After-Thanksgiving Week

Raise your hand if you ate too much this weekend. (mine's raised). Going very light this week!

Sunday

Rotisserie Chicken and Vegetable Soup

1 rotisserie chicken
4 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
5 celery stalks, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 container of mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, diced
4 c chicken stock
2-3 thyme sprigs

Shred the thigh, leg and wing meat from the chicken. Reserve the whole breasts for tomorrow. Into a dutch oven, add a teaspoon of olive oil and the onion. Saute for 2 minutes, then add the rest of the veg. Cook, stiring often, the veg for 5 minutes or so. Add the stock, chicken and thyme. Cook for 10-20 minutes until flavors develop. Add any accumulated juices from the chicken.

Monday

Chicken breasts with roasted brussel sprouts and fried potatoes

wrap retained rotisserie chicken breasts in foil. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Clean and cut brussel sprouts in half. Toss the sprouts in olive oil, salt and pepper and place in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Put the chicken and sprouts in the oven to roast.

Slice the potatoes, skin on, thinly. Slice an onion into rings. Add 1T butter to a saute pan. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add potatoes, salt and pepper. Make sure the pan is hot. Cook until golden.

Tuesday

Chicken Asada with peppers

pre-marinated chicken or carne asada
3 bell peppers, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced

Saute peppers and onions, set aside. Slice chicken and flash stir fry until cooked. Add peppers and onion to the chicken and stir together. Add salt and pepper if needed.

Wednesday

Breakfast

pork sausage
6 eggs
4 medium potatoes cut into cubes
1/2 onion, diced

Brown sausage, set aside. Scramble eggs with 2T milk, salt, and cayenne pepper. Cook eggs, mix in sausage. In a separate pan, mix onion and potatoes with 1T butter, salt and pepper. Make sure the pan is very hot. Keep stiring to a minium to get the potatoes nice and brown.

Tonight: marinate chicken, see below

Thursday

Grilled chicken breasts and broccoli

4 chicken breasts
1 lemon
1/2 onion, sliced
thyme
broccoli

Marinate the chicken in the juice of one lemon, thyme, olive oil, onion, salt and pepper. Grill outside or in an indoor grill pan. In the mean time, steam the broccoli, add salt and pepper.

Grocery List

1 rotisserie chicken
4 carrots
5 celery stalks
1 container of mushrooms
4 onions
chicken stock
thyme
brussel sprouts
6-7 medium potatoes
pre-marinated chicken or carne asada
3 bell peppers
eggs
pork sausage (nitrate and dextrose free--you can buy ground pork and add your own spices)
4 chicken breasts
1 lemon
broccoli

Spacy Week

I completely forgot to post this weekend! I didn't even blow it off or shrug and say, oh well. Just forgot. I think that is because the week of Thanksgiving isn't even a real week. I take Wednesday off to have Thanksgiving with my family, so I have just a two day week. So, what am I really going to cook for two days? Is it even worth going to the grocery store? Actually, yes, it is worth going to the grocery store. Here's what I'm making on Monday and Tuesday nights:

Monday:

Brats with cabbage! Yes! again! I like it. And we received yet another head of cabbage in our CSA this past week--so now I have two heads of cabbage in my fridge. I don't really know what else to do with cabbage besides make cabbage rolls (really a St. Patrick's meal) or sauerkraut, but I don't want to make that in my house--stinky.

I'm lazy, and this recipe is in prior week plans...so, I'm not going to repost. Sorry.

Tuesday:

I tried to think of the farthest thing from Thanksgiving for the day before I eat turkey for five days in a row. So, fajita spiced skirt steak and sauted greens!

Create a wet rub for your steak by combining fajita or taco seasoning with some olive oil. It should be very dark and not runny--only like a 1/4 c in total. Drop your meat in and rub it all around. If you can marinate overnight, that's best. Grill to desired doneness.

For the greens: I don't really think that grilled skirt steak goes with greens, but again, they were in my CSA. So, use whatever veg for a side dish that you have on hand. But, here's what I like to do with my greens: roughly chop (kale, chard, spinach, anything) and set aside. Crisp up 2-3 pieces of bacon that are cut into lardons. Set aside and leave about 1T of bacon fat in the pan. Add 1/2 chopped onion and cook until translucent or slightly brown. Add the greens to the pan, salt and pepper generously. Saute until the greens are coated in the fat and have started to wilt slightly. Pour in about 1/4 - 1/3 c of white wine and stir vigorously. Continue to cook the greens for about 5 minutes more until they really start to shrink. Put the bacon back in the pan and add about 2t of freshly grated lemon zest. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Heaven. Seriously.

Happy Thanksgiving! Next week will be back to normal and I'll try to remember to take some photos of my Paleo Thanksgiving to post!

Thoughts on Thanksgiving

Instead of creating a new meal plan this week, I'm just going to go back through some of my favorites that I've already posted. This week, we're having brats and cabbage, pork loins with greens, meatball marinara, and maybe butternut squash soup. So, instead of the usual post this week, I'm going to share my Thanksgiving plan!

I am so lucky that I get three Thanksgivings every year--one in July, and two in November (my family and in-laws). Thanksgiving is my favorite meal. I dream about Thanksgiving. But Paleo Thanksgiving? I don't know...do I want to mess with the meal of my life? Tyler's mom prepares a more traditional Thanksgiving and we already had an amazing summer Thanksgiving, so I think this year, an experiment wouldn't be too bad. So, here's how my family is doing Thanksgiving Paleo-style this year:

1. Turkey. A proper brine is essential. So is a free-range, grain/hormone/antibiotic free bird. I highly recommend the Williams Sonoma brine. It's the best and we use it every year. We follow traditional cooking instructions as far as oven temps and time, but here's what my sister and I do to the bird: stuff it with an apple sliced in half, a garlic bulb sliced in half, a lemon sliced in half, fresh thyme sprigs, an onion sliced in quarters and salt and pepper. We melt butter and paint it on the bird then salt and pepper it. We baste the bird with one bottle of white wine and when that runs out but more basting liquid is needed, we use chicken stock. This makes the most flavorful, juicy, amazing turkey (and gravy) ever.

2. Mashed potatoes. Can't have a Thanksgiving meal without potatoes. Just can't. This year, we'll mash our potatoes with a generous helping of grass-fed butter, whole milk, and full fat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. And salt, pepper and garlic powder, of course.

3. Roasted Brussel sprouts with bacon. These can be roasted the night before, or in the morning, and then finished before serving. Step 1 (roasting): rinse and cut off the ends of the sprouts. In a glass pyrex, mix the sprouts, salt, pepper and enough olive oil to coat. Roast at 400 for 30 minutes or until the outer leaves start to brown. Step 2 (mix-ins and finishing): in a large skillet, crisp up 4-5 slices of bacon that is cut into lardons. Transfer the bacon to a plate and remove all but 2T or so of bacon fat. Saute one diced onion until translucent. Add the sprouts back in and saute until the sprouts are warm. Add the bacon back in and saute until sprouts are hot.

4. Roasted root vegetables. Cut up any root veg you like in 1 inch cubes. I personally love parsnips, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Put all the cubes into a big Ziploc and pour in salt, pepper, dried thyme and some olive oil to coat. Shake it up. Spread onto a sheet pan and roast at 400 degrees until the veg are soft and slightly brown. Again, these are great because they can be made the night before. Then to serve, spoon into an oven-proof baking dish and cut up some butter slices and dot the top. Put in an oven until heated through, then mix and serve. Yum.

5. Paleo dressing. My mom makes the most sensational dressing ever. EVER. The thought of no dressing literally makes me sad. SAD. It must be had. I found this great web site that sells Paleo baking mixes. I'm going to buy a couple of the Classic Bread Mix for the dressing. Honestly, I have no idea what is in her dressing recipe. But, I do know there is sausage (heaven), onions, and mushrooms...there must be more...I'll find out and update.

6. Paleo dinner rolls. Again, mom makes AMAZING ROLLS. But, White Lion Baking also makes a Paleo roll mix. That's what we're serving up this year.

7. Paleo gravy. Must. Have. Gravy. And the turkey makes the best gravy. But, gravy has flour. Fear not! Paleo gravy!

drippings from turkey
1/2 c white wine
1/4 c almond flour
1/4 c arrowroot powder, mixed with 1/4 c water
3-4 c chicken stock
salt and pepper

skim the excess fat from the drippings, put back into roasting pan, deglaze with the wine--whisk to get all the good stuff off the bottom. combine the almond flour, arrowroot powder and 1 c of stock in a tupperware--shake until well combined and no lumps remain, making a slurry. Slowly whisk the slurry into the stock. Whisk in remaining stock. Once it starts to thicken, turn the heat off. Season with salt and pepper.

8. Paleo cranberry sauce. Traditional cranberry sauce is loaded with refined sugar. Ick. A paleo friendly version is sweetened with maple syrup and seasoned with cinnamon. Boil it down until you reach the desired consistency.

9. Paleo pumpkin pie. The piece de resistance. It can be Paleo and heavenly. I made this for the summer Thanksgiving and honestly think I like it better than traditional pumkin pie. It's so light and fluffy.

This can and will work. I'm so excited for our experiment this year! Only one and a half weeks to go!

Soup Week

And we're back to our regularly scheduled programming...we've received some very interesting items in our CSA this week and every recipe I started to come up with was SOUP. I don't know why...all the ingredients just screamed soup to me. So, that's what we're going to eat this week...lots of soup. Soup is great because it can be really quick and make great lunch left-overs. To avoid feeling like we're eating food with only one texture, I'm throwing in a couple variables, but I know the Smiths are looking forward to lots of cozy soup.

I'm starting with Saturday this week. We're going to the Husky game tonight and starting the night at Northlake tavern...that means pizza and sick tummies...so I'm going to eat first.

Also, I'm going to post a Paleo Thanksgiving this week. I'm just finishing up the recipes and menu plan. I'm so excited about this meal and can't wait to indulge without having to worry about getting sick!

Saturday

Kale and Beef Skillet

1 lb ground beef
1 bunch kale
1 sliced onion
lemon zest
salt and pepper

Brown the beef with the onion and season generously with salt, pepper and whatever other spices you like. I think a steak seasoning might be really tasty here. Add the chopped up kale and cook until wilted. Add lemon zest and more salt and pepper.

Sunday

Chicken Chili Verde

1 1/2 pounds tomatillos (10-11)
5 garlic cloves, not peeled
2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
2 Anaheim or Poblano chiles
1 bunch cilantro leaves, cleaned and chopped
3 bone in chicken breast
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped
1 Tbsp of dried oregano
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
Pinch of ground cloves

Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut in half and place cut side down, along with 5 unpeeled garlic cloves, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin. Remove from oven, let cool enough to handle.

Roast the poblano or anaheim chilis over a gas flame or under the broiler until blackened all around. Let cool in a bag, remove the skin, seeds, and stem.
Place tomatillos, skins included, into blender. Remove the now roasted garlic cloves from their skins, add them to the blender. Add chopped Jalapeño peppers, other chilies, and cilantro to the blender. Pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed.

Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed dutch oven over medium high heat and brown chicken well on all sides. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, lift chicken out of pan and place in bowl, set aside.
Pour off excess fat, anything beyond a tablespoon, and place the onions and garlic in the same skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until limp, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan. Add the oregano to the pan. Add the tomatillo chile verde sauce to the chicken and onions. Add the chicken stock (enough to cover the meat). Add a pinch of ground cloves. Add a little salt and pepper. (Not too much as the chile verde will continue to cook down and concentrate a bit.)

Bring to a boil and reduce to a slight simmer. Cook for 1 hour or so uncovered or until the chicken is cooked through.

Monday

Pork chops with delicata squash

4 boneless pork chops
2 delicata squash, cut into rings with the center (seeds) cut out
salt and pepper

Heatoven to 400. Scrub the squash, sut off ends of squash and cut into 1/2 inch slices. Remove the center seeds so they look like rings--leave the skin on. Lay onto a cookie sheet in a single layer. Paint both sides liberally wih olive oil and salt and pepper generously. Pop into the oven and set timer for 20 minutes. Flip the rings and in they go for about 20 minutes more.

Now it's time to heat 2 T of olive oil in a really hot oven proof skillet. Sprinkle the chops with salt and pepper and maybe some dried thyme. Brown both sides quickly and put the chops in the oven to finish. The squash should be brown and the chops cooked through at about the same time.

Tonight: make the butternut carrot soup (below) for Tuesday's dinner--or just get your carrots and squash cut up and put into an AIRTIGHT ziploc or tupperware

Tuesday

Butternut squash and carrot soup

1 butternut squash, cut into 1 inch cubes
4-5 carrots cut into 1 inch chunks
1 diced onion
2 celery stalks cut into 1 inch chunks
2 minced garlic cloves
4-5 cups of chicken stock
1 T dried sage
1/2 c cream

Heat 2 T of olive oil in a soup pot or dutch oven. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent. Add carrots, celery and squash. Cook for 1-2 minutes until coated with the olive oil. Add enough broth to cover--start with 4 cups and add more if needed. Add sage and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 25 minutes or so until squash is tender. Use an immersion blender or a regular blender and puree until smooth. If the consistency is too thick, add 1/2 c of stock. Stir in cream and serve.

Tonight: cut and lightly steam the broccoli for tomorrow.

Wednesday

Cream of Broccoli Soup

3 strips of bacon cut into lardons
1 small onion, diced
1 minced garlic clove
1 quart chicken stock
1 head of broccoli, or two crowns cut into florets
1 carrot, sclied with a vegetable peeler so very thin
1 c cream

Cook the bacon in a large soup pot. Remove once crispy but leave the fat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, add garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add broth and carrot and bring to a boil. Add the steamed broccoli. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until all the veg is tender. Use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree until smooth-ish. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with bacon.

Thursday

Potato Leek Soup (yes, here it is again)

4 c thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
4 c chicken broth
2 large russet potatoes, peeled, cut into ½ inch pieces
½ t white pepper
3 strips bacon cut into lardons
¼ c whole milk, half and half or cream

In a dutch oven, sauté bacon until crispy, remove cooked bacon and set aside. Leave all but 2T of bacon fat in the pan. Add the leeks, cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth, potatoes and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Add in milk and bacon. Test for seasonings and add accordingly.

Grocery List

1 lb ground beef
1 bunch kale
lemon
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos (10-11)
2 garlic blubs
2 jalapenos
2 Anaheim or Poblano chiles
1 bunch cilantro
3 bone in chicken breast
4 yellow onions
4 cartons chicken stock
4 boneless pork chops
2 delicata squash
1 butternut squash
6 carrots
2 celery stalks
cream
bacon
1 head or 2 florets of broccoli
2 leeks
2 large or 4 medium potatoes

Update-Sweet and Sour Meatballs

So, in the last post, I thought I would try to make sweet and sour meatballs...I don't know why, but I was craving my Aunt Janet's meatballs and tried to come up with a substitute. I made them last night and they were too good not to share asap.

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
2 eggs
2T butter
1 diced red onion
2 chopped green bell peppers
1 medium sized can of pineapple tidbits, with juice
1.5 small cans of 100% pineapple juice
1 regular can of tomato puree
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 small can of tomato paste
¼ c white vinegar
2T worchestershire sauce
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425. mix meat, eggs and about 2t salt/pepper. Form 1 inch diameter meatballs and place on oiled baking sheet (covered in foil for easy clean up). Put in oven for 20-25 minutes. In the mean time, make the sauce. Saute onion in butter until translucent. Dump the rest of the ingredients in the pot and season to taste. When meatballs are done, transfer to the sauce (scrape away any accumulated fat). Cook for about 5 minutes then eat!

From start to finish, this took me about a half hour. So easy and you'll never miss the sugar that most meatball recipes require.