Ch-ch-chili, celeriac style

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Cold weather necessitates making some hearty, warming chili!!! We have been loving the celeraic so much I thought I would attempt a different twist – well according to the kiddos it turned out to be SENSATIONAL!!! (I have to agree with them 🙂

[recipe title=”Ch-ch-chili, Celeraic Style” servings=”3-4″ time=”1 1/2 – 2 hrs” difficulty=”easy” image=”” description=”Hearty, satisfying heart warming chili!”]

[recipe-notes] Credit: The Functional Perspective
[/recipe-notes] [recipe-ingredients] – 1 lb ground meat(I used grass-fed beef)
– 1 medium Celeriac (chopped/cubed)
– 3 stalks of Celery
– 1 large can of Chilis
– 1/2 c. chopped Onion
– 1 tsp. Paprika
– 3 cloves Garlic, mashed and diced
– 1 tsp. Salt
– 1 tsp. Chili Powder
– 1 tsp. Cayenne Powder
– 1 TB Butter or olive oil
– 4 C. Water
– 1 C. Beef Broth

[/recipe-ingredients] [recipe-directions] 1. Peel and chop Celeriac – saute in butter(or oil) in large pot while preparing the rest of veggies.
2. Rinse and chop Celery, dice up onion – add to the Celeriac, saute for about 3-4 more minutes
3. Peel and mash, dice Garlic. Empty veggie contents into a bowl and set aside while preparing the meat. Add Garlic, spices and salt with Meat to the pot and cook until the meat is done.
4. Add veggies back to the pot with the meat. Stir well then add water and broth – cook for approx 90 minutes. Then ENJOY!
5. TIPS: This can be made with a variety of ground meat.

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Super easy grain-free banana pancakes

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There is nothing like a warm breakfast that is filled with scrumptious flavors!!!

[recipe title=”Super Easy Flourless Banana Pancakes” servings=”1-2″ time=”15-20 min” difficulty=”easy” image=”” description=”Super yummy grain-free, flourless banana pancakes”]

[recipe-notes] Credit: The Functional Perspective
[/recipe-notes] [recipe-ingredients] – 1 Egg
– 2 Bananas
– pinch of Salt (optional)
– Butter or Oil to grease pan
[/recipe-ingredients] [recipe-directions] 1. Peel and mash Bananas
2. add Egg & stir well
3. Grease hot griddle or skillet and Pour small amount onto hot griddle (medium heat, not too hot) or into a hot skillet
4. Cook approximately 3-4 minutes on each side (varies depending on skillet temperature)
5. Serve warm!
6. TIPS: You don’t want the heat too high or they get done on the outside too fast.  They seem to cook better on medium to medium-low heat.  I sprinkle just a touch of salt on pancakes after finished cooking.  Also- they can be difficult to flip, highly recommend a very thin metal spatula for flipping.  And when you grease your skillet or griddle use a cold oil, such as butter straight out of the refrigerator or cold coconut oil from refrigerator.

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Celeriac Surprise Soup

We really enjoyed the Celeriac Creamy (or Not) soup that I made last week and decided to try our hand at another celeriac combination! So, I looked in our refrigerator to see what I could throw together and thus I present:

 

[recipe title=”Celeriac Surprise Soup” servings=”4-6″ time=”2hr 30mins” difficulty=”easy” image=” description=”Tasty combination of celeriac, leeks, asparagus and mushrooms.”] [recipe-notes] Credit: The Functional Perspective
[/recipe-notes] [recipe-ingredients] – 1 Celeriac Root
– 10-12 stalks of Asparagus
– 1 small Leek
– 5 ounces Shiitake Mushrooms
– 1 tsp salt (I use Himalayan or Real Salt)
– 1 TB Coconut Oil or Grass-fed Butter
– 1 TB of Olive Oil
– 6 cups Water
– Optional: 1-2 cups homemade beef or chicken broth (I used some beef broth, a little over a cup)
– Optional garnishes: Spoonful of Chilled Coconut Milk, Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, Parsley or other Herbs
[/recipe-ingredients] [recipe-directions] 1. Rinse, peel and chop Celeriac
2. Melt oils, on medium heat, in large stock pot and add Celeriac
3. While Celeriac is sauteing rinse and chop Leek, Asparagus and mushrooms.  Occasionally stirring Celeriac.
4. Add Leeks, Asparagus and Mushrooms.  Saute and stir about 3-4 minutes.
5. Add water and bring to a boil. Then cover and turn down to a low boil/simmer for about 2 hours
6. After almost two hours add optional broth and simmer another 10 minutes
7. Garnish with spoonful of coconut milk, parsley, pumpkin seeds or other favorite garnishes!
8. TIPS – I will often add a cup or two of beef or chicken broth during the remaining 10 min – especially the broth that is saved from a roast.
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‘Pearfectly’ Steamed Cinnamon Pears

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Yet one more delicious item from my Azure Standard order… We have two cases and my darling husband came up with this recipe!

[recipe title=”‘Pearfectly’ Steamed Cinnamon Pears” servings=”2″ time=”10-15 min” difficulty=”easy” image=”” description=”‘Pearfect’ blend of cinnamon with delectable pears.”]

[recipe-notes] Credit: The Functional Perspective
[/recipe-notes] [recipe-ingredients] – 4 small pears
– freshly ground Ceylon cinnamon
[/recipe-ingredients] [recipe-directions] 1. Rinse and peel pears(can leave peel on if preferred)
2. Steam pears for about 10 minutes
3. Sprinkle with Cinnamon
4. Enjoy!
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Easy Peasy Skillet Salmon w/ Lemon & Butter Sauce

Today was a very busy day!  Which is one of the reasons I love this dish so much.  It is super easy, no prep needed and provides us a way to get in those much needed omega-3s!

[recipe title=”Easy Peasy Skillet Salmon w/Lemon & Butter Sauce” servings=”4″ time=”approx 20 min” difficulty=”easy” image=”” description=”Savory Salmon with just the right amount of zesty lemon.”]

[recipe-notes] Credit: The Functional Perspective
[/recipe-notes] [recipe-ingredients] – 4 Salmon portions – fresh or thawed if previously frozen
– 2 TB +1 tsp Cold Grass-fed butter
– 1/2 Lemon
– Salt & Pepper – to taste
– Dill(Optional garnish)

[/recipe-ingredients] [recipe-directions] 1. Pre-heat skillet on medium heat
2. Once skillet is hot spread 1 TB of butter around bottom of skillet to lightly coat skillet, it may take less than the 1 TB depending on size of pan.
3. Place Salmon in skillet with skin side down (or if no skin the darker side where the skin was)
4. Cook for about 5 minutes then add in about 1 tsp of butter before flipping. If using salt sprinkle salt on top of salmon just prior to flipping this first time. As you flip spread some of the newly melted butter so it will be under the flipped salmon.
5. IF your salmon has skin, you can remove the skin at this point with a fork or two, peeling it off with edge of fork.
6. Squeeze a bit of Lemon over the salmon while it is cooking. Let it cook for 3-5 minutes and check for any pink in the middle. If there is pink you can continue to cook or flip one more time.
7. Once the salmon flakes and finished cooking remove from skillet and place on plates.
8. In same skillet melt the remaining butter, once butter is melted squeeze most of the 1/2 lemon. As you squeeze allow the juice to drizzle around the pan. It should sizzle. Let it sizzle for about 30 seconds then drizzle the lemon butter on the salmon.
9. Garnish with pepper and/or dill as desired.
10. TIPS: I only use stainless or cast iron pans. To keep foods from sticking I will heat up my pans before adding any oil. When I do add oil I make sure the oil is cold. Cold butter or cold coconut oil seems to work best at keeping things from sticking.
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Scrumptious Leek & Spinach Stew

If you saw my post yesterday we made a fabulous leek dish which proved to be a hit with the family! I had a few more leeks and decided to see what I could come up with in the soup department… So with a few modifications I present Leek & Spinach Stew

[recipe title=”Scrumptious Leek & Spinach Stew” servings=”3″ time=”approx 1 hour” difficulty=”easy” image=”” description=”Flavor packed soup that warms the tummy and satisfies the taste buds.”]

[recipe-notes] Credit: The Functional Perspective
[/recipe-notes] [recipe-ingredients] – 3 Large Leeks
– 3-4 cups Baby Spinach
– 3 Cloves Garlic
– 1 tsp salt (I use Pink Himalayan or Real Salt)
– 3-4 cups Broth (I used homemade beef 3 cups plus 1-2 cups of water)
– 1 TB Coconut Oil or Grass-fed Butter
– 2 TB of Olive Oil
– Optional garnishes: Parsley, Yogurt spice blend(Parsley, Oregano, Marjoram and Salt)

[/recipe-ingredients] [recipe-directions] 1. Rinse and slice Leeks
2. Melt Butter & Oil in stock pot, add in Leeks.
3. Lightly saute while chopping up Spinach and Garlic
4. Add Spinach, Garlic and Salt – continue to saute about 3-4 min
5. Add broth, bring to boil then simmer for approximately 30-40 minutes
6. Serve as is or garish individual servings with spices of choice or plain yogurt with spices.
7. TIPS – I purchase big containers of fresh baby spinach and put the container directly in the freezer. The spinach freezes without sticking together and is very easy to crumble when I am ready to use it.
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Leek & Spinach Egg Bake

This week has been filled with a variety of foods.  Leeks were one more of the exciting foods which arrived in my recent AzureStandard order.  And, once again, my search for a recipe began.  I came across this one at The Tasting Table which fit the bill for something unique to make.  As usual I made a few changes and the results were delicious!

[recipe title=”Leek & Spinach Egg Bake” servings=”3″ time=”approx 1 hour” difficulty=”easy” image=”” description=”A tasty combination of fall flavors.”]

[recipe-notes] Credit: The Functional Perspective
[/recipe-notes] [recipe-ingredients] – 3 Leeks
– 5-6 cups Baby Spinach
– 2 Cloves Garlic
– 1 small Kale leaf
– ¼ cup Coconut Milk
– 3 Eggs
– 1/2 tsp salt (I use Himilayan or Real Salt)
– 1 TB Coconut Oil or Grass-fed Butter
– 2 TB of Olive Oil
– Parsley (Optional garnish)

[/recipe-ingredients] [recipe-directions] 1. Pre-heat oven to 375
2. Rinse and slice Leeks
3. Melt Butter & Oil in stock pot, add in Leeks.
4. Lightly saute while chopping up Spinach, Garlic, Kale and Salt
5. Add Spinach & Garlic, continue to saute about 3-4 min
6. Add Coconut Milk and stir for 1 minute.
7. Spoon mixture into individual large ramekins. Place filled ramekins on a baking sheet. Make a small indentation in the center for egg. Be careful to not break the yolk when cracking the egg.
9. Place in oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes – until the egg whites are done and egg yolk still soft.
10. Garnish with parsley, or other favorite herbs and enjoy!
9. TIPS – I purchase big containers of fresh baby spinach and put the container directly in the freezer. The spinach freezes without sticking together and is very easy to crumble when I am ready to use it.
10. I will often add a cup or two of beef or chicken broth during the remaining 10
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Creamy or… Not??

This week I got my AzureStandard order which included celeriac.  This is the first time I have ever had this vegetable and wasn’t quite sure what to do with it.  My search on pinterest led me to this recipe at JamieOliver.com. I tweaked and made some modifications because, well… I like to do things my way LOL!

The result was a soup with so much flavor I am not sure how to describe it other than I couldn’t stop eating the first bowl when I went to take pictures!  The original recipe calls for blending the soup to make a creamy soup, which I tried(it was fabulous) but it looks sooooo delicious as is that I just had to taste it – well its just as amazing.  It’s a toss up and can really go either way!  So here goes:

[recipe title=”Robust Creamy(or not) Celeriac Soup” servings=”3-4″ time=”2hr” difficulty=”easy” image=”” description=”Rich, robust flavorful soup that has your taste buds asking for more!”] [recipe-notes] Credit: The Functional Perspective
[/recipe-notes] [recipe-ingredients] – 1 -2 Stalks of Celery (chopped)
– 1 large onion (chopped)
– 1 Celeriac Root (chopped)
– 2 Cups of Apples (chopped)
– 3-4 Cups of ‘soup stock’  I used beef
– 2 TB of oil (I used organic grass-fed butter, can use olive oil or coconut oil or oil of choice)
– 1 tsp Fresh Rosemary chopped
– 1 tsp Dried Thyme (crushed)
– 1/2 tsp Homemade Poultry seasoning blend (sage, rosemary, thyme and marjoram)
– Parsley – garnish
[/recipe-ingredients] [recipe-directions] 1. Rinse and chop Celery
2. Peel and chop Onions and Celeriac
3. Heat up oil in stock pot and add Celeriac, stir for 3-4
4. Then add Onions, Celery, Apples and Herbs – stir another 2-3 minutes
5. Add soup stock, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes
6. At this point the soup is ready!  You serve it with some parsley OR go to next step to make it ‘creamy’
7. Fill blender about half way with the soup, make sure lid is secure and turn blender on low speed until it reaches your desired consistency.  Pour in bowl and repeat with remaining soup as needed. Garnish this ‘creamy’ soup with parsley or other fresh herbs and ENJOY!!!
8. As for salt – I did NOT add any salt to this soup, I am not sure if my stock had salt or not but the soup was VERY flavorful and did not need any.  This is my very first time using celeriac so not sure about the saltiness of it??  Anyway… You may need to add salt
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Interesting how this totally fits today’s daily prompt “OR“

Banana “No-Bread” Ice-Cream

A simple dessert was in order for today… Fortunately it is quick easy and only 3 ingredients needed!

[recipe title=”Banana ‘No-Bread’ Ice-Cream” servings=”1″ time=”2 min” difficulty=”easy” image=”” description=”A super fast, easy, peasy dessert!”]

[recipe-notes] Credit: The Functional Perspective
[/recipe-notes] [recipe-ingredients] – 1 Banana (peeled and frozen)
– 2 TB Walnuts or Pecans
– 1 TB Coconut Oil
– Flax seed, hemp seeds, sesame seeds (optional)
[/recipe-ingredients] [recipe-directions] 1. Place frozen banana and nuts in small food chopper.  I use my small Ninja chopper. Pulse chopper until banana is creamy.
2. Remove the blades and stir in the Coconut Oil.
3. Place in dish, top with optional seeds or nuts and enjoy!!
4. TIPS -This process can be used with just about any frozen fruit. Other fruits may need to be slightly thawed, or add a banana to other fruits to achieve the desired consistency.
5. Also, I like to keep bananas in my freezer as I never know when I may be in the mood for some “ice-cream”
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Fantastic Kale & Veggie Soup

For some reason I have been craving soup lately and the one I made today was absolutely delicious!  SO here is my attempt to post a “real” recipe.  Hope you enjoy!

[recipe title=”Fantastic Fall Kale & Veggie Soup” servings=”4-6″ time=”2hr 30mins” difficulty=”easy” image=”” description=”A flavorful comforting soup for those brisk fall days.”]

[recipe-notes] Credit: The Functional Perspective
[/recipe-notes] [recipe-ingredients] – 1 bunch of Celery
– 1-1 ½ lbs Carrots
– 2 – 3 Zucchini
– ¼ cup chopped fresh Kale
– 1 tsp salt (I use Himilayan or Real Salt)
– 1 TB Coconut Oil or Grass-fed Butter
– 1 TB of Olive Oil (Optional)
– Parsley (Optional garnish)
– Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (Optional garnish)
– approx 3 qts. of water (May also use beef or chicken broth as well as a mixture of water and broth)
[/recipe-ingredients] [recipe-directions] 1. Rinse and chop Celery
3. Rinse and chop zucchini (optional to peel first)
2. Peel and chop Carrots
3. Melt Butter or Oil in stock pot, add in celery. Lightly saute until celery begins to turn soft, the color will begin to appear translucent. The celery does not need to be completely translucent, just when it starts to turn.
4. Add chopped Zucchini and lightly saute
4. Add Carrots, Salt and water
5. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer or very low boil for approximately 2 hours.
6. If using the Olive Oil, add at this time, and stir
8. Add Kale and simmer approximately 10 min.
9. Garnish with parsley, pumpkin seeds or other favorite garnishes!
9. TIPS – I will chop the celery first and get it sauteing while prepping the remaining ingredients. As I chop the zucchini I add it to the celery. IF it looks as though the celery is getting done too quickly I will turn off the pan and just add the remaining ingredients.
10. I will often add a cup or two of beef or chicken broth during the remaining 10 min – especially the broth that is saved from a roast.
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