Crissy's cooking Pt.2

Baked Chicken Legs

Based off of the recipe from Chaos in the Kitchen ( http://chaosinthekitchen.com/2010/03/chicken-legs/)

serves 6, prep 10 min, cook 40 min

• 4 lbs chicken legs (this was about 20 legs or about 3-4 legs per person)
• sea salt and pepper - other spices noted below in #2 
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• hot sauce if desired (like Frank’s)

1. Heat oven to 475°.  Dry chicken legs by pressing them all over with a paper towel (do this even if they seem dry already, it will help the spices stick).
2. In a large bowl or plastic bag, toss chicken legs with sea salt and pepper (I used sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika).
3. Add about 2 tbsp of oil to the bowl or bag and toss until legs are coated.
4. Spread legs onto one or two rimmed baking sheets or roasting pan and place in the oven.
5. Cook, using tongs to flip legs occasionally, approx 40 minutes or until meat easily separates from the bone.
6. Broil chicken legs briefly until skin browns and crisps slightly. Flip if desired.
7. If desired you can brush or toss some of the legs with hot sauce or serve plain.

***Note:  These are still good the next day if you warm them under a broiler at a lower temp, so they don't burn before getting warm and crispy. 

Coconut Milk and Curry Frittata (From Everyday Paleo)

Ingredients:

7 eggs
½ red onion, finely diced
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
¼ cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Sea salt to taste

Instructions:

Heat the coconut oil in a medium sized skillet, add the onions and cook until the onions begin to caramelize.
While the onions are cooking whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, tomato paste, curry powder and salt. Whisk and then use a hand held mixer to make sure all the ingredients were well blended.
Add the spinach to the onions and oil and cook until the spinach is wilted.
Evenly spread the onion and spinach mixture over the bottom of the skillet and pour in the egg mixture. Cover and cook over medium low heat for 4 minutes.
Transfer the frittata to the oven and cook under the broiler uncovered for another 2 -3 minutes or until the frittata is cooked all the way through.
Slice like a pizza and serve.  

Notes:  Some of the substitutions I've made on this one include grated zucchini instead of spinach,crumbled back and green onions. I also throw in a little bit of cumin as well.  If you're not a huge fan of curry, you may want to cut down or find a substitution you like.  

Shrimp Bisque - from Mastering the Art of Paleo Cooking (http://masteringtheartofpaleocooking.com/2011/07/25/shrimp-bisque/)

Ingredients

1.5 pounds medium shrimp, in the shell

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

2 Leeks

1 Onion

2 Celery Stalks

2 Carrots or 10 Baby Carrots

3 Fresh Thyme Sprigs

1 Bay Leaf

1 Orange

3 Tablespoons Organic Tomato Paste

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1/2 cup Apple Juice

3 Tablespoons Arrowroot Starch

2 cans Coconut Milk

3 cups Water

Sea Salt

Fresh Chives

Peel, devein, and remove the shrimp tails, reserving the shells and tails. Place the shrimp in the refrigerator for later use.

Trim the leeks and rinse well. Cut into thirds.

Peel the onion and cut into quarters.

Cut the celery and carrots into 3 inch pieces.

Use a vegetable peeler to peel half of the orange into long strips.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil and coconut oil over medium heat. When hot, add the shrimp shells, leeks, onion, celery, carrots, orange peel, thyme, bay leaf, tomato paste, and cayenne. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring several times.

Add the apple juice, mix, and let cook 2 more minutes.

Sprinkle in the arrowroot starch and let cook an additional 2 minutes.

Add the water and coconut milk, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 45 minutes.

Strain the soup into a clean pot, and discard vegetables. Add sea salt to taste if desired.

The soup can be made up to this point a day ahead of time if needed.

Immediately before serving, bring the soup to a simmer on the stove. Add the shrimp and let cook about 3 minutes, until shrimp are pink and just cooked through.

Serve sprinkled with chopped chives.

Serves 6.

 Notes:  This one is a labor of love and worth it!  If you're short on time, seafood stock or broth will work as well. Depending on the size of the shrimp, you may want to cut them into smaller pieces.  I also added one 14.5 oz can of fire roasted, diced organic tomatoes.  

This week I'm going to try a cracker and zucchini hummus recipe.  I haven't had hummus in a loooong time and have a hankerin' for it! 

Looks like everyone's kickin' butt!

Crissy's cooking Pt.1

A Few recipes tried and tasted by our friend Crissy Hartman:

What you'll need to get at the store...

2 pounds ground buffalo

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves chopped garlic 

2-4 tbsp fat (pork fat or olive oil)

2 cups canned chopped tomatoes 

4 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp sea salt

1 cup water (less or more depending on the consistency you like)

Brown ground buffalo with chopped onions and garlic in fat. Then, add chopped tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, cumin and salt. Add water, and then simmer for at least two hours until meat is tender and the tomatoes cook into the sauce. 

I like to chop up some avocado and add that to my bowl! 

My switch up's: I add one chopped green pepper and sometimes chopped mushrooms. The pepper adds some color and the mushrooms add some texture. I also like to fire roasted canned tomatoes. I like things on the hotter side, so I make at least 1 of the 4 tbsp of chili powder, Mexican chili powder and add chopped jalapenos. Sometimes if I have leftover amounts of ground beef, turkey and or sausage, I'll combine all of those as well. 

Slow Cooker Creole Chicken 

allrecipes.com

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Creole seasoning to taste

1 (14.5 oz) can of organic stewed tomatoes

1 stalk celery, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 onion, diced

8oz chopped mushrooms

1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped 

Place chicken in slow cooker. Season with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning to taste. Stir in tomatoes with liquid, celery, bell pepper, garlic, onion, mushrooms and jalapeno peppers. Cook on low for 10 to 12 hours or high for 5 to 6 hours. 

Not a fan of the heat? You could switch it up, Italian style. Use Italian seasoning instead of Creole and Italian stewed tomatoes. You could also replace the pepper with chopped zucchini. 

Would love to hear any changes or additions you make so I can try them as well. Enjoy!

A Few recipes tried and tasted by our friend Crissy Hartman:What you'll need to get at the store...
2 pounds ground buffalo1 cup chopped onion3 cloves chopped garlic 2-4 tbsp fat (pork fat or olive oil)2 cups canned chopped tomatoes 4 tbsp chili powder1 tsp dried oregano1 tsp ground cumin1 tsp sea salt1 cup water (less or more depending on the consistency you like)
Brown ground buffalo with chopped onions and garlic in fat. Then, add chopped tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, cumin and salt. Add water, and then simmer for at least two hours until meat is tender and the tomatoes cook into the sauce. 
I like to chop up some avocado and add that to my bowl! 
My switch up's: I add one chopped green pepper and sometimes chopped mushrooms. The pepper adds some color and the mushrooms add some texture. I also like to fire roasted canned tomatoes. I like things on the hotter side, so I make at least 1 of the 4 tbsp of chili powder, Mexican chili powder and add chopped jalapenos. Sometimes if I have leftover amounts of ground beef, turkey and or sausage, I'll combine all of those as well. 
Slow Cooker Creole Chicken allrecipes.com
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halvesSea salt and pepper to tasteCreole seasoning to taste1 (14.5 oz) can of organic stewed tomatoes1 stalk celery, diced1 green bell pepper, diced3 garlic cloves, minced1 onion, diced8oz chopped mushrooms1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped 
Place chicken in slow cooker. Season with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning to taste. Stir in tomatoes with liquid, celery, bell pepper, garlic, onion, mushrooms and jalapeno peppers. Cook on low for 10 to 12 hours or high for 5 to 6 hours. 
Not a fan of the heat? You could switch it up, Italian style. Use Italian seasoning instead of Creole and Italian stewed tomatoes. You could also replace the pepper with chopped zucchini. 
Would love to hear any changes or additions you make so I can try them as well. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Lasagna

As we remove some staples such as grains from our diets, it can be comforting to enjoy a meal that is similar to one we used to enjoy on a regular basis. In this case, Bonnie of The Naked Kitchen blog, shares her story of always enjoying lasagna or stuffed shells on her birthday each year. Becoming grain-free necessitated a tweak to enjoy this treat. Cut and pasted directly from her website (http://thenakedkitchen.blogspot.com).

Sweet Potato Lasagna

The Food
- 2-4 sweet potatoes or yams, depending on size
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta
- 6oz mozzarella cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
Salt
Pepper
Cooking spray

The Prep
Preheat the oven to 350°
Spray a glass baking dish with cooking spray
Shred the mozzarella
Mandolin slice the sweet potatoes or yams
Mix the ricotta, 4oz of the shredded mozzarella (about 2/3 of it), egg, 1/2 the oregano and 1/2 the parsley; salt and pepper to taste.
Open the can of crushed tomatoes, add the rest of the oregano and parsley, and pepper to taste (unless you got a no-salt added variety, the sodium is already high enough. Do not salt.). Mix well.

The Method
Lightly coat the bottom of the dish with the tomatoes
Top the tomatoes with 1/3 of sliced sweet potatoes
Spread about 1/2 of the ricotta mixture on top of the sweet potatoes
Put about 1/2 of the remaining tomatoes on top of the cheese
Repeat the layering of sweet potatoes, then ricotta, then tomatoes
Top with remaining 1/3 of sweet potatoes
Spread the reserved 2 oz mozzarella on the top.
Cover with foil.
Bake for 45 minutes
Remove foil, bake 15  more minutes or so, until there isn't a lot of bubbling tomato juices

Enjoy :)
Oh, let it cool a little. It's crazy hot right out of the oven.

Cheescake Swirl Brownies - Dessert

Usually a couple squares of good 85% chocolate and a glass of good red wine (try Bonterra's Organic Cabernet Sauvignon!) is the perfect dessert for a protein-laden supper, but when entertaining guests or at holiday parties brownies are a welcome dish. Sneak in a tray of these brownies and you'll add a square of healthy eating to your unsuspecting friends and family!

Graciously provided by Megan Keatley of Health-Bent.com this recipe is cut and pasted directly from the foodrenegade.com. Enjoy!

Do you love brownies, but need an easy grain-free version? Once again, former pastry chef Megan Keatley of Health-Bent comes through for all of us with a healthier version of an old favorite in this guest post just in time for the holidays. No grains, no refined sweeteners, and no refined vegetable oils.Thanks, Megan!

I’ve taken my favorite fudgey brownie recipe and added a little holiday pizazz with some cheesecake batter swirled in. Adapt this recipe by removing the vanilla from the cheesecake batter and adding your favorite extract, like mint, orange or coffee; or you could mix in a bit of raspberry jam. Very easy to put together, hard to screw up, festive and something the kids can help you make. What more could you ask for?

Grain-Free Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Yield: 12 brownies

The Players
Brownie Ingredients

• 1 c almond butter
• 2 eggs (from pastured hens)
• 1/3 c cocoa powder
• 1/2 c canned coconut milk (full fat)
• 1/2 c coconut crystals or palm sugar
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/3 c chocolate chips (optional)

Cheesecake Ingredients

• 8 oz cream cheese (or make your own yogurt cheese)
• 1 egg (from pastured hens)
• 1/3 c coconut crystals or palm sugar
• 2 t vanilla extract

The How-To

Set your oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the brownie ingredients until well combined, and pour into a greased 9×9 oven-safe baking dish.

Add the cream cheese to your mixer bowl and beat until smooth, add the rest of the ingredients and beat until combined.

Dollop the cream cheese batter on top of the brownie batter. Using a knife, or a toothpick, swirl the cheesecake batter into the brownie batter. This would be a great thing for kids to do! Another option would be to remove the vanilla extract and add your favorite extract flavoring to the cheesecake batter; mint, almond, orange, coffee, coconut–would all work well.

Bake for about 35 minutes–until the top has slightly cracked. Serve well chilled, just like cheesecake.

Spaghetti and Meat Sauce - Supper and Left-overs

Sometimes you just want some good ol' spaghetti and meatballs. Here's one way you can enjoy this dish without the guilt of a leaky gut!

Spaghetti

• ·         1 lb ground meat of choice (game meats okay!)
• ·         1 tbsp olive oil
• ·         1 (12oz) package of kelp noodles, or one spaghetti squash
• ·         1-2 cups marinara sauce
• ·         1-2 cloves crushed garlic

Brown the meat in the olive oil using a large skillet. Once the meat is browned, add the noodles (or cooked spaghetti squash, see below) and the marinara sauce. Stir and bring to a simmer. Add the crushed garlic just before serving to maximize the health benefits.

If using spaghetti squash: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Carefully split the squash lengthwise, the dig out the seeds. Place both halves face down on a baking pan, add ¼ cup of water. Bake for 30 minutes. Dig out the squash with a fork and add to your skillet with the meat. Take the seeds and lightly toast them for a nutritious snack anytime!