Perfect Oven-Roasted Brussel Sprouts

If you're like me and you HATED (with a passion) brussel sprouts when you were a kid, you have to try them now!  A friend turned me onto them recently and I absolutely LOVE them!

I'll be honest, they make your house STINK like cabbage, but to me, it's worth it!  My kids complain, but they don't have to eat them!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

PERFECT OVEN-ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS

Brussel sprouts
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt

1)  Wash the brussel sprouts and cut them into halves or quarters if they are large.

2)  Place them in an even layer on a large baking sheet and drizzle with a good amount of olive oil.

3)  Sprinkle evenly with kosher salt.

4)  Bake at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until tender.

NOTES:

~It's not an exact science, so there are no amounts for this recipe!  I like to buy bagged brussel sprouts from Trader Joe's and I usually use two bags when I make them.  They keep nicely and reheat well, so I refrigerate the leftovers in a glass container for up to a week.

~You can adjust the salt to your liking or try different seasonings, like garlic salt.

Maple-Glazed Pork Chops

I have made this before and I guess I forgot to add the recipe to my blog!  I made it again last night, SO easy and delicious!  I serve the meat to my kids without the sauce, but last night, my oldest asked for sauce and he loved it, score!

I know you'll love this recipe!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

PS: The recipe comes from The Kid-Friendly ADHD & Autism Cookbook, by Pamela J. Compart and Dana Laake

MAPLE-GLAZED PORK CHOPS

1 cup gluten-free chicken broth
3/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon safflower oil
4 boneless pork chops, 1 inch thick

1)  Whisk together the chicken broth, maple syrup, vinegar, dry mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl and set aside.

2)  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Season the pork chops with salt and pepper on both sides and carefully add to the hot pan.

3)  Cook for 4 minutes, or until browned on one side.  Flip chops, add glaze ingredients and reduce heat to medium; cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until pork registers 140 degrees in the center.

4)  Remove chops and cover with foil to keep warm.  Continue cooking glaze, uncovered, until thickened (adding any accumulated pork juices), 5 to 8 minutes.

5)  Pour glaze over chops and serve.

Notes:

~I highly recommend using pure maple syrup.  It's worth the extra expense if you can afford it!  If not, no worries, it will still taste delicious!

~You can use other oils if you don't have safflower oil.

~The sauce does NOT thicken, so I mixed about 2 tablespoons of cornstarch (or you can use another gluten-free flour) in a small bowl with about 2 tablespoons of water, mixed well, then added to the sauce.  It thickens up nicely then.  You can serve any extra sauce over rice or noodles.

Oven-Roasted Spiced Carrots

I made these for dinner tonight with Maple-Glazed Pork Chops and they were awesome!!  Super tender, flavorful and a little spicy too!  Yum!  My kids can't stand cooked carrots, so on nights when I make them, they eat raw carrots!  Hey, I pick my battles - at least they are eating them!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

PS: This recipe comes from the Feb./Mar. 2015 issue of Taste of Home magazine.

OVEN-ROASTED SPICED CARROTS

2 pounds medium carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash ground cloves
Dash cayenne pepper

1)  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, toss carrots with oil.

2)  Mix seasonings; sprinkle over carrots and toss to coat.

3)  Arrange carrots in a single layer in a 15x10x1 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray  Roast 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.

NOTES:

~You could also use coconut oil.

Fajita Burgers

I made these burgers for dinner the other night and they were delicious!  It was a nice change from our "standard" burgers.  I made the plain burgers for my kids and made these for my husband and I.  I also made extras and froze them.  They are easy and delicious!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

PS: The recipe comes from Make Ahead Paleo cookbook, by Tammy Credicott.

FAJITA BURGERS

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
1/3 cup diced green bell pepper
2 pounds ground beef
1 egg
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1)  In a skillet, over medium heat, melt the coconut oil.

2)  Add the onion and peppers, and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until softened.  Set aside to cool.

3)  In a large bowl, place the ground beef, egg, cilantro, garlic, cumin, chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, sea salt and pepper.

4)  When the onion and peppers are cool enough to handle, spoon them into the beef mixture and mix gently with your hands until it's well combined.

5)  Divide the meat mixture into 6 equal parts, and shape them into patties with your hands.

6)  Grill over medium -high heat until burgers are cooked through, approximately 4 minutes per side.

7)  To freeze, wrap burgers individually in Press N Seal or plastic wrap and place in the freezer.

NOTES:

~I made 8 quarter pound burgers, instead of 6.

Spicy Asian Pork Filling

I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious!  I used tortillas for my boys and I used lettuce to make lettuce wraps for myself, since I am not eating corn right now.  I loved the salty taste from the soy sauce and the ginger and chili sauce give it so much flavor!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

PS: The recipe comes from the cook book, Crock Pot, The Original Slow Cooker Recipe Collection.

SPICY ASIAN PORK FILLING

1 boneless pork sirloin roast (about 3 lbs.)
1/2 cup gluten-free soy sauce
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce or chili paste
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

For thickening:

2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

1)  Spray slow cooker with non-stick spray for easier clean-up.

2)  Place roast in slow cooker, fat side up.

3)  In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, chili sauce and ginger.  Pour over the roast.

4)  Cook on low setting for 8 hours or until the roast breaks apart easily with a fork.

5)  Remove the roast to a cutting board; cool slightly.  Trim and discard any excess fat.  Shred pork with two forks.  Let cooking liquid stand 5 minutes to allow fat to rise.  Skim off and discard fat.

6)  Stir water, cornstarch and oil in a small bowl until smooth; whisk into cooking liquid.  Turn slow cooker to High.  Cook, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until thickened.

7)  Return shredded pork to slow cooker; mix well.  Cover and cook on High 15 - 30 minutes until heated through.

NOTES:

~To save on time, I did not thicken the sauce and it was fine, but just a bit runnier.  I drained it before putting it on my tortilla/lettuce leaf.

Kirsten's Favorite Salad

After going Paleo recently (for elimination diet/allergy purposes), I came up with this little salad.  It's one of my favorite lunches!  I hope you like it!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

KIRSTEN'S FAVORITE SALAD

2-3 cups of your favorite greens
1 cup grilled chicken, chopped
1/2 cup of your favorite cheese, shredded or crumbled
1/2 cup small broccoli florets
1/8 cup sunflower seeds
1/8 cup fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons poppy seed dressing

1)  Place the greens in a large bowl or plate and top with the other ingredients.

2)  Toss with the dressing and enjoy!

NOTES:

~I like to use a variety of greens such as, baby spinach, kale, butter lettuce and romaine.

~For the chicken, I grill up 5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts at a time, lightly seasoned with a little salt and paprika.  I chop them and put them into baggies in 1 cup servings, then I freeze them until I'm ready to use them.

~I like to use Monterey jack or Colby cheese.  I used to buy pre shredded, but after realizing they add a filler to keep the cheese from sticking together, I buy it in bricks and shred it myself, it's more natural that way.  This would also be delicious with bleu or gorgonzola cheese!  If you go that route, I might change the poppy seed to a raspberry vinaigrette!

~I had fresh blueberries from Michigan, but you could really use any berry in this recipe.  You can play with it and omit or add whatever you like!  This mix is just one of my favorites.

My Favorite Berry Smoothie

This is a delicious smoothie with just a few ingredients!  You are going to love it!

Enjoy!
Kirsten

MY FAVORITE BERRY SMOOTHIE

1 cup unsweetened plain kefir
1 cup frozen mixed berries
1 medium size banana
1 teaspoon Truvia

1)  Place all ingredients in a blender and blend well.

2)  Pour into a glass through a fine mesh strainer to separate the seeds.

NOTES:

~I used Lifeway brand kefir.

~I used a blueberry, black berry, raspberry blend from Costco.

~I freeze my over ripe bananas and use them for my smoothies.  Just remove from the freezer and microwave for about 30 -60 seconds, then rip the stem off and squeeze the banana into the blender.  It will be runny, that's okay!