Stuffed Acorn Squash

I've had an unhealthy obsession today. My friends, Corley and Angela already had to hear about it today, but they will just have to endure it again... There was this girl on the Rachael Ray Show recently who had started a blog to document her losing weight. She decided to take pictures, once a week, of herself in a bikini to show her progress. She is either brave or crazy, decide for yourself. Though my obsession today was about the fact that she weighs the exact same amount as me but still looks better in a bikini than me (I finally figured out that she is 3 inches talker than me), that's not my current obsession with her. The fact is, I'm jealous. I'm jealous that she was clever (read: crazy) enough to take pictures of herself in a bikini and then end up on the Rachael Ray Show. I want to be on the Rachael Ray Show! Ok, maybe not in my bikini. But that's beside the point.


Stuffed Acorn Squash
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1 acorn squash
1 t + 2 t extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 lb ground turkey breast
1 small eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 carrot, chopped
1 c sliced mushrooms
1 c baby spinach
1 scallion, chopped
1 t onion powder
Pinch nutmeg
1/4 c chicken broth

Slice the acorn squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and membrane. Coat inside of squash with the 1 teaspoon of oil and season with salt and pepper. Place squash cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until tender. In large skillet, heat remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over medium high heat. Cook ground turkey with salt and pepper for 5-6 minutes. Add eggplant, carrot and mushrooms to skillet. Season with onion powder, salt and pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add spinach, scallions, nutmeg and chicken broth. Let spinach wilt down for 1-2 minutes. Stuff each acorn half with ground turkey mixture.

Lentil Soup

I've never had lentils before. Never really had a desire to eat lentils. They just look like they would be so blah. But for some reason, I've been obsessed with looking at lentil soup recipes lately. So I took the plunge. And to my surprise, I actually liked it. But I really think the chipotle was a vital ingredient.


Lentil Soup
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1 lb all-natural chicken sausage, sliced on bias
2 t extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 c mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
1 t fresh rosemary, chopped
1 chipotle, minced
1 c lentils, rinsed
4 c chicken broth
2 c water
1 Roma tomato, seeded and chopped
2 c kale, chopped

In large pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Sear chicken sausage for 2-3 minutes per side, until browned. Remove from pot. Add onion and mushrooms to pot and saute for 4-5 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Stir in garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary and chipotle. Let cook for 1 minute. Add lentils, chicken broth, water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cover pot and let simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Stir in kale and chicken sausage. Let kale wilt down for about 2 minutes.

Chicken Tikka Masala

This was uncharted territory for me, for two reasons. One, because I have never made any kind of Indian food before. And two, because I used this new brand, So Delicious, as a yogurt and cream substitute. I know there are several milk substitutes out there, and have used them. But now... NOW there is a dairy and soy free yogurt! This is BIG for me. I added some sauteed kale to the meal to have some extra veggies to cut through the creamy heaviness of this meal.


Chicken Tikka Masala


Sauteed Kale
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1 bunch kale
2 t extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 t nutmeg
Salt and pepper

Remove kale from stem and rib. Slice the kale into thin strips. In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add kale and garlic to the skillet. Toss in oil and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Continue to toss kale for 2-3 minutes, until it wilts down slightly.

Chicken Drumsticks with Balsamic Sauce

Yesterday my boyfriend, Stephen, told me that his doctor told him that he needs to cut down on his sodium intake. He says that it's because of his workout supplement, though I'm sure all the fast food he eats has a little something to do with it. Either way, we are quite the dynamic duo, I'm intolerant and he's salty...


Chicken Drumsticks with Balsamic Sauce
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1 1/2 lbs drumsticks
Salt and pepper
1 lemon, zested
1/2 t dried basil
1/2 t dried oregano
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c (low sodium) chicken broth
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 t red pepper flakes

Season drumsticks with salt, pepper, lemon zest, basil and oregano. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Sear drumsticks for 4 minutes on all sides, 16 minutes total. Add chicken broth, balsamic vinegar and red pepper flakes to skillet and stir well, picking up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Transfer the drumsticks with the sauce to an oven safe dish and cook in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Pour sauce back into skillet and simmer for 3-4 minutes to reduce by half.

All-Purpose Seasoning Blend

I've been using this seasoning blend for a while and just realized that I've never shared it here. It is so good on chicken and fish. I've never tried it on beef or pork, but I'm sure it would work well there too. I suggest doubling (or tripling) this recipe and store it in an airtight container because you will use it over and over again.


All-Purpose Seasoning Blend
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adapted from Guy Fieri

2 t dried oregano
2 t garlic powder
1 T onion powder
2 t paprika
2 t ground ginger
2 t rubbed sage
2 t black pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Salt and pepper meat before using seasoning blend. Store in airtight container.

Chicken Verde Bake

My boyfriend, Stephen, loved this dish. The issue I have with it (other than the fact that I can't eat it) is that it really doesn't not look good in pictures. At least not with my minimal photography skills. Maybe that needs to be my New Year's resolution, work on improving my food photography skills.


Chicken Verde Bake
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2 chicken breast, cooked and chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 t extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 c salsa Verde

1/2 t ground red pepper, optional

Salt and pepper
3 scallions, chopped
1 Roma tomato, seeded and chopped
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
Tortilla chips, crushed

In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and black beans. Season with salt, pepper and ground red pepper and heat through. Stir in salsa Verde bring to a simmer. Stir in scallions, tomato and cheese. Pour mixture into a casserole dish and cover with crushed tortilla chips. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until tortilla chips are browned and juices are bubbly.

Cookbook

After finding out about how I needed to change my eating, I also had to change the way I thought about cooking. It took me a while to figure out how to add some variety and excitement to my meals with the limited list of foods I can eat, and I love to cook and create recipes! So, I decided to write a cookbook to help people with an autoimmune disorder who find it difficult to come up with ideas that fall within the restrictions of this diet.

I created all of the recipes and took all of the pictures on my own. I published the book through an online publishing company, Blurb.com. I would love for you to check out my cookbook! Click here to take a look, and if your interested please buy a copy or two. :)

Rice Dishes

This is going to be a much longer than usual post...

I always try to label the people I talk about in my blog, whether it be my boyfriend, friends, Aunts, nieces, nephew, etc. But there are 2 people who I cook for frequently and have talked about, but have never 'labeled' on my blog: Kris and Mark. I met Kris when I was 15 years old, when she was first dating my brother. Though she is not my sister-in-law anymore, she is much more than just a friend, she is my sister. She has a wonderful husband, Mark. And in my heart, Mark really is like a brother-in-law to me.

So now that you know who I'm talking about, let me tell you why I'm talking about them today. Mark wants to start taking his lunch to work more and he asked me if I would come up with some easy rice dishes for him, that he will be able to start making for himself. So here are the 3 dishes that I showed him how to make today.

Peanut Coconut Chicken
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4 oz chicken breast, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
2 t Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c matchstick carrots
1/2 c snap peas, ends trimmed
2 T peanut butter
1/2 c coconut milk
2 t lime juice
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 c instant brown rice
1/2 c chicken broth

Cilantro, optional

In small pot, bring chicken broth to boil. Stir in brown rice, season with salt. Reduce heat to simmer rice, cover and let cook for 5 minutes. Remove rice from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. In small bowl, mix together peanut butter, coconut milk and lime juice. Set aside. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat large skillet with oil over medium high heat. Cook chicken for 3-4 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet. Add carrots and snap peas to skillet, season with salt and pepper. Let cook for 3-4 minutes, or until snap peas are just tender. Add chicken back to the skillet. Add peanut sauce and scallions to skillet. Stir to combine. Serve over rice. Garnish with cilantro.


Caribbean Chicken
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4 oz chicken breast, cubed
Salt and pepper
2 t Extra virgin olive oil
1 t + 1/2 t Caribbean jerk seasoning
1/2 green pepper, cubed
1/2 onion, cubed
1 mango, cubed
1/2 c instant brown rice
1/2 c + 1/2 c chicken broth

In small pot, bring 1/2 cup of chicken broth to a boil. Stir in brown rice, season with salt. Reduce heat to simmer rice, cover and let cook for 5 minutes. Remove rice from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Season chicken with salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon of jerk seasoning. Heat large skillet with oil over medium high heat. Add chicken to the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove chicken for skillet. Add green pepper, onion and 1/2 teaspoon of jerk seasoning to skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add mango and let cook for 1 minute. Add chicken back to the skillet. Stir in 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Serve over rice.


Sweet and Spicy Steak
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4 oz top round steak, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
2 t extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c sweet chili sauce
1 celery stalk, sliced on bias
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 c instant brown rice
1/2 c +1/2 c chicken broth

In a small pot, bring 1/2 cup of chicken broth to a boil. Stir in brown rice, season with salt. Reduce heat to simmer rice, cover and let cook for 5 minutes. Remove rice from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Season steak with salt, pepper and chili sauce. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes. Heat a large skillet with oil over medium high heat. Add steak to skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove steak from skillet. Add celery and onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until onions are tender. Return steak to skillet. Stir in 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Serve over rice.