Dr. Monica Bravo

Healthy Recipes and Doctor Tips

primal recipes

Grass-Fed Paleo Hamburgers

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Sometimes we don’t feel like cooking extravagant meals, and we just need a HAMBURGER. How about Grass-Fed Paleo Hamburgers for dinner?! 

grass-fed paleo hamburger

I get a lot of questions about what I actually eat. What can you even eat? What do you order at restaurants? It’s actually not that hard to find things to eat while following a Paleo lifestyle. Did you know that you can eat hamburgers? And they can be good for you?! Hamburgers have a bad reputation when it comes to health. People think saturated fat from juicy meat, carbs from the bread, and well, everything people like to pair with hamburgers (cough cough… french fries). People definitely have it right about the negative consequences of bread and fries, but let’s eat the meat. 

So why grass-fed? 

  • They have a better ratio of omega 3’s to omega 6’s; we want omega 3’s. They are anti-inflammatory!
  • Omega 3’s almost vanish in the feedlot. We want omega 3’s, because they help prevent cancer. 
  • It is good for the animals and supports sustainable farmers. 
  • Cows are meant to eat grass, not grains! Cows eating grass are healthier, which makes them safer for you to eat! 
  • Cows eating grass aren’t sick, so they don’t need as many antibiotics. This is good, because you aren’t getting their antibiotics (but you will if you eat conventional meat!). 
Grass-Fed Paleo Hamburgers
Yields 4
Sometimes you just want a hamburger! You can ditch the bread and still make a great meal.
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Ingredients
  1. 1 1/2 lbs grass-fed ground beef
  2. 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
  3. Salt & pepper
Instructions
  1. Divide the meat into 4 equal portions. Make a depression in the center of the patty with your thumb.
  2. Season with salt & pepper.
  3. Add oil to cast iron skillet, and heat until the oil is shimmering.
  4. Cook patties for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
  5. Top with bacon & sautéed onions.
Dr. Monica Bravo https://drmonicabravo.com/

Paleo BBQ Beef Jerky

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When you hear the word beef jerky, what do you think of? Personally I think about gas station snacks with an everlasting shelf life. This is not the case for my Paleo BBQ Beef Jerky. It is not made with soy, sugar and other additives! You wouldn’t believe how many beef jerkies don’t contain any beef at all. 

Recently my family and I went on a trip to Disney World. We knew we wouldn’t be able to cook and realized we would need some Paleo snacks to munch on! We aren’t big snackers besides nuts and fruit, so we had to think about what we could bring. Paleo Beef Jerky seemed like a good choice.  

When I hear jerky I think of gas station snacks with an everlasting shelf life. This is not the case for my Paleo BBQ Beef Jerky! This is a healthy version of your gas station favorite.

My grandmother and my dad had bought a dehydrator within the past year, and I finally got to put it to use! My grandmother has used it quite often for veggies and other things, so she showed me how simple it is to use. If you don’t have a dehydrator you can make this jerky in your oven on the lowest temp setting! 

When I hear jerky I think of gas station snacks with an everlasting shelf life. This is not the case for my Paleo BBQ Beef Jerky! This is a healthy version of your gas station favorite.

When looking for a good homemade Paleo BBQ sauce for your Paleo BBQ Beef Jerky, you can go to The Lucky Penny’s recipe. I haven’t quite mastered my own BBQ sauce recipe, but look out for one in the future! 

Paleo BBQ Beef Jerky
This beef jerky is made without the additives you'll find in a beef jerky from the store!
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Ingredients
  1. Grass-fed Flank Steak
  2. Olive oil
  3. Paleo BBQ Sauce, homemade or online-bought
Instructions
  1. Cut the flank steak into thin strips.
  2. Marinade flank steak in BBQ sauce and olive oil over night. The amount is up to you.
  3. Put flank steak in dehydrator at 140 degrees for 3-5 hours.
  4. ENJOY!
Notes
  1. It is important to have lean steak when making jerky. Try as best as possible to get grass-fed.
  2. If you want to make the steak easier to cut, put in freezer for 2-3 hours before cutting.
Dr. Monica Bravo https://drmonicabravo.com/

Grain-Free & Primal Pizza Crust Recipe

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PIZZA PIZZA PIZZA! It’s an American favorite. My mom used to take me to eat pizza probably once a week. When I realized I had issues with grains, I made a Grain-Free & Primal Pizza Crust Recipe. 

cauliflower pizza t

When I first started Paleo, people asked me what I missed most, and I would say, “PIZZA!” I grew up eating pizza quite often, and when I started eating healthier I realized me and pizza were not friends. Actually I don’t know many people that feel great after eating pizza. So that’s where this recipe comes in!

Unlike gluten-free crusts you may find at the store, this crust is actually GRAIN free too- meaning no rice or other starchy grains. Instead we use cauliflower and cheese. If you can tolerate dairy, want to indulge, but don’t want an upset stomach from a grain overdose, this recipe was made for you. 

Grain-Free Primal Pizza
Serves 2
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Ingredients
  1. 1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
  2. 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  3. 1 egg, beaten
  4. 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning (or oregano, garlic, garlic salt)
  5. Olive oil
  6. Toppings- pizza sauce, shredded cheese, and other pizza toppings
To Rice the Cauliflower
  1. Chop up raw cauliflower; break florets into somewhat even pieces.
  2. Add to food processor and pulse until rice-like consistency. It is important not to over pulse or you may puree it.
  3. Take riced raw cauliflower and you can either microwave for 10 minutes OR cook in coconut or olive oil in a pan.
To make Pizza Crust
  1. Preheat the oven to 450.
  2. In a medium bowl stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg, and cheese. Stir in Italian seasoning. Transfer to the cookie sheet and form into 9" pizza crust. Brush olive oil over top of mixture.
  3. Bake at 450 degree for 15 minutes (without toppings).
  4. Remove from oven and add toppings.
  5. Place in oven on broil at high heat just until cheese is melted (2-3 minutes)
Notes
  1. Be careful with buying pizza sauce. Make sure there is no added sugar or other additives.
  2. I recommend pineapple and ham as toppings. Get creative!
Adapted from Your Lighter Side
Adapted from Your Lighter Side
Dr. Monica Bravo https://drmonicabravo.com/
Although this recipe includes cheese it doesn’t give a green-light for all dairy. Dairy is an iffy subject when it comes to Paleo/Primal people. It is actually not truly Paleo, but some people do indulge in it if they can tolerate it. It’s a personal preference. When buying cheese look for raw cheese. It’s at many Whole Foods or Fresh Markets.