Yesterday marked the beginning of the first ever (of many to come!) Paleo challenges here at CFAthens. For those undertaking the challenge, I need to take your before pictures!! I also need entry fees from many of you. Remember, all entry fees go into the pot with the winners splitting it down the middle. Stay tuned for more announcements on additional prizes.

For now, if you haven’t started your nutrition log, go here. Remember this is an easy way to pick up 49 points! If you’d rather enter it all at the end of the week, you may. My experience though is that many people forget. Your choice.

Resources for the challenge can be found here. There is more information here than you will want to know about the Paleo Diet. Check out the recipes too. These are an amazing way to get out of the ‘grilled chicken with steamed/sauteed veggies’ rut! Try one of my favorites with your choice of meat:

Easy Paleo Tacos

-6 pound beef roast cut into large cubes
-1 large yellow onion diced
-6 cloves garlic chopped (I use 2 heaping tbsp pre-chopped)
-.25-.50 cups diced chipotle peppers in sauce (only if you like it HOT)
-tsp cumin
-tsp ground coriander
-1 packet Salsa seasoning
-2 cans El Pato
(shown here with chicken from EatMoveThrive)

Mix everything in a crock pot, cooks for about 8 hours, shred the meat and serve in lettuce wraps. Adjust the cooking if you use a different meat. Chicken thighs are wonderful also. I like to add guacamole to mine to chill some of the spice. Delicious and you can eat it on it for days!

Paleo Challenge starts Monday! I get asked all of the time, “What can I eat?” Well, I fixed this Monday and it is delicious! Best part is, there are plenty of leftovers. Cook once, eat 5 times. My kind of meal indeed.

(From Mark’s Daily Apple)

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 lb andouille sausage, cut into ¼ inch thick slices ( I used kielbasa)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup onion, chopped

1 large bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced crushed

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

1.5 cups chicken stock

1/2 tsp dried leaf thyme

1 tbsp parsley (fresh is preferable, but dried will do in a pinch!)

1 tsp chili powder

1 large head of cauliflower

2 cups shelled, deveined and cleaned shrimp

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and lightly cook the sausage and chicken over medium heat. Once golden, add onion, bell pepper and garlic and sauté until onion becomes translucent. Transfer items from the frying pan into a large pot. Add diced tomatoes, chicken broth, thyme, parsley and chili powder and bring to a simmer. While the mixture is simmering (you’ll want to let it go for about 20 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally), place the cauliflower in a food processor and shred until it becomes the consistency of rice. Add the cauliflower “rice” to the mixture and simmer for another 15 minutes until tender. Add shrimp and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and adjust other spices as needed. Serve piping hot. Serves 6.

More recipes and articles coming soon I promise!

That's right! We don't give breakfast its due, especially when it comes to recipes and ones that are down with our Paleo/Zone/Primal style of eating. This is not quite 100% Paleo, but it's definitely one of the best options out there if you absolutely must have your flap jacks. This particular version is from bodybuilder Tom Voss (so they do have their usefulness every now and then).

serves 1

• 6 egg whites
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh or dried fruit (strawberries, blueberries or raisins work well)
• 3 packets Splenda or other sweetener
• Nonstick cooking spray

1. Mix everything except cooking spray in a blender.
2. Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray.
3. Once it's hot, add half of the batter. When bubbles start to pop through the top of the pancake, flip it over. Cook for another few minutes until the batter is no longer runny.
4. Serve with fruit on top.

This one takes just a little bit more time, but is well worth it! I love Red Snapper, but you can replace it with catfish, tilapia, or orange roughy.

• 2 4-5oz fillets (you don't have to use the whole fish)
• 1 mango cubed
• 1 avocado cubed
• 1 lime juiced
• 1 tbsp blackening seasoning
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• salt and pepper
• Vegetable oil

1. Combine mango, avocado, lime juice, onion and cilantro and season with salt and pepper.
2. Preheat large grill pan over high heat and enough oil to cut.
3. Rub the fillets with a little oil and coat with blackening seasoning thoroughly. When the oil is hot (almost smoking), carefully add the fillets and cook for 2-3 minutes per side until a nice crust develops. Fish is done when it flakes easily with pressure from your finger.
4. Top with salsa. Serve with Black beans and brown rice!

***Blackening is a delicious way to prepare most meats, poultry and fish. However it can be very smoky! If you have an outdoor burner, or gas grill use it to heat your pan, outdoors of course!

Here's another great recipe from Men's Health. (At least they get some of this stuff right!)

serves 2

If you're a burger freak like me, you can make 3 or 4 of these and keep them in the fridge for an even quicker burger later in the weak.

• 8oz of lean ground meat (use beef, turkey, chicken, and my favorite, deer)
• 2 whole wheat buns**
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 2 tbsp chipotle salsa
• salt and pepper
• pinch of cumin
• 1/2 red onion sliced
• 2 tbsp low fat sour cream

1. Mix the meat, salt and pepper, and cumin and form into 2 patties.
2. Pre-heat a skillet over med-high heat. Spray with Pam, or add some coconut oil, and add burgers, cooking for 4-5 minutes per side.
3. Dress each bun with avocado slices, tomato, and red onion. Top with burger, salsa and sour cream.

** If you absolutely must have the buns go for it. If you'd like to try something a little different, wrap your burger in 2 lettuce leaves. Use the greener, outer leaves of Iceberg lettuce or Boston or Bibb lettuce. These leaves are more flexible and make a tasty substitute for the buns.

This one is delicious. Try serving it with sauteed asparagus with fresh lemon zest.
(serves 2 – via Men's Health)

• 2 5-6oz chicken breast, the thick ones
• 2 tbsp chopped sun dried tomatoes
• 2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped olives (want a more authentic taste? Try kalamata olives)
• minced garlic
• 1 tbsp pine nuts
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• evoo
• salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450. Toss together the tomatoes, feta, olives, garlic, pine nuts and balsamic.
2. Rub the chicken with EVOO and salt and pepper. With a small knife, carefully cut a slit along the thickest side of each chicken breast. Make the pocket as large as possible without cutting all the way through. 
3. Fill with stuffing and transfer to baking sheet.
4. Bake for 15 minutes. Top with any remaining stuffing and serve.

This delicious recipe is one I found a couple of years while watching Boy Meets Grill. You all know I'm a foodie. . .

• 1/3 cup lime juice (about 2 limes worth)
• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp celery seed
• fresh ground black pepper
• hot sauce
• 4 salmon steaks (about 3/4 inch thick)
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/4 tsp honey

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Place salmon and 1/4 cup of the lime juice mixture into a zip top bag. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Give it a quick shake to get the marinade mixed in and place the bag in a bowl in the fridge for 10-20 minutes. No longer than 20 minutes or you'll end up with ceviche (a later recipe).
2. Prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals, or a high heat gas grill or high heat broiler. Position the grill rack about 6 inches from the heat or broiler pan 3 inches from the heat.
3. Stir green onion, lemon juice, water and honey together with the remaining lime juice mix.
4. Grease the grill rack or the roasting pan. Place salmon on the rack and drizzle half of the lime onion mixture over it. Grill for about 2 minutes per side, or broil for about 4 minutes a side until cooked through. Serve with the remaining lime onion mixture drizzled over.

We've been getting really great feedback from our readers saying they love the recipes. Stay tuned for more!

serves 4, prep time 10 minutes, cook time 16 minutes
Ingredients:
4 – 6oz boneless chicken breasts
1 tsp salt
fresh black pepper
1 lg egg
3/4 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
2 tbsp EVOO
1/4 pound thinly sliced deli ham (go for the good stuff!)
4 – 1oz slices mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350. Whisk egg and 2tbsp water together. Salt and Pepper the chicken. Dredge the chicken in the egg mix and then coat with breadcrumbs.
2. Heat the EVOO in a large oven proof skillet on med-high. Add the chicken and cook until golden on each side (3-4 minutes).
3. Top chicken with the ham and the cheese and bake at 350 for about 8 minutes until the cheese is melted.
4. Serve with a large side salad.

Folks, if you check this blog regularly, you're going to notice that I mention Mark Sisson's blog, Mark's Daily Apple often. He has some very insightful tips on what he calls primal living. It's definitely worth checking out in the morning.

From Mark, here is an easy, tasty breakfast frittata. You'll notice that he mentions pre-chopped onions. Stay tuned later for how to streamline the time in your kitchen.

Spinach Frittata

An Italian breakfast dish, we’ll pull out the pasta and replace it
with a ton of hearty – and healthy – vegetables that will keep you
satiated through lunch! And, to make it more grab-and-go, we’ll be
making it in muffin pans!

Ingredients:
1 brick of chopped frozen spinach, thawed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (or, if you pre-chopped, about 1 cup of onion)
1 large clove garlic, minced (about 1tbsp)
9 large eggs (and you’ll use the yolk too!)
2 tbsp milk
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (use fresh grated cheese from your deli –
it’s more flavorful than the pre-packaged stuff in the pasta aisle.
Romano cheese is also good here.)
2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
3 oz goat cheese

Method:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Drain spinach and set aside. In a mixing bowl,
whisk together eggs, milk and parmesan cheese. Once combined, add in
sun-dried tomatoes and salt and pepper. In a skillet, sauté onions in
olive oil on medium heat (about 2 minutes, or until translucent), add
minced garlic and sauté for one more minute. Add spinach. In a
pre-greased muffin pan, add spinach mixture to fill cups about
one-third to half-way. Pour egg mixture over the top. Sprinkle goat
cheese over the top of each “muffin” and put back in the oven for 10
minutes or until muffins appear puffy and golden. Remove from oven and
enjoy!