Delicious Paleo Apple Cake (or breakfast, as I like to call it)

In my house (and everyone else's I presume) mornings can be hectic in getting us all out the door on time.  That's why on Sundays I like to make something healthy and yummy that's easy to serve my little hungry monster all week long.  This time I made something that will last more than one week.  I LOVE my bundt pan yet in the almost seven years that I have had it, I've never used it!  I finally found a good recipe and altered it so it had NO added sweetener (other than fruit) and plenty of good nutrition.  I cut it in half and froze some slices for another week.
ENJOY!

Paleo Apple/Banana Bundt Cake 

(Grain Free, Paleo, Gluten Free, Gaps) 

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas- mashed 

3 large eggs 

12 tablespoons unsalted butter or ghee, melted

1/4 cup coconut milk 

3 cups almond flour (I use Honeyville brand)

6 tablespoons coconut flour 

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (I use Great Lakes)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt 

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract (Morton & Bassett brand has no sugar)

3 cups grated apples (I left the skins on)

1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
 

Instructions :

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (rack in the middle position) and butter your bundt pan.

2. In one bowl mix mashed bananas, eggs, butter/ghee, coconut milk and vanilla

3. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, gelatin, baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon

4. Combine wet ingredients into dry and then fold in the apples and the coconut.

5. Pour batter into your buttered bundt pan and bake for 60-90 minutes until a tester comes out clean and the cake is a deep golden brown. 

Serve warm.

*To freeze, place in an airtight container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.  

Serves 16-20

Strawberry-Basil Vinaigrette...dreaming of Summer on a misty Spring day

As the weather warms, I once again begin to eat salads regularly.  I just can't bring myself to eat cold crisp vegetables in the dead of Winter or even the brisk Fall.  I lean towards soups and stews and roasted vegetables during those months.  But now we've had a couple hot, hot days and I'm back to buying the giant mixed greens from Costco once again...until my own garden becomes plentiful.  So today is shopping day and in a last minute decision I came home for lunch.  All we have are greens.  No cucumber, no avocado, no apples, no nothing.  Just greens.  So I peak around every corner of my fridge to see if I can find something, ANYTHING, to dress up this salad. Ah-ha!  I found Strawberry-Basil Jam from a local market down in Charlottesville.  Perfect!  I quickly made a vinaigrette and my not-so-fancy greens became a delicious salad.  Topped with a little cold/leftover flank steak and lunch was complete.  Here is a modified version of what I did to make the dressing, I assume not everyone has Strawberry-Basil jam sitting around in their fridge.  Use what you have, almost any flavor will do! And kids LOVE these slightly sweet salad dressings.
Enjoy!

1/3 cup good balsamic vinegar
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (cold-pressed)
1 tsp stoneground or Dijon mustard
1 tsp strawberry preserves (with real ingredients, no junk) or to make it Paleo just crush up some fresh strawberries
A few basil leaves (shred in advance if you won't be using a blender/processor)
A pinch of salt
A grind or two of pepper
Process in a blender, vitamix, food processor or whisk intensely until all ingredients are well incorporated.

10:00pm pork dinner

So it's 9:55pm and I realize that I will NOT be home in time to cook dinner the following evening.  AHHHHH!!!!  Mama just wants to finish the dishes and go to bed!  I needed something easy and I needed something FAST!  I had an organic pork tenderloin in the fridge, found this recipe and made my own changes of course..... It was in the oven in no time, only ONE pan to clean and I did all the dishes and evening chores while it was roasting.  It came out just perfect, even the next day.  In fact, I just had the last piece of it for breakfast this morning, four days later!  I even made it to bed before 11:00pm = success.
Here is my version which I served with a nice kale salad.
Hope you enjoy!

• 1 large pork tenderloin (about 14 ounces)
• 3 tablespoons lard, ghee or coconut oil, divided (I used lard)
• 2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds (I only had 1 tsp left, so I also added 1 tsp of dried rosemary)
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1/4 inch thick (I only had one honeycrisp apple, two would've been better)

• 1/2 cup dry white wine or apple cider (I never even got to this step and it was still delicious!)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Season pork with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil/lard in large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and sear until all sides are brown, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer pork to plate. Cool slightly. Spread mustard over top and sides of pork; press fennel seeds and/or dried rosemary into mustard. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil/lard to skillet. Add onion slices and apples; sauté over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Spread evenly in skillet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place pork atop apple-onion mixture.

Transfer skillet to oven and roast until apple-onion mixture is soft and brown and meat thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 150°F, about 15 minutes. Transfer pork to platter and tent with foil. Let stand 5 minutes. 

***I stopped here because my computer died and I thought that was the end.  We ate the pork with the onion-apple mixture as it is, and it was perfectly yummy!  If I had remembered and had time, I may do the final step, written here...

Meanwhile, pour white wine over apple-onion mixture in skillet. Stir mixture over high heat until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Cut pork on diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Spoon apple-onion mixture onto plates. Top with pork and serve.

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup...it's Paleo!

I LOVE Thai Food.  And this soup is one of the easiest and most Thai-tasting Thai dishes I make.  As always, I didn't really measure, so I'll do the best I can to re-create.  I also had a very busy-bodied-won't-stop-talking-leave-mommy-ALONE SO I CAN FINISH DINNER...sorry, it was just one of those moments.  He was the perfect child ALL DAY, until it was time for me to cook.  Then ALL he wanted was to help but this was one of those times when the help of a four year old was more burden than anything else, I needed to get dinner on the table.  And fast!  (I know I know, I will look back at this when he's fourteen and wants nothing to do with me or my cooking and wish I could turn back the clock...anyways...) My point is if I can whip this up in the time I did with the distractions I had, anyone can!
So here's the "recipe"...

• 1 quart chicken broth (homemade is best, for tonight I used Kirkland Organic Chicken Stock)
• 1–2 red Thai (or jalapeno) peppers, seeded and finely chopped (plus slices for garnish) ***totally optional, I don't use them.
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• zest of one lime
• juice of one lime
• 3-4 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
• 1 container shiitake mushrooms, sliced (approx. 2 cups)
• 1 pound(ish) package boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 handful of watercress or fresh spinach
• 1-2 scallions, chopped *optional, I had some that needed using
• 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro (plus sprigs for garnish)

Combine broth, coconut milk, pepper if using, garlic, ginger, lime zest and fish sauce in a medium saucepan or soup pot.  Bring to a simmer and add chicken, stirring, until chicken is cooked...about 3 minutes.  Add mushrooms and cook about 2-3 more minutes.  Stir in scallions and watercress/spinach until it begins to wilt, about 1 minute. Add cilantro.  Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with sprigs of cilantro and slices of pepper.  For non-Paleo eating you could have this over some rice or rice noodles but if you are watching your weight or have blood sugar issues, I would not recommend this.  Also, if the lemongrass at my store wasn't moldy I would've added that to the recipe too. 

So EASY and SOOOOO DELICIOUS!!!
(there is just no reason NOT to make it!)

Magic snack

So I like my son to think he eats somewhat normal...but really, I know he already knows that he doesn't.  Regardless, I like to make him "normal" looking treats.  These are not as sweet as they look, but (to me and my family) they taste delicious.  Give them a try if you are looking for something special while still trying to maintain a Paleo/Primal-esque lifestyle.  I didn't use a microwave like the recipe suggested (come on, you know me!)  And I put 55% dark chocolate chips on half the batch AFTER they came out of the oven.  Half Paleo, half mostly Paleo.  Enjoy!

Time to make the doughnuts...

My son recently caught a glimpse of a box of Dunkin Donuts, and his eyes were drawn to the chocolate cake doughnut.  Not the frosted, not the glazed and not the ones with sprinkles (which surprised me) but as most of you know I do not give my son gluten or sugar (or or or...) SO there was my challenge.  Create a chocolate cake-like doughnut using only approved ingredients for our household.  I went to the store and bought a doughnut pan which was almost as exciting to my son as the doughnuts themselves.  I found this recipe and made a few changes.  No ginger, lemon peel or orange flower water.  Instead I added raw cacao powder (about 2 tsp, add more if you actually want them to taste like chocolate) and I added a splash of vanilla extract.  Instead of honey, I used real maple syrup.  They were delicious, although not very chocolate-y, my son didn't notice.  For the second batch I decided to make cinnamon doughnuts (which I liked much better.)  I used no cacao powder this time, still the maple syrup instead of honey and I added 2 full tsp of cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of vanilla.  I enjoyed mine drizzled with a little maple syrup but they didn't even need it.  Not only do they taste delicious but they make a healthy breakfast, snack or anytime treat.  Happy baking!

Potatoes, potatoes and more (you guessed it) POTATOES!

So our wonderful farm share over at Singing Frog Farm has loaded us up with potatoes galore.  After a quick trip out of town I came home to see the potaotes were still there, in the pantry, no eyes, but waiting for creativity and consumption.  For my first trick I used an old standby recipe of mine...see here...this time using lamb, vermouth and chicken stock since there was no red wine in the house (crazy, I know!) and sans the celery since we had none.  Tomorrow night I plan to make a giant batch of German potato salad (recipe suggestions welcome, so far I found this one.)  It's a favorite of my brother whom I will be visiting this week so I plan to make plenty to share.  If that won't take care of the bushel load, I will probably just give the rest away or trade them for eggs (anyone?)
We generally don't eat too many potatoes (or many starches for that matter) but we always love to use everything our CSA provides, plus they are delicious...and certainly a whole food.  If you are diabetic, pre-diabetic or trying to lose weight- simply limit your consumption of white potatoes/starches in general.  A good guideline is to limit yourself to one serving or less per day, and make that serving what fits into the palm of your hand (cup your hand, there...that's your serving, no piling too high!)  Also, remember to have your potatoes with plenty of good fat and some protein too.  Happy end-of-summer eating!  As sad as I will be saying goodbye to hot and sunny, long Summer days (and perfect tomatoes) I look forward to my most favorite season for cooking- the Fall.

flank steak with slow, easy (and always worth it) brussel sprouts

you will need...
1-2lb flank steak (grass-fed if available)
lard (from pastured pigs, available at local farms/farm markets...not the grocery store kind)

2 lbs brussel sprouts, washed, ends cut off and halved
2 portabella mushroom caps, chopped into 1" pieces (you could also used pre-sliced or baby bellas)
1 medium onion (I prefer Vidalia), thinly sliced
4-5 pieces of prosciutto, chopped into 1" pieces
6 T of grass-fed unsalted butter, divided into 4 pieces (we use Trickling Springs or Kerry Gold which is widely available)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. pine nuts, toasted
1 garlic clove, minced
1 c. red wine (a light red wine such as a Pinot Noir is best)
a nice chunk of parmesan for serving
course sea salt for garnish

salt and pepper the steak
pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
heat 1-2 T of butter in a large frying pan, caramelize the onion (add a pinch of salt or a grind or two)
melt 2 T of butter in a dutch oven or other large oven proof pot
add chopped brussel sprouts and caramelized onion to pot and stir
place pot in oven
melt 1 T butter in the same pan that you used for the onions, add garlic, heat until fragrant (1-2 min)
add mushrooms and a pinch of salt (or two) and sauté until softened (about 7 minutes)
add garlic/mushroom mixture to brussel sprouts and return to oven until brussel sprouts are just about fork tender (approx. 15-20 minutes)
mix in chopped prosciutto and return to oven for 5 more minutes.
meanwhile, heat 1 T butter in pan, add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes
add wine and reduce by half

heat lard in a cast iron skillet on high, when it's smokin' hot add steak, cook 3-5 minutes on each side

pour red wine reduction into finished brussel sprouts, toss
add pine nuts, toss
serve with parmesan shavings
slice steak across the grain, serve slices with a sprinkle of course sea salt

took some time to make this one...but SOOOOOOO worth it.
Now eat up, and don't forget to enjoy a glass of that wine you opened with it!

Goodbye A1...A1 beta casein that is, not the steak sauce.

I hit the lottery- my cow share officially begins tomorrow!!!  Ruth Ann (she's a heritage breed Golden Guernsey cow) had her baby (Buttercup, I love that name for a baby cow) a few weeks ago and now I get to pick up a jar (glass, yay!) of fresh A2 casein milk each week.  I love that my son and I can (and will) say hi to Ruth Ann and Buttercup each week and tour the farm whenever we want.  To me this is a dream come true.  I love knowing exactly where my food comes from, who grows it and cares for it and especially what my food is eating (cows eat grass...not grains and definitely not SOY or ground up animal parts!)  If you suffer from sinus issues, allergies, skin rashes, asthma and a host of other related issues, your dairy might be the culprit.  (just Google A2 casein milk) I gave it up for a while, but boy did I miss yogurt, cheese, butter and ice cream.  We have been buying fresh, lightly pasteurized local milk awaiting our turn on the long list.  Because I noticed some skin and digestive issues with my son when we introduced dairy at age two, I have really limited his consumption to goat yogurt and grass-fed butter.  So I really do feel like we hit the lottery.  I plan to make cheese, yogurt and in warmer months some ice cream from our fresh milk.  Stay tuned....

Mmmm...mushrooms

SO what will you be serving along side of your grilled steak or burger this summer?  How about one of nature's high antioxident, immune boosting, belly satisfying foods.  Mushrooms!  For years I avoided them like the plague but in my adulthood I have come to love these yummy fungi.  They fill you up and are loaded with good nutrition.  They make a great side or topping for a meat dish or for those who are vegetarian, they provide a savory meat-like, sink your teeth into substitute.


Here is a basic recipe for a mushroom saute, play with the measurements based on how much you need to serve.


Ingredients:
- EVOO and grass-fed butter
- assorted mushrooms
- some white wine or substitute a tablespoon of white wine vinegar diluted in a little water
- minced garlic to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped parsley, optional
- sea salt and pepper to taste

 Add some butter and a little olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender.  Add the wine or substitute and let it cook off for about 1 minute. Turn down the heat and add garlic and cook for one minute. Garnish with parsley, remove from heat and serve.

Super seaweed salads!

  Here are two yummy ways to try and incorporate seaweed into your diet.  Currently I have a group of ladies from Flow Yoga in Leesburg doing a 7-day raw vegan detox!  This is a great way to get a little more "bite" in your days of juices and smoothies.  Pictured here is the first salad (sans vegetables, added those later) tossed with some cut up chicken for my two year old- he loves his chicken with "noodles"! 


SESAME SEAWEED SALAD
A handful of arame(I have Eden brand)- soak 10 minutes in warm water, drain
Coconut aminos to taste
sesame oil to taste
toasted sesame seeds- just sprinkle as much as you like
squeeze of fresh citrus (I like orange)
diced cucumbers
shredded carrots
any other raw veggie
*optional fresh grated ginger

Use as much of the veggies as you prefer, taste after you add each ingredient.
Enjoy by itself or served over greens.

ARAME SPROUT SALAD
1/2 bag arame- soaked 10-15 minutes and rinsed
1 box sunflower sprouts
add a handful of any other sprouts you want: broccoli, alfalfa etc.
1 large handful mung bean sprouts
1 large tbsp tahini
1 tbsp South River Co. chickpea miso
water (dependent upon how thick you want the sauce)
optional: add a handful of greens

Whisk together tahini, miso and water (if you want a thicker sauce add less water)
Place arame and sprouts in bowl and mix with dressing.

You could also add spirulina to the dressing or sprinkle it on top of the salad!

Enjoy this salad by itself, on dehydrated crackers, wrapped in romaine or collard leaves, wrapped in nori or place it on green salads or sprout salads. It's also yummy with raw fermented sauerkraut.

Sea vegetables are one of nature’s best sources of iodine. Iodine is essential for proper thyroid function.  Including seaweed in your diet can relieve menopausal symptoms, help prevent PMS and reduce your risk of breast cancer. Sea vegetables promote optimal health because they are a source of fucans which reduce the body’s inflammatory response.  They have antithrombotic activity (ability to inhibit blood clots), are antiviral and may inhibit the development of tumors. Sea vegetables are filled with nutrients including energy-producing iron, bone-building calcium and magnesium, heart-healthy folate and sleep- promoting tryptophan. Sea vegetables are also filled with other vitamins and minerals including Vitamins A, B and K, potassium, iron, phosphorous, manganese, selenium and zinc. Many varieties contain up to 50% soluble fiber, which helps regulate cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Sea Vegetables contain approximately 9 calories per 1⁄4 cup serving so they are an ideal food for weight loss and maintenance.  And if you need one final reason to give this super green(ish) stuff a try- how about shiny, glossy hair and clear skin...now who doesn't want that?!

Not Shepherd's Pie

This recipe came about because I had ground beef that needed to be used so I scoured the pantry, fridge and freezer to see what I could cobble together.  I had all the ingredients for a shepherd's pie but didn't quite have the time to make and bake one.  So here is my little made up recipe for what I like to call "not shepherd's pie".  It was filling and delicious and took about an hour to cook, eat and clean up!

1-2 T of butter
1 lb grass fed ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 carrots, chopped
1-2 stalks of celery, chopped
1/2 - 1 cup frozen or fresh peas
1 tsp dried thyme, rosemary and/or herbs de provence
1/2 -1 cup red wine
1 T organic tomato paste
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

herb smashed potatoes
3-4 small yukon gold potatoes
1 T fresh parsley, chopped
2 T butter (or to taste)
sea salt to taste

peel and cut up potatoes, boil in a large pot of water until fork tender (about 20 minutes)
meanwhile, melt 1-2 T butter in a large saute pan or dutch oven over medium heat.  add onions, carrots, celery and sprinkle with some sea salt.  Saute for a few minutes to soften.  Add garlic, saute a minute more.  Add ground beef, brown.  Add peas, dried herbs, tomato paste, wine and more salt and pepper to taste.  Cook on low/medium-low for 10 minutes or more to deepen the flavor and reduce the wine to a thick sauce. 
back to those potatoes... drain, add butter sea salt and parsley, mash to desired consistency...I like mine a little clumpy lumpy!
Serve potatoes over beef mixture...top with some fresh cracked pepper and finishing salt (course sea salt)
now EAT!

EASY & FAST!!!

It's primal, it's gluten free, dairy free, grain free and more!  Most importantly, it's fast and easy!  I was hesitant as I have never cooked such giant steaks before.  I had defrosted two giant grass-fed steaks that my husband was supposed to cook last night.  Meetings ran late, plans for cooking were canceled and dinner was now going to be at a local restaurant.  SO here we are the next night and no husband home, I MUST cook these steaks!  I found this recipe and just happened to have a bunch of tomatoes and cilantro that needed to be used- couldn't have found a more perfect recipe for what I had on hand (thank you again epicurious.com)
I know I will definitely make this again, enjoy!
* I used a cast iron skillet and lard instead of olive oil, from the farm of course.  The four minutes each side suggestion worked perfectly!  Don't forget to let the meat rest before slicing into it.  No pics this time, had to serve it super-fast for my super-hungry toddler "mommy, I want steak!" but it plates beautifully if you slice it just right.  

Easy Thai Beef

Tonight is the second time I have made this dish.  It was cooked and eaten in under an hour.  The first time I made it as is and this time I only had a regular onion (instead of a red one) and I added some broccoli.  Both times I eliminated the peppers (I just don't like them) and served it in uncooked cabbage leaves (you could steam them if you prefer).  My husband and the baby both loved it as much as I did, I hope you do too!

I am LOVING this!

this was one banana, a perfect single serving

with organic chocolate syrup...not as yummy

One ingredient ice cream.  So easy, so delicious.  More delicious then you would think.  When you first start the food processor you don't think it's actually going to look like the picture, and then all of the sudden it does.  The one change I recommend is that I think you need to freeze the bananas longer than two hours.  I added some chocolate syrup on top thinking it would be even more fabulous, but no, it was actually much better on it's own.  It's gluten free, grain free, dairy free, egg free and sugar free.  But definitely not taste free and very much like eating ice cream.  Enjoy!

Lamb Curry

So this is a dish we make pretty much once a week,  I guess that makes it a staple in this house.  It's fast, easy, delicious and I pretty much always have all of the ingredients on hand.  I buy my ground lamb here, and usually stock up on four or five 1lb packages when I do.  If you don't like lamb you can use any other ground meat in this recipe.  But I find the flavors of this dish just perfect.
I start with this recipe, only I substitute ghee or coconut oil for the vegetable oil and use some garam masala (a blend of spices you can find in most Indian specialty stores, also in the international section of Wegmans) in place of some of the curry powder.  I skip the broth and it still works fine, probably because I am not putting it over rice or sopping up the sauce with some bread.  I feel the sweet potato and peas provide plenty of "carb" for this dish, no need for any more.  Enjoy!

Worth the work

I apologize for my slacking...I am working on figuring out how I can video my cooking therefore eliminating one step (the blogging after wards.)  As most of my clients know, I am already pushing the clock in the evenings between cooking & cleaning, bath and bed for the toddler, client emails and prepping everything for the next day.  Although I help others to balance their lives as my job, I am still working on my own balance, every day.  The last two weeks included some delicious lamb burgers (made into a delicious salad for the next two days of lunches) and yummy taco salad!  I will post those recipes, but tonight I share the recipe that was made in our house two times in under 24 hours.  She is amazing!  Gluten free, grain-free in fact and she uses no soy or refined sugars.  I am always recommending her website for recipes, especially those looking to bake allergen free, but this recipe was for dinner.  The only changes I made were that instead of the chilis, I used a little red pepper flakes.  And I did not have arrowroot powder, so I used kudzu root starch which is a sea vegetable and another healthful alternative to corn starch as a thickener.  It is a lot of prep; cutting the chicken, napa cabbage, six cloves of garlic, ginger and more...but it was soooo worth it and again, I wound up making it a second time less than 24 hours later.  That time I doubled the amount of the chicken, so there would be leftovers for everyone.  Oh, and we used chicken thighs instead of breast...much more tender and delicious.  If you get your chicken from a farm where they are raised right, the dark meat is where all the flavor and nutrition is!
Make sure you leave a comment for those who give it a try- and like most Chinese food (which this is a spin off of a Chinese dish) it was even delicious cold the next day!

My "go to" easy meals...

...always seem to start with poached chicken breast these days.  Simply because it's easy, I don't have to turn on my oven or really even pay that much attention as I am cooking them (which is good because my eyes are on my ever-discovering, ever-wandering around every drawer and cabinet, toddler!)
So I have promised many of you that I'd post how I poach chicken, and perhaps a few ideas of what to do afterward...so here goes.

I take two boneless skinless FOA chicken breasts, rinse, place them in a large saute pan and cover with water.  I will also add some leftover white wine (if it happens to be open in the fridge and needs finishing), lemon juice, garlic (unless I am really crunched for time, then it's organic garlic powder), herbs de Provence, perhaps a bay leaf or two, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.  Bring to a boil, cover and turn off the heat.  Set a timer for about 10 minutes (this is trial and error based on number of breasts, thickness, etc...)  I then remove the chicken and set on a plate to rest about 5-10 minutes.  Once cooled, I cut it up into pieces for my little one to toss with some salad or cooked veggies with sea salt and EVOO.  For me and my husband, I typically make chicken salad to put over greens.  As of recent I am not using mayo (because of an egg white intolerance) and I have come up with some delicious alternatives.  Today I was about to rush out the door, telling myself I would just pick up lunch at the Wine Kitchen but then that little voice said to me "walk your talk!"  I knew I had one last chicken breast in the fridge and plenty of things to complete a quick meal.  So I took five, yes only five, minutes and made myself a delicious lunch.  I chopped the chicken into bite-sized cubes, coarsely chopped some pecans and dried cherries, sprinkled some sunflower seeds, cut up apple, all tossed with a good balsamic vinegar, sea salt, fresh pepper and good EVOO.  In another bowl I threw some pre-washed organic spring mix.  When it was time for lunch I tossed the chicken mixture with the greens, added a little more sea salt and EVOO and WOW!  It was delicious, I just finished and had to write this post.  So quick, so last minute, so random and sooooooo yummy!
Don't make the excuse of no time to cook or prepare your own foods...you just have to make a plan, shop for the right ingredients to have on hand and start!

Greens, grains and squash- it sounds delicious!

I did not make this up, nor did I make it yet. But I can't wait to and I thought I'd share.

Let me know if anyone tries it first.

Roasted Delicata Squash with Quinoa Salad Recipe - Michael Symon | Food & Wine

***Update!
I made it.  It was in fact delicious.  A few changes, I didn't have delicata squash, so I used acorn squash.  I love delicata squash and you can even eat the skin, but acorn is also one of my favorites and worked perfectly with the flavors of this dish.  I also didn't have any fresh parsley, didn't miss it.  And lastly, I tossed the arugula with a little EVOO and sea salt before plating the dish.  It was wonderful!

Unchartered Territory

I remembered to defrost something last night (a first for this week...it's been a crazy one since getting back to work after all the snow!)  And because I have little experience cooking pork tenderloin, I decided to actually use a recipe.  Well, my husband recommended I use a recipe (thanks honey, I get the hint.)  I did not plan/shop well before the week began so I found a recipe that I already had all the ingredients for.  A second dish in less than a week that includes cooked apples and onions, oh well, they do work really well together and it sure saves money on ingredients.  I had exactly two apples left!  So it's in the oven as I type and I will be done with the dishes before the timer goes off.  It was fast, easy and smells delicious (I'll have to update once I actually taste the dish.)
So here is the recipe.  For those who have never seared meat or cooked pork tenderloin, neither had I and voila!  I did it and so can you.
Enjoy!

***update
The pork was cooked perfectly, a gentle pink in the middle and not dry at all (as some pork dishes can be.)  My husband, the baby and I all enjoyed it.  Highly recommended!