Category Archives: Food

Soft Boiled Eggs + Bacon on Avocado Toast…Breakfast for dinner!

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Breakfast for dinner, you say?  Yes, please!  It’s healthy, easy, and delicious.

When the Huz is out of town, and we don’t have the boys Maya asks for this a lot, and I couldn’t be happier to make it 😉

I honestly think soft boiled eggs, bacon, and avocado each on their own make any dish better, so putting them all together in one dish??  Y-U-M-M-Y!Blog Soft Boiled Egg Bacon on Avocado Toast-1 Blog Soft Boiled Egg Bacon on Avocado Toast-2I don’t think there’s any big secret on how to make this, except maybe how to soft boil an egg.  I like doing it this way sometimes vs over easy in the frying pan.  There’s less mess to clean up, and it’s easier to cook multiple eggs.

  • Bring water to a boil.  Lightly place all eggs into the water and let boil for 7 minutes.  Remove all the eggs that you want to have a runny yolk, and run cold water over them.  If you have a toddler or anyone else that wants their eggs a little more cooked, leave those eggs in the water, but remove it from the heat.  While you are peeling your soft boiled eggs, they will continue to cook in the water.  Take the other ones out after another minute or two and you’ll get a yolk like this.

Blog Soft Boiled Egg Bacon on Avocado Toast-3Enjoy!dit-elle-Lauren

Popcorn Ball Snowmen!

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Blog DIY Paleo Healthy Popcorn Ball Snowman-1I posted last week how to make these Healthy Popcorn Balls.

To be honest, I always had these envisioned in the back of my mind.  Weird?  Yes, but that’s me!

This was one of those times that I actually thought of an idea, and it ended up turning out pretty close to what I envisioned!!  Because obviously…that doesn’t always happen-proof here. 😉Blog DIY Paleo Healthy Popcorn Ball Snowman-2What you need…

  • Healthy Popcorn Balls
  • Pretzel Sticks
  • Chocolate Chips
  • Baby Carrots (cut into tiny slivers)
  • Seaweed (you could also use fruit leather!)

What to do…

  • Tightly pack 3 balls in varying sizes.  Stick all the various body parts in, and then pray he doesn’t fall over or fall apart hahaha.  Truth be told, mine kept falling over, and eventually fell apart.  Maya didn’t care!  She thought it was super cool and fun…so I’m still counting it as a WIN!!

Enjoy!dit-elle-Lauren

Healthy Popcorn Balls

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I’ll admit.  I didn’t think anything could replace ooey gooey sticky sugary marshmallows for popcorn balls, BUT….these are so dang good!  No refined sugar, yet naturally sweetened with Raw Honey-YUM!!  Oh, and 3 ingredients for the WIN!!Blog Paleo Healthy Popcorn Balls-5 Blog Paleo Healthy Popcorn Balls-6 Blog Paleo Healthy Popcorn Balls-7What you need… (made 15 balls)

  • 10 Cups of Popcorn (ok, so I cheated and used Skinny Pop)  Yes, I could have easily popped my own, and it’s SO unlike me to pay more for something I can do myself.  This is the exception.  I eat it everyday, and being able to just pour some into my bowl in 15 seconds?  WORTH EVERY PENNY!  And, it only has 3 ingredients too, so… :))  Oh, and 10 cups is a rough guestimate when you have a toddler reaching in and eating as we went… 😉
  • 1/4 Coconut Oil
  • 1/2 Raw Honey

What to do…

  • Melt coconut oil and honey together in a saucepan.Blog Paleo Healthy Popcorn Balls-1
  • Drizzle over the bowl of popcorn, stirring as you go.  Then get down and dirty with your hands to make sure all the popcorn is evenly coated.Blog Paleo Healthy Popcorn Balls-2
  • Put the bowl into the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to let it cool/solidify a little.
  • Scoop out in 1/2 scoops and really pack them into the balls.  They are still a little crumbly, and you need to reeeeeeally pack them.  I tried to let Maya help, but it really was more for her to feel included.  Hers just kept falling apart…aka…she ate as she packed. 😉Blog Paleo Healthy Popcorn Balls-3
  • Refrigerate until you eat, and enjoy!! Blog Paleo Healthy Popcorn Balls-4Check back, because I made the cutest little DIY edible craft out of these.  I honestly couldn’t believe it turned out exactly like I pictured in my head-that RARELY happens haha! 🙂

Enjoy!dit-elle-Lauren

Paleo Breakfast for Champions

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This is one of my favorite breakfasts – super quick and easy, healthy and tasty!

paleo breakfast eggs and veggies blog (2) paleo breakfast eggs and veggies blog (1)

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1-2 cloves garlic
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Fresh cut vegetables of your choice

Directions

  • Melt butter in pan, add sliced garlic and let saute for ~ 1 minute on medium heat (don’t let turn brown)
  • Crack eggs into pan and whisk with fork
  • Cook until firm and starting to brown
  • Serve with fresh veggies
  • Voila! Easy!

dit-elle-Esther

Baked Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Onion and…BACON!

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Because really…everything is better with bacon haha.  At least when you have teenage boys and want them to eat vegetables 😉

Blog Baked Brussels Sprouts Cauliflower Broccoli Bacon Paleo Whole30-1

What you need…

  • 1 head of broccoli
  • 1 head of cauliflower
  • 1 strand or bag of Brussels Sprouts
  • One Medium sized onion (really any kind would be good!)
  • 2 pieces of uncooked bacon
  • 1/2 cup of Olive Oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic (or more if you like!)
  • Juice from half a lemon
  • Sea Salt and Pepper to tasteBlog Baked Brussels Sprouts Cauliflower Broccoli Bacon Paleo Whole30-2

What to do…

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Cut both broccoli and cauliflower into bit sized pieces.
  • Cut ends of the Brussels Sprouts and peel off the outter layer.  Then cut in half.
  • Dice onion into 1/2 inch wedges.
  • Scatter all the veggies on a baking sheet.
  • Dice bacon into 1/2 by 1/4 inch slices and scatter over the veggies.
  • Mix Olive Oil, Garlic, and Lemon in a bowl.
  • Pour the mixture over the veggies and toss until they are all coated.  You may need a little extra olive oil to drizzle over.  Salt and pepper to liking.
  • Bake for 25-35 minutes.  I like mine a little more charred, but others don’t, so I do a happy medium 🙂Blog Baked Brussels Sprouts Cauliflower Broccoli Bacon Paleo Whole30-3Thanks to my mom for the inspiration!

ENJOY!dit-elle-Lauren

Turkey and Potato Soup with Canadian Bacon and Sage

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Still have turkey leftovers? This is a fabulous soup to use some of those leftovers. Canadian bacon or pancetta gives the soup a great well rounded flavor and the mashed potatoes and turkey gives it a sense of comfort and warmth. The sage just makes it additionally interesting. A great fall or winter soup!

turkey potato sage soup blog (2) turkey potato sage soup blog (1)

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • 1 large carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
  • 1 or more oz Canadian bacon, chopped
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 3 cups chopped cooked turkey (I cubed it, but think it would be good shaved as well)
  • 2 1/2 cups mashed cooked peeled baking potatoes
  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage and additional fresh sage leaves for garnish
  • fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions

  • Heat butter in large pot, add onions and cook for a few minutes
  • Add celery, carrots, bacon and cook for another 5 minutes until onions are translucent
  • Add broth, turkey, potatoes and sage, stirring with whisk until blended
  • Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes
  • Garnish with fresh sage

This soup freezes very well!

dit-elle-Esther

Winter Squash and Apple Soup

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Washington State is the apple capital of the world and are lucky to get an abundance of different varieties, especially in fall! This is a lovely soup using apples and celeriac (celery root) as the main ingredients. It is wonderful served simply with fresh apples and drizzled with olive oil, or make a full meal out of it by serving with some Winter Squash and Apple Galette or Bacon Wrapped Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates! 🙂

wintersquash and apple soup blog (2)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 pounds celeriac, peeled and diced
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
3 apples – peeled, cored and diced and more for garnish
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 to 6 cups vegetable stock
Truffle or olive oil, to garnish
Preparation
Heat oil in a heavy stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leeks and cook until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and bay leaf, cooking for 1 additional minute. Add celeriac, potatoes and apples; cook until soft, about 10 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper and deglaze the pot with wine, cooking until almost evaporated. Pour in enough vegetable stock to cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until celeriac and potatoes are very tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove bay leaf and let soup cool slightly. Carefully puree soup until smooth (either with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender or food processor). Return soup to the stove to reheat, adding additional stock if too thick. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. To serve, drizzle with truffle or olive oil and fresh slices of apple.

Thanks PCC Natural Markets!

dit-elle-Esther

Spaghetti Squash with Chicken Sausage, Carrots, and Avocado

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I don’t know why it took me so long to try spaghetti squash, but now that I have…I’m hooked!!

I won’t lie and tell you that it tastes like pasta, or that you will never crave pasta again, but…it’s a great healthy alternative, and a great way to get your kiddos to eat veggies!

I’m pretty lucky that Maya will eat just about everything.  She will even sit down with a bowl of raw veggies as a snack!  The teenage boys are another matter.  I have to figure out ways to hide veggies in things.  The first few times I made this, I added about half a box of veggie pasta, and they devoured it!!  I made this version when it was just me and Maya.  She devoured it, and I think I might actually try it out on the boys!   Or…add some quinoa?  Really, you can add whatever you want or eat as is!

The avocado adds a creamy healthy fat.  I mean…what isn’t better with avocado on top??!Blog Whole 30 Paleo Spaghetti Squash with Carrots and Avocado-1 Blog Whole 30 Paleo Spaghetti Squash with Carrots and Avocado-2What you need…

  • 1 spaghetti squash
  • 4-5 Pre-cooked Chicken Sausages (I used True Story Organic Italian Chicken Sausages)
  • 1/2 a large yellow onion (or one small) diced
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1/4 Teaspoon crushed garlic (not necessary)
  • Large Handful of baby carrots sliced 4 ways lengthwise (use pre-shredded to save time!)
  • 1 Jar of your favorite Pasta Sauce (check labels if you are strict on paleo or whole 30)
  • 1 Large Avocado

What you do…

  • Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
  • Cut the ends off your spaghetti squash, cut lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds.
  • Place it flesh side down in a pan that has about 1/4 of water.  I like to sprinkle sea salt and thyme in the water, because I swear the squash absorbs some of it!  You could use any kind of herb!  Cover with tin foil and bake for 35-40 minutes or until flesh is soft.
  • While the spaghetti squash is cooking, dice up your onions, and add it to a large pan with a little bit of olive oil and crushed garlic.
  • While the onions are cooking cut up your baby carrots, or add the shredded carrots in after the onions have been cooking for about 5 minutes.
  • While the onions and carrots are cooking, dice up your chicken sausage.
  • Add the chicken sausage into the mix and stir until hot.
  • Add the jar of pasta sauce and let it simmer until the spaghetti squash is done.
  • Once spaghetti squash is done, take it out and let it cool for about 5 minutes.  I usually am too impatient and just hold it with an oven mitt haha 🙂
  • Scrape the insides of the squash out into your pan.  You can get almost ALL the flesh out, leaving only a thin skin.
  • Toss it all together, and top with diced avocado!

Blog Whole 30 Paleo Spaghetti Squash with Carrots and Avocado-3It’s been so cold and blustery here in Seattle.  2 bowls of this, and a cozy blanket just sounded like heaven.  And..it was 🙂 Blog Whole 30 Paleo Spaghetti Squash with Carrots and Avocado-4 Blog Whole 30 Paleo Spaghetti Squash with Carrots and Avocado-5Ps- Don’t be afraid to let your children help you.  Maya wanted to help me stir, and at first I thought about all the different ways she could make a mess-PASTA SAUCE!  Then…I put an apron on her and let her.  Her exact words.

“Oh BOY!  This is AWESOME!!!”

Blog Cooking with Toddlers(taken with my phone)  And the hand behind her back??  LOVE!!!

Enjoy!dit-elle-Lauren

Winter Squash and Apple Galette

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This week I’m featuring two recipes using winter squash and apples! Today a Galette (French for a flat round pastry or bread) and on Thursday, check back for Winter Squash and Apple Soup. These dishes are excellent served together as a meal or as separate dishes! I made these for lunch recently when we were having one of the first damp, cold and rainy days here in Seattle. It was a wonderful meal to cheer up the day. 🙂

This is a great recipe for leftover roasted squash since you do need to cook it before putting into the shell here, but it is otherwise quick and easy to assemble!

winter squash and apple pie (2) winter squash and apple pie (1)

Ingredients

  • 1 pound winter squash – peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
  • 1/2 apple – halved, cored and cut into thin wedges
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (or parmesan works great as well)
  • 1 prepared pie crust (I use a gluten free version)
  • 1 egg yolk plus 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)

Preparation

  • Preheat oven to 400° F.
  • Toss squash with oil, salt and pepper. Roast in oven until tender, about 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add apples and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat; toss with squash and blue cheese.
  • Place pie crust flat on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Mound squash mixture in the middle of crust, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold border over filling, pleating the edge (the center will be open). Brush edges with egg wash.
  • Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cut into wedges before serving.

Super Mom Tip: 1) Use leftover baked squash and save a step! 2) Don’t have time to work on the pleating and egg washing the crust? I didn’t either. I just tossed the filling and baked it in the crust and voila! I’m sure it tastes just as good!

Thanks to and inspired by the recipe on PCC Natural Markets!

dit-elle-Esther

Bacon Wrapped Goat Cheese Dates

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What’s better than Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates and Bacon Wrapped Dates? Throw all those ingredients together and make Bacon Wrapped Goat Cheese Dates! 🙂 These are so tasty, and a perfect dish for the upcoming holiday season! I like to serve these as an appetizer, or together with a light soup like a squash, mushroom or other mild soup!

bacon wrapped dates with goat cheese (1)

Ingredients

  • 12 dates, pitted
  • 6 strips of bacon, cut in half
  • small block of goat cheese
  • Fresh thyme as garnish (optional)

Directions

  • Stuff dates with goat cheese
  • Wrap one 1/2 slice of bacon around tightly
  • Bake for ~20 minutes at 400 degrees or until bacon is crispy and starting to turn brown

Enjoy!

dit-elle-Esther