Recipe: Primal Dirty Rice

Allow me to re-introduce myself...

I'm sure you've noticed I've been away for a while. I've been traveling a bit with the Hubby, seeing family and friends. I've also been accumulating some life experiences. I still don't feel comfortable sharing, but let's just say that I'll have plenty of time to blog in a couple of weeks while I get back to being myself.

Wow, that was cryptic.

Anyhoo, here's a recipe I made up TONIGHT! Here is what happens when I start to cook a meal without a specific recipe... I started with the idea of chicken livers and cauliflower rice with gravy. This weekend we went to Hubby' MawMaw's house to celebrate her 85th birthday, and she made the BEST milk gravy I have probably ever had...ever.  I wanted to replicate her deliciousness, but I didn't want to taint it's goodness with coconut milk. I know, I know, I love coconut milk too.  But I made the mistake of getting the sweetened variety, and sweetened coconut milk should not be used for gravy making in my book. So now I had to improvise (actually, I was already improvising, haha!). All of a sudden, after I threw my chopped onions in the sautéing cauli-rice, I realized that I was on my way to making dirty rice!

Primal Dirty Rice...how sexy does that sound?!?


Primal Dirty Rice

Ingredients:

1 lb of chicken livers (preferably pastured organic)
1 1/2 cups of coconut milk (optional)
6 tbsp of coconut flour
4 tbsp of corn meal (opional. I had some non-GMO organic on hand)
2 tbsp of cajun seasoning, divided
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp of salt
1 cup of olive oil, divided
2 tbsp butter
1 large head of cauliflower, processed or chopped to resemble rice
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup of frozen peppers


Directions:
1. Rinse and trim your chicken livers (trim away anything that looks sinewy or tough), then put your livers in a dish with coconut milk and let soak for about 1 hour. This will take away some of the bitter taste of the livers.
2. Pour half of your oil in a deep skillet set on medium high. Mix up the coconut flour, corn meal, 1/2 of the cajun seasoning, paprika, and salt in a bowl to dredge livers. When oil is hot (i.e. shimmering), begin dredging your livers and dropping them into the pan to fry. Make sure both sides of the livers are deep brown. About half way through your frying process, you may need to change out the oil. Dump the old oil in a glass or metal cup or can, then pour the other half of your new oil in the pan and continue frying until all the livers are cooked. Set to the side on a paper towel to drain.
3. In a fresh pan (or a freshly wiped out pan), melt your butter over medium heat. Toss in your cauliflower, onion, and peppers along with the other half of your cajun seasoning and some more salt to taste. Let veggies sauté until the texture of the cauli-rice suits your taste. Then toss in the cooked livers and chop them up in the rice with your spoon or spatula.
4. Eat and enjoy!

For more great recipes from around the Blogosphere, visit: Pennywise Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, and Party Wave Wednesday!

Recipe: Mushroom and Snap Peas Stir-Fry with Glass Noodles

Hey, bloggy friends!! I'm sorry I've been MIA lately... It's been one of those low energy weeks.  But I'm back with a DELICIOUS stir-fry recipe inspired by The Parsley Thief's version from a couple years back. I made a few tweaks (as I always do) to match my tastes and the ingredients I had on hand. I also want to share an awesome noodle that has become my saving grace on the Paleo Diet so far:

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Korean Glass Noodles, or Japchae, are made from sweet potato starch, making them a great way to satisfy a persistant noodle craving such as mine.  It's definitely not an every day thing - they are very high in carbohydrates - but it's an awesome treat! These noodles about the same thickness as spaghetti, but are much longer and are traditionally cut up a bit before serving. Also, they have a very slippery, springy texture, making them lots of fun to slurp! Finally, you must cook your glass noodles thoroughly. Al Dente will mean very chewy pasta. You can find these noodles at any Asian market, or at an extremely well stocked (and perhaps high-end) supermarket.

Mushroom and Snap Peas Stir Fry with Glass Noodles

Ingredients:

2 tbsp coconut oil, separated

1 tsp of sesame oil

1 lb ground beef

1/2 lb chicken livers (optional, I just like to sneak them in wherever I can)

Sesame seeds

1 onion, diced

1 16oz pkg of mushrooms, quartered

1 12oz pkg of snap peas, sliced

1 bunch of green onions, sliced and separated

2 tbsp of tamari sauce

1 tbsp of Sriracha sauce

1 tsp honey

1 tsp rice vinegar

1/2 lb of korean glass noodles

Water for boiling noodles

Directions

1. Fill pot with water and a couple tablespoons of salt and set on stove to boil.
2. Add one tablespoon of coconut oil to a deep skillet or wok on medium high heat. When oil is hot, drop in ground beef and livers and cook until browned. Make sure livers are chopped up well and mixed in with beef if you have any leery eaters. Remove meat from pan and set aside.
3. When water is boiling, add noodles. Will cook for about 10 minutes, but taste noodles often to check texture and doneness.
4. Add 2nd tablespoon of coconut oil in your hot pan, along with the sesame oil, and add your onions and mushrooms. Cook until onions are translucent and mushrooms have shrunken. Next add in your snap peas and 1/2 of your green onions. Cook for a couple minutes more.
5. When noodles are done, drain and set colander over empty pot. With kitchen shears, cut noodles roughly until they are easier to manage.
6. Add meat back in your pan, along with the remaining ingredients. Cook for a couple more minutes, until all seasonings are mixed well.
7. To serve, place noodles down first, then stir-fry. Top stir fry with green onions, sesame seeds, and more sriracha, if preferred.

Whole30 Update: Delicious Day #22 + Whole30 Approved Shepherd's Pie

(This post signifies my very first link up! I will be linking up with The Nourishing Gourmet's Pennywise Thursdays from now on. Check her out! She's amazing!)

One of the greatest perks from my Whole30 experience is the new arsenal of scrumptious, healthy recipes! I'm very proud of myself because most of the recipes I have cooked are original (thank you, thank you!)  According to my Hubby, they have all been delicious...but he's a pretty partial judge :)

One of those recipes is what I made us for dinner tonight: Paleo Shepherd's Pie!

Since I have gone through this entire experience and haven't posted a single recipe, I will use the last few days of the program to do so, starting with this awesome make-ahead supper! I literally made this yesterday while watching the premiere of The Taste on Hulu. My new work schedule has me at the office on the same days that my Hubby and I get to have dinner together at home (which is only 3 times a week). That means I get home after Hubby and he's usually starving while I'm just starting dinner. So this week I've cooked meals that are either prepared in the Crock Pot or are make-ahead dinners. Tuesday night was Butternut Squash Chili (I'll DEFINITELY be sharing that recipe soon, it was so easy and delicious!). Tonight we're having the Shepherd's Pie I assembled yesterday on my day off. When I get home, I'll just pop it in the oven for about 45 minutes, and we'll be good to go!

Whole30 Approved Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

1 lb of ground beef (the best you can get your hands on)
1 head of cauliflower (trimmed and cut into small florets)
4 cups of broth or water (I used turkey, cause that's what I had. I personally wouldn't use seafood)
1 1/2 cups of carrots, diced (or baby carrots cut into rounds)
1 1/2 cups of green beans, diced
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves of roasted garlic
1 tsp coconut flour
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring broth or water to boil with a good amount of salt in a stock pot and add cauliflower florets. Cook for about 10 minutes or until very tender. Drain cauliflower and, if necessary, let cool.

2. Put roasted garlic in blender with cooked cauliflower and blend until its thick and smooth. Set aside.

3. Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Remove cooked meat with a slotted spoon into a bowl. Add onion, carrots, and green beans into the remaining fat and saute until the onions are translucent and the carrots and green beans are tender.  Add ground beef back to the pan along with the poultry seasoning, salt, pepper, tomato paste, and coconut flour. Cook for about 3 more minutes, then take the pan off the burner and allow the filling to cool.

4. After the filling as cooled, pour it into your favorite casserole dish (my 8x8 glass dish seemed to be the right fit for this one. Then spread the cauliflower puree over top and smooth the surface with a rubber spatula or spoon.

5. From here you can either put in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes until the top of the casserole is caramelized, or you can put it in the friidge/freezer and cook when ready. If you are choosing the make-ahead preparation, let the casserole sit on your counter for a couple hours to thaw/take the chill off, then put in a 350 oven for 30-45 minutes until the casserole is heated through and the top is caramelized.

Happy eating!