Recipes Archives - Page 3 of 6

December 15, 2014August 16, 2015

Al Fresco Gourmet #ChickenAndTheEgg

Some decisions are truly hard to decipher. For example, what came first, the chicken or the egg? Luckily we have super geniuses like Neil DeGrasse Tyson to answer our questions of the cosmos. So for the more down to Earth questions concerning food choices and better for you foods, what do you look to put on your table? My family is all about organic, some gluten free (I like to expose my kids to a wide variety of flour and food options), and whole foods that are minimally processed without chemical additives or preservatives. We have found that many meat products have the most amount of processing and additives, but we found a real gem: al fresco all natural.

al fresco all natural has over two-dozen gourmet, healthy chicken products, ranging from Wild Blueberry breakfast sausage to fully cooked Sweet Italian chicken sausage to Tomato & Basil chicken meatballs. Each of the chicken sausage varieties has 70% less fat and 35% less sodium than pork products, and theyâ€™re all gluten free.

My family received a package of the frozen, fully cooked, breakfast chicken sausage links in Country Style and Apple Maple. Needless to say the maple was a real hit with The Chad and the twins. Big G was a fan of the country style and preferred this for sure in his brinner.

Oh yes, did I mention we made brinner with these? Brinner = Breakfast +Dinner

A family favorite for dinner, breakfast. Why slave away making an extravagant dinner when you can have all the excellent food groups in dinner. We made a breakfast scramble of which the pictures I tried to obtain were limited because dinner was such a hit in my house. We warmed these frozen links in the frying pan (just a preference over heating in the microwave) and cut them into bite size pieces.

Here is our full recipe:

1 package al fresco Country Style frozen chicken sausage
4 whole eggs + 1 c egg whites, all scrambled together
Diced red and green bell peppers
Diced red onions
Spinach (optional, but I love me some raw spinach!)

Heat links in pan until warmed thoroughly, remove from pan and dice into bit size chunks. Pour egg mixture with diced vegetables in the pan, just before eggs are completely finished cooking add in the chunks of sausage to rewarm. Toss around in pan until all egg is completely cooked and serve atop a bed of spinach. VOILA! Enjoy.

Upon further inspection of the ingredients here is the low down to really solidify the minimally processed, all natural, whole foods aspect:

SKINLESS CHICKEN MEAT, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF WATER, SALT, SUGAR, SPICES, SAGE, THYME, NATURAL FLAVORINGS.

That’s it! Those are all the ingredients which I can get behind when feeding my family. I know exactly what they are eating and I am not having to try to decipher some scientifically assignedÂ word for the creation of my food. If you need a PhD in chemical engineering to read your food label we might have a problem.

While I said that’s it, we really aren’t done yet! You see, al fresco launched a recipe sweepstakes called #ChickenAndTheEgg that runs until December 31 of this year. All you need to do is submit your all star recipe to be entered to win on January 5, 2015 a free breakfast for four ($200 value) AND a year’s supply of al fresco chicken sausage (16 packages). Here’s how you can enter to win:

Â Share a photo on Instagram of your best al fresco chicken sausage and egg breakfast recipe withÂ #ChickenANDtheEgg.
Tag the @alfrescogourmet Instagram account.
Follow the @alfrescogourmet Instagram account.

Want to know where you can find al fresco products? Just do a quick search of retailers in your area. Take advantage of the #ChickenAndTheEgg recipe sweeps we would love to see your recipes and photos all over Instagram. I know a lot of you visit us for recipe ideas, let’s see your hidden gems for recipe ideas. al fresco keeps laying on the awesomeness (ha ha get it…laying…laying eggs…I digress) to have you share your recipes. Until the end of January, if you buy two packages of al fresco breakfast chicken sausages at any store, you will receive a FREE carton of eggs. Chicken sausage + free eggs allows you to make breakfast (or dinner) better.

December 13, 2014December 13, 2014

Vegan Snowman Snacks

Holidays are my favorite time of year for baking and cooking. My kids are always wanting some sweet treat for themselves or to share. Mix up a bag of fun for the holidays – no cooking required! With just a few vegan candies and snacks, plastic baggies and a festive tag that you can download and print, you can make these cute snack bags that are perfect stocking stuffers, secret Santa bonuses or class treats!

Supplies

plastic baggies

label/gift tagÂ (free download)

Ingredients

Dandies vegan mini marshmallows

pretzel sticks

vegan chocolate chips

red licorice

almonds

goji berries

Instructions

Toss a handful of each ingredient into a plastic baggie. Seal the top. Download, print, and cut out the gift label. Fold, and staple the label to the top of each sealed baggie.

December 9, 2014April 15, 2018

Easy Chicken and Dumplings Recipe

I am normally a huge fan of desserts. Starting any meal with a dessert is truly living. But I live in a world where the reality is we cannot always have our cake and eat it too. So I substitute with some amazing comfort foods that warm my family’s belly’s as well as their hearts; The Chad loved to eat this favorite while growing up on air force bases. It’s a fairly inexpensive and goes the mile type of meal, sure to have plenty of leftovers, and let’s be honest….the leftovers are ALWAYS better the next day.

4-6 chicken breasts, cooked, diced and or shredded

1 & 1/2 c of Kirkland Organic Mixed vegetables (potatoes, corn, green beans, carrots, celery), I like frozen, you can just toss them in and forget about it.

Organic Chicken broth (generally about 3-4 cups depending on how many people you are feeding)

Cream of Chicken soup is the shortcut way, I like to mix some heavy cream with my homemade Organic Chicken Broth.

Salt and pepper to flavor

1 bay leaf

For the Dumplings:
2 1/2 c Bisquick (I like to scratch bake my biscuits as opposed to using Bisquick, the choice is yours)
2/3 c. milk

In a large pot, dutch oven, crock pot, or Cuisinart Multi-Cooker like mine, simmer chicken, broth, vegetables, until vegetables are tender maybe an hour or more depending on how much flavor you want your vegetables to absorb. I personally slow cook my chicken overnight to have them fall apart and shred on their own into the pot.

Slowly add cream of chicken (or cream) and stir gently ever careful not to boil. Add bay leaf and let simmer for 20 minutes, skim out the leaf before the dumplings. While simmering mix the Bisquick and milk until a dough forms and slowly drop into soup mixture, cover and let cook for 10 minutes or until dough rises like bread and biscuits form. Remove from heat and ladle out into a bowl, serve with butter and pepper.

November 25, 2014August 16, 2015

Easy Everyday Slow Cooker & Best of Bridge Holiday Classics Giveaway

The chef in the family is me. I create many dishes based on flavor, taste, experience and pure creativity. Some, are amazing, some, have been choked on and then tossed. So when I feel I need inspiration because my culinary creativity is a bit constipated I reach for my cookbooks. The holiday season is my favorite time of year, baking pies, cookies, and desserts is my specialty. But with the holiday seasons I am also finding I am running out of time to make regular scheduled meals.

Admittedly I like to be a lazy cook. Most days I would rather lounge on my couch and let the cooking be done by itself, I struggle some days to find the pure gumption to concoct a creative meal. Another admission, I rarely if ever, utilize my slow cooker. One might think with twins that I would be the slow cooker queen. Alas I am not and fail miserably to even have an ounce of creativity for it’s use aside from chili or chicken and dumplings.

Apparently there is a gamut of delicious recipes that span even farther than traditional dinners, stews, chili’s and dips. The slow cooker can be utilized for any meal at any time. With the cool weather here in Arizona and my social life that

has become more bountiful than it ever was when I was in my 20s, thanks to my children, I am finding that my slow cooker is a time and life saver when running amok. Scouts, church, volunteer events, school luncheons, field trips, Jeep owner gatherings and revelry with friends creates for little time to actually exercise my true culinary talents.

So the Easy Everyday Slow Cooker Recipes Book is chock full of ideas for dinners….and now desserts. I chose one of my favorites to nosh on for dinner in a rush. Plus if you are like me and would love to use your slow cooker more, this is the book for you. Here is a new spin on beef stew for the whole family to stay warm these fall and winter nights:

Country Italian Beef Stew, page 66, beef, international

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 lbs stewing beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tbsp vegetable oil (approx.)
6 tiny new potatoes, halved or quartered
2 parsnips, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into 1â„2-inch wedges
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup beef broth
1â„2 cup dry red wine
1 can (7 1â„2 oz) pizza sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves

Directions:
1. In a heavy plastic bag, combine flour, salt and 1â„2 tsp of the pepper. In batches, add beef to bag and toss to coat with flour mixture. Discard excess flour mixture.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat half the oil over medium-high heat. Cook beef in batches, adding more oil as needed, for 5 minutes or until browned all over. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to slow cooker stoneware. Stir in potatoes, parsnips, fennel and onion.

3. In a 2-cup measuring cup, combine broth, wine, pizza sauce, garlic, rosemary and the remaining pepper. Pour over beef mixture.

4. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 4 to 5 hours, until bubbling. Just before serving, stir in spinach until wilted.

Tip:
Crush dried rosemary between your thumb and fingers before adding it to a dish. This helps release the full aromatic flavor of the herb.

Courtesy of Best of Bridge Holiday Classics by The Best of Bridge 2014 Â© www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with publisher permission.

Today I begin my marathon of holiday cooking. I truly love to cook and as I mentioned desserts. I had no idea this dessert was a holiday classic. In the Best of Bridge Holiday Classics, you can find over 225 recipes like this Chocolate Raspberry Torte that are sure to be a hit for holiday entertaining:

Ingredients:
Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 squares (1 oz. / 30 g size) unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
2 cups light brown sugar,packed
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup strong coffee
1/2 cup coffee flavoured liqueur
Filling:
1 cup whipping cream
2 Tbsp. icing sugar
1-12 oz. jar raspberry or strawberry jam

Chocolate Sour Cream Icing:
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
3/4 cup sour cream
dash of salt
fresh raspberries or strawberries
Garnish:

chocolate raspberry torte — Courtesy of Robert Rose 2014

1 good quality dark chocolate bar (at room temperature).

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350F. (180 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch (1.5 L) layer cake pans. Sift dry ingredients. Melt chocolate and let cool. In a large bowl beat butter, brown sugar, and eggs at a high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in melted chocolate and vanilla. At low speed, beat in flour mixture (in fourths), alternating with sour cream (in thirds). Add coffee and liqueur, blending until smooth. Pour batter into pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until surface springs back. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool on wire racks.
Filling:Beat cream with icing sugar until stiff. Refrigerate. Slice cake layers in half horizontally to make four layers. (Hint: Cake layers slice more easily if frozen first.) Place one layer, cut side up, on cake plate. Spread with 1/2 cup (125 mL) raspberry jam and 1/2 cup (125 mL) whipped cream mixture. Repeat with remaining layers, ending with top layer, cut side down.
Icing:Melt chocolate chips in top of double boiler. Add sour cream and salt and beat until icing is creamy and smooth. Ice top and sides of cake. Garnish: Using a vegetable peeler, shave along long side of chocolate bar to create small curls. Make lots! â€“ and â€œspillâ€ some onto the cake plate.

We hope you love these two books as much as we do! I know I enjoy having a library of cookbooks in my arsenal when I want to create something different and I’m short on time and sometimes creativity. Now you too can have these in your collection of quality cookbooks.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Participating Blogs were not compensated for this post. No purchase is necessary to enter. One entrant per household, per address. Void where prohibited by law. Winner(s) will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. Robert Rose Inc, will be responsible for processing product to the winner of this sweepstakes. This event is in not administered, sponsored, endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter, Google, Pinterest. Contact karie@thefivefish.com if you have additional questions or concerns.

November 19, 2014August 4, 2015

Cayenne Pressure Cooker Giveaway

Taking care of my family is a number one priority. One of the ways I care for them is by creating amazing meals. I love to cook those amazing meals and I take great pride in the time I put into them, but the time can take a toll. Three kids all involved in some activity, weekends with friends, serving with church, and a husband who travels creates a very hectic schedule. With all of that I am not one to skimp on meals and or breakdown and get fast food or takeout. Slow cookers are great if I planned ahead, but sometimes I just forgot to pre-plan resulting in last minute scrambling for meal prep. My life saver has been the Fagor Cayenne Pressure cooker, this awesome kitchen tool cuts cooking time for hours into mere minutes.

The Cayenne pressure cooker spices up my kitchen in the gorgeous red. Made of durable stainless steel, equipped with a veggie steamer basket and convenient cook book to get you started on your culinary adventures. Pot roast will never be the same again as you slave and wait hours for the roast to cook; in less than an hour your entire meal is complete and table ready.

Pressure cookers are great, old fashioned green technology. Good old stainless steel, no coatings or plastics. Energy is saved as pressure cookers are able cook an entire meal, dessert, whatever you wish, in a fraction of the time.

Fagor’s mission is to use resources efficiently and preserve the environment by developing quality products that consume less energy and water. Fagor is a notable partner in the Energy Star program. Fagor has manufacturing systems established to minimize environmental impact on soil, water, and air during the production process. There is also proper waste management and recycling procedures in place after manufacturing process is completed.

The 6-quart pressure cooker has a 10-inch diameter base for better browning and searing, a max fill line to notify you when you have reached capacity, two pressure settings: 2 for 15 psi and 1 for 8 psi of cooking pressure, a self-locking mechanism safely secures the pressure cooker, and an easy, automatic pressure release setting.

One of my favorite recipes and one you might not believe or think to make in a pressure cooker is cheesecake. Yes, you read that correctly, cheesecake!

Simply wrap foil in the basket and sprinkle with bread or cookie crumbs.(1 TBSP butter and 4 TBSP cookie or bread crumbs)

Blend together the following ingredients:

2 – 8 ounce packages of cream cheese
3/4 c. of sugar
1/4 c heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp grated lemon zest (or 1/4 tsp lemon juice)
2 TBSP flour
6 TBSP sour cream
2 eggs and 2 egg yolks
2 c. water

Pour water into the cooker. Pour the mixed ingredients into the basket and lower into the cooker. Close the lid, bring to pressure and cook; then let the pressure lower naturally. (Cook for 30 minutes on High pressure or 56 minutes on Low pressure.) Once the pressure is lowered, remove the lid and take out the cheese cake, loosen the foil, cool and then chill overnight. Serve with fresh fruit or preserves.

Now you can gift this amazing appliance and piece of cookware to chef in your life. Here are the details:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Participating Blogs were not compensated for this post. No purchase is necessary to enter. One entrant per household, per address. Void where prohibited by law. Winner(s) will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. Earth Easy will be responsible for processing product to the winner of this sweepstakes. This event is in not administered, sponsored, endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter, Google, Pinterest. Contact karie@thefivefish.com if you have additional questions or concerns.

November 12, 2014April 15, 2018

Apple Pie in a Cake – Caramel Apple Cake

The timeless smell and tangy taste of apple pie. You know fall has arrived when apple treats begin to spawn all around; candied apples, caramel apples, apple pie, apple turnover and of course apple cider. An apple treat that I stumbled across in my cookbooks over the summer resulted in a crowd pleasing favorite.Â Imagine apple pie made into a cake. Whimsy prompted me to choose this recipe for which I had never tried prior to the Fourth of July holiday and has since become the most requested meal of a dessert.

Not only was this apple pie in a cake, but this beauty is also gluten and dairy free. One of the many recipes I have modified for my best friend if we are to partake in gluttonous activities together.

If you are a fan of crumb cake, coffee cake, apple pie and or all of the above then this recipe is for you and surely to become a hit for whatever event you plan to cater. Most recently I was called upon by my husband and son to subject a gaggle of six and seven year old boy scouts (and their dads) to my creation. Wanting to exceed their wildest expectations I modified the recipe even further.

apple cake, apple pie, apple pie in a cake While the recipe calls for 3 peeled and cored apples I went a step further, as I did in my original rendering, and used 4-5 medium-large apples. The more sour the more sweet the cake is as well, so I chose some of the finest organic granny smith’s this go around. Doing so results in a mouth orgasm of epic proportions as the moisture of the apples wicks into the batter for a moderately viscous, tender cake treat. Pretty much the cake melts in your mouth for anyone lacking imagination.

Choosing not to peel my apples as well because I think the skin adds a natural beauty, crunch if exposed just right at the crust while baking, plus I would rather not waste some of the best parts of the apple. I also did not core my apples but opted to chop and then clean up the flesh housing the seeds, again not wanting to waste precious apple.

Prep your pans by misting with non-stick spray and dusting lightly with flour. Again, I modified this from the original recipe as I was catering to a citizenry of boy scouts and their fathers (my husband and son included) so we opted for cupcakes. The original will call for a tube pan.

During my chopping session which yields a great amount of pleasure and stress relief, our oven is becoming moderately warm (325*F). Prepping two bowls, one for mixing and one for the apples I start to combine some of our ingredients.

Entertaining two bowls in the baking process is helpful if you will be looking to sift flour, as you are combining and allowing certain ingredients to mix; the sifting can be performed during this time to maximize aeration of your dry ingredients. In my first bowl I have three (3) eggs that have been resting at room temperature, I can achieve a great amount of whip and volume in our cake using this logic. At this point I have only added half of the called for granulated sugar, three quarters of one cup (total recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of sugar), to our eggs. The other half has been sprinkled and tossed about in our apples. Why? You ask. The sugar will coat our apples and wick out the juices creating a wonderful glaze and aqueous rendering.

Continuing to beat our eggs…at a medium pace…add in 1 1/2 cups of vegetable oil, I opt for 1 cup of coconut oil and 1/2 cup of olive oil for the moisture. You may do as you wish and choose the full amount of either. Still mixing, fold in a half cup of packed, light brown sugar. When the mixture is smooth and creamy pour in the vanilla extract one teaspoon at a time for a total of two. Your wet ingredients should resemble a caramel color and be ready for the apple infusion; slowly add the apples to your partially completed batter, the chunks will cause bumps in the blending process however they will begin to coalesce.

apple cupcakes, crumb cake Lastly our dry components to our apple masterpiece. I mentioned gluten free so hold onto your shorts before they get into a bunch. Gluten free doesn’t always have to taste like cardboard and in fact you could use standard flour, again, I like to not eat alone just as alcoholics like to drink with a crowd. Using your finest sieve filter together two (2) teaspoons of cinnamon, one half (1/2) teaspoon of nutmeg, one (1) teaspoon of baking soda and three (3) cups of flour. I modified mine, using 1c coconut flour and 2c Pamela’s Artisan flour.

Slowly fold in these final elements until well blended. Your mixture should be a bit sticky, partially lumpy with your apples, yet exuding an awesomeness in aroma before even hitting the oven.

Using cupcake pans cut my cook time in almost half, bake these beauties until the top springs back when lightly pressed with your finger. Please do so with caution…I would rather not be held liable for your burns and shortcomings. If using a tube pan, prepare for 75-80 minutes if you would like to use a traditional timer, if going for cupcakes, allow at least 30-35 minutes. Cool for 25 minutes (for tube pan) and 5-10 minutes for cupcakes and transfer to a wire rack.

Finishing touches should be a caramel glaze:

3 T: butter, granulated (or turbinado) sugar, brown sugar, heavy (whipping) cream and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Boil for a minute and remove from heat and spoon over the cake.

My finishing touch, again…modified was a cream cheese caramel glaze. Using the caramel glaze above, substituting milk for the cream and blending while still hot with two (2) ounces of cream cheese and one cup of powdered sugar.

Most excellent with coffee. ENJOY!

November 5, 2014April 25, 2018

Gluten Free Baking

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”

October 27, 2014November 4, 2014

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!

October 16, 2014April 15, 2018

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.

June 11, 2014April 25, 2018

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”