Creamy Chicken Dijon
Creamy Chicken Dijon.
I am relieved to say that my exercise science midterm is over! It is such a relief to have that thing off my mind or at least not to have to study for it anymore. I admit that it is still on my mind a little bit. I can’t help but wonder how I did and have gone over some of the questions in my head (and even checked an answer in my book…don’t let me do that anymore. It made me upset!). I realized I made a couple dumb mistakes, but in the moment, I took a chance because I was unsure. Whatever. I know I passed and I studied my buns off, so hopefully it paid off and at least scored me a B. I’m pretty confident that I got at least that, but who knows, maybe I did even better!
Studying for that blasted exam is what the majority of my weekend consisted of. The weather was so nice and sunny, which made it challenging, but I took advantage of studying outside on the patio. Really, I just wanted to hang out outdoors, bum around on my bike and drink wine. I got the outdoors, did ride some on my bike (commuting), but didn’t drink wine. I needed clarity, so I stuck with kombucha and memory boost tea. As you probably know by now, I very rarely drink, but there’s something about warm weather that makes me want to, particularly when the weather first starts turning summery.
Jason’s event at Whole Foods on Saturday was a lot of fun and a nice break from studying. There ended up being a smaller group than expected because a couple people cancelled last minute and some didn’t show up, which I attribute to the warm weather, but it was a success among those there and nice to have a small group. Naturally, it ran over because there was a lot of questions and much to talk about in only one hour’s time. Everyone was very engaged and Jason was entertaining and brilliant, as always. Honestly, that guy cracks me up, but man he knows his stuff! It’s always a pleasure to listen to him speak. To all my readers and followers who have not bought his book, The Paleo Coach, I strongly encourage you to do so. His message and information is too valuable not to share.
Here are a couple pictures from the event. Ashley, Whole Foods Pearl District’s Healthy Eating Specialist and blogger at Craving4more, also put together a neat picture from the talk on her Instagram, which you can check out here.
The spread of paleo food that Ashley, the Healthy Foods Specialist made for the event (with the exception of the date and honey-sweetened Stirs the Soul raw chocolate — my favorite!). She also blogs over at Craving4more.
Jason, doing what he does.
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Meanwhile, I’m still really loving mustard, particularly Dijon. It makes a difference in so many recipes and is often the missing flavor I’m looking for. It tantalized my taste buds once again, in this recipe. Hope you enjoy it!
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp US Wellness Meats grass-fed beef tallow
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 1.5 cups chopped broccoli
- 1/2 cup zucchini, chopped
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 3 Tbsp bone broth or low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
Directions:
- Melt tallow in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and saute for a minute. Then, add the chicken and season with a bit of sea salt and pepper.
- Continue to cook for about 5-6 minutes, and then add the spices, carrots, broccoli and a bit more sea salt and pepper. Stir well and continue to saute.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, broth and Dijon. Add mixture to the chicken and vegetables; stir.
- Continue to cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender. The sauce will thicken up a bit as well.
- Serve as is or with steamed leafy greens, cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles.
Yields: 3 servings
Turkey Sausage Veggie Hash
Before I rant about this recipe, I want to announce an exciting event coming up in Portland this Saturday. Some of you may have seen it on my Facebook page, but I want to share it again! Anyway, Jason Seib, author of The Paleo Coach, is giving a FREE talk at the Pearl District Whole Foods from 12-1 p.m, this Saturday, May 4th. There will be copies of Jason’s book available for purchase and he will also be available for signing. In addition, there will be some delicious paleo recipes to try made by the lovely, Ashley Kipp, the pearl store’s Healthy Foods Specialist and blogger behind Craving4more. Space is limited and an RSVP is required, so if you want to sign up, please email Ashley at ashley.kipp@wholefoods.com. It’s only two days away, so make sure you reserve your spot now! The presentation will be held upstairs in Salud, the demo kitchen next to The Mezz.
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Meanwhile, this simple and tasty dish is versatile and pretty much foolproof — at least in my opinion. Honestly, I don’t have too much to say about it, other than the fact that it’s just plain good. Eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It’d also be great mixed with some scrambled eggs, but a runny egg on top is lovely too. Can you believe that I used to detest runny yolks? Up until a couple years ago, I only ate my yolks cooked through. That’s just blasphemy!
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground turkey thighs
- 1 Tbsp US Wellness Meats grass-fed beef tallow
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 bunch radishes, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 3 cups fresh spinach, torn into pieces
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 1 tsp ground sage
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- Dash of nutmeg
- 3 Tbsp bone broth or low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp grass-fed butter
- Sunny side-up pastured egg for serving, optional
Directions:
- Melt tallow in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and break up with a spatula. Then, add the chopped garlic. Season with a little sea salt and pepper, and continue to cook.
- Next, add the radishes, carrots, spices, bone broth, and a bit more sea salt and pepper; stir. Continue to cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until meat is cooked through and vegetables are crisp-tender. Then, add the torn spinach leaves and butter. Cook another couple minutes, until spinach softens a bit. Adjust seasonings as needed.
- Optional to serve with a sunny-side up egg and let the yolk ooze all over.
Yields: 3 servings
Simple Supper Friday: Mustard Apple Pulled Pork
Mustard apple pulled pork topped with caraway kraut.
I’ve really had a thing for mustard lately, specifically Dijon. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve been using Dijon nearly every chance I get. I think it’s safe to say I’m definitely in a mustard phase. It adds such a nice flavor and when something seems like it’s missing from a recipe, Dijon seems to take care of that. It’s easy to find good quality Dijon mustard that doesn’t have any sugar or junk ingredients in it either. Sorry, Grey Poupon won’t cut it.
On another note, I’m going to a healthy fats demo at Whole Foods this weekend. Remember my friend, Ashley at Craving4more? Well, you may recall that she hosted the sauerkraut tasting I went to last weekend, and invited me to the fats presentation this weekend. I believe the healthy fats she’s including are coconut oil, ghee, avocado and grass-fed tallow (house-made from the Whole Foods meat dept). I imagine it’ll be pretty great.
I’m not really sure what else I’ll be doing this weekend, other than grocery shopping and working Sunday morning, but I like not having much of an agenda. What I really need to be doing is reading/studying for my exercise science class, but I’m still waiting for my book to arrive in the mail. Hopefully, it’ll get here soon because that class moves fast and the material is complex, so I don’t want to get too behind!
What are your plans for the weekend? Anything fun?
Ingredients:
- 2 lb pork shoulder roast
- 1 Tbsp grass-fed ghee
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 pink lady apple, chopped
- 1.5 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- Firefly Kitchens Caraway Kraut for serving, optional
Directions:
- Melt ghee in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and celery and stir. Allow to cook a few minutes, until slightly softened. Then, add to the slow cooker.
- Season the roast with sea salt and pepper. Then, in the same pan, add the pork shoulder roast. Add a little more ghee if necessary. Brown the roast about 2-3 minutes each side and then place inside the slow cooker. Add the chopped apple as well.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, mustard, parsley, marjoram and thyme. Add a dash of sea salt and pepper, if desired. Pour on top of the roast and place the lid on the slow cooker.
- Let cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5. Once done, cut string off of pork roast, if need be, and shred with two forks.
- Serve with caraway sauerkraut on top, if desired.
Simple Supper Friday: Chicken Spaghetti Soup
Chicken spaghetti soup.
The night I made this soup, I asked Jesse what he wanted for dinner. He suggested spaghetti squash with meat sauce, but I told him I didn’t feel like spaghetti. We’d been having it for dinner quite a bit and I felt like I needed a break. What’s funny, is that the recipe I whipped up is basically a thinner and soupier spaghetti sauce with squash noodles mixed in. Hence the name, spaghetti soup. So, I ended up eating a variation of spaghetti anyway. I guess I must have wanted it unconsciously.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 Tbsp grass-fed ghee
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 cup sliced crimini mushrooms
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large carrots, grated
- 1.5 cups frozen kale
- 2 cups no-sugar added marinara sauce (I used Monte Bene Spicy Marinara)
- 1 26.4 oz box Pomi chopped tomatoes (or a 28 oz can)
- 2-3 cups bone broth (or decent store bought broth/stock)
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- Red pepper flakes to taste, optional
- 1/2 large cooked spaghetti squash, scraped into strands with fork
- Italian herb-infused olive oil for drizzling, optional, but highly recommended
Directions:
- Melt the ghee in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion and ground chicken. Saute a few minutes, breaking up the ground chicken with a spatula. Then, add the celery and mushrooms and continue to cook, until the meat is fully browned.
- Add the marinara sauce, tomatoes, frozen kale, grated carrots, broth and seasonings, and mix well. Bring soup to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and let cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the cooked spaghetti squash strands and adjust seasonings if need be. Serve with Italian herb-infused olive oil drizzled on top, if desired.
Yields: 5-6 servings
Simple Supper Friday: Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s pie with a squash topping.
There’s something so comforting about one-dish meals — maybe because they tend to be hearty and are often served during the winter months. Casseroles, stews, soups … they’re all good for sticking to your ribs and keeping your body warm and satisfied.
I’ve made shepherd’s pie with mashed cauliflower on top many times, and it’s always delicious, but I thought I’d switch it up and try it with winter squash. I knew it would work just fine and taste great, in addition to being heartier (since squash is more filling than cauliflower). This recipe is a great way to use up leftover squash, but alternatively, you can cook one in the oven earlier in the day or while prepping everything else. If you’re really pressed for time and don’t have leftover squash, you can cook your squash in the microwave. Canned pumpkin or butternut squash puree would probably work too. What I’m telling you, is that you have options!
By the way, this recipe proved to be much more filling with squash, as I suspected.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked winter squash (buttercup, butternut, red kuri, kabocha, pumpkin)
- 2 Tbsp grass-fed butter, plus more for dotting the pie
- 1 Tbsp grass-fed tallow or fat of choice
- 1-4 Tbsp full-fat coconut milk
- 1 lb ground turkey breast (or beef)
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 large carrots, chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup fresh broccoli florets
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- Pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp coconut flour
- 3/4 cup chicken broth (I used Imagine Organics Low Sodium Chicken Broth)
Ha, look at that pile o’ squash!
That is some thick squash!
Directions:
- Melt tallow over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onion and celery and sauté for a couple minutes. Then, add the ground turkey and break up the meat with a spatula. Cook for about five minutes.
- Add carrots and broccoli and cook another five minutes. Next, add the thyme, oregano, sea salt, pepper and peas. Continue to cook for a couple more minutes.
- Pour in the broth and coconut flour, and mix well. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and let cook for about five minutes.
- While mixture is simmering, mash the cooked squash with 2 Tbsp butter and 1-4 Tbsp coconut milk. Add a pinch of sea salt, if desired.
- Grease a 2-quart casserole dish with butter and add meat/veggie mixture. Spread mashed squash evenly over the top. Dot some butter on top of the squash, if desired.
- Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.
Yields: 4-5 servings
One-dish meals — like this one — are Jesse’s absolute favorite.
As if this isn’t hearty enough, I ate it with avocado slices on top. Why not?
Simple Supper Friday: Chicken Turkey “Noodle” Soup
Chicken turkey “noodle” soup.
It turns out, I had a little more leftover Thanksgiving turkey than I thought (yay!), and since I wanted to make soup with it, that’s what I did. I added chicken as well to make the soup go further. I had half of a spaghetti squash leftover in the fridge and thought I’d see how it’d fare as noodles in the soup. I was hesitant because I didn’t want a bunch of soggy squash stands, but it worked great. Actually, this turned out to be the best variation of a chicken soup I have ever made. Seriously. I didn’t want to stop eating it because it tasted so satisfying, flavorful and delicious. I admit though, making soup with bone broth makes it that much richer and more flavorful, and makes a huge difference.
In fact, this soup is so delicious, I couldn’t stop thinking about it in yoga the next morning and made up my mind right then and there that I was having it for breakfast. And I did. And then I had some again at dinner. It is that good. I would’ve eaten up the rest this morning, but I told Jesse I’d save it for him.
- 2 cups leftover Thanksgiving turkey meat, chopped
- 1 lb cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped
- 8 cups broth (I used a combo of bone broth & Imagine Organics Low Sodium Chicken Broth)
- 2 Tbsp grass-fed ghee or fat of choice
- 1 leek, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 large carrots, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped (add the leaves too!)
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- Pepper to taste
- Pinch of cayenne
- 2 cups cooked spaghetti squash strands (about 1/2 of a large squash)
- Chives for garnish, optional
The soup is ready for the “noodles!”
Directions:
- In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt the ghee. Add the chopped leek, celery and garlic, and sauté for a few minutes. Then, add the chopped carrots.
- Mix in the spices, sea salt, pepper, turkey, chicken and broth (note, if you need more broth than the recommended 8 cups, feel free to add a bit more). Bring to a simmer. Then reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and continue to simmer for at least 20 minutes or longer if you have the time (up to 60 minutes). This allows the flavors to meld together.
- Finally, add in the spaghetti squash strands and mix until heated through.
- Serve with chopped fresh chives, if using.
Yields: 5-6 servings
The best medicine.
Meatloaf Plus with Homemade Ketchup
Meatloaf plus with homemade ketchup.
Since I made a whole turkey this year for Thanksgiving, I inherited all the giblets that came with it. As you know from my Thanksgiving recap post, I used the neck and gizzard to make a delicious and nutritious gravy. Therefore, I was left with the liver and heart from my petite 8.42 pound local, pasture-raised bird. The experience of cooking organ meats is completely new and foreign to me, and honestly, something I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d be doing. At every holiday meal growing up, I turned up my nose when my dad would eat the giblets (my mom always cooked them for him & she would’ve never heard the end of it if she didn’t), and seeing my grandma eat liver n’ onions in a restaurant was enough to make me get sick to my stomach. Well, after a lot of research, reading and exposure to the traditional foods and paleo world, I’ve come around and am now open to the idea of organ meats. Granted, I cannot eat them on their own, but rather, they need to be disguised. If it’s distinguishable, it won’t work for me. That’s why I figured a meatloaf would be the perfect way to go. The worst part was cutting up the heart and liver. The liver cut easily and almost melted in my hands, but the heart was tough and fibrous in spots. I say this was the worst part because I felt nauseous while doing it, and didn’t even know if I’d be able to eat the meatloaf. Thankfully, the nausea wave and lump in the back of my throat passed.
If you have a hard time chopping things fine, feel free to do so in the food processor. I ended up using mine because I had too big of pieces and really wanted the organs to be ground up well. Feel free to do this after sautéing everything or before — either will work. If you’re wondering, I did it after.
This meatloaf turned out wonderfully and the organ meats are not recognizable or distinguishable at all! Also, this meatloaf recipe was inspired and adapted from here. Feel free to serve the meatloaf with any vegetable of your choosing. We ate ours with steamed kale and topped the meatloaf with a little extra ketchup.
Also, plus = heart + liver.
Turkey liver and heart.
Meatloaf ingredients:
- 2 lbs grass-fed ground beef
- 1 pasture-raised turkey liver, finely chopped
- 1 pasture-raised turkey heart, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp grass-fed ghee or fat of choice
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
- 1 cup crimini mushrooms, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- Pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 1/2 cup homemade ketchup (see below)
Homemade ketchup:
- 1 tube or can of tomato paste (tube is 5.3 oz, can is 6 oz)
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp dry mustard
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- Pinch ground cloves
- Pinch ground allspice
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
For the ketchup, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and whisk well to combine. Store in the refrigerator.
Homemade ketchup.
Meatloaf, post baking.
Meatloaf directions:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium-sized skillet over medium heat, melt the ghee. Next, add the mushrooms, onion, celery, heart and liver. Sauté for a few minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the beef, salt, pepper, egg, heart/liver/veggie mixture, chili flakes, thyme, oregano and garlic. Mix well, makng sure to break up the meat.
- Lightly grease a large loaf pan and fill it with the meatloaf mixture. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, make the ketchup for the top of the meatloaf.
- After baking for 15 minutes, gently spread the ketchup on top of the loaf.
- Continue to bake for another 40-45 minutes.
Yields: 6-8 servings, depending on how thick you cut your slices (2 piece servings)
Total time: 60 minutes
This One’s for You, Mom
No name casserole, does that sound familiar to anyone? This is a recipe I grew up with and always enjoyed, despite how undesirable and drab looking it is (very brown/gray). My mom usually made it with ground beef, but I recall her making it several years ago when I was still vegetarian and living in Michigan. Since I didn’t eat meat, she made it with Boca crumbles instead of meat. Good God … I’m appalled to say I ever ate that stuff (obviously I didn’t know any better at the time). I’m grateful my mom doesn’t buy it for herself or my dad anymore. If any of you readers out there eat it, please reconsider and take a cold, hard look at the ingredients. It’s low-quality, overly processed, and not to mention has the texture of a sponge. Why not just eat real, high-quality meat? If you are vegetarian/vegan, at least go with some soaked, sprouted beans or organic tempeh. It’s the best option with what you have available. Anyway, I digress.
In looking through my recipe book, I stumbled upon a recipe card my mom gave me for this casserole. Yes, ‘No Name Casserole’ is seriously the name and technically it does have a name, and that’s it. I remember liking the flavors of this dish growing up and decided to reinvent it, Paleo style. Below you’ll see the original recipe, followed by my recipe. I didn’t bother with the directions for the original. Sorry mom, but my way is healthier in more ways than one! No hard feelings, just love!
Original No Name Casserole
Ingredients:
- 1 lb Boca crumbles (or ground beef)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 C celery, chopped
- 1 can cream of mushroom or celery soup
- 1-1/4 C vegetable broth
- 1/1/2 C water
- 2/3 C uncooked rice
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 can chow mein noodles
No Name Casserole my way:
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground turkey breast (or grass-fed beef)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 C celery, chopped
- 1 C crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 3/4 – 1 C low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 can coconut milk
- 1 head cauliflower, riced
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- dash of celery salt
- 1 Tbsp coconut flour
- 3-4 Tbsp sliced almonds
Directions:
- Saute onion, celery and mushrooms in olive oil or ghee until soft.
- While onion and celery cook, rice the cauliflower in food processor and set aside.
- Add ground turkey to the onion mixture and let brown about 5 minutes.
- Stir in coconut milk, broth, pepper, sea salt and celery salt. Let simmer for a few minutes.
- Add cauliflower rice to the mixture and stir together. Add coconut flour and let simmer for a few minutes more. Meanwhile, set oven to 350 degrees.
- Pour mixture into greased 2-quart casserole dish and top with sliced almonds.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes.
The casserole is not the prettiest looking thing, but it is delicious. Its flavors did resemble that of the original, but in my humble opinion, it tasted even better! I served it with fresh steamed green beans, as pictured above.
Simple Supper Friday: Sirloin Dijon and Ice Cream
Tonight, I made another recipe from the Everyday Paleo cookbook and ate beef again! Yes, I enjoyed it a second time around too.
I had everything on hand to make the sirloin Dijon recipe and
it appeared to be fool-proof, quick and easy. I followed it as is, but didn’t have 1-1/2 lb of sirloin, so cut some of the ingredient ratios down (I had just under 1 lb of meat). This recipe came together quite quickly and I was pleased by the flavors and textures of the dish. The flavors resemble that of beef stroganoff (or what I remember of it), but much better and more satisfying. The Dijon mustard pairs well with the thyme and incorporates nicely into the whole dish. I will definitely make this again.
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 lb grass-fed sirloin, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 C chicken stock
- 1/2 Tbsp dried thyme
- 1-1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 4 cups kale, chopped
Directions:
- Saute the sirloin and garlic in coconut oil until the meat starts to brown. While the sirloin browns, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the chicken stock, thyme and mustard. Pour the mixture over the sirloin and bring to a simmer.
- Add the kale to the pan and cook, stirring often until the kale is tender (about 2-3 minutes). Serve immediately.
After dinner, I spontaneously decided I wanted ice cream and thankfully, my ice cream freezer container was good-to-go. I put it in the freezer a while ago, just in case a craving struck. Good thinking on my part!
I used canned coconut milk (about 1-1/2 cans) as the base and then threw in whatever inspired me. I added one mashed banana, two chopped dates, a splash of pure vanilla extract, a few drizzles of honey, sliced almonds, a dash of Himalayan sea salt and about 1/2 tablespoon of almond butter that was left in the bottom of the jar. Everything mixed together in the ice cream maker for about 20 minutes. The result was fluffy, decadent, creamy, to-die-for ice cream. I think I could’ve eaten the entire bowl! It is extra tempting too because the ice cream is never the same after it freezes overnight. Alas, I resisted.
Simple Supper Friday: Meatza!
Nope, this ain’t no pizza yo … it’s MEATza! The entire crust consists of ground meat, then it’s topped with pizza sauce and veggies, just like a standard pizza, but minus the cheese. It’s delicious, easy and yields great leftovers. The combinations are endless too. Jesse and I like to eat our meatza with either steamed broccoli or sauteed greens. Tonight, it was chard and kale sauteed in coconut oil with garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
Meat crust:
- 1 lb ground turkey breast or thigh meat
- 1 lb bulk mild Italian chicken sausage (from Whole Foods – made in house)
- 2 eggs
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
Pizza sauce:
- 1-1/2 – 2 tubes tomato paste (I like Whole Foods brand)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 – 3 tsp dried oregano
- 1 -2 tsp dried thyme
- dash of red pepper flakes or cayenne
Toppings:
- 7 – 10 crimini mushrooms, chopped
- 1 small zucchini, chopped
- 1/2 C or more olives, chopped (I pick whatever strikes me off the Whole Foods olive bar)
- 1/4 – 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
- parsley for garnish after cooking
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine the meat and eggs in a bowl and mix well.
- Add spices to the meat/egg mixture and mix thoroughly.
- Put meat mixture into a 9 x 11 or 9 x 13 pan at pat down evenly.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- While the meat crust is baking, mix all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and chop the veggies. Feel free to add other spices you like to the sauce and use whatever veggie toppings you like.
- When meat is done baking, pull pan out of the oven and top with sauce and veggies.
- Put back in the oven for 5 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Then turn your broiler on at 450 degrees and cook for another 7 – 10 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh parsley, if using.
- Serve and eat!
