Paleo in PDX

First off, pardon my no-post yesterday. Usually I always post on Tuesdays and take a break on Wednesdays, but I was anxiously studying for a final yesterday and took advantage of every precious minute. The funny thing is, I got to school yesterday all raring and ready to go, only to hear the teacher announce that the test was now optional. She said she was really proud of the hard work we did this term and even though she wrote what she called, “a really great exam,” decided to leave things in our hands. You see, she experimented with a new class structure this term after some changes were made, so we were essentially her guinea pigs. We had some challenging, yet beneficial assignments and discussions, as well as a couple tough quizzes. I guess she felt like it was enough. Anyway, we could take our current grade as is or take the test to try and boost it, if needed. Since I already had an A and didn’t want to risk losing that A (the test could still hurt you if you did poorly) I opted out, but still had my jaw dropped when I left the classroom. All I could think was,”Holy crap, is this real life? This never happens!” I was elated and grateful, but at the same time, could have really used the time I spent preparing to study for my other exams. Whatever though, it’s still better than having to take the test and studying helped me retain the information that much more. Afterward, I used my freed up time to finish a final project and spent three consecutive hours at the library to do so. Two finals down, two to go!

Anyway, onto the food! When I brainstormed this recipe, I never expected it to turn out the way it did. Don’t get me wrong, I figured it’d taste good, but didn’t think it’d taste as wonderful as it did. Jesse and I both raved about it! My intention was to make patties with the burger mixture, but after a few tries, I could see it was not happening. Instead, I added an egg, patted it down into a pan and tossed it in the oven. Problem solved. This way, it gave me a chance to cook the veggies and time things out appropriately. The pan really was the easy way out, but it was for the better.

For the baked pineapple burgers:

• 1 lb ground turkey thighs
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup chopped canned pineapple pieces in its own juice (reserve juice)
• 1 pastured egg
• 1 Tbsp reserved pineapple juice
• 3 Tbsp coconut aminos
• Pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl with your hands. Pour mixture into a 9×9 pan and pat down evenly. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until burger mixture is cooked through.

For the veggie mixture:

• 2 slices US Wellness Meats grass-fed beef bacon, chopped
• 2 cups brussel sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 1 tsp additional bacon fat, if needed
• 1 green onion, finely chopped
• Splash of reserved pineapple juice
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• Dash of cayenne pepper

1. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped bacon and cook a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Next, add the brussel sprouts and the additional bacon fat, if needed. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Continue to cook a few minutes, until brussel sprouts are browned.
3. Add the green onion, pineapple juice and cayenne, and stir. Continue to cook a few more minutes.
4. Serve on top of a slice of baked pineapple burger, and top with macadamia nut mayo. Garnish with some leftover pineapple pieces, if desired.