Sriracha-Orange Pulled Pork

Sriracha-Orange Pulled Pork

Yet another easy and delicious fall crockpot recipe. Hope you all enjoy!

Ingredients:

1.5lb                 Pork Tenderloin
½bottle           Sriracha
½cup              Orange Juice
1TBS                Cumin
1TBS                Crushed Garlic
Pinch of Salt

Add Sriracha, orange juice, cumin, garlic, and salt to the crockpot.
Stir ingredients so they are thoroughly combined.

Trim the pork tenderloin of the loose fat
Add to the crockpot and coat with the wet ingredients.

Cook on high for 30min-1hr then flip over the pork.

Continue to cook on low for ~7-8 hours.
Pull apart the pork using 2 forks.

I put this over some cauliflower rice and it was delicious! Get the recipe for the cauliflower rice from my Thai Green Curry Recipe!

Paleo Chicken “Pad Thai”

Paleo Chicken “Pad Thai”

My pictures don't do this dish justice but this recipe is pretty delicious and fun to make. The “noodles” are strips of carrot and instead of using peanut butter, use almond butter. Don’t forget the thai basil!!! (It won’t be the same without it) I got the idea for the carrot "noodles" from the book Against All Grains (gotta give credit where credit is due).

Servings: 6

Ingredients:
1.5 lb                Chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips
4-5                   Carrots (I used a mixture of orange and purple but I personally think the                                    orange are best)
2 packages       Baby broccoli
1 can                Lite coconut milk
2 Tbs                Almond butter
10-15 leaves     Chiffonade of thai basil
1 Tbs                 Coconut oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil

Marinade the chicken
1) place the strips of chicken into a large bowl
2) add 3/4^th of the can of coconut milk, 1 Tbs of the almond butter, and most of the thai basil
3) stir and reserve the remainder of the coconut milk, almond butter, and basil in a dish for use later (make sure this reserve has not been in contact with the raw chicken, it will not be cooked)

Prep the carrots
1) once washed, cut the ends of the carrot off
2) peel off the outside layer around the carrots using a vegetable peeler
3) place the peeler down on a flat surface then press down on the peeler with the carrot and slide to make strips
4) continue till you get to the middle of the carrot then flip over
5) blanch carrot ribbons for 3 minute in the boiling water then remove and set aside

Cook chicken
1) heat 1Tbs of coconut oil over medium high heat in a large, deep skillet
2) add the chicken and its marinade
3) cook until chicken is no longer pink, 5-7 min
4) add the baby broccoli, stir to coat, and then cover for 2 minutes (reduce heat to medium)
5) uncover and cook chicken/broccoli mixture for another few minutes

Transfer the carrots to a large pot and place over medium heat
Add the chicken/broccoli mixture to the carrots and stir to combine
Allow to simmer for a few more minutes until broccoli and carrots are tender

Serve in a bowl and top with some of the reserved coconut/almond butter/basil sauce!

Enjoy! 

Crab Stuffed Avocado with Toasted Corn and Blistered Peppers

Crab Stuffed Avocado with Toasted Corn and Blistered Peppers

Well, I have to say…I’m pretty freakin’ proud of this one guys. It is one of those dishes that are summer on a plate. Though I believe I was always meant to live in California, I love my Maryland roots. And to us Marylanders, nothing says summer like CRAB.  The best is when you line some picnic tables with newspaper, lay out several bushels of steamed blue crab (from the Chesapeake of course) coated thoroughly in Old Bay, and go to town with some mallets. Other than that, MD crab cakes are of course a favorite.  Sticking to my routes but putting a little Cali twist on it, I came up with this recipe. It is super easy, yet one of the most delicious things I’ve ever made. Give it a shot, I don’t think you will be disappointed!

Servings: 4 ½ Avocados

Ingredients:
16 oz. can        Crab Claw Meat (see below)
2                      Avocados; chilled, sliced in half & pit removed,
2                      Baby Bell Peppers (sold at Trader Joes)
2                      Large Jalapeños
1 can                Yellow Corn, drained
Old Bay

(Yup that’s it)

First, make sure you have a can opener… I realized I had thrown my old one away assuming I would get a new one soon, but nope. Found myself without a can opener. Went to 2 grocery stores by my house and surprisingly, BOTH of them were out of can openers. So I bought a set of cheap knives (don’t use your good knives, they will be ruined) and went to town on the can. I’d seen it done on the show Chopped before and figured I’d give this trick a whirl. So, now you know… if you are in a pinch, use a cheap knife to open your cans.

Now to the important stuff…

Let the corn drain in the sink while you prep the peppers.
Slice the peppers (both the bell and jalapeños) around the core into a few large pieces.
Place the large pieces of pepper over your gas burners or grill flame to get a nice char.
Once charred, dice the peppers and place in a bowl.

Spray some olive oil in a non-stick pan and heat over medium high heat.
Add the corn and sauté until the corn starts to brown then remove and add to diced peppers.

Add about a tsp of olive oil to the pan and add the crab.
Add as much Old Bay as you like, I like a lot.
Sauté until crab is warm then add to the pepper and corn mixture.

Peel the chilled avocado halves and place a quarter of the crab mixture in the pit indentation.

That’s it! Told you it was simple!

** I used crab claw meat here because it is cheaper than lump crab meat and since this does not need to hold a shape, claw meat works well. If you are planning on making crab cakes, use lump crab meat. Trust me, I’m from Maryland**

Smokin’ Chicken Over Warm Summer Veggie Salad

Smokin’ Chicken over Warm Summer Veggie Salad

I love grilling in the summer but at my new apartment complex…… we aren’t allowed to have grills L. I went to a free cooking demo at my local Williams-Sonoma and discovered a nifty item of theirs that is definitely worth buying, SMOKING BAGS! They are aluminum foil bags lined with smoking chips that allow you to smoke protein on a grill or (for us apartment dwellers) in your oven! I highly recommend them, they are amazing. Here is a recipe I developed for the summer that was definitely enhanced by the use of these smoking bags. Hope you guys give it a try and enjoy.

Servings: 4 salads

Ingredients:
1 lb                   boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2                      zucchini, sliced into matchsticks
1                       yellow summer squash, sliced into matchsticks
1                       red bell pepper, sliced into matchsticks
2 ears              corn on the cobb, sliced off of the cob while raw
1                       avocado, sliced
2 bags             mixed greens salad
¼ cup             Hummus (variety of your choosing)
Juice of 2 lemons
Paprika
Oregano
Salt
Pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 350
While oven is pre-heating, prep veggies (except salad and corn) and salt the zucchini and squash
Let salt sit on squash for 5 minutes then brush off into the sink
(salting the squash draws out some of the moisture so when they are cooked they stay firm and don’t become mushy like usual—little tip I picked up in cooking class. But make sure you brush the salt off or else they will be way to salty)

Put cut veggies in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper
Place on a baking sheet and put in pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes (checking on them frequently)

Cut corn off of the cob, place in a bowl and coat with olive oil, salt and pepper

In a small bowl, mix a TBS of paprika, tsp oregano, salt and pepper
Trim chicken of any excess fat
Coat each piece individually with the spice rub
Place in smoking bags following the instructions

Once veggies are roasted, turn up the oven to 475 (or whatever temperature is on the smoking bag)
Once oven is up to the proper temperature, place chicken in the oven

While the chicken is cooking, heat a pan on the stove and add the corn
Pan roast the corn until just turning brown

Remove all items from heat and allow to cool slightly before preparing the salad (or else the leaves will wilt)

While food is cooling, prep salad dressing by adding the juice of 2 lemons to your ¼ cup of hummus and whisking thoroughly
Pour over all of the salad greens and toss

Serve dressed salad greens in large bowls
Top with warm veggies and corn
Top those with the chicken
Then finish with a few slices avocado!

Hope you all enjoy!!!

Amazing Apple Turkey Burgers

Amazing Apple Turkey Burgers with
Apple, Fennel, and Celery Hummus “Slaw”

These are by far the best turkey, or even poultry based, burgers I have EVER made. I’m sorry to any paleo or primal followers, but this does not strictly follow the rules, but does minimize the use of grains extensively (as there is no bun).

Clyde’s of Columbia, MD was my family’s “spot” for pretty much every celebration, large or small, when I was growing up. It started off being just our place for Mother’s day then expanded to birthdays, good report cards, going off to college, coming home from college on breaks, leaving for grad school… pretty much everything. It is a great place for a family gathering for those of us who actually care about having a delicious and refined meal (although one of our favorite things on their menu is the buffalo wings). One time at Clyde’s I tried the turkey burger and I have to say, it was the best burger I ever had! It was advertised as having apple within the patty and that certainly did not disappoint. Years later, on the other side of the country, I still remember that meal and have always wanted to attempt my own version; so this weekend I did just that.

While the Clyde’s burger advertised the apple ingredient, it did not say what was used as a binder but based off of the texture of the burger I suspected they used some sort of grain rather than your typical breadcrumb (poultry based burgers usually have to  include a binder because they easily dry out). So when designing my burger, and yes I mean design because I think I spent several days coming up with the perfect combination of ingredients, I decided to use the Trader Joe’s Multigrain Hot Cereal blend with Gala apples. If you are wondering if this burger is going to turn out too sweet with the use of the apple, have no fear this is definitely still a savory burger. The apple adds flavor but also is a great way to add moisture to the burger, while the oats and grain help retain the moisture = nice, juicy burger. The “slaw” I made also really ties everything together. Raw apple, fennel, and celery tossed in plain hummus (oh yea I forgot to mention there is hummus IN the burger too) with a splash of apple cider vinegar.

I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did!

Servings : 8 patties with a hearty serving of “slaw”
Ingredients:
1.5 lb                Lean Ground Turkey, 90/10 or less
1 container      Plain Hummus (Trader Joe’s)

3 TBS             Egg Whites
1/3 cup            Multigrain Hot Cereal Blend (Trader Joe’s)
2.5                   Gala Apples, 2 cubed and ½ minced
1 bulb              Fennel, sliced (few slices minced for burger)
5 stalks           Celery, strings removed and sliced
½                    Shallot, minced
splash of Apple Cider Vinegar
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

Prep all veggies and fruit prior to beginning

Add sliced fennel, sliced celery, and the 2 cubed apples to a large bowl.
Add ¾^th container of hummus and splash of vinegar to the mixture and toss thoroughly.
Place in refrigerator while preparing and cooking patties.

Plug in George Foreman (covered with aluminum foil) or start grill.
Add the minced ½ apple, few pieces of minced fennel, and minced shallot to a second large bowl.
Add the ¼ cup grains, egg whites, remaining hummus, salt and pepper then stir to combine.

Lastly, add the ground turkey and mix all ingredients thoroughly with your hands.
Spray George Foreman with coconut oil.
Form 8 patties and cook on grill 2-3 at a time, storing the cooked patties in a 350⁰ oven.

Once all patties are cooked, place one burger on each plate and top with a heaping pile of the slaw.

I also served this with a side salad of arugula topped with a dressing made of hummus and apple cider vinegar.

ENJOY!

(Nearly Paleo) Asian Inspired Sauté of Greens and Turkey

(Nearly Paleo) Asian Inspired Sauté of Greens and Turkey

This recipe is “nearly paleo” because it contains edamame and wasabi peas (have rice powder in the wasabi coating if you are super strict paleo) but is delicious, if I do say so myself. It is healthy and very simple to make!

Servings: 6, about 2 cups each

Ingredients:

1.5 lb                Lean Ground Turkey
1 bag                Rainbow Chard
1 lb                   Asparagus, bottoms trimmed and cut into small pieces
2 cups              Shelled Edamame
1 package        Diced Shallots, Onion, and Garlic (sold at TJ’s for easy prep)
3 tsp                Crushed Garlic (sold at TJ’s), divided
2 TBS              Ground Ginger, divided
2 TBS              Sriracha Sauce
¾ cup             Low Sodium Chicken Stock
2 TBS              Olive Oil, divided
½ cup             Wasabi Peas, ground in a food processor into a coarse powder
Salt & Pepper

Preparation:

Add 1 TBS of olive oil to a large, deep skillet and heat over medium-high heat
Add chopped asparagus to the pan and sauté for 1-2 min
Reduce heat and add chard, half of the oinion/shallot/garlic mixture, 1 tsp crushed garlic, and chicken stock
Cover and cook for 5 min

Heat remaining olive oil in a second pan over medium high heat
Add remaining onion/shallot/garlic mixture and sauté for 1-2 min
Add ground turkey and break into small piece with spatula
Add remaining crushed garlic, Sriracha, 1 TBS ground ginger, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly
Reduce heat to medium

While meat is cooking and the initial 5 minutes is up, add the shelled edamame, remaining ginger, and remaining Sriracha to the greens
Stir, cover, and cook for 5 additional minutes

Add the thoroughly cooked turkey to the greens skillet and stir
Let simmer together for an additional minute

Remove from heat and top with the wasabi pea powder

I served this over fresh steamed green beans but it would be great with rice, couscous, cauliflower, quinoa, or any grain. Hope you enjoy!

Easy “Roasted” Chicken

Easy “Roasted” Chicken

On an average week, I would never have enough time to roast a whole chicken, but I found a way to get a similar flavor without needing to spend hours in the kitchen. This recipe is a very simple, cheap, and healthy alternative to roasted chicken!

Servings: 8

Ingredients:
2 lb.                  Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
5 stalks            Celery, outer strands removed with vegetable peeler
½                    Onion, sliced
1 cup                Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 TBS               Mrs. Dash Salt Free Seasoning
Salt & Pepper

Cut each peeled celery stalk in half
Place chicken, celery, and onion in crockpot (evenly distributed)
Pour chicken broth over ingredients
Add seasoning, salt, and pepper
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hrs

Remove chicken breasts and shred

Place the cooked down onion and celery in a food processor
Pulse until smooth (I know it doesn't look pretty but it gives the chicken the "roasted" flavor

Pour over shredded chicken and stir

That’s it! Enjoy!!

Paleo Shepherd’s “Pie”

Paleo Shepherd’s “Pie”

I call this a “pie” because, being a grad student, I don’t have the time or the patience to wait an hour for something to cook in the over during the week. Soooooo I developed a slow cooker variety of Shepherd’s “Pie” that is super simple the throw together and Paleo for all you fellow “low carb”-ers out there.

Servings: 8

Ingredients:
2lb                    Lean Ground Beef, I used 96/4
1                       Onion, diced
1-2 heads        Cauliflower, chopped into manageable pieces
1 bag                Frozen Peas
1 bag                Frozen Carrots
¾ cup              Beef Broth
2 TBS               Spicy Deli Mustard
3 TBS               Ground Cumin
1 TBS               Ground Turmeric
2 tsp                 Crushed Garlic
1 TBS               Olive Oil
2 TBS               Coconut Milk
Salt and Pepper

Preparation:

      1.       Sweat the onion in the olive oil over medium heat until soft, then add to crockpot

      2.      Brown ground beef in same pan

      3.      Once browned, drain the fat then return to low heat

      4.      Add broth, 2 TBS cumin, turmeric, garlic, salt, & pepper then stir to combine

      5.      Simmer on low for a few minutes then add to crockpot

      6.      Add 2 TBS of the mustard into the crockpot then stir to combine meat, onion, and mustard

      7.      Top with a layer of frozen peas then a layer of frozen carrots

      8.      Cook on low for 8hrs

      9.      Steam cauliflower in microwave safe dish then add to food processor

      10.   Add the coconut milk, 1 remaining TBS of cumin, and salt to food processor then pulse until smooth

      11.    Dish out the Shepherd’s “Pie” meat filling into individual portions and top with mashed cauliflower

ENJOY!

Mexicali Chicken Salad with Sweet Potato Croutons and Pepitas

Mexicali Chicken Salad with
Sweet Potato Croutons and Pepitas

Servings: 4 salads

Ingredients:
1 ¼ lb                          Chicken Breast; thinly sliced
2 medium                   Sweet Potatoes; washed, peeled and cubed (½”)
5                                  Limes
1 large bag                  Spinach
2 TBS                          Ground Cumin; divided
1 TBS                           Red Pepper Flakes
1 TBS                           Dried Rosemary
2 TBS                          Olive Oil; divided
½ cup                          Pepitas; raw, unsalted
1                                   Avocado; pitted, peeled, and sliced
Salt & Pepper

Preparation:

·         Preheat oven to 350⁰

·         Take the cubes of sweet potato and place them in a large bowl

·         Add 1 TBS of the oil, 1 TBS of the cumin, rosemary, salt and pepper

·         Toss to fully coat

·         Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and spread the potatoes out evenly

·         Roast for 15-20min until crisping/browning on the edges

·         Cut the already thinly sliced chicken breast into small strips for pan frying

·         Place in a large bowl and add the juice of 3 limes, 1TBS cumin, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper

·         Set aside in refrigerator for 5 minutes

·         Heat the remaining TBS of oil in a pan over medium high heat then add the chicken mixture

·         Sauté for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, then turn down the heat and let simmer in the lime juice mixture for ~5min or until cooked through

·         Toast pepitas (pumpkin seeds) in a dry pan over medium-low heat for a few minutes until they become noticeably fragrant

·         Line plates with a large bed of spinach

·         Top with sweet potatoes, chicken, pepitas, and avocado slices

·         Dress with just the juice of ½ lime