Gluten Free Jambalaya

1c. long grain brown rice
3 c. liquid: 1 can diced/crushed tomato + stock to make 3 c. total
3 kielbasa or andouille sausages sliced into half inch thick pieces (Sub turkey or chicken sausage for calorie savings)
1 lb jumbo shrimp diced into 1/2 inch  pieces
3 bell peppers (1 yellow, 1 red, 1 orange)
1 yellow onion
4 garlic cloves
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp chipotle powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp Creole seasoning
Salt/Pepper to taste
1-2 tbsp olive oil

Prep: dice all vegetables

In large heavy bottomed skillet heat olive oil. Saute onions until translucent over medium heat. Add garlic, dry spices and rice. Allow saute for 2-3 minutes. Add liquid and stir. Over top of mixture spread diced peppers and sausage. Cover and simmer over low heat until rice is just about done. Cook time will vary depending on the recommended cook time for the rice you chose. Anywhere from 30-45 min. is normal. Just before rice is done, spread shrimp over top replace cover and cook until shrimp is pink. Pull from heat, stir and let sit for 5-10 min. Taste test and add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve and enjoy!

Grain Free Dairy Free Chicken/Eggplant "Parmigiana"

Introducing a new tool:

Did you know that there are two kinds (at least) of vegetable peelers?

You probably use the common peeler that is intended for "hard" fruits and veggies like apples, potatoes, zucchini, cucumber, etc...

Then there is a "special" peeler for your softer things like tomatoes, eggplant, kiwi, etc...

If you are going to make eggplant, I highly recommend investing in the correct peeler (far left). I'm a huge believer of using the correct tools when cooking. 

Ingredients

1 Eggplant or 2 large Chicken breasts

1/2c. Almond Meal

1/2c. Coconut Flour

1 tsp. Thyme

1 tsp. Oregano

1 tsp. Rosemary

1 tsp. Salt

3-4 eggs

Coconut Oil for frying

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350.

Mix the dry ingredients together. Lightly beat the egg. If using eggplant, peel the eggplant, cut off both ends and slice into 1/4" disks. If using chicken breast, butterfly* it and tenderize it using one of these. 

For Eggplant 

Heat approx. 1/2 c. of coconut oil in heavy bottom skillet. It's best to do med-low to medium heat. You want the oil to sizzle when food is placed in, but you don't want the extra flour to scorch. remember, if anything in your pan burns, the whole dish will taste and smell burnt. Dredge eggplant through "flour" mixture, then through the eggs and back into the flour for a final dusting. 

Gently place eggplant into oil. 

Cook until golden-brown and turn over. Once pieces are golden-brown, place in glass baking dish and bake for approx 15-20 minutes. 

For Chicken

To butterfly lay the breast flat on the cutting board. Place one hand flat over the breast, using a sharp knife slowly cut from widest end of the breast across lengthwise leaving the interior side intact to create two uniform sides when laid flat. We butterfly to create a thinner piece of meat. Breasts are notoriously difficult to cook evenly without it becoming dry. Butterflying it will help. You may also elect to cut all the way through depending on how large your piece are. Follow the link here for video how-to.

Heat approx. 1/2 c. of coconut oil in heavy bottom skillet. It's best to do med-low to medium heat. You want the oil to sizzle when food is placed in, but you don't want the extra flour to scorch. remember, if anything in your pan burns, the whole dish will taste and smell burnt. Dredge chicken through "flour" mixture, then through the eggs and back into the flour for a final dusting. 

Gently place chicken into oil. Cook approximately 7-10 minutes on each side for chicken to cook thoroughly.

Once you've gotten used to cooking meat, you'll know how a "done" piece of meat feels. Practice by gently tapping your utensil against the breast at different stages of the cooking process. A done breast should still show juices when punctured or cut. The juice should be entirely clear. It should be easy to cut with a knife or fork. If you wan to use a meat thermometer while you are getting used to it, cook to 165 degrees.

I made the chicken and eggplant together and served with a salad and another vegetable. I love Newman's Own Marinara. I use if for my lasagna as well. 

Happy Cooking. Happy Eating!!

Clean Eating 2014

How to Series: Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti Squash is amazing. We have it about 2-3x a month these days. With the turn of the new year we are trying to remove all grains and drastically decrease our dairy and sugar intake. As a result I venture a guess that we will be eating it even more than that. I've had lots of people ask me HOW to prepare it. I posted a recipe for lasagna that is so yummy I can hardly stand it. If you are not trying to cut dairy, try that first. It is a great "intro" to spaghetti squash.

Tonight, we had spaghetti squash with meat sauce, green beans and kale salad.

So, this series is a "how to". You'll want to look for a sizable squash if you are serving more than 2 people (or if you are making the lasagna). They look like this and are readily available in every grocery store produce area that I've seen. 

You'll begin by making sure you have a large sharp knife. What you see here is a 9" Wusthoff Santoku. (I'm a bit of a knife nut. Good knives are essential to making food from scratch. Good knives should be sharpened every 2-3 uses.)

Lie the squash down on its long side and cut off the ends. You're doing this so that you have a flat surface on which to stand the squash when you begin the next cut. It will also help it fit into the pan better.

Next you will take a large spoon and scrape (not scoop or push, but literally scrape) the seeds and fibers out of the inside. All of that soft stringy stuff attached to the seeds needs to go too! Set your two halves open side down into a 9x13 glass baking dish. Add a bit of water (half to full inch) to the dish and cover with saran or press and seal plastic wrap. Place in the microwave on high heat for 10-20 min. The cooking time varies because of differences in squash size and microwave strength. You are basically going to stop at 3 min. intervals until the flesh is tender - not mushy, tender.

When it is done cooking remove the plastic wrap (carefully, don't burn yourself with the steam). If you aren't trying to get dinner on the table and are prepping ahead of time, allow them to cool before moving to the next step. Otherwise, using a good pair of tongs remove the halves one at a time and using a fork take the flesh from the skin. The flesh of the squash is where it gets its name. It will look like long noodles when removed.

Drag your fork tine side down across the flesh to pull the "noodles" apart. When you've removed all of the flesh, place in a strainer/colander over a bowl to allow the liquid/juices to completely drain from the "noodles."

There you have it. It's that easy. I make most of my meals for dinner within a 30-40 min window (baking time excluded when applicable). Spaghetti squash doesn't take more time and really isn't that much more labor intensive. You can freeze it and save it for later. You can make it ahead of time and refrigerate. You can serve in lieu of a grain pasta with almost any sauce. Make sure you allow it to drain. If you do not, you'll have a watery dish. 

Feel free to leave a comment below with questions! :) 

Happy cooking! :)