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.

Paleo Crockpot Chicken and Veggies

Tags

chicken, crock pot, dinner, low carb, paleo, recipes, slow cooker

 

Love Love LOVE my Crock Pot!

 

I love a freshly cooked meal but I cannot stress enough the relief I feel when I come home after a long day and dinner is already done. Nearly every crock pot recipe I post, I praise my slow cooker for saving the day. Don’t get sick of it- i will never stop loving it. 

One thing I used to LOVE to make was “rotisserie” chicken in the slow cooker.  I’d let a regular chicken, rubbed with everything good, slow cook in the vessel for nearly a day. The chicken would FALL off the bone and even in some parts get a roasted looking skin- but- the parts of the chicken not all golden brown were swimming in their own juices making for one soupy chicken. It wasnt terrible. It just wasnt that roasted effect that I wanted. 

Normally, the solution to keep the chicken from swimming in juices would have been to stick foil wrapped potatoes in the bottom and them problem solved… but not wanting any potatoes I decided to just use balls of foil to prop the chicken up. And for bulk i added some celery and carrots.

The results were a complete dinner in one crock pot. The only job for the night was cleanup. 

Ingredients: (serves 4)

4 drumsticks (skinless)

4 thighs (skinless, bone in)

2 Tbsp of your favorite seasoning (i use a mixture of onion powder, garlic powder, italian seasoning and salt)

4 medium sized balls of foil

1 cup baby carrots

2 stalks of celery, sliced

Directions:

Using a large plate or bowl, arrange chicken in a single layer and generously apply your favorite chicken spices on each side of the chicken. set aside.

place the carrots and celery in the bottom of the slow cooker.

Place balls of foil on top.

arrange the chicken legs and thighs on top of the foil balls.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

The juiciest chicken ever.

And tons of tender carrots and celery that slowly cooked in chicken drippings.

Complete crock pot dinner? Check!

 

Homemade Vegetarian Sushi

Tags

recipes, sushi, vegetarian

 

At some point in my early adulthood, I discovered sushi. My office bestie and I, back when we lived with our parents, literally went out for sushi every day. So much so that when we were seated at the restaurant, the owner would greet us and say “Hey Jess! Hey Mo! the usual??” and more times than not we would order the same exact thing.

I eventually took a sushi making class with Jess and while i still enjoy going out for sushi, making it at home is still one of my favorite things to do on a Friday night or any night i just want to create something.  

When I make sushi at home, i stick to the short cuts. Cucumber. Avocado. Canned tuna with sriacha and mayo(if needed). I usually have all the ingredients on hand and finding super fresh fish at the drop of a hat is not relaxing to me.

So with 5 sheets of nori, 2 cups of seasoned rice, 1/2 seedless cucumber and 2 avocados i put on some Pandora (green day channel) and got busy. 

The annoying part is definitely the prep but the end result is worth it. It was the first time I made sushi for BR.

He didn’t seem to mind the absence of animal protein.

MOAR SUSHI!!!!

 

Lamb Cooking Demo and Wine tasting at Fairway Cafe!!

Tags

events, lamb, recipes, Restaurant Review

On Wednesday night, despite a freshly fallen snow and single digit temperatures, I found myself on the Upper West Side of Manhattan at Fairway’s flagship New York location observing the talented Chef Vincent Olivieri prepare an amazing lamb dinner. This benefit-type style of a dinner donated all of its proceeds to the New York Common Pantry, which is New York City’s largest community-based food pantry; designed to meet the needs of families by providing culturally-appropriate and nutritiously-balanced food. Aside from a delicious dinner, cooking lesson and the charitable donation, we were also given 7 generous pours of some of the tastiest Australian wine I have had in a long time!Thanks to all the snow, commuting from Upper East Side to Upper West Side via bus was all kinds of awful- not to mention my penchant for motion sickness. Jumping off the bus at my destination and feeling the frigid air on my face did wonders for my queasiness and once I checked into the event and received a glass of sparking white wine, the rest of the night was a huge triumph.    

I walked in midway through Chef Olivieri’s tutorial on cooking rack of lamb. The aromas were out of sight. I watched hungrily as my mouth watered and waited with great anticipation. The presentation not only touched on the proper cooking techniques when preparing lamb, but also made note of the importance of using quality ingredients- AHEM- Fairway’s top quality products. After having tasted all the amazing elements of a well-made dinner, I can say with full conviction that the quality of fairways olive oil and mustard are worth a trip to the market some time in my near future.

Our first course was a mustard crusted rack of lamb with fig chutney; paired with Paringa Sparkling Shiraz.

My good friend Phil, as well as BR were in attendance. Not sure if it was the hunger pangs or the sheer deliciousness of the food but NOT ONE PEEP was said while we ate our rack of lamb with fig chutney.

I had a hot date for the evening. 🙂 BR and I aren’t big drinkers so thank goodness for all the protein to soak up the booze. That smile is most likely, a boozy smile 🙂

Classic Caesar salad paired with two whites; Yalumba Y Series Viogner and Punt Road Chardonnay.

The salad course was great. I have a love hate relationship with already dressed salad and this Caesar was perfectly dressed in a creamy dressing that didn’t saturate the lettuce and didn’t overpower each bite. And I normally forgo croutons but these were too good to pass up.

Did I mention the pours were generous???

As I imbibed freely, I made a mental note that a cab ride home would be a MUST.

After a brief run down of the reds we were drinking, the strong aroma of lamb wafted into the dining area as serves carrying armfuls of entrees walked through the room. Whole leg of lamb with Parsnip and Turnip mash and Roasted Brussels Sprouts cooked with slab bacon and roasted chestnuts. Paired with Stone Dweller Pinot Noir and Yalumba “The scribbler” Cabernet shiraz.

The leg of lamb was incredibly tender. Phil said its texture reminded him of prime rib-I would have to agree. The lamb was not overly gamely but was full of flavor and simply dressed with an herb marinade. The turnip and parsnip smash was also really good and after a sprinkling of sea salt was even better. The thing I still can’t get out of my mind were those brussels sprouts. The thick slab of pork belly in the brussels sprouts as well as the plump and chewy chestnuts gave such a pleasant texture to the side that I am determined to recreate it at home!

Just when I thought dinner was complete, these beautiful desserts were placed in front of us. Warm Apple tart with Vanilla ice cream paired with Yalumba “Museum” muscat NV. I had reached my full level of tipsiness and could not finish the dessert wine paired with this dessert. The wine was thick and syrupy and had a delightful maple aroma to it. But with the little room left in my belly, it was either the booze of the buttery, flaky warm apple tart…

The tart wins. And boy was it delicious. Dare I say it, but I finished BR’s tart when he couldn’t.

What an amazing event! Prior to this event, I had never visited a Fairway before, let alone the fairway cafe. Its close enough to the train station for me to make another  trip to the upper west side.

Big thanks to Fairway for hosting this great event and providing all the delicious foods along with the Australian Wine ambassadors for all the generous pours. Another big thank you to Phil for letting me steal borrow some of his photos. (Be sure to check out his recap here)

Want recipes to any of the dishes featured above? Leave a comment below with the recipe you want and i will add it in the comments.

[UPDATE]

Here are the recipes that were requested:

Parsnip Turnip Mash (Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

3 large turnips, peeled and chopped

6 large parsnips, peeled and chopped

3 yellow carrots, peeled and chopped

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 tsp honey

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp white pepper

Directions:

Place the turnips, parsnips, and carrots in a large sauce pot completely submerged in water. Season water with pinch of salt. Bring water to a boil. Allow vegetables to boil for 10 minutes or until fork tender. Strain vegetables and place in a large mixing bowl. Add butter to vegetables while they are hot, and then add honey, salt and pepper. Mash with a potato masher until you reach a smooth consistency.

Whole Roasted Leg of Lamb (Serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

5-6 sprigs of fresh thyme

5-6 sprigs of fresh oregano

5-6 sprigs of fresh chives

1 Tbsp minced garlic

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 Tbsp grainy mustard

4-5 lb boneless leg of lamb

1 Tbsp sea salt

1 tsp coarse black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450*. Chop all the herbs. Mix herbs with olive oil, lemon juice, and mustard to make herb marinade. Set marinade aside. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Use ½ of the herb marinade and rube evenly over the lamb. Allow the lamb to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Remove all the visible herbs from the lamb to prevent burning and place in roasting pan. Roast lamb for 30 minutes at 450*. Decrease oven temperature to 350 and continue to cook for an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour for a medium rare center. Remove lamb from the oven and while still hot, pour on the remaining herb marinade. Let lamb rest for 15 minutes before carving and serving.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts (Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

½ lb thick sliced bacon

1.5 lbs Brussels sprouts

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots

6 oz roasted chestnuts

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*. Cook bacon on a cookie sheet until crispy, about 10-15 minutes. Remove bacon from oven and reserve fat drippings. Chop bacon into ¼ inch pieces and set aside. Raise oven temperature to 400*. Clean Brussels sprouts by cutting off the stem and outer leaves. Do not discard outer leaves. Set aside and toss with half of the olive oil. Place leaves on a sheet tray and roast in the oven for 10 minutes until they are brown and crispy. Set the leaves aside. Once Brussels are cleaned, slice them thinly. Slice the shallots thinly as well. Combine shallots, Brussels sprouts, bacon drippings, chestnuts and remaining olive oil with salt and pepper. Place on a sheet tray and spread out evenly. Roast at 400* for 15 minutes until nicely browned. Once removed from oven, toss together with the crispy bacon pieces. Garnish each portion with the crispy leaves.

Mustard Crusted Rack of Lamb with Easy Fig Chutney

Ingredients:

1 rack of lamb, trimmed (about 1.5 lb)

Sea Salt and Black Pepper

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp grainy mustard

2 tsp minced garlic

¼ cup seasoned panko bread crumbs

1 Tbsp grated parmesan

Directions:

Season rack of lamb with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over high heat. When hot, add olive oil. When oil is smoking add rack of lamb and brown well on each side; about 3 minutes per side.  Set aside and let cool. Preheat oven to 450*. Mix together mustard and garlic. In a separate container mix together the panko and parmesan cheese. Spread mustard mixture onto the lamb making sure to coat evenly on all sides. Pat breadcrumb mixture tight on all sides of the lamb. Place rack of lamb on baking sheet and roast for 12-15 minutes; or until desire doneness. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting into chops. Serve with fig chutney.

Easy Fig Chutney

Ingredients:

1 lb Fresh figs, diced

3 Tbsp onion marmalade

4 Tbsp fig balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp fig preserves

(fairway carries ALL of these items)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

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!

 

Paleo Puerto Rican Pastelon

Tags

dinner, paleo, recipes

One of the greatest realizations upon starting the Paleo Diet was realizing many of my childhood comfort foods were Paleo. Plantains have become a normal staple in my diet. They have replaced those helpings of rice or pasta.

While perusing instagram for paleo photos, i came across a paleo “lasagna” made with sweet plantains and ground beef. Then it hit me. PASTELON, One of my absolute favorite dishes growing up was made by my childhood best friends mother. Layers of sweet plantains between savory ground beef baked together with cheese. Minus the cheese, this was all paleo. I just had to make it!

I sought the Paleo Mom for guidance and used her recipe as the foundation for my own version.  

Pastelon (serves 8)

• 6 ripe plantains (should be nearly completely black)
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil 
•  2 T sofrito (my addition)
• 1 medium yellow onion
• ½ cup red pepper, diced
• 2 lbs ground beef
• ½ tsp salt, to taste
• ¼ tsp pepper, to taste
• 8 12 eggs 
  
• ½ cup green pepper, diced
• ½ cup of chicken broth
• ½ cup dry wine (white or red)
• 4-5 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small (6oz) can tomato paste
• 2 bay leavesThe traditional way of preparing pastelon requires the frying of plantains. This takes FOREVER! My modified version requires baking the plantains prior to assembling the pastelon. The end result is the same. Preheat the oven to 350*.  Slice the sweet plantains into thin slices. I sliced it lengthwise, but if you prefer to slice it another way, that would work too, as long as the slices are relatively the same width. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the plantains in a single layer. Bake the plantains for 30 minutes, turning at the 15 minute mark.       While the plantains are baking, heat 1 tbsp of cooking oil (coconut or olive if Paleo) and add sofrito. Heat the sofrito through, about 2 minutes over a medium heat. Then add the pepper and onion. Saute until tender- about 8 minutes.  Add the ground beef to the onion and pepper. Season with salt and pepper and cook through. Break up the meat into smaller pieces as it browns.  When the beef is cooked, set aside.  When the plantains are golden brown, remove from the oven. In a deep 9×13 inch baking dish, coat with cooking oil or cooking spray. Add a layer of sweet plantains the way you would lasagna noodles. Cover the bottom of the dish so that it is completely covered with plantains. Then, add a layer of ground beef and then more plantains.  Beat 6 eggs and pour the beaten eggs over the plantains. Repeat until there are no more plantains. Beat the remaining eggs and pour over the top layer of plantains.  Tradtionally, the top layer is covered with cheese. The eggs act as a binder to hold everything together and they don’t effect the taste.  Place the baking dish in the oven uncovered and bake for 40-45 minutes. Once completed, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before digging in.                                                                                                    What a meal! Its no lasagna. But the combination of sweet and savory makes this dish addicting. Between BR and I, this huge tray of pastelon lasted for days! Even after freezing half of it, taking some to lunch and sharing it with my mother. This hearty dish was satisfying and completely Paleo. But if you’re not following a paleo diet, i encourage you to top this baby with mozzarella cheese and go to town!

Paleo Bacon Meatloaf with Mushroom Sauce

Tags

bacon, beef, dinner, low carb, meatloaf, paleo, recipes

 

When I first started my Paleo journey, I was always afraid BR and I weren’t eating enough. Not in the sense that we had to eat like birds but I wanted to make sure that the meals were satisfying and healthy.

One of the greatest “tricks” to succeeding during my initial 30 days was adding good quality bacon to our diet. For so long, I always saw bacon as “bad” and “unhealthy”. So when I started shopping for our first week, holding the pound of freshly butchered bacon made me so excited. It started to feel like anything but a diet.

GIVE ME BACON!

And that love for bacon is the reason why when I was making a beautiful grass fed beef meatloaf that I added bacon to it without the slightest feeling of guilt. And for BR, he dug in and said “this is a diet?!?! SIGN ME UP!” It was definitely satisfying, especially with the addition of some great veggie sides. Even if you arent following a low carb diet, this is a really satisfying dinner.

Ingredients:

2 lb 85% lean grass fed ground beef

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup almond flour, or flour of choice

1 egg

1 tsp granulated onion powder

1/2 tsp granulated garlic

6-8 slices bacon

For the sauce:

8 oz mushrooms, i chose cremini, sliced

1 Tbsp butter

1 tbsp arrowroot flour, Or flour of choice

1/4 cup beef stock

 

Preheat the oven to 350*. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef with onions, salt, flour, egg, garlic and onion powder. Combine until all ingredients are well incorporated. Place in a non stick baking pan and form into a loaf shape. Top with bacon.

Place in the oven and bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes.

While the meatloaf was baking, I prepared the mushroom gravy. Heat the butter in a large skillet over a medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the sliced mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are softened, about 5-7 minutes. When the mushrooms are cooked, sprinkle in the arrowroot flour and stir until its well combined. It will thicken up, add beef stock in 1 Tbsp at a time until desired consistency is reached. Allow the mushrooms to bubble while stirring constantly. When it reaches a bubble, lower the heat to allow it to simmer while the meatloaf cooks. When the meatloaf is complete, slice and serve with mushroom sauce over it. I served this alongside some sauteed cabbage, roasted red beets and a tomato and cucumber salad.

The mushrooms sauce was great, however, it congeals quite a bit once it cools. Not to be alarmed though, the sauce gets better when its heated.

 

Philly Cheese Steak Hoagies and Tater Tots

Tags

cheese steak, dinner, recipe, recipes, sandwich

When I turned 21, I went on a weekend trip to Philly. There is something really satisfying about a cheesy steak smothered in onions and presented in warm and crusty bread- especially if you’re hungover. My father made sure when I boarded that Chinatown bus to Philly that I made sure to go to the “real” Cheese steak place: Geno’s. For those that don’t know, if there is one topic of conversation that drives Locals nuts is the debate over who makes the best Cheese Steak. Geno’s. Pats’s. Jim’s. The bottom line is, they are all served on bread, the meat is still cheap and thin, the onions are greasy and you have the option of pouring all the delicious cheez whiz on top.

I was an obedient daughter and went with Dad’s recommendation of Geno’s. I was hungover and remember the cheese steak being everything. And some years later when they opened a Carl’s steaks near my office, my 21 year old self was excited. And that greasy cheese steak destroyed me. Maybe because I wasnt drunk? Or maybe, I am getting old and I can’t handle the finer things in life like a greasy cheese steak.

I decided to make a less greasy version of the hangover favorite; lets be honest- I don’t ever see a philly cheese steak as being healthy. This is defintely one that wont’t turn your stomach. 

Grown-Up Philly Cheese Steaks (serves 2-4)

Ingredients:

1 Large Spasnish Onion, thinly sliced

1 cup white mushrooms (optional)

2 sandwich steaks

salt and pepper to taste

4 slices provolone Cheese

4 whole wheat hot dog buns

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon of butter and add the onions (and mushrooms if you are using). Cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes. They should be almost caramelized. Set aside.

Sprinkle the steak with salt and pepper according to your preferences. In a separate pan, or on a george foreman grill, cook the steaks. They are thin so they should only cook for a minute or two on a high flame. When steaks are cooked, set aside and allow meat to rest.

Lightly toast the hot dog buns.

Thinly slice the steak and place in the toasted hero. Add onions and mushrooms on top. Then add the cheese. To melt the cheese, a quick trip in the oven for 1-2 minutes at 400 should do the trick… or a 30 second spin in the microwave. 

I served BR and I two philly cheese steaks each since the hot dog rolls looked small. My eyes were larger than my stomach. 1 will suffice, esp with a side of oven baked tater tots!Not the fanciest dinner, but satisfies the craving.

And best of all, no upset tummies!

 

Veal Coconut Curry Soup with Miracle Noodles

Tags

coconut curry, coconut milk, dinner, healthy, low carb, miracle noodles, paleo, product, recipe, recipes, soup

BR and I just completed another 30 days following a mostly Paleo diet. Since our very strict Whole30 experiment, we have relaxed a bit and have made some room for normalcy. Now that we are in November, I can say we have had a total of 4 cheat days out of 31 days of October- and we feel great.

While we are going strong 6 days out of the week sticking to a clean diet, I am trying to change up some of our weekly rotation to make it more exciting. That’s when veal ended up in my shopping cart. Now, before I get bashed for buying veal, I make the decision to purchase organic and grass fed meats with the hope the animals are treated humanely. 

The veal was for a coconut curry soup. Normally I would julienne some zucchini for zoodles in the soup but I wanted to try out a new paleo friendly noodle. Miracle Noodles are much like Tofu Shirataki noodles. They are calorie free and unlike the tofu version, are completely soy free. There are mixed reviews for this all over the internet but compared to the other “noodles” i have tried, these are by far the best.

The noodles are made of, close to, 100% soluble fiber- which is how the calorie count stays so low. The noodles are preserved in a liquid. Upon opening, you have to rinse the noodles thoroughly, then flash cook them in boiling water before proceeding. Having worked with Tofu Shirataki noodles before, I was prepared. (if you are curious, Iherb.com sells the noodles for under $3 per pack and for the best value, i highly recommend amazon)

Upon opening the package, one thing is for certain. THAT. STENCH. It smells like pungent sea water. Its the liquid that is preserving the noodles. I dumped the noodles in my collander and proceeded to rinse in warm water for 5 minutes. The strands are really long so I cut them as I rinse.

While i was rinsing, I set up a pot of water to boil. Just as it started to boil, i poured the water right over the noodles. That did the trick. They no longer stunk to high heavens. 

Then, i grabbed a mess of paper towels and dried these babies up. Once they were dry, i set them aside to make my veal coconut curry soup. 

Ingredients (serves 8) Prep time: 10 minutes, cooking time: 60 minutes

2 lbs veal cubes

1 tsp cooking oil ( i used olive)

1 red bell pepper

1/4 cup red curry paste

2 cups chicken stock

1 bunch of kale, leaves roughly chopped

1 can coconut milk

2 packs of Miracle noodles, rinsed and drained In a large pot, heat oil over a medium high flame. It should be nice and hot in a little over a minute. Add the peppers and saute in oil until softened. Once the peppers are soft, after about 2 minutes, add the veal. Brown the veal on all sides; which should be about 1-2 minutes on each side. Add the red pepper paste and stir around until its evenly distributed and then add the chicken stock. Stir up any browned bits in the pan and allow the soup to come up to a slow boil. Once it starts to bubble, cover with a tight fitting lid and lower flame to lowest setting. At the 45 minute mark, add the kale. Let cook for 50 minutes to an hour. Once the soup has simmered for an hour, slowly stir in the coconut milk and allow to heat through.

To serve: place miracle noodles (or noodles of choice) in the bowl and ladle broth, veal and kale to your hearts content.

We sipped and slurped happily with our favorite soup spoons and chopsticks. Overall, the texture of Miracle noodles is very much like glass noodles. Slippery, a little chewy but the noodles take on the flavor of whatever you place them in. They offered a great texture and were super filling in the soup.

I highly recommend these miracle noodles for anyone on a low carb diet. The only thing I can’t stand behind is the “pasta alternative”. These noodles, with they texture, will NOT work as well in a marinara or pesto. I know a few people who like it but the texture is too slippery for me to enjoy in marinara. This is perfect for soups, stews, and stir frys.