Healthy variation of "Lo Mein"

·           Chicken or beef  (I used organic, free-range chicken)

·           1/4 cup almonds, chopped

·           1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and cut in half

·           1/4 cup celery, chopped

·           1 tablespoon minced garlic

·            2 cups broccoli

·           2 cups shredded cabbage

·           Toasted sesame oil

·           Coconut aminos

·            Sesame seeds to garnish

  Process:

 Clean all vegetables and trim fat from meat (if applicable).

      Cut broccoli, chicken and mushrooms into bite sized pieces.

 Thinly slice 2 cups of cabbage (about half the head of cabbage).

 Chop almonds, celery; mince garlic.

 Heat wok over high heat.

 Add sesame oil, swirl to coat bottom of wok, then add meat.

 Cook meat for 3-4 minutes, until mostly cooked.

 Add in broccoli, celery and shiitake mushrooms; cook for 2 minutes

 Add in almonds, cabbage, and garlic. Add a splash of coconut aminos (2-4 tbsp). Cook 2-3 minutes, until cabbage softens a little.

1.     Remove from heat, garnish with sesame seeds, and enjoy! Adapted from http://www.primal-palate.com/

Chicken can be good

Late post from 8/19
Friday was a chicken day! For lunch, I enjoyed a salad from Jason's Deli called Nutty Mixed-Up Salad with no cheese and w/ Oil & Vinegar. I get the large and eat the whole thing. Their chicken is so plump and juicy! The salad has nuts, seeds, apple, & berries and I just can't get enough of it.

For dinner, I made it simple yet tasty. I decided on lettuce wraps with Roma tomato, organic, free-range chicken, and Sunday Bacon. I seasoned the chicken with garlic salt, basil, poultry grill seasoning, & some olive oil and on to the grill.

What a crock!

Yes, you guessed it. I used my crock pot today! This is the one I have...found at Target Hamilton Beach 6 QT I absolutely love it. Our friend from Australia bought it for me when my last crock pot completely overcooked my meat! Before work this morning, I prepared Broccoli Beef inspired from Stephanie O'Dea's endless selection of recipes from her 365 Crock Pot Recipes site when I got home from work, I simply through in a bag of frozen broccoli. We had a friend over for dinner and had enough for 3 well deserved servings!

I used 2 grass fed rib-eye...read why I choose grass fed and enjoyed it with a nice glass of wine.

It's all about the sides

Do you ever get home from work and really don't feel like cooking? Well, that was me tonight. I actually feel like that a lot but once I decide what I am going to make, start to really get into it. First, I like making new things and second, I like eating new things. I knew I was going to have chicken tonight. Sometimes chicken can be so boring. I looked in the fridge and had some prosciutto I wanted to use up. I didn't want prosciutto wrapped chicken. I did a quick search and my main course inspiration came from Food Network's Tyler Florence http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/pan-roasted-chicken-with-prosciutto-rosemary-and-lemon-recipe/index.html
I didn't have a whole chicken but I did have organic, free range chicken that would work and I had everything else.
For sides, I made paleo broccoli slaw...so good you need to try it. So easy too, since Trader Joe's sells the broccoli slaw ready to go...just add oil and apple cider vinegar, ground mustard and s&p, oh and I add raisins.
My other side was from Paleo Table...Mango Salsa! Why don't I use mango more often?! This one was really good too...highly recommend it. http://www.paleotable.com/2011/01/coconut-dusted-fish-with-mango-salsa.html

Early Dinner

My husband was surprised when dinner was ready by 6 pm. Typically I get home from work or the gym by 7ish, so to have dinner "early" was a shock. It is Sunday today, so I had the time. Tonight, I decided on a Taco Salad which should be called a "taco-less" salad because the salad had no corn chips or tacos involved. I saw this recipe on http://www.paleotable.com/ check out her site for tons of great recipes!
What I liked about this recipe is that it doesn't call for one of those spice packets that you mix into your meat; you actually combine your own spices! I couldn't find the El Pato sauce for the avocado dressing so settled for plain tomato sauce. I still liked the dressing!

Best part is, left-overs for lunch tomorrow!

This week's shopping list

Every week I prepare what I am going to cook for the week. That takes some planning for me. I love cooking new things and researching new recipes to try. I usually mix it up with chicken, beef, seafood, and a salad option. I like variety! Ask my husband, I rarely cook the same thing twice. So for this week's menu, I am preparing taco salad, coconut dusted fish with mango salsa, broccoli beef in the crock pot, and a mushroom & cauliflower salad.

Today, I had a late lunch but a light lunch. Last week, I was watching Anne Burrell from Secrets of a Restaurant Chef on Food Network. I really like watching her. She really is good at what she does at making you want to eat what she is making. She's very descriptive and animated and I like that. She was whipping up a Braesola and lightly pickled mushroom & cauliflower salad. Here are the ingredients...

• 6 cremini mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 head cauliflower, thinly sliced on a mandolin
• 3 fresh thyme springs, leaves picked
• Pinch crushed red pepper
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• Kosher salt
• 1 cup coarsely grated Parmigiano
• 1/2 pound braesola, thinly sliced
• 2 1/2 cups baby arugula
• Big fat finishing oil

I couldn't find braesola so I used Prosciutto de parma found at Trader Joe’s
I used my food processor and chopped the mushrooms, onion, and cauliflower. I only used about 1/4 of the onion since they sometimes upset my stomach. I also did not use the parmigiano since I am dairy free and to be honest I didn't miss it. It was a very good, healthy lunch.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/braesola-and-lightly-pickled-mushroom-and-cauliflower-salad-with-crispy-parmigiano-recipe/index.html