Crock pot Smoked Green Chile Pork

Man, this was good.  We ate 4 pounds of pork roast in 2 days.  I'd like to say I'm a genius, but alas, I'm really not.  Smoking in a crock pot?  Stole that idea from one of my favorite food bloggers, the civilized caveman (check out his crock pot meals!). 

Warning:  a little bit of advanced work is needed here (the night before and the morning of), but it is so worth it.  Trust me here.  We could barely contain ourselves, the house smelled so good.  

(Oh, yeah, don't know my pictures are so fuzzy these days.  Maybe I was shaking with excitement to chow down after smelling this all afternoon?  Don't know.  Sorry.  The food is good, really, even if my pictures are not.)

Ingredients:

• 1 pork butt roast, about 4 pounds
• Emeril's Creole Seasoning 
• 13 oz New Mexico roasted chopped green chile (I cannot vouch for the results if you are forced to use canned green chile...)
• Wood chips
• Waxed paper
• 1/2 cup water

Directions:

The night before... 

1. Rub the pork roast with Creole Seasoning.  Make sure you get all sides.
2. Place pork in a large plastic bag (I had one of those turkey oven roasting bags left over for some point in the past) and add green chile.  Turn the pork and make sure all sides get covered with green chile.  
3. Close and secure bag and put in the fridge to marinate overnight (I put my bag in a pan so that nothing would leak all over my fridge).  In a perfect world, you'd probably rotate the bag and make sure all side get some good time with the green chile; in a realistic world, you never get there, and things still turn out great!

In the morning...

1. 30 minutes before you want to start cooking, soak your woodchips.  
2. Come back, remove your chips from water, and place them on the wax paper.  Make yourself a little pocket and put the pocket in the bottom of your crock pot.  EDIT:  poke some holes in your pocket to allow chip flavor to escape.
3. Dump 1/2 cup of water in the bottom of your pot.
4. Place marinated pork on top.
5. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
6. Eat and enjoy.

Banana Fritters

Easy, fast, and only a few ingredients.  My husband loves these.  Word to the wise - if you are doing a Whole30, these are going to be out for 99% of you (here's why, if you are wondering).  

The husband is one of the lucky few who these don't change anything for him.  Eggs and bananas and coconut oil - three things he often eats for breakfast, only now they are combined.

I think they make a fantastic after-dinner sweet dish as well.  No syrup other other sweetener needed!

Ingredients:

• 1 banana, preferably pretty ripe
• 1 egg
• Dash of cinnamon powder
• Coconut oil

Directions:

1. In a bowl, beat together egg, banana, and cinnamon.  Keep beating until your banana is mashed (I used a fork - doesn't take very long).
2. Heat coconut oil in a pan.  When pan is hot and oil is melted, drop spoonfuls of the batter in the pan.
3. When one side begins to bubble, flip the fritter.  Cook until second side is browned.

Coconut Shrimp

This is good.  Really good.  And I don't really even like seafood (I know...).  And it only takes a few ingredients.  And it's pretty easy to put together.  AND (the final and) you can get this on the table in 30-40 minutes.  My kind of dinner!

Most recipes seem to use a base layer of flour.  I don't think you need the extra breading (even a gluten-free kind).  This is crunchy, slightly spicy, with a mild coconut hit.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 - 2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 - 1 tsp cayenne pepper (I like it hot, so we went to 1 tsp...if you like it pretty mild, I'd go with 1/2 tsp or even 1/4 tsp)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 1/2 lb shrimp, deveined and peeled
• Coconut oil

Directions:

1. In a food processor, combine coconut flakes, salt, and cayenne.  Pulse until you have pretty small flakes of coconut - sorta like homemade breadcrumbs.  You are not looking for a flour...but my coconut flakes are too big to stick well.  Plus, this nicely mixes in the spices.  [This step takes 2-3 minutes...it's worth the time and effort.]  Pour into a bowl.
2. In another bowl, beat the egg.
3. Dip shrimp first in the egg and then in the coconut.
4. Place each shrimp on a large platter or baking sheet (or a couple of plates - whatever ya got).
5. Heat some coconut oil in a pan.  Let oil melt and pan heat.  Carefully place shrimp into the hot oil.  Let cook for a few minutes until browned, then gently flip.  Cook until the other side is browned.  This only takes a couple of minutes each side.
6. Serve and enjoy.

 

Curry-Spiced Tomato Bisque

I don't make a lot of soups.  The husband doesn't really like them...unless he's (a) sick or (b) had dental work.  So you guessed it...something is up.  The husband just had dental surgery and was wanting something soft, yet tasty, to eat.  I had some tomatoes that needed to be used and I thought I'd give good ol' tomato soup a try.

I looked at traditional tomato soup recipes (most of which are either Paleo or could easily be made Paleo) as well as the versions by Everyday Paleo and Nom Nom Paleo to come up with my version.  It's not easy competing with pure genius, but I think this version is pretty good.  Two thumbs up from both the husband and non-Paleo mom.  Mmm, mmm, good...all without the nasty stuff you find in canned soups.

Need protein?  I topped my soup with leftover ground beef.  The husband had eggs.  I might also suggest a crisp salad.

Ingredients:

• 14 smallish tomatoes (mine were just bigger than golf balls)
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• appropriate fat (ghee, coconut oil, tallow, lard, etc.)
• 1 onion
• 1 tsp curry powder*
• 1/8 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 1/2 cup coconut milk

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler to about 450 degrees.
2. Place tomatoes and garlic on a broiler sheet and broil until blistered.  Turn occasionally so that the other sides get broiled as well.
3. Meanwhile, heat fat in a pan.  While heating, peel and then roughly chop onions.  Cook until they are softened and brown.
4. Pull out food processor (or blender, etc.).  Pulse together tomatoes (including juice), garlic, onion, curry powder, ginger, and coconut milk.  Taste.  Adjust seasonings as necessary.  Pulse again until smooth.  If you like a thinner soup, add more coconut milk or some chicken broth.  
5. Quickly heat to desired warmness.  Enjoy:)

*  Curry

• 2 parts turmeric powder
• 2 parts paprika powder
• 1 part salt
• 1 part chili powder (adjust up or down for more or less heat)
• 1 part cayenne powder (adjust up or down for more or less heat)
• 1 part coriander powder

Meatloaf, Baby

I know.  Another meatloaf recipe.  Really.  Just call this Paleo Meatloaf Recipe #1001.  But, hey, we all need one, right?  Right.  

Actually, my meatloaf tweak came from two simple facts:  (i) I didn't have any tomato paste (and my go-to meatloaf recipe used to be this one by the genius over at Everyday Paleo); and (ii) I had it in my mind that I wanted to use pork rinds instead of almond flour (not really sure why...but I like pork rinds better than almond flour now that I've tried both).  

Now, I'm not one who generally understands why certain ingredients are added to a recipe.  Eggs - they are binder; that makes sense.  I wasn't quite certain about the tomato paste.  I was guessing it both added thickness to the mixture and a slightly sweet taste (because in non-Paleo recipes you often see ketchup as an ingredient).  I decided that I would first caramelize some onions (sweetness) and then blend with spices to form a paste (thickener).

Surprisingly, this came out good.  Even non-Paleo mom really liked it.  Hope you do as well.  Enjoy.

Ingredients:

• Fat (ghee, coconut oil, etc.)
• 1 large yellow onion
• 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2-1 tsp cayenne powder
• 1 tsp paprika powder 
• 2 lb ground beef (or any combo of ground meat you like)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup crushed pork rinds (or, you can sub almond flour)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.
2. Heat a pan over medium heat.  Meanwhile, peel and then chop your onion (you don't really need a fine dice unless you have great knife skills -- you are ultimately going to puree this in the blender or food processor).  
3. Add your fat to the pan (I used ghee).  You don't need a lot - just enough to keep things from sticking (and maybe add a little flavor:)).  Add onions.
4. Cook onions until they are caramelized.  Be patient - this takes awhile.  Your onions are going to be brown, really brown.
5. Break out your food processor or blender.  Add onions, garlic, and spices.  Blend until you have a nice thick paste.  You don't need to add water or other liquid -- you want this to be fairly thick.
6. In a good-sized bowl, combine meat, eggs, pork rinds, and onion paste.  Use your hands (really - this is the best way to get everything combined!) and mix everything really good.
7. Put in a pan and pop in the oven.  I used a square glass baking dish instead of a loaf pan to reduce the cooking time.  Cook about 30 minutes (longer if you use a loaf pan).
8. Serve and enjoy.  The leftovers (if you have any!) are great as well.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

This recipe is dedicated to my dear, sweet grandma who passed away on September 21, four short days after my grandpa's passing.  

My grandma was an amazing woman - I can only hope to be half the woman she was.  She was kind, smart, strong (she could arm wrestle like no other!), beautiful, stubborn (yes, grandma, really), and a sharp dresser (she always wondered what happened to me...:)).  She loved dressing up, but had no problems going fishing, camping, hiking, hunting (she was a crack shot) or talking care of our HUGE yard.  "Can't" was not in her vocabulary.  She never complained, even on the day she passed away.  You just got up and "took care of business". 

But, my grandma did have one small weakness...she had a SWEET tooth.  I know that she would have enjoyed this (it would only have been better with something chocolate served with it!).  I served this to my family in her china, which has been passed down to me.  Hope you enjoy it (and one or two family pictures as well).

As always, please remember this is treat, not something for everyday.

Ingredients:

• Coconut milk (enough to fill your cup most, but not all, of the way)
• Pumpkin Spice Syrup (how much?  It really depends on the size of your cup...and your taste buds...I'd start with less and keep adding until it tastes right to you:))
• Brewed coffee (if you're really into lattes, you want either espresso or really strong coffee...we're not really coffee drinkers, so regular-strength worked well for us -- and again, this really depends on the size of your cup)
• Chilled coconut cream (the part in the coconut milk can that separates from the water) [optional]
• Maple syrup [optional]
• Cinnamon [optional]

Directions:

1. Mix together coffee and milk and heat (you want this pretty hot so that the whipped cream doesn't cool it down too much).
2. While the coffee/milk is heating, blend together coconut cream and maple syrup (I mixed about 1 cup of "cream" with 1 Tbs maple syrup -- this is a lot more than you need for a cup or two).
3. Mix syrup in the coffee/milk, starting with less and adding more to taste.
4. Add whipped cream.  Sprinkle with a little cinnamon and enjoy.

 

Grandma & I - camping

Grandma & I - going to "town" (i.e., shopping)

Grandma & Grandpa - going to church

Pumpkin Spice Syrup

You know the thing about something like a syrup?  The pictures are pretty unimpressive, especially when you aren't a good photographer to begin with (bet you never noticed that, huh?):)  But, don't let the photo keep you from reading on - this is good stuff! 

Fall is in the air (and here in Albuquerque, hot air balloons as well)!  Everyone seems to be talking about Pumpkin Lattes at Starbucks.  Aside from the cost, I actually can't have one due to the dairy (and I don't drink soy).  Maybe you have the same problems and are lamenting your loss... 

But, never fear, this recipe will take care of you!  This is a base syrup, which is easily combined to make a Pumpkin Spice Latte (recipe coming).  Much easier than one would think.  And, a whole lot cheaper, plus better on waistline than Starbucks:)  

I adapted this recipe after a long perusal on the Internet.  Usually a simple syrup is equal parts water and sugar.  I used coconut milk hoping I could cut down on the sugar.  Seems to have worked really well.  

Use in moderation (because hey, though there's less sugar than the comparable syrup, there's still a fair amount!) and enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup coconut crystals
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 Tbs pumpkin puree

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, combine coconut milk and coconut crystals.  Place over medium heat and cook until sugar is dissolved.
2. Then, add the remaining ingredients (cinnamon sticks through pumpkin) and stir well.
3. Let cook for awhile (15 mins or so) until the syrup has thickened somewhat.
4. Remove cinnamon sticks and use in your favorite recipe.

Egg in a (Squash) Hole

Lately, I've seen a couple of recipes for eggs wrapped in other food, including this one (page 46) from The Food Lovers and this one from Jan's Sushi Bar.  

As I was cutting the top part of the butternut squash the other day, I thought, how cool would it be to cook an egg in the hole?  Turns out, it tastes pretty good (though don't expect my picture to look good like the ones by Bill & Haley or Jan).

Ingredients:

• Butternut squash
• Cayenne Pepper
• Salt
• Cinnamon
• Fat (ghee, coconut oil, etc.)
• Eggs

Directions:

1. Cut squash into thick slices, maybe about 1" (it needs to be thick enough to hold your egg).  Cut off the outer peel and remove the seeds.  For the portion without seeds, use a round cookie cutter to make hole in the center.
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add fat.
3. Season squash with a little cayenne, salt, and cinnamon (get both sides).  Add to the pan and cook until tender (about 15-20 minutes).
4. Once squash is softened, crack an egg into each squash hole.  Let cook until egg is almost cooked (3-5 minutes?) and then carefully flip (I lost a bit of egg in each flip).  Depending on how you like your egg cooked, let cook on this side for another minute or two.
5. Serve and enjoy.

 

Adovada Enchiladas

I had two different food-related thoughts that came together this weekend.  First, I wanted to use the Carne Adovada (one of my favorite New Mexican recipes) sauce developed by Use Real Butter, but I wanted to make it with ground beef (I was originally thinking Adovada burgers or something).  Then, my library hold of Mark Sisson's The Primal Blueprint Cookbook finally came in (hooray!) and I was intrigued by his use of egg white crepes to make the enchiladas.  Aha, I thought (in what I like to think was a rare moment of brilliance), adovada enchiladas could be something really good. 

I thought about making coconut flour tortillas, but eggs are generally used to tame down heat here in New Mexico (and since I don't eat dairy...these kind of things help:)), and frankly Mark's crepes looked pretty easy (I subbed coconut milk for the cream).  I found it took me a bit to make the perfect crepes, but once I got the hang of it, life was good.  [You cannot taste the coconut milk in the crepes once you are done.]

Anyway, this recipe is a bit, er, time intensive?  But, for a special weekend meal, I think well worth it.  Also, I added veggies to my sauce mixture - you can change them up or omit them as you prefer (I figured since I was doing so much work, I wasn't going to take the time to make another side dish...).

Served above with fresh mango and avocado to tame the heat and add a lovely bit of sweetness!

Ingredients:

• 20 dried, red New Mexico chiles (to tone down the heat, remove the seeds)
• 3-4 tsp sea salt
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 tsp oregano (original calls for 2 tsp, but I'm not a real fan of oregano, and I can totally taste when there are 2 tsp)
• 3-4 cups beef broth/stock (you can use water, but I think the beef broth adds a needed depth/body)
• 1 pound ground meat (I used a mixture of pork and beef - pork (carne) adovada is a very traditional New Mexican dish)
• 2 yellow squash
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1 bunch spinach
• 8 egg whites (save the yummy yolks for something else)
• 1/3 cup coconut milk (if you let the can sit in the 'fridge, the "cream" separates from the water -- I used the cream part)
• Oil (to grease the crepe pan)
• Sliced mango (optional)
• Sliced avocado (optional)

Directions:

Begin by making the sauce

1. Preheat oven to 325 degree (F).  Place dried chiles on a baking sheet and cook until blackened and blistered, about 8-10 minutes (keep the door open a crack...also, be careful of the fumes...and be VERY careful to handle the peppers and their seeds).
2. Meanwhile, bring beef broth to a boil.
3. Remove from the oven and cover peppers with beef broth.  Cover and let steam for about 30 minutes.
4. Remove pepper from broth, reserving liquid.
5. In a food processor (or blender), mix together peppers, salt, oregano, and about 2 cups of the broth.  Blend until pureed.  You may need to add a little broth/water to get the desired "sauciness".

Make the filling [you can start this while sauce is being prepared}

1. Begin to brown meat. 
2. Chop veggies (if using). 
3. Once meat begins to release a little of its fat, add veggies (except spinach) and let begin to soften.
4. Add sauce and spinach and cook until thickened and spinach is wilted.

Make the crepes

1. Whisk together egg whites and coconut milk.
2. Meanwhile, heat a pan or griddle, add oil, and pour just a little bit of the egg white mixture.  The key here - you want it to be THIN.  Mark suggests about 1/6 cup.  I don't have a cup that is 1/6 cup, so I just eye-balled it.  Once the crepes begin to form little bubbles all the way through (like pancakes), flip.  It doesn't take too long on the other side.
3. Set aside on a plate until all the crepes are cooked.

Assemble the enchiladas

1. If you turned your oven off, turn it back on to 325 degrees.
2. Put a crepe on a plate, stuff with filling, roll, and place into pan.  Do this until you are done (whether because you ran out of food or no more will fit in your pan).
3. Cover with foil and place in an over for about 20 minutes (this helps the flavors meld together...we tried it both with and without baking, and I prefer the end result after baking).
4. Plate.  Serve with diced mango (this is really good, and really helps tame the heat) and/or avocado slices.  Enjoy your Paleo enchiladas! 

Chocolate Coconut Squares

I recently saw a post on making your own chocolate bars.  I was pretty intrigued.  Although I've learned to make a lot of things at home, chocolate bars never really occurred to me.  What a brilliant idea.  Of course, I couldn't use the original recipe due to my dairy intolerance, but I figured coconut milk/oil would work splendidly.  And, well, yeah, it worked (probably too well!). 

I can't decide whether stumbling across these bars was the best or worst thing I've discovered in a long time:)  My husband says they taste like a Newari treat - Chaku - eaten with ghee (chocolate and clarified butter?).  My mom said they taste like a Mounds bar.  Everything thought they were fantastic.

So, disclaimer time.  Please remember that these are a treat/occasional indulgence.  Particularly if you are working on your body composition, remember that SUGAR=SUGAR=SUGAR, regardless of the fact that the ingredients are "healthier".  Accordingly, these absolutely delicable little squares should be treated as a treat.  But, when you do indulge, savor and enjoy!

 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup coconut oil (melted)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (if you use the canned kind, try to get the "cream" that separates from the water)
• 1/2 cup coconut crystals (I think honey or other sweeteners would work as well)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

[The original recipe calls for 1 T vanilla extract and 1 tsp salt -- my palate is not necessarily all that sensitive and I couldn't tell a noticeable difference...so I left these out.  But, you might notice that these ingredients add a certain extra "oomph" that you enjoy.]

 

 

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.
2. Blend until thoroughly mixed.
3. Line a small pan with parchment paper (or, grease the bottom of your pan well with coconut oil.  If you have candy molds - which I don't - you could use those as well).  Pour chocolate mixture into pan.
4. Refrigerate for about 1/2 hour.  Then, cut chocolate into squares and refrigerate another hour or two.
5. Best stored in the refrigerator...although if you're like my family, they don't last all that long.

Super-Simple Sausage Bites

Looking for something quick and easy for breakfast?  Look no further than these super-simple sausage bites (you could form them into patties - but I'm too lazy for that!).  They take very little time in the morning - I promise!  I can't tell you how often I've been having these for breakfast... 

The recipe easily doubles or halves. Since everyone has a difference spice level preference, start with less and add more later.  It's easier to add than to subtract...  This spice level consistent with our taste profiles -- yours is likely to be different.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 1/2 Tbs garlic powder
• 1 Tbs fennel seeds
• 1 Tbs red pepper flakes (if you can't take much heat start with a little and add more later)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Heat skillet over medium heat.  Add ground beef. 
2. Break your beef into small bits with the spatula. 
3. Add seasonings and stir to combine.
4. Cook until done to your desired temperature (I like my pretty browned when I'm having "sausage").
5. Taste, and adjust seasonings if necessary.
6. Serve and enjoy.

Cure for the Common Egg: Curried Eggs

This is something I eat for breakfast.  Yes, I'm weird...but my family has known that for a long time:)  But, hey, breakfast is just another meal where I try to get quality protein, a little fat, and my veggies.  If you can't stomach this much spice for breakfast, it's good any time of the day.

Ingredients:

• 1 dozen (12) hard-boiled eggs, halved or quartered
• 1 can no-salt added fire-roasted tomatoes (sub fresh if you want)
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 2-3 Tbs curry* (start with less and add more)
• 2 small heads cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, cut roughly

Directions:

1. If you don't already have hard-boiled eggs, begin by boiling eggs.
2. Prep veggies (cauliflower and spinach).
3. Combine together tomatoes (including liquid), coconut milk, curry, and cauliflower in a stock pot.
4. Heat until boiling, then reduce heat and let simmer until cauliflower is almost cooked.
5. Add eggs and spinach; cook until spinach is wilted and eggs are heated through [I leave the eggs for the end because I don't want them to get too cooked, but you could add them earlier if that's easier].
6. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
7. Serve and enjoy, although it is even better the next day.

*  Curry

• 2 parts turmeric powder
• 2 parts paprika powder
• 1 part salt
• 1 part chili powder (adjust up or down for more or less heat)
• 1 part cayenne powder (adjust up or down for more or less heat)
• 1 part coriander powder

Sweet & Sour Slaw

I never really used to like coleslaw.  Maybe it was that I never really had good coleslaw.  I have memories of limp, wilted cabbage soaked in icky jarred mayo.  I don't know what possed me to give this one a try...maybe it was that I had a wonderful looking mango, two heads of cabbage (one red and one green), and some carrot in my 'fridge.  This turned out great, if I do say so myself:)  Sweet from the mango, sour from the coconut vinegar.  Hope you enjoy as well!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 head red cabbage
• 1/4 head green cabbage
• 1/2 large carrot
• 1 fresh mango
• 1/16 cup pecans
• 1/8 cup coconut vinegar (other vinegars would work - but if you are gluten intollerant, make sure it is a gluten-free variety)
• 1/4 cup olive oil (other oils would work here - I think coconut oil would be really good!)

Directions:

1. Thinly slice cabbage.  Grate carrot (be careful not to grate your finger!).
2. Peel and dice mango.
3. Break pecans into small pieces.
4. Combine cabbage, carrot, mango, and pecans in a bowl.
5. In a separate bowl, blend together coconut vinegar and olive oil (I used my small food processor, but I think a brisk whisking would work as well.)
6. Combine dressing with salad.  Stir well to combine.
7. Chill at least an hour (really, this is much better chilled).  Serve and enjoy.

Eggplant Crisps

I intended to make eggplant Parmesan, without the Parmesan (I'm dairy intolerant) (but don't ask me what I was going to call said dinner...).  

Obviously, from the title of my post, eggplant Parmesan without the Parmesan didn't happen because (mainly) we were eating these little babies right off the pan and it seemed like too much work to cook them again with the sauce.  

Seriously, these are GOOOD, like Lays potato chips...bet you can't just eat one!  Served here with an Italian meat and veggie sauce.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggplants
• 2 eggs + 2 Tbs water
• 1 cup pork rinds, ground (the 1 cup is measured once the rinds are ground)

Directions:

1. Peel and slice eggplant.  Then, in a pan with a lip (to catch the dripping water), liberally salt both sides of the eggplant.  Let sit at least 15 minutes, but closer to an hour is better.  (I don't actually know if the liquid that comes out is "bitter" and needs to be released, but the end result is pretty tasty, so I went with the common thought process regarding eggplant.  Anyway, I digress.)
2. Rinse salt from eggplant and pat dry.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
4. Beat together eggs and water.
5. Pulverize pork rinds.
6. Take a piece of eggplant, dip into egg mixture, shake off, dip into pork rind mixture.  Place on a baking sheet (I'd suggest some parchment paper here...otherwise, a few of them stick awful bad to the baking sheet.)
7. When they are all breaded, place into the oven and cook between 30 and 40 minutes.  You want the outside to be crispy, but not burnt.
8. Eat and enjoy.  Tender on the inside, crispy on the outside.  Yum! 

Beef in a Spicy Curry Sauce

I started out trying to make a vindaloo, which is one of my favorite Indian dishes when we go out.  It's a safe food - I know I can or will eat everything that's in there (sometimes I'm even good and skip the potatoes...). 

But, much as I like it, we only eat out once a month or so, and I decided to see if I could recreate my favorite.  Of course, we don't eat a lot of chicken since it's pretty difficult to find pastured chicken here, so I adapted the recipe to be made with beef. This didn't turn out to be what I envisioned, but it tastes great at any rate!  (I adapted from this recipe.)  Hope you enjoy as well.  [It does taste good...really...in spite of the fact that I'm not a very good photographer:)]

Ingredients:

• 2 lb stew meat
• Ghee or other appropriate oil
• 2 yellow onions, peeled and sliced
• 3" piece of peeled ginger
• 2 oz peeled garlic
• 1 tsp fenugreek (methi) seeds
• 1/8-1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 4 tsp hot chili powder (to taste!) or fresh hot peppers
• 2 tsp salt
• 3-4 tsp coconut vinegar

Directions:

1. Cook beef in the pressure cooker to tenderize.  [You could use another method, but this is both quick and yield really tender beef.]
2. Meanwhile, heat ghee in a pan.  Once ghee has melted, add onions.  Cook onions until they are very caramelized (a dark brown color -- just before they burn pull 'em off the heat). 
3. In a small fry pan, add a little ghee.  Once hot, add fenugreek seeds.  Cook until dark brown.  Then, add cumin seeds.  Cook until fenugreek seeds begin to turn black.  Finally, add mustard seeks and cook until funegreek seeds are a dark black.  Remove from heat.
4. In a food processor (or blender, etc.), combine caramelized onions, ginger, garlic, blackened spice mixture, ground coriander, chili powder, salt, and vinegar.  Blend until a nice paste is formed.
5. Mix together meat and spices, then cool to marinade, at least half an hour.
6. When ready to serve, gently heat on the stove.
7. Serve warm over cauliflower rice (or, for us today, spaghetti squash) and enjoy.

Sweet & Savory Celery Root Hash

Three months ago, I didn't know what celery root was.  The first time I saw it, I didn't want anything to do with it.  Even though I've acquired a love of a lot of new veggies, including Brussels sprouts, spinach, collards, and okra, celery is still one veggie that I don't really like.  Aside from not really liking celery, I was a little, well, turned off by celery root's ugly appearance.  The first time I tried celery root was with this Ugly Duckling Salad (which is totally awesome, by the way).  Amazingly enough, after I tried it, I decided celery root is pretty good -- a lot more mild than celery -- kind of a mix between celery and potato. If you haven't given it a try, you should.  After that recipe, I got brave and decided to try my own creation.  This makes a great dinner or breakfast (I had it with over-easy eggs the next morning). 

Ingredients:

• 4 oz prosciutto (you could sub bacon) 
• 1/2 - 1 Tbs ghee or other fat of choice (coconut oil might be really good)
• 1 celery root, peeled and diced
• 1 small apple (I used a Honeycrisp), washed and diced

Directions:

1. Start by browning prosciutto until it has begun to render its fat, but is not yet crispy (mine didn't have a lot of fat).
2. Add ghee (if yours has sufficient fat, you can skip this step...or if you use bacon, you won't need ghee as well).
3. Add diced celery root and cook for about 10 minutes.
4. Add apple.
5. Cook until prosciutto is crisp and celery root and apples are tender.
6. Serve and enjoy.

Part of Real Food Wednesday and Pennywise Platter.

Buffalo Beef Chili

I'm a big fan of Frank's red hot sauce.  I use it on chicken, beef, pretty much whatever (I know, call me weird!).  When I stumbled across this recipe from Rachel Ray for Buffalo Chicken Chili, I just knew I had to try it!  Problem was, I didn't have several of the ingredients (chicken, tomato sauce).  So, here's my adaptation.  If I would have had other veggies in my fridge (bell peppers, etc.), they would have also gone in the mix. (Not my finest hour as a photographer, sorry:).)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs ghee (I think I could have used a little less and been as happy)
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 5 large cloves garlic, diced
• 1 Tbs paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups chicken (or beef) stock
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup hot sauce (I used 1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce)
• 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes & green chile (I used Muir Glen)
• 2 Tbs tomato paste (as a thickener)
• Salt and pepper (if needed)

Directions:

1. Place large pot over medium-high heat and add ghee.
2. Once melted, add the ground beef.  Cook until browned, about 5-6 minutes.
3. Add carrot, onion, celery, garlic, paprika, and bay leaf.  Cook, stirring frequently, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the stock, hot sauce, and tomatoes.  Bring to a simmer.
5. Simmer for about 15 minutes to let sauce reduce and bring flavors together.
6. Remove bay leaf.
7. Taste.  Adjust seasonings if necessary and serve.

Part of Real Food Wednesday, Pennywise Platter, and Fight Back Friday.

Sweet Potato Fries

This isn't a typical dish for me.  I don't generally eat a lot of sweet potatoes -- not because they aren't nutritious, but because they are a little carb dense for someone still working on body composition.  And, I haven't used my fryer in about, oh, 7 years.  But, it's my mom's birthday.  She's a good sport, eating everything I make, without complaint (even the flops!).  Truthfully, though, my real food/Paleo ways are not her cup of tea.  Thus, for her birthday, I wanted something she would enjoy, but made in a way that I felt was "okay" to eat.  Sweet potato fries were my answer...and boy, were they awesome!  I haven't had fast food since I converted, but homemade fries are SO much better...I can't imagine eating them at a fast food place again.  Also, I read that fries retain at least a 1/4 less oil when cooked in beef fat than vegetable oil.  Amazingly enough, they are also pretty easy to make (if your fat is already rendered, the only difficult part is cleaning up the fryer).

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes (peeled or unpeeled, depending upon your preference)
• Rendered beef fat (enough for your fryer or deep pan) [I rendered the fat myself...that's an adventure to share for another post!]
• Kosher salt
• Cayenne pepper
• Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Wash and peel (if applicable) sweet potatoes.  Cut into "steak" fries (thick wedges).  
2. Place in a bowl.  Cover with ice water and let sit 15-30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in your fryer (or pan) to 325 degrees F.
4. Once the oil has reached temperature, dry potatoes and, working in batches, drop into your oil for 3-4 minutes.
5. After each batch is finished, remove from the fryer and place on towels to drain excess grease.
6. After all of the potatoes are cooked once, turn the temperature up to 375 degrees F.
7. Working in batches, fry for another 3-4 minutes until potatoes are crisp.
8. Remove from oil and immediately season with salt, cayenne pepper, and a little cinnamon.
9. Best served hot.

Part of Real Food Wednesday.

Testing for Thanksgiving: Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Squash, and Cranberries

While I'm planning to recreate some of the "classics" for our Thanksgiving dinner, I wanted something new and delicious that celebrates my new attitude and appreciation toward food.  This dish has two vegetables I used to avoid like the plague:  brussels sprouts and squash.  Will you also be shocked to know that I don't know that I've ever had fresh cranberries (my only exposure has been the canned cranberry jelly)?  Finally, I used duck fat that I rendered myself.  I never imagined that I'd ever eat duck fat, let alone render it myself:)  This got two thumbs up from the husband.  I think I could have eaten one entire pan myself!  Also, I was worried that the cranberries would be too sour without any sugar, but they mellow a lot in the baking process, are tempered by the sweet squash, and provide just a little bit of tartness to the dish.

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash
• 1 pound fresh brussels sprouts
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
• 2/3 to 1 cup duck fat (melted) (or other available fat of your choice -- I think chicken fat would be good as well)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Prepare the veggies.  Remove skin, membrane, and seeds (reserve for future use) from squash.  Cut squash into cubes.  Trim and halve brussels sprouts.
3. Combine squash, sprouts, and cranberries in a large baking dish (I split it into two since I don't have a really large pan).  Sprinkle salt on top and then add duck fat.  Stir to combine.
4. Place baking dish in the oven for about 25 minutes or until the veggies are beginning to brown, stirring once or twice.
5. After 25 minutes or so, reduce heat to 350 degrees F and cook another 25-30 minutes until the veggies (especially the brussels sprouts) are cooked to desired tenderness.
6. Serve and devour.

Part of Kelly the Kitchen Kop's Real Food Wednesday, the Nourishing Gourmet's Pennywise Platter, and the Food Renegade's Fight Back Friday.


Featured on Whole9 Life's Steal This Meal Thanksgiving Part II.

Savory Beef and Squash Pie

Holy cow, Batman, this dish was so good that I couldn't wait to share it with you.  The squash is slightly sweet, counteracting the spicy and savory goodies underneath.  I love this recipe because you could use whatever veggies you have on hand.  Don't have those I used?  No worries, toss in whatever you have in your 'fridge.  Great way to use up leftover veggies.

The funny thing is, a year ago (okay, seven months ago even), I wouldn't have touched squash with a ten-foot pole.  I most certainly would not have thought squash tasted "sweet".  How the mighty have fallen:)  Our taste buds can, and do, change when you stop the processed food and continue to try new things!

Ingredients:

• Butternut Squash - 1 decent size or 2 small
• Coconut oil (or ghee) - 1 Tbs or so
• Leeks (or onions), diced - 1 cup or so
• Sliced mushrooms - 8 oz or so
• Ground beef (grass fed; or other combination of ground meat) - 2 lbs
• Emeril's Creole Seasoning (note:  I use a lot less salt than the recipe calls for, you may need to adjust depending upon your preference for salt) - 3-4 Tbs (to taste - you probably want to start with less and add until it tastes good to you)
• Garlic powder - 1 Tbs (to taste)
• Onion powder - 1 tsp (to taste)
• Kosher salt - 1/4 tsp (to taste) (if you use the Emeril Creole Seasoning per the recipe, you'll probably want to omit the salt here)
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• Tomato paste, 1 Tbs
• Fresh spinach - 2 to 3 cups
• Coconut Butter - 2 Tbs (this will depend upon how much squash you have)
• Coconut Milk (canned, get the kind without the "gunk") - 1/2 cup (again, this will depend on your squash, use less and add more as needed)
• Cayenne pepper - 1/4 tsp (maybe a little more if you like things spicy)
• Cinnamon - 1-2 tsp

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
2. Cut squash in half.  Remove seeds and membranes.  Put in a pan to roast.  Roast for 350 degrees for about 50 minutes (you can also use water in the roasting process, but this worked for me and seemed easier).
3. Heat oil over medium heat.  Once heated, add leeks (or onions).  After a few minutes, add mushrooms.  Cook until tender, maybe 5-10 minutes.
4. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink.
5. Add spices (Emeril though salt), tomatoes, and tomato paste.  Cook for a few minutes until tomatoes begin to release their juices.  Then add the spinach.  Cook until spinach is wilted.
6. Put ground beef mixture in the bottom of your roasting pan.
7. Remove cooked squash flesh from the skin.  With the flesh, puree the coconut butter, coconut milk, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon until desired consistency is reached (I put this all in the food processor for a few quick whirls; you could also use a hand blender or hand-held potato masher...whatever you have that works).  Spread squash puree over the tom of the ground beef mixture.
8. Bake about 20 minutes.

Variation:

Use curry powder instead of Creole seasoning; add fresh ginger and some type of spicy pepper to meat mixture; and add a little powdered ginger to squash.

Part of the Real Food Wednesday carnival at Kelly the Kitchen Kop; there are some great website you should check out!