High Protein Omelet Muffins

I've seen pictures of this type of muffin recipe on Pinterest. This is my take on the idea. The ingredients are really just whatever you'd like in a frittata or omelet.

What you need:

• 1 lb bacon
• 0.3 - 0.4 lb spiced ground sausage
• 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 1/2 c mixed mushrooms, finely chopped
• 3/4 c of your favorite cheese, shredded
• 9 eggs
• muffin pan

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cook the sausage on the stovetop, breaking it up to create fine crumbles. Set aside and keep the grease.
3. Cook the bell pepper and shallot in the remaining grease for about 5-8 minutes. Add a bit of butter if there isn't enough to prevent sticking. Add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes, just until they start to soften.
4. While the veggies are cooking, prep the muffin pan by lining 9 of them with a strip of bacon around the edge (not bottom).
5. Drop a full spoonful of veggies into the bottom of each muffin spot, and top with just a little bit of ground sausage.

Assembly Option A: This one is the prettiest - sort of looks like a "brunch" type of item.  Top the sausage with a bit of shredded cheese, then crack an egg on top carefully staying within the bacon.

Assembly Option B: Scramble the eggs with a bit of water, and mix in the shredded cheese. Pour over top of the veggies SLOWLY -- just a tiny bit at a time so it soaks down into the tin instead of running out. DO NOT overfill or it will be a mess when cooking, and your bacon wont get crispy -- just about 3/4 full. Top with a few bits of sausage.

Bake and Serve:

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. To remove, use a knife outside the bacon edge to dislodge it, and then a spoon to dip it out of the pan. Serves 3-4 people.

Beef Stew

I couldn't find a recipe that sounded tasty enough this evening, so I made my own with what we had on hand. It looks pretty good! The mandolin was quite helpful for the slicing.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb grass-fed beef, stew cut
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 daikon, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
• 2 parsnips, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
• 2 celery stalks, trimmed and chopped
• 1/4 c red wine*
• 4 tbsp fresh marjoram, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 vine tomatoes, chopped (not drained)
• 4 c organic beef broth
• sea/kosher salt and black pepper

How to:

1. Season the beef with salt and pepper. In a large pot heat the olive oil and cook the stew meat on medium to med-high, browning on all sides. Once cooked, put the meat aside in a bowl.
2. Add the garlic and onion to the pot, scraping up any browning on the bottom of the pan. Cook until onions are translucent. 
3. Add daikon, parsnips, carrots, celery, spices and wine. Stir to combine and let them simmer for about 5-8 minutes. Season with a litte more salt then add tomatoes. Stir just a bit to let them break up.
4. Add broth and then add meat back into the pot. 
5. Cover and simmer on lowest heat for 40-60 minutes, depending on how much time you have to let the flavors mingle.

* Leave out the wine if you are doing pure paleo; I'm sure it will taste fine without it. You may need to add just a bit of water at this point to keep the veggies from stickin to the pan.

Sausage and Broccoli Breakfast Pie

This is such a great breakfast pie, and healthy too. This recipe makes two pies. We served this with a mixed berry-peach-mint salad.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter, oil, or spray
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
• 8 eggs, whisked
• salt and pepper
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp herb de provence
• 1 small sweet onion, diced
• 1/4 c sun-dried tomatoes, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
• 2 c swiss cheese, diced or shredded
• 2 c broccoli florets
• 2 c ground breakfast sausage

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two pie pans with butter.
2. Lightly steam the broccoli and give it a little chop to make small bite-sized pieces.
3. Line the bottom of the pie pans with the rounds of sweet potatoes.
4. Whisk the eggs and mix in the spices, onion, tomatoes, garlic, and cheese.
5. Pour the egg mixture over the potatoes (the egg with sink to the bottom but that's ok).
6. If the sausage is not precooked, cook it a bit over the stovetop until almost cooked.
7. Sprinkle the broccoli and sausage over the top of the pies.
8. Cook for 35-50 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through (test with a fork).

Inspired by The Spunky Coconut.