Citrus Spice Stir Fry

Sauce:
1 tsp rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder*
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional**)
1 cup orange juice
6 Tbsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce to taste***)

In a small bowl mix the vinegar, garlic, five-spice powder, and red pepper flakes with a fork. Stirring continuously with the fork, pour in the orange juice, then add the coconut aminos.

Stir Fry:
Assortment of veggies of your choice (broccoli, pea pods, onions, mushrooms, carrots, etc.)

Heat up a skillet or wok with a little oil (I use coconut), then add a pound of diced chicken and cook, splashing with a little of the sauce to keep it moist. Remove the chicken and set aside, then add chopped veggies to the skillet along with the rest of the sauce and cook until finished. Add the chicken back in and heat. Serve on top of rice.

* Chinese five-spice powder has a distinct clove flavor, so use less if you think your kids might not be into it!

** The only thing that makes this spicy is the red pepper flakes. The Chinese five-spice power is not "hot" spicy - it's more of a clove/cinnamon spice flavor.

*** Using coconut aminos makes this Whole 30 or paleo approved, but if you don't have any on hand (and don't care about that) you could probably use soy sauce. Soy sauce is more salty than coconut aminos, so I would add a little at a time until you reach the flavor you want - it might not take as much.

Serves 4-6 depending on how many veggies you use.

Buffalo Chicken Chili

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp butter (or ghee)

2 lbs ground chicken (or ground turkey)

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

2 red, orange, or yellow peppers, seeded and chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 ribs of celery, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp paprika

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

4 cups chicken stock

1/4 to 1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce (or other hot sauce)

1 15oz can tomato sauce

1 15oz can crushed tomatoes

Place a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter is melted, add the ground chicken and brown it, about 5-10 minutes. Add the carrots, peppers, onion, celery, garlic, paprika, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. (If the pot seems too full you can remove the chicken and cook the veggies  alone for a few minutes, then add the chicken back in.) Add the chicken stock, hot sauce, tomato sauce, and crushed tomatoes. Bring to a bubble, then simmer for 10 more minutes.

* To make this paleo or Whole 30 approved, use ghee instead of butter and use Frank's Red Hot brand hot sauce.

Serves 6.

{Adapted from Rachel Ray}

French Dip

Serves 6-8

4 cups beef broth
1 onion, sliced
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cracked pepper
3# beef roast
8 French rolls
8 provolone cheese slices
Butter

In a slow cooker, combine broth, onion, and seasonings. Add roast, cover, and cook on low all day (or on high for 4-5 hours). Remove roast from cooking liquids and slice or shred.

Butter rolls on both halves. Put meat on one half and top with cheese. Place sandwiches open-face on a baking sheet and pop in a hot oven (350-400, it doesn't really matter) for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and the roll is slightly toasty, maybe 5 minutes.

Close sandwiches and cut on the diagonal. Serve with the cooking liquid on the side for dipping.

Lightened-up Whipped Cream

A lighter, higher protein whipped cream. The flavor is similar to cheesecake. From Skinnytaste.


1 C chilled heavy whipping cream
1/4 C sugar (or to taste)
1 tsp vanilla
1 C plain, non-fat Greek yogurt

Whip the cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff. Fold in yogurt. Enjoy the delicious.

Paleo Mayonnaise

1 egg

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup plus 1 cup light olive oil *

Leave all ingredients on the counter for four hours to bring them to room temperature. This is essential to having this mayo turn out at the right consistency.

Place the egg and lemon juice in a food processor. Add the dry mustard, salt, and 1/4 cup of the oil. Whirl until well mixed, about 20-30 seconds.

Very slowly incorporate the remaining 1 cup of oil into the mixture. Do the skinniest drizzle you can possibly manage. This should take about three full minutes. If your food processor has a drizzle hole then use that! Seriously, go slow - this is key. Then you are done!

* You can also use avocado oil, but DO NOT use extra virgin or regular olive oil - the taste will be too strong.

{From Well Fed}

Cucumber Sandwich Spread

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup grated onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup grated cucumber
1-2 Tbsp mayonnaise *
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Serve on cucumber slices or on sandwiches.

* This recipe can be made gluten free or paleo if using gluten free mayo or homemade mayo

Corn Pudding

1 egg
1 14 oz can whole kernel corn, drained
1 14 oz can cream style corn
Handful of Saltine crackers
Milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Crush Saltines into a bowl. Add enough milk to soften. Add egg, corn, and seasoning. Pour into a greased Pyrex dish. Bake at 350 for 1 hour until set.

Tips:

To tell if it's done, jiggle the dish. It should look stable around the edges and move just a little in the middle.

The top part of the baked corn is the best, so use a wider, shallower dish for baking so there is more good stuff to go around.

Bran Muffins

3 cups All-Bran cereal
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400. In large mixing bowl combine cereal and boiling water. Stir in oil and eggs. Add remaining ingredients until well mixed. Spoon batter into desired number of greased muffin cups, filling 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
(Baking time is for 12 muffins)

Batter can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 6-8 weeks.
Makes 2 1/2 dozen muffins.

Slow-Cooker Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
2 packages sliced fresh mushrooms
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 cup fish sauce *see note
1/4 cup red curry paste
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed
3 cups chicken broth
2 cans (14 oz each) coconut milk
2 red bell peppers, sliced, then slices cut in half lengthwise
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
Sriracha to taste

1. In slow cooker add carrots, mushrooms, onion, sweet potato, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, and curry paste. Place chicken over vegetables in slow cooker. Pour broth over chicken. Cover and cook on low heat for 5 hours.

2. Stir in coconut milk, peppers, and basil. Cover and cook an additional 30-60 minutes.

Add Sriracha to taste to each bowl depending on spice preference.

Alternate: Add whole chicken pieces to crock pot (don't cube). At the beginning of step 2, remove chicken and shred or chop, then add back to crock pot before proceeding.

* Substitute fish sauce with 4 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 Tbsp dry sherry.

{Adapted from Betty Crocker}

Buffalo Ranch Chicken Stuffed Peppers

1 lb. chicken breasts

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 tsp each: dried parsley, dried dill, dried chives, garlic powder, onion powder

salt & pepper to taste

4 red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, tops cut off and seeds cleaned out

1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce* (or hot sauce of choice)

1/4 cup butter or ghee*

* indicates paleo or Whole 30 approved option

1. Preheat over to 350.

2. Mix together dried spices. Place chicken and chopped onions in a single layer on a greased or lined baking pan. Sprinkle spice mixture over everything. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from oven and (once cool enough to handle) cut into 1/4"-1/2" pieces. Place cooked chicken and onions in a large bowl. Make ahead tip: At this point you can put the bowl of chicken and onions in the fridge overnight and continue with the remaining steps the following day.

3. In a small saucepan melt the butter or ghee. Add the hot sauce and stir to combine. Add sauce mixture to the chicken and stir well.

4. Spoon chicken mixture evenly into all four peppers. Place filled peppers in a baking pan (make sure it has sides because juices will run). Bake for 35-40 minutes or until peppers are softened.

5. Optional: Serve with guacamole on top (highly recommended) and a side of roasted sweet or regular potatoes! These are surprisingly filling.

Do steps 1 and 2 the night before to save time at dinnertime. These make great leftovers as well. I like to make a batch of them and bring them to work for lunches during the week. Reheat in the oven or in the microwave. They are a little spicy so not sure what kids would think, but maybe you could find a mild sauce that still has the flavor? They are my favorite thing to eat these days!

{From Primally Inspired}

Turkey Barley Mushroom Soup

from Williams-Sonoma

Serves 6-8

1 lb mushrooms
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 leeks, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup pearled barley
3 cloves minced garlic
2 turkey thighs (skin removed)
8 cups chicken broth
2 tsp soy sauce

Warm oil in a 6 quart stock pot over medium-high heat. Add leeks and saute until softened -- 5-7 minutes. Add mushrooms, carrots, barley and garlic. Saute 1 minute more. Add turkey and stock, reduce heat to low and simmer 1.5 hours. Remove turkey, cut meat off the bones, cut into bite-sized pieces, return meat to pot. Stir in soy sauce and season soup to taste with salt, pepper and parsley.

Make up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate or freeze up to 2 months.

THIS IS THE TURKEY BARLEY MUSHROOM SOUP RECIPE MOM PREFERS.

Creamy Porcini Barley Soup

This grown-up version of creamy mushroom soup from Eating Well is rich with earthy porcini and white mushrooms and tender, nutty grains of barley. Stir in just a bit of reduced-fat sour cream at the end-hold the heavy cream.

ACTIVE TIME: 50 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 1 1/4 hours

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

Makes 4 servings, about 1 3/4 cups each. (These are very large servings.)

Ingredients

1/2 cup pearl barley

4-1/2 cups mushroom broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided

1 oz dried porcini mushrooms

2 cups boiling water

2 tsp butter

1 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup minced shallots (about 4 medium)

8 cups sliced white mushrooms (about 20 oz) [1/2 pound (225g) fresh sliced mushrooms = 2 cups fresh sliced = 1 cup cooked]

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1 T minced fresh sage or 1 tsp dried

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 T all-purpose flour

1 cup dry-to-medium sherry [Christian Brothers California Golden Sherry, which is medium-sweet] 

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/4 cup minced fresh chives

Instructions

1. Combine barley and 1 1/2 cups broth in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat; cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until the barley is tender, 30 to 35 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine porcinis and boiling water in a medium bowl and let soak until the mushrooms are soft, about 20 minutes. Line a sieve with paper towels, set it over a bowl and pour mushrooms and soaking liquid through it. Reserve the soaking liquid. Transfer the mushrooms to a cutting board and finely chop.

3. Heat butter and oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add white mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they have released their juices and started to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the porcinis, celery, sage, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, until the flour is incorporated, about 1 minute. Add sherry and cook, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, until most of the sherry has evaporated, about 1 minute.

4. Add the soaking liquid and the remaining 3 cups broth, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the celery is tender and the soup has thickened, 18 to 22 minutes.

5. Add the cooked barley and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream until incorporated. Garnish with chives.

Notes

Tip: Prepare soup through Step 4. Cover and refrigerate the soup and cooked barley separately for up to 3 days. To serve, combine (Step 5) and reheat.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 288 calories; 10 g fat (5 g sat, 4 g mono); 22 mg cholesterol; 28 g carbohydrate; 12 g protein; 3 g fiber; 498 mg sodium; 894 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Potassium (26% daily value), Selenium (23% dv), Vitamin A (20% dv), Iron (15% dv).

2 Carbohydrate Servings

Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 vegetable, 2 fat

Sherried Beef

Stew Meat (2-3 lbs)
Onion Soup Mix (1 envelope)
Cream of Mushroom Soup (1 can)
Creme Sherry (1/2 cup)

Mix all ingredients in a crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours or high for 6 hours. Serve over cooked pasta of your choice.

Alternate: Cover and bake at 275 F for 4-5 hours.

Fajita Rice

2 cups cooked brown rice (yield from approx. 3/4 cup dry)
1 onion, chopped and sauteed until tender
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb cooked chicken, pork, or steak, diced
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
3 Tbs cilantro, chopped
1 Tbs lime juice
2/3 cup shredded jack cheese

Mix everything together and put in a greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 F for 25-30 min, until hot. This makes a great filling for tacos, stuffed peppers, or tomatoes. Garnish with sour cream, hot sauce, salsa, or whatever strikes your fancy.

Hilary's Potatoes

2 lbs potatoes
1 packet onion soup mix
1/2 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 450. Cut potatoes into 1" cubes. Mix with olive oil and onion soup mix. Dump into a 9x13 pan. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.

Carolina Slaw

1/2 head of cabbage, shredded

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, grated

Dressing:

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp celery seed

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup cider vinegar

Combine coleslaw vegetable ingredients: cabbage, pepper, onion, and carrots in a large serving bowl.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Simmer, stirring, until sugar is dissolved; pour over vegetables and toss well. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

10 servings. Delicious with pulled pork!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced

4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 cup chicken stock or broth

1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon salt, plus more as needed

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

5 pounds boneless pork shoulder or butt

Place the onions and garlic in an even layer in the slow cooker and pour in the stock or broth. Combine the sugar, chili powder, measured salt, cumin, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork and place the meat on top of the onions and garlic. Cover and cook until the pork is fork tender, about 6 to 8 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.

Turn off the slow cooker and remove the pork to a cutting board. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the onion mixture from the slow cooker through the strainer and return the solids to the slow cooker. Set the strained liquid aside.

Using 2 forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker. Use a spoon to skim and discard the fat from the surface of the strained cooking liquid, and then add 1/4 cup of the liquid at a time to the slow cooker until the pork is just moistened. Taste and season with salt as needed. Top with barbecue sauce and cole slaw. Serve on buns if desired.

12+ servings

From Chow.com