What's for dinner? 1/16/18

Last night I had Sweet Italian Style Chicken Sausage from Trader Joe's with a side of thin green beans from BJ's.  I liked it.  My family did not. Oh well!
But I love to eat ketchup with sausage.  I wanted to make some but I bought the wrong fire roasted tomatoes last week. Instead I used salsa from Aldi. No sugar added. My husband ate half the jar with his sausage (I made them the usual kind we eat.) He is trying to limit his sugar now.
I'd buy this sausage again.

Tonight I'm planning on making Paleo Stuffed Peppers from Our Paleo Life.

It looks delicious.  Aldi had their mixed peppers on sale last week and I bought 2 bags (6 peppers).

I hope mine look as good as theirs.   I'll let ya know!

My SWAG from grocery shopping ....

Shopping has changed since I started Whole30.  I read the labels and it takes longer - good for me I get to be away from the house longer.

I got 3 Grass Fed Chuck Beef Roasts - they were on sale for $3.97/lb at Lowe's Foods!  What a bargain.

I made a beef stew with the first roast. I covered the roast with salt and pepper, threw it in my cast iron braiser that I sautéed a bag of Seasoning Blend, covered it with 2 cups of beef broth and put it in the oven. After an hour I added some gemstone potatoes, a cut up sweet potato and some butternut squash chunks. Baked @350 for another hour and Viola!

I got some great items at Aldi. 

 A cabbage, can of pumpkin, 2 kinds of guacamole, a cauliflower, sweet onions,

Strawberry Pineapple flavored sparkling water, eggs, baby carrots, whole pecans

 $2 off an organic chicken! It was tasty too.

I roasted it with Bicentennial Rub on the skin and I mixed a little ghee with

Mural of Flavor and shoved under the skin on the breast.

After an hour I added a sweet potato and a white potato.

 A great buy!

For lunches!

I went to Trader Joe's this morning. I haven't been there in so long.  Heck, I haven't been to Charlotte since before I broke my ankle in May 2017. I got Mixed Nut Butter, Heirloom Tomatoes, 2 kinds of Chicken Sausage, Almonds, Dates, Winter Sangria Sparkling Water, Tahini, Fire roasted tomatoes, Colorful Carrot Coins, Salsa Verde (love it on salads), a spaghetti squash, Spindrift water, cashews,  seafood mix and langoustines. YUM!!

Cabbage!

It's Sunday morning and I am trying to finish a book while catching up on TV shows I have recorded last week. I put on A Chef's Life on PBS. It's the episode about CABBAGE!  I love this show and Vivian Howard. I have her cookbook, Deep Run Roots.  It reminded me that I made a cabbage dish the other night!

Cabbage Stir Fry
2-3 T Coconut oil
1/2 medium cabbage, sliced
1 carrot, some shaved (with vegetable peeler) and some sliced
1 onion, sliced into moons
2-3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 package Snow Peas
2 Tablespoons Coconut Aminos
1 tsp. Ruth Ann's Muskego Ave Chicken/Fish Seasoning  from Penzey's
May need additional salt & pepper

What I started with.

After the oil was hot, I added the vegetables and Ruth Ann's.

It will cook down a lot after the water is released

from the cabbage and onions. I thought this needs more...

These were on sale at Harris Teeter last week.

Just open the bag and throw them on top.

Cook on low-medium for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

Add the coconut aminos.

Be sure to taste before serving in case you need more salt and pepper.

My husband went nuts over this vegetable dish. These are the vegetables used in making a Filipino dish called Pancit.  All you need to add is 2 different kinds of meat and the Pancit noodles.

It is not a Whole30/Paleo/Primal meal with the noodles added.

We ate this a lot while we lived in Guam when I was a kid. 

I would make it for my family when I could find the noodles

at the Asian market (before we stopped eating a lot of wheat).

Chicken Soup

I was so hungry for soup the other day. So I made some!!  It's been very cold here, which is unusual. Homemade soup always tastes so much better than the stuff out of a can.  I didn't have any bones to make my own stock so I used store bought.

Everything I used to make this soup I bought at Aldi except for the seasonings and the chicken stock. I had a HUGE shopping trip to BJS the other week.

 I chopped up some vegetables and let them soften.

Then I added 4 frozen chicken tenderloins.

I thought that I needed something else so I added some thin slices of butternut squash.

Cover the chicken with chicken broth.

I bought this at BJs. I had a coupon!!  No sugar added.

Here's my delicious soup.  I made enough for 3 bowls.

Chicken Soup

2 T of your favorite oil

1 carrot, peeled and sliced into coins

1 celery rib, chopped

1/2 medium onion, chopped

A few chunks of butternut squash, sliced thin and julienned

4 chicken tenderloins

2 hard boiled eggs, sliced

Salt and Pepper

1/2 teaspoon chervil - I use Penzey's

2 cups chicken stock

In a medium sized saucepan, sauté the vegetables using medium heat, until they have softened. Add a bit of salt to help them. Then add the chicken and cover it with the chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chervil. Cover and simmer (on low)until the chicken is cooked, about 15 minutes. Take the tenderloins out and slice them. Add the chicken back into the pot. Add the sliced hard boiled eggs and enjoy!

Bacon Egg Scramble with Spinach

I'm starting Whole30 tomorrow. I need a jump start into eating clean again. I am waiting for the new books from amazon. They take FOREVER!!
I found a lot of recipes and information on the internet. Here's a great article - How to Prepare for a Whole30 from 40Aprons.

Bacon Egg Scramble with Spinach

1 whole egg
2 egg whites (I don't care for a lot of yolk.)
2 strips of approved bacon, chopped  (I used Applegate.)
Handful of raw spinach
1/2 T KerryGold butter
Pink Himalayan Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
Two Shakes of Sunny Paris Seasoning

1. Put the bacon in the pan and cook until almost done.

2. While the bacon is cooking, add the eggs to a bowl and scramble. When the bacon is almost done, add the butter, then the spinach.

3. When it wilts, add the eggs, pepper and Sunny Paris.

4. Cook until it's finished the way you like it!

5. Sprinkle with the salt. Enjoy! I am obsessed with this breakfast. It's so good.

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce from NoblePig!

I found this post for Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce on the Noble Pig.  Skip the pasta and pour it over some cauliflower!

Butternut-Squash Pasta Sauce
1-1/2 pounds butternut squash, cubed
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
7 garlic cloves, peel on
3/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
coarse salt and ground pepper
Toppings such as fresh sage and bacon are optional

Click here for the recipe.....

Be sure to check out Noblepig.com....it's got some fantastic recipes, especially if you are not a follower of Paleo/Primal.

Roasted Vegetables

 I saw a recipe somewhere for roasted mushrooms.  Yum, I thought to myself.  I could not get it out of my head. So I bought two packs of baby bella mushrooms and a pack of asparagus at Aldi.  Their produce is so much cheaper and fresher than my local grocery store.  The carrots were from the frozen section at Trader Joe's. My husband raved about this dish!

Ingredients:
2 packs of baby bella mushrooms, halved or quartered, depending on size - stems removed
1 pack of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup carrots
1/3 c oil, whatever you kind choose
1/2 t oregano or Italian seasoning
1/4 t granulated garlic
salt & pepper to taste


Mix the oil and seasonings together.
Cut and cut the vegetables.  Add to large bowl.
Pour flavored oil onto vegetables.
Put onto to foil or parchment covered baking sheet.

Roast in the oven @400 F for 25- 30 minutes.  When the carrots are soft, it is ready.

Serves: 4 as a side dish OR 1-2 as a main dish.

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

These are absolutely delicious! You can make as an appetizer or a dinner entree depending on the size of mushroom you buy.  We had them for dinner.

Ingredients:
3/4 -1 lb Sweet Italian Sausage
1/2 half large onion, diced
1/4-1/2 c bell peppers, diced, any color
1/2 c almond flour/meal
1 egg, beaten
3 8 oz boxes of mushrooms
4 T butter OR oil of your choice
1 c shredded cheese, your preference
Salt and Pepper

1. Add 1 T butter to a medium pan.  Add onion and peppers.  Saute until almost soft.
2. Remove sausage from casing.  Break up and add to pan. Cook until brown.
3. Remove from heat and cool.
4. Clean mushrooms and remove stems.
5. Melt 3 T butter in a saucepan and dip the mushroom cap in the butter. Place on a lined baking sheet.
6. Place the sausage mixture in a large bowl. Add the almond flour, egg, cheese and seasonings.  Mix well.
7. Fill the mushrooms with the sausage mixture.
8. Bake at 350F for 25- 30 minutes.
9. Serve warm.

You can make many variations on this recipe with different sausages and cheeses.

Before they went into the oven.

I made about 35 mushrooms.  If you have larger mushrooms, you will get less.

Bacon-a-mole

I LOVE guacamole.  This is my take on the typical recipe when I am in the mood for BACON.  I like onion flavor but I do not like raw onions so I left them out.  But you could use any onions or scallions you like.

1 ripe avocado
1 tomato - chopped
garlic salt to taste
a few shakes of Penzeys Granulated Onion
juice of 1/2 lime
3-4 slices of bacon, chopped and cooked

Mix the ingredients together.  You can use this as a dip or serve as a salad over greens. OR throw it in a bowl and chow down!

Pork Loin Rib Roast With Honey Orange Marinade

This is what I prepared for Christmas dinner....very easy!!  We joked and called it a pork chop roast. It was very moist in the center.

Recipe from http://southernfood.about.com/

Ingredients:

• 1 pork loin rib roast
• 1 cup orange juice
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
• dash Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey

Preparation:

Wash roast and pat dry.

Combine remaining ingredients in a large food storage bag. Add the pork roast and seal. Marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Heat oven to 350°. Line a roasting pan with foil.
Place the roast on a rack or atop onion slices in the prepared roasting pan. Wrap the tops of the bones with foil to keep them from becoming charred, if desired.
Roast for about 20 minutes per pound, or to 160°. Bring remaining marinade to a boil. Baste the pork with the marinade the last 15 minutes of cooking time.
Serves 6.

Crab Cakes

On Christmas Eve we made crab cakes and grilled shrimp. 
FYI: We found a delicious wild caught (in the Gulf) jumbo shrimp in the frozen section at Walmart.

Crab Cakes
Makes: 7-8 cakes


1 16 oz can Lump Crab meat -found in the fresh fish section
2 T mayo
1 t Dijon Mustard
1/2 T Old Bay Seasoning
1 egg
1/2 T chives (I used Penzeys)
1-2 T finely chopped red, yellow or orange bell pepper (optional)
2 T melted butter, cooled
2 T lemon juice

a sheet pan  - lined with parchment or non-stick foil
Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix everything except crab in large bowl.  Let sit for a few minutes to meld the flavors. 
Dump the crab from the container into a medium bowl.  Pick through the meat to check for bits of shell.
Add the crab to the large bowl.  Form into small patties.

Place onto baking sheet.  Drizzle the butter over the patties.
Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until browned.
Enjoy!!

Cider Braised Pork Chops Primal Way

Cider-Braised Pork Chops

October/November 2008 (from Cook's Country but I paleo/primaled it)

Why this recipe works: Tasters preferred 1-inch blade chops in our recipe for Cider-Braised Pork Chops for their heft, silky meat, and rich taste. It took a little longer for the chops to become tender, but the wait was worth it. Patting the chops dry before adding them to the heated Dutch oven helped them develop a flavorful crust. Apple cider lent a sweet tartness to the braising mixture and sauce, while a bit of fresh thyme provided a heady herbal component. Jarred apple butter added tons of flavor, and its natural pectin gave the sauce a thick, glossy consistency.

Serves 6

Do not use chops thinner than 1 inch. In step 3, a fat separator makes quick work of defatting the sauce.

Ingredients

• 6 bone-in blade-cut pork chops, about 1 inch thick
•   Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot
• 1/4 cup apple butter - homemade check out my recipe
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

• 1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Pat chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown chops in two batches, about 4 minutes per side; transfer to plate.
• 2. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot and cook onion over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, flour, and 2 tablespoons apple butter and cook until onions are coated and mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in cider and thyme, scraping up any browned bits with wooden spoon, and bring to boil. Add browned chops and any accumulated juices to pot, cover, and transfer to oven. Braise until chops are completely tender, about 1½ hours.
• 3. Transfer chops to serving platter. Strain sauce, then use a shallow spoon to skim off fat. Whisk in vinegar, parsley, and remaining apple butter. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing sauce at table.
• Make Ahead: Chops and sauce can be refrigerated separately for up to 2 days. To serve, heat sauce and chops together over medium heat until chops are warmed through.

Turkey Soup

Today I made my Gumbo Soup with leftover turkey and the broth from the turkey carcass.   It was delish!!  Everybody should try this recipe.
Yesterday I made a Turkey Rice Soup.

I saved the drippings from the turkey. I refrigerated it.  I got a ton of what I call schmaltz.  I don't know if that is completely correct.  It's the fat that rises to the top of the broth.  I had over a quart of broth which was very flavorful.

Turkey Rice Soup
couple of tablespoons of schmaltz or olive oil
3 large carrots, chopped
3 ribs of celery, chopped
1/2 c wild rice, cooked to package directions
chopped cooked turkey (I probably added a 2 cups or so)
5-6 sliced hard boiled eggs
turkey broth (at least a quart)**

I sauteed the carrots and celery in the schmaltz until it was well cooked. 
Added the broth. Let it simmer awhile.
Add the turkey and rice.  Simmer some more.
Add the eggs and let simmer for 10 minutes.
Enjoy!!

Both soups are lovely on a chilly day.

**Substitute: chicken broth

Beef Squash Bake

The other day we got a smallish butternut squash at TJ.  I was thinking what could I make with this. So here is what I came up with....

Beef Squash Bake 
1 butternut squash, peeled, cubed, cooked **
1 lb ground beef
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 T olive oil
1 t sage
salt & pepper
1/4 c heavy cream ***
1/4 c mozzarella, optional

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a baking dish.

Add the cooked squash to the baking dish.
Chop onion into large pieces - 1 inch or so.
Put oil in pan to medium heat. Add onion and sage, cook until clear.
Remove onion from pan and add it to the baking dish.
Put pan back on the heat and brown the hamburger.
When hamburger is cooked add the cream, salt and pepper to taste.
Add to onion and squash mixture.  Stir and add the cheese.
Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
Enjoy!!

** I roasted the squash in the oven at 400F for 20 minutes.  Use non-stick foil on your baking sheet!!
You can also steam it for 10 minutes over simmering water in a steambasket.
*** You can substitute nut milk!

BBQ Franks

This is an adaptation of a recipe that I grew up eating. It was one of my favorite things to have for dinner when I was a kid.  My mom got the recipe from a Navy Wives cookbook.
Since I am Primal now it needed to change a bit!
I don't have a photo because I thought I already had one.  Darn!!

BBQ Franks

1 medium onion, chopped
2T bacon grease

½ t raw honey
1t dry mustard

salt and pepper

1t smoked paprika
1/2c ketchup (paleo/primal style, if you have some made)
1/2c water
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1T Worcestershire Sauce
1 pack of franks (I used Applegate’s)

Cook onion in oil until golden.
Add rest of ingredients except for franks. Split the franks the long way, place cut side down in baking dish.
Pour BBQ sauce over them.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

What the heck is a brussel sprout?  According to Wikipedia - The Brussels sprout is a cultivar of wild cabbage grown for its edible buds. The leafy green vegetables are typically 2.5–4 cm (0.98–1.6 in) in diameter and look like miniature cabbages. The sprout is Brassica oleracea, in the "gemmifera" group of the family Brassicaceae. Although named after the city in Belgium, few historians believe the plant originated there.
I don't like brussel sprouts...BUT my family does.  I would cook them once in a while because they wanted them. I like roasting vegetables.  I think it makes the vegetables taste so much better AND you are not boiling away all the vitamins when they are roasted.
So a few weeks ago I thought why don't I roast the sprouts with some garlic oil.  I did and they were fantastic!  I even eat them!!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

1 bag frozen brussel sprouts, thawed and sliced in half longwise
2-3 T olive oil OR the oil of your choice
3-4 cloves of garlic, sliced

Place the oil and the garlic in a small saute pan over medium heat.  You only need to infuse the oil with the garlic.  It only takes a few minutes.
Place the halved sprouts in a bowl and pour the cooled oil over them. Toss
Place on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven at 350F for 15-20 minutes until fork tender!
Eat!!

Elana's Chocolate Chip Cookies

The other week we were craving cookies!!  So I looked around and decided to try out this recipe from Elana's Pantry.
They were so delicious.  Although, in the recipe she said to form them into balls and place on parchment.  My dough was not stiff enough to do that so I just dropped the dough from a spoon!  Didn't matter  - these were very good and did not last long.  My non-Primal husband even loved them!!

Make sure you give this recipe a try.  I cannot wait until I get her cookbook!!!

Herb Cheese Primal Bread

I saw this recipe for Herby Cheese Bread in the Back To School 2011 edition of the Penzeys Spices catalog.  Funny that I found it online (on another site).  I needed something else to serve with the Chili I made.  So I decided to make it Primal.

3 c almond flour
1/2 c coconut flour
6 T butter, melted
1 egg
1 t salt
1/8 t Thyme
1/2 t Rosemary
1/2 t Sage
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 2/3 c milk
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 c cheddar cheese chunks

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease loaf pan. 

Melt butter in a 2 qt bowl in microwave.
Add dry ingredients in large bowl. Mix well together.
Add milk, egg and vinegar to the melted butter. Stir.
Add to dry ingredients.  Mix well.
Add cheese. 

Put dough into loaf pan.  Bake for 50-60 minutes or until done.

Enjoy!  Very good toasted too!

Texas Style Chili

I got some very nice stew meat from the butcher this week.  I have been hungry for chili so I made some!!

Texas Style Chili

2 lbs stew meat
1 onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 T olive oil
2 T chili powder
1 1/2 t  ground cumin
1 T almond flour
2 T arrowroot powder
1 T oregano
2 to 2 1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 t salt (if needed)
Fresh ground pepper
Shredded cheese, optional

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium high heat. Add beef cubes and brown on all sides.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add onions and garlic.
3. In a small bowl assemble the dry ingredients.  Add to the meat mixture and stir very well to make sure it is evenly distributed.
4. Add 2 cups of beef broth.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer partially covered for about 2 hours.  Stir occasionally.
5. Add remaining broth, if needed.  Chili will be done when the meat begins to fall apart.
6. Top with cheese and Enjoy!!

Microwave Stuffed Mushrooms

http://www.cooking.com/Recipes-and-More/recipes/Microwave-Stuffed-Mushrooms-recipe-11013.aspx?_mid=1082704&_rid=1082704.27400.1538800&ref=cknwfhne0

I found this great recipe for stuffed mushrooms.  Would be great for party food or make enough and it could be your main course.