tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58886874800394882762024-03-13T03:34:57.385-04:00Fast FoodieUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-88529564759315154212014-08-10T19:47:00.002-04:002014-08-10T19:49:06.426-04:00Ranch DressingAn amalgam of other recipes. By using cultured sour cream and kefir probiotics are added into this very tasty dish. You can play with the amounts of things, more/less dill, garlic, onion, etc., to make it to your taste.<br />
<br />
1c mayo<br />
1/2c cultured sour cream<br />
handful of chives<br />
palmful of dill<br />
handful of parsley<br />
salt n peppa<br />
1 clove garlic<br />
1 shallot<br />
kefir to thin<br />
<br />
Put everything in a blender.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-5162552127421387272014-03-21T19:35:00.000-04:002014-03-21T19:35:41.587-04:00Chicken Stir Fry<div>
I've never been a fan of homemade stir fry. It just didn't taste quite right. This evening after combining elements from several recipes I finally hit on a balanced taste combo that I love. It can be made Paleo by using the arrowroot powder and coconut aminos. Fish sauce can be Paleo but you have to read the ingredient list. Regular sauce is just fermented fish and salt. However, there is wide variations between brands. Red Boat is very popular but I haven't tried that one yet. I have a Thai brand that I need to use up first. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
If the veg chopping is too much work buy them prechopped at the supermarket. I just used a veg stir fry mix and picked out all the bell peppers and kept the onions, green onions, cabbage, snow peas, then added carrot, extra onion and portabello mushrooms. The veg mix is really your own preference. The only thing to remember is to cook thick/heavy veg first and the delicate stuff last.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I prefer sesame oil to peanut oil but the whole thing has to be cooked at a lower temp since sesame is a lower temp oil.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Also, I always make extra rice. I let the extra cool off and then bag up in individual servings and freeze for later use.<br /><div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Ingredients:</div>
<div>
serves 2</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Marinade</div>
<div>
1 scant teaspoon of honey</div>
<div>
1t fish sauce (Nam Pla)</div>
<div>
2t organic tamari (GF) or coconut aminos (gluten and soy free)</div>
<div>
1T corn starch or arrowroot powder</div>
<div>
1T sesame oil</div>
<div>
1T water</div>
<div>
1T garlic pushed through a press or smooshed</div>
<div>
1T grated fresh ginger</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Stir fry</div>
<div>
1/2c dry rice per person (makes one cup cooked)</div>
<div>
~1 lb chicken</div>
<div>
1 portabello mushroom or criminis or others</div>
<div>
1 carrot</div>
<div>
1/2 white onion</div>
<div>
2 stalks celery</div>
<div>
several handfulls of snowpeas</div>
<div>
small napa cabbage or bok choy or leeks or combo</div>
<div>
sesame oil or peanut oil</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sauce</div>
<div>
~1/4c cooking sherry</div>
<div>
1T tamari or aminos</div>
<div>
1T rice vinegar</div>
<div>
1T corn starch or arrowroot</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Garnish</div>
<div>
1-2T toasted sesame seeds</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
1) Mix one to one ratio of rice to water. Cook with method of choice. </div>
<div>
2) Make marinade and mix thoroughly. Slice chicken into bite size pieces and mix into marinade. Put aside.</div>
<div>
3) Chop, slice and dice vegetable so that they are all about the same size. Sort into piles for cooking first and last. First: white onions, leeks, carrots, celery, mushrooms, bok choy stems. Last: snow peas, green onions, cabbage, bok choy leaves. </div>
<div>
4) Mix together sauce ingredients leaving out the sherry. Put aside.</div>
<div>
5) Line everything up along the stove since this cooks fast. </div>
<div>
6) Heat large fry pan and add sesame or peanut oil. When oil is shimmering add first vegetables. Stir fry until onion wilts and becomes soft. Add chicken and fry until browned on the outside but still pink in the middle. </div>
<div>
7) Deglaze the pan with the sherry only using enough so that a small amount of liquid is left.</div>
<div>
8) Throw in last veg but don't stir. Put lid on veg and let steam for about five minutes until chicken is cooked through and the cabbage wilts.</div>
<div>
9) Stir in sauce and let it coat everything. It will thicken up almost instantly. Remove from heat and serve over rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-90355808721763799102013-03-08T19:38:00.000-05:002013-03-08T19:40:59.645-05:00Skillet ProvincalI've been making Chicken Provincal for decades from an old recipe I found on a cooking wine bottle. Or at least I think it was a cooking wine bottle. I transcribed it by hand so I didn't get it from a magazine and the internet didn't exist yet. But I digress....<br />
<br />
Divine Health posted a recipe for <a href="http://divinehealthfromtheinsideout.com/2011/11/skillet-chicken-stew/" target="_blank"><b>Skillet Stew</b></a> which gave me the idea of doing my Provincal recipe as a skillet dish. It got two thumbs up from hubs and one from the kid so this is a keeper.<br />
<br />
Since I just got an Herbs de Provence herb mix from the farmers market, I decided to use that for seasoning. If you don't have any use a mix of: marjoram, tarragon, thyme and lavender. The lavender is optional but adds a nice flavor.<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
serves three<br />
<br />
4T organic non-GMO corn starch or arrowroot powder<br />
1t sea salt<br />
1/2t pepper<br />
1T herbs de provence<br />
<br />
1-1.5lbs chicken breast<br />
<br />
1 large portabello mushroom cap<br />
2 large carrots<br />
1/2 a medium onion or two shallots<br />
<br />
1T lard or tallow<br />
2T ghee<br />
1/4-1/2c cooking sherry<br />
1c Basic Chicken Stock<br />
1c filtered water<br />
1/2c sour cream or plain yogurt<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Mix corn starch, salt, pepper and herbs in a dish or ziplock bag. If the herbs are large crush fine with a mortar and pestle first. Mix well.</li>
<li>Rinse chicken and pat dry. Drop in flour mixture, close bag tightly and shake to coat chicken evenly. Set aside.</li>
<li>Finely dice mushroom, onion and carrot. </li>
<li>Melt lard and 1T ghee in skillet. When fat is hot add chicken. Fry until brown then flip over. Should be about 5mins a side. Remove from pan and set aside.</li>
<li>Melt 1T ghee in pan and add vegetables. Fry until soft and juices start to be released. If mix gets too dry add more ghee. The mushrooms tend to absorb liquids. The trick is to not let the fond burn.</li>
<li>Add sherry in shots and use to deglaze pan. Only add enough to get the browned bits (fond) up off the pan bottom. Let sherry boil off.</li>
<li>Add chicken back in. Add chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for half an hour.</li>
<li>Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Serve over rice or with mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower.</li>
</ol>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-48096918166600071292013-02-04T19:22:00.002-05:002013-02-04T19:45:23.973-05:00Pete the Goat StewI named this recipe in honor of Pete the Goat of <b><a href="http://www.janssushibar.com/braised-goat-shank-stew/" target="_blank">another blog</a></b>. When I was researching how to cook goat I ran across a recipe written by someone that owns a farm. They had a goat named Pete that then fed their family for many many meals. As the farmer/cook said "Pete is delicious!"<br />
<br />
This is the first time I have eaten goat even though it is the most consumed meat on the planet (goats are easy to raise). And I must agree with the farmer/cook, goat is delicious! In fact it is my new favorite meat.<br />
<br />
It tastes even milder than lamb so it can be easily overpowered by strong flavors, which I found out the hard way. I added celeriac to the stew and it was too strong. I recommend staying away from parsnips, turnips and celeriac for this reason. Stick with mild root vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, kohlrabi and mild onions. If you feel like experimenting, you could add butternut squash or sweet potatoes but for me this would make it too sweet.<br />
<br />
Too add color to this stew buy colored root vegetables. I had yellow carrots and Adirondack Blue potatoes on hand. This adds some nice color to what could be a rather beige stew.<br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
serves 3-4<br />
<br />
2c <b><a href="http://baffled-fastfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/10/basic-chicken-stock.html" target="_blank">Basic Chicken Stock</a></b><br />
~2-4c filtered water<br />
1lb goat chops with bones<br />
1 medium red onion<br />
1 clove garlic<br />
1t Celtic or Himalayan salt<br />
~6 peppercorns<br />
1t dried thyme or 1-2 sprigs of fresh<br />
Root veg of choice:<br />
1 large carrot<br />
1-2 leek leaves<br />
1 medium potato<br />
1/2 kohlrabi<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Peel and cut onion into 1/8ths. Peel and mash garlic. Add to stock pot or dutch oven along with meat.</li>
<li>Add stock to pot and then use enough water to cover contents with about an inch of liquid.</li>
<li>Add peppercorns, salt and thyme.</li>
<li>Cover pot and put on low simmer and cook for two hours.</li>
<li>Peel and chop root vegetables into bite size pieces. Add to pot and stir in. Add more water if needed to cover contents.</li>
<li>Cook for another hour at a simmer with lid off. </li>
</ol>
<div>
Note: This could also be made in a slow cooker. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-50225900238663808622013-01-28T18:14:00.000-05:002013-01-28T18:14:06.938-05:00Lamb and Root Vegetable StewYup, my creative juices are flowing! This is delicious!! I like it better than beef stew. It has a milder flavor. You can also tinker with the meat/veg proportions so that you can make it with as much meat as you prefer. I find that I only need a few ounces of quality meat to satisfy my appetite and I'm trying to eat way more veg than I used to so this is a great recipe.<br />
<br />
Since I am cooking more traditionally, the food isn't really fast anymore but the prep here is minimal and I was done in 15mins or so. The cooking time is two hours with an intervention at the one hour mark. You could make it in a slow cooker but I'm not sure how it will effect the taste.<br />
<br />
To give credit where credit is due this is based on the lamb stew recipes in Mark Bittman's <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Everything-Simple-Recipes/dp/0471789186/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1359413067&sr=1-3&keywords=how+to+cook+everything" target="_blank">How to Cook Everything</a></b> cookbook. This is my go to cookbook along with my America's Test Kitchen books. <br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
serves 2-3<br />
<br />
1/2 -1 lb lamb stew meat<br />
1 med potato<br />
1 med onion<br />
1/2 kohlrabi<br />
1/2 celeriac<br />
2-3 carrots<br />
1 clove garlic<br />
1 bay leaf<br />
1t dried thyme or 1T fresh<br />
A generous handful of fresh parsley about 1-2c<br />
1t celtic sea salt<br />
generous pinch of pepper<br />
1-2c <b><a href="http://baffled-fastfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/10/basic-chicken-stock.html" target="_blank">basic chicken stock</a> </b>or any organic chicken stock<br />
filtered water<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Peel all veg and cut into large chunks. Keep potato separate from other veg and rinse everything in fresh water and drain. Throw potato into pot. Set aside other veg for later. If you have something that is going to brown, cover remaining veg with water.</li>
<li>Peel and cut onion into 6 pieces and throw in pot. Peel and mash garlic and throw in pot.</li>
<li>Rinse and drain stew meat and add to pot.</li>
<li>Add stock and add enough water to cover meat and veg. Add salt, pepper, dried bay leaf and dried thyme. If using fresh herbs wait until step 6 to add them.</li>
<li>Cover pot and let simmer on low heat for one hour. Liquid should be just bubbling. Check once in a while to make sure there is enough liquid still in the pot. Add more water if you like.</li>
<li>Add remaining veg (drain first if in water). Add remaining fresh herbs. Add more filtered water to just cover everything. </li>
<li>Bring back to a simmer and cover. Cook for another hour. </li>
</ol>
<div>
Variations on the theme:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Throw everything in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours until meat is tender. Veg will probably get a tad mushy.</li>
<li>Add peas for the last fifteen minutes of cook time.</li>
<li>Other root veg: parsnips, turnips, beets (use yellow ones or they will make the stew purple and the meat gets nasty looking), sweet potato and radishes.</li>
<li>Add portabellos cut into large chunks at step 6.</li>
</ul>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-3931006016190518962013-01-27T23:43:00.000-05:002013-01-27T23:43:59.285-05:00Portabellos with Apple Sausage StuffingI know. It has been a really really long time since my last post. I've been doing better and cooking again but I haven't been making anything new hence no posts. But I got creative yesterday and it came out fantastic so here we go....<br />
<br />
I've managed to find a winter farmer's market here in the Northeast. They have several meat vendors and a bunch of veg vendors with one even selling a variety of fresh mushrooms. I picked up some sweet Italian sausage from my favorite meat vendor and an absolutely HUGE mushroom cap. The herbs were from one of the other vendors and I've had them out on the table drying. <br />
<br />
Use one regular sized portabello per person or if you find huge ones you can split it with someone. Use 1/4-1/2lb of meat per person depending upon appetites and affinity for meat. I'm fine with 1/4 lb for myself but hubs tends to go for 1/2lb serving. <br />
<br />
<b><u>Ingredients</u></b><br />
serves 2<br />
<br />
1/2-1lb of sweet sausage<br />
1 large or 2 normal sized portabello mushrooms (with stems if possible)<br />
1 granny apple<br />
1 large stalk of celery<br />
1/2 a medium onion<br />
1 clove of garlic<br />
1t rosemary leaves<br />
1t thyme leaves<br />
2-3 sage leaves<br />
1t celtic sea salt<br />
generous pinch of pepper<br />
1T ghee, lard or tallow for frying<br />
1-2T olive oil<br />
1 small egg slightly beaten<br />
1/2c almond flour<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Preheat oven to 350F.</li>
<li>Chop onion, celery and apple into small pieces.</li>
<li>Peel mushroom cap. Remove stem and chop stem into small pieces and add to veg. Scrape out gills and add to veg leaving the cap itself intact.</li>
<li>Crush or dice garlic finely.</li>
<li>Remove sausage meat from casings and dice into small pieces. (scissors work well for this)</li>
<li>If herbs are dried grind together or if fresh break into fine pieces.</li>
<li>Add fat to pan and saute sausage meat until all pink is gone. Remove from pan and set aside in a bowl. Do not drain fat from pan.</li>
<li>Add vegetables and garlic to pan. Add herbs, salt and pepper. Add more fat if needed and saute until soft. Add to bowl with meat. </li>
<li>Drain any liquid off meat. </li>
<li>Add flour and egg and mix well. You could put this in a food processor if you like but I prefer mine chunky.</li>
<li>Brush mushroom caps with olive oil. Place topside down in baking dish. Pile stuffing into caps.</li>
<li>Bake for 20-30mins until it has nice browned bits on top.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Variations on the theme:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Use acorn squash instead of mushroom caps. Split and deseed squash. Paint interior with olive oil and bake at 350F for 45-60mins until soft and easily pierced with a knife. Stuff with sausage and bake as directed above.</li>
<li>Skip the mushroom and serve over rice. Bake sausage mix in any baking dish until browned while making rice of choice. </li>
</ul>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-23896479782293317492012-07-10T20:57:00.001-04:002012-07-10T21:01:12.010-04:00Simple Sausage SoupThis one came out of no where. I had the ingredients kicking around in the fridge and freezer and decided that they would taste good together. Low and behold I was right. <span style="background-color: white;">Tonight I fed it to hubs for the first time and he loved it as well so now it is time to publish it.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
It is a simple idea of combining sausage, pasta and leafy green veg. You can use all sorts of combinations of the three but I've found the most tasty to be mild Italian sausage and fresh cheese pasta from the local Italian grocer combined with kale or spinach. The ingredient amounts are rough estimates since that is how I roll. This isn't baking so we can be loose about things.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Ingredients</u></b><br />
serves 3<br />
<br />
2c <a href="http://baffled-fastfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/10/basic-chicken-stock.html" target="_blank">Basic Chicken Stock</a><br />
2c filtered water<br />
~1lb sweet Italian sausage (one large link or several small ones)<br />
~2 cups shredded kale (two small leaves or one large leaf)<br />
~6oz fresh cheese <span style="background-color: white;">tortellini</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">generous pinch dried thyme</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">generous pinch dried marjoram</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Celtic sea salt</span><br />
fresh ground pepper<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Remove casing from sausage and discard.</li>
<li>Cut sausage into 1/2" thick disks and cut the disks in half. I found scissors to work remarkably well for both the casing removal and sausage chopping. If you like you can roll the sausage into little balls but this isn't necessary.</li>
<li>Tear kale into bite sized pieces.</li>
<li>If you have thin stock, use 4c and don't dilute with water. My stock tends to be very strong so I cut it in half with water as this is a mild soup and I don't want the stock to overpower the other ingredients.</li>
<li>Add sausage and kale to stock along with seasonings and bring to a rolling boil.</li>
<li>Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Fresh pasta will only take a couple of minutes tops.</li>
<li>Adjust seasoning to taste and serve.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Variations that I've tried and liked so far: chicken apple sausage, cheese tortellini and spinach or kale; sweet Italian sausage, cheese/prosciutto tortellini and kale. You see the general theme here. You want the spicy of the sausage combining with the creamy soft pasta. The green veg helps more with eye appeal and nutrition than taste. If you use spinach toss it in right before serving so that it only blanches rather than turning to mush. Kale needs the longer cooking time to soften up. This could also be made with GF pasta but I haven't found any tortellini in my area.</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-28944063422858393682012-06-04T21:31:00.000-04:002012-06-04T21:35:03.023-04:00Baked Eggs #2This is a slightly more complicated version of baked eggs since it has to be cooked in two stages. Still fairly simple but it will take more of your energy to make.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Baked Eggs #2</u></b><br />
serves one or two<br />
<br />
<i>vegetable saute</i><br />
pastured butter<br />
2-4 asparagus spears<br />
1 leek leaf washed and dried<br />
4-6 criminis (baby bella mushrooms)<br />
1-2 kale leaves washed and dried<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Break off course ends of asparagus. Just grab and snap the end off. It will break in the right place on its own. Finely slice asparagus on the diagonal. Discard the ends.</li>
<li>Peel and cut criminis into small bite size pieces.</li>
<li>Trim kale leaf off stem, discard stem, slice or tear into small bite size pieces.</li>
<li>Slice leek into 1/4" strips.</li>
<li>Saute vegetables in butter. Set aside when everything is cooked through and mushrooms are starting to release liquid.</li>
</ol>
<div>
<i>eggs</i></div>
<div>
pastured butter</div>
<div>
1T heavy cream</div>
<div>
2 pastured eggs</div>
<div>
vegetable saute from above</div>
<div>
2T Parmesan cheese</div>
<div>
2 strips of bacon (optional)</div>
<div>
pinches of dried herbs: marjoram, dill, basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary (in any combo)</div>
<div>
pepper</div>
<div>
sea salt if not using bacon</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Place single serving au gratin dish in cold oven and preheat to 350F.</li>
<li>If using, cook bacon and crumble it and set it aside.</li>
<li>Mix cheese, herbs, salt and pepper together and set aside.</li>
<li>Once oven and dish are hot, very carefully remove dish and put on heatproof surface.</li>
<li>Melt butter in dish and swirl so it coats the bottom.</li>
<li>Add cream to dish.</li>
<li>Place sauteed vegetables down center of dish along the short axis. This will divide the dish in half.</li>
<li>Crack an egg into each side of dish being careful not to break the yolk. If you're not brave enough to do this, you can crack the egg into a cup and then pour it into the hot dish.</li>
<li>Sprinkle bacon on top.</li>
<li>Sprinkle cheese mixture on top.</li>
<li>Bake at 350F for 10-15mins until eggs are set the way you like. If you want runny yolks undercook the eggs since they will continue to cook once they come out of the oven.</li>
</ol>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-88735533271112950632012-06-04T19:04:00.000-04:002012-06-04T19:04:51.917-04:00Simple Baked EggsVariations of this recipe have been popping up all over the Paleo blogs. I finally tried it this morning with my own twists of course and not only are they really easy to make but they taste FANTASTIC!! I'm in love with my new breakfast food.<br />
<br />
Ingredient quantities are loose so don't stress over amounts. I actually didn't measure anything. I used pinches, dabs and splashes and it came out fantastic. I didn't use any salt because the ham adds its own saltiness.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Simple Baked Eggs</u></b><br />
serves one or two<br />
<br />
2 pastured eggs<br />
2t pastured butter<br />
2t of heavy cream<br />
1 slice of deli ham<br />
1 fistful of baby spinach<br />
2T grated Parmesan cheese<br />
pinch pepper<br />
pinch dried marjoram<br />
pinch dried dill<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Place two small single serving ramekins in cold oven and preheat to 350F.</li>
<li>Mix herbs, pepper and cheese together and set aside.</li>
<li>Rip spinach up into 1/2" pieces, discarding stems, set aside.</li>
<li>Cut ham into 1/4" squares, divide in half and set aside.</li>
<li>Very carefully remove hot ramekins from oven, add 1t butter and swirl to coat with melted butter.</li>
<li>Add 1t cream to each ramekin.</li>
<li>Line each ramekin with spinach. Layer ham on top. Don't worry if it clumps.</li>
<li>Crack egg into each ramekin carefully keeping egg yolk intact. Break into separate cup/bowl if desired and then pour into ramekin.</li>
<li>Sprinkle cheese mixture on top.</li>
<li>Bake for 10-15 minutes depending upon how well done you like the yolks. For runny yolks undercook slightly as the eggs will continue to cook after they are removed from the oven.</li>
<li>The eggs will deflate slightly after coming out of the oven. Don't worry about it.</li>
<li>Gently remove from ramekins and let cool slightly before eating. </li>
</ol>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-81511792969353025662012-05-16T01:53:00.000-04:002012-05-16T01:53:06.597-04:00Dark Chocolate Ice CreamI got an ice cream maker for my birthday. Woohoo!! Thanks sis!!<br />
<br />
I've been trying to eliminate sugar from my diet so I'm finding regular ice cream much too sweet. Now that I have my own ice cream maker, I can control all the ingredients from the type of milk, cream and cocoa, to the amount and type of sweetener. So, I used local dairy and organic, fair trade ingredients.<br />
<br />
Not sure this really qualifies as dark chocolate since there is milk and cream in it but it has very little sugar so it tastes like dark chocolate. If you want to experiment, you can use other extracts besides vanilla. For instance, orange would be nice. This is on my list of experiments along with using stevia instead of sucanat (my son's girlfriend is diabetic and can't have sugar). Other people use honey or maple syrup which are GAPS friendly. These, however, will change the taste significantly. I'm not a maple fan so that is off the menu for me. I'll probably use honey at some point but not in my chocolate ice cream.<br />
<br />
BTW, the coffee brings out the chocolate flavor. You won't actually taste it in the ice cream. Hubs says he can taste it but that was only after he saw me adding it. When I used it before he never mentioned it. Of course, you can always leave it out or add extra for mocha ice cream.<br />
<br />
Ingredient<br />
makes 5 cups<br />
<br />
3/4c cocoa powder (I've been using <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rapunzel-Pure-Organic-Cocoa-Powder/dp/B0046HEPQS" target="_blank">Rapunzel</a>)<br />
4T sucanat (also known as rapadura)<br />
1t instant coffee powder (don't use actual coffee because you don't want the water in the cream)<br />
Generous pinch of Celtic sea salt<br />
1 1/2t of vanilla extract (I actually use <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Madagascar-Bourbon-Pure-Vanilla-Powder/dp/B000G9VEBO/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1337139548&sr=1-1" target="_blank">vanilla powder</a>)<br />
1c whole milk<br />
2c heavy cream<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Sift dry ingredients, including the vanilla, into the cup of milk in a saucepan.</li>
<li>Heat on stove while stirring to get ingredients to combine well. Sugar and salt should dissolve into the liquid. Do NOT let it boil. You can taste test this and add more sugar, coffee or extract if desired. Just remember you still have to add the cream which will sweeten it up some more and change the taste profile.</li>
<li>Remove from heat and cool slightly.</li>
<li>Add cream and stir well</li>
<li>Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.</li>
<li>Follow your ice cream maker's directions.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-43817932866284688902012-05-05T19:36:00.000-04:002012-05-05T19:36:15.737-04:00Vivaldi Salad con Pollo e BelloThis is a my version of Bertucci's Vivaldi Salad. I got tired of their portions shrinking to minuscule sizes plus I knew the version I could make at home was healthier since I use all organic ingredients.<br />
<br />
If I am doing badly, their are some easy cheats for this one. Instead of my dressing, use Newman's Own Parmesan and Garlic for the mushroom caps and asparagus, and Balsamic Vinaigrette for the chicken and salad.<br />
<br />
You can also double the salad dressing ingredient amounts and save the extra for later. I always have a jar of this on my dinner table waiting for spontaneous salads to appear. I use an old Grey Poupon jar.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Ingredients</u></b><br />
serves 2<br />
<br />
<i>salad dressing and marinade</i><br />
4T extra virgin cold pressed olive oil<br />
4T good balsamic vinegar<br />
fresh ground pepper<br />
1/2t dried thyme (1t if using fresh)<br />
1/2t dried marjoram (1t if using fresh)<br />
<br />
<i>salad base</i><br />
Organic Spring Mix salad mix (amount varies depending upon how hungry you are)<br />
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (preferably free range organic)<br />
2 large portabello mushroom caps<br />
2/3 bunch asparagus<br />
<br />
<i>salad options</i><br />
cherry tomatoes<br />
cucumber slices<br />
sliced scallions<br />
red onion slices<br />
Crasins<br />
feta cheese crumbles<br />
goat cheese crumbles<br />
walnut pieces<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Place marinade ingredients in jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well.</li>
<li>Put 1-2T of marinade in a large Ziploc bag along with chicken. Add a pinch of celtic sea salt. Seal and coat chicken well. Let sit while BBQ heats up.</li>
<li>Peel mushroom caps. Pour some marinade on the caps and massage marinade into cap and gills.</li>
<li>Snap off ends of asparagus. Pour some marinade on the spears.</li>
<li>Grill meat, mushrooms and asparagus. Put asparagus on cool part of grill since the tips burn easily.</li>
<li>While meat is grilling plate up salad greens and add all the options that you prefer.</li>
<li>When meat and vegetables are done slice up and place on top of salad. Pour remaining marinade on salad. </li>
</ol>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-18526901304830125942012-05-04T23:42:00.001-04:002012-05-04T23:43:28.127-04:00Creamy Celeriac SoupLong time no see. After some much needed sunshine I seem to be on the upswing. Gotta love vitamin D. For me it seems to be my wonder drug.<br />
<br />
Carrying on a tradition I started last year, I picked up one vegetable that I have never eaten while shopping at Whole Foods this week. I seem to gravitate towards the weird looking ones. I've been meaning to try celeriac (celery root) for a long time now. I keep hearing about it on the Paleo blogs as it can be eaten pureed as a substitute for mashed potatoes. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080516004146/recipes/images/thumb/b/b5/Celeriac.jpg/200px-Celeriac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080516004146/recipes/images/thumb/b/b5/Celeriac.jpg/200px-Celeriac.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080516004146/recipes/images/thumb/b/b5/Celeriac.jpg/200px-Celeriac.jpg" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I fell in love with it the moment I cut it open. It smells like the garden just after a spring rain. The inside is riddled with holes near the roots but the flesh becomes solid as it approaches the top. <br />
<br />
This recipe is easy and the amounts are rough. If you boil it too long (as I did) and it gets too thick just add some more liquid such as stock, milk and/or cream to thin it out to the desired consistency.<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u><br />
serves 2<br />
<br />
1 small celeriac<br />
2c <a href="http://baffled-fastfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/10/basic-chicken-stock.html" target="_blank">Basic Chicken Stock</a><br />
large pat pastured butter (Kerrigold is the most readily available)<br />
1/4-1/2c heavy cream (pastured or raw)<br />
Celtic sea salt<br />
fresh ground pepper<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Use a paring knife to peel the celeriac. Dice into 1/2" cubes. Rinse with water and drain.</li>
<li>Put in pot and cover with chicken stock. Bring to boil. Turn down and simmer for at least 20mins until the cubes are soft.</li>
<li>Remove from heat. Either add to blender in batches being very careful with the hot liquid or use an immersion blender and puree it right in the pan.</li>
<li>Add pat of butter, pinch salt, pepper and cream. Stir to mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add more cream and/or milk to thin to desired consistency. Serve.</li>
</ol>
<div>
I've seen nutmeg and/or cinnamon used in some recipes. I left it out here but I might use some nutmeg in the future when I'm feeling adventurous.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
BTW, it tastes like celery and parsley combined. Very good and a big hit with everyone in my family.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-69292105388295593522012-03-14T00:33:00.000-04:002012-03-14T00:33:24.991-04:00Holding PatternSorry I haven't posted much. I've been in a major relapse going on three months now. I'll be back later when I'm feeling better and cooking again.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-59314932634643724732012-02-03T19:26:00.000-05:002012-02-03T19:26:26.179-05:00Garlic CauliflowerThis is a simple but really good side dish. If you are on the fence about cauliflower but love garlic, this might turn you into a cauliflower lover.<br />
<br />
If you can't find <b><a href="http://www.boursincheese.com/" target="_blank">Boursin cheese</a></b> in your area, any soft cheese with garlic and herbs will do.<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u><br />
serves 1-2<br />
<br />
1/4 large head or 1/2 small head cauliflower<br />
1T Boursin garlic and herb cheese<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Cut flowers off head of cauliflower. Discard core.</li>
<li>Cut into bite sized pieces and put in pan.</li>
<li>Add about 1" of water to pan.</li>
<li>Cover and bring water to boil. Shut off. Do NOT remove cover.</li>
<li>Let sit for 10 mins until steam is no longer escaping from pan.</li>
<li>Florets should be easy to pierce with a knife.</li>
<li>Drain off water.</li>
<li>Stir in cheese until melted.</li>
<li>Serve.</li>
</ol>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-8227527843488931832012-02-03T19:02:00.002-05:002012-02-03T19:05:48.915-05:00Rosemary ButterLast summer, after a 30+ year hiatus, I started eating cows again. As much as I had missed eating steak, I'm glad I missed 30 years of <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feedlot" target="_blank">feedlot meat</a></b>. Growing up, beef was one of my favorite foods. Of course, in England, cows are all free range and grass fed. That is how cows are supposed to be raised. Feedlots became the norm in the US in the 1970s although they had been around before that. Feedlot beef tastes different than grass fed and is much less healthy for human consumption. Being brought up on grass fed beef, that is what I prefer. To read more about the health benefits of grass fed beef go <b><a href="http://www.grasslandbeef.com/Page.bok?template=nutrition.html" target="_blank">here</a></b>.<br />
<br />
One of the first dinners I learned to cook as a teenager was broiled steak. I would marinade it in pickle juice and stick it under the broiler for about 5mins a side which would yield a tender juicy medium well steak. Of course not cooking beef for 30 years I've had to learn all over again. There are tons of videos on YouTube, the most amusing being <b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dtjo8DDspx0" target="_blank">Jamie Oliver's version</a></b> where he gently strokes the steaks with fronds of fresh rosemary.<br />
<br />
Being more practical, I decided to make a rub for my steaks instead. This incorporates everything into one topping that can be made days ahead of time and then rubbed onto the steak before cooking.<br />
<br />
You will need a <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortar_and_pestle" target="_blank">mortar and pestle</a></b> for this.<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u><br />
makes 2 tablespoons (which is enough for an 11oz steak)<br />
<br />
2t of dried rosemary<br />
pinch coarse Celtic sea salt<br />
pinch fresh ground pepper or two peppercorns<br />
2T organic pastured butter (cultured if you can find it)<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Place rosemary, salt and pepper into the mortar.</li>
<li>Cover mortar with free hand while slowly grinding the spices with the pestle.</li>
<li>Grind into a find powder.</li>
<li>Soften butter with a fork or spoon in a separate dish.</li>
<li>Stir spices into butter and mix until fully incorporated.</li>
<li>Massage into dry room temperature meat before cooking. </li>
<li>Make in larger batches and wrap tightly in plastic wrap or wax paper to save for later. Will keep indefinitely if kept away from air and refrigerated. Allow to soften before use.</li>
</ol>
<div>
<i>Optional add in: </i></div>
<div>
Add a small clove of garlic to the mortar once the spices are ground fine. Mash with pestle. This will make an herb paste that you can incorporate into the butter. This will introduce a very strong garlic flavor to the butter and may be too much unless you adore garlic like I do.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-58020153005024722342012-02-03T18:22:00.000-05:002012-02-03T18:26:49.122-05:00Yogurt WhipI've been eating <b><a href="http://baffled-fastfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/01/kiwi-dessert.html" target="_blank">sliced fruit topped with yogurt</a></b> for years. My favorites being sliced bananas, strawberries and/or kiwis topped with vanilla or strawberry yogurt. Now that I'm on a full fat sugarless kick it is next to impossible to find off the shelf whole milk yogurt that doesn't have some form of sugar added to it. Bums me out.<br />
<br />
During the fall I did dabble in making my own yogurt with great success using Viili room temperature culture from <b><a href="http://www.culturesforhealth.com/viili-yogurt-starter.html" target="_blank">Cultures for Health</a> </b>and mixing in mango puree. <b> </b>However, due to a sudden illness in December that has lingered and a bad med reaction this past week I haven't had the energy to get back to making yogurt from scratch. <br />
<br />
Not wanting to forgo one of my favorite healthy snacks I did manage to find full fat plain organic yogurt in large tubs. So I got that and some bananas and strawberries. And today I made this which turned out absolutely delightful. Making it in the food processor adds air into the yogurt making it light and fluffy and a wonderful treat. Of course, with the banana it doesn't need any sweetener at all so this has no added sugar. Woohoo! Success!!<br />
<br />
Of course, I've listed a ton of substitutions so feel free to get creative. I'm seeing all sorts of odd combinations in the supermarket. I can hardly wait until the local farmer's market opens again so I can experiment with different kinds of in season fruits.<br />
<br />
This can be made in slightly larger batches and kept in mason jars in the fridge for later use. I would only make enough for a day or two since berries tend to not last very long once they are chopped up. Of course this doesn't last long in my house anyway so I haven't tested the upper limit on storage yet.<br />
<br />
On another good note, having the fat combined with the fruit slows the absorption of the fruit sugars into the blood stream. Way less of a blood sugar spike after eating it and the sensation of fullness lasts longer. According to WAPF the fat also aids in the digestion of the vitamins in the fruit. For more about fats in the diet see: <b><a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/know-your-fats" target="_blank">Weston A Price Foundation website</a></b>.<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u><br />
serves 1-2<br />
<br />
1 banana<br />
generous handful of strawberries<br />
1-2c organic, plain, whole milk yogurt<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Wash and hull strawberries.</li>
<li>Peel banana.</li>
<li>Puree fruit in blender or food processor.</li>
<li>While processor is running, add enough yogurt to fully incorporate fruit.</li>
<li>Don't worry about it being lumpy. So you actually have a chew an odd piece of fruit here or there. Eat up or store in mason jars in fridge for later.</li>
</ol>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>Substitutions for the fruit:</i></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Fresh pineapple or canned in its own juice</li>
<li>Organic, no sugar added, applesauce</li>
<li>Other berries such as blackberries or raspberries</li>
<li>Kiwi and banana</li>
<li>Mango or papaya with shredded coconut</li>
<li>Orange or clementine segments (but the covering has to be removed from the segments)</li>
<li>Peaches, plums and/or nectarines (pits removed of course)</li>
<li>Figs, persimmons or pomegranate seeds for something exotic</li>
<li>Shredded organic coconut</li>
<li>Lemon curd (except this has sugar in it unless homemade)</li>
</ul>
<div>
<i>Substitutions for the dairy:</i></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Full fat organic coconut milk (comes in cans or frozen: if buying cans looks for BPA free)</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<i>Add ins:</i></div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Extracts such as vanilla, orange or lemon</li>
<li>Powders such as vanilla or cocoa</li>
<li>Local organic honey</li>
<li>Expeller pressed organic coconut oil or coconut cream</li>
<li>Nut butters such as almond or cashew</li>
</ul>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-54680667234210882112012-01-27T19:18:00.000-05:002012-01-27T19:23:55.556-05:00Braised CipollinisThis recipe came about for two very disparate reasons. Several years ago someone fed me these amazing onions at their BBQ. They had been cooked for hours with olive oil and spices. They were divine! I've been trying to replicate them since with only mild success. <br />
<br />
Then while reading up for the GAPS diet I found out that onions heal the gut and they are one of the allowed vegetables at the very beginning of the intro diet. A light bulb went off. Let me combine the best of both of these and come up with an onion dish that tastes great and helps the gut heal. While it is best to use fresh herbs, dried will also work. Butter isn't allowed during the first few days of intro but dairy is introduced fairly early into the GAPS diet. At that point, if diary is tolerated, the sauce can be used.<br />
<br />
Cipollinis are small sweet onions and totally worth it to try and find them. They are Italian so you might have more success in a store with Italian foods. I find them in Whole Foods and they are showing up in farmer's markets as well. While this recipe isn't quite as good as what I had at the BBQ, it is still a great side dish and it heals your gut!!<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u><br />
serves 2<br />
<br />
6-8 <b><a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/sweet-and-mild-whats-the-deal-121431" target="_blank">cipollini onions</a></b><br />
~1/4c <b><a href="http://baffled-fastfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/09/basic-beef-broth.html" target="_blank">Basic Beef Stock</a></b><br />
thyme<br />
oregano<br />
sea salt and pepper<br />
1T pastured butter (for optional sauce)<br />
<br />
<i>Onions</i><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Trim the bottoms off the onions and peel. Leave a little of the stalk intact for decoration. Leave the onion basically intact.</li>
<li>Place bottom side down in a shallow pan. All onions should touch the pan bottom.</li>
<li>Add the beef stock which should be gelatinous at this point. When it melts you should have about a 1/4" - 1/2" of liquid in the bottom of the pan.</li>
<li>Sprinkle herbs over onions. Be generous.</li>
<li>Sprinkle salt and pepper over onions.</li>
<li>Cover and simmer on low heat for about a half hour until onions are very soft. Check during cooking to make sure the liquid hasn't boiled off. You don't want burned onions.</li>
<li>Serve as is or make sauce to cover them.</li>
</ol>
<div>
<i>Sauce</i></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Remove onions from broth, set aside and cover them to keep them warm.</li>
<li>Bring broth to a boil and reduce broth by half.</li>
<li>Remove from heat and whisk in butter. Pour over onions.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-82032515180021924492012-01-24T20:22:00.000-05:002013-01-27T23:57:39.519-05:00Cheddar Broccoli SoupI like this just as it is. Hubs says it is missing something but he is used to the stuff from Cheesecake Factory which I detest. I'll let you decide.<br />
<br />
Raw milk dairy can be hard to come by but Kerrygold cheese is 100% grass fed and readily available in regular markets (at least where I live). I find it has a very strong flavor which is perfect for this soup. Broccoli has a strong flavor so if you want to taste the cheese you have to use a strong one to get over the top of the broccoli.<br />
<br />
Cultured butter this is my new fav. Organic Valley's version recently appeared in my local Whole Foods. Thing is if you add this to the hot soup you kill the cultures in the butter. Best to wait until it has cooled down to add this so you have the hit of probiotics in your soup. Of course I have to sneak the butter in to hubs' soup so sometimes it gets added to the hot soup.<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u><br />
serves 3-4<br />
<br />
1 bunch organic broccoli<br />
1c <b><a href="http://baffled-fastfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/10/basic-chicken-stock.html" target="_blank">Chicken Stock</a></b><br />
1c filtered water<br />
2c shredded very strong cheddar (preferably raw milk)<br />
2T cultured pastured butter<br />
a good dollop of pastured heavy cream (raw if you can get it)<br />
sea salt<br />
fresh ground pepper<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Chop the heads of the broccoli and make them bite sized. Throw them in a 2qt pan. Peel the course skin off the stems and chop into bite sized pieces. (I'll save the stalks from regular meals to add to the soup.) Keep adding broccoli until the pan is almost completely full or you run out of broccoli.</li>
<li>Add a pinch of sea salt and a couple of grinds of pepper.</li>
<li>Add broth and water. Don't worry, it shouldn't cover the broccoli.</li>
<li>Cover and simmer until broccoli is very soft. Remove from heat.</li>
<li>Use an immersion blender and thoroughly puree the broccoli. Be very careful because the soup is very hot and will burn you.</li>
<li>Stir in grated cheese until melted.</li>
<li>Either add cream and butter at this point or wait until it has cooled a bit first.</li>
<li>Taste and adjust seasoning.</li>
</ol>
<br />
EDIT: I figured it out. Use beef stock instead of chicken stock!! It tastes even better! And it is hubs approved!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-24145202780176256782012-01-04T20:08:00.001-05:002012-01-24T20:24:26.617-05:00Pesto Meatballs with SpaghettiThis is a completely Paleo meal. No grains what so ever. And totally delicious. <br />
<br />
For this recipe, I took the ingredients for pesto and incorporated them into the meatballs. Hence, almonds, basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese and olive oil were added to ground turkey. To make this work fresh basil HAS to be used. Otherwise the meatball flavor gets lost in the sauce. I also had a bit of trouble with the cheese. I used finely grated which just melted out of the meatballs during the baking phase. I think next time I'll switch to a coarse grate so that some of it stays in the balls.<br />
<br />
You can use turkey, pork or beef for this recipe. The trick is to get the meat the right consistency before making the meatballs. If you buy fresh meat it isn't a problem but if you get frozen you can run into a minor but easily fixable problem. <br />
<br />
When meat is frozen, the moisture in it turns to ice crystals. When it defrosts, those ice crystals melt and the water doesn't get reintegrated into the meat. Turkey has a high moisture content compared with pork or beef so if it has been frozen it is often soggy after defrosting making patty or ball formation difficult. There are a couple of methods to fix this: use paper towels to suck up the extra water, actually squeezing the meat while it is wrapped in paper towels works well; or, add flour to the meat, such as wheat, coconut or GF baking flour mix. The meat should be tacky but easily moldable.<br />
<br />
One of the great things for chronic chicks about this recipe is that it can be made in stages. The meatballs can be made way ahead of time and frozen for use later, or a day ahead, or in the morning. The same goes for the squash. It can be made several hours ahead and reheated. This allows for a decent nap during cooking.<br />
<br />
This particular recipe makes huge servings for two people but if you make salad and another veg for sides then this can easily be stretched out for four people.<br />
<br />
Make sure you get sauce in a jar so that their aren't any BPAs to leach into it. Also check for added sugar. No sweetener is perfect since the squash is naturally sweet and if you are going hardcore Paleo sugar isn't allowed anyway.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Ingredients</u></b><br />
serves 2-4<br />
<br />
<i><b>Meatballs:</b></i><br />
1lb ground turkey, pork of beef or combination<br />
1/4-1/2c almond flour (or ground walnuts or pine nuts or combination)<br />
large bunch of fresh basil (about 2c of leaves)<br />
2-4 cloves of garlic<br />
1 egg<br />
1/4c coarse grate Parmesan<br />
generous pinch sea salt<br />
generous pinch pepper<br />
<i>If using ground turkey:</i><br />
1T olive oil (since it has low fat content)<br />
coconut flour as needed if using frozen turkey<br />
<br />
<b><i>Spaghetti and sauce:</i></b><br />
1 medium spaghetti squash<br />
1 jar Newman's Own organic Marinara sauce<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Preheat oven to 350F.</li>
<li>Unpack meat and drain on papertowels if it was frozen (this even goes for beef and pork; turkey you may need to do additional drying).</li>
<li>Finely dice the basil and run the garlic through a press.</li>
<li>Put 1/4c nut flour and rest of meatball ingredients into a bowl and knead together with hands until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. The easy way to tell is if you see the basil evenly distributed. If meat is still too damp, add additional nut flour and mix to incorporate. Add some coconut flour by tablespoonfuls, if the meat is still very wet and not moldable. Meat should be tacky and easy to make into balls.</li>
<li>Make superball to golfball sized meatballs by rolling the meat in between the palms of your hands. Yes, this is a get your hands dirty activity.</li>
<li>Grease a cookie tray and line the meatballs so they don't touch.</li>
<li>Bake for 20-30 minutes until they are slightly brown.</li>
<li>Set aside or freeze.</li>
<li>While meatballs are cooking or about an hour before you want to eat split the squash in half the long way, stem to stern, and scoop out all the seeds. Enjoy the winter air aroma of the fresh squash. Go ahead; sniff the squash. Delightful!</li>
<li>Place the two halves cut side down on a greased baking sheet.</li>
<li>Bake for 45-60 minutes until a pointy object easily pierces the skin.</li>
<li>During the last 15 minutes of the squash baking heat the meatballs and sauce in a pan.</li>
<li>Take the cooked squash and shred the meat with a fork. It looks just like spaghetti. Pile on plate and top with meatballs and sauce.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-1913057275558643712011-12-19T21:24:00.001-05:002012-01-24T20:25:03.147-05:00Warm Winter SaladAlthough this has a long ingredient list and three steps to it, it is actually fairly simple to make. It is a variation on Chicken and Wild Rice Salad from The Earth-Bound Cook by Myra Goodman (a great book on sustainable real food cooking). I looked at the ingredient list and decided that this would be great as a warm salad particularly since clementines are now in season. I've also included variations on the theme which I haven't tried out myself yet but I know would be quite tasty. To make this dish pop there are a few ingredients you can't skimp on. Buy the best olive oil and balsamic vinegar you can afford. Use fresh parsley.<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u><br />
serves 3-4<br />
<br />
<i>rice:</i><br />
1 1/2c Lundburg Wild Blend rice mix<br />
3c filtered water<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>dressing:</i><br />
1T olive oil<br />
1T balsamic vinegar<br />
1/2t dried thyme<br />
pinch sea salt<br />
pinch pepper<br />
small clove garlic<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>poached chicken:</i><br />
2/3-1lb pastured organic chicken breast<br />
2-3 sage leaves<br />
1 bay leaf<br />
1 sprig thyme<br />
1t peppercorns<br />
1t sea salt<br />
1T dried onion<br />
1t dried celery flake or a stalk of celery cut to fit in pan<br />
<br />
<i>add ins and toppers:</i><br />
4 clementines<br />
1c pecans<br />
2 stalks celery with leaves<br />
handful of fresh parsley<br />
1 or 2 shallots<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>First thing to do is get the rice cooking as this step will take the longest. Add rice and water to rice cooker and let rip.</li>
<li>Next make the dressing so that the flavors can have time to blend. It is easiest to mix this up in a small jar that has a lid. Just add the olive oil, vinegar, dried thyme, pinch salt, pinch pepper to the jar. Peel and press the garlic right into the jar. If you don't own a garlic press then smear the garlic over a cutting board with a knife until it is a paste and then add. Put the lid on the jar and shake.</li>
<li>Set the chicken to poach. Put chicken in pan and cover with filtered water. Add sage, bay, sprig thyme, salt, peppercorns and celery to water. Bring to boil then reduce to simmer. Cover and cook for ten minutes.</li>
<li>While everything is cooking peel and segment the clementines. Break up the pecans into smaller pieces. The easiest method is to place them in a ziplock baggie and mash them with a meat tenderizing hammer. Mince fresh celery stalks and shallot and set aside. Mince celery leaves and parsley leaves.</li>
<li>When chicken is cooked remove from poaching water and shred chicken into bite sized pieces. Discard poaching water. Cover and keep warm until rice is cooked.</li>
<li>Once the rice is done, mix with chicken in a big bowl. Stir in celery and shallot. Gently fold in clementine segments.</li>
<li>Plate up the warm salad and top with dressing, celery leaves and parsley.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Nut substitutions: almond, cashew, walnut, pistachio</div>
<div>
Clementine substitutions: pineapple, apricot, Crasins, Mandarin oranges, figs</div>
<div>
Rice substitutions: regular wild rice mix</div>
<div>
Shallot substitution: scallions, red onion, vidalia onion</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-26633413948511175872011-12-19T20:40:00.000-05:002011-12-19T20:41:14.640-05:00Creamy DF Butternut Squash SoupI got sick again so suddenly I can't eat dairy. It seems that I can only eat fruits, <b><a href="http://baffled-fastfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/10/basic-chicken-stock.html">Chicken Stock</a></b> and <b><a href="http://baffled-fastfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/10/chicken-and-vegetable-soup.html">Chicken Vegetable</a></b> soup but I can only tolerate this for a few days straight. I've now been sick for over a week. Since I love squash and it is GAPS approved, I knew that it wouldn't bother my delicate tummy.<br />
<br />
One of the things that comes up over and over again on WAP blogs is to eat lots of good fats. I get most of my fats from dairy which is why I tend to add cheese or cream or sour cream to my soups. Since this is suddenly no longer an option, I started wondering how I could add good fats back into my diet without using butter or milk products. Hence, I tinkered with my favorite squash soup recipe (which I just discovered I never put up here on my site). The result is a dairy free high fat squash soup that is really tasty.<br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
makes one large bowl or two small<br />
<br />
1c <b><a href="http://baffled-fastfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/10/basic-chicken-stock.html">Basic Chicken Stock</a></b><br />
1-2c diced squash<br />
1 leek leaf coarsely chopped<br />
1T coconut oil<br />
1T or more almond butter<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Using a small 1 quart saucepan add enough squash to stock so that it is barely covered with liquid. Depending how small you diced the squash this will vary. I tend to cut mine up on the small 1/2" cube size.</li>
<li>Add the leek and bring the soup to a simmer.</li>
<li>Cover and cook about ten minutes until the squash is fork tender.</li>
<li>Use an immersion blender to puree vegetables.</li>
<li>Stir in coconut oil and almond butter until well blended.</li>
<li>Add salt and pepper to taste. Add more almond butter if you like.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Variations:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>use other types of winter squash</li>
<li>use cashew butter or sesame butter instead of almond</li>
</ul>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-38533616593030319332011-11-18T00:23:00.002-05:002011-12-20T20:23:15.605-05:00Cauliflower and Swiss SoupThis is amazingly good. This is based on my new method of making soup. Take some beef or chicken stock, boil vegetables in the stock, then puree with an immersion blender. Since I froze my <b><a href="http://baffled-fastfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/10/basic-chicken-stock.html">Basic Chicken Stock</a></b> in one cup portions, this makes soup creation really easy and super fast. It has been so much fun making different combinations of vegetables and flavors. This one is a big winner.<br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
serves 1-2 (depending upon how hungry you are)<br />
<br />
1c <b><a href="http://baffled-fastfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/10/basic-chicken-stock.html">Basic Chicken Stock</a></b><br />
2-3c cauliflower (fresh or frozen)<br />
~1T of diced onion (I threw in a couple of frozen pearl onions)<br />
pinch Celtic sea salt<br />
grind of fresh pepper<br />
1/2c raw milk Swiss cheese<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>If using fresh cauliflower discard leaves, remove core and cut up florets.</li>
<li>Using a 1qt pan put in the chicken stock and fill with as much cauliflower as will fit.</li>
<li>Add onion, salt and pepper.</li>
<li>Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until cauliflower is soft when pricked with a knife.</li>
<li>Remove from heat.</li>
<li>While soup is simmering, coarsely grate cheese so that you have about a half cup of loosely packed shavings. Adjust amount to your own taste.</li>
<li>Using an immersion blender blend until smooth being very careful not to splash hot liquid on yourself.</li>
<li>Stir in cheese and let melt.</li>
<li>Adjust seasoning to taste.</li>
</ol>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-53005965522429779122011-11-12T19:02:00.000-05:002011-11-12T19:02:10.734-05:00Pork Medallions with Sherry Pan SauceThis one I stole from Mark Bittman's <u>How to Cook Everything</u> and made it WAPS legal. I just got sprouted kamut and sprouted spelt flours in the mail today so I decided to try the kamut in this recipe. It worked wonderfully!! <br />
<br />
Beware though, kamut is a type of wheat so if you need truly GF recipe use nonGMO cornstarch or arrowroot powder. However I can't vouch for the texture/flavor of the substitute since I haven't tried it myself. Nut flours are another option but I've found they make things extra crunchy and they won't thicken the sauce as well as cornstarch or arrowroot.<br />
<br />
The pan sauce makes this dish so don't skip it. It is wicked good!<br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
serves 2-3<br />
<br />
~1lb pork tenderloin<br />
3T sprouted kamut flour (or wheat or spelt or for GF use non-GMO cornstarch)<br />
~1t fresh or dried thyme<br />
large pinch salt & pepper<br />
olive oil<br />
2T butter divided<br />
2 lemon wedges<br />
1/4c cooking sherry<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Rinse and dry off the pork.</li>
<li>Trim any fat or sliver bits off the tenderloin and slice into 1/8" thick rounds.</li>
<li>In a plastic baggie (my fav) or bowl combine flour, salt, pepper and thyme. Mix well.</li>
<li>Add pork and coat evenly. If using a baggie just seal and shake.</li>
<li>Heat oil and 1T butter in large saute pan. When a pinch of flour sizzles in the oil start adding the pork one slice at a time and don't let the slices touch. You might have to do a couple of batches like I did. In that case keep the finished batch on a plate covered with pan lid to keep them warm.</li>
<li>Cook until brown and then flip and brown the second side. Remove to plate and cover to keep warm while making the pan sauce.</li>
<li>Drain fat out of pan and add sherry. Let boil while scrapping the pan to loosen up the yummy bits stuck to the bottom. Keep it simmering until almost gone (this evaporates the alcohol off while leaving behind yummy flavor) then add the juice from the lemon wedges. When simmering again add the remaining 1T of butter and stir in until melted. This should result in a several tablespoons of thickish pan sauce.</li>
<li>Pour over waiting pork medallions and serve immediately.</li>
</ol>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-19299122668942082282011-11-05T19:40:00.002-04:002011-11-05T23:45:04.364-04:00Butternut Squash SoupThis is a wicked easy meal. Other vegetables can easily substituted. In fact, I'm going to do this one with sweet potato next. And BTW, this is an excellent way to get the broth into your system that WAP recommends.<br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
serves one<br />
<br />
1/2c <b><a href="http://baffled-fastfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/10/basic-chicken-stock.html">Basic Chicken Stock</a></b><br />
1-2c diced squash<br />
1T butter<br />
salt and pepper<br />
<ol><li>Peel and dice squash</li>
<li>Simmer in chicken broth until fork tender</li>
<li>Puree until smooth</li>
<li>Add salt and pepper and stir in butter</li>
</ol><div>This has a nice mild flavor. You can really taste the squash and I like the simplicity of it. If you want to add a bit more depth of flavor you can add onion, garlic or ginger in to cook with the squash. All of which would complement this nicely. You could also go traditional and add some nutmeg or cinnamon. If you like spicy a little chili powder would be good also. Another option is to roast the squash first and then proceed with the recipe. Have fun!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5888687480039488276.post-16250432789711911802011-10-20T01:28:00.001-04:002011-10-20T01:28:27.870-04:00Breakfast Stir FryIn my quest for better health through food I've been reading Minding My Mitochondria by Dr. Wahls. She is a physician who went from living in a wheelchair due to MS to riding a bike in six months through radical diet changes. In her book, her diet roughly follows Paleo but with the emphasis on vegetable consumption rather than meat consumption. She recommends nine, that's right NINE, servings of fruits and vegetables a day; three cups of leafy green veg, three cups of colored veg and three cups of mixed fruits and veg. <br />
<br />
In order to come even close to this, juicing needs to be done daily and I've been eating spinach with my eggs in the morning. Today I decided to add a bit of variety and came up with this delightful and easy breakfast.<br />
<br />
BTW, I use pastured butter because of the nutrients it has. According to Weston Price the fats are required by our bodies to aid in proper digestion. <a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/why-butter-is-better">http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/why-butter-is-better</a><br />
<br />
Ingredients<br />
serves one<br />
<br />
1 leak leaf<br />
1 large collard green leaf<br />
1-3 leaves of kale<br />
a fistful of portabello mushroom (i used the stalk from a giant one I grilled for dinner last night)<br />
2-4 stalks of asparagus<br />
pastured butter<br />
2 free range eggs<br />
2-3 leaves of fresh sage<br />
drop of pastured milk<br />
salt and pepper<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Wash and dry the kale, collard greens and leaks. A salad spinner works great for this. Take extra care with the leak since they are dirt magnets.</li>
<li>Roll up the leaves and slice into thin strips discarding the tough middle vein/stem.</li>
<li>Dice the mushroom and asparagus into bite size pieces.</li>
<li>Beat the eggs in a bowl, add a drop of milk, rip the sage and add that, add some fresh ground pepper</li>
<li>Saute the mushroom, leak and asparagus in butter until mushrooms start to soften.</li>
<li>Add the kale and collard greens and saute until wilted. The greens should cook down to about half the original volume.</li>
<li>Load the vegetables onto the serving dish.</li>
<li>Add more butter to the pan and make scrambled eggs.</li>
<li>Serve with the vegetable. Salt and pepper to taste.</li>
</ol>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0