Stir It Up! » Blog

Hi all! Can I just say I am elated right now?! I have been without my computer for 2 very long weeks it feels so good to have it back! And now, I have sooooo much work to do, but wanted to post a dinner from last night before too much time passes, and I forget to post it. Also, as of recent (well, and over the years) many of you have been so super kind to let me know how much you are enjoying the blog, and it truly warms my heart. I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for even reading it! It really motivates me to post more, too!! So here you go, for all of the sweet and motivating words, this post is for y’all!!

Two of my favorite things to cook with are sweet potatoes and bacon! But I always hate opening a pack of bacon, only to use a few pieces and waste the rest. So last night, I made burgers and two sides using a pack of bacon (don’t worry, it was a ton of food and we have been using it as left overs for the week). I also chopped a lot of sweet potatoes and was able to use them for the burgers as well as one side. If you can spend some time prepping these two things, then putting the whole meal together itself is a snap.

We had Chicken Sausage Burgers, sweet potato hash and some sauteed sweet and salty kale (my daughter’s favorite side as of now). If you want to cook all three, or at least the burgers and the sweet potato hash, follow these prep instructions first…

This is what you will need to do (see below for a list of all the ingredients)…

Wash and cut up a few sweet potatoes (about 4 medium) and put them in a Cuisinart to chop up.  Then set that all aside.

Next I cut up all of my nitrate free bacon into small pieces.

Then pull out a large pan and cook all of it (except for about 2 slices worth) that until  it browns and gets crispy. Next scoop out the bacon and put it on a paper towel in a bowl so it can cool. Be sure to keep the bacon grease in the pan. Now, use that grease to saute some chopped onions for just a few minutes. I used the Trader Joe’s pack of pre-cut onions, garlic and shallots but just plain onions are fine too.

Then add all of the sweet potatoes to the pan and cook on medium for about 20 minutes.

While that is sauteing, chop up some spinach finely in the Cuisinart.

Okay, now go back to your sweet potatoes/onions and scoop out about 1 cup full and put that over the chopped up spinach so it can steam.  Now set that aside.

Okay, now let’s started separating the burgers from the sides.  These burgers are a rendition from a recipe I got from one of my favorite blogs, Multiply Delicious. You may have heard me talk about Heather’s fabulous site and book, but now she has another book coming out Oct 1st called Paleo Sweets and Treats. Hopefully we can do a fun giveaway when it  is released!!

Sweet Potato & Spinach Burgers

Here is what you need:

• 2 green onion, finely, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into tiny little cubes
• 2 cups spinach, finely chopped
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 tsp celtic sea salt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp dried rosemary (you can also use thyme if you prefer)
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp coconut flour
• 2 tbsp coconut oil (for sauteing)

Of course I doubled this recipe, and it made for great leftovers. The burgers were great, and everyone really liked them. They tasted like sausages, I think because of the rosemary! Anyway, instead of 2 lbs of chicken I did 1 pound chicken and 1 pound ground lean turkey.

Now that you have your spinach, sweet potatoes and onions ready, all you have to do is add the the remaining ingredients (except for the coconut oil) and mash it all together.

Next, heat a large pan on high, add 2 tbsp of coconut oil, and add patty shaped burgers. Brown on each side for about 3 minutes. Then turn on low and cook until thoroughly cooked.  It probably only needs to cook a few minutes. Don’t overcook it as the coconut flour can dry it out.

Easy, right? Now set that aside and let’s move on to your next side.

Sweet Potato Hash

Here is what you need:

• 8 slices nitrate free bacon
• 3 medium sweet potatoes
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 tsp Bragg’s seasoning blend
• 1 tsp celtic sea salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp maple syrup (optional)

So, now really all you need to do is mix the remaining ingredients with sweet potatoes/onion in the pan, cook for about 5-10 more minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Then add in the crispy bacon and enjoy!

Sweet and Salty Kale

And now for the final step to using up your last two pieces of bacon (that you precut earlier) . We used them for our greens making some sauteed sweet and salty kale. We love this side/appetizer and have been making it at least once a week. Here is the link to how to cook it but since your bacon is already cut, and if you get the precut kale, this really wont’ take you but 5 minutes to cook.

I know it’s kind of confusing but hopefully if you can do all of your prep ahead of time with the potatoes and bacon, it will end up being a simple and yummy meal!!

Okay guys, I need to get back to my actual job! I probably won’t be around for a week or two or maybe even three, so please be patient with me! In the meantime, I will work on a fun & healthy treat!

These blueberry muffins are a fantastic breakfast, lunch or a snack because they are full of protein, good fat, fiber, antioxidants and their glycemic load is low.  But, we don’t always have time to make homemade muffins. So, lately I’ve been making them ahead on the weekend and then putting them in the freezer.  Then each night when I’m packing Tate’s lunch, I’ll put a muffin in his lunch box (with the rest of his lunch), which goes in the fridge that evening before school. By lunchtime the next day, they are thawed and ready to be devoured.

I actually make 2 dozen at a time, and so you’d think 24 muffins would last about a month, right? Or….a week. I’m totally addicted to these things, as is my husband.

Oh and speaking of breakfast, lunch and snack ideas for the kids, I think we’ve decided to hold off on doing the kids nutritional event until the fall. But, if you have a group of friends, workout buddies, or you’re a part of a school that would be interested and would like to set something up privately (and you or your friends would like to host), please let me know and we can arrange something. Otherwise stay tuned and I’ll let you know when we do the event at Dr. Bhatia’s office next month!

Okay, so these muffins taste way better than they look in this picture…

I have posted a recipe similar to this awhile ago but made some tweaks that I think both improved the taste, and nutritional value.  Feel free to leave out the blueberries or use dark chocolate chips, nuts, raisins or whatever your family might like!

Here is what you need for the recipe:

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp celtic sea salt
• 6 organic eggs (room temperature if using coconut oil)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, butter or avocado oil
• 2 tbsp canned coconut milk or milk of your choice
• 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1. Preheat oven to 350 and also set out eggs ahead of time. Otherwise, they won’t mix well with the coconut oil and will make the oil chunky. You can also crack them and them set them in a metal bowl and put them in the stove on a low temperature and let them warm up until almost room temperature.

2. Next, in a small bowl mix together the dry ingredients (coconut flour, salt, baking soda, coconut palm sugar) and set aside.

3. Then in a medium bowl, blend the dry ingredients so the eggs, the vanilla.

4. Now add the dry mixture to the wet and stir or use handheld blender to combine until smooth.

 5. Pour coconut oil (melt if it’s solid) in bowl with the rest of the ingredients and blend everything well.

6. Add in your blueberries.

7. Place cupcake holders (I love these!) in cupcake pan and fill about 2/3 of the way full.

8. Cook on 350 for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool and devour! Or try to save some for the week.

They are also great for school because they’re nut free!

Yesterday, he ate 4 of them!! I need to triple this recipe next time! 

By the way, I have to give a shout out to my favorite girl in the world, my daughter, Alice. She is turning 9 on Thursday. How time flies!! Happy birthday sweet girl!

Hard to believe this was 8 years ago…