Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Beef and Noodle Stir Fry

Ingredients:
8 oz lasagna noodles - broken in half and cooked (I also sort of ripped them into smaller pieces once they were cooked)
12 oz sirloin - cut into bite sized pieces
3 TBSP flour
2 TBSP butter
2 TBSP olive oil
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes - cut in half
1/2 onion - chopped
1 1/2 - 2 cups sliced mushrooms
*1/2 red bell pepper - sliced (optional)
salt, pepper & red pepper flakes to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Saute onions, bell pepper, onion and tomatoes until the onion is barely tender. Add butter to the pan and sprinkle veggies with flour; stir until well combined and slowly add broth. Simmer 1 minute and add meat. Stir and simmer until sauce has thickened and meat is cooked through. Add cooked noodles and season to taste.

**Allergy-free substitutions:
flour - gluten free all purpose flour
butter - bacon fat
pasta - gluten free lasagna noodles

One Pot Chicken Lo Mein


Ingredients:
1-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts - cut into bite sized pieces
12 oz linguine of choice (whole wheat, gluten free, etc.)
4 medium carrots - cut into 3 inch strips
1 red bell pepper - cut into thin strips
1 bunch green onions - white part thinly sliced, green part cut into 3 inch strips
*4 cloves garlic - minced (optional)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder (or sub onion powder)
1 tsp corn starch
1 TBSP sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp red pepper flakes
*2 cups finely shredded cabbage (optional)
4 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 cup water
2 tsp olive oil

In a large pot, add chicken, pasta and the rest of ingredients (mix cornstarch with broth before adding). Cover and bring to a boil. Stir and reduce to a simmer. Cook covered for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender and liquid is almost gone. Season with additional soy sauce and red pepper flakes if desired.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Cabbage, Bean & Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:
2 can white beans (cannellini, great Northern or navy) - drained and rinsed
2 TBSP olive oil
1 cup sliced onion
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 - 1 cup diced celery
*1/3 cup prosciutto or black forrest ham - diced (optional)
4 cups (or 1 small head) shredded cabbage
4 garlic cloves - minced
5 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup peeled, diced red potato
1 tsp *herbes de Provence
1/2 tsp salt
3 slices lightly toasted bread (rye, whole wheat or other preferred)
1/2 cup fresh grated Gruyere or Parmesan cheese

Using a fork, mash up half of the beans in a bowl and set aside.

Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and meat; cook 3 -5 minutes, stirring often.  Add cabbage and garlic; cook until cabbage has wilted - about 3-4 minutes. Add broth, potatoes, Herbes De Provence, salt, mashed beans and whole beans. Bring to a boil; skim and remove any foam that may form.

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, 12-15 minutes or until the cabbage and potatoes are tender.

Place a half slice of toasted bread in the bottom of each soup bowl and ladle soup over the top. Sprinkle with cheese.

I made mine with no meat, bread or cheese and it's still delicious!

*Herbes De Provence is a combination of herbs that you can usually find in the spice section at the grocery store - or you can make it yourself by combining: basil, thyme, marjoram, fennel seed, lavender, savory, sage and rosemary. If you don't feel like making it or buying it, substitute one tsp of Thyme.

Saturday, January 18, 2014

PALEO: Spiced Carrots

Ingredients:
2-3 TBSP olive oil
4 cloves garlic - minced
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
3 cups sliced carrots
1 cup water
3 TBSP lemon juice
salt - to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in a large nonstick pan. Add garlic, paprika, cumin and coriander. Cook and stir until fragrant but not browned. Add carrots, water, lemon juice and salt; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until almost tender. Uncover and continue to simmer, stirring often, until carrots are just tender and the liquid is syrupy. Stir in parsley and remove from heat. Serve hot.
You can also drizzle with a little honey for a sweet and savory side dish!

Banana Oat Cookies 2

Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas - mashed
1 cup oats
2 TBSP ground flax seed
1/2 c shredded coconut
chocolate or carob chips

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine all ingredients and drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until coconut begins to brown. Remove to wax paper to cool. Cookies are a little fragile when they first come out of the oven and are very sticky!

Friday, January 17, 2014

Jalapeno Butter Injected, Brined Turkey

This turkey involves a bit more work than your everyday turkey recipe, but it's definitely worth it! I dare you to try it!

You will need a roasting pan with a rack, a 5 gallon bucket or VERY large bowl, unscented trash liners and a food syringe.

BRINE:
1 cup Kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock or apple juice
1 TBSP black peppercorns
1/2 TBSP allspice berries
1 TBSP chopped candied ginger
1 gallon ice water

Combine all brine ingredients, except the ice water, in a stockpot and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
When the brine has cooled, add it to the ice water.
Now you can do this whatever way works best for you, but the turkey needs to be completely submerged in the brine and refrigerated for 12-24 hours. I suggest lining a very large bowl or 5 gallon bucket with an UNSCENTED trash liner and removing a shelf or 2 from your fridge. I use the bowl method and reinforce the sides with cut pieces of cardboard so the turkey stays covered. I also double the trash liners. You could also put the bagged turkey into a large ice chest full of ice.

In the morning, rinse the turkey and pat dry inside and out and place him in a roasting pan on a wire rack.

RUB:
4 TBSP canola or olive oil
5 TBSP paprika
2 TBSP black pepper

Mix together and rub all over the turkey, inside and out, on top and underneath.

JALAPENO-BUTTER INJECTION:
6 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeds and membranes removed - finely chopped
1/2 cup butter
*1 TBSP minced garlic (optional)
3 oz chicken broth - warmed
1 tsp finely ground black pepper
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning

Combine the jalapeno, butter and garlic in a small skillet and melt the butter. Stirring frequently, simmer for 5-7 minutes after the butter has melted. Strain the butter through a colander into a small container. Add the chicken broth, pepper and poultry seasoning and stir well. Using your food syringe, inject the turkey all over. If the juice gets too thick, just microwave for a few seconds.

Time to preheat the oven to 475-500.

AROMATICS:
1 orange - quartered
1 apple - quartered
1/2 onion - sliced
1 cup water
1 cinnamon stick

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and microwave for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics (but not the water) to the cavity of the bird with the following:

4 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh sage
3 sprigs fresh marjoram

Place brined-rubbed-injected-aromatic stuffed bird on the lowest rack in the oven for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove turkey and cover with a double layer of foil. Return turkey to oven and reduce temp to 350. A 14-16 lb bird should take around 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Use a probe thermometer to make sure turkey is cooked through properly.
Once done, let turkey rest, loosely covered, for 30 minutes before carving.

At this point you can either serve the turkey as is (which is AMAZING) or move onto the last step.

Carve your turkey until you can't carve any more! Time to get out your crock pot. Place carved turkey meat into your crock pot, then pour all of the drippings from the roasting pan over the top. Add enough water and/or extra broth or apple juice to barely cover the turkey. Set crock pot on Warm or Low and leave until serving time! You'll never want a plain old roasted turkey ever again!

Banana Oat Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup organic peanut or almond butter
1/4 cup sweetener of choice (pure maple syrup, honey, organic cane sugar, brown sugar)
1 egg or flax egg
1 ripe banana
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
*1/3 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat mat.

In a medium bowl, cream together nut butter and sweetener with an electric mixer. Beat in egg and banana. Add oats, cinnamon, baking soda and raisins and mix with a spatula.

Drop by large spoonfuls or roll into 2 inch balls (depending on consistency) and place on lined baking sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cookies are slightly browned.

Cool on wire rack. Super yummy with peanut butter on top!

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Quinoa Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked quinoa
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg + 1 egg white
1 TBSP butter - melted
1/4 cup milk
2 TBSP pure maple syrup

In a large bowl, whisk together quinoa, flour, baking power and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, butter, milk and syrup until well combined. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir to combine. *For allergy-free version you may need to add an additional 1/4 cup of milk to make a more pancake batter consistency. 

Lightly coat a nonstick skillet or griddle with butter and heat over medium-high heat. Pour and/or spread batter 1/4 cup at a time into skillet. Cook until dark golden on both sides. Serve hot.

**Allergy-free Substitutions:
Flour - all purpose gluten free flour
Eggs - 2 TBSP ground chia/flax seed mixed with 6 TBSP water
Butter - coconut oil
Milk - preferred non dairy milk

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Gingerbread Pancakes

I got this recipe from my aunt for Christmas! So yummy and festive!

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup water or milk
1/3 cup brewed coffee
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cloves
1 TBSP cinnamon
1 TBSP ginger
1 TBSP ground nutmeg
4 TBSP melted butter

In a large bowl, mix eggs and brown sugar. Add buttermilk, water/milk, coffee and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Add to liquid ingredients and stir until just combined; then stir in melted butter.

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Ladle batter onto hot skillet and cook until bubbles start to appear around the edges - flip and cook until golden and cooked through.

Serve with syrup and whipped cream and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

**Allergy free substitutions:
Eggs - 2 TBSP ground chia/flax seed mixed with 6 TBSP warm water
Buttermilk - allergy free milk of choice mixed with 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
Flour - mixed all purpose gluten free flour and rice flour