Tag: recipes

Sausage Sweet Potato Hash (Whole30)

2 Comments

This dish is literally like crack to me. I can eat it for every meal until it’s gone (usually about 3 days). It is so. so. yummy.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 large sweet potatoes or 3 small to medium (about 3-4 cups), shredded with a grater
  • 1 lb pork sausage (unseasoned, organic if possible)
  • Ghee (or butter if you’re not doing Whole30)
  • Salt to taste
  • Cinnamon to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Brown your sausage in a large, deep sided skillet on  medium-high heat. Drain, if necessary.
  • Add your shredded sweet potato and stir regularly for about 5 minutes.
  • Once a bit softened, add your ghee. Start with 4-6 Tbl cup, but as you fiddle with the seasoning, you may add a bit more. I am generous with this ingredient, which is probably part of the drug-like quality for me. 😉
  • Cook, stirring regularly, until ghee is melted and sweet potato is cooked through, usually another  5-8 minutes.
  • Add salt and LIBERAL cinnamon. Taste. Add more salt and cinnamon to taste. Seriously. I add more salt and cinnamon to this than I ever think is reasonable but it turns out perfectly. I usually start with 1 Tbl salt and 1 Tbl cinnamon and go from there.

I ALWAYS top this with an over medium or poached egg. getting all that yummy yolk mixed into this is literally like heaven in my mouth.

If you try this, let me know how you like it!

Turkey Stock!

1 Comment

I seem to be able to connive my family out of the turkey carcass every year. I break it into two large hunks and make two big batches, combine the broth together, then cook it and freeze it to use throughout the year. It’s SO YUMMY and a great way to recycle and use all the leftover turkey parts!

Ingredients for EACH crockpot batch

  • 1/2 turkey carcass
  • 2 medium yellow onions, coarsely chopped (large pieces)
  • 7 organic carrots, diced
  • 1 small bunch of organic celery, diced
  • 1/2 turnip, diced
  • 1 parsnip, diced
  • 1/2 bunch of organic parsley
  • 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary (optional)
  •  5 leaves of fresh sage (optional)
  • 2 bay leaves

20161127_093940_resized

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Throw it all in a large crockpot, fill with water and cook on low for 8-10 hours. (having done this twice, I recommend putting the carcass in first, then the veggies so the bones are fully submerged).
    20161127_094028_resized

    Before shot of batch #2

    20161127_092122_resized

    After shot of batch #1

  2.  

    Once the time is up, set up a fine mesh colander and ladle the soup, carcass and veggies into the strainer, emptying into the garbage every few minutes as it gets full, ensuring it’s drained well each time.  20161127_092956_resized

  3. If you are doing two batches, like I needed to do b/c my turkey carcass was THAT big, combine all the soup together and fully cool overnight.
  4. I measure the soup into 1.5 to 3.5 cup jar serving sizes, label and freeze, so I know exactly how much is in there when I need it for a recipe. Be sure to leave a little room in the jars for the broth to expand in the freezer, which it will. Even with cooled soup, never fill a jar of liquid to the top and then freeze it… it will expand and you’ll have a very frozen, very broken jar of soup on your hands (can you tell I’ve done that a time or two?)

I use this stock throughout the year and it really does make the BEST soups. I had a ham hock on hand and made a Ham Hock Vegetable Soup using the fresh broth and it was DIVINE! If you also have a ham hock on hand, get to stocking your freezer for deliciousness!

Bacon Deviled Eggs

Leave a comment

The title says it all. Basically it should be called “Delicious Yummy Goodness.”
I made these last night for movie night and I had, like, 5 halves left. They were a huge hit! nom nom nom

INGREDIENTS

  • 12 large eggs, room temperature (I leave them out overnight)
  • 6 Tbl Mayonnaise (homemade is best!)
  • 5 slices thick cut bacon, cooled and chopped finely
  • 2 Tbl pickle relish (use sugar free if you’re doing low carb/keto). I used a homemade sweet zucchini relish because I had it on hand but it did have a bit of sugar in it.
  • pinch of salt
  • pinch of pepper (optional)
  • sprinkle of paprika

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Hard boil the eggs by putting them in one layer in a pot, cover with water by at least one inch. Bring to a soft boil on the stove. Once boiling, cover, remove from heat and let sit for 13 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to put them into an ice bath (I use a large bowl with lots of ice and fill with water). Let sit for 10 minutes or so, then peel while they are chilled, but still a touch warm (they are easier to peel this way), under a trickle of running water. Dry well. (I let them sit on a paper towel for 10 or so minutes while I’m doing something else)
  2. Cut the eggs in half lengthwise and carefully squeeze the yolks out into a medium mixing bowl; crumple yolks with a fork.
  3. Add mayo into the yolks until it reaches a batter consistency.
  4. Add pickle relish and mix, adding a pinch of salt, to taste. (I put in a bit of pepper too)
  5. Add cooled, crumbled bacon and fold into yolk mixture
  6. Fill the egg halves with yolk mixture
  7. Sprinkle with paprika
  8. Eat and enjoy!!

Roasted Broccoli & Cheddar Cream Soup

Leave a comment

Another one I wish I’d been more diligent on taking photos. This soup is comfort food at it’s best with more flavor than a mouth should be allowed to have. It is SO GOOD. I made it for my book club and it was gone faster than it took me to type this up (aka, it was a big hit). I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 large bunch broccoli, cut into florets
  • 2 Tbl oil, divided
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
  • 3 cups stock / broth of your choosing (I used the last bit of my turkey stock from last year’s Thanksgiving turkey)
  • 1.5 cup aged cheddar, shredded
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 Tbl whole grain mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Toss the broccoli florets in 1 Tbl oil along with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Arrange them in a single layer on a large baking sheet and roast until lightly golden brown, about 25 minutes.
  3. Heat the other 1 Tbl of oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
  4. Add garlic & thyme and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
  5. Add the broth and broccoli, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 20 minutes.
  6. Mix in the cream, cheese and mustard. Let the cheese melt and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Puree the soup with a hand blender or in a food processor or blender and enjoy!

 

OPTION: You can reduce fat by using milk or cream instead of heavy whipping cream. You can make it Paleo by using canned coconut milk instead of cream/milk also.
OPTION: You could garnish this with crumbled bacon or diced ham, too, for some extra flavor kick!

Turkey Burger Cauliflower Bacon Casserole (low carb)

Leave a comment

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 head of organic cauliflower (medium sized is perfect)
  • 1/2 cup gluten free flour (I used brown rice flour because I had it around but you can really use whatever you’d like)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1   12 oz package of uncured bacon
  • 2 pounds ground turkey
  • 1 Tbl coconut oil (optional)
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp each salt and pepper
  • 8 oz grated cheddar cheese

SAUCE INGREDIENTS

  • 1 Tbl butter
  • 1 Tbl gluten free flour
  • 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 2 Tbl yellow mustard

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Steam the cauliflower until fork tender.
  2. Place cauliflower into a food processor and pulse until it resembles rice.
  3. Set aside in a bowl to cool then add the flour and salt and mix well.
  4. Cook the bacon in a large skillet until cooked. Remove with a slotted spoon to keep the bacon juice in the skillet.
  5. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate to cool. Once cool, chop into pieces.
  6. Add ground turkey  and 1 Tbl oil (optional, depending on how much bacon grease you have. If you have 2 Tbl or so of grease, pass on adding oil). Cook until browned
  7. Add onion powder, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper and mix well.
  8. Remove turkey with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl.
  9. preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  10. For the sauce: Add the butter to the same skillet with the leftover grease and turkey juices and stir in the flour over low heat. Cook until the flour has absorbed the butter then add heavy cream and mustard.
  11. Continue to cook on low heat until the sauce thickens.

ASSEMBLY:

  1. Place 1/2 cup of the sauce to the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
  2. Spread the cauliflower mixture on the spread as evenly as possible.
  3. Place 4 oz of grated cheddar over the cauliflower.
  4. Spread the ground turkey over the cheddar evenly.
  5. Pour half of the remaining sauce over the turkey.
  6. Places the remaining cheddar over the sauce
  7. Layer the last bit of sauce over the cheddar and top with the chopped up bacon.
  8. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
  9. Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes.
  10. Allow to cool out of the oven 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
  11. ENJOY IT (it’s so good)

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION Per serving, serves 15. 304 calories, 21g fat, 8g carbs, 1g fiber, 18g protein

20161107_161321_resized

Kielbasa, Bacon & Cabbage soup

1 Comment

This. Is. Amazing. End of story.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 6 slices bacon, chopped
  • 16-24 oz of Kielbasa (I used 24oz b/c the Organic pork sausage I bought came in 12oz packages)
  • 1 small head of organic chopped cabbage (about 6 cups)
  • 1/4 cup onion
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • minced garlic cloves (I used about 5)
  • 1 tsp dried thyme or 1 Tbl fresh thyme
  • 6 cups chicken broth (I had leftover turkey stock from last year so I used that!)
  • Freshly grated Parmesan for sprinkling (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. In a stockpot over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon onto a paper towel lined plate or, as we do in our house, a paper grocery bag!
    20161026_163515_resized
  2. Add sliced kielbasa and saute until nicely browned.
  3. Add onion and cabbage and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes.
    20161026_163727_resized
  4. Add garlic, thyme, salt and pepper, cooking 1-2 minutes more.
  5. Add broth and bring to a simmer. Cook until cabbage is tender, about 10 minutes. Season to taste (I added another teaspoon of salt)
  6. Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan (optional)

20161026_175456_resized

NOTE: The bacon I used created A LOT of grease. I poured about half out but don’t be surprised as you do want to keep about 1/4 a cup of bacon grease in  your pan for the rest of the recipe. If your bacon creates more than that, you are not obligated to throw any out, just be aware it will make it more rich (not necessarily a bad thing!) 🙂

NUTRITIONAL STATS for 6 servings, using 1lb sausage

321 cals, 21g fat, 8g carbs, 2.5g fiber, 17g protein

Sausage and Veggie Skillet

1 Comment

As I officially feel more transferred into Fall, I’m doing more meal planning and seem to be erring to the side of soups and comfort food. This one pan/skillet dish met all my needs. Hot, fresh, delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3/4 lb green beans, trimmed and cut in half
  • 1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets
  • 2 large bell peppers (I used one orange, one yellow), chopped into thick squares
  • 9 oz (usually 3 sausages) sausage of your choice, sliced. I used Aidells Chicken Basil Roasted Garlic but any sausage would be good in this!
  • 6 Tbl olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 Tbl each dried oregano and dried parsley
  • seasoned to taste with salt and pepper (I started with 1 tsp each and finished with more salt after cooking)
  • Optional: Grated Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (foil can work, too).
  2. Place all chopped veggies and sausage on your sheet pan. Drizzle the olive oil and spices on top. Toss to evenly coat all the veggies (you can do this ahead of time in a bowl, too, if that’s easier for you).

    20161025_181619_resized

  3. Bake 15 minutes, remove from oven and flip all veggies/meat around. Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until veggies are crisp tender and sausage is browned.
  4. OPTIONAL: Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. (you know I did!)

20161026_123144_resized

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
Serves 6. 278 calories, 20g fat, 16g carbs, 5g fiber, 12g protein

Roasted Bacon Brussel Sprouts

Leave a comment

There are a million and one great recipes for roasted bacon brussel sprouts and while I’m sure mine is not unique, it is still darn delicious.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb brussel sprouts, washed, bottoms trimmed and outer leaves removed
  • 4-5 slices of bacon, chopped
  • salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Farenheit and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
  2. Spread sprouts and bacon on baking sheet and season generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika (plus anything else you may like on there!)
  3. Bake for 2530 minutes, stirring sprouts and bacon halfway through
  4. Sprouts are done when fork tender, but not OVER tender (you don’t want to overcook them). If you have smaller sprouts, you may want to cook closer to 20 minutes. Mine were medium so I cooked for 30 minutes and they were perfectly done. Larger ones may require more time.

Eat and enjoy!!

20161026_165924_resized

Roasted bacon sprouts ready for fridge storage!

 

Breakfast Burrito/ Scramble

Leave a comment

My friend made some killer brekkie burritos at my book club weekend last weekend and I thought I’d make my own and see how it went. Yesterday I made it burrito style and today I made it scramble style. Stats included below!

Serves FOUR

INGREDIENTS:

1 can beans of your choice (I used kidney beans b/c I had them around but I’ll use black beans next time), drained & rinsed
1 lb bacon
4 eggs, beaten
1 avocado
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
4 tortillas (I used corn, but prefer flour)
1 & 1/3  cup low fat cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Cook the bacon on a skillet or in a cast iron skillet or in the oven… however you normally prefer to cook your bacon.

    20160503_114206

  2. Saute the onion and red pepper in just a drizzle of olive oil.

    20160503_114200

  3. Heat the beans (on stovetop or in microwave). Set aside.
  4. Scramble your egg(s) – (I was cooking just for one person, so I used  1 egg)
    20160503_115154
  5. Arrange 1 egg or 1/4 of scrambled egg and 1/4 cup onion mixture on a tortilla with 2 Tbl of avocado, 1/3 cup cheese, 2 slices bacon, 1/4 cup beans. Season and enjoy!!

20160503_115454

Stats for 1 breakfast burrito using 1 Mission super soft, large corn tortilla: 442 calories, 27g carbs, 16g fat, 23g protein

FOR SCRAMBLE:
Turns out, I really don’t prefer corn tortillas, but I don’t buy flour tortillas b/c I haven’t found a brand without hydrogenated oil in it which is a no no for how I prefer to structure my diet. SO… this morning I did a scramble instead.
Essentially I did all steps above EXCEPT… I used 1 egg and 3Tbl egg white and put my 2Tbl avocado on the side vs. cooking it all together

20160504_094440_resized

STATS for the scramble:
367 calories, 14g fat, 19g fat, 31g protein.

P.S. The scramble was SOOOO yummy!!

Stay tuned tomorrow for TACO SALAD… mmmmm good!!

Bacon Tart

2 Comments

I saw the basics of this recipe in a video someone posted on the facebook but it was all in Danish or Swedish (aka, I could not understand the recipe!) so I improvised what I thought was what and IT.WAS.AMAZING!!! I made it for my Julia Robert’s movie night and while pizza may have been a more appropriate choice for watching Mystic Pizza, this was a huge crowd win!

INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs of bacon
8 new potatoes, boiled, but firm
8 oz cheddar cheese, grated (I used Beechers Flagship Cheddar)
fresh rosemary
Seasonings to taste (salt, garlic powder, paprika, pepper)
20160428_173452

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In an oven-safe skillet, layer the bacon in a spiral so that alternating pieces are in the center (2 2 in the center, then offset a third piece about an inch back so it doesn’t get too thick in the center).

20160428_174422

2. Slice the boiled potatoes into 1/2 inch disks. Create a ring of potato slices around the outer edge, then fill in the center.

20160428_175103

3. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, rosemary and any other seasonings (be aware to not over salt as the bacon will be salty). Cover with cheese.

20160428_175135

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to create a second layer.

5. Fold the strips of bacon into the center, covering the tart.

20160428_175806

6. Back the tart for 20 minutes. Raise the temp to 400 degrees and bake for another 20 minutes until the bacon is crispy (I did it for 30 minutes + 7 minutes broil)

7. Drain the rendered fat from the pan.

8. Place a serving dish over the tart and using a towel or potholder to protect your hand, flip the tart over on the plate.

20160428_191113

9. Cut and serve!