Recipes – Page 48 – Gastography

Double Beef Winter Chili

January 19, 2014December 29, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

There’s nothing better than coming home to a big bowl of beefy chili come winter. This slow cooker version uses root vegetables for bulk and some added umami-rich boosters for extra flavor. Whole30 compliant and delicious.

Double Beef Winter Chili

1 pound grass fed stew beef
1 pound grass fed ground beef
4 parsnips (about 1 pound)
2 carrots (about 2 cups)
4 stalks celery
1 small onion
4 cloves garlic
2 (15 ounce) cans diced fire roasted tomatoes – with or without chiles (I used Muir Glen)
2 Tbsp. Red Boat fish sauce
2 Tbsp. coconut aminos
4 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 Tbsp. chipotle powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 big pinches Kosher salt
2 tsp. black pepper

Brown your beef(s) and add to a 6 quart crockpot when done. Chop the parsnips, carrots, onion and celery into roughly half-inch pieces and add to the pot when done. Chop the garlic and add. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine, adding a can of water if your mixture looks dry.

Set on low for 8 hours and go to work. Come home and enjoy!

Arugula & Orange Salad with Pulled Pork and Tomato

January 17, 2014December 29, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

This salad came about because, here in January, I couldn’t stand not eating tomato any longer. Enter Fresh Direct. They tempted me with a beefsteak tomato – that while fairly costly, was actually fresh and actually tasted like tomato. Not sure if it was hot house (there was no mention in the description and it certainly didn’t taste like it), magic fairy house, or teleported from somewhere warm – but it was delicious. Just the breath of warm I was craving.

I ate this for lunch on my second day of Whole30 Take 2 – and didn’t feel deprived in the least.

Arugula & Orange Salad with Pulled Pork and Tomato

2 cups arugula
1 tomato – I used a big beefsteak
1 orange – I used a Cava Cava orange, which was delicious – blood orange would also be great here, or clementine — any orange with a lot of taste
2 Tbsp. gremolata
2 tsp. grapeseed oil
4 ounces leftover pulled pork

Supreme (cut off the outer rind and slice out each wedge individually – for video instructions, click here) your orange and cut the pieces into bite-sized chunks.

Cut the tomato into bite-sized chunks.

Warm your pork if needed.

Chuck the arugula, pork, tomato and orange into a big bowl and toss to combine.

Sprinkle with gremolata, the juice from the orange middle, and grapeseed oil.

Serves 1 for lunch.

Roast Broccoli with Gremolata and Anchovy Oil

January 11, 2014Recipes2 Comments

This is a nice little dish – and easy to make. It takes boring old broiled broccoli and kicks it up a notch for an indulgent feeling weeknight side.

Roast Broccoli with Gremolata and Anchovy Oil

2 heads broccoli
1/4 cup almonds
2 Tbsp. parsley
Zest of 1 lemon
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. anchovies
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Drizzle olive oil
Salt & pepper for sprinkling

Set your oven’s broiler on high and line a baking sheet with foil. Break down the broccoli into florets and half inch pieces of peeled stem. Lay in a single layer on the cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Slide into the oven and broil 15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until deeply browned and crispy in spots.

Start the anchovy oil. This component is optional, but I really liked it. Put the 4 Tbsp. olive oil into a small pan over medium-low heat. Dice the anchovy and add to the pan. Sautée gently until the rest of dinner is ready, adding the red pepper after 5 minutes or so.

While the broccoli & oil are working, toast the almonds in a dry pan. When browned, chop fine and add to a small bowl. Chop the parsley and garlic fine and add to the almonds. Add the lemon zest and salt and set aside.

Serve the broccoli topped with Gremolata and anchovy oil. Serves 2 for dinner, with leftover Gremolata.

Beer Cheese – aka ‘Man Dip’

December 30, 2013Recipes2 Comments

So… this recipe isn’t healthy, and it sure isn’t paleo. But it *is* tasty, and it *did* make a great ‘manly’ dip for my hubby’s UFC PPV viewing party. I’m glad I was out to dinner with my best friend who just happened to be in town – I have a feeling I would have had an aching stomach from eating too much dairy had I been there.

Beer Cheese – aka ‘Man Dip’

1/4 pound extra sharp white cheddar cheese
8 ounces cream cheese (the full fat stuff)
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. onion powder
4 ounces beer (I used Sixpoint Diesel brown ale, but your favorite beer will do just fine)

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pot over medium heat. Stir fairly continuously until the cheeses are melted; once the cheeses are melted and look like a gross gloopy mess, whisk to break up the lumps until you get a nice glossy mixture. If your cheese isn’t liquid enough, add a few more splashes of beer and whisk to combine.

Serves a bunch – makes a small bowl full

Dairy-free Irish Cream Liqueur

December 23, 2013December 23, 2013Recipes1 Comment

This recently-unearthed gem is something my family has been making for holiday get-togethers since at least the late 70s. I remember my mother gleefully bringing this handwritten prize home from my great aunt’s house and making batches upon batches for holiday gifts.

I am happy to say that a dairy-free, updated version is tasty enough to gift as well.

Dairy-free Irish Cream Liqueur

3 large eggs
1 1/4 cup brandy
1 14 ounce can coconut milk
1/4 cup honey
1 3/4 cups almond milk
1 Tbsp. Cacao powder
1 1/2 Tbsp. Instant coffee
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract

First, make some paleo-fied sweetened condensed milk. Add the coconut milk to a small pan over medium high heat and heat to boiling. Quickly whisk in the honey and cut the heat to a simmer. Watch your milk carefully – coconut milk boils over as easily as cow milk.

Simmer 30-45 minutes, or until the liquid reduces by half. Cool completely before using.

Combine the paleo-fied sweetened condensed milk with the rest of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Makes about 5 cups. Store in the refrigerator, tightly covered. Keeps up to 1 month. Shake before serving. Cheers!

Excellent alone, in coffee, in a milkshake, with cereal, and blended with ice.

Asian Pear & Celery Salad

December 14, 2013RecipesLeave a Comment

This is a nice little bright salad that is quick to whip up and uses the best that Fall has to offer. It’s fresh, goes with pretty much anything, and makes a great accompaniment to something light – like the pictured Spicy Tuna Cakes from the soon-to-make-it-to-my-hot-little-hands cookbook Nom Nom Paleo: Food For Humans. If this recipe (and everything on author Michelle Tam’s site, really – she’s never steered me wrong) is any indication, I’ll be cooking each and every dish from the book – and loving them.

And yes, that’s a snowman tuna cake, thankyouverymuch. Because I’m an adult, and have adulty things, like non winter-related cupcake tins.

Asian Pear & Celery Salad

4 stalks celery, cut on a bias
1/2 an Asian pear, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

Dressing

2 tsp. rice vinegar
Zest of 1 lime
2 Tbsp. grapeseed (or other neutral) oil
Big pinch Kosher salt

As you cut the things that need cutting, add to a medium bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Add dressing to salad and toss.

Serves 2 for dinner as a light side or 1 for lunch as a nice sized salad.

This would most likely also be tasty with a tangle of pecorino romano or other aged hard cheese added before serving, with a few cracks of black pepper.

Brussels Sprouts with Bourbon, Apple & Fennel

December 7, 2013Recipes1 Comment

I KNOW… I’m the WORST. More brussels sprouts. Just what you needed in your life.

But they are! I’m a long standing member of the brussels sprouts evangelical committee and I’m here to tell you: brussels sprouts are fantastic if you cook them right. Nutty, delicate, hearty, and comforting all at once – brussels can become the backbone of your fall and winter larder.

And I’m calling this recipe paleo-friendly, even though it has Honey Jack. A belt won’t kill you 🙂 If you don’t want/don’t have bourbon in your life, just omit – life will go on and your dish will still taste magnificent.

Brussels Sprouts with Bourbon, Apple & Fennel

4 cups shredded fresh brussels sprouts
3 Tbsp. ghee
1/2 Fuji apple
1 bulb fennel
Apple cider vinegar (Dr. Bronner’s is the best)
Honey Jack
Kosher salt & black pepper

Set your broiler to high. If your brussels are pre-shredded, spread out on a cookie sheet wrapped in tin foil. If not, shred (I use the shredding disc of my food processor) first. Melt 2 Tbsp. of the ghee.

Spread the melted ghee over your brussels, toss with your hands to combine, and hit with salt & pepper.

Broil 10-15 minutes – tossing every 5 minutes or so to avoid scorching – or until browned at the edges and threatening to burn.

While your brussels are browning, slice the apple and fennel thinly. Add to a large pan over medium heat, along with the last Tablespoon of ghee. Hit with some salt and pepper and sautee until beginning to brown.

Turn the heat down to medium low and add 2 caps of vinegar and a glug of Honey Jack. Stir and sautee until tender and browned and the brussels are done.

Combine everything in a large bowl and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning. I hit with another 3 caps vinegar, salt & pepper. You’re looking for nice bright tastes here. Something bold.

Serve alongside something like a nice smoky pot roast. Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch.

Bread-Free Pork & Sweet Potato Stuffing

November 30, 2013RecipesLeave a Comment

Mmmm… stuffing. Some people seem to go bugnutty over stuffing this time of year. I think Stove Top has addressed this issue properly in their holiday 2013 spots – hilarious. I remember just such “wars” breaking out at Thanksgiving when I was a kid. My family was divided – some preferred Stove Top, some Pepperidge Farms, and some my grandmother’s oyster dressing made with wild rice (which, to be fair, was always served alongside stuffing – and was gross).

Me? I’ve never been too crazy about stuffing. Or dressing, for that matter. I loved bread as much as the next kid – but dressing, not so much. And stuffing in the bird always freaked me right out. About the only part of the whole stuffing/dressing issue I dug were the two bites of almost burnt, butter-drenched bites on the top (or bottom – depends on who was doing the scooping) of the bowl (but only if it had a lot of celery) and that’s about it. Mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and that infernal canned cranberry jelly were really where it was always at for me. Don’t get me started on cranberry sauce vs. cranberry jelly. I realize the stuff in the can is possibly radioactive and only maybe once met a cranberry somewhere way back in its past – but yum. Gelatinous tart and sweet tastiness. “Fancy” cranberry sauce is just wrong.

Enter adulthood, and my own Turkey Day traditions – and nary a stuffing or dressing in sight. I still do a green bean, usually some sort of gravy (sadly, not my grandmother’s giblet gravy – that recipe I don’t have and can’t find), a bevy of potatoes, and generally some sort of decadent pork dish at the center.

This paleo-ified and gluten-free stuffing would make the perfect holiday get-together side – and makes a darn tasty dinner in and of itself. Plus, any leftovers can be transformed into a luxurious lunch with the addition of — wait for it — you’ll never guess — an egg.

Bread-Free Pork & Sweet Potato Stuffing

1 pound ground pork
4 ribs celery
1/4 c. chopped pecan bits
1 Tbsp. fresh picked thyme
5 small cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. granulated garlic
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 Tbsp. unsalted grass-fed butter (Kerrygold)
2 small sweet potatoes (about 2 cups when diced)
Kosher salt & cracked black pepper

Heat the coconut oil in a large pan over medium – medium-high heat. Add the pork and start breaking up with a spatula. Sautee until deeply browned, mashing and stirring frequently to break up into as tiny pieces as possible and avoid over-browning.

While that is working, peel and petite dice the sweet potatoes. Chop the celery and garlic. Pick the thyme and chop.

When the pork is done, remove to a paper towel lined bowl to hang out for awhile (keep the fat in the pan to use for the veggies).

Add the potatoes, celery & garlic to the pan. If there is less than a Tablespoon or so of fat in the pan, add a little coconut oil. Add the onion powder, thyme, a few pinches salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Sautee the veggies, stirring frequently and turning the heat down to medium if necessary until the celery is beginning to soften and the potatoes have gone soft and golden in spots. This should take 5-10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

While the potatoes are cooking, heat a smallish pan over medium heat and add the butter. Add the pecans and cook until beginning to brown.

To serve, mix all components – the reserved browned pork niblets, potato mixture and pecans and chow down.

Makes enough to feed 2 for dinner as a main dish + 1 for lunch bolstered with a couple of eggs. If you want to serve a whole gathering, scale up – keeping the ratio of thyme-heaviness, celery and onion powder appropriate to your amount of sweet potatoes.

Vinegary Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Carraway

November 23, 2013RecipesLeave a Comment

It’s the Most .. Wonderful Time Of The Year – brussels sprouts season! Yeah, you heard me – I unabashedly love those little nubbly cabbages in pretty much all their forms and have since I was a munchkin. Not only do they appeal to my love of the cute & tiny, but they’re packed full of vitaminy goodness and are damn tasty to boot.

Hate brussels sprouts? Well, you’re not alone. They used to freak my DH out, too, until I started shaving them – and cooking them with bacon until browned and nutty around the edges. Scared of the sulfury bitter taste? You won’t get that here. This is not your grandmama’s cooked-to-death boiled brussels recipe. These suckers are good.

Vinegary Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Carraway

3 slices thick cut bacon (I used applewood smoked bacon from Trader Joe’s)

1 red onion

4 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. Dusseldorf style yellow mustard (Grey Poupon, grainy mustard, or my other favorite – Gulden’s – would work here, too. I just so happen to have come across a sexy little mug of mustard at a specialty market and couldn’t help myself. A girl can never have too many types of mustard.)

2 tsp. carraway seeds

Kosher salt & black pepper to taste

A big stalk of fresh brussels sprouts if you’re lucky enough to find one, a package of fresh brussels sprouts if not – just not frozen, ok?

Cut the bacon into strips to form lardon-like pieces (or dice – whatever your fancy). Crisp in a large pan over medium heat. Remove to paper towels once crisped. While that is working, thinly slice your onion.

To the now vacant pan, add the onion and 2 Tbsp. vinegar and a big pinch salt. Sautee until soft.

While your onions are doing their thing, shred your brussels. I do this using the shredding blade of my food processor, but if you don’t have one and have an idle pair of hands in your kitchen, thinly slice. You’re looking for 3-4 cups.

Add the Brussels to the pan and stir to combine. Let go until beginning to wilt and add the other 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, the mustard, a big pinch salt, a few cracks black pepper, and the carraway seeds. Sautee, stirring frequently, until browned on the edges and looking like burning is imminent in places. Taste for salt and acid. Add more vinegar or salt if needed.

Combine with the bacon and serve.

Serves 2 for dinner alongside something like a pork chop coated in more mustard ❤ + one for lunch

Mom’s London Broil with Pureed Bacony Spinach

November 17, 2013Life, RecipesLeave a Comment

London broil had to be one of my very favorite dishes growing up. My mother made it often, since it was an inexpensive way to feel like you’re having steak, and I remember thinking it was the height of attainable fancy (especially when served with asparagus slathered in faker hollandaise or buttered button mushrooms). To this day, London broil – and specifically this cooking method – is my go-to when I’m tired of dithering with other cuts of meat and just want something that a: isn’t going to break the bank, b: can stretch through multiple meals, and c: feels and tastes like steak – without having to deal with trimming fat and guesstimating cooking times. My DH and I generally end up eating a generous portion for dinner, and then I use the leftovers in salads (if they make it that far) for a few days after in lunches.

In celebration of her birthday this year, I’m sharing this childhood favorite with you guys – I think Mom would definitely approve of the side.

Happy birthday, ma. I sure do miss you.

Mom’s London Broil with Pureed Bacony Spinach

16 ounce bag frozen spinach
1/4 c. coconut milk
4 slices thick cut bacon (double smoked is awesome here)
1 onion
8 cloves garlic
2 lb. London broil
Kosher salt & cracked black pepper

Set your broiler on high and place the top rack as close to the heating element as you can get it. Wrap a cookie sheet in tinfoil. Place your steak on the prepared cookie sheet to come to room temperature while you make the side.

Stack your bacon slices and slice into thin strips width-wise (mini lardons). Slice the onion thinly. Add to a large pan over medium heat and sautee until the bacon and onion are browned, stirring often to avoid burning. While that is working, slice your garlic cloves. When you have half the garlic done, add to the pan with the onions & bacon – the rest is going in the London broil.

When your bacon & onions are nice and browned. add the spinach. If you defrost first, your life will be easier – I never remember to, so I ended up breaking it up with a spoon as I could and stirring frequently to avoid sticking and burning. If you go this route and need a little oil, that’s ok.

When the spinach is melted, add the coconut milk and stir to combine. Add a big pinch salt and a few cracks black pepper and transfer the whole mixture to a blender. Blend until smooth, adding splashes of water if the mixture gets too dry to move. Taste & add salt and pepper if needed.

On to the meat. Score your London broil in a diamond pattern on both sides – slipping garlic slices into the scores as you go. Liberally salt and pepper both sides.

Broil 4 minutes per side* and set on a cutting board with drip channel to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

To serve, slice against the grain on a bias. The meat serves 4 for dinner or 2 for dinner + 2 lunches; the side can comfortably serve 3-4 for dinner if you’re not expecting potatoes. I might supplement with come cauliflower mash if everyone is starving.

* I’ve always eaten mine rare — oh, who am I kidding – I love it blue — if your predilections are a little less macabre, adjust the cooking time to your liking – about a minute or so extra per doneness measure. 5 minutes should get you medium-rare. As always, your mileage may vary and this is just an estimated cooking time. Listen to your broiler.

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