Ginger – Lime Coleslaw (Whole 30)

Hey Guys, just a quick note to let you know I am going to be taking a little break for a while.  Both my best friends are going through some deep shit right now and I need to focus on being there for them in whatever way they need me to.  Right now, I only plan on being gone until September 1st but as I have have no idea how everything is going  to play out,  I reserve the right to extend that a bit.  Just know, that however long this takes, I will be back.

Ginger - Lime Coleslaw

• Difficulty: Easy
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1 cup shredded green cabbage

3/4 cup shredded carrot

1/2 cup shredded red cabbage

2 TBS chopped green onions

1 1/2 TBS lime juice

1 TBS olive oil

1 TBS chopped fresh cilantro

3/4 tsp grated ginger

1/4 tsp salt

pinch red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl; mix well.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Savory Pumpkin “Hummus” (Whole 30)

Pumpkin, not just for dessert anymore.  I didn’t plan to post 2 savory  pumpkin recipes in a row but I had  a half can of pumpkin leftover from Friday’s chili recipe and had to do something with it.  I didn’t want to bake anything. I know, weird, right?  I never don’t want to bake, except , apparently this morning.

On Friday, I bought a paleo cookbook from my favorite used bookstore, Books At A Fifth.  I remembered seeing a pumpkin recipe for hummus in it and thought, “Why not? The Pumpkin and Beef Chili recipe sounded absolutely weird but it was spectacular. This recipe is weird. Maybe this recipe will be spectacular too.”  I don’t know if i would call this hummus recipe spectacular but it is very good.  If you didn’t know it was made from pumpkin you would never guess.  It doesn’t taste like pumpkin.  The best thing about it is it is totally whole 30 compliant.

Savory Pumpkin Hummus

• Difficulty: Easy
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1 cup pure pumpkin puree

1 1/2 TBS chopped fresh parsley

1 1/2 TBS tahini

1 1/2 TBS lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt

pich black pepper

pinch red pepper

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.  Cover and refrigerate at least two two hours before serving.

Pumpkin and Beef Chili (Whole 30)

I am not the biggest fan of chili. I am not a huge fan of beans and everyone I know makes their chili so hot it makes me cry.  I like food to be flavorful not painful. However, I was intrigued by this chili recipe, Pumpkin and cinnamon in chili! This can’t possiblely be good, can it?? Yes, it can be good. It can be very good. The spice in this chili is more on the subtle side, which I love but if you need more punch use 1/4 – 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or hot green chilies instead of mild.

Pumpkin and Beef

• Difficulty: Easy
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adapted from Pretend It’s A Dounut

1 TBS oive oil

1 lb ground beef

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 4 oz can diced green chiies

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 tsp garlic powder

1 TBS cumin

1 TBS cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

pinch red pepper flakes

1 cup broth

In a 2 quart saucepan, heat the olive oil.  Add the onion, saute 3-5 minutes or until translucent. Add the ground beef and cook until almost done.  Add the tomatoes, chilies, pumpkin puree, garlic powder, cumin, cinnamon,salt, red pepper flakes, and broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes, stirring about every 10 minutes.

 

Pressure Cooker Thanksgiving Turkey Meatloaf (Whole 30)

Sometimes it is hard being a friend,not because you don’t want to be but because you don’t know how to be. Sometimes your friend is going through something that is just tearing her apart. I Know there is nothing I  can say or do to fix the situation or make it better for her and it makes me feel helpless and a failure as a friend. I know she doesn’t feel this way about me but it is how I feel about myself.

In my head, I know all I can do is be present when we are together, let her talk when she needs to talk, cry, if she needs to cry, ignore the whole sorry mess, when she needs to ignore it. It doesn’t feel like nearly  enough.

I think that is why I was so grateful on Sunday when she asked if I could come spend the night and help her get her apartment together before our friend comes to town this weekend. Finally, I have some concrete way I can help. I can do something for her that makes a difference. The whole time she was working in the living room and I was working in the kitchen she kept telling me she was sorry she asked me to do this, she should be able to clean her apartment on her own. I tried to tell her I don’t mind we all have times we can use a hand.

At various  times throughout my life I have had people who called themselves my friend for as long as I was happy, fun and willing to help them when they had difficulties.  As soon as I wasn’t happy and fun and couldn’t help them with their problems they didn’t want to be around me.  In my book, that isn’t a friend. A  friend is someone who is there in good times and bad even when it is hard. I hope  I am suceeding for her, even just a little bit.

Pressure Cooker Thanksgiving Turkey Meatloaf

• Difficulty: Easy
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adapted from The Big Book of Paleo Slow Cooking

1 TBS olive oil

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 lb ground turkey

3/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 celery stalk, diced small

1/2 tsp rubbed sage

1/2 tsp rosemary

1/8 tsp dried thyme

2-3 TBS dried cranberries

In a medium bowl, combine the onion, turkey, salt, pepper, celery, rubbed sage, rosemary, thyme, and cranberries.  Using your hands. gently combine the ingredients.  Don’t squish the meat between your fingers.  You don’t want tough, overworked turkey.  When the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, shape the meat into a loaf.  I use a 5′ x 3′ loaf pan to shape and cook my meatloaf.  You could free form it and cook it in any pan that fits your pressure cooker.  Lock the lid.  Bring to high pressure and cook for 5 minutes.  Natural release the pressure. 

Teryaki Chicken (Whole 30)

Hey Guys, if you have time, check out the Facebook page for Gallery 4 and see two of my feathered friends, Squeak and Beau, being extra cute and feathery.

So I can hear all you guys thinking, do I normally bring my bring my birds to art galleries? The answer is no but I was actually invited to bring my boys. A few weeks ago, my friend, Steph and I, were wondering around downtown after lunch. We ended up a Gallery 4 just looking around. There was an exhibit called For The Birds, which really spoke to me, of course.

I got to talking with the lady sitting at the front desk and discovered she was the artist who did all the bird pictures. I showed her pictures of Squeak and Beau. The artist said she always wanted to draw Cockatiels. I jokingly said if she needed live models, I would gladly bring them to the gallery.  I didn’t expect to get so excited about it and say sure bring them.

So this morning, I loaded Squeak and Beau into their carry box and headed for the bus.  I always love watching people’s reactions to seeing my birds.  People are always are always so surprised and delighted to see them.  Like there aren’t  birds flying around everyday.  I’ll admit my birds are exceptionally cute and feathery but not all that unusual.

I was a little worried about how they would behave in a strange environment around so many strange people after an unusual, for them, bus ride.  Squeak and Beau amazed me, as usual.  Once my friend, Steph, arrived and they got out of their travel box, they were exemplary gentlemen.  Squeak even let Marcy, the artist, take pictures and he hate cameras and phones with a mad passion.

Squeak and Beau enjoyed waddling around the gallery and looking at the pictures with me and Steph.  They enjoyed the attention, not only from Marcy, but from every person we came across who realized I had birds in that box.  It was quite the enjoyable way to spend the afternoon.

Teriyaki Chicken

• Difficulty: Easy
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adapted from I Heart Umami
1 1/2 lb chicken thighs with skin on

salt and pepper, taste

Toasted white sesame seeds, optional

Chopped scallions, optional

1 1/2 tsp ghee

Teriyaki sauce

3 1/2 TBS coconut aminos

1 TBS fish sauce

2 TBS apple cider vinegar

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

1 tsp grate fresh garlic

Pat and dry the  thighs and remove the bone.  Lightly season the chicken skin with salt.  Heat the 1 1/2   teaspoons  ghee over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken skin side down.  Fry until the skin is crispy about 10 minutes.  Flip the chicken thighs and fry until cooked through.  Set the chicken  aside and wipe out the pan .

To make the sauce, add the coconut aminos, fish sauce, apple cider vinegar, ginger and garlic to the pan.  Heat the sauce over medium to medium-low heat.  When the sauce starts to get thick, add the chicken back to the pan.  Coat the chicken with the sauce.

Wait 5 minutes before slicing  the chicken.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped scallions, if you want.