Spicy Sausage & Spinach Pie -- Low Carb & Wheat-free

Last night I was in the mood for my Spinach-Feta Pie...but it was much later than usual when I started fixing dinner (after 8:00 p.m.)...so in order to cut the prep and cooking time I decided to eliminate the crust. I made a different version of crustless pie with spinach and some of the other ingredients I had in the fridge. I made a Spicy Sausage & Spinach Pie using a couple of Aidell's Smoked Chicken Sausage Habanero & Pepper-Jack sausage links (each link is about the size of a chubby hot dog). I diced the sausage which made approximately 1 cup of diced sausage. I had a partial brick of pepper-jack cheese that needed to be used so I grated about 1 cup of that. In lieu of making a separate crust, I added some almond flour to my pie mixture to make a grain-free version of what used to be called "impossible pies" which are typically made with Bisquick mix. As it bakes, it makes its own very light crust-like exterior and the filling is more solid and not as "eggy" textured as a quiche. It turned out great. I garnished it with some strips of pepper-jack cheese in a flower shape in the center of the pie after it was done baking. We had it for dinner this evening, too, and there is still some left for my lunch tomorrow which is always a good thing. I snapped a few photos below as well as the recipe. Enjoy!

Pulled Beef & Biscuit Sandwiches -- Low Carb & Wheat Free

This evening I transformed the leftover pot roast from Saturday night into the most amazing dinner. Not only did it taste amazing...but, it was amazingly quick to make, too! The Southwestern Style Pot Roast I made Saturday was the kind of roast (boneless chuck roast) that was cooked to "fall-apart tenderness". It was absolutely perfect for making pulled beef sandwiches. I heated the leftover pot roast in some of the spicy juices it cooked in to keep it super moist and then took 2 forks and pulled it apart into long shreds. I had a batch of my Cheddar Black Pepper Biscuits leftover from the weekend, too, and used those for my little "sandwich rolls". I split the biscuits and piled the shredded beef on top and then topped each mound of beef with melted pepper jack cheese. I served leftover Cheddar Squash Casserole alongside them. It was honestly one of the best meals and everything used to make them was left from my cooking this weekend. Who knew that life without wheat, grains and sugar could be THIS good? After all this time, I still continue to amaze myself! LOL It doesn't get more simple than this. I snapped a few photos below to give you an idea on how you can breathe new life into leftovers...it doesn't have to be the "same old/same old" all the time. Enjoy!  

BOOM!

P.S. -- Let's not forget the "leftover dessert" I served from this weekend, too! In case you were wondering...I really love leftovers!  :-)

Chicken Parmesan -- Low Carb & Wheat/Grain-Free

This evening my oldest son had dinner with us. I made Chicken Parmesan for dinner and served it over yellow summer squash "pasta" that I prepared with my little julienne peeler. I used chicken breast cutlets to make the Chicken Parmesan (instead of chicken breasts) since I had a couple of packages in the fridge. I decided to try a slightly different way to prep the "pasta" this time. Normally, I julienne the squash or zucchini and very quickly saute it for 2 to 3 minutes over medium-high heat right after preparing it. As many of you know, oftentimes squash or zucchini "noodles" release juices on your plate after putting sauce over them. Since I already knew I'd be making this for dinner tonight, I went ahead and julienned the squash last night and placed it in a paper towel lined bowl and folded the paper towels over the top and placed a small bowl on top to add a little weight. I placed the paper towel wrapped "pasta" in the fridge overnight and then sauteed it this evening...so basically it sat for 24 hours wrapped in paper towels. The paper towels wicked quite a bit of moisture from the strands of squash leaving them more dry than I had ever had them before. This evening there was almost no liquid on my plate after topping it with the Chicken Parmesan and sauce. It turned out great. Since I've only tried that little experiment once, I don't know if maybe I just lucked out with a less juicy/watery batch of squash or if wrapping it in paper towels for 24 hours made the difference (I think it actually did help wick a lot of moisture from the squash based on how wet the towels were)...but I plan to test it again next time I make "pasta" to see for sure. I snapped a quick photo of our dinner. The recipe can be found here: Chicken Parmesan. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies -- Super Chocolatey & Crunchy!

Happy Sunday! It's a beautiful bright and sunny day here today. I'm getting ready to go do some furniture shopping with my son but wanted to post the cookies I made last night. I made my Chocolate Chip Cookies that are already good "as is"...but I wanted to see how they would turn out if I added some raw cacao nibs to them to add additional deep dark chocolate flavor as well as a bit of crunch. I added about 1-1/2 tablespoons (just stirred them into the batter). I made small cookies -- I got 31 cookies from the batch of dough. I have 2 bags of cacao nibs and have been wondering how else I would use them (I stir them into yogurt sometimes, too). I snapped a few photos of the cookies below. So, if you want to boost the chocolate flavor and add a bit of crunch, too...and are like me and just happen to have some cacao nibs hanging around...give it a try. The link to the recipe is above and here ----> Chocolate Chip Cookies. Enjoy!

BOOM!

Pot Roast -- Slow Roasted Southwestern Style

We awoke to very heavy storms and tornado warnings this morning. We had lots of thunder and lightning and very heavy rain. It came down so fast that at one point our backyard looked like lakefront property! By this afternoon it began clearing up, and the sun actually came out. Last night hubby and I did our Costco run after work. I had every intention of eating dinner when we got home but for some reason I felt a little sick to my stomach, so I opted to eat just a little yogurt and go to bed early. While at Costco last night I picked up a package of boneless chuck roast (there were 2 in the package) to make pot roast this weekend (there were two 3-pound roasts). I planned to place it in the crock pot this morning but didn't get it started in time. Instead, I decided to slow roast it in my dutch oven on low (300 degrees F) for 3 to 4 hours since we were going to be at home this afternoon. My roast was totally fall-apart tender in 3-1/2 hours and very tender after only 3 hours. I decided to make my Squash Casserole to go with the pot roast as well as steam some fresh thin green beans (Haricots Vert). I baked a batch of my Cheddar Black Pepper Biscuits for breakfast so I had those to serve with our dinner if anyone wanted bread. Late this afternoon, youngest son called to see what we were doing and asked what I was making for dinner...when I told him, he asked why I didn't call him to let him know...LOL. Needless to say, he left promptly to come home for dinner!  Since my pot roast was ready and I was getting ready to pull the squash casserole out of the oven, I still had 30 minutes to kill before he got home so I went ahead and baked some Chocolate Chip Cookies!  :-)  I snapped a few photos of dinner below as well as the recipe for my pot roast. Not too bad for a totally wheat and grain free meal, huh? Enjoy!

Pot Roast -- Slow Roasted Southwestern Style

Ingredients:

1 3-pound boneless chuck roast
1/2 to 1 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt (or regular grind)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder, optional
2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 large carrots, cut in 1/2-inch slices
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 small seeded and finely diced jalapeno pepper, optional
1 14.5-ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes (including juice)
3 to 4 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Pat roast dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt, pepper and optional chipotle powder. In a 6 or 7-quart Dutch Oven (I used my LeCreuset), heat oil over medium heat until hot. Carefully place roast in pan and sear until brown, about 4 to 5 minutes per side; using a couple of large spatulas, flip roast over and brown remaining side. Remove roast to a platter. Add the onions and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and caramelized; add garlic and optional jalapeno and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Move veggies aside and make a well; return roast to pan. Dump can of diced tomatoes, including their juice, on top of roast and spread out. Pour enough stock around roast until a little over half way up the side of the roast. Cover with lid (or heavy duty foil) and roast in a 300 degree oven for 3 to 4 hours. Check roast for doneness after 3 hours by using two forks to pull meat apart in center of roast. If meat pulls apart easily, it's done; if not, return to oven for an additional 30 to 60 minutes.

*My roast was tender after 3 hours but I returned it to the oven and cooked an additional 30 minutes for  a total of 3-1/2 hours for "fall apart tender". To reduce spiciness, eliminate or reduce the chipotle chile powder and the jalapeno.

    

Almond Joyous Coconut Patties -- Quick & Easy

One of my favorite treats I used to love eating was a chocolate bar with almonds (or chocolate covered almonds or M&M almonds...basically I love anything with chocolate and almonds). I decided to make a quick and easy confection that would allow me to enjoy my favorite combination and also add in some toasted coconut, too. Sort of an Almond Joyous Coconut Patty. While I have mixed melted chocolate with almonds together before and even added coconut to it and made little chocolate almond clusters, I was in the mood for something a little different. I melted a 3.5-ounce Green & Black's 85% chocolate bar (it only takes about 1-1/2 minutes to melt in the microwave) and then made a sweetened almond butter concoction (using Swerve, almond butter and coconut oil) and combined both of them together, then stirred in big toasted coconut flakes and roasted almonds and dropped them onto some parchment paper and chilled them. I was able to make 10 treats from 1 chocolate bar...how great is that?  I snapped a photo below as well as included the easy peasy recipe. Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup - Wheat & Grain-Free

This evening I was in the mood for soup for dinner. Soup always makes me feel warm and warm is what I needed to feel this evening. It was 6 degrees here this morning and didn't get out of the 20s for our "high". With the wind chill, it was brutally cold for those of us here in the south. I had to stop and fill my car with gas on my way home from work this evening and besides the painfully cold wind, my hands were so cold just holding onto the metal nozzle that I wanted to cry -- it was actually painful. When I got home and washed my hands, the cold water coming out of the faucet felt like hot water since my hands were so cold. That's why I decided that tonight would be soup night. I made chicken stock a couple of nights ago so all I needed to do was strain it and remove the chicken meat from the bones...but you could also use a good store bought stock instead of home made. I used my grain free tortillas to make "noodles" by cutting them into thin noodle-like strips. It's kind of like having home made Campbell's chicken noodle soup without the junky stuff. There is nothing fancy about this soup -- it's about as basic as you can get. The only veggies I added were one thinly sliced carrot and 2 thinly sliced green onions. I just happened to have a few leftover grain free tortillas in the fridge to make my noodles with (left from Sunday when I made White Chicken Enchilada Casserole). In less than 30 minutes I had home made chicken noodle soup on the table. I can't think of anything I would have rather had for dinner on this nippy night. I snapped a couple photos below as well as the easy peasy recipe. Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

6 to 8 cups chicken stock
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
2 green spring onions, thinly sliced
Sea salt and black or white pepper, to taste
2 cups cooked chicken
3 grain free tortillas, cut into 1/8-inch "noodle" strips

Directions:

In a 6-quart stock pot, bring chicken stock to a boil over medium-high heat. Add carrot and onions and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken and simmer uncovered about 10 minutes. Add noodles and heat about 5 minutes.

    

Southwestern Style Meatloaf -- Wheat-free & Low Carb

This evening we are experiencing absolutely frigid temps here in the Atlanta area. It's 15 degrees outside now with a wind chill of 1 degree. Our morning temps are expected to be 4 or 5 degrees with wind chills of -5 to -15. I know that is cold for most people but it's almost obscenely cold for the Atlanta area! When I got home from work, I wanted comfort food to warm me from the inside out. I had a 2-lb bag of cauliflower florets that I dumped into a pot along with chicken broth and began making my Rich and Thick Parmesan Cauliflower Mash. It is rich and thick and oh so comforting. While the cauliflower cooked, I put together the speediest and tastiest meatloaf you can imagine. I had a package of ground sirloin that I mixed with some medium-hot "garden fresh salsa" (bought in the refrigerated section). I prefer using fresh salsa because the flavors are so much brighter than jarred salsas which are good, but kind of like stewed tomatoes. The fresh salsa makes me go MMMMMMM...while the jarred salsa just makes me go mmmmmmm. This meatloaf was so simple to make that it might make you cry just a little. When I make my regular Mexican style meatloaf, I usually dice onions, peppers, etc. and add egg and a little salsa (occasionally a little flax as a binder substitute in place of bread crumbs). But this evening I decided to kick it up a notch. My meatloaf consisted of ground sirloin, fresh salsa, smoked paprika, roasted cumin, a touch of salt and pepper...and you know what I used as my binder??? Pepper-jack cheese...yes, shredded pepper-jack cheese. It turned out AMAZING! Not only did it add flavor, it kept the meatloaf extremely tender and moist without becoming a solid brick of meat as it baked. Instead of adding the obligatory ketchup or tomato sauce on top, I spooned a little salsa over the top before baking it. Right before I removed it from the oven, I added some additional shredded pepper-jack cheese to the top and let it melt. I served the meatloaf along with my Parmesan Cauliflower Mash and green beans with toasted almonds. It was the best comfort meal I could hope for on this bitter cold night. I snapped a few photos below as well as the easy peasy meatloaf recipe. Using fresh salsa adds the flavor of fresh tomatoes, jalapenos and onions so there is no chopping any veggies involved. Just dump, mix, pat and bake. I used a medium-hot salsa that added a little zip, too. Enjoy!

Salted Pumpkin Seed Bark

Well, I spent Sunday getting ready to go back to the "real world"...work! I also spent the afternoon shopping and getting stocked up for the frigid weather we are expecting this coming week. The weather forecast this evening said it was supposed to be 22 degrees in the morning and drop to 18 degrees by afternoon. They are calling for single digit temps as low as 4 degrees on Tuesday morning with wind chills of -5 to -15 degrees F along with sleet and black ice. Now, I know from seeing the temps across the country that many of you are experiencing much lower temps than that...but for us Atlanta folks here...that is COLD!!! So, I did my "winter weather" shopping frenzy...and guess what? I realized another advantage of being wheat free...I only had to worry about getting eggs and not the milk and bread...LOL. I did pick up some heavy cream though (along with all the other usual things us wheatless folks eat). For dinner this evening, I fixed my low carb White Chicken Enchilada Casserole -- it is one of my favorites and since one of my sons was eating with us, I wanted to make sure he was well fed before tomorrow's frigid temps moved in...LOL. I made steamed broccoli to go with it and he had a great idea of spooning the extra cheese sauce over his broccoli since there is plenty of extra sauce in the casserole dish -- it was actually great and I will make sure I always serve broccoli with it just to have something else to hold all that tasty sauce.  ;-)  I made one minor modification to tonight's casserole by using shredded pepper jack cheese instead of monterey jack that goes inside the enchiladas with the chicken to add a little zip. I linked to the enchilada recipe above. The "recipe" I actually want to share with you is such an easy peasy one that it is almost embarrassing to call it a recipe...but since it is technically the combination of more than one ingredient that results in a different end product...I guess that's what this is...LOL. It's Salted Pumpkin Seed Bark...I know, kind of weird, right?  For the last few months, hubby picks up a bag of "Bark Thins" at Costco every couple weeks, which is simply salted toasted pumpkin seeds mixed with dark chocolate and cut into "bark". I tasted a little bite of it to see what it tasted like because it looks like super dark chocolate...but I could tell by the tiny piece I tried it was much sweeter than the 85% chocolate I typically eat. So, for months now, I have been watching him eat this bark stuff...and I really like pumpkin seeds (or pepitas as some refer to them). So today I decided that it would be ridiculously simple to make, so why not? Last week I picked up some toasted salted pumpkin seeds from Whole Foods...and I just happened to have some Green & Black's 85% chocolate bars in my pantry...and well, you already know what happened...LOL. As hubby pulled out his bag of "bark"...I pulled out my plate of "bark"...and I liked mine a whole lot better -- it wasn't pukey sweet like his! So, below is my "recipe" for Salted Pumpkin Seed Bark. Enjoy!

The bark from the bag is on the left -- mine is on the right

To make the bark thicker like that on the left, allow chocolate to cool and thicken slightly before pouring onto parchment paper to reduce the spread

Calzones -- Saturday Night's Special

This evening one of my sons and my daughter were here for dinner and they decided they wanted to order "pizza out". Hubby and both of them got calzones from "Mellow Mushroom"...a local pizza place. While hubby went to pick it up, I proceeded to make myself a pizza so it would be ready by the time he got back (it took them 40 minutes to make). I decided to make myself another white pizza like I made this past week since it was so good (filled with provolone, mozzarella, Parmesan, diced pepperoni and roasted tomatoes). As I was spreading the crust out and topping it, I decided to go ahead and convert it into a calzone by using the parchment paper to flip it over and gently tease the top half of the dough off of my parchment paper and pat it into place. It turned out great and I had the exact same meal that they did...only mine was grain free (and better)! I snapped a quick photo for you to see. I love being able to go "toe to toe" with them on the kind of things most think are impossible to enjoy once you go grain free. I refuse to feel deprived or left out. Enjoy!

Fried Egg Nestled in a Wreath of Deep Dish Pizza Style Sprouts

Happy Saturday! I got to sleep in today since it was so dark and overcast out -- yay! When I woke up this morning, the first thing I said after, "I can't believe how late it is" (it was 10:30)...was "I'm hungry". Hubby asked what I was hungry for...and the most bizarre word instantly came out of my mouth....SPROUTS, I said with lots of enthusiasm! LOL (Is that sick or what)? Anyway...I still had leftover Deep Dish Pizza Style Sprouts in the fridge from our dinner a couple of nights ago. I placed them in my ceramic non-stick skillet along with a little melted butter and covered them and began heating them up over medium heat. Once they began to sizzle a bit, I gently made a well in the center and cracked an egg into the well and covered my pan again and continued cooking until the egg was done. During the cooking/reheating process, the provolone that was originally melted on top of the sprouts gradually worked its way to the bottom where it developed a golden brown "crust" of sorts that held the sprouts together. This made it easy to literally just tip my skillet a bit and slide it off onto my plate. I seasoned it with additional cracked black pepper and enjoyed it thoroughly. Even though I have made this type of breakfast before with sprouts and bacon...this one was especially tasty with the pepperoni, provolone and roasted tomatoes and the spicy hint from the spice infused olive oil I had drizzled on the sprouts when I made them the other night. The browned crusted cheese bottom was really good, too. I absolutely love making an entirely different meal out of what some (including my hubby) might consider just ho-hum leftovers. I snapped a quick picture below as a potential "breakfast idea" of how you can revitalize your leftovers regardless of how unusual it may seem. In case you didn't know already...I really loooooooooooove sprouts! Enjoy!

Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Chowder

This evening youngest son came for dinner. It was a very cold day here today and even though it was sunny, we never made it out of the 30s. It is supposed to get even colder in the next few days according to the forecast (lows in the single digits by Tuesday...yikes). I decided that this would be a perfect night for soup. I made Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Chowder for dinner. I cooked a pot of chicken breasts on top of the stove (so I would have extra chicken left for other things) and steamed fresh broccoli florets. I purposely didn't make the soup as thick as a "creamed soup"...although that would be good, too. I thickened it very slightly, just enough to give it some body and richness. I added 1/2 teaspoon of xanthum gum (you could also use cream cheese instead if you prefer) and then a bit of cream before melting in the freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese. I purposely grated a block of cheese for this instead of using pre-shredded cheese because it tends to melt and incorporate better when it isn't coated with any starches or anti-caking agents like most pre-shredded cheeses are. It turned out good and the 2 main ingredients, chicken and broccoli, just happen to be youngest son's favorites. Adding a little cream and touch of xanthum gum to the soup base helped give a slight richness to what otherwise would have been a lighter "brothy" type soup. With the unusual cold weather today, it just seemed like a good choice. I snapped a few photos below as well as the easy recipe. This is a perfect soup to make if you have leftover chicken or turkey to use up. You can add your own favorite veggies instead if you aren't wild about broccoli. Enjoy!

What's in YOUR Stevia?

This morning I decided that it was time I finally did a "stevia post". I know there are many new folks just beginning their search for suitable products as they clean out their pantries to remove wheat, grains and sugar from their diets. For many, many, years now...after trying almost every brand of stevia, I settled on NuNaturals pure stevia (both liquid and powdered versions). I preferred their alcohol free liquid drops. It was non-bitter and the most pleasant tasting. When I re-ordered it recently, I was very disappointed by how it tasted and it wasn't the usual clear color like before...it had a light yellow-ish cast to it and it didn't taste good. I initially assumed that I had received a bad batch. Fortunately, I still had some of the original version left so I could compare it side by side. I had planned to return it, since it was bad, but decided to turn to the internet (which as many of you know can be a good thing or a bad thing sometimes). What I found was a few other comments about a change in their formula. So, I contacted the company and they were very nice. They admitted that yes, they had changed their formula because they could no longer get stevia from their original source. I was quite disappointed. I am currently still using an old bottle of the NuNaturals pure powdered version but know that once it is gone...I will again be on a search. They have a new product that I plan to try, but I do not care for their version I used exclusively for so long.

So, back to my quest on the internet for the best "non-bitter" tasting stevia. Other than finding raves about NuNaturals (the original version), I kept coming up with KAL. The more I read and researched the more unclear it became because I stumbled on a few comments about KAL's version being recently changed and not good, too. I had recently received several private messages from folks questioning me about whether it comes from China. On my internet quest, I found a few remarks of people saying the same thing....that KAL was labeled a "Product of China" and contained maltodextrin (sugar). On most of those comments there would be someone else that would counter that remark and swear it wasn't labeled that on their bottle. So, I checked some of the other bloggers that I know use stevia, too, and I still hadn't seen any confirming remarks about KAL (I did see a couple comment on NuNaturals). Since I was on a personal journey for a new kind of stevia, I went ahead and ordered 2 bottles of KAL "pure stevia" since a fellow blogger that uses it exclusively seems to love it. I ordered the KAL 3.5-ounce powdered extract that comes with a little scoop. The other was KAL's 2-ounce bottle of liquid pure stevia drops...I was excited to get it today and hopefully end my stevia journey once and for all. I actually awoke this morning to the rattling of the UPS truck and was excited. Well, I received my answer...just not the one I wanted to see/hear. BOTH versions contain maltodextrin (it is written as clear as day on the label)...AND, the powdered version is clearly labeled "Product of China". Now, maybe that doesn't bother some people...but it really bothers me...a LOT. To me, "pure stevia" means..."nothing but stevia". But, obviously, to these companies, "pure stevia" means that the stevia they add to the other ingredients is pure.  What, WHAT??? My smiley face turned upside down in a flash.

Since there are many new people just beginning their Wheat Belly journeys and other plans here at the new year...I wanted to spare you the waste of time and money (as most of you know, this stuff is not cheap). Now, if "maltodextrin" and "Product of China" doesn't bother you...then maybe this product is for you. I will be returning both of my products, unopened. So...for those of you that wonder if what you might have heard is correct...a picture says a thousand words. For those of you that might have recently received some that doesn't have that on the label...you are lucky to have received the previous original version that was still in inventory. This post is simply a "buyer beware". Personally, if these companies are adding a type of sugar to a product that many are using to try and AVOID it, why not be upfront about it so consumers know before they purchase it. We as consumers shouldn't find out about it after we have purchased it. Order at your own risk...you have been warned. Okay...my rant is over. Now...since pictures are worth a thousand words....see below...my search for a good tasting SAFE stevia continues. If anyone has ANY recommendations on a good tasting stevia (and I have tried most of them)...please share. Enjoy!   RANT OVER!

***Update: I just spoke with the company, Neutraceutical, that manufactures KAL stevia. They confirmed that they now add maltodextrin to their stevia products both to help keep it from "sticking to the machinery" and to "sweeten it". They also said that it has ALWAYS been a product of China but they are now required to label it as such. If you have further questions about the product, you can contact them at: 1-800-277-1660 (press #1 for product info). 

Deep Dish Pizza Style Sprouts

It was a nasty, cold and rainy day here all day long today. I worked on a number of different projects around the house and ended up running out of time to grocery shop this afternoon like I had planned. Hubby stopped and picked up a quick rotisserie chicken on his way home from work and I rattled around in the refrigerator to see what I could make to go with it while he was on his way home. I had a bag of small brussels sprouts (about 2 pounds) that I decided to make. I didn't want to roast them...I was in the mood for something a little different. I trimmed and halved the sprouts and placed them in a covered glass casserole dish along with a few tablespoons of water and steamed them in the microwave for about 5-6 minutes (I used only a little water because I wanted them lightly steamed...NOT boiled). I drained them and placed them in a large ceramic skillet with some olive oil and melted butter (a couple tablespoons total) and began sauteing the sprouts over medium heat. While the sprouts were sauteing, I diced about 18 slices of pepperoni and 3 slices of provolone cheese. I added the diced pepperoni to the sauteing sprouts and cooked everything until the sprouts were lightly browned and still tender-crisp. I added a couple of heaping tablespoons of organic oven roasted roma tomatoes packed in oil (you could substitute a bit of sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil instead) and tossed them around until heated through, then seasoned with salt and pepper. I scattered the diced provolone on top of the sprouts along with a couple tablespoons of shredded Parmigiano Reggiano; covered the pan and turned off the heat to allow the cheese to melt on top. I drizzled the sprouts with about a tablespoon of olive oil that is infused with garlic and red pepper (it's very spicy) and then served them along with sliced chicken breast and my Cranberry Orange Coconut Sauce. When I made the cranberry sauce last night, I added chopped walnuts to it for additional crunch. I enjoy eating a dollop of cranberry sauce with plain poultry and think cranberries are highly underrated and should be enjoyed more frequently than just on the Thanksgiving table. It was a simple and different meal because of the variation of the sprouts. I like trying different combinations and ways to use brussels sprouts since they are one of my favorite vegetables. I like them prepared almost any way except boiled. These were delicious with the spiciness of pepperoni, saltiness of the cheeses and the deep roasted flavor from the oven roasted tomatoes and the little kick of spice from drizzling them with spice infused olive oil on top. It was so simple yet so good and had a pizza-like flavor. I snapped a few photos below. Enjoy!

Beef Fajitas w/ Chipotle Lime Marinade - Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! This evening I made Beef Fajitas w/ Chipotle Lime Marinade and used the "Beef Loin Flap Meat Steak" I picked up at Costco this weekend. This is the first I had ever seen or heard of it. I decided to marinate it for fajitas based on the responses I received from others about how best to use it. I marinated it for 7 to 8 hours and it turned out absolutely delicious! It was tender, but with some chew to it (the good kind of chew). In the past I have used sirloin steak or skirt steak for my fajitas...but I have to say, this meat was very flavorful and I would definitely buy and use it again. Hubby grilled it until it had nice grill marks on the outside but was still slightly pink on the inside (medium). We covered it and let it sit for about 20 minutes and then thinly sliced it on the diagonal against the grain. I cooked green and red pepper strips and onions to have with our fajitas. We filled grain free tortillas with the beef, veggies, cheese and sour cream. These were some of the best we've had. I snapped a few quick photos below. The recipe is linked above in the first sentence. I went back through my blog to see what we had for New Year's Eve last year and realized that I made beef fajitas last year, too...how funny is that? I wish all of you the Happiest & Healthiest New Year and may 2014 bring you love, joy and good health...and lots of good food (wheat and grain free, of course)! Enjoy!  :-)