#1,666: Cauliflower and Leek Soup

Mmmmm, this is an easy, healthy soup that I am really enjoying eating!  I have to admit I've never cooked with leeks before and I they have a mild onion flavor to them.  This was easy to throw together in a pot and let simmer until the veggies were soft.  Then a quick time with my immersion blender and it was this delicious, creamy soup. The original recipe says to add some slivered almonds to it (which I loved), but it was also good with a little crumbled bacon too.  :)  

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, mashed

1 pinch of chili powder

1 cauliflower, roughly chopped

2 leeks, thinly sliced (discard the dark green leaves!)

4 cups water

juice of 1 lemon

fresh thyme

sea salt and pepper

slivered almonds, roasted  

Add olive oil to a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, garlic and chili and cook until the onions soften, stir occasionally. Add cauliflower and leek and let it fry for a couple of minutes. 

Add water and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer until the vegetables are soften, about 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile heat a skillet and toast the almonds until lightly brown. 

When the veggies are soft, pour half of the water into a bowl and set aside. Use a hand blender to puree the soup. Stir in half of the lemon juice, thyme, salt and pepper. If the soup is to thick add some of the remaining water. Taste and adjust seasoning. Pour into bowls and serve with fresh thyme, lemon zest and toasted almonds. 

#1,665: Pizza crescent bake

I got this recipe several years ago from my friend Jenny and I've made it once before.  I made it (pre-blog) and filed this away.  As I was cleaning out one of my cabinets I came across it again and realized I never made or posted it for the blog.  So I figured I'd make it again and rate it here.  

When we first got married I made a similiar recipe called "noodle-less lasagna"...it was so bad we actually had to go out for dinner.  So whenever I make something like this Brian reminds me of that meal.  Thankfully this one turned out very well and the kids (and hubby) loved it.  It's super simple and you can make the filling ahead of time so it's easy to get into the oven on a busy weeknight.  

2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls

1-1/2 pounds ground beef

1 can (15 ounces) pizza sauce

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese

I also added some sautéed ontions, minced garlic and Italian seasoning to the meat mixture this to give it more flavor.

Preheat oven to 350°. Unroll one tube of crescent dough; place in a lightly greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Press to seal perforations.

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Sprinkle over dough. Top with pizza sauce and sprinkle with cheeses.

On a lightly floured surface, press or roll second tube of crescent dough into a 13x9-in. rectangle, sealing seams and perforations. Place over cheese. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 6-8 servings. 

#1,664: Italian drip beef

My husband and I absolutely loved this recipe!  It was SOOO good.  The kids had mixed reviews, but the general consensus was that it was too spicy and I only used a little bit of the pepperoncinis and juice (about 1/4 of the jar IF that).  So for my family I will cut back on that even more, or maybe not add the juice, just the pepperoncinis.  But this was great!  I did not sear the roast, and just dumped everything into my crockpot.  One less pot to clean up and a way easier way to make this!

One 4-pound chuck roast

Salt and black pepper

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary

One 16-ounce jar pepperoncini, juice and all

2 yellow onions, sliced

10 to 12 toasted, buttered deli rolls

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and the canola oil in a heavy pot over high heat. Sear both sides of the chuck roast until very browned, about 5 minutes in all. Pour in the beef broth and 1 cup water. Add the rosemary, and then pour in the pepperoncini with their juices. Now cover the pot and simmer until the meat is tender and falling apart, 4 to 5 hours.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Add the onions and saute until light golden brown. Set aside.

Remove the roast from the pot and shred the meat completely using two forks. Return the meat to the cooking liquid and keep warm.

To serve, slice wedges out of the tops of the deli rolls. Heap a generous portion of meat on each roll, and then spoon some of the cooking liquid over the meat. Top with a few peppers from the pot and plenty of caramelized onions. 

#1,663: Southwest goulash

My family liked this recipe a lot, but they weren't totally in love with it.  Did they eat it for dinner, yes!  Would they ask me to make this again for them, probably not.  :(  It was good though...just not my family's favorite thing to eat.  Personally though, I liked it.  LOL

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

1 pound lean ground beef 

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

2/3 cup frozen corn

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, corn, tomato sauce, chilies, cumin, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3-5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Drain macaroni; add to meat mixture and heat through. Stir in cilantro.

Freeze option: Freeze individual portions of cooled goulash in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little water if necessary. Yield: 6 servings.

#1,662: Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apple and Pancetta

I love this recipe so much I think I've made it at least 5 times now!  I wasn't sure I was going to love the onion and apple in this because I thought it was going to be too soft and mushy, but I was wrong.  The hardest part of this recipe is cleaning/cutting the brussel sprouts.  Once that is done, you can literally throw the rest of it together in about 1 minute. Especially if you can find the pre-cut pancetta in the deli like I did.  Yes it might be a little more expensive, but it makes this much easier to whip together.  I made this one time with regular bacon as well and although it was definitely still good, the pancetta was better.  I also made this with pears one time because I had it on hand, and it was good, but too soft and sweet.  I may have made this again tonight too.... :) 

OH....and I've omitted the dressing each time too (to cut back on the calories) and it is still super delicious! 

12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved or quartered

2 sweet cooking apples, such as Gala or Fuji, cored and cut into wedges

1 cup thinly sliced red onion

3 ounces finely chopped pancetta or cooked ham

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon mustard seeds

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (I omitted)

1 tablespoon honey (I omitted)

2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard (I omitted)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with foil; set aside. In a large bowl combine Brussels sprouts, apples, onion, pancetta, oil, salt, mustard seeds, and pepper. Transfer mixture to the prepared baking pan. Roast, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until sprouts are tender, stirring once.

In a small bowl whisk together vinegar, honey, and Dijon mustard. Drizzle vinegar mixture over sprout mixture; toss gently to coat.

#1,661: Kale salad with pumpkin vinaigrette

I had some leftover pumpkin and was trying to think of another recipe to use in it, and then I came across this recipe and was super excited to give it a try!  I didn't think I was going to love this recipe, but I LOVED it.  I will admit though I cut back on some of the calories by thinning this out with water instead of more oil.  It was super thick and definitely needed to be thinned out even more with either water or olive oil.  I probably used about 1/4 c water to this recipe but next time I will use even more.  

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons maple syrup (I used honey)

1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

6 cups shredded kale

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup roasted, salted pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (I omitted...although it would be great in this recipe too!)

In a screw-top jar (I used my blender), combine oil, pumpkin puree, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, salt and pepper. Cover and shake well to combine.

Place the kale in a large bowl and drizzle with 3 Tbs. of the dressing. Use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale until fully coated and slightly softened. Add the cranberries, and seeds. Drizzle with an additional 3 Tbs. of the vinaigrette and toss well. Sprinkle with crumbled feta to serve. Reserve remaining dressing in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

#1,660: Garden detox salad

This is a fantastic fresh, easy, healthy recipe!  It is so good and I loved eating this as is, on top of a traditional salad, added on top of roasted veggies...it was such a great, versatile recipe.  Delicious!  I loved the crunch of the radish but it wasn't so overpowering and bitter. 

4 cucumbers, chopped

2 lbs cherry tomatoes, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

10 oz radishes, sliced thin

1 red onion, diced very small

2 romaine lettuce hearts, chopped coarse (I omitted)

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

sea salt and pepper to taste

Whisk vinegar, oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley.

Very gently toss all chopped vegetables in a bowl with vinegar mixture.

Let sit 10 minutes, and serve.

#1,659: Roasted beets and carrots

YUM!  I am not a beet fan, but I really did like this dish.  It has a very hearty, earthy taste with the beets, but it gets nice and balanced with the carrots and the butter/ghee.  It's not my favorite side dish I've ever eaten, but I definitely did like it.  

3 cups cubed peeled red beets (My beets were obviously yellow! LOL)

2 cups cubed peeled carrots

3 tablespoons butter or ghee

3 garlic cloves, mashed

½ teaspoon dried rosemary

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the beets in a large mixing bowl, and the carrots in a 9 inch by 13 inch glass baking dish. (Mixing the roots separately keeps the carrots from turning pink from beet juice.)

Place the butter or ghee in a microwave-safe coffee mug and add the garlic. Microwave until the butter is melted. Stir in the dried rosemary

.

Pour half of the melted butter mixture over the beets, and pour half over the carrots. Sprinkle generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss each of the root vegetables to coat them with the butter mixture.

Dump the beets into the baking dish with the carrots.  Roast for 55 minutes, stirring halfway through.

#1,658: Green beans with pecans and honey vinaigrette

This is a simple, healthy and really simple side dish that you can make to pretty much accompany any sort of meat dish...or eat is just as is!  I've made this several times now, and it never disappoints.  Love it! 

3/4 cup pecans

Salt and pepper

2 pounds green beans, trimmed

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (I used honey)

Heat oven to 400°F. Spread pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, tossing once, until toasted, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool, then roughly chop.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 1/4 tsp. salt. Add green beans and cook until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Add green beans and pecans; toss to combine. Serve at room temperature or cold.

#1,657: Tuna and white bean salad

Although I really like this super simple recipe, I made it again with canned chicken and liked it 100 times more!  It's not the prettiest recipes and personally this would be great on some hearty bread, but for a healthier option, it was great in lettuce leaves.  

1 can (12 ounces) light tuna in water, drained and flaked

1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup chopped red onion

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

12 Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves (about 1 medium head)

1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and sliced

In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients; toss lightly to combine. Serve in lettuce leaves; top with avocado. Yield: 4 servings (3 wraps each).

#1,656: Grilled Marinated Curried Chicken

I was so scared my family would hate this recipe, but they didn't!  My husband is not a fan of making this or any similar recipe though...as he hates that it is marinating in yogurt (he hates the way it looks).  But the yogurt really makes this recipe super moist.  The curry wasn't over-powering either...we really liked this one!  So simple, so good. 

½ cup plain yogurt
2 tbsp curry powder
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine the yogurt and curry powder in a large resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

Heat grill to medium. Remove the chicken from the bag and season with ½ teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Grill the chicken until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

#1,655: No Knead Yeast Rolls

I got this recipe from a co-worker who talked about having the dough made ahead of time in the fridge.  Although I avoid yeast-type recipes (because I don't like to measure things and baking is so precise and specific!!), I figured I'd give these a try.  I will admit it was a pretty easy recipe and I just pulled off little balls of dough to rolled into biscuits instead of having to roll them out and use cookie cutters.  Matthew (3) didn't enjoy these, but the other 3 did...although they did complain that they are a little dense.  These certainly aren't light and fluffy, and the honey gives them a bit more of sweetness than I expected.  But the family said they would eat them again, so they must not be that bad.  :) 

PS...my hubby took this picture and I give him a hard time about taking bad photos.  So he sent this picture to me about 6 times...except they all look the same!  :)  

2 tbsp yeast
1/2 c warm water
1 1/2 c milk
1/2 c butter
1/4 c honey or sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
6 c whole wheat flour
2 eggs

Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Heat milk, butter, honey and salt in a saucepan until very warm.  Add with yeast to flour in a large mixing bowl.  Add eggs.  Beat well and let rise for 30-50 minutes.  Stir down.  The dough may be shaped immediately or refrigerated for several hours or days.  

Spoon dough onto a greased cookie sheet.  Let sit for 15 minutes in a warm place.  Bake at 375 minutes for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown.  Brush with melted before or after baking, if desired.  

#1,654: Hot Italian Wraps (aka Pizza-Rito)

I'm pretty sure this a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle reference to call these a "pizza-rito."  My two guys (hubby and 3 year old!) called these pizza-ritos as is a pizza in a burrito.  LOL  Only those two.  I thought my family would like these, but they loved them!  They were fighting over the last one.  I wish it was a more complicated meal, but it is really so simple it's almost embarrassing that they liked it so much.  You can customize this with any sort of pizza toppings you like, but my family prefers cheese pizza so for most of them I omitted even the pepperoni.  But if you like olives, peppers, etc., on your pizza go ahead and add this to the meat mixture!  I found this recipe in a Taste of Home cookbook. 

1 lb ground beef
1 medium green pepper, chopped (I omitted)
1/3 c chopped onion
8 oz pizza sauce
30 slices of pepperoni

1/2 tsp dried oregano
6 (10 in) flour tortillas
6 pieces of string cheese (I omitted and used shredded mozzarella instead)

In a large skillet cook the beef, green pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Stir in the pizza sauce, pepperoni (or any other pizza toppings you want to add), and oregano.  

Spoon about 1/2 c beef mixture off-center on a tortilla; top with string cheese (or shredded cheese).  Fold one side of tortilla over filling and roll up from the opposite side.  Repeat.

Place seam side down on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.  

#1,653: Homemade Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer with Essential Oils

I found this recipe somewhere online and was excited to give it a try.  The original recipe I saw used canned unsweetened coconut milk, but I am in love with this coconut creamer from Trader Joe's, so I decided to use this instead.  Personally, I really liked this, but the oils gave this a slightly more bitter flavor.  I think I expected it to be sweet...not sure why.  BUT I did like this.  And I put it all in a mason jar after I blended it up so that I can just shake the jar and pour it in my coffee in the morning.  

I love that there are the added benefits of the oils I used, especially anti-viral properties during this time of year!  Anything to help keep us healthy right?!!?

2 c unsweetened coconut milk (I used coconut creamer)
1/3 c pure pumpkin
1 drop Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil
1 drop Clove Essential Oil
Optional: 1 drop Ginger Essential Oil (I omitted, but added a tiny pinch of ground ginger)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge, and shake well before using. 

#1,652: Broccoli salad with corn salsa

This recipe is so simple and one that I created with ingredients that I had on hand.  Don't you love when you throw things together randomly and it turns out.  Here's a small tip though, don't take this to eat at a breakfast meeting...your co-workers will think you are weird and question your eating habits.  LOL  Nope, not talking from experience!!

1 head broccoli, florets cut into small pieces
1/2 jar of Trader Joes' Corn and Chili Salsa (or any corn salsa you can find/like)
1/2 c craisins
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 red onion, finely diced
about 1/8 cup of apple cider vinegar (more or less to taste)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Let sit in fridge for at least an hour for flavors to meld.  Can be kept in an airtight container for 2 days in the fridge.  

#1,651: Easy Crockpot Italian Chicken (2 ingredients!)

I'll admit this wasn't my favorite chicken recipe of all time, but it is so simple, and so fast to throw together in the morning AND my family enjoyed it...so I will be making this one again.  It's not pretty, and I wish I would have plated it better/taken a better photo (yes that is a picture of it on my cutting board before I cut it for my kid's plates!), but dinner was in a rush that night and I just didn't have time to do more!

This is literally two ingredients though.  Couldn't be any simpler.  Make this in a day that you forgot to pull anything out of the freezer for dinner.  Throw the chicken in your crockpot frozen (or don't...that gets mixed reviews, but I do it all the time!), add some bottled Italian salad dressing, and walk out the door. 

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

1 bottle (16 oz) Italian Salad Dressing

Place chicken in Crockpot and pour Italian Dressing over it.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until chicken is cooked through.  

#1,650: One Pan Paleo Eggplant Dish

This is a good recipe to make and eat right away.  This wasn't my favorite thing when I reheated it, although I did eat it for several days afterwards.  It was definitely best fresh off the stove though.  I am not a huge chicken fan, so I subbed out ground turkey instead.  I liked it with the turkey.  

1 medium-sized eggplant, cubed

1 onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

3 cups fresh organic spinach

1 lb. organic boneless chicken breasts (I used 1 lb ground turkey)

1 15 oz. can organic diced tomatoes

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tbsp fresh basil, more as desired

1/2 tsp ground garlic

sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Optional: 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Original recipe instructions with CHICKEN:

In a large sauté pan, heat oil and garlic.  Add sliced onion and eggplant and let cook for 5 minutes, stirring often until onions are translucent and eggplant is somewhat soft.  

Cut uncooked chicken breast into cubes, and add to the pan. 

Let cook for 5-7 minutes until chicken is fully cooked.  Add in fresh spinach, mix in, and let cook until spinach wilts.  Add in diced tomatoes and seasoning.  Mix and let simmer for 7-10 minutes. Taste and adjust spices as desired

What I did since I used ground turkey: 

In a large sauté pan, heat oil and add ground turkey, onion and garlic.  Cook until ground turkey is cooked through and use a spoon to break into small pieces/crumble.  When the turkey is almost cooked through add the cubed eggplant and let cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring often until eggplant is somewhat soft.  

Add in fresh spinach, mix in, and let cook until spinach wilts.  Add in diced tomatoes and seasoning.  Mix and let simmer for 7-10 minutes. Taste and adjust spices as desired

#1,649: Mexi-cauli Hash

This definitely isn't the prettiest recipe I've ever made or posted, and I'll be honest, I wasn't sure I was going to be a fan of this, but I actually was.  I ended up eating this over shredded cabbage or on top of some roasted broccoli for extra veggies and thought it was really good.  A little bland, but that's partially because I omitted the pinto beans AND all of the optional toppings.  That would have made it better, but less healthy for me.  

1 Can Organic Pinto Beans (I omitted)

1 lb. Grassfed Ground Beef (I used ground turkey)

1 Head Cauliflower

1 c. Organic Salsa

1/2 Medium Onion, Chopped

1-2 Cloves Garlic, Minced

3 Tbsp. Chili Powder

1-2 tsp. Celtic Sea Salt

3/4 c. Water

Drain and rinse pinto beans.

With box grater or food processor shred cauliflower.  In cast iron skillet, brown ground beef.

Add all ingredients to cast iron skillet and cook on medium-high for 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.

Optional Garnish: sour cream, shredded cheese, avocado and/or cilantro.

#1,648: Easy Pico de Gallo

I had to find another recipe to use up my tomatoes so I decided to give this recipe a try.  Although I like this, this isn't a recipe that I can sit and eat a ton of it at one sitting.  Maybe that's a good thing though.  I loved the crunch of the red onion in this, so I might add a little more next time...and definitely more cilantro!  But cilantro is hard to find in our area right now...or at least the store I normally shop at.  

2 large local tomatoes, diced (I used a bunch of cherry tomatoes from my garden)

1 pint red grape tomatoes, halved (I omitted...see above)

1 pint yellow cherry tomatoes, halved (I omitted...see above)

1 large red onion, diced

1 large white onion, diced (I prefer red onion, so I omitted)

3-4 jalapeños, diced small

1 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped

the juice of 4 limes

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Gently combine all ingredients and let sit in fridge for a few hours so the flavors meld.  

#1,647: Bacon and Brussels Sprout Salad

I made this recipe for a recent family gathering, and it went over very well.  I personally loved it!!  I would definitely (and will definitely) make this again...it was SO good. It was really simple to make too, and would be a great quick paleo breakfast or lunch. 

For the dressing:

juice of one lemon

juice of one orange

2-3 tablespoons apple cider juice (not vinegar)

1 shallot, minced

½ cup olive oil

½ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:

4 dozen brussels sprouts, shredded

1 cup sliced almonds

12 slices cooked bacon, crumbled or chopped

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

Combine the lemon juice, orange juice, apple cider, and shallots in a small bowl. Add the olive oil in a steady stream and whisk for a minute or two, until it becomes creamy-looking.

Thinly slice the brussels sprouts with a mandoline or in  your food processor.  

Toss the brussels sprouts, almonds, bacon, cheese, and dressing together. Serve immediately or within a few hours of tossing.