Tag Archives: protein

Oat Waffles with Cream and Berries

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This might be the fastest waffle batter ever! You put five ingredients in a blender until smooth and then start filling your waffle iron! The waffles are moist, high in protein, and the perfect base for any topping. We like whipped cream and fresh or frozen berries! Power breakfast for everyone! Enjoy! 🙂

protein waffles with berries cream blog

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs
  • 2 cups cottage cheese (I did not have this, so used 1 cup milk – it worked GREAT!)
  • 2 cups quick cook oats
  • 1/4 cup golden flax seed (ground)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

  • Combine eggs, cottage cheese (or milk), oats, flax seed and vanilla in blender until smooth
  • Pour about 1/2 cup of the mixture into the waffle iron and cook until golden brown
  • Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy! 🙂

dit-elle-Esther

Poached Chicken

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This is a staple recipe in my house and a great way to prepare chicken. I like to make a big batch and freeze in small containers. Hungry toddler? No problem! Heat up the chicken and some veggies or make a chicken and cheese quesadilla.. and you have a quick and healthy dinner.

I also like this as a base recipe for tacos – poach the chicken, shred it, and then add taco seasoning!

poached chicken blog (2) poached chicken blog (1)

Ingredients

  • Whole chicken or 4 large chicken breasts
  • 1 onion, roughly sliced
  • Water

Directions

  • Put everything in a pot and add water till it almost covers the chicken
  • Bring to a boil and let simmer for 45-60 minutes
  • Remove chicken, put on a plate and let cool
  • Once cool enough to handle, de-bone the chicken and remove skin
  • Shred meat with a fork and put back in a new pot
  • Add 1/2 cup of the chicken stock back and bring to a simmer – add additional spices as desired
  • As for the rest of the liquid (in original pot), remove onions, but save the liquid as this is excellent chicken stock that you can freeze and use later

dit-elle-Esther

Sage and Rosemary Turkey Breakfast Sausage

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The sage give these a delicious “breakfast sausage” flavor. Excellent served with Parsley, Cilantro and Tarragon Pesto.

turkey breakfast sausage with sage blog (2)turkey breakfast sausage with sage blog (1)

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
  • 2 Tbsp minced fresh sage
  • 1 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil or coconut oil

Directions

  • Combine turkey, sage, rosemary, honey, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly
  • Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, form the mixture into 8 patties
  • Heat oil in large skillet over medium low heat
  • Cook patties, turning them once and pressing down to flatten, approx. 5-8 mins per side or until golden and crispy (mine turned out more steamed then crispy, but were still good!)
  • Serve and enjoy!

Thanks for the inspiration Paleo Cooking from Elana’s Pantry.

dit-elle-Esther

Bacon Avocado Chipotle Sweet Potato Burger

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Bacon avocado chipotle sauce sweet potato burger with asparagus!? What? Yes! Because all of these flavors are awesome together and this is a fabulous paleo dinner!

When I first went strict gluten free years ago because of a severe allergy (and I avoid most grains and legumes for health reasons) I had no idea how I would “survive without bread”. I loved it and flour and gluten is in “everything”! Well, I’ve learned a lot about gluten free and paleo cooking over the years, was in part inspiration for this blog with Lauren, and this is just one example of how a burger can be totally delicious.. without the bun and with more veggies! Enjoy. 🙂

paleo bacon avocado sweetpotato burger blog (2)paleo bacon avocado sweetpotato burger blog (1)IMG_1546

Ingredients

  • Hamburgers (fried or grilled)
  • Bacon strips (cooked)
  • Sweet potato rounds (peel potatoes, slice in 1/2 rounds, bake on oiled baking pan for ~20 minutes
  • Avocado slices
  • Chipotle sauce (1/4 cup mayo + 1/2 tsp taco or chipotle spice whisked together and refrigerated until ready to use)
  • Fresh steamed or grilled asparagus

Directions

  • Stack items as desired, smother in the chipotle sauce and serve!
  • Enjoy with a chilled beverage, my favorite is pear or apple cider! 🙂

 

dit-elle-Esther

Baked Bacon

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Ever felt stumped when trying to make more than a few strips of bacon, perhaps for a big breakfast, brunch or party? I usually microwave bacon, occasionally will fry it, but that works best in small batches and ends up taking a while and sometimes making a mess! Baked bacon to the rescue!

This is a super simple way to cook bacon! You’ll need a large glass dish (9″ x 13″) and you’ll simply lay the strips of bacon side by side – bake it in a hot oven until desired crispiness and then remove, let drain on paper towels and voila!

baked bacon blog

Ingredients

  • Bacon

Directions

  • Heat oven to 400*
  • I recommend using a large dish with sides, e.g. a 9″ x 13″ glass dish
  • Lay strips of bacon side by side and bake for 20 minutes or until desired crispiness is reached

Serve with.. pretty much anything! 🙂

dit-elle-Esther

Sweet Potato Hash with Spinach and Eggs

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Good morning! Sweet potatoes, sausage, egg and greens tossed in a skillet makes an excellent breakfast. There are a few steps, so this is a great weekend breakfast to make during that first cup or two of coffee. 😉 Paleo, gluten free, and wonderful served with fresh fruit or berries!

yam spinach egg hash blog (3) yam spinach egg hash blog (2) yam spinach egg hash blog (1)

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons high-heat oil, divided
  • 1 pound fresh sausage (optional)
  • 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 pounds garnet or jewel yams, or sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 bunch spinach or kale, tough stems removed and leaves chopped
  • Salt, black pepper, and/or red chili flakes to taste
  • 4 eggs

Directions

  • Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage (if using); crumble and cook until no longer pink. Add onion, garlic and cook until onion is soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove mixture from pan.
  • Heat remaining oil in skillet and add yams. Cook until golden and tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Return sausage mixture to the skillet. Stir in spinach or kale and toss with potatoes and meat. Now, using a spoon, make 4 shallow indentations in the hash and crack 1 egg into each indentation. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until whites are set, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
  • Enjoy!

Thanks PCC Natural Markets for the inspiration (modified and shortened recipe from the original and it was still great)!

dit-elle-Esther

Winter Greens Casserole Made Easy

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I LOVE winter greens and if you’re wondering what winter greens are think chard (rainbow or swiss) or kale or those types of leafy greens. So I read this recipe that took sausage, onions, winter greens and sautéed it all.. and then you put it in a casserole dish and poured cream all over it and topped it with cheese. While that was super delicious, but WAY too rich and a few steps too many, I simplified the recipe with the option (of course! :)) of adding cream and cheese or not!

winter greens and sausage blog (2) winter greens and sausage blog (1)

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter, plus extra for dish
  • 2 shallots, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound bulk Italian sausage (or pre-cooked sausages like roasted red pepper turkey, feta and spinach, etc.. there’s a great selection out there and if you get something pre-cooked you are also saving some cooking time)
  • 3 pounds braising greens (kale, mustard, chard, collard, etc.), tough stems removed and leaves, cut into small pieces
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
  • Red chili flakes (optional)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Additional optional steps for Baked Casserole version

  • 1/2 cup chicken stock (optional, see below)
  • 1 cup heavy cream (optional, see below)
  • 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese (I used Parmesan)

Preparation

  • In a skillet, melt butter and add shallots and garlic and cook for a few minutes until fragrant but not starting to brown
  • Stir in sausage and cook, breaking into small pieces, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain off fat, if desired.
  • Add braising greens, in batches, stirring until cooked down. When all greens have been added, cook and stir for 5 minutes; season with nutmeg, salt and pepper and red chili flakes.
  • This is where I stop and serve with freshly grated Parmesan! Voila! Finished!
  • But if you want to get fancy, add chicken stock and cook 5 additional minutes. Transfer greens to the prepared dish. Drizzle with cream and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cream is bubbling and cheese is golden, 20 to 30 minutes.

 

Thanks PCC Natural Markets for this one!

dit-elle-Esther

 

Pulled Pork and Coleslaw Sliders

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So I’ve made various pulled pork crock pot recipes in the past, and while those are more of the BBQ saucy style, I wanted something to use to make sliders.. with coleslaw and fresh rolls! This is a GREAT recipe just for that! Make your coleslaw the night before, set the pulled pork ingredients in the crockpot in the morning and let it do all the work! Easy dinner! And excellent for leftovers.

pork shoulder slider blog

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ cup honey
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, peeled and cut in half
  • 3 to 3 ½ pounds pork shoulder, cut in half

Instructions

  • In a medium size mixing bowl, mix together the first six ingredients (all of the spices) with a fork.
  • Pour in the honey, vinegar, and olive oil and stir to form a paste.
  • Place the onion in the bottom of the slow cooker. Top it with the 2 pieces of pork and then pour the honey paste over all sides of the pork pieces. It’s okay if some of it (or a lot of it) just drips down to the bottom.
  • Turn the slow cooker on to low and cook for 7 to 8 hours or until the meat is tender enough to be easily shredded with a fork.
  • Serve warm with coleslaw and rolls.
  • Ps. Minus the rolls, this is a great paleo dish! 🙂 Serve with some optional avocado on the side (because avocado goes with almost everything!).

Thank you 100 Days of Real Food!

dit-elle-Esther

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

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