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.