Recipes

Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet with Garlic Spinach

HELLOOOOO FIRST SNOWY DAY OF THE SEASON!  It’s way too early for this nonsense but nevertheless, tis pretty as it falls no?  It also took me two hours to get home, but was grateful to arrive safely with my sweet girl Penny to greet me at the door.. for those of you who are new here and who don’t know my pup, here she is in her all her glory:56375504072__C45C344C-82E8-42F8-A907-7D0F6B23B3AE.JPG

Before I ate ground beef (and found a dire love for grass fed meats and quality poultry), I relied heavily on lean chicken breast and ground turkey.  I like ground turkey, but it always dries out, which then makes me gag and not want to finish my meal.  This dish, however, is nice and creamy and tastes so flavorful.  I went a little crazy and spiced the dish up a notch with chipotle powder and red pepper flakes – if you don’t like spice, feel free to leave it out!

The dish starts with sautéing some fresh spinach in butter.  Once it wilts, add some garlic powder and set aside.  This will be added to the ground turkey once it’s done browning.  Brown the ground turkey in a cast-iron skillet pre-greased.  Once the turkey is browned, add the spinach and fresh chopped sweet potato (note: I tossed the sweet potato in some avocado oil before adding it to the skillet so it gets tender quicker).

After everything is friendly in the skillet, add in the seasonings, and 1 cup of broth (either vegetable or chicken – I prefer chicken bone broth).  What this will do is keep the turkey juicy and tender, and also steam the sweet potatoes to cook quicker.  I added some flour to the mixture and blended until everything melded together and became thick.

Sprinkle some cheese (we used a fiesta blend) on top, bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes.  The end result is a beautifully aromatic, flavorful hearty dish on a snowy cold day in November 🙂 Nomaste!

Baked Garlic Buffalo Wings

When Football season kicks in (see what I did there? Kick? No? Okay…), it seems like there’s only two options for food: burgers and fries, or wings.  I love me some good ol’ fashioned buffalo wings, fried to perfection and drenched in hot sauce. Boneless or on the bone, they’re so freaking delicious.  I’m of the “ranch dip” type rather than blue cheese, but that’s not a problem in our home.  I’m proud to say that this recipe calls for five ingredients: wings, avocado oil, cassava flour, garlic powder, and hot sauce.  THAT. IS. IT.IMG_4274

I played around on the internet to see how other food bloggers and foodies make their wings, and realized that everyone except for moi have a wire rack.  Rather than running out to the local 99c store to buy a cheap one, I just prayed that a lined baking sheet pan with sprayed aluminum foil would work.  Honestly? It did, and it did taste pretty damn good.  I started by cleaning and pat drying my wings (I got them from an online meat-delivery system Butcher Box, I highly recommend them if you want to ramp up the quality of your meats – plus, they have add ons like bacon and breakfast sausage… mmmm, sausage.)

After drying the wings, I tossed them in avocado oil (this oil has a high smoke point and will not burn in the oven) and coated with a generous layer of garlic powder.  Lastly, I added 1/3 cup of cassava flour to crisp the wings as they bake.  Grease a pan (or use a wire rack) and lay the wings down skin side up, bake for 50 minutes at 400 degrees, and then toss in your favorite hot sauce (I’m not sure of the brand we used but it was really yummy).

The beauty about eating wings is that it is versatile and goes with just about any dipping sauce, any sides, and of course celery and carrots.  Now go throw on your Giants jersey, crack open a Corona, and enjoy them wings!

Shepherd’s Pie

Throwback to when hubs and I went to London and had the most incredible food at a pub our last night in Europe.  I had a burger, but what did hubs have? Yep, shepherd’s pie.  We were not disappointed, in fact, it was probably one of the best meals we had when were abroad this past August.  The butter flavor of the potatoes, atop a layer of slow-cooked ground Dorset lamb, with a medley of veggies.  I’m drooling.IMG_4246

Shepherd’s pie, to me, is a comfort food, but can be made anytime!  I love the different textures in it, especially with the potatoes on top.  I made this version with Russet gold potatoes mashed with half and half, butter, and a ton of garlic powder.  The innards of the pie included ground grass fed beef, carrots, celery, onion, and loads of spices and flavors, lest not forget… Worcestershire sauce (woo, spelled that in one shot.. bam!)

I can imagine that this tastes great with ground lamb (obviously because that’s what we had in London) and with sweet potato mash on top.  I’ll have to give that version a whirl next time.  I browned the meat, added in the veggies, the seasoning, and then a 1/4 cup of flour (GASP!  I USED REAL FLOUR THIS TIME!) to thicken and absorb the liquid (beef bone broth/stock).  For the finale, I ladled the mash on top and spread to a relatively thick layer.  The assembled “pie” baked for 20 minutes then broiled for 10 to brown and crisp the edges of the potato on top.  Damn, this came out 10/10.  Give it a go, cheers mate! Xx 🙂

Print

Shepherd's Pie

Course Dinner
Cuisine Comfort, English
Keyword beef, comfort food, shepherds pie, winter recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting time 5 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 8
Author nomastehungry

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs Grass Fed Ground Beef
  • 1 carrot peeled and diced
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 celery stalk chopped
  • 1/2 c beef stock preferrably bone broth
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • cumin
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • paprika to taste, or for coloring
  • 2-3 tbsp flour for thickening meat
  • pepper flakes
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • 2 bay leaves

Mashed Potatoes

  • 4 medium Russet Potatoes peeled, chopped, then boiled
  • 3 tbsp butter grass fed
  • 1/3 c heavy cream
  • garlic powder generous amount
  • salt to taste

Instructions

For the meat filling:

  1. In a large cast iron skillet, brown the meat in some oil or spray oil.

  2. Add in carrots, onions, celery.  Cook until onions are semi translucent and the meat is browned.

  3. Season the meat mixture with the cumin, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, and paprika.  Stir to coat all the meat and mixture.  Add in bone broth and flour.  Stir until the meat mixture absorbs the liquid and becomes a thicker consistency.  Let simmer for 15-20m.

For the potatoes

  1. Dice potatoes and add to boiling water.

  2. After 20 minutes, potatoes should be tender.  Drain potatoes and place them into a mixing bowl.

  3. Add in butter, garlic and heavy cream.  Mash together until the potatoes are creamy and can form high peaks.

Assembly of Shepherd Pie

  1. Preheat oven to 375* degrees

  2. Layer mashed potatoes on top of the meat in the skillet.  The layer should be on the thicker side.

  3. Place skillet on middle rack.  Let bake for 15-20.  Mashed potatoes should begin to brown.

  4. Move the skillet to the broil rack (top rack) for 5-10 minutes or until sides are bubbling and are crisp.  Serve immediately!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

I’m a fall girl, 100%.  I could deal with being in warmer weather, if I lived super close to a beach, or in Florida.  Living in New York, and experiencing all four seasons, Fall is absolutely my favorite.  The leaves change, the holidays approach, the smell of pumpkin and apple pie, and SOUP.  I could eat soup everyday, and I love all varieties.  This one in particular reminds me of Panera’s chicken and wild rice, and its hearty, filling, and good for the soul!IMG_4174

I broke out the crockpot for this guy, as I usually do for soups because I love a slow cooked meal, especially in the Fall/Winter seasons.  Crockpot meals are the best because you literally throw everything in at once, checking in every so often, and stir.  With this recipe I used Trader Joe’s Basmati and Wild Rice blend that comes with dehydrated veggies and seasoning, bay leaves, organic chicken breast, fresh carrots, and celery.  For the broth I used 2 cartons of bone broth.  Bone broth is an old tradition of boiling poultry or beef bones, getting all the gelatin and collagen from the bones, for hours (like, upwards of 10-15 hours).  Bone broth has so many benefits and nutrients our bodies need, which is why I’m so glad that it’s readily available in Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s.

I played around with the different lengths of time and temperature, but the end result:  cook on low for 6 hours and add in water or broth as needed.  This recipe in particular requires a good amount of liquid, and a 1/2 cup heavy cream or 1/2 and 1/2 at the end, hence the “creamy” part of the recipe.  I didn’t season with any salt or pepper until it was almost ready to be served, as I wanted to be sure the seasoning wasn’t overpowering.  To create the shredded chicken, I took the chicken breasts out about 30 minutes before the soup was done, shredded with two forks, and added it back in.  Serve with a slice of baguette and you’re ready to feast!

Print

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Course Dinner
Cuisine Soup
Keyword Chicken, Fall, Hearty, Soup, Wild Rice
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes
Servings 8 cups
Author nomastehungry

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Organic chicken breast
  • 1 pkg Wild rice
  • 2 cartons Chicken bone broth
  • 3 stalks Carrots sliced
  • 3 ribs Celery chopped
  • 1/2 cup Half and half
  • 3 Bay leaves

Instructions

  1. Chop/slice the carrots and celery. Set side

  2. Layer the chicken, celery, carrots, and package of rice into a medium size crockpot.

  3. Pour in the cartons of bone broth into the crockpot.  Cover and set to low for 6 hours

  4. Add in more water as need and desired if the liquid becomes absorbed as the soup cooks.  Stir occasionally.

  5. 30 minutes before the soup is done, take out chicken and shred with two forks. Add the chicken back into the soup.

  6. Pour in the 1/2 cup of half and half and season with salt and pepper.  Taste and add more as desired.

  7. Serve with a slice of french baguette and enjoy!

Primal Cassava Flour Pancakes

Happy Sunday loves!  It’s officially fall (y’all…) and I couldn’t be happier.  Sitting with a hot cup of coffee, windows cracked to welcome the cool breeze, pumpkin everything, and fall-scented candles burning… it is truly my favorite season.  Sundays are always days of rest in my home and today is no exception.  My tastebuds were craving something hearty, but also on the healthier side.. alas, the pancakes.  I love when pancakes are in the in-between of super fluffy and thin, and this recipe churns these flapjacks out in just the perfect consistency.  Okay, a secret?  I don’t like syrup.  It’s too sticky, and way too sweet for me, so I just devour these like caveman (kind of fitting for this recipe anyway..) and eat them plain.  Either way, they’re kind of amazing.IMG_4163

Let’s address the elephant in the room.. what the heck is primal?  Primal is a branch of Paleo-style eating, while Paleo doesn’t encourage dairy, Primal allows it!  I find a happy medium between the two and incorporate pasteurized, organic, and grass fed dairy into my diet when I can as there are benefits to it.   These pancakes are primal solely because this involves heavy cream.  Of course, I used cassava flour instead of almond or regular flour as this is one of the only flours that the taste doesn’t make me cringe.  Would you believe me that there are only six ingredients in this recipe? Yep, you heard me, SIX.IMG_4150

I start with adding the cassava four, baking soda, and salt to a bowl and whisk together.  Then, I add some pasture-raised eggs (3), avocado oil, and the heavy cream to a separate bowl and whisk together until the eggs are fully immersed.  Combine the two (adding the wet into the dry) and whisk until flour is fully blended.  The consistency should be thick, but not thick to the point where it’s hard to stir.  Ladle or spoon batter to a greased pan and add in your extras such as bananas and chocolate chips seen here – this totally reminds me of Jack Johnson’s Banana Pancakes song and if you don’t know this song, go listen right now!

Let sit on each side for 2-3 minutes, you will see the sides of the pancake rise up from the pan.. that’s when it’s ready to flip.  Serve immediately with butter, syrup, or just shove them into your gullet and enjoy 🙂 Nomaste!IMG_4164

Print

Primal Cassava Flour Pancakes

Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Keyword cassava, paleo, pancakes, primal
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 3 people

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs preferrably pasture-raised
  • 3/4 cup cassava flour
  • 1/4 cup avocado oil
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tbsp baking soda

Instructions

  1. In a medium sized bowl, add the cassava four, baking soda, and salt.  Stir together

  2. In a smaller bowl, add the eggs, avocado oil, and heavy cream.  Whisk until filly blended.

  3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until flour is fully blended.  Consistency should be thick but not too thick.

  4. Heat a frying pan (or griddle) and spray with oil (or grease with butter).  Ladle a spoonful of batter onto the griddle.  Wait two minutes, the flip.  Repeat until batter is done

Recipe Notes

Add in your favorite extras like nuts, bananas, chocolate chips, etc.

1 2 3
Powered by WordPress.com.