Not quite sure how to organize this page so please make suggestions as to how I can make this as user friendly as possible!!
Here is a quick run down of our staple meals and how I prepare them:
Eggs:
Little bit of Vegan, Soy free butter in my cast iron skillet....hard "fry" the eggs, couple minutes on each side with a bit of sea salt, fresh pepper and garlic.
Toast and sandwiches: the only bread we have is sourdough...I'm a big fan of fermented foods and the health benefits. Sprouts has a yummy rosemary variety for me and hubby likes the garlic.
Smoothie: Frozen banana, frozen kale of spinach leaves (handful), two oranges, kiwi or pineapple, pear or apple....berries if I have some and want to add more color. This makes plenty for Stephie an I. Mine fills a Venti Starbucks reusable Frap cup.
Chicken: I put a WHOLE FROZEN CHICKEN in the crock pot sometime before noon. I season it a bit and cover the crockpot with foil (lid won't fit on until chicken unthaws....I have a tiny crockpot). An hour or two later I am able to season a bit more and put the lid on. I cook it until 5:30. I leave it on high until the internal temp is 160 then turn it to low so the juices continue to cook out....add some rice flour and we have YUMMY, HEALTHY gravy!! I season my chicken with garlic powder, BRAGGS Sea Kelp mix, sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, rosemary, thyme, sage....any combination of these that sounds good. I then use the same seasonings on the sauteed veggies or quinoa. If you want a sweeter tasting chicken for salads drizzle a bit of honey or agave on top along with some seasoning......yummy!!
Veggies: I sauté them in a wok with coconut oil or olive oil. I add the same seasonings I have used for my chicken so they go well together. I use various online sights for seasoning suggestions....google thai curry or southern roasted chicken....whatever type of flavor sounds good and then just use what I have in the cabinet...hasn't failed me yet ;)
Potatoes and Gravy: this has become a staple at our house! I boil the potatoes with the skin on (extra nutrients). Drain the potatoes, put some vegan butter in the pot and then dump the potatoes back in. I add a bit of SO Delicious Coconut milk (original) and hand mash. The more milk, the creamer the potato). I season with sea salt, fresh cracked pepper and garlic. If I have cauliflower or parsnips on hand those are boiled and added to the potatoes as well. Parsnips you can simply hand mash and add....cauliflower needs to be put in a blender or food processor until creamy...you can add some of the potatoes, butter and milk if needed. Hubby NEVER notices the difference). The gravy is simply the juices cooked out of the chicken (I never use oil or butter on the chicken so it is simply the yummy chicken goodness). I take out that is in the crockpot at the very end of cooking, turn the crockpot off, mix a bit of filtered water and rice flour to make my paste and then add it to the hot juices. I usually let it simmer 20-30 minutes whisking it throughout....YUMMY!!!! I've never been much of a gravy person but this meal has turned into my FAVORITE!
Spaghetti: We use organic whole wheat pasta for hubby and GF rice or quinoa pasta for me and the kiddos. I buy Organicville Sauce (GF, dairy free and sugar free. **many tomato basil sauces have dairy**) I usually add either a handful or two of spinach or a head (or single package of COSTCO frozen broccoli) to the sauce....put it in my VITAMIX and nobody ever has to know ;) Of course I add some extra seasonings to the sauce.....fresh cracked pepper, oregano and garlic. I either add a pound of ground beef or meatballs. Hubby enjoys garlic sourdough toast with this :)
*Grassfed Beef NEEDS to be cooked LOW AND SLOW....plan accordingly! Many cook a bunch over a weekend, divide it up into freezer baggies, freeze and take out just what they need for each meal the night before....saves time for working mommas!!
Goulash: This is the same concoction of Organicville sauce mentioned above except I add a pound of ground beef and it is all heated together. It is mixed with cooked and still warm GF brown rice elbow noodles and put into a casserole dish (or my fun Rachel Ray Orange Dutch Oven). I sprinkle some Daiya cheese over it and bake at 300 just until the cheese melts....5-15 minutes. Take out and enjoy! We eat the entire thing in two days!!
Carrot/Raisin Salad: Grate 1 carrot (skin and all), dice an apple or pear, dump in a box of organic raisins, and dice two celery stalks...mix all with as much mayo as you like (start small and add!) and sprinkle with BRAGGS Sea Kelp seasoning mix....YUM!!!*I use Veganiase...mayo is made from eggs that come from factory farmed, very abused chickens :/
