Pate of Chicken Livers and Marsala

I have been wanting a creamy dip for all the veggies I have been eating lately, but alas, no dairy is allowed.  I made nommus, which is a zucchini and pumpkin seed version of hummus without chickpeas, but that didn't quite hit the spot, though it was super tasty!  I decided that some pate was in order.  I have never made pate from scratch, but all the versions I looked at were pretty easy and similar.  Here's my take:

Pate of Chicken Livers and Marsala
~1# chicken livers, cleaned of any connective tissue, and cut in large pieces
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp Marsala
~ 1cup water
Salt and pepper
pinch of ground clove
2 pinches nutmeg
6-8 Tbsp butter, room temp and cut into pieces

In a large skillet, place the livers, shallot, garlic, bay leaf, Marsala, and enough water to come half way up the livers.  Gently simmer, carefully turning the livers, so that they cook evenly, about 3-5 minutes.  Let sit in the pan 5 minutes to cool slightly.  Drain the liquid, remove the bay leaf, and put the livers with the shallot and garlic in a food processor, adding the clove, nutmeg, some salt and pepper.  Pulse until a rough paste.  Let cool in the bowl until room temp.  One tablespoon at a time, blend in the butter.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Transfer to a serving bowl, press plastic wrap on the surface.  Refrigerate until firm.

Seared Pork Tenderloin Medallions and Steamed Asparagus with Orange Pistachio Butter

I love pork tenderloin because it cooks super fast, is very lean and can be seasoned a variety of ways.  Asparagus that is pencil thin is so tasty simply steamed with a little salt & pepper, but for this dish, I dress it up with some chopped pistachios and orange zest.  

Seared Pork Tenderloin Medallions and Steamed Asparagus with Orange Pistachio Butter

1# pork tenderloin
Citrus seasoning blend
Salt & Pepper
1 Tbsp coconut oil

1# thin asparagus, ends snapped 
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
zest from 1 orange

Place the asparagus in a microwave safe dish.  Add a splash of water, cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 4 minutes, or until crisp-tender.  Drain.

Clean any silver from the tenderloin and cut into 8 pieces.  Use the flat of your palm to flatten the medallions into equal thickness.  Season generously with the citrus seasoning, salt and pepper.  Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the coconut oil and sear the pork medallions for 2-3 minutes, turning the heat down if the pork browns too much before cooking halfway up the sides.  Turn and cook another 2 minutes, or until edges are completely white.  Remove to a plate to rest.

In the same pan over medium heat, place the asparagus, butter, pistachios and orange zest. Toss to combine, while the asparagus reheats and the nuts toast.  Serve immediately with the pork medallions.  Serves 2-4, depending on how hungry you are.

A Lasagna and Eggplant Parm Baby

As I was perusing Pinterest - who doesn't use Pinterest?? - I saw a butternut squash lasagna recipe and an eggplant parm recipe, which got me thinking, and craving Italian food. The dilemma was how to make without cheese? or pasta?  Solution: spaghetti squash and a raw nut sauce! I found the recipe for the raw sauce on the blog What Runs Lori, and followed it pretty closely.  I included my version of the recipe below, and you can check out her blog for the original.  

A Lasagna and Eggplant Parm Baby

For the raw nut sauce - the cheese replacement:
3/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 large shallot, peeled
1 Tbsp Coconut Nectar, or raw honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
1 Tbsp miso paste
1/2 - 1 cup water

In a powerful blender (Vitamix!) or food processor, place all the ingredients, starting with 1/2 cup water at first.  Puree until very smooth, adding more water as needed. Taste and season with more salt if needed.

For the casserole:
2 eggs
1 spaghetti squash
1 eggplant, peeled and cut in thin rounds
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 fennel bulb, diced
4 links spicy Gianelli turkey sausage, casings removed
3 garlic cloves, minced
14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
optional: Daiya Mozzarella style shreds

Whisk the 2 eggs into the raw sauce.  Cut the stem end off the spaghetti squash, then slice in half top to bottom.  Scrape the seeds and membranes out of the squash and wrap each half in plastic wrap.  Microwave for 10 minutes and let sit in there while you prepare everything else.

Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray and arrange the eggplant in a single layer.  Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned.  

In a large non-stick skillet, saute the onion and fennel in the olive oil until soft.  Season with a little salt.  Add the sausage, breaking up as it cooks.  When mostly done, add the garlic and saute until fragrant.  Add the can of tomatoes, turn heat down and simmer for 5- 10 minutes.

Remove the spaghetti squash from the microwave and drain any liquid.  Use a fork to pull the strands of squash out into a bowl.  

To assemble: spray a glass baking dish with non-stick spray.  Put a layer of eggplant slices, then tomato sauce, a layer of spaghetti squash and pour about 1/2 cup or so of the raw sauce, spreading it into the squash.  Sprinkle with the mozzarella style shreds if using.  Repeat the layers, reserving some tomato sauce to spread on the top.  Sprinkle with shreds if using. Bake in a 350 degree oven until hot and bubbly.  Let sit 10 minutes or so before cutting.

Garlicky Bok Choy

This side dish is a great way to serve bok choy besides adding it to a stir-fry.  With only 4 ingredients, it comes together in minutes - perfect for a quick mid-week meal!

Garlicky Bok Choy

1 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 anchovy fillets 
2 garlic cloves
4 bunches baby bok choy, bottoms trimmed and leaves separated

In a large non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the anchovy fillets and use a wooden spoon to break them up into the oil.  Keep doing this until they are completely 'melted' into the oil.  I use a microplane to grate the garlic into the pan.  You can also just finely mince it.  Saute the garlic for 30 sec until it is fragrant.  Add the bok choy using tongs to toss it in the garlic oil.  Cook 3-5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the bok choy is wilted.  Season with pepper and serve immediately.  Serves 2 as a side dish.

Spicy Asian Meatballs II

Meatballs are so quick and easy! You can change the flavor profile if you are feeling spicy, want a Mexican twist or go traditional with Italian.  I have posted previously a version of Asian meatballs, and this one is my most recent endeavor.

Spicy Asian Meatballs II

1# lean ground beef - I like 90/10
1# ground veal
2 eggs
1/4 cup gluten free soy sauce or I like using Coconut Aminos
1-2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1-2 Tbsp chili garlic paste - or more if you really like spicy food!
1 Tbsp sesame oil
Large handful of chopped fresh cilantro
3 scallions, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a large baking sheet (or 2) with cooking spray.  

Whisk the eggs, soy sauce, fish sauce, ginger, chili paste, and sesame oil in a large bowl.  Add the cilantro, scallions, ground beef and veal.  Use your clean hands to thoroughly, but gently combine the ingredients.  You don't want to mash the meat or you will end up with a tough end product.  

Shape the mixture into equal size portions.  I do a little over an ounce and end up with 24 meatballs.  If you want more, do smaller portions and use 2 baking sheets.  Cook the meatballs anywhere from 8-15 minutes depending on size.  It is better to slightly undercook them than overcook them and have them be tough.  Serve immediately or let cool and freeze in a single layer, then move to a freezer bag.  

Mussels with Leeks

Seafood is super for Paleo because it is so lean.  In the past, we would have sopped up the broth with bread, but now I have it with sauteed shredded zucchini as a side dish.

Mussels with Leeks

2-3 large leeks, white part only, thinly sliced and well rinsed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
2# mussels, rinsed and de-bearded
2 Tbs heavy cream, if you can tolerate it

In a large saute pan with a tight fitting lid, heat the oil over medium.  Add the leeks and garlic and cook until soft.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the mussels, stir and cover with lid.  Steam for 4-5 minutes, until mussels open up.  They should have released some liquid.  If using, drizzle the heavy cream over the mussels and serve.  I like to pour the mussels into a large bowl so the sauce can go over the top, and then the hubs and I pick a few out at a time.  A mussel along with a bite of the sauteed zucchini is just perfect!

Blueberry Coconut Oatmeal

After a really hard crossfit workout, I need a filling warm meal that is fast.  I usually eat this in the car while driving rather quickly to school.  This is somewhat tropical because of the coconut, and could be taken to a total tropical experience by adding in dried, unsweetened pineapple or mango instead of the fresh blueberries.  Experiment with your fruit add-ins to get the perfect post-workout spoonful.

Blueberry Coconut Oatmeal

1/2 cup Quaker Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup Unsweetened flaked coconut
Several shakes of cinnamon
2/3 - 3/4 cup Unsweetened Almond Coconut Milk, or your dairy free
              beverage of choice

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and microwave for 2.5  to 3 minutes.  Depending on your brand and choice of liquid, you will need to play with the amount to get the consistency you like.  I prefer a chewy oatmeal that absorbs all the liquid - easier to eat in the car without making a mess all over myself.  Also, the blueberries will release some liquid, so changing the fruit you add will change the consistency.  For some crunch, sprinkle some chopped, toasted almonds after microwaving. 

Getting into Paleo with Spicy Orange Salmon

After watching the Crossfit games on ESPN a few weeks ago, I was inspired enough to join a crossfit gym here in Syracuse and sign up for their 6 week shred.  So far, I am LOVING it!!  Every day we do something different and everything is a challenge.  No more boring treadmill, listening to men grunt while I lift weights unobtrusively in the corner, watching for an opening on a machine and darting in to get a few sets done.  The others in the group are encouraging and they struggle just as much with the activities as I do, so there is no feeling of inadequacy... most of the time.

The hardest part of this shred program is, surprisingly, NOT going Paleo, but giving up dairy entirely.  I have been eating fat free plain Greek yogurt almost everyday since getting really serious about getting in shape last September.  I LOVE cheese, as anyone who has been to a party here knows when they see the cheese board selection.  Salads are so tasty with crumbled feta or goat cheese, burgers elevated by a melty slice of cheddar or bleu cheese and eggs, oh man, how I still crave a gooey mexican cheese omelette with salsa and sour cream on top. Sigh.

Since last Saturday I have been following the Paleo food plan, and since this past Thursday have been totally dairy free.  Tonight for dinner I made Spicy Orange Baked Salmon with steamed asparagus.  Amazing!

Spicy Orange Baked Salmon

2 Tbs Polaner Orange Marmalade - it has no added sugar, just oranges cooked down to jelly
1+ Tbs Garlic Chili Paste - I get the jar with the green lid
1 tsp Fish Sauce
1# Salmon Fillet 

In a microwave safe bowl, put the marmalade and zap for 30 sec to melt it.  Stir in the chili paste and fish sauce.  Rip off a piece of aluminum foil that is bigger than the salmon. Place the salmon skin side down and fold up the sides really tight to the fish and taller than the fish.  You are trying to create high sides that will hold the orange sauce on top of the salmon.  Some will inevitably seep under while baking, don't fret about it.  Bake the salmon at 350 - 375 until it flakes easily.  Serve immediately, spooning some of the sauce over each piece once plated.  

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Here is one of my first attempts at using Splenda in baking!  I adapted this recipe from a version in Gourmet, which has buttermilk icing.  I would make cream cheese frosting for this or simply dust with a little powdered sugar before serving.


1 1/2 sticks butter, room temp
1 c Splenda granules - measures 1 for 1 when replacing sugar
1/4c sugar
1 Tbsp (dark) molasses
2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 1/4c canned pumpkin (not quite an entire 15oz can)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp allspice
2 1/4c flour
3/4 c buttermilk - I use powdered Saco buttermilk and follow the directions for mixing up the needed amount
Optional: generous 1/2c diced candied ginger

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease and flour a bundt pan; alternatively, use Pam for Baking which is the grease and flour in one, so much easier!

Cream the butter; add the Splenda and sugar, scraping down the sides while mixing well.  Add the molasses, vanilla and eggs; mix.  At this point it may look curdled, but fret not! It will all work out. Add the pumpkin, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice.  Combine well.  Add half the buttermilk, mix; add all the flour, mix; add the last of the buttermilk and combine.  Remove the beater(s) and using a rubber spatula, make sure you have gotten all the butter off the bottom and sides of the bowl.  Stir in the diced ginger by hand if adding.

Spoon mixture into prepared pan, smooth the top and bake 40-50min, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  From what I have read, baked goods cook faster when make with Splenda, so be diligent.

I think this would be lovely with some chopped pecans added to the batter, or grated orange zest, possibly even some butterscotch chips...