Mango, Avocado and Arugula Salad

This salad is probably more appropriate for the summer months, but it's still quite delicious for the fall months, too. It's a very colorful salad thanks to the mango, avocados, and the red onions. I really enjoyed the spicy dressing, as well. It gave the salad a nice kick to go along with the peppery arugula. I found this recipe from Laylita's Recipes. Give this recipe a try no matter the time of year, and I think you will love it!
Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• For the Salad:
• 6 cups arugula leaves
• 1 mango, peeled and cut into long slices
• 1 avocado, peeled and sliced
• ½ red onion, sliced
• 1 tbs lime juice
• 
  
• Spicy Vinaigrette Dressing:
• 1 tbs champagne vinegar
• 4 tbs orange juice, about ½ orange
• 2 tbs lime juice, about ½ lime
• 4 tbs olive oil
• ½ tsp cumin
• 2 tbs finely chopped cilantro
• 1 red chili or hot pepper, sliced
• Salt and pepper

First, take out a small bowl and toss in the onions. Add in some warm water, a dash of salt, and the lime juice. Let marinate for 10 minutes. While the onions are marinating; let's make the dressing. Take out a mason jar (or something with a lid) and combine all the ingredients for the dressing. Shake well. Set aside. Next, take out a large bowl, and add the arugula, the sliced mangoes, the sliced avocado, and the red onions. Give the dressing one last good shake and pour over the salad. Give the salad a good toss and serve immediately. 

Chipotle Rosemary Sweet Potato Soup

I know I've said time and time again how much I dislike cold weather. But, it's so nice sometimes to make warm and comforting foods during this time of the year. I had a bunch of sweet potatoes sitting in my fridge begging me to do something with them. I did some handy-dandy googling, and came across this recipe from Tasty Trials for sweet potato soup. This soup was very good. I liked the smokiness that the chipotle provided, and I'm always looking for a way to use up some of my rosemary. The bacon added a nice touch as well. I will definitely make this soup again, and try to use up my sweet potatoes a lot quicker next time.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes
1/2 pound carrots
2-3 tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp cumin, divided
2 tsp chopped rosemary, divided
3 strips of bacon, chopped
1 leek, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1/4 c dry white wine
3 c low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 c heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
Grated Cheese, optional

First pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees, and then peel and chop the sweet potatoes and the carrots. Doesn't have to be pretty. Pour the sweet potatoes and the carrots into a glass baking dish (9x13) and sprinkle with olive oil (a couple teaspoons). Add in 1/2 tsp cumin and 1 tsp rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Toss well. Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes or when they're fork tender. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a large pot, crisp up the bacon and set on a paper towel for later use. In the same pot, add in the leeks and the chopped shallots. Saute over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes until they caramelize. Then, add in the remaining cumin and rosemary, garlic, and chipotle puree. Stir, and let cook for a couple minutes. Add in the wine, and let reduce for a couple minutes. Then toss in the sweet potato mixture. Stir well. Add the chicken stock and simmer covered for 10 to 15 minutes. Use an immersion blender (or a regular ol' blender) and puree the mixture till smooth. Next, stir in the heavy cream and if necessary season with salt and pepper. Serve in bowls topped with the reserved bacon. Throw in some cheese if you are using. Enjoy!

Pickled Jalapenos

If you’ve read this blog at all (have you?) then you know that I love spicy food. I pretty much want everything to have a little heat to it, or else it just feels like something is missing. So when I came across this recipe for Pickled Jalapenos on Steph Chows, it was sort of like falling in love for this first time. First of all, I love pickles. Secondly—spicy! Yes. Yes. Let’s do this. And, by the way, pickling is stupid easy. I love pickles that you get at the store, including pickled jalapenos, but there is something about pickling your own that is so much fresher and more delicious. So grab a jar (or two or three) and a handful of jalapenos and get to pickling!

10 jalapenos, whole or sliced
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 tbsp peppercorns
2 bay leaves
3 cloves of garlic, lightly pounded
2 tbsp coarse sea salt
1 tbsp sugar

The first step is to slice up your jalapenos (unless you want to pickle them whole but I think sliced is better). Cut them into rings, not too thin but not too thick either. You could take the seeds out if you want them to be less spicy but if that’s the case, what the heck are you doing pickling jalapenos anyway? Sheesh. Put the sliced jalapenos in a canning jar. I actually used three small jars because that’s what I had on hand.

Next combine the rest of the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. You want to bring it to a simmer, then lower the heat and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. You may also want to stir it some to help the salt and sugar dissolve. Remove and toss the bay leaves, then pour the hot liquid over the jalapenos in the jar. Seal it up and let it cool. I let it cool outside of the fridge, not for any particular reason that I know of, but it just seems like the right thing to do. After about 5-7 hours, you can try your jalapenos. They will be very crisp at this point, and not so pickled, but some people like that. Or you could wait a few days and they will be more pickled and less crisp. Either way, they are really spicy but also nice and vinegary and salty and just plain awesome.

Cheesy Corn & Orzo Stuffed Poblanos

The Hubs was not enthused about this dish at first. He has this thing about meals without meat. To him, anything that doesn’t have meat in it is a side dish. So when I informed him that we were making this stuffed poblano recipe that I found on Chattavore, he did not have high hopes. Well, he changed his tune after trying them. In fact, his exact words were: “These are actually good!” Shocker! Well, he was right. The cheesy corn orzo was tasty, and the poblano was nice, although I wish we had gotten spicier peppers. The real surprise to this dish for me was two fold. First, the crumbled feta on top added a great burst of flavor. I didn’t think it would work so well but it was one of my favorite parts. And then the lime sour cream sauce was a must have. It was tart but not overpowering. Instead it just really brought all the flavors together. There are a few steps to this recipe, but I definitely recommend it, especially if you’re trying to convert a doubtful eater to try something veggie-friendly!

6oz cooked orzo

6 poblanos

½ small onion, diced

1 ½ tablespoon unsalted butter

½ jalapeño, diced

1 ½ tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 cup whole milk

4oz shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)

salt and pepper

2oz crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese

¼ cup chopped cilantro

½ cup sour cream

juice of one lime

Start by charring the poblanos on your grill or gas flame, or even under the broiler. Make sure you get good dark color on all sides. Once they are charred, put them in a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let them sit for 15 minutes. Then comes the tough part—you need to peel the charred skin off the peppers, then either cut the peppers in half, or just slit one side to remove the seeds, ribs and stem (this is what I did, and it was kind of a mess but it turned out good).

Cook the orzo (according to the box) and preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and then sauté the onion and jalapeno for 4-6 minutes. Next, whisk in the flour and cook for a minute before whisking in the milk a little at a time to make a roux. Cook until it’s thick, which shouldn’t take long if you added the milk slowly, and then add in the cheese a bit at a time until it’s melted. Then stir in the orzo and the corn. We used frozen corn and it was totally fine, so don’t hate. Make sure to taste and season with salt and pepper.

To stuff the peppers, we laid out the peppers in a baking dish and scooped the orzo mixture into each one. It was less of a stuffing and more like a… scoop and wrap. But it works. Then sprinkle the tops with crumbled feta (or queso fresco) and bake for around 25 minutes. Our cheese didn’t get browned like the instructions said but it looked good to us.

To make the sauce, just mix the lime and sour cream. Add a little bit of salt to taste. It will definitely be very tart, but it works well with the full meal. When the peppers have finished baking, top them with the sauce, and sprinkle with a little cilantro. And get ready to blow some minds!

Spaghetti Squash Carbonara

I've been making a tooon of recipes ever since starting this Paleo/Primal lifestyle. Sorry, I haven't posted them all. Some have been hits and some have been misses. I will definitely post some of my favorites soon. I have to say that I had my doubts concerning this Spaghetti Squash Carbonara that Health Bent posted on their blog. I thought it was going to be too simple, and not enough ingredients. But, it was seriously delicious. I don't know what it is, but I think red pepper flakes and garlic can really elevate a dish. I've never tried spaghetti squash before, but I have to say I really love it. I really can't believe I've never tried a recipe before with this particular ingredient. Where have I been??? Anyway, I really like this recipe and I know I will be making it again and again. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
1 lb. bacon
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 handfuls of walnuts, roughly chopped
Parmesan cheese to taste (optional)
Red pepper flakes to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut your spaghetti squash in half and scrape out the seeds. Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Then, flip the squash and roast for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and scrape out the squash and place in a serving bowl.

While the squash is roasting, take out a non-stick skillet and set to medium heat. Chop the bacon into 1/2 inch pieces and place in the pan. Cook until the bacon is nice and crispy about 5 to 10 minutes. Scrape out the bacon and place on a paper towel. Next, add the chopped onion and the minced garlic and cook until the onion is translucent about 5 minutes. I also added in the red pepper flakes at this point, too. Then, pour into the serving bowl. Heat the chopped walnuts in a skillet for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and into toss them into the serving bowl. Top with the chopped bacon and parmesan cheese if using. Toss together and enjoy.

Western Omelette To Go

So, now that I'm trying to follow a Paleo life-style; I'm having to eat more eggs. Yay. Eh, not really. I've never been an egg fan. Or, I should say a fan of egg yolks. Bleh. I don't like the texture or the flavor of egg yolks. However, I've realized that as long as the eggs are cooked, scrambled, etc then I can tolerate them a lot more. So, I've started looking for recipes that involve cooking such as quiches, omelettes, and scrambled. There's a cookbook I really want to buy from health-bent called Primal Cravings. Fortunately, good ol' amazon let's you look inside the book prior to purchasing. One of the recipes that's featured is this one for Western Omelette To Go. I thought it would be perfect for my lifestyle. I get up really early (5:45 am) and only give myself 45 minutes to get ready. So, I want to make something quick, or have something already made that I can pop in the microwave. Suffice it to say; these Omelettes fit the bill. I was able to make them on a Sunday, and since the serving size is about 6 "muffins" I have one for each day of the week, and one for the weekend. Plus, they turned out to be really delicious. One recommendation; do not microwave these little guys for more than 30 to 45 seconds. I think I microwaved mine for like a minute and a half and they ended up being pretty darn chewy. Bleh. Feel free to tweak the ingredients to your liking. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
6 slices of ham
6 eggs
2 tbsp bell pepper, finely chopped (I used yellow)
2 tbsp yellow onion, finely chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
I threw in some cheese as well.

Set your oven to 350 degrees. Take out your muffin pan and grease with some butter. Line the muffin pan with the sliced ham. Set aside. Next, take out a medium sized bowl; and combine your eggs, chopped pepper, and chopped onion. Toss in some salt and pepper. Stir well. I used an ice cream scoop to scoop out the egg mixture and gently pour into the muffin cups. Bake until the eggs are set...about 15 to 20 minutes.

Beef Chow Mein

I think I may like noodle dishes a bit too much. Ok, not as much as tacos, but a lot. Sesame noodles, spicy noodles, Thai noodles, or cold noodle salad, I’ll take them all. And that’s what drew me to this Beef Chow Mein recipe on The Creative Pot. The noodles look so tasty, with great umami flavor coming through, plus tender meat and crunchy veggies for a whole meal in a bowl. I bumped up the recipe a bit by adding jalapeno, onion, sesame oil, and some chili oil. I think it could still be rounded out a little more but it’s definitely a good base to start from. I also used ramen noodles instead of chinese egg noodles because I didn’t like the egg noodles the last time I used them, but I think if I make this again I’ll give them a shot. The ramen noodles were fine too but might not have soaked up the flavor the same way the egg noodles would have.

1 package Chinese egg noodles
Vegetable oil
½ pound beef, cut into strips
1 medium carrots, peeled and cut into strips
1orange bell pepper, cut into strips 

½ white or yellow onion, cut into strips

1 jalapeno or Serrano, chopped small
4 spring onions, chopped
1/4 cup beansprouts
4 cloves minced garlic
3 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1-2 tsps chili oil (to taste)
1/4 cup water

Soak the egg noodles in hot water for 2-3 minutes, then drain and set aside. (Since we used ramen, we skipped this step and just made the noodles according to the package instructions). I also think if we make this again that we would add a little salt and pepper to the beef before browning. Heat your vegetable oil in a wok and add the beef in batches to brown. We used stir-fry beef from the store because the recipe didn’t specify what kind. Once your meat is browned remove it and set aside. Add a little more oil if necessary and cook the carrots for about 1-2 minutes before adding the bell pepper, onion, and jalapeno. Stir fry those for another 2 minutes or so. You don’t want them to get soft, but just a little more tender. Finally, add in the beansprouts and spring onions and cook for another minute before setting aside in a bowl.

The original recipe called for me to heat the garlic separately, but I forgot and added it into the sauce when I was gathering ingredients. Not sure it made much difference, but if you want to take that step, go for it. Heat a little more oil and fry the garlic for just under 30 seconds until fragrant but not burnt. Then pour in your oyster sauce, soy, sesame oil, chili oil, and water and stir. I actually premixed all of these to make it easier. Add in the noodles and turn the heat down to low as you mix them. You want to make sure that the noodles get fully cooked and that they soak up the flavors. Then add the beef and veggies back into the wok and toss everything together. Make sure everything is warmed through and you’re all set to serve!

Garlic Mushroom Cream Sauce

Garlic. Mushroom. Cream. Three amazingly delicious words. It’s not hard to see why I was drawn to this recipe when I found it on Sweet Paul. The recipe itself is incredibly simple, almost frighteningly so. I always worry with a really simple recipe that it’s going to end up bland. But when you have ingredients like garlic, mushrooms, and cream, it has to be good. And this was good. It was fine. I had two helpings. However, I feel like if something is going to be this bad for me (a cup and a half of cream! Yikes!) then it can’t just be good. It has to be so good. I want to marry it good. Rub it in my beard good. (Don’t worry, I don’t have a beard. It’s just an expression of mine.) It really has to blow me away. And this didn’t. But it was good, and worth a shot. It might just be a personal preference. Maybe you will want to rub it in your beard, and I’m not going to stop you!

2 Tbsps olive oil

½ pound mushrooms of choice (I used portobellos)

1 small onion

4 cloves garlic

1 ½ cup heavy cream

½ cup chicken stock

2 Tbsps fresh dill, chopped

Pasta of choice

Salt & Pepper

To start, roughly chop your mushrooms and then finely chop the onion and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a pan and sauté the mushrooms, onion and garlic until the mushrooms turn a golden brown, about five minutes. Next, pour in the cream and chicken stock, and add in the dill, stirring well. Let it simmer for about five minutes and then add salt and pepper to taste. We added a good amount of salt, and also felt like we wanted to invite our friend cayenne pepper to the meal so we added about a half-teaspoon of that as well. Pour the sauce over your cooked pasta and stir to combine, then serve topped with some parmesan cheese. I was hoping that the sauce might be a little thicker, but it never really seemed to thicken up. Not sure if maybe simmering for a bit longer, or cutting the amount of liquid might help.

Restaurant Style Hummus with Smoked Paprika

Here's my hummus post, and, man, is this a deeelicious recipe. I first tried making a jalapeno hummus, and it turned out quite awful. It wasn't a smooth consistency and lacked flavor. So, I decided to scope out my favorite cookbook Cook's Illustrated to see if they had any hummus recipes. Sure enough they did...and a scrumptious one at that. Now, making your own hummus can seem daunting, but it is really quite easy. One of the major steps to getting a smooth consistency is to peel the outer shell from the chickpeas. For me that is the most annoying part. So, what I do is park myself in front of the tv and gather two bowls. One for the empty shells and one for the shell-less chickpeas. It will help make the process go a lot quicker, and you'll end up with restaurant quality hummus. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup water (or juice from the chickpea can)
3 tbsp lemon juice (Fresh)
6 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste you can find at your local grocery store)
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil plus extra for drizzling
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and de-shelled
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp smoked parika
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts (optional)
1 tbsp thinly sliced scallion greens (optional)

Take out a small bowl and combine chickpea juice (or water) and lemon juice. Set aside. Next, whisk together the tahini and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium-small bowl. Set aside. Now, take out your food processor and process the chickpeas, garlic, salt, cayenne, and smoked paprika for about 15 seconds. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Then, with the machine running (and lid attached), add lemon juice mixture in stead stream. Again, scrape down bowl with rubber spatula. Then process for an additional minute. With machine running, add in the tahini mixture in steady stream, continue to process until hummus is smooth and creamy, about 15 seconds. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Transfer hummus to a large serving bowl and garnish with 1 tbsp thinly sliced scallion greens (optional), 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts and olive oil. As you can tell in the picture I went a little overboard on the pine nuts. Oh well. Enjoy.

Chicken Citrus Salad

I've decided to try a new lifestyle. The reason for this new lifestyle is because I've had certain things pop up in my body that has caused irritation, pain, etc. I've been doing quite a bit of research on this "new" way of eating. Well, it's not really new; it's been around for thousands of years. I'm going back to how our ancestors ate: vegetables, protein, fat, fruit, etc. Now, I'll be the first one to admit that I don't have the healthiest of eating habits. I mean come on; look at how many pasta, dessert, and bread recipes I've posted on this blog. A. Lot. After reading about Paleo; I've decided to give it a shot for thirty days. If you're interested in it you can read about it here. It's quite fascinating and a lot of it makes sense. People think it's a modified Atkins diet. It is; sort of. This isn't a diet; it's a lifestyle change. You're allowed carbs, but you get it in the form of fruits and vegetables. And, Paleo really stresses no grains, legumes, or anything that comes in a package (man-made). I'm actually pretty excited about this; and I really hope it helps some of my body aches and irritations. So, aside for one post I have coming concerning hummus; I'll be posting a lot of Paleo recipes. Including this one from Against All Grain. This salad was very delicious. Normally, I'm starving after eating a salad, but the nuts, chicken, avocados, and fruit really helped to keep me satisfied. If you don't like fruit in your salad then feel free to skip the orange, but it really helps to make the salad. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
For the Chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 orange, juiced
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon chile powder
salt and pepper

For the dressing:
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup olive oil

For the Salad:
2 oranges, segmented
1 avocado, cubed
1 heirloom tomato, diced
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds, toasted on the stove over medium heat until browned
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
2 cups arugula
2 cups butter lettuce
salt and pepper

First, combine the juice from the orange, lime juice, olive oil, cumin, coriander, and salt and pepper into a small bowl. Stir well and then pour into a large zip-lock bag. Toss your chicken into the bag and let marinate for several hours or overnight. I only had time to marinate my chicken for an hour and a half and I thought that it came out just fine. Get your grill ready; and once the chicken is ready grill on medium-high heat (350 degrees) until the chicken reaches a temperature of 170 degrees or the juices run clear. Remove from grill and set aside to rest.
Next, gather a large bowl and add in all the salad ingredients. Then, take out a small bowl and combine all the ingredients for the salad dressing save the olive oil. Stir well and slowly pour in the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired. Now, dice up your chicken and add to the salad and pour the dressing over the salad making sure not to over-dress the salad. Toss well and serve. Enjoy.

Summer Squash Saute

As I mentioned in the previous post; I love to peruse Bon Appetit's Magazine on the weekends to find new recipes. The June issue of Bon Appetit was a good one. I pulled out several recipes including this one for Summer Squash Sautee. I love when squash is in season. There's so much you can do with it; saute, grill, fry, etc. You can spice it up by adding red pepper flakes, create a sauce for dipping, or add a little melted butter and eat it grilled. Well, I have to say this was awesome. It was spicy, crunchy, and just plain good. It was very simple to make and I highly recommend this as a side dish. Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 lb. summer squash and/or zucchini, cut into matchsticks
1 tsp kosher salt plus more
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced (I minced mine)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or a half teaspoon more if you like spicy)
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper

Cut your squash into matchsticks, and place in a colander. Toss with a teaspoon of salt. Let stand for 10 minutes, then squeeze well to remove as much excess water as possible (do not rinse). Next, toast almonds in a skillet over medium heat. Toss occasionally until lightly browned. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate. Then, heat oil in the same skillet. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until fragrant but not browned. About a minute or two. Add squash and cook, tossing occasionally, until crisp and tender, about 5 minutes. Fold in Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Fold in almonds. Serve and enjoy!