Creamed spinach

Several months ago I came across this recipe and it sounded (and looked) amazing and thought "I must try this!"
Fast forward to several months later and fat free is not in my vocabulary with the whole primal lifestyle I am leading, so I tweaked it a little to make it more primal-friendly.  This definitely isn't something you want to eat every day, but it was sooo delicious and was a great addition to meals throughout the week.  Would definitely make it again, but perhaps try the shallots (I only had red onion on hand so that's what I used).  My recipe is below.

Also, this does not make 6.5 cups as the original recipe states, and it doesn't serve 8 like the original recipe states.  I think my calculations ended up being 5 cups or so.

"Fattened up" creamed spinach:

•  1T butter
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 1t minced garlic
• 1T flour
• 1.5C heavy cream
• 2T parmesan cheese
• 1/4t ground nutmeg
• 1/4t black pepper
• Salt, to taste
• 4 oz. Boursin herbed cheese (I used the garlic & herb flavor)
• 16 oz frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained

In a large saute pan, melt butter. Add onionsand garlic and cook on medium about 5 minutes. Add flour to onions, mix well and cook one more minute. Reduce heat to low and slowly add cream, whisking well. Add parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper and mix well. Add Boursin and mix with until smooth. Add spinach and combine well with sauce, cook one minute, until heated through. Adjust salt and pepper if necessary.

Pork chop sandwich

I know, I know.  I have an absence to explain, photos to upload, recipes to post.  I've been lazy!  But, when something comes along that warrants posting, you will find it here.

Today's creation?  The pork chop sandwich.

Preheat your oven (or if you have it, your toaster oven) to 350 degrees.

Take 2 thin (1/4"-1/2" or so) boneless pork chops and season them on each side with a little salt, extra virgin olive oil, and whatever seasonings you'd like (I used a Greek seasoning).  Then, take some spinach (sauteed in some EVOO so it's wilted a bit), a few marinated artichoke hearts (chopped/sliced) and a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese and place on one of the chops.  Put the other chop on top and then gently put in a pan (preheated to medium with a drizzle of EVOO in it) and brown for a couple of minutes on each side.  (I used a large spatula and some tongs to turn it, for fear that it would fall apart when I flipped, which thankfully it did not).

After it's browned, place in a small baking dish, drizzle the top with a little more olive oil (loosely tent with foil) and put it in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes uncovered (or until the chop is cooked thoroughly).

This one came out great.  Not overcooked at all (which is a common mishap of mine when doing pork chops), and while I would have LOVED to put goat cheese in here, well the Laughing Cow was all I had on hand.  The artichoke hearts I used were jarred, and marinated, so got a little extra flavor there too.

Brussels Sprouts salad

So, now that I'm embarking on my 30-day "paleo/primal-ish" challenge, that means lots of new recipes and lots of cooking.

I found this recipe over at Pinch My Salt and after making a couple of changes to it, it's almost 100% paleo!  I didn't have walnuts on hand so I used chopped pecans, as well as substitute coconut oil for the brown sugar and okay, I did use a packet of Truvia just to add a little bit of sweetness to it.  This was the second time I've cooked with Brussels sprouts and I just had a bite to check it, but I have to admit, it was pretty good!

Brussels Sprouts salad (adapted from Pinch My Salt)

•  2TB apple cider vinegar
• 1 packet Truvia (optional)
• 1TB coconut oil
• 1TB EVOO
• 4 slices thick cut bacon
• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed, outer leaves peeled and shredded/sliced
• 1/2C chopped pecans
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, mix vinegar, sweetener, coconut oil and olive oil together and set aside.

In a large skillet cook the bacon, and when finished, place on a paper towel to drain the excess grease and crumble into pieces.  Reserve 1-2TB of the bacon drippings and add Brussels sprouts and cook for 3-5 minutes over medium high heat or until tender.  Remove from heat and add the bacon, pecans and dressing and stir for a minute until combined.  Season with salt and pepper.

Sweet potato hash

Thanks again, to Pinch My Salt, for another great recipe! 

Sweet Potato Hash (Adapted from Pinch My Salt):

• 1TB coconut oil
• 1TB butter
• 3-4 cups of peeled, diced sweet potatoes (1/4-1/2" is good, the larger they are, the longer they will take to cook)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2t ground cumin
• 1/2t paprika
• Dash of crushed red pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
• Fresh or dried parsley (optional)

In a large skillet, heat oil and butter until melted.  Add the onions and potatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes).  Stir in the cumin, paprika and red pepper and cook for another couple of minutes (I added a little bit of water here just to make sure the spices were distributed as they stuck to the potatoes).  Remove from heat, season with salt, pepper and parsley.

Turkey tacos with a twist

Serious slacking going on here these days....but, I've been cooking, just haven't been talking about it :)

I bought an eggplant recently.  Why, I don't know, because I'm not a big fan of eggplant at all.  But there is something about it, it's just so pretty!  So, determined to come up with a use for it and not waste my dollar, I started brainstorming and came up with this:

Turkey/veggie tacos

• 1lb ground turkey breast (or your animal of choice)
• 1 eggplant, skin peeled
• 2 small yellow squash
• 1 package taco seasoning (or whatever spices you want to make your own)
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Grate the eggplant and squash on a cheese grater (or you could try it in the food processor) and wrap in a paper towel and wring out the excess water.

In a large skillet, cook the ground turkey until almost finished, then add the eggplant/squash combo and stir until combined.  Add the taco seasoning and water (per package instructions) and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed.

With the veggies added in, you can easily double the recipe serving size, and get a couple of grams of fiber in too (as well as a serving of veggies!).  Top a corn tostada with some avocado, tomatoes and cheese and you're all set.

Banana Pudding Squares

Win!

Trying to find a yummy dessert and still keep it healthy can be a challenge sometimes, but this recipe did not disappoint!  It was a big hit at a recent dinner with friends and will definitely be on the menu again.  (Plus it makes a lot so is great for a big crowd).

Banana Pudding Squares, compliments of Kraft

(I'm being lazy and just providing the link if anyone wants the recipe, but the only changes I made were using reduced fat graham crackers instead of the Nilla wafers and I used low fat cream cheese and low fat whipped topping and skim milk (just can't go fat free, a little fat never hurt anyone!)

Chicken with balsamic citrus glaze

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3-4 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1 heaping tablespoon honey
• Pinch of ground allspice
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Dash of fresh grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cook chicken breasts in a large skillet with 1-2 tablespoons oil.  Remove when cooked thoroughly and keep warm in a 200 degree oven.

In the pan (reserve some of the fat from the chicken/oil), heat the shallots, honey and allspice over medium heat and cook, stirring until the shallots are wilted, around 1-2 minutes.  Increase the heat to high and add the chicken stock and lemon juice.  Boil, scraping the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon until reduced to about 1/2 cup.  Add the cream and boil until the sauce is slightly thickened and add the balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, salt and pepper.  Return to a boil and spoon the sauce over the chicken.

(PS-for my veg friends, I imagine this would taste pretty good on some salmon or tuna)