Back to School Gear Up

                              

Today has been a very productive day I must say. Much like most parents in the country, I am gearing up to send my children off to school tomorrow morning (YES!!...not really, I will miss them.) Today I have made homemade tomato sauce (lovingly simmered all day as if made by a little Italian grandmother), I have made mini meatballs for lunches later this week, chicken salad (again for lunches), a slow-roasted chicken which will be on the blog tomorrow, and I have two loaves of banana bread in the oven, and have cooked the bacon for the Urban Poser's Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies! 

I'd say that school prep is coming along swimmingly for my 4 kiddos (2 high schoolers and 2 elementary). And of course God has a sense of humor, so they all have to be out the door for school at the same time. This does make getting them fed easier since they are all on the same schedule. But, it also means that I don't have a ton of time to be cranking out pancakes either (although, I'm sure they wish that I did!) What works best for us to have breakfast basics pre-made and ready to go. In another life, my kids loved cereal--Captain Crunch, Cheerios, if it was full of "whole grains" and full of sugar, you can bet they loved it. The problem was that even before I changed the way we eat, I was fed up with buying it because a serving wasn't enough to fill them up, and they would go through a box each morning. I was tired of buying it. Fast forward to now, and with the modern miracle of Pinterest, I have found a few great paleo cereal recipes that are grain free, and low sugar. They best part is that they are filling, and my kids love them. Here are the two favorites: Cinnamon Pecan Crunch-Cavegirl Cuisine and Fruit & Chocolate Cereal With Honey Almond Clusters-Fast Paleo. Both of these are awesome, our favorite is the Cinnamon Pecan Crunch, and she has a few more recipes that I am going to make to add to the rotation. 

Another breakfast staple in the Polizzotti home are Mini Quiche. They are super easy to make, and my kids love them paired with fresh fruit salad. I will make these on a Sunday, and since I am feeding an army, I double the recipe, and make a ton so they can just grab them out of the fridge for breakfast throughout the week. This started out as a recipe that I got from my Mom, and over time it has morphed into something that we all love. So, without further adieu, I give you, Mini Quiche.

Equipment needed: Mini muffin pan. Mine makes 24.

Mini Quiche

1 pound of breakfast sausage OR 1 pound of uncured bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

1 bunch of green onions, cleaned and chopped

1 clove of garlic, through garlic press, or finely minced

1 1/2 cups of baby spinach, finally chopped OR 1 cup of finely chopped broccoli

1 cup of cheddar cheese (I use an organic, cheese from pasture raised, grass fed cows)

12 eggs

1 cup of milk (again, organic, and grass-fed cows)

1/2 tsp of sea salt

1/2 tsp pepper

olive oil for brushing the insides of the muffin pan.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Brush olive oil inside the muffin tins and set aside. In a large skillet over med-high heat, brown your sausage, using a spoon to break it up into small pieces. While the sausage is cooking, in a large bowl, combine your veggies and cheese and set aside. 

When the sausage is cooked, remove from heat, and allow to cool down for about 5 minutes. While the sausage is cooling, in another bowl whisk together your eggs, milk, and S&P. 

After the sausage has cooled for 5 minutes, combine with the veggies and cheese (or combine your bacon with the veggies and cheese.) Spoon a scant tablespoon of the meat-veggie-cheese mixture into each cup of the muffin tin. 

Carefully pour the egg-milk mixture over the meat-veggies-cheese so that there is maybe 1/4-1/8" of room from the top.

                          

Place the pan in your preheated oven, and bake for about 30-35 minutes or until they have puffed up and are golden brown, or until the centers are set. Remove from oven, and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing. 

After they are completely cooled, I place them in Ziploc bags and place into the refrigerator for breakfasts for the week. I have not personally froze these before, but my mom has tried to freeze hers and they were watery when she reheated them, so I do not recommend freezing. They should last a week in the fridge, but not really, because they will be gone before then! 

So, there you have it. Back to school gear up made easy. Good luck to everyone who has little ones, and not so little ones returning to school this year!

**I used sausage and spinach in these quiches. My kids hands down prefer the bacon though. In regard to the broccoli, be forewarned the broccoli will be pungent. My kids do not like the broccoli quiche, so if you are making these for picky eaters, definitely use the spinach! 

Also, due to the cheese and milk, these are not strict paleo, but still grain free. I would not omit the cheese, because that is what kind of constitutes quiche. Just be sure to use good quality ingredients. Good luck, and eat well. 

What to make the evening before you absolutely must go grocery shopping...

This was a quick meal that I pulled together with what I had on hand right before I absolutely needed to go grocery shopping. I love these kinds of meals because I almost feel as if I am on "Chopped," having to prepare an edible, tasty meal out of random ingredients, and these kinds of meals are usually the best meals too. I still am not sure what to call this, so I will just call it Red Chili Beef. I paired it with these awesome flat breads which happen to have a resemblance to flour tortillas. The recipe for them is here: 3 Ingredient Paleo Naan (Indian Bread) - My Heart Beets 

Red Chili Beef

2 pounds of grass fed ground beef

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, smashed, peeled, and minced

2 carrots, peeled and grated

1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 TBS coconut oil

1 1/2 cups Red Enchilada Sauce (I used El Pato)

1/2 tsp sea salt

This is super easy. Heat oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add ground beef, and begin to brown. Use a large spoon to break up the meat as it browns. After two minutes, add the onion, garlic, carrots, red bell pepper, and sea salt. Continue to cook, stirring to make sure the meat browns evenly until the meat is fully cooked. Add the enchilada sauce and give a good stir to combine, reduce heat to low, and continue to cook until the sauce is completely heated through. Serve with the flatbread or tortilla of your choice, and chopped tomatoes, green onions, and whatever other favorite taco toppings you have on hand (salsa, guac, etc.) I gave mine a squeeze of lime before serving.

This meal received an overwhelming thumbs up from all four of my kiddos. It was super quick to throw together (30 minutes or less), and I was able to make it while taking an important phone call, so it is almost impossible to screw up. What I like most is the fact that it is filled with veggies. It paired really well with the flat bread, and trust me, you must try that recipe because they were so delicious, and you won't even miss regular tortillas! Eat well, and be well...

Wild Alaskan Salmon with Lemon & Garlic Pan Potatoes

As of late I have been really missing living in Washington State. I miss the weather (seriously), I miss the Sound, I miss the mountains, and I miss the trees along with the beautiful trails on which one could run. And, let's face it, for a foodie, it doesn't get much better than living in the PACNW. Within 30 minutes of my home I had a butcher who sold grass fed beef and sugar free jerky, sausage, and bacon;  I had a health/natural foods market, and Trader Joe's. In the summer we had glorious farmer's markets with gorgeous local produce, meats, and wild caught fish, and in the fall we had apple orchards, and pumpkin patches. Getting wild-caught, Alaskan Salmon was easy, and not a drain on the pocket book.  I love cold water fish. Salmon, trout, steelhead...they are the best. I have even caught them myself (with the exception of salmon), gutted, cleaned, and cooked them up, because this girl can fish. It was the ability to go fishing in mountain lakes and streams, and the ability to be able to obtain wild salmon that perhaps made me not want to leave the most. 

So you can imagine my joy when I happened upon some wild caught Alaskan Salmon (from the Copper River of all places) in the freezer section of my local grocery...here in Texas. I was practically doing summersaults in the aisle! So, of course I bought some. 

I had initially hoped to pair it with roasted sweet potatoes, but I forgot that I had already used them. Since potatoes seem to be caveman acceptable these days, I peeled some up, and pan cooked them in bacon grease, and added some green beans with toasted almonds on the side. This meal was simple, but seriously, out of the park..and it truly helped that it was a rainy day, so I truly felt like I was transported out west.

                          

Roasted Wild Alaskan Salmon

24 oz Sockeye Salmon Filet *this recipe makes 6 servings or some serious leftovers

1 TBS Coconut Aminos or wheat free Tamari

2 tsp Texas Pete's hot sauce

1/4 tsp granulated garlic

pinch of sea salt

8 grinds of freshly cracked pepper

The juice of half of a lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Combine all ingredients except the salmon in a small bowl, and stir to combine. Place salmon skin side down on the prepared baking sheet, and carefully pour the marinade over the top of the fish making sure to coat evenly (use a pastry brush if you need to to cover the entire surface of the meat). Place into oven and cook for 15 minutes, or until fish flakes easily.

Pan Roasted Potatoes with Lemon & Garlic

6 large potatoes (pick your poison, yukon gold, red, or russet), peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cut into 1 inch slices.

2 TBS bacon grease

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp pepper

4 cloves of garlic, peeled, and smashed into pieces

The juice of half of a lemon

1 TBS of fresh, flat leaf parsley chopped

Heat bacon grease in a large, cast iron skillet over med-high heat. Add the potatoes, and fry stirring every few minutes. Once they begin to brown, reduce heat to medium, and add the garlic and S&P. Continue cooking for about 25 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender (cooking time may vary depending on the type of potato you use). Squeeze lemon juice over the potatoes, and stir in parsley. Serve warm with your choice of protein. 

Omelets for Dummies

          

Omelets are one of my favorite breakfast foods. My Dad used to make them sometimes when I was a kid. He took his omelet making very seriously--he even had a special pan that he kept seasoned so the eggs would slide right out. That pan was, and STILL is a point of contention between my Dad and my Mom because he will season the pan, and without fail, she will use it, and put it in the dishwasher, so that he will have to season it all over again. 

At any rate,  omelets are not as daunting as they look. Of course I kind of cheat, and use a non-stick pan, because I am not brave enough to try making them in a regular pan like my Dad. Once you master making the eggs for your omelet, the sky is the limit as to the fillings you can add to it. So, I am going to break it down for you step by step.

I always make my filling before I make my eggs. This way, it is done, and my eggs won't be waiting. My favorite, filling is a mix of onion, garlic, red bell pepper, mushrooms, uncured ham, spinach, and tomato, and then top it with salsa and avocado. Sadly, I did not have any avocado. 

For 1 omelet I use:

2 tsp ghee

2 oz uncured, sugar free, minimally processed ham (I use Applegate), chopped

1/4 cup of chopped red onion

1 small clove of garlic, minced

1/3 cup of chopped red/yellow bell pepper

1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped

1/2 roma tomato, diced

1 large handful of baby spinach, chiffonade (roll it up like a cigar and run a knife through it so it is cut into tiny "ribbons")

sea salt and pepper to taste

Heat ghee in skillet over med-high heat. Add ham, and sauté. When it starts to brown up, then add your onions, and garlic. Sauté until the onion is translucent, then add your mushrooms, and season with sea salt and pepper. Once your mushrooms begin to brown up a little add your bell pepper, and sauté for about a minute. (Please do not over cook your bell pepper, that's nasty.) Turn off your heat, and add the spinach and tomato, and toss together well. 

                              

Now onto the important part...The Eggs!

You will need:

10 inch non-stick skillet (unless you have a stainless steel omelet pan that is cured and ready to go.)

3 tsp of ghee

2 eggs

1 egg white

a pinch of sea salt

4 grinds of pepper

A small bowl

A whisk

A heat resistant spatula

1. Begin by preheating your broiler in your oven with the rack in the middle. (You don't want it too close to the element!)

2. Heat the ghee in your skillet over medium heat. While that is heating, whisk together your 2 whole eggs, 1 egg white, and sea salt and pepper.

3. Lift your pan and move it around to make sure the ghee coats the pan. Then set back on burner and pour in your eggs. 

This is where it gets tricky, and my photography gets blurry...

4. Now that the eggs are in the pan, you will want to use your spatula to drag some of the eggs into the middle of the pan. As soon as you do this, you want to move the pan so that egg replaces the egg you moved away.

Continue to do this until the eggs begin to set. It makes for a thicker, fluffier omelet. At this point, your eggs should look like this...

It is at this point when the bottom is set, and the top is wet that you turn off your burner, and move your pan to under the broiler. (Please make sure that your pan is all metal...not plastic or wooden handles!

                                  

Close the oven door, and literally it will only take a minute, so stay there and watch it. See how it fluffs up?!

5. With a dish towel or pot holder, remove the pan from your oven. Take your spatula and run it around the edges of your eggs to loosen them up. They should slide around fairly easily in the pan.

6. Take your filling and place on 1/2 of the eggs, then very gingerly slide your spatula under the opposite side and fold the eggs over.

7. Carefully shake the pan to make sure the omelet will slide around, and then carefully slide it onto your plate. I then top mine with salsa.

That's it. Truly, it only takes a few minutes to make, but it looks and tastes like a special breakfast. Go forth and try your new skill. Your family will thank you!

**Should you decide to add cheese to your omelet, you can do this as you pull it out of the broiler. It will melt, and give a grip to your filling.

Strawberry Sorbet

               

I think this may be the first dessert post of this blog. I find that slightly impressive, even though this is really not a recipe, but more a strike of common sense that I had one "hot" day a couple of summers ago back in Washington State...I laugh now that I think that was hot as I sit here in Texas and it is currently 101 degrees! At any rate, as I am fighting hard to get back to where I was two years ago, my husband said to me today, "I REALLY want an ice cream cone." At which, I really wanted to slap him. Instead of inflicting bodily harm on him, I said that we should make sorbet instead. 

So, a quick trip to the grocery store and literally $4.50 later, we had a cold treat for Dave, the boys, and I, which was much healthier, way cheaper, and just as satisfying as hitting DQ....And my conscience is clear, and my tummy isn't churning. I just have to add that should you decide that you want a daiquiri, all you would have to add is rum. You're welcome! ;)

Strawberry Sorbet

1 bag of frozen, unsweetened strawberries

Juice of 1 lime

1/4 tsp of mint

3 TBS of raw, organic honey

1/2 cup of water

Throw everything into a high power blender, and blend until smooth. Should have consistency of soft serve ice cream. Scoop into your dish, and eat. 

Like I said, before, this would be kind of silly to call it a recipe because it truly is that easy. Now go enjoy the summer weather, eat well, and be well!

Grilled Steak Salad with a Balsamic Reduction Dressing

                                  

Here's to summer! Again, I am making salad for dinner, and I am A-OK with this. I literally have grilled steak for dayz in my freezer, and I need to find ways to eat it because one can only have fajitas and omelets for so many meals, lol. Insert tonight's salad.

For salad you will need:

3 hearts of Romaine, washed, dried and chopped

2 cups of Baby Spinach

2 zucchini, washed, quartered lengthwise, and chopped

1/2 of a large, sweet onion, roughly chopped

2 Bell Peppers, seeded, and chopped into 1-inch pieces (I used a red and a yellow)

Baby Heirloom Tomatoes (be sure to cut the larger ones in half)

2 TBS of extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and pepper to taste

Grilled skirt steak (choose your marinade, mine had been marinated in a carne asada marinade), grilled and sliced.

Place chopped Romaine and Spinach into a large salad bowl. Heat olive oil in a large skillet, add zucchini and onion, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté until it begins to lightly brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

If your steak is left over like mine was, add it to the pan to reheat. 

For the dressing:

1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar

1 TBS whole grain mustard

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 TBS Raw Organic Honey

pinch of sea salt

6 grinds of freshly ground pepper

Pour Balsamic into a small saucepan, and place over med-high heat. Bring to a boil, and simmer until reduced by approximately 1/3. Remove from heat and place in a bowl, and add the honey, mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine, and slowly begin to drizzle in the olive oil. Start with 1/3 of a cup. You don't want a ton of oil, just enough for the dressing to emulsify. 

Finishing the salad:

Top the salad greens with the sautéed zucchini, onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes, and give a slight toss to combine. To serve, mound the salad up on your plate top with steak, and drizzle with the Balsamic dressing. This would be REALLY good with some crumbled goat cheese, and sautéed or grilled mushrooms too, I just didn't have any on hand. Maybe next time. If you do make it with the shrooms and goat cheese, please let me know if you like it!

Caesar Salad...with Shrimp

I love salads in the summer. I don't necessarily like to make them, because I really don't like having to wash the lettuce (weak excuse I know), but for some reason, a salad at a restaurant tastes so much better and I think it is because I didn't have to make it and clean up the mess. At any rate, my favorite salad is Caesar Salad. In another life, I loved the seasoned, buttery, toasted croutons...and I still do, unfortunately, they do not love me back. So, last night I decided to try my hand at making a Caesar Salad that I could eat and enjoy. I originally wanted to make a grilled chicken one because we have literally tons of left over grilled meat from a party we had a few weeks ago that we bagged up and put into the freezer. Unfortunately, I discovered the chicken has since disappeared, and I wasn't quite feeling a steak Caesar. So, shrimp it is.

Dressing:

4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

2 tsp of dijon mustard 

2 TBS of mayonnaise (Here is a great homemade mayo that utilizes a cooked egg yolk if you're a germaphobe like me)

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp of anchovy paste

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp of freshly ground pepper

Place all ingredients into a high power blender, and blend. Seriously, it is that easy. Pour dressing into jar and place in fridge until you are ready to make your salad. 

Parmesan Crisps:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with either a silicone baking pad or parchment paper. (I used a silicone baking pad on my baking sheet, but parchment paper works too.) Place tablespoons of grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on your lined baking sheet, and lightly spread out into circles, but still in a slight mound. See picture below:

Place into oven, and bake for about 10 minutes until they have melted down, and the edges are beginning to brown. Remove from oven, and let cool, then carefully remove from the pan and place on paper towels to soak up oil. Set aside until you are ready to assemble the salad.

For the Salad:

1 clove of garlic, peeled and smashed

3 heads of romaine lettuce, washed, drained, and chopped

Grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Caesar Dressing (recipe above)

Take the smashed garlic and rub all over the inside of your salad bowl, and discard, or save for something else like the dressing if you haven't already made it. If you are being authentic, use a wooden bowl (besides, they just look so much cooler!). Place your chopped romaine in the bowl, drizzle dressing over and toss well. Add a couple of tablespoons of the cheese, and toss some more. I reserved a little dressing to drizzle over my salad before I ate it. 

Plate the salad and top with a Parmesan Crisp and if you are using meat, add your choice of grilled meat.

For this salad, I used shrimp that I pre marinated in my Greek dressing (which is in an earlier post on this blog), and grilled on my grill pan. 

This really was a satisfying salad, and I really didn't miss the croutons. I hope that you try it and like it. :)

My Franks Have Lost Their Beans!

As you know, I have 4 kiddos. So, I like to make meals that they will eat, and actually like. Given the fact that we also have some form of sports practice most evenings, I like even better to find something that won't take forever and a day to prepare. I follow the Civilized Caveman on Facebook, and knowing that he has many parents like me in his following, he put together a folder of pins of kid friendly dishes on Pinterest. One in particular that caught my eye was a recipe for "No Beanie Weenies" by the Paleo Parents. We called them Franks and Beans when we still ate beans, and it was one of the only dishes that my husband could cook besides spaghetti...True story, when we were dating some 13/14 years ago, Dave had to go to Korea for a year long assignment. Upon his return, he had to attend a school at Fort Knox, KY. Being the loving girlfriend I was, I went with him to Fort Knox to find an apartment, and get set up. I should have known his situation was bad when we went grocery shopping and he picked up a jar of "meat sauce" for his spaghetti. "Meat sauce" in a jar is blasphemous for a foodie. I wouldn't let him buy it, and I ended up making him sauce with real meat instead. This poor guy really needed to marry someone who could cook...I guess he asked the right girl (WINK). Anyhow, in return for my meat sauce, he made me Franks and Beans, which was essentially baked beans, and cut up hotdogs. It wasn't half bad...but it is absolutely horrible for you.

Fast forward about 7 years and David's grandma made this dish as a quick meal for us before we hit the road to drive back to our house. She took it to a whole other level, adding all kinds of stuff to the baked beans...mustard, ketchup, pickle relish..the works, and it was divine. Everything his grandma makes is divine, and you never leave her home hungry. SO, you can imagine my pleasure when I saw this recipe on Pinterest. It looked awesome, but it wasn't quite what I had envisioned given my past experiences eating this dish. Also, I have a football player, a runner, a swimmer, and mini-crossfitter...they all have HUGE appetites, and the base recipe didn't make that much. So, I decided to concoct my own recipe for Franks and "Beans". It came out quite well, and my kids who are the judge of all things food in my house gave it two thumbs up. It is not the quickest of dishes to make, but if you make it ahead of time and reheat, it will be a great addition to the weeknight rotation.

Franks & "Beans"
2 TBS of ghee or olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 medium sized sweet potatoes, cut into small cubes. (I used the white ones)
1 large dill pickle, finely chopped, and then run knife through again to mince it up.
1 28oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 8oz. can of tomato sauce (make sure it is sugar free, I used Muir Glen)
1/2 tsp of garlic powder
1/2 tsp of onion powder
1 TBS of raw organic honey
1 TBS of real maple syrup*
2 packages of minimally processed hot dogs (I used Applegate Farms, organic, grass fed franks)

1. Heat a heavy bottomed 5-6 qt. pot over medium-high heat. I used a enameled cast iron french oven. Melt the ghee in the pot, and add the onions, garlic, and sweet potatoes. Sauté until the onions are translucent, and sweet potatoes are beginning to get a little tender.

2. Add the minced pickle, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic and onion powders, honey, and maple syrup. *I used both together because the honey gives a little sweetness, and body. The maple syrup gives a maple sweetness. Tried to capture the essence of ketchup and the maple flavor of the beans in the original dish. Bring to a bubble, and turn down to simmer.

3. Slice up the franks, and add to the simmering sauce. Cover and continue to cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender, but not falling apart. It is important that they are not over cooked.

And there you have it, another take on Beenie Weenies, or Franks and Beans...depending on what part of the country you are from. Enjoy!

                                    

Grilled Chicken Fajita Noodle Bowl

 Good Morning, and Happy April! First, I need to apologize for being so sporadic on my posting. What can I say, other than life is crazy. Spring football is in full swing for my son, and I am in the midst of a difficult term at school. I do appreciate very much those of you look at my blog!

So this past week seriously brought me out of my comfort zone! One of the requirements for my degree program is a speech class. Speech in an online degree plan you ask? I had the same question. In place of actually speaking in front of a live audience, we are required to video our speeches, and post them to an online forum. Believe me when I say that videoing myself is more nerve wracking than actually speaking live. I don't even like having pictures taken of me...let alone video! This week brought my first speech, and it was a demonstrative speech. I chose something that I am good at, and feel very passionately about. The proper execution of the deadlift. I must have lost my mind to choose this topic! Not because I am not good at it, because I am (and that is not me being arrogant, I am not good at many things, but this is one thing I love and practice often). It is more because I chose something where I couldn't hide. I literally had to BE in the video, full body, out there demonstrating this lift. All I can say is thank you Lululemon, because your workout pants rock, and make anyone look good! I think the best part of the process was when I walked out the bedroom to go shoot my video dressed in workout clothes, yet all dolled up with hair done and make-up on and my husband and daughter cracked up, which made me laugh, and allowed me to relax. Needless to say, my speech went very well. 

I ended up going over the time by 40 seconds, which my professor docked my grade 5 points for, leaving me with a final score of 95%. In the end, I am happy with my topic choice, and it was amazing to see the interest from my classmates. So many were excited to see the speech because they were embarking on journey's into weight lifting for various reasons. This made me think that maybe I should go for a certification...we'll see. I digress, this food post is turning into a journal, and that was not my intent. So, onward and upward!

I do not like labor intensive meals. I love to eat them, but I do not enjoy the clean up! The most labor that went into this was chopping veggies. The hubby grilled the chicken, so that was a huge help to me, and one less dish to clean. This dish began as something I threw together, and literally came together as I went along. I began with a plan for fajitas. Once I got started, I thought about the salad I had for lunch, and realized that I wasn't in the mood for lettuce wraps. Enter the zoodle maker that I just got which I have been dying to use, but suddenly had no inspiration to use.  I just happened to have some zucchini lying around, and boom...the fajita noodle bowl was born!

Grilled Chicken Fajita Noodle Bowl

4 Boneless Skinnless Chicken Breasts (I made 8 so I'd have extra for other meals)

4 TBS Extra Virgin Olive oil, divided

3 tsp of sea salt, divided

1 tsp of garlic powder, divided

1/2 tsp of onion powder

1 tsp of roasted cumin

1 tsp of ancho chili powder

1 tsp of chipotle chili powder

juice of 1 lime

2 bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips (I used red and orange, because I hate cooked green bell pepper!)

1 1/2 red onion, cut into 1/2 inch wedges

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3 large zucchini, zoodled

1. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, and the onion powder, cumin, chili powders, and 1 1/2 tsp of the salt. 

2. Place chicken breasts into a baking dish, and drizzle 1 TBS of the olive oil over the chicken, and give it a good rub to coat. Squeeze the lime juice over the chicken, and then season all over with the chili powder mixture. Cover and put in the fridge for at least and hour. This can be done in the morning before you leave for the day though.

3. When ready, grill the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side, or until cooked through. 

4. While chicken is grilling, heat 2 TBS of olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add the onions, and sauté until they begin to caramelize a little. Add the bell peppers, and garlic, and season with 1/2 tsp of salt. Continue to sauté until the peppers are just starting to get tender, but still have a crunch. (I despise overcooked peppers) 

5. Remove the onions, garlic, and peppers from the pan, and cover to keep warm. Slice the grilled chicken into 1/4 inch slices, and set aside. To the pan, add the remaining tablespoon of oil, and add the zoodles. Season with remaining teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 tsp of garlic powder. Sauté, just until warmed up and al dente. 

6. To assemble the dish, mound up some zoodles onto your plates, top with the peppers, garlic, and onions, then top with the chicken. If you want, you could even add some queso fresco if you haven't given up dairy. I put homemade, fresh salsa on mine for an extra kick. Guac would be good too. 

At any rate, this was pretty simple, delicious, and satisfying.

                  

Fresh Strawberry Summer Salad

The last two weeks have been absolutely crazy! The kids were on spring break, I just started a new term for school, and the hubby is coming into his last couple of weeks of leave before he has to go back to work. I have such a hard time adjusting to my people being on break, and then again when they go back to school. Meals are never on time, and I just feel so out of it. As soon as I get the hang of it, everything changes again! Even so, spring break was a much needed break from having to get up extra early each day, and not having to adhere to a strict schedule. We did a few family things, and got a lot of stuff done around the house! The best part is that the kiddos went back to school with less than 3 months left in the year...although that is also bittersweet for me as the end of this school year ushers in my oldest son's senior year, and I am not sure that I am ready for that yet... 

At any rate, before I take a one way turn toward sentimental mommyville, I think it is more important to point out that spring is indeed upon us, as the weather is gorgeous, and the bluebonnets here in Texas are starting to bloom. After living in the Pacific Northwest for so long, I yearn for warm,  sunny weather, bbq's, salads, and all around just fresh foods. These are just a few of the things that I look forward to in the summer, and aside from the weather, there is no better sign that summer is around the corner than when your supermarket begins stocking gorgeous, fresh berries. Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, you name it,  buy them all. We cannot keep strawberries in our house--the kiddos eat them up so quickly (hello, 4 kids remember?) At any rate, aside form eating plain berries, I try to incorporate them into other meals to ensure they are not just eating berries, because my kids would definitely do just that. 

This is a recipe that I came up with a couple of summers ago, shortly after I changed the way we were eating. We had always loved this salad prior to cutting out processed foods. I got the original recipe off of a bottle of Marie's raspberry vinagrette salad dressing. Aside from using power greens, the salad itself stayed the same, the dressing however, got a HUGE makeover. 

                               

Fresh Strawberry Salad with Grilled Flank Steak

The flank steak is pretty straight forward. Season it liberally with your usual seasonings, I use a good, organic steak seasoning. Grill it until medium rare, let rest, and then slice against the grain into thin slices. Set aside.

Salad:

1 package of organic power greens, or desired salad greens

10 medium to large strawberries, cleaned and sliced

1 4oz package of goat cheese

1/4 cup of sliced almonds, toasted.

In a large bowl, toss together the salad greens, sliced strawberries, and half of the sliced almonds.

Dressing:

12 medium to large strawberries, washed, and cut into chunks

1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup of white wine vinegar

1 tsp of sea salt

1/8 tsp of pepper

3 TBS of coconut sugar or raw honey *depending on the sweetness of the berries you may need to add more or less. 

1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1. Place the strawberry chunks into the jar of a high power blender. add the vinegars, sea salt, pepper, coconut sugar or honey, and pulse until strawberries are slightly chunky.

2. Add the olive oil to the blender, and puree until smooth.

Assemble the salad:

1. Divide the previously tossed salad among 6 plates. Divide the goat cheese evenly between the 6 salads, and top with the remaining sliced almonds. 

2. Divide the grilled steak among each plate, and then drizzle the dressing over each salad, and the meat. 

3. Dig in and enjoy!

Smokey, Chipotle Laced Meatloaf

Growing up, I never particularly cared for meatloaf. It was one of those foods that I kind of dreaded when my mom would make it, and inevitably ended with me sitting at the table until my food was finished. I'm not sure what it was about the meatloaf that I didn't like...maybe it was the name? I'm not sure. But as I got older, my tastes changed, and I was more adventurous (that sounds really funny in reference to meatloaf), and developed a like for this comforting food. It could have also been the fact that my dad talked my mom into adding chopped pickles into the meatloaf because that is how my Grandmother did it. Till this day, I absolutely adore chopped pickles in my meatloaf, and add them to my basic meatloaf which I will include in this post as well. 

Meatloaf is awesome accompanied with mashed potatoes, but I accompanied mine with cauliflower mash, and I the way I make mine is listed in my previous blog post about broccoli & cheese soup! 

The best part about meatloaf is that you can eat it for days as leftovers. My 17 year old son Jay pretty much claimed the leftovers as his own, and refused to share them. I hope whomever he marries can cook, because that boy loves to eat, and the food he likes does not come from a box or drive-thru. Anyhow...meatloaf, the dinner of champions. Here it is:

                                     

Smokey-Chipotle Laced Meatloaf

3 pounds of grass fed, lean, ground beef

1 TBS of ghee, or olive oil, or coconut oil

2 small onions, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced, or through garlic press

2 medium carrots, grated on a fine setting

2 TBS of ground flax seed or flax meal

1/2 cup of almond meal (I use Trader Joe's because it has the same texture as bread crumbs)

1/2 tsp of sea salt

2 eggs

1 cup of chipotle ketchup (recipe follows at the end of the recipe), divided.

1. Heat ghee in a pan over medium heat, and sauté the onions, garlic, and carrots until translucent. Remove from heat, and let cool.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place meat in large bowl, and add the sautéed veggies, flax meal, almond meal, sea salt, eggs, and 1/2 cup of the ketchup.

3. Mix the ingredients together with hands, making sure to combine them together evenly.

4. Line a rimmed, baking sheet with foil, and mound the meatloaf mixture onto the lined baking sheet, and form into a loaf.

5. Top the meatloaf with the remaining 1/2 cup of ketchup, and spread out over the top of the meatloaf.

6. Place the meatloaf in the oven for one hour, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the middle registers 160 degrees. 

7. Let meatloaf rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing to serve.

             

Smokey, Chipotle Ketchup

15 oz can of organic, sugar-free tomato sauce (I used Muir Glen)

1 tsp of sea salt

1/2 tsp of onion powder

1/2 tsp of garlic powder

1/2 cup of pineapple juice

1-2 chipotle chilies, seeded and minced *add 1 or 2 depending on your heat tolerance

2 TBS of the chipotle sauce from the can of chilies

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and whisk together. Save in an airtight container or jar for up to a week in the refrigerator.

                    

For Basic Meatloaf:

Omit Chipotle chilies from the the ketchup recipe

To the meatloaf mix, add 3 regular sized pickles, minced. 

That's it. 

Other variations, can include wrapping the meatloaf with bacon, and stuffing it with meat and cheese. That's the great thing about meatloaf is that it is so versatile, it can be made into literally any kind of ethnicity, or regional flavor. Now go make some, and ENJOY!!

Primal Broccoli & Cheese Soup...a Successful Panera Knock Off If I Do Say SoMyself

Today is Ash Wednesday, and like millions of folks around this planet, I will not be eating meat today. (Insert tear here.) I'm like the crazy aunt in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," "What do you mean you don't eat meat?? That's okay, I make lamb," and lamb I shall make in approximately 46 more days on Easter! But this is today, and it is a day of obligation, and guilt driven fasting and vegetarianism as only us Catholics can do, and while I love a broccoli & cheese soup with a side of bacon, I will be abstaining from the pork and any other meat today. And, all joking aside, I am happy to do so.

I have been trying to perfect this recipe for a while. It started a couple of years ago with the addition of coconut flour in an attempt to thicken the soup. It was okay, but severely lacking in the creaminess department. For me, I measure broccoli & cheese soup against the broccoli & cheese soup that I can get at Panera. Man, I love Panera. I seriously do. What joy it brings to me to walk into a Panera store and see and smell all of the different, beautiful breads and pastries. I can just imagine the chewy crust and soft warm interior of the breads. (Record scratch sound)...but I have a wheat allergy. So, you can imagine how torturous a trip to Panera can be for me. However, even though my allergy specialist in Washington was amazed at how I have managed to live my entire life and survive (I am literally allergic to EVERYTHING!), and promptly gave me an Epipen to carry around with me, from time to time, I will tempt fate, dive in to a nice bowl of soup with baguette on the side, and pay for it dearly for the next two days. What can I say? I am quite possibly a crazy, stupid, like to live on the wild side, rebel. And every time I do this, I swear I will never touch the stuff again, and then I decide to go to lunch with the hubby. In all fairness, I have been much better behaved as of late, probably due to a horrible experience during our cross-country trek that I will not get into here. Thank me now, because that story would mentally scar both of us.

So, back to my quest for a soup that I can actually eat that tastes like I got it from my favorite bread peddler. I saw a Pinterest pin a few months ago that linked to a blog that had creamy cauliflower soup. I pinned it, but sadly have not made it. The other day, I made meatloaf (which will be posted soon!), and as I was making mashed cauliflower, I thought about that recipe, and wondered if there was a way to incorporate it into my broccoli & cheese soup. So, given that today is a meat free day, I decided to try it out, and I must say that it is very close to my coveted Panera soup! I do admit that it would be AMAZING with crispy bacon crumbled on top, because everything is amazing with bacon! Alas, here you go...Broccoli & Cheese Soup inspired by Eat Drink Paleo-Paleo Cauliflower Soup with Crispy Bacon

                               

Panera Style Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 small head of cauliflower, washed & cut into florets
3 TBS grass fed butter (I used Kerry Gold)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/8 tsp sage

Steam cauliflower until tender. Carefully place into high power blender or food processor with butter, sea salt, and herbs. Blend until smooth. Set aside.

2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 TBS grass fed butter (Again, I used Kerry Gold)
2 large carrots, washed, peeled, and diced into small cubes (see pic below)
1 large onion, finely diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
3 crowns of broccoli, washed and cut into small florets (keep the stems for another recipe)
6 cups of water
2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp of salt free garlic seasoning (I used Lizzie's Kitchen, Oh, so Garlic Seasoning)
4 oz of a good, sharp, cheddar cheese, grated. (Preferably a grass fed cheese like Kerry Gold)

1. Heat dutch oven over medium heat, add the olive oil and butter, and sauté the carrots, onion, and garlic until tender.

2. Add the sea salt, and garlic seasoning. Top with water, and bring to a boil, and then turn down to simmer. 

3. Add broccoli florets, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Once the broccoli is tender, add the blended cauliflower to the pot, and stir to combine. 

5. Take a stick blender, and blend some of the soup, but not all. You still want the small pieces of veggies. Add the shredded cheese, and give a good stir. 

6. Eat the soup! You can top with some additional cheese. If you are able to eat meat, I'd suggest topping with some crispy crumbled bacon. 

**Due to the added cheese this soup is not be considered Paleo. If you eat the Paleo way, or suffer from dairy allergies, refrain from adding the cheese, and substitute additional olive oil for the butter.

Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese...Yes, I said Grilled Cheese.

                                      

Today is a great day! Its just cold enough to light the fire, I am done with school for the rest of the week, and the final pieces of our garage gym are set to be delivered today. Oh, and yesterday marked the completion of a month long paleo challenge for me, in which I ended up 12 pounds lighter, and 5 inches smaller. I definitely needed that to get myself back in gear, and that challenge definitely did the trick. I have to say that it has fueled my desire to keep blogging about my food. It keeps me honest. I wish I had started blogging again when I first started the challenge, but it is what it is. 

One of the main reasons I started this blog was to show that eating healthy does not have to be ridiculously expensive. I am truly disappointed when I open a page online for a recipe, and discover a ton of expensive ingredients. Especially if it is something that I have not made before, and don't really know if I would like it. What a waste of resources it is when you make something that you spent a ton of cash and time on and then you wouldn't even feed it to your dog. I don't like to waste money, and I certainly would not want you to either. I do keep on hand however, a stock of items that I use a lot, and they can be pricey, so I suggest that you shop around for the best deals. Since my husband is in the military, we can shop on the base, and luckily, they have begun stocking certain items like almond flour, coconut flour, enjoy life chips, and coconut oil! It is there where I try to stock up on those things, so if you are also a military family, hit your Commissary! If not, Trader Joe's is an excellent place to purchase pricey things for not a lot of money as well as shopping online. Also, I keep a ton of eggs on hand (I have four kids!), and a lot of paleo recipes call for a lot of eggs. If you have shopped in the grocery store you know that good eggs are not cheap. $4 a dozen to eat organic, free-range eggs is simply not feasible when you are using 1/2 a dozen to make a loaf of banana bread! It's ridiculous! Do yourself and a local farmer a favor and go on Craigslist, and type eggs in the search box. I found a local farmer, who raises free-range chickens with organic feed. If I return the egg crates, he charges me $2.50 a dozen. That's cheaper than conventional eggs, and these are seriously the best eggs I've ever eaten! Trust me, there is a HUGE difference! 

As I was saying initially in this post, it is a little chilly here today. Its nice and dreary outside; very reminiscent of Washington state. It's the kind of day where you want to eat something that feels like you are wrapping yourself in a warm, cozy blanket. Insert possibly the most comforting meal ever here: Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup and a Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Seriously, it is like snuggling in a cashmere throw...well, not really, but it is still very comforting. You will never, ever guess in a million years how I got it to be creamy... 

Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup

Step one can be done a day or so ahead of time.

12 Roma tomatoes

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt & Pepper

Raw, Organic honey (again...buy local)

1 large carrot, grated

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, chopped

1/4 cup plus 2 TBS of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided

2 Large Basil Leaves, chopped (roll the leaves up like a cigar and run a knife through them)

3 cups of chicken stock (homemade is best, otherwise try to get a good low sodium, preferably organic)

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp Spanish Paprika

Step 1. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a lipped cookie sheet with foil. Wash tomatoes, and halve. Lay them out on the sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with s & p. Lightly drizzle a tiny bit of honey over top. Place in the oven and roast for about 45 minutes, until they are all shriveled. They will look like this.

2. Heat 2 TBS of olive oil in skillet over med-high heat. Sauté the shredded carrots, onion and garlic until soft and translucent. 

3. Place the roasted tomatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic into a high power blender with the basil, chicken stock, 1/4 cup of olive oil, salt and paprika. You may have to do this in batches. 

4. Blend the soup until well blended, and that's it. 

I made my soup on Monday, and when I reheated it today, the flavors had time to marry, and it was perfect. The sweetness of the carrots balanced out the tomatoes, and added the creamy consistency. 

As I said above, I hate making expensive recipes, and this one was definitely easy on the wallet! The bread however was not so cheap, but well worth it if you have been missing bread, or like me and cannot eat bread. This is my favorite "bread" recipe, and it can be found here: Living Healthy With Chocolate-Paleo Sandwich Bread

I used one slice cut in half to make my grilled cheese. It sounds like it was tiny, but this bread is very dense and filling. I placed a slice of uncured, minimally processed ham between two paper thin slices of Kerry Gold Dubliner cheese, and "grilled" it in a pan. No oil required. If you are dairy free, I am fairly certain this would be awesome with an almond cheese or something along those lines. Enjoy!

Prep Day & Italian Chicken Stew

If you know me...like REALLY know me, you know that I strive to be an organized person...I would absolutely LOVE to be an organized person. I am definitely someone who is bothered by not having a plan and following through, but staying organized?? Not quite my strong suit. I think that may be why I am so steadfast in the fact that I have to have a plan--I'm making up for the lack of organization, lol! Sigh, I am a work in progress.

At any rate, with four kids, I have a large family by today's standards, and they are ALL very healthy eaters--large appetites. Thus, I have been feeling as of late that I am constantly cooking, and I don't like feeling that way. I put out some feelers to my friends, and got some very good ideas about pre-prepping meals, and decided that I would make Monday a prep day, because 1. Everyone is at school, and once Dave goes back to work I will have a quiet house to myself. 2. If I could at least get the foundations of meals started, then cooking for the rest of the week should be super easy and effortless. That remains to be seen. I do believe that I am off to a good start because the second meal of this week is currently in the oven, and I have time to blog about the recipe I made in the crockpot yesterday! 

By the way, crockpot meals were the number one recommendation from my friends! On a side note, I have been seriously coveting an Al Clad crockpot due to the fact that the insert is cast aluminum so that you brown the meat and slow cook the meal all in one dish! Yesterday's meal, and the idea of making a lot of slow cooked meals is giving that purchase more and more justification. 

Anyhow, I started the day by making a list of things I wanted to accomplish. There were three recipes that I wanted to create, and then I needed to bake banana bread for the kiddos, make paleo cereal, prep and pre-bag the veggies for my green lemonade, and make salsa and mayo (another helpful hint from my friend Liz who also has a bunch of kids like me...make condiments on Mondays!) I also wanted to make some grain-free, gluten-free bread for the kiddos too. Unfortunately, my list may have been a little lofty. I forgot to mention that I am a huge overachiever. So, I will think something is feasible when it probably isn't to the average person. I did make good headway though. The only things I did not get to was making the bread, cereal, mayo, and veggie prep. I did however (and this is where my ADD comes in) make roasted tomato soup!

Truly, once I got the chicken going in the crock pot, it was very easy to do everything else. The Chicken began as an idea for Chicken Cacciatore. What it turned into was Italian Chicken Stew, and it was an explosion of flavors in my mouth. And as the universal indicator of a good recipe, Lil 'T cleaned his plate, so I will take that as this recipe rocked, because 1. He is picky, and 2. He hates chicken!

                                  

Italian Chicken Stew

1 large pack of skinless, bone-in chicken thighs

sea salt & pepper

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1 large red onion, large chop

3 bell peppers, large chop (I used red, yellow, and orange...I have an aversion to cooked green bell peppers)

1 8oz package of mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup of Kalamata olives

1 cup of large, stuffed, Spanish Queen olives, sliced into halves

1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes. (I use San Marzano tomatoes.)

1 tsp sea salt

2 tsp italian seasoning

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1. place the onions in the bottom of the crock pot, then layer the bell peppers, and mushrooms on top.

2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Season both sides of chicken with s & p, and sear in the oil until slightly golden on each side. As chicken finishes browning, remove from pan and place in crockpot on top of the onions, peppers, and mushrooms.

3. Next, add in order, the olives, garlic, crushed tomatoes, sea salt, italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours depending on your crock pot. Mine was finished in 7 hours. 

4. Give a good stir to the ingredients about halfway through the cooking to incorporate the sauce into everything. 

While dinner was cooking in the crockpot, I had time to work on other meals. This was a great time saver for me, and my fridge is now stocked with meals that I can throw together, reheat or finish within a short amount of time, as well as leftovers for lunches which is also a real money saver! It also gave me a ton of blogging material as I ended up with about 5 recipes to share! So, while I did not finish everything that I set out to make, I must say that week one of food prep was a win!