Pumpkin-kissed chicken nuggets

I should be cleaning my house. Seriously. Both kids are asleep, the husband is out of town, and I didn't quite get through the normal "drill" this evening. (And there is those five loads of laundry I did this weekend which I have yet to fold.) But who wants to clean when one can be blogging about food? Not this lady. (Besides, I've accepted that my house will be partially disastrous for the next 20 years.)

On to said food...

A friend bought a book for me called "The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet...," from which I I modified (significantly) a recipe for "chicken nuggets." Perhaps what I should say is that I referred to that recipe simply to discern the temperature at which the nuggets were baked.

Instead of using chunks of chicken breast, I used a combination of ground turkey and chicken breast meat, simply because the ground meat is super moist, and I intended to skip the traditional four-part breading process (milk, flour, egg, breadcrumbs), and use shredded coconut only. This was inspired by an experience making paleo fish sticks (that required a three-step process: coconut flour, then egg, then shredded coconut). As it turned out, the egg wasn't working (maybe because coconut flour is SUPER absorbant), so I quit and just dipped the fish in water before rolling in shredded coconut. They turned out marvelously. The lazy chicken-nugget-breading process was born!

Without further adieu, here is the recipe.

Ingredients
1 pound ground meat (turkey, chicken, beef...)
1/2 C pumpkin puree
1/4 C blanched almond flour or almond meal
garlic and sea salt to taste
1 C shredded coconut (you may need a bit more, so keep the bag out until you complete the breading process)
1-2 C coconut oil (this can vary a lot -- if you observe the medium-heat frying requirement, and your pan isn't too large, then 1 C should be sufficient)

*you could omit the garlic and use cinnamon for a sweet version

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Place 1 or 2 baking sheets out.
3. In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients except shredded coconut and coconut oil. Mix thoroughly. A mixer will do the job more quickly than your wrist/spoon.
4. Place shredded coconut in a bowl or on a plate.
5. Scoop about 1-2 tablespoons of the mixture and flatten it a bit.
6. Roll the flattened "ball" into the shredded coconut, and smush it down (to encourage the coconut to stick to the mixture). Repeat this until all of the mixture has been used. (I like to lay them out on a plate to carry over to the stove for frying -- stacking them works fine.)
7. Place 1 cup of coconut oil into a frying pan, and heat on medium for a few minutes. Then add the "nuggets" (as many as will fit, still leaving enough space to get a utensil in for flipping -- I use a small turner).
8. Fry for 2-3 minutes per side (careful not to burn them), then remove them to the baking sheets you set out previously. (As the coconut falls off in the oil, it may burn over time -- you can scoop it out if you wish -- I keep a bowl near my frying pan for collecting the stray coconut.) You may wish to place them onto a paper-towel-lined plate before putting them on the baking sheet:



I tend to use parchment paper because I'm REALLY lazy when it comes to cleaning baking sheets.





















I think this is about 2 pounds worth.



















9. After all nuggets have been fried and placed on the baking sheets, pop them into the oven for 15-30 minutes (until golden brown and/or until internal temperature is at least 160F). 

These nuggets freeze well. If you freeze them, don't defrost them prior to re-heating. Simply place the frozen nuggets on a plate, and microwave on high power for about 4 minutes (time may vary depending on size of the nuggets -- too long and they will get hard, not long enough and they will be too cold).

If you are reading this blog and have advice for the perfect combination of fry-time and cook-time to acquire excellent crispiness, please advise!  I found a variation in crispiness nugget-to-nugget.

Oh, and this recipe is easy to double (or quadruple) the recipe, as I did here:

Yes, that's quite a stack! Four pounds of ground turkey and chicken breast.

Nutty fruit bars

Ever since going Paleo, processed foods are rarely an option. However, many Lara Bar varieties contain nothing more than nuts and fruit for the most part. I've bought several boxes of them, as they are handy when traveling or out-and-about with the kiddos. Every time I read the label of one of the bars, I think to myself, This is basically nuts and fruit -- I should be able to make these.

So this recipe, while original in the sense that I didn't look it up and have never seen a recipe similar to this, was inspired by the Lara Bars I've eaten.

Close-up of a half-eaten nutty fruit bar

Ingredients
1 C dried apricots (no suger added)
1/4 C dried cranberries
1/2 C almond meal
1 C unsweetened coconut flakes
1/3 C pepitas*
1/3 C sunflower seeds*
2 tbsp coconut oil (melted) + some for greasing pan

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
2. Grease baking pan (I used a stone bar pan) 
3. Place dried fruits and coconut oil into a blender (or Blendtec). Grind or pulse until combined, scraping as needed
4. Add the dry ingredients, and pulse until well combined, or until desired texture is achieved
5. Scoop out the ingredients onto the baking pan; spread out and then smash down to really pack the mixture together. It's very sticky -- you may want to lube up your fingers with the oil, or use a dough roller or flat, wooden utensil. Confession: I just used my bare hands and licked them when I was done (YUM)
6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown
7. Remove from oven and set on cooling rack. I cut mine after five minutes of cooling
8. Store in sealed container in fridge once cool

Since I concocted this recipe on the fly and gave no consideration to how much the recipe would yield, I ended up a bit short in terms of filling the bar pan. I just spread the mixture out, smashed it down, and formed it to a thickness I thought made sense. Doubling the recipe would yield thicker bars (surely that would be a good thing, but may require additional cook time). I cut mine into eight, uneven rectangles, but I think nine or ten would have been more appropriately sized. I used a Pampered Chef medium-sized bar pan.

These snacks are delicious; they're chewy but not sticky (to touch). I think both the sweetness and the chewy texture will accommodate more nuts/seeds than what I used in this recipe. Future experimentation may be required!

* Any nut or seed could be substituted for the pepitas and/or sunflower seeds. Additionally, depending on texture preference, the seeds (nuts) could be ground prior to mixing with other ingredients.

Nutritional information
Serving = 1 bar
8 servings per recipe
Per serving:
Fat (g)       15.5
Protein (g)   4
Sugar (g)    13.1

Quiche muffins

My two-year-old son loves muffins. It has more to do with their shape and size than their contents (or so experimental results have suggested).

I adapted this recipe I found online for our Paleo needs. And by "our" needs, I mean those of my husband and son, as I am allergic to eggs. (MAJOR bummer.)

Ingredients
12 eggs
1 C organic heavy whipping cream
4 tbsp beef gelatin
2/3 chopped kale (2-3 C of kale prior to chopping)
2/3 pound ground pork sausage, cooked
Garlic and onion powders to taste
Salt to taste
1-2 tbsp coconut oil, melted (for muffin pans)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
2. Grease the muffin pans with coconut oil (melted), or other fat.
3. Spoon a bit of sausage into each muffin cup.  This batch yields twenty-four mini muffins AND fifteen normal-sized muffins.
4. Whip eggs and whipping cream together
5. Add spices and kale, mix well
6. Add the gelatin, and mix well
7. Pour into muffin cups, filling each one two-thirds full
8. Bake mini-muffins for 25-35 minutes, and normal-sized muffins for 35-45 minutes
9. Let cool on racks before serving
10. Store in the fridge, or freeze them for later! (They freeze perfectly!)

A brief note that my muffins deflate as they cool. I think adding some starch could resolve this issue. I intend to add some mashed, steamed cauliflower or parsnips next time.

My two-year-old son's breakfast -- either three normal-sized muffins, or nine mini-muffins as shown here. He also had a side of soup.

Normal-sized muffins

Mini-muffins

Simple breakfasts

Photos and descriptions of a few recent simple breakfasts:

This one was fast and simple. I fried some bacon, used the fat to cook swiss chard, cut up a bell pepper and threw on a slice of cantaloupe.  Perfect. Delicious. Healthy!

This morning's breakfasts for my son and I included a combination of my pork sausage, veggies, eggs, nuts and soup.

My plate: 1/2 of a red bell pepper, 1/4 C raw cashews, 4-6 ounces of my pork sausage, and a delicious sliced tomato with a bit of salt.

Breakfast for my two-year old: 1 egg scrambled in a bit of clarified butter, 1 piece of pork sausage, vegetable soup in a cup with straw (he had actual water for drinking, but enjoys consuming soup via straw), and about 1/2 an avocado.

stuffed mushroom appetizer

my roommate from grad school made these once, using greek dressing, and oregano straight from greece :) i have modified the recipe slightly, and regardless of how many variations of this recipe i have made, it's always awesome!!

ingredients:
6 portobello mushroom caps (medium sized), cleaned, stems removed
1/4-1/2 C grape tomatoes, diced
1-2 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 tsp fresh garlic, pressed
olive oil
balsamic vinegar

instructions:
1. preheat oven to 375F

2. place a small amount of olive oil in bottom of small baking dish

3. place mushroom caps in baking dish

4. fill each cap with diced tomatoes

5. sprinkle basil and garlic on top of tomatoes

6. drizzle olive oil & balsamic on top

7. bake for 30 minutes

8. serve hot!

*variations
a. sprinkle feta cheese (and/or parmesan) after removing from oven (not vegan friendly, of course)
b. use greek dressing or other vinaigrette of choice, in lieu of balsamic/oil
c. use oregano in place of, or in addition to, basil
d. easy to double, triple, etc. this recipe to serve a dinner party!

millet, mushroom risotto

using millet is a bit less work-intensive than making a traditional risotto with arborio rice.

i made an extra large batch so that i would have plenty of leftovers.

ingredients:
1 tbsp garlic (fresh, pressed)
2.5 C millet
2 qt bella mushrooms, sliced
2 qt veg stock
1 C red onion, chopped
1/4 C olive oil
1/2 C butter
1/2 C parmesan cheese

instructions:
1. heat olive oil on medium-high heat

2. add garlic, saute for a minute or two

3. add onion, saute until softened

4. add mushrooms, saute until softened

5. add millet, coat well with the liquid/oil in the pan

6. add veg stock. bring to a boil

7. reduce to a simmer

8. stir periodically until all of the liquid has been absorbed (30-45 minutes)

9. remove from heat. add butter and parmesan cheese. mix well.

10. SERVE & ENJOY!!!

*for smaller recipes, simply use 3 C veg stock and 3 C mushrooms per 1 C of millet

**vegan potential: use margarine in lieu of butter, or eliminate completely, and omit the parmesan cheese (or use a substitute, if available).

stuffed peppers

ingredients:
32 oz organic beef broth
6 large sweet peppers (all colors), tops removed, cleaned
2 lbs free range ground beef
4 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 red onion, chopped

instructions:
1. add broth to crock pot, arrange peppers "standing up," ladle some broth into each pepper, cover, and turn on high.

2. heat olive oil on medium-high heat, saute garlic and onions

3. brown the beef, along with the onions/garlic

4. fill each pepper with the hot beef/onion/garlic mixture. baste with broth. cover and continue to cook on high.

5. bast with broth 1-2 times per hour, for 3-4 hours.

6. serve and enjoy :)

soupy beef stew

i enjoy making soups quite a bit (and will try to do better at sharing those recipes here)! as for my beef "stew," the ingredients are all stew, but i have yet to deal with thickening the broth, and hence it ends up a bit soupy!

CROCK POT version.

ingredients:
32 ounces of beef broth
2 lbs stewing beef (browned, if you prefer - i don't bother)
6 parsnips, peeled and cubed
6 turnips, peeled and cubed
2 cups of carrots (peeled and cubed)

instructions:
1. place broth, beef, and vegetables into the crock pot on "high"

2. once at a boil, allow to boil for 30 minutes

3. reduce to "low" for an hour or two

*usually takes 4-5 hours total. i suppose you could leave it on low all day while you go to work so that you have an instant dinner when you return home, but i have yet to verify that!

*vatiations:
a. add (cooked) noodles (brown rice noodles are gluten free) at the end.
b. add a cooked grain (millet, brown rice, quinoa)

seared salmon in a luffa gourd sauce reduction

this blog is eons overdue!! i made this dish (and took photos) back in august (2010) - it was while cooking this awesome meal that i, while washing the knife, sliced my thumb and ended up in the ER, 8 months pregnant, for stitches!! disclosing that antic may not be the most appetizing way to start a food blog, but all devoted cooking lovers experience disasters at one point or another, so i figured i'd share that little tidbit!

i was inspired to cook this meal because my boss offered me some fresh luffa gourd from her garden.
i had no idea what it was, but was intrigued and am always happy to try something new! i asked her for tips on preparation, and she suggested this salmon dish!

on with the recipe!!

ingredients:
1 luffa gourd
3 cloves of garlic, freshly chopped/pressed
1-1.5 pounds of salmon
olive oil
basil

instructions:
1. peel and chop luffa gourd 2. heat olive oil in a frying pan on medium high heat

3. saute garlic

4. sear salmon on both sides 5. place salmon with skin facing down, reduce the heat to low/med-low, and distribute the luffa on top of the salmon. add a bit of olive oil and basil.6. simmer until the luffa looks translucent

7. serve and enjoy :)

unfortunately, i cannot provide a photo of the finished product. i had to stop cooking in the middle of reducing the luffa, cover it, and go to the hospital for stitches!!! i left it on the stove, and when my husband and i returned home, i heated it up until the luffa cooked down quite a bit, and then we ate and went straight to bed. i failed to take a picture! the luffa provides a mild but sweet flavor. it was delectable!

roast chicken

bake yourself a little roaster chicken, and you can easily add a little protein to your meals all week long :) i buy free range roaster chickens, about 6-8 pounds, and use them as a great addition to salads, or even as the main protein component of a quick dinner. the prep is easy, as the oven does most of the work for you!!

ingredients:
1 roaster chicken (6-8 pounds)
3 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed through garlic press
2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 C free range chicken broth

instructions:
1. pre-heat oven to 350F

2. remove neck and organs from chicken (they are stuffed inside). i toss the neck, but cook the organs for my dog - see the end of the blog for details.

3. rinse chicken (inside and out) with warm water

4. place chicken in small roasting pan, or a 9x13 baking dish (i use 9x13 stoneware)

5. pour chicken broth over chicken

6. sprinkle pepper and garlic over chicken (and some into broth surrounding chicken) 7. bake approximately 20 minutes per pound. (for my 6-8 pounders, 2 to 2.5 hours is sufficient).

8. remove from oven. remove wings, legs, and pick the rest. i recommend doing so while hot because the task is faster than waiting until it cools. store in a closed container in refrigerator, or freeze for later use! (personally, i enjoy eating a wing or leg immediately, you know, for energy while picking the chicken)!!

for your canine:
1. place the organs in a small baking dish 2. do NOT season with garlic, as garlic is toxic to canines, but add a little pepper if you care to

3. bake alongside the roaster chicken, but only for 20-30 minutes, or until "done" (use your discretion)

4. let cool before treating your furry friend :-)

portobello mushroom "sandwich," with sides

i bought portobello mushroom caps when i made risotto, initially planning to chop them up along with the baby bellas. i then decided against it, stuck with the baby bells for the risotto, and dreamed up a little concoction for the portobellos.

the overall menu includes a bed of red & white quinoa adorned with a portobello "sandwich," a side of steamed russet potatoes with butter and basil, and a salad of greens, fresh cherry tomatos, cucumber, and yellow sweet pepper with trader joe's red wine vianegrette. and here's how to do it!ingredients (for two):
1/3 C quinoa (i mix red & white)
2 C salad greens (i prefer spinach)
1 large russet potato, washed, unpeeled, sliced
2 large portobello mushroom caps, washed and dried
1 red sweet pepper, cut in half, remove stem and seeds
salt
basil
garlic, dried & ground
freshly ground pepper
brie cheese (cut into thick "slices" that will cover mushroom)
free range organic butter slices
balsamic vinegar
olive oil

prepare quinoa & potatoes:
1. in rice cooker, add 1/3C quinoa, 1 C water, garlic, black pepper, and basil
2. place potato slices in steamer basket
3. turn that baby to cook and let it do it's thang!!

grill mushrooms and peppers:
1. fire-up the grill to medium heat setting
2. place mushroom caps and red pepper halves (inside facing up) on a plate, in a small pool of olive oil
3. fill mushroom caps with balsamic vinegar and a splash of olive oil, then add a bit of each to the peppers as well
4. place on middle shelf of grill (about 20 minutes - check periodically)

put it all together!!
1. make a bed of quinoa on the plate
2. place potatoes on plate, add a few slices of butter, sprinkle of salt, and a bit of basil
3. place salad items in the remaining space on the plate
4. place mushroom cap (top down) on the bed of quinoa
5. add brie to mushroom, push in slightly to facilitate melting!
6. place the red pepper half on top of the brie (inside of pepper facing down)
7. serve & enjoy!!!

*variation: add tofu! i had planned to include a layer of sauteed tofu to the portobello sandwich, but sadly the tofu in my fridge had expired. simply heat olive oil and fresh garlic over medium-high heat. slice tofu long ways, but rather thin, and fry until golden brown. add it to the mushroom after the brie!!

**vegan potential: just omit the brie from the mushroom (it really is quite delicious without the cheese), and substitute the butter on the potatoes for vegan butter, or your favorite herbal/oil seasoning!

mushroom risotto, take 1

ever since i enjoyed a most delicious risotto a few months ago while in amsterdam, i was determined to try to make it myself. i have heard people complain about the tedious nature of preparing risotto properly, but wasn't particularly turned off by that :) at a friend's going away party, i met the husband of one of my work friends. this gentleman, steve, just so happens to be a chef! one conversation about tomatoes led to another and i picked his brain about risotto. he was kind enough to offer up the following advice:

1. use vegetable stock in lieu of chicken
2. use arborio rice
3. add broth, reduce, repeat, and at the end, add your seasoning and such

i picked up the appropriate ingredients over the past 2 weeks, and finally gave it a go last evening. i scoured a few recipes online to get an idea for how much broth i would need, and i settled on planning for 8 cups. i also opted for store-bought organic veg stock this time, but intend to make my own in the future.

ingredients:
8 C veg stock
1.5 C arborio rice
2 C baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/3 C parmesan cheese, grated
2 tsp minced garlic
4 tbsp butter (room temperature)
black pepper, freshly ground
olive oil

instructions:
1. warm the veg stock in a sauce pan, and keep it on low heat

2. heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, saute mushrooms until they soften, scoop mixture out into dish and keep to the side until the end

3. heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat; saute the garlic, and add the rice

4. stir the rice continuously for 5 minutes, or stop once lightly browned

5. add veg stock, 1 ladle-full at a time, stir the mixture continuously until broth has been fully absorbed (do not let the mixture stick to the bottom of the skillet)

6. repeat step 5 over an over again, until the rice is al dente (approximately 20-30 minutes) - sample often :-) you'll notice the mixture becoming more and more starchy, which is a good indication that you are nearing the end

TIP: if you need to take a break, simply remove the skillet from burner (briefly), the come back and pick up where you left off

7. remove skillet from heat. add butter, parmesan cheese, ground pepper (to taste). mix thoroughly. add mushrooms.

plate it up, and top with a bit of parsley or basil, and serve!!

it serves 5-6 people, and overall (with prep and cook time) required approximately 45 minutes.

ENJOY!!

**vegan potential - just omit the parmesan cheese, and replace butter with vegan butter!!!