Category: Primal

Italian Roast Beef – Paleo, Instant Pot

In my last Butcher Box shipment, I received two Bottom Round Roasts. Instantly, my husband said, “Mmmmmm…..roast beef again.”

Well, I have to confess that roast beef is just not my favorite. I realize that particular YouTube video has been my most popular by far, but it’s just not a meal I look forward to.

Enter this Italian version. My thought (and hope) was that the addition of some Italian spices, which my whole family loves, would elevate what is otherwise a pretty simple dish and turn it into something I could really enjoy.

Low and behold, it worked! I know my family would have loved this meat in a sandwich, Philly Cheesesteak style, but we just cannot do gluten free bread all that often. Plus, I’ve never seen a gluten free hoagie bun or crusty roll and that’s really what you need for this application.

So I served their meals as a sort of deconstructed sandwich, with sautéed peppers and mushrooms on the side. And instead of bread, some simply smashed potatoes with ghee, salt and pepper.

For myself, I served up all the same stuff in a bowl and ladled on lots and lots of that delicious broth. I am not one to drink a cup of bone broth for breakfast. Give me all the coffee. But I do enjoy a big bowl of hearty soup. If you asked me, that would be my recommended way to enjoy this meal, but you do what makes you and your family happy. Just make this dish. It’s a simple and flavorful use of a fairly inexpensive cut of meat. And it’s delicious. This is definitely something I will look forward to enjoying again and again!

If you’d like a few more tips on preparation, see my YouTube video here. One note regarding that video: I talk about how to adapt this for AIP and mention leaving out the paprika, but you would also need to leave out the pepper as both are seed-based spices and not allowed on the autoimmune protocol.

Italian Roast Beef

A slight twist on the traditional Pot Roast. Serve this up in a crusty roll for a decadent sandwich or keep it paleo with a bunch of veggies on the side!

Course Main Course
Cuisine Comfort Food, Instant Pot, Italian, Paleo
Servings 6 servings
Author Elizabeth

Ingredients

Italian Spice Blend

  • 2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 tsp. dried basil
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp. dried thyme

Roast Beef Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. avocado oil
  • 2-2 1/2 lb. grass-fed bottom round roast
  • 1 large sweet onion
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. Italian Spice Blend
  • 2 cups bone broth beef or chicken or a combination

Instructions

  1. Begin by mixing all of the Italian Spice Blend ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside. 

  2. Turn Instant Pot onto Sauté, high. Add oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Slice onions and add to pan. Give it a stir. 

  3. While onion cooks, prepare the meat: Blot roast with a paper towel and cut into medium-sized chunks, about the size of tennis ball or a little smaller. 

  4. Coat the meat with the spices. (Store the remaining spices in an airtight container for a future use.)

  5. Once onions have begun to brown, just 4-5 minutes, remove from the pan and add the meat. Allow to sear on 2-3 sides. Now add the onion back in and pour the broth over all. 

  6. Turn Instant Pot off. Secure the lid and set to manual, high pressure for 30 minutes. 

  7. You can release the pressure if you're in a hurry or you can allow it to depressurize naturally. Either way will yield great results. 

  8. Now you have to decide how you want to eat your roast. Slice the meat thin for sandwiches or shred it and serve it up in a bowl with all that delicious broth and eat it as a soup/stew.

Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

There are people who can follow a low sugar/low carb/ketogenic diet forever and ever and never have a desire for something sweet. I am not one of those people.

I feel really good when I eat very low carb – most of the time – but I still like sweets. It’s just part of who I am.

This means that I have to figure out how to make some tasty treats that are still pretty low in carbohydrates and sugar.

Some people love pie, some love cake, some love candy. I possess an equal opportunity sweet tooth. But if I were really forced to choose, I would choose cake. A light, fluffy vanilla cake with that awfully sweet white icing that you get at the grocery store – yep, I confess, that stuff is heaven on a plate. At least it used to be. I haven’t had any for years, but I do still dream about it.




So naturally, when I set out to make myself some sort of “sweet” treat, I went straight for cake. Voila! this coffee cake was born. As the name implies, this is amazing served alongside your morning cup of joe, but it’s equally good as an afternoon snack or a dessert after dinner. And no, it does not contain any actual coffee. Quite a relief to my kids!

If you’re in the mood for a treat, but need to stick with a low sugar diet, this cinnamon streusel coffee cake will hit the spot!

A request please: I’m trying out a new recipe format and I’d love your opinion. This one allows some options my previous form did not such as links to ingredients and nutrition information. Do you prefer one over the other? Would you like links to ingredients or nutrition info.? If you have an opinion on this, please leave me a comment. Thanks!

Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

A light and fluffy treat fit for any time of the day! It's grain free, low carb, low sugar, ketogenic, appropriate for Trim Healthy Mama and easily adjusted for paleo. I think that makes it just about perfect!

Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 16 servings
Author Elizabeth

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1/2 cup butter or palm shortening at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup stevia/erythritol blend such as Truvia or 3/4 cup granular stevia
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 cups fine almond flour
  • 1/4 cup plain whey protein substitute with additional 1 Tbsp. coconut flour for paleo
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 Tbsp. coconut flour
  • 1 cup half and half, heavy cream or full fat coconut milk

Streusel

  • 5 pitted Medjool dates
  • 1 1/2 cups nuts I prefer walnuts and/or pecans
  • 3 Tbsp. stevia/erythritol blend such as Truvia or 1/4 cup granular stevia
  • 1/4 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • 3 Tbsp. butter or lard or coconut oil for paleo

Instructions

To make the cake

  1. Grease a 9x9 baking dish with butter or coconut oil. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

  2. Before you begin to make the cake, pour hot tap water into a bowl or glass and add the 5 dates. This allows them to soften so they can be chopped very finely. 

  3. Add butter to a large mixing bowl or bowl of stand up mixer. Beat until creamy. 

  4. Add stevia and blend well. 

  5. Add eggs, beating well after each one. 

  6. Add vanilla extract and combine well. 

  7. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients: almond flour, whey protein, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and coconut flour. Whisk to combine well. 

  8. Add 1/3 of dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well. Add 1/2 cup of milk and mix. Add another 1/3 of dry ingredients, mix, then add remaining milk, mix. Finally, add the remaining dry ingredients and mix well. 

  9. Spread half of cake batter in bottom of prepared baking pan. Set aside the rest while you make the streusel. 

To make the streusel

  1. To the bowl of a food processor (the small kind works well), add all streusel ingredients except butter. Pulse for about a minute until all nuts and dates are chopped very finely. Now add the butter and pulse a few more times to incorporate. 

Finish making the cake

  1. Place half of the streusel on top of the batter already in your baking pan. 

  2. Top with remaining batter. 

  3. Using a knife or thin spatula, swirl through the batter to mix in the streusel just a bit. 

  4. Now top with remaining streusel, distributing evenly. 

  5. Bake 28-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.