Ugh....a bad food hangover is just as bad as the other kind! I definitely overindulged my way through Thanksgiving and am being reminded WHY we like to eat 80%+ clean...
So...for the next 5 days we will be going through a bit of a "Cleaning Up!"
Breakfast -
Cleanse Smoothies - spinach, 1/2 grapefruit, 1 beet, 1/4 cup tart cherry juice, dash of turmeric, handful frozen blueberries
Kids - Greek Yogurt, Sausage Egg Mushroom Frittata, fruit
Lunch -
The Lunch Salad, more greens, less protein/fats and no dried fruit
Raw Broccoli Salad
Raw Green Bean Salad
Kids - turkey, ham, cheese, fruit, trail mix, granola bars
Dinner
Grilled Chicken & Sauteed Zucchini, Squash, Onion, Mushroom, Colorful Peppers
Red Bell Pepper Stuffed with Shredded Pork topped with Enchilada Sauce
Seared Tuna w/ Balsamic Glaze over Wasabi Cauliflower Mash
Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Roasted Red Peppers & Spinach w/ Veggie Sauté
Coconut Dusted Shrimp w/ Oven Zucchini Stix & Sweet Potato Stix w/ Wasabi Dip
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Mama's Green Chili Chicken Rollups
I have always said, if I had to choose 1 non-Paleo item to get a pass on, it would be tortillas. I LOVE Mexican food, all of it. I could practically live on salsa and anything I can put it on. Cilantro is my favorite spice, I love onions and garlic and peppers...there's nothing I dislike about Mexican food, except for when it's bad, lol. This is a fantastic way to get around using tortillas; however, I included them this time as an option and because I only had 2 left in the package, and they needed using!
My father-in-law grows tomatoes in the Summer and he had a great thing going this past Summer! He had tons of fabulous tomatoes all Summer! He replanted in August and he harvested a good many green ones last week, just before our first freeze. I had 3 of those left and thought this would be a great way to use those! You can always use tomatillos if you can find green tomatoes!
What you need...
2 chicken breasts, sliced open and pounded (more on this)
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic
1 jalapeño or serrano pepper
3 green tomatoes
1/4 tsp cumin
small handful cilantro
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 Anaheim peppers
4 oz. pepper jack cheese
1/4 shredded cheese
Preheat oven to broil and place Anaheim (large peppers) on top rack in the oven and roast them, turning every couple of minutes until they are blackened on all sides. Remove them from the oven and place under a bowl to steam. Remove skin gently open on one side and remove seeds. Place cheese in the middle and roll up, set aside.
In a small pot, add tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, onion, jalapeño, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, turn down to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and add to a blender with the cumin. Puree and set aside.
Lay out plastic wrap to cover your counter surface. Place chicken breast on plastic wrap and slice a pocket in the side so that you can open the breast up (like a book). Slice a few shallow slits in the meat, so that when you pound it out it can spread further (see pics). Cover breast with another pieces of plastic wrap and pound gently with a meat mallet (I use the side so that it doesn't pierce the plastic wrap). You want the chicken to be thin and large enough to wrap around the pepper.
Preheat oven to 350F. Lay out the chicken, place cheese wrapped pepper in the center and roll it up. Secure with a tortilla and place seam down into a lightly sprayed baking dish. Smother with green chili sauce, top with cilantro and shredded cheese. Bake covered at 350F for 30 minutes or until bubbly, finish uncovered for 5 minutes.
Note: Tortillas can be omitted. Secure chicken roll-up with toothpick if necessary!
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| What you need... |
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| Roast Anaheim Peppers under broiler, turning until blackened, then steam under a bowl. |
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| Remove skin, carefully open, remove seeds and place cheese in the center, roll up. |
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| Set aside. |
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| In a small pot, place tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeño pepper, vinegar, cover with water and bring to a boil. Turn to low and simmer for about 15 minutes. |
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| Drain and puree with cumin to make sauce. |
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| Cover surface with plastic wrap. |
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| Cut a pocket in the side of the breast and cut a few shallow slits to help the meat open wider when pounded. |
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| Cover with a second piece of plastic and gently pound the breast under it's thinned out to about 1/2" thickness all the way through. |
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| Place pepper in the center and roll up. (I used a gluten free tortilla to hold these together but you can omit that! Secure with a toothpick if necessary). |
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| Place seam down in a lightly sprayed baking dish. |
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| Green Chili Sauce |
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| Smother with sauce.... |
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| Top with cilantro and shredded cheese. |
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| Bake covered at 350F for 30 minutes until bubbly, finish uncovered for 5 minutes and serve! Great with guacamole and greek yogurt....or alone! |
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Brie & Fig Cups
SIMPLE. Lovely and make a nice passed appetizer!
What you need...
fillo shell cups (frozen pastry section)
brie cheese, cut into little squares
fig preserves, or any flavor you like
sliced almonds
Bake at 350F for 10 minutes and serve!
What you need...
fillo shell cups (frozen pastry section)
brie cheese, cut into little squares
fig preserves, or any flavor you like
sliced almonds
Bake at 350F for 10 minutes and serve!
Pecan Pie Pound Cake w/ Crispy Brown Sugar Glaze (Disclaimer - this is NOT gluten free or anything free)
This one of from my Love, Mom days when I used to bake for people. This year my Mom asked me to bring dessert, she always does haha...so this is what I chose! Forgive me for such a full sugar, flour and butter recipe...but it's a good one, and it's Thanksgiving!
I don't mind sharing since I don't usually sell the treats anymore! So if there is something that I have baked for you in the past and you want the recipe...let me know and if I actually know what it is, I will give it up! If not, I will try my best to write it for you! I pretty much always use the same basic sour cream pound cake recipe and tweak it. I have been known to do an Egg Nog version, Almond, Lemon, Brown Sugar. And you can always use regular 8" pan and make it as a layer cake with your favorite buttercream filling, just adjust your baking time! Always pull as soon as a toothpick comes out clean! This one is delicious in layers with a caramel filling, but this version is easier! Enjoy!
What you need...
Cake
2 sticks butter, softened
3 cups plain sugar
1 cup sour cream
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
6 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup pecan pieces
Preheat oven to 350F, convection bake if you have it! You might need to lower your oven racks, this cake is BIG!
First make the crumb filling, set aside. Next, grease and flour your bundt pan (or pans). I spray then add about 1/4 cup flour and bump the edge of the pan with my hand, turning until everything is coated well - don't forget the center! Don't skip this step! I have ruined cakes in the past for not doing it! It was SAD!!!
Once the pan is floured, add 1/2 the pecan pieces shaking around to evenly spread them out, then add a few scoops of the crumb to make a light even layer. Now your pan is ready!
To the bowl of your mixer add the butter and turn to low/medium. Slowly pour in sugar and allow to mix for about 1 minute until light and fluffy. Add four cream and mix. I like to put all my eggs into a pourable measuring cup for easy addition! Once you are ready, add in a little flour, alternating with 1 egg, then flour, egg, etc. ending with flour. When you add the egg, allow the egg yolk to be broken and mixed in before adding flour. Once all the four is in and mixed, add in the vanilla.
Add 1/2 of the batter to the pan, then add the remaining pecan and crumb in a layer. Finish by adding the rest of the batter. Bake in the center of the oven for about 1 1/2 hours or until a wooden skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before turning out of the pan. GENTLY invert onto a rack and cool until you are able to transfer to a cake plate or platter. Mix glaze and drizzle over.
Crumb Filling
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 stick butter
1 cup flour
Add everything to a small bowl, stir to combine, mashing until it becomes well incorporated but crumbly. Set aside.
Glaze
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tablespoon water
Mix well. Drizzle over cake, allow to crisp.
I don't mind sharing since I don't usually sell the treats anymore! So if there is something that I have baked for you in the past and you want the recipe...let me know and if I actually know what it is, I will give it up! If not, I will try my best to write it for you! I pretty much always use the same basic sour cream pound cake recipe and tweak it. I have been known to do an Egg Nog version, Almond, Lemon, Brown Sugar. And you can always use regular 8" pan and make it as a layer cake with your favorite buttercream filling, just adjust your baking time! Always pull as soon as a toothpick comes out clean! This one is delicious in layers with a caramel filling, but this version is easier! Enjoy!
What you need...
Cake
2 sticks butter, softened
3 cups plain sugar
1 cup sour cream
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
6 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup pecan pieces
Preheat oven to 350F, convection bake if you have it! You might need to lower your oven racks, this cake is BIG!
First make the crumb filling, set aside. Next, grease and flour your bundt pan (or pans). I spray then add about 1/4 cup flour and bump the edge of the pan with my hand, turning until everything is coated well - don't forget the center! Don't skip this step! I have ruined cakes in the past for not doing it! It was SAD!!!
Once the pan is floured, add 1/2 the pecan pieces shaking around to evenly spread them out, then add a few scoops of the crumb to make a light even layer. Now your pan is ready!
To the bowl of your mixer add the butter and turn to low/medium. Slowly pour in sugar and allow to mix for about 1 minute until light and fluffy. Add four cream and mix. I like to put all my eggs into a pourable measuring cup for easy addition! Once you are ready, add in a little flour, alternating with 1 egg, then flour, egg, etc. ending with flour. When you add the egg, allow the egg yolk to be broken and mixed in before adding flour. Once all the four is in and mixed, add in the vanilla.
Add 1/2 of the batter to the pan, then add the remaining pecan and crumb in a layer. Finish by adding the rest of the batter. Bake in the center of the oven for about 1 1/2 hours or until a wooden skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before turning out of the pan. GENTLY invert onto a rack and cool until you are able to transfer to a cake plate or platter. Mix glaze and drizzle over.
Crumb Filling
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 stick butter
1 cup flour
Add everything to a small bowl, stir to combine, mashing until it becomes well incorporated but crumbly. Set aside.
Glaze
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tablespoon water
Mix well. Drizzle over cake, allow to crisp.
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| Crumb, mashed until combined and crumbly. |
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| Crumb, ready for action! |
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| Combine flour, baking powder, salt and set aside. |
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| Grease and flour the pan. I bump the side with my hand, turning until everything is coated, don't forget the center! |
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| Add 1/4 cup pecans in the bottom. |
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| Top with a few spoonfuls of crumb. |
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| Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. |
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| About 1 minute. |
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| Mix in the sour cream. |
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| Add the eggs and flour mixture, alternating. Add only 1 egg at a time, then when the yolk breaks apart, add some of the flour mixture, repeat until you use it all, ending with flour. Add vanilla. |
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| Pour half of batter over crumb. |
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| Add the rest of the pecans... |
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| and crumb... |
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| finish with the rest of the batter...and bake! |
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| It is ready when a wooden skewer comes out clean! (1 1/2 hours for this one) |
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| Allow to cool 10 minutes before GENTLY turning out onto a cooling rack. The best way to do this is to place the cooling rack on top of the cake, then hold the cake with one hand and the rack with the other and quickly invert, then gently sake and knock on the pan until the cake comes loose. |
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| Move to a serving platter and drizzle glaze! |
Back Pocket Cookies
I call these "My Back Pocket Cookies" because they are one of the best tricks I know of! Please forgive me for teaching this to you, if you don't know about cake box cookies and how EASY they are to make and to alter into something exceptional! The recipe is very basic, but you can add anything your heart desires to customize these! My sister-in-law loves the vanilla mix with crushed up Oreo cookies and a splash of heavy cream so they are likes cookies and cream ice cream! I like the french vanilla with brown sugar and cinnamon or the lemon mix with lime zest and juice topped with green sanding sugar (margarita)! But the awesome thing is, you can't really mess them up and they are SUPER CHEWY!
These are fabulous to whip up and keep in the freezer just in case you have someone coming by, have a playdate, or need a get well gift! But, the kids love it when I put 1 spoonful of ice cream between 2 of them, smash and freeze. Then you have homemade ice cream sandwiches at the ready for a reward or on a sick day!
The Basic
1 box of cake mix, any flavor
2 eggs
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla (I always add the vanilla, even with chocolate mixes)
These I used...
1 box Devil's Food
2 eggs
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350F. Mix everything except chips together until completely combined. Stir in chips. Use a tablespoon to drop a dozen cookies on a parchment lined (or sprayed) cookie sheet. Bake for exactly 10 minutes! Pull and cool!
Seriously, could that be any easier???
These are fabulous to whip up and keep in the freezer just in case you have someone coming by, have a playdate, or need a get well gift! But, the kids love it when I put 1 spoonful of ice cream between 2 of them, smash and freeze. Then you have homemade ice cream sandwiches at the ready for a reward or on a sick day!
The Basic
1 box of cake mix, any flavor
2 eggs
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla (I always add the vanilla, even with chocolate mixes)
These I used...
1 box Devil's Food
2 eggs
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350F. Mix everything except chips together until completely combined. Stir in chips. Use a tablespoon to drop a dozen cookies on a parchment lined (or sprayed) cookie sheet. Bake for exactly 10 minutes! Pull and cool!
Seriously, could that be any easier???
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