Sweet Potato Hash with Chicken Sausage and Spinach

Tags

apple, chicken, clean, eat clean, healthy, onion, recipes, sausage, spinach, sweet potato

I was inspired by a photo of roasted sweet potatoes on my facebook feed to create dinner for Brent and myself. It was a little off the beaten path since our dinners lately consist of a grilled protein and lots of greens. This was different in every way for us and has instantly become a favorite. It’s easy to make. Healthy. And only soils ONE pan!

This sweet potato hash has everything good in it. Onions. Apples. Sausage. And spinach. Don’t let the apples fool you as they cook with the onions- they take on the delicious flavors that they are surrounded by! I cannot wait to make it again and modify it for lighter days!

Serves 4 or 2 big portions

Ingredients

2-3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 lb of chicken sausage (Italian style), sliced

1 medium red onion, diced

1 apple (pink lady preferred), cored and chopped

1 5oz package of fresh baby spinach

Salt

Pepper

Olive oil

Method

Steam the diced potatoes for 8-10 minutes to soften. While they are steaming, sauté chicken sausage in 1 Tbsp of olive oil until browned- about 8 minutes over medium heat. Set chicken sausage aside. Add onions and apples and allow to cook in sausage drippings. If anything is stuck to the pan, add a spoonful of water to the pan to help break up the dried up bits on the bottom of the pan. Allow the onions and apples to caramelize. Add salt and cook on medium to low heat for 10 minutes or until onions are caramelized.

Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil to the pan and add sweet potatoes. Allow to crisp – combine with apples and onions. Add salt and pepper to taste. After about 5 minutes, the potatoes should have a little crispness to them, add the sausage back to the pan.  Add spinach to pan and combine. Allow 2 or 3 minutes to wilt the spinach. Give it a good stir and serve.

This tastes even better the following day!

I enjoyed my leftovers for lunch with a fried egg on top. It was everything! I plan on remaking this again in the near future and swapping out the sausage for black beans and a smoky paprika- and definitely keeping the egg!!!

Red Snapper with Marinara over Angel Hair

Tags

dinner, fish, healthy, marinara sauce, quick, recipe, recipes, red snapper, spaghetti

One of my hard to break bad habits these days is ordering take out when I get home late and am too hungry to cook.

The freezer is well stocked with steaks, chicken breasts, and fish but to defrost it and cook it can be time-consuming. I was determined yesterday morning to cook no matter what time I got home and put two frozen red snapper fillets in the fridge to thaw. I had a freezer stash of marinara sauce too so I was going to have red snapper with marinara sauce over angel hair.

Of course as I sat in the office at 6:15, about an hour after I was scheduled to leave I had to mentally prepare myself to run home, walk the dog and prepare dinner- stomach growling or not!

I am writing because dinner was ready in under 25 minutes. It was healthy, hearty, and “Brilliant!” (Brent’s words).

Here’s what you need to feed two:

2 red snapper fillets (8-10 ounces) be sure to remove bones/scales

3 – 4 cups of marinara sauce (depends on how saucy you like it)

½ box thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta

Directions:

Set up a large pot of water to boil.

In a large frying pan, heat 1 cup of marinara sauce. Place red snapper skin side down. Add ½ cup more sauce to the pan to cover the red snapper slightly. Cover and allow to simmer on low for 20 minutes.

When 8 minutes of cook time remain for the fish, place the pasta in boiling water. Cook for 6-8 minutes, or according to box/preference. Drain reserving 1 – 2 tbsp of starchy water.

Remove the fish from the pan with a large spatula. The fish will be tender- be careful when transferring to a plate. Place drained pasta in the pan with the leftover sauce adding a little more sauce and the starchy water to coat the pasta. When the pasta is coated, transfer to plate- top with snapper.

We sprinkled some parm cheese and red pepper flakes on to this.

It was so good. The red snapper really holds up well to marinara sauce. It’s not fishy at all, either! I highly recommend for anyone trying to get more fish in their diet and those that want something quick for dinner.

Getting back on track

Tags

cabbage, chicken, healthy, low carb, paleo, paleo diet, plantains, sweet plantains

 

Its been a while.

Between getting engaged, losing my wedding venue and moving (yes, moving!) I haven’t had the time nor the mental energy to sit down and commit to a post. But in the weeks that have passed, a lot has changed. I am sitting in my new living room with my new view of the Manhattan sky line, I have appointments with potential wedding venues and my healthy diet has been on track. Everything gets put into perspective when you go through trials. Before Brent and I moved, the potential move hung over my head and stressed me out. I was depressed over having to start over looking for a new wedding venue. But that all changed when we got the keys to our new home and started the moving process. Moving in general sucks. The only good thing is the fresh start and forcing yourself to get rid of things you don’t need. For five long days, we made a million trips from one apartment to the other with a shopping cart and a dolly. I didn’t think of our wedding once during the move and when the move was finally done, I was so appreciative that I could check one thing off my list. And you can imagine my relief after Brent and I moved heavy furniture with just the two of us and one out of two elevators out of order. One thing is certain, looking for a venue will be a cake walk compared to this move.

I won’t lie, the next few posts are back logged from when i was cooking regularly. Brent and I have been surviving on take-out for 3 meals a day, for 7 days straight. The day we moved in, I made a breaded tilapia filet with broccoli and mac and cheese. It was all we had in the new place but was so happy to use my new kitchen! Below is a hearty low-carb dinner that was thrown together last minute. If you’re paleo, this is 100% paleo. If you’re not paleo, this is 100% delicious and just so happens to be low carb.

Roasted chicken with sauteed cabbage and sweet plantains.

 

To start, I preheated the oven to 450*. I lined a baking pan with foil (for easy clean up) and placed well seasoned chicken thighs and drumsticks in a single layer. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes on each side.

 

While the chicken is roasting, prepare the sides. For the cabbage, i shredded half a head of cabbage and sauteed with a sliced of chopped bacon. The bacon drippings made for a nice base for the cabbage. Season the cabbage with salt and pepper and saute over a medium heat for about 10 minutes or until cabbage reaches desired texture.

To plate, i served B 3 pieces of chicken, a cup of the sauteed bacon cabbage and half of a plantain that was lightly fried in olive oil. I had 2 pieces of chicken.

A simple, healthy, and delicious dinner for any week night. Just give yourself a little extra time for the chicken. I like mine with a nice crispness on the skin.

Seared Ribeye with arugula salad and Plantains

Tags

dinner, healthy, low carb, paleo, plantains, ribeye, Steak

I have become a HUGE fan of steak. I have always liked steaks but before Paleo didn’t really have a method for preparing it. Once I figured out my method, I ventured out into all the different steak house cuts that known to be expensive when dining out, but making at home saves tons of money and really allows you to do just about whatever you like with it.

While dining out the other day at a steakhouse with BR, a woman at a table seated next to us ordered a filet mignon and asked for it to be cooked “super well done”. While everyone is entitled to their preferred temperatures, choosing a filet mignon at a restaurant and having the chef cook every ounce of moisture out of it, is a total waste of good meat and good money! Want a well done steak? No Problem- make one at home!

BR and I prefer our steaks medium. So, if you are going to make this recipe and you like your steaks a little more done, just leave the steaks in the oven for a little longer.

For this particular dinner, i had taken these ribeyes out of the freezer and had a green plantain. I had just run out of sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts. Then i remembered, my CSA dropped off a beautiful bag of arugula. Arugula can be very bitter, so i always dress it in an acidic dressing to balance out the bitterness.

Ingredients: for 2

2  6-8 oz rib eyes

1 TBSP of your favorite steak seasoning (i use a blend of salt, garlic, onion, and cayenne pepper)

1 tsp oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 450*.

Season ribeye on both sides.

Heat an 8 or 9 inch cast iron skillet or heavy bottom frying pan with oil over a medium high heat for about 2 minutes.

Once the pan is screaming hot, carefully add the two ribeyes and allow them to cook undisturbed for 6 minutes. After 6 minutes is up, turn over and allow to cook for 3 minutes.

transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 10 minutes. (if you want it well done, leave it in the oven for 15 minutes). Once the pan is removed from the oven, allow to rest undisturbed for 10 minutes.

Serve atop an arugula salad. I dressed my salad with lemon juice and a touch of olive oil.

And a side of plantains!

P.S.

PALEO!

 

Paleo Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps

Tags

beef, diet, dinner, Gluten free, healthy, low carb, paleo

When Brent and i first started our Paleo journey, a long time friend sent me some emeals, Emeals is a weekly meal planner that you can customize based your dietary needs. No meat? No Problem. No Grains? thats okay too! Looking at her emeals, the recipes were listed with directions and a shopping list was attached. 7 meals per week sent right to my inbox. I decided to subscribe for a little inspiration since I felt like our diet was in a bit of a rut.

I loved having an idea of what to prepare. Since Brent and I bring lunch to work on most days of the week, i opted for the family size meal plans to have extra.

One of the first recipes I used with emeals was this Asian Beef Lettuce Wrap recipe. It was simple to follow and there was plenty of room for me to tweak this to make it more my own preferred style. I just really enjoy the inspiration. 

 

Asian Beef Lettuc Wraps (serves 4)

1 lb lean ground beef

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 carrots, peeled and shredded

2 cloves garlic, minced

16 oz package sliced fresh mushrooms

2 cups shredded green cabbage

¼ cup coconut aminos (or substitute soy sauce)

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 heads Bibb or butter lettuce, leaves separated

Method:

Cook beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 8 minutes or until   browned; drain and set aside. Heat oil in skillet; add onion, carrots and garlic. Cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add mushrooms; cook 8 minutes or until browned. Add cabbage, and cook 3 minutes or slightly wilted. Add coconut aminos, stirring to combine. Return beef to skillet, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Spoon beef mixture onto lettuce leaves; roll up and devour!

I nearly ran out of room in my largest frying pan for all the meaty veggie goodness. The dish was really tasty and filling. Also who doesnt love faux tacos! Also, if lettuce wraps arent your thing, you can totally use regular tortilla wraps or eat this over rice. Its a jack of all trades dish.

wanna try emeals??? Click the banner below  🙂

Asian Marinaded Chicken Thighs with Asparagus bundles

Tags

asparagus, bacon, chicken, dinner, Gluten free, healthy, low carb, paleo, sides

 

 

 

One of my go to, easy put together dinners is this asian marinated chicken. This chicken dish is super quick to put together, not to mention delicious. 

 

Ingredients (serves 4, or two really greedy hungry people)

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1/2 cup coconut aminos, or soy sauce

2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

1/4 cup raw honey (regular honey is ok too)

1 tsp fresh grated ginger (1/2 tsp if using powdered ginger)

2 cloves of garlic, minced (or 1 tsp powdered garlic)

1 bunch of scallions, sliced (optional)

 

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together coconut aminos, rice wine vinegar, garlic, ginger, honey and sesame oil. Pour mixture over boneless chicken breasts, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

While the chicken marinates, I prep my side dishes. Since Brent and I follow a low carb diet on a more regular basis these days, I made some bacon asparagus bundles. We found a great hardwood smoked organic bacon, sliced to order with our local grocer that doesn’t run cheap but we find we cant stay away from it! Its so good. 

 

Bacon Asparagus Bundles

1 bunch of asparagus

6 slices of bacon

a sprinkle of natural sea salt

Preheat an oven to 450*. Arrange a baking sheet with parchment paper or non stick foil.

Trim asparagus of woody ends.

Wrap several stalks of asparagus with bacon. Some prefer to tie the bacon in a knot but i prefer the spiral method for more bacon coverage.

Sprinkle the asparagus lightly with sea salt. Roast in the oven for 10 -12 minutes, depending on how you like your asparagus. I like mine with a little char/crunch. 

 

Back to the chicken.

Heat a large grill pan or non stick skillet over a medium high heat. Allow the pan to fully heat to get the desired effect with the chicken. If the pan sizzles wildly after a sprinkle of water hits the pan, place the chicken on the pan and allow to cook undisturbed for 6 minutes. Turn over and cook for an additional 6 minutes or until the center is no longer pink.

Allow the chicken to rest and while resting, garnish with chopped scallions.

 

This is, hands down, our favorite chicken dish. I added a bit of sauteed fennel to the dish.

The leftovers are great for lunch!! (if there are even any leftovers)

Paleo Pumkpin Pie Spice Donuts

Tags

dessert, donuts, doughnuts, healthy, paleo, paleo diet

Happy Valentine’s Day, Loves!

Whether you’re single, attached or don’t like to talk about it, I hope you have a lovely Valentine’s day filled with comfortable pajamas, warm blankets and delicious eats! oh, and lovey feelings!

This year, BR and I are opting for a night in on Valentine’s Day. We have reservations for the sofa and plan on sharing a cozy blanket while watching whatever is on our Netflix queue.

But before I was attached, I used to love Valentine’s Day. My best valentine’s day was when i was dumped a few days prior and I decided to throw a “love stinks” party at my apartment with all my single friends. We had tons of wine, tons of eats and had a blast.

One thing that I have kept going strong, is making a dessert for the equally loved and hated holiday. Some occasions, i ate the whole damn thing by myself (because love stunk) and other times, i shared the goodies (because sharing the love gives me the warm and fuzzies)

I got the warm and fuzzies for sure when I discovered a paleo donut recipe from  the Against All Grain blog.  It had surely been some time since I enjoyed a baked food of the dessert variety since I started paleo and i was itching for donut. This recipe delivered. And I shared them with some non-paleo, sugar loving coworkers who loved these babies.

So, this Valentines Day, skip the heart shaped chain donuts mass produced and chemically processed in favor of these super simple, super delicious, gluten free donuts. Be sure to visit Against all grain to get the complete recipe here.

I had intended on frosting these babies but after sneaking a taste when they were done, they were perfect just as they were. So I left them as they were. 

I shared a few of these donuts with some co-workers, though i wanted them all for myself, and enjoyed them with my morning coffee!

Make a batch for you and your valentine, whether your valentine is yourself, your dog or your boo, make them.  These babies are awesome.

 

Paleo Zoodles Bolognese

Tags

bolognese, dinner, healthy, low carb, paleo, recipes, zoodles

Hope you all had a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. My family and I had an intimate family gathering for the holiday that was complete with all the yummy classics. Fried turkey, stuffing, mac and cheese, bacon smothered greens, maple glazed squash, freshly baked bread, and tons of dessert.

NONE OF IT PALEO!

Mind you, I was still in Birthday mode when thanksgiving rolled around so my 3 months of Paleo were out of the window. I can say now that going on full on cheat mode wasn’t the smartest thing- while i enjoyed it tremendously- my body is paying the price. I’m sleepy, head-achy, bloated and overall just not awesome. Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, I am making preparations for Christmas. So as of today, its Day 1 of whole 30 all over again- minus a few days to enjoy the office Christmas party and dinner with my family.

Might as well get a jump start to the typical January 1 diets, right?

So, to get back to basics, I thought I would prepare something quick and satisfying. Nothing in the world is more satisfying and comforting than a bowl of spaghetti bolognese- which is why, on day 1 of our whole 30 again, we are having ZOODLES! and Meat sauce!

Zoodles Bolognese (serves 4)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 lb 85% lean ground beef (i used grass fed)

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp dried basil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

4 medium green zucchini, julienned or spiralized

Method:

In a large sauce pot, heat olive oil over a medium-high flame until piping hot- about 1-2 minutes. Add onions to the pot and stir with a big spoon and allow to cook until translucent- about 4-5 minutes. Next, add the ground beef and stir as it cooks, breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks. Allow to cook until no longer pink- 6-8 minutes.

Pour in the crushed tomatoes, and add the tomato paste. Stir it to get the paste fully incorporated into the tomato sauce. Add in the salt and basil and bring the sauce to a low and steady simmer. Once it starts to simmer, cover the pot and lower the flame to the lowest setting. Allow the sauce to simmer for at least 30 minutes.

I like to taste the sauce at least once as it simmers to determine if it needs more herbs or salt. Feel free to adjust it according to your liking.

Once the sauce is done,  ladle to heaping spoonfuls onto a bowl of freshly julienned zucchini, AKA Zoodles. Depending on my mood, i like to lightly saute the zoodles before adding sauce. But its perfectly fine to enjoy them as is- since the hot sauce will soften the zoodles.

Yield one zucchini per person. go ahead and eat the whole thing!

It feels good to get back on track!

 

Baked Turkey Chimichangas

Tags

chimichanga, dinner, healthy, lunch, turkey

Its very rare for me to repeat a recipe. But if and when i make a repeat, there is always a reason. This reason in particular, is because its damn good and a fantastic freezer meal! I made these baked chimichangas on several other occasions and every time, the extras were wrapped in foil and frozen- making the best emergency lunches and dinners!

These babies are delicious and satisfying and were inspired by a weight watchers recipe. If you’re on a low calorie diet, these babies rule!

Ingredients: (makes 10 chimichangas)

10 8-inch tortillas
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb of ground turkey
2 T cumin
1 can of green chilles
2 t oregano
8 oz tomato sauce
1 cup of extra sharp cheddar, shredded

Preheat oven to 350*. In a medium skillet, heat a Tablespoon of oil and over medium-low heat, cook the onions for about 4 minutes, until translucent.  Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes.

After the onion and garlic have cooked, add the turkey. Break up meat with a wooden spoon and break into smaller pieces.

Add the cumin, chiles, and oregano (and salt if you desire) to the ground meat. Then add the tomato sauce and cheese. Heat through for about 5 minutes.

Then, take your tortillas and fill them with a heaping spoon in the center of the tortilla and fold burrito style before placing, seam side down, in a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Line them up and then spray with cooking oil.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Freeze the leftovers! And if you’d like check out the other chimichangas we baked! here and here.

Easiest Paleo Pesto Shrimp Ever

Tags

healthy, low carb, paleo, paleo diet, pesto, shrimp, zoodles

You know the drill. You are starving. You’re on your way home from work. And the commute that should have taken 35 minutes just took an hour. You are THIS CLOSE to ordering take out when suddenly, you remember the shrimp that you defrosted.

This recipe was put together in a record 20 minutes. From start to finish.

Paleo Pesto Shrimp -serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lb large shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1 cup pesto (homemade or store bought)

Optional side: Zoodles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450*. Prepare a shallow baking dish with cooking spray and arrange shrimp in a single layer. Pour the pesto all over the shrimp and stir around till shrimp are coated with pesto.

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until shrimp are no longer opaque. Serve with pasta or zoodles.

An absolutely delicious dinner that was ready in 20 minutes.

The zoodles were prepared with garlic oil.