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.