Almond Dijon Tilapia

Why hello, deliciousness! I have been getting bored with my usual variations on tilapia (broiled or baked with citrus and/or vinegar) so I decided to venture out of my comfort zone into crusted. I grew up in a house full of picky people, myself included, where my mom often worked nights and my dad, while willing to cook, was not the most inspired chef. So I had never seen anything breaded and fried at home until the last couple of years. It's intimidating to me, in a way that othe reasonably advanced techniques (yeast baking) are not.

This was perfect as I found it, so I'll just send you to the recipe's author.

Thumbs up from Nigel!

 

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Omg BBQ!

Delicious chicken cooking!

I made this to bring to a barbecue at a coworker's house yesterday, but then he forgot to bring it home with him from work so I took it and we fired up the grill at home tonight instead. This is a new one for me and it's so good!

Fiona's Phenomenal Green Chicken

Recipe adapted from the Nom Nom Paleo™ app for the iPad

6 servings

• 1 medium sweet onion, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1¼ cups packed basil leaves
• 1 cup packed cilantro leaves and stems
• ¼ cup packed mint leaves
• 3 peeled garlic cloves
• Freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons apple juice
• 4 tablespoons of Paleo-friendly fish sauce
• Zest from 1 lime
• 3 pounds chicken drumsticks or thighs
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

Peel and coarsely chop the onion. Wash and dry your herbs. Put the onion, cilantro, basil, mint, garlic, black pepper, apple juice, red pepper, fish sauce, and lime in a blender. Purée the marinade ingredients. Place the chicken in a gallon-size plastic bag. Pour in the marinade and squeeze out the air in the bag before sealing. Allow the chicken to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, and up to a day.

Take the chicken out of the fridge at least an hour before you roast it off so it can come to room temperature. Remove the chicken from the bag. Roast the marinated chicken on a medium-hot grill for about 25 minutes, turning every 5 to 7 minutes. Serve the roasted chicken with lime wedges.

Et voila!

 

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Breakfast break!

I'm doing blitz of dinners we ate this week but meanwhile, here's a picture of one of my breakfasts this week.

Poached egg over sautéed spinach with shallots, garlic, and Aidell's chicken apple sausage.

 

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Easy Tandoori Chicken

I love this recipe so much! It makes a lot of food so I end up eating leftovers all week.

Easy Tandoori Chicken

Recipe from the Nom Nom Paleo™ app for the iPad

6 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds chicken thighs (skin-on or off)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 cup coconut cream or coconut milk
• 1½ tablespoon tandoori seasoning
• Juice from 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or fat of choice
• 3 limes, quartered

Liberally season the chicken with salt and pepper in a large bowl. Combine the coconut cream and tandoori seasoning in a small bowl. Squeeze the lime juice into the marinade. Stir the ingredients together until well-blended. Pour the mixture into the bowl of thighs and rub the marinade into the chicken. Allow the chicken to marinate for about 8 hours in the fridge.

When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 375°F on convection bake or 400°F on regular bake. Place a wire rack on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, and grease the rack with a paper towel dipped in melted coconut oil. Arrange the chicken on the rack (skin-side down if you're using skin-on chicken) and pop the tray in the oven for about 40 minutes, flipping the pieces over at the halfway mark. The chicken’s done when there’s yummy charred bits all over, and the juices run clear when you stab the meat.Serve with lemon wedges.

 

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Paleo Orange Chicken

I have a friend at work who is very fit and follows a mostly paleo diet. We talk about nutrition and exercise, and shes a good person to go out to lunch with because I'm less tempted to eat something I womt enjoy long-term. She also has a blog, and after hunting through her archives I decided to make a recipe I found there. I tweaked it a little, so here is my version:

Paleo Spicy Orange Chicken

Serves 4

• 1lb chicken thighs
• 1 bunch of green onions cut up
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tangelos (or oranges or tangerines) (zest one, juice them both)
• 2tsp fresh ground/zested ginger
• 1tsp siracha
• 1tp Worchestor Sauce (or if you don’t have a soy allergy like me, Gluten Free Soy Sauce)
• 2 tbs coconut oil
• Dash of red pepper (optional)
• Spinach

Cut up raw chicken thighs into bite size pieces. Heat Coconut Oil in a pan and add garlic, green onions, and chicken thighs (if you like spicy things add the red pepper).

Add zest from Tangelo, juice from Tangelo, Ground Ginger, Siracha and Worchester sauce to a separate pan. Put on low simmer, stirring occasionally.

Once chicken has cooked add it to the orange sauce. Cook a bit longer for about two minutes. Then pour chicken and sauce onto a bed of spinach.

 

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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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Turkey spinach egg "muffins"

I've been looking for more portable breakfasts, so on Sunday morning I threw this plate together. Yum! The strawberries are just sliced for ease of eating, and the recipe for the muffins is here. The muffins also reheat pretty well, so I've been zapping them in the microwave all week either just before I leave the house or right when I get to work. I think I will try more variations on this theme soon!

 

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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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Summer berry balsamic salad

This is my favorite way to eat salad. You can tell because I forgot to take a picture until I'd eaten half of it! Plus it's super duper easy.

Summer berry balsamic salad

1 serving

Prep time: 5 min

• A big bowl of Baby spinach
• 4 Strawberries
• 6 Raspberries
• 2 T. Balsamic Vinaigrette
• 1 T. Toasted sliced almonds
• 1/2 rotisserie chicken breast

The beauty of this salad is that, other than toasting the almonds, I didn't have to cook anything. I could have made my own chicken but we went to Costco today and they have the most delicious rotisserie chickens for not much more than it would cost me to buy the raw meat. I also used per-made balsamic vinaigrette, though I usually make my own. I just tossed the spinach in the dressing, sliced the strawberries, sliced up one of the breasts on my rotisserie bird, and threw everything on top of the spinach. Lunch is ready!

 

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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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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.

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 Tuesday

Happy May! 

I started the day thankful that the kid stayed mostly asleep and totally fever-free through the night.  I threw together a hot breakfast of Turkey-Apple Hash and made twin tuna salads for CJ and me for lunch.  I grabbed a hard boiled egg to eat late morning before my workout, then afterwards had that tuna salad over arugula with some homemade applesauce.  Some pistachios and grapefruit hit the spot for a snack, and dinner was leftover carnitas and roasted brussels sprouts.  All in all a good day!

Turkey-Apple Hash
Serves 4-8, depending on how hungry you are
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 15 min

• 2 Tbsp. cooking fat (I used ghee)
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• 1.5 lbs ground turkey
• 2 Fuji apples, peeled, cored, and grated
• 1 zucchini or summer squash, diced

Melt cooking fat in large pan over medium heat and add the garam masala, cooking about 2 minutes to infuse.  Add the ground meat to the pan and brown.  Add the apples and squash and cover for about 5 min, or until squash begins to soften.  Remove cover and allow liquid from apples to cook off, stirring frequently.

Fancy Tuna Salad
Serves 1-2
Prep Time: 10 min

• 1 can tuna
• 1/2 large fennel bulb, diced and 1 tsp. fennel greens
• 1/2 shallot, diced small
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 2 Tbsp. capers
• 1 tsp. dried or fresh dill
• 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Combine all ingredients, adding oil just to the desired consistency.  Throw in whatever else you have around that sounds good:  olives, sun dried tomatoes, etc.  Serve on bread or over salad greens.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts (Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook)
Serves: 2-4
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 40 min

• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt ( I like these salty like French fries), and serve immediately.

Blondeez Intermittent Diary

Let's just call it what it is. ;)

Sunday I basically had one long meal, for the birthday party.  I snacked on things while I was cooking, then had leftovers for dinner, so I'll just tell you what I made for the party!  I made Baked Kale Chips as an appetizer, and guacamole (vague instructions below) that I served with salsa and tortilla chips also as a munchie snack. Then CJ fired up our grill to cook the marinated tri-tip (I bought it pre-marinated because it was on sale, actually cheaper than the same quality meat without marinade), Lemon Chicken drumsticks that I marinated the night before, and salmon fillets (loose recipe below).  I threw Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Bacon in the oven and then Broiled Zucchini, and only barely remembered to get out the Quinoa Tabbouleh I made the night before!

The cake was a gluten-free devil's food cake with homemade vanilla buttercream (recipe below), which my mom and I cut up into a duck, like she used to make me as a kid.  Ours looked like this, but there are lots of animal cut-up cakes here.  We paired it with vanilla bean ice cream and good company!

On Monday I had the delicious Apple Raisin Irish Oatmeal for breakfast after a short run.  For lunch, I met some friends at LYFE kitchen, where I had the grilled artichokes with lemon aiol, roasted beets & farro salad (organic field greens, whole-grain farro, roasted beets & fennel, oranges, walnuts, dried cranberries, pomegranate, red onion, basil, and maple-sherry vinaigrette) and a pineapple-coconut-lime cooler.  After the weekend of intense cooking I pulled out a carton of organic tomato soup and made grilled cheese using whole wheat bread and muenster cheese, and some baby spinach.  Plus birthday cake for dessert!

Today I polished off the birthday cake before I left for work, then had greek yogurt with honey as a mid-morning snack.  I went to my first official CrossFit workout at noon, then had leftover beef and sweet potato stew and quinoa tabbouleh for lunch.  When I got home I put artichokes on the stove to steam and fried up a few eggs for a very quick dinner.

Grilled Salmon (from a friend of my mom's)
Serves: however many you want
Cook Time: ~20 minutes

• Salmon fillets (~4 oz. per person)
• butter
• soy sauce (I used wheat-free organic because one of my guests is celiac)
• minced garlic

Lay salmon on a generously-sized piece of heavy duty foil.  Dot with butter and garlic and drizzle with soy sauce.  Wrap the foil to seal around the fish, then put on a hot grill for about 20 minutes, or until done.  The fish is basically steamed in its packet!

Guacamole (made up as I went along)
Serves: 6-8
Prep Time: 5 min.

• 4 avocados
• 1/2 jalapeno
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. garlic powder (or minced garlic)
• 1-2 Tbsp. lemon or lime juice 
• salsa

Mash up the avocados and then stir in the rest to your own taste.

Buttercream Frosting (courtesy of my mom's brain)
Frosts one 9" round cake (double if you're doing a layer cake)
Prep Time: 4 min.

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 lb. powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2-3 Tbsp. milk (to desired texture)

Whip the butter until light and airy, then add most of the powdered sugar gradually, mixing slowly at first.  Alternate with the liquids as needed until you reach the desired texture.  You can add other flavors or colors to match your cake!

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.

Blondeez Daily Diary Monday

They day started out inauspiciously, with yogurt and honey and then lunch eaten quickly from the catered lunch at work.  But then dinner happened!  Dinner was a sweet potato, apple, and sausage hash and brussels sprouts with bacon.  A little pork heavy, but delicious!  I once again forgot to take pictures until after dinner, when I was packing leftovers for my lunch tomorrow.  Trust me, it was awesome.

Both recipes are from the packet of nutrition information that I got at my Crossfit intro class, so they are paleo-approved.  And they are also CJ and Blondeez approved!

Sausage, Apple, and Sweet Potato Hash
Serves 2-4
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 15 min.

• Chicken or pork sausage
• Cooking fat of your choice
• 1 sweet potato, diced
• 1 red apple, diced
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 1 green pepper (I added more apple instead since I loathe it)
• Fresh basil and thyme (I used dried and added earlier in cooking)

Heat cooking fat in a large skillet.  Add diced sweet potato and cook for about 10 minutes, until you can just pierce them with a fork.  Add apple, onion, and pepper and cook until tender.  Meanwhile, brown sausage in a separate pan, then chop and add to vegetable mixture.  Serve hot.

Brussels Sprout and Bacon Medley
Serves: 4
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min

• 5 slices bacon
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 lbs. brussels sprouts
• 1 cup chicken stock
• fresh ground black pepper to taste

Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon until crispy.  Pat the cooked bacon dry and cut or crumble into small pieces.  Cook the chopped onion in the rendered bacon fat for about 2 minutes, until they soften.  Add the whole sprouts, stir well, and cook about 3 minutes, until they start to soften.  Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer and cover for about 10 minutes.  When cooked, drain remaining liquid and sprinkle with crumbled bacon.

After dinner CJ and the kid cuddled while I put together marinade for chicken drumsticks tomorrow!  Yum.