Simple Supper Friday: Leftovers
I have one thing to say about today’s Simple Supper Friday suggestion…leftovers! Leftovers are the best and easiest dinner of all. As a kid, I kind of despised leftovers and always turned up my nose when mom said that was what we were having, but now, they’re my saving grace.
Anyway, I kept my cooking basic this week, in preparation for the big Thanksgiving cook-off and feast. This is also where most of our grocery money was spent and now that Thanksgiving is over, we plan to eat leftovers for days. The sides will be finished quickly, but since we got a 13 lb bird for only two people, we’ll have lots of turkey to work with (yay!). I plan to make some recipes with the leftover meat, including a soup of some sort, but here are six suggestions and ideas in the meantime:
- Turkey Tetrazzini
- Chicken Broccoli Alfredo (make with turkey)
- Chicken Turkey ‘Noodle’ Soup
- Garlic Butter Noodles with Turkey & Broccoli (use leftover roast turkey instead of ground turkey)
- Cheater’s Chicken Pot Pie (make with turkey)
- Chicken Curry Egg Bake (make with turkey)
Simple Supper Friday: Fennel and Sausage Meat Sauce
This is a new sauce recipe that I whipped up the other day and is probably one of my favorite meat sauces yet. I’ve been toying with small bits of highly fermented, low lactose cheese (usually raw or grass-fed) in my diet and have learned that I can tolerate very small amounts on occasion and feel okay. This is fine for me right now, but does not mean it’s okay for you…remember that. With that said, I simmered some Parmesan rinds in this sauce to add another element of flavor, but the rinds can easily be left out. If you do tolerate small amounts of cheese, I encourage you to try using the rinds because it adds an amazing flavor. This is something I learned to do years ago from a chef at a fine Italian restaurant here in Portland. I was vegetarian then and he told me it was an easy way to add more flavor to sauces since I didn’t eat meat. He was right, but guess what? It’s even more flavorful when used in tandem with meat in sauces. No surprise there. So, anyway take the rinds or leave ‘em, but do what works for you.
Oh, and I leave for Honolulu in the morning and my seminar with Kelly Starrett is all day Sunday! Can’t wait!
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Tbsp grass-fed beef tallow
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 fennel bulb, chopped
- 1 lb grass-fed ground beef
- 3/4 lb bulk spicy Italian pork sausage
- 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
- Up to 1 cup bone broth, if needed
- 1 or 2 Parmesan rinds, optional (can be found in cheese sections of some stores, like Whole Foods)
Directions:
- Melt tallow in a large saucepan over medium heat. Then, add the onion, garlic and fennel; stir. After a few minutes, add the pork sausage and ground beef, and break up the meat with a spatula.
- Continue to brown the meat, stirring occasionally. After about 7 minutes or so, when the meat is browned, add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, sea salt and pepper and cayenne or red pepper flakes. Stir and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Add the Parmesan rind(s), if using.
- Continue to simmer the sauce for 20-30 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add splashes of bone broth during simmering time, if needed.
- Once done, remove Parmesan rinds and serve sauce atop of spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles or other vegetable of choice.
Yields: 4-5 servings
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Classic No-Noodle Chicken Soup
As I mentioned recently on Facebook, I’ve been eating a lot of homemade chicken soup lately. I can’t seem to get enough of it and not only that, my body loves it. I think it’s by far my ultimate comfort food, especially on a cold fall or winter day (really, I’ll eat it pretty much anytime though). I’m also trying to give my immune system an extra boost right now since I am flying to Hawaii this Saturday. I especially don’t want to be sick in Hawaii because I’m going there for a seminar with Kelly Starrett and also because I want to enjoy myself!
Anyway, in all of my chicken soup eating lately, I realized that I didn’t have my classic go-to chicken soup recipe on my blog. I have a few other chicken soup variations posted from last fall, but not my standard recipe. Therefore, I decided it was necessary to share it with all of you. The recipe is easy, but does take some time to prepare the chicken and broth, so make sure to plan ahead.
Ingredients:
- 1 3-4 lb whole chicken
- Water, preferably filtered & enough to completely cover chicken in stock pot
- 2 Tbsp sea salt
- 1-2 Tbsp grass-fed butter
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 leek, chopped
- 1 bunch fresh carrots, sliced into coins
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp dried parsley
- Pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes, optional
- Black pepper to taste
- 1-2 cups previously made chicken bone broth, if needed
Directions:
- Place chicken in a deep pot and cover with water (add the giblets to the pot as well, if desired). Make sure it’s enough to completely cover the chicken, but a few inches below the rim of the pot. Add the 2 Tbsp of sea salt and place on the stove over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and then, reduce heat to medium-low and cover with a lid (tilt the lid to allow a little air to get through). Simmer for 2-4 hours (the longer, the better).
- Once the chicken is done simmering, carefully remove from the pot and place on a large dish or cutting board to cool. Strain broth into a large bowl or pot and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in the same pot the chicken cooked in, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, leek and garlic, and stir. After a minute or so, add the celery and carrots. Continue to cook for a few minutes.
- Then, pour the strained broth back into the pot. Add the bay leaves, oregano, parsley, cayenne or red pepper flakes and black pepper. Stir and bring to a simmer over medium-low.
- Once chicken has cooled, remove meat from the bones and add to the simmering soup; stir. Save bones for making bone broth later (can freeze too). Save the skin and giblets for broth as well, if desired or compost.
- Add the extra bone broth if needed and allow soup to simmer another 15-30 minutes. Remove bay leaves and serve.
*This soup is pictured with my almond flour biscuits. The biscuits are a delicious complement to the soup, and I especially love smearing them with butter and dunking them into the hot broth.
Yields: 6-7 servings
PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.
Simple Supper Friday: Classic Slow Cooker Beef Roast
Sometimes, picking a name for a recipe is the hardest part. Do I try and be more creative or straight forward? What do I feature or not feature? What if something is really simple and just sort of classically good? For instance, this recipe? This recipe is easy to prepare and has simple, yet outstanding flavor. No one flavor stands out among another, other than…beef. It’s tender, shredded and succulent. It’s perfect and classic, and can be paired with whatever your heart desires.
Remember to plan ahead for this recipe since it needs plenty of time to cook in the slow cooker. It’s an easy recipe, but won’t be on the table with a snap of your fingers. Preparation and planning is key!
Cheers and happy Friday!
Adapted from this recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium red onion, sliced into thin half moons
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp bacon grease, plus more if needed
- ~2 lb beef cross rib roast, preferably grass-fed
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (I like this brand)
- 1/2 cup chicken or beef bone broth
- 1/2 Tbsp raw honey, optional
- 1 Tbsp coconut aminos (buy here if can’t find locally)
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (use more or less to adjust spiciness)
- Himalayan sea salt and black pepper to taste
Directions:
- Melt bacon grease in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and saute a few minutes, until onion is soft. Once done, remove from heat and pour into the bottom of your slow cooker.
- Season the roast with the sea salt and black pepper on each side. Brown over medium heat for 3-4 minutes each side, in the same pan you cooked the onion in. Add more bacon grease, if needed. Once done, remove from heat and place in the slow cooker, atop of the onion mixture.
- In a small bowl, mix together the vinegar, broth, and coconut aminos. Pour into the pan that the meat browned in and stir to scrape up the brown bits (deglaze the pan). Then, pour the mixture over top of the roast. Drizzle the raw honey into the mixture (around the meat) and sprinkle in the red pepper flakes.
- Place lid on slow cooker and cook roast on high for 5-6 hours or low for 7-8.
- Once done, shred the meat with two forks and serve with vegetable(s) of choice.
Yields: 3-4 servings
PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.
Slow Cooker Swiss Steak
I was a very picky eater growing up. I liked things plain, didn’t want to try new things and had my mind made up about certain foods. I knew what I liked and didn’t like (supposedly). My mom always made home cooked meals and we ate dinner together every night as a family at the kitchen table. Even if she made something I didn’t particularly care for as a child, there was always at least one thing on the table that I would eat.
Even though I was picky and stubborn, one meal that I enjoyed time and time again (even at a very young age) was Swiss steak. It cooked in the slow cooker for hours and the meat came out so tender, that it would fall apart as soon as you stabbed it with a fork. The sauce was simple and flavorful, and the whole combination was downright perfect.
Until recently, I had totally forgotten about Swiss steak, but I was reminded last week after making a stew that had a similar flavor. Once I remembered, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t made it since I started eating meat again. With that said, I knew it had to be done. I had to make some changes, to make it legit for me, but it was pretty simple to do. I made some other tweaks too, and the recipe came out great. The flavor was pretty spot on.
Thanks for introducing me to Swiss steak so many years ago, mom. I still love it to this day.
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp grass-fed butter, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced into half moons
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1.5 lb beef top round steak, preferably grass-fed
- 3 Tbsp coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp + 1/4 tsp onion powder
- Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 14 oz can tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup chicken bone broth
Directions:
- Combine the 1/2 tsp sea salt, coconut flour and 1/4 tsp black pepper on a large plate or shallow dish. Set aside.
- Melt 1 Tbsp of the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and celery; stir. Saute a few minutes, until onion is softened. Remove from heat and pour into the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the sliced red bell pepper on top.
- Melt the remaining 1 Tbsp of butter in the same pan over medium heat. Dredge the round steak in the coconut flour mixture, making sure each side is well-coated. Then, place in the hot pan and brown 3-4 minutes each side. Once done, remove from heat and place on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker.
- Pour the tomato sauce and broth on top. Stir in the onion powder and red pepper flakes (if using), and season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 5 hours or low for 6-7.
- Once done, taste the sauce and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve with vegetable(s) of choice.
Yields: ~3-4 servings
PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.
Simple Supper Friday: Beef Slaw with Creamy Sunflower Sauce
I think I could coin this as a lazy man or woman’s recipe because it involves very little time and effort, yet yields great texture and flavor. It’s creamy, crunchy, savory, salty (in a good way — not overdone) and downright yummy (yes, I said yummy). It’s a nice go-to on those extra busy days because it is incredibly simple and still allows you to have a delicious, healthy meal on the table in a pinch. It’s a win-win for everyone and the reason why I’m sharing it as one of my ‘Simple Supper Friday’ meals.
Happy Friday and hope you enjoy my lazy recipe!
For the beef slaw:
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb grass-fed ground beef
- 2 heads of baby bok choy, chopped
- 1 12 oz bag of broccoli slaw
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Melt coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and stir. After about 2 minutes, add the ground beef and break up with a spatula. Season with a little sea salt and pepper, to taste.
- Once the meat is cooked through, add the chopped baby bok choy and stir. Then, add the broccoli slaw and toss again. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper, and cook for another minute.
- Next, add the sauce (recipe below) and stir well, making sure everything gets well coated. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until mixture is heated through.
For the sauce:
- 4 Tbsp unsweetened sunflower seed butter (I used this brand)
- 3 Tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 Tbsp organic rice vinegar
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground mustard powder
- 1/4 tsp raw honey
In a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk together until smooth. Taste and adjust flavor, as desired.
PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.
Spicy Taco Chili
I love a good bean-free chili, especially this time of year. It’s hearty, zesty, meaty and a stick to your ribs kind of meal. I decided to try a new twist on my chili this time and went for more of a taco flair. It came out way better than I expected and not only that, but it is incredibly easy (this would totally fly for one of my Simple Supper Friday meals). Honestly, the night I made this, I could not stop raving about the flavors…it’s just that freaking good! And, it tastes even better the next day.
Now, it’s your turn to be the judge and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. In fact, Jesse and I will enjoy the last of it tonight since we both work late (thank goodness for leftovers!).
Cheers and happy Tuesday!
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp grass-fed butter
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 lb grass-fed ground beef
- 2 fresh chicken or pork chorizo sausages, sliced OR removed from casing
- 3 Tbsp taco seasoning (I buy in bulk section at Whole Foods) OR you can make your own homemade taco seasoning
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 14 oz container organic fresh salsa (I used medium)
- 1 26.45 oz box strained tomatoes (I use this brand)
- 3.5 cups chicken bone broth, plus more if needed
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh cilantro, for serving
- Avocado slices, for serving
Directions:
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and poblano pepper, and stir. After a few minutes, add the ground beef and break up with a spatula. Add the choirzo (either as slices or removed from casing) and taco seasoning. Stir well and continue to cook.
- After several minutes, once meat is browned, add the lime juice, salsa, strained tomatoes and bone broth. Bring to a simmer. Then, cover and reduce heat to medium-low.
- Once chili has simmered for about 10-15 minutes, add the apple cider vinegar and stir. Then, taste and season with sea salt and pepper, as needed. Cover and allow to simmer 20-30 minutes more. Add more broth if chili is thicker than you like.
- Serve with fresh cilantro and avocado slices, and any other garnishes your heart desires.
Yields: ~6 servings
PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.
Simple Supper Friday: Cheater’s Chicken Pot Pie
Pot pie is the definition of comfort food, and perfect during the fall and winter months. It’s warm, filling and basically chicken soup with less liquid and dough on top. I’ve made pot pie with a full-on, grain-free almond flour crust in the past and it definitely involves a bit more work and planning. It’s the step that I usually want to skip, so this time I decided to come up with a shortcut. What I came up with still offers a buttery, slightly crispy topping, but involves no dough rolling period. Enter the cheater’s chicken pot pie with almond flour crumb topping. It’s a major time saver and nice if you don’t have all the dough ingredients on hand as well. I was very pleased with the result and hope you will be too!
Enjoy and happy Friday!
For the filling:
- 2 Tbsp grass-fed butter
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 large stalks of celery, chopped
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 1.25 cups butternut squash cubes
- 1/4 cup chicken bone broth
- 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 3 cups leftover shredded boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 cup fresh green beans, cut into 1 or 2 inch pieces
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots and celery, and stir. After a few minutes, add the squash. Stir and continue to cook.
- Stir in the chicken and add the broth. After a minute or two, add the sea salt, pepper, turmeric and fresh parsley.
- Next, add the coconut milk and green beans, and stir well. Cook 3-4 more minutes and if mixture seems like it needs more liquid, add a bit more broth.
- Remove from heat and pour mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle almond flour topping evenly over the top (recipe below) and place in oven, uncovered. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
For the topping:
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- 3 Tbsp grass-fed butter
- Pinch of sea salt
In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the almond flour and a pinch of sea salt. Mix well, until almond flour is coated in the butter (it will be in small clumps). Remove from heat and use atop of the filling, once it’s been poured into the casserole dish.
PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.
Spicy Sausage and Squash Soup
Guess what? It’s yet another squash recipe! This recipe features one of the forgotten squashes, but also my favorite — buttercup. This is the type of squash that I ate most often growing up, and I love it now as much (or more) as I loved it then. My mom always made it as a mash and it often accompanied our holiday dinners, along with other meals in the fall. I don’t know why, but this squash isn’t as abundant in stores as some of the others and sometimes, can be hard to find. On the outside, it is dark green and looks very similar to a kabocha squash, but the texture on the inside is creamy, moist and smooth, unlike kabocha’s waxy and dry texture (it’s actually the one squash I don’t care for). It has a natural sweetness, like most squashes, and is a delicious accompaniment to any meal or fantastic all on its own (with some grass-fed butter, of course).
Cheers and happy Wednesday!
Ingredients:
- 1 3-lb buttercup squash (butternut will work too)
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb bulk spicy pork sausage
- 2 cups chicken bone broth
- 1 13.5 oz can full-fat coconut milk (I like this brand)
- 1/2 cup water
- Himalayan sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place flesh side down on a baking sheet or other oven proof pan. Add about 1/2 inch of water to the pan. Roast in the oven for 45-60 minutes or until squash is tender. Set aside to cool.
- In a large pot over medium heat, melt the coconut oil. Then, add the onion and garlic, and stir. After a few minutes, add the pork sausage and break up with a spatula. Continue to cook for several minutes, until sausage is browned and cooked through.
- Next, scoop the buttercup squash flesh into the pot. Add the broth and stir. Then, add the coconut milk, water, apple cider vinegar, bay leaf, sea salt and pepper.
- Bring soup to a simmer over medium-low heat and let cook for 20-30 minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve.
Yields: ~4 servings
PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.
Rainy Day Butternut Squash Stew
Saturday evening, Jesse and I went to a get together out at Jason Seib’s house and had a freaking blast! The food was phenomenal (his wife is a stellar cook), the drinks were dangerously good (and strong — thanks, Jason) and the company was fantastic. It was a chilly and rainy night, and being inside a cozy house out in the country with good food, friends and games was just what was needed. I hated to see the night come to an end, but there will be more fun times ahead. Jesse and I even stayed until after Midnight!
For dinner, Jason’s wife made one of the most delicious soups/stews I’ve ever tasted…for real. I couldn’t distinguish what spices were in it (I think I just need to ask her), but the ingredients inspired this creation that I’m sharing with you today. I used stew meat instead of the ground beef that she used because that’s what I had on hand and it needed to be eaten. It came out pretty darn good, but still has a little different flavor than hers. Seriously, I don’t know what she put in it, but I need to figure it out!
Jesse and I ate this for dinner over candlelight last night because the power went out. Thankfully, the stew was done simmering on the stove and not in the middle of cooking. It was kind of fun, but also made us realize that we’re not very prepared for power outages when it’s dark outside. It was our second one of the weekend, but the first was during daylight hours. They weren’t super quick outages either — the first on Saturday was about 90 minutes to two hours and the second one on Sunday was close to an hour. This is all thanks to the rainy and super windy weather we had all weekend. With that said, I thought it seemed fitting to name the recipe a rainy day stew. You can even see all the water on my deck in the pictures. I had to sneak these pictures when I could, as it’s been extremely challenging with the rain, wind and gray skies!
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp grass-fed butter
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped (keep some seeds in if want it spicier)
- 2 lb grass-fed beef stew meat
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups bone broth
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp paprika
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp chili powder
- Pinch of cayenne
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 2.5 cups fresh butternut squash cubes
Directions:
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeno and red pepper. Stir and cook a couple minutes. Then, add the stew meat and season to taste with sea salt and pepper.
- After 5-7 minutes, once meat has browned, add the tomato paste and mix well. Then, add the crushed tomatoes, bone broth, coriander, paprika, chili powder and cayenne. Add more sea salt and pepper, if desired.
- Bring the stew to a simmer and then reduce heat to medium-low, and cover with a lid. Allow to cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- After the two hours, add in the butternut squash and stir. Cover with a lid and continue to simmer for another 1-2 hours or until meat and squash are tender.
- Adjust seasonings as needed and serve.
PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.
