tara // in the kitchen

Soda Bread

2019-03-19T00:01:00.002-04:00

INGREDIENTS

4 to 4 1/2 cups flour

2 Tbsp sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 Tbsp butter

1 cup currants or raisins (optional)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

METHOD

1 Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda: Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk together 4 cups of flour, the sugar, salt, and baking soda into a large mixing bowl.

2 Work the butter into the flour, add currants or raisins: Using your (clean) fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal, then add in the currants or raisins.

3 Make a well, mix in buttermilk, egg: Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add beaten egg and buttermilk to well and mix in with a wooden spoon until dough is too stiff to stir.

4 Lightly knead dough and form dough mound: Dust hands with a little flour, then gently knead dough in the bowl just long enough to form a rough ball. If the dough is too sticky to work with, add in a little more flour. Do not over-knead!

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and shape into a round loaf. Note that the dough will be a little sticky, and quite shaggy (a little like a shortcake biscuit dough).

You want to work it just enough so that the flour is just moistened and the dough just barely comes together. Shaggy is good. If you over-knead, the bread will end up tough.

5 Score with an X: Transfer dough to a large, lightly greased cast-iron skillet or a baking sheet (it will flatten out a bit in the pan or on the baking sheet).

Using a serrated knife, score top of dough about an inch and a half deep in an "X" shape. The purpose of the scoring is to help heat get into the center of the dough while it cooks.

6 Bake: Transfer to oven and bake at 425°F until bread is golden and bottom sounds hollow when tapped, about 35-45 minutes. (If you use a cast iron pan, it may take a little longer as it takes longer for the pan to heat up than a baking sheet.)

Check for doneness also by inserting a long, thin skewer into the center. If it comes out clean, it's done.

Hint 1: If the top is getting too dark while baking, tent the bread with some aluminum foil.

Hint 2: If you use a cast iron skillet to cook the bread in the oven, be very careful when you take the pan out. It's easy to forget that the handle is extremely hot. Cool the handle with an ice cube, or put a pot holder over it.

7 Let cool a few minutes: Remove pan or sheet from oven, let bread sit in the pan or on the sheet for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool briefly.

Serve bread warm, at room temperature, or sliced and toasted. Best when eaten warm and just baked.

Overnight Bread

2019-03-19T00:00:00.001-04:00

Overnight bread

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

PREPARATION

In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

turkey wellington

2018-11-22T20:48:00.001-05:00

turkey wellington with gravy

1 batch of quick puff pastry (but add 2 tbsp of fresh sage, chopped finely, to the butter first)
5 lb bone-in turkey breast
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
1 large bunch fresh thyme, leaves picked
15 oz whole berry cranberry jam
16 oz mushrooms
3 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 cup italian style breadcrumbs
1 carrot , roughly chopped
1 leek , trimmed and roughly chopped
1 onion , peeled and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg, beaten

cooking twine

--------------------------------------
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F

Separate the breast from the turkey carcass, remove the skin.

Place the turkey breasts between 2 pieces of cling wrap, use a meat tenderizer to make both breast approximately the same thickness uniformly.

Cut the twine into 6 12in strips, place horizontally on cutting board, about an inch apart.

Carefully place the turkey breasts over the twine, overlapping each other.

Sprinkle about half of the fresh thyme over the breasts, plus salt and pepper.

Place 3-4 tablespoons of cranberry jam longwise in the middle of the turkey breasts.

Use the twine to help roll the breasts up with the cranberry inside, tie each piece of twine tightly.

Transfer the turkey to a roasting tray, season the outside with the remaining thyme leaves, a good pinch of salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Rub it all over, cover in tin foil and roast in the hot oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until just cooked through – using a thermometer, you want it to be 162 F at the thickest point.

To make the gravy, add to a large pot the turkey carcass, carrot, leek, onion, salt and pepper, the flour, and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, add 1 rosemary sprig, a heaped spoon of the cranberry jam, and the balsamic vinegar. Bring back to a boil, then then reduce and let simmer for 2 hours or until thick. Strain it through a sieve and reheat before serving.

Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms in some oil until they are almost dry. Strip the leave from 2 rosemary sprigs, chop, and add to the mushrooms for the last 30 seconds or so.

Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the mushrooms, when that is melted, add the breadcrumbs. Toss to coat, finely chop the mushrooms (or use a food processor for a few pulses), set aside to cool.

Once the turkey breast and stuffing have cooled, assemble the Wellington.

Dust a clean surface with flour, then roll out the puff pastry to about 20 in x 20 in. Cut in half.

Line a cooking sheet with silicon or parchment paper. Place one half of the pastry on the sheet.

Spread half of the mushroom stuffing onto the middle of the base to cover an area the same size as your turkey breast.

Remove the twine, then place the turkey breast on top and spread the remaining stuffing over the top packing it all in and smoothing it out so that the whole breast is covered.

Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg.

Lay the second sheet of pastry over the top, gently mold it round the shape of the breast, pushing all the air out and seal together. Trim the edges to around 4cm, then pull, twist, tuck and pinch in the pastry. If you have extra pastry and want to be creative, you can add decorative design at this point.

Brush the whole thing with beaten egg.

Leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight until ready to bake.

On the day of, bake at 350°F 50 to 60 minutes, or until risen, puffy and beautifully golden and the turkey is piping hot throughout.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool for around 10 minutes before carving.

Serve with the gravy and extra cranberry jam.

quick puff pastry

2018-11-22T20:27:00.002-05:00

quick puff pastry

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, cold
1/2 cup cold water

---------------------
Directions:

Place the flour and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
Cut the cold butter into 1/4-inch slices and add to the flour mixture, tossing to coat.
Stir in the cold water until a thick dough forms.
Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it into a disk-shape, and wrap in plastic wrap.
Chill for 1 hour in the fridge, or 20 to 30 minutes in the freezer.
Unwrap the dough, dust the work surface with flour, and roll the dough into a rough rectangle shape.
Fold the dough in thirds, like a letter.
Turn 90 degrees, roll and fold again.
Repeat about 2 to 4 times, wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and chill for 2 hours or overnight.*

*Dough can also be frozen. It will keep for several weeks in the freezer, tightly wrapped. Thaw in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Chip Scones

2018-09-13T19:12:00.001-04:00

Chocolate Chip Scones
3 cups flour
1.5 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup chocolate chips
2 – 2 1/2 cup whipping cream
Topping
4-5 tbsp melted butter
4 tbsp sugar
Preheat oven to 425. Combine dry ingredients. Stir in cream with fork until
dough holds together in a sticky mass. Turn dough onto a lightly floured
surface. Knead several times. Cut in half. Pat dough into 2 circles. Cut into 12
wedges. Place on ungreased cookie sheet 2” apart. Brush with melted butter
and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 8 large scones.
Recipe from: Melissa Williams
Note: When I am baking for a crowd, I will make 11⁄2 times this
recipe, and then I can use up a 1-pint size carton of whipping cream.
If you have leftovers of these, they freeze well, and can be
microwaved for 30-60 seconds on 30% power, and then 10-15 seconds
on 60% power.

buffalo chicken sliders

2017-10-07T21:42:00.001-04:00

buffalo chicken sliders

4 servings |
3 tbsps butter

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

3/4 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce

1/2 tbsp onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup shredded cheese

1/4 cup ranch dressing

1tbsp dried parsley

8 hamburger buns

---------------
Directions:

Melt butter in large skillet, add shredded chicken and stir to coat.

Add buffalo sauce, and toss the chicken to coat again, add onion powder and salt and pepper to taste.

In a separate bowl, combine shredded cheese, ranch, and parsley.

egg roll in a bowl

2017-09-18T14:10:00.000-04:00

egg roll in a bowl
6 servings |
2 tbsps sesame oil
6 green onions, sliced, green and white parts divided
1/2 onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground pork
1 tsp fresh, grated ginger
3 tbsps sriracha
16 oz bag of cole slaw mix
3 tbsps soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/4 tsp pepper
salt to taste
sesame seeds
1/4 cup mayonnaise

---------------
Directions:
Heat sesame oil in large skillet to medium heat.
Add white parts of green onions, diced onion, & garlic. Saute, stirring frequently until onion is soft.
Add pork, ginger, and 1 tbsp of sriracha and cook until pork is browned, broken up, and cooked through.
Add coleslaw mix, soy sauce, vinegar, pepper and salt.
Cook until cabbage in tender.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together the mayonnaise and sriracha, add a pinch of salt to taste.
Serve mixture in bowls, with garnish of sesame seeds, the green parts of the green onions, and sriracha mayo sauce.

mushroom parmentier

2017-09-12T22:02:00.005-04:00

mushroom parmentier
4 servings | 216 calories | 6g fat / 24g carbs / 22g protein
2 lbs mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tbsp butter butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large sweet onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 vegetable stock
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

cheese potato top (if not using left over potatoes
1/5 lbs red potatoes, cooked and mashed with skins
1/2 cup cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

---------------
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
Heat the butter and 1 tbsp of the olive oil and saute the mushrooms until cooked. Remove from the pan.
Heat the other tbsp of olive olive and saute the onion until soft.
Add the garlic for 1 minute.
Deglaze with the wine and reduce to no more than a spoonful.
Add the stock, thyme and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook until the stock has reduced by half.
Spoon the mixture into a casserole dish.
Mash the potatoes with the cream cheese until desired consistency (I like mine a little chunky). Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in the shredded cheese.
Distribute evenly over the mushroom mixture, and smooth with the back of the spoon.
Bake until bubbling hot and golden on top, about 15 minutes.

.

spicy cheesy baked potatoes

2017-09-11T15:25:00.003-04:00

spicy cheesy baked potatoes

6 servings | 216 calories | 6g fat / 24g carbs / 22g protein
3 lbs red potatoes, washed and diced with peel on
1 cup of sour cream or cream cheese or ranch
1 small sweet onion, diced
1.5 cups shredded cheese
2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

---------------
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Boil potatoes in large pot for 10 minutes.
Drain well.
Put potatoes back in pot, add the onion, sour cream/cream cheese/ranch, 1 cup of shredded cheese, cayenne, paprika, and salt and pepper.
Mix well together.
Place mixture in greased casserole dish, top with remainder of the shredded cheese.
Bake for 10 minutes, until cheese is golden and melted.

*this goes well with a good steak and some asparagus for dinner

bolognese sauce

2017-09-07T16:51:00.000-04:00

bolognese pasta sauce
6 servings | 216 calories | 6g fat / 24g carbs / 22g protein
1 tbsp olive oil
1 sweet onion, rough chopped
1 large carrot, shredded
6 cloves garlic
1 lb lean ground beef
15 fl oz tomato sauce
16 oz sliced mushrooms
3 tbsps fresh thyme
28oz whole San Marzano tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

---------------
Directions:
Heat oil in large pot.

Add chopped onion, stir until sweaty and translucent.

Add shredded carrot, stir around until cooked.

Add garlic, stir until fragrant.

Add ground beef and stab/stir until completely broken up and browned.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, thyme, mushrooms and salt and pepper.

Cook for 1 hour or more.

Serve with whole wheat linguine, garnish with freshly shaved parmigiano reggiano.

*I learned how to make this from my friend, Annaliese.

enchilada casserole

2017-08-24T17:18:00.000-04:00

enchilada casserole
8 servings | 424 calories | 18g fat / 36g carbs / 30g protein
batch of enchilada sauce
16 small corn tortillas
1 rotisserie chicken
1 onion, chopped
8oz diced green chilis
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
8oz whole kernel corn
15oz whole black beans
2 cups shredded cheese (I mean.... tbh I probably use closer to 4 cups)

Optional to make it spicy -- 1 can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

---------------
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Remove and shred the meat from the rotisserie chicken (use the bones for soup another day!!!)
In a bowl mix the chicken, onion, chilis, peppers, corn, and beans
In a 9 x 13 inch pan, layer tortillas, filling, cheese and sauce. Repeat until out of filling (Mine is usually 3 layers)
The last layer should be tortillas, sauce, then cheese.
Bake for 20 min covered with aluminum foil
Uncover, bake for an additional 15 minutes until golden and bubbly

lactation cookies

2017-08-09T16:57:00.000-04:00

lactation cookies

36 cookies | 178 calories | 8g fat / 22g carbs / 5g protein

3 cups of rolled oats
1 cup oat flour
1 cup Quest all purpose unflavored protein powder
1.5 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of chocolate chips (half dark chocolate half semi-sweet, Ghirardelli brand IT MATTERS)
1 cup of butter softened (half unsalted and the other half salted)
2 eggs
4 tbsp of water
4 tbsp of brewers yeast
2 tbsp of flaxseed meal
1 tbsp of vanilla extract
1 tsp of salt
1.5 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of baking soda

---------------

Directions:

Mix the flaxseed meal with water in a small bowl and let sit for 5 minutes.
Using a mixer, mix together the butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs. Mix until well-blended.
Add in flaxseed and mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and brewer’s yeast. Mix well and add to butter mixture.
Stir in oats and chocolate chunks. Mix until well combined.
Use a spoon to scoop out cookies and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 14-15 minutes or until slightly browned on the top.
Makes 2-3 dozen

mushroom spinach stroganoff // crockpot

2017-05-23T00:05:00.003-04:00

Mushroom Spinach Stroganoff
6 servings

1 tablespoon butter
10oz baby portobello mushrooms; quartered
12oz white mushrooms; quartered
1 medium onion; diced
2 cloves of garlic; minced
1/2 cup broth (vegetable, chicken or beef)
8oz sour cream (1 cup)
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1.5 teaspoons paprika
8oz cream cheese
2.5oz fresh baby spinach (about 4 cups)
---------------
Serve with:
fresh tarragon
whole wheat egg noodles

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except spinach and cream cheese in a freezer bag, freeze.
In the morning, put in crockpot, cook on low for 7.5 hours.
Add cream cheese and spinach
Cook on “low” for 1/2 hour or until everything is heated through and spinach is wilted.

chicken curry // crockpot

2017-05-17T20:00:00.000-04:00

Curry Chicken
6 servings
Ingredients2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
6oz can of tomato paste
13.5oz can of coconut milk
1 small onion, chopped (about one cup)
2 cups of frozen peas
14.5oz can of tomato sauce (about 1 3/4 cup)
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
-------------
Serve with:
rice
fresh cilantro

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a freezer bag, freeze.
In the morning, put in crockpot, cook on low for 8 hours.
Serve with rice (or naan) and other garnishes.

stuffed peppers // crockpot

2017-05-13T15:30:00.000-04:00

Stuffed Peppers for the crockpot
4 servings
Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1lb+ ground beef
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
4 small bell peppers, tops cut off (or 2 large peppers, cut lengthwise) and cleaned
24oz jar of your favorite pasta sauce (reserve 2T)
1/2 cup water

Directions:
In large bowl, mix ground meat, onion, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of pasta sauce.

Separate mixture into four equal parts and firmly stuff into peppers.

Add remaining sauce to a quart-sized plastic freezer bag, seal, and place inside gallon-sized bag with stuffed peppers.
When ready to cook, thaw freezer bag.

Place peppers in an olive-oil-coated slow cooker and top with sauce.

Cook on “low” setting for 6-8 hours.

chelsea rice

2017-04-21T10:34:00.002-04:00

I am calling this Chelsea Rice because this is my version of my sister-in-law Chelsea's version of Turkish Rice and I don't want to offend anyone who is actually Turkish.

Chelsea Rice
2 servings | 163 calories | 6g fat/23g carbs/3g protein
1 cup basmati rice (rinsed thoroughly)
1 tbsp butter
2 cups vegetable stock
1 tbsp lemon juice (or to taste)
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
In a saucepan or pot, heat butter over medium-high heat until bubbling.
Add rice and stir around until the majority of grains are toasted.
Add vegetable stock, bring to boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, let cook for ~15 minutes.
Remove from heat, add lemon juice and salt & pepper, let sit for an additional 5-10 minutes until fully cooked.

one pan lemony chicken and kale with potatoes

2017-04-10T19:52:00.000-04:00

one pan lemony chicken and kale with potatoes
4 servings | 523 calories | 29g fat / 36g carbs / 36g protein
1 stick salted butter, cut into 1/2 tbsp squares
3-4 yukon gold potatoes (any other waxy potato will do), sliced
1 bunch organic kale, de-stemmed and chopped.
4 bone-in chicken thighs, with skin
2 lemons
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In an oven-proof pan, add sliced potatoes to the bottom of the pan.
Salt and pepper, place 5-6 square of butter evenly dispersed over the potato layer.
Add chopped kale, squeeze the juice from one lemon over kale, place slices of lemon over kale.
Rub salt and pepper into both sides of each chicken thigh.
Place chicken thighs skin side up over kale.
Place a square of butter on top of each chicken thigh, followed by another slice of lemon.
Put whole pan in the oven for 50 minutes.

*I learned how to make this from my friend, Annaliese.

chili verde con cerdo

2017-04-09T19:10:00.001-04:00

Chili Verde Con Cerdo

2 tbsps olive oil
1 large sweet onion, cut into thick chunks
1 large carrot, shredded
3 lbs pork shoulder, cubed
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp cumin
½ tsp paprika
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tsp sea salt
2 lbs. tomatillos, husks removed, chopped
2 poblano or anaheim peppers, chopped
4 4 oz. cans of chopped green chiles

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garnishes:
lime wedges
avocado
tortillas

Directions:
In a gallon-size bag, add cubed pork, flour, and other spices. Shake thoroughly to coat the pork.
In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat.
Add onions, let them sweat, then add the shredded carrot.
Add pork and allow to brown.
Add peppers, tomatillos, and chiles, stir and set heat to low.
Cook for 30-40 minutes (or as long as you can stand it! It gets better with time), stirring occasionally.

Serve with lime wedges, fresh tortillas, and avocado.

chile colorado

2017-04-03T20:20:00.001-04:00

Chile Colorado

2 lbs cubed flank steak
1 diced jalapeño pepper
1 diced serrano pepper
1 diced cubanelle pepper
1 cup diced white onion
2 tsps onion powder
2 tsps minced garlic

sauce:
3 cups organic low sodium vegetable broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup all purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
Salt/pepper

Directions:
In a small bowl, add flour and spices.
In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
When hot, carefully add tomato paste, flour, cumin, paprika, and chili powder.
Cook 1 minute, whisking continuously.
Add broth and whisk well. Increase heat and bring to a light boil.
Reduce to simmer and cook 8 minutes, whisking occasionally. Salt to taste.
Separately in a large pot, brown cubed steak in a pan with some olive oil.
Add diced peppers and onions until cooked through.
Add onion powder and minced garlic to the meat and peppers.
When fragrant, add sauce, cook 10 minutes on low.

Serve with fresh cooked tortillas, cilantro, & cheese.

lemon garlic chicken

2016-09-21T17:36:00.000-04:00

Lemon Garlic Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsps lemon juice
2 tbsps unsalted butter
1 tbsp avocado oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper, to taste

---------------------------
garnishes:
2 tbsps basil, finely chopped
lemon slices

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Pound chicken to about one half-inch thick pieces, season with salt and pepper.
Heat the avocado oil in a large, oven-proof skillet and brown each chicken breast over medium heat.
Remove the chicken from the skillet and add the onion, saute until soft, about 6-8 minutes.
Add garlic, stir until fragrant.
Add in the broth, lemon juice, butter, and red pepper flakes.
Lower the heat to medium, cook for 8-10 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat, whisk in cream.
Add the chicken back to the pan.
Cook in oven for additional 5-7 minutes, until chicken is cooked through completely.

Garnish with lemon and basil.

baked hard-boiled eggs

2016-09-19T20:32:00.000-04:00

Baked "Hard-Boiled" Eggs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Put 12 eggs in muffin tin.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Plunge in ice water immediately, leave for 10 minutes.

barbacoa tacos // crockpot

2016-09-14T20:27:00.001-04:00

Barbacoa Tacos
12 servings | 223 calories | 8g fat/6g carbs/30g protein
3 lbs chuck roast (fat trimmed)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can chipotles in adobo sauce
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles
1 sweet onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsps apple cider vinegar
3 bay leaves
1 tbsps ground cumin
1 tbsps dried oregano
2 tsps salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup beef broth or water
---------------
garnishes:
fresh cilantro
chopped onions
shredded cheese
corn tortillas

Directions:
Trim fat from chuck roast.
Combine all ingredients except fresh garnishes and tortillas in a freezer bag, freeze.
In the morning, put in crockpot, cook on low for 8 hours.
Serve in warmed corn tortillas with other garnishes.

Matt Rating:
9 // "so good! this is the best yet!"

spicy thai noodles

2016-06-14T13:39:00.001-04:00

Ingredients
1 pound linguine
2 TBS olive oil, divided
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 zucchini, cut in half vertically, then sliced in half circles
8 ounces mushroom, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBS brown sugar
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1.5 TBS Sriracha hot sauce (this is A LOT of spice, tone it down if you don't like spicy)
2 inches fresh ginger, grated
1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped

Instructions
1. In a large stock pot, fill halfway with water, salt, and bring to a boil. Add linguine and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl combine brown sugar, soy sauce, sriracha, and ginger; whisk well to combine; set aside.
3. Return large stock pot to stove, heat over medium heat, add 1 TBS olive oil. Add beaten eggs and red pepper flakes and stir to scramble the eggs. Once cooked, set aside with pasta.
4. Return large stock pot to stove, heat remaining 1 TBS oil over medium heat. Add zucchini, mushrooms, and garlic. Saute over medium high heat for 5-6 minutes or until veggies are cooked through.
5. Turn heat down to low, add pasta and eggs back to pot, then pour the sauce mixture over the top. Using a wooden spoon, stir well to coat pasta and vegetables with sauce. Remove from heat, add peanuts, green onions, and cilantro; stir to combine.
6. Serve immediately.

enchilada sauce

2016-06-05T20:56:00.003-04:00

enchilada sauce
3 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup all purpose flour
4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
Salt/pepper
Optional: cayenne pepper, ground chipotle, etc. It's not that serious. Go by your taste buds.

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix flour and spices.
In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
When hot, carefully add tomato paste, flour, cumin, paprika, and chili powder, whisking continuously.
Cook 1 minute, whisking continuously.
Add broth and whisk well. Increase heat and bring to a light boil.
Reduce to simmer and cook 8 minutes, whisking occasionally. Salt to taste.

roasted winter vegetable stew

2016-03-02T19:11:00.000-05:00

This is super delicious, very healthy, and vegan. Enough said. To keep it vegan but give it a little more protein, you could add some kidney beans.

Roasted Winter Vegetable Stew
4 servings | 221 calories | 8g fat/ 34g carbs/ 5g protein
2 tbsp avocado oil

1 bulb fennel, chopped
2 cups chopped parsnips
1 large eggplant
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes
4 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne
4 cloves garlic
3 cups vegetable stock
1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Place eggplant on a small sheet, place on top rack of oven.

Thinly coat the parsnips and chopped fennel with 1 tbsp of avocado oil, salt and pepper to taste. Spread the parsnips and fennel on a baking sheet and place on middle rack of oven.

Roast for 30 minutes.

Heat remaining 1 tbsp avocado oil with medium heat in large pot. Add roasted vegetables, tomatoes, cilantro, paprika, cumin, cayenne, garlic, and vegetable stock. Heat, covered, on medium heat for 10 minutes.

Mix in lemon juice.

Serve with brown rice, quinoa, or (the best option in my opinion) some crusty whole wheat bread.

Matt Rating:
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