Sweet Mustard Dressing

This dressing was from Well Fed cookbook which Jesse, my kid,  shared the digital version. I have to laugh because I did not follow the recipe at all! Instead of 1/4 cup homemade olive oil mayonnaise, I used olive oil. Instead of the dry mustard, I used two kinds of refrigerated mustard and instead of applesauce I substituted honey. So I guess you could say this is really my original recipe! It is yum!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (I use Newman's Own Organic)
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 2 teaspoons raw honey
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon regular mustard (taste may want to add more)
• 1 teaspoon merfs curry honey mustard (purchased at Savory because they sent me a $10 coupon)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine honey and mustards and beat till smooth. Add vinegar stirring well. In a slow steady stream incorporate the olive oil till emulsifies. Add garlic, salt and pepper.

Refrigerate the unused portion. Makes enough for 4 portions.

Paleo Margaritas

Thank you to our friend's Terry and Larry Longseth for turning us on to this amazing, easy, delicious margarita! And thank you Danielle from her blog AgainstAllGrain.com for the recipe. I know what we will be drinking on the patio this summer! One ounce = 2 tablespoons  8 limes = 1 cup lime juice

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces blanco tequila (100% agave)
• 1 ounce fresh squeeze lime juice (one lime equals about 2 drinks)
• 1 ounce honey syrup

Honey Syrup:

Equal parts raw clover honey dissolved in hot 110 degrees (not boiling water). You can make 8-16 ounces and store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to one month.

Directions:

Combine all 3 ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour over fresh ice. Garnish with slice of fresh lime. Salute!

Printed

Zucchini and Onion

I have been trying to add more vegetables into our lives. Rob is fairly limited on those that he likes; zucchini being one of his least favorite. This recipe I put together after searching for a new zucchini recipe. Squeezing the moisture out of the shredded zucchini in a towel, seemed to make a difference in the texture of the zucchini not being so mushy and the red onion added some crunch.

Ingredients:

• 4 small green zucchini, shredded
• 1/2 large red onion, chopped
• ghee
• pesto, homemade or not
• feta cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash and remove ends from the zucchini. Grate the zucchini with the large holes of a hand grater.

Place the shredded zucchini in a cotton towel and wring out the moisture several times.

In a large skillet heat 1 teaspoon ghee or unsalted butter. Add the red onion and saute till softened. Add the zucchini and cook until just tender. Remove from the heat.

Add pesto sauce, feta, salt and pepper to taste.

Great side dish with just about anything! 

The dish certainly can be tailored to your tastes: fresh garlic, parmesan cheese, mushrooms etc.

Teriyaki Thighs

This recipe is from kiwiandbean.com from Pinterest. I renamed the dish from One Skillet Sweet 'n Salty Chicken Thighs. I added a rub to the thighs and instead of searing in a skillet; I grilled (or rather Rob grilled!) the thighs for 3-4 minutes on each side to sear in the juices. From there I did follow the original directions. Or of course you can pan fry in a little olive oil...Thighs really retain their moisture and this dish is a keeper!

Ingredients for Dry Rub:

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 2 teaspoons smoky paprika
• 6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Directions for Dry Rub and Grilling:

Combine the Dry Rub ingredients.

Brush both sides of the thighs lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle the rub generously on both sides of the chicken thighs.

Preheat your grill to 400-degrees.

Grill the chicken thighs for 3-4 minutes on each sides.

Remove and place in a large skillet.

Ingredients for Teriyaki Sauce:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tamari
• 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions for finishing the thighs:

Combine the Teriyaki Sauce ingredients and pour over the thighs that have been seared on the grill. Bring to a boil.

Turn down the heat slightly and let the mixture lightly boil to reduce. Flip the thighs every minute or so; to ensure they are completely coated in the glaze.

Remove from the heat when the thighs are cooked through and the sauce becomes thick and syrupy.

Note to self: 

If freezing serving here is an excellent accompaniment.

Stir Fry with Rice Noodles (blog: 8-20-2020 label: rice)

Spinach and Cheese Egg Bake

This is so easy and so good! I changed up the original recipe from kalynskitchen.com to suit what I had in the refrigerator. The recipe called for 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions, which I did not have on hand. So I substituted two slices of cooked bacon, crumbled on top. She also used mozzarella cheese and I used cheddar goat cheese. I love recipes that you can tailor to your own or not... This is good both warm or cold and I am sure would have Freezer Queen stamp of approval. If you do freeze; I would unthaw completely in the refrigerator and to heat up; do so in the oven, not the microwave.

Ingredients:

• 5 ounces fresh spinach, cut-up
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1- 1 1/2 cups cheese of choice, shredded
• 2 slices nitrate-free bacon, cook till crisp and crumbled
• 4 eggs, beaten
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Grease a small baking pan. Mine was 10x7-inch.

Heat the oil in large skillet over medium-high heat and add the spinach all at once and stir until just wilted, about 1 minute.

Transfer the spinach to the baking pan, spreading evenly over the bottom. Layer cheese and bacon on top.

Pour the eggs over the spinach/cheese combination and salt and pepper to taste.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until mixture is completely set and starting to lightly brown. 

Allow to cool 5 minutes before cutting.

If you do reheat; do so in the oven, rather than the microwave.

Roasted Rosemary Cashews

Ok, you had better hide these from me. They are so good and so worth the time! The original recipe called for skin-on whole raw almonds, but I had a bag of raw cashew pieces and I thought, why not!
I used a non-stick skillet and raised the heat just a tad from the original recipe found on nomnompaleo.com

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw cashews
• 1-2 tablespoons dried cracked rosemary (found a Savory)
• 1-2 teaspoons coarse salt (I use Celtic)
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter or ghee (I use Organic Valley Ghee)

Directions:

Melt the ghee in a non-stick skillet over medium-heat. When ghee starts to bubble, add the cashews and stir to coat.

Add the rosemary, salt and pepper.

Toast in the skillet, stirring often, until golden brown. You may have to adjust your cooktop to a lower heat to prevent burning.

Remove cashews and place on paper towel until cooled to room temperature.

Store in a sealed container and hide in a safe place!

Thinking of trying with slivered almonds. Could be yummy!

Asparagus Soup

Vitamin Cottage had frozen asparagus on sale, Organic Cascadian Farms. You may also make this with fresh asparagus, just will require a little more prep. I tweaked the recipe from Emeril Lagasse to suit my tastes and the use of the frozen asparagus. Asparagus is rich in B6, calcium, magnesium and zinc. Plus it is delicious.
Ingredients:

• 3-9 ounce packages frozen asparagus, defrosted over night in the refrigerator
• 1 cup shallots, chopped
• 2 cups leeks, white parts, chopped
• 3 tablespoons garlic, chopped
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 cups chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 ounces herb and garlic Chevre, crumbled and dissolved in 1/2 cup boiling water (or cream!)

Directions:

In a stockpot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. When foamy add the shallots and leeks and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minutes. Add the asparagus, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and simmer until asparagus is very tender, about 20 minutes. Cool about 10 minutes.

With a hand-immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Adjust the seasonings and incorporated the dissolved goat cheese.