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Feta, Fig & Toasted Pine Nut Salad

Posted by Diane on Jan 17, 2013 in Leafy Salads, Recipes, Salads | 1 comment

Mixed salad greens
2 – 4 TBSPs feta cheese
1 – 2 TBSPs pine nuts, toasted
4 dried figs, cut in half or quarters
balsamic vinaigrette (or dressing of choice)

Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet for a few minutes until aromatic & slightly browned. Toss everything together with dressing of choice and serve.

Serves 1.

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SIDE NOTES:

~ This is a really tasty combination that’s easy to put together. There are no real set amounts for something like this. Just toss in as much of everything as you’d like.

~ You can use fresh figs if you happen to have them. Of course, if figs aren’t your thing, you can swap them out for any other fresh or dried fruit.

Minute Steak w/ Mushrooms & Onions

Posted by Diane on Jan 9, 2013 in Beef, Entrees, Recipes | 0 comments

2 TBSP coconut oil, butter, or ghee
1 large onion
6 oz mushrooms of choice, washed & sliced
1 pound grass-fed minute steaks, roughly chopped
pure salt and pepper to taste
2 TBSP Worchestershire sauce

• Saute onion in oil or butter until softened and lightly browned, about 7 mins.
• Add mushrooms and saute for 2 – 3 minutes longer.
• Remove vegetables from pan and add steak.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and saute until browned on all sides, 4 – 6 minutes.
• Stir in Worchestershire sauce.
• Add vegetables back to the pan and saute just a few minutes, until heated through.

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SIDE NOTES:

~  This is a very simple and delicious meal to prepare.

~  Minute steak is thinly sliced steak (sometimes called “shaved steak“) that’s easy to toss in a pan for a quick stir fry or something like this.

~  Shown here with balsamic-roasted-beets.

Enjoy!

Honey Roasted Pears

Posted by Diane on Dec 30, 2012 in Baked Fruit, Baked Goods, Recipes, Sweets | 0 comments

4 ripe pears, quartered lengthwise and cored
3 TBSP butter, diced into small cubes (or cold coconut oil)
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• Preheat oven to 450.
• Place the pears in an oven proof skillet.
• Drizzle with honey and dot with butter.
• Sprinkle the vanilla over the pears and set the pan over high heat for 2 mins.
• Transfer pan to the oven and roast for 15 mins.

Serves 4.

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SIDE NOTES:

~  Adapted from “Fresh Food Fast” – A nice, simple dessert when you’re in the mood for something sweet.

Herb-Roasted Chicken

Posted by Diane on Dec 19, 2012 in Chicken, Entrees, Recipes | 0 comments

2 TBSP chicken-herb-rub (click link or see below)
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup melted butter, ghee, or coconut oil
1 whole chicken (mine was 3 lbs)
1 lemon peeled & poked all over w/ a fork AND/OR 1 onion peeled & quartered (optional)

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Remove the insides of the chicken (if that hasn’t already been done).
• Place chicken herb rub ingredients in a small food processor with the garlic and butter, and puree into a paste.
• Rub the herb paste all over the chicken, being sure to get underneath as well as on the top of the skin (you’ll have to make a few slits in the skin to get underneath if an opening doesn’t already exist).
• If time allows, let sit for up to 2 hours in the fridge. If not, proceed with roasting.
• Place either or both, lemon and onion into the hollow inside of the chicken before placing in the oven (you can really put any vegetables or herbs in there you’d like).
• Roast for a total of 60 minutes (give or take) as follows (adjusting the time depending on the size of the bird):  Roast for 20 minutes wing side up.  Turn the chicken so the other wing is facing up, and roast for 20 minutes more.  Turn the chicken breast side up for the remaining 20 minutes.  If you use a meat thermometer, roast until the internal temperature of the breast reads 160 and the thighs 165 – 170.
• Let rest for 10 – 15 minutes before carving.

Chicken Herb Rub

Combine the following:
2 TBSP dried oregano
1 TBSP dried thyme
1 TBSP freshly ground black pepper
1/2 TBSP pure salt (or 1 TBSP coarse salt)

(This amount of herb rub will make more than you need for this recipe.  It’s enough for 2 chickens.  Save the remainder in a sealed container for future use.)

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SIDE NOTES:

~  Okay, this was my first attempt at cooking a whole bird.  It was actually our Thanksgiving dinner.  Somehow, I thought a chicken would be easier than a turkey, and I happened to have a this little guy in the freezer.  I had been avoiding looking it in the *neck* for quite some time.

~  While it’s pretty easy for me to handle and cook meat at this point (being a reformed vegetarian), still — I don’t really like looking at headless cluck-cluck on my kitchen counter.  Beyond that, I couldn’t believe how easy this was to prepare.  And of course, it’s much less expensive to buy a whole bird rather than parts.  I just assumed my first few attempts at this would flop.  Luckily – with tips and suggestions from friends, and guidance from a few trusted cookbooks – it was smooth sailing.

~  One book said to definitely truss the chicken (for even cooking), another said definitely not to.  We received ours already trussed (using only the skin itself), so that’s how we kept it.  For video instructions on how to truss a chicken, click HERE.

~  Adding the lemon/onion, or other vegetables/herbs to the cavity of the chicken supposedly helps to keep the bird moist and add a touch of flavor.  I think this topic is debatable.  Over time, I’ll experiment & see how it goes.

~  HOW BIG OF A BIRD SHOULD I BUY?  I now know to figure on one pound of bird for every person.  This 3 lb bird was not enough for 4 of us.  Luckily, there were plenty of side dishes for us to get our fill.

~  If you’d like, at the end of the meal, put the carcass in the fridge and use it the following day to make delicious, protein-rich CHICKEN BROTH.

~  I thought I’d post this recipe now in case anyone is considering a dish like this for the holidays.  Enjoy!

Chicken Herb Rub Paste:

Chicken Herb Rub

Posted by Diane on Dec 19, 2012 in Condiments, etc..., Recipes, Seasonings | 0 comments

2 TBSP dried oregano
1 TBSP dried thyme
1 TBSP freshly ground black pepper
1/2 TBSP pure salt (if using coarse salt, use 1 full TBSP)

• Combine.

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SIDE NOTES:

~  Feel free to double this and keep it labeled in an empty spice shaker for convenient, future use.

~  You can rub some of this mixture into your chicken (both on and under the skin) as is, or you can make a paste with it by blending 2 TBSPs of the spice mix with one chopped garlic clove and 1/4 cup melted butter (or ghee, or coconut oil) in a small food processor – and rubbing the paste into the chicken – again, both on and under the skin.

~  Recipe adapted from the Grass Fed Gourmet cookbook.

~  Here’s one way I tend to use this spice mix:  roasted-chicken-parts

Enjoy!

Chicken Noodle Soup

Posted by Diane on Dec 11, 2012 in Chicken, Entrees, Photo Slide Show, Recipes, Soups | 2 comments

2 tablespoons coconut oil, ghee, or butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
3 medium carrots, roughly diced
3 celery stalks, halved lengthwise and roughly diced
4 fresh thyme sprigs (or about 2 tsps dried)
1 bay leaf
2 quarts (8 cups) chicken broth
8 ounces dried wide egg noodles (optional)
1 & 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken (optional)
pure salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Italian Wedding Soup

Posted by Diane on Dec 4, 2012 in Beef, Entrees, Greens, Photo Slide Show, Recipes, Soups | 0 comments

48 small, bite-sized, cooked meatballs (about 1.5 lbs ground beef, total)
2 TBSP butter, ghee, or coconut oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 – 4 large carrots, chopped (2 cups or more)
2 stalks celery, diced (approx 3/4 cup)
4 large cloves of garlic, minced or chopped
10 cups broth (chicken, beef, or vegetable)
1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
1 lb pasta (any small shape that you’d like) (optional)
12 oz fresh, baby spinach
Fresh basil, chopped (as much as you’d like)
pure salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

• Make meatballs (or use some you’ve defrosted if you made extra last time).
• Heat butter or oil over medium heat in a large soup pot.
• Add onion, carrot, and celery, and saute for 6-8 minutes.
• Add garlic and saute 2-3 minutes longer.
• Add broth and wine, and bring to boil.
• Add pasta (dry / uncooked) and cook until just shy of al dente.
• Add cooked meatballs and simmer for 2 minutes.
• Stir in fresh spinach and half of the basil and cook for 1 minute, until spinach is slightly wilted.
• Serve with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and topped with grated cheese if desired.
• Garnish each individual bowl with the remaining basil.

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• SIDE NOTES:

  ~  I’m full blooded Italian and have been to many weddings, but don’t recall ever having this soup at any such occasion! Upon looking into this a bit, I found that somewhere along the way, the original (Italian) name for this soup, “Minestra Maritata” was mis-translated.  The literal translation is “married soup” which in this case, refers to the ingredients — a perfect “marriage” of meat and greens.  You may now kiss the spinach…

  ~  This is kind of like chicken or matzoh ball soup but with meatballs instead – very delicious!

  ~  Plan on using about 8 meatballs per person (this recipe will feed 6 as a one bowl / stand alone dinner).  To give you an idea of how big I make the meatballs – 1 lb of ground beef yields about 32 meatballs. It’s a pretty easy meal to prepare, especially if you made an extra batch of meatballs last time & are just pulling them from the freezer.

  ~ Sometimes I use 8 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of beef broth (the beef broth adds a nice layer of flavor). Enjoy!  🙂

• 
   For those with various food restrictions, this recipe falls into the following categories:

  Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Egg Free, Nut Free, Sugar Free, Grain Free, Vegan, Raw

  If eating dairy free, use coconut oil instead of butter and omit the parmesan cheese.  If eating gluten free, use gluten free breadcrumbs in the meatballs, and double-check your wine (or omit it if necessary).  Be sure to check labels of packaged ingredients if eating gluten and/or sugar free (omit the Worcestershire sauce in meatballs if necessary).  If eating grain free, use almond flour for the meatballs instead of breadcrumbs. 

  Adapted from  www.foodnetwork.com

Meatball Parmesan

Posted by Diane on Nov 27, 2012 in Beef, Entrees, Pasta Side dishes, Recipes | 2 comments

FOR THE MEATBALLS:

1 free range egg, lightly beaten
1 pound grass-fed ground beef
1/2 cup high quality breadcrumbs (see below for alternatives)
2 tsps dried minced onion (or 2 TBSP finely chopped fresh onion)
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp pure salt
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 TBSP butter, ghee, or coconut oil
2 cups (give or take) high-quality marinara sauce (recipe below)
Fresh mozzarella cheese to taste

• Prepare marinara sauce if using homemade (see below) and keep warm on stove.
• Lightly beat the egg in a bowl large enough to hold the rest of the ingredients.
• Mix the remaining ingredients except for the butter (or oil), marinara sauce, and mozz, with the egg.
• Shape into 1 & 1/2 inch balls.
• Saute meatballs in ghee (or oil of choice) over medium heat, turning occasionally, for about 15 – 20 mins, until browned on all sides and cooked through.  OR — place the meatballs on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (in this case, you can omit the butter/oil).
• Add meatballs to the marinara sauce and lightly simmer for a few minutes.
• Transfer meatballs to individual plates and top with mozzarella cheese.
• Pour hot marinara sauce over the top to soften and melt the cheese and serve.

FOR THE SAUCE – An easy, 10 Minute Marinara:

2 TBSP butter or ghee
4 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
28 oz package crushed or strained tomatoes
1 cup water
1/2 tsp pure salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
fresh basil or parsley, chopped (as much as you’d like)
1 – 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

• Warm butter or ghee over medium heat and saute garlic for 1 – 2 mins.
• Add tomatoes, salt and pepper.
• Add the water to the empty tomato container, swish it around (to collect the remaining remnants of tomato), and add it to the pot.
• Simmer for approx 10 mins.
• Stir in chopped basil, drizzle in the olive oil and serve.

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SIDE NOTES:

~  We love this meal.  It is so delicious and satisfying.  Saute some greens (or other vegetables) with garlic on the side, or make a nice big salad for a great meal.  This recipe will yield about 2 dozen meatballs which will feed a family of 4.  Of course, you can transfer the meatballs to a large baking pan and melt the cheese over the top in the oven, but to us, it’s delicious (& very easy) without that step.

~  If you make a large batch of the sauce, and keep it in mason jars in the freezer, it’s really convenient to just pull out and defrost for something like this.  Likewise for the meatballs themselves.

~  It’s easy to make your own, quality breadcrumbs at home if interested (click HERE for details).  I make a big batch every once in a while, and store in a large glass mason jar in the freezer.

~  If you don’t have breadcrumbs on hand and don’t want to make them, instead, tear apart a few pieces of high-quality bread into small pieces (1 cup – packed) and toss the bread with 6 TBSP milk.  Let soak a few minutes until softened and combine with the meat mixture.  (We like this version a lot.)

~  If you’re avoiding grains completely, simply replace the breadcrumbs with an equal amount of almond meal (tip from friend and fellow real food advocate – Sharon Shiner).

~  I know there are tons of variations on how to make meatballs.  You can add 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese to the mix, or vary the spices.  If anyone has any meatball secrets they’d like to share, feel free to comment below…

BBQ Sauce (version 2)

Posted by Diane on Nov 27, 2012 in Condiments, etc..., Recipes, Sauces, Gravys | 0 comments

2 TBSP coconut oil, butter, or ghee, melted
1/4 cup high quality ketchup
3 TBSP natural sweetener of choice (or 18 drops liquid stevia)
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 to 1 & 1/2 tsps pure salt (to taste)
1 tsp high quality mustard
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

• melt the coconut oil (or butter or ghee)
• mix together all ingredients

yields approximately 3/4 cup

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SIDE NOTES:

Garlic Pepper

Posted by Diane on Nov 27, 2012 in Condiments, etc..., Recipes, Seasonings | 0 comments

4 tsps garlic powder
2 tsps black pepper
1/2 TBSP dried parsley flakes

• Combine ingredients and store sealed in an empty spice shaker.