ALL CHOKED UP

LASDI©

Fish and veggies in this house are a staple!  It's because when we allow ourselves to have rewards over the weekend, it's the very best way for us to get back on track.  Here's the problem: it is difficult to make fish and veggies and have it be different each time so it doesn't become hum-drum.  So I am always looking for ways to bring different kinds of vegetables into the mix! In this case, a beautiful artichoke was a great accompaniment to lemon-thyme fish over sauteed mushrooms, onions, and zucchini.  I gave The Hubster a quarter, and I ate a quarter, and had the other two for lunch the next day!  Super yummy, "SHEtox" (Inside-Out Detox & Cleanse) Week Two-friendly, and low-carb.  Did I mention it was ridiculously easy??

LEMON PEPPER ROASTED ARTICHOKE

1 artichoke, leaf tips snipped, end nub peeled

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

1 lemon

2 tbs sea salt

3 tbs pepper

Carefully cut the artichoke into quarters length-wise.  Being careful again, cut and scrape out the spiny needles in the middle of the choke and discard.  Place the artichoke pieces on a baking sheet and sprinkle generously with evoo, making sure to get inside the leaves and front and back.  Squeeze the juice of the lemon over all four pieces, making sure to get inside the leaves again.  Blend the sea salt and pepper and using your fingers, sprinkle over each artichoke piece.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes

NOTE:  After scraping the leaves with your teeth, the meaty, beautiful heart is in the middle and with the peeled stem still in place, is not only edible, but a beautiful treasure in your mouth!!

DINNER FOR BREAKFAST

I just don't like to waste food!  I cannot even begin to tell you how it pains me to do so.  So when there are just three or four sauteed yellow peppers (for my obsessive-color-compulsivité for August, of course!) left over from dinner, I pack them in a snack baggie and save them.  Or when there are a few spoons-full left from the yellow squash casserole, I don't throw it away.  I have no idea at the time what I may do with it, but I know I have to do SOMETHING.  I am using those specific examples because that is exactly what I had in the fridge this morning and knew I needed to use it so it didn't go bad.  I also saw a jalapeno pepper on its last leg and felt sorry for it so I took out the leftovers and the pepper.  I created one of the very best frittatas I've ever had in my LIFE.  The recipe will give the measurements of the leftovers, in case it sounds so good, you just want to create it from scratch, but remember: you can use practically ANYTHING in a frittata!  This is also SHEtox Week-Three friendly and low-carb!  So go wild and take your dinner left-overs and make yourself some breakfast!!

DINNER FOR BREAKFAST FRITTATA

Extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

1 jalapeno, sliced thin *de-seeded if you don't like heat*

4-5 slices sauteed yellow bell pepper and onion, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup yellow squash gratin   (sliced yellow squash, now diced, sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, ro-tel tomatoes, mozzarella cheese)

4 eggs

1 tbs milk

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika 

1 tsp cumin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium-sized oven-safe frying pan, sprinkle enough evoo to barely cover the bottom and heat for one minute over medium heat.  Add jalapeno slices and cook leave in oil, making sure they are not stacked, for about two minutes until almost crisp.  Add (left over) yellow bell pepper and onion, and (left over) yellow squash casserole.  Stir and let warm through (see notes) for about a minute.  Meanwhile, put eggs and milk in a small bowl and whisk like crazy.  Add seasonings and whisk again.  Pour over mixture in pan and with a wooden spoon or delicate spatula and gently scrape bottom of pan through egg mixture, and then gently scrape egg edges down toward the bottom of the pan.  Remove from heat and place in oven.  Bake for about ten minutes, or until cooked through and to desired consistency.

NOTES: If you are not using leftovers and are starting from scratch, place the yellow bell pepper and onion, as well as the diced yellow squash a some tomato in the pan with the jalapeno.  Directly before adding the egg mixture, sprinkle the mozzarella over the top of the veggie mixture in the pan.  But a frittata is the perfect avenue for any of your dinner leftovers!!

BURGER, SHE WROTE

LASDI©

It is no secret I am a Low-Carb Girl.  But I am only human.  And I have needs, too!!  And sometimes, I just NEEDS a bun for my turkey burger!!  I saw a ton of videos going around for grilled cheese made with cauliflower "bread".  I thought perhaps I could do something similar for a burger.  And let me just tell YOU!!  It.  Was.  EPIC.  Granted, it was not as bun-y as regular bread, but it did the trick!  It satiated a craving, and it tasted great!  I put some smashed avocado on it, then the turkey burger, some home-made spiced mayo, and roasted jalapenos.  My mouth is watering just THINKING about it!!  Oh yea......for all you SHEtoxers, this is Week Three-friendly!!

CAULIFLOWER BURGER BUN

2 cups raw cauliflower

2 tbs almond flour

2 tbs coconut flour

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbs toasted sesame seeds (I used black for color)

2 eggs

Pulse cauliflower in food processor until fine, and mix all the ingredients together.  Place a cookie cutter or other "shaper"  on parchment paper placed on a baking sheet and put your cauliflower mix into it to desired thickness.  Bake at 400 degrees for about ten minutes, flip it and cook for another ten minutes.  Transfer it onto a hot, dry pan (I used my cast-iron skillet, of course!) or grill, and cook for a few minutes on each side to make it firmer and more pliable.  I made mine an open-faced turkey burger, but feel free to use a top AND a bottom!!  Scandalous!!

SES-A-YOU, SES-A-ME!

LASDI©

I think we are all the busiest person we know these days.  I know I am!  I am really trying to get every piece of the Life As She Does It quadrant perpetuated, and sometimes that means no time for a healthy dinner, or no energy for one......or BOTH!  But I have learned from the tragic example of ex-300-pound me that not carving out that time or energy can cost both my hips and my wallet!  The other night after a crazy-busy day, I found we had two tuna steaks in the freezer, some lettuce, cabbage and onion, and some sesame seeds in the spice cabinet.  This dinner litch-rah-lee took five minutes to make, was inexpensive, healthy, delicious, and SHEtox Week Two-friendly!

SESAME TUNA OVER ASIAN SLAW SALAD

4 tbs coconut oil

2 tuna steaks

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp coriander

2 cups toasted sesame seeds (for color: 1 cup black, 1 cup regular)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup toasted sesame oil

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 head lettuce, shredded

1/2 head cabbage

1/2 onion, slice fine

1/2 cucumber, sliced

4 radishes, sliced fine

Heat the coconut oil in a heavy skillet (I use my cast-iron skillet, of course!) on medium-high heat.  While it is heating, mix sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, coriander, and sesame seeds in a small bowl.  Roll your tuna steak (see notes) in the spice and sesame seed mixture until all sides are coated and press down into the steak with your fingers.  Place the coated tuna steaks carefully into heated oil and cook for 45 seconds before turning and heating on the other side for 45 seconds (see notes).  With tongs, carefully stand up the steaks on it's perimeter and sear for five seconds on each side, and remove from heat.  Place on a cooling rack or paper towel.  Combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sea salt and pepper in a medium-sized bowl ans whisk for about 45 seconds.  Add the vegetables to the bowl and stir.  Serve on a plate with the tuna on top.  Delicious, fast, and inexpensive!  (Ses-a-ME!!)

NOTES: If your tuna is frozen, as mine was, run the water from your faucet until it gets warm, almost hot and put in a bowl.  Place your tuna steaks in the bowl for about a minute or two and they will be ready to roll in your sesame seeds and seasonings to sear!  If you like your tuna somewhat rare, the recipe above is good.  If you like your tuna a little more medium, sear for one minute on each side.  Like it cooked through?  Cook for one minute, fifteen seconds on each side.  It will still be fantastic!  Trust-a-me!

MEAL TRAIN MEAT LOAF

SHE2016©

Ohhhhh, MAN!!  This meal was made TWICE in one night at my house!  Well, yes it was that good, but specifically, I was invited to take part in a meal train for a community member.  If you don't know, a meal train is when someone is sick, or has a new baby, or needs help in some way for some reason and the community gathers together to take meals to them for a few weeks.  It's brilliant.  I've been on both ends of a meal train, and let me just tell you, it is nothing short of amazing to watch people team up to help in any way they can.

This one was so good and pretty easy that I decided that's what we were having, too!  Besides, doesn't that make it easier on you?  Just doubling up and feeding the masses?  This particular family's special request was lean meats and veggies and mostly low-carb!  Ah!  A family after my own heart!  So I made low-carb home-style turkey meatloaf with pan gravy, cheesy cauliflower "mac", seasoned wilted spinach, broiled tomatoes, and a simple salad.  Just threw in some organic juice and chocolate crackers for the kiddos, and some vino for mommy and daddy, and created a meal train marveloso!!

Home-style turkey meatloaf recipe below - you know the kind: crumbly, savory goodness that melts in your mouth?  Use for a meal train to bless someone, or for yourself to bless yer belly!!

SHE2016©

HOME-STYLE TURKEY MEATLOAF

1 large carrot, diced fine

1/2 onion, diced fine

2 garlic cloves, diced fine

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

sea salt pepper

1/4 cup red wine

1 family pack ground turkey blend (not just breast meat)

1 egg

1/2 cup oats

1 tbs sea salt

1 tbs pepper

1 tbs paprika

1 tbs cumin

1 tbs your favorite steak seasoning

1 can rotel

Worcestershire sauce

Over medium heat, sprinkle about 2-to-3 tablespoons of evoo and let heat through for about a minute.  Add your diced carrots, onions, and garlic and stir.  Sprinkle with a tiny bit of sea salt and pepper and stir again.  Let cook for about 5 minutes, until just-soft, and then hit the pan with the wine. Using a wooden spoon or one safe for your pan, scrape the bottom and stir the veggies for one more minute. Remove from heat.

In a bowl, combine ground turkey, eggs, oats, seasonings, and rotel.  Add vegetable mixture from the pan.  Mix until just blended.  Pour meat mixture into a prepared baking pan and sprinkle the top with Worcestershire sauce.  Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.  Slice up and plate, and then use those gorgeous juices left in the baking pan for gravy!!

NOTES: I use any regular red wine - it does not have to be labeled for cooking.  Mix the meat well, but do not over-mix.  Turkey can tend to get tough if you over-mix.  Sprinkle enough Worcestershire sauce to just cover the top, not too much!  You are now the hit of the meal train peeps!!

WELCOME TO TEXAS, Y'ALL!

SHE2016©

The latest catering gig was for a meeting where some of the participants were flying into Texas from Indiana.  So providing lunch for this group was FUN because I wanted to welcome them TEXAS-STYLE!  I literally named the menu "Welcome to Texas, Y'all!".  Of course that meant stuffed barbecue chicken thighs, home-made baked beans, mini cornbread muffins, bacon-wrapped green bean stacks, cabbage salad with slaw dressing, and Texas tornado bars for dessert!  It was a huge hit and the chicken was delicious!!  So I have given you the gift of the easy recipe below!  Y'all.

Peppers & Cream Cheese-Stuffed Barbecue Chicken Thighs

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

1 green bell pepper, diced finely

1 red bell pepper, diced finely

1 yellow bell pepper, diced finely

1/2 red onion, diced finely

1 tbs sea salt

1 tbs pepper

1 tbs cumin

1 tbs paprika

2 pkgs cream cheese, softened

2 pkgs chicken thighs

sea salt

pepper

garlic powder

1 cup barbecue sauce

1/2 cup mustard

1 tbs Worcestershire sauce

In a heavy pan (I use my cast-iron skillet, of course!), sprinkle enough evoo to cover the bottom and heat for one minute on medium flame.  Add all peppers and onion, and cook for two minutes.  Add sea salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic, and then stir and cook another two minutes.  Remove from heat and add to the cream cheese in a bowl.  Stir until creamy smooth.  Pound each chicken thigh out to make sure it is not uneven.  Add a teaspoon of the cream cheese and bell pepper mix to the middle and roll, laying each one on a prepared baking sheet, fold-side down.  Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, up to an hour.

Remove from freezer and sprinkle the tops with evoo, and then sprinkle a little sea salt and a little pepper and garlic powder as well.  Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.  Meanwhile, mix barbecue sauce, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce together in a bowl.  Once fifteen minutes is up, baste the chicken thighs liberally with barbecue sauce mixture.  Bake another fifteen minutes.  Cowboy up!!

NOTES:  The longer you keep the thighs in the freezer, the less the cheese mixture will run out as the chicken cooks.  This is low-carb, too!

Lucky Charm

SHE2016©

I know what my own little pot of gold holds at the end of the rainbow, and it looks a little like a stuffed bell pepper!  The lucky part of this is how healthy, low-carb, and all-around delicious this meal was!   I actually took the ingredients over to family's house to cook, if that tells you just how easy the prep was.  First day of March needed homage, so I filled the pepper with all-goodness and then cut a little shamrock into the side for the perfect touch!  Slåinte!

LUCKY CHARM STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

4 bell peppers (green, of course!)

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

1 pkg ground turkey

sea salt

pepper

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and slightly mashed

1 small onion, diced finely

1 small eggplant, diced finely

1 small yellow squash, diced finely

1 small zucchini, diced finely

2 tbs Italian seasoning

1 tbs garlic powder

1 tbs paprika

1 tbs sea salt

1 tsp pepper

1 8-oz container ricotta cheese

Shredded Parmesan cheese

Prepare bell peppers by slicing off the tops as close to the stem as possible and cleaning out the seeds and membrane.  Place on a prepared baking sheet and set aside, and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Sprinkle a little evoo into a pan over medium heat.  Place ground turkey into pan and sprinkle with a little sea salt and pepper, and brown until just cooked through.  Set aside in a medium-sized bowl.  In the same pan over medium heat, sprinkle a little evoo and add mashed garbanzo beans (or just mash them in the pan!) all vegetables and seasonings and let cook for about two minutes.  While veggies are cooking, add ricotta cheese to ground turkey and stir until just blended.  Remove vegetables from heat and add to meat-and-cheese mixture.  Stuff the mixture into the bell peppers, sprinkle a little grated Parmesan cheese on top and let cook for about 20 minutes or until peppers are to desired consistency.  Once peppers come out of the oven, let rest for about 5 minutes and with a paring knife, carefully cut your shamrock out of the side.  Pop said shamrock into your mouth for luck!

OOPSIE, I DID IT AGAIN!

SHE2016©

This was a Sunday supper that was a bit different - but it was still DELICIOUS!  We were taking a meal train meal over to our friend's house that just had a baby - BUT!  They are on the Atkins diet so there were exact specifications for what they could and could not eat.  Well, I LOVE A GOOD CHALLENGE!!  So I made meatloaf from ground turkey, ground chicken, and ground sirloin with a sour cream paprika gravy, cauliflower (non-mac) and cheese, collard greens, a gorgeous salad with home-made apple cider vinegar dressing, oopsie bread and coconut macaroons for dessert!  WOO!  Below I've given you the OOPSIE recipe.  This is extremely bread-like and wonderful.  Just make sure to add only a DASH of salt - trust me on this one!  Low-carber's DREAM!

OOPSIE BREAD

3 egg yolks

3 tbs cream cheese

1 sachet sweetener (I use Stevia)

pinch of salt

3 egg whites

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Whisk egg yolks, cream cheese, sweetener and (just a pinch of!) salt in a bowl until well blended.
In another clean bowl, beat egg whites until foamy, then add in cream of tartar and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold in the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture until just blended, be very careful not to break the egg whites down. Fill the batter into a greased 6-cup muffin top pan.  Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes.  

NOTES: If you are making these to be savory (for burgers) you can add dry mustard or dill or other any other seasonings (just no more salt!) to the yolk mixture.  If you want a more sweet roll, add a very small amount of stevia or other  natural sweetener to the yolk mixture.  I double the recipe and bake in a muffin tin with the extra-large cups so that I can use for turkey burgers.  Once you store your oopsies, they can be frozen!