Little Cook in the Big City: 2014

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Homemade Buffalo Turkey Meatballs

I am quite proud of myself for these because they are completely made up by ME! I LOVE buffalo chicken. I was so happy to realize that Frank's hot sauce is Whole30 compliant. Just peppers and vinegar and wholesome ingredients you can pronounce. In restaurants, if I would ever order buffalo chicken sliders or wraps, I usually doused it in blue cheese and blue cheese sauce. This time, I smothered it in Homemade Ranch, and it was almost better!

Makes: 16 golf ball sized meatballs

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey (you can also use chicken)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2/3 c. Frank's red hot sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine all ingredients
Roll into golf ball sized meatballs
Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray
Place meatballs on top of cookie sheet
Bake for 30 minutes

I ate these on top of zoodles (just spiralize a zucchini, heat about 1 tsp. of olive oil over medium heat, and when oil is hot, cook zoodles for a few minutes). I topped with Ranch. One of my favorite dishes I've ever made!

The last time I made these I wanted to make them really spicy and added 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (which created a sort of pepper oil crust flakes). Topped with ranch. Yum!

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Chia Seed Pudding

Eating Whole30 or Paleo, you might find yourself eating a lot of eggs, especially for breakfast. It's nice to have a break, and this was the perfect thing. It almost tasted like a creamy yogurt, which I used to eat all of the time. It's also great because, like yogurt, you can top with all kinds of fruit. So far I've tried figs (pictured), blueberries, pineapple, and almond butter. All delish!

Ingredients:

1 can full fat unsweetened coconut milk
Water
4 tbsp. chia seeds
Dash of cinnamon
Fruit or nut butter toppings

Directions:

Shake coconut milk can, and pour out into bowl
Fill up half the can with water, and add to coconut milk. Stir
Top with a dash of cinnamon
Let sit overnight (the first time I spooned into different mason jars to grab and go for breakfast, and the second time I just kept it all in one big bowl. I think the second way was different)
The next morning, top with fruit or nut butters!

Another picture when I used bananas and almond butter:

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Whole30/Paleo

I have now done the Whole30 challenge twice and am currently on my third round. Basically, it's 30 days where you eat meat, seafood, eggs, fruit, vegetables, nuts, and certain oils. You cut out grains, dairy, sugar, and basically all crap. I LOVE it! Here is everything I've made that is Whole30 and Paleo approved. I've made a few other things that you can check out on m Instagram.

For more information see here

Let me know what you try and how you like it! I will continue to add recipes to this list as I find and make them.

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Homemade Ranch

I follow someone on Instagram called Planks, Love, and Guacamole. She has a ton of recipes, and I have always wanted to try her ranch dressing. She said it was so good, you could almost drink it. I've never been a huge ranch person, but this is SO good. And the best part? It was SO easy! And you feel great because you know exactly what you're eating and know there aren't any chemicals. I want to make this over and over again!

Ingredients:

1 room temperature egg
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. dried herbs (I used a mixed Italian seasoning. She suggests dill, cilantro, or parsley)
2/3 c. extra light olive oil (make sure you use extra light! you can also use avocado oil)
2 tbsp. full fat unsweetened canned coconut milk

Directions:

Make sure your egg is room temperature (I had mine sit out for about 2 hours)
Place everything BUT the oil and coconut milk in a blender and turn on for a few seconds on low
Make sure oil is in something that pours well. Keeping blender on low, and as SLOWLY AS YOU CAN pour the oil into the blender. This should take you a few minutes. You are going to be tempted to pour a bunch, but it will only work if you do a little bit at a time
Turn blender off, add in coconut milk, and turn on for a few more seconds to mix together

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Original recipe here

Coconut Oil Coffee

I saw this idea on a friend's Instagram who is doing a 21-day Paleo challenge. I have always heard of people adding coconut milk to their coffee, but this time she added coconut oil. I really liked it! I used a tbsp. which was way too much, so I think a tsp. would be better. Great idea!

Ingredients:

Cup of black coffee
1 tsp. coconut oil

Directions:

Brew coffee
Add into blender with coconut oil
Blend for about 20 seconds

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Sausage and Veggie Egg Casserole

What I love about a casserole is that you can stuff it with healthy and delicious things, and then you have something healthy and delicious to eat all week!! I also love that you can switch up what meats and veggies you use. Usually I'd cover something like this in cheese, but I didn't add any and I don't think it needed any!

Ingredients:

4 sausage links
4 c. spinach leaves
4 c. steamed broccoli
8 eggs
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning

Directions:

Heat skillet over medium heat and add cut up sausage (I used pre-cooked sausage, so I just browned it a bit, but otherwise cook the sausage all the way)
Add spinach leaves and broccoli
Pour into large bowl
Whisk eggs and pour on top
Add in seasoning and stir everything together
Add into greased casserole dish
Bake for about 25 minutes or until eggs are completely cooked

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Homemade Spicy Blackening Seasoning

Eating endless amounts of meat and seafood during Whole30 or paleo, I'm always looking for different blackening seasonings. There are a ton on the Internet, so I mixed a bunch and this was my favorite. It's quite spicy so tone down the heat if you don't like spicy!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. oregano
1 tbsp. sea salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions:

Rub all over chicken, meat, seafood before cooking

Smothered all over this chicken

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Coconut Oil Fried Peaches

I've fried many fruits in coconut oil: first bananas and then with pineapple. Summer peaches are one of my favorite foods, so I wanted to try it with peaches!

Ingredients:

Peaches
Coconut oil
Cinnamon

Directions:

Slice peaches in half and take out pit (next time I might slice peaches in quarters)
Add coconut oil to pan over medium heat (I used about a tsp because I only had one peach, but obviously more coconut oil with more peaches)
When hot, add peaches, flesh down, into coconut oil, and cook until browned
Top with cinnamon

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Salmon

I absolutely love garlic. My husband and I went out to dinner once and got full on bread and roasted garlic. I also love salmon, so I figured why not combine the two! Again, this is quite strong, so only try if you also really like salmon!

Ingredients:

1 large salmon filet
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. minced garlic (maybe 4 cloves?)
Salt and pepper
1/2 tsp. rosemary

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees
Place salmon on top of a large piece of aluminum foil
Pour olive oil over fish and then top with minced garlic
Sprinkle salt, pepper, and rosemary
Fold aluminum foil up into a tent over fish so that no air can escape, but there is enough space for air to circulate inside with the fish
Cook for 25 minutes
Be very careful unwrapping the foil as it will be hot!

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Nutella Covered Oreos

Because I have two huge jugs of Nutella (thanks to shopping at Costco when I was starving), I was wondering if it froze. I figured a frozen Nutella layer could be really delicious. I had some mini Oreos lying around after dipping them in peanut butter (see here), so I dipped the Oreos in Nutella this time and stuck in the freezer for an hour.

Verdict? Nutella doesn't really freeze. It was cold, but didn't harden into a shell like I had hoped. Upside? Still delicious.

Other Nutella ideas:
Sugar Cookie Nutella Cups
Four Ingredient Nutella Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Peanut Butter Oreos

I totally forgot about this combo until Netflix told me that they were adding Parent Trap (the Lindsay Lohan version) to Instant. Such an amazing combination! Not the healthiest snack, but with mini Oreos, all you need are a few to satisfy the craving. Yum!

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Bacon Wrapped Dates

Goat Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates are one of my favorite things to get when we eat tapas. I wanted to make a Whole30/Paleo version, so just omit the cheese!

Ingredients:

Bacon
Dates
Toothpicks

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees
Either buy pitted dates, or cut pit out of date
Cut bacon in half
Wrap each date with half of bacon slice and secure with toothpick
Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray
Place dates on foil
Put in oven for 20-25 or until crispy (I like mine really crispy... the ones in this pic were almost burnt but I don't mind it that way! Obviously do less time if you don't like your bacon as crisp)
Let sit for 10 minutes before eating

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Dressed Up Leftover Pizza

Just a quick idea on how to dress up leftover pizza...

Cover with pesto or a fried egg! If you're never tried either on pizza, you must! Delish!

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Portillos Chocolate Cake

Portillos cake is one my FAVORITE things. My husband and I actually considered having it at our wedding... (which, looking back, I wish we had). If you've never had it, it's the most delectable chocolaty cake I've ever had (the mayo is the secret). For our wedding anniversary this year, I wanted to try to make a homemade version. This was totally the same! I am not exaggerating when I say it was gone in two days... mostly my fault. It's addicting. And the best part is how easy it is!

Ingredients:

1 box Betty Crocker Devil's Food Cake (get the one that says "super moist" on it)
3 eggs
1 c. cold water
1 c. mayo
2 cans Betty Crocker chocolate frosting

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees
Grease 2 cake pans
In a bowl, mix all ingredients except for frosting. Low for 30 seconds, and high for 3 minutes
Split the batter between the 2 pans
Cook for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean
Let cakes cool completely on a wire rack
Place one cake on a cake platter, and frost with about 3/4 of one can of frosting
Place the second cake on top, and use the remaining frosting to cover everything (the frosting in the middle of the two cakes is my favorite part so I put a lot of frosting there!)

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Original recipe here

Brussels Sprouts, Bacon, and Salmon

Continuing my obsession with Brussels sprouts, salmon, and bacon fat...

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. Brussels sprouts
1 salmon filet
1/2 lb. bacon

Directions:

Heat skillet over medium heat
Cut bacon into small pieces, and add to skillet
While cooking, wash Brussels sprouts, peel off outer layer, and chop
When bacon is cooked to your liking minus a little bit, add sprouts and stir
Take skin off salmon and add to skillet, chopping off to mix with rest of food
Cook until salmon is no longer pink

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Hasselback Sweet Potato

Doing Whole30, I've been eating a TON of sweet potatoes (you can now eat regular potatoes, now, too!). I made a Hasselback Potato for my husband and myself on New Years with a regular baking potato, so I thought I'd try it with a sweet potato instead of baking potato, and ghee instead of butter. Absolutely delicious.

Ingredients:

One large sweet potato
1 tbsp. ghee
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Set oven to 400 degrees
Clean and scrub potato, and then pat dry
Cut deep in very thin increment, but not too deep that it will cut through the potato
Drizzle the ghee between the slices of the potato
Sprinkle with salt and pepper
Put on top of a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil
Bake for about one hour

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Cheesy Sausage and Hash Brown Egg Casserole

Friends of ours had a baby, and they had this ready when we came over to meet her (along with this Caramel Soaked French Toast - YUM). How lucky we are to have such wonderful friends! My husband loved the recipe so much I asked my friend for it, and she gladly sent it along. I made this for my co-workers when I was in charge of breakfast one morning, and it was a hit!

Ingredients:

1 lb. sausage
12 eggs
1 c. milk
1 bag O'Brien hash browns
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions:

In skillet, brown sausage and drain
Beat eggs and milk in large bowl
Stir in hash browns, cheese, salt, pepper, and cooked sausage
Transfer into greased 9x13 baking dish
Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Spaghetti Squash Carbonara

Pre my clean eating, a HUGE plate of pasta with a creamy sauce was something I really enjoyed (that person still lives inside me somewhere). Spaghetti carbonara was one of those dishes I loved - especially with cream and crispy pancetta! In an effort to eat cleaner, I made this meal. It was super easy, and SUPER tasty. And there are no grains and no dairy. Whole30 approved!

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash
1 lb. bacon
1/2 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 eggs, whisked
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. sea salt
Red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees
Stick spaghetti squash in microwave for 30 seconds to help you cut it
Cut in half lengthwise
Scoop out all the seeds and the stringy stuff
Place squash down on baking sheet and cook for about 25 minutes
Let cool
Rake through with a fork to make "noodles"
While squash is cooking, cut bacon into very small pieces (I did mine about 1 cm pieces)
Add bacon to large pan over medium heat and cook until browned (I like mine almost burned, so cook to your liking)
Add onion and garlic to bacon and cook about 2 minutes
Add parsley and sea salt to the whisked eggs, then add to bacon mixture and cook for about 1 minute, not all of the way
Add "noodles" and cook in bacon fat for about 5 minutes, stirring
Top with red pepper, more salt, and pepper if you want

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Baked Spaghetti Squash Casserole with Spinach and Sausage

PaleOMG is one of my favorite people to follow on Instagram. She has many OMG recipes - and this was definitely one of them! It made a TON, so I ate it all week, and it was delicious and filling every time. Every time I ate it, I couldn't believe that there was no cheese or cream used. I also love that you can put in anything you want. I added spinach and sausage, but you could get creative with the meats and vegetables you decide to use.

Ingredients:

1 large spaghetti squash
1 lb. cooked sausage (or another meat)
1/2 onion, diced
1 c. spaghetti sauce (or can use pizza sauce)
1 tsp. dried basil
3 eggs, whisked
4 c. spinach leaves (or another veggie)
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees
Heat spaghetti squash in microwave for about 30 seconds to make it easier to cut
Cut in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and the stringy stuff
Place face down on a baking sheet and cook for about 25 minutes
Remove from oven and reduce heat to 350 degrees
Wait for squash to cool, and then rake through with a fork to make "noodles"
Add "noodles" to a greased baking dish
Add sausage, onion, and spinach to a pan over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes (I used cooked sausage but you could use uncooked - cook in this step)
Add spaghetti sauce, basil, salt and pepper and mix
Add sauce to dish and mix with "noodles"
Add whisked eggs and do one more mixing!
Bake for about 1 hour until the top becomes crusty

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Original recipe here

Grilled Vegetables

I love vegetables. Trying to eat clean, I've been eating a ton of vegetables. It's nice to mix up how you cook them, and mostly I've been eating them raw or roasted in the oven. Summer is grilling season so this time I grilled them, and it came out so yummy! It was also one of the most colorful dishes I've ever made. The best part about grilling veggies is that you can do whatever vegetables you want, you can use whatever oil you want (and however much you want), and you can cook for however long you want. I like mine oiled up, and crispy. Get creative!

Before picture

I ate these veggies with grilled chicken and a grilled avocado

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Coconut Oil Fried Pineapple

I LOVE pineapple. I've been buying the cut version from Marianos and it's the best pineapple I've had in my life. Is it possible to eat too much pineapple? Instead of eating it straight out of the jar, I decided to cut some up and fry in coconut oil. The sugars caramelize a bit and you really feel like you're eating a decadent dessert. SO GOOD!

Ingredients:

Pineapple chunks, about 1 inch cubes, however many you want to make and eat
1 tsp. coconut oil
Dash of cinnamon

Directions:

Add coconut oil to pan and heat over medium-high heat
When hot, add pineapple. Let cook a few minutes on each side until browned to liking
Dust with cinnamon

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Spicy Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili

I got this recipe from Skinny Taste. I wanted to make a Whole30 friendly chili that I could bring to work for lunch and that would fill me up. This was SO good! As I'm writing this, I'm also writing a shopping list so I can make this again tonight... This would be the perfect thing to make on a Sunday so you have meals all week!

Ingredients:

20 oz. lean ground turkey
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
18 oz can tomato sauce
3/4 c. water
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper (leave out if you don't wan
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Directions:

Add turkey to skillet, sprinkle cumin and 1/2 tsp. salt over, mix, and brown over medium high heat. Keep mixing and breaking up meat until all meat is cooked
Add onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes
Add tomato sauce, water, chili powder, paprika, and sweet potato
Cover, turn heat to medium-low, and cook for about 25 minutes until the sweet potatoes are soft

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Original recipe here

Moroccan Lamb Meatballs with Chopped Pistachios

I've never cooked with lamb, but when you're on Whole30, variety is the key! I found this recipe on a website I really like - The Clothes Make the Girl (here). I made my meatballs way too big so it took them FOREVER to cook, and I definitely didn't want to eat raw lamb, but once it was done, I wish I had doubled the recipe! The meat was delicious, and I absolutely loved the sauce. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. dried parsley
1 tbsp. paprika
4 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 pounds lamb
1 tbsp. coconut oil
2 onions, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp. paprika
2 tomatoes, diced
1.5 c. water
2/3 c. tomato paste
1/2 c. chopped pistachios

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine 1 tbsp. parsley, 1 tbsp. paprika, 2 tsp. ground cumin, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper
Add in the lamb, and mix completely with hands
Roll lamb into small balls (about one tablespoon, smaller than a golf ball) and put on a baking sheet (don't make them too big!!)
Heat coconut oil in a large pot
When oil is hot, add diced onion and cook for for about 5 minutes
Add the garlic, remaining paprika, cumin, salt and pepper and stir
Add tomatoes and stir
Add water, tomato paste, and rest of parsley, and stir again
Bring sauce to a boil, add in meatballs, cover with lid, and reduce heat to simmer
Cook for 40 minutes
Remove the lid and cook for 20 minutes. Cut through one meatball to make sure the meat is cooked through. If it's not, keep cooking...
Sprinkle each serving with chopped pistachios

Ate the next day with a fried egg on top!

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Original recipe here

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

M&M Brownies

I've been experimenting with stuffing brownies with candy. Really rough life... First I tried Reeses Pieces and Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Brownies. They were AMAZING. Next, I tried M&Ms. Delicious, though I liked the Reeses better. I'm thinking next time, I'll have to try peanut butter M&Ms...

Reeses Pieces and Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Make brownies as package states. Add in Reeses Pieces and chunks of Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. Bake as directed. Underbake a little bit. Get ready for the best dessert EVER.

Lox and Cream Cheese Pizza Bread

Lox and cream cheese on an everything bagel is one of my favorite things to eat. Sometimes the bagel can be too much bread, so I tried it on pizza bread, and it was SO good! It was also really easy to eat (sadly, in the car on the way to work), because you can hold it with one hand instead of having to use two. I used garlic and chive this time, but might try plain next. Delish!

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Sugar Cookie Nutella Cups

These were SO easy (especially because I used the short cut for the cookie) and so delicious.

Ingredients:

Package of prepared sugar cookie rolls
Cup of Nutella
Sugar

Directions:

Spray muffin tin with cooking spray
Set oven to 350 degrees
Break dough into squares and roll into spheres, then place in the cups of the muffin tin
Bake according to directions on the package
Press shot glass into cookie while still hot to make an indentation
Scoop Nutella into dough
Sprinkle with additional sugar if you want

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Spicy Sausage and Queso Dip

I love queso dip. I remember my Mom used to make it for us when we would play Nintendo on the weekends (awesome times). Usually, my Mom would make it with browned beef, but I didn't have any of that and I didn't have any Rotel. Instead, I used pre-cooked spicy sausage. It turned out so delicious!

Ingredients:

1 package Velveeta cheese (16 oz)
4 spicy Sausage links, pre-cooked

Directions:

Cut Velveeta block into one inch cubes.
Cut sausage into same chunks
Add sausage to food processor and pulse until broken up
Place cheese cubes and sausage in large microwave safe bowl and microwave in 1 minute intervals, stirring each time, until entirely melted and mixed

Serve with corn chips. Can add a can of tomatoes or chilies (drained) if you want more spice.

Enjoy!

Kelsey

Original recipe here