Paleo Pork Chops with Mango Avocado Salsa
Pork is one of the leanest proteins you can have. Cooking it in the pan with a little olive oil gives it a flavorful golden crust while keeping it tender and healthy at the same time. The mango avocado salsa to top these golden pork chops is sweet and slightly spicy, you’ll want a spoonful with every bite! You can make this salsa to enhance virtually any dish – paleo or non-paleo! Mouthwatering deliciousness!
- 2 lbs lean pork chops
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 mango, peeled and cubed
- ½ avocado, peeled and cubed
- ½ cup red onion, chopped
- ½ cup plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- Rinse and pat pork chops dry and place face up on a dry plate.
- Mix together the paprika, garlic powder, thyme, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper in a small bowl.
- Rub and coat both sides of the pork chop with mixture.
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium to medium-high heat.
- Cook pork chops (three at a time) for 2 to 3 minutes on the first side.
- Flip and cook the pork chops on the other side for another 1 to 2 minutes until the pork chops are golden brown and no pink juices remain.
- Make the mango salsa by combining the mango, red onion, tomatoes, lime juice, cilantro, olive oil, apple cider vinegar and cumin in a small bowl, gently tossing in the avocado at the end.
- Top the slightly cooled pork chops with the mango avocado salsa and serve!
Bacon Wrapped Honey Dijon Chicken Breasts
I am on a serious Dijon mustard kick. It’s so low in calories but it ads so much zest to every bite…mix a little honey with it and you get that perfect sweet ‘n salty explosion for your taste buds. I think everyone can agree that you can wrap anything in bacon and it will be delicious. For that reason alone (and so many more), you’ll love this golden sweet tangy chicken wrapped in smoky thick bacon. The flavor of the bacon seeps into the chicken as it cooks. Amazing, right?
- 2 chicken breasts
- 6 slices of thick cut bacon
- 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp honey
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp paprika
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Season chicken breasts with salt, black pepper, garlic powder and paprika.
- Mix together Dijon mustard and honey in a small bowl.
- Coat each chicken breast with honey mustard mixture.
- Wrap slices of raw bacon around each chicken breast until entire breast is covered (approximately 3 slices for each breasts depending on size).
- Apply another layer of honey mustard mixture on top of bacon covered chicken breasts.
- Line an 8 x 13 baking pan with tinfoil and coat with olive oil spray to prevent chicken breasts from sticking.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Dijon Almond Crusted Tilapia
I wanted to make a healthy and delicious recipe last night but fish can sometimes taste too light and unsatisfying! Not to fear, this recipe has the perfect blend of saltiness and sweetness…all topped with a golden almond crunch. My favorite thing about cooking fish is that you can throw it in a baking dish, pop it in the oven and it’s cooked by the time you finish cleaning your prep dishes. You can use this recipe with pretty much any fish, I just prefer the mildness of tilapia. Enjoy!
- 2 or 3 fillets of tilapia (approximately 1 pound)
- 1/3 cup raw almonds
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper
- Olive oil
- Chopped cilantro to garnish
- 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and slightly grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Place almonds in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
- Mix in paprika and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine Dijon mustard with honey and mix.
- Rinse and pat the tilapia fillets dry.
- Sprinkle each side with garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
- Coat the bottom side of each fillet with mustard mixture.
- Sprinkle almond mix on top of mustard and press into the fish with fingers.
- Place each fillet into the baking dish with the coated side down.
- Repeat mustard coating and almond topping on the remaining top side of the fillet.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
- Combine and mix the Dijon mustard, honey, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, and dried thyme together in a small bowl to make the Dijon sauce and set aside.
- Top with Dijon sauce & fresh cilantro and serve
Paleo Shrimp and Cauli-“Grits”
Getting in touch with my inner southern belle with this shrimp and faux-grits recipe! It’s impossible to resist the zesty spice of the crisp shrimp complimented by its bed of creamy garlic “grits’. A traditional breakfast dish in the south, you can make this for breakfast, lunch AND dinner! For an additional dimension of deliciousness, add some diced bacon on top…or inside and all around!
- 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- ½ small onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 large head of cauliflower
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Dash of paprika
- Mix the paprika, salt, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, onion powder, cayenne, red pepper flakes and black pepper in a small bowl.
- Toss the seasoning with the shrimp in a medium bowl.
- Heat coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat and sauté garlic and onions for 1 minute.
- Add the seasoned shrimp and sauté until the shrimp turn pink. Add lime juice.
- Chop the head of cauliflower into florets.
- Pulse florets in a food processor until the cauliflower is riced.
- Heat coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat and saute garlic for 1 minute.
- Add riced cauliflower and stir to combine.
- Add the almond milk and garlic powder to the cauliflower.
- Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Add a dash of paprika on top for color!
- Top grits with shrimp and fresh cilantro and enjoy!
Panda Magic 7 Layer Paleo Bars
Need a post Memorial Day pick me up? These paleo magic 7 layer bars will soothe your post-holiday blues and are sure to satisfy ANY craving! As a little panda, magic bars were ALWAYS my weakness…the crunch of the buttery graham cracker crust, the decadent layers of sweetened nuts sandwiched in between melted chocolate and sprinkles of chocolate chips…all topped with a chewy golden shredded coconut topping…complete with the fat and calorie bomb sitting at the bottom of my stomach afterwards.
I strove to make a paleo, gluten-free and grain-free version of these magical 7 layer bars and while they are not the lowest in calorie count (eat one, not the whole batch), they’ll satisfy your cravings with cleaner ingredients than the original but with all the taste and bliss!
- ½ cup coconut milk (full fat)
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 egg
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsweetened chocolate
- 1 tbsp coconut milk
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 ¼ cup dark chocolate chips
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.
- Make the sauce by heating the coconut milk, honey, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Simultaneously, make the crust by combining the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a food processor. Pulse. Add the egg, coconut oil, maple syrup, honey and vanilla extract and process until smooth.
- Press the dough into an even layer in a 9x9` baking pan and bake for 15 minutes.
- Make the bottom chocolate layer by melting 3 ounces of unsweetened chocolate slowly in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water (or heat in the microwave slowly) and stir in the coconut milk, honey and maple syrup and spread over the crust.
- Sprinkle chopped walnuts over the chocolate layer.
- Sprinkle shredded coconut over the walnuts.
- Pour enough of the cooled sauce to cover everything then add a layer of chocolate chips.
- Pour chopped pecans on top of the chocolate chips then pour another layer of the cooled sauce over the entire thing.
- Sprinkle a layer of shredded coconut on top along with the remaining cinnamon and salt.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Allow the bars to cool for 1 hour before slicing and serving.
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!
Panda’s Paleo Bread
I love eating paleo…but I also love eating my bread! Eating caveman doesn’t necessarily mean eating you can’t have that satisfying grainy fluffy dough. I don’t remember the last time I had a slice of white processed Wonder Bread but I do remember that it doesn’t even taste good to me anymore. I love the taste and the texture of this paleo bread. You can toast a slice of it in the morning with some almond butter or even make a toasted paleo sandwich with it!
- 1 ¾ cups blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 1/3 cup flaxseed meal
- 1 tsp flaxseed seeds
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ cup arrowroot powder
- 6 tbsp coconut oil
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place almond flour, coconut flour, flaxseed meal, flaxseeds, salt, baking soda and arrowroot powder in a food processor and pulse the ingredients together.
- Add in coconut oil, eggs, apple cider vinegar and honey and continue to pulse.
- Pour mixture into a greased non-stick loaf pan (or line pan with parchment paper).
- Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
- Cool and enjoy!
Paleo Panda’s Sticky Spare Ribs
I used to love my mother’s finger licking, fall off the bone spare ribs. I’d devour rib after rib and savor every bite of tender meat complimented with the perfect asian spice! Here’s my version of her traditional recipe…enjoy!
- 2 ½ lb pork spareribs, cut into 1 ¼ inch pieces
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tbsp liquid aminos
- 2 tbsp dry sherry (alternatively you can buy Pale Dry Sherry, it’s pretty cheap)
- 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- 1 tsp ground Sichuan pepper
- scallions and sesame seeds to garnish
- Place the spareribs in a shallow dish.
- In a small bowl, stir together the honey, liquid aminos, sherry, five-spice powder and Sichuan pepper.
- Add the mixture to the spareribs and mix until the ribs are well coated.
- Let stand for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- Arrange the spareribs in a single layer on a nonstick baking shet.
- Place them in the oven and cook until tender for approximately 1 hour, turning them over halfway.
- Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds and serve!
Nutty Paleo Granola
Crispy, crunchy, golden, nutty, sweet and salty granola…who doesn’t like that? Someone who doesn’t like the saturated fat and sugar that comes your traditional granola, that’s who! Make this granola with all of the texture and flavor of store-bought granola with none of the bad stuff. Not to mention the fact that it’s jam packed with fiber and protein. Try adding 3 teaspooons of almond butter to the granola mixture before baking for extreme nuttiness!
- 1 cup walnuts, raw
- ½ cup cashews, raw
- ½ cup almonds, raw
- ½ cup pepitas
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- ½ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
- ½ cup blueberries or cranberries, dried
- 1 egg white
- ¼ to 1/3 cup honey
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tbsp water
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Chop walnuts, cashews, almonds, pepitas and sunflower seeds in a food processor.
- Beat egg white with water in a large bowl then whisk in coconut oil, honey, vanilla exact, cinnamon and salt.
- Pour chopped nuts into the egg white mixture and stir in shredded coconut and dried blueberries or cranberries until mixture is evenly distributed and coated.
- Spread mixture onto a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until crispy and golden.
- Remove from oven, flatten granola and let sit for 15 minutes to harden.
- Use a spatula and/or hands to break into chunks and devour!
Hot Thai Kitchen – Garlic Pepper Chicken and Shrimp
My boyfriend found an awesome blog and youtube cooking channel while looking for a delicious Thai recipe to make this weekend…Hot Thai Kitchen! Pai has the best authentic Thai recipes with cooking videos to walk you through each step. He attempted, and very successfully so, the mouthwatering garlic pepper chicken (and shrimp) and it was absolutely amazing. He infused olive oil with garlic then sprinkled the leftover browned garlic on the chicken…you cannot even imagine the explosion of flavors! Click here for Pai’s Hot Thai Kitchen Garlic Pepper Chicken recipe. Here’s my paleo version of this awesome recipe!
Browned garlic and infused olive oil, yum!
The final masterpiece!
- 1 pound chicken breasts, cut into 1-cm cubes
- 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 10 oz. bag of spinach
- 1 tbsp Ty Ling oyster sauce (loosely paleo-friendly with some fermented soy and corn but wheat-free)
- 2 tbsp liquid aminos
- 1 tsp Red Boat fish sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp coconut palm sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 8 cilantro stems, chopped
- 8 garlic cloves, chopped
- Mix chicken with Ty Ling oyster sauce, liquid aminos, Red boat fish sauce, white pepper and black pepper.
- To make the garlic infused olive oil, place the garlic in a small pot or wok and add just enough olive oil to cover the garlic. Fry garlic over low heat until the garlic turns golden brown and the bubbling has mostly stopped, about 5 minutes. Drain garlic from oil, reserving the oil.
- In a wok, add 2 tablespoons of the garlic oil and heat over high heat. Pour a tablespoon of the remaining garlic oil into the marinated chicken and stir.
- When the oil is hot, add the chicken and coconut palm sugar and stir until chicken is cooked.
- Add shrimp for the last 2 minutes of cooking and mix in half of the fried garlic and chopped cilantro stems and remove from heat.
- Sauté spinach with olive oil and garlic and serve with the chicken and shrimp (sprinkling the remaining fried garlic all over)!
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”.
