Plantain Paleo Lasagna / Pastelon

I'm afraid I've gone on blogger's hiatus since my last post. I've been cooking all along, but was a bit discouraged by some negative feedback left on Instagram. So please, try my recipes. I write or re-write them so that the reader can replicate each dish easily. All tips, comments, and concerns are welcome! - but be kind in leaving your opinion.

Plantain Paleo Pastelon

Sounds strange, right? My boyfriend is half Puerto Rican and loves plantains. So when I stumbled upon the idea and ran it by him, he was thrilled to try. By no means is this a traditional dish (it's technically a pastelon with a twist), but oh man is it good. A perfect marriage between sweet starches and ground turkey, that will leave you feeling healthy and satisfied. It's like a savory-sweet cross between sheppard's pie and lasagna, it's to die for, and your body will thank you - this recipe follows the paleo diet.

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground turkey

1/2 C gluten free rolled oats, chopped

4-5 ripe plantains - They need to be ripe for the sweetness, but not too ripe or it will be harder to cut "noodles" out of them.

1 onion, chopped

4-5 garlic cloves, minced

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

2 tsp oregano

1 bundle cilantro, chopped

1/2 C diced pineapple - If canned, try to make sure it's organic or no sugar added.

1/2 C organic tomato sauce

2 bay leaves

Egg whites of 8 eggs, whisked - 4 eggs if you don't have enough on hand

4 Tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

How it's made:

1) Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8 x 8 in. baking pan and set aside.

2) In a large mixing bowl, combine turkey, oats, onion, 2 cloves worth of minced garlic, bell pepper, and oregano. Mix well with hands.

3) Heat 1-2 Tbsp coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add about half the remaining garlic and let cook 1 minute of so, allowing it to  become fragrant. Then add the turkey mixture to the pan. 

4) Once the turkey has browned, add pineapple, tomato sauce and bay leaves. Simmer while covered on medium low heat, check back to stir every now and then. 

5) Meanwhile, heat the coconut oil in a pan on high, then fry the plantains until they are slightly brown on each side. Remove plantains from the hot oil and let them cool on a plate with paper towel. Once cooled enough for handling, line your baking pan with one
layer of the fried plantains. 

6) Remove bay leaves, and add cilantro to the turkey mixture. Stir well and remove from heat. Pour turkey mixture over first layer of plantains and spread evenly. Drizzle eggs over the turkey mixture. Layer the top with plantains, much like you've done you with the bottom layer.

7) Bake for 25-30 mins. Make sure your dish has set in the oven. Cook for 10 minutes, cut, and enjoy!

...it's to die for.

Goat Cheese Turkey Bacon Chicken "Cordon Bleu"

We've been doing a lot of grocery shopping and trying a bunch of new things, but my freezer filled up. What to do when you run out of room? Get creative.

"Kelsey Cordon Bleu"

INGREDIENTS - Serves Two.

2 Tbsp E.V.O.O

1 Large Chicken Breast

3 Cloves garlic, finely minced

2 tsp thyme 

Fresh ground pepper

1 1/2 Tbsp goat cheese

1-2 Slices turkey bacon

Cooking spray

1/2 Large sweet onion, cut however you wish

Here's what to do...

1. Lightly tenderize - not pulverize - your chicken breast. Preheat frying pan on high. Preheat oven to 350 - 375 F (depending on your oven). Rub breast with 2 Tbsp E.V.O.O., minced garlic, and thyme.

2. Sear chicken breast on both sides, and reduce heat to med-high. Add as much ground pepper as you'd like. Continue to cook until little pink remains in the center. The breast will look cooked but the juices will not run entirely clear. Remove from heat and set pan aside. Carefully cut breast in half, like a hamburger bun.

3. Spread goat cheese over the insides of the hot chicken breast as it melts. Lay 1-2 turkey bacon slices, and close breast. Place on baking pan lined with tin foil and cover with tin foil as well, poking about 3 holes in the top. Bake for 30 minutes.

4. Using the frying pan that seared the chicken with the juices and oils remaining, saute onions on medium heat. When they begin to dry out, reduce heat to low, and continue to cook until slightly crunchy.

5. Assuming you're adding a side item or two to your dish, I suggest a half breast per serving. Top with the crunchy sweet onions and enjoy.

Make larger portions if you're looking to impress. This recipe is easy and will have your guests talking for ages. For another variation, try using a little balsamic vinegar when caramelizing your onions, but do not let them become crunchy.  

Bon Appetit!

Crock Pot Turkey Pad Thai, a healthy alternative to take-out.

I'll be the first to admit, I'm the queen of making the easiest meal the most difficult. I modify portions, change the process, and play with ingredients. What I like about the crock pot is that no matter how many changes I make, the directions are still basically the same: Throw it in, let it sit, stir occasionally. 

Dinner made easy. 

Talk about green ingredients!

     1/2 cup hot water

        6 packets stevia extract 
        2 tbsp rice vinegar
        2 tbsp organic low sodium tamari, which is gluten free soy sauce 
        1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
        1 lime, juiced 

        1 tbsp extra virgin O.O.

        1 tbsp sesame oil

        1 tsp onion organic powder
        1 raw turkey breast tenderloin, cubed
        2 cup broccoli slaw, packed, 
        1 cup bok choy, chopped and packed
        1 cup napa cabbage, chopped and packed
        1/2 cup cilantro packed
        1/2 med. onion, sliced 
        3 garlic cloves, minced
        3 scallions, chopped

        2 tbsp sesame tahini

        8 quinoa or any gluten free spaghetti / Asian style noodle

Before

1) Combine water, stevia, vinegar, chili garlic sauce, and lime juice to crock pot. Turn on low heat and let set

2) Using a medium sized sauce pan, heat olive oil on high heat. Chop raw turkey into small half inch size cubes. Add the sesame oil to the pan, and brown the turkey. Add onion powder while turkey is cooking.

3) Add browned turkey, broccoli slaw, bok choy, onion, garlic, cilantro, cabbage, and scallions to the crock pot. Stir mixture, and let cook for six hours on low. Stir every half hour if you can, but don't fuss if you miss an hour or so ;)

4) Cook your pasta according to package directions, without adding any butter or salt! While pasta is cooking, add tahini to the cock pot mixture. This thickens the mixture slightly and adds a little bit of a nutty flavor. This was our first time using tahini, it's sort of like a healthy peanut butter.

5) Toss pasta with the Pad Thai mixture and enjoy!!

A few pointers......

Make sure to keep the veggies from sticking to the side of the pot, above the mixture line. This will prevent any burning!

This is another recipe that makes quite a bit of food, most likely suitable for a family of 4-6 people. Remember, you can always use the left overs as pre-portion mini meals, and pop them in the freezer!

Obviously, this is not the most photogenic meal on the planet. Here is a picture of what the Pad Thai should look like in the cock pot when it's done. I promise it's a million times tastier than it looks!

After

I hope everyone enjoys my version of a slow-cooker Pad Thai. Don't tell your kids there's veggies, they'll never know ;)

Happy eating!