Eggplant Lasagna

We miss Italian food, eating Paleo all the time. But I figured out how to get around it! Eggplant makes for perfect noodle substitute, as long as you peel it.

Ingredients:

One large, fat eggplant, peeled and sliced very thinly (use a mandolin if possible)
1 pound (or a little more) ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 16-oz package of shredded mozzarella
2 lb tub of ricotta cheese
fresh oregano
salt and pepper

Peel and slice the eggplant while you brown the ground beef in a saucepan along with the onion and garlic. Once the meat is browned, add the sauce, dash of salt and pepper, and a small bunch of fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp dry), and stir together well on low heat. Turn off heat, and spray olive oil into bottom of large glass baking dish. Mix the ricotta and a handful of mozzarella in a big bowl together.
Time to start layering!
Spread a layer of meat sauce on the bottom of the dish, then top with a layer of eggplant.
Spread a layer of ricotta on top of that, followed by a final layer of meat sauce and another layer of eggplant.
Spread the rest of the ricotta on top, then a final layer of eggplant, topped with the rest of the bag of mozzarella.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, and enjoy!

**QUICK POST NOTE** After cooking this, I realized it was a bit too cheesy, so maybe next time only 1 pound of ricotta is necessary :P

Mom's Baked Beans

I realize this isn't really Paleo, nor is it the healthiest recipe I've ever made. But if you start these the night before, put a little extra water in the crock pot, and cook on low overnight, you have baked beans for/with breakfast! And it's so much nicer than opening a can. And yes, this is my mom's recipe. Ingredients: 1 1lb bag dry navy beans 1 cup water 1 cup ketchup 2 tsp dry mustard 2 Tbsp dark molasses 1 medium onion, chopped 1 large slice of bacon or about 2 Tbsp sliced salt pork a dash of salt and pepper Pour the dry beans into a large pot, sifting with your fingers a bit to check for dead or black ones. Cover with twice as much water and bring to a boil, then simmer on stove top for 25-30 minutes.

Turn burner off and let sit for at least 1 1/2 hours. Drain beans and add to crock pot, along with all other ingredients (slicing the strip of bacon into little chunks), mix well.

Cook on low at least 6 hours, or as long as you want (if overnight, add a little extra water before you go to bed).