Man Approved – Then Comes Cooking

Breakfast, Clean Recipes, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Recipes, Semi-Vegetarian

Summer Frittata

September 7, 2015

Summer Frittata

Serves 2

E: It’s Labor Day Weekend! I hope you had the chance to do absolutely nothing. Sam and I went furniture shopping and we picked up a few things for our Kauai trip. I got a cool hat. I did not run or lift weights, and I feel very guilty about it. But at the same time, I don’t remember the last time that I slept in until 10:30 am. I actually woke up after Sam, which rarely happens. Usually I’m back from my run, and have gotten started on breakfast by the time he gets up. Anyways, I’m glad I was able to escape from my work-life and relax on this extended holiday weekend.

I made this frittata in about 15 minutes. I start it off on the stovetop then finish it off in the broiler. It is savory and sweet from the cheese and warm juicy cherry tomatoes. Enjoy it with some coffee and your favorite toast.

Clean Recipes, Dairy-Free, gluten-dairy-free, Gluten-Free, Main Meals, Meat, Paleo, Poultry, Recipes, Semi-Vegetarian, Soups, Soups & Salads

Esme’s Turkey Chilli

August 30, 2015

Esme’s Turkey Chilli

Serves 6+

slow-cooker
(4 hours cook-time)

E: It’s Sunday, and I am not feeling well. I went on a run this morning and ten minutes in I got a migraine. My head started throbbing and I started to lose my vision. I made it back home and immediately iced my head, and closed my eyes. A few hours later Sam helped me pull myself together. He went to get me aspirin, and some lunch. I decided to make this chilli which takes about 30 minutes to make if you don’t think about the 3.5 hours it sits in the slow cooker without supervision. We had it for dinner, and we will have it tomorrow as well. This is my original recipe, and I hope you like it. I added brown rice this time, because it reminds me of albondiga soup which always brings me comfort.

During my time “relaxing” I caught up on some blogging. I’m going to get ready for a new day tomorrow, and hope this migraine and tension headache goes away.

Apps, Clean Recipes, Dairy-Free, Dips and Salsas, gluten-dairy-free, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Raw, Recipes, Semi-Vegetarian, Vegan, Veggie Appetizers

Esme’s Chunky Guacamole

August 30, 2015

Esme’s Chunky Guacamole

E: We loooove avocados! Sam’s parents gave us an avocado tree as a housewarming present. We are considering planting a second-type of avocado tree, and one that is not a dwarf like the one we currently have. I cannot wait until we have them in stock. The obvious thing to make with avocados is guacamole. However, once we have them in stock I’ll be exploring with avocado soup, avocado ice cream, and other weird recipes I’ve come across.

For now, this particular recipe for guacamole is my default. I make this recipe for special occasions, or for get-togethers. I should warn you that I make my guacamole in a molcajete using the tejolote (mortar and pestle). You should too, you will not regret it. If you don’t have one I’ll provide substitute instructions.

This last friday night, I prepared this guacamole recipe along with a pico-de-gallo, and grilled zucchini from the garden. I served it with whole-grain crackers and a raspberry margarita. Glorious.

Clean Recipes, Main Meals, Recipes, Semi-Vegetarian

Summer Penne Pasta with Sweet Heirloom Pear and Cherry Tomatoes

July 18, 2015

Penne with Yellow Pear and Cherry Red Heirloom Tomatoes

E: Well summer is officially here. I harvested some tomatoes from our garden today. This is the first year we have a garden, we moved into our house last year. I planted about five different types of tomatoes in March. The garden is on a drip system, so there are weeks that go by without anyone tending to the garden. I was pleasantly surprised to see the pear tomatoes were sweet and ripe. I hadn’t planned to make dinner, but once I had these delicious homegrown, organic heirloom tomatoes I decided to whip up a quick veggie pasta meal. I love the warm tomatoes, mozzarella that is not really melted but almost, and the simple olive oil sauce with garlic and cheese. It’s better than any marinara sauce if you ask me. yum yum yum… Continue Reading…

Apps, Dips and Salsas

Easy Guacamole Salsa

July 13, 2015

M: Hi guys! Last weekend Drew and I went over to my parent’s place to discuss our upcoming trip to Mexico, which we are super excited about. Drew and I will get to see what the lifestyle is like in such a small rural farm town. Drew is mostly excited about the food and I’m excited to see my dad’s land.

Anyway, while we were there we ate some of my mom’s tacos and home made salsa. They hit the spot that night and Drew loved the salsa. So this weekend I called mom to ask how she made it. She said it was super simple and that she had only made it with chile Serrano, garlic and guacamole. She said she made it again but added extra ingredients like onion and cilantro but that it turned brown very quickly so she suggested I only use garlic and seasoning.

Apps, Main Meals, Meat, Meat Appetizers, Poultry, Recipes

Crispy Chicken Fingers with Sriracha-Mayo

May 9, 2015

Crispy Chicken Fingers

Yields: 6 servings

1 serving: 3-4 pieces
Time: 15 minute marinade: 12 minute cook-time

E: Today is Saturday, and we are having a low-key day. Sam made margaritas last night, and we rented a movie. So we slept-in this morning. I read, did my nails, and went on a light 2 mile-run. When I got back from my run Sam was running errands at the local hardware store. We are currently trying to install a shed. Sam text me that his cousin Mike, who lives around the corner from our place, was going to stop-by. Mike was nearby because he was at the park by our house playing with his daughter. His wife was not with him, she was celebrating an early mother’s day by going antique-shopping with her mom. (That is so cute, by the way.) Mike and lil Gracie couldn’t stay for dinner. It was a shame because Sam has been smoking a leg of lamb since we woke-up. We are having it for dinner. Anyways, I was starving and I figured we could all use some finger food for the short visit. I remembered I had chicken breast thawing in my fridge, so I decided to make these bad boys. I served the chicken fingers with a sriracha-mayo-ketchup mix and a side of ketchup for my picky eater. These are so easy. They are healthier because they are baked, rather tan deep fried. The panko gives it a nice crunchy taste.

Clean Recipes, Gluten-Free, Main Meals, Meat, Poultry, Recipes

Chicken in Guajillo Enchilada Sauce

May 7, 2015

Chicken in Guajillo Enchilada Sauce

yields: 4-6 servings

E: So I had to work late yesterday. I had a community committee meeting at work. I made this dish for Sam so he could just put it in the oven when he got home. It was the first time I made it. It has the flavors of being an enchiladas, except it doesn’t have the fried tortillas. Enchilada sauces, like moles, are one of my favorite things to try at restaurants because the flavors change depending on where from Mexico the family recipe is from. My parents are from San Luis Potosi, Mexico. My parents’ grandparents, and some siblings still live there. Specifically, they live in a small town called Hernandez, in the province of Villa de Ramos. Most people there are farmers: growing staples such as beans, corn, and chile. When my parents visit, they usually bring back some organic, local dried chiles. My mom recently visited me in March and she left me a bag of Chile de Arbol, and Chile Guajillo. So, I made this enchilada sauce from chile guajillo. I experimented with adding a bit of chipotle as well.

Breakfast, Clean Recipes, Gluten-Free, Paleo, Semi-Vegetarian

Almond Flour Pancakes

May 3, 2015

M: Oh pancakes… I’ve tried so many different recipes and different flours but this adaptation seems to work best for me. For those not familiar with almond flour, its basically ground up almonds fine enough to make it a flour. It a healthier alternative to traditional flour but also pricier. This recipe is for pancakes that although healthier, are still an indulgence so be careful not to eat them too often. Anyway, this is an adaptation of several recipes I’ve found online. My ingredients usually change depending on what I have at the time but for the most part it stays the same.

Clean Recipes, Dairy-Free, gluten-dairy-free, Gluten-Free, Main Meals, Paleo, Poultry

Crispy Lemon Chicken Thighs

April 24, 2015

M: So Drew and I have made these twice and both times we loved them. We took this recipe from one of my favorite books The Frugal Paleo Cookbook (slightly changed it according to what we had). This recipe is for the chicken but we paired with super easy veggie fry and / zoodles. The first time we made these we didn’t have capers but the second time around we made sure to add them to the dish. They are really good! At least the ones we got which were in vinegar. We weren’t very familiar with capers, in fact our first attempt at shopping for them failed. Apparently Vons doesn’t carry them. I still think they are there somewhere. Anyway, here is what you need:

yields: about 4 chicken thighs

Apps, Main Meals, Meat, Meat Appetizers, Poultry, Recipes

Baked Empanadas

April 14, 2015

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 turnover about 330 calories)

E: I grew up in a family of 6 with three siblings. My brother and I were very close, he was about 1 year and a half apart from me. We spent our summers playing outside, riding our bikes, swimming, and shooting hoop in the cul de sac.

One summer, after swimming all-day, I decided to make empanadas as a surprise for my brother’s birthday. His birthday was on July 10th. Right in the middle of summer. I made like 4 empanadas, just for him. It’s nice to do little things like that to make people feel special. He didn’t have any brothers, just us three girls. In fact, I was the closest thing he had to a brother. I think that’s why I made these for him, I wanted to show him how much I loved him. Did I mention I was like in 9th grade?

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