Tag Archives: sides

Perfectly Cooked Oven Roasted Spaghetti Squash

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Spaghetti SquashThere was a few days between my last update and this one. Things haven been a bit hectic with sick family members, doctors appointments, hospital visits etc. So now things have started to wind down I can take a moment to update this blog. I know I have something similar to this one on my Bolognese post but I just wanted to make a post dedicated to this squash.

Spaghetti squash can be used for so many things but most people use it just as a spaghetti substitute. Here are some alternatives you can use it for.

  • Spaghetti Squash Pizza
  • Spaghetti Squash Salad
  • Base for meatballs
  • Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash

    • Those are just some sample things you can do with Spaghetti Squash, hopefully it just gives you some thing to think about. It is really easy to actually cook this squash. You just need to cut it length wise, scoop out all the seeds, salt and pepper to taste and lastly bake it at 375 and cook it for 30-45 mins based off how large your squash is.

    Pretty simple right? If you have alternatives that I should try please let me know!

    Paleo Spicy Beef Jerky

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    paleo spicy beef jerkyHectic Hectic Hectic.  That is how I would describe these last few days.  Even with everything being hectic I had recorded the first episode of HBO’s Silicon Valley and I had a chance to watch it last night.  I work in IT, more specifically Computer Software design and architecture etc so its pretty safe to say I was looking forward to this show.  I absolutely loved it.  It reminded me alot of Office Space meets The IT Crowd.  It was a good show and I found myself messaging 1 liners back and forth with a friend of mine.  So needless to say I hope it continues and doesn’t get cancelled.  It’s good to see a comedy every once and a while on a pay channel that doesn’t have nudity etc all over the place.

    So today’s recipe is one of my favorites.  I started making Jerky over a year ago and I have made all kinds of Jerky.  Before I decided to venture on this Paleo journey all the jerky I made was not Paleo compliant simply because it contains a form of gluten or soy.  So it took a while to try to come up with an alternative and I will post a series of different recipes but I will start with a bit of a spicy one.

    In general there are different types of jerky you can make one is made from a ground beef/bison or you can get a flank steak or similar and cut that in to strips.  I have made both types but personally I have gravitated towards the ground beef simply because of price and it gets a texture like a slim jim.  Here is a video of me putting some jerky on to my dehydrator.

    This is really just a jerky gun and I load my jerky in to it and shoot it out.

    On to the recipe.

    Print
    Paleo Spicy Beef Jerky

    Ingredients

    • 3 lb Flank Steak or Ground Beef, as lean as possible (fat turns tough when dehydrated)
    • 3 cloves Garlic, minced or pressed
    • 1 cup Coconut Aminos
    • 1 tsp Black Pepper
    • 1 tsp Salt
    • 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
    • 1 tsp Onion Powder
    • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
    • 1 tsp Chipotle Powder

    Instructions

      If you are using ground beef
    1. Take all ingredients except for the meet and blend it all together
    2. Mix ground beef with marinade
    3. Let it sit for about 2 hour in the fridge (no more than 24 hours)
    4. Load in to Jerky Gun and and put it in dehydrator.
      5. If using flank steak
    5. Partially freeze meat for 2-4 hours, until mostly solid.
    6. Slice meat into thin strips. (try to make sure they are all about the same size)
    7. Create the marinade in a large ziplock bag
    8. Toss meat in to marinade
    9. Let it sit for atleast 2 hours in the fridge (no more than 24 hours)
    10. Place strips on to your dehydrator
    11. Sprinkle with a little Salt & Pepper (I also add a bit of red chili if i want it spicier)
      12. If you are using an oven
    12. You can dehydrate by setting your oven to lowest temp possible most can get to 160 or 170
    13. Add the steak strips or jerk gun strips on to oven sheet
    14. Cook for about 3.5 - 4 hours be sure to not over cook
      15. How to tell if its done
    15. Take out a strip let it cook for a min, try to bend it. if it snaps its over cooked if it slowly peels apart when you bend it.. its perfect.
    https://www.tiltedfork.com/2014/04/paleo-spicy-beef-jerky/

    Homemade Sweet Pepper Hot Sauce

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    Homemade Sweet Pepper Hot SauceIt seems to be a growing trend in my posts that things are getting hectic lol.  Well I am starting my exercise routine back up which is a good thing for me.  I welcome that type of hectic activity.  To be honest my workout hiatus lasted far to long and sadly I can say I missed working out.  I don’t really know why I say I sadly missed it, I think missing it is a good thing.  Anyway so yep I’m back at hitting the gym now.  I am still eating good and my energy levels are stable so to me its a good time to add in a few work outs.  My workout routine consists of 4 days of weights and 3 days of cardio.  My cardio routine is HIIT based which goes by really quick and my lifting days are 3 routines that just rotate, mainly day 1 is push based exercises, day 2 is pull based and lastly day 3 the all important legs.

    If you know what I am saying about leg day.. You don’t want to be that guy that ends up on the MEME of friends don’t let friends skip leg day.. you know…

    friend-dont-let-friends-skip-leg-day

    Man I love that MEME.  TO be honest though leg day is my favorite day of working out.  Probably because I do best on my legs.  I think all those years playing baseball and football paid off lol.  Favorite 2 exercises by far.. calf raises and leg presses.

     

    So yep that’s just a bit of my journey back to the gym which I know none of you are hear to listen to.  You are really hear about this awesome homemade hot sauce.  This is not your typical Tabasco hot sauce or Franks Red Hot.  This one yet again I am going to my wifes side of the family that my father in law has been making for some time.  Its a pickle based host sauce and you can put and pickle whatever you want in it.  The trick is pick a pepper that you find hot and use 2 of them in a mason jar. etc.  Anyway on to this recipe!

     

     

    Print
    Homemade Sweet Pepper Hot Sauce

    Ingredients

      Veggies you want to pickle I used
    • Sweet peppers, I used green, yellow, red and orange
    • Onions
    • Carrots
    • Cauliflower
    • A good pinch of salt
    • 2 jalapeno's
    • Apple Cider Vinegar

    Instructions

    1. Again all of this is to taste so add how much of each you want just make sure you leave enough room in the jar to be able to shake it
    2. The only trick here is to take one of the peppers and grind it down really good to extract the oils. Leave the seeds in and add that to your mason jar.
    3. Add all your veggies that you want to it and fill it up
    4. Top the jar with apple cider vinegar up to the top covering all the veggies,
    5. Seal and shake, let it sit for 24 hours
    https://www.tiltedfork.com/2014/03/homemade-sweet-pepper-hot-sauce/