Recipe Collection: Real Food Adapted Shrimp Alfredo

NanaPop headed home today at nap time. Two very sad little girls fought their hardest but finally succumbed to sleep. I followed a direct order given by my husband to lay down and try to sleep. (My feet and legs are swelling this pregnancy, something ELSE completely new).  I woke up an hour and a half later and all I could think about was Shrimp Alfredo.

I decided that I MUST have it for dinner. I've never made this dish, so I did a little Googling. There were lots of blogs that told you to use store bought cheese sauce- EEWW! I dug a little deeper and  gained a basic understanding of how to make a sauce come together.  Then, I ran to the store and got cooking.

 Here's what I ended up with and it was TASTY!

Real Food Adapted Shrimp Alfredo

Preparation Time: 
20 mins

Cook Time: 
25 mins

Total Time:
45 mins

Allergens:
Dairy, Shellfish

Ingredients:

• 1 cup organic half and half
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp freshly cut organic Oregano
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 tbsp organic or local butter
• 1 pound shrimp (local is best for us to guarantee freshness)
• Real Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions:

1. Place 1 tbsp butter in a pot or skillet (I used enameled cast iron) on low and let it melt.
2. Peel and mince 1 garlic clove. Add it to the melted butter and stir.
3. Peel and mince the remaining 5 cloves of garlic and set aside.
4. Chop 1 tbsp of oregano and add it to the garlic and butter.
5. Chop the 2nd tbsp of oregano and set aside.
6. Add 1 cup of organic half and half to the butter, garlic, and oregano. Slowly whisk. 
7. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper to the pot. Continue to whisk.
8. Begin adding the grated Parmesan to the sauce, 2 tbsp at a time, whisking constantly. The sauce will begin to thicken as you add the cheese.
9. When your sauce has thickened, cover it and remove it from heat. (This process took me 10 minutes.)
10. Haul out the dutch oven over med-low heat and begin melting 2 tbsp of butter in it.
11. Add the 5 cloves of minced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
12. Add the 2nd tbsp of oregano to the butter and garlic. Stir and let it cook for 2 minutes.
13. Add the shrimp to the pot along withe the last tbsp of butter. Stir. 
14. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Stir.
15. Let the shrimp cook until completely pink- about 7-10 minutes.
16. Add the thickened sauce to the dutch oven and stir. Let this cook together for a few minutes. Then turn off the heat. 
17. Add cooked pasta* of your choice to the pot and mix until thoroughly covered. 
18. Place in serving bowl.
19. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

*I made this with some organic rice flour angel hair pasta because I couldn't find any rice fettuccine at the store. Next time I will be sure to use the fettuccine noodle because I think it will hold the sauce much better.

This dish was a hit- Miss Roo especially loved the shrimp ;) How could they not love a meal made of their favorites things- milk, cheese, and noodles! It was all gone so quickly that it slipped my mind to take a photo of anything. Miss Moo helped Daddy made a salad and we had watermelon for dessert. 

Spring is almost here! I can't wait for more simple, fresh ingredient meals with all the local goodies starting to pop up.

Have you ever made an Alfredo sauce? What is your favorite way to eat shrimp?

Recipe Collection: Snow Means SOUP! - Real Food Chicken Noodle Soup

The picture quality on all these is terrible because I was using my 3 year old's adventure camera.

It poured snow - much to our surprise -yesterday. The girls loved watching it and I loved the chance to get my feet up a little more when I wasn't nesting.  But what is a cold, snow day without a little Chicken Noodle Soup? Here's my recipe! (With process photos this time!)

Real Food Chicken Noodle Soup

Allergen Information:
Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free*

Preparation Time:
20-30 minutes

Cook Time:
2-3 hours to simmer

Total Time:
3.5 hours

Ingredients:

• 1-1.5 pounds of organic (local preferred but I used Trader Joe's this time) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• One yellow onion - diced
• One fennel bulb - diced
• 4-5 stalks of celery (depending on size) - thinly sliced
• 4-5 carrots  (depending on size) - thinly sliced
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp herbs de Provence type blend
• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 2tbsp butter
• Real Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1 package organic brown rice Fusilli pasta

Cooking Instructions:

1. In a cast iron pot or dutch oven, add 2 tbsp of oil and 1 tbsp of butter. Set the heat to simmer and let those warm together.
2. Dice your onion. Add it to the pot of warm oil and butter and let them simmer.

3. Dice your fennel bulb and add it to your onions. Give it all a good stir.

4. Slice your carrots and add them to the pot. Stir them well.

5. Thinly slice your celery stalks. Add them to the pot with 2nd tbsp of butter and a little salt and pepper. Stir.

6. Cut your chicken thighs into big chunks and add them to the pot.

7. Add your 1st tbsp of herbs and stir.

8. Add 4 cups of chicken broth, salt, pepper and the 2nd tbsp of herbs.

9. Next, add two more cups of broth. Cover the pot and switch the element to 2.

10. Let the pot sit until the soup begins to simmer. After an hour, add two more cups of chicken broth.

11. Stir the soup every hour or so. After the soup is done, it's time for the noodles.

12. I tried a new technique this time and was much more satisfied with the result. I cooked the Fusilli in a separate pot for 8 minutes so that it was slightly al dente.  I then added 1/2 of the cooked noodles to the pot of soup slowly.

13. I let it sit in the soup for 5 minutes, then turned off the heat.  

14. I let the noodles sit in the pot while I finished up some sides (biscuits and applesauce) and then dished everyone up.

** Egg may appear in your noodles- always check your labels for allergen information.


YUMMY! What a GREAT dinner on a gusty and cold wintry night!

Miss Roo approved....

As did a camera shy Miss Moo...

Are there any favorites that you make in your house on cold, wintry nights?

Recipe Collection: Real Food Christmas Morning Casserole - A New Morning Staple

My memories of the Christmases of my childhood all carry sights, sounds, and smells. I remember seeing the tree for the first time with all the gifts nestled beneath it. I remember the sound of carols playing softly in the background  amidst the ripping of paper as we opened gifts. I remember the smell of the coffee my parents brewed to cope with our early wake up call.

I also clearly remember the smell of Christmas Morning Casserole warming in the oven as we spent the last few minutes emptying our stockings and surveying our loot. I'm not entirely sure where the recipe came from or what year it started appearing on our table. I just remember it being delicious and paired with tomato juice.

This Christmas was the first that our family was home Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Being home afforded me the time to make the casserole with Real Food and have it rest overnight in the fridge for it to grace our table Christmas morning. Here's the modified recipe for the casserole that will now make more than a yearly appearance on our table.

Christmas Casserole

Preparation Time:
20 minutes hands on then refrigerate overnight

Cook Time:
30-50 minutes

Total Time: 
1 hour 10 minutes plus overnight set

Ingredients:
1.5 pounds local, ground breakfast sausage
6 free range eggs
2 cups raw/organic cream line or whole milk
2 (or more) cups freshly shredded whole milk cheddar cheese
1 TSP dry mustard
1 TSP Real Salt (or to taste)
2 slices sourdough (optional)

Cooking Instructions:
1. Brown the sausage in your pan until cooked throughout. -We've been transitioning to cast iron and it give the sausage a much more even cook than non stick pans.
2. In a large bowl, beat your 6 eggs. -This step is a GREAT one for little chefs to help with so they are involved. Miss Moo has even learned to softly tap the yolks with the whisk to break them before she begins to beat them.
3. Slowly whisk your milk into the beaten eggs.
4. Add your dry mustard and salt to egg mixture. Whisk again.
5. If using bread, cube the slices into bite size piece and line the bottom of your casserole dish. - I use a plain, white, oval souffle dish that has it's own lid. I used organic sourdough but am going to omit that next time so that we can cut our that grain and keep the meal mostly protein.
6. Grate your cheese. - 2 cups is a guideline. I started with that and did grate more before I decided there was enough. We love cheese.
7. Pour the egg mixture into the souffle dish and over the bread if you are using it.
8. Drain some of the grease from the cooked sausage so that the eggs aren't swimming in the grease but there is some for flavor and goodness.
9. Add the sausage and grease to the top of the egg mixture.
10. Sprinkle the cheese evenly across the top of the casserole.
11. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning:
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Uncover the casserole and let it sit on the counter as your oven preheats.
3. Place the casserole in the oven for 35-50 minutes, depending on your oven and the depth of your dish.  - Mine took right at 50 minutes to set. You are looking for quiche type consistency. A cake tester inserted in the middle should be clean indicating that the casserole is done.

Serve this dish with some delicious yogurt parfaits - we used granola, strawberries, and a little bit of maple syrup.



My family LOVED this dish and happily ate it rewarmed the second day.

Roo enjoying her breakfast.

 I love that this dish is protein rich, full of real food, and gives me time in the morning to be with my children rather than baked eggs, bacon, and the usual breakfast fixin's.

A satisfied Moo.

What easy, real food breakfasts do you love? What traditions do you see moving to your regular rotation?

Recipe Collection: Real Food Adapted Baked Spaghetti

I must confess, I'm addicted to spaghetti. I have been pretty much since birth; Nana can attest to that. Miss Moo has received this gene from me and would eat pasta of any variety every day if I'd let her. I've been on a quest for the perfect baked spaghetti even since this pregnancy began. I've made some that were decent, but I haven't had much luck with gluten free noodles staying, well, noodle like.

Tonight I adapted a recipe that I found on All Recipe to make it GF and full of Real Food. This dish was on our Meal Plan for Wednesday but circumstances of time, or lack there of, moved it to tonight. I was very satisfied with the end result and will make it again with the following tweaks. The recipe below is my adapted recipe from the original that I linked. (I haven't made all the changes below to this batch, so yours will look slightly different from the photo.)

Real Food Baked Spaghetti

Preparation time:
30 mins

 Cooking time:
1 hour

Total time:
1 hour 30 minutes

Allergens:
Dairy (Casein), egg

Ingredients for Sauce:

• 1 lb. grass fed, ground beef (ours is local)
• 1 organic yellow onion, diced
• 2 jars homemade OR organic tomato basil pasta sauce
• 3 tbsp organic Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon Real Salt

Ingredients for the Noodles:

• 1 package (16 oz.) Trader Joe's corn spaghetti (although I am skeptical of corn, this is the ONLY noodle that comes close to holding it's texture)
• 2 eggs (ours are local, free range)
• 5 tbsp organic salted butter
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Additional Ingredients for Layering:

• 5 cups freshly shredded, whole milk mozzarella
• 2 cups organic, whole milk, small curd cottage cheese

Cooking Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Chop onion, grate cheeses, and divide cottage cheese evenly.
3. Grease lasagna dish or 9 x 13 inch dish.
4. Add chopped onion, ground beef, and Italian seasoning to heated pan and cook, breaking up meat and mixing thoroughly until the onion is translucent and the beef is completely browned.
5.  Add sauce to meat and onions and stir until completely combined.  Remove from heat.
6. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with warm water to stop the cooking process.
7. Beat the eggs.
8. Melt butter over medium heat just until it has melted completely.
9. Combine butter, eggs, and Parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Add the noodles to the egg solution and toss until the noodles are completely covered.
10. Place 1/2 the noodles in the bottom of the greased dish. Place 1 cup of cottage cheese upon the noodles. Spread evenly.
11. Add 2 cups of Mozzarella on top of the cottage cheese.
12. Spoon 1/2 the meat sauce mixture on top of the Mozzarella.
13. Repeat the layering with the other 1/2 of the noodles, remaining cup of cottage cheese, 2 cups Mozzarella, and remaining meat sauce mixture.
14. Cover with foil and bake for 40 mins.
15. Remove foil, add remaining 1 cup of Mozzarella, and bake for 20 mins or until the cheese is browned.
16. Removed from heat and serve.

We all loved this dish. Roo ate 3 plates ;)

I served this dish along with a salad of organic: spinach, cherry tomatoes, avocado, egg, bacon, and goat cheese topped with homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!

Recipe Collection: Crock Pot Stock

I don't know why I didn't think of this before. Cooking a whole chicken in the crock pot is simple (in fact this is my second one this week) but I always groaned at making the stock on the stove top. Then I did some Googling and found out that I can make my stock in the crock pot overnight!

After you have cooked your chicken in the crock pot (for me it's a seasoned chicken on low for 7 hours) let the juices remain in the ceramic bowl. After you have carved your chicken, throw all the bones and parts back into the chicken juices. I added four cups of water to my small crock and will add 8 to the large one for tonight. Turn the crock pot on low and let it go. I let it go overnight (at least 12 hours) and add water if it looks low. Then in the morning, strain off the bones and parts, and put your stock into glass jars. Let the stock separate, save your fat for gelatin if you like, and fridge or freeze your stock.

I'm still working on what I need to add to the stock here and there, but so far it's working JUST fine from the spicing of the chicken.

Happy Saturday!

Recipe Collection: Simple Salad Dressing

We are buying less "convenience" food and making more at home. One of my favorite ways to do this and explore in the kitchen is with salad dressing.  We tend to be a simple balsamic vinegar and olive oil family, but my Honey Vinaigrette is a favorite as well.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp champagne vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp dijon mustard (I like mine a little thicker and tangier)
1 tsp honey (I use raw, local honey)
1/8 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oi


Combine vinegar, mustard,honey, salt, and pepper in bowl and whisk until blended. Slowly whisk in the oil. Adjust mustard and honey as needed for the right consistency. Place in refrigerator before serving. 

That's it! This vinaigrette is great on a goat cheese and spinach salad. I crumble goat cheese over fresh spinach, sliced eggs, and bacon. You can also add grilled chicken for added protein and to make it a whole meal.


What dressings do you like?? Do you make your own??