Easy Peasy Crock Pot Chuck Roast
Another one of my crock pot favorites! This meat comes out so tender that you won’t even need a knife to eat it…and it’s done by the time you get home for dinner with only minutes of prep. If you’re a veggie lover, throw in baby carrots, onions, celery and potatoes into the mix for a complete meal! If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can roast the meat in the oven at 325 degrees F for about 2 to 3 hours until the meat is tender. Chuck (the type of cut) is rather tough having come from the shoulder and neck area which means a long, slow cooking time is preferable to make it deliciously tender.
- 1 2 pound boneless chuck roast
- ½ tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- Make the rub for the roast by combining paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
- Evenly pat the rub on all sides of the roast.
- Brown the roast on both sides in a skillet on medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Mix together beef broth, balsamic vinegar and minced garlic in a small bowl.
- Place roast in the crock pot and add broth mixture.
- Cover and cook for 8 hours on low (or 4 hours on high).
Chronic Caveman Meatloaf
This paleo meatloaf recipe has no flour, is packed with amazing flavor and is oh so satisfying on a cold and rainy day. I love making this because I can throw in all of the veggies in my fridge and create a brand new masterpiece with my leftovers. Some prefer to bake the meatloaf in a bread pan…I prefer to form it into a loaf on a baking pan so that the edges can crisp and form a little crust. Slather the sauce onto that meaty goodness and enjoy!
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup red pepper, diced
- ¼ cup yellow onion, diced
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp thyme
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp ground celery seed
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- ¾ cup tomato sauce
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine ground beef, ground pork, tomato sauce, egg, almond flour, basil, salt, black pepper, dried basil, paprika, dried thyme, ground celery seed and garlic in a large mixing bowl.
- Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté onions and red pepper until onions are translucent.
- Add onions and red pepper to the rest of the ingredients and mix well with your hands.
- Form into a loaf on a greased 8.5 x 11 baking dish and bake for 45-60 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes.
- Simmer all of the ingredients for the sauce in a small saucepan until it is slightly bubbly then brush on the surface of the meatloaf once the meatloaf has cooled.
- Slice the meatloaf, top with additional fresh chopped basil and serve!
Paleolithic Braised Short Ribs
I love short ribs…fall off the bone, tender, juicy, flavorful short ribs. If you’d rather cook these in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours after browning, be my guest! You’ll end up with delicious and succulent meat either way. Serve over a bed of cauliflower rice or with veggies and enjoy!
- 3 pounds beef short ribs
- ½ cup celery, diced
- ½ cup carrots, peeled and diced
- ½ cup onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 cups beef broth
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1½ tbsp. coconut oil
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- ½ tbsp ground cumin
- ½ tbsp dried thyme
- ½ tbsp dried oregano
- salt, black pepper and garlic powder for ribs
- fresh chopped cilantro to garnish
- Coat ribs with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Brown ribs in a single layer in a large pot with coconut oil over medium-high heat until browned on all sides (approximately 3-4 minutes per side).
- Set each rib aside in a bowl after browning.
- Add celery, carrots and onion to pot and cook for approximately 5 minutes.
- Stir in water, balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, garlic powder, cumin, thyme and oregano and cook for an additional 8 minutes.
- Return the ribs to the pot, add the beef broth and bring to a boil.
- Simmer and cook partially covered for 3 ½ to 4 hours.
- Transfer ribs to a plate and shred tender meat with two forks.
- Strain the remaining liquid, bring to a boil then simmer until reduced and pour into meat.
- Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro!
Spaghetti Squash with Arrabiata Sauce and Spicy Italian Meatballs
When I was vacation this past September in Italy, I ate pasta for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Literally. I couldn’t and still can’t get enough. Now that I’m back in California and back to reality, I still have pasta occasionally but can’t help but feel guilty about the belly full of carbs and starch weighing me down as I’m waddling out of the restaurant. Voila! I present to you a guilt-free Italian indulgence substitute for chewy squash “noodles” drenched in a spicy and flavorful tomato arrabiata sauce with tender, zesty, mouthwatering meatballs. Mangia!
- 1 medium spaghetti squash
- 1 head of garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1 8 oz. can tomato paste
- ½ cup organic red wine
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- 1 ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1½ pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup almond flour
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut the spaghetti squash in half then scoop out and discard the seeds.
- Place the 2 squash halves on a foil lined baking sheet face up.
- Spread the slices of garlic inside and along the walls of the squash halves.
- Season with salt and pepper and drizzle olive oil over the squash, making sure that the inside of the squash halves are covered entirely.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until squash separates easily from the skin.
- Remove from oven and cool for 25 minutes.
- Use a fork to pull the squash strand “spaghetti” out of the squash.
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan over low heat and sauté onion and garlic for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the organic red wine, honey, dried basil, red pepper flakes, oregano, dried basil, thyme, garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Let sauce with meatballs cool before serving.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Beat eggs in a small bowl.
- Mix the ground beef and ground pork together in a large mixing bowl and beaten eggs.
- Stir in minced garlic, dried basil, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper.
- Add the almond flour and combine.
- Roll mixture with hands into 2-inch meatballs.
- Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
- Add meatballs to arrabiata sauce, simmer and cool before serving!
About Me
Hi, I'm the paleo panda! Join me on my journey for better and greater in eating, traveling and living. This is a collection of my life’s “musts”.
