Showing posts with label Fast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fast. Show all posts

Friday, April 3, 2015

Flavorful Friday- Roasted Rainbow Carrots Recipe!

Matthew 28:6 NIV
"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said."


This Easter weekend, let us rejoice and celebrate our God, who loves us so much, that he gave his one and only Son that we may have life with Him.  If you are not familiar with the story of Jesus Christ, then reach out to someone you know who is full of life through Christ our Savior and ask them to share with you the Good News.  Or, check out the website needhim.org to learn more.

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While Easter is a Christian holiday of Remembrance and Celebration, there is a fair amount of the population who equates this Sunday with the Easter bunny and colored eggs.  Since bunnies love carrots, I thought it fitting, perhaps, to offer this carrot recipe for today's edition of Flavorful Friday.  Whether attending a potluck or hosting your own gathering, these Roasted Rainbow Carrots offer a quick, easy, colorful and delicious side solution to your Easter feast!  

May there be love in your heart and laughter in your home, now and forever.

As always, 

Happy Crunching!


Country Mama Hippie Chic
aka Brandi Schunk
bouncybrandi@gmail.com
http://countrymamahippiechic.blogspot.com/


Roasted Rainbow Carrots Recipe


Ingredients:


One 2 lb bag of Whole Organic Rainbow Carrots
One 3.5oz Stick of Kerry Gold brand Garlic & Herb Butter, cut into one inch chunks

Instructions:


Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.


Rinse and scrub Carrots with a stiff vegetable brush.  Place Carrots in a roasting pan with Butter evenly distributed on top.  Place lid on pan and roast for 20 minutes, covered.

Remove pan from oven and brush melted butter atop carrots.  Replace lid and roast another 20 minutes, covered.  Remove from oven and brush butter atop carrots one more time just prior to serving.

Friday, March 27, 2015

Flavorful Friday- Roasted Bell Peppers Recipe!

John 6:35 ESV
"Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.""


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It's been awhile since I shared an easy side dish for dinner, so here's one of my and my husband's favorites.  Not such a hit with our kiddo, he is not a fan of Bell Peppers, this is one dish that I usually let him skip and I give him some raw green beans and grape tomatoes instead.  I like this dish because it is quick and easy to prepare, and is versatile as well.  You can serve these Roasted Bell Peppers and Red Onions aside fish or chicken, or even beef or pork if you like.  You could also serve them atop rice or pasta or salad.  The possibilities are endless.  I would love to hear how you pair these up for lunch or dinner, or even breakfast!

As always, 

Happy Crunching!


Country Mama Hippie Chic
aka Brandi Schunk
bouncybrandi@gmail.com


Roasted Bell Peppers Recipe


Ingredients:


1 Red Bell Pepper, washed, seeded and quartered
1 Green Bell Pepper, washed, seeded and quartered
1 Red Onion, peeled and quartered
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ tsp Celtic Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper Medley, to taste


Instructions:


Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.


Add all ingredients to a large, lidded container.  Place lid firmly on top and gently shake, holding lid in place with your hands, until vegetables are well-covered with oil and seasonings.


Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and pour vegetables out onto it.  Bake for about 20 minutes, or until desired consistency is attained.


Optional:
Vegetables could be placed, alternating, on a skewer before baking.

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Flavorful Friday: Lemon Ginger Tonic Recipe


1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NASB
"19Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body."

Although this passage in Biblical scripture is referencing something entirely different, I think we can safely apply this same principle to the way we eat.  If our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, then doesn't it make sense that we would treat it with care, that we would nourish it and give it the best we have available?  I have found for myself that when I fill my body with whole food goodness, I feel better, I am happier, I am more energetic, and I am more likely to do the work that God places before me.  When I fill my body with "pseudo foods", substances that are chemically ladened, highly processed, or otherwise altered from their naturally occurring state, I find myself tired, grumpy and in physical pain to the point that I would rather play small than play big.  How about you?  What do you know to be true about what you eat and how you feel?  Comment below...

As always, 

Happy Crunching!

Country Mama Hippie Chic
aka Brandi Schunk
bouncybrandi@gmail.com
http://countrymamahippiechic.blogspot.com/

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Sometimes I feel like I need an "undo" for some of the poor food choices I have made.  While that's not really an option, I found this drink to be a helpful substitute when my system needs a reset.  The anti-inflammatory properties of many of the ingredients in this Lemon Ginger Tonic are great at helping me feel better so I can go play BIG!


Lemon Ginger Tonic Recipe

Ingredients:

12 oz Filtered or Spring Water
1 inch Fresh Ginger, peeled and quartered
1 tsp Raw Honey
½ Lemon, squeezed
1 tsp Organic Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar with “The Mother”
⅛ tsp Turmeric Powder
⅛ tsp Celtic Sea Salt
2 Ice Cubes

Instructions:

Bring water and ginger to a boil in a small sauce pan covered with a lid.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes.  Strain through a wire mesh strainer into a coffee mug and discard ginger.

Add honey and stir to mix.  Add remaining ingredients (except Ice) and stir to mix.  Add Ice and mix.  Drink slowly and enjoy!

Friday, December 12, 2014

Flavorful Friday: Gluten Free Polynesian Pork Dinner Recipe

Proverbs 13:3 ESV
"Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin."

Holidays are an interesting time.  Filled with joy and hope, yet often also filled with anxiety, anger, frustration.  If you're looking for a little joy and peace in your days, perhaps we could all use the reminder from Proverbs above.  Think wisely before opening our mouths to say what's on our minds, and ask ourselves, are these words useful?  Do they help or hurt?  Are they loving and kind?  Is there a better way to say what I am thinking and feeling that truly honors my commitment and the heart of another?  Let us think on these things, and see where it takes us.

Here's to loving one another well, and showing a little extra patience and kindness this Christmas season.

My recipe today for Flavorful Friday feels a little like a cheat.  I didn't slave in the kitchen for hours, and there is nothing particularly unique here.  In fact, this probably won't even go in my cookbook so consider it a Blog Extra!  I realize sometimes we just want dinner to be easy.  But, we still want it to be healthy, interesting, maybe even festive.  Tonight's dinner felt like that for me when I made it for the first time last night.  I just threw it together and called it done.  And it was good.  And my son liked it.  Total win.

So here ya go, short and simple, easy to do for anyone, and maybe a little different.  Gluten Free Polynesian Pork Dinner Recipe.  Don't let the name fool you, it's not all that fancy.  In fact, I just marinated the pork in San-J's Sweet & Tangy Polynesian Glazing and Dipping Sauce for a couple hours.  Tasted a little like barbeque sauce in my opinion.  I enjoyed having a totally different taste experience, though, and perhaps you will, too.  Read on for the recipe, and let me know what you think!

Happy eating!

Yours truly,



Country Mama Hippie Chic
aka Brandi Schunk
bouncybrandi@gmail.com
Gluten Free Polynesian Pork Dinner Recipe

Rice:
Cook rice according to package instructions, using half water and half bone broth for your liquid.  I used short grain brown rice here, which took 45 minutes to cook.

Pork:
Put boneless pork chops in a plastic zippy bag and add San-J's Sweet & Tangy Polynesian Glazing and Dipping Sauce to cover.  Seal bag and let sit 2-4 hours in refrigerator.  Heat medium skillet on medium-low heat.  Add just pork chops with no extra sauce to well-oiled pan and cover.  Cook for 5 minutes and flip meat over.  Cook for 5 minutes and flip meat over again.  Cut meat in pan into bite size chunks, continue cooking and stirring in 3-5 minute increments until pork is no longer pink in the middle.  Serve with a small bowl of the San-J sauce and sprinkle the meat with toasted sesame seeds.

Broccoli:
Heat medium skillet on medium heat.  Add frozen broccoli florets, 1/2 C bone broth, a sprinkle of salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.  Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serving note: I also added some diced pineapple to our plates after I took the picture.  It was a nice compliment to the meal and I highly suggest it!

Bon appetit!

Friday, November 21, 2014

Flavorful Friday: Bok Choy Recipe!

Luke 10:27 NIV
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind"

It's been a busy week catching up and reviewing products from the Gluten & Allergen Free Expo in Dallas last week.  I feel so blessed to have been gifted all this free food!  And yesterday our chiropractor, Dr. Grant Fulcher at Prime Life Chiropractic, was giving away free turkeys to all of his patients who came in today!  Incredible!  Our whole family goes to see him, so we got one turkey for our family, one to cook and give away, and we left one with him to give away to a local organization.  So much abundance is all around us, it feels good to be able to share.

Speaking of sharing, I have put together a fabulous gift bag from my freebies at the Expo.  I'll be announcing the contest for that prize next week so stay on the lookout!

With all that's been going on, I'm going to keep this week's Flavorful Friday simple with an easy, healthy and affordable side dish.  This could even make an appearance on your Thanksgiving table if you're looking for some new alternatives to the old traditionals.  My husband and I both love this recipe for Bok Choy, and my son, well, he can't seem to make up his mind, one day he loves it, the next day not so much.  But hey, he's young and I'm sure his taste buds are changing all the time to there you have it.  Let me know how this goes over with your own little ones!

Yours truly,


Bok choy, butternut squash, bbq pork country ribs


Sautéed Bok Choy Recipe

Ingredients:
1 Head Bok Choy
½ Yellow Onion, sliced
1 Tbsp Unrefined Coconut Oil
2-3 Tbsp Bone Broth
½ tsp Celtic Sea Salt
¼ tsp Garlic Powder
1/8 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper Medley

Cut off the root end of the Bok Choy head.  Wash each piece under running water, rubbing with your fingers or a vegetable brush to remove dirt.  Cut the whites into ¼” slices.  Cut the greens into approximately 1” squares.

Heat 10” skillet over medium heat to warm pan.  Add coconut oil, Bok Choy, and Yellow Onion to pan and stir to coat.  Add Bone Broth, Celtic Sea Salt, Garlic Powder, and Fresh Ground Pepper Medley to vegetables and stir to coat.  Allow to sauté about 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.


This is a great side for most pork, chicken, or turkey dishes.

Friday, November 7, 2014

Flavorful Friday- Egg and Vegetable Breakfast Recipe

Joshua 14:8 ESV
"...yet I wholly followed the LORD my God."

Brothers and sisters, I pray for us today that WE may wholly follow the LORD our God, even as others go astray.  Let us be beacons of light, shining light on the TRUTH, the LOVE of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Today's edition of Flavorful Friday features a unique recipe, in that this is more of an idea, a starting point, a license to create and have fun in the kitchen.  I cook some version of eggs and vegetables for breakfast at least once a week, usually several days a week, and it is different each time!  Here are three photos showing variations on this simple and adaptable Egg and Vegetable Breakfast Recipe.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Yours truly,

Country Mama Hippie Chic
aka Brandi Schunk
bouncybrandi@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/CountryMamaHippieChic

Egg/Veg scrambled eggs, eggplant, onion, garlic, bell pepper, tomato

Egg/Veg fried eggs, eggplant, onion, yellow squash, green bell pepper, fresh salsa, avocado

Egg/Veg fried egg, red + grn bell peppers, roma tomato, artichoke heart, purple onion, avocado


Eggs & Veggies Recipe

The thing I love about this idea is that it’s so variable.  This one really is more of an idea than a recipe, permission to get creative and suit your own tastes and availability of vegetables.  It’s a recently adopted practice for me to have vegetables for breakfast, and I love it.  Inspired by a friend who posted a beautiful chopping board full of colorful veggies, I hope this inspires you to start your day out strong with plenty of color, flavor, and nutrition!


Ingredients:

Eggs
Vegetables
Some sort of oil for the pan
Seasonings

Okay, that may be a little too simplified and vague, but that’s really how this recipe goes!  Here are a bit more specifics to get you started…


Specific Ingredients:

Fresh Eggs (1-2 per person) to be fried or scrambled, as you prefer
Vegetables- Just one or almost any combination of these, sliced, diced, or whole:
·      Onion (Red or Yellow)
·      Garlic
·      Asparagus
·      Spinach
·      Kale
·      Red Bell Pepper
·      Green Bell Pepper
·      Zucchini
·      Yellow Squash
·      Grape Tomatoes
·      Roma Tomatoes
·      Heirloom Tomatoes
·      Eggplant
·      Swiss Chard
·      Mushrooms
·      Okra
·      Marinated Artichoke Hearts
·      Potatoes (Red or Russet)
·      Avocados (to be added when served, not while cooking)
Oil for the pan (1 Tbsp for veggies, 1 Tbsp for eggs):
·      Unrefined Coconut Oil
·      Extra Virgin Olive Oil
·      Bacon Grease
·      Butter
Seasonings:
·      Celtic Sea Salt
·      Ground Pepper Medley
·      Paprika
·      Cayenne
·      Bragg Sea Kelp Delight
·      Oregano (fresh or dried)
·      Basil (fresh or dried)
·      Rosemary (fresh or dried)
·      Parsley (fresh or dried)


Instructions:

Heat medium cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Add oil to pan.  Add vegetables, hardest ones first (like Potatoes and Onions), saving the more delicate ones (like Spinach and fresh herbs) for the last.  I generally chop as I go, and add the veg once it is chopped.  How this may look is as the pan is heating, chop your onion.  Add oil to the pan and then the onion.  While the onion starts to soften, chop the bell pepper and then add it to the pan and stir.  I would probably season everything in the pan at this point.  As that cooks, chop okra, then add to the pan and stir. Then mince the fresh herbs and add them to the pan, giving everything a good stir.  Let it cook for another minute or two and you should be good to go!  Move veggies to a plate or bowl and cover to keep warm while you cook the eggs.

For eggs, to fry you would simply add your oil to the already heated pan (I recommend a Tbsp of butter or bacon grease) and then crack egg directly into the pan (or, if you prefer, crack egg into a bowl first and then pour into the pan).  Let it cook about a minute on the first side, seasoning lightly with salt.  Then gently flip egg with a spatula, and cook another minute or two on the second side, depending on how firm or runny you like your yolk.  Season again with salt and add pepper or cayenne as well if you like.  Place egg atop veggies and then serve!

You can also opt for scrambled eggs.  Crack eggs into a bowl, add seasonings and beat them with either a whisk or a fork, the more air you incorporate into them, the fluffier they will be.  Add oil (again, butter or bacon grease recommended) to the pan and let it melt.  Pour eggs into pan and stir with spatula or fork as you cook on medium-low heat until desired consistency is reached, generally 2-5 minutes.  Serve with eggs atop veggies, or veggies atop eggs, or make a well in the middle of the eggs for the veggies, whatever suits your fancy and floats your boat!


Topping Options:

·      Avocado (diced or sliced)
·      Salsa (Red or Green)
·      Sour Cream
·      Shredded cheese


Notes:

There are no amounts listed on anything because this really is about your own personal taste.  In general, figure on about 1-2 eggs per person (more if you’re serving a really big appetite), and about 1 ½ - 2 Cups of fresh vegetables per person.  Example for one serving: 8 skinny Asparagus spears (bottom of spears removed), 4 small Okra, ¼ Yellow Squash, ½ Yellow Onion.  As for seasonings, just a shake or two ought to do it; I like to keep it light for breakfast.