Sweet Potato Chipotle Chili

This is a perfect chili for a rainy spring night!

Ingredients:
1 can of organic black beans, rinsed
1 can of organic kidney beans, rinsed
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, seeds removed and cut into small pieces
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
1-2 yellow onions, diced
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1 24-28 oz jar of diced or pured tomatoes (I like jarred better than canned tomatoes)
1 pound of lean grassfed ground beef
2-3 chorizo sausages, casing removed
1 Tbs of chili powder
2 tsp of cumin
2 tsp of oregano
dash of mustard powder
dash of cinnamon (this will bring all the ingredients together...don't skip it!)
sea salt and pepper to taste
tsp of coconut oil or olive oil
splash of beef or veggie stock or water

Add your ground beef to a big soup pot over medium heat along with the tsp of oil. Start to brown the beef until most of the pink is gone. Add the onions, garlic and spices to the meat. Cook for 2-3 minutes and add the beans, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and chipotle pepper. The chili will be really thick so add a little stock or water if needed as it cooks down. Simmer until the sweet potato is soft, about 30 minutes. Add the chorizo in pieces to the soup. Cook for 5 more minutes until the chorizo is cooked through.

We topped our chili with white cheddar cheese curds and sour cream and it was delicious! There is a hint of spice and cinnamon that really brings together all the flavors.

Honeymoon Hash

I made this breakfast hash a few times while were in Belize with whatever was in the fridge and it was delicious! You can substitute any meat you have the fridge (bacon, sausage, etc.). This makes enough for two plus a little leftover.

Super Yummy Breakfast Hash:
2 potatoes
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, diced
1-1/2 zucchini, diced
A few slices of Salami or meat of choice, sliced into small pieces. (Note: if you use bacon or sausage you will want to start cooking it earlier so it's not undercooked)
Pepperjack cheese
Butter
Salt and pepper
2 eggs

Chop the potatoes, red bell pepper, zucchini and salami into small chunks. Add a few tablespoons of butter to a pan along with a teaspoon of salt and pepper and start cooking the potatoes over medium high heat. Add more butter if necessary. When the potatoes are halfway cooked (starting to turn golden and soften) add the onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent and add the peppers, zucchini and salami. Fry until the potatoes are golden brown and the other veggies are slightly soft. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with grated pepperjack cheese. You can serve the hash as is or top with a fried or poached egg. We preferred an over-easy egg with our hash.

Enjoy!

Pizza Night! Sausage, Mushroom and Arugula Pizza

I know I haven't written anything in over a month! We went out our belated honeymoon for two weeks in February and we had family staying with us for the past two weeks. I'm finally starting to get back to my regular cooking schedule.

When I was growing up we always had pizza on Friday nights and it was a fun tradition. Pizza is one of the things I miss most being gluten free/grain free. I've finally discovered how to make the best grain free thin crust after trying a lot of different recipes. My friend Patrick created this crust recipe and it is amazing!

Sausage, Mushroom and Arugula Pizza on Grain Free Thin Crust

Crust:
One cup of almond flour
2 Tbs of melted butter (salted)
1 Tbs of unmelted butter (salted)
2 eggs
dash of salt, pepper and garlic powder

Toppings:
1/2 pound of grass fed, organic chorizo sausage (or italian sausage would work well)
6-7  mushrooms of your choice, chopped
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
Handful of arugula
Olive oil for drizzling
Blend of cheese-I used Asiago, Romano and Gruyere
1 small can of organic tomato paste
Italian seasoning blend
Sea salt
garlic powder

To make the crust, combine almond flour, melted butter and eggs in a bowl. Stir until combined. Add a dash of garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper. The dough will be very wet and sticky. Scoop the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper and place another sheet of parchment paper on top. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out between the parchment paper until it is very thin. Carefully peel the top layer of parchment off the crust. Place the pizza crust (on the bottom layer of parchment) onto a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 12-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

When the crust comes out of the oven, rub the remaining tablespoon of butter over the crust and sprinkle with garlic powder.

In a medium pan combine the sausage, onion, mushrooms and garlic and saute until the onion is translucent and the sausage is cooked through. I added a tiny bit of butter to the pan but the sausage should have a lot of moisture so you don't need a lot. Turn the heat to low and add the red bell pepper and saute for a few minutes.

In a small bowl combine the tomato paste with a few teaspoons of Italian seasoning and a pinch of salt and garlic powder. Add more seasoning if needed.  (Note: regular pizza sauce will not work with the almond flour crust. It will make it very soggy)

Spread the tomato paste over the almond flour crust. Add the sausage mixture to the pizza spreading it out evenly. Cover with your cheese blend.

Put in the oven for another 12-15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and slightly golden. When the pizza comes out of oven top with a few handfuls of arugula and a drizzle of olive oil.

Eat and enjoy!

Breakfast Smoothies

Lately I've been making smoothies before I head to the gym in the morning. They are quick and filling and I like to drink a little before my workout and the rest afterwards. These are a few of my favorite combinations:

Cocoa Berry Smoothie:
1 large banana
3/4 cup of frozen mixed berries
1/2 avocado
1 cup of coconut or almond milk
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 Tbs of unsweetened cocoa powder
Blend!

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie:
1 large frozen banana
1 cup of coconut or almond milk
2 Tbs of peanut or almond butter
1 Tbs of coconut oil (great for post-workout!)
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 tsp of maple syrup
dash of cinnamon and nutmeg
Blend!

Matt's Favorite Blueberry Smoothie:
1 large frozen banana
1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup of coconut milk
1 Tbs of almond butter
1 tsp of maple syrup
1 tsp of vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon
Blend!

What to do with leftover salmon??? Grain Free Salmon Cakes!

A few nights ago I made chili rubbed salmon and I had some salmon leftover so I decided to make delicious salmon cakes. These are great for dinner with some lemon aioli or for brunch topped with a poached egg over greens.

Ingredients:

1-2 fillets of salmon or 2 cans BPA free wild salmon
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, diced
2 tsp of capers
2 Tbs of mayo (homemade or olive oil mayo)
1 Tbs of Dijon mustard
1/4 cup of almond flour
2 Tbs of coconut flour
Juice from 1 lemon
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of pepper
dash of cayenne
Coconut oil for cooking

Combine all ingredients and mix well. I pulsed all of the ingredients in the food processor for 30 seconds but you can combine by hand as well.

Heat a few tablespoons of coconut oil in a large frying pan. Roll the salmon mixture into golf ball size balls and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until browned. Enjoy!

Chili Rubbed Salmon with Strawberry Basil Salsa

Ingredients:
2 large salmon fillets
Chili powder
Extra virgin olive oil
1 lime
2 oranges
10 large strawberries, chopped
1 avocado, diced
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1 handful of basil, finely chopped
Sea salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place salmon fillets in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil and juice from 1 orange. Season generously with sea salt, pepper and chili powder. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

While the salmon is baking combine the chopped strawberries, avocado, cucumber and basil in a medium size bowl. Squeeze the juice of 1/4 of the lime and 1 orange over the salsa. Add a pinch of sea salt and gently combine.

Serve the salsa over the salmon with a squeeze of fresh lime and orange juice and enjoy!

Winter Salad

I'm doing the Whole30 challenge (http://whole9life.com/category/whole-30/)  for the next two weeks which means no dairy, sugar, grains or alcohol. Technically, you're supposed to do it for 30 days (hence the name "Whole30") but I'm leaving on my honeymoon for two weeks and there is no way I am going to refrain from all treats! I made this fresh, healthy salad for lunch today and it was really filling. I had a piece of leftover fillet that I ate with the salad and it was the perfect amount of food for lunch.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
Mix of baby spinach, kale and chard (or any seasonal baby greens)
1 granny smith apple, diced
2 stalks of celery including leaves, diced
(Next time I might add blueberries or orange segments)

Combine

Dressing:
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Squeeze of fresh orange juice
Pinch of sea salt

Whisk ingredients together until emulsified. I made the dressing and let it sit overnight and it was thick and creamy.