all have. Please forgive me if you think I've talked too much about all this, or just try to look at it all through a mom's eyes. Thanks, guys!

Paleo Cowboy Steak Rub on Ribeye in a Bed of Spinach and Red Pepper

Get  your hands on some grass fed ribeye. Make this recipe. Be happy.  The steak I fed Ger Sasser tonight is a Bos Creek ribeye. Ger also ate a Bos Creek sirloin.  He was happy, and full, and he kept sayng how good it was, and how he liked the Paleo Cowboy Steak Rub I'd made.  I am sending our Ger to Central East Regionals 2014 with all guns blazing! 3 more days!

Ok - the recipe:
I put the following things in a small bowl and stirred them up:

1 TBSP Maine Cherry Wood Smoked Sea Salt (salttraders.com)
2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp organic cocoa powder
1 tsp chipotle chili pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground coffee (optional, but yum!)

This may sound a little strange but I'm telling you these steaks had a bit of a crust on the outside, and were tender on the inside and the house smelled amazing!

I rubbed a generous amount on both sides of the steaks. (I used most of this for 5 big steaks. You can keep this rub a long time if you put a lid on it.)   I allowed the steaks to rest 15-20 minutes.

I put coconut oil on my grill pan. (It will work beautifully on the grill also.) I heated up the pan (medium) so I would get a nice sizzle as I placed each steak into the pan. I cooked each steak for about 5 minutes on each side, depending on how everyone liked their steak,

I served these luscious steaks on  a simple bed of red pepper, cut into chunks, cooked until crisp-tender in coconut oil, smoked sea salt, and basil. Then I added a container of organic baby spinach and put a lid on it, stirring once until wilted.

Try it soon. Let me know what you think here, or on the Feeding Ger Sasser FaceBook page, or feedinggersasser on Instagram, or Pinterest. And, if you are at Central East Regionals, say hey if you see me.

Paleo Chuck Roast with Mango BBQ Sauce

This was an excellent meal. This recipe focuses on a beautiful chuck roast. Our lives are so busy and we have to work on making good food - it's always worth it. If YOU are looking to upgrade the quality of your beef, shop around for grass fed and try to go local.

I peeled and sliced two mangos and placed it in the bottom of my slow cooker, along with 1 TBSP of coconut oil.
I laid the chuck roast right on top of the mango.

In a small bowl, I stirred up the following ingredients to make a thick paleo bbq sauce:

1 6 oz can organic tomato paste
3 TBSP water
1 TBSP coconut oil
2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1 TBSP honey
1 tsp Cherry Wood Smoked Sea Salt (salttraders.com or your favorite sea salt)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste, and then a little more - lol
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 TBSP Garlic Gold nuggets (garlicgold.com)

This was a thick sauce. I spread it out right on top of the chuck roast. 
I poured 1/4 cup water down in the slow cooker, careful not to disturb the bbq sauce.

I put the lid on the slow cooker and let it cook for 8 hours on low.                                                                    It was MELT_IN_YOUR_MOUTH_TENDER_AND_DELICIOUS!

Smoked Paprika Grilled Tuna Steaks

We've been more serious than ever about what we are eating around here since Central East Regionals 2014 is next weekend. It's such an amazing event and it will be Ger's 4th appearance on the floor. I can't wait to watch him in action, to see everyone, to buy things from the venders, and to drink ice-cold Kill Cliff, and to wear our new Crossfit Countdown shirts  - ok, back to food.

Ger didn't want orange roughy in coconut milk, so Cass and I ate that. I made Ger these delicious tuna steaks. ( I think Isaac ate something junky....but he's getting better.) You might rather put them on the grill - that works very well for tuna steaks.

I rubbed coconut oil on my grill pan and then heated it up. I like to have a nice sizzle sound when the protein hits the pan.
I rinsed 2 tuna steaks, patted them dry, and sprinkled them with a lot of:

smoked paprika
Cherry Wood Smoked Sea Salt (salttraders.com)
freshly ground black pepper
Garlic Gold nuggets (garlicgold.com)

I cooked the tuna steaks on both sides until I got nice grill marks and yet there was still a good bit of pink in the middle of each piece - that's how Ger likes it.

I had a birthday last week and my mom sent this photo to me. I've been cooking since WAY back! My sister posted it on Facebook and said, "Happy Birthday to the Queen of Southern Paleo!" Sweet!

Paleo Broccoli Salad

I wanted Broccoli Salad like I used to make, only PALEO.  So, I texted my mom and had her send me the old recipe. She found it and it made me laugh somehow....See?

In a big bowl I put the following ingredients:

1 bunch organic broccoli
12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup organic raisins
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 small red onion, chopped

In a small bowl, I stirred up the dressing:

3/4 cup organic coconut milk, from a can, stirred
3-4 TBSP raw honey
2 T balsamic vinegar  (try one fromflyingolive.com - you'll be glad you did)
1 tsp Cherry Wood Smoked Sea Salt (salttraders.com has my favorite salt)

 I stirred this up and poured it on the ingredients in the big bowl and I am telling you I nailed it! This is exactly what I was craving.

Now, you may want to grate a little Kerry Gold cheese on the top of your serving and I thought about it   but it really didn't need it.

Paleo Mango Bars

Someone gave me a perfect mango for my birthday and this is what I did with it today. I made up Paleo Mango Bars - they are based off my Paleo Blueberry Lemon Bars. ( the recipe on this blog with the most page views, by far)  But, the Mango makes them so sweet....... I can't wait to feed Ger Sasser this one!

I rubbed an 8 inch square glass pan with coconut oil.

 I stirred up the following ingredients all at once:
1 1/2 cups almond meal
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 heaping TBSP coconut oil, melted
2 TBSP honey
2 tsp vanilla

I spread this out in the prepared glass pan and baked it in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

The next layer is the mango lemon yumminess.
First, I squeezed 1 lemon and set the juice aside.Then I peeled and cut into slices 1 big ripe mango. I put it in the food processor and pureed it, leaving it a little chunky. I scraped out the mango into the lemon juice and set it aside.
I took a saucepan and put:
 3 organic eggs
 1/4 cup raw honey
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest


I stirred this up. Then I put it on the stove on medium low. From this point it must be stirred almost continuously or it will make a scrambled egg kind of thing on the bottom, and you don't want that. (although it will still taste good)
 While this started to heat up, I put:
 6 TBSP of coconut oil, one at a time into the egg mixture. I kept stirring.... letting the coconut oil melt and when it all melted.....
 I added the mango puree and the lemon lemon juice. (all at once lol)                                                                I continued stirring til it began to thicken. (If you aren't sure if it has thickened, it hasn't thickened enough! It will happen and it is worth it!)

When it was thicker, I poured it over the top of the layer in the glass pan and spread it out.                                I covered the dish with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for a couple of hours.  This stuff is birthday-worthy!

We loved these Paleo Mango Bars just the way they were, but Ger said they needed something.... like our Paleo Blueberry Lemon Bars need the blueberries. So, I threw some fresh raspberries on there.... and knew that he was right! Even better!!!!!

Paleo Dutch Oven Ribs

Ribs. Don't you just love ribs? Beef - pork - bison - ribs are just delicious. I wanted to try some ribs in a deep, flavorful, mom-cooked-these-bad-boys-with-love kind of way.

Here's how I made Dutch Oven Ribs:

I put 3 1/2 to 4 lbs of ribs on a foil-lined baking sheet and sprinkled them with salttraders.com Smoked Sea Salt and pepper. Then I BROILED them for 5 minutes on each side.

I took them out of the oven and turned off the broiler. This was to allow the oven to cool off a little so I could take out the top rack, to make room for the dutch oven. ( I used to always forget to do this...)

In my dutch oven, over medium heat, I put:
2 TBSP coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
2 celery stalks, ends trimmed off, then sliced thin
3 inches fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thin
2 large portobello mushroom caps, cut into big chunks (optional)
1 tsp organic minced garlic (you know I love Garlic Gold)
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves (fish them out later)

I cooked this 10-15 minutes, stirring often.

I stirred in:
 3 TBSP organic tomato paste
1 32 oz container of organic beef broth

I brought this to a boil and then added the RIBS.
I put the lid on the dutch oven and opened the oven door and removed the top rack.
I heated the oven to 350 degrees and  with my best Crossfit squat I put that heavy dutch oven into the oven for 1  1/2 hours so the ribs would be tender and deep-flavored and really good!

What a meal! All I had to do was serve it up. Ger said he especially liked the ginger kick in there.

Good luck with your ribs. Let me know how they turn out.

                                                               Don't those ribs just look epic?