Monday, August 27, 2012

Flatbread "Pizza"

So I had a lot of veggies sitting in my fridge I just needed to use. Came up with a chicken and veggie pesto flatbread. Enjoy and please tailor to your own taste buds!

Ingredients:
  • 1 chicken breast, diced (mine was already cooked from a prior meal)
    • To cook, bake on 400 for about 15 minutes depending on thickness
  • 1/2 tomato, sliced
  • 1/4 sweet onion
  • 3 large garlic cloves
  • Pesto sauce
  • 4 pieces of nitrate free bacon
  • Handful of spinach
  • Feta cheese
  • Mozzarella cheese
  • Diced bell peppers
  • Olive Oil
  • Puff Pastry
Directions:
  1. If you have a frozen puff pastry, leave it out for about 45 minutes to thaw. I used Pepperidge Farms puff pastry sheet.
  2. Pre-heat oven to 375
  3. Rub some olive oil on it and place the puff pastry on a pan covered with foil
  4. Spread your pesto sauce out
  5. Saute your onion and garlic in a pan with some olive oil
  6. Layer on ingredients (spinach, tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic cheese etc)
  7. Cooking your 4 pieces of bacon in the microwave (or stovetop). Add on top once all other ingredients are on the flatbread.
  8. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is puffy and crunchy.
Some of the ingredients
Pasty Puff rolled out

Homemade Pesto Sauce



No flatbread is complete without bacon


Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Pesto Dressing/Sauce

LOVEing this recipe! I put it on a chicken, eggs, spinach. Use it as a dressing, a sauce, topping etc. Healthy, delicious and a nice finish to most dishes!

The most important thing to remember is all these ingredients are estimates. Ya just gotta throw everything (yes, everything) in a food processor, press "ON", and then taste, taste, taste until you have the desired flavor and consistency!

Ingredients:

  • (15) Fresh basil leaves
  • High quality olive oil
  • High quality balsamic vinaigrette
  • Nuts of choice (pecans, almonds etc)
  • (Nice splash) Agave nectar
  • (4-6) Garlic cloves 
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • Dash of sea salt
  • (Healthy sprinkle) Parmasean cheese
Directions:
  1. Throw all ingredients (in moderation) into the food processor. Hit "ON"
  2. Taste and continue to add ingredients to the desired consistency
    1. I've learned I like mine garlicy and not too runny so I can throw it on chicken. If you are wanting it as a dressing, add more olive oil and balsamic!



THE BEST Beef Stroganoff

I swear this is the best stroganoff! Courtesy of my mom's recipe with a few tweaks for us!

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds grass fed beef
  • 3/4 a large sweet onion
  • 1 container of fresh white mushrooms
  • 2 6oz cans of tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup of sour cream
  • 1 can of beef consume
  • Garlic Power/Salt
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Noodles (of some sort)
Directions:
  1. Brown your meat in a large, deep pan
  2. Once almost brown, dice your onion and add to meat - saute until fragrant
  3. Add in your mushrooms, 2 cans of tomato paste, seasoning, and can of beef consume. 
  4. Put your heat on low and simmer (covered) for 30 minutes
  5. After 30 minutes, uncover and heat thoroughly for another 20-30 minutes (I kept it covered)
  6. After it's all cooked serve over a pasta of your choice! I served ours over a quinoa noodle.


After adding the sour cream

Quinoa Pasta

Final meal over the pasta!


Saturday, August 11, 2012

Scallop Ceviche!

I'm so excited to post this recipe. It's definitely something new for me. I typically like to make sure all my food is completely cooked before I eat it, so when making this dish, please make sure to follow the directions! It's important that the scallops take their time to marinate in the lime so that they can 'fully cook'.

Please enjoy the light, refreshing taste of this dish!

Ingredients:
  • 3-4 large wild caught sea scallops
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • Black peppercorns
  • 1 jalapeno, diced
  • Sea salt
  • 1/2 avocado, diced
  • 1/2 tomato, diced
  • Cilantro
Directions:
  1. Chop up 3-4 sea scallops and put them in a bowl.
  2. Over the scallops, squeeze one lime. Mix the scallops well.
  3. Dice your jalapeno and mix in with the scallops and lime. 
  4. Salt and Pepper those bad boys.
  5. Cover your bowl and let it sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
    1. The lime juice will 'cook' your scallops. When they are opaque they are okay to serve. I left mine in the fridge while at work (9 hours)
  6. Right before serving dice up 1/2 and avocado and 1/2 a tomato.
  7. Fold in the avocado to the scallop mixture. 
  8. Plate and then serve with a tomato topping and sprinkle cilantro on top to finish it off.
    1. Notice I tried to plate 2 ways. One in a martini glass and one I put in a circular measuring cup and then put it on the plate. Find the best way you'd like to present this dish!






Monday, August 6, 2012

Chicken Pesto Spaghetti Squash

A very simple and quick meal with the opportunity to add your own flare. I had this with a homemade "pesto" dressing I whipped up (recipe to come later). Think about adding shrimp, other veggies, or using a tomato sauce.


Ingredients:
  • 1 spaghetti squash (it's a veggie)
  • Pesto dressing
  • 1 chicken breast
  • Olive Oil
  • Greek Seasoning
Directions:
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Lightly sprinkle your olive oil over your chicken and then dash on your Greek seasoning
  3. Pop your chicken in the oven for 15-20 minutes
  4. While your chicken cooks, grab your spaghetti squash. (By the way, this is a great dish if you've had a bad day). Spear your squash. Okay, not spear, but poke holes (say around 10) around the squash. 
  5. Pop your squash in the microwave for about 9 minutes.
  6. Once time's up on the squash, take it out and cut it in half, lengthwise. Let it sit and cool for a few minutes.
  7. When it's cool enough to handle, scoop out the seeds and throw away. With a fork, gently pull the squash away from the peel. It'll mimic what spaghetti looks like.
  8. In a bowl, mix your spaghetti squash, pesto dressing. 
  9. Top with your chicken when it's done







Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf

This is pretty much a direct steal from here, but it was so good I had to share! So many ways to play with it!

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 3 tbs buffalo sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot Wing Sauce)
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup of gluten free flour (I didn't have almond flour or coconut flour on hand)
  • Chopped celery 
  • 1/4 chopped vidalia onion
  • Garlic power
  • Garlic salt
  • Fresh crushed pepper
  • Cayenne seasoning
  • 2lb tin foil pan
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  2. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until mixed well
  3. Pour into a throw away tin foil pan (unless you have another home pan you'd like to use)
  4. Bake for about 45-50 minutes
  5. Let cool for a few minutes
  6. Slice and serve (feel free to add a dash of hot sauce on top!)
Prior to cooking, all mixed and in the pan

First slice cut



A bit of sauce on top to finish it off! Mmm
This tasted just as it sounded - buffalo meatloaf. Feel free to spice it up and add in other veggies etc! It's all up to you and the directions shouldn't really change

Cold Broccoli Salad

Pretty easy and a decent way to change up broccoli as a side item!

Ingredients:

  • Broccoli Florets
  • 4 pieces of bacon
  • 1/5 of a small sweet onion
  • Sliced almonds
  • Handful of raisins
  • 1/3 cup of sugar
  • 1/3-1/2 cup of pomegranate red wine vinegar
  • 3/4 - 1 cup of mayonnaise
Directions:
1. In a bowl, mix your mayo, vinegar, and sugar
2. On a chopping board, chop up your broccoli into bite size florets
3. Add your broccoli to your mixing bowl
4. Clean your cutting board and chop up your bacon and onions
5. Throw your bacon and onions into a hot pan. No need for oil, the bacon will create enough cooking fat
6. Saute until fragrant and the bacon looks crispy
7. In your big bowl, mix in your cooked onions, bacon, sliced almonds, and raisins.
8. Mix and transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy!




This picture was after we already served ourselves, but it was delicious!