Chocolate Chili...?!?

In honor of my new summer job at the Spice and Tea Exchange in downtown Greenville, I've decided to blab to you all a little bit about why I love spices so much.

One major criticism of the Paleo diet is its supposed lack of variety. When I was doing the Whole30, I had a lot of people ask me if I got tired of eating meat and vegetables all the time. My response to them was a very definite no. I cooked more flavorful food than I ever had in my lifetime even within the confines of the Paleo diet. 

This was made possible by my exploration of spices. One of my favorite Christmas presents (besides my crockpot, which will always be number one in my heart) was a basket full of jars of spices. Although the initial investment was expensive, I think that they are well worth the money for how much use I get out of them on a daily basis. 

Side note: If you're worried about the price of spices, I recommend buying them in bulk or buying spices such as cinnamon or cloves in their whole form, then grinding them yourself with a tool such as this microplane grater. 

You can do so much with spices, but one of my favorite uses of spices is chili. There are a lot of kinds of chili there are, some of them with more spices than others, but I've found that I generally like ones that are flavor-packed. 

Each time I make chili, I try out different recipes, different combinations of recipes, and random ideas that come into my head. After many variations (some better than others), I've settled on this one as my favorite. Its super rich and flavorful, fairly thick in consistency, and has a hell of a lot of meat. Mmmmmmmm...

My recommendation to you is to look over the ingredient list and play around with it according to your taste buds. I've found that these spices work particularly well together, but go ahead and add/subtract anything to your heart's desire. 

What you'll need: 

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or bacon fat 
• if you make bacon in the process, just put that in the chili, too... I dare you
• 2 medium onions, diced (about 2 cups)
• 5 cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
• 3 pounds meat (I use a combination of ground beef and pork cut into cubes, but you do you)
• 1 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 3 Tbs chili powder
• 2 Tbs ground cumin
• 2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder (don't freak out, it doesn't taste like chocolate... the cocoa powder just makes it extra rich)
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• salt to taste (about 1 tsp, but it depends on the type of meat you choose)
• 2 tsp paprika 
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) fire-roasted, chopped tomatoes (make it two cans if you really like tomatoes)
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) beef broth
• 1 cup water 

What you'll need to do:

1. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat, then add the bacon fat (or coconut oil or any other oil). When the oil is melted, add the onions and stir with a wooden spoon and cook until they’re translucent, about 7 minutes. 

2. Add the garlic, then as soon as it’s fragrant (30ish seconds), crumble the meat into the pan with your hands, mixing with the wooden spoon to combine. Continue to cook the meat, stirring often, until it’s no longer pink. Pour into crock pot (or soup pot on low), draining most of the grease first. 

3. Add the tomato paste, beef broth, water, and chopped tomatoes to crockpot and cook for 30 minutes on high.

4. In a small bowl, combine all of the spices with a fork. Pour them into the crock pot and stir like you mean it. Reduce heat to low and let it simmer for lots of hours. I usually shoot to let it sit for at least 6, but less will work if need be. 

This recipe gets better and better as it sits in the fridge and the flavors all mush together, so make a double batch if you want yummy leftovers around the house! (just make sure it all fits in the crockpot, first...)

Source for the picture and Well-Fed 2 recipe. 

Video goodie of the day: Anyone else out there a Pokemon fan? It's ok if you're too embarrassed to say yes, but I think I've found my dream job. Thank you, Google. 

Piña Colada Chicken (aka Spring Break in food form)

I apologize for the food hiatus! It has been rough on me too, trust me. But I spent the last week lounging on the back of a boat in the sun, so don't feel too bad for me. 

At the moment, I'm hiding from the rain and reminiscing about warm weather, wishing I could go back. But... school. So, the next best thing I can do is make Piña Colada chicken. It won't prolong my tan, but it sure does bring back good memories of Spring Break and delicious cocktails in the sun.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! It's a repeat recipe fo sho. 

What you'll need: 

(The ingredient list looks a bit daunting, but it's totally worth it)

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 1 Tbs. coconut oil
• 1 medium onion (1 cup when diced)
• 1 medium red bell pepper (1 cup when diced)
• 1 medium green pepper (1 cup when diced)
• 1 tsp arrowroot powder
• 1 cup crushed pineapple, packed in its own juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons jerk seasoning
• here's the link to the seasoning recipe by a cute grandma with a blog. Use the leftover spice on chicken or to make shrimp scampi! 
• 1 lime
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup coconut milk 

This isn't a food ingredient, but you'll also need a big pan with high sides... it gets a little messy and you don't want all your food jumping overboard. 

What you need to do:

1. Cut the chicken into 1 inch cubes, then add it to a pre-heated non-stick skillet over medium high heat with a 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil. Cook the chicken in batches if need be, but make sure it's browned on all sides. When you're done, just put the chicken in a bowl to the side. 

2. Time to get saucy. Add 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil to the pan and sauté the onions, peppers, and arrowroot powder for about five minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. 

3. Add the pineapple (with or without the juice, your choice) and stir-fry them until they begin to brown, 3ish minutes. 

4. Add the garlic and Jerk seasoning, then the lime juice, then the vanilla and coconut. Keep stirring. 

5. Add the chicken to the sauce and bring to a boil, then let it simmer uncovered until your desired consistency- I let it sit for about 10 minutes, then I couldn't wait any longer- the smell was too much to resist. 

I enjoyed my piña colada chicken atop a pile of zoodles, which I highly recommend (check out my post on zoodles here)! The crunchy cool zoodles provided a nice contrast to the spicy/sweet chicken. It was gone in minutes.

Source: This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks, Well-Fed 2 by Melissa Joulwan. It's my go-to for whenever I want to make something that's guaranteed to be both healthy and packed with flavor. It's written in an interesting, unique style that makes it easy and fun for people of all skill levels to cook meals that are sure to please. I recommend that everyone check it out! Here's the Amazon link... I think $16 is a steal for a book that is so informative, entertaining, and full of deliciousness. 

Video goodie of the day: If you enjoy Jimmy Fallon or Tiny Fey, you'll like them even more when they switch mouths. Check it out for a good laugh!

Zoodles!

Zoodles zoodles zoodles. What a fun word.

Though I've never been faced with the difficulties of trying to get children to eat vegetables, I know that putting veggies in noodle form makes them so much more fun to eat, so I can imagine it would help. How do I know this? Because I'm basically a child; I love playing with my food. 

Zoodles are a good substitute for noodles whether you're gluten-free or just trying to cut down on carbs. Their taste obviously isn't the same, but their texture offers a cool, crunchy contrast to your protein of choice. I also enjoy eating them as a side dish after sautéing them in a bit of olive oil and herbs/spices. 

In order to make zoodles, you'll need to buy a julienne peeler (this is the one I have- it's super cheap and works like a charm). It may seem annoying to have to buy one, but the "oohs" and "ahhs" you'll get from your friends makes it totally worth it. Or if you want to get extra fancy,  you can get a "spiralizer"... the amount of stuff this baby can do is overwhelming.  

What you'll need:

• however many zucchinis you want to make (I usually make about 3-4)
• salt

What you need to do:

1. Wash yo zucchini and preheat the oven to 200F. Housekeeping stuff to get out of the way right off the bat. 

2. Cut a thin slice off one side of each of the zucchini so that they won't roll around when you're peeling them. Put them cut side down.

3. Use the julienne peeler to make zoodles, slicing until you get to the mealy, seedy part in the middle (throw that stuff away).

4. Lay out your zoodles on a paper towel lined baking sheet (don't be shy with the paper towel- there's more moisture in the zucchini than you think), salt 'em, and put it in the oven for about 1/2 an hour. This will remove as much moisture as possible to ensure that your zoodles aren't squishy. Cause nobody likes squishy zoodles. 

5. At this point, you can either put the zoodles in your refrigerator (uncovered) for up to three days and have them at the ready for whenever you want to sauté some veggies. Or, if you just can't wait to eat them, put a little bit of olive oil/spices/herbs of your choice in a pan and sauté for a few minutes, to your liking.

The end result is beautiful! Some people may argue that you should take off the skin first, but A) time, B) don't care that much, and C) they look/taste awesome anyways. 

Video goodie of the day: I imagine everyone around me feels like this because of my Frozen obsession... the cold never bothered me anyway.

Paleo Chocolate Pudding

"Paleo chocolate pudding"... it sounds a bit like an oxy moron, doesn't it? It can't be pudding and healthy... can it?? 

It can. 

This recipe may be a bit unconventional and contain ingredients that you never thought should go into a pudding, but don't bash it until you try it!

Pudding mixes that you buy from the grocery store are loaded with every kind of chemically modified sugar and other ingredients that I can't even pronounce the name of (something I try to avoid whenever possible). It scares me a little that when you add water to a powder, you get pudding. I don't know how that happens, but I'd rather there not be that much science behind something as simple as pudding. 

This recipe is dairy-free and has no artificial sweeteners, so it's good for your tummy- both inside and out. So don't worry, you can eat this pudding on that "pre-spring break" diet that you are pretending to stick to. 

I was a bit skeptical at first, but this treat turned out to be such a delicious surprise. It has a thick consistency, it's rich in chocolate-y flavor, and tastes so good with a little sliced fruit on the side. 

What you'll need:

• 1 ripe avocado (don't worry, you wont taste it! It just adds creamy texture)
• 2 ripe bananas 
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup coconut milk (more or less, depending on how thick you like yo puddin')
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup honey 

What you need to do:

1. Blend the avocado and bananas in a food processor. 

2. Put all the other ingredients in, then blend those up too. 

THAT'S IT. And look how pretty it looks. 

Note #1: This is how I liked my pudding, but everyone is different. Play around with the ratios of all the ingredients to get it just how you like it- just throw a little more of this or that in the food processor and make the recipe your own! 

Note #2: The pudding definitely tasted better when I let it sit in the fridge overnight, but that didn't stop me from eating some right away. I may or may not have cut my tongue by licking the food processor blade... I couldn't help myself. 

I got this recipe via word of mouth, so I have no website to link. See how fun sharing food and recipes can be? Spread the noms :)

Video goodie of the day: I like to pretend that my stuffed animals can move, like in Toy Story, and I'd like to believe that ponies have dance moves like this one.

Sweet potato BACON soup

I have a secret to share with you all... one of my favorite cooking tricks... ready? Everything tastes better when it's cooked in bacon fat. "Well no duh, it's bacon" you might say. But you probably also cringe at the thought of saving bacon fat in a little side cup and (gasp) adding fat to your food. Well guess what? Don't stress about it. Bacon fat is not going to make you fat.

If you're interested in learning more about why this is, here is a link to a talk given by the creator of Fat Head, a response to and criticism of Supersize Me. Or here is a cardiothoracic surgeon from the University of Washington discussing why saturated fats are good for you. If you want more resources, feel free to contact me! I've got buckets of sources for ya. 

Or.... if you don't feel like doing research, you can just take my word for it. Jump on the bacon fat train. 

In order to save bacon fat, just spoon up the extra fat when you cook bacon on the stovetop, then put it in a mason jar, tupperware, solo cup... any container of your choosing will work. Then, use it all the time. 

My personal favorite is cooking eggs in bacon grease. Bacon flavor without the bacon prep, say what? It makes eggs that much better and brings all the boys to the yard. Ok, not really... but I keep trying. 

You can also use bacon fat when cooking vegetables! Mmmmmmmm.....

Lastly, use bacon fat to cook other meats in. Double the meat, double the flavor, double the fun. 

Those are all my age-old favorites, but I recently found this recipe for a sweet potato bacon soup that is to die for. It's sweet, spicy, delectably smooth, and has bacon. Score. 

What you'll need: 

• 6 slices of bacon
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tsp Lebanese Spice blend (recipe here; don't worry about having extra, use the leftovers as a flavor boost for burgers! You won't regret it)
• 1/2 Tbsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• dash of cayenne (more or less depending on your spice tolerance)
• 5 cloves garlic, minced or smashed
• 2 lbs. sweet potatoes
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup water

What you need to do:

0. This is a "before-you-do-anything-else" step. Chop up your sweet potatoes into thin slices. If you don't do it now, you will be rushing around in the middle of cooking, trying not to burn anything or ruin the dish. You're welcome. 

1. Acquire bacon fat. It can come from that nifty little side cup that you already have going or from a fresh batch off the skillet (check out The Art of Manliness on how to properly cook bacon on the stovetop). Somehow, you'll just need to end up with about a tablespoon in the bottom of a large soup pot. 

2. Turn the pan on medium high heat and add the onion, Lebanese spice, salt, pepper, and cayenne to the pot. Stir occasionally for about 6 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Toss in the garlic and wait about 30 seconds or until it's really fragrant. Then... 

3. Add your beautifully pre-chopped sweet potatoes, broth, and water to the pot. Bring it to a boil, reduce to a simmer, then cover and cook for about 15 minutes. The time will fluctuate based on how thickly your sweet potatoes are sliced, but leave them in there until they are soft.

4. If you have an immersion blender, that's great! Stick it in there and blend it all up. Almost as magical as a crockpot. If you don't, that's ok too. You might just have a bit more clean-up (but what's cooking without the mess, right?). Just use a food processor or blender and blend in batches until smooth.  

5. Sprinkle a bowl of this beauty with some of the bacon that you made earlier and eat up! 

Note: If you are a vegetarian, this soup would still be fantastic without the bacon, too! Just use coconut oil as a substitute. 

I like to have this soup for breakfast. The spices wake me up while there's also something soothing about a hot bowl of creamy soup in the morning. 

It's fun to challenge the conventional notions of breakfast, lunch, and dinner by eating whatever you want, whenever you want. Who says spaghetti pizza pie and sweet potato soup isn't for breakfast? Cause that's what I had this morning. 

PALEOMG Pizza Spaghetti Pie

I keep up with a lot of food blogs, many of which are Paleo and almost all of which have mentioned PaleoOMG's Pizza Spaghetti Pie and raved about it. I've put off trying it out for the longest time because of my wariness about spaghetti squash, but I'm so glad I finally decided to make it. My bar was set high and it was totally met.

My first reaction after making it was wondering why on Earth I had never tried spaghetti squash before... It's seriously the most fun vegetable I've ever encountered. Yes, a fun vegetable. Not "fun" like my mom told me husking corn was, or how the quiet game is "fun" for all babysitters... but actually really fun.

It's a squash, then it's noodles. This video is a pretty close approximation to my reaction the first time I tried it out. I plan on looking up more ways to use spaghetti squash, just so I can scoop out the noodles again.

But even if you aren't Paleo or you don't get excited about vegetables like I do, this recipe is damn good. It was so simple and saves in the fridge quite well, which makes for easy leftovers! Yay laziness.

What you'll need:

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 1/2 onion (diced)
• 1 cup pizza sauce 
• 1 teaspoon dried basil, plus any other seasonings you might like to add (garlic powder, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, etc)
• 3 eggs
• optional but recommended: fresh basil, cheese, veggies, really anything you want- get creative!

What you need to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F (You know how I feel about this... don't forget it!)

2. Follow the instructions in this video on how to properly cut a spaghetti squash; it's only important if you don't want to lose a limb... and while you're at it, bookmark her blog, she's one of my favorite foodies.

3. THE FUN PART!!! It's noodle time. Take a fork to the squash and let the magic happen, placing the noodles in a greased 8x8 baking dish as you go.

4. Put the Italian sausage and diced onions in a pan over medium heat until the meat is browned. (If it's not 100% cooked all the way through, that's ok, it will continue cooking in the oven)

5. Add spices and pizza sauce to the pan and mix well, then pour the meat mixture into the 8x8 dish with the noodles. Mix!

6. Lastly, add the whisked eggs and anything you might want (cheese, basil, veggies) in your pie and mix it all up again.

7. Bake in the oven for 1 hour- there should be little crispies on top when it's done.

8. Nom nom nom. It's not the prettiest dish, but it's delicious and nutritious. Enjoy!

Video goodie of the day: I was reminiscing about my time in Paris and this video was oddly satisfying when I needed a good laugh. For all you 90s kids, this one is for you. And I guess everyone else too, cause everyone loves the Spice Girls...

Ba-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na BREAD!

Sorry not sorry for the pun. 

Banana bread has always been my thing. I brought it to almost every potluck I attended when I was younger and everyone who tried it raved about it. That is, everyone except the adults who heard the ingredient list... specifically, the cup and a half of sugar in each loaf (yes, a CUP AND A HALF). It was one of those "holy shit I can't believe I just ate that, I feel like I'm going to explode" kind of foods. But when you're a kid, that doesn't really exist.

Now that I've grown an actual set of taste buds and have realized that things can be naturally sweet, I wanted to find a new way to re-live this childhood indulgence of mine without the sugar overload.  

I've tried a few recipes, but the one posted here is by far my favorite. It's surprisingly close in taste to the sugar-loaded banana bread I ate as a kid, but has no added sweeteners! All you have to do is let your bananas ripen to that gross looking, "should I throw these out?" stage, and they'll be sweet enough to satisfy!

This is my favorite kind of recipe; the "mix it all together, then cook it" kind. So easy. 

What you'll need:

• 4 bananas, mashed
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup almond butter 
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted (or butter)
• 1/2 cup coconut flour (or almond flour)
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• pinch of sea salt
• optional (but recommended): 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• optional (but highly recommended): 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

What you need to do: 

1. Set your oven to 350 F. (I always forget this, then have to wait for it to heat up... so annoying)

2. Use a blender or hand mixer to blend together the mashed bananas, melted butter, almond butter, and eggs. 

3. Add the coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and nutmeg; then use your blender to mix it all up again. 

(4.) Add in the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts, if you want (... do it).

5. Do you want a loaf or muffins? If a loaf, pour the batter in a greased pan and cook for 55-60 minutes if it's a glass pan and 35-40 minutes if it's a metal pan. If you want muffins (side note: I tell myself that portion control will be easier if I make muffins, but that's only if I can limit myself to one muffin... easier said than done with these babies), pour them in a muffin tray with paper liners and bake for 35-40 minutes. 

6. Do the toothpick test (or my way, the "eat one to test it" method), then you're done! Enjoy not only the taste of these beauties, but the way they will make your home smell. It smells like a job well done.  

Note #1: Coconut flour can be expensive if you buy it at the grocery store, but if you have Amazon Prime (or a friend with it...) and don't mind waiting a few days, you can get a much better deal online, here! 

Note #2: Almond butter can also be a little tricky. Try to avoid the brands that add sugar to their almond butter.. it kind of defeats the purpose. I like to buy mine from Whole Foods, where you can freshly grind it yourself! Then, you can be sure there is nothing else added to it. Plus the little machine makes me feel powerful. 

These are easy, delicious, and a little addicting... see for yourself!

Video goodie of the day: Look at these goats, just messin' around.... what a bunch of kids. 

Source for batnana picture.

Original banana bread recipe from Civilized Caveman Cooking.