Steak with Mushrooms and Broccoli

April 14, 2016April 14, 2016Leave a comment

As a self-taught cook, there are several food items that scare me – steak being one of them. I’m not sure if any of y’all feel that way, but it’s always something that I avoid cooking. That is, until now.

I was walking through Whole Foods (as I typically do) and stopped by the butcher. I was between two things – seafood, which I had already passed, or beef. I thought to myself “screw it” and bought a beautiful cut of grass-fed beef, New York Strip to be exact. I picked up some veggies, as well as some gluten-free chicken nuggets (it’s okay to treat yourself!) and went home to cook.

Since I’ve never made a steak, I watched a few videos to get the hang of it. Being from East Texas, all the steaks I’d ever seen be cooked were done on a grill. In fact for a long time, I thought that was the only way to cook a steak. However, I don’t have a grill and I actually really hate food cooked on a grill. I don’t know, something about the smokey taste really turns me off. Anyway, I found this video of the great Gordon Ramsey showing how to cook a steak and followed that method exclusively.

As always, feel free to customize this to your liking! I will say, I apologize for the lack of care I took into make the Bearnaise sauce, which is why there’s a runny yellow substance under the steak, but why there’s nice fresh herbs on top (which was lovely).

Steak with Mushrooms and Broccoli

Ingredients
– Steak, warmed to room temperature
– Mushrooms, chopped
– Broccoli, cut into florets
– Avocado oil
– Rosemary, fresh and chopped + whole sprigs
– Chives, fresh and chopped
– Tarragon, fresh and chopped
– Butter
– Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce (for mushrooms, optional)
– Salt and pepper
– Garlic, I used garlic powder but fresh is always best

Method
– Prep everything: chop all vegetables and herbes, make sure that the steak has been set out to reach room temperature
– Cook the broccoli: heat a pan and add a fat of your choice, I used butter. Let get hot and add the chopped broccoli and season with salt, pepper, and garlic. Cook to desired tenderness and set aside on a plate.
– Cook the mushrooms: in the same heated pan, add butter and rosemary sprigs. Let the butter melt and the rosemary cook. Add the chopped mushrooms and season with salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook the mushrooms. Once cooked to desired doneness, put on the same plate as the broccoli and put in a warm stove to they stay warm for serving.
– Heat a cast iron pan and add avocado oil
– Take the steak and season with salt and pepper on each side
– Once the oil is smoking, add the steak
– For a rare steak, only sear each side for 2 min – this is where Gordon Ramsay’s video really helped me – and only flip once
– Flip steak to other side and cook for 2 min for rare, more for other doneness
– Add a knob of butter to the pan and some of the chopped rosemary, let it melt and coat the steak with the butter, herbs, and juices
– Transfer the the steak from the pan to a plate and let it rest for at least 5 min; add chopped chives, tarragon, and rosemary to the top of the steak
– If desired, make a bearnaise sauce or hollandiase sauce
– Take the vegetables from the oven and add to a plate
– After the steak has rested, cut into slices and transfer to the plate with the veggies
– Top with more herbs or the bearnaise/hollandiase sauce
– Enjoy!

Let me know how you like it! I’d also love to hear any modifications you made to this. Happy cooking!

xoxo,
Paige

Bacon Mushroom Cauliflower Risotto with Scallops

January 1, 2016January 1, 20164 Comments

I have a rule: anytime I go out to eat I just eat gluten-free. This mostly comes from me just not wanting to be a burden to the people I’m going out to eat with as well as my waiter/waitress. Since I live in Austin, it’s pretty easy to eat gluten-free at just about every restaurant, including Italian. Lately I’ve been going to a place called Taverna that has amazing gluten-free options including pizza and pasta. But my favorite has to be the risotto.

Well – I reimagined risotto in a more paleo-friendly way. And let me tell you – it’s amazing. I kind of just did it on a whim and I honestly don’t even know if this is the proper method for risotto, but screw it – I’ll do it how I like haha. So I hope you enjoy this recipe! It sure was tasty!

Bacon Mushroom Cauliflower Risotto with Scallops
Ingredients
– Cauliflower, riced
– Butter/olive oil
– 1 Shallot
– Strip of bacon, cut in pieces
– Mushrooms, I cut mine into really small pieces, but you can chop them to your desired size
– Cashew cream
– Scallops
– Garlic powder (or you can add fresh garlic, I didn’t have any on hand)
– Salt and pepper to taste
– Parsley for garnish
* Depending on how big your head of cauliflower is will determine how many people this will serve – adjust your ingredients accordingly.

Method
– Prep everything! Chop your mushrooms, bacon, shallot, and rice your cauliflower in a blender or food processor. If you don’t know how to do this – cut your cauliflower into florets and then pop them in the blender or food processor and process until the cauliflower resembles rice. As well, be sure you’ve made your cashew cream – which you can find a recipe for here.
– In a pan, heat the butter/oil and add the shallot.
– Add the mushrooms and bacon and let them cook.
– Once everything is about cooked, add the riced cauliflower.
– While the cauliflower is cooking, heat another pan and add oil to sear the scallops – this shouldn’t take long at all.
– Cook the scallops until seared on each side and set them aside.
– Add the cashew cream and incorporate it into the cauliflower. I don’t have an exact measurement for this, but make sure to not add too much.
– Add the salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.
– Plate the risotto and top with scallops and parsley.
– Enjoy!

Xoxo,
Paige

Baked Salmon with Hollandaise Sauce and Steamed Vegetables

March 5, 2015Leave a comment

You know when you have an overwhelming craving for something? That for me was hollandaise sauce this week. What could I drench in hollandaise that wasn’t eggs on a biscuit? Considering hollandaise can do no wrong with whatever it is paired with, I decided to put it with some wild salmon. While not visually appealing in my pictures (it was pretty late and I was tired), it tasted like heaven. I paired my salmon with steamed vegetables: mushrooms, carrots, and romanesco which is my new favorite vegetable.

Hollandaise sauce can be a bit tricky. I used this method. I modified the recipe a bit: I added much more lemon (because I love lemon) and cayenne pepper. This recipe makes a lot of hollandaise, so if you don’t want that much, don’t use a whole stick of butter. This method is the best, take it from someone who has tried it the more traditional way.
*Will need an immersion blender or blender of some sort. I would recommend the immersion, but I’m sure you could do this is a regular blender on low.

Baked Salmon with Hollandaise Sauce and Steamed Vegetables
Ingredients
For the Hollandaise
– Egg yolk
– 1 stick of butter, melted (or less or less sauce). You could also use ghee for this, I’m sure it would work just fine
– 2 tsp of lemon juice, more or less depending on how much you like lemon. I added juice from half a lemon
– 1 tsp water
– pinch of salt
*feel free to add pepper or cayenne as well. I did a few shakes from my cayenne pepper shaker.

For the Salmon
– Filet of wild caught salmon. I used the frozen wild salmon from Whole Foods. Be sure it is properly defrosted before cooking
– Avocado oil, or oil of choice
– Garlic powder
– Onion powder
– Dried dill, but feel free to use fresh
– Salt and pepper
– Lemon

For the Veggies
– Your favorite veggies, cut, washed, and ready to be cooked
– Seasonings (if you want); I used garlic, salt, and pepper

Method
Prep everything!
– Wash, cut, and prepare your vegetables
– Make sure your salmon is thawed and ready to go
– Preheat your oven to 350
– Get your vegetables steaming. I have a steamer I use on the oven, but I know that my Dad has one that he can microwave. Depending on what kind of veggies you are using will depend on cooking time. As always, taste as you go. I like my vegetables really tender, but I know some people don’t, so use your discretion. Season vegetables as they steam.
– Place the salmon filet or filets on a baking sheet that has been covered in parchment paper
– Rub the salmon with the avocado oil
– Season the salmon filet(s) with some shakes and sprinkles of dill, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper. Place a lemon slice on each filet.

– Bake the salmon for 10 min. If you have more than one filet, you might want to bake a little longer.
– As the salmon is baking, make the hollandaise sauce via this video. You want to serve Hollandaise as soon as it’s ready, so save the sauce for last.
– Once everything is ready, plate it and enjoy! I had a lot of sauce left over, so I went ahead and drenched my veggies in it.

Let me know how you like this!
xoxo,
Paige

Bolognese Sauce

February 28, 2015March 5, 2015Leave a comment

Hello! Sorry for the lack of posting – school and life have kind of gotten in the way. I’ve still been cooking, though! This is a sauce I like to keep in my fridge for a quick dinner. Sometimes I put it over Spaghetti Squash, sometimes I just eat a big bowl of it alone (because I really like sauce, okay?).

My version of this is pretty straightforward. I will say, I do not have exact measurements for the spices used. Why? Well, I don’t really measure anything when it comes to flavoring. I always taste as I go. This is what works for me and what will work for you too. And you get to eat while you cook, which is always a bonus.

*I made my own tomato puree, which I will have the instructions for. However, you can use store bought and it’ll be fine, I just thought it would be fun to make my own.

Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients
– 24 oz tomato puree or homemade (I used 6 tomatoes but could have used more, mine were small)
– 2 tablespoons tomato paste
– 1 pound grass-fed beef
– Olive Oil
– Garlic cloves
– Onion powder
– Garlic powder
– Salt
– Oregano
– Rosemary
– Basil
– Parsley
– Pepper
*I used all dried spices, however fresh would taste a lot better
*Feel free to add onions, olives, mushrooms, etc. I don’t like a lot of things in my sauce outside of spices, but do what works best for your taste-buds.

Method
For the Tomato Puree
– Pre-heat your oven to about 400 degrees (I have to set my oven a bit higher than normal)
– Cut the tomatoes into wedges and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and olive oil
– If desired, add some garlic cloves – it’ll help add to the garlic flavor of the sauce

– Let roast for about 20-30 min, or until really tender and the skin is easy to peel off (I always to a little test with a fork to see how ready they are, the skin will also get kind or wrinkly)
– Let cool and peel the tomatoes
– Place peeled tomatoes into a blender or food processor with the roasted garlic and blend until a puree is formed.

For the Sauce
– Brown your grass-fed beef in a pot with olive oil and minced garlic. If you wanted to add some onions, this would be the place to do it.
– Once browned, add in the tomato puree and paste. If you find that it’s a bit thick, add some water to it.
– Add your spices! Have fun with it and taste as you go.
– Let simmer for about 30 min, tasting as it simmers to see what you need to add to get the flavor just right. I like to top mine off with a bit of olive oil as well.
– Serve over spaghetti squash, eat alone, or store in jars (like I did) in the fridge for about 5 days. I find mine is okay for about a week.

Enjoy!
xoxo,
Paige

Cauliflower-Parsnip Mash

February 16, 2015February 16, 2015Leave a comment

The first time I ever tried a cauliflower-parsnip mash I really hated it. It wasn’t exactly a texture thing, it was a flavor thing. After trying a few more times, I realized that I really, REALLY do not like the taste of parsnips. I can’t describe why, but there’s just something about them that makes me gag.

With that being stated, I’ve tried just making mashed cauliflower and there was just something that was missing. I realize now that the starchiness of the parsnip is necessary for a creamier texture. But how was I going to make this without the strong parsnip flavor? Well, add less (duh) and add more ghee/butter. I’ll never be upset about having to add more fat to a recipe.

*You’re going to need a food processor for this, or you could just use a masher. However, I think the food processor is a lot easier. Also – feel free to boil rather than steaming the vegetables.
*Taste this as you go. Maybe you want to add more butter, maybe you need it to be thinner, maybe you think there needs to be more salt. You’ll never know if you don’t taste as you go.

Cauliflower-Parsnip Mash

Ingredients
– Head of cauliflower
– 1 parsnip (I had a really big one and just used half, you’ll see in the pictures)
– Splash of milk of choice (I used almond)
– 2-4 tablespoons of butter or ghee
– Salt and pepper to taste
*Feel free to play with the flavor. For this, I added some garlic and parsley, but I really want to try it with some homemade ranch seasoning. I really love ranch, okay?

Method
– Cut up and wash your vegetable. Place them in the steamer.
– Steam the vegetables for about 15-20 min. You want them to be pretty tender, so you should easily be able to poke the vegetables with a fork or knife.

– Place the vegetables in the food processor and give them a good pulse. Then add your butter/ghee, salt, pepper, or any other spices you want and almond milk. If you want this to be really creamy, add more milk. If you want more of a potato texture, only add a splash.

– Either serve or store in the fridge for a few days in an airtight container.

That’s it! Hope you enjoy!
xoxo,
Paige

Spaghetti Squash

February 11, 20151 Comment

When I first started living a grain-free life, the one thing I knew I would miss would be pasta – particularly noodles. There’s something so calming about twirling some spaghetti around a fork. However, after a lot of research I found I could use zucchini’s as noodles. They filled the void until I finally broke down and tried spaghetti squash.

Spaghetti squash takes grain-free pasta dishes to a whole new level. Very neutral in flavor, these noodles remind me of angel hair pasta (though it’s been awhile since I’ve had real angel hair pasta, but oh well).

Use this as a replacement for noodles in a variety of Italian inspired pasta dishes, such as my Seafood Alfredo.

This should take about 30-40 min to cook, and prep time isn’t too long. Anywhere from 5-10 min. It’s great to prepare this on a Sunday so it’s ready to use throughout the week (or whatever day you have available).

Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients
– Spaghetti Squash
– 1-2 tablespoons of butter or ghee, melted (feel free to use your favorite oil, sometimes I’ll use avocado)
– Salt and pepper

Method
– Preheat your oven. This is tricky for me because I have an oven that I’ve got to set pretty high. I preheated mine to 415 degrees.
– Take the squash and cut it width wise. You could cut it length wise, but trust me – width is easier.

-Clean out the seeds and discard the waste so your squash looks like this

– Melt the butter and coat the the meat of the squash. I used two squash’s and needed 2 tablespoons of butter. Mine were somewhat smaller than some I’ve seen. Once oiled, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

– Once the oven is preheated, place the spaghetti squash face down on a cooking sheet covered in foil (you’ll thank me for that) and let cook about 30-40</>min.

– After your timer has dinged, take the squash out and make sure the squash is tender to the touch. They’re going to be hot, but you should be able to poke and see. If not tender, let cook another 5 min. Let the squash cool.
– Once cooled, it’s time to get the meat out! Using a fork, scrape the squash into a bowl. It will come out like spaghetti noodles!

– Place your prepared squash in airtight containers and enjoy! This should last for about a week in the fridge.

Enjoy! If you haven’t discovered the greatness of spaghetti squash, let me know how you like it!

xoxo,
Paige

Seafood Alfredo Over Spaghetti Squash

February 10, 2015February 10, 20151 Comment

Living this lifestyle has a lot of ups and downs. For starters, I can’t enjoy a lot of the foods that I once indulged in. Humor me for a second and hear this – growing up in a small town one restaurant stood above all the rest and that place was the Olive Garden. When my Mom and I would go out of town to the big city (Houston!), we always had to stop at Olive Garden, it was like our thing. Once this holy grail of a restaurant came to our town, Houston wasn’t as glamorous and I remember thinking, “where are we going to eat now?” Don’t worry, we supplemented with the Cheesecake Factory.

With that being stated, I absolutely love Italian. When I visited Italy in high school, I was in food heaven. However, Italian food isn’t necessarily all too kind to the gluten-free diet and even less friendly to the paleo diet. So long, creamy Alfredo and noodles.

That is, until now.

I have found a wonderful replacement for traditional Alfredo sauce. It’s everything I wanted it to be and more. It comes out rich and creamy and is perfect with shrimp and scallops over spaghetti squash. I hope you’re as amazed as I was.

*I cannot tolerate certain dairy products. Cheese, butter, and yogurt are okay for me, but I cannot handle heavy cream, half and half, or just plain ol’ milk. Feel free to use heavy cream in this, as well as cheese. I have omitted the cheese in the version I made since, honestly, you don’t really need it. But hey, a little cheese never hurt.

The sauce will serve about 2 people. If you need to serve more, double the recipe.

ALSO THIS IS SO IMPORTANT: As you are cooking this sauce be sure you are tasting it throughout the cooking process. Your taste buds are your biggest asset in the kitchen. If you don’t think there’s enough basil, add more basil. Not enough garlic, add more garlic. Not enough butter or ghee, add more butter or ghee. You get the idea. These are rough measurements and your pallet might not be the same as mine. You will benefit greatly by tasting the sauce as you go. Plus, tasting stuff while you’re cooking it is really fun (for me, anyway).

Seafood Alfredo Over Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients
– Cooked spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles (I always have this stuff pre-made and ready to go in the fridge. I’ll post about my meal prep soon!)
– Enough shrimp and scallops for you and any guests, defrosted (*sigh* I live alone, so I just grab a handful of each from the freezer and that’s enough for me, just as an aside)
– 1 cup cashew milk or heavy cream
– 2-3 tablespoons of grass-fed butter or ghee, more for cooking the shrimp and scallops
– 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried basil
– 2 to 3 teaspoons of garlic powder (more or less, depending on how much you like garlic)
– a few pinches of dried parsley
– 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
– salt and pepper to taste
– raw cheese if that’s your thing

Method
– If using frozen shrimp and scallops, make sure they have been properly defrosted and set aside.
– Over low-medium heat, add the cashew milk and spices into a pot and let come to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

– Once the sauce is warm, add the butter. For visuals, this is how much butter I used. Kerrygold isn’t very kind and doesn’t have nice sticks, so I have to cut the brick in half to make my own.

– Allow the butter to melt and incorporate it into the sauce. Keep the sauce at the directed heat and let sit uncovered, checking to make sure it’s thickening, but doesn’t start to bubble.
– While your sauce is cooking, heat a pan and add either butter or ghee.
– Cook the shrimp until they are pink, seasoning with salt and pepper.

– As your shrimp is cooking, you should notice that the sauce is thickening up nicely. It’ll look like this. If it isn’t very thick, just let it cook a bit longer. Trust me, it will thicken up.

– In the final moments, add the scallops in the pan with the shrimp, coating with the oil used.

– Take your pre-cooked spaghetti squash because you’re a master meal-prepper and heat it for about 2 min in the microwave. This is as much as I used for myself, it was a pretty big serving.

– Assemble the dish either in the bowl, or on a plate. Garnish with dried parsley and if you desire, cheese.