Pork, zucchini, and yellow squash stew

Hello my dear readers! I am so sorry I've been MIA from my blog. I've been busy with traveling and a new job. Yes, I came out if "retirement" haha. I started working as a salesperson at a plumbing supply company. I know, weird, but, I am after all a plumbers daughter. I've been working there for 6 weeks now. I do like working there. It is something new for me. I went from being a nanny for 12 yrs to a salesperson at a plumbing supply. How did that happen? I have no idea...but I like it so far!

Anyhow, I get to come home and make dinner for the hubs and I. Tonight I made a special meal my mom used to make us when we were younger. It's healthy and delicious, so props to my mom!

So here's the recipe!

        

                                 

Pork, zucchini, and yellow squash stew

Ingredients:

-1 lb lean pork, cut in cubes

-1 medium zucchini, sliced

-1medium yellow squash, sliced

-5 Roma tomatoes, sliced

-1/2 onion, diced

-1/2 TBS ground cumin

-1 TBS olive oil

-1/2 water

-salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat a pan on medium heat and add TBS of olive oil.

2. Add diced onions and cook for about a minute. Add the cubed pork and cook till browned, maybe 8 minutes.

3. Add sliced tomatoes and let it cook for about a minute and then add 1/2 water. Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes on medium low.

4. After tomatoes have cooked for a while, add the zucchini and squash. Put on low, cover and let it cook for another 10 minutes or until zucchini and squash are cooked.

5. Enjoy!

And that, my friends, is how you make a quick, healthy, and delicious meal! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

-Eat, love, laugh

Baked Cauliflower with Pasta Sauce (Gluten Free)

Baked Cauliflower with Pasta Sauce (GF)

Ahhhhh...finally a weekend to relax and catch up on my blog. If you all didn't know, the hubs and I just got back from a fun trip just last Monday. We went to Disneyland for 7 days. If you have never been to Disney, well 7 days is a pretty long time to be there. Ha! But I loved every second of it. I did take my hubs to San Diego, Hollywood, and Venice Beach. He's only visited San Fransisco and so it was my opportunity to show him places I used to visit when I used to live 6 hrs away (Scottsdale, AZ). We had lots of fun, but we were tired! We were ready to go home and see our pups, Chief and Sarge.

Well, let me tell you exactly how we ended up being in California by accident. So awhile back, like 10 months ago, I registered for the Disney Princess Run half marathon. Well, I bought everything, booked our hotel, park tickets, car rental, and San Diego Zoo tickets through Costco (if you have membership with them and want to travel anywhere, they have great prices and packages). We had to book our flight separately, but that was no biggie. About a week before our trip, I get an email from "Disney" giving me details about weekend of the race and our way around DISNEYWORLD! Ummm...WHAT?! Yep, I had booked the wrong Disney...so long story short, I never got to run my Princess Run. Boo! Instead, the hubs wanted to go to Cali for a relaxing trip. I was in tears, but there's always next year. Ha! Moral of the story, make sure you read everything before you book any of your trips. 

Ok, so I'm sure you've been patiently waiting for the recipe. This Baked Cauliflower with Pasta Sauce is amazing! I know I say that about all of my recipes, but I wouldn't post them if it weren't true. Ha! But seriously, this stuff is so yummy. How many of you love traveling and eating at new places? All of us, right? After a while, we all get tired of eating out all the time. I get tired of eating out after day 1 of any trip. I wanted to come home and make something hearty, healthy, delicious, and gluten free. That's how I ended up with this gorgeous creation! Check it out 

You won't miss the pasta! Trust me, my hubs didn't and he's a pasta man.

So enough of the teasing, here's the recipe! 

Baked Cauliflower with Pasta Sauce

Ingredients: 

• 1 Head of Cauliflower cut in florets
• small green bell pepper, diced
• small red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1 TBS Mediterranean oil (Olive or Coconut oil is great too)
• 1 lb of lean ground turkey
•  1 cup of diced roma tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cup of your favorite marinara sauce (I love Gina Rispoli, all natural and organic, yum!) 
• sea salt and pepper to taste 

      *I added mozzarella and Parmesan cheese to the turkey mixture and baked it. I only added about 1/2 cup of mozzarella and sprinkled a bit of Parm.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F* While oven is preheating, cut the cauliflower in florets and place in a large bowl. Drizzle a little bit of Mediterranean oil (or your favorite healthy oil), salt and pepper. Place in a oven proof baking dish. By now, the oven should be preheated, so go ahead and place the cauliflower to bake for 25 minutes or until browned.
   
2. While the cauliflower is baking, dice the peppers and tomatoes. Set aside. Dice the onions and cook in pan with the TBS of oil. When the onions look translucent add the ground turkey and cook till browned.
   
3. Add the bell peppers to the turkey mixture and cook till tender. Then add the roma tomatoes and cook for about 3 minutes.
4. Add the marinara sauce to the mixture and let it simmer till the cauliflower is done baking. Should be about 10 minutes or so. 
   
5. Take out cauliflower when done and if you are mixing in the cheese that I suggested above, add it to the pasta sauce. Add pasta sauce mixture to baked cauliflower and mix a little bit.
   
6. Put the pasta back in the oven and let it cook for about 12 minutes. Let it cool off a bit before serving. Add some crush red pepper and a little bit of parmesan for a little kick. Yum!
7.  Enjoy!

 

Well folks, like always, I would love to hear your opinions if you do try any of my recipes. I appreciate all of my readers and followers!

 

-Eat, Laugh, Love

Cauliflower Buffalo "Wings"

Hey all! It's been a pretty crazy start of 2014 for me. I've been traveling a lot and trying to sell the house...I love the traveling part, but the selling...well, not so much. I mean, I'm excited to sell my house and move into a new home, but the showings is what's killing me, smalls (If you know what movie I just quoted, then you get extra brownie points). I hate having to stop what I'm doing in order to clean the house and they give me about an hour to do so. Oh, and on top of that, I have to pack my crazy dogs in the car. Blegh!

Sooooo...It was nice to stay home on Super Bowl day. We usually throw a small party with a few of our friends, but I told my husband, I needed a break. I loooove parties, but I go a little crazy when it comes to cooking. See, I have a problem with stopping at a few appetizers. If we invite 4 friends, I make enough for 4 friends plus 30 more...YIKES! Well, I made an appetizer that is truly delicious and best of all healthy! I made some delicious gluten-free Cauliflower Buffalo "Wings." So easy and yummy. My hubs couldn't stop eating them! So scroll on down to check out my recipe. You won't be sorry :-)

Cauliflower Buffalo "Wings"

Ingredients:

• 1 medium size head of cauliflower
• 1/2 gluten free flour (I use Trader Joe's gluten-free flour)
• 1/2 coconut milk (use any type of milk you want)
• 1/2 TBS cayenne pepper (if you like yours extra hot)
• 1/2 cup Frank's buffalo hot sauce
• 2 TBS melted butter 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F* degrees. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray (I use coconut oil)
2. Chop up the cauliflower into wing sized. I used all of my cauliflower, but for two people it was a lot.
3. Mix the flour, milk, and cayenne pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Mix till everything is well blended.
4. Dip the "wings" into the flour mixture and let some of the mixture drip off and place on oiled cookie sheet.
5. Place cookie sheet in preheated oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, depending on how crispy you want your "wings."
6. A few minutes before the "wings" are done, prepare the buffalo sauce. Place hot sauce and butter in a microwavable measuring cup and heat for 2 minutes or until butter has melted. 
7. When "wings" are done, let it cool off for a bit and place them in a large mixing bowl. Add the hot sauce and toss around till it's coated in deliciousness. 
8. Enjoy

 

And that, my dear friends, is how you make a delicious and healthy appetizer for any type of gathering. You will be asked for this recipe by the pickiest of eaters. I know, because my hubs is one of them. 

Thanks for stopping by to check out my blog!

-Eat, Love, Laugh

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Patties

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Patties

Sweet Potato and Quino Patties

If you are looking for something quick, easy, and delicious, then you came to the right place. Even my picky husband eats these and said he didn't miss meat at all...umm...SCORE!
The Sweet Potato and Quino Patties are so simple and delicious. You cam have them on a bun or I had mine on top of a bed of spinach with a Gucamole Sauce I made. Delicious!
Are you ready for the recipe, cause I'm getting hungry looking at my own pictures, haha!

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Patties Recipe

 

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups cooked quinoa
2. 2 medium size sweet potatoes (baked or boiled, I baked mine)
3. 1/2 can of corn with red and green pepper (mexican style)
4. 4 tbs of almond flour (or more if you feel that the patties are to watery)
5. 1/2 tsp cumin
6. 1/2 tsp garlic powder
7. 1/2 onion powder
8. salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Heat a pan with about 2 tbs of your choice of oil, I always use Medditarranean Blend Oil, on medium heat.
• If you baked the sweet potatoes, let it cool and once they're cooled off, remove the skin and mash it in a mixib bowl. Add the cooked quinoa, and 1/2 can of the corn. Mix in the salt, pepper, garlic poweder, cumin, onion powder, and almond flour. Mix until well blended and you are able to form a patty.
• This recipe made about 8 small to medium size patties. Add patties to heated oil one to two at a time. Let brown on both sides which should be about 4 minutes each side.

Guacamole Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 avocado
2. 2 tbs Greek yogurt (I love and use Chobani)
3. 1/2 lime juice

Directions:

• Mash the 1/2 avocado in a small bowl. Add the Greek yogurt and 1/2 lime juice. Mix all ingredients until it has a sauce consistency. Add salt and pepper if you want. Can be added to salads, roasted veggies, eggs, just about anything you want. It's an easy, healthy and delicious sauce.

And that, my dear readers, is how you make a quick, healthy, and delicious meal. Oh and gluten free as well. Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do at my house.

-Eat, Love, Laugh

2 Ingredient Gluten Free Pancakes

2 Ingredient Gluten-Free Pancakes

2 Ingredient Gluten-Free Pancakes

Oh my goodness! Just thinking of this recipe, it is making me hungry! I'm not a huge pancake person (I know, shocker!) but I do enjoy these gluten free pancakes that only require 2 ingredients. How easy is that?! And they are gluten-free...double score.

Don't these just make your mouth water? So what are you waiting for? Go to the kitchen and make them already. Oh, I guess you need the recipe first, huh?

2 Ingredient Glute-Free Pancakes
Serves 4
Ingredients

• 2 riped bananas (like the ones you forget to eat but don't want to eat because they are super mushy...yeah, those kind)
• 4 eggs

*optional ingredients*
*blueberries
*cinnamon
*Vanilla
*Stevia
Directions

1. Heat pan on medium with butter or coconut oil (yummy)
2. Mash the 2 bananas
3. Mix in the 2 eggs until well blended. Just use a fork, but if you prefer a hand blender, just use on medium speed. You don't want it too blended or it'll turn into a frosting consistency.
4. Scoop about 2-3 TBS of the batter onto the heated pan. Cook for about 1 minute or until browned on each side.
5. Add syrup, cinnamon, butter or whatever your heart desires.
6. ENJOY!

Well folks, I wish I could write you a story on how amazing these pancakes are. My husband loves them and asks for this twice a week. So now I buy bananas and deliberately let them ripe. Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving week and I should be back on Friday to give you guys some yummy recipes.

-Eat, Love, Laugh

*Want to learn how I make money from home by just blogging? Check out my website!
http://www.empowernetwork.com/almostasecret?id=teambarker11