Simply Norma

I bought a large container of tomatoes because they were on sale and then got home and thought “What do I do with a bunch of tomatoes?”

Some of my options were –

• Slice them and eat them raw
• Slice them and add them to a salad
• Make a stir fry and include them in it
• Make homemade salsa
• Make homemade spaghetti sauce

All of those options were good but instead, I decided to bake them as a side dish. And, they came out pretty good.

The recipe calls for aged grated parmesan cheese which is not really paleo but more primal (the primal diet allows cheese). It’s quite interesting reading about the difference between the paleolithic diet and the primal diet. There are so many opinions and variations on these diets — it’s enough to make your head spin.

Despite this, I’m putting this recipe under the paleo category and you can choose whether to add the cheese or not —

First, you’ll need a few ingredients …

Next, you’ll be combining the oregano, cheese, salt and pepper. It will look like this …

You can use basil (dried or freshly chopped) or any other herb you like.

Next, you’ll be slicing your tomatoes lengthwise and putting some of your herb mixture on top of each tomato. Then you’ll be pouring a little bit of olive oil over the tomato halves.

Next they’ll go in the oven … Are you ready to try it?

Ingredients

• 4 large oblong-shaped tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
• 1 teaspoon oregano (I used dried)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated aged parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Ground pepper
• 4 teaspoons extra virgen olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450° Fahrenheit
2. Place tomatoes cut-side up on a baking sheet
3. In a small bowl, combine the oregano, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper
4. Top the tomatoes with the herb/cheese mixture
5. Drizzle the olive oil on top of the herb/cheese mixture
6. Bake the tomatoes until they are tender, about 15 minutes (but set your timer for 5 minutes earlier in case they get done sooner)

And that is pretty much it. They are juicy and great tasting!

This recipe was adapted a tad from Food.com.

I just had to share this paleo Avocado Ranch Dressing with you as it’s so easy to make and goes with any salad.

Here are the ingredients. I used dill seed instead of the fresh dill that the original recipe calls for, however, next time I’ll use fresh dill as I believe it will give it a stronger flavor.  (Olive Oil not shown)

Ingredients

• 1 ripe avocado
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dill seed or 2 Tablespoons fresh dill
• 2 Tablespoons fresh chives
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. In a blender or food processor, pulse the avocados.
2. Add the remaining ingredients then pulse to combine it all.
3. Puree everything until its smooth.
4. Store it in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.

The dressing came out quite thick so I adapted it by adding 2 tablespoons olive oil and then it was “pourable.”

This recipe will work on top of any salad and I also found that I can use it when making tuna salad, chicken salad, etc.

Special thanks to tgipaleo for this recipe!

For the new year I’m planning on making more salads.  Why, you ask?

Because I really enjoy them! This Red Cabbage Salad with Pears and Walnuts was simply scrumptious.  I know, I know — red cabbage!! It’s true though. The salad tasted great without the usual salad fare such as lettuce or spinach.

In addition to not being disappointed with this salad, you’ll probably be one of the first on your block who makes something out of the ordinary. Hey! That means you’ll be just like me!  (laughing)

Seriously though — I really did like this salad.

So — here are the key ingredients …

The original recipe called for grape seed oil. You won’t see that in the picture above because I decided to substitute the grape seed oil with a Basil and Sun Dried Tomato Olive Oil — it’s what I had in the cupboard and I thought it would work fine (and it did).

I also decided to make my own pomegranate syrup which was easy peasy.  (I know, I know, there is no such word as peasy but it always rhymes well …)

Anyway — let’s get to making this salad which is also paleo, shall we?

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil (or Basil & Sun Dried Tomato Oil if you can find it)
• 2 teaspoons pomegranate syrup (see directions below to make this)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 head red cabbage, cut in half, cored, and very thinly sliced (4 cups)
• 1 pear, cored and sliced
• 1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion

Ingredients for Pomegranate Syrup

• 1 cup (8 ounces) pomegranate juice
• 2 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

Directions

1. Whisk the vinegar, oil, pomegranate syrup, and mustard in a small bowl then set this aside.
2. Toss the cabbage, pear slices, walnuts, and red onion in a serving bowl.
3. Serve the dressing on the side or (if you’re sure all of this salad will be eaten at once) toss the salad with the dressing.

To make the pomegranate syrup:

1. Simmer 1 cup of pomegranate juice with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and 1 Tablespoon lemon juice over medium heat for approximately 1 hour until it becomes thick.

That’s it!  Enjoy!

Waking up to a -24° Fahrenheit temperature (-46° windchill) yesterday, I was not looking forward to what the day had in store.

Here is what the kitchen window looks like.  We don’t have to put our vegetables in the refrigerator as the window sill keeps them cool enough.

In spite of the cold, I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to accomplish quite a bit and also try a new recipe.

It was just “one of those days” when everything went right. I paid my bills and a friend’s bills, sent out January birthday cards, organized files for the new year, prepared my quilting blocks for more sewing then cooked a new recipe.

In the middle of all that, I headed outdoors when the temperature was a -16° to put the mail in the mailbox for pickup. Later, when it was a balmy -12°, I went outside to retrieve the delivered mail. Brrrr.  I should have worn my long johns.

Feeling a sense of accomplishment, I went to the kitchen and gathered the ingredients for the new recipe I wanted to try. Hmmm … after reading through the recipe, I decided I was going to improvise on the instructions and ingredients — and so I did. The original recipe is a Broccoli, Chicken and Almond Saute but I used a vegetable mix instead of just broccoli along with a few other changes.

So — here is what I did. And — you will enjoy this one. It’s easy and quite tasty.

First — here are the ingredients you’ll be needing (olive oil and chicken not shown):

After preparing your chicken thighs, you’ll be putting them in an olive-oil-greased cast iron skillet (if you have one) for browning …

This is looking good …

While the chicken is browning, you’ll toss your vegetables in a skillet to start their cooking process along with a splash of sesame oil.

After the vegetables are about halfway cooked, add the chicken and toss everything together.

Allow everything to cook through.  Ready to try it?  Remember you’ll be using two skillets side by side.

Ingredients

• 4-5 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces
• Salt
• Olive oil
• A Spice Rub of your Choice (I used Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute)
• 1 lb vegetable mix – cut into bite size pieces (I used carrots, cauliflower and broccoli)
• 1/8 teaspoon chile powder
• 1/2 cup sliced toasted almonds
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (or a splash here and there)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Add the spice rub (or spices of your choice) in a large bowl along with some salt and pepper.
2. Add the chicken pieces to the spice rub and toss to coat.
3. Heat an iron cast skillet on medium and add a tablespoon or two of olive oil.
4. Toss the chicken into the skillet and allow the chicken to brown on both sides.
5. On the other skillet, add a tablespoon or two of olive oil along with the chili powder and set the heat on medium low.
6. Once the skillet is hot, add your vegetable pieces to this second skillet and toss with the olive oil.
7. Add a splash or two of the sesame oil.  (Take a peek at your chicken and turn it to make sure it’s browning on both sides.)
8. Once the chicken is browned on both sides, remove it from the heat and set it aside until the vegetables are starting to soften.
9. Add the chicken to the vegetable mix and toss together.
10. Taste one of the chicken pieces to make sure it is thoroughly cooked through.
11. Add the almonds and toss everything together again.

That’s pretty much it. It’s quick, easy and a great comfort food for any day of the week. And, I thoroughly enjoy my Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute. It has a tad of cayenne pepper — small enough for me to enjoy and strong enough to give the chicken a flavor boost the way my husband likes it.

All of you who are in the midst of this polar vortex — STAY WARM!!!