A Calculated Whisk

Creative paleo and gluten-free recipes

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You are here: Home / Archives for beef

Balsamic Steak with Fig & Arugula Salad

August 27, 2014 By Becky Leave a Comment

Balsamic Steak with Fig & Arugula Salad

Do you think beautiful food tastes better? I do.

Of course, every once in a while you come across a beautiful dish, take your first bite, and feel disappointed because it doesn’t taste nearly as good as it looks. In my experience, though, that doesn’t happen much.

More often, a food’s level of beauty and deliciousness are relatively close together, with the gorgeousness boosting the deliciousness up a notch or two (or perhaps vice versa, but I don’t really find that a food looks prettier once I’ve tried it and know that it’s tasty…we eat with our eyes first, after all). The food looks good, so it tastes even better. I think that’s how it goes with me and figs. Yes, they’re yummy, but most of all, their colors are just so pretty. When I take a bite of fig while looking at the freshly-sliced figs that are still on my plate, the beauty of those figs makes the one in my mouth taste even better.

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Filed Under: dinner, gluten free, recipe Tagged With: arugula, beef, figs, goat cheese, grain free, lemon, primal, salad, steak, summer

Bacon and Sweet Potato Chili

March 12, 2014 By Becky 16 Comments

Bacon and Sweet Potato Chili (Gluten free, Paleo) | acalculatedwhisk.com

This bacon and sweet potato chili is my go-to paleo dinner. The recipe makes a large batch, and it freezes well!

Do you have a really big skillet?  If not, you are going to want to go buy one so you can make this bacon & sweet potato chili right away.
 
If you are not convinced that you need a 14-inch skillet, I understand.  However, I intend to convince you to make this chili.  It’s the best chili I’ve ever had, and it’s a complete and colorful one-pot meal.  If you didn’t just go buy a huge skillet and/or don’t need to feed a bunch of people, you can halve the recipe and make it in a normal-sized pan.
 
Why is this the best chili ever?  Well, because bacon.  And sweet potatoes.  And all the fresh things on top that make this the perfect comfort food to carry you from winter into spring.
Bacon and Sweet Potato Chili (Gluten free, Paleo) | acalculatedwhisk.com
This dish is for people like me, who don’t want beans or any tomato products or a lot of excess liquid in their chili.  I just need salty bacon, sweet potatoes, some perfectly spiced meat, and what’s basically deconstructed guacamole for a topping.  Using half pork and half beef gives the chili even better flavor.  It’s amazing right away and it’s even more amazing the next day.  My mother agreed that this is the best chili ever, and she is kind of hard to please.  I haven’t heard her rave so much about a food I’ve made since this cranberry orange curd tart.
 
There is kale in this recipe.  If you don’t want to put kale in your chili you obviously don’t have to, but I want to tell you that you can barely taste it.  It’s just a nice way to sneak in some greens and start feeling a little more springy.  I got the idea to put kale in chili from the cookbook Cooking with Coconut Oil, and now I’m hooked.  It adds great color and texture, and makes me feel extra healthy when I eat it.
 
One more reason to make this bacon and sweet potato chili, and to put kale in it?  Kale & sweet potato are really good friends.  See proof here.

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Filed Under: dinner, gluten free, paleo, recipe, whole30 Tagged With: ACW original, avocado, bacon, beef, chili, dairy free, fall, grain free, ground beef, kale, pork, sweet potato, winter

Moroccan Beef with Apricots & Dates + Simple Cauliflower Mash (Whole30 Day 22)

January 22, 2014 By Becky 9 Comments

It’s Day 22 of my Whole30!  I can’t believe it’s been over three weeks.  This month really is flying by.  I have more energy, more even moods, and while I still get hungry, I no longer want to kill all the things when my stomach starts rumbling.  Also, my pants are looser and I’m recovering more quickly from my workouts, with much less soreness.
Yesterday, a big snowstorm came to town.  After traipsing home from the train station in the snow, I made this Moroccan beef.  It’s almost a stew, but I wanted the sauce to be nice and thick so that the beef wasn’t swimming in liquid.  The meat is perfectly spiced, and the sweet fruit provides a wonderful counterpoint.  The garnishes–toasted almonds and fresh cilantro–are highly recommended.  I served this beef over a simple cauliflower mash, but it would also be great with spaghetti squash, cauliflower rice, or even real rice–anything that will soak up the delicious sauce.  No matter how you serve it, this dish will comfort and warm you on a cold winter’s night.

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Filed Under: dinner, gluten free, paleo, recipe, whole30 Tagged With: almonds, apricot, beef, cauliflower, cilantro, dairy free, dates, Moroccan, stew, vegetables

Spicy Cocoa Chili

August 11, 2013 By Becky 2 Comments

If you are going to eat paleo, you are going to need a lot of protein in your fridge.  Otherwise, you will be constantly cranky.

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Filed Under: dinner, gluten free, paleo, recipe, uncategorized Tagged With: beef, chili, cocoa, dairy free, garlic, low carb, onions, soup, spicy

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