Strawberry Shortcake

This shortcake is deceiving.  It is made with almond flour, and it a cross between a biscuit and shortbread.  They are not very sweet and the consistency reminds me of shortbread.  Make these shortcakes as thick or thin as you want them.  Add homemade cream and fresh strawberries to have a delicious strawberry shortcake dessert!  If paleo style is what you crave, make a coconut whipped cream to top it.  I borrowed the recipe from Elana's Pantry.  She is a gluten-free guru, and I have one of her books that is filled with great recipes.  I changed a few things about this recipe including changing the name from biscuits to shortcake.  Try this recipe with your favorite biscuit fixings (butter, jam, honey) or with the berries and whipped cream.  Let me know what you think. Are they better as biscuits or shortcake?

Need

2 1/2 c. almond flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 c. ghee
2 eggs
1 T. raw organic honey
1 t. vanilla extract

Prepare

 Preheat oven to 350

1. In a medium sized bowl combine the almond flour, salt, and baking soda.

2. In a larger bowl whisk together the ghee, eggs, honey, and vanilla.  The ghee should not be melted and may be hard to whisk.  Try using a spatula first to break down the mixture.  It will be chunky.

3. Add the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients, and mix until a dough ball forms.

4.  Roll out the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper.  Toss in a few palm-fulls of extra almond flour to prevent sticking while rolling.

5. Roll the dough to desired thickness.  

6. Using a biscuit cutter or top of mason jar, cut the dough into circles and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  You may need to repeat steps 4-6 in order to use all of the dough.  In addition, the dough does not rise.  If you want the shortcakes thick, you will have to cut them thick.

I cut mine with a mason jar.

Ready for the oven

7. Bake for 15 minutes at 350.  If your biscuits are not the same thickness, check on them after about 10 minutes.  The thinner ones might need to be removed in order to avoid being burnt at the bottom.  

The biscuits should turn slightly brown at the top.

Finished product

Strawberry Shortcake Dessert

Pork Loin and Mango Salsa

If you read the last post, you know that I have been grilling a lot lately. Today I marinated a pork loin and topped it with a mango salsa. Making your own salsa is ingenuous. It taste better, and it is half the price. If you don't have time for all the chopping, buy the ingredients ready to go. A lot of supermarkets are making it easy to prepare a quick meal. I know Publix and Trader Joes both sell pre chopped veggies. All you have to do is add the seasoning.


Now you have no excuse. The markets are begging you to cook! Try it out and impress yourself.

Need for Pork Loin

1 1-2 lb. pork loin
1/4 c. olive oil
1 capful vinegar
2 t. raw honey
juice of 1 lime
zest of 1 lime
1/2 shallot chopped
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic chopped
1 t. smoked paprika
1 t. cumin
1 t. chili powder
Salt & Pepper

Need for Mango Salsa

1 red pepper chopped
1 mango chopped
1 jalapeno seeded and chopped
1 large tomato
1 scallion chopped
1/4 t. cumin powder
1/4 t. chili powder
1 T. cilantro (I used parsley)
juice of 1 lime
Salt & Pepper

Prepare

Salt and pepper the pork loin. Combine the paprika, cumin, and chili powder in a small bowl. Smother the pork loin in this dry rub.


Whisk together all of the liquids of the marinade. Fold in the chopped ingredient, salt and pepper, and mix. Place the pork loin in the marinade. Allow to marinate up to 24 hours.


Preheat the grill. Grill each side of the tenderloin approximately 7 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at least 140 degrees F.


While the tenderloin is cooking prepare the salsa. Combine all of the salsa ingredients in a small bowl and let the flavors marry together at room temperature.

I served this tenderloin with some fresh spring vegetables.

Grilled Chicken and Bulgarian Salad

Some friends of ours invited us over for dinner last weekend. They are from Bulgaria and there was a lot of food talk at the dinner table. I picked their brains about some traditional Bulgarian food. That same night we ate a traditional Bulgarian salad consisting of tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, scallions, feta, olive oil, and salt. We liked it so much that we have had this salad twice since then. It is simple and delicious.

If you haven't made your own meat marinade, I suggest you start. You can control what goes into the marinade and the flavors are savory and fresh. I may not buy a bottled marinade again. Because of this warm weather, we have been using the grill frequently. Using the grill makes it easy to eat healthy. Marinade your favorite meat (veggies too), grill, and serve it with a fresh salad. More marinade recipes to come!

Chicken Marinade

3 T. fresh finely chopped dill
1/4 c. olive oil
3 T. red wine vinegar
1/2 shallot chopped
juice of 1 Meyer lemon
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts

In a large bowl whisk together all of the marinade ingredients. Add chicken, cover, and put in the refrigerator. Marinate anywhere from 2 to 8 hours.


Preheat the grill. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the grill rack with olive oil to prevent the chicken from sticking. Grill the chicken 4-5 minutes each side on medium heat or until the internal temperature reaches 165.















Salad

3 vine ripen tomatoes chopped
1/2 cucumber peeled and quartered
1 scallions
1/2 c. green pitted olives
2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
Olive Oil
Salt

Combine these ingredients in a medium sized serving bowl. I would add more scallions, but Ben is not convinced. Also, buy feta cheese that is fresh and still reserved in the liquid. The flavor is loads better and the cheese is moist. Be liberal with the salt and olive oil. This is a great salad to add more of what you do like and omit what you don't. Ben eats olives, and I eat onions. We compromised by having a little bit of both, but still picked out what we didn't eat.

Thank you Veny and Lozan for a delicious meal!

Spring Brunch

Spring is here!! Enjoying brunch on the patio outside is great way to spend time with your family. My brother from out of town and his wife were visiting for the weekend, so we had my other brother and his family over for a Saturday morning brunch. We had egg frittatas, sausage, berry cobbler, fruit, coffee, and of course mimosas! I prepped a lot of the food the night before to make it an easy morning. I cut and cooked the egg fixings the night before and had the berries washed and ready to go for the cobbler. This is also a great brunch for any vegetarians. You can make eggs with any vegetables you want and serve the meat as a side. I hope you enjoy this simple brunch that makes both kids and adults happy.

Egg Frittatas

10 eggs
3 T. cream
1 green pepper chopped and sauteed
1 shallot chopped and sauteed
2 tomatoes chopped
1/2 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt & Pepper
Leaves of 12 sprigs of Thyme
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375

Prepare

Liberally spray one cupcake tin with the cooking spray. Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl. Whisk the eggs together and then add in the cream, salt, pepper, and thyme. Using a cupcake tin, fill the tin 1/4 the way full with your favorite veggies. Fill each tin 1/2 way with the egg mixture. The eggs will rise in the oven. Sprinkle your favorite cheese into each tin. For pickier eaters, reserves a few tins for just eggs and cheese.
















Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the eggs are just about set in the center. Use a knife to loosen the edges around the tin and serve on a platter.



Berry Cobbler

3 c. almond flour
2 ripe banana
3 eggs
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
2 t. apple pie spice
1 T. melted coconut oil
1/3 c. maple syrup
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. chopped toasted pecans
Ghee to coat the muffin tin cups
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries (fresh is always better)
2 T. honey

Prepare

Coat a medium sized casserole dish with cooking spray, ghee, or butter. Layer the berries at the bottom of the dish. Pour two tablespoons of honey over the berries and toss together.


Combine the almond flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium size bowl. Add in the mashed ripe banana, eggs, coconut oil, vanilla, and maple syrup to the same bowl. Mix in the pumpkin pie spice. Spread this mixture of the berries evenly. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over top.

Cook for 30-40 minutes at 350.

I cooked the cobbler first so it could cool while I cooked the eggs right before my guest arrived. While the eggs cooked, I used a large pan to heat up some precooked chicken apple sausage.

Have a favorite frittata ingredient? What do you like best about brunch? Please share!

Grain Free Gumbo

I have made this recipe several times in the past couple years. Previously I used quinoa in place of the long grain rice. Now I've replaced the quinoa with cauliflower rice. I used a hot andouille sausage, which made it extra spice. If you're not into spice, use kielbasa or a mild andouille. You can always add the heat later with some hot sauce or cayenne pepper. I'm not sure if this recipe should be labeled gumbo or jambalaya. I used Rachel Ray's recipe as a guide, and she called it jambalaya. Whatever you call this meal, this gumbo taste good!

Need

1 T. ghee or butter
2 T. olive oil
3/4 lb. chicken breasts cubed
1 lb. andouille sausage
3/4 lb. shrimp, deveined and tails removed
1 small onion chopped
1 bell pepper chopped
2 ribs celery chopped
2 T. arrow root powder or flour
1 can diced tomatoes
1 carton chicken broth (4 cups)
1 T. chicken flavoring (I used Organic Better than Bouillon)
1 T. chili powder
1 T. cumin
Dash of Worcestershire Sauce
4 Springs Thyme
Salt & Pepper

Prepare

1. Using a dutch oven or a large soup pot, heat the ghee and olive oil on medium heat.
2. When the oils is hot, add the chicken and sausage to the pot. Cook for about 4 minutes. The meat does not need to be fully cooked because it will cook more when the soup is simmering.
3. In the same pot saute the onions, peppers, and celery. Salt and pepper everything and cook until the onions are translucent.


4. Sprinkle on the arrow root powder or flour just so everything is lightly coated. This will thicken the soup.
5. Combine in the tomatoes, chicken stock, chili powder, cumin, chicken flavoring, and Worcestershire sauce.
6. Bring the soup to a simmer and add the sprigs of thyme. Taste to see if any more salt and pepper needs to be added. Simmer for 10 minutes or longer.


7. To make the cauliflower rice, use the shredding attachment on your food processor to finely grate the cauliflower. You can also use a cheese grater to shred the cauliflower.
8. About 3 minutes before serving, add in the shrimp. The shrimp will cook very easily in the hot soup.

Serve the gumbo over a large helping of cauliflower for an easy midweek meal!

Pecan Crusted Catfish and Sweet Potato Wedges

Lent has inspired me to venture into the seafood world. I usually make fish on the grill because it's easy: marinate, grill, and serve. Although the weather has been telling us it's grilling season, we have not fired up the grill just yet. The other night I made a "breaded" catfish and served it with sweet potato wedges. You could use the same recipe for a different white fish like cod or use it for chicken breasts. Of course it is no fish n' chips or fried fish basket, but it still taste good!


Need for Fish

1 1/2 c. pecans
1 t. dried thyme
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. garlic salt
1 t. pepper
2 pinches cayenne pepper
4 small catfish filets
2 eggs beaten
Olive Oil

Need for Sweet Potatoes

3 sweet potatoes (to serve 4 people)
1 t. chili powder
1 t. sea salt
1 t. black pepper
olive oil
pinch of cinnamon

Prepare

Preheat oven to 425.

Potatoes

Wash and cut the sweet potatoes. Transfer the sweet potatoes to a foiled cookie sheet. Drizzle a decent amount of olive oil on the potatoes. Using your hands make sure each potato has some. Sprinkle on the chili powder, sea salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Bake for 40 minutes. Flip the potatoes once after 20 minutes.










You can cut the potatoes however you want. I cut them into wedges, which required a longer cooking time. If your potatoes are smaller, reduce cooking time. For a crispier potato arrange the potatoes facing up on the skins. This method does not require flipping.

Catfish

1. Using a food processor finely grind up the pecans and transfer to a shallow dish.
2. Add the seasonings ( thyme, oregano, garlic salt, pepper, cayenne) to the dish and mix.
3. In a large frying pan or flat top pan heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil on medium high heat.
4. Create an assembly line to bread the fish. The pecan mixture, two beaten eggs, and catfish.
5. When the oil is hot, bread the filets. Dip one filet at a time in the egg mixture then coat with pecan mixture in the shallow dish. Transfer the filet to the hot oiled pan.















6. Cook on medium-high heat for about 4-5 minutes a side. My catfish filets were extremely large, so they took about 6 minutes a side. I flipped them over when I could see the sides of the filets turning white. You may want to add more olive oil to the pan as the filets cook.

Serve the catfish with sweet potato wedges and your favorite vegetable!

Stuffed Peppers

These peppers are great because you can sneak in extra vegetables and non-veggie eaters will not mind. Ben did not notice that I subbed shredded cauliflower for long grain rice and I added in a cup of fresh spinach. When making these yourself feel free to add your own favorite vegetables and meats. These stuffed peppers live up to their name and will leave you satisfied. Because of all the veggies and meat, you will not be hungry for hours!

Need for Peppers

5-6 large green peppers
1lb. grass fed ground beef
1/2 lb. chorizo
1 large shallot diced
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
1 c. shredded cauliflower rice.
1 cup fresh spinach chopped
1 T. tomato paste
1 T. cumin
1 T. chili powder
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 C. chicken stock
Salt & Pepper

Need for Tomato Sauce

1 can organic tomato sauce
1 t. cumin power
1 t. chili powder
dash of hot sauce
pinch of cinnamon
Salt & Pepper

Prepare

Preheat oven to 350.

1. Cook the ground beef and chorizo on medium heat until most the meat is brown.2. In the same pan add the jalapeno pepper and shallot. Salt and Pepper
3. After about 4 minutes mix in the cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder.
4. Fold in the fresh spinach and cauliflower. (I shredded the cauliflower in the food processor before I started cooking.)
5. Add in 1/2 c. chicken broth and the tablespoon of tomato paste. Cook the mixture until the spinach if full cooked down and wilted.
6.. While the meat filling cooks, hollow out the green peppers. I find it is easy to cut a square at the top of each pepper. You can lift the top out by the stem and it usually takes the inside flesh and seeds with it.
7. Stuff each pepper with the mixture and place in a oven safe baking dish.















8. To prepare the sauce, combine all the sauce ingredients and cook on medium to low heat.
9. Pour a few spoonfuls of sauce over each pepper. Reserve half of the sauce for serving.
10. When all the peppers are ready, add 1/2 cup of chicken stock to the baking dish. Cover with foil.
11. Bake in the oven at 350 for about 1 hour. I like my peppers to be extremely soft. If you prefer your peppers to be stiff, take the peppers out of the oven sooner.



12. Serve with a spoonful of sauce on the top and go crazy by adding a spoonful of sour cream.

Banana Apple Muffins

This recipe is very similar to the pumpkin muffins. I like making these muffins because it dirties one bowl, one spatula, and takes about 15 minutes to make. This week I had a muffin, berries, and a cup of coffee every day for breakfast. I'd say that is the breakfast of champions!

Need

2 c. almond flour
2 ripen bananas mashed
1 medium apple, cored, peeled, and finely diced (reserve 2 T. for garnish)
2 eggs
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. apple pie spice
1 T. melted coconut oil
1/3 c. maple syrup
Chopped pistachios for garnish
Ghee to coat the muffin tin cups

Prepare

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Combine the almond flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium size bowl.
2. Add in the mashed ripen bananas, eggs, coconut oil, and maple syrup to the same bowl. Mix in the pumpkin pie spice. Lastly fold in the chopped apples. The batter will be very thick.
3. Using some type of oil, coat the muffin cups. I used a small amount of ghee.
4. Divide the batter evenly in the muffin pan filling about 3/4 the way full.
5. Top each muffin with the chopped pistachios and left over chopped apples.

Bake at 350 for approximately 20 minutes. The muffins should be golden brown.

Sweet Sauce and Spicy Sausage

Who doesn't like Italian food? Italian food is my favorite cuisine. Traditionally, it is also a cuisine that can sometimes leave me feeling bloated and sleepy. If you eat the warm buttery bread that is usually served before hand, that is pretty much your carb count for the day. I decided to omit the bread and exchange the pasta noodles for spaghetti squash. I also used tomatoes that had zero preservatives and no water or citric acid added. I made a basic tomato sauce and cooked spicy sausage and peppers to go over herb spaghetti squash. It sounds more challenging than it really is. It's a long post though, so grab the vino if you're still interested.

Need

Tomato Sauce
1 box Pomi Tomato Sauce
1 box Pomi Tomato
4 gloves chopped garlic
2 T. fresh chopped basil
1 T. fresh chopped parsley
1/4 t. bay leaves (or 1 whole bay leaf)
1/4 t. garlic powder
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Sausage and Peppers
1 lb hot Italian sausage
1 yellow bell pepper cut into strips
1 red bell pepper cut into strips
1 green bell pepper cut into strips
1/2 large onion cut into strips
1 large glove of garlic
Olive Oil
Red wine

Spaghetti Squash
1 small yellow spaghetti squash
1 T. fresh chopped basil
1 T. fresh chopped parsley
1 T. Olive Oil
Salt (about 1/4 t.)
Pepper (about 1/4 t.)

Prepare

Start the tomato sauce right away. In fact, you can make the sauce a few hours ahead if you want the sauce to simmer longer. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a sauce pan and heat on medium. About a minute later, saute your garlic in the sauce pot and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, garlic powder, and herbs. Salt and pepper to taste. (I added about 1/4 teaspoon of each.) Simmer the sauce on low. If the sauce seems watery, take the lid off and it will start to thicken.

Cook the Italian sausage on medium heat in a large pan to brown on each side. Browning take about 4 minutes a side. Next, put a lid on the pan to allow the sausage to cook on the inside. It took approximately another 5 minutes for the sausage to be fully cooked. The internal temperature should reach at least 165ºF and there should be no pink.






Once the sausage is fully cooked remove them from the pan. Set the heat of the pan to medium-high. Throw in the peppers and onions. Add a large pour of red wine. I had pinot noir on hand, so that it what I used. Turn up the heat and allow the peppers to cook on high for 3 minutes. Bring the heat back down to medium, throw in a large glove of garlic, and cook until the veggies are tender. Slice the sausage while the veggies are cooking. Toss the sausage back in the hot pan a few minutes before serving.










There are several ways to cook spaghetti squash. I have had the most success when cooking it in the microwave. First cut the spaghetti squash in half. Using a microwave safe dish, place one half of the squash face down. Fill the dish with water so there is enough water to cover the bottom of the dish. Microwave on high for 6 minutes. Refill the water if needed and microwave on high for another 6 minutes. Prick the squash with a fork to check tenderness. If the outside cannot be easily pricked with a fork, cook for another minute. The squash will be extremely hot! Make sure you use a oven mitt to handle it. Repeat same process for other half of squash.










Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds inside the squash. Once the seeds are discarded, use a fork to scrape out the squash into a medium size bowl. The squash "noodles" should peel up easily. Toss in the olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper.

Finally, top the herb squash with a layer of tomato sauce, then the sausage and pepper mixture. To make it extra special add some fresh Parmesan on top.

It seems complicated, but it is worth it!