Soup is on!

Now that fall is here (I can’t believe it either!), with the cooler weather means soup season is here!  From a comfort food standpoint, I love this season!  I am a big soup fan personally, and I especially love this one because its easy, it utilizes my handy dandy crock pot and it freezes well.  This makes a huge batch for just one person, so I divvy it up and keep it for those rainy days, when I don’t want/have time to cook or its rainy and I want some soup!

1lb ground beef
1lb ground pork
1 medium sliced red onion
2 cups of sliced carrots
2 cups of fresh green beans
2 cups of chopped celery
1 can of diced stewed tomatoes
1 box of chicken broth
2 tsp of Italian seasonings
2 (or more!) cloves of garlic minced. 
Fat of choice – Butter, Olive, Coconut, or palm oils
Salt and pepper to taste

There are two ways you can role with this recipe depending on time.  Method one is the fastest and works well for the most part.  Method one is coat bottom of crock pot with fat of choice.  Add remaining ingredients (except tomatoes), cover and cook.  Low if you are going to be gone all day, high if you are going to go shower and come back. If you are going to be gone all day I would recommend mixing up the pot contents so your beans don’t turn brown and shrivel.  Add tomatoes just before you are ready to serve.   
Method number two is for those that enjoy the cooking process a bit more.  I also find it comes out a big more flavorful when done slowly.   Its still super fast, but you get to ‘play’ with your food a bit more.  In large pan heat up fat of choice and add onions.  Cook until onions start to go clear and add pork and beef.  Cook until meat is fully browned.  In crock pot mix meat and onion mix, with all other ingredients except the tomatoes.  Cook until veggies are desired texture.  Just before serving add tomatoes and let simmer for just a few minutes. Then enjoy!


*try Italian pork for a little jazz
*my soup pictures do not include the can of tomatoes - they hurt my belly
*why wait to add them?  They are already cooked so they don't need to simmer. 
* if serving immediately I would add some fresh squash, like zucchini, or maybe even some yams.  I didn’t add them in this recipe because I freeze it and they get too soft and over cook.
*feel free to use frozen veggies too, if you have access to fresh I say why not
* I liked to use the foofoo tomatoes like ‘in olive oil and basil’ or garlic  

"I'm strong to the finich Cause I eats me spinach."

Don't tell my mom I am finally eating spinach!  I put up a good fight back in the day, professing that I will NEVER like spinach.  When given the choice of "eat it or wear it!" I always chose to wear it, however was never held up on my parents end.  Now this time I wore and ate, mostly because my chopsticks efficiency is lacking.  Why I thought chopsticks were a good idea, I may never know. 

This recipe is for roughly two to three servings.  It seem like a lot at first but it really cooks down. 

1lb of shrimp (cooked or raw--how much work do you want to do?)
1 bunch of spinach
4 cloves (or more if you are me) of garlic chopped
1Tablespoon Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

If shrimp is not cooked, boil water and add shrimp, cook until shrimp is white and red.  This will not take long, and over cooking leads to chewy shrimp.  Heat olive oil in pan and garlic, cook until garlic is lightly browning. Add shrimp.  If you bought pre-cooked frozen shrimp make sure it is thawed and excess water is drained. Quickly coat shrimp in oil and garlic, then start adding spinach.  Add small amounts and let the spinach wilt before adding more.  Remove from heat, find left over chop sticks and enjoy! 

Take me to your leader

*for those that like a little spice, add some crushed red pepper flakes for a little zing!
*instead of cooking the spinach you could add them to a spinach salad
*instead of spinach you could top your leafy green of choice, hell even broccoli would be good rolled around in olive oil and garlic!
*instead of spinach you could have some spaghetti squash cooked up and ready to throw in
*this recipe is fast and easy, just like ol' Fluffy back on the farm
*I often make inside/family jokes, don't stress about understanding them
*"Toot! Toot!"

Pan-Seared Scallops with Bacon and Spinach

While scallops may not (or maybe they are!) be part of your 'normal' dinner lineups, here is a nice and easy way to treat yourself with a delicious delicacy.   

3 Thick and meaty slices of bacon
1 1/2 Pounds scallops
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 Tsp kosher salt
1/4 Tsp fresh ground pepper, divided
1 C chopped onion
6 Cloves sliced garlic
12 oz fresh baby spinach
4 wedges of lemon

1.  Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp (cast iron if you have it).  Then remove bacon from pan saving about 1 TBSP of the drippings.  Chop the bacon coarsely and set aside. Increase heat.

2.  Gently dry scallops with a paper towel.  Then evenly sprinkle the scallops with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 pepper.  Place scallops into screaming hot pan with drippings.  Cook for about 1 1/2 min each side or until done.  Remove from pan and keep in warm place. 

3.  Reduce the heat to medium-high and add onion and garlic to the pan.  Sauté about 3 min,  stirring frequently. 

4.  Add half the spinach, stirring frequently for a minute.  While continuing to stir add remaining spinach and cook until wilted (about 2 min). 

5.  Remove from heat and add remaining pepper and Kosher salt.  Divide spinach on to plates, and top with the crumbled bacon and scallops, garnish with lemon.  Enjoy immediately!

Battered Fish

As I search for reciepes I often find one I like, then another, parts of another. Then I go to the grocery store with a list of one or some of these reciepes, but somehow I still only make it home with missing parts of the reciepe.  In this case it turned out pretty good, another common bonus of my recipes its fast and easy!

Ingredients:
2 Cod Fillets
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Almond Flour
2 Tsp Italian Seasoning
1 Tsp Lemon Pepper
1 Lemon Sliced
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Table Spoons Oil of choice

We are going to create an assembly line of deliciousness. 
Station one:  Cod Fillets
Station two:  A bowl of the egg, whipped. 
Station three:  A plate of the mixtures of the almond flour, Italian seasoning, lemon pepper, salt and pepper (its easier to mix first in bowl).
Station four:  Heated frying pan of oil
Here's how it works.  You take the fish, dunk it in the egg mixture and coat it well.  Then place on station three plate.  Press lightly so that the mix sticks.  Flip and press again, covering both sides well.  Then quickly move to hot frying pan and cook!  About 4 minutes on each side, fish will flake when done.  Slice up the lemon and squeeze on fish just before enjoying! Then enjoy! 

Egg Salad Lettuce Wraps

As a busy person if I don't have food made and ready to go the instant I am hungry, my likelihood of eating something I shouldn't greatly increases.  Since it is just me to cook for I like to make a lot, and live off of it for the next week.  However I have to have a couple dishes ready so I don't get burnt out so quickly.  Also if you have a cooler or a work fridge this travels really well and doesn't take up a lot of room or need a lot of "re-fixing."
In case you haven't noticed when it comes to cooking, I don't like to "follow" the rules, they're more like guidelines anyway.  I have made this dish many times, some weeks I like it crunchy, sometimes a bit spicy, or sweet.  Sometimes I can't remember where the capers are in the grocery store.  This is why I don't always put up exact measurements.  Nor do I put in all the ingredients I have listed.  This is your food, make it the way you like it.  Burger King got it right when they said "have it your way."

Egg Salad: 
12-18 hard boiled eggs (4-6 servings)
4-6 Stalks of chopped celery
1/4C-1/2C Mayo
1 1/2 tsp Dill
1 tsp Sweet and dill relish
Lemon Juice
Apple Cider Vinegar
Salt and Pepper
1/4-1/2 of small purple onion*
Chives*
Capers*
Tuna*

Wrap:
Romain Leaves
Iceberg lettuce*
Celery Stalks*
Spinach*
Red, Yellow, Orange peppers*


Chop or dice hard boiled eggs and place in a large mixing bowl.  Add your desired amounts of the rest of the ingredients, except the lettuce.  Mix together.  Wash and separate romaine leaves and pat dry.  Spoon egg salad into center, roll up or taco up and munch away!

*Are ingredients I didn't use, but could!  Use tuna for a little extra protein or eliminate the eggs and just use tuna.  Instead of romaine use iceberg or spinach, instead of whole leaves use tossed greens, hollowed out peppers (my fav!), leave the celery out and use the celery stalks as your spoon (shovel :) )! There are endless options here people!  Try it out and tell me whats your favorite combo!

**Remember to check your labels on the relishes, capers, and tuna.

"Jolk" Thai pork soup

I know its almost summer, but I am not sure the weather knows yet.  With this cool rainy weather, its nice to curl up with a nice warm bowl of soup. Ahh comfort food.  This recipe was given to me by Maggie, thanks!  I love it for three reasons: its delicious, its fast and easy, and I don't have to measure! I guess that's technically 4 but who's counting!  Spoons up!

1 pound ground pork
1 bunch cilantro chopped
1 container sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 cup chicken stock (or 1 can)
1 quart cold water
1 pepper chili or jalapeño sliced
1 bunch green onions sliced and with some greens
grated ginger to taste
vinegar to taste

In large pot mix cold water, fish sauce, cilantro, mushrooms, chicken stock and ground pork.  Turn on the heat until pork is cooked and.  As it heats the pork will break apart, but stir some to break up large chunks.  That's it!  When dishing up your helping, add peppers, onions, ginger, vinegar and more fish sauce to your tasting.  I love the warm zing of the cilantro and vinegar. Yummy!

*remember to use quality ingredients and check labels
*this will make about 3-5 servings
*originally this called for rice instead of mushrooms

Seared Salmon with Jalapeno Ponzu

If you're like me you have all the free time in the world to research recipes, grocery shop, prepare extravagant meals with and exotic pallet! HA! Yeah right!  We all know there is often not enough time to the day to get everything done.  This is why I like fast, easy, and delicious recipes!  If I have to read or repeat the recipe more than twice to get it right, its not worth doing a third time!

I did not with this recipe, (I don't even know how to say ponzu!) I do try to find ways to make them my own.  Probably because when it comes to cooking I have hard time following directions! I'm just crazy like that!  If you have an an idea how to improve or diversify the recipe let me know.  I'll give the basic recipe and maybe my two cents at the end on how to try the recipe with a spin!

This first recipe I chose for a few reasons:
1. The picture looked really good 
2.  It was really easy to make and...
3.  I am not the biggest fish fan (especially salmon) mostly because I don't know how to prepare it if its not battered and fried! Here was my chance to breakout of the burger box. 

Seared Salmon with Jalapeno Ponzu

1/4 C fish sauce* (originally soy)
2 TBSP fresh orange juice
2 TBSP Mirin** (sweet rice wine)
1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1 TBSP sesame oil
4 (6oz) salmon fillets
1 Large jalapeno, thinly cut crosswise into rings

1.  Mix together first 4 ingredients in a small bowl and mix them together well.

2.  Heat oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat.  Place salon skin side down and cook for 4 min.  Flip and cook another 4 min or until fish flakes easily with a  fork. 

3.  Place salmon fillet on plate and top with a few jalapeno slices and about 2 TBSP sauce, let stand about 10 min before eating to let sauce set in.  Enjoy!

You can find most of the ingredients at your local grocery store.  Town and Country, Albertsons, and Rosauers all had everything needed.  The next time I try this I am going to try it as a marinade on some pork.  I think it would a bit much to soak the salmon.  I'll let you know how it goes. Serve with a side of steamed vegetables like broccoli or asparagus. 

*Instead of fish sauce there are gluten free soy sauces
**Mirin is made from rice which is technically not "Paleo" but is gluten free.  My thoughts on substituting would be to try apple cider vinegar (probably 1/2 to 3/4 the suggest mirin amount) and a teaspoon of honey to sweeten it up.  Make sure to get your honey warm and  you will need to stir well.  Add small amounts until you find a combo that you like.
Also I recommend not sampling a spoonful of the mirin alone, unless you are out of ipecac.