CSA Recipe #5 - Ham & Sweet Potato Kabobs in Mustard Bourbon Marinade

I made this one up on the fly.  I am on CSA box number 2 and in both boxes I got about six ginormous sweet potatoes - I started giving them away!  I know they are good for me and all but there are only so many ways you can cook one - baked, oven fries, casserole - but it is getting to be summer and we want to grill out.  So I pondered...

Then I got my order from Peaceful Pastures, a farm that treats their animals well, produces pasture fed meats that are organic and dee-lish!  Plus you get a bar of homemade soap (not sure of the connection but it's quite nice) with each order.  Well, when we got home and went through our order - I found that I received ham cubes...  Not the pre-cooked small chopped ham from the grocery.  I am talking chunks of really good quality ham.  So I asked around what to do with these?  Then I thought we should skewer them and grill them!  What goes with ham better than sweet potatoes?!  And thus this recipe was born.


It is gluten and dairy free, as well as clean eating friendly!

For the meat maranade:

• 3T maple syrup
• 6T Dijon Mustard (the kind with the white wine worked well)
• 3T bourbon (Since I am in TN - we used good o'Jack Daniels!)
• 3T Coconut Aminos (if you are ok with gluten you can use reduced sodium soy sauce here)
• 1lb Ham cubes (or you can cut a pork tenderloin into bite sized cubes and use them.

Combine all of the above in either a tightly sealed plastic container or a zip top baggie.  Make sure everything is mixed and coated well and then pop it in the fridge for at least 2hrs.

For the Sweet taters:

• 1 large or 2 medium sweet taters - peeled and cut into bite sized cubes
• 2T Maple Syrup
• 2t ghee (if you are good with dairy use a table spoon of real butter)
• 1t cinnamon
• 3T water

In a microwave safe dish that has a lid, put your sweet taters and the water.  Cover and cook for 3mins. When done, drain them and then add the maple syrup, cinnamon and ghee - toss until well mixed and ghee is melted.

Whats left:

You will just need 1 can of pineapple chunks - in juice drained

If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 5mins before putting your kabobs together.

When you're ready to assemble - alternate ham, sweet taters and pineapple - the grill them for about 10-15minutes - rotating half way through.

I served it all over rice and boy oh boy SO good!  I am probably going to soak a whole pork loin in the marinade next!

40 Cloves and a Chicken - SUCCESS!

I tried a version of this last year and it was an epic fail.  It took me about a year to get up the gumption to try again.  And I thought about it, would Julia Child use a crockpot?  Non! Non! Non!  I could hear her saying to me.  Find your cast iron enameled pot and kick it old school!  (Not sure she would use that phrase but that's what I told myself).  It was a much better experience.

I had gone a little overboard at the grocery one week.  Four grass fed organic chicken legs for less than $4 a pack?!  WHOOPIE!  Takes so little to excite me...I got two packages.  Then I got home and was like – what the heck am I going to do with eight chicken legs...  Then I remembered I wanted to retry the Chicken and 40 cloves.  

Normally, you are supposed to get a whole chicken and cut it in eight pieces but I had eight chicken legs instead.  So I thought ok – one little modification won't kill me.  And so here it goes....

• 8 pieces of chicken – bone in (so use legs, breasts, a whole chicken cut up - what have you)
• 40 cloves of garlic – 3-4 bulbs yields 40.  Peeled (you can buy them already peeled but I cut my own b/c it's fresher and my Aunt would kill me if I used bottled.
• 2T Olive Oil - used to brown the chicken in
• 1/2C Olive Oil - used for cooking it in the oven
• 10 (or a handful) of fresh Thyme – washed and patted dry

This is before - not sprinkle in the garlic so it flavors the chicken evenly

SUPER easy – I think the hardest thing is peeling the garlic. Maybe not hard – but tedious.

• Preheat oven to 350
• Sprinkle the chicken with salt & pepper
• In your cast iron pot (or a saute pan) put the 2 table spoons Olive Oil – heat on medium heat.  
• Then brown the chicken on both sides.  You may have to do this in batches – I couldn't fit all the chicken in the pot at once.
• If you are using the cast iron pot, When you're done browning, take the pot off the heat.  Put all the chicken in the pot, put the garlic in the pot al over the chicken and then put in the thyme.  Then pour in the 1/2C Olive oil.  Cover and put in the oven for 1 ½ hours.
• If you are using a fry pan to brown your chicken – put all the chicken in an oven safe dish that has a cover, follow the above from putting the chicken, garlic, thyme and oil in the dish, cover and into the oven for 1 ½ hr.
• When it's done - take it out of the oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes.  Poor chicken is tired after all that cooking!

This is how it will look when you take it out of the oven

I served it with wild rice seasoned with ghee, garlic and thyme and Italian green beans but you can make your own sides.

YUM!  And it is paleo & virgin diet friendly.  Gluten free, dairy free, Fabulous!

Clean Eating, Paleo, Gluten Free, Dairy Free FABULOUS Winter Chili!(Phew that was a long one!)

I don't know about you but I love chili. It is my go to food if I am trying to cut down on simple carbs, need a comfort food during a winter storm, hosting a casual get together, or just need a quick and easy weeknight meal.

This is a great crockpot meal that is healthy too. If you put all this stuff in the crockpot in the morning before you leave by the time you get back from work you have a meal that is great and left overs that freeze super easy!

Fabulous Winter Chili (which is good any time of year)
Chili Mix (gluten free, dairy free, paleo & clean eating friendly)

Chili Spice mix:
1 tablespoon paprika
1/4 teaspoons seasoning salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried cumin
1/2 tablespoon coconut flower (optional for thickening)
salt & pepper to taste

For Chili:
1lb ground beef or other lean meat
1/2 large jar of salsa ( i get mine from the Farmer's Market)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes & green chilies
1 can black beans (drained & rinsed)
1 cup beef bouillon
1 recipe for Chili spice mix (above)

You can double this, which I do, and use two different kinds of meat - I generally use grass fed beef and lean turkey. Also, if you want to bulk it up add in a can of pinto or kidney beans as well.

Put everything in a large slow cooker/crock pot and simmer on low for 8hrs.
Your house will smell Fantastic when you get home - you'll wonder if someone snuck in and made dinner for you.

Paleo Pumpkin Muffins! EASY!

I have a Thanksgiving Day tradition since childhood. We have a big fancy continental breakfast while watching the Thanksgiving Day Macy's Parade. However, trying to go wheat free can be a downer on this breakfast tradition when you want to be eating muffins and pastries along with the family. So I went in search of the great pumpkin muffin. I came across several recipes but on their own they weren't very flavorful but when I started mixing things together and matching spices - I came up with this one that tastes, to me and friends who I have used as market researchers, like the inside of a pumpkin pie. I LOVE them, put I am a pumpkin lover, any time of the year. I use them in place of toast with my eggs on the weekends or snacks at work. You can put them out to non-paleo eaters and I am thinking they will love them too. Great as a breakfast item, snack or roll them out with the turkey on Thanksgiving instead of dinner rolls. And they are easy to make too.. These days I have found coconut flour at Publix and Kroger - but it is still cheaper on Amazon. Here you go...

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz)can organic pumpkin
1/2 cup of coconut flour
1/2 cup of coconut oil (melted)
6 eggs
1T of vanilla extract
1/4C honey
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/8 t ginger
1/8t clove
1/2t Pumpkin pie spice
dash of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 – line a muffin tin with paper cupcake liners (12)
In one medium mixing bowl, whisk together coconut flour and spices together, add baking powder. Set aside.
In another large mixing bowl whisk together eggs, pumpkin, oil, vanilla, & honey together, combine well.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and then pour the pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients. Using a stand or hand mixer on low mix together well, scraping down the sides so everything is mixed in well.
Divide batter into the muffin cups.
Bake for 20minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Tips:
Coconut oil - to melt put in the microwave in your glass measuring cup in 30sec intervals. You will know if you need more as it melts. Also, do this and let it stand a little in the microwave after done so it can cool down a little. That way when you mix it in with the eggs - it's not too hot and wont accidentally cook the eggs.

Making them look muffin like: Since we are not using rising flour these won't rise and look muffin like unless you make them look that way before cooking. To get the look - use an ice cream scoop instead of a spoon when putting the batter into the muffin cups. They will go into the oven with super cute muffin like rounded tops.

Nov. Menu - Orders Due by Thursday Nov. 15th!

Hello my little maters!   Our November menu is abbreviated because of the holiday and I am cooking for the family.  Don't worry though - you can still get your basics and a great breakfast treat (Paleo Pumpkin Muffins) before the holiday!  And I will be reposting my perfect every time turkey recipe.

Email your orders to thesingingtomato@yahoo.com with your name & phone number.   Thanks!

Signature Sunday Gravy – slow simmered tomato sauce (ingredients: tomatoes, tomato paste, olive oil, carrot, garlic, oregano, parsley, onion) gluten free, no sugar added, Paleo diet friendly.

Price: 1 quart – $7.00

Bolognese Sauce – a slow simmered meat sauce made with tomatoes, ground organic ground beef. (ingredients: tomatoes, tomato paste, olive oil, carrot, garlic, oregano, parsley, onion) 

gluten free, no sugar added, Paleo diet friendly. 

Price: 1quart - $15.00

Meatballs – Handmade and slow simmered all day in crushed tomatoes and Italian spices.

(ingredients: organic ground beef or turkey, parmesan cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, baking powder, egg, tomatoes) low carb, gluten free, Paleo diet friendly

8 meatballs dressed in the tomatoes they were cooked in.

Price:

Turkey - $10

Organic Beef - $14

Spaghetti Squash Pasta – Spaghetti Squash prepared for easy service to replace starchy pasta.  Add your favorite sauce or just butter, olive oil, fresh garlic and tomatoes for a great healthy Italian meal!

(Ingredients: spaghetti squash) low carb, gluten free, Paleo diet friendly

Price: 1 large squash prepared (serves 2-4) - $10

Paleo Pumpkin Muffins – Ingredients: Pumpkin, coconut flour, eggs, coconut oil, honey, baking powder, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, sea salt.

Gluten free, Paleo Diet Friendly, lower carb

Price: 1 dozen - $18.00

Make your own Spaghetti.....squash?

Ok - So I have avoided this since 1987.  My first go round with Weight Watchers and all diets there after - just cook up some spaghetti squash and replace your pasta.  I was like, "Are you kidding?!"  I am Italian - if it didn't have semolina in it - we didn't eat it.

Fast forward to 2012.  I'm no longer a teen who can eat anything.  I was told I needed to avoid ALL starches.. ACK!  Again  - I am Italian what is life without pasta?  What do you put your tomato sauce on?!  So I broke down last night and googled it.  "Spaghetti quash - how to cook."  I finally found one for the microwave.

This is what it looks like when you get it at the market.

Now let me tell you - you may be as skeptical as me.  I am not sure how one could be - I waited 20yrs to try this.  BUT, I swear you will regret your time wasted.  IT IS AWESOME!   I ate so much I am still full from last night.  I don't encourage gorging yourself as I did but you won't have the icky sugar rush, just that uncomfortable full feeling.

Now - not only was it fantastic - IT's WAY EASY!!! (way easier than making your own real pasta!)

Ok - here's what you'll need:

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 1/4C water

That's it for ingredients.

I used a casserole dish with a lid b/c you're going to steam this sucker.

Cut the spaghetti squash in half and then scoop out the seeds, like a cantaloupe, and toss them.

Then place one of the halves face down in the dish.  Add the water, cover and stick in the microwave on high for 11minutes.

When it's done, take the dish out and remove the lid - be careful because it will be hot.  Leave it sit uncovered for 5minutes.

Then, VERY CAREFULLY because it's hot - flip it over and take a fork and run it through the inside to pull out the spaghetti like threads.

Start at the top with your fork..

 ...and then drag downward to make spaghetti - super easy.

That's it!
Now the hard part - what to top it with?!  I put my low carb meatballs and sauce on it and TO DIE FOR!

Have extra left over - you can put it in the fridge for about 3 days.  Want to have fresh through the winter?  Make your squash and portion it out among freezer zip top baggies.  Then you can freeze for a few months.  Just take it out when you are ready and par defrost.  Then steam it for 2-5 mins (depending on the amount - don't over cook it will turn to mush).  You are good to go.

Please don't wait to try this - it is fabulous.  I was looking high and low for a pasta replacement and there is was in front of me all along.  YUMMY!