Marinated Fig and Spinach Salad

Published on by Alissa2 Comments

I was a fig virgin a year ago….a fresh fig virgin. Mr Newton destroyed figs in my opinion. Those weird “cookies” were the only sweets in my house when I was young and I stayed waaaaaaaay away from them. Looking back, I guess that was a good thing. So maybe I should thank Mr Newton and my mom. Only having access to those piss poor “cookies” curbed my sweet tooth, that’s for sure.

Late last summer, I noticed fresh figs at the store.  They popped up like a secret and without any warning. My curiosity got the best of me and I brought home a small basket of fresh figs, unsure what to expect.  Cutting into that dark flesh revealed such a surprise. The lush pink center of a fresh cut fig is so beautiful. I ate the whole basket in one day.  I went back…bought more and brought them to anyone and everyone I could. I was a fig prophet. I wanted to yell from the rooftops and spread the word. “Behold…the FIG. It will save your life.” I couldn’t believe that I had been blind to this fruit in its raw form for 30 years.

Although dried figs are available in stores year round, fresh figs are available in late summer.  There are numerous varieties with the Black Mission fig being one of the more common varieties found in stores.  Each variety differs in color and texture.  They are a great source of potassium (helps regulate blood pressure), calcium, and fiber!  So if you can get your hands on some fresh figs right now…do it. Profess the amazingness of figs. Eat them fresh and feel like royalty. Bake them and feel indulgent!

This past week I was lucky enough to get my hungry paws on a FLAT OF FIGS!!!!  After gorging myself on plain raw figs, I marinated a few and added them to this amazing spinach salad.  Although I loved the added flavor of the marinated figs, this salad would be fabulous with just the fresh figs and the balsamic-dijon dressing drizzled on top.

Ooooh…and a side note, the balsamic-dijon marinade/dressing is prime!  I whip up an extra large batch and store it in a ball jam-size jar with a lid and take it to work with me for my lunch salads.  Addictive! It’s also good drizzled on sautéed mushrooms and baked chicken.

Hope everyone has a great Labor Day weekend!!!!

Marinated Fig and Spinach Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard
  • dash of salt
  • 1/4 cup of olive oil
  • 6 fresh figs, stems removed and quartered
  • 4 handfuls of fresh spinach
  • 2 tablespoon of toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
  • crumbled goat cheese (optional)
  • fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

  1. Mix vinegar, dijon mustard, and salt in a small bowl.  Add olive oil, whisking constantly. Add figs and stir gently. Allow to marinate for about 10 to 20 minutes while you are preparing other things.
  2. Divide spinach between two bowls. Place figs on top of spinach and drizzle with marinade. Top each bowl with 1/2 tablespoon of walnuts and fresh cracked pepper. Sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese, if that’s yo thang.

Basil Chicken Stir Fry

Published on by Alissa3 Comments

Life.

It is something that we are all given.  With that life, we make choices. With those choices, we affect our life but more importantly, we affect the lives of others.

This weekend was a hard one. My husband’s family suffered a great loss. An unexpected loss at that. Times like these reaffirm my belief that we should always let people know how much they mean to us.

After such a long weekend out of town, we arrived home this afternoon and I was hungry for fresh vegetables. A basic stir fry is the easiest way to use up whatever vegetables you have lingering in your fridge. Feel free to sub any fresh or frozen vegetables that you may have around or in the garden.

Stir Fry Tip Numero Uno – Cut all your veggies up in advance and have everything prepped and ready to go.

Stir Fry Tip Numero Dos – Have a good stir fry sauce recipe.

I have also included my basic stir fry sauce recipe which is adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook. Because we have recently given up soy products, I used coconut aminos in place of soy sauce.  It is available at any natural food grocer or online. This recipe would also taste great with coconut milk and curry. Mmmm.

For other stir fry ideas, check out the Food Matters Project here.

Basil Chicken Stir Fry

Serves 4

Basic Stir Fry Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup raw coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
  • 1/4 water
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 to 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Basil Chicken Stir Fry Ingredients:

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons coconut oil (or grapeseed oil)
  • 1 lb chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/2 medium-sized onion, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups of vegetables: bell peppers (cut into 1/4-inch strips),  carrot (cut into thin slices), mushrooms (sliced), kale (chopped), spinach, green beans, cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes, broccoli, etc.
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more depending on desired spiciness)
  • 1/3 cup fresh basil, sliced (plus more for topping)
  • sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

  • Combine stir fry sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
  • Over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a large skillet. Place diced chicken in skillet with half of the stir fry sauce. Cook until browned and cooked through (about 10 minutes). Stir frequently. When cooked through, remove chicken from skillet and place in a separate bowl.
  • In same skillet that the chicken just was removed from, add another tablespoon of coconut oil. Allow to melt (30 seconds). Turn heat to medium-high. Add onions and salt and stir fry for about 2 minutes.
  • Add all other vegetables except leafy greens (spinach, kale, chard) and tomatoes. Stir fry until they begin to get tender. Add tomatoes, leafy greens, and the remaining stir fry sauce to the skillet. Keep the heat medium-high. Stir frequently. The sauce will begin to thicken.
  • Add chicken, red pepper flakes, and basil. Stir until heated through and incorporated. Remove from heat. Top with additional basil and sesame seeds.

Chocolate Banana Pie with Coconut Macaroon Crust (Grain Free and Dairy Free)

Published on by Alissa6 Comments

I have been known to sneak odd ingredients into foods….black beans in brownies, or cashews in “cheese” cake, or even cauliflower in mac n’ cheese.  

Today, my magic trick is with chocolate….bananas….coconut…and…. wait for it…. avocados….in a pie.   What? yes…. It can’t be done you say…CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.

Stay with me on this one, people. I was skeptical too. There are several avocado chocolate mouse/pudding recipes out there in the vast blogosphere. After reading many of these odd recipes, I decided to give it a go and put it into a pie form.  Because everyone needs a good pie every once and a while….or two. 

I pureed two avocados with coconut milk, ripe bananas, soaked dates, a smidge of agave nectar, and some good cocoa. The pudding filling was so silky and creamy and rich….you would think there was a load of butter and cream in this fabulous pie….but no, just the magical avocado. To keep it grain free, but still giving it TONS of flavor, I concocted a coconut macaroon crust. Swoooooon!  So good. The macaroon crust recipe is a keeper.

Chocolate + banana is a match made in heaven to me. Nothing gets better. So I added sliced bo-naners in the base of the pie. I imagine these would be awesome as small tartlets, using a muffin tin instead of an entire pie. Go surprise your taste buds. Throw together this pie and you never have to feel guilty…. You are welcome!

Chocolate Banana Pie with Coconut Macaroon Crust (Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Paleo-Friendly)

Serves 8 to 10

Macaroon Crust Ingredients:

  • 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup)
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Macaroon Crust Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9″ pie pan with nonstick spray or coconut oil. Set aside.
  2. Place all ingredients into your food processor. Pulse until combined. Mixture should hold together when you squeeze it between your fingers. Don’t process for too long or you will end up with a coconut butter-type puree.
  3. Dump the coconut mixture into the prepared pie pan. Press out the mixture evenly into the bottom of the pie pan to about an 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick.
  4. Bake in preheated oven until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

Chocolate Filling Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cups dates, soaked in hot water for at least 10 minutes
  • 2 avocados
  • 2 bananas (one is for the filling and the other is to be layered inside the pie)
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut milk (light or full fat)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup)
  • Optional toppings: dark chocolate shavings, unsweetened coconut flakes, slivered almonds, sliced fruit

Chocolate Filling Instructions:

  1. Place soaked dates, avocados, one of the bananas, and the coconut milk in a good food processor. Blend until smooth.
  2. Add cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract, and honey. Blend until smooth.
  3. Once the crust is cooled and filling is made, layer slices of the remaining banana in the bottom of the pie crust. Add chocolate filling and spread with a spatula to smooth. Optional toppings include flaked unsweetened coconut or dark chocolate shavings. Refrigerate pie for a few hours until cool and set up. Serves 8 to 10.

Spring Roll Salad with Thai Dressing

Published on by Alissa10 Comments

What a weekend. Some friends of ours few into town from Austin. We had a great time catching up and showing them around the KC area.  The great cool down finally hit KC and made it perfect to ride bikes to our favorite restaurants.  We also ventured to Weston, MO, where we had fabulous brew in a century old Irish brewery tucked 4 stories BELOW ground.  It’s dank and musty and serves up a perfect pint of local brews.

Sunday brought warmer temps in the upper 90s. We found relief from the heat by checking out the Negro League Baseball Museum in the 18th and Vine district. If you are ever in the KC area, I highly recommend the museum.

We also were able to grill and cook some good food over the weekend. I made this great salad, which basically is a deconstructed version of thai spring rolls. The recipe is inspired by Mark Bittman’s Summer Rolls from the Food Matters Cookbook. This recipe was chosen by Alyssa of Every Day Maven as part of the Food Matters Project. It has been over six months since the beginning of the Food Matter’s Project, which consists of a group of food bloggers choosing recipes from Mark Bittman’s huuuuge, 500+ recipe cookbook “The Food Matters Cookbook” and cooking through them. 

I absolutely adore the freshness of well made spring rolls. The fresh cilantro and basil make the dish.  The herby salad is served with a thai-inspired dressing that contains almond butter instead of peanut butter.  Feel free to sub peanut butter instead, if you do not have any peanut allergies. This salad is quick and fresh and can be topped with shrimp or chicken for a complete meal.

The thai dressing would also be great for dipping. Add water after mixing all the ingredients. I found that after refigerating the sauce for a day, I had to add a few tablespoons of water to make it more of a dressing consistency. 

Spring Roll Salad with Thai Dressing (Gluten Free, Grain Free, Dairy Free)

Thai Dressing Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons almond butter
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk (full fat or light)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 to 3 tablespoons of water (add one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency)

Spring Roll Salad Ingredients:

  • 6 cups lettuce, chopped
  • 2 carrots, shredded
  • 4 green onions, green and white parts chopped
  • 1/2 cup sweet bell peppers, chopped
  • 1 cucumber, diced
  • 1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 1/4 cup chopped roasted cashews
  • sesame seeds

Instructions:

  1. In a small bowl whisk all dressing ingredients together until smooth. Place in a container and refrigerate.
  2. Add all the salad ingredients, except avocado and cashews, into a large bowl. Toss until all ingredients are well mixed. Top with diced avocados, sesame seeds, and diced cashews. Serve each salad with 2 tablespoons of sauce.

 

Sweet Potato and Zucchini Breakfast Stacks

Published on by AlissaLeave a comment

I think I was five. Maybe six….no I was five. Six. Wait…four? No, five.  Hell, it doesn’t matter… I was finally old enough to learn to ride my bike without training wheels. It was a monumental day. My bike and me were about to embark on new territory, make history, be BIG!

She was a fabulous bike. The Seashell Princess bike. And after my dad removed her training wheels, she was legit! A machine of pink and silver shells and tassels. The only setback now would be me. She was ready. Was I? I waffled. I wasn’t sure. I thought I was. In his usual fashion, my dad cracked jokes and lightened the mood. He told me I could do it. So I did.

My dad’s strong arms held me tight as I started to peddle. You know the drill….one minute I’m confident with him by my side, cheering me on and holding me steady. The next minute my face is implanted into a stop sign and Seashell Princess is scratched and bruised.  He picked me up, made me feel better, and told me to keep trying. He wouldn’t let me give up. So I got back on her. She fought like a champ and I learned to ride without training wheels. Sort of.

I’d love to say that was the last time I fell off of a bike…but sadly I am still a TERRIBLE bike rider. I try but I look like a blind woman who just drank two bottles of Jack and went for a joy ride….in sand. Ya, that bad.  There are a lot of things that I am not great at (or even good), but I keep trying. Sort of.

There is one thing that I am good at….breakfast.

I love breakfast.

I love eggs.

I also love things stacked on my plate so that my eggs can drizzle and dribble all over them. I totally love english muffins, but in my recent quest to remove gluten from my diet, the english muffin has been replaced by über delicious sweet potato and zucchini stacks.

Oh Honey…let me tell you how much I love these things. Flavor is A +. Texture is great….And I don’t feel bogged down after eating them. Mmmm. This is especially good with fresh torn basil scattered on top.  So. Good.

So try something new. Hopefully you won’t face plant into a stop sign. But in the event that you do….brush yourself off and try again.

Sweet Potato and Zucchini Breakfast Stacks

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 1 sweet potato, sliced in 1/8-inch rounds
  • 1 medium zucchini, sliced in 1/4-inch rounds
  • olive oil
  • 2 to 4 eggs
  • cherry tomatoes
  • fresh basil
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray a roasting pan with nonstick spray or drizzle with olive oil. Layer sweet potato rounds and zucchini rounds in a single layer on the roasting pan. Roast sweet potato and zucchini at 425 for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from oven.
  2. Either fry or poach eggs as desired.
  3. Split the zucchini and sweet potato rounds between two plates. Place 1 or 2 cooked eggs on each stack. Top with diced cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper.

Swiss Chard Wraps

Published on by Alissa3 Comments

Quick and easy meals are the focus in my house lately. And for the coming future….well, for the next three months.  I am feverishly preparing to take the professional engineering (P.E.) exam this coming October. The PE exam is the final step in the licensure process for engineers.

It’s a massive 8 hour exam and I am quite out of practice in the studying department.  SO to dedicate the most time and be as efficient as possible, I study every ounce that I can and end up taking only a few breaks to eat and squeeze in a few runs. I’m basically M.I.A. So if you need me in the coming months, send smoke signals or slide a note under the door.

My recipes and posts in the coming months will likely reduce in quantity but not quality. I will be featuring quick breakfast/lunch/dinner recipes for folks on the go (or chained to a desk studying).  I got ya’lls back people.

These swiss chard wraps were a quick linner (lunch/dinner) that we enjoyed over the weekend using leftover smoked chicken and a few chard leaves.  They are similar to burritos, except the chard leaf serves as a fresh “tortilla”, making it both gluten free and grain free. They come together in a snap.  You could use whatever leftovers you have on hand such as taco meat, or grilled veggies, or even scrambled eggs.  Top similar to tacos, using avocados, fresh tomatoes, salsa, and cilantro. 

Swiss Chard Wraps 

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 8 large swiss chard leaves, cleaned and extra stem removed
  • 2 cups of grilled veggies (red bell pepper, zucchini, onion, etc) 
  • 2 cups shredded chicken or beef
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1 avocado
  • cilantro
  • salsa

Instructions

  1. In a medium skillet or microwave, reheat veggies and meat.
  2. Assemble the swiss chard wraps like tacos, layering the shredded chicken mixture with the desired toppings. Wrap the chard leaf around the filling and dive in!

Make Ahead Mexican Breakfast Casserole (Gluten Free, Grain Free, and Dairy Free)

Published on by Alissa41 Comments

A typical weekday morning involves me making a mad dash to get ready and out the door in time. I typically try to squeeze in a morning run, pushing my timeframe and running out the door with barely my hair fixed and DEFINITELY nothing ironed and praying that I thought ahead the night before to pack something for breakfast to eat on the road or in the office.

Most people suffer from the dash and go morning routine. Whether it is because you try to cram a morning workout in or get your kids ready or are just hitting that snoozypooze buttom one too many times, a healthy breakfast is likely the last on your list. I find that if I don’t eat a good solid, protein rich breakfast, the rest of my day has me STARVING AND EATING MY ARMS. Try going the rest of your day with only bloody nubs….not good. Gross, I know. I used to toast whole grain bread and slather almond butter on it for a quick breakfast, but lately I’ve been trying to eliminate gluten and grains from my diet.  Finding quick make-ahead gluten and grain free breakfast alternatives has been the hardest challenge. Until now….

As a fabulous solution to the gluten and grain free breakfast conundrum (and to preserving my poor arms from being eaten), I present to you the great make ahead breakfast casserole! (Imagine glitter flying around right now and echoing god-like voices because this thing is awesome…like you just-won-a-trip-to-Bali awesome or you are-smaller-than-your-favorite-skinny-jeans awesome or you have-a-years-supply-of-ketchup awesome….or is that just me? fine…just me…well it would be friggin awesome.)

I call it “make ahead” for two reasons:

(1) All of the ingredients can be combined the evening or day before, refridgerated, and then baked the morning you plan to serve, and/or

(2) the casserole can be baked ahead of time and the leftovers taste just as delish as if it were fresh baked.

Whip one of these casseroles up on a Sunday evening…go ahead, eat B for D (breakfast for dinner)… and then eat the leftovers for breakfast throughout the week. Brilliant! This gluten-free casserole serves a crowd (10 at least) or it can feed 2 peeps for a full week. It is also a great way to use up excess ground beef!

This recipe is really just a building block. Any meat or veggies could be interchanged. I shredded a sweet potato as the starch.  But if you have picky eaters in your house and they are not down with the sweet potato, then go tell them to make their own breakfast…OR you could be nice and use a shredded potato instead. This casserole is not too spicy but could be amped up by adding an additional jalapeño and chili powder, or using chorizo sausage instead of the ground beef.

Make Ahead Mexican Breakfast Casserole (Gluten Free, Grain Free, Dairy Free, Paleo-Friendly)

Serves 8 to 10 

Ingredients

  • 12 eggs, whisked
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 sweet potato*, shredded with skin on
  • 1 jalapeno, deseeded and chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups diced fresh tomatoes (or 1 can of diced tomatoes, drained)
  • 2 cups fresh spinach (or chard or any leafy green you choose)

*Note – if you have picky eaters in your house, you can substitute regular potatoes for the sweet potato. And if you are _really_ in a pinch, you can substitute frozen hashbrowns.

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray a 9″X13″ baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
  2. Whisk eggs in a medium bowl and set aside.
  3. Shred sweet potato using a food processor with shredding attachment or by hand. Set aside.
  4. Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Break into crumbly pieces using a spatula. Drain off extra grease. Add onion, shredded sweet potato, garlic, jalapeño, chili powder, salt, and paprika into skillet. Cook until onions are translucent (about 5 to 7 minutes).  Add tomatoes and spinach into skillet and cook for about 2 minutes or until spinach begins to wilt.
  5. Pour beef and sweet potato mixture into the prepared 9″X13″ pan and spread evenly along the bottom. Pour whisked eggs over the top, making sure to mix the eggs into the sweet potato mixture with a spoon or spatula. (The casserole can be made ahead 1 day in advance up to this point and covered and refrigerated. Remove from fridge 15 minutes before cooking.)
  6. Place in preheated oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until middle of casserole is set (not jiggly) and edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Feeds a crowd of 8 to 10 or it feeds 2 people over the course of a week!!!!

Grilled Zucchini with Romesco Sauce

Published on by Alissa9 Comments

Romesco sauce…where have you been all my life! 

This spanish or rather Catalan sauce is smoky and vibrant and loves to be served with veggies, chicken, roasted potatoes, sandwiches, a spoon, whatev…it’s awesome.  It’s a puree of roasted red peppers, tomatoes, hazelnuts (optional), almonds, vinegar, smoked paprika, olive oil, and garlic. This recipe was inspired from the Food Matters Project series and was chosen by My Healthy Eating Habits. The original recipe that was chosen was Roast Potatoes with Chicken and Romesco sauce. Because it’s a never ending scorcher here in KC, my oven is NOT coming on. Therefore, the grill was fired up last night and this romesco sauce topped buffalo burgers and grilled zucchini.

Romesco is like an old friend that you haven’t talked to in awhile but as soon as you see her, it’s like there was never a gap in time. You pick up right where you left off.

Romesco will be there when you most need her. Quick dinner? Done. Serve romesco sauce with grilled shrimp or chicken or burgers.

Side dish?…shya, she’s rocking the skillet potatoes or grilled zucchini.

Snack? She wants to be with pita chips or carrots or your fist.

Breakfast? What? ya…there she is topping an omelette. 

Grilled Zucchini

  • 2 to 4 medium zucchini
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt n peppa

Grill over medium heat for 2 to 5 minutes, getting grill marks on each side. (Or burning like me.)

Romesco Sauce (makes 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

  • 1 red bell pepper, roasted, skin and seeds removed (or a 8oz jar of roasted red peppers, drained)
  • 1/4 cup hazelnuts, dry roasted and peeled (or just use almonds)
  • 1/4 cup almonds, dry roasted (if you do not use hazelnuts, double the almonds)
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 to 2 tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon parsley
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients, except olive oil and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until all ingredients are combined. Drizzle olive oil while processor is running to combine. Season with salt. Keeps refridgerated up to 1 week. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Ground Beef, Okra, and Tomatillo Curry

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A few weeks ago, I was able to break away and travel south to Oklahoma to visit my family. It was much needed and filled with lounging by the pool, giggling with my two younger sisters, drinking early morning coffee with my mother, making the best roasted tomato and avocado salsa with my brother, making smores with peanut butter and chocolate (omg) over a backyard bonfire, learning the art of cupcakery from my talented youngest sister, and harvesting a metric poop ton of produce from the GREAT GARDEN.

My stepdad has more hobbies than you can shake a stick at. He is also one of the most talented individuals I have known. His latest hobbies include organic gardener/farmer and bee keeper extraordinaire!  He has planted a bajillion plants, including okra, heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, tomato tomatoes (did I mention tomatoes yet?), green beans, squash, zucchini, tomatillos, bush beans, bell peppers, raspberries, fruit trees, blackberries, asparagus, onions, chard, herbs, and so on and so on and I know I’m missing some. They have the space (10+ acres) and use it! I’m super impressed. But being able to grow a huuuuge garden is the big thing that I miss about having a yard that is bigger than a postage stamp.

While out there, I gathered several pounds of okra and tomatillos since I am not growing them at my place. Most of my northern friends, grew up never eating okra.  Mmmmm.  At restaurants in Oklahoma, fried okra is more popular than french fries. So good. But there are more ways to eat okra than just deep fried *gasp*. I know…why change a good thing.

My regular okra dish that I whip up is stewed okra and tomatoes! I was inspired by a Food&Wine recipe that added tomatillos instead of tomatoes.  I went a little further, making this a one pot meal and added ground beef and more curry. The tomatillos give it a nice tang and the curry provide a lot of flavor and heat. You can usually find tomatillos in the hispanic section of most grocery stores. Tomatoes can be subbed for the tomatillos.

You can also leave out the ground beef for a vegetarian meal or side dish. Just reduce the spices, tomato paste, and water by half. Serve over rice or over a baked sweet potato.

Ground Beef, Okra, and Tomatillo Curry (Gluten free, Grain free, Dairy free) inspired by Food&Wine

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 jalapeño, deseeded and diced
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 Tablespoon garam masala (available at specialty stores or Target)
  • 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 lb tomatillos, husks removed and diced*
  • 2 cups okra, chopped in 1/2-inch rounds
  • 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes
  • 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 cups water or broth
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, diced

*Note – if you do not have access to tomatillos, replace with diced fresh tomatoes or a can of diced or crushed tomatoes.

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet or pot. Add the diced onion, jalapeno, turmeric, ginger, garam masala, and curry powder and cook over moderate heat for 3 to 5 minutes.
  2. Add the ground beef and cook until no pink remains, breaking into pieces.
  3. Add the okra and tomatillos and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until browned and beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.
  4. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, and water and simmer over low heat until the okra is tender. Remove from heat.
  5. Stir in the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of cilantro. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of cilantro on top. Serve.  

Coconut Pineapple Sorbet

Published on by Alissa14 Comments

When I was little, my dad and I would take long drives during sticky hot humid summer nights with the windows down and the radio blasting. He would come to a stop sign and would let me choose the direction. The cicadas would sing in the tall elm trees that lined those back roads of Oklahoma. But somehow, no matter where we would end up on our random winding drives, we would always stumble upon a Braum’s, an ice cream and dairy chain in Oklahoma that rivals Dairy Queen.

My eyes would light up at the sight of the ice cream mecca. It was a welcomed cold treat, providing respite from the heat. He would always order a buttered pecan mix and I would always order a pineapple or lime sherbet freeze. It was our Sunday evening ritual.

This recipe is a diary free homage to that pineapple sherbet that I used to enjoy during those hot humid nights. This recipe is also inspired by this week’s recipe for the Food Matters Project – Raspberry Cabernet Sorbet chosen by Jenny of Simple and Amazing. Be sure to check out the original recipe which uses frozen fruit to create the sorbet and does not require an ice cream maker.

So what is the difference between sherbet and sorbet?

Sherbets typically have dairy and quite a bit of sugar whereas sorbets are dairy free but still typically have quite a bit of added refined white sugar. I am always looking to lower or eliminate refined sugar from recipes. So I decided to use canned pineapple in 100% pineapple juice and added full fat organic coconut milk, making it a paleo-friendly, refined sugar free, and dairy free sherbet/sorbet.  The added lime juice provides a punchy tang similar to sherbet. This is a guilt free summer treat that has become my new Sunday evening ritual! Mmmm…

I used an ice cream maker to make this sorbet. However, you can make this without an ice cream maker. Simply add to a shallow pan and place in the freezer. Stir the mixture with a fork every thirty minutes for about 4 hours. Or another method is to freeze the mixture in a shallow metal pan or ice cube tray until solid (6 hours). Break into chunks and process in a food processor until smooth.

Freeze leftovers….if you have any.  Remove the sorbet container from the freezer 10 to 15 minutes before serving for scoopability. Yes…that’s a word. It’s mine. Use it. I don’t mind. Impress folks. You are welcome.

Coconut Pineapple Sorbet (Paleo-Friendly, Dairy Free, Vegan)

Ingredients

  • 15 oz can unsweetened coconut milk (full fat)
  • 20 oz can of sliced pineapple in 100% pineapple juice
  • juice from 1/2 lime

Instructions

  1. Puree pineapple in blender or food processor. Add coconut milk and lime juice to blender/food processor. Mix well.
  2. Add to ice cream maker and freeze according to instructions.
  3. Serve immediately or transfer to a storage container and let harden in the freezer for 1 hour.
  4. Freeze leftovers (what leftovers). Remove from the freezer 10 to 15 minutes before serving.