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.

Ox Tails....

I found some oxtails at BJ's and decided to buy them!!  I started these off with some oil (whatever you like) and browned them. Then I followed my Pasta Sauce recipe, leaving out the hamburger.  It must cook slow for 3-4 hours, until tender. This can be made in a crock pot. 

This is what it looked like when it was finished cooking. Gosh, it was SOOOO delicious..  I served it with large zucchini noodles.  This is something I will definitely have again!!

Homemade Ricotta

Awhile ago I found this recipe for Homemade Ricotta from Chef Anne Burrell.  I just love her!  I had some milk I wanted to use up so I thought that I would try it.
The curds are very small.  I expected something larger like what we got in Sicily.  More like cottage cheese.

 It is not as easy as the recipe states.  I made it twice and got different results.  These photos are from the first batch.  You cook it a lot longer than the recipe says.

In the first batch I threw out a lot of liquid.

The second batch I used more vinegar and did not cook it as long and it didn't drain well through the paper towels. - you NEED cheesecloth for this recipe. But I didn't throw out as much liquid.  My husband said the cheese tasted good.  He liked it.

Ingredients

• 6 cups whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, heavy cream, vinegar and salt. Place the pan over a medium heat and slowly bring the milk mixture to a simmer. Simmer the milk mixture for 1 to 2 minutes, you will see curds begin to form.

Line a mesh strainer with several layers of damp cheesecloth. Gently pour the curds and whey through into the strainer and let drain for 15 minutes. Gather the cheesecloth together and gently squeeze some of the excess liquid from the ricotta. Transfer the ricotta to a serving dish and drizzle with big fat finishing oil.

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.

Brownies.....

I love brownies!!  I really miss my old recipe.....it was so delish!  I have tried another primal recipe using almond butter BUT, don't be mad at me, I don't really like almond butter!  The recipe tasted more like the almond butter than the chocolate! 

I found this recipe yesterday and made it last night. Yummy!  My husband ate 2 pieces.  He kept saying how good they are.  That's a big deal to hear that!!

I used almond flour that I ground up!!

Closer...

I followed this to grind your own flour. It's a bit down in the post but Vanessa was correct.  You can make your own flour!  The first time I did it I did not have a coffee grinder.  But I got the Hamilton Beach grinder and it works very well!!  I used my Ninja Master Prep to grind down the nuts.  Then I sifted the fine particles out and put the larger pieces in to the coffee grinder.  This really works well.  I made a bit of a mess and it's a little noisy but you save so much money!!
A BIG THANKS to Vanessa for showing me the way!!

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!!

Great Homemade Play Dough

Have any flour hanging around from your old days before Paleo/Primal?  Make some Play Dough for Halloween for the kids!
Check out this link from my other blog!

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.

Zucchini Noodles

A few weeks ago I posted on FB that we had Zoodles for dinner. An idea I got from The Real Food Mama. A friend thought I meant this...

which is the UK version of this American crap!

I never ate this when I was a kid unless I was forced to, which happened quite a bit because my younger sister loved Spaghettios.

But this is what we ate for dinner on Sunday.

It is SO good.  Ragu sauce (tomato based sauce with meat, not the crap you buy in a jar) with zucchini instead of pasta topped with Romano cheese from sheep's milk (not the crap in a green can).  Even Frank likes it. 

Here's a photo of the zucchini noodles while it is cooking.

I saute the zucchini until it is almost soft and then I add the sauce that I made earlier and let the zucchini simmer in the sauce until it is finished.  So yummy!!

Apple Butter

I love apple butter! Typically, it full of sugar or HFCS....not allowed here.  So I found this post for crock pot apple butter.   I don't have a crock pot.  Why, you ask, a few years ago we sold EVERYTHING, and moved to Italy.  (Massive amount of photos on my other blog, LitlequeenRules.) I had to get rid of all my small appliances since the electric is different in Italy.  We came back and I have not replaced anything except a coffee maker which I missed so much!  I do like espresso but being an American I missed my "dirty water" as the Italians call it!
ANYWAY, I took Haley's recipe and made it my own.

I started with apples!!...

1 red delicious
2 gala
2 granny smith
3 honeycrisp

Then I peeled, cored and chopped and put into a pot ....

with:
1/8 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg (it is so much better tasting when you grind your own, I use a micro plane)
1 cup apple cider or juice or water (we got a great tasting apple cider from Trader Joe's)
1/3 cup raw honey

Cook on medium for about 20-30 minutes. The reduce to low for at least 2 hours. 

then you get this....

I have an immersion blender - a huge deal I got about 4 years ago from kitchenaid.com - I took this to Italy with me.  I pureed the apple mixture until it was smooth.
Then I reduced the liquid by half or so... you can cook it down until you like the consistency.

It will look like this one!
I got this many containers....I am freezing them because I have not gotten a stock pot yet to can with.

6 1/2 cup containers into the freezer and the 1 cup container into the fridge!  Sophia really liked the apple butter.  She ate some with Fage greek yogurt last night and asked me to pack a container of the yogurt and apple butter for her lunch today!

Steak Pizzaiola

Steak Pizzaiola from CooksCountry.com

October/November 2008

Why this recipe works: We used strip steaks here for their intense flavor and meaty texture. Searing the steaks more quickly—just a few minutes per side—allowed us to finish them in the oven while we prepared the sauce. For our version of Steak Pizzaiola, we borrowed an element from one of our favorite tomato sauce recipes that calls for draining a can of diced tomatoes and caramelizing the tomato chunks before adding the juice. Two other keys to long-simmered flavor were replacing the button mushrooms with earthier creminis and using smoky roasted red peppers instead of bell peppers. Swapping out wine for balsamic vinegar as the deglazing liquid added another dimension of richness, and plenty of garlic and oregano helped to round out the sauce. Finally, a tablespoon of chopped sun-dried tomatoes lent a bright, complex flavor.

Serves 4

To cook 4 steaks simultaneously you will need a skillet that is at least 12 inches in diameter and steaks that are no more than 3 inches wide. If your steaks are too large to fit comfortably in the skillet, they can be browned in 2 batches.

Ingredients

• 4 strip steaks, about 1 inch thick (see note)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•   Salt and pepper
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, rinsed, patted dry, and minced
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained, juices reserved
• 1 cup drained jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Instructions

• 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pat steaks dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat just until smoking. Brown steaks, about 3 minutes per side, then transfer to wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet. Roast steaks until meat registers 125 degrees (for medium-rare), about 10 minutes. Transfer steaks to serving platter, tent with foil, and let rest while preparing sauce.
• 2. While steaks are in oven, add mushrooms, onion, ¼ teaspoon salt, and remaining oil to empty pan and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and sun-dried tomatoes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add vinegar and cook, scraping up any browned bits with wooden spoon, until thick and syrupy, about 1 minute. Transfer mushroom mixture to bowl; set aside.
• 3. Add drained diced tomatoes to empty pan and cook until deep red and dry, about 3 minutes. Stir in roasted peppers, reserved tomato juices, and mushroom mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce is no longer watery, about 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in basil and season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over steaks. Serve.

  

Butternut Squash with Pecans and Maple Syrup

Don't know what happened to this post but here is the recipe link.....Butternut Squash

Cheese Crisps

I have been looking around for snacks to pack in Sophia's lunch and I remembered  an old cooking show from the Food Network, Low Carb Living with Chef George Stella.  I looked on the website and found this recipe (below).

I made the chili flavored and a BBQ flavor using smoked sweet paprika.  I used garlic salt instead of regular salt.  Here's a photo.  You have to let the crisps set a little bit before you take them off the parchment.  I used my silpats, instead of parchment - yay, I found my silpats!!!  BTW,Sophia loved them!!



Cheese Crisps and Mock "Goldfish" Crackers

Recipe courtesy George Stella

Try these cheese crisps as a great dip for low-carb salsa, and enjoy the Mock "Goldfish" Crackers as an anytime snack, great for the grab and go!

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 7 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 4 servings

Try these cheese crisps as a great dip for low-carb salsa, and enjoy the Mock "Goldfish" Crackers as an anytime snack, great for the grab and go!

Ingredients

• 2 slices American cheese (not "cheese food")
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 ounces deli-sliced Colby-Jack cheese
• Low-carb salsa, as needed

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Stack the slices of American cheese and cut it into 16 small squares. Separate the pieces, and transfer them to a small bowl. Add the salt, chili powder, and garlic powder toss to combine. Arrange the 32 cheese pieces in 4 rows of 8, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving as much space in between each as possible.

Stack the Colby-Jack slices and cut them into about 24 small pieces. Arrange them on another parchment paper-lined baking sheet in 4 rows of 6—without any seasonings.

Bake both until well-browned and crispy, about 7 and 7 1/2 minutes. If undercooked, they'll be soggy, so don't be afraid to check them and put them back in for more time, if needed.

Cool the crisps and crackers completely before serving—as they cool, they'll crisp up. Store on the counter in an airtight container for a few days.

Blueberry Muffins

Sophia loves blueberry muffins, especially these packs of Entenmenn's Little Bites.

But since we went Primal -  those are OUT!! Just call me Heidi!!

 I found this recipe on PaleoPeriodical.com.  It's for Blueberry Apricot Cardamom Muffins.  I made a half batch for Sophia but she did not like the cardamom.  A shame because I love cardamom!!

So yesterday I made a half batch of the recipe and changed out the cardamom for 1/4 tsp of cinnamon and 1/8 tsp of ground cloves.  I also substituted 3 dried figs for the apricots.

I made 30 mini muffins instead of regular sized muffins.  I baked them at 350F for 8-10 minutes.  They are very moist and yummy!!!

Sophia loved them.  I packed some extras in her lunch to share with her friends, as they are always asking her about eating Primal.