Meatballs For Sarah

Tuna Salad

2011-05-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

• 6 oz Tuna Light In Water

• 1 cup Low-fat Cottage Cheese

• 1/2 cup Fresh Pico De Gallo

• 1/4 cup Green Onions

• 1/2 cup Fage 0%

• 2 oz Dill Pickle

• 1/2 cup Celery

• 1/2 California Avocado

• 1 tsp Lemon Juice

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp onion powder

Makes 4 cups

Per cup

134 calories

19 grams Protein

5 grams Carbs

Homemade Beef Jerky

2011-03-04T07:35:00.000-08:00

2.5 pounds lean london broil
1.5 tsp sea salt
4 tsp ground ginger
4 tsp onion powder
3/4 tsp Now stevia
2 tsp granulated garlic
3 tsp onion powder
1 cup water

Freeze london broil for 1-2 hours so that it is firm and easier to slice thinly. Slice thin with electric meat slicer or knife. Mix meat and all other ingredients in plastic bag and massage inside plastic bag to mix well. Marinate 6+ hours. After marinating lay marinated strips on dehydrator racks and dry to desired consistency.

This has no sugar, soy, or preservatives, is low salt, and I swear is just as good as the stuff you buy in the stores.

Per ounce:
100 calories
16 g protein
3 g fat

Sugar free Ice Cream Sandwich

2011-03-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

Okay, this fell apart when I tried to eat it, and it has about 400 calories. But still, the goal was to make a sugar free ice cream sandwich, and technically I did. At least it looks good!

Healthy Chicken Salad (No eggs!)

2011-03-03T08:43:00.000-08:00

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast grilled and diced
1 cup fage 2% greek yogurt
7 oz fresh pico de gallo
1/4 cup lemon juice
6 oz diced celery (about 3 stalks)
Sea salt 1/8 tsp
garlic powder ¼ tsp
onion powder ¼ tsp
Optional paprika to taste

Mix and serve! This is really really good.

Makes 5 cups.

Per cup:

147 calories

2 g fat

9 g carb

22 g protein

Black Bean Brownies

2011-02-12T14:51:00.000-08:00

One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed very well
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons coconut oil
16 packet Truvia
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil or coat an 8 x 8-inch baking pan or dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth and creamy.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan before slicing into 2-inch squares.

Makes 16 brownies.

Each brownie:
63 calories
3 g fat
5 g carb
2 g fiber
3 g protein

Broccoli Pizza

2010-11-12T10:03:00.000-08:00

This is actually a recipe for a no carb pizza crust, but I just ate these alone as a snack. You could also add pizza sauce, toppings, and cheese and throw them back in the oven.

Ingredients:

1 cup shredded cooked broccoli

1/2 cup grated Mexican blend cheese

2 eggs

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp dill

1 tsp parsley

2 Tablespoons chia seeds

First have your assistant mix all ingredients in a bowl.

Spray a piece of foil or parchment paper with nonstick spray and

spread the mixture thinly and cook for 20 min at 400.

Cut into 6 pieces.

Each piece:

88 calories

5 g protein

4 g fiber

6 g fat

0 g carbs

Sweet Potato Hash

2010-10-31T14:49:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Two previously baked sweet potatoes
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced into rings
4 pieces crumbled bacon
1 pound ground beef.
salt and pepper.

Brown the pound of hamburger in a large skillet, adding salt and pepper as desired. In a separate skillet, cook the bacon then brown the onion in the leftover bacon grease until it begins to carmelize. Dice the sweet potatoes,and add to the mixture. Stir in the browned hamburger, and mix thoroughly. Turn the heat to low, and let the mixture heat through, stirring frequently.

(I added 1/4 pound liverwurst as well)

Primal Thai Beef

2010-10-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

The beef and vegetable mixture:
1 lb ground beef
1 red or yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 small red onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

The sauce:
3 tablespoons almond butter
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

For garnish:
½ cup cilantro
2 green onions, sliced

12 romaine lettuce leaves

Brown the beef in a large skillet. When the beef is about halfway done, add the vegetables and cook until beef is cooked through and peppers are tender-crisp.

Meanwhile, mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl.

When the beef mixture is done cooking, add in the sauce and mix together. Spoon onto romaine lettuce leaves and top with green onion and cilantro

I have to say this really surpassed my expectations. It's the sauce ingredients that make it so good. I've also been adding liver to every recipe that uses ground beef, it adds extra nutrition and you can't taste it at all.

Sweet Potato Chews

2010-10-23T09:40:00.000-07:00

These are more the consistency of dried fruit than sweet potato chips. They're pretty portable and also easier to make than the chips.

First bake the sweet potatoes at 325 for about an hour. I used 2 huge sweet potatoes this time so I baked them for 1 1/4 hour. When cool, peel the skins off and cut them about 1/2 cm thick.

Next melt 1 T Coconut Oil and mix in 1 T Cinnamon. Paint the mixture on the sweet potato slices with a pastry brush.

Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes.

Thumbs up!

8 million calorie porridge

2010-10-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

I make this by mashing banana, almond butter, and coconut milk together. Hopefully that will keep her full for a few hours!

Tomato, Mozzarella, and Mushroom Skewers

2010-10-13T08:20:00.000-07:00

I used 2 cups cherry tomatoes, 1 jar marinated mushrooms, and 1 container of mozzarella balls (cut in half). Comes out to 15 calories per skewer, and as a bonus they can be assembled by your 4 year old while you do other things!

Today's Meatballs

2010-07-02T20:54:00.000-07:00

Meatballs with Heart and Liver

This is one of my favorite meatball recipes yet. It forms very nice meatballs that cook evenly in the oven. And you really can't taste the liver!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
¼ pound chicken liver, pureed in food processor
½ pound ground beef heart
15 ounce jar Marinara Sauce
1 package ground pork rinds
1 T soy sauce
1 tsp dried onion flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Mix together all ingredients except marinara sauce.
2. Form meatballs.
3. Cook in the over at 350 for 30 minutes.

4. Remove from oven and add marinara.

Ginger Cauliflower Rice

2010-06-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

I've tried to make cauliflower rice a few times over the years, and it has always been passable, but not so much like rice. This recipe was so much better. When combined with the chicken and veggies I don't even think I would have known it was cauliflower. Plus I have tons of homemade chicken stock in the freezer and this is a great way to use it up.

We grated the cauliflower the slow way, using a cheese grater. I have a food processor and a "ricer" at home which might save time.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cups cauliflower rice (cauliflower grated in the food processor)
• 2 cups chicken broth

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

• 5 peeled and minced shallots

• 5 peeled and minced garlic cloves

• 1 tablespoon peeled and finely chopped ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Process about 1/2 of a medium sized head of cauliflower in a food processor until the texture is rice like. Heat coconut oil in a saucepan. Once hot, add shallots, ginger, and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant and soft. Add cauliflower rice and stir-fry another 3 to 4 minutes. Add salt and chicken broth. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until the liquid evaporates to the level of the rice and steam holes appear. Turn heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes until liquid is absorbed.

We ate the rice with chicken, this yummy Sweet Chili Sauce, and a tomato cucumber salad.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

2010-06-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey
4 T coconut oil
1 red onion, finely diced
1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile
1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 1/3 cups water
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
Zest and juice of 1 lime

Garnish:
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Sour cream
Shredded cheese

Preparation:

Heat 2T oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute ground turkey then remove. Add 2T more oil, onion and potato and cook, stirring often, until the onion is slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle, lime zest and salt and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add water, bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add turkey, beans, tomatoes and lime juice; increase heat to high and return to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro, sour cream, and shredded cheese.

Chicken Curry Clafouti

2010-06-13T11:57:00.000-07:00

This is what the Clafouti looked like in the online recipe:

And this is the one we made:

The edges in ours didn't puff up quite as much, but we also used a much deeper pan. We used my mom's new Le Creuset dutch oven, which worked great. We ate the Clafouti for breakfast and it was delicious, more delicate and flavorful than a regular quiche.

Ingredients:

 6 eggs
 6 tablespoons melted butter cooled to room temp. + 1 pat for greasing pan
 3/4 cup coconut milk
 4 cups cooked, chopped chicken
 2 tablespoons curry spice
 Salt & Pepper 1 tsp each

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400° F.
Butter a 10” round or 13×9” baking dish.
Whisk together eggs, butter & coconut milk until frothy.
Mix in chicken and spices and pour into baking dish.

Bake about 30-45 minutes or until top is golden brown and puffy. We cooked it for 45 minutes, I think it would cook more quickly at lower altitude. (We cooked this in Aspen)

Middle Eastern Dinner

2010-06-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

This was our dinner in Aspen last night.

First we made the falafel:

2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 red onion

1 garlic clove

1 tsp coriander

1 cup parsley

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cumin

We mixed it all up in the food processor, made little falafel balls, and fried them in coconut oil.

The falafels didn't hold together too well, so they really didn't taste like falafel. We're going to try them again tomorrow, with more of a deep frying method.

This is the yummy salad my mom made, with spinach, tomatoes, olives, and green peppers. We were going to put feta cheese in there, but we forgot.

I made the tahini, which was probably the biggest success. I never knew that tahini and tahini sauce were two different things. I bought raw organic tahini, and I was surprised when I opened the jar and it didn't taste good. I looked up this recipe online at the last minute and it was delicious.

1/2 cup tahini

3 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp salt

3 T olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 T parsley

1/4 tsp cumin

1 T cilantro

2 T water

Mix it all up in the food processor, it was great with the falafel and we dipped orange pepper slices in it too.

Fiddlehead Ferns

2010-05-30T18:27:00.000-07:00

No recipe here. Just wanted to say I made fiddlehead ferns for dinner. How often do you get to eat a veggie you have never eaten before? They are like little corkscrew asparagus. Sarah didn't want any, not sure why.

Chocolate Candies

2010-05-30T17:59:00.000-07:00

I got this nifty little silicone candy mold from Amazon and decided to make chocolate coconut candies with it, sort of like little almond joys.

For the chocolate I used sugar free chocolate from Maine Cottage Foods, which I ordered online. It's made from erythritol, unlike the stuff you buy in the stores. For the coconut layer I mixed shredded coconut with coconut oil.

I melted the chocolate and put a layer in each heart, then a layer of coconut, then another layer of chocolate. Then I refrigerated them overnight.

These were yummy. The sugar free chocolate by itself is not that great, but made into the coconut candies it was much better. Plus, they were really pretty!

Sardine and Avocado Salad

2010-05-16T21:08:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
‐ 1 tin sardines
‐ 1 avocado
‐ 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
‐ ½ red onion, chopped
‐ 1 clove garlic
‐ juice of ½ lemon
‐ handful of parsley

Portabella Mushroom Pizzas

2010-05-16T19:10:00.000-07:00

After cleaning and scraping out the gills of each mushroom, place them for 4 minutes on each side under the broiler until they become tender. Then fill them with whatever you like, I used marinara sauce and sauteed spinach. Top them with some fresh mozzarella and place back under the broiler a couple of minutes until the cheese turns golden brown.

Chocolate Avocado Ice Cream

2010-05-07T19:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, I don't have a recipe, and the photos are terrible. I just want to announce that we made chocolate avocado ice cream tonight and it was delicious. The ingredients were coconut milk, regular milk, avocado, vanilla, cocoa powder, and truvia. Next time I'll try to measure stuff and take some decent photos, and I'll check tomorrow to see how well it freezes. It's really really good!

Eggs en Cocotte with Pesto and Marinara

2010-05-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

I've been having the Eggs en Cocotte every morning, they are my new favorite thing. I tried 2 variations this week, one with pesto and one with marinara.

Pesto Eggs en Cocotte

Marinara Eggs en Cocotte

I've also been making them in mini Pyrex containers, which are easy to take to work and reheat.

I thought the pesto version would be amazing, but it turns out the marinara was the winner.

Here's the nutrition breakdown for the regular version:

Calories 185

Carbs 1.5

Protein 10

Fat 15

Sodium 160

Depression Brownies

2010-04-28T21:08:00.000-07:00

I found this cake recipe online, I read it was popular during the depression because it doesn't have any eggs. I made some substitutions and tried to make cupcakes out of it. They turned out delicious- kind of like cookies on the outside, easy to hold without getting your hands dirty, and like half cooked brownies on the inside. I let Sarah have some (even though they have Splenda, bad mommy) and she loved them.

Ingredients

•1 cup Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour

•1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum

•8 packets Splenda

•1/2 tsp Salt

•1 tsp Baking Soda

•2 T Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

•1/4 cup melted coconut Oil

•1 tsps Vanilla Extract

•1 T Torani sugar free syrup

•1 Tbsps Distilled White Vinegar

•2/3 cups Cold Water

Directions
Mix everything together.
Divide between 6 muffin tins.
Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

Nifty New Gadget and Zucchini Spaghetti

2010-04-28T20:02:00.000-07:00

Here's Sarah demonstrating our newest fun kitchen gadget, the World Cuisine Tri-Blade Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer.

She's making zucchini spaghetti!

I sauteed the spirals in some coconut oil.

It made super long strands.

Yummy!

This is Sarah's lunch for tomorrow, chicken in marinara sauce over the zucchini spaghetti.

Eggs en Cocotte

2010-04-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Eggs
Heavy Cream
Cheese
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and put a cup of water in the microwave for 2 minutes.

Butter ramekin, or spray with cooking oil. Put about a tablespoon of cheese in the bottom. I've used parmesean and feta which were both good. Break egg into ramekin, taking care to not break the yolk, and top with a bit of salt and pepper.

Pour a Tablespoon or so of heavy cream or half and half on top of the egg until just covered. Place all of the ramekins in an ovenproof casserole. In the larger casserole, but not in the ramekins, carefully pour the boiling water so that it reaches a half to two-thirds up the sides of the ramekins.

Carefully place the casserole, uncovered, in the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the white is set but the yolk is still hot and a bit runny.

Variations:

• Use a sharper cheese, like Gruyere.not meatless, but oh so good! And a great way to use up a tiny bit of leftover meat)

• Add a tablespoon of pesto to the bottom before adding the eggs

• Saute a bit of spinach in olive oil and garlic and add to the bottom of the ramekin to make Baked Eggs a la Florentine

• Add marinara to the bottom of the cup (or top and bottom) for an Italian Baked Eggs

• Add chopped meat or fresh herbs

Thai Consuming Salad

2010-04-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

I'm calling this the "Thai Consuming Salad" because it took freaking forever to make!

Ingredients:
1/2 head of Napa Cabbage, shredded
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken or seafood
2 bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange) cut into matchsticks
2 large carrots cut into matchsticks
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 cup mung bean sprouts
1 cup fresh sliced shitaki mushrooms
1 cup roasted macadamia nuts, finely chopped
1 cup chopped cilantro leaves

In a large bowl toss the shredded cabbage in some of the dressing,. Arrange the cabbage on a large platter., Scatter the cooked chicken or seafood on top of the cabbage. Artistically arrange the prepared bell peppers, carrots, green onions, and tomatoes around the edge of the salad, and scatter the mung bean sprouts on top. Whisk the dressing and spoon some more evenly over top.

Garnish the salad with 1/2 cup of the chopped macadamias and the cilantro. Pass more dressing if desires.

Spicy Dressing

3/4 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 cup organic cold pressed sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
Juice of one lime
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 tablespoons microplaned ginger
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

In a bowl whisk together all the dressing ingredients. This dressing keeps well in the refrigerator.

Thumbs up from my assistant!

Protein Donuts

2010-04-14T08:05:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1 cup Almond Flour
1/2 cup Max Protein Powder
1/2 cup Gluten Free Baking Mix
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 T shredded unsweetened coconut (or 2 T unsweetened cocoa for chocolate)
1 Egg, beaten
3 Tablespoons Sugar Free Torani Syrup (I used SF Vanilla)
1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
1/4 cup Water

Preheat oven to 325. Spray mini donut pan with Pam. Mix all ingredients till well combined.
Fill pan 1/2 full with batter.
Bake 8 minutes.
Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Makes 24 mini donuts.

For toppings I dipped in melted sugar free chocolate and then in some more of the shredded coconut.

Review: These were amazing, much better than expected. And more filling than regular donuts.

Blueberry Muffin Showdown

2010-04-07T17:42:00.000-07:00

This morning I made two different grain free blueberry muffins, and left it up to my family taste testers to determine the winner.

First, the Almond Flour Blueberry Muffins:

2 cups almond flour (almond meal)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

4 eggs

1/3 cup water

12 drops liquid Splenda

1 cup blueberries

Preparation:

1) Preheat oven to 350 F.

2) Mix dry ingredients together well.

3) Add wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.

5) Put in muffin tins (about 1/2 to 2/3 full), top with blueberries, and bake for about 15 minutes.

Next, the Coconut Flour Blueberry Muffins:

3 eggs

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons coconut milk

1 tablespoons honey

8 ounces organic fresh or frozen blueberries

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

6 drops liquid splenda

1. Blend together eggs, butter, coconut milk, honey, salt, and vanilla.

2. Combine coconut flour with baking powder and thoroughly mix into batter until there are no lumps.

3. Drain blueberries and dry with paper towels. Add to batter with a spoon.

4. Pour batter into muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.

The winner?

The coconut muffins, by a unanimous vote!

Cottage Pie with Mashed Yams

2010-04-07T17:27:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

• 1 lb grass-fed ground beef

• 1 cup homemade beef stock or organic beef broth

• 1/4 cup cream

• 3/4 stick butter

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 1 cup frozen peas

• 1 cup diced carrots

• 2 medium sized yams or sweet potatoes

• 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• 1 T arrowroot powder

• 1 T finely chopped fresh rosemary

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 2 T organic tomato paste

• 1 tsp organic Worcestershire sauce

• real sea salt and crushed black pepper to taste

1. Bake yams in a 375 degree oven for 30-45 minutes or until soft when pricked with a fork. Peel yams, discarding the peel and mash them with 1/2 stick butter, 1/4 cup cream and a dash of salt in an electric mixer. When the yams are nicely mashed set aside.

2. In a large cast-iron pan saute onions and carrots in 1/4 stick butter on medium heat, stirring until onions are translucent and carrots are slightly browned. Add in ground beef, breaking up meat into small pieces with the back of a wooden spoon. Stir occasionally until beef is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

3. Pour in beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary and thyme, stirring to incorporate and turn heat to low. Allow the liquid to reduce a bit, about 15 minutes or so. Add in the peas, and sprinkle the arrowroot on top. Briskly stir to prevent the arrowroot from clumping, then continue stirring gently until the sauce has thickened, less then 5 minutes. Add in salt and pepper to taste. Remove pan from heat, turn oven to 375 degrees.

4. Spread mashed yams evenly on top of the meat and veggie mixture. Sprinkle cheese over the yams. Bake for about 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.

Review: Grandpa declared this the "Winner of the Week". Something about the thyme and sweet potatoes together gave this an amazing flavor. I'll definitely be making this again.

Mexican Sweet Potato Salad

2010-04-05T05:21:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes, in small cubes or diced
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 red peppers, seeded and chopped
1/2 bag frozen corn
3 large stalks of swiss chard, including stems, chopped
1 jalepeno, minced (we skipped this since we were making this for the kids)
olive oil

for dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup water
1 Tbl. chili powder
1 Tbl. cumin
S+P to taste

Directions:
1. Heat 2 Tbl. oil in a large pan and add chopped sweet potatoes. Mix and allow to cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

2. Heat 2 Tbl. oil in the pan, add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic, stir and cook until garlic is golden. Add to bowl.

3. Add the rest of the vegetables to the bowl and combine well.

4. Blend dressing ingredients and toss to coat veggies.

Serve warm, cold or room temperature

Review: This was delicious, and definitely worthy of bringing to a party. A little more starchy than what we usually eat.

Chicken Nugget Showdown

2010-04-04T19:16:00.000-07:00

I tried this recipe using both coconut and almond flour. You can see the almond flour nuggets on the left and the coconut flour nuggets on the right. The almond flour nuggets were the clear winner, they crisped up better, tasted better, and looked better too!

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1-2 T coconut oil (enough to generously coat the baking sheet)
1/2 cup almond meal
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp onion flakes
½ tsp salt

Directions:
Turn on the oven to 400F. Brush a baking sheet liberally with coconut oil and put the pan in the oven to heat as the oven preheats.

Trim all visible fat and tendons from chicken breasts, then cut each breast into 5 nugget pieces (or more if you have a very large breast.) Use a meal mallet or something heavy to pound the thicker nugget pieces so they're all the same thickness.

Combine the almond meal and seasoning, mixing together well.

Dip each nugget piece into the almond meal mixture, pressing on with your fingers so it coats the chicken. Coat all the nuggets before you remove the baking sheet from the oven.

When all nuggets are coated, lay them on the hot baking sheet and cook 8 minutes, or until the side touching the pan is lightly browned. Remove pan from oven, turn nuggets, and bake 8 minutes more on the second side, until nuggets are lightly browned and cooked through. (Don't overcook.) Serve hot, with mustard or ranch dipping sauce if desired.

Coconut Pancakes

2010-04-04T06:56:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup coconut flour
Butter or coconut oil for frying

Optional:
1 T honey
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 T butter or coconut oil for batter
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Directions:
Melt coconut oil or butter on medium heat in a pan

Scoop out enough batter to make 3-4 in (diameter) pancakes. Cook on medium heat until golden brown on the bottom side and then flip.

Chickpea Fritters

2010-04-03T12:46:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2 cups water

1 cup chickpea flour

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

Coconut Oil for frying

Directions:

Oil an 8" square or 9 x 12 pan lightly with olive oil and set aside.

Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in the chickpea flour so that it doesn't form lumps. Turn the heat to low and whisk in the oil ans seasonings. Cook for another minute or so, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens.

Spread the hot mixture evenly in the pan, smoothing the top. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight until the mixture is solid.

Loosen the edges and turn the square out onto a cutting surface.

Slice the square into 16 fingers.

Heat the coconut oil in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Brown the "fingers" in the oil over medium-high heat until browned on both sides. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

Review: These were delicious! Like big steak fries. I'll definitely make these again.

Nut Butter Snacks

2010-04-02T15:45:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

• One regular-sized jar of nut butter (I used ½ jar almond butter and ½ jar walnut butter)

• 5-10 oz of chopped organic nuts (I used cashew)

• Handful of organic sesame seeds and/or chia seeds

• Handful of organic shredded coconut

• Dash of vanilla extract

• One full brick (room temperature) of KerryGold butter

Optional ingredients:

• Organic coconut flour for better binding

• Organic coconut butter

• Stevia

Blend the above in a bowl thoroughly, then spoon out into little “balls” onto wax paper on a plate or tray. Refrigerate for a good hour, or until these firm up.

Review: I think these taste like cookie batter. My sister says they only taste like cookie batter in "crazy land". My standards are probably lower since I don't actually eat cookies, but I think these are delicious.

Grain Free Breakfast Sandwich (with almond flour)

2010-04-01T17:59:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Almond flour 1/2 cup
Eggs (2 for making the muffins, more for topping )
Butter

Makes 4 muffins

Directions:

1. Mix almond flour with 2 eggs. It should be the consistency of pancake batter. Add more flour if it's too watery, add milk if it's too thick.

2. Heat up the griddle with butter, then make 4 pancakes out of the batter.

3. Butter the muffins.

4. Top with sunny side up eggs.

A breakfast sandwich, that gets thumbs up from grandpa even without the english muffin!

Review: This was good. Next time I'll make the pancakes a little thinner, and add bacon to the sandwich.

Microwave Poached Eggs

2010-03-02T20:36:00.000-08:00

This is so simple I can't believe I didn't learn it sooner. So much easier than hard boiling eggs. Especially with my pastured eggs, they are fresh from the farm so the shells don't come off well with hard boiling. I poach 2 eggs in the microwave then throw them in a glass dish and take them to work.

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg
• 1/8 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/3 cup water
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Add the water and white vinegar to a 6 ounce custard cup.

2. Break egg into cup, pierce egg yolk with toothpick, and cover dish loosely with plastic wrap.

3. Place in microwave and cook for 50 seconds or until desired doneness.

4. You may need to experiment with cooking times based on the wattage of your microwave and taste preference.

5. Immediately remove egg from hot water with a slotted spoon as it will continue to cook.

6. Serve with salt and pepper to taste.

Meatballs with Beef Heart (Gluten, grain, and egg free)

2010-02-24T15:08:00.000-08:00

This blog is called "Meatballs For Sarah" so it's about time I started cooking some meatballs! Of course they are gluten, grain, and egg free. I’ve heard it’s easy to sneak beef heart into meatballs, and it’s true, these meatballs are 20% heart and you can’t taste it. They special ordered the heart for me at Bi-Rite and ground it for me, in retrospect it would have been fun to bring home an actual heart. Once ground it looks just like any other ground meat. Beef heart is a great natural source of Coenzyme Q10.

I’m calling these “half and half” meatballs since half are cooked in the oven, the other half are cooked on the stove and simmered in marinara.

Ingredients:
1 pound Niman Ranch ground lamb
1 pound Heritage Foods berkshire ground pork
½ pound Marin Sun Farms ground beef heart
15 ounce jar Marinara Sauce
1/2 cup shredded parmesean
½ cup ground pork rinds
1 T soy sauce
1 tsp dried onion flakes
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt

Mix together all ingredients except marinara sauce.

Form meatballs (this made 58 meatballs for me)

Place ½ meatballs in the over at 350 for 30 minutes.

Brown the rest of the meatballs in a pan with olive oil.

When cooked, add to marinara sauce. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes.

The finished product

A comparison of meatballs oven vs stove

The stove/simmer meatballs definitely tasted better, of course they have more of a messy factor which is something to take into account with a 3 year old.

Wild Boar Tenderloin Sous Vide

2010-02-19T20:14:00.000-08:00

I was at the Ferry Building yesterday afternoon and I saw wild boar tenderloin at the Golden Gate Meat Company. I've always wanted to try wild boar.

I've heard it can be more lean and tough than regular pork, and tenderloin is not especially tender to begin with. So I decided to cook it Sous Vide in my handy Sous Vide Supreme.

I cooked it for 2 hours at 141 degrees F, then seared the outside in a pan on the stove.

Result? It's defintely tender and juicy. And more flavorful than regular pork. Of course I put in very little effort here, it probably would have been better with a marinade and some sauce. But not bad.

And yes, the pink color of pork cooked sous vide still freaks me out.

White Chicken Chili

2010-02-14T18:02:00.000-08:00

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 lb cooked)
2 T coconut oil or ghee
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
2 cans diced green Anaheim chiles (8 oz) or 10 fresh chiles
4 cups chicken stock
3 cups soaked white beans
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
¼ cup sour cream
1 tsp salt
Grated cheese

Cook white beans on stove for about 1 hour until soft.

Bake chicken in oven at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool, then shred.

Put peppers under the broiler for 5 minutes (maybe longer). Let cool, remove seeds and skin.

Here is a comparison of the canned chiles with the ones I roasted myself.

Heat coconut oil or ghee in a heavy soup pot, then saute onions until they're softened and just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute about 1 minute more, then add the ground cumin, oregano, salt, and ground cayenne pepper and saute..

Add diced green Anaheim chilis, white beans and chicken stock, turn to low simmer and let cook for 30 minutes. After the chili has simmered for 30 minutes, add the chicken and simmer 10-15 minutes more.

Add the chopped cilantro and sour cream and simmer about 5 minutes more. Serve hot, with cheese on top.

5 Minute Blueberry Banana “Ice Cream”

2010-02-12T15:53:00.000-08:00

Makes 1 serving

1/2 banana, frozen and chopped into ½ inch slices
1/2 c. frozen blueberries
1/2 c. 2% cottage cheese

Put the banana and blueberries in a small food processor or blender. Process until it's in small chunks. Add the cottage cheese and process until smooth, scraping sides down as necessary.

Put your "ice cream" in a bowl. If desired, return to freezer for 5 minutes or so before eating.

My blender had a little trouble with this but got the job done. Of course I have a $200 Breville blender, it might be a little much for a cheap one. I might try the Cuisinart next time. Sarah ate the whole bowl and was very excited to be eating "ice cream". It had been in the freezer overnight by the time she ate it, I microwaved it for 30 seconds before serving,

Thai Coconut Soup

2010-02-12T15:23:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
2 Tb. organic coconut oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 chopped onion

3 chopped carrots

1 large white potato or sweet potato, cleaned and chopped

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup organic whole coconut milk

2 organic chicken breasts (4 oz. each)

1 cup fresh, frozen, or canned organic peas
2 cups packed baby spinach leaves (or any other chopped leafy green such as kale or bok choy)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp sea salt
squeeze of lemon and/or 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro and/or basil for garnish–optional

Directions:
Heat coconut oil in a small pot. Add minced garlic and chopped onion and cook for a few minutes until translucent and very fragrant, stirring frequently to prevent burning.

Add carrot, and potatoes and cook for a few more minutes.

Add water or stock and coconut milk, and bring to a boil.

Add chicken and cover the pot. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add the peas and the spinach or other greens to the soup and simmer for a few minutes. Season with salt to taste, and garnish with the fresh lemon juice and herbs before serving, if desired.

Review: This was delicious! I made the chicken stock from scratch the day before, I used chicken bones and chicken feet from Soul Foods Farms, that might have made a difference. The veggies were all from my Terra Firma CSA box. I used swiss chard for the greens, I think chard or kale work better than spinach in soups, they don't get as mushy.

Beet Salad Take 2

2010-02-11T06:29:00.000-08:00

Another try at a perfect beet salad. This was great the first time I made it and perfect the second. I used feta instead of goat cheese and added the corn.

Roasted Beet Salad with Beet Greens and Feta

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (rice wine vinegar works too)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
7 medium-large beets (about 3 inches in diameter) with greens
2 tablespoons chopped drained capers
3/4 cup (about 3 ounces) feta cheese
1 cup toasted Pine nuts
1 cup corn
½ cup chopped cilantro

Cut green tops off beets; reserve tops. Wash beets and seal in tin foil packets, bake at 375°F for 1 hour.

While the beets are cooking, cut stems off beet greens; discard stems. Wash greens. Transfer greens, with some water still clinging to leaves, to large pot. Stir over high heat until just wilted but still bright green, about 4 minutes. Drain greens; squeeze out excess moisture. Cool; chop coarsely.

Transfer greens to medium bowl. Toss with oil and vinegar to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add garlic, feta, pine nuts, capers, corn, and cilantro.

Sneak a taste!

When beets are done cooking, peel while still warm. Chop and add to salad.

Delicious!

Real Food Wednesday

Sunflower Sesame Crackers

2010-02-09T20:47:00.000-08:00

I need some type of cracker to spread the liver pate on, so this seemed like a perfect solution. Grain and gluten free, made only from sesame seeds and sunflower seeds. Sorry grandpa!

Ingredients:
 1 cup each of sunflower and sesame seeds
 A little bit of water – about 1/4 cup

I soaked the seeds overnight in salt water to reduce the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors.

Instructions:
In a food processor, create a sort of flour from the sunflower seeds. It will take about 2-3 minutes for the seeds to break down and turn into a more flour-like consistency, although it will be thicker and heavier than regular flour.

Add the sesame seeds and pulse a few times and then slowly add water, stirring or pulsing until a thick paste forms that can be rolled out.

Between two greased pieces of parchment paper, roll out the paste as thinly as you can. Remove the upper piece of parchment.

Lightly score the batter into squares with a sharp knife, and sprinkle with salt and pepper/herbs if you’d like.

Bake at 350 degrees until golden and crisp, about 20 minutes, Allow to cool thoroughly before gently breaking into squares as scored.

Review: These turned out great! I served them with the liver pate for dinner tonight and Sarah ate them up. Next time I need to use more than one pan so I can roll the dough out a little thinner.

Roasted Beet Salad

2010-02-08T14:36:00.000-08:00

This recipe comes from epicurious with some additions by Monique Schaulis.

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
7 medium-large beets (about 3 inches in diameter) with greens
2 tablespoons chopped drained capers
3/4 cup (about 3 ounces) goat cheese (or Feta)
½ cup toasted Pine nuts
½ cup corn
Handful cilantro

Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk oil, vinegar and garlic in small bowl to blend. Season dressing generously with salt and pepper.

Cut green tops off beets; reserve tops. Arrange beets in single layer in 13x9x2-inch baking dish; add 1 cup water. Cover; bake until beets are tender when pierced with knife, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Peel beets while warm. Cut beets in half and slice thinly. Transfer to large bowl. Mix in capers and 1/4 cup dressing. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut stems off beet greens; discard stems. Wash greens. Transfer greens, with some water still clinging to leaves, to large pot. Stir over high heat until just wilted but still bright green, about 4 minutes. Drain greens; squeeze out excess moisture. Cool; chop coarsely.

Transfer greens to medium bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Arrange beets in center of platter. Surround with greens; sprinkle with feta. Drizzle with any remaining dressing. Add corn and pine nuts.

Review: This is delicious. The way the different flavors come together is amazing. I'll definitely be making this again.

Skillet Lasagna

2010-02-08T13:33:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 sweet pepper (red, yellow or orange), diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 Roma tomatoes
spinach or kale leaves, washed and cut (I used kale)
handful of fresh parsley
handful of fresh basil
½ handful fresh oregano
(you could substitute a few tsp dried parsley and basil and 1 tsp dried oregano)
1 cup ricotta cheese
shredded mozzarella cheese to top

Method:
Brown ground beef with onion and pepper. Add garlic for the last minute. Throw in everything else other than the cheeses and cook, covered, until vegetables are done.

Dollop ricotta on the top (do not stir) and finish off with mozzarella. Cover again over very low heat (or none) until cheese is melted.

Review: Sarah didn't like this, I'm not sure why. It's super healthy but nothing to write home about. I did get sheeps milk ricotta at Rainbow which was delicious. Next time I'd just mix ground beef, ricotta, and pizza sauce and it might be just as good!

Prosciutto-Wrapped Mozzarella & Basil

2010-02-01T18:31:00.000-08:00

8 large basil leaves, torn in half
8 small fresh mozzarella balls (about 1-inch in diameter), halved
8 ripe grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

Arrange 8 slices of prosciutto flat on a cutting board and put a piece of basil on one end of each slice. Top each piece of basil with a piece of mozzarella and a tomato half, matching the cut sides to make a ball. Season very lightly with salt and generously with pepper and then roll up the balls in the prosciutto. Secure each with a toothpick and set on a platter. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Drizzle with the olive oil and serve.

Review: These are delicious. I'll eat these as appetizers and then eat them again for dinner and dessert. The prosciutto is a little hard to tear into the right size pieces but it is so worth it.

Sugar Free Layer Cake

2010-02-01T18:05:00.000-08:00

Vanilla Layer:

Almond flour 1/2 cup
3 eggs
1 lemon
Vanilla
Sweetener

Mix ground almonds with egg yolks. Add the lemon juice and finely grated zest, plus sweetener and vanilla.

Whisk egg whites in a very clean large metal bowl until very stiff, then fold into the almond/yolk mix. Pour into a large shallow baking tin that has been lined with buttered baking parchment. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or so, until the sponge is firm and golden.

Chocolate layer:

3 Eggs
1/4 cup cocoa
Vanilla
Sweetener

Beat the egg yolks and cocoa together in another bowl.

Add warm water a little at a time to this mix and keep beating well to keep the mixture smooth and lump free. The mix needs to be just 'loose' enough so that the egg whites can be incorporated easily without breaking down the foam. But not too sloppy and liquid. Try lifting some of the mix up on your wooden spoon.. it should drop off in dollops, but not in a liquid stream. It's like a thick batter. You can add vanilla and sweetener (or even cinnamon or coffee or orange zest) at this point.

Whisk egg whites until you can make little mountains that hold themselves up and don't collapse.

With a metal spoon very carefully and lightly fold the whisked egg white a little at a time into the cocoa/egg yolk mix. You should end up with a nice foamy mix.

As soon as the egg whites are folded pour onto parchment paper on pan and put in oven.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Whip up some heavy cream with sweetener, then layer between chocolate and vanilla layers. Voila!

Review: This looked amazing but really tasted just so-so. I have a hard time getting anything with chocolate to taste good with artifical sweeteners. It requires a huge amount of sweetener to overcome the bitter taste. But it's pretty.

Liver and Onions

2010-01-26T13:22:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
Liver ½ pound
Onion 1
Fresh sage about 10 leaves
Shiitake Mushrooms about 1 cup fresh
Bacon 3 strips
Flat leaf parsley 3 T
Butter 2T
Flour (I used almond flour)
Salt
Pepper

Instructions:
Cut liver into strips and lightly dredge in flour seasoned with sea salt and cracked pepper. Set aside.

Fry uncured, pastured bacon until crisp and all the fat has rendered out.

Add sliced onions and continue to cook until well browned.

Add 2 tablespoons pastured butter to the hot pan and swirl to combine with the remaining bacon fat.

Add sliced brown mushrooms and sauté until they begin to crisp on the edges.

Make sure that the skillet is still good and hot, then add strips of floured liver and coarsely chopped fresh sage and flat-leaf parsley. Cook until well browned, turn and brown on the other side.

Arrange on a plate, drizzle with pan juices and enjoy.

Review: This just goes to show that anything cooked in bacon grease is delicious. I liked it and Sarah did too. I used the fresh pastured chicken livers from Soul Foods Farm, not sure it would taste as good with regular old liver.

Chicken Scaloppine With Saffron Cream Sauce

2010-01-26T13:04:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 lb chicken cutlet (4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded flat to 1/4 inch)
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron thread
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1. Warm the coconut oil in a large skillet, over high heat. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until golden and cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
2. Transfer the chicken to serving plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
3. Turn the heat to medium, add the shallots and the garlic and cook until tender, about 2 minutes.
4. Deglaze the pan with the white wine. Using a wooden spoon,scrape all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine is almost evaporated.
5. Add the chicken broth and saffron threads, bring to a simmer and reduce for 10 minutes. Add the cream, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and simmer for 1 minute to blend the flavors.
6. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Review: This was yummy. The saffron flavor made me feel like I was in a fancy restaurant. The sauce was a little thin, next time I might try to find the xanthan gum which is in the back of my cabinet. Also this tasted great the day it was made but the leftovers were not as good, so I would not advise a huge batch.

Sugar Glazed Walnuts

2010-01-26T12:40:00.000-08:00

Today's recipe:

SUGAR GLAZED NUTS

1/2 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 c. nuts, pecans or walnuts
Microwave on high 1 minute in 1 1/2 quart dish. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Microwave 2 minutes, on high. Mix well. Add nuts and mix to coat. Microwave on high 3-5 minutes. Spread onto wax paper to cool.

I soaked the Walnuts for 24 hours in salt water then dried them in my dehydrator, to get rid of any bothersome enzymes. Instead of brown sugar I used rapadura, which is raw cane sugar. One teaspoon of the stuff has 11% of your daily iron, doesn't that make you feel better about eating sugar?

After all the trouble getting organic ingredients and soaking the nuts, it did seem wrong to cook these in the microwave, but it sure was easy.

Review: These were easy and yummy, but way too sweet for me. Next time I'll have to try them with Stevia or Splenda, and maybe some spices.

And, we have a new kitchen gadget today!

I've been using a plastic (gasp) microwave steamer, today I got a nice old fashioned stainless steel one to steam veggies on the stove.