Baking is a beautiful art and magnificently delicious. Until you add the gluten free aspect. Gluten free in years past has received a bad rap for tasting lifeless, like dirt or worse, like cardboard. But food manufacturers are making great strides in creating beautiful blends of flours and artisan flours that enhance the gluten free baking and cooking experience. Continue reading “Gluten Free Baking”
Shelf Clearing Easy Sloppy Joe Recipe
Ever have leftovers in your pantry of dry goods that you are not quite sure what to do with? If you are like me and this past Christmas you made gingerbread cookies you possibly have some leftover molasses. I let the bottle sit in my pantry for the last several months. The partially empty bottle was calling my name, taking up mental real estate as well as precious real estate in my pantry, unsure of what to use these last few tablespoons. How about an easy Sloppy Joe Recipe.
So in an effort to reduce clutter in my mind and in my house I have been looking to use everything in my house to enrich or better my life in some way or move it on. Dinner tonight was a perfect example of using what we already have on hand in order to save money and I was able to clean off extra space on my shelves. If you have been following me long enough, you know that my family and I thrive on fully organic meals and strive for clean eats with nothing processed. Fed up with stuffed peppers, lasagna, spaghetti, tacos, meatloaf and burgers, I wanted to find something tasty for the kids yet still fall into our organic, clean eating regimen.
Pulling out the bottle of molasses calling my name and the defrosted beef, my gears began to grind and I recalled a childhood favorite: Sloppy Joe’s. This recipe is super simple, helps to clear out those mostly used Christmas cookie ingredients, and the ingredients are all clean and unprocessed. Yet, how to get these messy hamburger style noshers to taste as good as those over-processed, canned, sugar laden Sloppy Joe’s…easy with these items straight from your pantry.
3 TBSP Molasses (I like Black Strap, just a bit of extra zing and zip without adding anything extra)
1/3 c tomato sauce (plain) or 1 can tomato paste with 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP Dijon mustard (you can substitute for Honey or yellow mustard)
dash of liquid aminos (this is for salt flavoring without all the sodium)
1 TBSP Kirkland Organic No Salt Seasoning (you can use any kind, however I love what is inside Costco’s brand)
dash of garlic and onion powder, dash of cumin for a hint of smoky flavor
1/4 red onion, chopped
Mix all the wet ingredients into a bowl first to really meld the molasses and the tomato sauce mixture. Slowly begin to fold in your dry
seasonings, add more or less based on your level of taste. The same can also be said for the molasses based on taste. Add apple cider vinegar as well for more zing but be careful not to make your mixture too wet. Finally fold in your onions.
Once your meat is completely browned in a pan, add your mixture and simmer for 10 minutes to let the flavors soak into your meat. Serve over warmed hamburger buns sided with sweet potato fries (I like mine baked with some rosemary) or with hot peppers for that sweet and spicy taste. Bon appetit!
Chicken Chorizo Recipe
Many of you may have read my post about Sweet Potato Hash and Scrambled Eggs. Inside that post I boasted about some amazing chicken chorizo I have picked up from my local butcher at Sprouts market. I love chicken chorizo. Heck I tend to favor all chorizo. As a native to Arizona and the southwest if I did not have an affection for spicy culinary dishes I might begin to question my authenticity. For those of you who love the taste of the southwest like I do, but may not have the resources at your local butcher to obtain these goods I am going to assist you in your culinary quest to obtain the needed ingredients to make your very own chicken chorizo recipe, a deliciously authentic version of a famed spicy, southwest sausage.
What you will need to start with is chicken. As little as one pound of chicken should do it and you can have it as a mixture of ground chicken breast and chicken thighs. Call me sexist but I love some really good thighs; tender, juicy, and full of amazing flavor. Your local butcher can also assist you in this as he might be doing the majority of the work for you. However, if you happen to have a meat grinder at home, voila, you can accomplish this at home on your own. The butcher will be more than happy to grind this for you upon your request, they are one of the least utilized experts in stores. If you can wrangle a butcher they will share with you a great deal of secrets, if you befriend one, well then you have additional added benefits.
One you have your ground chicken this is where the fun begins, we will begin to season said chicken with the chorizo mixture. You see chorizo is just the smorgasbord of spices used to season the meat, think adobo. Here are the warm spices that will really kick up your chorizo and provide an amazing flavor. I prefer organic, but the list is all the same:
Chorizo Seasoning Recipe Ingredients List
1 tsp Ancho chili
3/4 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp coriander or cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 clove
1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt (you can use Sea Salt, I love pink salt for all the naturally occurring vitamins and minerals and the taste is very mild and adds a sumthin-sumthin to your cooking)
1 tsp garlic (you can opt for fresh diced 3 cloves if you like, this really deepens the flavor)
Now that you have all these fabulous ingredients you will need to mix them altogether. Again, I am a bit old fashioned and I buy some of my seasons whole, a mortar and pestle will be your greatest ally to grind these amazing flavors together. If you do not have a mortar and pestle, reach for your food processor to grind away. Be sure not to heat these up or you will lose integrity with the flavor. Once all of your seasonings are fully blended together we will add to the meat. Again if you are grinding at home with a meat grinder lets go ahead and grind, while the rest of us who have opted for the butcher to do our dirty work, we will be elbow deep in meat. If you have an aversion to touching raw meat please grab some marigolds.
Lightly sprinkle the seasonings across the top of the meat, leave some aside as you will begin to turn the meat and sprinkle alternately so that all of your chicken is evenly coated. Continue to do this until all of your meat is thoroughly covered and mixed together. Feel free to continue to mix if need be to ensure all of your chicken is clad in these warm spices. Once you have encased all of the meat in the chorizo seasoning mix, place in a separate container to be refrigerated overnight. Your seasonings will begin to soak in and enhance the chicken for that authentic chorizo taste. You can roll into a ball and wrap with saran wrap, butcher paper, freezer paper, or place in Tupperware. After sitting at least overnight, we prefer a solid 24 hours, your chicken chorizo is ready to serve up.
Cook the chicken as you would any other normal ground meat product. Be sure to apply traditional food safety so that the chicken is cooked thoroughly or at least 165 degrees.
Sweet Potato Hash and Scrambled Eggs
Breakfast is by far my most favorite meal of the day. I wake up starving. Sounds completely foreign to most, but honestly I have trained my body to eat within the first hour of waking. For you fitness guru’s – fist and chest bump. Carbs are also a devilish delight, but when you are eating clean certain carbohydrates are totally off limits and not friendly to your food regimen. I personally love me some beak filling carbohydrates. Toast…bane of my breakfast existence. Roasted potatoes and eggs…a close second for some fabulous food to nosh on with my coffee. Best of both worlds is sweet potato hash and scrambled egg whites, coupled with chicken chorizo.
So last night while contemplating what to whip up for dinner I opted for brinner (breakfast+dinner). I knew I had a tough crowd to serve, The Chad and my four footers. Each of the four foot people provided little feedback as to my culinary adventure for menu options of the evening. Being the head of household, or I’m delusional enough to believe so, I opted for brinner. Luckily I had all my ingredients ready. A trip to my local Sprouts just a few days prior proved fruitful as I picked up a fresh batch of chicken chorizo. If you have yet to try some, please do so. Rivaling the traditional pork and beef chorizo the chicken has amazing flavor and leaner. Great for those calorie counters and clean eaters like myself, no added sugars or fats.
Frying up my chorizo and scrambling some egg whites I wanted a carb. Knowing full well I was headed tot he gym for some weights and cardio I wanted to prep my body for the nutrients needed to sustain 90 minutes of intense exercise. I opted for some sweet potatoes. None like the sweet potatoes we have all been accustomed to at Thanksgiving dinners. You see those are called a yam, we however, interchangeably use the term sweet potatoes because they taste sweet. Sweet potatoes can have a hannah white, pale flesh and are loaded in vitamin A, biotin, vitamin C, they help regulate your blood sugar and are a healthy carbohydrate because of the amount of fiber and your body will thank you for all the anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal properties. I digress on the health aspect. The sweet potatoes and chorizo might be a meal to scoff, but please leave the guffaws until after you whet your palette with this sweet and spicy fall dish. Better yet, have it any time of the year if you happen to have a local butcher who would be kind enough to whip up a batch of chicken chorizo for you.
Taking these blond beauties I merely shredded them on a cheese grater. Some of you may opt for a food processor, I like the extra workout you get in shredding these bad boys by hand as I am reminded of cooking in the kitchen with my mother. Feeding a crowd like mine for brinner, breakfast or to make some tasty latkes I would suggest at least 5-6 medium sized potatoes. My kids love sweet potatoes so I had to use more, you be the judge based on your families appetite.
After shredding I tossed them into a large frying pan that had been coated with coconut oil. Another super food I absolutely adore that you can use for anything and everything. Smoothies, baking, frying, or if you are like me a shot all by itself, but I am a fan of coconut so I don’t mind the taste or the smell I have found it to really accentuate my cooking on all levels when used properly.
Moving past the wonders of coconut oil as I can digress again, we have shredded the potatoes, they are in the pan that is coated with coconut oil, just make sure that your potatoes are evenly spread out across the pan for even cooking. This will ensure every inch of your potatoes become a hash as they brown and crisp. I cooked mine over medium-low heat for about 20-30 minutes to guarantee they were nice and crispy all the way around but still had enough sweet, soft, fleshy bites in the middle. Toss those into a serving dish or right onto your plates, sided with scrambled egg whites and chicken chorizo and you have yourself a sweet and spicy meal that is out of this world. Enjoy!
Utensils Needed:
2, 10-12 inch skillets (one for potatoes, other for chorizo and eggs)
cheese grater or food processor
whisk for beating eggs and egg whites
Ingredient List:
1 pound ground chicken chorizo ( or make your own chicken chorizo recipe)
5-6 hannah, or white, sweet potatoes
1 TBSP coconut oil
3 eggs and 1 + 2/3 c. egg whites
Lots of love and patience.
Easy Gluten Free Pizza
If one phrase could sum up 2013 and 2014 I think it would be gluten free. Whilst seems to be the latest fad and trend among the clean, healthy, organic living movement, a small population of folks actually suffer from a condition known as Celiacs disease that reeks havoc on ones GI tract. With that being said, I have a dear friend who is borderline. Quite frankly, if she has any gluten foods, she could clear a radius like Hiroshima and that is being mild. Continue reading “Easy Gluten Free Pizza”
Kindergarten is the Big Day with Kellogg’s Frosted Mini Wheats
This post is brought to you by Kellogg’s Frosted Mini Wheats. All opinions are my own.
All winter parents were longing for the dog days of summer to arrive. When the day finally came for the kids to depart from the crayons, pencils and elementary learning’s, groaning ensued once more from parents counting the days until school resumed. This year our fish family ventured into a new era as the twins had their first big day celebrating their fifth birthday and we counted our days all summer until the little squids had their first day of kindergarten.
What better way to start the BIG DAY right but with the most important meal of the day, breakfast! My three fish kids started their morning off with a bowl of Kellogg’s Frosted Mini Wheats with skim milk. Although my daughter will secretly confess she prefers hers without milk at times. Frosted Mini Wheats has eight layers of whole grain fiber to help kids feel full and focused to conquer their first BIG DAY.
Not only were the twins beginning their education adventure but they were enrolling in a new school environment. We helped to prepare them by doing some of the following to make that first BIG DAY less hectic and reduce their anxiety:
- Chose their own clothes and shoes for the school year
- Picked out their own school supplies
- Showed excitement for picking out backpacks
- Let them choose their own lunch pails
- Stress free excitement (from parents)
As parents we often forget the last step in helping our children to tackle their BIG DAY is to show lots of positive reinforcement and excitement and pocket all the stress. Not only are our kids anxious and a little stressed but so are the parents. Remember that everyday can be a BIG DAY with tests, activities and the like for our kids when school is in session. We can help them overcome any fears and anxiety with lots of simple fun, excitement, and always focus on the positive.
Did your kids have a BIG DAY this year when returning to school? Any major milestones like my twins entering kindergarten? For more BIG DAY success stories, tips, and ideas visit:Â http://www.scholastic.com/pcbigday/
P Allen Smiths Radish Top Pasta Recipe
So I love to share my food and what I make. Great pride is taken in what my family eats as far as food and if you want to know or catch a glimpse of your diet snap photos. If you are ashamed to show the final result, chances are you should be ashamed to put that into your body. The other night I shared my version of P. Allen Smith’s Radish Top Pasta. Who you might ask is P. Allen Smith? Well spend a Saturday morning perusing public television and you might have the gifted opportunity to watch from Garden to Table where Mr. Smith shares some real delicacies from his garden for meals. My family was in heaven when we saw this dish so I knew I had to make it. Continue reading “P Allen Smiths Radish Top Pasta Recipe”
Cupcake Taco Recipe
Crunching for time and on the look out for some tasty bites that I know my kids will enjoy, one of my bosses shared this recipe with me, of which I altered to enjoy in my home that, 1) Saves us money and 2) Saves us time. We love Mexican food and my kids love tacos, then add the love of sweets like cupcakes. Fuse the two and you have cupcake tacos. What is better than the love of cupcakes and the love of tacos to get CUPCAKE TACOS!
These tasty beauty bites are fun and great for the whole family. They require so little time and so little efforts. Made with wonton wrappers that you can find in the produce section or the refrigerated section. All you need is a cupcake pan and the following ingredients to make your cupcake tacos:
- Ground Turkey (we use free range organic, but you can use ground chicken or beef)
- 1 package of Won Ton wrappers or Egg Roll wrappers
- 1 can refried beans (We used 365 Organic refried beans)
- Chopped cabbage (or lettuce)
- Diced tomatoes
- 1 cup of shredded cheese (mexican mix or Colby Jack and Monterey)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Brown the meat, add your favorite seasoning for spice and flair. We like chili powder, chipotle powder, cumin, onion powder, sea salt, fresh ground pepper and cilantro. Set the meat aside.
Take your Won Ton wrappers or eggroll wrappers and mold into cupcake dish. If using the Won Ton wrappers use two and alternate the layers. Layer in the meat and your refried beans until full then top with cheese.
Slide into the oven and bake until the wrappers are golden brown and appear crunchy. Serve warm topped with your favorite veggies.
Using the recipe calculator these yield about 200 calories per cupcake and pack quite the punch with 19 grams or protein. Taco cupcakes can be pre-made and stored in the fridge, make a large batch and stash in the freezer. They are a great addition and cost so little to make. For those picky eaters, they are also fun and taste great.
King Arthur Flour for All Your Baking Needs
With my family being all organic finding breads that are organic and taste good are very hard to find. They are either very dense, very dry, or lack flavor, only a few choice breads that are 100% organic are very tasty. So because of this I have taken to making our own bread, only after we had been buying locally made bread from a family in our neighborhood. To save money, control portions and calories, and let’s face it when I know what my food is being made with, based on the ingredients I put into them, that gives me the piece of mind knowing my kids are eating healthy and without harsh additives.
Admittedly, my bread and all my baking happens with King Arthur flour. So with that I wanted to know what else I could
do with King Arthur and I found that their options are unlimited. In fact, I found a yeast canister & measuring spoon set that made a beautiful addition to my kitchen and my baking needs. No more spills and messes with yeast, and it comes in a clean display canister with the perfect measuring spoon.
But King Arthur is so much more than just yeast and flour. They offer goodies for baking cupcakes, mixes for cakes, cookies and even dog biscuits. With all the various products King Arthur has to offer, they make the perfect gift idea for making premade baking mixes and jars, to making your own baked goodies for a gift basket, or buying that perfect baking pan. Plus you can trust in a company that has been around for 200 years here in the US. Don’t let me try to tell you how great they are, why don’t you enter to win a $20 Gift Card from King Arthur and try them out for yourself:
- Follow KAF on Facebook and Twitter (Worth 2 entries)
- Sign up for the KAF newsletter for even more goodies (worth 2 entries)
- Follow my blog
- Follow me on Twitter
- Fan The Fish on Facebook
- Promote this giveaway on Facebook
- Tweet this giveaway daily: Win $20 GC from @KariewithaK and @KingArthurFlour in time for your holiday shopping and baking https://thefivefish.com/king-arthur-flour
- Leave a comment on any non giveaway post (worth 2 entries)
- Blog this giveaway (Worth 5 entries)
- Subscribe to my feed or add me to your reader
Contest ends November 23rd midnight Arizona Time
As always: No Purchase Necessary, available to US residents. One entry per household. US postcard entries also acceptable if you do not have access to the above entry options, no limit to postcard entries as long as all are received before the close of the contest, email contests@thefivefish.com for your postcard entry details or to use email as your postcard entrance as these entries will be logged by the administrator of the blog. Winners will be chosen by “And the Winner is†Failure to adhere to the aforementioned rules set forth by this contest will result in forfeiture of your entry with no notice. Facebook does not promote, endorse, nor sponsor this review and giveaway and will be held harmless. As always, good luck and enjoy.
iCookbook for iPad and Android
The holidays are creeping up on us and with them fast approaching some of us are scrambling for those perfect holiday meals, treats, or even alternatives. Furthermore, even after the holidays families struggle to find meals for their families or even for functions such as potlucks, a get-together, or just because they want to make that one meal.
A great holiday gift is one that is affordable, one you are able to use year after year, and for people like our family, one that is green and economical. So a great gift for anyone in your family is the iCookbook for iPad, Android, and coming soon to the iPhone. With access to over 2000 recipes, color photos of all the mouthwatering recipes, personalize the recipes by adding your own notes and reminders, and the app even provides a substitution list for those recipes that you may want to tweak. But the recipes don’t stop there, with diet specific recipes like gluten free, diabetic desserts and holiday recipe favorites, and fun recipes the kids are sure to love. Plus this is one of the most affordable gifts that keeps on giving for your loved one, your family, their family.
The first cooking app with voice activated instructions keeping your screen clean while your hands are messy.
My family has been enjoying the app, especially with my husband taking the reins at home and is such a gentleman with making dinners for our family that are fun, tasty, healthy, and everyone loves. No more griping and complaining from my three kids, plus with work being extra busy trying to plan meals together is nearly impossible so we can scan together on his iPad and my iPhone and make decisions in a snap while messaging one another.
Great for a stocking stuffer or as a fun gift for the amateur chef in your family, now available on iTunes for $4.99 where you can add it to your iCloud so it is available on all your Apple devices and available on the Android market and Amazon.com Marketplace to download to your Android products.