Weekly of February 1, 2016

WEEKLY  TIPS

#1 Eggs are one of the easiest ways to cook if you are trying to leap onto the PALEO bandwagon.  This week I am going to share some of those easy recipes for you.  Eating PALEO is a lifestyle not a diet.  Diets sound like something that is going to deprive you of eating.   PALEO eating habits are healthy and wise choices.  Remember eating real NOT FAKE processed foods is the goal to healthy living.

#2 If you have room to garden it is a great time to plant lettuce, broccoli, cabbage and kale.  Those are a few I have tried, fresh off the vine is best!

TOMATO BASIL FRITTATA

Who says you can’t eat breakfast for dinner?  I do it all the time.  Try this delicious dish, perfect for breakfast as well as dinner.                                                                                             This dish requires an oven proof pan.  I love to use cast iron, it’s so easy to clean up and very convenient.

Ingredients

  • 10 large eggs
  • 5 bacon slices(I use Turkey), cut into small chunks
  • 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 oz. baby spinach leaves
  • 2 small ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
  • 3 tsp. wholegrain mustard
  • Fresh basil leaves to taste (for garnishing)
  • 1 tbsp. coconut oil or clarified butter
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.
  2. Whisk the eggs and mustard in a bowl, and season to taste.
  3. Heat the cooking fat in an oven-proof skillet over a medium heat. Cook the bacon and onion until the onion is golden (about 5 to 6 minutes).
  4. Add the spinach to the skillet, and cook for another minute or two or until the spinach wilts.
  5. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Cook until it hardens just a little, and place the tomatoes on top.
  6. Once the frittata is set around the edges but still runny in the center, transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the frittata turns to a nice golden color. Sprinkle some basil leaves on top and serve.

OPTIONS: Add zucchini, sliced red pepper or white fleshed sweet potato.  Any type of vegetable will work, those are just some of my favorites.

Tomato frittata

 

BALSAMIC BEEF ROAST – Slow Cooker

Ingredients

  • 3 lb. beef chuck roast, boneless
  • 2 to 3 white fleshed sweet potatoes, cut into big pieces
  • 4 carrots, cut into big pieces
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup red wine (optional)
  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 ½ cup beef stock
  • 2 tbsp. cooking fat
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Season the roast on all sides with sea salt and black pepper.
  2. Melt some cooking fat over a medium-high heat in a large skillet, and sear the roast for 2-3 minutes on each side.
  3. Place the meat in the slow cooker and top with the onion, minced garlic, balsamic vinegar, beef stock, bay leaves, rosemary sprigs and red wine (if using).
  4. Cover the slow cooker, turn it on low, and cook for 6 hours.
  5. Add the carrots and sweet potatoes, set the slow cooker to high, and cook for about another 3 hours, or until the vegetables are nice and soft and the meat is fork tender.
  6. Remove and discard the 2 bay leaves and rosemary sprigs. Pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a saucepan and bring to a slow boil over a medium-high heat. Keep it boiling and let it reduce until you get the desired consistency for your sauce. Pour the sauce back in the slow cooker and serve with the meat and vegetables.

 

BUTTERFLIED ROASTED CHICKEN 

Have you ever cooked a turkey or a chicken butterfly style?  All you do is cut down the backbone and lay it out flat. The culinary theory behind butterflying is very simple: it allows the breasts and the legs to cook more evenly. With all the parts of the chicken at the same height, the heat in the oven will reach them more evenly. This way, you don’t get dried-out breasts or undercooked thighs; all the parts of the bird are done at the same time, and all the meat is juicy and delicious.  You don’t have to if you don’t want to, this is just a suggestion.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken, patted dry and butterflied if you choose
  • 3 tbsp. melted butter
  • 3 tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 2 onions, peeled and quartered
  • 4 carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 2 bell peppers, chopped
  • 2 lemons, halved
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 F.
  2. Place the chicken, breast-side down, on a cutting board. Cut along both sides of the backbone from end to end with kitchen shears and remove the backbone. Flip the chicken breast-side up, and open it like a book. Press firmly on the breasts with your palm to flatten.
  3. Save the backbone for some homemade stock.
  4. In a small bowl, combine the cooking fat and 2 tbsp. of the rosemary.
  5. Rub the chicken with 2/3 of the fat/rosemary mixture and season the chicken to taste with sea salt and ground pepper.
  6. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the chicken on the baking sheet and surround it with the vegetables and the lemons. Pour the remaining fat/rosemary mixture over the vegetables and season to taste. Place the baking sheet in the oven and cook for 1 hour or until a meat thermometer reads 165 F in the thickest part of the breast. Remove chicken from oven, squeeze some lemon juice over it, and serve.

Butterflied chicken

HEARTY CHICKEN SOUP

Now I know if you make that roast chicken that you will have some left.  Make a bone broth and include the left over chicken in this fantastic recipe!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken, leftover from your roast
  • 1 cup of cauliflower, cut into chunks
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 1 leek , sliced
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 small zucchinis, sliced
  • 3 medium carrots, sliced
  • 2 celery ribs, sliced
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes
  • 4 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 6 to 8 cups chicken stock
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Of course you can modify this to your liking adding or taking out any of the above veggies.

Directions

  1. In a large stockpot, melt the butter over a medium heat, and gently cook the onion, garlic, leek, and chicken for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is nice and tender.
  2. Add the rest of the vegetables, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and parsley, and cover it all with the 6 to 8 cups of chicken broth.
  3. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
  4. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

PORTOBELLO BURGERS

For 6-8 burgers

  1. 3lbs of ground beef (not too lean if you want a very flavorful patty)
  2. 3 eggs
  3. 2 cloves garlic, minced
  4. Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  5. 6-8 large Portabello mushrooms
  6. A few tablespoons of olive oil (the amount will depend on how large your mushrooms are, so start with a little and add more as needed) 2 cloves garlic, minced. Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

TASTY OPTION::  Chicken burgers with thinly sliced chicken breast are also great between a portobello and avocado!

Directions

Prepare the burgers:

  1. Place the ground beef in a large bowl and add the eggs. Combine until the eggs are evenly mixed through.
  2. Mix in the garlic and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Form 6 to 8 patties that are slightly smaller than the mushroom caps so they can fit on top once cooked.
  4. Place on a preheated grill or pan and cook each side for about 5-7 minutes (the time it takes will depend on the temperature of your grill or pan. I cooked them at medium-low for approximately this time).

Prepare the Portobello Buns

  1. Rinse the mushrooms and pat them dry.
  2. Remove the mushroom stems. The reason for this is because you want your mushroom cap to take the form of the hamburger bun. Do not discard, they can be great for many other recipes, or you can grill them along with the caps or save to add to a soup.
  3. Coat the caps in olive oil and then season with salt and pepper. Do not let the oil penetrate for long, as you will notice the mushrooms will start to get soggy.
  4. Place on the preheated grill or on a grill in the oven and cook on each side for about 5-7 minutes.

Put together you burgers using the mushrooms for the buns!!  Enjoy!

Portobello

SHOPPING LIST

MEAT

3 lb Chuck Roast

1 Whole Chicken

3 lbs Ground Beef or chicken breasts for burgers

PRODUCE

3 red onions

2 sweet onions

2-3 white fleshed sweet potato

Package of carrots

4-6 small tomatoes

Fresh spinach leaves

Fresh Basil

Fresh Thyme

Fresh Bay Leaf

Fresh Rosemary

Fresh Parsley

Garlic Bulb

Large Portobello (enough for 1 or 2 per burger, your choice)

2 med zucchini

Celery

1 Bunch leeks (optional for the soup)

1 Head Cauliflower

2 lemons

3 bell peppers

ADD – Plenty of veggies for salads and sides

EGGS & DAIRY

1 1/2 Doz eggs

Butter

MISC.

Wholegrain mustard

Coconut oil

Salt

Pepper

Red Wine (Optional)

1 1/2 C beef stock

6 – 8 C chicken stock

DON’T FORGET to add plenty of snacks like fruit and nuts, items for breakfast (go look at some of my ideas) and lunch items.  SHOP ON THE OUTSIDE of the store not on the isles where all the processed food is sold.