Paleo Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

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I'm pretty sure going paleo is just my personal excuse to eat as much bacon as I want. And meat. All the meat. 

This recipe is my new favorite, because it tastes so seriously decadent and, dare I say it, naughty. I was browsing Nom Nom Paleo and stumbled upon a recipe for proscuitto wrapped asparagus. I had intended to make it, but I was in a rush and couldn't find proscuitto at the store, so I decided to go my own way. I grabbed bacon instead, wrapped two at a time instead of one, and sauteed them one at a time instead of baking them. It ended up being quick, easy, and pretty much fool proof.

At the time, I made this just for my husband and I as a side dish for dinner. This is really best made as a quick, two-ingredient appetizer for any party. It is paleo and gluten free, so unless you have someone coming over who can't eat meat, this is going to be a serious friend pleaser. But seriously, just invite them to a different party...

Paleo Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Calories Per Piece: 50
Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of asparagus (for this recipe, I used 2 spears per piece of bacon, and made 10, so that is 20 total spears of asparagus)
• 1 package thinly sliced, uncured - nitrate free, no added salt - bacon. (I used 10 pieces)
• 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Rinse and dry asparagus spears. Make sure you pat them down with a towel so that they are dry or else the bacon may not stick. 
   
2. Take the asparagus spears, two at a time, and wrap with bacon slices. I started toward the bottom and wrapped upward at a diagonal angle. 
   
3. Heat olive oil on the stove in a large pan over medium heat (you can try to fit them all in at once or do them in two rounds). 
   
4. Delicately place each piece into the oil. Use tongs to flip every 3-4 minutes, until bacon is cooked and all sides are brown.  
   
5. Serve! 
   

What about you?

Are there any other sneaky or fun ways you use bacon?

Orange Sesame Salmon and Asparagus En Papillote

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Can we talk about fish? It's so good for you. And so tasty.

You know what else is awesome? Speaking French. For example, say "En Papillote." Thrilling, isn't it? Don't you feel like a chef, right out of Ratatouille (or perhaps a more sophisticated movie, which is... er... slipping my mind). So, did you do it? Did you say En Papillote? Good. Want to know what it means? It's very deep and meaningful. You might want to take your seat for this one... Drumroll please!

It means in parchment. Another translation has En Papillote meaning "You Still Look Good In Your Bikini." See, I told you it was deep and meaningful.

In all seriousness (which is hard for me right now), dishes baked in parchment are lighter and healthier than their pan-and-butter-baked counterparts. Instead of filling a pan or casserole dish with butter, oil, and various other unmentionable caloric offenders, this method of cooking uses the moisture from the food, itself, to cook the meal, along with a very small amount of added flavorings.

No, there is no butter. Fats and cholesterol need not apply. We're not hiring.



P.S. You can play peek-a-boo with your food! I asked your mom. She gave you permission. Now you see it(above)... Now you don't(below)... Why yes, I am a magician! 



And, for those of you who enjoy food porn (admitting you have a problem is the first step toward recovery), here are the shots! Scroll to the end for the recipe.

Orange Ginger Salmon En Papillote

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Adapted from: This Recipe

Ingredients:

• Zest of 1/2 an orange
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger (the fresher the better)
• 3 tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp Orange Juice
• 1 tbsp Rice Vinegar
• 1 tsp Olive Oil (and additional Olive Oil for brushing packets)
• 2 tsp Sesame Seeds
• 1 Yellow Pepper, sliced into long, thin pieces
• 4 pieces of Salmon
• Parchment paper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Make the marinade. Combine orange zest, ginger, soy sauce, orange juice, rice vinegar, olive oil, and sesame seeds and set the mixture aside.
3. Prep the pouches of parchment paper. Depending on the width of your paper, you may have more or less to work with. Make sure that one side is at least 15 or 16 inches long and that the second side is at least 10 inches long (the wider the paper, the better!). Fold each paper in half.
4. Fill the parchment pouches. Evenly divide vegetables and place them in the center of each piece of parchment paper. Use a tablespoon to spoon a bit (about 1 tbsp) of the marinade mixture on top of the vegetables. Then place one piece of salmon on top of each pile of vegetables.
    
5. Fold the parchment pouches. Fold two sides up to meet in the center and overlap them, folding/rolling down toward the fish. Then, make small, overlapping folds on each of the two remaining sides to close the pouch. Place pouches in a casserole dish to bake. Don't worry! This doesn't have to be exact or beautiful!
   
6. Brush olive oil over the top of each parchment pouch.
   
7. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the parchment paper begins to brown (which will happen because of the olive oil). Remove and transfer to dishes. Cut the pouches open (or unroll them if you're brave!) and let steam escape before serving each pouch to a guest!
    

Recipe | Skinny Spinach and Asparagus Dip

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Let's talk about things we love, shall we? Ok, I'll go first... You know what I love? I love the taste of the totally-bad-for-you spinach dips you can get for $6.95 at T.G.I.Fridays or Applebees or some equally unimpressive yet easy restaurant. But I never order them.

In fact, I can't even remember the last time I walked into a T.G.I. Friday's, sat down, and ordered a Spinach and Artichoke dip. Really. I know it exists... but I can't remember doing it.

Why? Because it's so bad for you. Like, ridiculously bad for you, throw your diet out the window, you're overdosing on sodium kind of bad.

That's crap to me. Why do those restaurants insist on sour cream and butter and salt (oh my!)?

There's got to be more to life than that, right? (Am I dramatic enough yet?)

Okay, so that's my first favorite thing (and a total tangent about the health content of chain restaurant dips). My second favorite thing? Greek Yogurt. Why? It's good for you. And you can put it in just about anything.

Do you see where I'm going with this? Unhealthy spinach dips + super healthy greek yogurt = ???

Any guesses? Did I just hear you say "Skinny Spinach and Asparagus Dip?!" WOW! Good guess. That's IMPRESSIVE!

And so, by using Greek Yogurt instead of the typical sour cream base, this comfort appetizer goes from HORRIBLE to HEALTHY.

Looking for other healthy appetizers to use? Check out the food section of my website or go specifically to Lettuce Wraps, Grilled Eggplant Nachos, Spicy Pumpkin Fries, or Whole Wheat Quesadillas.