#1,044: Thyme Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower with lemon salt

I love, love, love roasted broccoli.  Roasted cauliflower is extremely good too, but not my favorite.  So when I saw this recipe that included both cauliflower and broccoli and didn't use just olive oil, I was super excited.  This is really good.  Really, really good.  Especially if you cut it into small pieces and let everything get really overcooked and dark.  I will definitely be making this again!

12 oz. broccoli, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slabs
12 oz. cauliflower, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slabs
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, minced
8 (4-inch) sprigs fresh thyme
1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1 Heat oven to 425ºF. Lightly coat large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange broccoli and cauliflower in single layer on baking sheet. Combine oil and garlic in small cup; brush over both sides of broccoli and cauliflower. Tuck thyme sprigs under and around vegetables.

2. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until vegetables are browned and tender. Place on serving platter; lightly crumble a few of the roasted thyme sprigs over the top. Combine lemon peel and salt in small cup; sprinkle over vegetables.

4 (3/4-cup) servings

PER SERVING: 145 calories, 10.5 g total fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 4 g protein, 11 g carbohydrate, 0 mg cholesterol, 380 mg sodium, 4.5 g fiber

#1,043: Key West Grilled Chicken

We are definitely getting use out of our grill this summer (as I'm sure most people/families are).  This recipe is so easy to make ahead of time and to freeze for a future meal.  This was very, very good.  We all enjoyed this chicken. It was so moist and the marinade wasn't over powering at all.  We will be making this one again!

3 tablespoons soy sauce
 2 Tbs. honey
1 tablespoon
vegetable oil
Juice of 1 Lime
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

In a small bowl combine soy sauce, honey, vegetable oil, lime juice, and garlic.
If you want to have grilled breasts, Place chicken breast halves into the mixture, and turn to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes. If you prefer kebabs, as are pictured, cut the chicken into large chunks, skewer onto bamboo sticks that have been soaked in water for 5 minutes, and marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Grill on medium high heat for 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until juices run clear.

#1,042: Bacon Coleslaw

I found this recipe on Facebook.  It looked so easy and it had my absolute most favorite ingredient....BACON.  Thank goodness organic bacon is ok on Paleo.  :)  Although this was a good recipe, it certainly was not my favorite.  But I added some chicken, basil and a few raw pumpkin seeds and this became even better.  Did I love this, no not really.  But I definitely liked this salad. As I look at the picture attached though, I can't even see any of the bacon that was in it.  Maybe that was my hint to add more! 

Half a head of green cabbage, shredded.
2 small carrots, peeled and shredded.
6 strippes of bacon cooked crispy and shredded into bits.
3 tbsp of bacon grease.
Approximately 2 tbsp of raw apple cider vinegar.
Salt and course ground pepper to taste.

Mix well. If you prefer your slaw to stick together a little better you can add more bacon grease or coconut oil. If you like your slaw with more pep and zing add more apple cider vinegar.

#1,041: Strawberry Banana Smootie

 
I originally found this recipe on Pinterest and the link took me to the Silk website.  But when you click on it now, it is a broken link.  So I can't give credit to the original website now.  Sorry Silk.

I made this for the kids to eat with their dinner.  Chloe, my smoothie-hater, actually enjoyed this one, although she didn't drink all of hers.  Allison and Matthew thought loved their smoothies.  And as you can see by the photo, Matthew drank the most.  (Yes he finished that mason jar!)

 
2 cups strawberries
2 bananas
1 1/2 cups Pure Almond Milk-unsweetened
1 cup Orange Juice (I used the juice of 2 oranges)
2 tablespoons honey

Combine all ingredients in a blender and combine.  Add ice cubes if you want it a little thicker or more frothy. 

#1,040: Pork Tenderloin with Pan Sauce

I'm honestly not a big pork or pork tenderloin person, but I'm trying to eat it more often and will hopefully someday learn to love it.  :)  I decided to try this recipe for dinner.  Holy cow was this DELICIOUS.  I can't believe those words just came out of my mouth (fingers?!).  The girls weren't big fans, but Matthew, Brian and I were!  For someone who doesn't like pork, I ate the very last few pieces left.  Yep, it was that good.  Totally making this one again.

1⁄2 cups olive oil
1⁄3 cup soy sauce
1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped (I forgot to add this!)
2 tsp dry mustard
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1-lb. pork tenderloin

Combine all marinade ingredients and reserve 2-3 Tbsp. Place the pork tenderloin and marinade in a Ziplock bag and let marinate for at least 3-4 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a hot skillet over medium-high heat, sear each side of tenderloin for 2-3 minutes. Place in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes or until the meat has reached 160 degrees. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Pan Sauce:
Pan scrapings from pork tenderloin
1/2 cup of chicken broth
2-3 tbsp of pork marinade (thoroughly mixed)
1-2 tsp butter

Meanwhile, place the skillet back on the stove over medium heat. Add the chicken broth and scrape up all the browned pieces from the bottom of the pan. Add the marinade and let it boil down for 2-3 minutes. Add the butter and remove from heat stirring until butter has melted. Pour over the pork tenderloin.

#1,039: Paleo Cube Steak

I found this recipe because I was totally drawn to the pictures and it didn't look paleo at all.  I figured it would be an easy recipe to try and sneak past my family.  :)  It looks pretty good right?  Yeah, it wasn't.  Blech.  I did not like this at all.  It was so tough.  The only thing I ate was the breading.  The kids didn't like it either.  Brian thought it was okay but thought the breading was too soft.  Definitely not making this again, but I don't know if I've ever had cube steak.  So I'm going to try making it in the crockpot in hopes of softening it up!

2 eggs
1 cup of almond meal
2 Tablespoons of organic coconut milk
8 oz (weight) of chicharrones (pork skins, without the meat attached) crushed (I omitted)
2 lbs or so of grassfed cubed beef steak
olive oil or coconut oil
Salt and pepper for taste

Hat pan and coat with your choice of oil.  Mix the eggs, coconut milk, add a pinch of salt and pepper.  Mix almond meal and crushed chicharrones. Pat steak to make sure it’s dry…salt and pepper. 

Dip meat in egg mixture, then coat with dry mix, making to that you shake off excessive “breading”. Carefully add meat to the pan.  Depending on thickness of your steak you’re looking at 4 minutes per side.  Place cooked steaks on a paper towel to drain off oil.

A Day on the Farm

My father-in-law told us about an event going on near them called "A Day on the Farm" where kids could explore the farm and the equipment that they have.  We love keeping our kids busy, so we decided to take a ride about an hour south to go see this farm.  After the kids got off the pony ride, a woman asked if she could ask me some questions...and I got interviewed for the local newspaper.  :)  Thank goodness she didn't take any pictures.  She did however ask how old I was, and thankfully left that out of the article.  (I told her she could make up a younger age!)  The kids had so much fun and I am so glad we went.   Here is a snippet of the article...but if you want to read the whole thing, you can click here. 

 

Sunday marked 1-year-old Matthew Hitchins’ first ride on a pony. For his sisters Allison, 6, and Chloe, 4, it was their first time petting a baby pig and sheep.

“We’re always looking for fun things to do with the kids,” said Tracy Hitchins, the mother of three from Bloomington. “We try to expose them to new things.”

Hitchins, her husband and three children spent the afternoon at the second annual “A Day in the Country” on Sunday at the Beaty Farm near Rochester.

Chloe and her sister Allison were excited to move on to other fun things like climbing the tractors and honking the horns.

“Allison says she wants to be a farmer someday,” Hitchins said. 

About 400 people were expected at the Beaty Farm for the event. Attendance was about the same as last year, according to organizers. The farm is located off Illinois 29 about five miles southeast of Rochester.

Larry Beaty, president of the Sangamon County Farm Bureau, owns Beaty Farms with his wife, Diana. He said the event is designed to show people what life is like for farmers and to raise awareness about the practice. Beaty said he gets a lot of questions from people, but the most frequently asked is the cost of farm equipment. Many are amazed by the answer, said Beaty.

#1,038: Garlic Rubbed Roasted Cabbage Steaks

I'll be totally honest, I had very low expectations for these cabbage steaks.  I like cabbage and I eat coleslaw, but when I eat or make things like stuffed cabbage leaves, I often leave the cabbage on my plate.  This recipe is totally different.  You know how fresh grilled onions have a nice carmel-y flavor to them.  That's what these did.  They taste a lot like grilled onions.  Don't judge me, but I added some crumbled bacon to these (only because I had some leftover and thought it would be better to eat it with a veggie than on its own!) and they were even more wonderful. 

Here's the down side to this recipe.  It takes 45 min to 1 hour to make!  And they start to fall apart a little when you flip them.  But other than that, they are really, really good.  Cabbage is already on my grocery list for later in the week....

1 (approx 2lb) head of organic green cabbage, cut into 1″ thick slices

1.5 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 large garlic cloves, smashed
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
spray olive oil or non-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400F and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Pull outer leaves off cabbage, cut cabbage from top to bottom (bottom being root) into 1″ thick slices.  Rub both sides of cabbage with smashed garlic.

Use a pastry brush to evenly spread the olive oil over both sides of the cabbage slices.  Finally, sprinkle each side with a bit of kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.  Roast on the middle rack for 30 minutes. Carefully flip the cabbage steaks and roast for an additional 30 minutes until edges are brown and crispy. Serve hot.

#1, 037: Honey Melon Slaw

I've made this salad twice now.  Once I omitted the honey and I wasn't overly impressed.  I almost didn't make it a second time.  Then I decided I better give the recipe a real chance.  But I still didn't want all that sugar, so I just squeezed a little bit of honey over the salad.  This salad was wonderful.  BUT....it was even better when I added some bacon to it too.  :)  Mmmm!  Definitely making this again!!

DRESSING
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
6 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

SALAD
3 cups purchased coleslaw mix
2 cups chopped unpeeled cucumber
2 cups chopped seedless watermelon (I used a yellow watermelon)
2 cups chopped cantaloupe
6 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, plus additional springs for garnish (I omitted)

1. Whisk dressing ingredients in small bowl. Combine all salad ingredients in large bowl, except sprigs of mint; toss with dressing. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour to allow flavors to blend. Using slotted spoon, place in serving bowl; garnish with sprigs of mint.

12 (1/2-cup) servings

PER SERVING: 60 calories, 0 g total fat (0 g saturated fat), 1 g protein, 15 g carbohydrate, 0 mg cholesterol, 85 mg sodium, 1 g fiber

#1,036: Butternut Squash Porridge

I continue on my quest of low-carb, easy, healthy, quick breakfasts.  I don't know if I would call this "quick" because the squash needs to cook, so I decided to try and speed up the process by cooking it in the microwave for 4 minutes and then finished it off in the oven.  It still took a while.  But now I have a lot of squash leftover to reheat in the microwave tomorrow and breakfast will be almost ready to go.

I had to add some raw cashews to this to give it texture, but I really, really enjoyed this.  I only added a TINY amount of 85% cacao to this to give it some sweetness, but I'll probably omit it tomorrow.  I loved this with the coconut milk.  Great recipe! 

1 medium sized butternut squash or pumpkin
1 can full-fat chilled coconut milk 

Toppings: Some suggested below but you can use whatever you like.
Sliced strawberries or other assorted fruit
Shredded coconut, toasted
Enjoy Life chocolate chips
Cinnamon
Honey (often not needed with sweeter squashes)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees  Cut the squash in half. Place the squash halves cut side down on a greased, rimmed cookie sheet. No water is needed. Bake for about 1 hour or until tender, cooked through and caramely smelling. Baking times may be longer for large squashes.

Allow the squash to sit until it is still warm but cool enough to touch without burning yourself. Scoop out the seeds then scoop out the squash, transferring it to individual serving bowls and mashing it slightly. We like the flavor and texture best when it is not pureed or too mashed up.

Pour the milk over each bowl of squash, allowing it to pool at the sides of the bowl. Add desired toppings and a drizzle of honey.

#1,035: Grilled Mexican Corn Salad with Mango and Jicama

This is a recipe I found on weightwatcher's website.  It was so easy to make and I thought I was going to dislike the mango in the salad, but I actually loved it.  It is such a light and refreshing salad.  I didn't love the dressing though...olive oil and lime juice just didn't do it for me.  But I still ate the entire bowl I made over three days so it must have been okay.  :)

4 medium corn on the cob, husked    
6 medium fresh radishes, red, thinly sliced   
1 medium uncooked jicama, cut into 1/4-inch cubes   
1 large mango, ripe, cut into 1/2-inch cubes   
2 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped   
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice   
2 Tbsp olive oil, extra-virgin   
1/2 tsp ground cumin   
1/4 tsp table salt   
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper   
1 large fresh tomato, or 2 small, ripe, sliced into eight 1/4-inch-thick slices (I forgot to add)

Preheat stovetop grill pan or an outdoor grill. Lightly spray corn with cooking spray and grill until browned on all sides, turning occasionally, about 7 to 10 minutes; remove from heat and allow to cool. When cool enough to handle, slice off kernels with a knife into a large bowl.

Add radishes, jicama, mango, cilantro, lime juice, oil, cumin, salt and pepper to bowl; mix to combine.  Place 2 slices of tomato on each of 4 plates and top each with 3/4 cup of corn mixture.

#1,034: Crockpot Pepper Steak

Don't let the name of this recipe fool you.  It sounds spicy doesn't it?  It did to me at least!  Nope, it's not.  In fact, I didn't even put the peppers into this dish because I was afraid it was going to get too soft/mushy.  I found this recipe on Allrecipes, and it had over 2400 ratings, almost all of which were 4 or 5 stars.  That's promising!

We had mixed opinions on this recipe.  The girls only had a little bit and didn't love it, but they ate it.  Brian ate it as well, but said he wasn't interested in eating it again.  I however, loved this.  I'm kind of glad no one else liked it as much as I did because that means I get all the leftovers (which there wasn't much of).  This is a recipe that I would seriously consider making again at work and sharing with my friends/co-workers because hopefully they would appreciate and enjoy it.

2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 2 inch strips
garlic powder to taste
3 tbsp vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
1 cube beef bouillon
¼ c hot water
1 tbsp cornstarch
½ onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, roughly chopped (I omitted and added at the end)
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt

Sprinkle strips of sirloin with garlic powder to taste. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and brown the seasoned beef strips. Transfer to a slow cooker.

Mix bouillon cube with hot water until dissolved, then mix in cornstarch until dissolved. Pour into the slow cooker with meat. Stir in onion, green peppers, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, sugar, and salt.

Cover, and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

#1,033: Lazy Sunday Casserole

I made this for lunch today for our family and it was SO easy and healthy.  We all enjoyed this a lot.  I will definitely be making this again.  Potatoes (for Brian and the kids), roasted veggies (for me) and Italian or Chicken sausage.  Served it with some fruit and our meal was done in no time.  2 thumbs up from this family!!

4 sausages (beef or pork) (I used Italian sausages and organic chicken sausages)
1 pound potatoes, washed and cut into quarters
1/2 pound carrots (cut into small chunks or use baby carrots)
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 large onion, cut into quarters or small wedges
1 fennel bulb (I used broccoli)
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp oil
freshly cracked black pepper
1 1/2 tsp Italian herbs
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar 


Place potatoes, carrots, bell pepper, onion and fennel (I added broccoli) into a 9x13 pan.

In a separate bowl, combine the oil, Italian herbs, grated or chopped garlic, and chicken broth. Pour over the veggies and toss them around a bit. Season with a generous amount of salt and cracked black pepper. Cover the tray with aluminum foil and pop it in a preheated oven. Bake at 450F for 45 minutes (mine only needed about 30 minutes but my potatoes were small).
 
While the veggies are cooking, brown the sausages so that they are browned on all sides, but not cooked all the way through.  Slice in half and add to the veggies once the veggies are almost cooked all the way.

Pour the balsamic vinegar all over, place the tray back in the oven, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until veggies are soft and the sausage is cooked all the way through (mine only needed about 15-20 min). 

Homemade Idea: Magic Corn Trick

On Pinterest I saw a "Magic Corn Trick" on getting the corn out of the husk (silk and all) without peeling and shucking.  Guess what....it worked.  It worked great!  The corn literally slipped out...but we didn't love the corn.  Allison, who loves corn, barely ate hers.  The corn needed to cook longer, but at least I didn't have to deal with the silk. 

If you are interested, check out the original website and read all about how to do it.  But you microwave it in the husk and then it pretty much just slides out.  Cool trick...now we need to just get it to cook correctly.

Summer Family Bucket List: Melted Crayon Art

 So I found this cute art project for a project using melted crayons.  Although the girls enjoyed doing it, I think I had the most fun.  :)  Both girls were afraid of burning themselves as the wax melted and got tired of doing it.  On Allison's picture (the one with the big A) I did most of the wax prints and she colored the A after I took the tape off. 

Chloe did all of her own wax prints but didn't cover around the tape enough for you to see that she was making an H (no, not for our last name, but for the "h" in her name).  ?!?!?! 

I think this would be more fun for older kids...and adults.  But regardless, another bucket list item is done.

 

 

Melted Crayon Art 

Summer Family Bucket List: Wildlife Prairie State Park

There is a Wildlife State Park about an hour from our house and we've never gone there.  So I thought it would be a great thing to go do this summer.  We ALL loved it!  It was a cool July day (as you can see from the jackets in the photo) so it was a perfect day to go.  The park has bison, bear, fox, cougar, badgers and more.  It was really fun and we are seriously thinking of getting a yearly pass next year once Matthew can walk farther.  We had a picnic lunch and played on the playground.  We even found a geocache in the park!

 

 

Wildlife Prairie State Park 

Summer Family Bucket List: Nature Scavenger Hunt

Look at my little nature enthusiasts!  We decided to do our nature hunt at the Wildlife Prairie State Park (another bucket list item) and the girls had fun looking for things on their list.  Allison was able to check everything off except mushrooms (go figure) and a squirrel.  We were shocked we never saw a squirrel!!

Chloe just liked using the binoculars (backwards most of the time) and both girls loved using walkie talkies.  :)

 

Nature Scavenger Hunt

#1, 032: Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins

This summer I have been trying to eat and follow a Paleo diet/lifestyle.  I did great the first 30 days but the last few weeks have been tough.  I've been eating a little more cheese, a few bites of carbs, a little sugar...you see where this is going? 

One of my biggest challenges is breakfast.  I need quick, filling, easy recipes to prepare and egg casseroles are not cutting it.  Neither is eating leftovers.  I just want a granola bar.  So I made these clean eating Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins in hopes of finding that breakfast item that I can just "grab and go." 

Back to the recipe:
It is definitely easy to make.  I whipped these up while the kids were eating breakfast and let me tell you these smelled delicious as they were baking.  Maybe it's because I haven't eaten a baked good in long while.

Here's my first tip.  Keep an eye on these.  :)  I set the timer and walked away and when the timer went off these were BROWN.  Dark brown.  (As you can see in the photo above).  These are also a little dense, but the kids loved them.  I seriously enjoyed them too.  I would make these again.    

I got 12 muffins out of this and with the ingredients I used, these came out to 2 ww+ pts each. 

2.5 cups old fashioned oats 
1 cup plain low fat Greek yogurt (I used non-fat)
2 eggs (I used egg substitute)
1/2 cup honey (I used 1/8 cup natural cane turbinado sugar)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp ground flax seed
1 tsp vanilla
2 ripe bananas 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray tin with non-stick cooking spray or line 12 muffin tins with silicone or foil liners.

Place the oats in the food processor and pulse for about 10 seconds.  Add remaining ingredients to the food processor. 

Process until everything is mixed together and oats are smooth.

Divide batter among cupcake liners, and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Let them cool on a wire rack for just a few minutes and then enjoy.

Summer Family Bucket List: Picnic Dinner

Tonight was the perfect night for a family picnic dinner.  Sonic has $1 hot dogs (for Brian and the kids) and I packed the rest of the dinner to bring with (fruit, chips and Greek yogurt).  The kids loved it and it was a nice, cool, slightly breezy night.  Afterwards we went to play at the adjoining park and then run around the baseball diamond in our impromptu (no bases, ball or bat) pretend family game.  It was a wonderful evening! 

 

 

Picnic Dinner

Summer Family Bucket List: Build a Lego City

When I asked Brian what he wanted to add to our bucket list this summer, this is what he told me.  I thought he was crazy.  The girls helped a LITTLE on this project, but let's be honest, this was mostly Brian's doing.  :)  Lego city if complete though and the girls enjoy "looking" at it.  Notice it's on a table (too high for the kids to really play with) since Matthew thinks it's funny to throw legos and destroy the things Brian builds.  LOL 

 

Build a Lego City

Summer Family Bucket List: Children's Museum of Illinois

When I first put this museum on our family bucket list I thought it was a new museum for us to visit.  We visit a lot of children's museums.  So as we got close, Brian reminded me that we have been to this one before.  Yep, we did.  But Chloe was little and Matthew has never been there, so I guess it's okay.  No big deal to do something we've already done, right?! 

 

The kids loved it.  They especially loved the bubble maker table that makes huge bubbles.  I think they were in that area for 20 minutes!  Matthew also loved a little table that rolled/raced balls down it.  I think we might need to make him one.  :)

 

Children's Museum of Illinois

#1,031: Summer Corn, Zucchini, Green Chiles and Lime

I honestly wasn't sure I was going to love this recipe.  Don't get me wrong, it looked good, and I loved the fresh veggies in it, but I don't love zucchini, and thought that it would ruin this dish.  First of all, I actually did enjoy it.  When I served it everyone was surprised that it was a hot dish.  I tried it both hot and cold and shockingly I prefer it hot/warm.

Although this is meant to be eaten as a side dish, a lot of us ate it with tortilla chips and like a salsa.  Delicious.  This would make a fabulous salsa. 

I will definitely be making this again.  What a great way to use fresh summer veggies....especially those gotten from a farmer's market.  :)

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 smallish zucchini squash, sliced into half moons
3 ears of fresh corn, kernels sliced off
3 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded, diced
1/2 cup roasted mild green chile, chopped
4 oz. chopped jalapenos (I omitted but next time will add it in)
4-5 cloves fresh peeled garlic, chopped
Sea salt, to taste
Lemon pepper, to taste
2-3 good pinches of ground cumin
A drizzle of raw agave sweetener (I used honey)
Juice from 1 fresh large lime [more juice, or water if needed]
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and saute the squash for three to four minutes, until it starts to turn a bit golden.

Add the corn, tomatoes, green chile, jalapenos, garlic, sea salt, lemon pepper, cumin, a drizzle of raw agave, and lime juice; stir to combine.

Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, until the veggies are tender-crisp. Add more liquid if needed. To serve, stir in the fresh cilantro.

#1,030: Ham and Bacon Club Salad

This photo does not do this salad justice.  This salad was FANTASTIC.  Holy cow, did I love it!  I made this recipe to serve at a girls night in and the whole salad was gone.  Granted I personally finished it off, but it was an overall consensus that it was very good.  The original recipe suggested using turkey instead of ham but personally, that just didn't sound very good to me.  So I used chopped ham instead.  In my opinion, that was a very good call.  This will definitely be made again VERY soon.

The recipe below is for one serving...adjust ingredient amounts accordingly.

2 slices of bacon, cooked
2 cups mixed baby lettuces (I used romaine)
4oz Applegate Farms Organic Roasted Turkey (I used ham)
1/4 of an avocado, cut into chunks
thinly sliced red onion – to taste
1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Layer the ingredients over salad greens and serve topped with the olive oil and lemon. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.

#1,029: Cauliflower Salad with Vegetables

Doesn't this salad look colorful?  It was so, so good....especially when I added some bacon to it!  :)  I had this for lunch yesterday and I'm having it again for lunch AND dinner tonight.  I love the fresh veggies in this and it is so healthy.  Delicious. 

1 cup Carrot, Raw
1 cup Tomato, Cherry
1 cup Cucumber
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 head Cauliflower
1/2 cup Red Bell Pepper
1/2 cup Yellow Bell Pepper
2 whole Green Onion
2 Tbsp Parsley, chopped
3 whole Radish
1 whole Lime, juice

Grate cauliflower.  Place in a bowl, and microwave for 45 seconds on high.

Rinse all vegetables, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks.  Add chopped vegetables to grated cauliflower.  Add in parsley, and stir.  Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and squeeze the juice of 1 lime over salad.  Toss to mix and serve.

#1,028: Acorn Squash stuffed with Italian Sausage and Apples

This recipe would work well with any squash that you happen to have.  The nice thing about using an acorn squash though is that it's the perfect serving size for eating AND serving.  This would be great with any sausage you happen to enjoy/have too.  I used organic chicken sausage and it was delicious. 

1 acorn squash, halved and de-seeded
1-2 tbsp coconut oil
4 Italian sausage links, sliced into bite-sized pieces
2 apples, cored and cut into bite-sized pieces
apple cider vinegar, a generous splash

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut squash in half, lengthwise, and de-seed. Place skin-side-down in baking dish and bake for 45 minutes, or until soft when pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, in a frying pan, melt coconut oil over medium-high heat.  Add sausage and stir-fry until browned, about 10-12 minutes.  Add apples and stir-fry 2 minutes more.  Add a splash of apple cider vinegar and simmer 1 minute.

To serve: Place 1/2 acorn squash in a large bowl or plate, fill with half the sausage and apples.  Serves 2

#1,027: Mojo Marinated Grilled Chicken Fajitas

This recipe has a lot of ingredients that I like: fresh fruits and veggies, grilled chicken and Mexican flavors.  So I was super excited to try this recipe with my family. 

This chicken was DELICIOUS.  Granted, I did not make the sauce with chiles in adobo sauce, but as made it was wonderful.  The chicken was so moist and had such a great flavor.  We all loved this one.  Definitely making this again.

Marinade (Mojo):
1 orange, juiced
2 limes, juiced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced (I used a jalapeno b/c I figured the adobo sauce would be way too hot for my family)
3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt

2 1/4 lbs. flank steak or chicken breast, trimmed of fat and sliced
salt and pepper
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
lime juice and olive oil, for drizzling
Corn or flour tortillas, warmed
Guacamole
prepared salsa or pico de gallo


(I omitted this step since I didn't use adobo sauce): Combine marinade ingredients and using a food processor or blender, puree until smooth.

Transfer to a resealable container, add the meat, and shake to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4-8 hours to tenderize the meat.

Preheat indoor grill pan or outdoor grill to high heat. Drain the marinade and lightly oil the grill. Grill the chicken or beef until cooked through. Place on a cutting board to rest for a minute before slicing against the grain.

Toss bell peppers and onion with a drizzle of olive oil and lime juice. Grill for 7-8 minutes until the vegetables are barely limp.

While the meat and vegetables are grilling, heat up the tortillas (This can be done on a stove top or in the microwave by wrapping the tortillas in a damp towel and microwaving in short intervals until they are warm and pliable).

Serve tortillas with meat, grilled vegetables, salsa, guacamole, sour cream (optional), and shredded cheese (optional).

 This is how I ate my chicken...on top of coleslaw mix with some guacamole.  Delicious.