Cafe' Do Brazil

Yesterday evening, I had the pleasure of dining at Cafe' do Brazil for the first time!  I just can't say enough about the amazing food and authentic Brazilian atmosphere.  There were four different dishes ordered at our table, and all were fabulous, and full of complex, fresh flavor. (And gluten-free I might add)
As much as I'd like to, I can't eat there every day.  So I think I will try my hand at cooking Brazilian food for my family this week. Be sure and check in throughout the week, and I will post the recipes as I make them.

My Mom's Steak Marinaide

The other night, we grilled up some PlumRich T-Bones and Sirloins that I had marinated overnight in a delicious homemade marinade.  It's almost impossible to find a store-bought marinade that doesn't include sugar, msg, high-fructose corn syrup, or "hydrolyzed" and "modified" everything, therefore a little extra effort put forth in a homemade mixture is well worth the effort.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Mom's Steak Marinade

1/3 c. hot water
3 T. finely chopped onion
2 T. cider or red wine vinegar
2 T. olive oil
2 T. soy sauce (I use gluten-free Tamari instead)
1 t. beef bouillion granules (This contains huge amounts of MSG, so I used about 1/4 beef stock instead)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 t. paprika (better yet, smoked paprika)
1/2 t. coursely ground pepper
2 beef steaks, about 12 oz. each

In a bowl, combine the first nine ingreditents.  Remove 1/2 cup marinade and refrigerate.  Pierce steaks several times on both sides with a fork; place in an 11 x 7 in. glass dish.  Pour remaining marinade over steaks, turn to coat.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Remove steaks, discarding marinade.  Grill.
Warm reserved marinade and serve with steaks.

Barbecue Chicken Marinaide

The other night I wanted BBQ chicken, but didn't want the gallons of sugar found in a traditional sauce. I needed something quick, so I decided to try a Carolina-style sauce as a marinade. It's very thin, so it soaked right into the meat and gave it a nice, tangy flavor. Even the kids liked it! Whoop!
I paired it with some Orida sweet potato fries that I had in the freezer. Although potatoes aren't the best thing in the world nutritionally, sweet potatoes trump the white variety because they don't spike blood sugar as strongly, and are an excellent source of beta carotene. Plus, they're just plain yummy!

Carolina -Style Barbeque Sauce:

1/2 C. apple cider viegar
3 tablespoons organic ketchup (The Muir-Glen brand is delicious)
1 t. brown sugar
1/4 t. salt, or to taste
1/8 t. crushed dried chili if desired
I added a few dashes of liquid smoke as well

Mis together, pour over chicken, and marinaide for as least 4 hours.

Thai Chicken Wraps

I tried another new recipe tonight from http://www.elanaspantry.com/.  That woman hasn't failed me yet!  The wraps were fab, and although there was a lot of chopping involved, they were worth it.  Remember the Tangy Peanut Sauce that I made a few days ago for the Thai Burgers?  I had plenty left over for the wraps!

Thai Chicken Wraps:

12 Bibb or Romaine lettuce leaves


4 Napa cabbage, leaves thinly chopped

1 pound chicken breast, grilled and then diced into ½-inch cubes (or use Ina's Grilled Lemon Chicken)

1 cup raw broccoli, finely chopped

1 cup shredded carrots

¼ cup scallions, thinly sliced

Tangy Peanut Sauce



Spread out the lettuce leaves

Place a tablespoon of Napa cabbage in each leaf

Add 1 tablespoon each of chicken, broccoli, carrots and scallions to each leaf

Drizzle with Tangy Peanut Sauce

Serve

Tangy Peanut Sauce:
½ cup peanut butter or creamy roasted almond butter


¼ cup lime juice, freshly squeezed

2 teaspoons fish sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons ume plum vinegar ( I used a combo of gluten-free Tamari and Rice Vinegar instead)

2 teaspoons agave nectar

¼ cup water

¼ cup cilantro, minced

2 cloves garlic, pressed (Next time, I'll cut it down to one--it was a little strong)

2 teaspoons ginger, freshly minced or grated on a Microplane zester (I used dry ground ginger)

1 teaspoon chili powder or diced jalapeno pepper



In a quart jar, combine nut butter, lime juice, fish sauce, sesame oil, umeboshi vinegar, agave and water

Close jar and shake well

Add cilantro, garlic, ginger and chili powder and shake again until ingredients are well combined

New lunch fav

I have discovered a new lunch or snack that I just love!  I take 2 pieces of Hormel Naturals deli turkey, top with some fresh avacado or a slathering of guacomole, and spinkle with slivered almonds.  I know, it may not sound great--even I was skeptical before I took the first bite!  It really is yummy, and the contrast between the smoothness of the avacado and the crunch of the almonds is, well, delightful!  It's a great way to get some healthy Omega-3s in your diet too.

Tacos

Tacos are one of our favorite meals.  Though the corn tortillia is not paleo, they are a much better option than flour, and are gluten free.  This past year, I have started making my own taco seasoning after reading the ingredient list on my "Old El Paso" taco seasoning mix. MSG, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, natural flavor (ie: gluten), and some preservatives that I cant pronounce.  It's no wonder everyone is getting cancer!  That stuff contains more chemicals than my bathroom cleaner.  Ok, I exaggerate a bit.  Still, we gotta read our labels, people.  I now step off my soapbox, and get ready to type out some recipes.  Thank you.

Beef:
1 lb. grass-fed ground beef (http://www.plumrichbeef.com/)
Taco Seasoning (recipe below)
2/3 C. water or gluten free chicken broth

Brown ground beef.  Then add seasoning and water, and simmer for about 3-4 minutes or until water is evaporated.

Taco Seasoning:
2 t. garlic powder
1 t. dried cilantro leaves
2 T. chili powder
1 T. cumin
Couple dashes of smoked paprika
1/2 t. salt  (you may want to add more later to the meat per your taste)

For these tacos, I added fresh cilantro, pre-made pico, and chopped avacado.

Thai Burgers with Peanut Sauce--Paleo Style!

Burgers:

1 lb. grass-fed ground beef (http://www.plumrichbeef.com/ of course!)
2 t. garlic powder
1 t. dried cilantro leaves
1/2 t. ground tumeric
1 T. sesame seed oil
1 T. Tamari (much like soy sauce, only gluten-free)
Ground Pepper

Pan cook 1/.4 lb. burger patties in a little olive oil until you can poke the center with a knife and the juices run clear

Peanut Sauce: (Thank you http://www.elanaspantry.com/)


½ cup peanut butter or creamy roasted almond butter

¼ cup lime juice, freshly squeezed

2 teaspoons fish sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons ume plum vinegar (I used a combo of rice vinegar and tamari instead)

2 teaspoons agave nectar

¼ cup water

¼ cup cilantro, minced

2 cloves garlic, pressed (I would cut it down to one clove, or even just garlic powder next time.  It was a little spicy for the kids)

2 teaspoons ginger, freshly minced or grated on a Microplane zester (Fresh ginger isn't Bart's fav, so I just used a little ground ginger --the dried stuff)

1 teaspoon chili powder or diced jalapeno pepper



In a quart jar, combine nut butter, lime juice, fish sauce, sesame oil, umeboshi vinegar, agave and water

Close jar and shake well

Add cilantro, garlic, ginger and chili powder and shake again until ingredients are well combined
 
To Serve:
Top burger with sliced red onions, salad, (I use Earthbound Farm organic leaves in the plastic box) and a drizzle of the peanut sauce.  Skip the bun--you won't even miss it!

Winner Winner Balsamic Chicken Dinner

Tonight I tried out a new recipe which, in my humble opinion, was a success!

Balsamic Chicken Cutlets With Arugula and Fennel Salad

Chicken:
1/2 C. Balsamic Vinegar
1.2 C. Olive Oil
1 T. Garlic Powder
S&P
Water
8-10 Chicken Cutlets
Fonds from Fennel

Place chicken in a shallow dish, combine marinaide ingredients, and pour over chicken.   Add enough water to submerge the cutlets.  Rub the leaves off of the fennel and sprinkle over chicken.  Marinaide as long as possible, then grill chicken.

Salad:
4 C. Arugula
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and very thinly sliced
1/2 C. thinly sliced red onion
1 t. Dijon mustard
Sea salt, to taste
Ground pepper, to taste
2 T. Balsamic vinegar
6 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 C. freshly shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano

Put mustard, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Whisk in vinegar to combine.  Gradually whisk in olive oil until vinaigrette emulsifies.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Toss with arugula and top with parmigiano.

A Different Take on Cereal

This is one of my favorite breakfasts.  I call it "fruit cereal". Cut up a mixture of your favorite fruit, (I like strawberries, banannas, and blueberries)  top the mixture with raw slivered almonds and pour a little almond milk over the concoction.  Pair it with a hard boiled egg or two, and voila!  The perfect breakfast.

Food...finally

I finally got to the grocery store today, which is a good thing since I was becoming weary of getting "creative" with existing pantry items!  I don't like going to the store.  Can you tell?  Thankfully, Crest had some great sales and the children were well-behaved. So, I am sane, and our pantry is stocked again.
Dinner had to be quick tonight, so I decided to fix one of our new favs, a Fritatta.  A Fritatta is like a quiche, only without the crust.  It is full of protien, and very filling! For this one, I sort of combined a couple of different recipes to turn it into what I wanted, and it turned out to be delicious!

Sun-dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Fritatta

10 eggs, beaten
Chopped sun-dried tomatoes, to taste
Herb and garlic goat cheese
4 bacon rashers
Pesto

Pour about 3 T. olive oil into the bottom of a cast iron skillet.  Pour in beaten eggs, sprinkle with sun-dried tomatoes and bacon, then drop in bits of goat cheese.  (I was timid with the amount I put in, but wished I'd put in more.  It's so good!)
Place on the stove top for about 8-10 minutes, do NOT stir, then finish cooking in the oven at 400 degrees until set.  After it's out of the oven, spread a little pesto on the top.  Yum!

Note:  No, my kids don't care for goat cheese and sun-dried tomatos, so I just sprinkled bacon and mozzerella cheese on their portion!

Out of Groceries

I need to go to the store because we cooked our last menu item last night.  Since I didn't make it today, tonight's dinner is just good 'ol grilled chicken and frozen mixed veggies.  (Note: these really aren't true Paleo since it has corn in it, but the kids like it, and that's half the battle.) Though I would like to say that I buy organic chicken breasts, I don't.  Maybe someday.

Marinaide:
Some balsamic vinegar
Some olive oil
Some basil
S & P
Enough water to let marinaide cover chicken

Ann's Oven-Roasted Meatballs

One of our PlumRich Beef customers (http://www.plumrichbeef.com/) was kind enough to provide us with this simple recipe for oven-roasted meatballs.  Tonight was the first time I made them, and they are absolutely delicious!  (and they only took like two minutes to make = major plus)  I decided to top them with some semi-homemade marinara sauce and serve them with a side of steamed broccoli.  That's it!  Dinner?  Done.

Ann's Oven-Roasted Meatballs

• 1/2 Onion, pulped in a blender with the meat of one fresh japapeno, no seeds
• Garlic Powder (just to the point where you are afraid you added too much)
• Black Pepper and Sea Salt to Taste

Mix with 1.5 pounds of what's on hand--grass-fed beef, bison, dark turkey, lamb-what have you.  Salt a cast iron skillet.  Roll meat slightly larger than golf ball size and oven-roast in the skillet at 450 degrees until a brown crust forms on the meatballs, trurning once as needed.

My notes:  Instead of a jalapeno, I roasted a pablano pepper under the oven broiler.  I love the flavor of these peppers, and they tend to be a bit milder than a fresh jalepeno.
I also added just a dash of Garam Masala. (Sometimes hard to find)  This is and indian spice that is a combo of spices like cinnamon, cloves, and cumin.  It one of my FAVORITE spices because it is a wonderderful mix of sweet and savory.

My Semi-Homemade Marinara Sauce

1.5 Cans Muir-Glen Pizza Sauce
3/4 Cup Progresso Chicken Broth (This brand is gluten-free)
2 Cloves Fresh Garlic, minced
3 dashes Garam Masala
S&P to taste

Allow ingredients to simmer for about 30 minutes to reduce. Stir occaisionally.