Shrimp and Broccoli

August 7, 2016Leave a comment

So I’ve been on a downward spiral of terrible food choices this past week.

Pizza. Wine. Cookies. Cheesesteaks. Chips.

The true killer was a delicious plate of cheese ravioli with pink sauce. I’ve been in constant pain since yesterday afternoon.

Dairy and gulten are my enemies.

In a desperate attempt to heal myself, I’ve reached into my Whole30 bag of knowledge to restart my body.

My craving for Asian food has been out of control since I got the boyfriend takeout yesterday. One thing on the menu stood out.

Beef with broccoli.

As I grocery shopped in pain from the ravioli lunch, I decided to make my own Whole30 version of Shrimp with Broccoli.

My take is a little different. Instead of adding the broccoli to the sauce, I used it to make rice. Amazing.

What you need:

One head of broccoli
One pound of shrimp, peeled
One onion, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
One pack of mushrooms, sliced
Two cloves garlic, minced
Coconut aminos, to taste
Salt and pepper
Red pepper flakes
Avocado oil

Chop the broccoli into florets, and put in a steamer basket on the stove. Steam until fork tender

In a large pan, heat the avocado oil. Add the onion, red bell pepper and garlic. Sauté a couple minutes. Add the mushrooms. Cool on medium high heat until vegetables soften and start to get a little color on them.

Add the coconut aminos. This is your Whole30 approved soy sauce. It’s a game changer. Cool until sauce begins to thicken. Add the shrimp, and cook until pink throughout.

In a food processor, add the steamed broccoli and pulse for a couple seconds. This will make broccoli rice.

This was super easy. And very much delicious. I was surprised by how much I loved broccoli as rice. I didn’t feel like I was giving anything up. And it’s Whole30 approved.

Tell me what you do to get out of a mindless eating rut.

Asparagus Lemon Chicken

August 1, 2016August 1, 2016Leave a comment

This recipe is a knock-off of one on the Whole30 Recipes Instagram page.

Instead of broccoli, I used asparagus because it’s what I had in the fridge.

Thinly sliced lemon, cherry tomato halves and coconut milk take this to the next level.

So much goodness. I can’t even tell you how much I love this.

I even remembered to remove the lemons from the pan. Last time, the boyfriend thought the lemon slices were squash, and he didn’t enjoy this meal. In his defense, it did look like squash.

What’s for dinner at your house?

Pizza Stuffed Sandwich

May 10, 2016Leave a comment

No stir fry or lasagna to show you today, but I did invent a sandwich to end all sandwiches.

Introducing the Pizza Stuffed Sandwich.

What you need:

Mini French bread rolls
Your favorite marinara sauce
Sandwich size pepperonis
Mozzarella cheese

Slice the roll down the middle, but not all the way through. Dig out the bread from the inside. Spoon marinara sauce inside the roll. Layer pepperoni and cheese. Add another layer of sauce and continue layering all ingredients until the roll is completely stuffed.

Top with cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

I also whipped up a quick strawberry shortcake with the strawberries I got from the Farmers Market.

Lady Fingers, strawberries and whipped cream. Simple and delicious.

The Pizza Stuffed Sandwich was a huge hit. The boyfriend approved, and asked for seconds.

The shortcake was more for me, and it was absolutely amazing.

Tell me about your Monday night dinner.

Grilled Chicken Heaven

April 28, 2016April 28, 2016Leave a comment

The grill has been busy at my house. It’s really the only way I want to cook right now. The weather has been so nice, and I have a feeling this Arkansas summer is going to be a hot one.

So I’ve been soaking up spring air and enjoying cooking outside. And it has been delightful.

So let me tell you about this chicken. It doesn’t look like much, but it packs a huge flavor punch.

Citrus Chicken with Basil Parmesan Drizzle and Sautéed Summer Squash

What you need:

Four chicken cutlets
One lemon
One lime
Five garlic cloves, roughly chopped
Olive oil
Basil
Parmesan cheese
Two yellow squash
One onion
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

Put the chicken cutlets in a plastic storage bag. Squeeze the lemon and lime over the chicken. Add in some olive oil to give the juice a little substance. Roughly chop the garlic and add to the chicken mixture. Salt and pepper liberally. Let sit six hours in the fridge.

Bring chicken to room temperature. I usually put it on the counter will I peep everything else and heat the grill. This helps the meat cook evenly, and it gives it good grill marks.

Grilled over medium heat until the chicken is cooked completely, about 10-12 minutes.

Combine a handful of fresh basil and roughly chop it. Add in olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder to paste. Blend until smooth.

Add in a little Parmesan cheese and blend again. Do this until you get a sauce-like consistency. Don’t add too much salt because Parmesan cheese is fairly salty.

Cook the squash and onion in olive oil until cooked through. I like it to kinda fall apart. No crunch to the veggies. It gets sweet and delicious.

Drizzle the sauce on the chicken while it’s warm from the grill.

Everything is a walk in the park.

So simple. So fresh. The basil was the first batch to be pulled from the garden, and it didn’t disappoint.

I see a lot of citrus chicken in my future summer dinners. And I’m totally ok with that.

Crockpots Save Lives

March 15, 2016Leave a comment

I love the ease of using a crockpot to prepare meals. Talk about a time saver.

Just set it and forget it.

Yesterday morning I put a roast in the crockpot with baby carrots and chunks of onion. When I got home last night, the roast was so tender it fell apart, and the carrots and onion were caramelized.

So I whipped up a batch of mashed baby red potatoes with a little Kerrygold butter and a splash of heavy whipping cream.

Too much goodness in this bowl. And so easy.

What you need:

Roast
Onion soup mix
Red wine
Beef consume
Onion
Carrots
Baby red potatoes
Heavy whipping cream
Kerrygold butter
Salt and pepper

Start by seasoning the roast with salt and pepper. Seer it in a hot pan until a crust forms on all the sides. Deglaze the pan with red wine.

Put roast and all the wine from the pan in the crockpot. Add in the onion soup mix, carrots, onions and beef consume.

Turn crockpot on to low and cook for 8-10 hours.

For the mashed potatoes, cut up the baby red potatoes into chunks. Leave the skin on. Boil for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.

Drain off excess water. Return potatoes back to warm pan. Add in a generous pat of butter and a splash of whipping cream. Mash them up. Add salt and pepper to taste. I usually add a little more butter and cream to make the potatoes extra tasty.

Layer the potatoes with the roast, carrots and onion. Be sure to spoon over lots of the juice because it has all the flavor goodness.
So easy. Super delicious. Always a crowd pleaser.