Brussel Sprouts

This is one of the easiest dishes around.  We make them all the time.  It is a love hate relationship for me (and my pour husband).....I love them when I eat them, and hate them later!  haha

Here is what you need.

I cut the bottoms off and cut them in half.  I have this thing with waisting food or items that can be used somewhere else.  I come from a large family and we used everything we could as kids.  So here are a few options you could do w/ these leftover ends.  

1. I have two pet Sulcata Tortoises so I can give them all my left over veggies.

2. you can throw them in the ground where you will have your garden.....or

3. compost!  My dad did this growing up and I thought it was so gross, I was certain I would never do this as an adult.  Wellllllllllll.......guess what?  We have a compost because we started doing a garden more seriously 2 years ago.  Never say never it will come to bite you in the brussel sprouts.  =]

Here are the sprouts all baked!  Aren't they pretty?  Can you see the leaves kind of brown and crunchy looking?  Those are the best.  The more leaves that fall off the better.  The more little brown crunchies you have.

Brussel Sprouts:

make what you will eat!  haha

1-2 lbs

wash, cut off ends, cut in half

drizzle w/ olive oil

sprinkle w/ season salt (or regular salt, I just like season salt)

Bake at 425 from anywhere between 7-11 min.  I like mine more crunchy so I am on the 7 min side but cook till you like your tenderness.

Lots of variations to these.  

Add bacon, cheese, lemon zest, craisins, slivered almonds, ect.  Enjoy~

VEGETARIAN

VEGAN

GLUTEN FREE

DAIRY FREE

PALEO

Citrus stuffed Chicken

My girlfriend got me a bottle of Lemon Mango oil for Christmas.  I had not used it yet and wanted to.  Well while I am at the gym teaching my 8:30am and 9:30am classes get distracted and we start talking about FOOD!  Happens all the time.  Why not right?!  We need to eat........

As we were talking about food a stuffed chicken came to mind so after dinner I ran to the store to gather some items I would need for this dinner.  I needed it ready for tonight because I was back at the gym later to workout.

Here is what I grabbed...........

This all went into a food processor to make my stuffing, which looked like this.........

After I made the stuffing I pounded out my chicken breasts pretty flat and then filled them like this.....

On this one I have diced mangos on top of the stuffing and then some mozzarella cheese in there.  My kids like cheese so why not.  Each chicken is seasoned w/ salt and pepper before any stuffing is added. (don't FORGET that step!)

Then after all chickens were rolled I put them in an oiled pan and topped them with the remaining onion, mango, part of an apple, more lemon mango vinaigrette drizzle, some honey and Voila........

Your pan of Citrus stuffed Chicken is ready to sit in the fridge so it can be cooked when you need it.

You think how pretty, that looks great, well this is really how the kitchen looks.......

This is gonna happen.  You can't cook without your kitchen getting messy, so get cooking, and clean your kitchen as you go.  =] 

Final product.......

Can serve w/ any vegetable, rice or quinoa if desired, or over a bed of cauliflower rice.  That is another post.

Citrus Stuffed Chicken:

6-8 chicken breasts (could use more if needed)

pound out flat

Stuffing:

2-3 c. spinach

1-2 lbs mushrooms

1/2 onion

6 slices of bacon

1 med red pepper

5-6 pieces of chives (save more for the top)

2 tsp lemon mango vinaigrette (Celia's Meyer Lemon Mango Balsamic Vinaigrette)

1 mango (don't add in food processor) (set aside, dice up and use on top of stuffing)

Put in food processor and puree to a consistency that you like.  Small but not mushy.

Put filling in chicken, top w/ some mango (cheese if desired) and roll or fold in half and use toothpicks to hold together.

After pan is filled w/ all the chickens stuffed top w/ season top w/ salt and pepper first!  Then add remaining half of onion diced, 1/2 mango diced, 1/2 of apple diced, 2 tbsp honey drizzled over the top, 2 tbsp lemon mango vinaigrette drizzled over the top, chives cut up and sprinkled over the top, sprinkle some w/ mozzarella cheese on top if desired.  cover and store in fridge until ready to bake or bake!  Bake at 375 for 35-45 min.  Set timer to 35 first then check chickens to see if they are done.  Go get cooking!  Enjoy~

VEGETARIAN: remove bacon, use vegetarian friendly cheese, wrap in swiss chard leaves instead (don't bake as long), you can also fill peppers w/ the stuffing and bake.  Add a little liquid smoke to filling to replace bacon.  =]

GLUTEN FREE

DAIRY FREE: remove all cheese and/or use dairy friendly cheese

GRAIN FREE

Stuffed Peppers - Italian style

So, I need to get some more posts up on this blog!  I have a lot of work to do (not to mention my other list of things to do), but again, this is ALL in my spare time!  haha (like I have any of that).  I got up, made my boys pancakes, got one out the door, took my other to an Ortho apt this morning, dropped him at school, and got to the gym a few minutes late just in time to teach classes.  Then home to make a post.  =]  Spare time........

I have made stuffed peppers before, all different kinds but this go around I did Italian style peppers. Why?  Because it sounded good and my kids actually eat them!

Stuffed pepper are really easy and pretty basic.  You can prepare these in advance as well which is a huge time saver for those of you who have little time to spare.

 Here is your base!  Peppers.  I cut mine in half and take out seeds.  Sometimes they don't want to stand up and I find the pepper cooks better cut in half versus a whole pepper.  Your decision.  =]

I cooked up my turkey (you can use any meat here you'd like) w/ an onion in some olive oil, then added my spaghetti sauce.  I got into a lot of canning last year and decided to can my own spaghetti sauce.  Why not right?  So much easier to have it on hand all the time and it's the sauce we all enjoy.  Although if you don't make your own sauce here is what I would buy in the store...... Rao's marinara sauce.  So good.  yes, it's a bit pricey but it is cheaper than eating out, and if you aren't making it your self, it better be.... pretty darn good (that is a nacho voice in case you didn't catch it!)

After I stuffed my peppers I decided to add some mushrooms and bacon on top.  Most things in my house get bacon on them.

Homemade sauce!

I left my 15 year old in charge of keeping an eye on these while I was at the gym w/ my husband getting our workout on.  So my son puts the oven on broil, walks away, and forgets!  Then 4 whold minutes later I get a text w/ a picture that says.....'Did I burn them?'  No I tell him!  haha.  Makes for a great story.

FINAL PRODUCT!

Turned out great.  I then added some fresh green beans in brown butter sauce.

Here is your next Clean Fuel Kitchen meal.  Get cooking........

Enjoy~

• *this dish can be made or is.....
• dairy free - take off cheese, use dairy free butter
• gluten free
• vegetarian - substitution below
• paleo - take off cheese or use paleo friendly cheese

Stuffed Peppers:

4-6 peppers (any color)

1- 1 1/2 lbs ground meat (I used turkey)

1 onion

2 lbs mushrooms

6 pieces of bacon

1 jar spaghetti sauce or use homemade

sprinkle of cheese (optional, always go with this option) =]

1. wash and cut peppers in half and deseed.

2. cook onion seasoned w/ salt and pepper for about 8 min on low heat, then add turkey, season w/ more salt and pepper, cook till done.  Add spaghetti sauce (recipe below) or use jar sauce.  

3. Fill peppers

4. cook mushrooms and bacon in pan (same pan as meat) season w/ a little salt and pepper.  Cook for about 8 min.  Top peppers w/ mushrooms.

5. Add a sprinkle of mozzarella to the top of peppers.

6. Bake on 350 degrees for about 35-45 min, then turn on broiler and broil for about 1 min or till cheese is light brown and bubbly.

• to make this dish VEGETARIAN: use mushrooms, zucchini, tofu, Morning Star sausage patties. In place of the meat.

Green Beans:

2 lbs green beans

1. Wash and cut green beans and add to a pan w/ a little olive oil, salt and pepper.  Cook for about 3-5 min on med high heat

2.  Get lid to pan and add 1/4 c. water and put on lid and let steam for about another 3 min.  Shake the pan to move beans around.

3. Add 2-3 TBSP butter and another 1/4 c water.  Keep lid on and let steam for another 3 min or so.  Heat needs to stay high here.  Cook beans till you like the tenderness of the bean.  I like mine a little more crunchy.  Add a few more min for a softer bean.  Add a little more salt and pepper.  Then serve w/ stuffed pepper.

Spaghetti Sauce:

1 white medium onion

3 garlic gloves

3 Tbsp italian seasoning

2 Tbsp basil

2 Tbsp oregano

3 dashes of sage

2 Tbsp parsley

2 tsp garlic granules

2 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

1 (14.5 oz) can whole or diced tomatoes

2 (15oz) cans tomato sauce

2 (6oz) cans paste

1 c. red wine (can omit if you want but why would you) =]

1. cook onion and garlic in olive oil for about 8 min.  Then add wine, let cook for a few min.  Then add all the seasonings, let cook for a few min, then add all sauces.  Let this simmer for several hours for best results.  Put in a dutch oven on stove on simmer and just let it go.  Sitr often.

Here I am.........

Hello!  I am new to blogging but I am not new to following blogs or being creative in the kitchen.  I have been creating clean fuel recipes for a very long time!  I keep hearing.....when are you gonna put out a cookbook, do you have a blog, where can I follow you.  Well, I am a busy mom.....soooooooo, I added it to my list. My list gets longer and longer but still no cookbook to talk about, no blog (until right now), no ebooks (coming soon) and I usually post all food pictures on Instagram and/or FB.

I am not strict w/ any kind of food or diet.  I am paleo, vegetarian, vegan, carnivore, GMO free and dairy free!  In other words......I am what you call an equal opportunity eater!  I will eat 'most' foods.  Some things I won't go near and mayonnaise is one of them!  You will never find mayonnaise on this blog.  Sorry if you find that offensive, I just can't stand the look, smell or sound of mayonnaise.  =]  But! I love egg whites and vinegar, that is another blog post.

Well, here is the start of Me and what I do 'In my spare time' between being a mom of 3, owning and running a CrossFit gym, being creative in the kitchen to find healthy recipes, and many other things that are on my list 'Of things to Do'!

Here is my FIRST blog post!  So exciting.......

This is a simple and easy dish to make for dinner when you are in a hurry.  In fact, I just made this the other day and didn't even start the crock pot until a little after 2pm!  And........it was done in time for dinner.  I never know what time we are going to eat dinner because of everyone's schedule.  It can be anytime from 5pm-9pm.  Yep.......we've eaten dinner at 9pm before.  What?!........That's not trendy?  It is in our house.  I hear you can only count half the calories you eat if you eat at 9pm.  (I am kidding!  Don't believe everything you read.)  =]

I call this dish Red Beans and Rice...

Here is the start of the crock pot...... everything goes in!

I served mine over brussel sprouts and bacon (who doesn't need more bacon in their life?).   I don't usually eat mine over rice but my kids will.  Ok 2 out of 3 of my kids will eat this dish.  I have one child who will not touch this dish.  All I can tell you is he is crazy and his palate just hasn't developed yet.  (That's my best guess with him).  =]

Final product!  It's so nice to walk in the door and have dinner done!  Trust me this does not happen all the time but on nights I don't work at the gym I will make a really good homemade meal.  If I am working late then I try to get a crock pot meal on for the kids and then everyone can eat as they are home and in between activities.  Enjoy~

What?

Ohhhhhh.....you want the recipe!  Got it......here it is.....

Red Beans and Rice:

2 can kidney beans not drained (or any bean you want)

1 small white onion diced

1 green pepper diced

1 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp Emeril Essence Spice 

1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 tsp red wing hot sauce

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

6 slices of precooked bacon (I use the kirkland brand)

3 chicken sausages (or any kind you like)

3 Tbsp butter

2 garlic cloves crushed

Throw all ingredients in the crock pot and turn on low for about 4 -6 hours or on high for about 2-4 hours.  Serve over Rice, quinoa or even small pasta.

I served over brussel sprouts.

Brussel Sprouts:

I cut bottoms off sprouts then cut sprouts in half.  Spread on a baking sheet w/ a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of seasoned salt and a few slices of bacon.  Depends on how many sprouts you bake at 425 degrees for about 5-7 min.  I like my veggies still crunchy so bake longer if you want them softer.

Emeril Essence Spice:

2 1/2 Tbsp paprika

2 Tbps salt

2 Tbsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp black pepper

1 Tbsp onion powder

1 Tbsp cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp dried thyme

1 Tbsp oregano