Easy paleo-friendly meals

I'm still processing my feelings about my month-long quest to not procrastinate, so I thought I'd put up a post on my favorite no-think paleo-friendly meals. 

 

 Chicken thighs and salad

I love chicken thighs. They are so tender and juicy, and nearly impossible to burn in the oven. W00t! I know conventional wisdom says don't eat the skin, but paleo says have at it! Fat does not make you fat, and thank goodness. The meat on the chicken stays tender, while the skin gets crispy. For the salad buy your favorite mix of greens. I went with a kale mixture because kale is a powerhouse when it comes to nutrients, and added some carrots and bell peppers for sweetness.

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken thighs
• Salt, pepper, and dried garlic to taste
• Salad greens
• Any vegetables you like
• For dressing I usually get a good aged balsamic vinegar and some olive oil. This is a good Texas balsamic vinegar.

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350º

2. Liberally season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and garlic

3. Place chicken in oven for 1 hour.

4. Go do whatever else you need to do. Clean house. Write novel. Watch kids. Whatever.

5. When timer goes off, turn off the oven and turn the broiler on high. Leave the chicken in there until the skin turns golden brown. Take it out of the oven when you're satisfied with the crispiness.

6. Put together salad.

7. Enjoy.

 Eggs and veggies on the go

Okay, I admit this is not as pretty as the last picture, but I did take this at 4am or some other ridiculously early hour in the morning. This is my go-to lunch for work when I don't have time to put something else together. I usually boil a dozen eggs at the beginning of the week, and use them as quick protein throughout my work week. This is simple, healthy, cheap, and good. Bonus, you won't regret eating this at the end of the day. If you need something to dip your veggies in, there's always some baba ganoush, pesto, or if you're not doing paleo, hummus. Enough said.

Spicy Italian sausage with brussel sprouts

I didn't grow up eating brussel sprouts, so I don't have a kid-like aversion to them. If you havne't tried them in a while, might I recommend you take another go at them. This recipe is so simple. I love the way the fat from the sausage gets on the brussel sprouts, helping them to caramelize in the oven. So good.

Ingredients

• 1 package spicy Italian sausage
• brussel sprouts (I'd say about ½ cup per sausage, they will shrink a little in the oven)
• olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste
     
  Directions.
  1. Preheat oven to 400º
  2. Cut bottom end of brussel sprouts off, and cut them in half.
  3. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Put a liberal amount of olive oil on and mix together.
  5. Place sausage on top of sprouts.
  6. Cook for 30-35 minutes, or until sprouts are sufficiently tender and crispy