Bacon Mushroom Mooseloaf

Or how about just a Bacon Mushroom Meatloaf… named this way as I substituted moose meat for ground beef.  I’m pretty lucky to have a family that hunts and shares their freezer full of meat with me. 

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. ground meat
• 1 lb. nitrate-free bacon, chopped (I used Maple Leaf Naturals)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 8 oz. mushrooms of any kind, chopped
• 1 cup  almond flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• pinch of Himalayan sea salt
• pinch of black pepper
• 1 – 3 Tbsp. hot sauce and 1/2 cup Ketchup

How to put it all together

1. Preheat your oven to 350F and grease a medium sized casserole dish
2. In a frying pan, sauté the bacon until crisp.  At this point you will want to drain some of the fat as there is a fair amount.  Then add the onions and mushrooms and continue to cook until they are translucent. 
3. While the bacon mixture is cooking, crumble the beef in a bowl, then add the eggs and flour and mix with your hands until well combined. 
4. Drain the rest of the fat from the bacon mixture.  Then add the bacon/onions/mushrooms to the beef.  It will be hot, so you may want to use a spatula to fold in.  Also add the salt and pepper. 
5. Transfer everything to the greased casserole dish.  Round the top off a bit. 
6. Pour the ketchup/hot sauce over the top and spread it evenly. 
7. Place on the middle rack in the oven, but put a baking sheet under it in case of spillage. 
8. It should cook in about 45 minutes, but use a thermometer to be certain to have the proper internal temperature. 
9. Serve along side a side salad. 

Paleo Pumpkin Pie

It’s October and you know what that means?  Pumpkin season…pumpkin smoothies, pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin spiced lattes, pumpkin soups…anything pumpkin is good for me. 

And this brings me to today’s recipe… a Pumpkin Pie that is so simple to make and a healthy alternative to the store-bought varieties (Costco being by far the bestest pumpkin pie you can buy – you see people leaving the store with carts full)… plus it tastes great. 

(This is not my own recipe.. I found it online somewhere a while ago and realized while making it that it’s Paleo Friendly – Bonus)

Preheat your oven to 350F. 

Crust

• 2 1/2 cups  mixed nuts (I used almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts)
• 1/2 cup  chilled dates, pitted (about 5)
• 1/2 tsp.  pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp.  Himalayan Sea salt
• 1 tsp.  GF Baking Powder
• 2 Tbsp.  butter (I used Ghee – a clarified butter)

1. Process the nuts in your food processor until ground, but not too much as you don’t want to make nut butter. 
2. Next add the rest of the ingredients to your nuts and pulse until well integrated. 
3. Grease a 9 inch pie plate and press the nut mixture firmly on the bottom and sides of your dish. 
4. Bake for 15 minutes, but keep an eye on the sides of the crust.  If it gets too dark, cover with aluminum foil. 
5. While baking, make the filling.

Filling

• 15 oz. 100% pure pumpkin puree
• 1 cup  Coconut milk (canned, full fat)
• 2 tsp.  pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp.  ground cloves
• 1 tsp.  ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp.  group nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp.  ground ginger
• pinch of Himalayan Sea Salt
• 3 Tbsp.  raw, unpasteurized honey
• 1 Tbsp.  Arrowroot powder
• 3 eggs,  room temperature and whisked

1. Add all ingredients into the food processor and mix until well combined. 
2. Pour the pumpkin mixture onto the crust, but careful not to overfill. 
3. There will be extra filling, so I filled 3 small ramekins 3/4 full to make pumpkin pudding.  (yummy).
4. Bake the ramekins and the pie for 50 minutes.  If you shake the pie, the center should jiggle slightly. 
5. Also monitor the crust during the baking process.  Again if it’s browning too fast, cover with foil slightly. 

Sunday Cooking Marathon

I hope everyone is having a great weekend.  The weather sure has changed in this neck of the woods.  Bye bye summer, hello Fall.  I do love the fall for it’s crisp morning air and all of the changing colors. I especially love the morning dog walks on days like these:

 It also means the start of pumpkin time and I love anything pumpkin, especially pumpkin pie. 

I made some pumpkin tarts with my class this year right before the Canadian Thanksgiving Holiday.  The kids were so stoked…they each got to take home 4 tarts…some didn’t quite make it home as they ate some before going home.  (And I didn’t take any pics…woops).

This week I also stepped up my fitness regime to another level.  I joined a local gym and signed up for 1 month of unlimited Crossfit.  For those who may not be familiar with Crossfit, the definition is as follows: 

Constantly varied, functional movements at high intensity. 

I did a bit of Crossfit over the summer while visiting family in Vancouver and was hooked from day 1, but this was the first week back at it since coming home.  Crossfit is relatively new in my city..and I am so happy that the gym is offering it.  My goal is to get in the best shape of my life, to tone down, get strong and leaner and I know that this is the way for me to get there.  I can’t wait to explore the next part of my fitness journey and see where it takes me. 

Now the title of this post is “Sunday Cooking Marathon”.  That’s right.  I spent about 3 hours today cooking meals for the week.  I am limited in time during the week and sometimes my nutrition lacks when I don’t have the time I’d like to cook the meals I’d like during the week.  So my trainer gave the a tip:  spend a few hours on Sunday cooking your meals for the week.  They are easy to freeze and heat up in the microwave or stovetop during the week.  How smart is she?  Thanks Kaiya!

After figuring out the final details to my meal plan for the upcoming week, I took off to the store to grab the necessities.  And I even found something for the dog today, which he loved instantly. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I sit here typing this, my house is beginning to smell of chocolate goodness from the yummy no-grain cocoa granola.  So what is on the menu this week?  Voila!  Take a look and let me know what you think   I think this week is going to rock.

  No-oat Cocoa Granola

Cauliflower Rice for Tuesday’s Salmon dinner (this is a previous pic)

Bacon Mushroom Mooseloaf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paleo friendly Pumpkin Pie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spicy Thai Beef and Noodle Soup

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Back soon with more goodies

Bea

My Paleo Challenge is Complete!

Well my 30 day Paleo Challenge is done. And I have to say it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I had a couple of cheat meals or items, but if you remember correctly, I had mentioned that a little bit of indulgence is ok.

So here is what I concluded after going more or less Paleo for 30 days:

• I was never hungry in between meals
• Protein rich meals fill you up and make you feel satisfied.
• There are some incredibly delicious recipes on the www that allow the treats without feeling guilty.
• Pasta, rice and potatoes are not necessary with every meal.
• I ate a lot more greens.
• My belly is no longer bloated and I have a ton of energy.
• I lost a few pounds, my clothes feel looser.

Will I continue?

For the most part, yes. I think I will still allow myself to eat Quinoa again because I do believe its a healthy ancient grain. But I am going to continue with limiting my pasta and other starchy foods. I have found that eating foods on a bed of spinach is just as satisfying and way healthier of course. But if I end up going out for dinner at a restaurant or cafe and pasta is on the menu, why not allow it as a treat from time to time. Yes, I am gluten intolerant, but at least not celiac.

I'm going to leave you with a few pictures of my food and meals from the last month.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spicy Turkey Stoup

                                                                                                                                 Chef’s Salad

No Oat Chocolate Granola

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BBQ Salmon and Cauliflower Rice                                                                           Cocoa crusted Pork Tenders and Squash

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cocoa Pumpkin Muffins                                                                                        Grilled Turkey Spinach Salad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Swirl Loaf                                                                                        Chocolate Cake in a Mug

.Pesto Stuffed Flank Steak and Garlic Roasted Broccoli

 

And I challenge YOU to try and make some healthy eating choices.  It is the start of a new month, Turkey Time is near and we will undoubtedly be consuming some rich holiday foods between now and the new year.  I am going to do my best to maintain my new eating habits and continue to stay active, but I’m not sure how long I can resist Pumpkin Pies