Recipe Review: Chili Chili Bang Bang

I came across this fun blog a few months ago and tried the Breakfast Stuffed Peppers and Carrot Pecan Muffins, I saved this recipe to try later. Chili Chili Bang Bang not only has a fun name but turned out very flavorful and the recipe makes plenty, I froze most of it for quick meals later on. I garnished mine with some SCD yogurt, chopped scallions and bacon bits. Whole Foods carries a pre-cooked nitrate free bag of bacon bits that is great for salads or scrambled eggs. Thanks Primal Kitchen Chaos for a great recipe!

Beef Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs. beef, boneless steaks or London broil work well
1 tsp. crushed garlic
3 T. olive oil
salt
pepper
cayenne pepper
1 head butter lettuce, washed and dried
cucumber matchsticks
carrot matchsticks
green onion slices
red onion slices
red bell pepper slices
cilantro

Method:
1. Remove beef from packaging, coat with olive oil and crushed garlic. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and cayenne.
2. Let sit till room temperature, about 1 hour.
3. Grill over high temp, remove when meat has reached desired doneness.
4. Slice into thin pieces and arrange on a serving plate.
5. Arrange all vegetables and garnish on another plate along with lettuce leaves.
6. Serve, letting each person put together their own wraps.
7. You could top with your favorite salad dressing or my family likes Thai Sweet Chili Sauce.

Meatloaf Revisited

Getting my children to eat was never an issue with us. I used to think it odd other mom's would talk about strategies to get their children to eat. Then karma sent my youngest son and guess what? The kid doesn't like to eat. Some days he will go all day without eating and I have to force him to eat something, so weird. I wake up and think, "what's for breakfast?" Anyway you may have noticed I have meatloaf listed on my menu quite often, the reason? My son will always eat it, it is one of his favorite meals.

Recently Ina posted a Bacon and Cheese Meatloaf that looked really good, I wasn't sure how my son would like something different so I am slowly converting my recipe to her recipe. To start with I just added bacon to my tried and true recipe and we all loved it. So if you are looking to try something new without trying something new I suggest adding some bacon to your meatloaf!

Paleo Chili

I am not posting a menu this week due to a crazy schedule and lots of leftovers. If you are looking for something different to warm you up this recipe is a nice change from the traditional chili with beans. I like the spiciness of the broth and the mushrooms give it a thick hearty texture.

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil
1 onion
2 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp. garlic puree or 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic
salt and pepper
1/2 lb. stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 c. beef broth
1 1/2 c. tomato juice (Campbells is SCD Legal)
1 can diced tomatoes
2 c. water
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
3 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. all purpose seasoning such as Spike
1 portabella mushroom cut into 1/1 inch cubes
1 c. chopped fresh spinach leaves

Method:

1. Heat oil in a large stock pot. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic and salt and pepper. Saute' until onion is translucent. Add beef. Continue stirring every few minutes until meat is browned.

2. Add broth, tomato juice, tomatoes, water and all seasonings. Simmer, uncovered for 1 hour over very low heat, adding more water if the broth gets too thick.

3. Add mushroom and spinach and simmer 10 minutes longer, serve immediately.

Fall Beef Stew

This is the time of year to make a pot of steaming soup or stew, the best part is the leftovers, they always taste better the next day.


Fall Beef Stew



2 T. coconut or olive oil
1-2 lbs stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 1/2 T. arrowroot starch (omit to make SCD legal, just brown the meat adding salt and pepper)
1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 - 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
3 c. beef broth
3 carrots, cut into small rounds
2 stalks celery, sliced
1-2 yellow crook neck squash, seeded and cut into small pieces
2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. all purpose seasoning such as Lawry's salt or Herbamare
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crush between your fingers when adding to the stew.


1. Using a heavy dutch oven with a lid, heat oil over medium on the stove top.
2. Combine the meat and arrowroot starch in a large plastic bag. Add salt and pepper. Close the bag and shake until meat is well coated.
3. Brown the meat in the oil stirring occasionally. This takes a few minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes, broth, and onion to the pot and place in the oven at 220 degrees for 3-4 hours.
4. Remove pan from oven and place on the stove top again. Add vegetables and seasonings and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
5. Taste and adjust seasonings and add more broth or water if the stew is getting too thick. Every stew will be different depending on the veggies and amount of meat used. Continue to simmer until vegetables are done.

I like to serve this with Pumpkin Muffins.

Shredded Beef Lettuce Wraps

Shredded Beef Lettuce Wraps

2-3 lb roast (ask your butcher for the best cut for shredding)
garlic, salt, pepper
SCD Legal BBQ sauce (here is my recipe)
Romaine or Butter Lettuce Leaves

Season the roast on both sides and place in a crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. The meat should be soft and easy to pull apart. Remove the roast and place on a large platter or cookie sheet. Discard juices and wipe out crock pot. Trim meat of any excess fat, using 2 large serving forks begin to shred meat by pulling between forks. Place shredded meat back into the crock pot, discard any tough pieces. Once all the meat is shredded top with BBQ sauce and stir. Heat another hour on low adding more sauce if necessary. Serve on lettuce leaves.

SCD Carne Asada Lettuce Wraps

SCD Carne Asasa Steak Wraps

2 pounds flank, flat iron, or skirt steak
olive oil
Kosher salt and Freshly ground black pepper

Marinade:
1/2 tsp. garlic powder or 3-4 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced or 1/2 tsp. chipotle powder
1 tsp. cumin powder
4 T. lime juice (2 limes)
2 T. white vinegar
1 tsp. honey
1/2 c. olive oil

1. Mix together marinade ingredients. Place steak in a glass dish and pour marinade over the meat. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.
2. Preheat grill to medium high. Remove steak from marinade and season with salt and pepper. Grill both sides of the steak only a few minutes. The steak should be medium to rare when served.
3. Remove from grill and let sit for 10 minutes. Slice thinly across the grain on a diagonal.
4. Serve on lettuce leaves and garnish with fresh avocado, minced onion, tomatoes, fresh cilantro and cheddar cheese.

SCD Hamburger Helper

It is true what they say, necessity is the mother of invention. I put this together in under 10 minutes the other night because I was famished and not able to eat what I had prepared for my family. A quick look around the kitchen and it all came together, it was so good I immediately bought more ingredients to make it again a few nights later.

SCD Hamburger Helper

1 lb. hamburger
1-2 zucchini, cut into rounds and then halved
1/4 c. diced red bell pepper
garlic (either the powder or minced)
salt and pepper
2 T. dried parsley
1-2 small cans tomatoes or tomato sauce (check the ingredients to make sure it is legal)
Your favorite cheese, shredded (optional)

Brown the hamburger, seasoning with garlic, salt and pepper, drain well. Add the bell peppers and zucchini, stirring occasionally. Cook 3-5 minutes until zucchini is bright and softened. Add more garlic, salt and pepper, parsley and tomatoes or sauce. Cook till heated through. Top with shredded cheese and serve.

SCD Stuffed Peppers

SCD Stuffed Peppers

3-4 peppers (red, green, orange, or yellow)
1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper
1 small can, (3/4 c.) tomato sauce (check for added sugar) or one small can Campbell's tomato juice
1 small yellow crook neck squash, cleaned and diced.
1 small jalepeno, optional
Provolone cheese, optional
1 c. uncooked caulirice, optional

Brown ground beef with garlic, onion and salt and pepper. While it is browning core and clean bell peppers. I like to cut a sliver off the bottom so they will sit flat in the dish. Dice any trimmings and add to the hamburger. Drain well. Add more garlic and salt and pepper to taste and all of the tomato sauce or juice and the squash, caulirice and jalepeno. Simmer 10 minutes (drain if needed). Place cleaned peppers in a baking dish with a lid. Fill with the meat mixture and if you have any left spread it around the peppers in the pan. Top with cheese if using. Bake covered at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.

For my family I omit the caulirice take my portion and stuff my pepper then add 1/3 c. rice and more tomato sauce and simmer 10 more minutes. I cook theirs in a separate pan, same amount of time.

To serve, pick up the entire pepper and place in on serving plates. It works best to cut the pepper in half, then dice and enjoy.

SCD Sunday Pot Roast

SCD Sunday Pot Roast

Note: check all seasonings to make sure there are no added fillers or sugars. If you are having a hard time finding pure spices check out San Francisco Herb Company.

1 tsp. seasoning salt
1 T. dried minced onion
1 T. dried bell pepper or 2 T. minced fresh bell pepper
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 T. dried parsley flakes
1 small can (5.5 oz) Campbells tomato juice

2-3 lb roast
Baby carrots
onion
small red potatoes, not SCD legal but I put them in for my family. I don't eat them.

Combine all of the spices (the first 8 ingredients) in a small bowl. Rub mixture into the roast, coating all sides. Place the roast in a dutch oven or roasting pan with a lid. Place carrots, onion, and potatoes if using around the roast. Pour the tomato juice over everything.

Cover and place in oven at 225 degrees. Bake 3 hours. Turn the heat up to 325 degrees and bake one more hour. Take the internal temperature of the roast, it should read between 160-170 degrees for a well done roast. Continue baking until this temperature is reached.

Remove from oven. Separate vegetables from the meat. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes. Strain the juices. I reserve some for myself (SCD legal) and thicken the rest using cornstarch for gravy (NOT legal) for my family. Slice the meat and serve with vegetables and juice or gravy on the side.

SCD Meatloaf for the Family

Sorry about this awful picture, I forgot to take pictures until I was putting away leftovers.

SCD Meatloaf for the Family

2 lbs lean hamburger
3 eggs
1/2 c. tomato juice or water
3/4 c. SCD Breadcrumbs or almond flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1 small can tomato sauce for garnish

In a large bowl soak breadcrumbs or flour in tomato juice or water for 5 minutes. Add all other ingredients except the tomato sauce. Mix well with your hands (I wear latex gloves when doing this). Divide mixture in half, pick up each half and drop it back into the bowl several times (this gets all the air out). Shape into loaves and place in a baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until no longer pink in the middle. Remove from oven, top with tomato sauce and let sit for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Recipe Review- Beef Jerky

Two years ago my huband requested a jerky maker for Christmas. My mother-in-law bought him a great stainless steel model that works in the oven. Until yesterday it was still in the box. I saw this recipe and had to try it, and I am so glad I did. On a scale of 1-10 we all gave it a 10, in fact the entire batch was gone in 24 hours. The only change I made to the recipe was to omit the liquid smoke. We will be making this again soon.