OhYaGood

Whole Food Lover + Recipe Hacker

Wilted Spinach Salad

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Wilted_Spinach_SaladAnyone else wishing for snow to cover all the grayness? I’m fighting the lack of sunlight and brown, dead ground with some green-action in the kitchen. Seriously, I bought poundssss of spinach this week. It’s a miracle cure.

I had never eaten a wilted spinach salad till working at an italian restaurant in my early 20s. I was instantly in love. While back in Iowa over Thanksgiving, my Mom served almost the exact same salad I remember from the restaurant so I asked her to share her recipe so I could dissect it and of course, make it my own. It’s really the perfect salad during these cold-ish December days.

Wilted Spinach Salad
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: American
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
  • 4 slices of thick bacon
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • ⅓ cup champagne or white wine vineagar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons mayo
  • 6-7 cups spinach
  • ½ pine nuts (optional)
Instructions
  1. Render bacon until cooked to your liking (I prefer the oven for 10 minutes at 400ªF on a foil lined baking sheet)
  2. Use one tablespoon of the bacon grease to oil a frying pan and set to medium heat
  3. Sauté onions until softened, about 10 minutes
  4. Add vinegar and honey and bring to a simmer
  5. Add bacon, cut into small strips
  6. Add mustard and stir until dissolved
  7. Remove from heat and add mayo, stir until dissolved
  8. Drizzle the mixture over 2 cups of spinach for each serving and garnish with pine nuts

 

Sausage & Kale Soup

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sausage kale soupOh how funny the creative process can be. As you may have noticed, I took a little break from posting after Thanksgiving. I just wasn’t feeling it in the kitchen like I normally do. Most of my recipes were turing out mediocre and frankly, I was feeling lazy. Yesterday was a complete shift from that. I wasn’t really in the mood to cook what I had planned but I knew the rest of my family could use some good homemade soup to combat their colds. So, I opted for a quick soup recipe and ended up spending most of the night in the kitchen having fun with a few new creations. I have fond memories during my art school days staying up to the crack of dawn, working tirelessly on projects because you just. can’t. stop.

I made this soup for a new momma not too long ago and thought something was missing. Lo and behold, the addition of the egg. Just like in a hot bowl of ramen. There’s probably a more technical way to doing it but I found the microwave easy enough. Soup for breakfast anyone?

Sausage & Kale Soup
 
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Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • ¾ lb sausage of your liking (I used italian pork links and removed the casing)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 large russet potatoes, diced (peeled if preferred)
  • 1 bunch kale, dino or lacinato, stems removed and coarsely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary or oregano
  • salt and pepper
  • chili fake (optional)
  • 4-6 large eggs
Instructions
  1. Add oil to a soup kettle or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook till softened.
  2. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add sausage and bay leaves (Remove from casing if using links).
  3. Cook until brown, about 10 minutes.
  4. Add stock, water and potatoes and bring to a boil.
  5. Lower heat to a simmer and add kale, rosemary, salt and pepper, and chili flake, if using. Add more warm water if kale isn't mostly submerged.
  6. Cook for another 20-30 minutes, or until potatoes are soft and kale is tender.
  7. Scoop each serving into a microwave-safe bowl and carefully place an egg on top of the soup.
  8. Microwave each bowl on high for 1½-2 minutes or until the egg whites turn white and the egg is to your liking.

 

Bacon, Apple & Fig Bites

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bacon fig apple bitesSo many appetizers have cheese in them. Spinach artichoke dip, crab dip, cheese and crackers, cheese balls, cheese, cheese, cheese. That’s why I made these. I wanted something a little more exciting and filling than the usual raw veggies and olives for all of us dairy-, gluten-free-ers?

This is a great last minute appetizer and a play on the classic bacon wrapped chestnuts. All you need are these three ingredients and some toothpicks. To make Whole30 compliant, make sure your bacon is sugar-free.

Bacon, Apple & Fig Bites
 
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Recipe type: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Serves: 24 bites
Ingredients
  • 1 granny smith apple or another tart variety, sliced into small triangles
  • 6 slices of thick bacon
  • 12 dried mission figs, stems removed and cut in half
Instructions
  1. Render the bacon slices on the stove for 10 minutes over medium heat, flipping after 5 minutes
  2. While cooking slice the apple and prepare the dried figs
  3. Once back is cooked to your preference, cool on a plate with a paper towel
  4. Cut each slice into 4 pieces cross-wise
  5. Assemble the bites apple, bacon and fig on top and pierce with a toothpick

 

Vegan Mushroom Gravy

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Vegan_GravyI had pretty much given up on gravy. My first attempt at making it was unappealing and after becoming lactose intolerant, potatoes were never the same so I gave it up. It was until recently I started to miss it. My husband and I had made a pre-Thanksgiving meal a few Sundays ago just for fun and I did all the fixings gluten and dairy free with ease, including the potatoes (I’ll post the recipe someday). I longed for a gravy to go with these heaping mashers so I did some digging for vegan gravy recipes. The few I found called for the fake butter that contain soy and lots of other things I can’t pronounce. So, I challenged myself to come up with my own creation. Five simple ingredients is all it took. The gravy goes great on any cut of meat, potatoes, squash, root mash, you name it. A perfect Thanksgiving addition.

Note the mashed sweet potatoes need to be made ahead or purchase the frozen variety from Trader Joes.

Vegan Mushroom Gravy
 
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Recipe type: Sauce
Cuisine: American
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • ½ T coconut oil
  • 3 cups sliced button mushrooms
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup mashed sweet potatoes
  • 2 Tablespoons of fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme or sage
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a large skillet
  2. Sauté the lightly salted mushrooms until softened on medium heat, about 8 minutes
  3. Add the broth, sweet potatoes and herbs
  4. Let simmer for about 10 minutes
  5. Transfer to a deep bowl and use an immersion blender to blend mushrooms and thicken the gravy
  6. Salt and pepper liberally

 

Brussels Sprouts with Grapes

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Brussels Sprouts with GrapesFood and the internet are such an amazing marriage. I remember even a few years ago it was hard finding dairy-free recipes or any kind of whole food recipe besides what I could dig up on the almighty epicurious. Look how far it’s come! Buzzfeed’s Tasty videos for one, are knocking it out of the park. Even the ones I have no desire to try, I become memorized by. I love it all.

You know what else the internet just taught me? It’s brusselS sprouts. I didn’t know brussel was plural. How have I gone this long without knowing that? I’ve worked in restaurants with brusselSSSS sprouts on their menu for god sakes. Ah thank you internet, for all you do.

This is side dish is so damn good. They are shredded and roasted to a slightly charred salty chip. The best. Let me add that I buy them shredded in a bag because why the heck wouldn’t you.

Brussels Sprouts with Grapes
 
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Recipe type: SIde Dish
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 10oz (or 1½ cups) Trader Joes shredded brussels bag
  • ½ Tablespoon oil
  • 1 cup sliced red grapes
  • ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
  • salt & pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F
  2. Pour the oil into the bag of brussels and toss
  3. Arrange them onto a baking sheet large enough to spread them into one layer, salt and pepper them and put them in the oven
  4. After 15 minutes, add grapes and walnuts and stir
  5. Roast for another 5-10 minutes, or until brussels are slightly charred

 

Meatloaf Vegged

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meatloaf_vegged_2Some flavors are instant reminders of my childhood, sugar cereal, cottage cheese, bologna. All things I no longer eat, or would even attempt to eat. Something like meatloaf, minus the breadcrumbs, is totally tolerable. It brings me back to those annoying dinners you didn’t want to eat and would sneak half of the food in my mouth and half into my napkin. Obviously I had much more distain for the all-mighty-loaf than I do now. I’ve embraced it by adding loads of vegetables, two kinds of meat, yet still drowning it in ketchup.

Meatloaf Vegged
 
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Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients
  • 1 T coconut oil
  • 1 onion, halved
  • 1 celery stalk, quartered
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled & quartered
  • 2½ cups fresh spinach
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1¼ lb ground beef
  • 1¼ lb ground turkey
  • 3 T balsamic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ ketchup (sugar free or homemade for whole30)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a small baking sheet or bread pan with parchment paper
  2. Heat oil in skillet
  3. Place onion in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to the large, oiled skillet. Add carrot and celery to the food processor, and pulse until chopped. Add spinach and pulse a few times more. Add to the skillet.
  4. Place the skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring. Continue cooking until liquid evaporates and vegetables begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
  5. Add egg, ground meat, balsamic, salt and black pepper to the bowl, and mix gently with your hands. Scrape mixture into the bread pan or onto the baking sheet and form into a loaf approximately 4 inches wide and 10 inches long. Spread top of loaf with ketchup. Bake until cooked through, about 40 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before slicing.

 

Broiled Grapefruit

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Broiled_GrapefruitI’m feeling uber-inspired these last few days. Last night I listened to J. Kenzi Lopez-Alt on the Freaknomics podcast about the science of food and Jo Robinson talk about the nutrition of food. Both really great conversations that inspired me to immediately buy their books, The Food Lab and Eating on the Wild Side. Lopez-Alt’s site Serious Eats has been a great resource for me when trying to find the best way to prepare something. Check it out if you feeling like geeking out on food.

Since sickness has been spreading slowly through my family these last few weeks, I’ve been pushing citrus down their throats. Grapefruit being one. I had heard of broiled grapefruit some time ago but had never tried making it. One try was all it took for me to fall in love.

Broiled Grapefruit
 
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Recipe type: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • ½ of a grapefruit, cut crosswise
  • 1 teaspoon honey (optional, omit for whole30)
  • 1 Tablespoon coconut milk
  • 1 sprig of mint
Instructions
  1. Preheat broiler.
  2. Cut a thin slice of the bottom rind so the grapefruit stands upright. Cut around the meat of the grapefruit to loosen the segments from the rind.
  3. Drizzle with the honey and place upright on a cookie sheet.
  4. Place in oven about 5 inches from the heat source.
  5. Broil for about 4 minutes.
  6. Drizzle with coconut cream and garnish with mint.

Slow Cooker Carnitas

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carnitasOh for the love of my crock pot. What would I do without you? I guess I’d have to shorten roasting times and have to stay put whilst cooking. Sounds like too much work to me.

Carnitas are a family favorite here and yes, super easy. You don’t have to sear the meat beforehand and using jarred salsa is an instant flavor maker. I prefer Trader Joes Salsa Autentica. I keep saying this on my blog, but I like easy and I like leftovers. This one is great with a fried egg on top with some avocado. Drooling just typing about it. In the picture I served it with green cabbage, pickeled beets, avocado, red onion and cilantro with some additional lime and orange juice.

Slow Cooker Carnitas
 
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Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 4lb pork roast or shoulder
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • dash of cinnamon
  • dash of cayenne (optional)
  • juice of one lime
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • 1 T molasses
  • ½ cup salsa
  • ½ broth of choice
Instructions
  1. Mix all the seasonings and rub mixture on the pork
  2. Place the pork in the slow cooker
  3. Add lime juice, orange juice, molasses, salsa and broth
  4. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours
  5. Shred meat and serve

 

Thai Chicken Coconut Soup

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Thai Coconut Chicken SoupCold and rainy weather means soup in this house. It makes it smell so good, cooking all afternoon. Plus, being able to just walk away while the magic happens makes evenings so much easier.

I used to cook Asian food quite often until I had to avoid soy. I miss it so much but have found satisfaction through other dishes like curries, coconut flavors and fish sauce. This recipe was a quick creation when I specifically wanted a soup with some heat. It turned out perfectly.

Thai Chicken Coconut Soup
 
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Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: Asian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 lb chicken breast, cubed
  • 4 cups chicken, veggie or bone broth
  • 1 med onion, diced
  • 2 med carrots, diced
  • 1 med celery stick, diced
  • 2 cups button mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 T fresh ginger, grated
  • ½ canned coconut cream
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • juice of one lime
  • ½ teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • (optional) chipotle pepper or red chili flake
  • a bunch of cilantro
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat
  2. Add onion, carrots and celery and sauté for 5 minutes
  3. Add mushrooms and ginger and sauté for another 5 minutes
  4. Add broth and bring to a boil
  5. Add chicken and lower heat to a simmer
  6. Cook for 10 minutes
  7. Add coconut cream, coriander, lime, fish sauce and salt
  8. Serve with cilantro and a dash of chipotle or chili flake

 

Vegan Pumpkin Smoothie

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Pumpkin Smoothie

I guess I am a little fall-obsessed right now. I think it’s because of the beautiful weather we’ve been having. In the past, it’s always felt like immediately after my birthday (10/13) the weather takes a giant poo and it’s cold and rainy till the inevitable snow. Not this year friends. It’s been 60 and gloriously sunny here in Minnesota. That means being outside as much as possible.

All week I’ve said to myself-

“Clean up the kitchen or go outside?”

“Fold laundry or go outside?”

“Put on some decent clothes or go outside?”

No joke. We just go outside. Decent clothing not required.

This explains my short recipe this week. It’s inspired from a Whole Foods Pumpkin Smoothie recipe that I tweaked. If you don’t like pumpkin pie or anything pumpkin, I’d steer clear friend. If you do, drink on up!

Pumpkin Smoothie
 
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Recipe type: Smoothie
Cuisine: American
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 cup of pumpkin puree
  • 1 ripe banana
  • ¾ canned coconut milk (I used TJ's coconut cream)
  • ½ water
  • 1-2 T maple syrup depending on your sweetness preference
  • 1 T ground flax seed
  • 1½ t pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 t vanilla
  • juice of one lemon wedge
  • 5 ice cubes
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients into blender and blend