Shaved Beef. . . My New Favorite Ingredient

Shaved Beef and Spinach Salad

 

Shaved Beef and Spinach Salad

 A while back, Trader Joes used to carry this great item called shaved beef.  Think thin sliced beef

similar to what's on a Philly - endless possibilities!!  However, I haven't seen it in a long time, and talking to the employees confirmed that they no longer carry it.  SO when I saw this product show up at the local Harris Teeter, I was pumped!  It's an easy way to add some variety into your dinners (we eat a LOT of chicken) without spending a ton or requiring a ton of work.  Here's an easy recipe for a dinner salad that eats like a meal. 

 

 

 

Beef cooking, just a minute or so each side
 

Ingredients

• 1 lb shaved beef
• 8oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced thin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
• Spinach leaves
• cherry tomatoes
• Garlic salt/seasoning

Directions

1. Sautee the mushrooms and onions in pan on medium heat with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil.  They are done when they start to caramelize and turn brown.
2. In a separate pan, heat 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil on medium-high.  When the oil is hot, add the shaved beef slice by slice.  As you add, sprinkle with the garlic salt or garlic powder.  They should be ready to flip after 1-2 minutes depending on thickness.
3. Remove the shaved beef as it cooks to a paper towel lined plate.
4. When your ready to serve add a handful of baby spinach leaves to your plate, sliced cherry tomatoes, and top with sliced mushroom, onions, and shaved beef.  The meat is so flavorful you wont need to use a dressing.  But if you do want a touch of something try topping with a splash of balsamic vinegar or even Trader Joe's balsamic glaze

Sauteed mushrooms and onions

Happy New Year!

 Welcome 2014!  I'd say time has flown by and it doesn't seem like January should be here yet, but time is always moving faster than we'd like, so much so that it's the norm.  Regardless, 2013 is another year in the book, and we are marching on into a new one.  I'm not here to write one of those prototypical New Years posts you see everyone rushing to post at 12:01, detailing all the bad habits they're giving up, volunteering they'll start, you know, how they'll basically be transformed overnight. Don't get me wrong setting goals (even lofty ones) is undoubtably a key to success, but I've never been a big believer in New Years resolutions.  If we want to change and be truly committed to it, it has to happen in a meaningful way and at a meaningful time, not just because of an arbitrary calendar turn.  New Years resolutions imply that we have to wait for a certain big moment to start a new commitment, when smaller opportunities are all around us everyday. Not to mention that by February or March the vast majority of resolutioners (maybe my resolution should be to make up more new words!!!) can't even remember what it is they committed themselves too.  

It takes a lot of work for something to turn from an idealistic vision in your head, to something you do when you have time, into a habit and way of life.  The road to self improvement will inevitably include a mistake or two or twenty.  And it's often those slip-ups that totally derail people from their goals.  I said I wanted to go for a run everyday, and now I missed a day so I might as well give up, I didn't keep my resolution.  NOOO!  It's about the forward progress you make, not whether or not you did what you said you wanted to at 12:01. All that being said, I DO want to make a commitment to myself and to all you out there to be more vigilant about posting on this site.  One new recipe a week is my goal!  Here's to a new year and some new posts! 

Oven Braised Mexican Beef

Day 7/8/9 Recipe

     Sorry for the brief hiatus!  Life definitely got in the way.  I have been at a grueling teacher leadership conference for the past three days along with making the 12 hour drive home to visit my family in Chicago yesterday.  You can't very well type and post while driving a car for 12 hours!  Being new to the 'blogging world' I need to find a way to get this into a routine. . . Anyways, I will get better!  

 

My road-tripping buddy Ranger

     Before I get to the recipe, paleo road tripping is HARD!  While I eat paleo a vast majority of the time, one of the few times I do is usually on my 12 hour road trips to Chicago.  It's hard to keep yourself awake and focused on the road for such a long time, and drive-throughs are so quick and convenient in times like this.  Not to mention the fact that while driving for such a long time, I usually need a way to entertain myself (read.chewing, eating, snacking to fill the boredom. . . .)  It's hard to fight it!  However, we are on a 30 DAY CHALLENGE and I was determined to stick with it!  

Awesome Paleo breakfast from Zeda Jane's

     The first key step was starting out strong with a filling breakfast.  Eggs, bacon, spinach, and tomatoes.  Then, I loaded up on paleo snacks for the ride - kale chips, strawberries, nuts, jerky, a banana.  I brought a little cooler with some chicken salad to have when I got super hungry.  Was it 100% perfect paleo?  No.   My jerky did have a lil bit of sugar listed on the ingredients (however it wasn't the 3rd ingredient as it is in so many of them!)  But paleo is a template; it's about adapting to fit your lifestyle.  You do what you can with what you have in that moment.  My snacks were delicious and it kept me from driving through that fast food window!  Not to mention I had a great driving buddy with me!  Ok, on to the recipe. . .

Avocado Chicken Salad

Day 6 Paleo Recipe

     Quick and Easy Lunch!  This is an easy recipe if you've got some leftover chicken in the house.  It uses NO mayonnaise - store bought mayo is not paleo, but you can make your own paleo mayo!  Eat this plain, or scoop it into a lettuce wrap for a delicious meal on the go.

Missing Rice and Grains? Try Cauliflower "Faux" Rice

Day 5 Recipe

     We are 5 days in now, and for those of you who have done this before or already follow the paleo template this may not be to big of a system shock.  For those of you who are trying paleo for the first time, most likely you are in the midst of sugar and grain "detox".  You have taken the sugar out of your body and now you crave it - you are in "withdrawal".

Pan-Seared Salmon and Oven Baked Broccoli

Day 4 Paleo Recipe

I mentioned the wonderful salmon dinner that we had in a previous post and here it is!  I'm not really a big fan of fish, but salmon is one of the few I like.  Ideally we would want to be eating fresh, wild caught fish but I live in the real world of bills, rent, and car payments all on a teacher's salary so. . . We recently bought a membership to Sam's Club (best decision ever!) and they have salmon fillets that fit our budget.  If you have the money, Clean Catch is a great fish market here in Charlotte.  The knowledgeable man behind the counter shared a great way to cook the salmon which I am sharing here with you!  Works great every time I've made salmon.  And the broccoli recipe. . . . ohh the broccoli.  Not gonna lie, sometimes this broccoli almost doesn't make it to the plate as I am constantly 'taste testing' when it comes out of the oven.  Soo good!

Pan-Seared Salmon and Oven Baked Broccoli

Wise words from Coach Matt!

When living the paleo life, we must remember a couple of rules if we want to see the results and benefits of this nutrition.