Brown butter and lemon Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp

This is a simple, delicious dish. 

1 spaghetti squash
3 tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
2 gloves garlic, chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
16 shrimp peeled and deveined
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2-4 tbsp fresh Parmesan, optional

Slice a spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds, place cut side down on plate and in the microwave it goes. About 8 - 12 minutes depending on your microwave. Cook until the squash flesh separates easily into strands with a fork. 

Meanwhile, place butter in a frying pan at medium heat and add the chopped onion and garlic. Cook until onion is soft and translucent and the butter is starting to brown. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice. Add the shrimp and cook until shrimp are pink and cooked through (about 5 minutes depending on your shrimp). Toss in the cooked spaghetti squash, parsley and Parmesan cheese. Mix until "spaghetti" is coated with sauce and enjoy!

Crockpot Chicken Yellow Curry

Today the project forecast in Saskatoon was a high of -45 C with windchill. As such nothing is better than a hot bowl of soup. Better yet... when the meal cooks itself. I made this curry soup in the crockpot and it was waiting for me when I got home from work. 

2 - 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into chunks
6 cups of veggies, chopped (onion, carrots, green beans, broccoli, tomatoes, cauliflower and red bell pepper)
1-14 oz can of full fat coconut milk
1 cup crushed tomatoes
3 tbsp yellow curry powder
1 tbsp cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
1 cup water (for a thicker, curry-like sauce, omit the water)
Salt, to taste

Cut the chicken and veggie into medium-large chunks. Put everything into the crock pot. Stir in the coconut milk, and crushed tomatoes. Then add the spices and the water. Stir to combine everything.

Cook on low for 5-6 hours. I cooked mine longer as I went to the gym after work and it still turned out great.

If the you want it more like a curry and less like a soup, omit the 1 cup of water above.

Season to taste with salt and enjoy!!

Recipe from Stupid Easy Paleo

Classic Meatloaf

Why do I love meatloaf so much? I don't really know but it screams comfort food to me. When the weather is cold (as it has been here, I'm talking -30'C for a high!) it is like a nice warm hug!

2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup of minced onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 carrot, minced
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp Italian spice mix
1 can tomato paste
1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
2 -3 tbsp fresh grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
4 tbsp almond flour
1 - 2 tbsp coconut flour
2 large eggs, beaten slightly
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 350° F, with a rack in the middle. In a large, heavy skillet, melt the butter on medium heat until foamy. Add the minced onion, mushrooms, carrot, garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Cover the skillet and cook for an additional 5 minutes, until the carrots are tender, stirring occasionally. Add the salt, freshly ground black pepper, Italian seasoning, 1/2 can of tomato paste. Cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and let cool to the touch.

In a large bowl, use your clean hands to combine the ground beef, eggs, cheese flours, the cooked vegetables, and parsley.

Press mixture into a loaf pan with 2-inch high sides. Cover the loaf with the remaining tomato paste.
5 Bake the meatloaf in a 350°F oven for 1 hour. Let rest for 10 minutes. Then gently remove by lifting with a spatula to a serving plate, and slice to serve.

Enjoy!!

Pomegranates

I love pomegranates but I don't love the mess they make in the kitchen when you remove the seeds. My kitchen has looked like a murder scene with red splatter all over the counters, floors and cupboards. I however have a solution for you! An easy solution at that. I came across this method one day when perusing pinterest and wondered to myself why didn't I think of this!

Courtesy of Veggie Belly

Fill a large bowl with water. Using a sharp knife, make two deep slits on top of the pomegranate in the shape of a ‘x’. Do this on a cutting board for more support. Place the pomegranate in the bowl of water.

Put your thumbs where you made the ‘x’ shaped slit, and pry open the pomegranate. Do this underwater so that the red juices don’t splash on you. You should be able to pull the fruit apart in wedges. If the pomegranate is difficult to pull apart, make the slit on top deeper and longer.

I didn't really feel this was necessary and just cut my pomegranate right in half. Slightly messier but quick! 

Pull the pomegranate wedges apart into manageable pieces. Gently remove the white membrane, while keeping the fruit under water. Then use your fingers to gently remove the red seeds. The seeds will sink to the bottom and the membrane and skin will float to the top.

Skim the top of the water to remove all floating white membrane and skin. Then pour out the water, reserving the pomegranate seeds. Pour a little more cold water over the seeds and pour out once again to make sure all the white membrane is gone. Gently pat dry the pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately or store covered in the fridge.

Simple as that!

Spinach Beef Sliders

Always a crowd pleaser!

1 pound frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1/2 pound Cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 cup small-dice celery
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Heat the butter over medium heat in a large skillet and toss in the chopped onions, celery and mushrooms along with some salt and pepper to taste. Sauté until the liquid has evaporated and the onions are softened. 

Add vegetables to the ground beef in a large bowl, and then added the chopped spinach, coconut flour, garlic, salt and pepper, parsley and nutmeg. Add the beaten eggs

I use my hands to gently combine all the ingredients and formed the meat mixture into small patties (about 2 inches in diameter).

Place the sliders on the lined cookie sheet and bake for 15 - 20 minutes. Serve with a tomato sauce. 

Recipe adapted from Nom Nom Paleo

Here's to 2014!

Happy New Years! 
It's hard to believe that it has been a month since my last post but life has been a little busy between moving and Christmas, but don't you worry I am back and will be posting recipes, updates and helpful kitchen hints on a regular basis. My plan for the up coming months will be to post something once a week and if I really get back into the swing of things twice a week. 

There is no better time than the beginning of a year to develop healthy eating habits and establish goals/resolutions for the year. I started the year at my favorite place in Saskatoon: CrossFit BRIO. Each New Years day BRIO opens their doors for Girl-o-rama (8 benchmark CrossFit WODs all within 6 hours). I maneuvered my way through 4 of them (Annie, Grace, Isabel & Jackie) but some truly hardcore peps did do all the WODs (Annie, Amanda, Grace, Fran, Isabel, Karen, Jackie and Diane).

For those of you not familiar with the benchmark girls of CrossFit: Coach Glassman, the founder and President of CrossFit explained: “I want to explain the workout once and then give it a name.  I thought that anything that left you flat on your back, looking up at the sky asking ‘what just happened to me?’ deserved a females name.  Workouts are just like storms, they wreak havoc on towns.” 

So, after a Christmas season of gluttony, it is time to get back on the wagon! And of course I only have six weeks to get ready for the beach!  

I wish you all the best in 2014 and thank you again for all your support!