Paleo Tamalie Pie....and 4 people noticed!

So, i'm chugging along with this Paleo(ish) diet. It's really not all that hard, which is awesome. I'm satisfied, eating less, and eating MUCH healthier. Now that i'm in the swing of things, though, I'm going to need to work in some more fish into my diet. For some reason cooking fish scares me, how dumb is that? I also may be the only person in the world that doesn't dig salmon or other "fishy" fish. Yesterday, after a horrible lunch that consisted of a charred burger patty without the bun and one slice of tomato (the waiter couldn't seem to remember to bring my fruit...like ever), I went home and made Paleo Tamale Pie from Paleo Table. Let me tell you, it was SO good. SO, SO, SO good. Slap your momma good. Even my non-Paleo(ish) husband loved it (but I did lay out some sour cream and cheese for him to doctor his up with!) If you are trying to eat Paleo, Paleo(ish), or just more whole foods in general, check out Paleo Table. She has some great recipes. Here's the tamale pie recipe:

Ingredients:
1 lb grass-fed ground beef
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 sweet pepper, cored and chopped (I used red, but any color will do)
1 2.25-oz can black olives
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 7-oz can green chiles
1 Tbsp coconut or apple cider vinegar (optional)

Spice Blend:
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp onion powder
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp paprika
1 cup warm water

Crust:
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup water
1 egg

Preparation: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain fat, if necessary. (I find that grass-fed ground beef requires no draining.) Combine spices in a small bowl. Add water and whisk together. Add spice liquid to cooked ground beef. Stir to combine and simmer over medium low heat until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10-15 minutes. While taco meat cooks, saute onion and peppers in coconut oil in a medium skillet until onion becomes translucent, 5-10 minutes. Add onion mixture, olives, tomatoes with their juices, chilies with their juices, and vinegar to the seasoned beef. Stir to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes. While meat simmers, combine egg, water, and almond flour in a small bowl. The mixture should be thick, like cornmeal. Transfer meat mixture to a deep-dish baker or a medium (8x8 or 9x9) baking dish. Scoop almond dough over the top. Bake for 10-20 minutes or until top is lightly browned. NOTE: Do not overfill the baking dish. If your dish is pretty full, set it on top of a baking sheet in the oven to catch any drips. Believe me, you will have a mess on your hands otherwise!

In other news, I ran this morning! Woot! Only 2.33 miles, and I only ACTUALLY ran a mile of it, but, baby steps, right?! But even more exciting?! No less than 4 people mentioned to me that I look like I've lost weight yesterday! It's so motivational, especially since I'm not weighing so I don't know how much/if i've really lost. But, my clothes are looser, my rings are looser, and people are talking. Yay! Keep on keepin' on.