Chicken Apple Hash

This recipe is great because you almost always have these ingredients on hand and it is very quick and simple.  Plus, the apple makes the dish sweet which can help take the edge off your sweet tooth.  A big bonus, my kids LOVE this meal!

Chicken Apple Hash

1 lb ground turkey
1 apple, grated (use a sweet apple, Granny Smith would not be good in this)
1 Tbsp seasoning of choice: Garam Masala (our favorite) or Jamaican All Spice or Cinnamon
1 Tbsp olive oil

• Place a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the oil.  

• Add the seasoning and allow to infuse for about 2 minutes.  (if you decide to use more than one of the listed spices, limit the amount to 1 tsp each unless you enjoy intensely flavored food)

• Add turkey to the infused oil and stir frequently to brown.

• When turkey is brown, add the apples and cover pan for 3-5 min, stirring occasionally.

• If the hash becomes watery, finish cooking uncovered until the apples have cooked down.

I usually serve this on top of collard greens.  I also double the recipe when I make it because I have a big family and I like to have leftovers.  This time I actually added the greens to the pan and just mixed it all together (as you can see).  Enjoy!!

Pork Tenderloin and Nutty Cabbage

Happy New Year!!

It is tradition in our family to have pork and sauerkraut on New Year's day to bring luck in the new year.  Here's my Whole 30 version for this year.  The cabbage recipe is actually a modification from the Whole 30 success guide and the pork is something I throw together when I need a quick dinner. I hope the new year brings you all health and happiness!

Pork Tenderloin
2 - 1 lb pork tenderloins
3-6 Tbsp Gulden's spicy brown mustard (you can use any spicy mustard, just make sure the ingredients are clean) *horseradish mustard is really delicious but my kids complain about it being too spicy so this is our compromise
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt & pepper to taste

Marinade

Place all ingredients in a large freezer bag and mash around with your fingers to combine well.  Add the pork and seal the bag.  Again, work with your hands to make sure the pork is well coated and place in the fridge.  4 hours before you want to eat, slice 1 small onion and place in bottom of crockpot.  Place contents of freezer bag on top of onion.  Pour enough liquid (water or chicken stock) to just cover the bottom of your crock.  Cook on low for 4 hours or until your desired state of doneness is reached. (my crockpot runs pretty hot so I will only cook mine for about 3 1/2 hours, adjust your cooking time according to your crockpot).  You can also cook these on the grill or in the oven. 

Pork, cabbage and collard greens

Pork, cabbage and collard greens

Nutty Cabbage
1/2 large head of cabbage, shredded (about 10 cups) (I get mine pre-shredded from Fresh and Easy)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Cup chopped onions
1/4 Cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 Cup blanched almonds
1 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

In a large skillet, saute the onions over medium heat in the oil.  Meanwhile, shred the cabbage by slicing it thinly.  After the onions begin to soften, add the cabbage to the skillet, along with the vinegar.  Cover and reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook for 20 minutes, mixing occasionally.  Add the remaining ingredients and cook 5 minutes longer.  Serve warm or chilled.

Enjoy!

CHILI

Crock pot season has begun.  The weather is getting cooler and it makes you want to come home to a house that smells delicious with a nice warm dinner that's already ready.  This chili recipe has more of an adobo kick and is really delicious.  It's a nice change of pace from your standard chili.  I got the recipe from the Paleo Comfort Foods cookbook and made a few modifications.  I made this for Halloween and it was a hit although it was a bit spicy so if you're making it for kids or you're sensitive to heat, you might want to adjust the spices for your palate.  This made enough to feed 8 adults with some leftovers.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 C olive oil
1 1/2 lb beef (I used chuck roast), cubed
2 lbs ground beef
1 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp cumin seed
1 tsp chili powder
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
3 cups onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
6 bell peppers, chopped (I used red, yellow and green)
28 oz canned whole tomatoes
28 oz canned diced or crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato paste

Toppings:
sliced green onions
cilantro
lime wedges
guacamole

• Combine 1/4 cup olive oil, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, chipotle peppers, ancho chili powder, chili powder and red pepper flakes in food processor and process for 30 seconds to 1 minute.  
• Add 1/4 cup olive oil into a large pot and get it good and hot.  Take cubed meat and brown in pot on all sides.  Remove browned cubes from pot and place in your crock pot.
• Return your large pot to medium heat and brown ground beef.  Once browned, add onions and spice / seasoned paste from processor.  Cook until onions are slightly translucent, then add the chicken broth.  Combine well and bring to a simmer.  Add to the crock pot.
• Add in both cans of tomatoes (diced and whole), tomato paste and the chopped peppers.
• Stir to mix all ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Banana Ice Cream

This ice cream is amazing and so easy!  It really only has one ingredient unless you want to spice it up and add more goodies.  My kids love this and we have a fun taste testing game when I make it.  It is totally Paleo and Whole 30 approved.  While there's no added sugar to the ice cream, it is still full of sugar from the bananas so enjoy in moderation. 

Ingredients:

4-5 bananas with black spots (you don't want the bananas to be too ripe, the texture won't be the same)

• Slice your bananas into 1/2 inch pieces and lay flat on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper
• Put baking sheet in the freezer until bananas are completely frozen (I usually put them in the day before I'm going to make the ice cream)
• Remove frozen bananas from baking sheet and place in food processor
• Process until bananas are smooth and creamy (you will have to scrape the sides a few times until the bananas start to break down)

Add any additional goodies you want.  We scoop out a bowl full of just banana and then add 1 1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder to the remaining ice cream.  Then we process and remove a bowl full of that and add 1 1/2 Tbsp almond butter.  Process and remove a bowl full and add coconut.  Our final concoction is banana, cocoa, almond butter and coconut.  We like to sit down with all four bowls in front of us and debate which one is our favorite at that moment and why.  It's really a fun process with delicious results!  Other add-in ideas: chocolate chips(not paleo), nuts, frozen berries . . . the options are limitless.  Let me know what you come up with.  Enjoy!

Delicious chocolate banana ice cream!

Chicken Tortilla-less soup

This soup was a pleasant surprise.  I wasn't planning for it to turn into a tortilla-less soup but that's what it tasted like to me and it was delicious.  And even better, it cooked in the crock pot all day long.  This is my modified version of the Chicken-Tomatillo Soup from the Paleo Comfort Foods cookbook, which if you don't have it yet, is a really fantastic book (especially if you're from the south, lots of southern staples in the book).  This is a great dish to come home to on a chilly fall night!  The soup has a very rich flavor with a little heat but it wasn't too hot for the kids (they even had seconds).  You can add jalapenos to the dish if you want to kick it up a notch.  I served this with chopped cilantro on top and it was a nice addition.

Ingredients:

2 - 3 lbs chicken, cooked and shredded (I did thighs with salt and pepper cooked on the BBQ and then shredded) (use any leftover chicken or pork that you have, it'll be delicious)
1-2 Tbsp coconut oil
2 medium poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
1 large zucchini, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 - 2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 1/2 lbs tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed and coarsely chopped
2 tsp chipotle powder
2 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
4 Cups chicken broth
1 jalapeno (*optional, if you like it spicy)
chopped cilantro for garnish

 

• Heat oil over medium heat in large Dutch oven or pot
• Add poblano peppers, zucchini, onion, bell peppers and garlic.  Saute until onions are translucent.
• Add all the spices and mix until well incorporated.
• Add tomatillos
• At this point, I transferred everything in the pot to my crock pot.
• Add the chicken and broth.
• Let cook for several hours on low (or all day) and taste to adjust seasonings to your taste.
• You can also leave it on the stove and let it simmer for an hour or two.

Enjoy!

Dinosaur Eggs

This is my own version of what others call 'scotch eggs'.  My kids weren't that excited to eat them so I had to get creative and come up with a better name. We now call them Dinosaur eggs and they are very popular in our house.  These are pretty easy to make and a super dose of protein which is always a plus.  We love these for breakfast, post workout meal, snack, lunch, dinner . . . are you catching on that these are delicious anytime you're hungry! I also send them for school lunches and they're perfect!

2 lbs (2 packages) Italian sausage
     -I like to use 1 hot Italian and 1 mild Italian.  I put both in a bowl and use my hands to combine well
8 - 10 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, rinsed and patted dry

                       

Gently work the meat around the egg

• Preheat oven to 375
• Divide your sausage into equal parts for each of your eggs (if you have 8 eggs, divide your sausage into 8 equal patties)
• Start with a sausage 'patty' and place egg in the center.  Using your hands carefully work the meat around the egg and make sure it is evenly distributed.  Be sure to work all the cracks out so the meat doesn't separate during cooking
• Repeat procedure with all eggs and place them on a baking sheet
• Bake for 25 - 30 minutes
• Turn on broiler and cook an additional 3 - 7 minutes depending on the level of crispness you would like on your dinosaur egg
• Enjoy!

The Dinosaur Egg hatched

Easy Chicken Dinner

I'm back!  Summer flew by and I obviously didn't stay on top of my recipe blog.  But, the kids are in school and I'm getting back on track.  With school activities filling up the calendar, it's so important to have easy meals you can put together for your family.  This is one I got from the Paleo Diet Cookbook with some modifications.  I know fennel isn't an everyday food item (in most kitchens) but give it a go, it's yummy.  Here's a quick video how to for fennel. Enjoy!

8 - 10 chicken thighs

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 fennel bulb, cored and sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, washed and halved
1/2 Cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
1 yellow onion, chopped

• Preheat oven to 425.  
• Saute onion in 2 Tbsp oil for 20-25 minutes until brown and caramelized,  stirring often.  Remove from heat.
• Season chicken thoroughly with freshly ground pepper.
• Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat.  Place chicken in pan and sear each side for 2 minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside.
• Add fennel and tomatoes to pan and saute for 2 minutes.  Add onion and stir to combine.  Place chicken back in pan and sprinkle with basil.
• Cover with foil (or lid) and bake in oven for 30 minutes.  
• Change oven setting to broil.  Remove foil (or lid) and set under broiler for 2-3 minutes.
• Remove from oven.  You can garnish the chicken with fresh basil leaves

Quick Chicken Salad

I was in a hurry the other day and had no plans for a meal and 4 hungry boys (my husband is considered one of the boys).  The only thing I could find was canned chicken and this is what I created.  It was a big hit and quite delicious.  All of the measurements are guesstimates, change it to your preference.  I served this in a leaf of lettuce with tomato and cucumber on the side.

2 cans chicken (I use big costco ones)
guacamole
yellow mustard
black pepper
cayenne pepper

garlic powder

• Open chicken, drain and put in a bowl
• Add half a container of guacamole
• A generous squirt of yellow mustard (probably about 1 1/2 tsp)
• black pepper to taste, a dash of cayenne and garlic powder (prob 1 1/2 - 2 tsp)
• Mix well

Easy Chicken

I had some leftover chicken tenders the other day and threw them in some foil with black pepper a little bit of salt and a can of diced green chilies.  Just seal the foil, put on a baking sheet and cook at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until done.  This could be a meal, a snack, protein to go with your eggs at breakfast . . . the possibilities are endless.

After

Before