Category Archives: Dinner

Final Detox Post – Potassium Balance Soup

I finished my green detox, yay!  Proud of myself for doing it.  Here’s the final recipe in the detox and I’ll talk about results afterward 🙂

4 cups filtered water

4 medium zucchini, finely chopped

3 celery stalks, leaves removed, then finely chopped

1 cup roughly chopped green string beans

1 large bunch fresh parsley, stems and leaves roughly chopped

3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 teaspoons unrefined sea salt

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon rosemary

soup makingsPut all the ingredients in a large stock pot.  Bring to a gentle boil, then lower the heat, cover, and let simmer gently for 30 minutes.

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There you have it.  I ate this all three days for dinner.  It’s surprisingly hearty and yummy!  So now for the results.  I did the detox purely for health reasons.  I wanted to start this year off with a clean and healthy body.  I wound up losing three pounds during the detox. An added benefit I guess!  The first day of the detox I had so much energy!   Then that night I got a killer headache and felt really nauseous after dinner.   Day two I felt very weak and then I got another headache in the afternoon that went through until the next morning.  Day three I felt really exhausted and weak.  Only a headache in the morning but it subsided early and then I was craving chicken!  The day after I finished the program I felt great!  My  body just felt so clean an energized!  My run in the afternoon was awesome!  I highly recommend this to anyone who is interested.  I didn’t post everything so make sure to get the book Hungry for Change and read about it so you know what to expect.  That’s all for now.  I’ve begun the Paleo diet.  More to come!  Happy Cooking!

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Its a Keeper! – Steamed Fish in Lemon and Herbs

I didn’t used to eat fish at all so I’m always looking for interesting fish recipes since my skills in seafood aren’t honed.  I found this recipe in the Hungry for Change cookbook.  I was quite impressed with the finished product and Rob dubbed it a “keeper” which means he really enjoyed it 🙂

IMG_18072 7-ounce fillets of thick, firm, white, non-oily fish (I used halibut)

6 green onions, roots and dark green ends removed, sliced into 1-inch lengths

4 lemon slices

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 teaspoons fish sauce

Pinch of sea salt per fillet

Handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped

IMG_1808Preheat the oven to 230 degrees.

Cut a piece of parchment paper roughly 20 inches long.  Place one fish fillet in the center and top it with green onions, lemon slices, coconut oil, fish sauce, and salt.  Bring the long ends of the paper together and fold down securely several times, then twist the ends tightly and fold under the fish.  You should have a tightly wrapped packet of fish. Repeat with your second fillet.  Bake for 45 minutes or until just cooked.  The fish should flake easily, by this point.  Open the packet and serve immediately, with all of its cooking juices.

IMG_1809This is basically slow cooking a piece of fish in your oven.  It’s really tasty and easy too!  Happy cooking!

Holy Moly this is DELICIOUS – Apple Pork Roast

I don’t eat pork all that often but it tends to do really well in the slow cooker so I’ve been eating it more often.  Since my schedule is unbelievably crazy with my new job, commute, and school I’ve been doing slow cooking a lot more.  This recipe is unbelievably yummy.  I wanted to lick the plate clean after eating!

IMG_18021 tablespoon coconut oil

2 pounds pork loin

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon coarse black pepper

2.5 apples cut into slices

1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice

1 tablespoon maple syrup

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

IMG_1803Turn slow cooker on high while you get ingredients ready.  In a large frying pan, place the coconut oil and allow it to heat.  Place the pork loin in the frying pan and brown on all sides.  Transfer the pork to your slow cooker.  Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper.  Put the apple slices in the slow cooker around the meat.  In a measuring cup, stir together the apple juice, maple syrup and ground ginger.  Pour the mixture over the pork.  Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 10 hours on low.

IMG_1804I couldn’t believe how juicy and tasty this was!  I ate the entire two pounds of meat myself over a week’s time.  This is probably my favorite slow cooker recipe to date!  Happy cooking!

Salad of the Summer – Arugula Salad with Berry Dressing

I have my go-to salad that I rework every once in a while with different fruit and vinegars but its basically the same.  I decided to do something a little different for Memorial Day and found this recipe on tasteofhome.com.  I reworked it so it complied with real food guidelines 🙂  It turned out really delicious.

1 cup halved strawberries, divided

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon raw honey

Dash salt

2 tablespoons finely chopped pistachios

4 cups fresh arugula

3/4 cup fresh blackberries

3/4 cup fresh blueberries

1/4 cup grated jicama

IMG_1796For the dressing, place 1/4 cup strawberries, vinegar, oil, honey and salt in a blender; cover and process until smooth.

Divide the arugula between 4 salad bowls, top each with blackberries, blueberries, jicama, remaining strawberries, and pistachios.  Drizzle with dressing.

IMG_1801This might be my favorite salad ever made.  I love fruit in salads and this one is so easy.  Enjoy!  Happy cooking!

 

 

Summer Love – Basil Corn on the Cob

Who doesn’t love grilled corn on the cob?  I don’t have a grill but I still wanted to do corn on the cob for Memorial Day so I did it in my oven.  It turned out deeeeelish!  Here’s the recipe:

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6 large ears of corn

6 tablespoons raw butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon rapadura

Dash sea salt

Dash garlic salt

1 cup fresh basil leaves

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Carefully peel back corn husks to within 1 inch of bottoms: remove silk.  In a small bowl, combine the butter, dried basil, rapadura, salt, and garlic salt; spread over the corn.  Place basil leaves over the butter mixture.  Re-wrap corn in husks.  Place in a stock pot; cover with cold water.  Soak for 20 minutes; drain.

Grill corn in an oven set to broil for 25-30 minutes or until tender (or on a grill over medium heat for the same amount of time) turning often.

IMG_1800Peel and serve!  I got this recipe from tasteofhome.com and reworked it so it was a little healthier.  Let me know if you like this one.  I loved it!  Happy cooking!

Bok Bok Mafia – Chicken Italiano

I was feeling a little mafioso so I decided to make this recipe adapted from a recipe in the Paleolithic Slowcooker cookbook.  It turned out pretty yummy!

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1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 1/2 pounds skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips

1 carrot, sliced

1 onion, sliced and popped into rings

1 zucchini, sliced

1 1/2 can of tomato sauce

1/4 can tomato paste

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon raw honey

1 spaghetti squash, baked and pulled into strings

IMG_1780Turn your slow cooker on high while you get your ingredients ready.  Put the coconut oil in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Place the chicken strips, carrots, and zucchini into the slow cooker.  In a bowl, combine the tomato sauce, paste, garlic, pepper flakes, and honey and mix together. Pour over the chicken and vegetables.  Turn the slow cooker down to low and cook for 8 to 9 hours.

IMG_1781I loved the spaghetti squash with this as an alternative to actual noodles.  It tasted awesome too.  This is a good one!  Happy cooking!

 

 

Healthy Yumminess – Sweet and Sour Brussels Sprouts

I haven’t had a lot of time to cook because it’s the end of the semester and, well, I got a new job! So interviewing, and now finding my replacement along with school projects and studying for finals has me pretty busy.  But I did make this little side dish last weekend when I was cooking up a storm so I’m posting it now!  It’s a really good one.  If you have kids that don’t like Brussels sprouts, try this.  They’ll eat them right up!

1 pound Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup roasted peanuts

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

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Steam the Brussels sprouts in a medium sauce pot with an inch of salted water for 7 minutes, or until tender.  Drain and cut them into quarters.  In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, maple syrup, and mustard, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking until emulsified. Combine the Brussels sprouts, peanuts, salt and pepper.  Pour the vinaigrette over the top and toss to coat.  Serve immediately.

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There you have it!  I’ve already forgotten what I served this with but it would go well with anything. Another great one from the Hungry for Change cookbook.  It’s seriously my go to book!  Happy cooking!

 

Slow Cooker Monday – Very Berry Good Pork Roast

I’m starting the week off with a slow cooker recipe.  This one is from my favorite slow cooker cookbook Paleolithic Slow Cooker. This is my new favorite slow cooker recipe.  When I opened my front door after getting home from work I almost drooled.  It smelled SO good!  And is tastes just as good as it smells!  Like all of my slow cooker recipes, I made a huge roast and ate off of it all week.

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1 4 pound pork roast

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons coarse black pepper

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons ground cloves

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

1/3 cup maple syrup – grade B

2 pounds frozen organic mixed berries

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Turn your slow cooker on high while you get the ingredients ready.  Place the pork roast in the bottom of the slow cooker and season it with salt and pepper.  Combine the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, orange zest, and maple syrup and mix together.  Pour over meat.  Pour the frozen berries over the meat and and place the lid on the slow cooker.  Cook on low for 10 hours.

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This is truly a delicious meal!  I hope you like it as much as I did.  Happy cooking!

My Second Shot at Curry – Fijian Fish Curry

I wanted something different for dinner the other day so I decided to do another curry.  This one wasn’t nearly as involved as the last one that Mary shot for me.  This recipe comes from Hungry for Change and is super easy.  Interestingly it uses cilantro stems rather than leaves, which I’d never seen before.  I’m always excited to find new uses for stuff I usually throw out!

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1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon zest of unwaxed lime (reserve lime juice for garnish)

2 tablespoons ground garam masala spice blend

1  teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Half a bunch of fresh cilantro, stems chopped, leaves reserved for garnish

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon tamarind paste, dissolved in a small amount of warm water (stir or strain any lumpy bits and discard)

1 teaspoon unrefined sea salt

2 pounds wild-caught cod, diced into 1-inch pieces

1 cup coconut milk

IMG_1737Heat the oil in a large saute pan over low heat.  Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent.  Add the lime zest, garam masala, turmeric, paprika, cumin, and cilantro stems.  Saute, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes or until fragrant.  Then add the water, tamarind, and salt and heat everything until its barely simmering.

Place the pieces of fish into the pan and poach until they are almost cooked through, stirring gently so you don’t break up the fish.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the coconut milk, stirring gently for another minute.  Serve immediately, garnished with fresh cilantro leaves and a squeeze of lime juice.

IMG_1738I served this over brown rice and it turned out nicely.  Curry is really good for your heart so any chance to cook with it I usually take!  Happy cooking!

 

 

Colorful Healthy Side Dish – Lemon-Garlic Rainbow Chard

I’ve been getting bunches of rainbow chard in my CSA and last month I totally forgot about it and had to throw it out.  I was not about to do that this month.  So I served it for Easter.  I though it’s colorfulness made it appropriate.  This is a really great way to use all of your chard bunch, instead of throwing away the stems and it’s very easy and quick.

1 bunch rainbow chard

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 pinch crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

IMG_1727Separate the steps of the chard from the leaves.  Cut the leaves into thin strips and set aside.  Thinly slice the stems.

Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat.  Stir in the sliced garlic, red pepper flakes, and chard stems, and cook for 3 minutes until the flavor of the garlic mellows and the stems begin to soften.  Stir in the shredded chard leaves, cover, and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat.  Stir, recover, and continue cooking until the chard is tender.  Toss with lemon juice and serve.

IMG_1730This is a great side dish for just about any protein.  I’ll be using this again!  Happy cooking!