Instant Pot Pulled Pork

4 lbs pork loin or pork butt
1 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp dried oregano
juice of half a lime
2 C chicken or vegetable broth
1 onion, cut in half
1 orange, cut in half
3 bay leaves

Combine cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, lemon juice and broth. Place pork in the instant pot, pour the broth mixture over it and add the bay leaves. Place onion halves and orange halves on top. Set to manual for 45 minutes.

When the time is up, let the steam naturally release for 15 minutes, then open the release to allow the rest of the pressure out. Place pork into a bowl and shred with forks or a mixer.

Meanwhile, put the instant pot on saute mode and let the liquid simmer until it reduces to 1 cup. Pour the liquid over the pork.

Coconut Concentrate

4 cups dried coconut, finely shredded
1 T coconut oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T Honey

Process in blender on high speed until creamy. Store at room temperature.

Fay's Poppers

2 pounds of ground beef (or a combination of beef, chicken, turkey, bison and/or venison)
2 C shredded carrots
2 C shredded zucchini
2 C shredded sweet potato
2 tsp. salt
6 cloves garlic
9 green onions
6 T coconut oil
6 T coconut flour
1 tsp. turmeric
2 tsp. ginger
6 T coconut aminos

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix everything together and form into meat balls.

Place meat balls on a broiler pan to let the juices drain as they cook.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Cheesy Chicken Zoodles

Earlier this week, my sister Barbara and I attended the Opening Day of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Kacey Musgraves gave a concert afterward, and although we had to walk through a little rain we had a lot of fun!


When Barbara and I first arrived at the HLSR grounds, we took a quick tour through the exhibit hall. We got a hydro-massage, which felt terrific!

Then we watched a demonstration of some pretty little textured plates. When we saw all the things that could be grated on those little plates, we knew we needed some of our own! These can be used to grate hard cheeses, chocolate, ginger, nutmeg, and for my lunch today - garlic.

The weather in Houston has been rainy all week, so today I thought something warm and creamy sounded good for lunch.  I have seen other versions of this recipe on the internet, but this is how I adapted it and made it my own:





First, I unwrapped a triangle of Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese and placed it in a glass bowl with a little almond milk. This needs to be warmed up, so you could do it in the microwave or like me, put the bowl on top of the warm toaster oven.













Next I preheated my cast iron skillet over medium heat while I sliced up some onion and grated a clove of garlic on my new grate plate. (It worked grate!) When the skillet was hot, I sprayed a little cooking spray on the surface and sauted my onion and garlic together for a few minutes.

While that was going on, I spiralized one zucchini.

Then I added the zucchini to the skillet with some Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel Seasoning.

As the zucchini noodles cook they release moisture and soften into a very nice noodly texture. Cook this for a few minutes, until the noodles are as done as you like them.

Then I added in my softened Laughing Cow Cheese and Almond milk mixture and stirred it around until the cheese looked to be evenly distributed. 

Finally, I stirred in one serving of shredded chicken and let it all heat up together.

When I put everything into the 2 cup glass bowl, you can see that it made a generous amount.

I wish you could smell the yumminess in here right now!

Delicious. I'm sure Kacey would approve.

Halibut

10 oz. Halibut filets
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 clove Garlic, minced
2 tsp Lemon Zest
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 T Chopped Parsley
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the halibut in a pan and drizzle with the olive oil.

Top with garlic, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Bake 12-15 minutes, or until flaky.

Sweet Potatoes in the Slow Cooker

Recently I hired a new trainer, who is wonderful and has tons of helpful ideas. One of the services my trainer offers is to come to my house and help me learn to cook in a more healthy way.  I thought I already knew most things about healthy cooking, but oh no I did not.

First, we washed about 8 sweet potatoes and put them in a slow cooker.  Easy enough! Those were done in a few hours and I let them cool in the fridge overnight so I could chop them up the next morning and divide them into 1/4 cup servings to go in the freezer for later use.  I think I was supposed to remove the skins, but I left them on.  I know, I'm such a rebel. They are great to throw in when I need a good complex carb source in a smoothie or with another protein and veggie like some hard-boiled eggs and cucumbers, for example. I have also browned the chopped sweet potatoes with onions and bell peppers in some coconut oil for a breakfast side dish.

Slow Cooker "Mongolian-Style" Beef

INGREDIENTS:

- 3 lbs of flank or top sirloin steak

- 1/2 tbsp minced (fresh) garlic

- 1 1/2 cups of soy sauce or coconut aminos

- 1 1/2 cups of sugar-free maple syrup (I like Cary’s brand the best.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut steak into thin strips.

2. Add soy sauce, sugar-free syrup, and garlic to the crockpot, and stir to mix.

3. Add flank steak to the crockpot and lightly toss to coat in the soy sauce mixture.

4. Cook on LOW heat for 4-5 hours.

Once finished, I saved the "sauce" from the crockpot to pour over the meat for storage, and also for later use.

This beef is REALLY good alone, but also awesome over rice with some of the sauce poured over as well.

Enjoy!

- Coach Megan

Jean Donaldson May So i used Megan's recipe. My steak was a little smaller than 3 lbs so i did one cup soy sauce and 1 cup syrup. I put the meat in on saute for just a few mins to brown it just a little, then put the sauce on and lid. I put it on 8 min Manual and 10 min NPR (wait until you release the pressure). When it was done I put in a bit of zantham gum to thicken the sauce. The meat was great! very tender.

Crock Pot Egg Brunch Casserole

Ingredients:
6-8 strips of bacon
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
1 red or green pepper, seeded and chopped
2 lb. bag of frozen hash browns
1 1/2 C shredded cheese
12 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:
Spray crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Cook bacon till crisp, cool, then chop into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside. Salute onion, garlic and bell pepper for 5 minutes. Place 1/3 of the frozen hash browns in the bottom of the crock pot. Add 1/3 of the bacon, and 1/3 of the onion, garlic and pepper mixture and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat the layers, ending with the cheese.

In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, dill, salt and pepper. Pour over ingredients in the crock pot, cover and turn on low. Cook for 8-10 hours.

When done, thermometer in center should read 160 degrees.
8-10 servings

Taco Seasoning Mix

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder

DIRECTIONS:

Blend all spices in a bowl and use to season any meat you are cooking. 
Use approximately 1 T of this mixture per pound of meat.

Note: This mix has a small amount of “kick” to it. To make it more mild, leave out the cayenne
and add an extra 1/2 t of paprika.

Read more: http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-taco-seasoning/#ixzz3xAk9RQDr 

© The Gracious Pantry. All rights reserved. 

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Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes (scrubbed and sliced)

1T extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 t chili powder

1/2 t cumin

1/2 t black pepper

Salt to taste

1/4 t cayenne pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine spices in a small bowl. Add potatoes, spices and police oil to a large mixing bowl and toss to coat all potato slices. Place potatoes in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes.

Beef Stir-fry

Ingredients:

1/4-1/2 pound of top sirloin steak per serving

1-2 cups of cut-up veggies per serving

Cooked Rice

Soy Sauce

Coconut Aminos

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Cut the top sirloin into thin strips and stir-fry over medium heat with soy sauce, coconut aminos and salt and pepper until they are almost cooked through. Add the sliced veggies and stir-fry until tender. Serve over cooked rice. (Sometimes I add a few cashews with the veggies.)

Spicy Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus

Ingredients:

2 t olive oil, divided

¼ t sea salt, divided

⅛ t thyme, dried

⅛ t black pepper, freshly ground

⅛ t red pepper, crushed

6 small red potatoes, quartered

2 T parmesan, grated

1 t minced garlic, divided

½ lb asparagus

Directions:

Combine 1 teaspoon oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt, thyme, peppers, and potatoes in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450º for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cheese and 1/2 teaspoon garlic.

Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Combine 1 teaspoon oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic, and asparagus. Add asparagus mixture to dish. Bake for 10 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender.

Southwest Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

2 C Chicken or Vegetable Broth

144 g diced potato

1 C of mixed diced veggies (I use onion, bell pepper, garlic, zucchini and yellow squash.

110 g cooked chicken breast

Seasonings to taste: chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and celery powder.

Directions:

Pour the broth into a pan and bring it to a boil. 

Add the potatoes and veggies and cook until they are tender.

Add the chicken and seasonings and cook it until the chicken is heated through. 

South Beach Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients:
1 med zucchini
1 med yellow squash
1 med red bell pepper
1 med yellow bell pepper
1 pound asparagus
1 red onion
3 T Olive oil
1 t salt
1/2 t black pepper

Directions:

Heat oven to 450*F. Cut vegetables into bite size pieces. Place all vegetables in a large roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss well to coat. Spread evenly in a single layer. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly browned and tender.

Serves 4

ROASTED VEGETABLE SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds yellow squash, sliced in chunks

1 pound zucchini, sliced in chunks

1 large red onion, cut into chunks

1 large head garlic, top cut off to 

expose the garlic for roasting

2 shallots, peeled

2 tablespoons olive oil (approximate)

4 cups chicken stock or broth

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat over to 350 degrees F.

2)Spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Just a light mist.

3) Place your veggies on the sheets and spray their tops with another light mist of spray. Be 

sure to give that head of garlic a little extra oil so it can seep down into the head.

4)Bake for about 40 minutes or until all the vegetables are very soft and the garlic is a nice, 

light brown  with a few of the cloves popping out. 

5) Transfer all veggies to a large soup pot and add 4 cups of chicken stock/broth.

6) Using a hand blender, (or a Vitamix!) blend the veggies to the consistency you like best.

7) Add salt and pepper to taste.

Storage: This will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can freeze it for up to 6 months. It’s best to freeze it in individual servings instead of one big brick.

Read more: http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-roasted-vegetable-soup/#ixzz3xBMpepCY

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

1 can chickpeas, drained, save the juice

⅓ cup tahini

⅓ cup lemon juice

2 cloves garlic

1 pinch salt

1 pinch red pepper

1 pinch black pepper

½ cup red peppers from a jar, drained

1 pinch basil

Combine ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

If consistency is too thick to blend, add hot water as needed.

Variation: Substitute chickpeas with black beans for a zesty black bean dip.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts 

3 tablespoons good olive oil 

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.   Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and discard any yellow outer leaves. Mix the brussels sprouts in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt (I like these salty like French fries), and serve immediately. 

Reverse Seared Steak

Jeffrey B. Rogers - The Culinary Fanatic

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Season steak on both sides on a wire rack. I like a simple seasoning of kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Before rubbing the Worcestershire on, I poke tiny holes in the steak with a fork. Insert wired probe thermometer into thickest part of steak. Put rack with steak in a skillet and place in the oven. For medium, cook steak to 130 degrees. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Quickly sear in a blazing hot grill pan on both sides. Serve immediately. No resting required. 

Ranch Potatoes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice potatoes thinly and spread out on a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with Ranch Dressing Mix and salt. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until as brown as you like them. 

Ranch Dressing or Dip

1 C 2% Cottage Cheese

2-3 T Water (adjust to desired consistency)

1 T Penzey’s Ranch Mix or Hidden Valley Ranch Mix

Blend until smooth and chill until ready to serve.

Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup of lentils

- half an onion

- one celery stalk

- one carrot

- three garlic cloves

- oil (any kind)

- salt and pepper

- fresh thyme (optional)

- one bay leaf

- one 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes

- one quart of vegetable broth

Directions: Rinse the lentils in a colander or strainer.

Finely chop all the vegetables.

Coat the bottom of a pot with oil (or cooking spray) and heat on a medium setting.

Add the vegetables and cook until they’re softened.

Season with salt and pepper.

Add the thyme (if using), bay leaf, tomatoes and

their juices, lentils, and broth and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until the lentils and vegetables are soft.

If a creamier texture is desired, divide the soup in half and puree in a food processor, then return it to the other half and stir.

Lemon Garlic Alaska Salmon

2 T olive oil

2 t garlic, minced

1 t lemon pepper

2 4-ounce Salmon fillets

2 lemon wedges

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic.

Season salmon fillets on both sides with lemon pepper. Place fillets in pan and cook for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at thickest part, or until fish flakes when tested with a fork. Flip fillets halfway through cooking to brown on both sides.

Sprinkle with lemon juice before serving.

Hamburger Cabbage Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef (or bison, turkey or chicken)

2-5 cloves garlic, minced 

16 ounce bag coleslaw mix (or 1 head of cabbage, shredded)

2 tablespoons soy sauce 

1/2 tsp ginger, optional 

1/2 tsp cayenne, optional 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

1 packet of stevia, optional 

1 bunch green onions, cut on the bias (about 8 onions or 3 ounces after trimming) 

Instructions: 

In a very large skillet or wok, brown the ground meat with the garlic and a little salt and pepper. Drain the fat. Add the cabbage and stir-fry until the cabbage is tender-crisp. Add the remaining ingredients and heat through. Makes 6 servings

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

4 C water

4 C chicken broth

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 tomatoes, diced

1 white onion, diced

2 C salsa

1-2 avocados, diced

1 C cilantro, chopped

2-16 oz. cans black beans

1 t cumin

Shredded cheddar cheese

Sea salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Instructions: 

1) In a large stock pot, bring water and chicken broth to a boil. Once water is boiling, add chicken breasts and cook thoroughly.

2) Remove cooked chicken and cool.

3)Add tomatoes, onions, salsa, cilantro, cumin, salt and pepper to boiling water.

4) Shred chicken and add to boiling water. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes.

5)Serve in a soup bowl, top with avocados and 1 tablespoon of shredded cheddar cheese. 

Chicken in the Slow Cooker with Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce

1 bag of frozen chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)

1 bottle of Frank’s Hot Sauce

Turn the slow cooker on high.

Open the bag and pour the chicken in the slow cooker.

Pour the bottle of Frank’s over the chicken and put the lid on.

After an hour, turn the slow cooker down to low and cook for 

4-5 hours. Slow cookers are different, so adjust as needed. 

When the chicken is cooked, use some tongs to remove the 

pieces over to the bowl of the stand mixer. Turn on mixer for 

15 seconds or so, until the chicken is shredded as much as you 

like it. 

Chicken Breasts in the Oven

Ingredients:

Butter or olive oil (or cooking spray)

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper

Other spices or seasonings (seasoned salt, tarragon, lemon pepper, for example)

Instructions:

1)Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the middle position. Rub the pan and one side of the 

parchment paper with butter or olive oil. (Cooking spray works too.)

2) Spray chicken with non-stick spray. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and any other favorite 

seasonings.

3) Place the chicken breasts in the baking dish, spaced slightly apart. You can also tuck herbs 

or lemon wedges around the chicken for extra flavor.

4) Lay the parchment over the chicken. Tuck the edges into the pan and press the parchment 

down so that it's snug around the chicken. The chicken breasts should be completely covered 

with the parchment.

5) Transfer the chicken to the oven and cook until the chicken is completely opaque all the way 

through and registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Start checking after 20 minutes; 

total cooking time is usually 30 to 40 minutes.

6)Serve the chicken immediately, or let it cool and refrigerate for up to a week.

Protein Pancakes

Ingredients:

7 whole eggs

185g liquid egg whites

100g Cinnabun Trutein Protein Powder

210g old fashioned oats

1 can of Lite Apple Pie Filling)

6 pumps salted caramel sugar-free syrup (I have the large bottle of Torani's with a pump on it)

3.5 tsp salt

6 tsp cinnamon

If I have some spring mixed greens or spinach, I add 70g. If I don't have any, I skip this part

I preheat my cast iron griddle over medium heat while I am putting all the ingredients into my blender. Then I blend everything together until it's smooth to make the batter. 

When I sprinkle a little water on the griddle and it sizzles, I know it's hot enough. The pancakes will stick if you start cooking them before the griddle is preheated. Then I ladle out the batter to make the size of pancakes I like and turn them when they get bubbly. 

This makes seven servings for me. I also use the batter to make waffles, muffins or mini-loaves. 

Barbecued Chicken on the Grill

Ingredients:

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup water

4 tbsp barbecue sauce

4 chicken breast halves (if you use the ones with bone and skin they will be juicier and you can remover the skin and bones before you eat them.)

Directions:

Mix the lemon juice and the water.

Place the chicken on the hot grill with the skin side down. Brush with lemon juice and water and close the lid. Leave for 15 minutes.

Turn chicken breasts over and brush with more lemon juice and water.

After 15 more minutes, pierce the chicken to see if the juices run clear. Then brush each chicken breast with one tablespoon of barbecue sauce and allow to cook for just a few more minutes.

Baked Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

3 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

3 T olive oil

1 1/2 T orange juice

2 t sea salt

1 t ground black pepper

 Instructions:

1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

2 In a large mixing bowl, toss butternut squash with olive oil, orange juice, salt and pepper

3 Spread squash onto baking sheet in an even layer.

4 Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. 

5 Add additional salt or other favorite herbs (rosemary, coriander, sage), if desired, and enjoy!