Warm Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Salad

Here's another Paleo-friendly salad that will prove to be a family favorite. With bacon, apples, walnuts and a tangy mustard dressing, these Brussels sprouts will grab their taste buds from the first bite.

Warm Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Salad

1 cup walnut halves, roughly chopped
6 strips thick cut bacon
1/4 sweet & spicy mustard
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 TBS Bragg's raw apple cider vinegar
3 TBS fresh squeeze lemon juice
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, sliced
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
4 green onions (scallions), chopped
1-2 TBS bacon drippings

Place bacon on rack on cookie sheet and place in cold oven. Heat oven to 400 degrees, cooking bacon 8-10 minutes on each side or until crisp. Cut into small pieces. Reserve drippings.

Whisk together mustard, EVOO, vinegar, lemon juice and pepper.

Preheat large skillet or wok over medium heat and add the bacon drippings. Add Brussels sprouts and apples, and saute until wilted and slightly browned. Mix in the walnuts, bacon and scallions and toss with mustard mixture. Serve warm.

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Spicy Tuna Salad

This recipe is inspired by one out of the book Paleo Comfort Foods, by Julie Sullivan Mayfield, Charles Mayfield and Robb Wolf. The original recipe was simpler and uses smoked salmon (which, sadly, I detest). 

I normally use celery and Granny Smith apples in my tuna salad, so adding them to this mix seemed the natural order of things.

Enjoy!

JACQUI'S SPICY TUNA SALAD:

1 6oz can Albacore tuna, drained and flaked
1/4 cup olive oil mayonnaise
1 TBS Sriracha
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 TBS toasted sesame seeds
2 TBS chives
1 rib celery, diced
1 Granny Smith apple, diced 

Mix all ingredients and allow to marinate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

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Mexicali Salad

This is one of my favorite go-to recipes for summer events like church picnics, or just because. It's perfect for taking advantage of all that great corn that's out there now. While not strictly Paleo--with its corn and black bean--it's clean eating appropriate and very, very delicious.

JACQUI'S MEXICALI SALAD

3 ears of fresh corn
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1 large tomato, chopped
4 TBS cilantro, chopped
1 TBS Mexican oregano
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Boil corn for 7 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Remove from ears with sharp knife. Mix in remaining ingredients, tossing to combine. Chill at least two hours before serving.

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Shrimp Fried Rice

As a Cajun, it's hard for me to give up rice completely. So, I compromise. On occasion, I make a rice dish using brown Basmati--the best choice for diabetics like myself because of it's relatively low glycemic index. It's both nutritious and delicious and the house smells positively amazing when it's cooking.

One such dish is my Shrimp Fried Rice. It's something I learned to cook while the ex and I were stationed on Guam, where it's a breakfast staple. It's easily customized to suit anyone's taste. You can play "clean out the fridge" when it comes to the veggies. Experiment. Have fun with it.

JACQUI'S SHRIMP FRIED RICE

10-12 large shrimp, raw, cut into thirds
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp Tony Chachere's or Slap Ya Mama Cajun/Creole Seasoning
4 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
1/4 cup Rotel Tomatoes, drained
2 cups cooked rice (Brown Jasmine or Basmati highly recommended)
4 tsp Soy Sauce (I use Silver Swan from the Philippines)
3 tsp sesame oil

Add EVOO to large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, frying until browned. Add shrimp, cooking until pink through and through. Remove from pan. Add a touch more EVOO and fry eggs until lightly scrambled. Chop into bite size pieces, then set aside with onion/shrimp mixture. Add peas and carrots to hot pan, frying until tender. Add rice, soy sauce and tomatoes. Cook until rice is fully heated through. Add remaining ingredients, stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Serve with Tabasco!

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Homemade Chili Powder

I love a good bowl of chili. And what's at the heart of good chili? A really decent chili powder. A few years ago when I was far from home with the ex's Navy career, I ran out of my beloved TexJoy chili powder. What to do? I came up with the idea of making my own. So, for the first time written down, my secret chili powder recipe!

Jacqui's Chili Powder

12 dried Ancho (Pasilla) chilis
10-12 dried de Arbol chilis
10 dried Guajillo Chilis
10 dried New Mexico Chilis
10 dried California Chilis
1 1-oz package El Guapo Menudo Spice Mix
2 TBS Garlic powder (NOT garlic salt)
2 TBS Onion powder
4 TBS ground cumin
3 TBS Mexican oregano

For medium heat, seed all but the de Arbol chilis. For high heat, don't seed any of them. Cut peppers into pieces and process in a blender until powdered. Add remaining ingredients and process until well blended. Keep in an airtight container.

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