Roasted Cabbage with Bacon

I think I found the easiest side dish ever! I was running out of ideas for making a side dish from a head of cabbage the other day when I decided to try roasting it. I'd heard of people doing this, but I'd never tried it. But I couldn't just throw it on a roasting pan, I had to jazz it up a bit. And what's better to jazz things up that bacon?!? So I put a slice of bacon on top of each cabbage wedge, drizzled it with a little olive oil and vinegar and roasted it. YUM! I think next time I might add more bacon, but other than that, it was perfect!

Roasted Cabbage with Bacon
1 head of cabbage (I used green cabbage)
4-8 slices of bacon
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 C vinegar of choice (I used apple cider vinegar)
salt and pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 375F. Wash cabbage and cut head into quarters. In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper then place cabbage in the bowl. Coat cabbage with vinaigrette then place cut side down on a cookie sheet. Lay 1-2 strips of bacon over each cabbage wedge. Roast for about 30 minutes or until bacon is crisp and cabbage is softened.

Roasted Beets and Sunchokes with Rosemary

My veggie box has recently arrived containing a vegetable I had heard of only on cooking shows: the sunchoke also known as the Jerusalem Artichoke. I really had no idea what to do with this vegetable; so the first time it arrived I chopped it and put it in soup. The taste was similar to potato. This time, I decided to roast it along with beets that came in the box as well. I added some olive oil and some fresh rosemary and salt. Let me tell you, roasting is the way to cook a Sunchoke! ...beets, too!
 

Roasted Sunchokes and Beets with Rosemary
1 lb golden and/or red beets (about 6 large or 10 small)
1 lb sunchokes (about a dozen)
3 Tbs Olive oil
2 Tbs fresh rosemary (or about 1 Tbs dried)
salt and pepper to taste

 

Preheat oven to 410F. Scrub beets and sunchokes then cut into 1 inch pieces - no need to peel them! Put veggies into a bowl with rosemary, salt, pepper and olive oil. Massage oil and rosemary into veggies with your hands...or you can just use a wooden spoon to stir. Place veggies in a single layer on a cookie sheet and roast for about 40 minutes or until you can easily pierce the veggies with a fork.

Meatball Soup

I love soup! It's a super easy dish that lasts for several meals in my house, it cooks mostly unattended and there's just something comforting about a steaming bowl of soup on a dreary Northwest day.

I also have an abundance of tasty ground beef thanks to my rancher friend, Ava, who delivers the best grass-fed meat on the planet. So, the other day I decided to combine 2 of my favorite things into one simmering pot of goodness. I guess you would say this soup is similar to Italian Wedding Soup without the orzo, but whatever you call it, it was very tasty!

Meatball Soup (AKA Italian Wedding Soup)
32 oz of chicken stock (make your own or use good quality pre-made)
1 onion chopped
3-4 chopped carrots (mine were rainbow carrots)
Juice from 1 lemon (about 1/4 C)
1/4 C fresh chopped parsley (or 2 T dried parsley)
1 t garlic powder (or 2 t minced garlic)
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb bulk sausage (I used chicken sausage)
salt and pepper to taste

Bring chicken stock to a boil then add onion, carrots and cook for about 10 minutes or until carrots are starting to get tender. While carrots and onions are cooking, mix beef and sausage together with your hands then form into many 1 inch diameter balls. Add meatballs to the stock,  adding extra hot water as needed to keep everything covered. Add lemon juice, garlic powder and parsley. Simmer soup for about 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Pictures of Melting Snow,Moss and Harold the Horse

For my birthday this year, I took a long leisurely walk around my neighborhood and took pictures of things I thought were interesting or beautiful. Here's what I saw.

 

Valentine's Day Dark Chocolate Round-up

Happy Love day to you! Valentine's Day is all about chocolate as far as I'm concerned, which is completely appropriate since dark chocolate is good for your Valentine's Heart. According to Livestrong:

Cocoa beans are processed into cocoa solids, and these solids contain antioxidants that are thought to be helpful in battling high blood pressure, heart disease, arterial plaque, cancer and stroke. Pure, dark, unsweetened chocolate tastes bitter and has high amounts of cocoa. The greater the cocoa content, the more antioxidants are in the chocolate.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/347783-dark-chocolate-health-benefits-for-blood-pressure/#ixzz2KcCO0Sex

I've compiled a list of some of our favorite dark chocolate recipes and reviews that might just hit the spot for Valentine's Day. Eat some dark chocolate today; it's good for you!

The Cavegirls Review Several Brands of Dark Chocolate



Chocolate Pudding and Fudge Babies


Dark Chocolate macaroon Cookies


Almond Butter Cups Candy

Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries

Red Velvet Chocolate Beet Cake

Paleo Bread Round-up

Which grain-based food do you think most people miss when starting a Paleo lifestyle? I missed cereal more than anything else, but apparently the majority of people miss BREAD! I can see why. Sandwiches are the usual lunch food for a lot of folks, small and large alike. Bread is the starter at a lot of restaurants and who doesn't love toast for breakfast? So, do you have to go bread-free when you start eating Paleo? Most certainly not! When just beginning to eat Paleo foods, you may want to recreate some of your grain-based comfort foods to make the transition easier.

Many of the grain free bread recipes I found use almond flour as the base, but I did find a few that were nut free. Also, you can substitute sunflower seed flour for almond flour cup for cup, but keep in mind that sunflower seeds will turn green when mixed with baking soda…tastes the same, but the bread will have a greenish color.

When making re-creations of grain based foods you may want to keep in mind the words of the Paleo Mom "I think recipes like this are great for kids, athletes, and very healthy individuals who can handle more carbohydrates (like those in tapioca and arrowroot flours) and have no reason to steer clear of almonds (which have a high omega-6 and phytic acid content). Think of this as a special treat rather than a staple."

Nut based breads

Northwest Cavegirl's yeast-free Sandwich bread - almond and coconut flour


Elana's yeast-free bread with almond and coconut flour


Paleo Mom's Almond flour yeast bread


Urban Poser's Sourdough bread


Urban Poser's Flatbread with cashew cheese


Health extremist's Almond and coconut flour bread - yeast free


Coconut flour based bread

Real Sustenance's Grain, egg, yeast and nut free flat bread


Paleo Mom's Grain and nut free yeast bread

Paleo Girl Scout Cookies

It's Girl Scout Cookie time! I love Girl Scouts and its motto of "Building Girls of Courage, Confidence and Character". I want my daughter to grow up to just that! And if she learns outdoor skills, teamwork and some financial sense along the way, all the better! Selling Girl Scout cookies is a way for girls and their troops to learn that financial sense while building self-confidence through the sales process. The cookies are also quite yummy...but filled with sugar and gluten (when will Girl Scouts make a gluten-free version to sell?!?). There are lots of little girls out there who would love to be able to share in the wonder that is Girl Scout Cookie time by also eating some, but due to allergy or otherwise can't eat them. Here are several links to sites who have created gluten-free versions of these timeless classics. If you have gluten-sensitive girls in your troop or family, think about making them some of these so they can feel the Girl Scout Cookie thrill as well!


Samoas

http://realsustenance.com/gluten-free-samoa-cookies-graineggcornsoydairyrefined-sugar-free/
http://www.elanaspantry.com/paleo-samoas/


Thin mints

http://realsustenance.com/thin-mints-grainglutendairyeggsoy-free/
http://lvlhealth.com/paleo-thin-mints-and-more/

Tagalongs

http://www.cucinalibera.com/2012/03/vegan-nut-free-girl-scout-cookies-so.html