Foolproof indeed

Boneless skinless chicken breast is an American staple if one eats meat. That said, I don't like making it that much because it always comes out dry or just terribly boring. This recipe has convinced me that I should eat more of it. It's incredibly moist and has just enough other stuff to make it delicious, without ruining the versatility. I made 4 servings' worth of this stuff and will be putting it on a salad tomorrow, stir fry on Thursday, and something else on Friday (I'm flying solo with the kid this week because my husband is taking care of his mother after minor surgery).

Almost Foolproof Grilled Chicken

• 2 pounds chicken breasts
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• Zest of one lemon
• 2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary (I skipped this because I wanted versatility and don't love rosemary that much)
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

In a large bowl, combine all but the chicken and stir thoroughly. Add in the chicken, using your hands to make sure the marinade thoroughly covers the chicken. Allow to marinate at least 30 min (mine was overnight because I have more time to do stuff in the evenings after the kid goes to bed).

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Once very hot, place chicken breasts smooth side down on pan. Do not touch until caramelized and the chicken releases easily from the pan. This should take 3-5 min. per side.

 

Remove chicken from the grill pan and place on a sheet pan and into the oven to finish cooking, 12-15 min. Chicken is done when the juices run clear. Allow the breasts to rest 5-10 min. Slice against the grain and serve.

 

I served it with Broiled Zucchini and arugula with leftover sherry-walnut vinaigrette. And of course a glass of the wine we didn't finish on Saturday and Sunday.

 

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Steakhouse Sunday

Mmmmm meat! That's what my husband said when he saw this on the menu. The plate looks a little spare but this was a seriously filling meal.

Grilled Flank Steak

• 1 tsp. black peppercorns
• 1 tsp. cumin seed
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. rosemary
• 1-2 lbs. flank steak

Grind peppercorns and cumin seeds. Combine remaining ingredients (except steak) in a blender, blend well, and pour over flank steak in ziplock bag. allow to marinate at least 3 hours (preferably overnight).

 

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Oil the grate and grill meat about 5 min. per side or until done to your liking.

 

Coconut Creamed Spinach

• 1 lb. frozen spinach
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. coconut flour
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Thaw spinach completely and squeeze out liquid.

 

Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the coconut milk and 2 tsp. of the garlic. Whisk in the coconut flour until slightly simmering and remove from heat.

 

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat and add shallot, remaining garlic, and paprika. Cook until shallots are just translucent. Add spinach and cream sauce, simmering until cooked through. Serve immediately.

 

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Kitchen Renovation Cooking Extravaganza!

It is SUCH a relief to be able to use all of our house after having kitchen renovations done.  That very essential room was cut off for three or four days, and I for one missed being able to work in it.

My very fancy tofu in a very fancy bowl.

But now... now it's much, much nicer.  The first day of full operations was Saturday, and to celebrate the occasion, I made a variation of the Seared Tofu with Sugar Snap Peas that appeared in the NYT.

I didn't have fish sauce or sesame oil, so I filled in those amounts with soy and peanut oil, and omitted the sesame seeds (same reason).  Otherwise, pretty much the same thing.

Last night's dinner was a variation of that variation, which turned out to be Orange Chicken (recipe follows).  Tonight was the very easy + tasty Fresh Pasta Sauce with a little sauteed chicken and sausage added, and WOW was that good over egg fettuccine.

Living in a household with someone who is dieting to lose weight (to increase the success chances of surgery) is challenging in a lot of ways.  I have a very long history of not really feeding myself unless I'm feeding others, and I spend most of my day (ergo eating time) out of the house.  With dinners being generally low-calorie (and I've never eaten much dinner anyway), I've been having to really take my personal nutritional needs into account, to make sure that I'm not starving myself.

So besides cooking AWESOME food at home, I've also been schlepping granola, yogurt, fresh fruit, and other tasty nibbles with me to work, to make sure I eat enough.  I'm doing a bang-up job, if I do say so.

But!  Here's the recipe I promised.  Enjoy!

Orange Chicken with Stir Fry Vegetables

My very fancy stir fry in the same very fancy bowl! The kitchen may be usable,
but we have certainly not unpacked all the stuff that used to live in it!

Using the sauce from Seared Tofu with Sugar Snap Peas as a base, I created an orange chicken recipe.  We usually have TONS of greens in our CSA, so this is a good use for that baby bok choy that is so often neglected at our house.


8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 2 single breasts
1/2 cup chopped onion
Canola oil cooking spray
1 Tbsp peanut oil, divided
3 heads baby bok choy
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced with a vegetable parer
1 cup snow peas
2 Tbsp soy sauce
3 gloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp grated ginger
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tsp sugar (or to taste)
1-1/2 tsp sriracha
4 cups brown and wild rice
1/2 Tbsp butter (for cooking rice, optional)

Cook rice in rice cooker according to directions, adding butter if desired.
While you're waiting on the rice, chop bok choy and slice carrots lengthwise with vegetable parer, making long thin strips; set aside in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine 1 tsp peanut oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sriracha, sugar and orange juice.  Cover and shake or mix until blended.
When rice is done, heat pan over very high heat, and spray with canola oil spray, adding 1 tsp peanut oil, if desired.  Add onion and chicken, and brown over high heat; when chicken is brown and mostly cooked, add bok choy and carrots.  Add additional 1 tsp peanut oil if the pan is dry.  Stir fry until bok choy begins to wilt, about 3 minutes.  Add sauce mixture and let simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.  Add snow peas and stir, letting cook 1 or 2 minutes more.

Serve over brown and wild rice.  Makes 4 servings.

Bonus: Fresh Pasta Sauce

I could have sworn I'd posted this before.  Well!  Now I will!

This is a highly customizable sauce.  Saute onion and/or meat, throw in veggies, saute until sauce-like, throw over pasta.  You can season it however you like, but I like it best when the flavors of the vegetables are allowed to shine through - I do very little more than a sprinkle of salt on top after cooking, although I may throw in some oregano or basil if I have it handy.

1/2 cup chopped onion
Olive oil or butter, as desired
Garlic, minced or smashed (to taste)
Boneless skinless chicken (optional)
Italian sausage (optional)
1 cup chopped tomato or whole cherry or grape tomatoes
2 to 4 cups chopped fresh vegetables (chopped zucchini or yellow squash, bell peppers, hardy greens, julienned carrots, thinly sliced celery, sliced mushrooms, spinach - you name it!)
fresh or dried herbs (to taste)
salt and/or pepper (to taste)

Heat a pan over medium to medium-high heat, add oil or butter and onion.  Saute until tender, then add meat if desired.  Saute meat until browned (or continue sauteing onion until browned).  Add tomatoes and other vegetables and saute until veggies are tender and tomatoes (whole) split or (chopped) start to fall apart.  Season as desired, letting simmer for a few minutes to incorporate the flavors of any herbs you use.

Serve over the pasta of your choice, and dig in!  Makes about 4-6 servings of sauce.

Summer soup & salad (and wine)

I had a new coworker over for dinner last night. It's been hot (the start of a long summer, I'm told) so I decided to make something cool and refreshing. My new friend said she would eat anything I made but that she doesn't usually eat meat, so I decided to do a cucumber dill soup and roasted beet salad with goat cheese, which we paired with some Torrontes, an Argentinian white wine. The downside to having a guest was that I felt silly snapping photos of the rather beautiful plates, so my only picture is of the leftover soup my husband gobbled up later in the evening.

This only took 5 min of active work (and 30 min letting the cucumbers sweat) so it will be a summer staple for me. The recipe is here.

The salad, Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese with Sherry-Walnut Vinaigrette was a little more work but I made the full 8 servings of dressing and toasted nuts even though we only used 2 so it will be easy to throw together again. I used prepared baby beets but I've roasted beets before and it's not difficult, just a little messy.

 

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Garlic-Balsamic Chicken Stew

I was so hungry the day we made this last week that I didn't bother snapping a picture--this was the following day at my desk. It was really good!

Garlic-Balsamic Chicken Stew

• 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces and skinned (I didn't cut or skin mine, but the broth was a little oily so perhaps this is a good idea)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can of chicken broth (I used homemade stock)
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons AP flour (or arrowroot powder if you want to make this semi-paleo, but with the wine already in I just went for the flour)
• 1 9-oz. package frozen green beans (I had a 1 lb. bag and used them all)
• 5 plum tomatoes, cut into slices (I used canned diced tomatoes)

Place the chicken in the slow cooker. Combine the wine, tomato paste, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and red pepper in a small bowl, then pour over chicken. Add 1 1/2 cups of the broth to the slow cooker. Cover and cook until the chicken is fork tender, 4-5 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.

 

About 40 minutes before the cooking time is up, whisk the reserved 1/4 cup broth, vinegar, and flour in a small bowl until smooth. Stir in about 1/4 cup of the hot broth from the slow cooker until blended. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the liquid in the slow cooker, without disturbing the chicken. Add the beans and tomatoes in even layers. Cover and cook on high until the mixture simmers and the beans are tender, about 35 minutes.

Bonus picture of the kid chowing down on grapes! :) I don't usually let her eat in her bedroom but really, anything to get her to sit still for hair brushing.

 

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Crispy Smashed Chicken with Chimichurri

I love chimichurri! The original recipe for this chicken suggested salsa but this sounded even better to me, so off I went to find a suitable recipe, which I got from here. I added some broiled asparagus and dinner was served!

Crispy Smashed Chicken

Recipe from the Nom Nom Paleo™ app for the iPad, which I really like!

Makes : 4 servings

Hands-On Time : 30 min

Total Time : 30 min

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each)
• 2 tablespoons Ghee or fat of choice, plus more if needed (I used coconut oil)
• ½ cup coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• freshly ground black pepper
• Lime wedges (optional)
• Mango Salsa or Salsa Roja Asada (optional)

Preparation Steps:

If you're starting with frozen chicken breasts, dunk the package in a large bowl of super-hot tap water and weigh it down with a ramekin or small bowl to keep it completely submerged. A package of two large chicken breasts should thaw in about 10 minutes. Flip it and massage it a few times as it thaws.

Sprinkle the chicken with a few drops of water and place it between two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment. Then hulk out and smash the breasts with a meat pounder, rolling pin, or small cast iron skillet until the chicken is uniformly flattened into half-inch-thick paillards.

Melt the Ghee over medium-high heat in a large cast iron skillet.

In a large bowl, mix the coconut flour, salt, garlic powder, and a few grinds of pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, and pat off any excess.

Once the cooking fat is melted and shimmering, place the chicken flat-side down in the skillet, and allow it to cook undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes.

Don't overcrowd the skillet -- if your chicken pieces are too big, fry them up in separate batches.

Flip the breast over, and cook the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes, or until the exterior is crisp and golden brown.

Transfer the cooked chicken to a wire rack, and tent it with foil while you fry up the remaining pieces.

Slice up the paillards, and serve it up with your favorite sauce. This chicken is fantastic with some lime wedges and topped with a spicy salsa.

 

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Slow cooker pulled pork

Smokey Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

• One 4 to 6 pound pork shoulder
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 2 small white or yellow onions

Dry rub:

• 1/4 cup Spanish smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp dehydrated minced onion
• 1 tbsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp chili powder

Instructions:
1) Peel your garlic and cut each clove in half. Using a thin knife poke holes into your pork shoulder and then press your garlic in. I like to stick a few pieces under the fat cap as well.
2) Mix your dry rub ingredients well in a bowl or large plastic bag.
3) Coat your pork shoulder with your dry rub as evenly as possible. Allow your spice coated pork shoulder to sit in the fridge overnight if possible. This step is not necessary, yet I find that this marination time helps the meat pull some of the spice in better. You can either use a large resealable bag or plastic wrap.
4) Slice your onions into thick slices and line your slow cooker with them. Place your pork shoulder on top of the onions with the fat cap facing upwards.
5) Set your slow cooker to low for 8 to 10 hours. Your meat is done when it easily pulls apart with a single fork.
6) Remove your fat cap and bone from the meat. Now simply use a pair of forks to shred your tender meat into pulled pork goodness serve it up with a veggie of your choice or toss it in a salad.

 

I steamed some broccoli and made a quick salad of baby spinach with avocado, almonds, and balsamic vinaigrette. Pretty yummy!

 

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Swedish Meatballs

You may think these are ordinary meatballs, but they are not! They are delicious Swedish meatballs, resting before diving into their sauce. This is a family recipe, which has been tweaked over the years until it's exactly what we want.

Swedish Meatballs

Serves 8 generous portions

Prep time: 20 min, Cook time: 30 min

• 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 t. ground allspice
• 1/2 t. grated nutmeg
• 1/2 t. ground cardamom
• 1/2 t. ground pepper
• 1 lb. lean ground beef chuck
• 1 lb. lean ground veal
• 1/2 lb. lean ground pork
• 2 T. butter
• 2 T. flour
• 14 oz. beef broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 T. dry sherry

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Put bread crumbs and milk in a large bowl. Stir and let soak 10 min. Add onion, eggs, and spices and use a wooden spoon to combine.

Break meats into small bits with hands (Note: when I'm being fancy it's worth getting veal and pork, but I just used ground beef this time) and add to bowl. Use wooden spoon to beat until well-mixed. Shape into 1 1/4-inch balls; handle gently and rinse hands often to keep mixture from sticking. (If you have an ice cream scoop or dished about this size it makes things much easier to scoop and then use your moistened hands to shape into a ball). Arrange meatballs in a single layer on ungreased baking sheets (you'll need about 4 sheets).

Bake until well-browned, 10-15 minutes. Remove from pan with wide spatula. At this point, you can cover and chill these for up to 3 days.

For the sauce, put butter and flour in a large saucepan. Blend broth and water into flour. Bring to boil while stirring. Add meatballs and sherry and bring to simmer, cover and gently simmer for 10 min.

Serve over egg noodles or baby red potatoes sprinkled with dill.

 

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Curried bison meatballs

I made this new recipe tonight and it turned out great! I used ground bison instead of beef and served it with a little rice and a lot of steamed broccoli. I always feel better--not only healthy but proud and satisfied--when I make food from scratch at home.

 

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Clean-out-the-cabinets Vegetarian Night

Feeling dirt-ass poor tonight, so it was "how do I use what I've got and make a whole meal?"

There were red lentils in the cupboard, and a little rice left in the canister, a couple cloves of garlic, some onion, and about a third of the kale from the CSA this week.  Veggie stock I made last night.  That was dinner, and in this combination:

Rice-Cooker Rice and Lentils

• Equal parts brown rice and red lentils*
• Twice that amount of veggie stock* or water
• Two cloves of garlic, crushed or minced or whatever
• A pat of butter or a dribble of oil
• Salt

Throw all that in a rice cooker.   Turn it on cook and let it go until it clicks off.

Cut thin slices off the onion so that they form rings.  Saute these briefly in a skillet, in either oil or butter.  Once they're clear/browned/caramelized, remove from pan and set aside.

Top lentil mixture with onions and eat up!

Skillet Greens

• 1-2 T butter or oil
• 1 clove garlic (or the remains from pressed garlic, which I used
• about 1/2 cup water
• fresh greens (kale, chard, collards, mustard, spinach, or whatever)
• lemon juice or vinegar of your choice

Rince greens in cold water.  Heat the skillet (I used the same one I'd just cooked the onions in) and tear up the greens, still slightly wet, into the pan.  (For tender greens like spinach and chard, the stems can be chopped and added before the leaves.  For kale, the stems went into the veggie bag.) Cover and let steam slightly, adding the 1/2 of water if they start to sear.  Cover again and let steam until greens are tender (about 5-6 minutes for kale) and add butter/oil and garlic.

Saute just a bit, then remove from heat before they greens get scorched.  Sprinkle with lemon/vinegar and salt, if desired.

-----------------------------
*Lentils:  Any kind of lentils will work.  Red lentils turn this into a stew/casserole, depending on how much liquid is left.  They fall apart, seriously.  Brown lentils retain a slightly crunchy beaniness if not cooked a bit beforehand, so if you want them soft, they'll have to go in at least partially pre-cooked.  Haven't done this with green or black lentils.

*Vegetable Stock: I save all my veggie scraps in the freezer in a much-reused gallon-sized plastic bag, until the bag gets full.  Then I dump the contents into a stock pot, cover with water, salt lightly, and boil the stuffing out of it.  When all the veggie scraps are looking like all the life is out of them, I remove the solids, run the liquid through a strainer-inside-a-funnel into a jar, and there you have it.  (By the way, my "funnel" is the cut off top of a gallon milk jug.)

Chicken Wings in Three Styles

I seem to be in an improvisational mood these days.


Chicken Wings in Three Styles

Marinate chicken wings in any of the following marinades: the longer, the better.

1: Buffalo Wings

• Buffalo wing sauce (I use Frank's Red Hot)
• Cayenne pepper
• Oregano
• Garlic powder
• Salt and pepper, as desired

2: Balsamic Wings

• Olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Basil
• Oregano
• Garlic powder
• Salt and pepper, as desired

3: Sweet Smoky Wings

• Olive oil
• Ketchup
• Sweet spicy mustard
• Garlic powder
• Oregano
• a few drops of Liquid Smoke
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Salt and pepper, as desired

Bake wings at 350 degrees F (175 C), turning once to brown evenly, if necessary.  I bake mine on a roasting pan, so that the juices drip down and the skin gets crispy.

Beef and mushroom cabbage wraps

These wraps are made with beef from a friend's farm. We get our meat and eggs directly from an awesome young woman farmer, and I love it that we can support her in building her business. If you don't want to use beef, you could probably sub pretty much any ground meat you like. I think I may try doing them with pork sometime soon.

I'd originally intended to do lettuce wraps, but I couldn't find lettuce that would work well for wrapping, so I ended up using savoy cabbage. I find it actually works pretty well and tastes great, although it's maybe not as flexible as lettuce, so it's a little more prone to cracking and allowing drips. But if you're eating wraps with your fingers, you should be the sort of person who's okay with drips, right?

Yes, I ate three of them. Actually, I didn't. I ate five.

Once again, I sort of made this up as I went along.

Ingredients:
extra-virgin coconut oil
one medium onion, diced
six cloves of garlic, smashed
fresh ginger, about 1.5" piece, minced
one pound of ground beef
gluten-free tamari
sesame oil
mushrooms, chopped coarsely, maybe 3/4 cup or so
savoy cabbage
sriracha
cilantro

Onions and garlic are the default start to about 95% of my cooking.

In a large skillet, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add onions, cook until translucent, then add garlic and ginger--be careful not to burn them. Next, add the beef to the pan and brown it. Throw in the mushrooms, a good splash of tamari, and a glug of sesame oil. Cook for a few minutes until mushrooms are soft and it seems done enough.

While filling is cooking, tear off some cabbage leaves and put them on a plate. Chop up some cilantro.

Fill leaves with meat and mushroom mixture, then top with a swirl of sriracha (yes, it's not paleo, and no, I don't care) and a sprinkle of cilantro.

To eat, fold cabbage around filling with your hands. Expect that it will drip a little. That's okay, you can eat those bits with a spoon or do what I do if nobody's looking and lick your plate.

Nom nom nom.

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

So we had a TON of veggies to use, some from this week's CSA, and some from the previous (two weeks ago), and I just wanted to do something... different.

So: The potatoes from the last CSA went on to boil, and the rest of the veggies got diced and sauteed, and I threw in seasonings. Into a pan, cover with potatoes (mashed with butter and chunks of cheese thrown in) and it's PIE.

VEGETABLE SHEPHERD'S PIE (Serves 4)

• 2 T or so olive oil (or butter, whatever) 
• 1/2 a medium onion, chopped 
• 1/2 cup chopped celery 
• 2 carrots, chopped 
• 1/2 a bell pepper, chopped 
• 1/2 cup fava or lima beans 
• 1 zucchini, chunked or chopped 
• 1 t dried thyme 
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce (or to taste) 
• 1 T balsamic vinegar 
• 1 T sweet-spicy mustard 
• 1/4 t garlic powder OR 1 clove garlic, chopped/minced 
• 4-5 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2" chunks (about 1 lb.) 
• salt, pepper, and any other seasonings to taste 
• 2 T butter 3 oz aged cheese, cubed (we had aged gouda on hand, but anything would work)  

DIRECTIONS:

Start potatoes to boil in a 3-qt. saucepan with enough water to cover. Salt as desired (I use a teaspoon or two). Let come to a rolling boil, then cook until fork-tender. Remove from heat; set aside.

Heat olive oil/butter in a skillet, adding onion, celery, bell pepper, carrots and fava beans. Saute until onion is clear; add zucchini. Toss lightly with Worcestershire, balsamic, garlic and thyme until coated, letting simmer briefly. Remove from heat and mix in mustard.

Lightly grease a 2-qt. baking dish, and layer bottom of pan with vegetable mixture. Mash potatoes with a little butter, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper as desired. Fold in cheese; cover vegetable layer with potatoes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C); bake 15-20 minutes until vegetable mixture is bubbly and potatoes are lightly browned. You may put a few small bits of butter on top of the potatoes halfway through if you're feeling as luxurious as I was tonight. Let stand a bit maybe, or just dig in.

THE RESULT

THE VERDICT
It's pretty tasty. Good mix of flavors - savory without being either spicy or bland.

I love summer.

It's already hot here and I don't love to cook anyway. So here's my quick, early dinner:

2 eggs, lightly scrambled and cooked in olive oil
Leftover diced tomato
A small handful of arugula (which I recently found out is what they call rocket in the UK), drizzled with lemon-flavored fish oil, sea salt, and ground black pepper
Some canned black beans, rinsed
A small avocado

I had some unsweetened chilled ice tea with it, too. Yum!

By the way, this sort of meal could easily be made vegetarian by drizzling the arugula with olive oil instead of fish oil, or even just lemon juice. I ate it with the egg and it was a really interesting mix of flavors.

Salmon Rice Bowls

Rice is a debatable ingredient among paleo eaters, so this one isn't 100% paleo, but whatevs. I deadlifted 253 pounds today--a new PR--and then did "Jackie" (1000m row, 50 thrusters, 30 pullups). I'm eating whatever I want, not because I "earned it" by working out but because I dare anyone to stand between me and my dinner tonight.

Ingredients

16 oz wild pacific salmon
6 baby bok choy
1 1/2 cups white rice
extra-light olive oil
toasted sesame oil (cold pressed, unrefined)
gluten-free tamari
five spice powder
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp minced ginger
1/4 cup water


This is one of those meals where I made it up as I went along, so I didn't really plan ahead or measure anything. First of all, I cooked up a pot of white rice. I then started two cast iron pans heating on the stove, both over medium heat. In one, I put some extra light olive oil (chosen for flavour neutrality, so use whatever oil you like), some sesame oil, and a good shot of five spice powder. In the other, I added some finely chopped garlic and some minced ginger to some more olive oil and sesame oil.

While that was heating up, I cleaned and separated some baby bok choy. I threw the bok choy into the pan with the five spice powder and added a couple of tablespoons of gluten-free tamari and about 1/4 cup of water.

In the other pan, I put four wild salmon fillets and let it cook on one side. While it was cooking, I stirred up the bok choy a bit. I then flipped over the salmon and added a splash of tamari to the pan. As the salmon was finishing cooking, I took a couple of deep bowls out of the cupboard and put about 3/4 cup of rice in the bottom of each, layering the bok choy on top of that. I then returned the pan from the bok choy to the stove and turned the heat up to reduce the remaining liquid into a sauce. I topped each bowl with two pieces of salmon and then poured the sauce over top.

Result?

Mmmmm...fishtastic.

Sweet Potato Salad

So I'm finally getting in on the EWF fun! I should start off and introduce myself. I'm Bird, and I'm the resident paleo. No, that doesn't mean I go around in a fur bikini eating raw meat. It also doesn't mean I'm into low carb or weird evo-psych theories about gender roles.

I focus on eating whole foods, preferably from local, organic sources. This means a lot of vegetables (soon to be coming from the CSA we've joined), good eggs from chickens that get to scratch in the sunshine, and meats from a woman farmer friend of mine--yay for supporting feminist enterprises! Along with that I eat some fruit, some nuts, and sometimes a bit of good quality dairy. I have celiac disease, so I have been gluten free for about five years now, and going paleo wasn't a big shift. I feel healthier and happier eating this way, and I've also gained a closer connection to my food and local farming community.

So, on to the food! Today's recipe is a paleo sweet potato salad that's vegetarian-friendly too.

Sweet potato salad goodness

One of the tricky things about eating gluten and grain free is sharing a meal with vegetarian friends. Yesterday my partner and I were invited to dinner with friends, and I needed to bring a side dish to share. I knew other people were bringing green salads, so I wanted a starch dish that would be exciting and easy to transport to a potluck. I had some sweet potatoes in the pantry and some homemade mayo in the fridge, so I thought a sweet potato salad sounded like a great idea. I looked around online and found a lot of the recipes included bacon--not exactly a vegetarian option. So, how to get that umami taste without adding meat? Sundried tomatoes to the rescue! However, it still needed a little bit of...something...to balance it, so I also used a tablespoon of dijon mustard, which balanced nicely with the sweetness from the potatoes, and green onions added flavour and an appealing crunch.

Sundried tomatoes make me want to eat them like candy

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2" cubes
2 tbsp coconut oil
8 hardboiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup homemade mayonnaise
6 sundried tomatoes (packed in olive oil), chopped
1 tbsp dijon mustard
4 green onions, chopped
sea salt

Sweet potatoes in the pan

Directions

Heat coconut oil in a deep cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add sweet potato chunks and cook until browned and soft. Transfer to large mixing bowl and set aside to cool.

Once potatoes have cooled, add eggs, mayo, tomatoes, mustard, and onions, and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Gorgeous eggs from Meadow Creek Farm

Blondeez Daily Diary Friday

Apple Raisin Irish Oatmeal warmed me up after a quick bike ride this morning.  Lunch was leftovers from last night, and homemade applesauce as a snack.

Dinner was a one-pot slow cooker meal that I love--Curried Chicken and  Rice.  Since I had the greens left from the beets I looked up an indian-inspired recipe and came up with Braised Beet Greens, which added a little more greenery to our meal. 

Curried Chicken and Rice (from Slow Cooker Revolution)
Serves 6-8
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 4-6 hours

• 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 onions, minced
• 1 jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp. minced or grated ginger
• 1 Tbsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 14-oz. can light coconut milk
• 2 lbs. boneless, skinless, chicken thighs, trimmed
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups instant brown rice
• 1/2 head cauliflower (~1 lb.), cored and cut into 1-inch florets
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 3 Tbsp. sliced almonds, toasted
• 2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro

Heat 2 Tbsp. of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add onions, jalapeno, garlic, ginger, curry, and garam masala and cook until vegetables are soft and lightly browned, 8-10 min.  Stir in flour and cook for 1 min.  Slowly whisk incoconut milk, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out lumps, then transfer to slow cooker.

Season chicken with salt and pepper, add to slow cooker, and coat evenly with sauce.  Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 4-6 hours on low.  Break up chicken into bite-size pieces with wooden spoon.  Stir in rice and 1 tsp. salt, cover, and cook on high until rice is tender, 20-30 min.

Microwave cauliflower with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in a large bowl, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 min.  Stir softened cauliflower and peas into slow cooker and let sit until heated through, about 5 min.  Sprinkle with almonds and cilantro and serve.

Blondeez Daily Diary Thursday

Breakfast and lunch were not that exciting today--greek yogurt with honey plus Fruit and Nut Granola for breakfast, then leftover Beef, Tomato, and Sweet Potato Stew and Quinoa Tabbouleh for lunch after my second CrossFit workout.  I had some more of that homemade applesauce for a snack.  But dinner was the main event!

First, I had marinated Damn Fine Chicken Wednesday night, which I've been excited to try. And wow, it totally lived up to expectations!  I am so excited to eat more for lunch tomorrow.

Next I made Oven Roasted Golden Beets--my first time cooking beets, which the kid's day care says she loves. 

Then I added steamed artichokes (I really can't get enough of them!).  It made a really colorful plate with the chicken and beets, and of course I finally remembered to take pictures of everything so the blog is prettier!

Blondeez Daily Diary Saturday and Party Prep

I sort of made up for lost time today by spending most of it planning, shopping, and cooking!  My parents helped by entertaining the kid and acting as prep chefs.  Some cooking for today, some for the week to come, and a lot for tomorrow, when we're having a small family party for the kid's second birthday (around 20 people--yes, for my family, that's small!).  Among the guests we have two celiac, one allergic to eggs, a couple paleo fans, one who doesn't eat beef, and one who has problems with ulcers and heartburn.  So on the one hand, most of those food preferences go together.  On the other, it was a lot to think about.

I made a gluten free devil's food cake from a mix (pics tomorrow when it's frosted!) because I couldn't justify buying the ingredients for making it from scratch when I'm not likely to use most of them in the future.  The girl who is allergic to eggs will have her own vegan dessert, thanks to her mom telling me there was no need to try to make an egg and gluten free cake.

First thing, it was high time I made breakfasts for the week.  I cleaned up the slow cooker and made steel cut oats with apples and raisins.

As long as I was chopping apples, I also whipped up some homemade apple sauce on the stove.  The kid loves it and we're working on getting more fruit into her.

By the time those were done it was about time to start dinner!  I pulled out the paleo cookbook for Moroccan Chicken, and then because my parents and the kid are anything but paleo, we added some soft polenta made in the microwave, which was super easy.  And yummy!

After dinner, I threw together more food for tomorrow.  First up, Quinoa Tabbouleh, which I'm super excited for as it's a great high-protein carb with lots of veggies, and everyone except the hardcore paleo types can eat it.

Then I marinated some drumsticks and squeezed a whole lotta lemons (from my parents' backyard) so we can have fresh lemonade tomorrow.  Can't wait!

Irish Oatmeal with Apples and Raisins (America's Test Kitchen's Slow Cooker Revolution)
Serves 8
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 4 hours

• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 cups steel cut oats
• 8 cups water
• 1 lb. apples (3-3), cored and shredded
• 1/2 cup dried apples, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt

Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.  Add oats and toast, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes; transfer to slow cooker.

Stir water, apples, dried apples, raisins, sugar, cunnamon, and salt into slow cooker.  Cover and cook until oats are softened and thickened, 4-6 hours on low.  Let oatmeal sit for 10 minutes; stir well adn swerve.  Oatmeal can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.  Reheat oatmeal either in microwave or in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.

Apple Sauce (The UltraMetabolism Cookbook)
Serves 4
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 40 min

•  4 large apples (about 2 lbs.) cored and cut into chunks
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• small pinch allspice
• 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Place the apples in a large pan with the water.  Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and cook the apples until they are soft, about 20-25 min.  When the apples are cooked, remove only the apples to the bowl of a food processor, fitted with a metal blade, leaving cooking liquid in the pan.

Bring the remaining cooking liquid in the pan to a boil over high heat until it reduces to about 1 or 2 tablespoons (it is like syrup).  Add the reduced liquid from the pan to the food processor along with the cinnamon, allspice, and lemon juice, and process to the desired consistency.

 Moroccan Chicken (from Whole9 Nutrition Guide)
Serves 2-4
Cook Time: 25 min.

• 2 Tbsp. cooking fat, divided
• 1 cup diced onion
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 tsp. coriander
• 1/4 tsp. saffron
• 1 can artichoke hearts, halved
• 3-6 sundried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 lb. diced chicken breast
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1 cup kalamata or black olives
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Heat 1 Tbsp. of cooking fat in a large skillet.  Saute the onion and garlic for about 3 minutes, add the spices, and saute for another 2 minutes.  Add the artichokes and tomatoes, cook for 2 more minutes, then place the mixture aside in a bowl.  Add the second Tbsp. of  cooking fat to the skillet, then add the diced chicken.  Cook for 5 minutes, turning the meat often, until the chicken is browned.  Add the veggies back in, then add the parsley, olives,, and lemon juice.  Stir and cook until the juices reduce--5 to 7 minutes.

Soft Polenta in the Microwave (credit to my mom)
Serves 4
Cook time: 15 min.

• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 tsp. butter
• pinch fresh ground pepper
• 2 tsp. blue cheese (or other cheese, or additional butter)

Combine water, cornmeal, and salt in a microwave-safe dish (at least 6 cups).  Stir and microwave uncovered for 5 min on high.  Stir well, cover loosely with a paper towel, and microwave for another 5 minutes on high.  Stir in butter, pepper, and cheese (or butter), then let cool and thicken for at least 3 minutes before serving.

Blondeez Not Daily At All Anymore Diary--Weekend Update

The week got away from me, in many ways, so I'll just catch you up on meals and recipes of note.  There weren't many.   Seriously, I was in survival mode this week.  But my parents arrived on Thursday to celebrate the kid's birthday, so we had a decent dinner that night!  I roasted a chicken and potatoes and steamed artichokes, then put together a salad with 50/50 lettuce and spinach, avocado, cucumber, and yogurt blue cheese dressing.  A bottle of chardonnay and we were a very happy bunch!  No recipes except for the chicken, which comes from my favorite basic, delicious food book.  How to Cook Everything is a great reference manual--I have often had a random thought or ingredient and looked up his instructions.  A lot of times I have another recipe in mind, but he explains technique with illustrations (like how to truss and carve poultry!) and has wonderfully simple recipes that can be dressed up or dressed down. 

Then last night my parents were at a cousin's for dinner so CJ made crock pot Beef and Sweet Potato Stew, which was a great and comforting meal after a long week.

Roast Chicken with Roasted New Potatoes (from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything)
Serves 4
Cook Time: 60-75 min

• 6 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. fresh (or 2 tsp. dried) herbs--thyme, rosemary, marjoram, oregano, or sage
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 whole (3-4 lb.) chicken, trimmed of excess fat, then rinsed and patted dry.
• 1 1/2 lbs. waxy red or white potatoes, skins on a scrubbed (either baby/new or cut into chunks)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Mix together the olive oil, herb, salt, and pepper.  Place the chicken, breast side down, on a rack in a roasting pan.  Toss half of the herb mixture with the potatoes and scatter them in the pan.  Begin roasting.

After about 20 minutes, take the pan out and spoon some of the oil mixture over the chicken and potatoes, then turn the chicken breast side up.  Shake the pan for the potatoes turn and cook evenly.  Roast another 7-8 minutes, or until the breast begins to brown.  Turn the heat down to 325 degrees F and baste the chicken again with the rest of the oil mixture.  Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh read 160-165 degrees F.  Total roasting time will be 50-70 min.

Remove the chicken and test potatoes for doneness.  If the potatoes are not soft, turn the heat up to 425 degrees F and roast for a few minutes while the chicken rests.

Beef and Sweet Potato Stew (crock pot) (from The Paleo Recipe Book)
Serves 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours

• 1 lb. beef chuck or otehr stewing cut, in 1-inch cubes
• 3 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• pinch allspice
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 large onion, cut in chunks
• 1 can (28 oz.) tomatoes
• 8 dried apricots, halved (optional)
• chopped parsley for garnish
• cooking fat (we used walnut oil)
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat a skillet over a medium heat, season the beef cubes to taste with salt and pepper and brown on all sides with some cooking fat in the hot skillet.

Place the browned beef, sweet potatoes, garlic, allspice, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, onion, and tomatoes in a crock pot and cook on high for 8 hours, until the beef is fork tender.  Add the dried apricots and cook, covered, for another 20 min until the apricots are soft.

Remove the bay leaf and cinnamon stick before serving with chopped parsley on top.