Chicken Basil Pesto

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It’s time to sign up for the CSA again! Whenever I get that form in the mail, I always have a Christmas moment thinking about all the stuff I still have in the freezer! Then it’s a rush to use it all before I start getting my fresh produce again. Basil pesto is one of those things that you just have to do in the summer and freeze. Fresh basil is way too expensive in the store and you barely get any! However, you can’t keep up with it in the summer! So, I freeze mine into pesto ice cubes so that I can use one for a single dish over lunch or I can thaw out a few to make an entire dinner. I made a spaghetti squash and has leftover chicken from a whole chicken the other night. Top that with some pesto and it’s like you slaved away when really, it’s all basically leftovers! When I opened the container of pesto cubes I literally smelled summer. 2014 must’ve had some dynamite basil! I still have tomato sauce, blueberries, applesauce, several kinds of soup, and several herb blends in the freezer, too! I told you it felt like Christmas! That’s what happens with a chest freezer. All that deer meat covers up your summer bounty for a few months!
I will be doing my weekly recipes again corresponding to my basket of produce from the CSA. So, if you want to have healthy, cheap veggies and someone coaching you through how to use them, jump on the Rise Up Farms bandwagon. 22 weeks of local, organic, vibe ripened produce. What more could you ask for?! A half share is $310 which is $14/week.

CSA Week 18: Paleo Tacos!

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 Paleo Tacos

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Taco seasoning: (from Mark’s Daily Apple)

  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teasoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Brown the beef in a pan.  If you are using grassfed beef, there shouldn’t be much fat in the pan.  Otherwise, you may want to drain off the excess before adding the spices.  Add the spices to the meat along with the chopped up veggies and cilantro. When your onions are translucent, it’s done!  Top with a big ole heaping of avocado.

I often double this and eat as leftovers for lunch because it is very forgiving when reheated over and over. ;)

Game Day Paleo Deviled Eggs

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Sometimes party food (especially on game day) can lack a little protein.  Don’t let that be the case at YOUR party!  I think deviled eggs are disgusting, but it was on Chris’ “must have” list at the Friendsgiving a couple months ago.  So we all took part in making homemade mayo (which I had never been successful at) and making those little devils happen.  I have to admit….I had so many of these things.  They were amazing!  Addicting!  That means make a double batch.

Side note: I have tried homemade mayo several times with disastrous results!  Meaning: all over the cupboard from trying to drip the oil so slow that it shoots out the top of the processer! I swore off homemade mayo especially because I don’t even like it!  However, this was the easiest thing ever and turned out amazing! Thanks to Nom Nom Paleo!  The cookbook is amazing and should be a staple for everyone! Normally, I do my own take on people’s food because everyone has their own set of preferences, but these are perfect the way they are, and if I were you, I would not change a thing!

Mayo:

  • 1 cup avocado oil
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp water

Put everything in the bottom of an immersion blender cup, putting the oil in last. Place the immersion blender in the bottom and pulse.  As it starts to emulsify, start to lift and tilt the head as the mayo forms.  Season with salt to taste.

Deviled Eggs:

  • 12 hard boiled eggs
  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup crispy bacon pieces (aka lardons)

Directions:

Mix the egg yolks with the mayo, then add the green onion, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Scoop the mixture into the egg whites and top with crispy bacon pieces!  To me, the bacon is essential.  I think it breaks up the soft mushy texture that I don’t appreciate from a deviled egg and adds just the right kick of flavor.

 

 

 

Thai Curry Soup

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There aren’t too many people that venture into the world of Thai food when they cook at home.  However, there are a couple products you can find in the store that makes this feat super easy and well worth it.  This comes together in about 15 minutes total with prep and everything.  If you don’t like seafood too much, this is fool-proof, so no excuses not to try making it! You can choose whatever protein you like and certainly whatever veggies you prefer.

Paleo Thai Curry Soup

Ingredients:

  • 1 can full fat coconut milk
  • 2-4 cups of chicken or seafood stock (depending on what you want…less is more like stew and more is like soup)
  • 3 Tbsp red curry paste
  • 1/2 cup shitake mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup bean sprouts
  • 1/2 cup snow peas
  • 1 lb salmon, skin removed, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar (optional)

Directions:

Put the coconut milk, stock, and curry paste, and coconut sugar into a pot and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add your veggies and simmer for another 3 minutes.  Add your salmon and fish sauce and cook until the salmon is cooked through.  This will only take a few minutes.  Serve over cauliflower rice or as is!

 

 

Paleo Cupcake Frosting

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Use this as the base to any of your heart’s flavor desires!

Paleo Frosting (thanks to variations on Paleo Indulgences)

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup coconut/palm shortening
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp arrowroot powder
  • 2 tsp coconut flour, sifted
  • 2 Tbsp grassfed butter, melted
  • flavors: Cinnamon=1 tsp cinnamon, Lemon=2 Tbsp lemon zest, Chocolate=2 Tbsp cocoa powder

Directions:

Using a hand mixer, mix up the shortening, maple syrup, salt, vanilla, arrowroot, coconut flour until fluffy and combined.  Then slowly pour in the butter while you are mixing on low.  Frost onto cooled cupcakes!

Paleo Vanilla Cupcakes

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I am not much of a cake person…or cupcakes for that matter.  To be honest, I hate frosting.  What?!  I know.  However, sometimes there’s a time and place for a good cupcake!  I was invited to a “favorite things” party this past weekend and I went through my head a million times of all my favorite things trying to decide what I thought ANYONE would also love and could get good use out of.  I decided on silicon muffin tin liners.  I use these to make lotion bars, muffins, mini quiches, homemade “reese’s cups” and all kinds of great stuff.  Why do I love them?  Well, nothing sticks to them!  You get the entire muffin or cupcake to come out clean and you don’t produce any waste for landfills!  Perfect.

So, in true Dr. A fashion, I wanted to bake something to take to the party and thought it would only be fitting to use the liners to make cupcakes.  If i made cupcakes, I had to try my hand at frosting.  So, THE DAY OF THE PARTY I decided on Vanilla cupcakes with Cinnamon Frosting.  Neither were hard, and everyone really liked them!  I did not taste test these on my brother’s palate, so my friends could just have been lying that they were good!  You should try them and let me know. ;)

Paleo Vanilla Cupcakes: (thanks to Paleo Indulgences)

makes 12 cupcakes

  • 2/3 cup coconut flour, sifted
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 8 eggs
  • 2 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted (or coconut oil)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl except the melted butter and mix to combine.  With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the melted butter.  Pour the batter evenly into 12 SILICON MUFFIN LINERS and bake 22 minutes or until the center springs back when you press on top.  Cool completely before frosting. (Frosting recipe on it’s way!)

Paleo Crockpot Spaghetti

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I had one of my Body Transformation students suggest that I need to post crockpot recipes!  So, I listen to my peeps.  Here’s one that is so easy, you can’t mess it up. I did this in the morning so it was ready for my lunch!

Paleo Crockpot Spaghetti

Ingredients:

  • 1 spaghetti squash
  • 1 jar of spaghetti sauce ( I make my own during the summer, but you can buy one without offensive ingredients)
  • 1 lb meat (I used breakfast sausage links but you could use beef, pork, chicken, etc)

Instructions:

Cut the spaghetti squash through it’s belly and scoop out the seeds.  Place it face down in the crockpot and pour in your sauce and throw in your meat.  Put on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.  When done, pull out the spaghetti squash and use a fork to pull out the stands (they will just fall out like angel hair).  Top with sauce and garnish with a little parsley.  Green sprinkles make everything more pretty. ;)

Dr. Angela’s Guide to Your 2015 Plans

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Lots of people make New Year’s resolutions that last…oh…I’d say about…2 weeks!  What’s the problem?  The problem is often that they are making resolutions that are not congruent with their wants, beliefs, priorities!  They are making resolutions based on what they believe they need to be doing to be better for EVERYONE ELSE.  If you hate exercise, and resolve to exercise more, you do it for a week.  Then, you hit snooze and remind yourself how much more you like sleep.  Therefore, I’m here to tell you, if you make resolutions, make those that actually get you excited!  DO NOT make it be things you will be resistant to.  Please.  For the sake of the rest of our insanity.

If you like cookies, don’t resolve to not eat anymore cookies.  Decide to experiment this year with cookies that nourish your body.  See it as a quest to find cookies that do 2 things, nourish your body AND make you happy because they taste so good!  The real reason you would resolve to give them up is because you believe they are bad for you….so what if they could be GOOD for you?!

If you hate exercise, please don’t tell yourself you will go to the gym every day in 2015.  Humans only have so much willpower.  Instead, tell yourself you would like to play more of your favorite sport (what golfer wouldn’t love that?!), or put small exercise into routine.  Park at the back of the parking lot so it forces you to walk up to the store.  Do something with a friend.  Do you ever notice how much more fun things are when you are doing them with people that make you laugh?!

If you hate cleaning, maybe instead of promising to stay organized and perfectly clean, make room in your budget for a cleaning lady.  You will get the same happy result without all the feet stomping resistance.  You will still be deciding to sacrifice something in order to pay for it, but I know I would rather give up buying more clothes to come home to a clean, organized space!  I know that used to be my mom’s favorite day to come home from work.  It melts off your to-do list and makes time for you to experience and enjoy life…especially if you have kids.

Basically, I’m telling you to think about what you really WANT in the end.  The way you get there is not by doing all the things you hate to do.  The way to get there is by figuring out how to get that result via the path of least resistance.  Those will be the lasting changes.  The next step is to think about what you WANT and ask why you want that.  Is it because you want to do all the things it takes to get there?  Or is it because you think it’s what everyone else wants you to do?  Don’t set yourself up to feel guilty everyday because you’re too fat, and then you’re a loser because you couldn’t stay on your diet for longer than 2 weeks.  That’s a vicious cycle.  If you want to look different, then you also better want all changes that come with it.  If you don’t TRULY want to make changes, then maybe the resolution should be to love yourself the way you are.

Think about it.

Ever Question My Palate?!

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This is what my brother plopped on his plate the other night and said “Hey Ang, you gonna post THIS recipe on your blog?!”  Haha…so funny.  You want to know what that is?  Mac and Cheese, stuffing, a hot dog with ketchup, wrapped up in a flour tortilla!  Yuck!  First of all, proof that just because you have Dr. Angela at your fingertips, it doesn’t mean you listen to her!  Second, I started thinking…this is a good lesson!  I post recipes all the time (especially desserts because that’s what people love to drool over!) but when I tell you it’s amazing, that doesn’t mean YOU will think it’s amazing!  Your taste buds change over every 30 days.  As you start cutting out certain foods and introducing new ones, your tastes change!  You notice more subtle flavors and appreciate complexity over heavy sugar and salt.

Having said that, I often have my brother taste every dessert I make.  He’s a good sport about that.  Why do I do that?  Because if his palate approves of it, then I know it’ll be a recipe I can make for any potluck or family gathering without people thinking twice about what they are eating.  You know what I’m talking about…the people that ask “are these real cookies or healthy cookies?”  How about being able to answer “they are good cookies!”  That’s what I strive for when serving people with a different set of preferences than myself.

Now when I tell you that something is amazing, even for the non-paleo people out there, this is the palate that has taste-tested it. ;)

Paleo “Peanut butter” Chocolate Chip Cookies

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This is the same awesome cookie from my previous blog with a couple little tweaks.  My mom and I were trying our best to replicate the traditional log version we had every Christmas.  She verified that the dough is pretty much the same…which is bad news for us because they were a pain in the you-know-what to roll up!  So, simplify.  Make a regular cookie and forget about the log!  These are one of my favorite cookies!

Paleo “Peanut butter” chocolate chip cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup grassfed butter, room temp
  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar (Meijer actually has this!)
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seed butter
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1/4 cup tapioca flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp real salt
  • 1/2 package of dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix everything together except the chocolate chips.  Then mix in the chocolate chips.  Bake for 8-10 minutes until slightly golden on the edges.

Notes:

1. Make a double batch, you can thank me later (and you can freeze them for later!)

2. The dough is slightly sticky so just plop it on the cookie sheet; no need to make balls.

3. You could probably use coconut oil instead of butter but  I can not tell you how it will taste or turn out because I used BUTTER.

4. I did not try using a non-granulated sugar.  If you do, let me know it goes!  I was trying my best to mimic a recipe that used granulated sugar in the original.

5. The original recipe called for the dough to be chilled; however, I am impatient.  Chilling it would make it easier to handle.

6. If you use sweetened sunbutter, then reduce the amount of coconut sugar you use or they will be too sweet!