Monday, April 4, 2016

Cabo salad

Quick post for a quick side
I created this because I wanted a caprese salad, but I can't have cheese... so let's use nature's cheese!

3 tomatoes sliced
A few sprigs of cilantro
1/2 avocado sliced
1/2 lime juiced
5 sprigs of garlic chives
A light dusting and salt and pepper

Layer all ingredients and enjoy!

Thursday, March 31, 2016

Shopping list to start slow carb diet week 1

Buying list week 1

Beans in Pounds dried:
Black 2
Pinto 3
White 3

Veg
Romaine lettuce: start with 3 you will probably need more
Peppers: 8 (4 Green & 4 pretty ones)
Tomato: 6
Yellow onions: 5 lb bag
1 bulb garlic
Avocado: 3
Reb cabbage: 1
Zucchini: 4, possibly more later in the week
Egg Plant: 1
Summer squash: 2
Celery: 1 bunch
Bean sprouts: 1 lb
Carrots: 1 lb
Green beans: Hella cans

Protien
Eggs: dozen ish
Chicken: 10 breasts
Ground pork: 2 lbs
Ground turkey 3 lbs
Ground beef: 1 lb
Lunch meat: 1 lb



Week 2
Same-ish, but

Sausage
Sauerkraut
2 fish fillets

1 pork loin

Slow carb recipes

These are some of my new recipes that I have been working with for my slow carb journey. I'm still tweaking the details of many of these recipes and trying to make them my own.  I will continue to update these as well as upload more. ENJOY!

Egg fu young
6 eggs beaten, 1 cup flinely sliced celery, 1 onion finely chopped, 1 cup bean sprouts, ½ cup diced mushroom, 2 carrots finely chopped, 2 green onions sliced, 1/2 cup chopped cooked chicken breast, 1 tsp salt and pepper
Sauce: 1 tsp chicken bouillon, 1 ½ cups hot water, 2 Tbs soy sauce, 6BS cold water 1 ½ Tbs corn starch
Beat eggs in a large bowl. Add the celery, onion, bean sprouts, mushrooms, chicken, beef, pork, salt and pepper. Mix together.
Heat oil in a medium skillet or wok and brown egg mixture 1/2 cup at a time. When all of the mixture is browned, set aside.
To Make Sauce: Dissolve the bouillon in the hot water in a small saucepan; soy sauce and blend well over medium heat. Add cold water and cornstarch and stir until thick and smooth. Serve with Egg Foo Yung.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
INGREDIENTS: 1 cup dried pinto beans, 1/2 cup dried white beans, 1/2 dried red beans, 2 large chicken breasts, 1 can diced tomatoes, 2 green peppers (pasilla or Anaheim) chopped, 1 large red pepper chopped, 1 onion chopped, 2 Tbs chicken bouillon, 1 Tbs cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp salt, 3 cloves garlic minced- Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker, cover completely with water and cook on low for 8 hours. Shred chicken breast. Add 1 can of corn, drained and rinsed.  Chop one summer squash and add to soup, these will act as your "tortilla strips." Taste soup, you may need to add salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with diced avocado, chopped cilantro and sliced green onion.


Taco roll ups
INGREDIENTS: 3 lbs ground turkey 2 packets of taco seasoning 2 cans of black beans (pinto, refried, or whatever beans you like) 1-2 cans of whole kernel corn (yellow or white) Several lettuce leafs Guacamole, salsa (optional)
DIRECTIONS: 1. Brown ground turkey, add taco seasoning, and stir for a few minutes. 2. Add black beans (drained) and corn (drained). 3. Mix it all together. 4. Roll it up in a lettuce leaf and eat like a taco, or eat it on top of the lettuce like a salad.

White chicken chili
INGREDIENTS: 1 Tbsp olive oil 2 med onions (chopped) 4 cloves garlic (minced) 2 4-oz cans chopped green chilies or 6 grilled green chilis (if you have time and you value flavor) 4 cups cooked chicken (chopped up) 2 tsp ground cumin 1.5 tsp dried oregano (crumbled) ¼ tsp cayenne or crushed red pepper 3 16-oz cans, Great Northern beans (drained and rinsed) 6 cups chicken broth Salt, pepper
DIRECTIONS: 1. Heat oil in large heavy pot to medium/high. 2. Add onions. Sauté until translucent (about 10 minutes). 3. Add garlic, chilies, chicken, cumin, oregano, and hot pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes. 4. Add beans and chicken broth. 5. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 hours or longer. 6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Sheppard’s pie
INGREDIENTS: 1 head cauliflower 4 Tbsp butter 1–3 Tbsp cream (optional) Salt & pepper taste 3 Tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 cup frozen organic peas & carrots, thawed ¾ cup frozen organic green beans, thawed 1 lb ground grass-fed beef or bison 1 Tbsp coconut flour or almond flour ¾ cup beef stock or broth 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried 1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried
Preheat oven to 400°F. Break the cauliflower into chunky pieces and steam until just tender. Put in the food processor with 2 Tbsp butter and process until smooth. Add salt & pepper. Optional: Add cream 1 Tbsp at a time until smooth but still fairly thick. Set aside. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and sauté several minutes until soft. Add beef and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring to break up the meat so it browns evenly. Add peas, carrots and green beans and cook another five minutes. Stir in the coconut flour. Add broth and herbs and reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and put into a 9-inch pie pan. Spread the cauliflower over the top. 4. Scatter 2 Tbsp of butter cut into small pieces on top of the cauliflower. Bake 30–35 minutes.

Stuffed peppers
INGREDIENTS: 2 lbs ground meat (or a combination of whatever you would like) 4 large green peppers 1 large onion 2 carrots 4 cloves of garlic ½ head of cauliflower 6 ounce can of tomato paste 1 Tbsp dry oregano 1 Tbsp dry or fresh tarragon Salt and pepper to taste
Cut the tops of the peppers and clean the seeds out. Arrange peppers in the CrockPot standing up and make sure they fit securely. Finely chop onion, carrots, garlic and cauliflower in the food processor or by hand. In a big bowl, combine ground meat(s), chopped vegetables, seasonings, and tomato paste. Add salt and pepper. Stuff the peppers with the mixture and arrange leftover meat between the peppers. Add half a cup of water, cover, and cook on low for 8–10 hours. If you don’t have a slow-cooker, the dish can be cooked in the oven, covered, for 1–2 hours.

Pot roast
INGREDIENTS: 1 chuck or rump roast 1 can beef broth 1 can French onion soup 1 can beef consommé. Put roast in Crockpot, and turn heat to low. Pour the three cans over the roast. Cook on low for about 8 hours. Remove roast and let rest 20 minutes before slicing. Reserve dripping for gravy.

Greek Lasagna
INGREDIENTS: 1 lb ground beef, 2 cans crushed tomatoes, 1 onion, garlic, oregano, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper (sauce)
2 zucchini sliced length wise, 1 eggplant sliced, 2 summer squash cut lengthwise.  Grilled with a little oil, garlic salt and pepper.
Directions: layer all ingredients in a baking pan and bake at 375 for 30 minutes




Slow carb menu

Hello!  Along with my April workout challenge, I'm also dieting.  I heard a quote, "you can't crunch away a poor diet."  That really stuck with me, much like my spare tire.  I can't keep eating my "see food" diet and expect to see amazing results.  I was inspired by my friend's full month workout challenge layout so I decided to create a slow carb menu plan so I can stay on track.



I will post the shopping list and recipes soon!  Let me know what you think.

April Workout Challenge

April Workout Challenge 2016
Ok, seriously it's time to get my butt into gear!  I was asked recently to be a bridesmaid for my friend's wedding!  She is a workout queen who is sponsored! She is truly inspiring and so happy to have her in my life.
She came up with a workout calendar for April and we have been doing it everyday this week and honestly I already feel a difference with my body.  I'm so excited for May 1st!
Feel free to join me on this April challenge being physically fit!  Let me know what you think in the comments!

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Jesus was from the Middle-East, so is this feast


Christmas Eve dinner is usually somewhat of a challenge, however this time I'm cooking food for my entire extended family.  My family has quite a long list of food allergies, thankfully they are not too picky with food, which would make cooking for them a nightmare.  Trying to please their pallet was almost my personal nightmare before Christmas.  Listing the food allergies is as follows: gluten intolerance, mild lactose intolerance, allergies to nightshades, fungi, and pork.  With all these allergies in one place you can rule out ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, cornbread, rolls, tomatoes, eggplant, cheese, stuffed mushrooms, eggnog, cookies and pastries, and anything spicy.  What do you make for a large family that is traditional and will please people better than a chicken bento? By the way, we usually eat chicken bento when we are all together so I really wanted something other than chicken and rice.  Being the cook, I feel like I'm under pressure to have the best dinner ever, so I'm going to make the drink first.

Spiced Hard Cider
1 gallon fresh apple cider
1 bottle "White Christmas" (Brandy and Rum mix)
4 cinnamon sticks
1/4 cup sugar

Simmer all ingredients half hour and serve hot.
Drink while cooking to relieve stress

Menu

First Course
Grilled Shrimp on Rosemary skewers
Lentil Soup

Main Course
Lamb Tagine with Golden Raisin Couscous

Dessert
Flourless Chocolate Cake

Order of things to prepare by recipe

Lentil Soup

1 pound dried lentils
1 cup brown rice
1 quart chicken stock
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
5 carrots diced
5 celery stalks chopped
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
lots of water to cover lentils with 4 inches of water

Place all ingredients into a stock pot and bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low to simmer 45 minutes.  Who ever gets the bay leaves are the lucky ones :)  I got both Christmas eve so I guess I'm extra lucky.

Lamb Tagine
1 lamb shoulder about 10 pounds with bones, 3 pounds without, cut into 1 inch pieces. Can substitute beef
3 Tbs EVOO
2 onions chopped
5 pounds carrots chopped
6 cloves garlic minced
1 quart beef stock
3 bay leaves
2 Tbs Turmeric
2 Tbs cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp coriander
1 Tbs salt
1/2 tsp pepper

2 cinnamon sticks
2 sprigs of rosemary (use the needles off the shrimp skewers)
Garnishes
1 pound dried apricots
1 cup chopped almonds
1 bunch cilantro chopped


You can use a tagine if you own one already.  I don't, so I'm using a large dutch oven.
Brown meat in oil seasoned with salt and pepper for about 10 minutes over high heat. Add all other ingredients except beef stock and garnishes.  Cook until hot and then add beef stock.  Reduce heat to a simmer and continue cooking for 1.5 hours or so until meat and vegetables are tender. When you serve first course add apricots to the stew and continue simmering about 15 minutes.  If cooking in a tagine, garnish with cilantro and almonds, otherwise place stew into a large pretty bowl and garnish the same way.
Serve on top of couscous.

Shrimp Skewers

2 pounds jumbo shrimp, thawed, raw, de-veined, shelled, heads off, tail on
8 large sprigs of rosemary
3 cloves garlic crushed
4 Tbs EVOO
salt and pepper

Soak rosemary sprigs in water for about 20-30 minutes.  Strip needles off of the rosemary leaving about 3 inches of needles on the end of the sprig so it's both pretty and functional as a handle.  Skewer about 8 shrimp per skewer or as many as can fit.  Brush shrimp with olive oil and sprinkle crushed garlic, about 2 Tbs of rosemary needles, and salt and pepper.  Place in refrigerator until ready to cook.  Grill on high heat as people are arriving. 1-2 minutes per side.  DO NOT OVER COOK.  They will continue cooking after they are off the grill.

Flour-less Chocolate Cake

1 pound semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
3/4 cup sugar
9 eggs separated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Separate eggs into two bowls with whites in one and yolks in the other, make sure there is no yolk in the egg whites.  Mix sugar and yolks until it turns a pale yellow.  In an glass bowl chop butter into small pieces and add in chocolate mix slightly.  Microwave on high for 2 minutes, stir and continue cooking in 30 second bursts until chocolate is smooth. Be careful to no over cook chocolate.  Add a small amount of chocolate into egg yolks mix throughly and then add all chocolate.  This will keep the eggs from scrambling.  Beat egg whites until they are stiff peaks.  Fold in chocolate mixture and egg whites together gently until well combined.
In a 9 inch spring form pan butter all edges very generously.  Add batter and bake 35-40 minutes. Turn off oven and let cake set in warm oven until ready to serve.

Couscous

3 cups dried couscous
1 cup golden raisins
1 Tbs Salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tbs EVOO
1 quart (4 cups) chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 bunch of chopped cilantro

In a very large bowl add couscous and raisins and set aside.  In a sauce pan, bring chicken stock to a boil with bay leaf, salt and pepper.  Take off heat, add EVOO and pour over couscous, let set for 10 minutes covered with a plate.  Add cilantro and fluff with a fork.  Serve with lamb.

Fish Tacos with Green-go Salsa


Green-go Salsa


1 7oz can of verde salsa
1 advocado
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 green onions chopped
1 handful fresh cilantro
2 jalapeños chopped
1 lime juiced

Add all ingredients into a food processor or use an immersion blender and blend until smooth.  Refrigerate for about 20 minutes for flavors to combine.

Fish


1 Halibut Fish Fillet or any white fish of your liking
2 limes juiced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp pakrika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Cut Fish into pieces and marinate in mixture for 20 minutes

Batter
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 can beer of your choice

Mix beer into flour until it's the consistency of pancake batter, you will not use all the beer.  Drink the rest while cooking :)

Prepare 1 quart of vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet.  Heat over medium high heat until it's 350 degrees.
Dredge fish in flour and then dredge in batter.  Fry fish in hot oil until golden brown, about 5 minutes total.
Drain fish on paper towels

Serve fish tacos in two corn tortillas that have been heated with salsa and fresh shredded lettuce or cabbage.
A side of black beans is nice as well

Black Beans

Take 2 cups of black beans and cover them with water about 2 inches over.  Bring to a boil and boil 3 minutes.  Cover beans, remove from heat and let set 1 hour.
Drain water and rinse beans.  Add more water to cook again, about 1 inch of water over beans.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low and cook for 45 minutes- 1 hour until beans are tender. Add 1/2 onion chopped, 4 cloves garlic, 1 Tbs butter, 1 Tbs salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp cumin, and 1 tsp paprika.  Once beans are tender, blend with an immersion blender or food processor until smooth.  Serve hot and enjoy.