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Monthly Archives: February 2017
Chicken Pad Thai Squoodles
It’s ten days into no carbs, no dairy, and I’m dying. My noodle a week habit is the hardest to quit, and I’ve been craving pasta like no other. Well, I’ve been craving any sort of bread product. I’ve had several uncomfortable moments of staring sexually at a loaf of bread, and that awkward encounter at HEB where I just picked up a baguette and sniffed it. I need help. This recipe is legit, and I *almost* tricked myself into thinking I was eating noodles. Almost. If you have Veggie Noodle Company squoodles in your grocery produce section, snag them asap. We have the zucchini, butternut squash and sweet potato ones here–hoping they’ll start carrying the beet squoods soon.
Butternut Squash “Pad Thai”
- ½ C. creamy peanut butter
- ½ C. hot water
- ¼ C. sambal chili paste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbs. ginger paste
- ¼ C. low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbs. olive oil
- 1 package Veggie Noodle Co. Butternut Squash spirals
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 package Asian vegetables
- 1 lime
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk the first six ingredients together. Reserve half for dressing, and marinate the chicken breast in the other half. Once the chicken has marinated for 15 minutes, place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, flip and bake another 15 minutes. Remove and let it rest for 10 minutes, while you prepare your “noodles” and veggies. I usually use whatever fresh veggies I have left in the fridge (this is a good clean-out-your-fridge recipe), but a bag of Asian frozen vegetables works just as well. If you are using frozen veggies, steam them in the microwave according to the instructions. In a sauté pan, heat olive oil to medium heat and add in the squoodles. Sauté for 5 minutes, add in the vegetables, and cook another 30 seconds, then add in the rest of the sauce. Divide into two bowls, and top with the chicken and juice of a lime. You can sprinkle on some chopped nuts for crunch (my favorite are wasabi soy almonds).
Chimi-Chimi-Coco What? STEAK ‘n Potatoes
Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri
- 2 lb. skirt steak
- ½ C. red wine vinegar
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 tsp. crushed red pepper (less if you prefer less heat, can always add more once you try the sauce)
- 1 bunch cilantro
- ½ bunch parsley. Flat leaf is preferred, but our grocery didn’t have, so I used curly
- 2 tbs. chopped fresh oregano (if you cannot find fresh, use 2 tsp. dried—TEASPOON, not tbs. if dried)
- 1 c. olive oil
- 1 tsp. salt
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients except the oil and salt and pulse until herbs are roughly chopped, not completely broken down. Drizzle in the oil slowly, and add salt to taste. In a large bowl or ziplock, marinate the meat in half the chimichurri for at least 2 hours, but up to 24 hours. Heat your grill to high heat, and grill each side for 3 minutes until medium rare. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing and topping with the remaining chimichurri. Top with roasted garlic if wanted.
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Roasted garlic
- 2 heads of garlic
- 2 tbs. olive oil
- Salt to taste
Take a whole head of garlic and slice off the top third, exposing most of the clove. Drizzle with 1 tbs. olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. Wrap in foil and roast at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. I recommend roasting several heads of garlic at the beginning of the week and having it on hand. I always make at least 2 heads for the steak recipe.
Oven Fries
- 2 russet potatoes
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 4 tbs. olive oil
- 2 tsp. corn starch
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
- ½ tsp. cumin
- ½ tsp. paprika
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all the dry seasonings together and set aside. If you don’t care for those ingredients, make up your own seasoning, or use something you have on hand. Cut the potatoes in to equal sized sticks, I usually do .25” sticks. For the regular potatoes, soak in cold water for 30 minutes to remove excess starch. By doing this, you will get a much crispier fry, while still getting the soft and fluffy center. After 30 minutes, drain the water, and dry the potatoes as well as you can (blot with towels or paper towels). While those are soaking, toss the sweet potatoes with the corn starch, then toss with oil and spices. In a bowl, toss the regular potatoes with 2 tbs. olive oil and half the spice mixture. Place the regular potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (you might need two), making sure that the potatoes don’t touch. Bake, turning every 15 minutes, for 45-50 minutes. The sweet potatoes won’t need quite as much time, so bake, on parchment lined baking sheet, for 30-35 minutes, turning once or twice during cooking.
Chopped Salad
- 1 package arugula, chopped
- 1 package spinach, or mixed greens, chopped
- 8 slices bacon, cooked
- 1 large avocado, sliced
- 1 small container of shaved parmesan
- 2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbs. balsamic glaze (available with the vinegars)
Combine everything together and top with the oil and vinegar. Add salt and pepper as needed.
Pork for Piggies
Well, the months of November through January really kicked my ass. And by kicked my ass, I mean made my ass grow. And my belly. And my chin(s). It’s time for a serious detox. Which is why, for the month of February (aka the shortest month of the year), I am going to cut out dairy and processed carbs. I’m not doing Whole30 because I love alcohol and truvia and diet coke, but I am going to try and start eating way healthier. So, before I started this healty eating (it’s literally been less than 6 hours), I made some delicious pork Bolognese for dinner while it was still January. It doesn’t suck, and serves about 6, with some definite leftovers. Wish me luck without my favorite food groups this month. I don’t know if I’ll make it. **UPDATE: I made it til exactly 8:15 before I messed up….I went to give my babe cheerios and tasted a few to make sure they weren’t stale. I spit them out, so it doesn’t count, but Crawdad definitely is claiming an early victory. Damnit. Anyways—here’s the recipe! If you have any non dairy, non carb recipes, hit me up @ thewifewithaknife@gmail.com. Also-please excuse the less than stellar pics…I must have eaten my camera, because I can’t seem to locate it.
For the pork Bolognese and pasta…
- 5 lbs. ground pork
- 1 tsp. garlic salt
- 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 10 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 large cans San Marzano crushed tomatoes
- 8 basil leaves, chopped
- 1 lb. whole wheat gemelli pasta (fusilli if they don’t have gemelli)
For the whipped ricotta…
- 1 container of low fat ricotta cheese (usually 15oz)
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tbs. heavy cream
- Squeeze of lemon juice
In a large skillet on medium heat, brown the ground pork for 5 minutes, stirring in the seasonings (garlic salt, pepper, crushed red pepper). It’s ok if the pork isn’t cooked through-it will cook more as the sauce simmers. Sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil in a larger stock pot or Dutch oven until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in the red wine, and cook for 5 minutes, until the wine has reduced almost all the way. Add in the crushed tomatoes, ground pork and basil and simmer on lowest setting for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. If you have a crock pot, you can put the sauce in there and cook for 4 hours on low (I’d recommend this way). Cook your pasta according to the directions on the box, cooking times varies for different brands. While your pasta is cooking, combine all the ingredients for the whipped ricotta in a bowl and either whip by hand or with a hand mixer until all the ingredients are combined. You will definitely have leftover ricotta mixture, which you can add spices to and make a yummy dip with later in the week! Top the pasta with your sauce and garnish with a spoonful of whipped ricotta. Enjoy!