The Everyday

I do a lot of experimenting with new recipes. Pinterest is an all-time favorite of mine. I'm on it multiple times a week. Even when I was in over my head last year, up to my ears in school and work, I always had time for Pinterest. But there are several recipes I come back to time and again. These are the recipes I've perfected over the years or have been family favorites for decades. These are the "comfort food" recipes in my life! I hope they inspire creativity for you! These recipes are easy to make, hard to screw up, and fairly budget conscious. If you try them, let me know what you think! I'm always curious to know what others think of my recipes and opinions! What are some of your favorites?

Paglio e Fieno: This is an old family recipe. My grandmother's cousin runs a restaurant in Connecticut that serves this "family style". The picture above is my gluten free/kinda paleo version of it using zoodles. I do love my spiralizer! I also usually substitute ham for the prosciutto, as it's cheaper. This recipe is similar: Straw and Hay Pasta


Schezuan Green Beans: A grocery blog here in town posted this years ago as one of their favorite family dinners. We've been hooked ever since too! Extremely easy to modify to gluten free and/or Paleo by using gluten free soy sauce or coconut aminos. The original recipe comes from Cook's Illustrated, a recipe website that you have to subscribe to to access but someone else has posted it HERE

Halal Chicken and Rice: This is a fairly new favorite that I originally had with my brother, Jeremy, on a trip to NYC. It's a street cart food there and has since grown to be one of my family's all-time favorites (actually, currently my mother is addicted to it. We've had it 3-4 times in the last month). I don't have one single recipe for this. It's pieced together from several different ones with my own tweaks but I've already blogged about it so the recipe can be found HERE.

Swedish Meatballs: My mom has been making these since I was little. They're also easy to recreate gluten free. Just substitute gluten free breadcrumbs (we like Aleia's brand best) and thicken the sauce with tapioca. And while traditionally swedish meatballs are served over egg noodles, I grew up with them over rice. Because, well, my mom is Chinese. What do you expect?! The recipe can be found HERE. 

Oatmeal Pork Chops: Yet another easily made gluten free meal. I couldn't find an exact recipe that is the same that we make but this ONE is similar. We usually pan fry them though, not bake them. Baking would be healthier though :). We just use gluten free oats. Bob's Red Mill oats are a good option. Serve them with applesauce and you've got one great meal! 

Restarting

I'll be honest with you. I have failed on Whole30. I really don't like it. It's restrictive and boring. I know, I know. You were going to say there's hundreds of things I could eat, right?! Yes, but my body wasn't really responding to it. Still too high in sugar, I guess.

So I'll stick with the sugar detox, thank you very much. I started that yesterday, we'll see how it goes! I've liked it in the past.

I made a couple of new recipes today. Do you like the pics? I got a new iPhone 6s and the camera is a noticeable improvement! The chicken piccata is gluten free, dairy free, Paleo, and Whole30. But definitely not flavor-free. Bursting with a light, lemony flavor, it invokes dreams of summer. The spaghetti squash isn't dairy free but could easily be made without the cheese.

Chicken Piccata

Serves 4

• 2-3 chicken breasts, filleted or pounded thin
• 1/4 cup arrowroot starch, divided (or cornstarch or rice flour, whatever you'd like)
• 4 T olive oil
• 2 T butter or ghee
• 2 T lemon juice
• 2 T capers, drained
• 1 c chicken broth
• 1/4 c white wine
• 4 T fresh parsley, chopped fine
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Lemons, thinly sliced

- Sprinkle several tablespoons of arrowroot on a small plate. Dredge filleted chicken breasts in the starch
- Heat olive oil in a large frying pan
- Fry chicken breasts until cooked through and golden brown
- Remove breasts to a paper towel lined plate to drain
- To frying pan, add butter and 2 T more arrowroot starch, to form a roux
- Add white wine and cook for several minutes to burn off the alcohol
- Add lemon juice, capers, and chicken stock to pan and whisk till slightly thickened (you can add more stock if the sauce is too thick)
- Add chicken back to pan and heat to simmering
- Lay lemon slices on top and sprinkle with parsley. Serve hot over pasta or zoodles or the spaghetti squash below!

Bacon and Romano Spaghetti Squash
Serves 4

1 large spaghetti squash

4-6 slices bacon
1/2 cup fresh spinach
1 T olive oil
3 T grated Romano cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

- Cut spaghetti squash in half. Place in baking pan, open side down, with 1 cup of water in bottom
- Bake squash at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes, until tender but not mushy
- Meanwhile, fry bacon in a frying pan. Drain on a paper towel and chop roughly
- Once squash is cooked, take a fork and scrape out into a bowl
- Add olive oil to fry pan and saute spinach until just wilted.
- Add squash, bacon, cheese, and salt and pepper to the spinach. Toss to coat and serve hot

Sugar withdrawals

Sugar addiction is real, people! And it can produce VERY real symptoms. All day today (and it's only day 2!), I've had a jittery feeling and a terrible headache! Not a migraine, so that's good, but an intense headache all the same. I've also been dreaming about how good a Dr. Pepper would taste right about now. And a Haagen Dazs Bar. Or the rum cakes that I got for gifts for friends from the Cayman Islands last week. They're sitting in my room taunting me! A green apple and almond butter as "dessert" didn't cut it. I need chocolate, folks!

Ok, no more whining. The creators of the Whole30 are big about not whining. It's 30 days, right? I can do anything for 30 days. A quote from their book says "It is not hard. Don't you dare tell us this is hard. Quitting heroin is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Drinking your coffee black. IS. NOT. HARD. You won't get any coddling, and you won't get any sympathy for your 'struggles'". Ok, I'm done.

I spent most of the day in the kitchen prepping all kinds of yummy food. My "Against All Grain" cookbook got a workout. As did her blog :) For lunch I made buffalo chicken tenders, dairy-free ranch dressing, and homemade sweet potato fries. My mom got these sweet potato tater tots from Alexia foods the other day and omg, are they delicious. However, they are NOT Whole30 or Paleo approved. So I resorted to sweet potato fries. They were good too. I also had a cucumber-tomato salad and sauteed zucchini.

Next, I made some vegetable soup to keep in the frig. It's a good snack. I also made homemade ketchup because I needed it for the ribs I was making for dinner. You can find that recipe HERE. And last but not least, I made sticky asian ribs. A recipe I designed myself. I've been craving PF Chang's ribs and decided to try and recreate it. Wow, were they yummy! Took forever though. I marinated them overnight and then they roasted in the oven for 3 hours. But they were totally worth it. My family had them with brown rice and mixed veggies. I reheated some mashed cauliflower. I think you'll love this recipe. And if you don't, lie and say you did :)

Asian Sticky Ribs

For the sauce:

1 cup ketchup (a Paleo recipe can be found HERE)
2 T rice vinegar
2 T sesame oil
2 T coconut aminos (or gluten free soy if not on Whole30)
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp sriracha sauce 
2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

2 lbs baby back ribs

Note: I would add 2 T honey if not on Whole30. I think it needed some sweetener.

Directions:
- Mix sauce ingredients together. 
- Baste ribs with 1/2 the sauce and marinate overnight (I know it's hard but these ribs need to be marinated overnight. Just do it)
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees. You could also roast them on an outdoor grill over low heat.
-Place ribs on large cookie sheet. Baste ribs with more sauce, cover with tin foil and roast for 3 hours. Slow and steady wins the race, right? Baste every hour or so. 
- Any leftover sauce can be used for dipping. Serve hot and with plenty of moist towelettes! 

Migraines, beware!

Ugh, sometimes my body really irritates me! Lately, I'm back to regularly taking migraine medication. And not the over the counter, Excedrin stuff, but the prescription, heavy-duty, wipes-me-out-for-the-afternoon kind. I just got back from a cruise with a friend of mine and a migraine put me in bed for a whole afternoon one of the days! Not cool, not cool at all! I tried to cut back on the wheat while I was away. Gluten-free bread for sandwiches, tell the waiter "no bread, please" every night when they were passing around those warm, addicting, sourdough rolls. Sigh, life is hard. ;)

So, when I got home, I decided to try and take my health back! I'm going to try something new though. Instead of the 21 day sugar detox (which works quite well every time I've done it), I'm going to do the Whole30. Has anyone ever tried it? It's very similar to the detox, except it adds in more fruits and potatoes. So that's nice. I'm not much of a potato person but it does give a different starch to play around with from time to time. It's not on the menu for this week though. Maybe I'll grab a couple for next week.

Also, I'm modifying a bit and adding in some hard cheeses. I don't have a problem with dairy and the cheeses I'll add will be additive free, organic, and I'll try to stick with mostly raw. I got some raw Gouda today at Sprouts. Yum Yum!

My snack from today: Gouda, ham, and a bit of pear

So there you have it. I've got a BUNCH of new recipes up my sleeve. Look for them soon (like tomorrow. I've got a new ribs recipe marinating in the frig right now)!

A New Year... times of transition and rejuvenation

A new year is starting in just a few days and it's an exciting (and maybe a bit anxiety filled as well) time for me. I FINALLY graduated from college! After a 6 1/2 year journey, I'm done. At least for a little while. So now it's time to look for jobs and start a life on my own! When I started this journey of going back to school, I was living with 5 girls and was newly unemployed. I decided a career in healthcare was the best option for me. I had been laid off 3 times in less than 2 years and my career choice just wasn't panning out. Event management is so fickle. I love it but whenever companies start to have troubles, the 5 and 6 figure events are the first thing on the chopping block. I didn't like the outlook on my career life. Constantly looking for new work is tough!

So, I thought the sciences were the best way to go. I was sure I would never struggle to find work with a science degree, especially as a woman. There's just not that many of us. Looking back on it, I'm not sure it was the greatest idea on my part. It's been a tough journey for me. It's just not a strong suit of mine, especially the chemistry that I was required to do. I'm much more creative minded instead of logical. But I made it. I'm alive, although there were definitely moments of doubt and many nights of tears and anxiety.

I think God really protected me this last semester. Last spring, I was suffering from debilitating migraines and even landed myself in the hospital when my arm went numb and they thought I was having a stroke. I was falling further and further behind and to be honest, I wasn't even sure if I would pass the semester. But my professors were so understanding and they got me caught up and on track to graduate. This fall semester, I got a wonderful new job that allowed me to do homework and thanks to a combination of medication and diet, my migraines have almost disappeared! So even though I actually increased my school load to 8 classes (a total of 19 credits. I actually needed to get special permission to take that many) and work hours, I finished with a better GPA and a healthier body and mind. I know many of you were praying for me this past semester and I just wanted to say thank you and your prayers were felt!

So, in conclusion, here's a new recipe or two for you. Because that is what I blog about! I got a bunch of new kitchen/household items for Christmas this year as I venture out on my own and these recipes allowed me to use 4 of my new gadgets :) Thanks mom and Jeremy! Enjoy!

Chicken Mulligatawny Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup carrot, chopped

2 bay leaves 

2 Tbsp curry powder

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

3 cups chicken stock (homemade is best!)

2 cups water

1 Tbsp sea salt

1/3 cup green apple, diced

1/4 cup basmati rice (or substitute 1 cup chopped cauliflower)

1/4 cup coconut cream (I used Trader Joe's)

1. Saute onions, celery, and carrots in olive oil for 5-6 minutes until onions are translucent. Add curry and bay leaf and stir to coat.

2, Add chicken thighs, stock, salt, and water. Simmer for 45 minutes until thighs are tender. 

3. Remove thighs onto a cutting board and chop or shred into small pieces. Add back to soup.

4. Add rice and apples to pot. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes until rice is tender. 

5. Stir in coconut cream. Serve hot!

Cilantro-Lime Dressing

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup water

2 tsp lime juice

1 Tbsp honey

Salt and Pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a tall blender bottle or glass measuring cup. Blend together with an immersion blender or regular blender. Pour over salad. We serve this over a mandarin orange salad. Very yummy! 

A Warm Up

So... week one down. Two more to go. It's strange to me that this time through the 21-day Sugar Detox seems different to me. I feel different and have different symptoms than when I went through the plan last year. Last year, I didn't feel very well day 3 and 4. This time, it was only day 1 that I felt tired and had a headache. And I'm not really sure if that had anything to do with the detox or not. But I've been SO hungry this whole week. Like all the time. Doesn't seem to matter what I eat, two hours later, I'm hungry again. While this sugar detox isn't about limiting how much you eat, just what you eat, I don't want or need to consume 2,000 calories everyday! I don't think I need that many calories in my day! I'm not athletic (just stating facts!) and I'd like to continue losing weight! 

Last year, I also just felt better after the first 5 or 6 days. I slept better, was more energized, and my body just seemed to like the eating plan better. I can't describe it really, but my body seems to be rebelling this time. It's not something I can really put my finger on though. I still sleep fine, for the most part. It's summer and I have plenty of time to sleep in if need be :) Ah, the sleep of a student on summer break. It's heavenly. And rapidly coming to an end. But I digress. 

I don't know. It's just not the same. But I'll continue. Maybe next week will be better. I have lost 6.8 pounds so far. So there's that :) 

Here's a new recipe for you all. I had this dish for the first time from a food truck in Manhattan a few years ago. It's now my mom's absolute favorite! I don't think it tastes exactly like the one I had in NYC but it's still super yummy. I made it with cauliflower rice for myself but everyone else ate it with regular white rice. 

P.S. The Harissa red sauce can be found at Briarmart on Academy and Woodman if you're wondering. It comes in a bright yellow (very expensive!) can. Or buy it online at Amazon. I'm not sure if it's available anywhere else in town. Maybe Whole Foods? 

Halal Chicken and Rice (recipe pieced together from Serious Eats, Huffington Post, and my own tweaks) 

Chicken Marinade

• 2 T lemon juice
• 1 T chopped (or dried) oregano
• 1/2 t ground coriander
• 3 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/2 c plain greek yogurt
• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
• Kosher salt

• Directions:
• Mix spices, lemon juice, yogurt, and 2 T olive oil together in large bowl. Add chicken and marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Preheat grill and grill chicken until fully cooked inside. Roughly chop and set aside. 

White Sauce

8 oz Greek Yogurt

1/2 c mayonaise (I use Spectrum because it doesn't have sugar in it)

1 T salt

1 T vinegar

1 T lemon juice

1 T olive oil

2-3 garlic cloves

2 tsp dill (dried or fresh is fine)
1 T horseradish (not that horseradish mayo stuff. The real stuff!) 

1 T water

• Directions: Blend all ingredients together (I used an immersion blender) and chill for a couple hours. 

Other Ingredients

Lettuce, shredded

Roma tomato, diced

Harissa red sauce, for drizzling

Layer chicken over rice. Top with lettuce, tomato, white and red sauce. Serve warm. 

Round and Round We Go

I've decided to start the 21 day Sugar Detox again. Yesterday was my first day and I had a terrible headache all day! I'm not sure if it was because of the detox, or if I would have developed it anyway. I don't usually experience symptoms the first day on any diet. Usually it's 2-3 days in.

My mom has been doing the detox as well for about a month now. She felt terrible for about 2 full weeks! Although, she went with the Ketogenic plan instead of Paleo. Keto is much lower in carbs than Paleo is. They try to stay under 25 grams of Carbohydrates per day! To put that into perspective, a roma tomato (something we've been eating A LOT of lately) has 7 grams of carbs in a single tomato. Man, oh man! That is difficult to adhere to! I applaud my mom :)

I made some Indian food for dinner. While it was a recipe I had made many times before, I didn't love the way it came out. I'm not sure why. The only thing different I did was use tomato sauce instead of tomato paste. I didn't have any paste in the house at the moment. But normally, it's one of our family's favorite meals. I also made Against All Grain's Saffron Cauliflower Rice to go along with it. You can find the recipe HERE. We usually eat it with regular rice, when not sugar detoxing!

Originally, this recipe I found online somewhere. However, over the years, I've adapted it substantially to suit our tastes. I don't know what the original recipe was like anymore! LOL

Indian Butter Chicken 

Ingredients 

1 lb Boneless, Skinless Chicken (either breasts or thighs), cleaned and cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
Salt - to taste
1/3 C Almond Meal or Flour (I usually use Trader Joe's Almond Meal- this is your thickener)
Fresh Ginger & garlic – 1 t. each, grated
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Chili powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 Large Onion – diced          
2 T Oil 

1/4 c Tomato paste
1/4 c plain yogurt or coconut milk

2 T butter 

Directions

• Fry onions in oil till transparent.
• Add cinnamon and let it fry for 5 minutes
• Then add ginger & garlic along with a little water
• Stir continuously.
• Add turmeric, chili & coriander powder with salt and mix well.
• Pour in tomato puree and almond meal.  Mix well with a little more water. It will be thick!
• When it starts to boil, add the chicken.   Add additional water so that the chicken is barely covered. 
• The gravy should get thick or according to your requirement. Before switching off add butter and yogurt or coconut milk.  Serve over rice.