3 Simple Paleo Sides

These three simple sides are quick and easy to prepare and they go along very well with most Paleo dishes. Oftentimes I just need a simple side to accompany a nice piece of meat and one of these three sides always end up being a great solution.

The three vegetable sides don’t require much preparation and require even less cooking time. This doesn’t change the fact that they are some of the most delicious sides to go for when you’re short on time.

The first side is a grilled mushroom recipe. I chose simple button mushrooms but you can go with any type of mushroom. Portobello mushrooms are always a great alternative. I used a combination of spices for this recipe that are commonly known as steak spices. You can buy them premixed, but they often contain high amounts of salt and some unhealthy vegetable seed oil. For this reason, I’m including a recipe for the steak spice combination so you can prepare it yourself. It’s good to prepare some in advance because you might fall in love with it and start using it everywhere.

The second recipe is for a mint zucchini side. I already enjoy zucchinis, but they are especially great here when mixed with some fresh mint. If you’re not a fan of mint you can always go with fresh cilantro or sage.

The third recipe is an oven roasted cauliflower side. This recipe again gets all its merit for being quick and simple to prepare. Now, cauliflower can be hard to roast evenly in the oven, that’s why I like to boil them just a little bit before putting them in the oven, but that’s totally optional.

Grilled Mushrooms Recipe

Serves 2

Prep. Time: 5 min.

Cooking Time: 5 min.

Ingredients

• 10 button mushrooms;
• 2 garlic cloves, minced;
• 1 tbsp. steak spices;
• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar;
• 2 tbsp. Paleo cooking fat;

Steak Spices

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp paprika;
• 2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper;
• 2 tbsp sea salt;
• 1 tbsp garlic powder;
• 1 tbsp onion powder;
• 1 tbsp crushed coriander seeds;

Preparation

1. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the steak spices. (You can double or triple the portion to prepare more for other recipes)
2. In a frying pan placed over a medium-high heat cook the mushrooms with the cooking fat for a minute or two.
3. Add the garlic, the steak spice mix as well as the balsamic vinegar and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the mushrooms have a nice golden brown color. Serve while hot.

Mint Zucchini Recipe

Serves 2

Prep. Time: 2 min.

Cooking Time: 6 min.

Ingredients

• 2 large zucchinis, cut into thick slices;
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil;
• 1 garlic clove, minced;
• Juice of half a lemon;
• 4 leaves fresh mint, minced;
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;

Preparation

1. Add the zucchinis and olive oil to a frying pan placed over a medium-high heat and cook for 2-3 minutes until the zucchini is golden brown.
2. Add the garlic, the lemon juice and season with sea salt and black pepper to taste and cook for another 2 min.
3. Add the fresh mint and cook for another minute or two. Serve while hot.

Oven Roasted Cauliflower Recipe

Serves 2-4

Prep. Time: 10 min.

Cooking Time: 10 min.

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower;
• 1 tbsp. curry powder;
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil;
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;

Preparation

1. Cut the cauliflower into medium-sized florets.
2. Bring pot filled with water to a boil, add the cauliflower and let it simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until they soften slightly.
3. In a bowl large enough to contain the cauliflower florets, combine the curry powder with the olive oil.
4. Add the cauliflower florets to the mixture, making sure that they are all coated with the curry-flavored olive oil.
5. Spread the cauliflowers in a single layer on baking sheet that’s covered with aluminium foil.
6. Place in the oven under the broiler for 10 minutes until they have a nice golden brown color. Serve while hot.