Lasagna Stuffed Peppers

http://peaceloveandlowcarb.com

• 1 large red bell pepper
• 1 large green bell pepper
• 1 large yellow bell pepper
• 1 large orange bell pepper
• 2 ½ cups Tomato Meat Sauce (see recipe below) 
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning (Hw:  diy italian seasoning recipe under labe "make it don't buy it" )

1. Preheat oven to 400° Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Slice bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove ribs and seeds. Place pepper halves on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes on the middle rack.
3. Remove peppers from oven. Fill each pepper with ¼ cup tomato meat sauce.
4. Next, spoon 2 tbsp of ricotta cheese on top of the meat sauce in each pepper cup. Pour an additional 1 tbsp meat sauce on top of the ricotta cheese.
5. Top each pepper with 2 tbsp mozzarella cheese. Bake on middle rack for 12 minutes.
6. Remove peppers from oven. Top each pepper with 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning. Bake 5 additional minutes . Remove and enjoy!

Meat Sauce:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/3 cup onion, diced
• 2 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, with liquid
• 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• ½ tsp dried bay leaf
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. In a large non-stick sauce pan over medium-high heat, brown ground beef with onion, garlic and sea salt.  Drain excess grease.
2. To the sauce pan, add tomatoes.  Mash the tomatoes into meat until they are crushed and broken up.
3. To the sauce, mix in tomato paste, mushrooms, oregano, basil, parsley, bay leaf, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and red pepper flakes.
4. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered – 30 minutes.

Buttermints

Packed with healthy, blood-sugar-balancing fats, these Buttermints instantly stop sugar cravings and satisfy sweet tooth while filling you up for hours. You won't believe it until you try it!

INGREDIENTS

For the only-butter version

• 1 cup butter, organic pasture butter is the healthiest! (Ghee will not work as a substitute for the butter, because it will not emulsify with the honey)
• ⅛ - ¼ tsp. peppermint extract
• 3 Tbs. raw honey
• Small pinch of unrefined salt
• Optional: 2 Tbs. cocoa powder for a chocolate version (a reader's suggestion)

For the version with coconut oil

• ½ cup butter (pasture butter is best!)
• ½ cup coconut oil (it should be solid, not liquid)
• 3 Tbs. raw honey
• ⅛ - ¼ tsp. peppermint extract, (taste and adjust amount as necessary)

For a dairy free version

• ½ cup coconut butter
• ½ cup coconut oil, liquified
• 3 Tbs. raw honey
• ¼ tsp. peppermint extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Have the butter at room temperature. Stir together all ingredients and add more peppermint extract to taste, if desired.
2. Scoop mixture into a disposable pastry bag or zip-top bag. You can use a metal pastry tip like I did, I just stuck the metal tip into the end of a zip-top bag and then cut off a corner of the bag (see picture above). If you don't want to use a tip, just snip of the corner of the bag.
3. Squeeze bite-sized buttons onto a baking sheet lined with unbleached parchment paper. Place in the fridge until firm, about 2 hours, then transfer to a storage container and store in the fridge.

For the version with coconut oil

1. This variation includes both butter and coconut oil. Because the coconut oil is softer than butter, it will be too soft to pipe through a pastry bag. Instead, mix together all ingredients and then spread in an even layer onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The mixture will be thick enough to spread evenly and stay put.
2. Place in the fridge until firm, about 2 hours, then cut into little squares and transfer to a storage container. Store in the fridge.

For the dairy free version

1. Make sure the coconut butter is at room temperature - it should be stir-able. If it is solid, place the jar in a saucepan of hot water and stir until it is liquid.
2. Combine all ingredients. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet as described in the coconut oil + butter version above. Alternatively, use a spoon to drop small dollops of the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill until solid.

PALEO JALAPEÑO CHICKEN BURGERS

onceamonthmeals

• 1 ½ pounds Ground Chicken
• ⅔ cups dice Onion, White
• ¼ cups chop Cilantro, Fresh
• 2 teaspoons mince Garlic, Cloves
• 2 teaspoons seed and dice Jalapeño
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• TO cook same day:

1. Using clean hands, mix together ground chicken, onion, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, ground cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl.
2. Divide mixture and form into indicated number of patties.
3. Grill over medium-high heat and flip when bottom side of burger no longer sticks to the grill grates, about 6-8 minutes.
4. Continue cooking until cooked through, about 6-8 minutes.

Freeze for later:

1. Using clean hands, mix together ground chicken, onion, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, ground cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl.
2. Divide mixture and form into indicated number of patties.
3. Alternate patties and squares of parchment/wax paper.
4. Divide among indicated number of freezer bags, label and freeze.

Thaw and cook!

SIMPLE ITALIAN CHICKEN

3-4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

3 TBSP avocado or olive oil

3-4 TBSP  Italian seasoning

2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in large Ziploc bag. When ready to cook, thaw overnight. Broil in oven a few inches from heat for 4-5 minutes per side. Enjoy!

PALEO MEDITERRANEAN STEAK

 FROM ONCE A MONTH MEALS

½ teaspoons Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon Sage, Dried

½ teaspoons Rosemary, Dried

½ teaspoons Sea Salt

1 teaspoon Black Pepper

1 teaspoon Thyme, Dried

½ tablespoons Olive Oil

2 pounds Beef Steak

1. Mix together spices with olive oil. Rub herb paste on all sides of steak.
2. Divide steak among gallon sized freezer bags, remove as much air as possible, seal, label and freeze.

thaw & cook as would normally cook your steak

DIY Italian seasoning

tastesoflizzyt.com

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
• 2 tablespoons dried marjoram
• 2 tablespoons dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons dried savory
• 2 tablespoons dried cilantro
• 2 tablespoons dried red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Mix all of the spices together in a small bowl until well combined.
2. Store the spice mix in an airtight container. 
3. Use in any recipe that calls for Italian seasoning.

PALEO ZUPPA TOSCANA

www.tastesoflizzyt.com

Paleo Zuppa Toscana is a rich soup filled with potatoes, kale, Italian sausage and bacon. Your slow cooker makes this dairy free recipe easy to make.

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 818 kcal

Author: Lizzy T

Ingredients

• 1 lb bacon cooked and crumbled
• 1 lb Italian sausage browned and drained
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 medium onion diced
• 3 large potatoes peeled and cut into cubes (hw: can also use turnip roots)
• 2 cups kale diced
• 1 can full fat coconut milk refrigerated

Instructions

1. Place half of the cooked and crumbled bacon into the slow cooker. Reserve the other half as a topping for the soup.
2. Add the Italian sausage, chicken stock, garlic, onion and potatoes to the slow cooker.
3. Cover and simmer on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours until the potatoes are tender.
4. With 30 minutes left, add the kale to the slow cooker. Cover and allow the kale to cook for 30 minutes.
5. Five minutes before serving, open the can of refrigerated coconut cream and add just the solid white cream to the slow cooker. Reserve the clear coconut milk for another use. Let the cream heat through the soup for about 5 minutes.
6. Serve with crumbled bacon on top.