main dishes – Page 33

Sweet Potato Galette with Pan Seared Pork Chops and Apple Whiskey Compote

April 12, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

For this meal, I wanted something winter-y (pork and apples) and pretty (sweet potato galette). It was a good one.

Gluten-free, paleo-ish

Sweet Potato Galette with Pan Seared Pork Chops and Apple Whiskey Compote

Sweet Potato Galette

2 large sweet potatoes
1 Tbsp. ghee
Sprinkle parmesan (optional if strict paleo)
Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Brush some ghee over the bottom and up the sides of a large oven-safe pan. Peel and slice your sweet potatoes thin (I used a mandoline). Place a layer of potatoes – fanned out like cards – in the pan (I started in the middle and worked my way out, making sure to overlap a bit) and hit with a sprinkle of salt and few cracks of black pepper. Make another layer and hit with the cheese (if using). Stack another layer and brush with ghee. Continue layering until out of potatoes.

Cover the whole pretty shebang with foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until browned. Take out of the oven and let cool.

When cool, place a large plate (larger than the pan) over the pan and flip quickly. Your galette – if you used a sufficiently nonstick pan – should flip onto your plate. If you’re lucky, this will be in one piece. If you’re me and weren’t careful while doing your layers and let some cheese snake its way to the bottom, yours will come out in pieces. It’s still good, even if it isn’t pretty.

Serves 4

Apple Whiskey Compote

While your potatoes are baking, make a sauce.
1 shallot
2 tsp. ghee
1 apple (I used Fuji)
1 tot Honey Jack (or your favorite brown alcohol)
1/4 cup water
Sprinkle salt
Sprinkle cinnamon
Sprinkle nutmeg

Peel your apple and chop into half-inch pieces. Dice the shallot.

In a small pan over medium-low heat, sautee the shallots in ghee until beginning to soften. Add the apple and honey jack and let cook 1-2 minutes. Add the water, salt and spices and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the apples have softened and most of the water evaporates.

Whiz with a blender if you want a smooth sauce.

Serves 4

Pan Seared Pork Chops

1 pork chop per person (I used inch-thick boneless butterflied chops)
Salt & pepper
1 Tbsp. coconut oil

Heat a large pan over medium high. Add the coconut oil and bring up to almost smoking. While that is working, pat your chops dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Place in the pan and sautee 3 minutes per side, or until your desired doneness has been reached.

Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Serves however many you need to serve

Thai-style Ground Beef with Zoodles & Peppers

March 22, 2014December 29, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

Mmmm…. Thai. I’ve been missing the tart/sweet flavors of Thai food in my life lately, and this meal was just the correction for that loss. This sauce is kickin – and could definitely be used on a salad if you have leftovers, or as a dipping sauce for some lettuce wraps. Yum.

Paleo, gluten-free and Whole 30 compliant

Thai-style Ground Beef with Zoodles & Peppers

1 lb. ground beef
1 large zucchini
2 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger
1/2 onion
1 red pepper
2 medium carrots
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
Cilantro (optional for you poor souls with the ‘this crap tastes like soap’ gene)

Sauce

1/2 cup canned coconut milk
2 Tbsp. almond (or other nut) butter
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tsp. Red Boat fish sauce
2 Tbsp. coconut aminos
2 tsp. sriracha (or other hot sauce – if you use the Whole30 sriracha from Nom Nom Paleo, this dish is even W30-compliant)
4 Tbsp. lime juice

In a large pan over medium-high heat, brown your ground beef until crispy. Remove to a paper towel lined bowl.

While that is working, mince your garlic and ginger and thinly slice the onion. When the pan is free, add the coconut oil and sautee the ginger, garlic and onion until softened (stirring frequently to avoid burning).

Add the pepper, which you’ve cut into thin strips. Sautee until beginning to soften, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Add the carrots, scraping up all the delicious browned bits from the meat. Sautee until the carrots are softened and everything is starting to brown.

While this is working, make your sauce. Whisk the coconut milk and almond butter together over medium heat to combine, making sure to beat all the lumps out. Cut the heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Turn the heat back on for a minute or two to thicken a bit and whisk to combine. Let sit while you zoodle.

I happen to like my zoodles raw, so I made them at this point. If you prefer yours cooked, add with the carrots.

Don’t forget to chop your cilantro, if using.

To serve: toss the beef mixture with the sauce and either spoon over the zoodles or throw the zoodles in and toss. Sprinkle with cilantro before hitting the table.

Makes enough to serve 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch

French-Ish Chicken with Leeks, Parsnips and Preserved Lemon

March 8, 2014December 29, 2014Recipes1 Comment

I wanted something warm, comforting and French-ish for dinner that incorporated the root veggies I had chilling in the crisper and the jar of homemade preserved lemon I had yet to remember to crack. This dish ticked all those boxes and made a great weeknight winter meal.

Paleo, gluten-free and Whole 30 compliant

French-Ish Chicken with Leeks, Parsnips and Preserved Lemon

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 leeks (light green and white parts only)
1 pound parsnips
16 ounces chicken stock (I used Imagine organic stock because it didn’t have any added crap)
A bunch of thyme (I used 3 sprig bundles)
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1/4 to 1/2 of a preserved lemon (I used 1/4, but the lemon taste could stand to be more pronounced)
2 tsp. ghee
Salt & pepper

Wash your leeks and cut into think coins. Add to a large pan with 2 tsp. ghee and sautee over medium-low until beginning to soften, hitting with a sprinkle of salt and a few cracks of black pepper as you go.

While the leeks are softening, chop your parsnips into roughly 1/2-inch pieces. When the leeks are good to go, add the parsnips to the pan and toss. Sautee, stirring every few minutes, while you prep the chicken.

Partially de-fat the chicken and cut into inch or so chunks. Nestle into the pan among the veggies when done. Hit with more salt and pepper and add the chicken stock.

Add the thyme and carraway and let simmer, stirring every so often, 15 – 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the parsnips are softened. During the last 5 minutes or so, mince the preserved lemon and add. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch

Kale Pesto & Chicken Sweet Potato Noodle “Pasta”

March 1, 2014December 29, 2014Recipes1 Comment

I finally broke down and bought a spiral slicer. I got the GEFU Spirelli and after making this dish two ways – once with my speed peeler and once with the spiralizer, I’ve got to say I’m digging the spiralizer. It feels a lot less dangerous in my hands, and while there is some waste – it’s pretty much on-par with the speed peel method (at least for me – I’m kind of a sharp object hazard).

This dish is satisfying on many levels – the pesto is great, the noodles (when spiralized carefully) can just about be twirled, and the chicken lends a great fattiness to the dish that really brings it all together. A knockout weeknight meal.

These sweet potato noodles can also be used a thousand different ways – I see them becoming a staple in this household; maybe yours, too. Serve with bacon, garlic & sauteed spinach; with a bright popped tomato sauce; alongside mini-meatballs; carbonara-style; with briny olives and creamy goat cheese; with sliced steak and chimichurri … and that’s just off the top of my head.

Paleo, Gluten-free, Grain-free, Whole30

Kale Pesto & Chicken Sweet Potato Noodle “Pasta”

Adapted from Gourmande In the Kitchen’s Sweet Potato Noodles with Kale Pesto

1 longer than it is fat sweet potato per person
2-3 chicken thighs per person (I prefer boneless/skinless)
2 big hands chopped kale (I used half a 10 ounce bag of Trader Joe’s organic cut kale)
Handful parsley
Big hand full almonds
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
Big pinch red pepper flakes
Pinch kosher salt
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. Red Boat fish sauce
Coconut or olive oil for cooking
Salt & pepper
Extra Virgin olive oil to serve
Pecorino Romano or Parmesan to serve (completely optional)

First, put a large pot of salted water on to boil. When the water is boiling, add your kale and blanch 2 minutes. Drain and let sit in the drainer while you prep everything else.

Next, get your chicken working. If you’re using boneless/skinless, chop into roughly bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper. Put into a large pan with 1-2 Tbsp. coconut or olive oil. Sautee over medium to medium-high heat until cooked through. Set aside when done.

While the chicken is cooking away, prep your sweet potatoes. Wash and peel and either shave with your vegetable peeler into ribbons or use a spiralizer for long curly strands. Set aside until the chicken is finished. When the chicken is done, add the sweet potato noodles to the leftover fat in the pan – adding a little more coconut or olive oil if needed (you want 2-3 Tbsp. here). Sautee 3-5 minutes, or until the noodles are softened and just beginning to brown.

On to the pesto. Toast your almonds in a dry pan and add to the bowl of a food processor when done, along with the garlic, parsley, drained kale, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, fish sauce and salt. Blitz to combine, adding the oil in a steady drizzle as you go. If the mixture is too dry, add a Tablespoon or so water.

To serve, add the chicken and some pesto (2-3 Tbsp. per person) to the sweet potato pan and toss (gently!) to combine. Serve sprinkled with a nice stout cheese if you eat cheese (Pecorino Romano and Parmesan make good serving buddies) and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Serves 2 if you use 2 potatoes & 6 small chicken thighs – with enough pesto leftover for 3-4 more servings. Could easily serve 4-6 with enough sweet potato noodles & chicken.

Spicy Whole30 Mini Turkey Meatloaves

February 7, 2014December 29, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

Mmmmm…. meatloaf muffins. I love meatloaf muffins. This recipe came about from looking to see what was out there in the realm of turkey meatloaf tastes, taking some of that to heart, and managing to cobble something together in the kitchen.

Warning: as this recipe is written, it is kinda spicy. Not ‘omfg I’m going to die’ spicy, but it has a kick. You’ve been warned.

Spicy Whole30 Mini Turkey Meatloaves

1 pound ground turkey – dark meat is best if you can get it
1/2 cup diced celery (about 1 – 1.5 ribs)
1/2 cup diced carrot (about 1 medium)
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper (about 1/4 of a pepper)
1/4 cup diced shallot (1 medium)
1 egg
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. coconut aminos
2 Tbsp. Red Boat fish sauce
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. chipotle powder
4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. white pepper
1-2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted

Preheat the oven to 350. Prep your muffin tins by brushing with a little melted coconut oil so things don’t stick.

If you haven’t already, prep your veggies. Add to a bowl with the turkey, egg and spices. Combine however you like – I prefer with my hands – and load your muffin tins (winter themed ftw) to about 3/4 of the way full.

I got 9 muffins out of my tins – your mileage may vary, depending upon how large your muffin cups are.

Bake 20 minutes, or until cooked through (knife inserted in the middle comes out clean and the tops start to pull away from the sides of the tin). Let cool 10 minutes before popping out of the pan.

Serves 3, providing you have 9 meatloaves.

Bastardized Whole30 Chicken Curry

February 2, 2014December 29, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

Why bastardized? I was *supposed* to be making my friend’s recipe for semi-traditional Thai-style green coconut curry, but nooooo – ran off half-cocked, thinking I had Thai Kitchen green curry paste (it’s W30-compliant) and couldn’t be bothered to double-check before starting dinner. Well, as it turns out, I don’t have any – and most likely haven’t had any for at least a year (unless of course I managed to use a whole jar without really remembering it – also very possible).

So what did I do? I improvised. And dinner turned out great. A little different flavor profile than I had intended – more on the tomatoey end of curry than the green end – but the sauce was thick and luscious and I’m kinda sad I don’t have any more left over for lunch. Also kind of happy that my hubbs wasn’t home the night I made it, so I didn’t have to share.

Bastardized Whole30 Chicken Curry

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 red bell pepper
1/2 onion
2 medium carrots
2 ribs celery
1 medium zucchini
1 Tbsp. coconut oil or ghee
1 15-ounce can coconut milk (check your labels!)
1 4-ounce can tomato paste (check your labels!)
4 cloves garlic
1 inch fresh ginger
1 jalapeno
2 Tbsp. Red Boat fish sauce
1 tsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground turmeric
2 big pinches salt
2 Tbsp. cilantro
2 Tbsp. lime juice

Chop your vegetables and chicken. Mince the garlic and ginger. De-seed and dice the jalapeno.

Heat up a large pan to medium – add the cooking fat, onions and a sprinkle of salt. Sautee 1-2 minutes.

Add all the spices, garlic and fresh ginger and sautee for a minute or two until fragrant.

Add coconut milk and tomato paste and bring to a simmer. Taste. Add another big pinch salt if needed.

Add the chicken and remaining vegetables and stir to combine. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is done and the veggies are where you want them – 10 – 20 minutes.

While that is working, chop the cilantro and get your lime juice ready. When your curry is cooked through, taste for seasoning – add salt if necessary. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro before serving.

Serve alone or over cauliflower rice. If you eat the curry alone, this recipe makes 2-4 servings depending upon how much you like to eat. I had a double portion for dinner that night and two smaller portions for lunch in the following days. On lunch days, I ended up supplementing with almonds. If you serve over cauliflower rice, I imagine this recipe will easily stretch to feed 4. I happened to be too lazy to make rice that night.

Almost-As-Good-As-Having-Salsa Sweet Potato Bowl

January 26, 2014December 29, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

I realize this is not the best photo, nor is the most exciting dish out there – but it did do make a little dent in the craving I was having one night.

I love salsa, guacamole, lime juice and tacos – I could live off of them happily. Sadly, tacos (at least tacos with corn tortillas + the tortilla chips they come with) are a no-go on Whole30.

One night it was just me for dinner and I was having a wicked craving for salsa. Like full-blown nothing else would do in my life craving – but I had no W30 tomato products in the house but tomato paste, and that’s not happening. I briefly considered picking around the corn and beans in the jar of salsa I had – but a: that’s cheating, b: that salsa wasn’t what I wanted, and c: the bean and corn to tomato ratio was too high.

And since I’m lazy and it was arctic cold out, I decided to rough it out with what I had in the house. I’m happy to report, that while this dish isn’t beautiful – it did fit the bill.

Almost-As-Good-As-Having-Salsa Sweet Potato Bowl

1 medium sweet potato, baked (pierce with fork, bake @400 for 45 minutes – bake a few at once so you don’t have to go through that drama again when you want a quick dinner)

1/2 an avocado

1 tsp. aleppo pepper

2 tsp. lime juice

pinch cumin

pinch garlic powder

pinch onion powder

1 burger patty

Reheat your sweet potato under the broiler if it’s a leftover; bake if not. While that is working, cook your burger to your liking – I do 3 minutes per side in a medium-hot pan.

When the potato is done and cool enough to handle, slip the skin of however you can. Add to a bowl and mash. Add the avocado and spices and mash some more.

Top with the burger patty and go to town.

Serves 1 for dinner

Italian Sausage and Zucchini Ragout with A Fried Egg

January 24, 2014December 29, 2014RecipesLeave a Comment

This is another example of a recipe that came about due to leftovers in the fridge + it’s cold and I need comfort + I want some freakin tomatoes in my life. One of my Nerd Fitness buddies said the description looked like exactly what he was wanting, so I figured you guys might like it too.

Italian Sausage and Zucchini Ragout with A Fried Egg

Tomato sauce – I actually used a sugar and crap-free jarred prepared variety of marinara (a standard sized glass jar full) and doctored it up with spices because I wanted to see if it could be done without tasting horrible. It wasn’t bad, but I would have much preferred the fresh marinara from this recipe – sans wine, or from this recipe as-is

1 – 1.5 lbs. hot Italian sausage (check your ingredients!)
10 ounces to a pound of crimini (or button) mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 eggs
Salt & pepper
Coconut oil or grassfed butter
Red pepper flakes

Set a large tall-sided pan over medium heat. Slip the sausages out of their skins into the pan and break up with a spoon into small bits. Brown. Drain most of the fat and add the onions and mushrooms. Sautee until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are beginning to break down.

Add the tomato sauce and stir. Taste for seasoning – add salt, pepper and red pepper as needed. Cover. Drop the heat to a simmer and let go 20 minutes to half an hour.

In a separate pan, heat 1 Tbsp. coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, hit with salt and pepper and sautee – stirring frequently – 5 minutes or until al-dente. Add to a bowl.

Heat a Tablespoon or so of coconut oil or butter over medium heat. Add the eggs and fry to your liking, seasoning with salt & pepper as you go.

To assemble: zucchini chunks on the bottom, top with a generous half cup or so of sauce, and top with the eggs.

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!

Crab Salad “Sushi” Burger

November 9, 2013December 29, 2014Life, Recipes1 Comment

Burger, meet your new BFF: crab salad. I’ve been seeing variations on a “sushi” burger for awhile now on the Internets and had passed it off as a too-decadent (expensive) dinner for a weeknight. Well, no more. The Asian flavors and crabby sweetness of this salad were a nice addition to what would otherwise just be yet another basic burger/dinner staple ’round these parts. I see this simple salad in my (distant) future for many hot summer nights – kicked up with some cool celery and spooned over some sort of crunch – a plantain chip, shattery tortilla or nut cracker would be delightful here.

This recipe serves 2 for dinner or 1 for dinner + 1 for lunch. For a side, some broccoli slaw would be fantastic here; but I wasn’t starving to death, so I served on its own.

Crab Salad “Sushi” Burger

Make The Aioli

1 egg
1 egg yolk
2/3 c. neutral oil (like grapeseed or avocado)
Juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (Red Boat ftw)
1 Tbsp. coconut aminos
2 tsp. sriracha (if you’re feeling froggy, the Whole30 sriracha from Nom Nom Paleo is fantastic)
1 tsp. mustard (I use Gulden’s)
1 tsp. kosher salt

Combine everything but the mayo in a bowl or jar – I use the container that came with my immersion blender. Whiz with the immersion blender, adding oil in a steady stream until everything comes together and thickens up.

Assemble The Salad

Add to a small bowl:

2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 6 ounce can lump crab meat, drained and picked through for shells
1 tsp. minced or grated ginger
zest of half a lime
2 tsp. sriracha
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
Pinch kosher salt
3-4 Tbsp. aioli

Mix until combined, adding aioli until your desired cohesiveness is reached. Stash in the fridge for half an hour or so to give the flavors a chance to meet and mingle.

Make Your Burgers

You’ll need:

1 lb. grass fed ground beef
Salt & pepper
1/4 to 1/2 avocado per person

Form ground beef into 2-4 burger patties. Salt & pepper both sides.

Cook 3-4 minutes per side in a large pan over medium-high heat.

While the burgers are working, slice avocado and set aside.

When the burgers are finished, top with generous spoonfuls crab salad + sliced avocado + more aioli and go to town.

Serves 2 for dinner if you want big burgers; 4 if you want quarter pounders.

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