Cherry Tomato Zucchini Pasta

This is one of my favorite dishes to make!  A few years ago I remember watching a Rachel Rae episode where she made this quick, sweet pasta sauce from cherry tomatoes and just a few ingredients.  I love a quick pasta sauce recipe! It’s key though to use fresh cherry tomatoes because they are much sweeter than a regular tomato.  Trying to find a store bought paleo-ish pasta sauce is hard to find and I get tired of the same old heavy pasta sauce.  This sauce is great because it's very light but full of flavor. 

 

Even though Rachel Ray sways from the paleo lieftyle she holds a special place in my heart. As silly as it souns Rachel Ray was a huge influence in my love for cooking. She is a bit rough around the edges but very easy to relate to. In high school I would always watch her show and recreate her girl-on-the-run recipes.

 

Ingredients

·         1-2 cups of cherry tomatoes

·         2-3 garlic cloves, minced

·         ½-1 tablespoons of red pepper flakes

·         1 very large zucchini

·         2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

·         Fresh basil

·         Spicy Chicken Sausage

 

Directions

I first began by cooking the chicken sausage until fully cooked.  I used that same pan afterwards with the left over goodness from the chicken sausage and dumped in the cherry tomatoes whole.  I let them soften for a few minutes with the red pepper flakes and olive oil.  I used about a tablespoon which is pretty spicy! 

After tomatoes have softened take a potato masher and lightly mash the tomatoes. Keep in mind to keep them intact. Simmer tomatoes with the minced garlic until flavors combine and tomatoes are mushy and sweet.

 

Meantime, I used a julienne slicer to quickly slice through my zucchini.  I like having long strips of the zucchini.  Toss the zucchini strips in with the sauce and simmer for just a few minutes.  Return chicken sausage back to pan, stir, top with basil and serve! 

 

 

Stuffed Eggplant

 

I am very excited because currently I am working on developing my own website! Hopefully that will keep me motivated on posting different types of recipes!

This stuffed eggplant I made months ago but I hated the picture that I took.   If you enjoy a basic stuffed pepper then you will like this recipe also.   I had my eggplant in the oven for too long so it browned on the top.  But that's why I updated the recipe to cook the eggplant first in the oven and then cook the mixture on top of the stove. This is just a faster way to have an amazing Italian meal!

Ingredients

• 1/2  - 1 Pound of Hamburger
• 2 small-to-medium Italian eggplants
• 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 large onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut lengthwise into quarters
• 3 plum tomatoes
• Flat-leaf parsley
• 1 bay leaf

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a large roasting pan with cooking spray.
2. Remove leaves from eggplants, but leave the stems on. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, through the stem. Scoop out the insides with a spoon.
3.  Do not cut completely through the skin.
4. Brush the eggplant all over with 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle the eggplant flesh with salt. Place cut-side down in the prepared roasting pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, quarter and thinly slice onion. Chop garlic. Dice the pepper. Chop the tomatoes.
6. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add hamburger and slowly add in the rest of the ingredients-- onion and garlic; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the diced bell pepper, the diced tomatoes, parsley, bay leaves and the remaining salt.
7. I also added to the pan the insides of the eggplant that I had scooped out.   Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until hamburger is cooked through;discard bay leaves.
8. After the eggplant has baked for 15 minutes, remove from the oven. Carefully turn each eggplant half over stuff the eggplant "boat" with the mixture, pressing it down gently. 
9.  Drizzle the eggplant with the remaining teaspoons of oil. Bake for maybe 20 minutes more. Or just until the eggplant portion is fully soft and cooked through.
10. Before eating be sure to add salt to tayste!

Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken with Roasted Broccoli

Semi Paleo-- Support the Dairy Industry!

Ingredients

• 4 pieces Skinned chicken breast
• Feta crumbles
• Salt and pepper
• Sun Dried Tomatoes
• Kalamata Olives
• 2 Heads of Broccoli
• 2 Shallots
• 3 Garlic cloves
• 2 Handfuls Pine Nuts
• Parmesan Cheese (optional)
• 6 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 
2.Generously season both sides of the chicken.
3.Using a small, sharp knife, cut into the fullest side of each chicken breast making a deep incision into the meat to form a pocket across each breast. Stuff some cheese, sun dried tomatoes and olives into each breast then season liberally with pepper and gingerly with salt. Also, stuff the mixture underneath the skin of the chicken breast as well.  This does not need to be fancy!
4. You could use thighs instead of chicken breast as well.
5. Cover pan with tin foil and drizzle EVOO and cook in the oven for around 25-30 minutes.
6. Let sit and serve.

Roasted Broccoli
1. Slice the broccoli into thin strips.
2. Add chopped shallots and salt n pepper to broccoli.
3. Generously season with salt and pepper and pour 3 TB of EVOO and mix
4. Roast in the oven underneath the chicken
5. Let cook for 25 minutes as well.
6. Halfway through cooking add the chopped garlic.
7. Take out and add pine nuts and Parmesan.
8. Mix and serve

Halibut with Puttanesca Sauce

Even though I wanted to use Halibut....Tilapia was a less expensive choice! Still very taysty!

Ingredients

• 1 can plum tomatoes (28 ounces)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• onion, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, halved and pitted
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 2 anchovy fillets, rinsed and minced or paste
• 4 Tilapia fillets                    

Directions

1. Drain tomatoes, reserving 1/2 cup liquid. Seed and coarsely chop tomatoes. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic.  Add onion, and cook, until transparent.
2.  Raise heat to medium high; add tomatoes, reserved liquid, olives, capers, anchovies, an and cook, stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes.

     3. Season both sides of the fillets with salt and pepper. Cook within sauce for the  4 to 5  minutes on each side.

Mushroom and Carrot Salsa

This dip is definitely a fav in my home of 5 college girls.  Instead of having regular pico this salsa is different and super tasty.  Don't be afraid if you are not a fan of mushrooms! The mushrooms absorb all of the lime juice--leaving you with a tangy crunchy salsa taste.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of shredded carrots (about I rarely measure)
• 1 container of mushrooms
• 1 onion
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 3-4 limes
• generous amount of seasonal salt
• pepper

Instructions

1. Slice the mushrooms, onion and carrot and chop the cilantro; place in bowl.
.Squeeze lime over the salsa, ensuring no seeds find their way into the bowl. Mix until well incorporated.
3. Add seasoning salt, to your taste.

*Serve with chips if you like or sweet potato chips.

*The longer that salsa marinades the better

 

 

What Came First The Chicken Or The Egg??

  This is a Scrumptious! last minute go-to meal.  It reminds me of a Paleo Protein Sammy! Instead of what usually would be mayo I made a Cilantro Avocado pesto spread.    I saved it and I have been using it with veggies, snacks and lunch meat. If you love Cilantro this is a great spread that you need to try. 

Avocado & Cilantro Pesto

• 1 bunch cilantro leaves
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 1 1/2 Avocado
• 1  Lemon Freshly Squeezed Juice--Very Important!
• 1/3 cup avocado oil
• 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Oil
• 1/3 cup cashews
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt (more to taste as the amount of salt on the cashews can make a difference)
• freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. In a blender or food processor, grind the cilantro, garlic and lemon until well blended.
2. Slowly incorporate the oils, blending as you go.
3. Add the cashews and Parmesan; blend until smooth.
4. Add salt, blending and tasting as you go.
5. Add freshly ground pepper to taste.
6. Add more or less avocado and lemon depending on your preference.

*A really easy way to cut an avocado is within its skin.   Make slices vertically and then horizontally and then scoop out the squares--


Protein Sammy

• Grilled Chicken Breast
• Mixed Greens
• 1 Egg
• Avocado Cilantro Pesto

Instructions

1. I used the grilled chicken that I usually make at the beginning of the week. I always try and do a quick marinade-- whatever I can find in the pantry.  Italian dressing, garlic powder salt n pepper and sometimes good ol Red Robin Seasoning.  Make sure you try and marinade the chicken, it makes a huge difference!
2. Pop out your George Foreman and grill!
3. Spread Avocado Cilantro spread on chicken breast.
4. Add greens
5. Top with fried egg.

  My beautiful roommate Maia's rendition

Greek Salad

Finally!! I am back cooking-- I'm calling it a sabbatical.   I'm sort of a nerd and will spend hours studying instead of cooking or going to the store.  So I am back in business and researching/thinking of where I want my health and diet to go. For now I am posting a really quick salad that is a classic with my family.  

I find that I can never find any store-bought dressings that I really enjoy. They are usually expensive and can have a lot of sugar hiding inside. So for the most part I am always making my own dressings.

The KEY point to making your own dressings is to use a blender!! This way the oil and vinegar combine perfectly.  If you don't mix the two properly most of the time your left with a really intense taste of oil ---

Not the best photgraphy--doing what I can with my iphone!

 

Ingredients

• Mixed Greens
• tomatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• seedless cucumber, cut into bite-size chunks
• 1 cup  of halved Kalamata black olives
• 2 (1/4 pound) slices of Greek feta--optional
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup of regular oil
• 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons ( 2 splashes) of white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed in palm of your hand
• Coarse salt and black pepper

Directions

Combine vegetables, olives, and lettuce in a large bowl and add sliced feta on the top of salad.

Add vinegar, garlic and Dijon mustard to the blender. Turn on and slowly add the oil.  After combined add the oregano and salt n pepper to taste. Toss over salad!