The Lucky Penny

The BEST Dairy Free Cauliflower Pizza Crust!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Tue, 28 May 2013 04:57:00 +0000

Alright, alright, here it is! The best dairy free cauliflower pizza crust! You've hoped, you've dreamed, and you've begged for it (really you've just left a few comments on my BEST Cauliflower Pizza Crust Recipe, but same thing) and I have finally delivered!

Since posting my Best Cauliflower Crust Pizza Recipe you guys have left so many nice comments saying how much you've enjoyed the recipe! I especially love when I get tagged in Instagram pics of the cauliflower crust pizzas that you've made and I get to see the amazing toppings you all have come up with. There are some beautiful cauliflower crust pizzas out there! But there is one question that keeps popping up in the comments, and that is how to make the crust without cheese. Fear not, my friends! It's easy and just as delicious to make a cauliflower pizza crust with no cheese! And guess what? No cheese, no flour, no grains means it pretty much perfectly paleo. A yummy delicious paleo pizza crust, it's a dream come true. And yes, it does still hold up to being picked up like a regular slice of pizza, just like my other cauliflower crust. Although, this piece was a little weighed down by the sheer amount of deliciousness I threw on top. More on that later.

The keys to this cheese-less cauliflower crust are pretty much the same as my regular cauliflower pizza crust. Preheat your pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven first, wring the water out of the cauliflower, and cook your pizza on oiled parchment or tinfoil. But here's some more deets on how I did it without the cheese. I followed my normal method of using the food processor to make cauliflower "snow," or "rice" as some people call it, but I think "snow" is so much more fun to say. I microwaved it for 4 minutes, I don't know exactly why 4 minutes, but this number seems to work for me. Three minutes would probably work also. A few of you commented that you don't microwave your food. Some have had luck squeezing the water out without microwaving it or cooking it a pan instead. Once the cauliflower was cool enough to handle, I placed in a tea towel and wringed the water out. You could go crazy with this step, one commentor even said they ripped their tea towel! But honestly you don't have to get every single last drop of water out. Just give it a few good wrings to get most of the water out. The cauliflower will now look more like powder, almost like grainy flour. Next I added my other ingredients - minus the cheese of course! I added my spices, 2 tablespoons almond flour, some nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor, but not a lot since I'm still on the fence about how I feel about nutritional yeast (I'm new to using it), an egg, and a tablespoon of olive oil to help with the binding in lieu of the cheese. I shaped my crust on an oiled sheet of parchment paper and slid it into the oven and onto the hot pizza stone using a thin plastic cutting board, a pizza peel would work also if you are fancy and own one of those! One note about the cooking time, I pre-baked the crust longer than I did with my cauliflower crust that uses cheese. I wanted this crust to get crispy and golden brown and without the cheese in it, it needed a longer cooking time. I also knew that my second cooking time would be less since I wouldn't be melting cheese and I would be using toppings that I already heated up before placing them on the pizza.

Now about those toppings! I went heavy on my toppings to make up for the lack of cheese on the pizza, although you will see a light dusting of freshly grated Parmesan on my pizza. I'm sorry. I couldn't help it. It was like a cheese loving robot took over my body and grabbed the mircroplane and wedge of parm and kept repeating "MUST HAVE CHEESE" very loudly while I mentally protested, "No, you can't! It's supposed to be a cheese free pizza!" Damn cheese-loving-body-taking-over-robot. But basically, you can top your cheese free cauliflower pizza crust with whatever you want, assuming you don't have a cheese-loving-body-taking-over-robot lurking in your kitchen somewhere, but I will include my recipe for this delicious BBQ pork pizza, because it was damn delicious and I think you should make it. The cheese loving robot also thinks you should make it, even if you make it with no cheese on top. Any leftover shredded meat would be good on this pizza, but I recommend my pulled pork with homemade BBQ sauce.

But before I give you the recipe, the cheese loving robot would like to add, "MAKE THIS CRUST NOW. TOP IT WITH WHATEVER YOU LIKE, EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIKE CHEESE, WEIRDO."
Geez, cheese loving robot, there is no need to yell! And some people just can't eat cheese. Have a heart.
"I AM A ROBOT, I HAVE NO HEART."

Ok, this is getting weird. Recipe here.....

The BEST Dairy Free Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Makes approx. 1 - 10 inch pizza crust

(PRINTABLE)

1 medium sized head of cauliflower - should yield close to 3 cups once processed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil (crush it even more between your fingers)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (crust it even more between you fingers)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
optional a few shakes of crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons almond meal
1 tablespoon (or more if desired) nutritional yeast (you could also omit this entirely if you like)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 egg

nonstick cooking oil

Place a pizza stone in the oven, or baking sheet if you don't have a pizza stone. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a cutting board, place a large piece of parchment paper and spray it with nonstick cooking oil or brush the parchment with olive oil.

Wash and throughly dry a small head of cauliflower. Don't get one the size of your head unless you are planning on making 2 pizzas. Cut off the florets, you don't need much stem. Just stick with the florets. Pulse in your food processor for about 30 seconds, until you get powdery snow like cauliflower. See above photo. You should end up with about 3 cups cauliflower "snow". Place the cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl and cover. Microwave for 4 minutes. Dump cooked cauliflower onto a clean tea towel and allow to cool for a bit before attempting the next step.

Once cauliflower is cool enough to handle, wrap it up in the dish towel and ring the water out of it. You want to squeeze out as much water as possible. This will ensure you get a chewy pizza like crust instead of a crumbly mess.

Dumped ringed out cauliflower into a bowl. Now add all your spices, your almond meal, your nutritional yeast (if using), and your olive oil. Mix the mixture to incorporate all the ingredients. Now add your egg and mix away again. Hands tend to work best.

Once mixed together, use your hands to form the dough into a crust on your oiled parchment paper. Pat it down thoroughly, you want it nice and tightly formed together. Don't make it too thick or thin either.

Using a cutting board slide the parchment paper onto your hot pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until it starts to turn golden brown and the edges crisp up. Remove from oven.

Add your toppings (I recommend already cooked toppings, like shredded meat or sautéed veggies) and slide parchment with topped pizza back in the hot oven and cook for another 5 minutes until the toppings are warm. If using cheese for a topping, you can pop the pizza under the broiler to get the cheese melted fast without burning the crust.

Test your patience and allow it to cool for a minute or two. Probably closer to two. Then using a pizza cutter and a spatula serve up your delicious grain and dairy cauliflower crust pizza!

To top the pizza you can make your own 30 minute pizza sauce using my recipe! Or to make the pizza in these pictures, caramelize half a sliced up onion on the stove in olive oil for about 30 minutes. Tip: I add chicken broth or sometimes even just water to my caramelized onions to keep them from burning and to reduce the amount of oil I need to use. Once your onions are caramelized, add any cooked shredded meat you have to the onions to reheat the meat. My pulled pork would be amazing! Then, simply top your cauliflower crust with desired amount of BBQ sauce, I recommend using the cooked version of my homemade BBQ sauce, and the meat and onion mix. Add 1 diced up roasted red pepper, and a dusting of parmesan if desired. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and top with 1 diced up avocado.

Enjoy!

P.S. Remember my story about not having an egg when I made this cauliflower crust for you before? Yeah, well that happened again. Luckily it was on a weekend and not the morning before a work day and I made my husband run out and get me eggs. He also came back with beer. Perfect lunch? I think so.

Strawberry Basil Vodka Spritzer

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Happy Memorial Day and happy three day weekend to you!

HAPPY FREAKING FINALLY CLOSING ESCROW DAY TO ME AND MY HUSBAND!

Wow, it's been a long ride. I mentioned in my Almond Joy Smoothie post that we were buying a house. (By the way, if you haven't, you really should try that smoothie.) But what I didn't mention was that it wasn't a done deal by no means. In fact, we had to rent the house for 3 months since the seller had already moved out, but wanted income from the home, but couldn't sell until the early termination penalty on their loan ran out. Complicated! And not the way I wanted to do the whole buying a house thing. I've been itching for 3 months to rip out cabinets, paint walls, take vertical blinds out, replace light fixtures... I could keep going but it would take up this whole blog post! So basically we have been living in the house not entirely sure that it would become ours... until this day! YAY. BIG SIGH. It all worked out, just like everyone told me it would, but it still gave me anxiety 95% of the time.

Which is why I deserve a drink. To alleviate 3 months of stress, to celebrate, and to kick off Memorial Day weekend, which is one of my favorite weekends. I had to put that in writing since my husband didn't believe me that Memorial Day Weekend was one of my favorite weekends. He says every weekend is my favorite weekend which is pretty much true, but I especially like Memorial Day Weekend because it kicks off summer, is my Mom's birthday, is the anniversary of getting Penny and therefore also her birthday, is the weekend I make my annual strawberry dessert for Mom's birthday, and now is the weekend we officially own a house! Phew... run on sentence galore here today. Excuse me, I'm excited.

So let's get to this drink. This Strawberry Basil Vodka Spritzer is so refreshing and delicious with just the tiniest hint of sweetness coming from strawberries and honey. It's the perfect summer cocktail to sip in my backyard this summer. And it's the perfect summer cocktail for you to enjoy this Memorial Day weekend!

Strawberry Basil Vodka Spritzer

makes 1 drink

4 medium ripe strawberries

3 basil leaves

1.5 ounces vodka

1 teaspoon honey (I use raw honey)

1 tablespoon lime juice

6 ounces soda water

Roll up basil leaves and slice into thin strips. Cut tops off strawberries. Slice strawberries into small pieces. Using a mortar and pestle muddle strawberries and basil together, squishing strawberries to release the juices. Alternately, you could take the strawberries for a quick spin in a blender without the basil.

Add muddled strawberries and basil to a large glass (I actually used a mason jar), add vodka, honey, lime juice, and soda water. Stir with a spoon and pour into a glass with ice. Enjoy!

P.S. Amazing Memorial Day Food...

Pulled Pork with Homemade BBQ Sauce

Buffalo Bacon Cheesy Fries

Bleu Cheese Crusted Buffalo Drumsticks

German Potato Salad - always a hit at a party!

Have a happy three day weekend. See you next week with my annual strawberry dessert!

Book Review: The Paleo Slow Cooker

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

I'm very excited to share this recipe and book review with you! It's been a long time coming, as I've been making recipes from this book and eating them up before I could even snap some photos! But lucky for you, I did finally get around to taking some photos of this delicious Cambodian Chicken from Arsy's new book. Arsy Vartanian from Rubies and Radishes has become a blogger friend of mine. I even guest posted my delicious recipe for Crispy Chicken Thighs and Kale in Clementine Sauce on her blog. So, I was thrilled when she asked me to review her new book The Paleo Slow Cooker. First off, I love when food bloggers get the recognition they deserve and land a cook book deal. I hope one day I could be so lucky. Secondly, the slow cooker is like a secret weapon in the kitchen. I only have a handful of slow cooker recipes, so I was happy to test out quite a few from a book dedicated to slow cooking. This book is great for people like me, who sometimes just can't figure the whole slow cooking thing out. (The timing and the amount of liquid always get me!) But it is also a great book for adept slow cooker chefs who are looking for some variety in their slow cooker repertoire.

I mean she's got recipes for delicious items like Chicken Mole, Beef Bulgogi, and Spicy Duck Curry. I made the bulgogi and enjoyed with a big spoonful of garlic chili paste. Unfortunately that was one of the dishes that ended up in my stomach before my brain could say 'get the camera!'

But I was determined to get some pictures and share the recipe for this Cambodian Chicken with you because it was so simple and was packed with so much flavor for a relatively small ingredient list. I really love how it turned out and my husband enjoyed it cold for his lunch the next day. I made a few minor tweaks, adjusting the cooking time to 2 1/2 hours on high since I only defrosted 3 small chicken thighs and started cooking at 7pm and wanted the meal done before I went to bed so I could pack it up for lunch. I also added in a nice big handful of kale leaves to make it a well rounded one pot meal.

Thanks to Arsy for letting me share her delicious recipe with you. And if you like coming home to a delicious dinner that requires minimal effort, I recommend getting The Paleo Slow Cooker, it will expand the way you think about slow cooking.

Cambodian Chicken

From The Paleo Slow Cooker

Serves 6

(PRINTABLE)

3 lbs skinless chicken thighs, bone in

1 tablespoon coconut oil

3 - 5 garlic cloves, minced (I went heavy on the garlic)

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

3 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons lime juice

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup coconut aminos or gluten-free soy sauce

salt and pepper before serving

Melt the coconut oil in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Before browning I sprinkled my chicken lightly with salt and pepper, even though Arsy recommends seasoning after cooking. I would go light on the salt as the cooking liquid has a lot of flavor. Brown chicken in hot coconut oil on all sides, do so in batches if needed. About 5 minutes a batch. Transfer to the slow cooker.

In a small bowl, mix all your other ingredients and pour over chicken.

Cook on low for 6 hours.

Salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Pulled Pork with No Sugar Added BBQ Sauce [Paleo and Gluten-Free]

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Tue, 14 May 2013 04:44:00 +0000

We had a 30th birthday party for Adam a few weeks ago and I made some bomb pulled pork in the crock pot. Like seriously good. It's going to be my go to party recipe and is probably my favorite crock pot recipe. I really wanted to make it again because I obviously wanted to eat it again, but also to share that recipe with you lovelies. But unfortunately because I'm doing my whole 30 I can't. Why? Because the FIRST ingredient in most barbecue sauces is sugar or corn syrup. Yep, you're just pouring ~~delicious~~ sugar all over your meat. And don't get me wrong, I'm all about the BBQ yo (I really don't know why I inserted the "yo"), but if I'm gonna eat a bunch of sugar I prefer it to be in my desserts.

BUT! I was not about to let this little ol' whole 30 thing and eating less sugar deprive me of my pulled pork. And I was not about to let you guys be deprived of this fabulous recipe for making pulled pork in the crock pot with a nice healthy no sugar added paleo bbq sauce recipe. This sauce will turn you into a hero amongst your pulled pork eating peers. How? Read on my friends, read on.

So, picture this, you bring pulled pork to a BBQ, pic-nic, party, whatever. Everyone scarfs it down, licks their fingers, and begs to know what you put in that pork. Crack? You respond - Nope, just my homemade no sugar added BBQ sauce, NBD. Oh by the way I saved you from maxing out your sugar intake for the day with that sauce, so you can eat that cake without the guilt, also that jello salad if you're in to that kind of thing. Yeah, you're welcome. Now you pretty much become a hero, maybe even a legend.

But if you are stilling feeling iffy, I understand. I was skeptical about this sauce as well. I did my research, read the back of BBQ sauce labels, wondered how I was going to do this without sugar, molasses, honey, maple syrup, brown sugar or any other form of sugar. Then I found, Civilized Caveman's Beasty BBQ Sauce, I liked it. Pineapple as the sweetening agent. Genius. Sugar from fruit does not count as added sugar in my book. But of course, I could not just MAKE the recipe, I had to tweak it. My main hang up with the recipe was the hour long simmer time for the sauce. I figured, since this stuff is going in the slowcooker, it could do it's simmering thing in there with the meat, effectively saving myself an hour of cooking time. Good decision. The only downfall is, if you have extra sauce, it will need to be used with a slowcooker recipe or you will need to cook it down before using it to baste or grill meat. The sauce does need to be cooked for an extended amount of time to get the flavors to develop, so I highly recommend using it for a slowcooker recipe.

Some other adjustments I made included tweaking the amounts of some ingredients, lost others, and I added liquid smoke. I highly recommend you do so as well. I'm not entirely sure where liquid smoke falls in the wide variety of paleo beliefs, but it's only ingredient is smoke, so I'm going for it. It adds unbeatable depth and flavor to this BBQ sauce recipe.

I honestly can't gush enough about this recipe, there is something addictive about it. The flavors really hit your palate hard at the end and make you want to keep eating bite after bite. This is without a doubt my favorite pulled pork recipe, better than bottled sauce, and way healthier. Plus, how cool is it say you made your own homemade BBQ sauce?! Remember the scenario above. Yeah, it's pretty cool.

I also recommend eating this with sliced tomatoes and avocado with salt and pepper if you are doing the whole paleo thing and skipping the bun. So freaking good. Serve up some roasted sweet potato rounds and you've got yourself a mighty fine dinner of champions.

Now, let's do this thing! You know you want to become a legend!
(Also scroll down, for my non-paleo easy party pulled pork version.)

Pulled Pork with No Sugar Added BBQ Sauce

adapted from Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations

Makes 4 1/2 cups uncooked BBQ sauce and a whole lotta pulled pork.

(PRINTABLE)

Pork:

4 - 5 pound pork roast, shoulder or Boston butt
32 oz (one carton) of veggie broth, chicken broth, or beef broth
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3-4 garlic cloves minced
1/2 white or brown onion sliced

No Sugar Added Paleo BBQ Sauce:

14.5 oz can no salt diced tomatoes in juice
1 white or brown onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on how much of a kick you want it to have)
2 teaspoons KOSHER salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional, but highly recommended)
1 cup drained pineapple chunks from a can (save the juice!!)
3/4 cup pineapple juice from the can

To make the pork. I often buy pork when it is on sale and toss it in the freezer. When I'm ready to make pulled pork, I'll take the pork out and put it in the fridge to defrost for a half a day or so. The night before I want to eat the pulled pork, I'll put the partially defrosted pork in the slow cooker. No need to worry about it being fully defrosted. In fact, it could be basically frozen. Add the broth to the slow cooker. Season top of pork with salt, pepper, and garlic. Set slow cooker on low and cook for 10 - 12 hours (overnight works best). If your pork is not frozen reduce cooking time to about 8 hours.

In the morning, or after the pork is done cooking, carefully remove the pork from the slow cooker and set it in a dish. Remove the fat, it should be pretty easy to find. Discard fat. Shred remaining pork. Drain the slow cooker of liquid and discard liquid. Add the shredded pork back to the slow cooker.

Homemade No Sugar Added BBQ Sauce:

Sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge.

In a food processor or blender combine all ingredients for BBQ sauce. Blend until smooth. Taste. (It won't taste quite right because it hasn't been cooked yet, but you should be able to tell if you need more seasonings.) Adjust seasonings. The flavor will develop once it cooks with the pork, but I do recommend you taste it before cooking.

Cook pork as described above - overnight with broth and seasonings, shred and discard fat and cooking juices. Return shredded pork to the slow cooker. Add sliced onions and desired amount of homemade BBQ sauce. I used 4 cups for 4 lbs of pork. It was saucy (the way I like it) but not too saucy. The BBQ sauce will cook down some during cooking time. Stir well. Cook on low for 4 1/2 - 6 hours.

Enjoy!!

Reminder: Any leftover homemade BBQ sauce will need to be used in a slow cooker recipe so that it has time to cook or will need to be simmered on the stove to cook for 30 minutes to an hour depending on how much sauce you have left. Add beef or chicken broth as needed while simmering to keep the desired consistency.

To Cook the Sauce on the Stove for Homemade BBQ you can add to meat that you grill or to use as a dipping sauce:

Make sauce as described, simmer on medium low heat for 45 minutes to an hour, checking and stirring often and adding either chicken or beef broth as it cooks to get the desired consistency you want. You will need the broth as the sauce will continue to thicken up as it cooks and it is already thick to begin with. I would have a cup of broth on hand and add as needed throughout the cooking time.

OPTIONAL RECIPE:

Easy Party Pulled Pork (not paleo)
(PRINTABLE)

This is the recipe I used for Adam's 30th birthday and it was a big hit! It would be a disservice not to share it, so if you are in a rush, not paleo, or just really don't want to make your own sauce (no problem there!) use this recipe!

Whether you are using the homemade paleo BBQ sauce, or using a bottle of BBQ (no judgements here!) I recommend following the double cooking method below. I really think that is the key to successful pulled pork in the slow cooker.

4 - 5 pound pork roast, shoulder or Boston butt
32 oz (one carton) of veggie broth, chicken broth, or beef broth
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3-4 garlic cloves minced
1/2 white or brown onion sliced

1 bottle of favorite BBQ sauce
1 - 14.5 oz can of crushed tomatoes
your choice size and flavor Bush's baked beans

To make the pork. I often buy pork when it is on sale and toss it in the freezer. When I'm ready to make pulled pork, I'll take the pork out and put it in the fridge to defrost for a half a day or so. The night before I want to eat the pulled pork, I'll put the partially defrosted pork in the slow cooker. No need to worry about it being fully defrosted. In fact, it could be basically frozen. Add the broth to the slow cooker. Season top of pork with salt, pepper, and garlic. Set slow cooker on low and cook for 10 - 12 hours (overnight works best). If your pork is not frozen reduce cooking time to about 8 hours.

In the morning, or after the pork is done cooking, carefully remove the pork from the slow cooker and set it in a dish. Remove the fat, it should be pretty easy to find. Discard fat. Shred remaining pork. Drain the slow cooker of liquid and discard liquid. Add the shredded pork back to the slow cooker.

Add 1/2 a brown or white onion sliced. Add your sauce, crushed tomatoes, and Bush's baked beans. Cook on low for at least 2 hours, but you could cook it for longer if you wish.

Love, Luck, and Happiness!

Chicken Enchilada Zucchini Boats! - Guest Post from So... Let's Hang Out

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

The lovely Gina from So... Let's Hang Out is graciously bringing her cooking skills and wit to my blog today. The recipe she is sharing is making me drool.... Read on for amazing food and overall awesomeness.

Love, Luck, and Happiness - Michelle

________________________________________________________________________________

Good morning, Lucky Pennies!

You are probably wondering where Michelle is...

Don’t panic. She’s a super busy lady. She is probably dreaming up more amazing recipes for you, while simultaneously unpacking her house, working her day job, and attempting to not eat sugar and carbs for 30 days. No big deal, right? Seriously, this girl is major… but, you all knew that. She totally deserves high fives for days.

So, who is this stranger in your midst?

My name is Gina and Michelle graciously let me take over her space for the day. I’m really happy to be here! When I’m not barging in on other people’s blogs, preaching the gospel of a game-changing enchilada recipe, you can find me at So…Let’s Hang Out. Yup, that’s my blog. You should come and visit me sometime. There are plenty of gluten-free recipes, a good deal of Paleo options, a dose of humor, and the occasional drawing of a bear in a sensible pants suit. Totally normal.

Here are a few fun facts about Michelle and I:

We went to the same college.
We were in the same sorority (Yup, you heard that correctly; stop looking at us weird).
We have never actually hung out in person (HOW?! A series of missed connections).
We both really like steak. A LOT.
We would look really cool in matching track suits. Okay, I did not run this one by Michelle, but I think she would agree. Especially if we wore said track suits out to a steak dinner. It’s a game changer.
Our dogs would also have matching track suits in this scenario. I can’t stop.
We would like to get together for dinner, but we happen to live six hours apart. This makes things complicated, so, we have decided to go virtual.

Welcome to our virtual dinner party. Throw on your track suit and head on over. Enchiladas are on the menu by the request of our lovely hostess. Ok, maybe they aren’t traditional enchiladas. Corn tortillas have been replaced by hollowed-out zucchini boats. This means we can have at least one two of these Watermelon Margaritas, right? Right. This recipe is dang near Paleo, with the exception of a little cheddar cheese. I believe this is referred to as Paleo-ish. I like to refer to it as Paleo-con-queso. Shall we get started?

First things first, you’re going to make up some Chili and Lime Shredded Chicken in your crock pot. You can put it all together in the morning before you head off to work, turn on your crock pot, and dinner will be pretty much ready to assemble when you get home. I love letting my crock pot do the heavy lifting. Plus, your house will smell like an amazing fiesta.

Once your chicken is cooked up and shredded, you’re going to slice your zucchinis in half and scoop out their contents in order to create little boats. Don’t discard the scooped out zucchini guts, as we’re going to cook that up with our onions. Why waste all that veggie goodness?

Once we have all our ingredients set to go, we’re going to stuff our enchilada ingredients into our zucchini boats, cover them with foil, pop them in the oven and let the magic happen. Get ready for a mind blowing Paleo-con-queso moment.

What we’re left with is a total fiesta! Look at those pretty little things. They are surprisingly filling, even without the corn tortillas. I bet you these would even be a good way to trick your kiddos into eating their veggies!

For the adults, PLEASE do not refrain from serving these up with a cocktail. I insist. You are my guests, after all. Don’t be shy.

Thanks so much, Michelle, for letting me host this virtual dinner party. I would love to see all of you again. Come visit me anytime!! Xox

Chicken Enchilada Zucchini Boats

(Inspired by Skinnytaste)

Serves 4-6

(PRINTABLE)

INGREDIENTS

Chili & Lime Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 tbs olive oil

2 tbs chili powder

2 tsp cumin

½ tsp cayenne pepper (you can omit this if you don’t like it spicy)

Four cloves of garlic, minced

Juice of 4 medium limes

Salt

Pepper

Chicken Enchilada Boats

6 medium zucchinis

Olive oil to coat the pan

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 medium sized onion, chopped

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp chili powder

1 tbs tomato paste

3 tbs chicken broth

1 can of gluten-free enchilada sauce (28 oz)

Chili & Lime Chicken

Salt and Pepper, to taste

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Chopped scallions & cilantro, for garnish

In a crock pot, combine all of the ingredients for your Chili & Lime Chicken. Start by coating the bottom of the crock pot with your tablespoon of olive oil and layering your chicken on top of that. Cover your chicken with a layer of salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Add in your lime juice, and then your spice blend. Allow to slow cook for at least six hours.

Once you chicken is done cooking, shred it using a couple of forks and set it aside.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Wash and cut your zucchini lengthwise in half. Using a melon baller or a small spoon, remove the seeds and part of the meat from your zucchini in order to hollow it out and make room for the filling. Set aside the discarded bits of scooped-out zucchini flesh.

In a sauce pan heat up your olive oil over medium heat and add in your onion and garlic. Sauté them until they’re translucent. Add in your tomato paste, cumin, chili powder, chicken broth and the scooped-out zucchini flesh. Stir together and allow it to cook down for two minutes.

At this point, transfer your Chili and Lime Chicken to the sauce pan. Depending on the size of your zucchinis, you might not use all of it. Assess before you add it all to the pan. For the portion you do not use, you can store and use it later. It’s a great salad topping.

Stir your chicken, zucchini and onion mixture together and allow it to cook together for a couple of minutes.

Cover the bottom of a large baking dish with a layer of enchilada sauce.

On top of the layer of enchilada sauce, arrange your zucchini boats, cut side up, to fit along the bottom of the baking dish.

Add your chicken mixture into your zucchini boat and press it down firmly with a spoon. On top of the chicken, add another layer of enchilada sauce, followed by a layer of cheddar cheese.

Cover your baking dish with tin foil, and allow to bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the zucchini has cooked through.

Serve them up garnished with chopped scallions and cilantro! Enjoy!

Fruit Salad with Basil and Lime

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Calling this a "recipe" really seems like a cop out. I mean I took four ingredients and combined them. Four ingredients that you've probably already thought of combining. But if you haven't thought about combining these four ingredients, then this recipe is for you.

This recipe is here because this fruit salad recipe made me eat fruit salad. Don't get me wrong I like fruit. But give me the choice of fruit and something else and I will most likely pick something else. Doesn't really matter what that something else is, unless maybe it's just raw veggies, then I might pick fruit. I know this may seem weird coming from a somewhat healthy food consumer like myself, but my real love for food comes in the form of cheesy fries, creamy mushrooms, well seasoned steaks, and things with bacon in it.

But alas, swimsuit season is looming dangerously near, and free lunches at work have taken their toll. I have issues with turning down free food... and my portion control when it comes to free mashed potatoes is not as good as it should be. And at weddings, I have bad portion control at weddings. (And I've got a lot of those to attend this year!) Over the weekend I had 3 mini pies at a wedding. One was eaten in my hotel bed. I woke up with crumbs on me. My husband affectionately called me Fatty. Things need to change over here. So I'm doing a Whole 30 again. It worked really well for me in January, and I was able to get back on track with healthy, happy eating that made me feel good. Until we moved, then everything fell apart. Life gets busy. People bring you pizza. So I'm gonna give it another go, and maybe try not to cheat so much this time. Enter fruit salad for snacks to ween me off my sugar cravings. Wish me luck with this whole thing! I feel like it is gonna be a long 30 days, but hopefully it will force me to get creative with my healthy eating. Some great recipes came out of my last attempt at Whole 30 - like my Kalua Pig and my wildly popular Cauliflower Pizza Crust (which is not Whole 30 approved, but a great way to eat pizza without wheat or other grains).

P.S. If you would like to follow my Whole 30 journey I will be tweeting what I eat everyday. (I need to hold myself accountable!) Follow me on Twitter here.

P.S.S! - We are having Claim Jumpers tomorrow at work for lunch. Like I said this is going to be a long 30 days. But hopefully by the end of it, I won't crave such unhealthy food that always ends up making me feel awful and slug like.

And now for the "recipe."

Fruit Salad with Basil and Lime

(PRINTABLE)

1 lb strawberries

1 medium cantaloupe

7 - 10 basil leaves

1 lime

Wash and cut strawberries into fourths.

Cut cantaloupe in half. Scoop out seeds. Using a melon baller, scoop out flesh of cantaloupe into melon balls.

Roll up basil leaves and cut into thin strips.

Combine strawberries, melon balls, and basil in a bowl. Squeeze lime juice all over fruit. Toss and enjoy.

Love, Luck, and Happiness!

Banana and Date Paleo Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Thu, 02 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

The lights in my house flicker. I'm pretty sure they flicker. Adam says I'm crazy, but I'm pretty sure I'm not, at least not in this case. I'm pretty sure the lights didn't always flicker, but now they do. Anybody have any tips on how to get lights to stop flickering. Or rid a house of spirits? I really hope it's not spirits though, cause that would be weird and kind of scary.

Let's think about something else. How about banana date paleo bread? Yep, that's right banana. date. PALEO. Bread. Sometimes you really do just need bread. Especially when there could be spirits in the house, which I'm pretty sure there's not, because there is no such thing, right? RIGHT?

But there is such thing as paleo bread! This bread is like moist delicious banana bread. You won't even notice that there is no flour or refined sugar! Paleo bread might be my favorite kind of bread. Seriously if you ever have a hankering for some gluten-free bread - give this simple recipe a try. Just like my paleo brownie bites, I strongly believe you don't need to be paleo or even gluten-free to enjoy this bread. So give it a try! Meanwhile, I'll be simultaneously researching how to rewire electricity and rituals for ridding your house of spirits.

Banana and Date Paleo Bread

adapted from Elana's Pantry

Makes 1 - 8x8 pan of bread

(PRINTABLE)

1/2 cup creamy roasted almond butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon raw honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 - 4 medium medjool dates, pitted

1/2 small to medium ripe banana, mashed

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 - 1 teaspoon cinnamon (depending on how much you like cinnamon)

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place dates in a bowl of warm water to soften them up.

Place almond butter in the bowl of a Kitchenaid mixer with the paddle attachment. (Or you can use a hand mixer). Mix almond almond butter until creamy - about 1 minute.

Drain dates and place in a food processor. (I tried doing this in a little bullet like blender, and it worked ok, but I would recommend a food processor.) Process dates into small pieces.

Mash banana using a fork. Add banana, dates, eggs, honey, and vanilla to bowl with almond butter. Mix until everything is well incorporated. Add dry ingredients - salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix again until ingredients are combined.

Grease and 8 x 8 baking pan (I used coconut oil spray). Place batter in the dish. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of dish. Do NOT over bake or the bread will become dry. After 15 minutes, I check my bread every minute or two. My bread took 19 minutes.

Allow to cool a little bit and enjoy!

Love, Luck, and Happiness!

Paleo Brownie Bites

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:00:00 +0000

These paleo brownie bites may be one of my favorite things I've ever made. But if you aren't paleo don't let the title mislead you, these are something that EVERYone can enjoy. Seriously. They are vegan brownie bites also! And they are basically homemade Lara Bars, but waaayyyy better. This has to be one of my favorite recipes. I know I probably say that a lot, but seriously, I urge you to give these a try if you are looking for a healthier sweet treat. And let's be real, who isn't always looking for a healthier sweet treat?

It's got to be every woman's, blogger's, and most likely man's dream to be able to eat sweets and call them healthy. And here we have delicious paleo brownie bites that are void of flour, refined sugar, and butter and are still so freaking good! Yes, paleo chewy brownies that are also happen to be vegan chewy chocolaty brownies. It's for reals, guys. And did I mention they are super easy to make and are no bake! The best brownie bites you've ever had and they have no flour or refined sugar and you don't even have to bake them! Folks, it's a pretty magical situation we have going on here.

I used to buy Lara Bars as my sweet treat. Every day after lunch, I would have a chocolate chip Lara Bar. I always knew I could make them at home and probably save myself some money, but what I didn't know (until now) was that homemade Lara Bars are like a gazillion times better, especially when they are bite size chocolaty brownie batter balls rolled in coconut. My husband even ate these and he doesn't like chocolate or coconut. Although, he didn't know there was coconut involved.... not quite sure how he missed that...

Seriously, these are amazing. Amazing fudgy goodness. Whether you are paleo or not, vegan or not, these are insanely good and so easy to make! So you MUST make them. Do. It. Now. xoxo

Paleo Brownie Bites

adapted from Averie Cooks

makes 12 - one inch balls

(PRINTABLE)

2/3 cup raw walnut halves and pieces

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 heaping cup soft medjool dates, pitted (about 17 - 20 medium sized dates)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 to 2 tablespoons coconut milk OR any liquid sweetener, like honey, agave, or maple syrup if you want your brownie bites to be sweeter. I used coconut milk and thought the brownie bites were perfectly sweet.

2/3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut

Pulse coconut in food processor for 30 seconds to a minute to form coconut crumbs. Remove from food processor and set aside.

Place pitted dates in a bowl of warm water for a minute to soften them up.

Add unsweetened cocoa powder and walnuts to food processor, blend until walnuts become fine crumbs, but do not over process or you will get some kind of chocolate walnut butter.

Drain dates and place in the food processor with the cocoa walnut crumbs. Add vanilla. Process until mixture starts to combine. It may not fully combine until liquid is added. Add coconut milk or liquid sweetener (if desired) half a tablespoon at a time. Pulse. You will know the consistency is right when the dough combines into a ball in the middle of the food processor.

If dough is too runny add a tablespoon or more cocoa powder to bring it back to a dough like state.

Transfer dough to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Cold dough is much easier to work with. I left my dough in the fridge over night. You could put it in the freezer if you need to speed the process up.

Once dough is cold, put coconut crumbs from earlier into a shallow bowl. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough and roll them between hands to form balls. Roll balls in coconut crumbs, pressing the crumbs gently into the ball. Continue until all dough is gone. You can moisten your hands with water if the dough begins to stick to your palms as you roll.

Keep chilled, they taste best that way. Bites will keep in fridge for quite some time, and freeze well also.

They are soooo good!!

Love, Luck, and Happiness!

Mushrooms in Cream and Ale Sauce: Recipe Revamp

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 02:00:00 +0000

This mushroom recipe is seriously one of my favorite recipes on the blog. It can turn a meal into something truly special, if you like mushrooms that is. I make these decadent cream and ale mushrooms almost every Christmas. We top my Dad's perfectly cooked prime rib with the mushrooms and I swear it is my favorite meal of the year.

This is a recipe that has been up on the blog for quite some time, but hasn't really gotten the love it deserves. I've been wanting to spruce up the pictures, but I don't get a lot of opportunities to cook mushroom recipes since I live with a mushroom hating monster. Well, he's not really that much of a monster, but he does hate mushrooms, which is a bummer. So when my mother in law mentioned that she was eager to try my mushrooms in cream and ale sauce I had two things to say: 1. Why in the world doesn't your son like mushrooms???!!!! 2. Yes, I would love to make that for you!!!! (Squeal of excitement).

These mushrooms are my favorite as a steak topper, but I wouldn't hesitate to pile them high on some creamy mashed potatoes, or parsnip pureé. They would also be a great way to fancy up some simple grilled chicken or pork chops. But honestly, I could eat them alone by themselves in all their creamy ale-y mushroom glory.

Mushrooms in Cream and Ale Sauce
adapted from Vegetarian Food for Friends
serves 6-8 as a side or as a topper
(PRINTABLE)

4 to 5 cups sliced mushrooms, use a variety - I suggest any combination of cremini, baby bella, shiitake, or oyster
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic - minced
1 teas paprika
1/2 cup dark beer (Newcastle works well)
3/4 cup heavy cream
squeeze of half a small lemon (probably about 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice)
1/4 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
freshly ground pepper to taste

Clean mushroom caps. I read once that mushrooms absorb liquid quickly so it is best to wipe the caps with a damp paper towel instead of running them under water. I try to do this, but sometimes when I'm lazy I put them in a colander and quickly run them under water or swirl them in a bowl of water and then put them on a towel to dry. Slice mushrooms.

Heat butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.

Once butter is melted add sliced mushrooms and garlic and sauté until mushrooms start to brown and soften, about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle with paprika. Stir and cook for 1 more minute.

Add your 1/2 cup beer and 3/4 cup cream. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until liquid reduce by half - about 15 minutes.

Finish with a squeeze of half a lemon and salt and pepper. (Seriously, don't forget the salt! I tasted my mushrooms before I added salt and the salt definitely made the dish.) Taste and season more as needed. Serve warm.

Love, Luck, and Happiness!

The Best Way to Cook Bacon

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:00:00 +0000

It's no secret by now that I love a good recipe using bacon. I mean, bacon has it's own category in my recipe index. And it may shock you to know that we eat bacon probably 3 to 5 days a week. I think our favorite part of going paleo was that bacon was no longer viewed as a naughty food and transitioned easily and happily into an everyday dining staple. Although, there are times when I do believe we are taking advantage of this whole bacon thing. I'm pretty sure we aren't meant to eat it every single day, paleo or not. But it's just SO darn good, we can't seem to help ourselves!*

Tip number 1 if you are planning on integrating bacon into your life more (as you should, duh) - get no nitrates / nitrites added bacon. There are still nitrates / nitrites in the bacon from celery juice that is added to the bacon - but at least it's coming from a natural vegetable product. There is a lot of hub bub back and forth about nitrates / nitrites and nitrates / nitrite "free" products. Like most things, there is an argument for both sides. I'll just say that I swear by Trader Joe's Uncured Apple Smoked Bacon, it's thick cut, and simply delicious.

Now on to the good stuff - perfectly cooked bacon. This method yields delicious crispy bacon with minimal clean up. Thank goodness! No more wiping grease off your entire stove for like ever after cooking up some bacon. Or standing as far away from the stove as you can with your arm fully extended to avoid pops of grease as you try to flip your bacon. I also really like how the pieces come out flat. Bacon in a frying pan always curls and twists and just never ends up looking as pretty as I want it to. Maybe that's just me.

So, what is this miraculous way to cook bacon, you ask? I'll tell ya - in the oven! This method also leaves more space on your stove and more of your hands (all two of them) free to make the other parts of breakfast. Once we started cooking bacon in the oven we never went back. I seriously can't imagine cooking it any other way. This is the only way we seem to get perfect evenly cooked bacon every time. Here's the thing though, you've got to learn your oven and your bacon. Cooking times can drastically vary depending on what type of oven you have and what kind of bacon you buy. My mother in law says it takes her 40 minutes for her bacon to cook in the oven. It takes me only 18. And if I ever switch up from my usual Trader Joe's bacon I almost always burn the stuff because the cut is thinner and it cooks faster. You've basically got a one to two minute window with this cooking method to get the perfect level of doneness. Surprisingly, Adam is the best at not messing this up. He's the bacon master in our house.

So that last paragraph may have made oven cooked bacon seem a little more daunting than it really it is. Go back and read the part where I said Adam is the bacon master. I assure you it's really quite easy, I just want you to know that it's a little bit of trial and error to figure out what works for you and your oven. But once you figure it out, I swear, you will swear by oven baked bacon.

Oven Baked Bacon Method

(PRINTABLE)

1 package bacon

1 or 2 baking sheets

parchment paper or foil

Preheat oven to 400.

Line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or foil. Place bacon in an even layer side by side on the baking sheet(s).

Place the baking sheet(s) in the oven. I often stick the bacon in before the oven it is all the way heated up if I don't feel like waiting, it never seems to affect the time too much as long as the oven was some what heated up once I put the bacon in. The slow cooking of the bacon will help render the fat.

This is the timing that works for me with thick cut bacon: I set the timer for 10 minutes after I stick the bacon in the oven. After 10 minutes, I remove the pan from the oven and carefully flip each piece of bacon. Then I place the bacon back in the oven for 7 to 8 more minutes. I've never had to go over 18 minutes both at my Long Beach house and at our new house. But while cooking bacon this way on vacation, my bacon took close to 30 minutes. So start watching your bacon after 15 minutes, but don't be surprised if you end up needed to cook it longer.

*If you are concerned about our bacon consumption, it's not as bad as it seems. We often eat one slice in the morning with eggs. And we take bacon breaks and switch it up with some chicken apple sausage here and there.

Now what to do with that delicious perfectly cooked bacon? (Well besides just eat it.) Here are two of my favorite recipes that call for already cooked bacon:

Breakfast Bacon Apple Tart

Buffalo Bacon Cheesy Fries

Love, Luck, and Happiness!

Buffalo Bacon Cheese Steak Fries

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Buffalo Bacon Cheese Steak Fries. Or, as they are known to us, Beachwood BBQ's Smothered Steak Fries - the most perfect restaurant appetizer ever to be made. I dare you to tell me what isn't perfect about crispy steak fries smothered in buffalo sauce, bleu cheese, cheddar cheese and topped with bacon and green onions. Can't come up with anything can you?

Like I said, perfect. I mean honestly, fries are always better with bacon. Bacon fries - yum. And buffalo sauce. Buffalo fries - yum. And cheese. Cheese fries - yum. Bring it all together and what do you got? Buffalo bacon cheese fries!! And well, the green onions seem like they are only there for color, but trust me, they really do help with flavor. So what do you do when the world's best appetizer is located at your favorite restaurant that is now 80 miles away?

You make it at home of course. Because there is nothing better than the world's best restaurant appetizer, than the world's best restaurant appetizer made at home. Plus, did I mention it's Buffalo BACON Cheese Steak Fries. Um, hello. I obviously have a thing for cooking with bacon.

Buffalo Bacon Cheese Steak Fries

Makes 4 appetizer servings

(PRINTABLE)

16 oz package frozen steak fries

4 tablespoons, divided, Frank's Original Red Hot Sauce (or more if you want!)

1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 - 1/3 cup crumbled gorgonzola or bleu cheese

4 slices cooked thick cut nitrate free bacon, cut into pieces

3 green onions, sliced

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Spread fries in an even layer on baking sheet.

Cook fries according to package instructions, except cook only until they start to crisp up but aren't overly crisp, keeping in mind you will be cooking them for another 3 to 5 minutes.

Place cooked fries and bacon pieces in a bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons hot sauce. Spread fries and bacon back out on the parchment or foil covered baking sheets. Cover with both cheeses and sprinkle with green onions. Bake for 3 to 5 more minutes until cheese is melted.

**UPDATE - sticking them under the broiler for the last 3 minutes makes the cheese melty and the fries crispy!**

Place fries in a bowl and sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon (or more, if desired) hot sauce over the cooked cheesy bacon fries and serve.

Love, Luck and Happiness!

Braised Paprika Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:00:00 +0000

My legs are sore. So insanely sore. And surprisingly it's not because I started back up with CrossFit this week. It's because of yard work. Damn, yard work. Which is why I made Braised Paprika Chicken for our Sunday night dinner. Chicken thighs tucked in a delicious paprika sauce can cure almost anything. I swear. Especially if it is paleo paprika chicken.

But before we get to the recipe, let's talk about that yard work. This weekend was our first weekend really making strides on this whole fixing up a house thing. We really needed a quick and cheap fix to some major ugly dirt everywhere issues in our yard. The grand plan is to do much more landscaping, but this will get us through the interim until we can bring out the big landscaping guns. Plus, it only cost us $23 and a day of labor. Please excuse the major picture overload, but we are feeling quite proud of ourselves. And if you stick it out, there is a great recipe for Braised Paprika Chicken in store for you.

Here are the yard before pictures - lots of dirt, holes, dirt, and this ugly half dead bush / tree blocking a window.

{First Step - throw out the old screen door.}

{Damn Half Dead Tree Bush Thing}

{Solar Light Graveyard and Place Where Penny Runs Through the Mud / Dirt}

And after 9 bags of this stuff....

And a lot of digging, level-ing, and transporting of dirt from area to the next from yours truly...

{Former Solar Light Graveyard and Place Where Penny Runs Through the Mud / Dirt (No Longer)}

In keeping with the theme of the weekend, which was red - red mulch, red under my fingernails, red in my clothes, red mulch in the house - I decided to make a red dinner. And, damn, it was good.

So thanks for sticking through the home improvement pics - as promised - Braised Paprika Chicken!!

And by the way, it's pretty much paleo - omit the butter and greek yogurt to make it 100% paleo paprika chicken. And it is paleo eating at it's finest. :)

Braised Paprika Chicken
adapted from Eating Well

Serves 4
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

(PRINTABLE)

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs - trimmed of excess fat

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 tablespoon butter (I use Kerrygold Irish butter) (or double the coconut oil if making it 100% paleo)

1 large yellow or brown onion, finely diced

1 red bell pepper, finely diced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/2 tablespoons sweet paprika

dash of red pepper

dash of cayenne pepper

3/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup greek yogurt (optional)*

2 green onions, chopped or chives chopped

Trim chicken thighs of excess fat, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the freshly ground pepper. Dice onions and bell peppers.

Preheat a large saucepan (that has a lid). Over medium heat melt coconut oil and butter. Add onions and bell peppers to pan. Sprinkle with salt. Sauté, stirring frequently, until onions turn translucent - about 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste, paprika, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper. Stir until the mixture become fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Push mixture to the side, nestle chicken thighs in open space, place some of the mixture on top of the chicken thighs. Brown chicken for 2 minutes. Add 3/4 cup chicken broth. Place lid on top of pan and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and tender.

Remove chicken thighs from pan and set aside, cover with foil to keep warm. Reduce sauce for 3 to 5 minutes, until it starts to thicken. Season with remaining salt, about 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Once sauce has begun to thicken, remove from heat and whisk in 1/4 cup greek yogurt if desired.

Place chicken thighs back in the sauce. Top with sliced green onion or chives. Serve on it's own with vegetables, or over rice or pasta.

* I've made this both with using greek yogurt for a creamy sauce and without, and I would recommend both versions whole heartedly! If you have the yogurt and feel up to it, through it in! If not, don't even think twice about it.

Love, Luck, and Happiness!

Wine and Thyme Mushrooms

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Tapas style wine and thyme mushrooms on the blog, it's a special day. Oh, and it's my husband's birthday today. He turns 30!! OMG. We are getting old. To celebrate, I decided to post one of the foods he DETEST the most on the blog. Go figure. Wife of the year, right here.

At least I made these a few days ago so I'm not trying to stuff them down his throat on his birthday. Therefore, for real. Somebody give me a wife of the year award, because it took serious restraint not to shove these at him and say YOU. WILL. EAT. THEM. or there will be divorce. (The last part would be under my breath, of course.) Because I can NOT wrap my mind around the fact that he doesn't like mushrooms, especially these delicious buttery, wine and thyme mushrooms.

Even harder to come to terms with, is the fact that I married him knowing this fact! Don't worry, he's having similar issues lately with my dislike of BBQ chicken pizza and pepperoni, and I'm like you've known this since the day I met you! Oh, the important issues that arise once you are married. :)

If you are NORMAL (sorry Mom)(she doesn't like mushrooms either) then you should definitely give these mushrooms a try. They are perfect for tapas night or as a side to chicken or steak or toss them in pasta. Better yet! Get crazy and top my Coffee Rubbed Steak with these bad boys. That would seriously be my dream dinner. Served with some mashed sweet potatoes. Oh man, is it my birthday yet?

And if you aren't normal, by my definitions, then please don't hate me for this post and tune back in next week for recipes that don't include mushrooms! :)

Wine and Thyme Mushrooms

Makes 6 -8 side servings

(PRINTABLE)

1 pound mushrooms, such as cremini, white, or baby bellas. Halved lengthwise if large.

3 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 brown onion, very finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or more or less to taste)
1/4 cup dry white wine (like chardonnay) or 2 tablespoons lemon juice*
3 tablespoons butter cut into pieces
1 teaspoon thyme, leaves removed from stems

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare garlic and onions. Mince garlic and finely dice the onion.

Toss the mushrooms with olive oil, garlic, and onions. Sprinkle with salt.

Place the mushrooms in either a cast iron skillet or glass baking dish. The cast iron skillet will yield browner garlic and onions. Top with pieces of butter.

Cook for 10 minutes if using the cast iron skillet. Cook for 15 minutes if using a glass baking dish. Remove from oven add wine and thyme. Cook for 2 more minutes if using the cast iron skillet and 5 more minutes if using a glass baking dish.

*If you don't feel like opening a bottle of wine just to use 1/4 cup, you can substitute 2 tablespoons lemon juice.

Love, Luck, and Happiness!

Coffee Rubbed Steak

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Steak. I love steak. I think I could eat steak everyday. I'm serious. Especially if it is grass-fed, which is what we try to buy most of the time. The best steak I've ever had in my life was at Mesa, Bobby Flay's restaurant in LasVegas. I was there with some of the cast and crew of The Great Food Truck Race Season 2 while we were filming the Las Vegas episode. The chef from the Hodge Podge truck, Chris Hodgson, wanted to go to Mesa and despite being on a tight budget, I decided to join the group. I'm SO glad I did. I had eaten at Mesa once before, but I ordered chicken and only found it underwhelming for the price. I was unsure what to order this time around when Chris suggested that we let the chef pick for us. When the waiter placed coffee rubbed filet mignon in front of me my eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas who just discovered the motherload of presents. Ever since then I've wanted to recreate that rub but have been worried I would mess it up and tarnish my memory of that perfect steak. Also, a coffee rubbed steak recipe calls for well, coffee. Surprise, surprise. And I NEVER have coffee on hand... because we don't own a coffee maker and we don't drink coffee at home. In fact, we rarely ever drink coffee. Well, I rarely ever drink coffee. I think Adam secretly indulges often behind my back and then claims he's not a coffee drinker.

So, I put off making this life changing coffee rubbed steak because I didn't want to buy a whole package of ground espresso only to use a few tablespoons, then I remembered those coffee grinding machines at the grocery store and thought maybe I could get a small amount like, 1/4 a cup. So, after standing in front of one of those grind your coffee machines for all of about 20 minutes and having no idea how to make it work and where to find a bag to put the grounds in... was I suppose to bring my own?! I finally just gave up, and bought a whole package of espresso grounds.

Which means every recipe I make from here on out must include espresso grounds, until that pack is gone. So get ready for espresso and eggs, zucchini topped with espresso, and espresso crusted chicken! Haha, just kidding.

But in all seriousness, get ready for this coffee spice rub. It will knock your socks off and leave your taste buds wanting more. And in fact, it may have been better than the steak I had at Mesa. Take that, Bobby Flay. (And also, thanks for the recipe Bobby Flay.)

Coffee Rubbed Rib Eye

adapted from Bobby Flay's Recipe

(PRINTABLE)

2 - 4 steaks (I used grass-fed rib eye, but you could you use any quality cut of steak you like)

olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

For the rub:

2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
2 tablespoons finely ground espresso
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon brown sugar (omit the sugar to make this paleo)
1/2 tablespoon dry mustard
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a cast iron skillet over high heat. Rub each side of steak with olive oil. Sprinkle steaks lightly with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Rub 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of coffee rub on each side of steak.

Place steak in the hot cast iron skillet, cook for 3 to 4 minutes, flip the steak over and cook 2 more minutes. Transfer skillet to the oven and cook to desired doneness. This depends on the thickness of the steak. Medium rare could be anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes.

I like to press down on the steak with my finger, it should feel like the fleshly skin between your thumb and pointer finger for medium rare.

Let steak rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

**Update - I highly recommend being heavy handed with the rub, I use 2 tablespoons on each side. Also when we grilled the steak instead of using the pan to oven method the flavor was much, much less pronounced. I highly recommend using the pan to oven method when using this rub.

Store excess steak rub in a 4 oz mason jar for future use.

Love, Luck, and Happiness!

Honey Ginger Roast Carrots and Bad Dog Parenting

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Adam and I haven't even been married for a year yet, but being in our late twenties (Adam turns 30 next week!) people often ask us if we are going to have kids soon. I sometimes want to say yes and I sometimes want to cover my ears and hum to myself to deny that I am even old enough to raise another human being.

Most days I feel that I don't have a handle on my every day life to even consider adding a real life mini person into the mix. I get overwhelmed easily. And then there are days, like yesterday, where I feel like I'm not even a good dog parent so maybe I should master that before I move on to a real human life. You see, we took Penny for a walk in the trails yesterday. It was the best walk of her life! She was off leash, she tried to dig up a gopher (until I realized it could be a snake hole and made her stop) she chased squirrels, she smelled dirt and weeds - she was in heaven. Her tongue was hanging out like a cartoon and she looked incredibly happy... until she started shaking her head like crazy and I realized yeah, we shouldn't have let our dog run through a FIELD of FOXTAILS. If you don't know what foxtails are, like Adam didn't, they are small little weeds or weed seeds that get into dogs ears, eyes, nose, etc and can cause major damage. They are pointy and barbed like a fish hook, and they are small and hard to see once they've gotten into your dogs ear. Poor Pen. We had to take her to the emergency vet and they pulled 3 foxtails out, one of which had been in there for a while. She's one tough doggy. They had to sedate her to get them out and she was quite hilarious when she came out of sedation. She was walking sideways and when we put her in the car to take her home and I tried to move her over so I could sit down and she just collapsed on my lap. But she's all better now and we will no longer be letting her run wild through fields of foxtails. (Um, duh.)

You're probably wondering what any of this has to do with Honey Ginger Carrots? Well, none of this really has anything to do with carrots... except that some dogs like carrots, like my mom and dad's dog, but I wouldn't feed them Honey Ginger Carrots and Penny's not the biggest fan of carrots, unless the other dogs are eating carrots, but anyways, let's talk about these gorgeous Honey Ginger Carrots!

I made these for Easter and yes, it was my first time trying the recipe, even though I just discussed not doing that anymore. But the recipe came from Eat, Live, Run so I knew it had to be good. And it was quite the hit!

One change I made to the recipe was roasting my carrots at a higher temperature, since I love the nice brown crust that root veggies get when roasted at a high temp. I picked up white, purple, and orange organic carrots from the farmer's market and I would highly recommend you do the same! You don't have to get different color carrots, but the smaller size of the organic carrots makes them easier to roast and more manageable as a side dish without having to chop the carrots up. Also they are organic, and that's always a good thing! I didn't peel mine, but spent a good amount of time scrubbing them to ensure that they were nice and clean. If I came across a bigger one I would split it in half vertically, from end to end.

I left a little bit of the green top on, because I liked the rustic look. I also made a VERY large batch! 6 pounds of carrots to feed about 20 people. They came out great. This is a perfect side dish for holidays because almost everyone likes carrots, especially when you add butter and honey! But it's also a great dish to throw together for any meal.

I wrote this recipe for 3 pounds of carrots, because that's a nice amount to feed a family and have some leftovers. But when I made it, I doubled the amount, so my photos show approximately 6 pounds of carrots.

Honey Ginger Roast Carrots

lightly adapted from Eat, Live, Run

8 - 10 side servings (recipe halves easily)

(PRINTABLE)

3 pounds small organic carrots, scrubbed clean

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or less to taste)

1/2 cup honey (I use raw honey)

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger powder

2 tablespoons butter (I use Kerrygold Irish butter)

splash of white wine vinegar (about half a tablespoon)

sea salt to finish (if desired)

1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Scrub carrots clean and trim tops as desired. Split any larger carrots in half (from end to end). The goal is to have carrots that are close in size so they roast evenly. Spread carrots in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper (for easy clean up). Use 2 baking sheets if necessary.

Pour olive oil over carrots and roll them around to get them evenly coated. Sprinkle carrots with kosher salt. Roast for 20 to 35 minutes until carrots pierce with a fork. You can leave them with a slight crunch or wait till the fork really pierces the carrot with ease, it's up to you!

Toward the end of the carrots roasting, start the sauce. In a saucepan, heat the honey, butter, ginger powder, and white wine vinegar. Bring it to a boil, and then reduce and let simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

When carrots come out of the oven, pour the sauce over the carrots and toss to evenly coat. Finish with a touch of sea salt if desired. Sprinkle thyme leaves over carrots, if using.

Love, Luck, and Happiness!

Shrimpies in a Blanket!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 05:34:00 +0000

My time management skills tend to be mediocre at best. I always seem to think I can squeeze an extraordinary amount of things in the hour that I know it takes me to shower, get ready, and do my hair. But somehow I always think this time I'll be able to make an appetizer, clean up the kitchen, shower, get ready, and do my hair in that same hour. As you can probably guess, it never quite works out in my favor, or should I say my hair's favor, as that is what most often goes undone.

That is why I'm always in search of the perfect party recipe. I always want to bring something that is super duper impressive, but the problem with impressive party recipes is that they tend to take time and well, time is never on my side. These bacon wrapped shrimp are a great 3 ingredient recipe that will wow party goers. I'm not gonna lie, there is some tediousness in the wrapping, but it goes fairly fast and can be done ahead, even the night before, then refrigerate the shrimp until ready to cook. Easy peasy (even for someone with mediocre time management skills) and yields DELICIOUS results!

If you happen to find yourself with some extra time, then besides being Superwoman and needing to give me some tips, you can add another layer of flavor to these delicious little shrimpies by stuffing them with jalapeno cream cheese.

Shrimps in a Blanket

Makes 30 - 40 shrimps (depending on the size of the shrimp you use)

(PRINTABLE)

1 pound raw, peeled, deveined shrimp (bigger is better, but I used medium sized shrimp, 31- 40 a pound count)

1 pound bacon (in this case I do not recommend thick cut)

2 tablespoons honey (I use raw honey)

optional:

1 jalapeno, roasted

2 - 3 tablespoons whipped cream cheese

Line a baking sheet with tinfoil, place wire cooling racks on top of baking sheets. Spray racks with nonstick spray. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

If doing the cream cheese version, start by roasting the jalapeno over an open flame on the stove top. Turn often. Once charred, place the jalapeno in a plastic zip lock bag and seal. Once the pepper is cool enough to handle, peel the skin off. Deseed the jalapeno and chop into small pieces, mix with the cream cheese.

Cut your bacon in thirds, or halves if using very large shrimp.

(Only if doing the cream cheese version) slice the shrimp like you are butterflying it, place a small amount of jalapeno cream cheese in the sliced shrimp. (For both versions) Wrap each shrimp with a piece of the cut bacon. Place the shrimp on the wire racks with the seam of the wrapped bacon seam side down.

Bake for 15 minutes. Take shrimp out of the oven and drizzle with honey. Bake for 5 more minutes or until bacon is crispy and shrimp is opaque and cooked. Enjoy! Drizzle with even more honey if feeling frisky! :)

Love, Luck, and Happiness!

Easter Dishes Round Up

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Easter is coming up! We spend Easter with Adam's family and it is always a holiday centered around food, which is my favorite kind of holiday. They always do potluck, and I always have an incredibly hard time deciding what to bring! My mind goes completely blank, which is weird since I do have a food blog to reference, but I always want to try something new! Which ~~sometimes~~ always isn't the best strategy, especially when feeding some particularly picky people (remember Adam's taste preferences? He gets them from somewhere...). I don't help the matter by always trying to think of a dish way outside the box. There was this one Christmas I made mashed celery root and apples, knowing full well that I myself don't like celery root and that most likely so will no one else. Adam's mom really tried to like it. It made me want to throw up so I greatly appreciate her effort. Then there was last Easter when I decided to try a new cupcake frosting recipe and ended up with a frosting so liquid-y that I had to serve it on the side as a cupcake "dipping sauce". So, Adam has banned me from using his family and friends as my guinea pigs. This year, I'm making a recipe that I've made before but never actually wrote down so I'm hoping my memory will serve me well! It involves bacon, jalapeno cream cheese, shrimp, and a honey sauce so I'm pretty sure I can't go wrong when it comes to people liking it. And if I'm wrong, I might need to consider getting a new family. (Just kidding!! I love you guys! Seriously, I really do.)

So, if you are running into a real mental road block when it comes to what to serve this Easter, here are some tried and true recipes of mine that I would recommend!

Brunch:

Make a couple of my Breakfast Bacon Apple Tarts - they are sure to be a crowd-pleaser!

My Paleo Espresso Mini Muffins are a great option for Gluten-Free family members. You can double the batch to feed more!

This Sweet Potato, Caramelized Onion, and Blue Cheese Quiche is a real treat!

Appetizers:

My Mini Party Sandwiches feature ham, cheese, and a poppy onion seed sauce that is perfect for Spring!

Fruit Pizza would be great for Easter Brunch. Half dessert / half healthy, it is sure to please!

A nice refreshing Asian inspired salad to bring some Easter colors to the party!

Main Dishes:

Beer and Balsamic Braised short ribs are sure to wow your guests. Start them in the morning and let them cook while you entertain. This is a recipe you will for sure want to double if serving more than 4 people.

Crispy Chicken Thighs with Kale In a Clementine Sauce are perfect for a taste of Spring. This recipe only serves 2, so double or triple the recipe and brown your chicken in batches.

Another one of my all time favorite meals - Brown Butter Pork Chops! This is another 2 serving recipe. But you can brown the chops in batches in the cast iron skillet and then cook the browned chops in a large glass dish and then transfer them back to the skillet in batches to baste with brown butter.

Sides:

Make this German Potato Salad. Seriously, just do it. And double the batch.

Everyone loves mashed potatoes so make one of my two favorite recipes!
Buttery Mashed Potatoes with Spinach:

Or Creamy Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes:

Roast Veggies are easy to prepare ahead and pop in the oven while you entertain guests. These ones are my favorite.

It would not be a recipe round up without mentioning these Mushrooms in Cream and Ale Sauce. These are a must serve if you are having any kind of roast or steak.

Sweets:

This crustless cheesecake would be festive with a strawberry topping!

Individual fruit crumbles are a great dessert option! Use whatever fruit is in season and double the topping as necessary.

Have a happy Easter!

Love, Luck, and Happiness!

DIY: Jewelry Organizer

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Today I'm doing a DIY post! I'm super excited to share this cute little jewelry organizer with you! It's a fun project with plenty of room for creativity and free handing your own ideas to add to it!
Basically, I really wanted a super cool jewelry shelf / organizer, but I didn't want to spend a bunch of money. Plus, I wanted it to fit my needs. I find it's best just to make something yourself when you have a set idea of how you want it to be. So I headed out to Michael's Craft Store and hunted around till I found the perfect thing. A mini crate. The one I found is 12 inches tall, 9 1/2 wide, and 4 3/4 deep. It has 4 - 2"x 1/4"slats along the back and 2 along the side. This mini crate is similar but seems to have 3 slats along the side making it deeper, which might not work. I would recommend finding a shallow little crate, otherwise adding the nails and fixtures to the back of the crate will get tricky.

I bought some paint, pulled out this little nail / hardware kit my Dad gave me years ago and got to work.

Here's the finished product:

It doesn't hold ALL my jewelry, but it holds the everyday / most often worn items. I still have a bowel of bangles on my dresser and some nicer jewelry in a leather jewelry box on the dresser. But I love having all my everyday items displayed on this cute shelf / organizer.

I'll do my best to explain how I got my finished product. But, this really was a process that a winged and made work with what I had on hand, and you can do the same to customize it to your jewelry needs. Get creative!

Supplies:

Crate 12 inches x 9 1/2 inches and 4 3/4 inches deep

2 bottles acrylic paint in your choice of color - I used Martha Stewart's Metallic Rose Gold

8 - 1 inch small round head nails in color of your choice

2 - 1/2 inch small round head nails in color of your choice

1 - 2 feet piece of Flexible Nylon Coated Beading Wire in color of choice - or other flexible wire. This is what I used:

8 - 10 crimp beads in color of choice (in the bead section of craft store)

9 or more crown bolts in color and size of choice

Sawtooth picture hanger hardware with 2 small screws

Tools:

paintbrush

drill with small drill bit

small hammer

mini screw driver
pliers
wire cutters
a small level is helpful as well

Method:

Paint your wood crate your desired color. I did two coats of Martha Stewart's Mettalic Rose Gold. Allow crate to dry.

Using a small hammer and some dexterity nail your first 4 nails into the inside back panel of your crate toward what will be the top. One in the middle of each back slat. Evenly space them apart. Don't let the nails go all the way through the wood, you can get them in there solidly without breaking out through the other end. Drop down 2 to 3 inches. I did 2 inches and evenly nail another row of 4 nails.

This next part is a little tricky to explain and it was kinda just trial and error, but I will do my best. I wanted a wire hanging across the middle of the jewelry shelf so that I could hang even more earrings. I found the smallest nails I could and nailed one on each outer side of the crate, being careful not to nail them all the way through. Then I took nylon beading wire and wrapped it around the nail and tied it in a knot then trimmed the excess wire. I threaded the wire through the middle of the crate and then threaded crimp beads on the wire and used pliers to crimp them down. The crimp beads are used so the earrings don't all slide to the middle of the wire. How many crimp beads you use and how far apart you place them is up to you. Then I wrapped the remaining side of the wire around the other nail and tied it off in a knot and trimmed the excess.

My wire went directly across the middle of the shelf both width and depth wise and I chose not to put anything else below the wire because I knew my earrings would hang down and I wanted to use the bottom of the crate as a shelf for bracelets and other jewelry.

Next, I put in my hooks for necklaces, I spaced 9 crown bolts (they look like hooks with a screw on the end) about 1/2 an inch apart. I used the pointy end of the hook to make an indent in the wood as a measured each 1/2 an inch apart. Then using a very small drill bit, I drilled a hole where each hook would go. Make sure not to drill all the way through the wood! And make sure your drill bit is smaller than the screw portion of the hook. Then screw in each hook. I then did a row of 3 hooks behind the first row, just add a little more functionality.

Look at that, we're almost done! Now flip the shelf over to the backside (I didn't paint the back of my shelf since it will be up against the wall). Place your sawtooth hangar in the middle with equal distance between each end of the hangar and the end of the shelf. Drill a small hole where the screw will go on each side, using a mini screw driver, screw the small screws that come with the sawtooth hangar in place to secure the hangar.

Now hang your shelf and get to organizing!

Love, Luck, and Happiness!

German Potato Salad With Bacon and Vinegar

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Potato Salad with BACON and a tasty dressing made from BACON drippings and vinegar. Holy smokes, Batman! I'm in heaven.

To tell you the truth, I have a major issue with traditional potato salad, it's much like my issue with coleslaw. I like potatoes, and I don't mind mayo... but put them together and I'm like NO, thank you. Also, I have a big hangup with the fact that both potato salad and coleslaw are cold dishes. I really prefer my food hot. Regular old sandwich, not for me thank you very much. Toasty warm meatball sub? Yes, please. Cold pizza? Why?! Seriously, just why? Like I said, I really enjoy my food hot... except for sushi, that I like cold, no baked rolls for me. No siree. I'm quite the strange eater when it comes to food temperatures. Unlike, my husband who will devour anything cold. He's been known to eat my paleo chili cold and whatever else I send with him for lunch forgetting that he has no access to a microwave at work and is probably too lazy to use one even if he did. So, where am I going with this whole rant? Potato salad. It's weird to me. Cold potatoes. When do you ever eat potatoes cold? Mayo. Not bad in theory, but kinda gross when potatoes are smothered in it. Celery. Whhhyyyy?! BUT, GERMAN potato salad, now that's something I can get on board with. Replace the mayo with vinegar? Why yes, don't mind if I do. Have I mentioned that salt and vinegar almonds are one of my favorite things. Yes, there is such a thing as and no they aren't weird at all. But this potato salad really had me at one beautiful word - bacon. Baaacccooon. Bacon. Bacon.

I mean seriously how could you go wrong smothering potatoes in bacon drippings? It's a match mad in potato salad heaven. It's sexy, tangy, and just a little bit naughty.

This is seriously going to be summertime go to side dish. You should make it yours also.

German Potato Salad with Bacon and Vinegar

recipe modified from here

Makes 6 side servings

(PRINTABLE)

2 to 2 1/4 pounds waxy potatoes - I used red potatoes and baby Yukon golds - unpeeled and sliced using a mandolin to 1/8 to 1/4 inch slices

6 bacon slices, chopped - I recommend thick cut nitrate free applewood smoked bacon (I get mine at Trader Joe's)

1/2 a large brown onion, finely diced

2/3 cup white wine vinegar

1/3 cup water

2 teaspoons coarse grained mustard (I used garlic coarse grained mustard and it was great!)

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons KOSHER salt (less if using table salt)

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
3 green onions - chopped

Wash your potatoes. Leave the skin on and slice using a mandolin. I chose to use a combination of baby Yukon golds and baby red potatoes and it was a very nice combination that I would highly recommend.

Place potato slices in a large steamer basket and steam for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender in the middle of the slices. Mine took 15 minutes. When done steaming, remove potatoes and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, add chopped bacon to a hot pan. (Honestly, I say 6 pieces bacon in the ingredient list, but I wouldn't hesitate to use 7 pieces.) Sauté bacon until browned and crispy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove cooked bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Discard all but 2 1/2 tablespoons bacon drippings. It seems like a lot, but this is the base of your dressing. Sauté chopped onion in bacon drippings for about 3 to 4 minutes until onions soften. Add the white wine vinegar, water, mustard, sugar, salt (it seems like a lot of salt, but it's needed - I use coarse grain kosher salt), and fresh ground pepper. Whisk ingredients together. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, until mixture is reduced to about 2/3 cup. I eyeballed this. Remove from heat.

Add potatoes to the pan and spoon mixture over the potatoes. Try to separate the slices so that dressing gets on each piece of potato. Mix in the bacon and chopped green onion. Add more salt and pepper to taste if desired (I didn't). Transfer to a bowl and serve warm. DELICIOUS!

Side Note: The original recipe calls for fresh dill, but I hate dill so I skipped it. I can't imagine it needing it, it is so flavorful without it and the green onion I added gives it a pop of color. But if you are into dill go ahead and add it! The original recipe called for 1/4 cup fresh dill.

Love, Luck, and Happiness!

Guest Posting! Crispy Chicken Thighs in a Delicious Sauce!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 14:41:00 +0000

I'm so excited to be guest posting today over at Arsy's lovely blog Rubies and Radishes. Rubies and Radishes is a beautiful paleo blog with delicious recipes and great photos! The recipe I'm sharing today is paleo and delicious! It cooks up in just your cast iron skillet (one of my favorite kitchen items!) so there is minimal clean up, which is always nice. This recipe came together when I bought a bunch of those little cuties (clementines) that are on sale and chicken thighs, which were also on sale. I always have kale on hand for kale salad, so I decided to throw the three together and see what happened.

Magic happened. This dish is so good. I seriously want to make it every day. Crispy chicken skin, moist meat, wilted yet still crisp kale, and a delicious orange sauce with no added sugar!

Head over to Rubies and Radishes to check it out!

Love, Luck, and Happiness!

Inspired by the Irish: Colcannon with a Twist

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Saint Patty's Day is this Sunday!! This day holds a special day in my heart since it is the day Adam proposed. I can't believe it was just one year ago that he asked me to marry him and now we are married and buying our first home! What an amazing year it has been! I love him more than I ever thought I could one year ago. (Awwww... so cheesy. But true.)

So to celebrate this special day and our one year anniversary of being engaged that Adam refuses to recognize (he believes we should only have one anniversary, our wedding anniversary, how boring), I've created a kinda Irish recipe for you! Why kinda? Well, think of it as a recipe that represents the 1/4 Irish that Adam didn't know he was until I had a conversation with his grandma. Plus, I really just wanted to make mashed potatoes with spinach in it, which reminds me of this Irish dish called colcannon. Colcannon is mashed potatoes with lots of butter and mixed with cabbage or kale. I realize that my version isn't exactly what you would call traditional and that might defeat the whole purpose of posting something Irish for Saint Patrick's Day, but at the very least it's a dish with green in it! So you can't blog pinch me!

I love to use gold Yukon potatoes instead of russets and I'm not a fan of using a blender to mash my mashed potatoes, a simple wooden spoon works fine for me. Someday, someone (ahem, Adam - stocking stuffer idea!) will buy me a real potato masher, then I may or may not use it. You see, I have very specific thoughts on mashed potatoes - if you are interested in hearing them (I mean, why wouldn't you be?) check out my recipe for Roasted Garlic Creamy Mashed Potatoes.

These Irish-ish mashed potatoes meet all my requirements for delicious and flavorful mashed potatoes. Plus, they are great to get some green into your child, or in my case, husband's, diet. Honestly who could turn down mashed potatoes loaded with butter, even if it's studded with healthy spinach?

Come on, you know you want to get your kinda Irish on.

Mashed Potatoes with Spinach

Makes 6 -8 side servings

(PRINTABLE)

2 pounds yukon gold potatoes, peeled

2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 cup milk (I used whole, but you can use whatever you like)

6 tablespoons butter (I use Irish Kerrygold butter, it's seriously the most flavorful butter and it's from grass-fed cows! Healthier diet for them means better butter for you.)

fresh ground pepper to taste

2 cups baby spinach, measured then chopped

Ok, so there are two ways you could do the cooking / peeling of the potatoes, it just depends on where you want to spend your time.

1. You could peel them and cut them into quarters then place in a pot with water and 1 teaspoon salt and bring them to a boil and boil until fork tender.

2. You could wash them and place them whole in a pot with water and 1 teaspoon salt and bring them to a boil until fork tender. It will take them longer to boil, but once they are cooked and cooled enough to handle you can simply peel the skins off using your hands or a small paring knife.

Using desired method boil potatoes until fork tender. Drain water from the pot and place peeled potatoes back in the pot and over medium-low heat on the stove.

Add 5 tablespoons butter, milk, 3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt (depending on your tastes), and ground pepper to the pot. Mash potatoes using a wooden spoon or potato masher.

Add chopped spinach and stir to incorporate it into the mashed potatoes. Constantly stir while continuing to cook over medium-low heat until spinach has wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve potatoes with a large pat of butter on top!

Love, Luck, and Happiness!

Espresso Mini Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Sometimes you just need a little pick me up. Especially if your "pillow situation" isn't working out very well. What do you mean you don't have a "pillow situation"? I envy you, my friend. I really do. I have a serious pillow situation. It involves four different pillows, endless combinations of them, and constantly switching them around to get just the right level of pillow perfection that will bring me solid sleep and a neck that doesn't feel like it got run over by a freight train in the morning. Although, the neck thing could be because I sometimes choose to forgo the pillows entirely and lay curled up in this weird position with my head halfway down the bed and hanging off the side. Still, I blame the pillow situation.

But the point of this story is that sometimes you just need a little pick me up, and when you don't drink coffee but find yourself with a bag of ground espresso in your pantry, that little pick me up comes in the form of Espresso Mini Muffins with Chocolate Ganache. And don't ask how I ended up with that bag of ground espresso in a non-coffee drinking household, that's a story for another day and another post.

Look at those little babies! Ohhhh yeah. AND guess what? They are gluten-free and grain-free! They are the perfect cross between a breakfast muffin and a dessert with their delicious chocolate ganache frosting. They've got a hint of espresso and are nice and fluffy despite being entirely flour-less! They are a great morning snack and the perfect pick me up for when your pillow situation has got you down. Or if you are normal, and not partially crazy when it comes to pillows like me, then they are the perfect pick me up for anytime you need one! Or even if you don't!

Espresso Mini Muffins with Chocolate Ganache

Makes 12 mini muffins

(PRINTABLE)

For the muffins:
3/4 cup almond meal/flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1 tablespoon ground espresso beans
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons coconut oil + more for greasing
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the chocolate ganache:
2 oz dark chocolate
2 tablespoons coconut milk

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a mini muffin tin well with coconut oil.

In a food processor combine all the dry ingredients for the muffins. Pulse to combine.

Add in the wet ingredients for the muffins and mix on high until everything is nice and smooth.

Fill greased muffin tins 3/4 of the way full. You should have just enough to make 12, if you really scrape the bowl clean.

Bake for 8-9 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Do NOT over bake!

Allow muffins to cool.

Make the ganache. In a microwave safe bowl combine the coconut milk and chocolate, microwave for 30 seconds, stir, microwave for 15 more seconds if it is not melted. Be careful not to burn it.

Top muffins with desired amount of ganache. Enjoy!

Love, Luck, and Happiness!

Paleo Chili

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Soooooo, guys, I have a problem.

The new job has lunch catered every day.

Every single freaking day.

From restaurants.
GOOD ONES!

Are you grasping the enormity of this?! My two favorite things in life, well besides my husband, and my dog, and my family, and my friends, and... well it's hard to pick favorite things, but if I had to, I would have to say my two favorite things (besides all those other things) are 1. food. 2. FREE food. Or maybe it's vice versa. Soooo... my point is... I've been pigging out. Maj. (Is that how the cool kids abbreviate "majorly"?)

But I have a solution!

And it comes in the form of more food! I needed something that would give me enough satisfaction that I would be able to turn down FREE food catered from restaurants, and paleo chili is just the thing to come to the rescue! This paleo chili is so, so, so, so good. I mean, it's good. Are you picking up what I'm putting down? Lot's of meat and sweet potatoes and a slightly tangy sauce. Plus you can whip it up in about 45 minutes! If that's not a life saver I don't know what is.

Seriously. Try it for yourself! Paleo chili is the way to go. You won't even miss the beans. Who really wants beans in their chili anyways?

P.S. You'll probably want to make a double batch - just double the ingredients below. The extras freeze great!

Paleo Chili

Adapted from Health-Bent

4 servings

(PRINTABLE)

1 pound ground beef (I use grass-fed ground beef 85/15 from Trader Joe's)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced small
1 - 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 1/2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon hot sauce (I use Tapitio)
2 tablespoons lime juice

*Side note - don't be afraid of 85/15 GRASS-FED beef. The fat in it is healthy fat since it is coming from animals that ate nutritious and natural grass as their diet.

Chop onions and bell pepper. Place a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.

I've found that I can brown my meat and sauté the onions and bell pepper at the same time. If the meat has enough fat in it there is no need to add any extra oil for sautéing the onions and peppers. Throw your meat, onions, and bell pepper into the pot on the stove. Using a spatula or wooden spoon break up the meat as it browns into small pieces.

Once the meat is browned and the onions are soft, drain fat if needed. I usually push the meat and vegetables to one side and use a paper towel to soak up some of the fat. But I leave some for flavor!

Next, add your crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock, and all spices except hot sauce and lime juice. Stir well. Add your peeled and diced sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes or until sweet potatoes are fork tender.

Add hot sauce and lime juice. Taste. Adjust seasonings as needed.

Enjoy a healthy and satisfying lunch... dinner... or even breakfast (just throw an egg on top!).

Love, Luck, and Happiness!

Lacinato Kale Salad: Three ways!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Happy Monday!

I actually shouldn't be that excited that it's Monday because, well, it's MONDAY, and this marks the end of my two week "vacation". And I say "vacation" because 2 weeks of packing up one house, cleaning the heck out of it, and then moving into another, cleaning the heck out of it and unpacking hardly is my dream vacation. (Maybe that's why I posted about my dream vacation last Monday.) But I'm back to work! At a whole new job! In a whole new field! Yep, my days of making crappy reality programming have come to an end. Lot's of changes happening over here. In fact, so many that my mind can't completely comprehend, so I'm just gonna talk about kale instead of all the changes. Kale cures everything, right? Even extreme anxiety over the mass amount of quickly happening changes in ones life?

I do have to admit that this kale-cures-everything theory is new to me. Up until recently, I actually didn't really like kale. Yep, I said it, a food blogger semi health nut like me, didn't really like kale. (I feel like that is something I should never admit out loud on a food blog.) But since I've changed my ways, I've come to terms with my former kale hating self. And I'm glad to say she's gone. Now, I freaking LOVE kale. So much growing and self exploration happening over here lately.

I have one person to thank for helping me turn over a new leaf (quite literally!), and Adam has one person to blame for his recent forced mass consumption of kale, and that is Jacquelyn over at Marin Mama Cooks. She swears by her lacinato kale salad, even her kids love it. I knew it was my duty as a food blogger to give kale one more shot.

This salad is incredibly easy and uses ingredients you most likely have on hand. The key is the lacinato kale or tuscan kale, dinosaur kale, Italian kale, whatever you want to call it, it is so much better than that curly kale stuff. Ugh. I went to a restaurant the other day and ordered a kale salad thinking hey I like kale now, I can order a kale salad! Then I got a bowl of curly kale with dressing that clearly was not massaged into it (more on that later) and I was like nope, turns out I only like lacinato kale. But that's just me, maybe you like curly kale. Good for you! I aspire to be like you one day, but for now I'll just have to be very specific about my kale intake.

Back to the salad, the other key to making this salad work is to get in there and massage the dressing, yes with your hands, into the kale leaves. Really work it on in there, it's kinda fun! Then let the salad relax for a while and soak up all the olive oil, garlic, lemon goodness. (Or serve right away if you are like me and poor at time management.) This salad can last up to 5 days in the fridge (maybe even more!) and the leaves retain their crispness even after being slathered in dressing. Go kale, you rock! I make a big batch on Sunday and use it throughout the week for lunches, dinner, and occasional snaking while in the car. It's that good.

And this kale salad is versatile! (I'm starting to feel like I'm an infomercial for kale salad.)

If you buy now, we'll throw in a free "I heart kale" bumper sticker! And, if you don't like it after 60 days your money back is guranteeeedddd!

Just kidding about that last part, you shouldn't keep kale salad for 60 days. It will go bad. And I'm not giving you any money. And I don't have "I heart kale" bumper stickers... yet.

So, Kale Salad: Three Ways.

1. With lots of grated parmesan.

2. With crunchy buttered bread crumbs.

3. With sliced almonds and dried cranberries.

Basically, any way you top it, this salad is bound to be in constant rotation at your house, I mean if it can turn a kale hater like me into a (lacinato only) kale lover what will it do for you if you already like kale?!! Oh, the wonders!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get working on my "I heart kale" bumper stickers.

Lacinato Kale Salad

adapted from Marin Mama Cooks

makes 4-6 servings

(PRINTABLE)

1very large bunch or two small bunches lacinato kale (also can be called dinosaur kale or tuscan kale), large stems removed and thinly sliced

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

Juice of one lemon - about 2 - 3 tablespoons

pinch of salt to taste (go easy on the salt if you are adding parmesan)

a nice big grind of fresh ground pepper

crushed red pepper to taste - I like a lot

To destem the kale, cut or pull the leaves away from the stem. Stack the destemmed leaves together and thinly slice. Place in a large bowl.

Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper in a small bowl or measuring cup. Whisk well. Pour dressing over kale and massage it into the leaves using your hands. Let kale rest for 5 minutes to well... I've gone as long as 5 days. Top with desired optional toppings before serving and toss again.

Optional Toppings:

Grated parmesan

handful of sliced almonds and dried cranberries

Toasted Buttered Bread Crumbs:

2 Tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

Melt butter and olive oil in pan over medium heat. Once melted, add breadcrumbs and stir. Breadcrumbs should absorb all the butter and olive oil, add more breadcrumbs if needed. Toast, stirring frequently until breadcrumbs become golden in color. Remove from heat and allow to cool before topping kale salad with the toasted breadcrumbs.

Love, Luck, and Happiness!

Belize Honeymoon

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Annett) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Today is a little day of celebration! We moved into our house over the weekend! So I decided to treat myself, and torture you, with a completely selfish post about our honeymoon! And because, I finally finished all my wedding posts, and I'm, of course, having wedding post withdrawals. In fact, it's not just posting about the wedding I'm having withdrawals from, I'm having wedding related EVERYTHING withdrawals! I wonder if Adam would be up for renewing our vows in a year... hmm...

KIDDING! Kidding... kinda.

{Honeymoon in Belize on Ambergris Caye}

But I haven't talked about possibly the best thing about having a wedding, well besides the whole marrying the person you love thing and getting a Kitchen Aid mixer as a wedding present, and that is the honeymoon! I can not express how happy I am that we decided to go on a long honeymoon immediately after the wedding. It's totally worth the credit card bill we are currently paying off. And that is a testament to how awesome this honeymoon was because that money could really come in handy now with the whole house thing. But, for me, it was just what I needed to start our married lives together (and to recoup from the madness of wedding planning). I can't see myself having been ready to buy a house (and all the scary grown up settling down implications that come with it) without getting a little bit of the travel bug out of my system first.

{Snorkel Trip to Mexico Rocks}

We decided on Belize after extensive ~~fights~~ discussions about where to go. Let's just say, the right side won. Quite literally, if you are looking at the picture above. (Get it! I'm on the right.) And it turned out to be everything I dreamed of and none of the negative stuff Adam conjured up in his crazy head. Love you, hunny.

{Canoeing Down the Macal River}

Belize is incredible. Looking at these pictures makes me miss it so much. What I wanted in a honeymoon was a little bit, well really a lot, of adventure, some relaxation, good food, and of course quality time with my new hubby. A friend suggested Belize because she had some friends who just went there on their honeymoon and loved it. It was the perfect fit for us because it offered the adventure I craved and the ability to kick it on the beach as well.

{At Chaa Creek Resort Before Our Amazing Massages}

{Garnaches Poolside at Chaa Creek Resort}

We went for 10 glorious days. And no, it wasn't too long. It was just perfect. We split the trip into two portions. Five days in the Cayo District of inland Belize near San Ignacio and only about a half hour from the Guatemala border and five days on the island of Ambergris Caye.

What we loved so much about our time in Belize is that the two portions of the trip felt like completely different vacations. The landscape, food, culture, and activities were totally unique to the two regions we visited. It felt like such a bargain getting two different vacations in one vacation! If that makes any sense. Belize is also such a small country, under 350,000 people in the whole country, that we found ourselves continually running into the same people, albeit tourists. We ran into our friends from our time inland at our jungle resort at a restaurant on the island. The people who took our photo on the top of a Mayan ruin in Guatemala ending up staying at the same resort as at the beach. It was crazy! We made some good friends and had a few nights that are both hard to remember (oh, Belize rum and Belikin beer) and hard to forget.

{Rum Drink}

{Belikin Beer}

I can't say enough good things about Belize. The people were friendly, the food was great, I always felt safe, and it was adventurous. We went hiking in an ancient Mayan sacrificial cave and walked among pottery and skeletons! from 800 AD or earlier. The coolest part about this was that you had to hike 45 minutes, forge a river three times and swim through a lagoon to get into the cave. Once in the cave you waded through water, squeezed through rocks and eventually came upon a huge open room with bits of Mayan history left exactly where the the Mayans left them. Nothing has been moved, there are no ropes and rails. It's just you and your guide (and a few other guides and tourist that you encounter along the way). This was our favorite thing we did in Belize, but no cameras were allowed so I don't have any pictures. But I wouldn't feel right talking about the honeymoon and not mentioning our experience at Actun Tunichil Muknal. That cave was a once in a lifetime experience. Another favorite, venturing across the border (with a guide) to Guatemala to see the Mayan ruins of Tikal.

{Tikal}

{View From the Top of a Temple at Tikal}

{Cave Tubing}

{Ziplining in the Rain}

We went during the low season. And it was very much the LOW season. We were the only ones at our resort in the jungle for the first 2 days. And when we got to our resort on the island it had just opened the day before. It actually made the trip really enjoyable. No crowds on tours and stuff like that. And it only rained 3 times in the 10 days we were there and it never really was much of a bother.

{View from inside a Cave looking Out}

{Tamales in Guatemala}

{Our Cabin at Our Jungle Resort - Crystal Paradise}

Our jungle resort was secluded and we went on tours most days we were there. Meals were served family style at the resort and were home cooked by the family that lived at and owned the resort.

{Our Resort Dog, Shane, on the Island}

{Traditional Belize Fast Food}

{At the Belize Zoo}

{Tiny Plane to the Cayes (Islands)}

{Island Feast}

{Fresh Coconut!}

{Our favorite Bar on Ambergris Caye - The Palapa Bar}

{Our room at White Sands Cove Resort}

We went on two snorkeling trips while on the island our favorite was Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley where we got to snorkel with nurse sharks and sting rays!!

{Coconut Shrimp}

The whole experience was out of this world! I would highly recommend Belize if you are looking for a vacation / honeymoon that is both adventurous and relaxing.

{Our Last Night in Belize}

Where did you / do you want to go on your honeymoon?

Love, Luck, and Happiness!

An Archaeological Guide to Northern Central America: Belize, Guatemala (Google Affiliate Ad)