Indian Spiced Turkey Burgers

I think this upcoming school year is going to be a little harder than others. I am sitting in a AP Environmental Conference because it is a new class that I am teaching this year and this is only day two of my four 9-hour days here and I already miss my daughter. This is not a good sign. A positive is that I am staying with my parents because they are watching Charlie for me and I am reminded how lucky I am they live so close and have such great parents. I also enjoy seeing how in love my dad is because it is like looking at how he probably was with me- again, so lucky. Anyway...FOOD!

Dilemma... you bought Garam Masala for my Tikka Masala recipe and now you only used a teaspoon and have a lot to spare. Fix? Use it with other meats and recipes! I bought this spice after coming home from Malaysia and have experimented with it in several dishes because it is nice to mix up my typical spice profile. I also want Charlie to expand her palate at a young age.

Turkey was on sale so that's the meat of choice this time, beef or lamb would also work. Watch the fat content of turkey because the very lean turkey doesn't grill well and you will need to add a fat of some kind to prevent the burgers from being too dry. I served mine over lettuce with avocado and tomato....yum!

Indian Spiced Turkey Burgers

- 1 lb Ground Turkey

- 1 1/2 tsp Garam Masala

- 1 tsp Salt

- 1/2 tsp Pepper

- 1 Jalapeno, finely chopped

- 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin

- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

- 1 Tbsp Fat or oil (optional)

1. Mix everything until just combined. Form into four patties... remember to make them flatter and indent the middle because they will shrink and pop-up in the middle while cooking. 

2. Cook over medium heat, or grill, flipping once (about 5 minutes per side depending on thickness.) Since it is poultry do not undercook. :) Serve with your favorite toppings. 

Paleo Almond Chocolate Treats

My sister, Mara, and I did a CrossFit competition this past weekend. It was Battle of the Sexes and the teams were either F-F or M-M. Men's weights were heavier, but the WODs and body weight movements were the same so male and female teams were competing against each other. We had a lot of fun and our box had a lot of teams there. It is interesting that when you start to do competitions you become friends with, or at least recognize, a lot of the same people. It is always inspiring to see so many fit people in one location.

Mara and I bet her boyfriend Alex and his partner Tim that we could beat them.... well we didn't....boo! So I told them I would make them a treat. Here they are... I may or may not have had to make them more than once because I ate too many.

 I used dried blueberries and raw whole almonds, but any dried fruit or nut would work. I made some with no fruit at all too. I also line my cookie sheet with parchment paper and put it in the freezer for a few hours before making these so the chocolate starts to harden right away and doesn't run all over the sheet.

Paleo Almond Chocolate Treats

- 1 Cup Non-Dairy Chocolate (such as Enjoy Life Chocolate Chunks)

- 15-20 Whole Raw Almonds

- 1/4 Cup Dried Blueberries (about 3 per chocolate)

- 1 tsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

- 1 tsp Vanilla

- Sea Salt

1. Mix the chocolate, cocoa powder, and vanilla together. Either use a double-boiler, or microwave if you are feeling lazy and melt the chocolate, stirring until smooth.

2. Using a tablespoon, place small mounds of chocolate on a cookie sheet. Doing about 4 at a time because the chocolate will start to harden, gently put an almond and a few blueberries on each mound. Sprinkle with a touch of sea salt.

3. Put the cookie sheet in the freezer for about 30 minutes until the chocolates harden completely. Store either in the freezer or fridge. 

Paleo "Peanut Butter" Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gardening and cooking remind me of some of my favorite memories I had with my Grandma and cousins.  My mom has always told me to start my little girl in the kitchen and garden young...Not because she is a girl, but because it is important to know where food comes from and how to prepare it... starting her off *hopefully* with a good relationship with food and healthy choices. She really enjoys being helpful, so I have given her the task of watering the potted vegetables and flowers. We talk about what is growing and she can name the vegetables even if she doesn't know what that means yet :)

I was having one of those days where I needed everyone in the world who needed me for something to stop for one second. It didn't happen, but to make myself feel better I made cookies. I am not lying when I say the dough for these cookies is arguably better than the cookie itself. I am not a huge sweet-loving person but I literally got out a spatula and licked the bowl. You can use any nut-butter you want in these, I just used Sunbutter because that's what I had in the house.

I am competing with my sister in a Battle of the Sexes competition Saturday and I am thinking I will bring these for between events. There is nothing in them that would upset my stomach and I did the protein bites (also so good) last time.

Paleo "Peanut Butter" Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Printable Version)

- 1 Egg White
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 Cup Nut Butter
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Honey
- 1/4 Cup Enjoy Life (non-dairy) mini Chocolate Chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

1. Whisk the egg white and salt together until it is frothy.

2. Add the other ingredients besides the chocolate chips and mix until smooth. Add the chocolate chips and mix until combined.
3. On a greased cookie sheet, or one lined with parchment paper, scoop out 1 Tbsp balls of dough. This recipe will make about 20 cookies. Flatten them slightly with your scooper or a spatula.

4. Bake 10-12 minutes until edges get slightly crispy and they are golden brown.

Strawberry Balsamic Marinated Chicken Salad

Mara (my twin) owns her own home too and like I have said it's a lot of work for a working person who lives alone! Her boyfriend was nice enough to help re-stain her deck and our friend Josh... regional games athlete ;-) ... came along to help as well. Good karma for them. Since they worked hard all day, we fed them burgers with a fried egg on top, grilled corn, and sweet potato pouches ...yum! Paleomg.com did a recipe of grilled potato pouches recently too... it is a trend, might need to try hers too. :)

As strawberry season comes to a close in Michigan I am not ready to let them go. I decided to use them as a sweet component in my marinade that doubled as the dressing for my salad. Read the ingredients on your vinegar, sometimes there are added sugars and things you can't pronounce...ew!

Strawberry Balsamic Marinated Chicken Salad

(Printable Version)

- 1 lb Chicken Breasts (about 3)...or more... plenty of dressing :)

Marinade

- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- 1/8 Cup Balsamic Vinegar (2 Tbsp.)
- 5-6 Large Strawberries, hulled
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Dijion Mustard
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 small Garlic Clove, or garlic powder (1/4 tsp)
- Drizzle of Raw Honey (optional)

Salad

- Mixed greens
- Strawberries, diced
- Tomato, diced
- Avocado
- Fresh Basil, chiffonade

1. Make the dressing/marinade. In a blender combine the marinade ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour a quarter of the mixture over the chicken and marinade as long as you have time for... or overnight.
2. Grill the chicken. About 5 minutes on each side over medium to medium-high heat depending on the thickness.
3. Put together the salad using more marinade as the dressing. If I had walnuts I would have used those too!

Summer Veggie Hash

This week I had one of those "ah-ha" moments when I was doing the dishes after dinner. I was just scrubbing away when I looked outside and saw my little girl riding her tricycle up and down the driveway (don't worry there's a gate and I can see her the whole time) by herself and I realized I am missing out on being a part of that because I am doing these stupid dishes. I felt awful. Most days it is just her and me and I realize that I have a lot of responsibility owning a house by myself but those tasks can wait when I am missing her childhood trying to keep up. Here are some things I think living alone with my daughter has taught me...
1) The dishes can wait. They are nagging you when your kid is slowly still eating, they are calling to you when dinner is done... but they can wait. Eat dinner at the table with your kid until they are done, do the dishes after they go to bed. Now I will say that I can't go to bed with a sink of dishes because you know what? When you live alone and you wake up the next day they are still there... stupid dishes. Note to self- dishwasher would be nice in my next house.
2) Put your cell phone down. When we are in the backyard, I don't need my phone. When we are walking to the park, I don't need my phone in my hand. When we are watching a movie, I don't need my phone next to me. I don't need to always be available and other people can wait. This generation is going to grow up not knowing what it is like not to have a phone attached to them and constantly being available to people. We need to stop trying to video tape the moment and posting it to social media instead of living in it.  Sad.
3) You can't be a "perfect" parent. Did I get a little to frustrated with her purely because I am tired? Yes. Did she poop in my backyard twice this week? Yes. Am I failing as a mother because she doesn't want to be my sweet little girl all the time as she is now asserting her independence? No. Sigh. There will be rough days, days when the laundry doesn't get done, an activity doesn't go as planned, and days when I just really need to not be needed by her every second. I need accept that those thoughts are ok and when it comes down to it, no one is perfect and the struggle to be your idea of perfection will be nothing more than frustrating.
4) My final thought is that it takes more than one person. I have said before I have a lot of help- my mom, my dad, my sister all help me a lot. There is a reason it takes two people to make a child. Owning a home on top of that is also at least a two-person job in my opinion. There is no one else responsibilities fall on  besides me. Mow the lawn, clean the rooms, take out the trash, fix things, bills, etc....all me. Watching my daughter play in the backyard of a nice home I work hard to provide for her is well worth all of it and sometimes I just need to suck it up and ask for help.

Summertime... fresh veggies and farmer's markets. Zucchini and squash are in season so I wanted to make a breakfast dish incorporating them. Plus I really think we all need more vegetables in our lives. Here is my summer veggies hash... I am thinking some turkey sausage patties and avocado or fresh tomato would be a nice addition also. :) If you have leftovers, put some chicken on top instead of the eggs and you have dinner, or lunch the next day.

Summer Veggie Hash

(Printable Version)

- 1 Sweet Potato, peeled and diced in 1/2" cubes
- 1 Zucchini, halved and diced
- 1 Yellow Squash, halved and diced
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
- Eggs, I did 2 per person
- Chives (optional, for garnish)

1. Over medium heat, add some olive oil to a large skillet and toss in the potatoes and seasonings. As they are cooking, chop the other veggies.
2. When the potatoes are fork tender, about 5-7 minutes, add the squash and zucchini. Saute until tender, about 3 minutes.
3. Portion onto plates and sprinkle with chives. I use the same pan to cook the eggs, saves dishes. :) Cook the eggs any way you like them, personally I like over-easy, but poaching or scrambled would work well too. Enjoy!

Flaxseed Paleo Pancakes

I am loving this summer. This is the first summer in a long time that I feel like I have my shit together. I realize this is the calm before the storm because I am about to go into a crazy school year with FIVE preps to teach (this is a lot for high school)- one of them being new and an AP course- but I am going this calm while I can. I have said before that teaching is the best of both worlds for me: I get to be a stay-at-home mom for a few months and I get to be a working mom. I realize that I sacrifice getting paid for the summer months, but that financial hit is worth this time I get to spend with my daughter. Today we spent the afternoon outside with her favorite friend, Henry, and played in the pool and ate homemade popsicles (strawberries, water, honey.) On a side note, I didn't know you had to soak the popsicle makers in warm water to get them out, so in my attempt to pop them out like ice cubes I broke the mold... oops.

I have made protein pancakes before (see: If Elvis were Paleo Protein Pancakes) but I wanted something closer to the traditional version. I chose to use flaxseed because 1) when I googled "Paleo Flaxseed Pancakes" I was disappointed with the results and 2) Flaxseed is really good for you. It took me no less than 6 tries to get these how I wanted them and I am sure I will keep playing with the recipe. Charlie was my tester and she loved the very first batch so much she ate THREE adult sized pancakes plus six pieces of bacon. Her enthusiasm kept me going... the diapers afterwards not so much- see my note below about flaxseed and fiber. :) 

This is me cooling off my pan by the window and attempting to be amused that my pan was way too hot and I burned the pancakes and turned my kitchen into a cloud of smoke. The Aunt Jemima look was a coincidence. 

FLAXSEED: 

Flaxseed is starting to get more and more hype in the food world as studies come out showing its link to a decrease in heart disease, cancer, and strokes. Flaxseed has 3 main things going for it:
1) It contains omega-3 fatty acids- ALA (plant based) Omega-3s to be specific. A high intake of plant based fatty acids have been shown to reduce signs of depression, reduce inflammation associated with asthma, and possibly protect against Alzheimer's.
2) Lignans- a chemical compound found in plants- are found in really high levels in flaxseed. Lignans have been shown to a great antioxidant and regulator hormones possibly reducing chances of breast/colon/ovarian/prostate cancer.
3) Fiber. Flaxseed contains both soluble and insoluble fiber to keep things...er... "moving" through your gastrointestinal tract.

Flaxseed Paleo Pancakes

(Printable Version)

- 2 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed

- 1/2 Cup Warm Water

- 1 Egg

- 1-2 Tbsp Maple Syrup

- 3/4 Cup Tapioca Flour

- 1/4 Cup Coconut Flour

- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda

- 1 tsp Baking Powder

1. Mix the flaxseed and warm water together. Add the egg and maple syrup. (I do this in my measuring cup to save on dishes later)

2. Mix the remaining dry ingredients together in a bowl. As you are whisking, slowly add the liquid and continue to whisk until the batter is relatively smooth. 

3. Heat and grease a large skillet to Medium-low heat... maybe a touch closer to medium. (For this I pour the batter back into the measuring cup) Pour a little less than a 1/4 cup into the skillet per pancake. Cook until you see bubbles form on the top and around the edges--- if you are wary check the bottom for doneness- this should take about 3-5 minutes. Flip the pancake for another 3 minutes or so of cooking. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Servings 6.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 112
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 2 g	4 %
Saturated Fat 1 g	5 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 31 mg	10 %
Sodium 450 mg	19 %
Potassium 44 mg	1 %
Total Carbohydrate 21 g	7 %
Dietary Fiber 2 g	9 %
Sugars 4 g
Protein 2 g	4 %
Vitamin A	1 %
Vitamin C	0 %
Calcium	1 %
Iron	6 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

Spicy Glazed Brussel Sprouts

I have my baby girl back! YAY!! The best sight was watching her sleep in her own bed, in my house, the first night she came home. The hug I got from her the second she saw me was the second best thing. I don't know how to explain how not myself I felt this week. My house was too quiet, my days to focused on whatever I wanted to do- it isn't that she is my identity, but I like my life with her in it, she makes me a better person.

This summer I am excited to have more than just herbs growing in my garden! I have a wild black raspberry bush that is going crazy with fruit and aside from the thorns I am loving having it. I added some to my granola all weekend- yum!

My jalapenos are also producing like crazy and I was looking for some ways to use them. After my large Costco run I had a bag of brussel sprouts to use as well. I usually roast them with garlic and thought why not try them with jalapenos too? The result? So good. It is important to keep my veggie intake high, so any new way to prepare them is a priority. If you haven't tried brussel sprouts since childhood, try them again roasted. You might find you like them better than the mushy version you may have had as a kid. The first time I made these I used one jalapeno because Charlie was eating them too. The second time I added two, if you are sensitive to heat, remove the seeds and membrane before roasting.

Spicy Glazed Brussel Spouts

(Printable Version)

- 1-1.5 lbs Brussel Spouts, rinsed, botoms cut off and halved

- 1-2 Jalapenos, finely chopped

- 2 Garlic cloves, minced

- 2 Tbsp Oil

- 2 tsp Salt

- 1 tsp Pepper

- 1 Tbsp Honey

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

1. Toss  all of the ingredients except the honey together on a cookie sheet.

2. Roast for 17-20 minutes. Stir them around 10 minutes.

3. When they are firm but tender, pull them out of the oven, drizzle with honey and enjoy.