Oodles and Oodles of Zoodles and Squoodles

I am super excited to finally be posting this beef stroganoff recipe.  I cannot wait for you to try it for yourself.  It is absolutely delicious!  I'm still debating on whether to not to even call it beef stroganoff, because it is such a different version than the gray vomit looking one you've probably eaten in the past with the ground beef, mushroom gravy, sour cream, and egg noodles.  It was delicious, vomit appearance and all, but this version is a little more "upscale" I guess you could say.  Instead of ground beef, this version uses stew beef, and instead of sour cream, this version calls for heavy cream.  Here's the recipe

These are the ingredients I used to make this plus half of an onion.

zucchini, mushrooms, heavy cream, worcestershire sauce, paprika, dill, tomato paste,
butter, garlic cloves, beef broth, sea salt, whole grain dijon mustard, merlot, and stew beef

 So, it starts with drying the beef and then sprinkling it with salt and pepper.  I put the beef on a plate with paper towels on the bottom and then use paper towels on the top to press onto the meat and soak up the liquid.  You have to do this to make sure the seasoning sticks to the meat, and also this helps the meat brown.

During the meat drying process, you can be melting your butter in a pan, but you have to make sure your pan is on a low setting, so your butter doesn't melt too quickly and start browning, and then burning.

You add the meat to the melted butter in the pan and brown it on all sides.  You might have to do this in batches depending on the size of the pan.

Once the meat is out, you add in the chopped onion and the mushrooms and some more butter.  You just need to cook this long enough to soften the mushrooms.  Then, you add your minced garlic.  your house should be smelling pretty good at this point.  I only added half of the onion, because that seemed like plenty to me.  Onion and garlic are flavors that can really take over if you aren't careful.

Next, I added the tomato paste, worcestershire, red wine, beef broth, mustard, dill, and paprika to the pan.  I mixed everything into the onion, garlic, and mushroom mixture.

Once the two mixtures are incorporated, you add the beef back in and bring it to a boil.

Once it boils, you cover it and put it in a 350 degree oven for 1-1.5 hours.  I cooked mine for the longest amount of time to make sure the meat was nice and tender.

Once it comes out of the oven, you cook it uncovered on the stove top for 20 minutes to help it thicken up.

Then, you add the heavy cream and let it cook for 15 more minutes while the cream mixes with the sauce.

Finally, you make your zoodles or squoodles (zucchini or squash noodles) or both either using a mandolin or vegetable spiraler.  I bought a vegetable spiraler on amazon a while back, and I bought a cheap one, so I wasn't surprised in my disappointment last night when it was mashing the squash into a watery pulp instead of slicing it.  I quickly switched over to my nice, more expensive mandolin, and it did the trick.

Once the noodles are sliced, you place them in a bowl, cover them with a plate, and microwave on high for 3 minutes. When you remove them from the microwave, you have to drain them by placing them in a colander, and I suggest, pressing on them with a fork or spoon.

Squash and zucchini are very watery vegetables, so you don't want to add them straight to the stroganoff unless you need it to be watery.  There are ways to dry them out, but I've never done that before, so I don't want to suggest doing the wrong thing.

Once your zoodles or squoodles are ready, place them in a bowl or on a plate and top them with the delicious stroganoff mixture!  They add the best pop of color to your plate along with being delicious!

I will warn you, this is highly addictive, and just as delicious the next day for lunch.  Even my little guy loves it.  Also, zoodles and squoodles are vegetables, not pasta.  Do not expect them to be like pasta.  They will have the texture and taste of a vegetable.  Once you understand and accept that, you will love them!  They are oh so delicious!

Happy Eating!

Keeping up with the Jones'

With the school year back in full swing, I've been thinking a lot about what types of food I will be sending with my little man when he gets older.  While doing this, I've reflected a lot on the lunches I took to school when I was little.  What types of lunches were "cool" to bring?

The biggest thing I remember is that you could trade things at the lunch table.  This brings up a whole new concern.  How do I send my child with healthy, homemade options and make sure he doesn't trade them?  I came up with a theory, and since my son isn't old enough to really test this out yet, you can test it out with your children and tell me how it goes.

My theory is that I can make all of those "goodies" the other kids are bringing in their lunch boxes, but the ones I make for my little guy will be homemade and made with only real ingredients.  This seems like a daunting task at first, because you're thinking about the time commitment involved or the level of cooking ability.  I suggest starting small and with things you feel comfortable with.  I will share with you the recipes and pictures of some of my creations, and feel free to ask me questions about anything you see.

I also would only send 1-2 goodies in his lunchbox along with fruit, cheese, maybe left over dinner, or lettuce wraps, or something like that.  I follow a blog called www.100daysofrealfood.com, and she takes pictures of the lunches she sends her girls and gives recipes and shows where she gets the containers she uses and things like that.  I don't follow her plan 100%, because she still uses some ingredients I don't use, but that's simply a matter of opinion and how you feel about the product.

Cheeze-its:  I haven't made these yet to try them, so feel free to make them, taste them, and let me know what you think.  I just know they're one of my weaknesses in the processed form.  Cheeze-it recipe

Oreos:  I have made these, and they were OUTSTANDING!  I truly cannot put into words how delicious they were.  You cut these out with biscuit cutters, so they can be as big or small as you like.  Oreo Recipe

Vanilla Wafers:  I also haven't tried these, but feel free to try and taste test!  vanilla wafer recipe

Fruit Roll ups:  I haven't tried these yet either, but I cannot wait to try them.  They only have 2 ingredients: fresh fruit and sugar...how can you beat only 2 ingredients!! fruit roll up recipe

Graham Crackers:  I just made these on Saturday, and they are awesome!  My son loves them, but so does everyone else in the family.  The recipe is also extremely easy.  I am including a picture of the dough cut out, and what they look like once they're cooked.  graham cracker recipe

Happy Eating!!

Lemon, Roasted Chicken, Spicy Green beans, and mashed sweet potatoes.

I know I said I would post this recipe last night, but the little guy had other plans.  10:00 came around, and I found myself in the bed with my husband with a little dude rolling around in the covers between us doing everything he could to NOT go to sleep.  If he wasn't so cute, I would've been a little upset about not being able to get to sleep, but lucky for him, he's a cutie.

Even though last night didn't really go as planned, we did have an awesome dinner!  Here's where the recipes came from, and then, I will break down how I did it.

Lemon, Roasted Chicken: http://paleonewbie.com/lemon-herb-roasted-chicken/

Spicy Green Beans: http://divascancook.com/southern-green-beans/

First, pre-heat the oven to 425.  Then start on the green beans.  The green beans take 1 1/2 hours, so obviously, I started them first.  I made them on the stove in a big pan.  I would recommend cutting the ends off the green beans first.  This recipe moves quickly, and you don't want to be stuck trying to get the green beans ready and find out you burned the garlic or onions.

Next, add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan.  When the butter is melted, add 1 chopped onion and 1 diced garlic clove to the pan.  

Once the garlic is browned and the onions are translucent, add the 2 cups of chicken stock then add the green beans and the red pepper flakes.  Now, here's where I made some adjustments.  I added more than 2 cups of chicken stock.  I added enough to cover the green beans.  Also, I would not add an entire teaspoon of red pepper flakes unless you really like heat.  They were VERY spicy.  I would add 1/4 tsp next time.  

Now, add the lid and let these simmer on low for 1 1/2 hours.

Now you can start on the sweet potatoes and the chicken.

The Chicken recipe says it only takes 40 minutes, but I cooked mine for about 1 1/2 hours just to be sure.  Take the chicken out of the package and rinse it.  Then, using paper towels, you need to pat it dry to make sure all of the seasoning and butter will stick to it.  Then, take 3 tbsp of soft butter (you should plan ahead and leave some butter out on the counter to make sure it's soft by dinnertime) and I mixed mine with the zest of 2 lemons, 2 big garlic cloves diced, and 2 tsp of Italian Seasoning.

Tip:  You can zest the lemons the day before and leave the zest out on the counter in a dish overnight, so it will dry out.  This makes it easy to mix in with dry herbs for rubs.

Once the butter, zest, garlic, and seasoning is mixed together, you need to take handfuls and rub it all over the chicken.  Use the excess to rub on the inside of the chicken.  Don't miss any opportunity to add flavor!

Then, cut 1 of the lemons you zested into quarters and place each piece inside the chicken along with pieces of a small onion also quartered (that means you cut it into 4 pieces).  

Put the chicken in the oven for 1 1/2 hours.  Wait for about 30 minutes and then get started on the sweet potatoes.

  First you need to peel the sweet potatoes.  I found white flesh sweet potatoes during my last trip to publix.  They don't taste any different than a regular sweet potato, they just look more like a regular potato.  

Then, you need to cut them into small pieces.  The smaller the pieces the faster they will cook.  They will be mashed in the end, so the size of pieces really don't matter.  Place them in a pan and cover them with water and place it on high.  Once it boils, turn it down, so it is still boiling, and boil them for 30 minutes.

Once, they're finished boiling, pour them into a bowl or a mixer and blend them until smooth.  Add butter and half and half or heavy cream to help them mix evenly.  You can season them if you like, but since they are already sweet, I didn't find much need for seasoning.

The Green beans and the chicken should be getting finished and ready to come out of the oven and off of the stove.  Here are the finished products.

I brush the burned garlic pieces off the chicken, cut it up and place it on a plate with the green beans and mashed sweet potatoes, and dinner is served!

Happy, Healthy Eating!

Broccoli Salad

One of my favorite salads is broccoli salad.  I don't like broccoli unless it's raw.  I know that's weird, but for some reason, that's how my taste buds like it.  This broccoli salad is full of tons of flavor!  I take it to a lot of get togethers during the summer, and it is always a crowd pleaser!

The website where I originally found the recipe is down, so I cannot post a link to it, but i have tweaked it, so it doesn't completely match the original anyways.

Ingredients:

8 slices of bacon
2-3 bunches of broccoli
1/2 cup of shredded carrots
1 cup of chopped, diced, or red onion rings
1/2 cup of sunflower seeds
1/2 cup of craisins

Dressing:

1 cup of mayonnaise
1/4 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of white vinegar

1.  Cook the bacon in a pan on the stove top until it is crispy.  Once the bacon is crispy and cooled down, chop it into bits.  Chop the broccoli florets and place them into a bowl.  Add the bacon pieces, shredded carrots, red onion, sunflower seeds, and craisins to the bowl with the broccoli.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar together until it's creamy and combined.

3.  Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture.  Mix the dressing and the broccoli mixture together until all the pieces are evenly coated.

Finally, enjoy the delicious salad!

  Happy, Healthy Eating!

Stuffed Zucchini Boats!

My 14 month old is notorious for not liking meat, but he surprisingly loves the meat in this dish.  It is healthy and full of flavor which I love.

Ingredients:

3-4 Zucchini
2 pints of Juliette Tomatoes
Feta Cheese
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Diced Tomatoes
1 lb of Ground Beef, Turkey, or Sausage
2 Garlic Cloves
1 medium Onion
Italian Seasoning

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Blend the tomatoes, garlic, and onion in a blender.  Add Italian seasoning as needed to enhance the flavor of the tomato sauce.  Remember, you can always add more, but you can't take any out once you've added it.

Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise.  Then, take a spoon and scoop out the inside of the zucchini to create "boats" out of the leftover shell.  Chop the part of the zucchini you scooped out.

Brown the Ground beef in a pan on the stove top.  Once it is brown, and you've drained any liquid you need drained, add the tomato mixture as well as the inside parts of the zucchini you chopped up. I cooked this mixture on the stove-top at med-high until it started to bubble.  Once it bubbled, I turned it down to about 3-4 and let it continue to cook for about 30 minutes.  The zucchini should be tender.  Taste the sauce and add seasoning as needed.  Also add some grated parmesan.

Once the mixture is complete, place the zucchini boats onto an sheet pan.  Fill them with the tomato and meat mixture.  Top them with grated parmesan and feta.

Bake the zucchini boats for 20 minutes. Then, Enjoy!!

These are delicious, and the best part is my little man loves eating these!  It's a win for everyone!  The food is delicious, and my little guy is finally eating meat and loving it!

  Happy Eating!!

Homemade Pimento Cheese Sandwiches

I make this frequently for get togethers with friends.  It is so simple to make.  I do, however, regret to inform you that I didn't take pictures throughout the entire process.

Ingredients:

8oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8oz shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
small jar of pimentos (drained)
1/2-3/4 cup of mayonnaise

Yes, those are the only ingredients!  I also should tell you, I make this with block cheese, and I use the food processor to shred my cheese.  If you've ever shredded cheese in the food processor, you'll notice it tends to stick together.  Interestingly, the cheese you buy pre-shredded doesn't stick together.  Have you ever wondered why that is?  They use something called Cellulose that's actually powdered wood pulp.  I don't know about you, but I don't want to eat wood pulp, so I use my trusty food processor to shred my own cheese.

Once the cheese is shredded, I mix it with the drained pimentos, and 1/2 cup of mayonnaise.  I mix it all together in a bowl, and I add more mayonnaise if it seems dry.  You want to make sure you use enough mayonnaise to combine it together and make sure it's creamy, but you don't want to use too much and cause it to be too wet or for the color to become dull.

I take sandwiches, cut off the crust, and cut the bread into squares.  I make sure to put a big spoonful of this mixture onto each bread slice.  There's nothing worse than eating a sandwich with more bread than cheese mixture.

Here's a picture of what the cheese mixture looks like.

From Scratch Poppy seed Chicken Casserole

   I grew up eating this delicious Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole made with chicken, 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, 1 can of cream of chicken soup, 1 container of sour cream, and 1 sleeve of Ritz crackers.  Since starting my food exploration and leaving behind canned foods, I have longed to find a way to make this recipe healthy and delicious.  I finally achieved my goal!

I made homemade cream of chicken soup and cream of mushroom soup.  I got the recipe for the cream of chicken soup here:   http://www.momswhothink.com/soup-recipes/homemade-cream-of-chicken-soup.html

It's so easy!

I started with these ingredients, and I created a delicious dinner!  The ingredient blocked by the sour cream is pepper.

You just boil 1/2 cup of milk, 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth, 1/2 tsp of poultry seasoning, 1/4 tsp of onion powder, 1/4 tsp of garlic powder, 1/4 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of parsley, 1/8 tsp of black pepper, and 1/8 tsp of paprika for 2 minutes.

While that's boiling, combine 1 cup of milk and 3/4 cups of flour in another bowl and whisk them together to combine them.

After the stovetop mixture has boiled for 2 minutes, you slowly whisk in the milk and flour mixture to thicken it.

It will become noticeably thicker.  Once this happens, and it starts bubbling, it is finished!  I went ahead and poured it into a casserole dish.

For the cream of mushroom soup, I used a variation of this approach that I concocted myself.  I placed 3-4 tablespoons of butter in a saute pan with a package of mushrooms.  I sauteed the mushrooms in the butter until they were soft.  Once the butter had cooked out, I added 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock, 1/2 cup of milk, and 1/4 tsp of dried, ground thyme.  I let that boil for 2 minutes, and then, I added the 1 cup of milk and 3/4 cups of flour I had whisked together.  I whisked the milk and flour mixture in until it became noticeably thicker.

Once it bubbled, I took it off the stove and poured it into the casserole dish with the cream of chicken soup mixture.

I added an 8 oz container of sour cream, and I mixed all 3 items together in the casserole dish until they were completely combined.

I added some chicken breasts I boiled on the stove for 30 minutes and then chopped up.  I used 2, but I would recommend using more like 4 if you want to make sure there's chicken in every bite.

I placed panko bread crumbs on top and sprinkled some grated parmesan on top of that. This would also be a good place to throw on some poppy seeds if you want some.

I also sliced some squash and mixed it with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  I placed it into a casserole dish to go into the oven with the chicken casserole.

I baked both the casserole and the squash in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.  The casserole should be bubbly when you go to take it out.

Here's the finished product.

 It was delicious!  It had incredible flavor.  I think it could've used a bit more salt, but this was my first time making this, so I didn't want to over do it.  You can't remove salt after you've added it.  You can serve this over brown rice or add some other veggies to your plate if you'd like.  

Check back for more healthy dinner ideas and recipes.

                                                                   Happy Healthy Eating!