Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Make Ahead Collards and Kale

Ingredients

10 to 12 cups of water
smoked ham hocks, bacon or salt pork
3 cloves of garlic, peeled 
1 bunch of collards or any other leafy green you like
2 bunches of kale
1 large yellow onion
2 tablespoons bacon fat or oil
Salt and pepper



 In a large pot, bring the water and meat to a boil over a high flame. Wash the greens well in cold water.  Chop the yellow onion into a medium large dice.  add the greens and garlic to the water and bring back to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, for at least 1 hr for chewy or up to 2 hours for soft greens. Periodically check and add more water if needed.

When the collards are done, turn off the heat and using the tongs, transfer the collards from the pot into a frying pan with the onions. drzzle with olive oil. Sauté the greens until all the flavors have blended, splashing in a few ladles of the cooking liquid towards the end to moisten the greens. Salt to taste and add several grinds of fresh pepper. Serve 'em up!

I like to run the leftover thru a food processor with a little splash of coconut cream or milk and serve them the next day as creamed greens!!!!


Turkey Apple Sausages

  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1 apple, peeled and finely diced
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 TBSP dried parsley
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped (or use 2 Tablespoons dried oregano)
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • salt and pepper
  • coconut oil to cook with
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425F.
  2. Place 4 tablespoons of coconut oil into a skillet and cook (on a medium-high) the apples, thyme, parsley, and oregano until the apples soften (7-8 minutes).
  3. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
  4. Mix the turkey with everything in the skillet, as well as the garlic powder, salt and pepper (including any leftover oil).
  5. Form 12 thin patties from the meat and place on a baking tray lined with foil (
  6. Bake for 20 minutes
  7. Cool and store in fridge or freezer (reheat easily in the mornings in the skillet- just pan-fry for a few minutes in coconut oil 

Flavored Pecans

Ingredients

2 cups raw pecans
2 tbsp kerrygold butter
1-1.5 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 300.  Melt butter in microwave and pour salt in.  stir to combine.  place pecans in a bowl and pour butter mixture over the top.  Stir like you mean it to combine!!!!  Place marinated pecans on a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes on 300.  stir them and bake another 10 minutes.  let them cool and devour!!!!




Quick, Easy Bacon Eggs & Asparagus

  • 8 slice(s) bacon
  • 1 pound(s) asparagus spears, trimmed
  • 1/2 teaspoon(s) fresh thyme leaves, chopped
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 6 large eggs

Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. cover a baking sheet with lip or casserole dish with aluminum foil and arrange bacon slices in single layer. bake 15 minutes or until browned. Transfer to paper-towel-lined plate; set aside
  2. drizzle a little bacon fat into a skillet and add asparagus. Roll in fat until evenly coated. Arrange in tight single layer, Sprinkle thyme onto asparagus and cook about 3 minutes.
  3. Carefully crack eggs, without breaking yolks, directly onto asparagus spears. cook until whites are set and yolks are still a little runny (or however you like.) Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper on eggs. serve over bacon

Chicken Avocado and Bacon Salad

Ingredients

  • leftover rotisserie chicken meat
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 4 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
  • 4 slices bacon, cooked and diced
  • 1 avocado, pitted
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1/4 cup lime olive oil (or 1/4 c olive oil with fresh squeezed lime)
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions 
Add the diced chicken, lettuce, bacon, avocados and tomatoes to a large bowl, and toss until combined. Drizzle or toss with olive oil and serve immediately. 


Turkey Tacos

Ingredients:
 

  • 1 lb lean ground turkey
  • low sodium/ gluten free taco seasoning (I like savory spice shops)
  • 1/2 small onion, minced
  • 8 large lettuce leaves from Iceberg lettuce
  • sliced avocado
  • diced fresh tomato or pico de gallo
  • (optional) 1/2 cup shredded cheese and sour cream

Directions:

Brown turkey in a large skillet breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks. When no longer pink add dry seasoning, water and onion. Simmer until done

Wash and dry the lettuce. Divide the meat equally between the leaves and place in the center of each leaf and top with your avocado and tomato or pico de gallo... add cheese and sour cream for kiddos if desired! 

Garlic Shrimp and Kale over Cauliflower Mash

Ingredients
Remove the stem from the kale. (Fold the leaf in half lengthwise, then use a knife to cut the thick part of the spine away from the leaves.)  Stack the leaves together, roll them slightly, and slice the leaves crosswise into strips. 
Rinse the shrimp with cold water and dry with towels.
In a saute pan over medium-high heat, melt 1 TBSP of butter with a TBSP of EVOO.  Add the chopped garlic and shrimp to the pan in a single layer, and allow to cook for about 1 minute on each side (use tongs to turn the shrimp to ensure they are cooked evenly). When cooked, remove shrimp to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the chopped kale to the saute pan with the garlic.  Shake in crushed red pepper to taste and a sprinkling of kosher salt. Toss over medium-high heat until the kale is wilted and tender.  Add the wine, stir, and cook until the wine has mostly cooked off.  Add the shrimp back to the pan.  Stir in lemon juice and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.  Serve over cauliflower mash