EatPood

FritattaFest and more

Have you heard about me? I will make anything into a frittata. So… ever since I posted the Summer Veggie Saute recipe last month, I’ve been sautéing every veggie to come our way and filling frittatas with the leftover veggies the next day! 

 
 
 
I use any kind of sausage (sage breakfast sausage, Italian sausage, chorizo) or some chopped bacon in whatever amount I have. You can use ground beef or lamb too. In fact, I used leftover Thai ground beef last week.  Cook or heat up the meat in a large skillet and then add the veggies until they are heated through. Then I add 6-8 beaten eggs, depending on how I feel. It rocks. Click for here the recipe from last summer. You can use it as a loose guide.

Also, here’s that date walnut cake recipe I talk about incessantly. I know!  It's about time.  This recipe is from Elana's Pantry.

Date Walnut Cake
1 ½ cups blanched almond flour
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
¼ cup grapeseed oil
¼ cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped

In a large bowl, combine almond flour salt and baking soda.  In a medium bowl, combine eggs, oil, agave and vanilla extract.  Stir wet ingredients into dry.  Fold walnuts and dates into batter.  Scoop batter into a greased 8x8 inch baking dish.  Bake at 350° for 22-30 minutes.  Cool and serve.

Bacon Revisited

Now don’t get confused. This is not a sweeping British period drama (get it?). This is about pork. Salty, crispy, yummy strips of pork. And a way to have bacon available on demand. I hate frying bacon. I’m really bad at it because I tend to wander away from the skillet, and you know, do stuff – like multitask. Then, when I return, my dear bacon is a dark, smoky, crumbling shadow of itself. So in order to avoid this kind of kitchen devastation, I bake my bacon. I learnt it from my mom. She’s smart.  Carol was bakin’ bacon in Indiana when the Primal Blueprint Cook Book was a merely a twinkle in Mark Sisson’s eye!

This is easy, friends. I cooked up a pan of bacon this morning while getting two kids ready for school (while their dad was living it up at DC National because of weather delays and such).

Here’s what you do:

Get some good bacon. I use Sandy Creek’s Country Cure bacon.

Preheat your oven to 400, and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange the bacon on the sheet. If you are cooking a pound, you need two baking sheets.

 
You don’t want to overcrowd the bacon. Bacon doesn’t like that.

Put the pan in the oven, and set the timer for 12 minutes. Go away, and do something productive. Brush your teeth, and floss too. Nag someone to hurry on up. Set the table. Take the out the dog. Put out the trash. You get the picture.

After 12 minutes have elapsed, and you’ve accomplished a great many other tasks, remove the baking sheet from the oven.

 
Using kitchen tongs, turn over each piece of bacon. Return the baking sheet to the oven, and bake for about 5-10 minutes more. Gauge your remaining cooking time after you assess how close to done the bacon is already. While this is going on, sip your coffee or tea, and congratulate yourself on how organized and domestic you are!

 
Then, remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. It will be crispy, flat and straight.

 
You can munch on it like this or you can crumble it over a plate of eggs. Save any leftovers for the top of your dinner salad or to dress up a paleo burger.

 
Enjoy!

BTW, I was talking about the movie, Brideshead Revisited. I like the remake starring Matthew Goode.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Love and Burpees,
EatPood

Food Pyramid

To paraphrase Buddy the Elf, we CrossFitters try to stick the four main food groups: Almonds, Almond Butter, Almond Flour and BACON!

Elf Food Groups

Butternut Squash and Greens with Bacon

1 lb bacon, diced
1 medium sized butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into ½” cubes
1 bunch chard or kale, diced
Drizzle of olive oil
Drizzle of balsamic vinegar

 
Place squash in a large pan and cover with water. Boil for 5-7 minutes or until the squash is tender but not mushy.

While the squash is boiling, cook the diced bacon in a large skillet until browned. You may need to drain some of the grease before proceeding.

Drain the butternut squash and add to the cooked diced bacon along with the chard or kale. Sauté for another couple of minutes until the chard/kale is wilted. Drizzle with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar and serve.

I used a big bunch of kale. My skillet is huge, and it was overflowing with kale. I put a lid on the skillet to help expedite the wilting process.

I loved this dish, but it got mixed reviews from the family. Cliff and the Boy picked out the squash and ate the kale and bacon. The Girl took one bite and said, “No mas.” Sooooo, I’m enjoying the leftovers for lunch as I type this. Yay me!

recipe adapted from Everyday Paleo

Once, Twice, Three Times a Leftover

(and I Luh-uh-uhve You)

Here’s a recipe from our very own Coach Angela. We had this dish a couple of weeks ago, and the whole fam gave it the green light for a repeat appearance. This particular recipe makes a huge amount. I’d estimate about 12 servings. Make this hearty stew on a Saturday or Sunday, and you’ll have leftovers for lunch during the week.

Speaking of leftovers… try and plan for them. Whenever I make a soup or stew, I typically double the recipe so Cliff and I each get a couple of lunches out of it. Trust me – a reprise of last night’s dinner is way better than standing in front of an open fridge puzzled about what to eat or wandering around the food court trying to spy Paleolithic offerings.

Jamaican Pepper Pot
½ to 1# bacon (use your discretion), cut into small pieces
2# chuck roast, cut into 1” cubes
1 bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced (or use garlic powder if you prefer)
1t red pepper flakes
1, 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1, 28 oz can diced tomatoes (I used crushed tomatoes here because of family preferences)
1, 15 oz can Rotel tomatoes
1, 32 oz box beef broth
2 boxes frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
1 bag cut okra, thawed
1C coconut milk
Tabasco sauce to taste, say 12 dashes to start

 
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until the fat is rendered. Do not brown. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve for later.

Add the chuck to the pot in 2 batches and cook until it is browned all over. Remove the chuck to a plate. Next add the bell pepper, onion, garlic and red pepper flakes to the pot. Cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

Return the chuck to the pot with the onion mixture. Now add the tomatoes, broth and spinach. Bring the pot up to a simmer and simmer for about an hour.

While the pot simmers, sauté the okra in a small skillet with some butter. After the other ingredients have simmered for an hour, add the okra to the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes more. Then add the coconut milk and reserved bacon and simmer a few minutes more. Season with Tabasco and serve.

an ode to bacon

bacon

salty, crispy, enticing

you make every dish exciting

the smell of bacon - how inviting

Oh! how I love me some bacon.

Bacon and Gorgonzola-Stuffed Chicken Breasts
2 oz bacon, finely chopped
2 oz crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/3 C finely chopped seeded tomato (or 1/3 C petite diced canned tomatoes, drained)
4, 6 oz boneless chicken breast halves
freshly ground black pepper
2 t olive oil
Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook bacon in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until crisp, stirring frequently. Remove from pan using a slotted spoon. Combine bacon, 1 T bacon drippings, cheese, tomatoes and ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt in a small bowl, stirring well.

Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest part of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff each pocket with 2 T cheese mixture and secure with a wooden toothpick. Sprinkle both sides of chicken evenly with a little salt and pepper.

Wipe the pan clean and reheat to medium-high. Add oil to pan and swirl to coat. Add the stuffed chicken breasts and sauté for 4 minutes.

 
Turn the chicken over.

 
 
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

After removing pan from oven, let chicken stand for about 5 minutes. Discard the toothpicks and cut chicken diagonally into 1/2 –inch thick slices. Serve with pan juices.

 

Slammin' Salmon

Pretend that it’s a cool, crisp Fall day. Maybe 50-55 degrees. Like it ought to be in late October. Now go make this soup. It’s the bomb dot com. Who knew that canned salmon could be so yummy?

Salmon Chowder
3 slices bacon, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1t dried dill or 1T chopped fresh dill
1 bay leaf
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/8t cayenne pepper or less or none, whatev
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1.5 to 2 C small cauliflower florets
1.5 C chicken broth
1, 7.5-oz can red salmon separated into chunks, reserve juices for soup
1, 14-oz can full fat coconut milk
Extra dill for garnish

Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat, until bacon fat is rendered. Add onion, celery, dill, bay leaf, black pepper and cayenne pepper and cook until the bacon is barely crispy.

Add the cauliflower and chicken broth and simmer until the veggies are almost tender, about 5 minutes.

Add salmon chunks and reserved juices and simmer a few more minutes to heat through.

 
 
Stir in the coconut milk. Bring to a slow boil and then simmer over low heat for a few minutes. Remove the bay leaf.

 
Serve soup very warm in pre-warmed bowls (ha!), garnished with dill.

 
Recipe from the Primal Blueprint Cookbook. The recipe says to use cauliflower or finely chopped, peeled turnips. I’ve had it with freaking turnips so I didn’t list them in the ingredients.

Happy Hour

UPDATE...

I am pleased to report that Jalapeno Friday was a complete success.  My peeps devoured all the jalapeno doo-hickeys!!!

Photos from my kitchen:

 

I have never posted a recipe before trying it out on my family. However, this looked good so I’m taking a risk. But, come on, people - the jalapenos are wrapped in bacon. What could  possibly go wrong? I’ve got two plants loaded with jalapenos, and I plan to make these Friday night because we know how to party around here - woo hoo!!!

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapenos with Cream Cheese

20 whole, fresh jalapenos, 2-3 inches in size
2 cubes cream cheese, softened
1 lb thin, regular bacon, sliced into thirds

 

Cut jalapenos in half, lengthwise. With a spoon, remove the seeds and ribs. (I use a grapefruit spoon because it has a nice, serrated edge.) Smear softened cream cheese into each jalapeno half. Next, wrap each half with 1/3 slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick.

Bake on a pan with a rack in a 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. If after 20 minutes, the bacon doesn’t look brown enough; turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to finish it off. Don’t let bacon shrink so much that it squeezes the jalapeno.  That would not be cool!

Serve immediately or at room temperature.

The recipe says you can freeze them uncooked for later use.

After Jalapeno Friday, I’ll update this post to let you know if these thingies are as good as I’m hoping, wishing and dreaming they are.

Recipe from tastykitchen.com

Bacon Broccoli Salad

 

1C mayonnaise (homemade or otherwise)

2-3 T honey, Grade B maple syrup or coconut/palm sugar

1-3 T apple cider vinegar

10 slices cooked bacon

2 lbs fresh broccoli, florets cut into bite-sized pieces

1C nuts, chopped coarsely

1/2C dried or fresh fruit, e.g., raisins, grapes, cherries, diced apples, blueberries

  

Combine mayo and sweetener of choice in a bowl and mix well. Use cider vinegar to cut sweetness as desired.

  

Add bacon, broccoli, nuts and fruit and mix until everything is evenly distributed and coated with dressing. If you have time, let it marinate in fridge for while to marry flavors.

Serves 4-6

Recipe from Primal Blueprint Cookbook

Wedgey-licious

This is the best Wedge Salad, ever!!! The secret is the homemade dressing. Now some of you might not partake in dairy products such as buttermilk, but I think Mark Sisson would approve of a real, homemade dressing with recognizable ingredients, to wit: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/strange-fat-free-food/ . His site even endorses making yogurt and butter using dairy products so a little buttermilk to thin your dressing is probably not going to damage your lean to fat ratio. Check it out, man: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/diy-butter-yogurt-kefir-tempeh/ .

THE DREAMIEST WEDGE SALAD EVER

1 1/2 C mayonnaise
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T coarsely ground black pepper (fresh ground pepper is imperative!)
1 t Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
1 C coarsely crumbled blue cheese
Buttermilk (optional)

1/2 lb thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
1 large head of iceberg lettuce, cut into 6 wedges, each with some core attached
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced

Mix first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Add blue cheese and stir until well blended. If too thick, thin with buttermilk by tablespoonfuls to desired consistency. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until golden brown and beginning to crisp. Arrange lettuce on plates. Spoon dressing over. Using slotted spoon, transfer warm bacon from skillet onto salads, dividing equally. Garnish with red onion. I also like to add some tomato slices to my Wedge because I’m kinky like that.

If you are lazy, like me, you can slap the bacon on a foil lined baking sheet and bake in an oven at 400 degrees for about 15-20, turning the bacon halfway through cooking. Once it looks nice and crispy, take it out; let it cool; and then crumble it.