Whole 30, Day 1

First, a recap of what I ate this first day of my attempt at Whole30. Below is a short bit about how it went, then a recipe for the Spanish "rice" I made from riced cauliflower (it's super yum and is definitely a keeper).

Breakfast:
1 egg, 3 egg whites, sauteed mushrooms all cooked in ghee

Lunch: 
1 apple, 2 T almond butter, turkey patty cooked in cast iron in olive oil (from frozen)

Dinner: 
Lettuce wrap tacos using ground turkey, bibb lettuce, chopped avocado, cilantro, and Spanish "rice" (recipe & pic below)

Snack: Banana with 1 T almond butter


Surprisingly, today went very well. Much better than expected! We had a 4 year old's birthday party to attend, and I managed to avoid all snacks and even the cake (I mean it wasn't chocolate, so it wasn't that hard...). The key so far seems to be about not counting calories. Since I don't have to account for an entire bottle of wine, or the usual tortilla/tortilla chips, or cheese, you can really load up on veggies and healthy fats to feel full and not guilty. We'll see how this progresses once my body catches on and starts saying 'Hey wtf!' but for now, I feel positive.
Other great effects from today: no bloat, no headache, no sniffles/sneezing, and a clear head. Dammit, I'm sold.


Spanish "Rice"
2 T olive or vegetable oil
1 bag riced cauliflower (from Trader Joe's)
1/3 each: red, green, yellow, and orange bell pepper, chopped
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Chili powder, cumin, garlic salt, oregano (maybe 1 teaspoon), and generous black pepper

Using dutch oven, saute onion and garlic in oil on medium heat. Once translucent, add bell peppers and cauli rice; season to taste, turn heat down to med-low, and let simmer for 10-ish minutes stirring occasionally. Turn down to low and cover til ready to serve. Excellent with chopped avocado, green onion, and cilantro, and if you're not doing Whole30, top with shredded cheddar cheese! I stuffed bibb lettuce leaves with this "rice" along with a spoonful of cooked, seasoned ground turkey.

Lettuce leaf tacos using Spanish "rice" and ground turkey

Best Beet Salad

Clearly there's more to this salad than just beets, but I needed a good name.  It didn't really have one before.  This has got to be in my top 5, if not top 1, favorite salads of all time.  What makes it so good is all the flavors that are going on - savory, salty, sweet, and tangy.  Plus it's great for using up leftover roast beef, or steak (if you have any that is)!

Vary ingredients to your taste:
Beef - either roast or steak, preferably grilled, sliced up.  Ground is not recommended.
Beets - chopped in 1/2" pieces, salted, oven roasted for 20 minutes at 425.
Onions - sliced, sauteed in olive oil til caramelized - Vidalia are best (the sweeter the better)
Arugula
Balsamic vinegar

I prefer a large amount of caramelized onions in my salad bowl, along with a heavy handed pour of balsamic.  The arugula can't be substituted - it lends a peppery bite that reduces your need for seasonings.  And this really is much better when the steak (or roast) is grilled beforehand, and the beets are roasted to a caramelly goodness.  I could eat this every day!

Option:  Throw the beets with some butter or grapeseed oil in heavy-duty foil, seal up, and throw on the grill while the steaks are cooking.  Depending on the heat of the grill they may need a lot more time for roasting than when cooking in the oven.

Turkey Muffins

I know this sounds gross but trust me, they aren't.  They were a HUGE hit here and will definitely be on heavy rotation.  These are the easiest things to make and I'm bummed I never thought of this before Pinterest came around.  Damn you Pinterest for overwhelming me with your amazing ideas!

1 lb lean ground turkey or chicken (*can also grind your own in the food processor so you know what you're eating...)
1 large egg (optional)
2 big handfuls spinach leaves, chopped
1/2 large sweet onion, like Vidalia, finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
S/P

Preheat oven to 350 and spray a muffin pan with non-stick spray.  In a bowl, combine all ingredients thoroughly.  Shape into 12 balls, and place in muffin pan.  Throw it in the oven for about 30 minutes; check with a meat thermometer before removing from oven (160 degrees) - bake longer if temp isn't up there yet.  Good browning is a must for better flavor.

Serving ideas:  asparagus, arugula salad, watercress soup, steamed spinach

*To grind your own:  Buy boneless/skinless fresh cuts of turkey or chicken, chop down into 2" chunks (to make them easier to fit), and toss them in the food processor with the blade attachment.  Pulse til the meat is ground down, but not mush.  This is a great option for anyone who doesn't own a KitchenAid grinder attachment.  Thanks to my friend Staci for giving me this smart idea!

Sausage & Veggie Pasta

As usual I could not get a decent photo of this deeeeelish dinner, but it was worthy of a blog post nonetheless. There have been a ton of coupons for sausage lately, and while it's normally not on my grocery list, the cheapness couldn't be passed up. Besides....throw in enough veggies, and suddenly you're not eating so much of the "bad" stuff.

3 Hot Italian sausage links sliced into 1/2 pieces, or 1/2-1 lb of ground hot Italian sausage
1/2 onion, chopped
1 large head broccoli, chopped
3 small zucchini, 1/2 slices
S&P, garlic powder, onion powder
1/2 box rotini pasta, cooked (omit for paleo/low carb/Whole30)
2 very large handfuls spinach
Parmesan, shredded (omit for paleo/Whole30)

Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium/medium high heat til browned. Add onions, stir & cook for a minute, then add broccoli and zucchini. Splash a couple tablespoons of hot water in the pan and quickly cover to steam the veggies. After a couple minutes, stir and cover again. Leave over heat for another couple minutes, then uncover and add the seasonings. Stir thoroughly, remove from heat.
In a large bowl, toss the spinach and pasta. Dump the veggie/sausage mixture on top, toss again, and serve with a hefty helping of shredded Parmesan. For paleo or Whole30, just serve sausage mixture over spinach and allow it to wilt.
Since the sausage isn't the star of this dish, a Sauvignon Blanc went really well - good with the veggies and Parm.

Asian-Infused Fish Tacos - or Salad

There are a TON of different elements and depths to this meal - some sweet, some hot, a little Asian, a tad Spanish. Thrown together, it made an insane dinner that gave us both food comas from eating so much.
The definite star of the show tonight was the caramelized cabbage. I don't remember where I saw it, but in one of my typical rabbit-trail, blind stumbling through the interwebs recently, I remembered seeing a picture of roasted cabbage, and it inspired me to change up the standard fish tacos I usually make. Cabbage is really good right now; jicama and carrots are inexpensive; and avocados have been on sale, so this is a good go-to winter dinner. Roasting the cabbage gave it an unusual sweetness that really offset the heat of the cayenne and onions.

Olive oil
1/3 head green cabbage, sliced 1/2" thick through the middle with core intact
4 small cod fillets

"Slaw":
1 large shallot, very thinly sliced, divided (could also use yellow onion)
1/3 medium jicama, shredded
1 carrot, shredded
3 tomatillos, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced (seeds removed for less heat) - divided
1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

Juice of 2 limes
2 T soy sauce, divided
2 T rice vinegar, divided
1 T black sesame oil
1 t garlic powder
1 t cayenne powder (or to taste)
1 t chili powder (or to taste)
1/4 c Hain canola mayonnaise
S&P

1 large avocado, sliced
Corn tortillas (omit for whole30, paleo, or low carb)

Marinate cod in advance with some of the shallot rings, 1 T of the soy sauce, 1 T of the rice vinegar, the juice of 1 of the limes, 1 t of the jalapeno, and a little S&P. Leave in fridge til ready to bake.
In the meantime, preheat oven to 425. Toss the jicama, carrot, tomatillos, rest of the jalapeno, shallot, cilantro, and the rest of the lime juice, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and a little S&P in a big bowl, cover and set aside.


When oven is preheated, brush both sides of each wedge of the cabbage with olive oil and place on jellyroll pan. Sprinkle with kosher salt and roast in oven for 20-30 minutes (check around the 15 minute mark to make sure there's no burning). If the core of the cabbage was kept intact & not removed before slicing, they can probably be flipped easily. If not, it's perfectly fine to just roast on one side. They'll still get that caramelly sweetness!


When cabbage is done, remove from oven & transfer to a plate. Turn heat down to 375, and transfer cod from the marinade to a roasting dish (or you can use the jellyroll pan from the cabbage like I did). Bake fish for about 30 minutes, or until flaky.
While cod is baking put its marinade in a saucepan to make the "slaw" sauce - add the mayo, cayenne, chili powder, garlic, and a little S&P, and heat over very low til thickened. Extra lime and/or cilantro could be added to the sauce if more tanginess is needed.
By this time the fish should be just about done. If making tacos, start heating the corn tortillas. If making salad, plate the fish, top with the "slaw" sauce, jicama salad, and sliced avocado. Good with a Pino Gris.

Steak & Beet Salad

If there was a heaven, this would be on its menu year-round. This is perfection on a plate. Of course, you must love beets to agree with me here.
I don't recall ever being made to try beets as a kid, in fact my earliest memory of eating beets was when I was around 21. There was a diet circling around (pre-interwebs, mid 90s), that was called something like the "OHSU Diet". It involved 3 days' worth of meals, and if you followed it exactly to the letter it promised weight loss of at least 10 lbs in those three days. (Of course it didn't work.) Anyway, one of the meals involved eating canned beets dressed with red wine vinegar. Surprisingly I was not grossed out.
I can almost guarantee that even non-beet eaters will not be grossed out by this salad:

1-2 lbs round steak
2 large beets, with greens, washed
Salted butter
Olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1/2 large red onion
2 handfuls washed arugula
Chevre, Feta, or other goat cheese
Balsamic vinegar (vary quantity to taste)
S&P

Well ahead of the game, scrub and peel the beets, separate greens, wrap beets in foil, and roast at 375 until cooked. These took about 45 minutes.
In the meantime, trim stalks off washed greens and set aside to drain. Prep steaks by trimming fat. Let rest a bit, before pan-frying in olive oil with a good seasoning blend and S&P. Fry til browned on each side and med-rare. Remove from heat and let rest on a plate.
While beets are roasting and steak is resting, thinly slice onion, and mince garlic. Slowly saute onions in butter/olive oil over medium low heat til caramelized (can add a tiny splash of Balsamic at this stage if desired, but I add mine at the end for stronger flavor). Remove beets from oven to cool at this point. Add garlic and beet greens to the caramelized onions, cook over low til greens are barely wilted - just a few minutes. You want the greens to still have a little bite and not turn to mush. Set aside.
Quickly slice both the steak and the beets. Toss with the greens/caramelized onion mixture with a bit of Balsamic, Salt, & Pepper. Place a handful of arugula on each plate, and top with the steak/beet/greens combo. Sprinkle a little cheese around each plate, and enjoy - with a giant glass of something meaty & rich, like a Cab, Malbec, Bordeaux, or Shiraz!

Barramundi Piccata

Barramundi, apparently, is this not-new whitefish that is being marketed as the next "new better whitefish". I had never heard of it til I saw a Safeway coupon for their frozen packaged version, and decided to try it after a few google searches convinced me of its safety.
I'm sure more will come out eventually, I mean this fish has been around and eaten for decades but with all the hype in the last few years about sustainability, metal levels, and the like, you just never know for sure. From what I can find, it seems to be a safe bet on all counts. And luckily, it's not too expensive....yet (with coupons and sales of course!).


1-2 T olive oil
2 large Barramundi fillets
S&P

Brown fish on each side in olive oil til flaky and cooked through. Remove from pan and keep warm in oven turned on its lowest temp. Keep pan & drippings for piccata sauce:

3 T salted butter/ghee
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small yellow onion, finely sliced
2 T flour (or tapioca flour, or coconut cream for paleo/Whole30)
Juice of 2 lemons
zest of 1 lemon (OR thin slices of 1/2 lemon)
1/4 c dry white wine
1/4 c drained capers (or to taste...I like tons of capers)
S&P

In the same pan that the fish cooked in, saute onions and garlic in butter, but do not brown. When softened, add the flour, stir well til flour is well incorporated (only about 30-40 seconds), then add the lemon juice and wine. Stir constantly to remove any flour lumps, about 1-2 minutes. When thickened, add remaining ingredients - zest, S&P, and capers.

Remove fish from oven and drizzle sauce over top. This was served with quinoa and a solid Chardonnay.

Veggieful Chicken Enchiladas

No two pans of enchiladas I've ever made have turned out the same. That's the beauty of casserole-style meals; they're all so flexible. Sometimes I wish I could duplicate a particularly good dish though - before this blog I'd never written anything down, so hopefully now this one can be replicated in the future. It's that good!

Rarely do I use processed foods in anything I make or eat, but this particular green enchilada sauce I've never been able to copy exactly in a homemade version. So, I make an exception :-). It's lighter than the traditional red or mole sauce, which I think is better for chicken and vegetable versions of enchiladas like this one.

1 T olive oil
1 large yellow onion
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red, yellow, or green bell pepper (or a little of all three for more color!)
1 c frozen corn, defrosted
1 c black beans
1 small can chopped green chilis (or 1 large fresh poblano, chopped)
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained (or 1-2 large fresh chopped tomatoes, seeded and thoroughly drained)
1/4 c chopped black olives (optional)
1 jalapeno, minced
1/4 c chopped cilantro
2 large chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
S&P

corn tortillas
vegetable oil

2-3 c cheese (I use whatever I have on hand - usually cheddar & mozzarella or pepperjack)

1 large can La Victoria green enchilada sauce

Preheat oven to 360. Chop all vegetables, heat olive oil over med-high heat and saute just the onions, garlic and peppers. When softened, add the rest of the vegetables and the chicken. Turn down to heat thoroughly, stir occasionally.
While that is simmering, pour a little of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a sprayed 9"x13" casserole dish (just a couple tablespoons to help prevent sticking). Heat vegetable oil in a small saute pan over med-high heat. When oil is shimmering, fry each corn tortilla quickly on each side (through trial and error in trying to lighten the fat content of my enchiladas, I came to the conclusion that the tortillas must be fried first, just to soften - not to a crisp - otherwise they turn to mush in the end). Depending on how big you stuff the tortillas, you'll need anywhere from 12 to 20. Start stuffing each one with the vegetable/chicken mixture, roll as tightly as possible, and tuck into casserole dish. Pour remaining sauce evenly over all enchiladas, making sure a little gets between each one, then sprinkle all the cheese on top. I like to put a little extra cheese around the edges so it gets nice & crunchy. Bake enchiladas for 20 minutes; if desired, broil for the last few minutes to brown & crisp up the cheese.
There is usually leftover vegetable/chicken mixture leftover; use for tacos tomorrow, or throw over rice with salsa, avocado & sour cream!

Creamy Asparagus Soup and Lemon Arugula Pasta

Light, lemony, garlicky (of course), and meat-free! Very necessary after ordering gyoza last night and hamburgers the night before. So much for resolutions.

Arugula is not in season, but who cares - its peppery flavor and light texture is hard not to crave. Plus I was still able to find organic, so it's all good. It was tossed with lemon, garlic and parmesan into spaghetti pasta, and we enjoyed a creamy, lemony asparagus soup on the side (I wasn't able to snap a good pic of the soup). The pasta is loosely based on a Food Network recipe by Giada de Laurentiis.


Creamy Asparagus Soup:
2 T salted butter/ghee
2 large cloves garlic
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed & chopped
4 c chicken broth
1 c unsweetened almond milk (or coconut cream)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 t grated lemon zest
S&P

Saute onion, garlic and asparagus in butter til slightly softened (do not brown). Add broth and bring to a boil. Turn down to low, simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Then add milk, and blend all with an immersion blender til nice and smooth. Add lemon juice, zest, and S&P right before serving - stir well to incorporate.

Lemon Arugula Pasta:
Whole wheat or low-carb spaghetti pasta
2 T olive oil (or salted butter, or an equal mix of both)
Juice of 2 lemons
zest of 1 lemon
Parmesan cheese (to taste, I don't measure)
Lots of S&P
2 c washed arugula

Cook spaghetti to desired firmness, and drain. Add next 5 ingredients and toss til well distributed. Serve over bed of arugula, or lightly toss arugula into spaghetti before plating up.

This was insane with an oaky, buttery Chardonnay.

Mushroom Un-Bourguignon

You would never know it by looking at the ingredients list, but this started out as a Mushroom Bourguinon. Where I failed was in the fact that I drank the required "Burgundy" (actually a Cab) the night before. D'oh! Red wine doesn't last long around these parts.
Luckily though, I did have some Pinot Gris on hand. Maybe just a little on the sweet side for something like this, but it turned out great. The crimini and portobellos were a huge hit, too. The end result is nothing like a bourguignon but is definitely something I wanted to reference for future dinner ideas.

1 T olive oil
1 T salted butter
1/2 red or yellow onion
3 garlic cloves
2 giant portobellos
2 c crimini mushrooms
1 carrot
1 T flour (or more for thickening)
1 scant cup wine
2 c chicken stock
2 T tomato paste
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (undrained)
1/2 - 1 c pearl onions, thawed
1 t thyme or marjoram
S&P
Pasta (egg noodles are traditional, but we used rotini)

Prepare veggies & fungies by washing & chopping into 1/2" pieces. Saute onions, minced garlic, carrot, and mushrooms in olive oil and butter over medium heat, til mushrooms just start to release their liquids. Add the flour and stir quickly to combine, then add the wine if you haven't drank it yet. Stir frequently to make sure flour and wine are completely incorporated, then add stock and paste. Again, stir thoroughly for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes, onions, and seasonings, then turn down to simmer while you cook the pasta per package directions.
I tossed the pasta in with the mushroom sauce, but you could also serve the mushroom sauce alone or on top of the pasta. This would also be great with a little heat - add red pepper flakes for some kick.

Slow Cooker Kraut Suppe

I don't profess to speak German. I would love to, but I have a hard enough time speaking English. My heritage however, is German (by way of Russia), and every once in a while I get a craving for something involving cabbage and ground beef.

I have very fond memories of both my great Grandmother and Grandma making the most heavenly Kraut Brot growing up. Kraut Brot is like a beef, onion and cabbage filled hotpocket, only way better. No one to this day could pronounce the name of them correctly, and in fact I still have a recipe card from around age 10 when I was copying what Grandma was making in the kitchen, titled "Grabroke". I remember asking over and over, time and again for years, how to pronounce it...there were rolling Rs, and maybe a G in there, I could never tell...finally I just gave up & spelled it how it sounded.

I've made those little pockets of yum before, and they're a lot of work, because I'm not much of a "baker" - and all the work is in the dough. So to meet the current need for something cabbagey, avoid the hassle of dough, and continue my 2012 soup/stew theme, I made Kraut Suppe:



1 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
4 small potatoes
1 medium carrot
1/2 small head cabbage
1 lb ground beef (cooked on top of stove first, fat drained)
2 c hot water
S&P

Chop all veggies first, throw everything into the slow cooker, and cook on high for 3-5 hours (or low for 5-7). Since the meat is pre-cooked, all you really need to do is make sure the potatoes are cooked through, so this could also be made on top of the stove quickly in a stockpot.
This would be amazing (and even more Kraut Brot-like) with croutons sprinkled on top*

West African Chicken and Peanut Stew

Pretty much the only way I like peanut butter is with chicken - like the sauce you get at Thai restaurants with your chicken satay. I think it's the whole sweet/savory thing - peanut butter is so rich on it's own, it doesn't need sugar to make it any richer! I've been craving savory, saucy comfort food lately, so I was excited to see this on Kalyn's Kitchen this week. This recipe is an adaptation of an adaptation I found there - I had to change a few things, like increasing heat and decreasing fat. It's so rich, and it really is like comfort food.

1 t Olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 T grated FRESH ginger (not from a jar)
2 fresh jalapenos, most seeds removed, finely chopped
1-2 T chile powder
2 c chicken stock*
1/2 chunky p.b. (use any brand that is no-sugar-added...or use almond butter for Whole30)
3 T tomato paste
1 T Bragg's apple cider vinegar
3 c cooked, chopped chicken (I used thigh meat*)
S & P
Sliced green onions for garnish

*To begin with, I made my own stock that was used in this recipe by boiling the chicken thighs in a bunch of water with leftover leeks, celery, and a few garlic cloves. Remove chicken when thoroughly cooked to cool, and strain the stock. We like thigh meat because it has more chicken-y flavor, but breast could be used to lighten the richness of the recipe.

This one jalapeno cost .04. Nothing costs .04!

In that same pot, saute the onions, garlic, jalapenos, and ginger in the olive oil. Sprinkle the chile powder, stir a bit, then add the stock. Bring back to a boil, then add the remaining ingredients. Turn down & let simmer for a while for the flavors to meld, especially the jalapeno - this dish is better with some heat.
Serve over brown rice with a big pile of green onions sprinkled on top and a glass of Pinot Grigio.

Note to Self: Do Not Use Purple Kale in Soup.

Not sure, but I may be the only person on earth who didn't already know that purple kale loses its purple-ness when cooked. Up til now, the only way I've ever prepared it is in chip form. The fact that purple kale doesn't stay purple, really isn't that big of a deal; the flavor is the same. It's where that purple goes that is the problem:

Fun for kids!

The potatoes in the soup took on the violet hue of the kale, and turned the whole thing into a very kid-friendly dinner idea. Unfortunately I do not have kids, but really why can't adults appreciate a fun & wacky dinner once in a while too?

Multicolor Potato Kale Soup:
Olive oil
1 lb ground lean turkey or chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large leek, thoroughly washed and chopped
1 carton Pacific chicken stock
6-7 Red potatoes, coarsely chopped
1 large bunch purple (or green, if you're boring) kale, washed & torn, ribs removed

Saute garlic and leek in olive oil in a large pot. Add turkey or chicken & brown. Add chicken stock & potatoes, turn heat up and bring to a low boil. When potatoes have softened a bit, use a stick blender to whirl up a few of the potatoes and thicken the soup. Add kale and simmer a few more minutes on low.
Serve when kale has turned green and the potatoes have turned violet :-).

Duck with Port Reduction, Polenta, and Greens

For whatever reason, the only time of year I eat turkey is in November & December. I never think to buy it any other month. And in November and December, I never think of anything other than turkey. This year I wanted to try something different though, instead of the usual turkey, so I bought a duck from New Seasons - intending to roast it for a "family" dinner. It didn't work out that way, so I made it on a random Sunday for just myself and Brandon.
Years ago I visited one of my favorite restaurants in Portland, Tabla, and ordered the duck. It was amazing - made with figs and some sort of reduction (I don't remember what), and served with a Bordeaux (don't remember which one). It was insane. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a giant fan of a great pairing, and the combination of rich duck, sweet figs, the tart reduction, and the Bordeaux sent me into a tailspin. I have craved it ever since, so couldn't wait til I had a day to try to make it myself! I only wish I could remember which Bordeaux we had.
After a few searches through various recipe websites, I put together the reduction served with our duck. It is more traditional to use dried cherries or orange with duck....but my trip to the store resulted in no cherries, no other dried fruit in stock except prunes (!). I also picked up an orange for zesting. The results were definitely worth making again - in a few weeks, as this is really rich!

1 4-5 lb duck
Salted butter, divided
4-5 cloves garlic, sliced or smashed, divided
1 large yellow onion, rough chopped
2-3 celery stalks, rough chopped
kosher salt; pepper

1 orange (zest - strips)
12-15 prunes
Bottle of good Ruby Port

4 c Pacific chicken stock
1.5 c polenta
salt

1 large bunch collard greens, washed, trimmed, coarsely torn


Stuff duck with chopped onion, smear a tiny bit of butter over skin and sprinkle with S&P, and roast per directions in a roaster filled with remaining onion, garlic, 4-5 of the prunes, celery, and some of the orange zest. (Add enough water to the pan to prevent scorching, 1 c or so.)
While duck is roasting, place a couple strips of the orange zest and the rest of the prunes in about 2 c of the ruby port to soak, and then start on the polenta. Simmer til it is extremely thick. When cooled a bit, spread on foil to about 3/4-1 inch thick, and place another foil layer on top. Smooth polenta into an even square shape and refrigerate to firm up. Remove from fridge about 15 mins prior to duck being done to bring to room temp.
After duck has completed roasting, remove from oven and let rest. While duck is resting, prepare port reduction by simmering about 4 T butter in a pan. Add garlic, salt & pepper, and the soaked prunes. Add a bit more port, and reduce til thickened to a good sauce. Remove all prunes and garlic before serving.
In a side pan, steam collard greens on low temp with salt & pepper. Stir occasionally. At the same time, slice polenta into even square shapes, and fry in a bit of butter (or Pam) til crispy. Both should be done around the same time.

Serve polenta slices topped with greens, and duck with a couple tablespoons of reduction drizzled over. An inexpensive Bordeaux was perfect with this!
I really want to try the port reduction the next time we bust out the grill, with a good T-bone or other quality steak - I think that would be an amazing pairing, like a Balsamic reduction only sweeter. Can't wait til summer....


**Save the rendered duck fat in the freezer for future use on a turkey

It's a Shrimp-n-Pasta Kind of Night

The hardest thing about eating "low-carb", is the winter months when all you want is comfort food - creamy, cheesy, starchy, pasta-y, potato-y....you get the point. Thankfully I realized that there is such a thing as low-carb pasta, that doesn't taste any different than regular-carb pasta, and works perfectly to fool your brain when you're craving carbs and comfort food. This recipe was thrown together after a long day and didn't take long to make at all. It's good to keep as a Backup Plan when it's been a crazy day and all you want to do is sit in front of the fire with a big bowl of starch & a giant glass of wine.

Olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 lb frozen, deveined, peeled shrimp w/tails removed (1 lb-ish...I never measure)
16 oz bag frozen mixed veggies (the zucchini/cauli/brocc/carrot combo was used, but this can be whatever is on hand)
1 can chopped tomatoes, drained
1 can cannellini beans, drained/rinsed (I actually added the whole can, but it could probably be reduced a bit. These can be omitted to keep the carbs down)
4 T half & half
2 T chicken stock
Italian seasonings - thyme, oregano, rosemary, etc
S & P
1/2 box Dreamfields rotini pasta

Saute garlic and onions in olive oil, add the shrimp and cook for a minute or so, then add the veggies, tomatoes, and beans. Heat thoroughly but don't overcook the shrimp (pre-cooked can be used and added after the frozen veggies have thawed). Towards the end of cooking, add the italian seasonings, half & half and the chicken stock, and cook down a bit til thickened. Salt & pepper to taste.
Cook the pasta exactly per directions, toss together with the creamy shrimp/veg combo, and serve with a good Pinot Gris.

Gyro Madness

Sometimes I think I have Greek, Turkish, or Lebanese in my bloodline somewhere....as much as I love the food, it would make sense. I could eat hummus for breakfast (actually I have). I would eat eggplant daily. If cucumber grew year-round, it would be in my belly every day. And anyone who reads this blog knows, I put garlic in every dinner.

Unfortunately, this style of cuisine is one of Brandon's least favorite. With the exception of gyros, he could go the rest of his life without ever eating anything from the Mediterranean again. So once in a great while I sneak in something lemony, garbanzo-y, garlicky, and as close to Lebanese as I can get! Tonight's dinner was a triumph though, if you ask me, because I think it may have turned Brandon around. Both of us went crazy over how good it was - nothing was processed, the meat was local, and the hummus turned out beautiful. With the exception of the fry bread "pitas", I'd say it was pretty healthy too! One warning though - this is a very labor-intensive meal, so it's probably best made on a Saturday or Sunday with ingredients purchased in advance.  If you love good homemade food, this is completely worth the effort.


1 lb elk, lamb, beef, or chicken
Cumin, Cayenne, S/P, and/or "Greek seasoning" blend

Hummus:
1 1/2 c dry garbanzo beans
1 bunch parsley, divided
Tons of garlic, divided
1/4 c Tahini past
Olive oil
2 lemons
Salt & Cumin

1 red onion, sliced, divided
1 cucumber
2 Roma tomatoes
Feta cheese

Plain Greek-style yogurt

Fry Bread Pitas:
4 c flour
1 1/2 t salt
3 t baking powder
3 T sugar
2 T shortening or cold butter
1 1/4 c cold milk

24-48 hours in advance: Soak dried, sorted garbanzo beans in hot water - maintain temp between 120-140 degrees by rinsing a few times a day - this makes beans MUCH easier to digest (it really works).

Day of - morning:  Take whatever meat you're using from the fridge, season, and throw it in the slow cooker along with some of the garlic & red onion.  Set the timer to finish cooking an hour or two prior to mealtime.

Late afternoon:  Start beans on stove - bring to low boil, then immediately turn down to simmer and leave covered. Simmer for an hour or two.  If water evaporates, add more hot water.  Take a bite at about the one hour mark to test and make sure they're fully cooked - since you're just making hummus, it's ok if they get a little overcooked.  Remove from heat as soon as they're done and allow to cool.  Try not to eat all the beans testing them.

While beans are simmering, make the "fry bread pitas" - blend all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  Take about 2 cups of it (no need to be exact) and toss it in a food processor.  To the food processor, add your shortening or butter, and pulse til it forms pea-sized bits.  Work quickly, as you don't want the butter or shortening to warm up.  Transfer to the bowl, blend with the remaining dry ingredients (use a couple knives if you wish, old-school home ec style).  Add the cold milk a little bit at a time, stirring between each pour, til fully blended.  Dig in with your clean hands to mix, and form a ball.  Cover with plastic wrap, and stick it in the fridge for at least a half hour.

Now chop your veggies into bite-sized pieces, and set aside in the fridge for later.  Act like your own sous chef.

At this point, strain and rinse your beans in cool water.  Add them to the food processor, and whirl away to the consistency of, well, hummus.  You may need to process in batches.  Add the garlic (pre-minced is best, and add as much as you like - the more the better), tahini, salt & cumin, the juice of two lemons (more or lest to taste), and about half the parsley.  Blend thoroughly, leave the food processor running, and drizzle some olive oil into the mix.  I'd estimate you'd add about 1/4-1/2 c of olive oil, but you be the judge - you want the olive oil and lemon to thin down the consistency a bit so just eyeball it.
After all batches have been processed and transferred to the bowl, mix it all together with a big spoon and give it another taste test.  Need more lemon?  Squeeze 'er in now & blend.  More salt?  Now's the time to throw it in.  Hummus does require a larger-than-expected amount of both cumin and salt, fyi.

Ok, you ready to give up yet?  Told you this was labor-intensive!

Set aside the hummus, grab the fry bread pita dough from the fridge, and heat up some oil in a skillet to about medium/medium-high.  About a half inch or so of good quality veg oil works best.   Roll out palm-sized balls of dough to about 6-8 inches diameter.  Fry each one til golden, then place on paper towels to drain.  Buying pita bread at the store is much easier, but doing it this way is WAY MORE FUN. Amirite?

By this time, you should have meat that is done, hummus made, veggies & cheese ready, and some fry bread pitas hot & ready to eat.  Remove the meat from the slow cooker and set on a plate; slice it up for serving on top of the fry bread pitas with a dollop of your homemade hummus, veggies, feta, parsley, yogurt, and a squeeze of lemon if you're funky.  It's a big process, but trust me when I say that the flavor is so much better than buying all the pre-made parts from the store.  Plus, you know exactly what you're NOT getting - no preservatives, no excess sodium & fat, no processed junk.

I only wish I had some good pictures to share!!