THE PULSE

The Paleo, or Paleolithic, diet is often called the “caveman diet.” It’s based around foods that in the past could have been obtained by hunting and gathering. Think meat, fish, seafood, eggs, fruit, vegetables, seeds, nuts and olive oil. It avoids anything processed, all grains, legumes and refined sugars. Many people choose the Paleo diet because it’s a clearly defined way to focus on eating whole, unprocessed foods. For that reason, even people who aren’t living the Paleo lifestyle could benefit from incorporating a few Paleo recipes into their repertoire! Here are 5 easy Paleo dinners you can make for dinner this week.

1. Lemon Rosemary Chicken

Serves 4-5. Go for this one if you want something delicious and satisfying.

What you need:

• 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon organic extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• Sea salt to taste
• Fresh ground pepper to taste
• Fresh cilantro for garnish
• Lime wedges for garnish

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place chicken on a sheet pan.
3. Drizzle with olive oil and turn to coat.
4. Rub the chicken with chili powder, salt, and pepper.
5. Roast the chicken thighs in the oven until cooked through, about 40 - 45 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

2. Spaghetti Zoodles

Serves 2-3. If you’re eating Paleo, you’ll probably want to invest in a veggie spiralizer, because zucchini, butternut squash, and sweet potato all make awesome noodle replacements. If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can also julienne these noodles.

What you need:

• 2 large zucchini, spiralized or julienned into thin noodles
• 6 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more if you’d like!
• ¼ cup capers, drained
• ¼ cup pitted black olives, sliced
• 1 cup whole peeled Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
• Fresh parsley, for garnish

What you do:

1. Heat a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat with half the olive oil.
2. Add the garlic and the red pepper flakes and sauté until the garlic is a light, golden brown.
3. Add the zucchini noodles, capers, black olives, and chopped Roma tomatoes and cook until the vegetables are tender.
4. Serve immediately with a fresh parsley garnish.

3. Broiled Salmon

Serves 4. Salmon is a tasty fish with lots of good-for-you Omega-3’s, which can help maintain bone density and lowers your risk of heart disease. Plus, we love a good sheet pan dinner.

What you need:

• 1 lemon, sliced
• 1 1/2 lbs salmon fillet, skin left on
• 1/3 cup ghee
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp paprika

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line sheet pan with foil.
2. Place lemon slices on sheet pan. Lay your salmon fillet skin-side down on top of the slices.
3. In a bowl, whisk your melted ghee, lemon juice, garlic and maple syrup. Spoon ¾ of the mixture over the salmon. Season your fish with salt, pepper and paprika.
4. Place another piece of foil over the salmon and fold the edges together to keep the moisture inside.
5. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and drizzle the salmon with the rest of your ghee mixture.
6. Turn the oven to broil. Place salmon under the broiler and cook until golden, about 5-7 minutes.

4. Easy Paleo Beef Meatballs

Serves 4 (26 meatballs). Easy, simple, delicious, Paleo and fast, these beef meatballs from Bulletproof are the perfect weeknight go-to. Pair them with zoodles or cauliflower mash. Start to Finish: 20-25 minutes

What you need:

• 800-850g grass-fed beef mince
• 1 Tablespoon cumin powder
• 1 Tablespoon coriander powder
• 2 Tbsp coconut aminos
• 1 onion, finely diced
• Butter or ghee for cooking

What you do:

1. Heat a large frying pan on medium heat. Fry the onion in butter or ghee until dark golden brown.
2. Now add the mince, spices, coconut aminos and cooked onion into a bowl and mix until combined.
3. Roll the mince into meatballs and add them onto the hot frying pan. Cook the meatballs in two batches so you don’t overcrowd the frying pan. Cook the meatballs on all sides until golden brown.
4. When they’re ready, serve with homemade onion gravy and fresh herbs on top.

5. Paleo Fried Rice

Serves 4 as a side dish. Craving takeout? This recipe will hit the spot. You can make your own riced cauliflower using a grater or food processor, but most grocery stores also sell prepackaged riced cauliflower if you’re looking to save some time.

What you need:

• 1 medium head of cauliflower (or bagged frozen cauliflower rice)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 3 eggs
• Pinch of salt
• Oil (for pan)
• ½ small onion, diced fine
• 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
• 4 tbsp coconut aminos

What you do:

1. Remove the core of the cauliflower and coarsely chop in food processor.
2. Scramble the eggs, season with salt, and set aside.
3. Spray a large pan with oil and cook the cauliflower rice until water is evaporated, about 10 minutes.
4. Add onion, mixed vegetables, sesame oil and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
5. Mix in scrambled eggs.
6. Add soy sauce, mix well and enjoy.