Avocado, Grapefruit and Pomegranate Salad

I owe this tangy, satisfying salad all to my husband.  I’ll be the first to admit that these days, when I think about what to make for dinner, I think about meat. Mmmm, meat. That sometimes has the unfortunate side-effect, however, of leaving my vegetarian hubby out in the cold. Being that I’ve only recently come to enjoy the greener spectrum of foods, P.J. has been a great resource for figuring out tasty new veggie-friendly dishes, and he’s always game to experiment with whatever’s fresh.

On this particular occasion, we had been to the Farmers Market that morning and picked up some yummy local pomegranates…inspiration! This salad is his creation… it’s got a really nice tang to it, and the pomegranate seeds and almonds add a nice crunch of texture.  Follow the jump for the recipe!

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Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Apple

I’ve got a new side dish for you guys today, inspired by the lovely folks over at Cavemen Gourmet: Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Apple. Brussels sprouts, eh?  I’ve had friends tell me for years that Brussels sprouts, when prepared well, can be really tasty, and honestly, I thought they were all a little crazy.  Chalk it up to my changing tastes (or maybe the fact that they’re totally right), but I really liked this recipe.  The sweet/tart of the apple is a really nice balance to the sprouts.  Plus, it takes all of about 20 minutes to make. Total. Check out my version after the jump…

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Paleo Sweet Potato Fries Ready for the Munchin'

Every once in a while, it’s nice to eat something that’s a kick-back to the pre-Paleo days: something salty and reminiscent of burger drive-throughs without being a total gut-killer.  Sweet potato fries definitely fall into that category.  The combo of sweet and salty really hits the spot, especially alongside a good steak or bacon burger (bun-less, of course!). Yum!  My wonderful brother-in-law M made these when we were up in Connecticut a few weeks ago, so I had to give it a shot in my own kitchen.

Following is my recipe for baked (not fried!) sweet potato fries:
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Steamed Broccolini with Lemon

This is one of my husband P.J.’s go-to dishes… He’s a vegetarian, so he’s been a great influence on me in terms of incorporating more vegetables into my daily diet.  He’s also one of those guys who can grab four seemingly unrelated things from the fridge and create something awesome.  It’s an incredible skill, and I love it about him.  He created this dish to round out our main course options at the inaugural Paleo Dinner Party.  I take no credit for this dish – it’s all him!

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Since switching to a Paleo diet in April of 2011 (about 3 months ago), I have quite literally eaten more salad than the entirety of my life leading up to this point. Seriously.  I was not a salad eater, and I would pretty much only eat them when it would be socially awkward/unacceptable to avoid it (i.e. weddings and business dinners).

That said, when my coach told me I needed to eat a full serving of veg with every meal (of five) of the day, I figured salad would be a good place to start (no cooking, quick to prepare in the morning, etc.).  I tried a bunch of different greens, and I’ll admit, I’m still working my way into some of the more serious greens (kale, spinach, etc.). That said, I’ve learned that I LOVE Romaine lettuce.  Never thought I’d say that.

I keep my salad pretty simple for every day, but I’ll periodically dress it up with whatever fun veggies we pick up at the fantastic Austin Farmer’s Market (downtown, Saturday mornings).  Here’s what I do every day…

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This is a staple treat in our household… plus it’s a great way to use up your (over)ripe bananas without making a really indulgent treat like banana bread.  🙂  These were inspired by the amazingly delicious Banana Paletas made by Mom and Pops in Austin, TX.  They make some amazing, all natural popsicles here in Austin, and you can find them at just about any of the Austin farmers’ markets. (When you run across them, please try the coconut or mange chile paletas… they’re ridiculously tasty!)  We tried their Banana Cinnamon flavor a few months ago and loved it…  However, it does have dairy, so we wanted to make a totally Paleo-friendly version at home.

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