Showing posts with label Eating. Show all posts

Does anyone else remember when "sweet potato toast" was all the rage or was I the only one who got sucked into that trend? And is still riding the wave? I just love a sweet potato. Back when I was hard core paleo I truly believed a sweet potato could replace bread (false) and really any other processed carb (also false).  Anyway here I am, the last person on earth still making "sweet potato toast" recipes aka slicing up sweet potatoes and putting stuff on them.

Servings: 2
Total time: 25 mins
Ingredients:

  • .5 lb lean ground turkey 
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder (I use Trader Joe's Chili Lime powder)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • pepper
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • .5 red onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, pressed
  • 3 TBS of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo (Chiles in Adobo work too - this is a canned food in the International Foods aisle usually)
  • 2 handfuls of your favorite greens (I use the Power Greens from Whole Foods but spinach or kale or really anything works here, just trying to sneak in veggies where I can)
  • 1 sweet potato (I recommend finding the most tubular and symmetrical sweet potato you can at the store), sliced length-wise into half inch thick pieces (I recommend a v. sharp knife or a mandolin for this task) 
  • 2 TBS olive oil


For toppings:

  • 1/2 avocado, diced
  • 4 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
  • Plain Greek Yogurt (I use this as a sub for sour cream) 
  • Chopped cilantro

Pull It Together:
Step 1: Coat a medium sized frying pan with oil and heat it up over medium. Once your oil is hot, add in the turkey and top with the seasonings + salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, breaking up the meat as it cooks.
Step 2: Once the meat is partway cooked, add in the bell pepper, onion, garlic, chipotle peppers (get plenty of that Adobo sauce in there!), and greens. Stir to mix and continue to heat for another 3-5 minutes or until the meat is cooked all the way through and the greens are wilted.
Step 3: While the meat mixture is cooking, coat the sweet potato slices with oil and season with salt and pepper. Store on a plate.
Step 4: If you have an air fryer, put your potato slices (one layer - no overlapping) in the basket and heat at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, flip and cook another 2-3 minutes (as long as they aren't overcooked- this really depends on how thick your slices are). If you don't have an air fryer no fear! You can roast these in the oven at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Step 5: Top your sweet potato toasts with the meat mixture and the toppings listed above. **Note: these make great leftovers! Just pop the sweet potato slices into your air fryer for a few mins or your toaster and reheat the meat mixture. If you're planning to use some as leftovers, I would keep the meat mixture, toppings, and sweet potato slices separated for the leftover portion,



weeknight dinner: easy taco sweet potato toast

Wednesday, May 27, 2020


This recipe consists of nothing but the ingredients listed in the title of this post.. it's pretty straightforward. We are trying to use up some of the quarantine pasta that Harrison hoarded before all this started, and I was shocked at his enthusiasm for angel hair pasta - I truly thought he purchased it because it must have been the last non-perishable on grocery shelves. I'm no connoisseur but isn't that actually the last pasta anyone would choose for literally anything? Harrison couldn't believe I was so thrown by his choice and tried to convince me that I'm the only one who would choose bucatini as my sole food if I was stranded on a desert island, but I felt validated at Whole Foods this weekend strolling down the pasta aisle to find it completely picked over minus a few boxes of angel hair. Looks like even in desperate times the rest of the world leaves behind the angel hair.

Anyway. Here's the recipe: 

Servings: 2 
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:

For the pasta
  • 8 oz pasta (half a box) of your choice. As you know I would choose bucatini and Harrison would choose angel hair. It works either way.
  • 4 oz fresh mozzarella (this really depends on how much cheese you want, do what feels right), cubed into little half inch cubes
  • 8 oz grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 handful of fresh basil, chopped
  • 2 TBS Olive Oil
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • Parmesan cheese to taste
For the meatballs

  • .5 lb ground pork (or ground beef/turkey works too)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 TBS Italian Seasoning
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper

Pull it together

  • Step 1: Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package
  • Step 2: While the pasta cooks, combine the meat, egg and seasonings in a medium sized bowl.
  • Step 3: Form the meat into balls (2-3" around) and place onto a plate.
  • Step 4: Heat 1 TBS Olive Oil in a medium size frying pan.
  • Step 5: Add the meatballs to the pan, cover, and cook for about 10 mins turning occasionally (or until cooked all the way through - depends on the meat you're using)
  • Step 6: Once your pasta is cooked/drained, toss with remaining olive oil, mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper. Top with parmesan, and serve with the meatballs.

Hot Tips:

  • If saving the second serving for leftovers, I recommend keeping the ingredients separate so you can reheat the pasta and meatballs tomorrow and then add on the TMB because those things are better cold. Unless you're into cold pasta - no judgement here because sometimes in desperate times I eat bucatini with just olive oil and salt. (If you never worked in a restaurant and had to take hundreds of orders for tomato mozzarella basil sandwiches - TMB is insider shorthand for Tomato Mozzarella Basil 😎) 
  • Highly recommend drinking wine with this dish. Any wine.  

weeknight dinners: tomato, mozarella, basil pasta with meatballs

Tuesday, May 12, 2020



This is a go-to meal on busy nights. Super fast and easy, no prep required, minimal clean up afterwards, and can double the recipe for lunch/dinner the next day. Also, I swear by seasoning my salmon with EVOO + Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel seasoning and have not gotten tired of it.

Servings: 1
Total Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:

  • 4 oz salmon (thawing directions below)
  • 1 TBS olive oil
  • 1-2 TBS Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel Seasoning (or a seasoning you prefer)
  • 8 oz frozen cauliflower rice (approximately half a bag from TJ's or Whole Foods. I usually cook the whole bag and throw the leftovers into something else later in the week) 
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 1/2 large cucumber
  • Soy sauce (use coconut aminos if Whole 30) to taste
  • Sriracha to taste

Pull it together
  • Step 1: Slather the salmon in olive oil and then cover the salmon (all sides) with the Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel Seasoning. Set the salmon on an oven safe cooking sheet (I cover the baking sheet with foil to minimize dishes to wash after).
  • Step 2:  Turn your oven on broil and stick the salmon in on the top rack for 6 - 8 minutes depending on how intense your oven is and how pink you like your salmon (you can pull it out and check it at 6 mins to make a decision).
  • Step 3:  While the salmon broils, heat 1 tsp oil of your choice (I use Sesame Oil for this part) in a frying pan. Toss the cauliflower rice + salt and pepper into the pan and cook over medium heat for ~5 mins, stirring occasionally.
  • Step 4:  While everything else is cooking, dice the avocado and cucumber.
  • Step 5:  Scoop cauliflower rice into a bowl and top with salmon, cucumber and avocado. Add soy sauce/coconut aminos + sriracha to taste.  

Hot tips:
  • Thawing salmon: If your salmon is frozen keep it in its wrap, put it in a bowl, and run water over it for awhile until it thaws. Make sure it's not hot water because that will start cooking the salmon.
  • Buying salmon: I buy fresh salmon at Costco and slice it up into single servings when I get it home. I wrap each one in saran wrap, put in a freezer bag or my Jill & Joey Reusable Freezer Bags and freeze until I'm ready to use them. Saves a lot of $$ this way.

weeknight dinners: salmon "sushi" bowl (paleo, whole 30)

Wednesday, April 29, 2020


This is not the prettiest meal I've made but it is a 4.999 star meal. Even Harrison, who is the v. particular, gave this a full 5 stars. And it's really easy to pull together (tbh the hardest part of this meal is getting your hands on the gnocchi at Trader Joe's).

Servings: 3
Total Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:

  • Trader Joe's Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage & Butter (picture of the bag below)
  • 4 Italian style chicken sausages (TJ's has lots of options, I like the hot Italian) 
  • 2 cups fresh spinach
Pull it together:
  • Slice your sausages into 1/2 inch discs
  • Chop up the spinach (personal preference)
  • Put your frozen gnocchi in a frying pan with 2 TBS water. Cover and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally
  • After 3 minutes add in the sausage and cook with the gnocchi and sausage uncovered for 3-5 minutes, stirring occassionally
    • Note: if your sausage is not pre-cooked (the label on the package will say "pre-cooked" of it is), start cooking your sausage in a pan over medium heat while the gnocchi is cooking. Most TJ's chicken sausages are pre-cooked.
  •  In the last minute add in the spinach and stir to combine.
Because the butter + sage has so much flavor, the only thing I add in is red pepper flakes at the end.

The gnocchi and sausage I use:



weeknight dinners: Trader Joe's Sweet Potato Gnocchi w/Sage & Butter + sausage + veggies

Thursday, April 23, 2020

I only very recently returned to eating wings again after a hiatus due to working at a (disgusting) wing joint in college that left my hair smelling like fried wings for days and me deeply scarred from watching health code violation wings made in a kitchen cleaned by drunk college kids at the end of a night (note: this joint has since been closed for, you guessed it, health code violations!). My return to the world of wings was actually not by choice, it was that wings were the last chicken left at Costco in the beginning of COVID panic, and so began my journey back to eating (sanitary) wings.

This recipe is super easy, takes about 25 minutes total (less than 10 mins of real work and that's what matters).

Servings: 2
Total Time: 25 mins
Ingredients:

  • 1 lb of chicken wings, thawed
  • 1 TBS vegetable oil (this has a higher smoke point so helps the wings come out crispy - you can really use whatever oil you want)
  • 1 TBS of baking powder (NOT baking soda! The baking powder gives the wings a nice lil crust) 
  • 1 TBS Seasoning of your choice (if DIYing it I like a combo of paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, and garlic powder)
Pull it together:
  • Step 1: Throw all the ingredients together (I put them in a ziplock bag) 
  • Step 2: Mix everything together until the wings are evenly coated (I shake the ziplock bag until everything is mixed. Classic Shake n Bake - PS did someone actually make money marketing a product as a "Shake N Bake" and was it anything more than a plastic bag???) 
  • Step 3: Spread out the wings on the air fryer - make sure they're not touching each other! I have an extra rack I can add into mine so I cook them in 2 layers.
  • Step 4: Set the air fryer to 400 degrees for 15 minutes, shaking halfway through. (Note: I check mine at 15 and sometimes give it another shake and let them fry another few minutes until they are to my desired crisp).
Leftovers: reheat in the air fryer the next day on 400 for 5 minutes and they're good as new.

Hot Tips:
  • I buy all my chicken organic at Costco and freeze it. This is the most budget-friendly way I've found to do chicken and Netflix told me Costco meat is reliable. 
  • To thaw it, put your chicken (in its bag) in a room temperature bowl of water for 1ish hour.
  • If I don't cook all the chicken I thawed (solo eating nights), I wrap the remaining raw chicken in plastic wrap, then put it in a freezer bag with ALL the air squeezed out and re-freeze it.
  • NO SAUCE IN THE AIR FRYER!!! Speaking from experience, this will smell bad for a long time and take a very very long time to clean up. I haven't tried saucy wings, will report back.
  • There is only one rule with wings: do.not.leave.meat.behind. I am personally offended by the amount of meat people leave on chicken bones (yes, this is something I had to overcome working at a wing joint and yes I'm judging you).
  • I don't know how legit or sanitary any of this is so do it at your own risk. I CAN confirm this is more sanitary than the way my college joint stored meat so there's that.


And that's it! I don't even dip these in sauce, they are so flavorful and crispy on their own. My favorite side dish for wings is arugula + roasted broccoli tossed in an EVOO drizzle + lemon juice squeeze + salt and pepper.

weeknight dinners: easy air fryer wings

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

This is one of my favorites and comes together in about 15 minutes. I usually make two servings of this so I can lunch on it the next day, the noodles keep in the fridge fine from dinner time to lunch time.



Salmon Soba Bowls
Servings: 1
Total Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
  • 4 oz. salmon (see below for thawing instructions)
  • 2 tsp olive oil 
  • 1 TBS Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel seasoning (or a good sesame substitute)
  • 1 band of Soba noodles
  • 2 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 cup of green beans or broccoli or veg of your choice
  • 2 TBS Soy sauce or coconut aminos
  • Green onions, sliced (like one stem-ish of them - I don't know how measuring works for these)
  • Sriracha (to taste)
  • 1 cup fresh spinach or kale or green beans (whatever veggie you can sneak in)
    • If you want to add in some more veggies, carrots and celery taste great in this too. Not mandatory.

Pull it together:
  • Step 1: Cook the Soba noodles according the package instructions
  • Step 2: While the noodles are cooking, slather the salmon in olive oil and then cover the salmon (all sides) with the Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel Seasoning. Set the salmon on an oven safe cooking sheet (I cover the baking sheet with foil to minimize dishes to wash after).
  • Step 3: Turn your oven on broil and stick the salmon in on the top rack for 6 - 8 minutes depending on how intense your oven is and how pink you like your salmon (you can pull it out and check it at 6 mins to make a decision).
  • Step 4: Slice up your green onions
  • Step 5: Mince your garlic
  • Step 6: Saute your veggie of choice on the stove (for broccoli- toss in olive oil, season with salt & pepper, and cook over medium heat for about 5 mins. Green beans a little less cook time)
  • Step 7: Throw your finished Soba noodles into a frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, half the onions, soy sauce, sauteed veggie of choice, and some sriracha and mix together for 3 minutes.
  • Step 8: Transfer the noodle combo to a plate or bowl and add your finished salmon. Garnish with the rest of green onions.

Hot tips:
  • This is a weekly meal in my house. I rotate the veggies I use to spice things up a bit. Really anything goes.
  • Thawing salmon: If your salmon is frozen keep it in its wrap, put it in a bowl, and run water over it for awhile until it thaws. Make sure it's not hot water because that will start cooking the salmon.
  • Buying salmon: I buy fresh salmon at Costco and slice it up into single servings when I get it home. I wrap each one in saran wrap, put in a freezer bag or my Jill & Joey Reusable Freezer Bags and freeze until I'm ready to use them. Saves a lot of $$ this way.

Stuff I use:

Weeknight Dinners: 15 Minute Salmon Soba Bowls

Thursday, April 9, 2020



As I mentioned earlier, I am dabbling in the world of pasta for the first time in my life - and yes, I have gone almost 30 years without ever cooking or enjoying pasta (every time I mention this people act like I'm saying I murdered someone) so there's a bit of a learning curve here. Not posted: pasta fails from last week  /:


This one was too easy, we both liked it, and we had leftovers for days. I never considered cooking with fresh ginger until I tried out Blue Apron (for a week) and now I want to add it to everything! I love the flavor the ginger adds! What else can I cook with ginger? Suggestions please!

Servings: 4
Cook Time: 20 mins
Prep Time: 5 mins



Ingredients
  • 6 oz organic pasta, rice noodles, or squoodles (whatever you prefer, I used the organic pasta from Wal-Mart) $2
  • 1 container Trader Joe's Asian Stir Fry Veggies ($4)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced 
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 handful cashews, chopped ($.50)
  • 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (Paleo DIY)
  • Lime juice of 1/2 lime 
  • 2 teaspoon olive oil/coconut oil/cooking fat of choice
  • Salt & pepper

Cook the pasta. While pasta is cooking, coat a large frying pan with olive oil or cooking fat of your choice and heat. Add in the vegetables and garlic, season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add in the ginger and cashews and cook another 3-5 minutes.

Once the pasta is ready add it to the pan. Add the soy sauce and lime juice and continue to cook over medium heat, covered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Annnd that's it!

Meatless Monday Ginger Soy Veggie Stir Fry

Monday, February 15, 2016

A little over a year ago I ventured into the land of Green Smoothies and failed miserably, learned from those lessons,

Veggie Packed Green Smoothies That Taste so Good I Have One Every Morning

Monday, February 8, 2016



Happy Monday! I'm super spoiled because I had a 3 day work week last week (thanks #Snowzilla) and have a 3 day work week AGAIN because I'm peacing out of this winter wonderland for a wedding in Scottsdale, AZ (send any recs my way please)! Cannot WAIT!

This recipe was a classic Pinterest mix-up gone REAL good. I was attempting this recipe, but somehow I left Wal-Mart with an unexcpected bag of hair dye, nail polish and scented candles and left out 30% of my grocery list. Wal-Mart. Always.

Anyway this was originally going to be Pad Thai but I don't know what to call this - Pad Thai-ish? Asiany Pasta?

Servings: 5
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:
  • 8 oz Rice Noodles (I find them in the Asian aisle and/or gluten-free aisle) ($1.50)
  • 1 lb cage free chicken tenders, cubed ($3)
  • 1/2 Red Onion, diced ($.50)
  • 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1/2 Cup Carrots, peeled and diced ($.50)
  • 1/2 Cup Celery, chopped ($1)
  • 1/2 Cup Mushrooms, sliced ($1)
  • 1/2 Cup Cashews, chopped (1)
  • 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce* - DIY recipe
  • 2 Tablespoons Honey*
  • 1-2 Tablespoons Sriracha*
  • 2 teaspoons Sea Salt*
  • 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil/Coconut Oil/Bacon Grease/cooking fat of your choice

*I added more to my personal dish because I like my food saucier, Harrison likes his food less saucey. Go as crazy as you want with the sauce!

For garnish:

  • Chopped Fresh Cilantro
  • Sliced Vidalia Onion 

Cook the rice noodles according to package directions. While the pasta cooks coat a large frying pan with olive oil/cooking fat of choice. Season the cubed chicken with salt and pepper (don't be shy!) and cook in the coated frying pan over medium heat until cooked through (5-10 mins).

Remove the cooked chicken and add more oil to the pan if necessary. Put the onion and garlic in the pan and saute about 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring a lot to make sure nothing sticks to the pan. Next add the carrots and celery and season with salt and pepper (I use about 1 teaspoon of each) and cook another 5 minutes.

Throw in the mushrooms and cashews (and maybe a little more salt and pepper) and continue to cook and mix for another 5 minutes.  

Now add in the chicken and cooked pasta and mix together well (heat is still on). Add the honey, sriracha and soy sauce and mix in well. Cook it all together for another few minutes.

Scoop it into bowls, garnish with cilantro and vidalia onions and enjoy!








My fav kitchen tools for this meal:

Clean Eating One Pot Honey Sriracha Pasta

Monday, February 1, 2016

Current Status:



Not leaving the house in the foreseeable future because that is my car.

1 crockpot of mulled wine cooking itself.

3 episodes into Man in the High Tower (still on the fence re: if I'll finish the series).

2 bottles of champagne consumed.

1 bottle of sparkling wine consumed (thankyouthankyou, Club W for coming through just in time for Blizzardzilla/Jonas/whatever this is called).

1 Large Frozen Pizza Consumed

Half a dozen eggs, one pack of bacon, and half a box of pancakes down.

1 instance of laughing so hard I peed my pants a little (signs of a GREAT day and/or too much booze)

24 hours of dogs refusing to poop because they are terrified of the snow (beware of those big scary pitbulls!)


LOLOLOL You expect me to do what in that mess outside?

Power: still on (praise!)

Fiesta Chili prepped and ready to eat.



 Fiesta Chili

  • 1 lb Grass Fed Ground Beef, seasoned and cooked on the stovetop ($3.50)
  • 1 Large Red Onion, chopped ($.50)
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped ($1)
  • 4 Cloves Garlic, minced ($.25)
  • 1 Can Black Beans ($.88) - I dump the whole can in my chili. Some people prefer to drain but I don't.
  • 2 cans Rotel Tomatoes ($3)
  • 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste ($.50)
  • 1 lime of lime juice ($1)
  • 1 bunch cilantro, chopped and halved ($2)
  • 2 Tablespoons Paprika
  • 2 Tablespoons Cumin
  • 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
  • 1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes
  • Sea Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Green onions, chopped

Combine all the ingredients except half of the cilantro bunch in the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours.

Garnish with green onion and cilantro. Eat all snow day.

Hope everyone is staying safe and warm through Blizzardgeddonzillajonas!
Kitchen tools I used for this:



Easy Snow Day Crockpot Fiesta Chili

Saturday, January 23, 2016

I meant to share this one a few months ago but, alas life happens and you find posts from October saved in drafts whoopsies! This is one of my favorite meals - not quite paleo thanks to the buns but meh it's healthy. I mean look at all this goodness!!



Servings: 4 sausages (Interpret this how you want - this is approximately 2 servings in my household - 3 sausages for Harrison and one for me)
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients for sausage & peppers (pronounced swausage and peppahs):

  • 1 pack of chicken sausages (I get mine from Trader Joe's for $6/pack. They also have a good selection at Wal-Mart and I'm sure anywhere else. Just check the ingredients- I make sure I recognize all the ingredients)
  • 3 medium bell peppers, sliced ($2)
  • 1 large red onion, sliced ($1)
  • 1 teaspoon salt 
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil of choice
  • (optional) Buns: 100% Whole Wheat buns from Trader Joe's $3.99



Ingredients for the slaw
  • 1 head of red cabbage, sliced ($2) or a bag of sliced cabbage/slaw
  • 2 carrots, chopped tiny ($1)
  • 3 sticks celery, chopped tiny ($1)
  • 1/4 Cup Honey
  • 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1/4 Cup Dijon Mustard
  • 1/4 Cup Olive Oil 
  • Salt & pepper to taste
Cook the sausages according to the package directions. While sausages are cooking, season the onions and peppers with salt and pepper and saute in the olive oil over medium heat for about 8-10 mins or until the onions are translucent.

In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, carrots and celery. In a medium bowl, mix together the honey, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper and whisk until it's all mixed up.

Toss the vegetables with the dressing mixture and salt and pepper. Add salt and pepper as needed. Enjoy! 









Clean Sausage & Slaw Oktoberfest Style

Thursday, January 14, 2016

I'm only talking about Blue Apron because this Blue Apron subscription is the reason I had parsley and decided to make these sliders which turned into meatballs which were delicious.

Ok so everyone loves Blue Apron. I hear about it everywhere, I read about it everywhere, it is apparently the best thing ever. Do you know what, to me who has a weekly goal of feeding 2 people all organic whole foods on $75/week, is NOT the best thing ever? Paying $10 per meal per person. The other thing, to me who fast forwards through YouTube tutorials to just see the first and middle step because I am confident I can figure it out from there, that is not awesome is following intense directions. So here I am, the only person in the whole world who canceled their Blue Apron subscription. 

I do however think it's worth a try for 2 weeks - I DID have some great meals that inspired me to try new things this winter (recipes to come!). I also learned something from them - add lots of salt and lemon juice to everything and it will taste better! Did I miss that in cooking 101?

Anyway, all that to say I'm horrible at following directions (is that why I never enjoyed school?) and somehow ended up with a random assortment of leftover ingredients from my Blue Apron meals including: 4 cloves of garlic, 1 small onion, 1 tiny baggie of parsley, a bunch of green onions, and a purple potato. So while my chili cooked in the crockpot with 2/3 pack ground chicken I thought what they hey, let's throw a few things together and see what happens!



Servings: 5 Meatballs
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 lb ground chicken ($2)
  • 2 stems (is that what you call it? but you know what I mean right? like 2 stalks maybe?) vidalia onions chopped  ($.50)
  • 1/4 Cup fresh parsley, chopped ($.50)
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon ($.50)
  • 3 Tablespoons crumbled Feta ($1)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • Black pepper to taste
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced 
  • 1 egg
  • Optional seasonings: marjoram, basil, dill
Preheat the oven to 400. Mix all the ingredients together except for the Feta. Spoon about 1/5 of the mixture onto a separate plate and flatten it out. Sprinkle some of the Feta into the center of your flat meat stuff. Now pull all the edges up around the Feta and pinch them together until the Feta is completely wrapped up. I rolled mine around in my hands to get the round shape too.

Repeat this with the rest of the meat mixture and place your meatballs onto a baking sheet. Cook for 20-30 minutes, or until cooked all the way through. 

I just ate mine plain. I ate them quickly, hence the reason I only have pictures of one cooked meatball.

What is your favorite spin on meatballs?


Clean Eating Greek Stuffed Meatballs + The Time I tried Blue Apron

Monday, October 19, 2015

Oh hey! I went MIA for awhile... did a little soul searching, a little WTF am I doing with my life and when did I become someone with a blog who spends time blogging?? and a lot of eating non-blog-worthy food and doing a lot of non-blogworthy things (like work) and a lot of sleeping. But I'm back, and back on track (maybe?) and glad to be using this outlet again. SO thanks for the emails, comments and messages and let's get back to it:

Anyone who graduated from a big football school usually finds themselves extremely nostalgic at this time of year. I find myself reminiscing about the tailgates, the marathon weekends with friends, crying that time the bulldogs came running out in black jerseys during our blackout game my senior year of college against Auburn (laugh all you want but anyone at that game who claims to have had dry eyes and/or dry pants is a LIAR), and my inhuman ability to binge drink from the time class ended Friday (if I made it to class) until Sunday night.

The next biggest thing I get all hot and bothered and sad about missing is the food. We had some great soul food in Athens, Georgia. My personal favorite was Weaver D's (Fun fact: REM - also from Athens - named an album Automatic for the People after Weaver D's slogan). This restaurant was literally an extension of an old couple's home, you were basically sitting in their actual kitchen when you ate the best fried chicken you've ever had in your entire life. Just look at this beauty:


Anyway, every since I started on this clean eating thing I've experimented with fried chicken and generally end up with chicken coated in soft or slimy skin. Until I found the perfect combo, and it was easier than I could have thought. 

Servings: 3
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:
  • 3 Tablespoons of the fat of your choice - I think this recipe is best with bacon grease but olive oil or coconut oil or whatevs along those lines works too.
  • 1.5 lbs chicken tenders or chicken breast sliced into 1-2" strips (I get organic/free range for $5)
  • 2 eggs, beaten ($.50)
  • 3/4 Cup ground Flax Seed (I get mine for $8/box at Trader Joe's)
  • Seasonings of your choice (I use sea salt, pepper, a little chili powder, and some Italian seasoning- weird) + sea salt and pepper
Mix up the ground flaxseed and seasonings in a bowl. Set up an assembly line on your counter in this order: plate of chicken, beaten eggs, ground flax seed mixed with seasonings, empty plate. 

Sprinkle salt and pepper onto each side of the chicken strip. Dip a strip of chicken into the eggs (get that egg all over the chicken strip!), then roll it around in the flax/seasoning mixture until it's completed coated, place on an empty plate. Repeat with all the chicken strips.


In a medium frying pan, heat the fat. Once it's all heated, throw your chicken into it the frying pan and cook about 5-8 mins on each side, or until it is completely cooked all the way through. I may or may not have burned the sh*t out of a chicken strip or two and you know what? All the crunchier. And extra Cajun, right?




Anyway, it's that easy. Sometimes I throw them on salad with some whole30 ranch, or put them on 3 ingredient paleo waffles (yes drool), or just dip them in some stone ground mustard. 

Do you have a favorite "fried" chicken recipe? What is it? Please share!





Easy 5 Ingredient Crispy Paleo Fried Chicken

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

...Annnd just like that it's fall. We spent Labor Day weekend in Charleston for a wedding and had a blast. I LOVE Charleston and it did not disappoint. This time my friend took us on the Sunset Cocktail Cruise and I seriously recommend it - it's basically a BYOB tour of Charleston by boat and we saw JUMPING DOLPHINS!

Anyway, Mexican food is my fav but unfortunately my favorite Mexican dishes include tortillas, cheese, sour cream, and did I mention cheese? This little spin on fajitas keeps it all healthy, eliminates the no-no foods, and honestly I didn't really miss the cheese and sour cream!


Servings: 2
Cook Time: 20 mins
Prep Time: 10 mins

Ingredients
  • 1.5 lbs chicken breast (I get the cage free organic for about $4/lb)
  • 2 bell peppers, sliced ($2.50)
  • 1 red onion, sliced ($1.25)
  • 1 jalapeno seeded and sliced ($1)
  • 1 avocado, sliced ($1)
  • 1 cup mushrooms, sliced ($1)
  • 10 ounces tomatoes, sliced ($3)
  • 1 bag of lettuce, chopped (I mix a bag of spinach and a bag of kale - each is $2 from Trader Joe's)
  • Juice of one lime
  • 1 tablespoon of bacon grease or cooking fat of your choice
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro
  • Optional: Salsa to top the
Slice up the chicken breast into strips and toss with the sea salt, chili powder, garlic powder and cumin. Grease a large frying pan with your cooking fat and cook the chicken strips over medium heat for about 15 minutes. When the chicken is almost done, add in the onion, peppers, jalapeno, mushrooms and lime juice and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked through.

Top the lettuce with the frying pan concoction, cilantro and avocado slices and enjoy!

What is your favorite Mexican dish?

This week's meal plan:




Paleo Chicken Fajita Salad + Paleo Meal Plan & Grocery List

Tuesday, September 8, 2015




I'm wiping my eyes as I write this post because I just finished watching Dogs on the Inside on Netflix and it gave me a REAL GOOD CRY. A good happy cry. A good, happy, very very ugly cry. Everyone needs those once in awhile right?

This recipe was an experiment gone good (I've had a few gone bad recently so it was quite a relief when this went right). And it was easy! Here it is:

Servings: 2
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients
  • 2 lbs chicken (I got the organic at Wal-Mart for $8)
  • ¾ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp basil
  • ½ cup frozen (or fresh) raspberries
  • ¼ cup water

For the marinade, I used this recipe.


Before I left for work I put the chicken in a ziploc freezer bag and scooped about 1/2 cup of the raspberry vinaigrette in and let it marinate in the fridge for the day.

That night we grilled the chicken. We ate it with salad topped with the leftover raspberry vinaigrette and it was delissshhh. If you don't have a grill (  ):  )  you can put it in the oven for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees. 

(PS note my bootie coffee mug photo bombing the chicken and salad pic)

Paleo Raspberry Chicken (I know it sounds weird but it just works)

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Since the government goes on vacation in August I get August Fridays off, and somehow Monday still comes too fast. So fast. Maybe I'm more meant for a Tuesday - Thursday kind of lifestyle? Wouldn't that be nice. Anyway we had a wedding in town this weekend and it was nice to have all of Sunday to recover meal prep, clean, watch the Wet Hot American Summer TV SHOW (!!!!) and get life together a bit. This is my meal plan for the week:




And here it is all prepped up:


So I'm a goals person. Every summer I set some basic goals and this summer goal #1 was Master Grilling Ribs. I love ribs and am picky about them to the point that I only order them at restaurants if they are recommended by someone I know and trust because I am not about waste money on some chewy meat that does not fall right off that bone. *steps off soapbox*. Welp I can check #1 off the list and here's how it worked (2 disclaimers: I had nothing to do with the completion of this. It was all Harrison. 2, the ribs are not paleo. I cannot give up Sweet Baby Ray's. I just can't, it's not an option. Same goes for the bbq seasonings I use):


Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 3 hours
Servings: 3-4
 Ingredients: 
  • 1 rack pork baby back ribs (I got mine at Trader Joe's for $12)
  • 3 Tablespoons dry rub (we used this, paleo option here)
  • 1 cup barbecue sauce (As noted above I use Sweet Baby Ray's. Paleo option here)
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Trim the membrane off the ribs. Cut up the ribs into individual pieces and cover with the rub. Place the ribs into a large baking pan (we use this for easy clean up) meat side down, cover with foil, and cook in the oven for 2.5 hours.

Remove them from the oven and drain the cooking juices into a bowl. Place the ribs all directly on the grill for 10 minutes, constantly turning them and basting them with the barbecue sauce AND the cooking juices.

After 10 minutes, put the ribs into another baking dish and put them in the oven on broil for 4-5 minutes on each side. 

Enjoy the ribs which Harrison describes as "fall off the bone-y and kind of wet but also crispy at the same time".  I served these with a broccoli salad that I adapted from my friend Amanda's recipe:

Paleo Broccoli Salad
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 0
Servings: 4


Ingredients:
  • 1 head of broccoli florets or package of broccoli florets ($3)
  • 2/3 cup Whole30 mayo (recipe here - don't let this ingredient scare you off! This takes less than 5 minutes to make!)
  • 1 handful craisins
  • 1 handful shelled sunflower seeds (optional swaps: any type of chopped nuts)
Toss all the ingredients together. That's it! So easy.

What is your favorite barbecue meal? 

Paleo Meal Plan for the Week + Ribs & Paleo Broccoli Salad

Monday, August 10, 2015

Hi, it's me Lindsay, the worst blogger ever.  My summer got taken over by happy hours, porch beers, cookouts, dog cuddles, and trips. The way a summer should be. Needless to say I've gained more than a few libbies (WHAT! I eat and drink everything in sight for months and gain weight?! Science is nuts). Every few meals I'm like today's the day I get back on track and make something healthy. Here's a recipe that is Harrison-approved and clean but not quite paleo:

Wait but first - is is PortabellA or PortabellO? I always confuse words with A's vs. O's, I spelled Puerta Rico Puerto Rica for years, as well as Costo Rico, and even though I live in DC I stay drawing out of a hat to decide if I live in the nation's capitAl or capitOl.
Servings: 3
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:
  • 6 Portabella mushroom caps ($5.00)
  • 2 oz Goat Cheese (or to taste, I got a little excessive with the goat cheese and will go for less next time) ($3.50)
  • 1 red pepper, diced ($1)
  • 1/2 red onion, diced ($1)
  • 1 tablespoon bacon grease (or your choice of cooking fat)
  • Baslamic vinegar to taste
  • (Also pictured: a very lazy salad consisting of tomatoes and arugula topped with balsamic vinegar)
Place all the mushroom caps smoothe side down, remove the stems, and sprinkle crumbled goat cheese into 3 of them (they should be kind of like bowls).

Saute the onion and pepper in bacon grease or your cooking fat of choice for about 8 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Spoon the mixture into the mushroom caps on top of the goat cheese. Drizzle with Balsamic Vinegar. Put the 3 empty caps onto the 3 full caps to make sandwiches. 

Coat the veggie frying pan with more bacon grease and heat the "sandwiches" evenly for about 3-5 minutes on each side.  

Enjoy!!

PS Found this article of what to buy and not buy at Trader Joe's. I've been trying to get my sh*t together enough to write something like this!

What's your favorite meatless Monday recipe?



Meatless Monday: Red Pepper Portabella "Burgers" with Goat Cheese

Monday, July 27, 2015

Hi! How was everyone's fourth? Mine was awesome! The park across the street from my house puts on an amazzzing bootleg fireworks show so we put on a cookout and enjoyed the show with family and friends. It was pretty much perfect, and as you can tell we 100% committed to the theme (thanks, Amazon)!






Anyway, the other day I had a killer craving for okra (weird I know, but I love okra a LOT) and there was NOT ONE PIECE OF OKRA TO BE FOUND AT TRADER JOE'S so I grabbed a pack of brussel sprouts, a pack of mushrooms, and a bag of frozen asparagus and called it a day.


Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Servings: 2 (with leftovers for lunch)

Ingredients:
  • 2 chicken breasts, sliced (I use organic/cage free so it's a little pricier at $8)
  • 8 sticks of asparagus - do we call these sticks? What is the right term? Stalks? ($3)
  • 1 pack of brussel sprouts, halved ($2.50)
  • Handful mushrooms, sliced ($1)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Garlic salt to taste
  • Sea salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste

Toss it all together, throw it in a baking dish and bake at 425 degrees for 30 mins. Minimal work, maximum healthy meal.

What is your favorite chicken dish?

Easy Paleo and Whole 30 Chicken Dinner

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

So I was super healthy and exercising a lot before the wedding, then proceeded to eat and drink everything in sight and exercise once in awhile. Enter: first weigh in since the wedding. Enter: A new 15 pounds! Enter: time to get it together.

New plan:
  • 80% paleo, 20% not (for me this breaks down to a cheat day)
  • Exercise 5x week
  • Yoga 2x week
  • Get back to running!
  • Stop eating everything in sight!
  • Booze limited to 2 nights/week (summer why do you make this so hard!)
  • Weigh in and measuring every Friday (not sharing my weight or measurements, because I am a firm believer in comparison being the thief of all joy, but I will be posting progress.)
  • Food prep Sundays (seriously this time. SERIOUSLY)
Food I'm excited to try:

BREAKFAST FOR DINNER

HI!!!!

YES!

ALL OF THESE

Anyone have good resources? New recipes? New plans? Delicious desserts that are healthy? Tips for passing up booze in the summer? ): 


Getting It TOGETHA (again)

Thursday, July 2, 2015

I had a work conference in New Orleans last week and thought I'd have all the time in the world to catch up on blog stuff, eat healthy, have some quality time for myself... not so much. Not at all actually. It was an amazing time though! It was my first time in NOLA - Harrison flew down on the last day of the conference and some of my friends from Florida came up for a few days on the town. Then we drove to Alabama to see Harrison's family and hit Grady, Montgomery and Birmingham (sadly we were just there for a minute, I was praying for some downtime to finally have a drink with my blog crush Nadine but it was non stop).

For New Orleans I highly recommend every single restaurant we stopped at in NOLA but my favorites were Charbroiled Oysters @ Drago's (I don't even do oysters), ghost tour with Free Tours by Foot, and Frenchman Street. My fav stops in Birmingham: The Purple Onion (Harrison has been talking about this restaurant since we met) and Kelly Ingram Park. Here are some highlights:


Bourbon Street!


Maison on Frenchman Street


Harrison's Grandma Pearl had this food waiting for us when we arrived to her house (no cell service, no internet, no neighbors. Quite different from DC life!)


Exploring his grandma's property - Harrison spent summers here!


Boppin around the farm



And now it's back to the real world womp.

Before I left for the conference I attempted some pho. Let me start by explaining that I once had  Vietnamese co-workers who introduced me to this incredible dish, but who also always ordered for me (in Vietnamese) and I have never been able to re-order or re-create the exact dish. It's not quite paleo (rice noodles, sorry) but it is super healthy and super super delicious. Mine was also a little heartier/less soupy than your average pho but I loooved it.



Servings: 5
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

  • 1 head broccoli, chopped into florets ($2.50)
  • 1 12 oz package of snow peas ($2.00)
  • 32 oz broth ($1.50) 
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 package pho / rice noodles (I found mine at Wal-Mart! - $2)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped ($1)
  • 1 jalapeno, sliced and seeded ($1)
  • 8 oz sliced mushrooms ($1.80) (I used a package from Wal-Mart also)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon minced onion
  • Serve with fresh basil, fresh cilantro, and sririacha sauce

Cook the noodles according to the package directions (I just put mine in a covered bowl of water and let it set for 20 mins. Too easy).

Combine the broth, water, onion, salt, garlic and broccoli in a pot and bring to a boil, then let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Serve with the basil, cilantro, hot sauce, or anything else your heart desires!

Do you like pho? Do you make your own? What is your favorite New Orleans stop?? 


That Time I ate my way through New Orleans and Alabama + Clean, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Vegetarian Pho

Monday, June 29, 2015

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