Tag Archive for: featured

Autumn really is a great foodie season. Getting creative with the seasonal fruits, veggies, squashes, and spices has been really fun so far, and I love having a definite theme. Also, this is an amazing benefit of trying to consciously eat seasonal and local! A couple weekends ago, Andrew and I had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants here in RVA, Stella’s. Stella’s is a Greek restaurant owned by our friend Katrina, and we are frequent visitors. And by frequent, I mean pretty much all of the wait staff not only recognize us, but also know which appetizer is our favorite must-have. But one thing I love about Stella’s is that while I do have my favorite appetizer that I always order, I almost always get a different entree. I know I’m not alone in saying that at most restaurants I find my go-to dish and never venture outside of that comfort zone. But at Stella’s, I never know what I’m getting until I hear the specials. They have new specials all the time, and they’re always amazing. So I often wait for the server to rattle off those little delicacy options before choosing my dinner. The last time Andrew and I ate at Stella’s we tried the salad special… and I loved it so much I made my own version. Stella’s version had a kale base, with butternut squash, radishes, and spiced pumpkin seeds. For my version, I swapped the radishes for apples, added my favorite Goat Cheese Balsamic Vinaigrette, and let the autumn lovin’ begin.

This salad perfectly embodies everything Fall. It’s got fresh, crisp apples, creamy butternut squash (oh hellllooooo Vitamin A… win-win-win situation we’ve got going on here), and spiced pumpkin seeds that are a treat in themselves. Add the perfect blend of tangy and savory with the goat cheese balsamic dressing, and you’ve got a winner. Hearty kale just pulls that whole thing together for a healthy, mouth watering salad. You can make this a side dish at Thanksgiving (or you know… any other meal of the season), or add some protein (chicken or turkey perhaps?) and it’s a meal in itself!

Remember how I said the spiced pumpkin seeds are a treat? Well, they are such a treat that they even get their own side recipe. Lucky little pepitas.

Spiced Pumpkin Seeds (aka Pepitas)

• 2 cups of Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds
• 1/3 cup of Coconut Palm Sugar
• 2 tsp of molasses
• 1 Tbsp grass-fed butter (I use Kerrygold)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• cayenne pepper to taste

1. Lay out a sheet of aluminum foil or parchment paper to transfer the seeds to once done.
2. Combine the coconut sugar, molasses, cinnamon, salt, paprika, cumin and cayenne in a small bowl. You may need to use your fingers to fully incorporate the molasses.
3. Place the seeds in a nonstick skillet, and toast them just slightly until they smell nutty and are lightly browned.
4. Pour the sugar spice mixture over the seeds, and stir to combine.
5. Add the butter.
6. Stir the mixture until the sugar and butter are melted, and the seeds are coated.
7. Quickly transfer the seeds to the foil/parchment and spread them out as much as you can.
8. Allow them to completely cool, then break up any chunks. Store in cool dry place, or fridge.

These pumpkin seeds are sweet and spicy, and are really what ties together this Autumn salad. They would also be perfect for a topping on pumpkin bread or muffins, or on a pie, or just eaten by themselves! Anywhere you would use spiced pecans, you can use these spiced pumpkin seeds.

The other elements of this recipe are also fantastic alone, which is why this salad is such a winner. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and the sum of its parts is already pretty bangin’. The spices from the pumpkin seeds are carried over to the butternut squash, which brings those two elements together. The tart crunch of the apples provides perfect contrast to the creamy sweetness of the squash, and that tartness of the apple is also in perfect harmony with the sour balsamic in the dressing. Seriously… have I sold you yet?

Autumn Salad

• 3-4 large leaves of kale, de-ribbed and chopped (about 4-5 cups)
• 1 cup of butternut squash, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 Granny Smith apple, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
• Spiced pumpkin seeds (see recipe above)
• 1/4 tsp each cinnamon, salt, cumin, paprika
• cayenne to taste
• avocado oil or olive oil to saute squash
• Goat Cheese Balsamic Vinaigrette (mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl, or shake in a mason jar)
  • 3 tbsp avocado or olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tbsp of soft goat cheese
  • 1/2 tsp each of salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and dried yellow mustard powder

1. Heat avocado oil/olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
2. Add diced butternut squash to the heated oil.
3. Add spices (cinnamon, salt, cumin, paprika and cayenne) to the squash. Stir to coat the squash in the spices.
4. Saute the squash, stirring occasionally, until the squash is fork tender.
5. Once the squash is cooked, assemble your salads, evenly distributing the kale, apples, squash and topping the salad with your desired about of spiced pumpkin seeds and balsamic vinaigrette.
6. This makes either 2 entree-sized salads, or 4 side salads. Enjoy!

Please note that some of the links in the above post are affiliate links that will take you to an Amazon.com page. If you choose to purchase a product featured in this post using an affiliate link, you will be directly supporting You’re An Animal. Thanks!

Remember that trip to Portland, Oregon that I keep raving about? Well here’s another recipe inspired by that trip! This one comes from our amazing lunch at Cultured Cavemen, a Paleo restaurant in Portland. This meal is specifically inspired by my lunch of carnitas, complete with grain-free tortillas and slaw. I took a different spin with my recipe, however, and did steak tacos instead. Plus a guacamole broccoli slaw that is the easiest thing you will ever whip up (you’ll wonder why you never thought of it), and grain-free tortillas for an amazing Taco Tuesday (or Taco Errrryday). Every element of this recipe is a star in its own right. The steak tacos are seasoned to perfection, and made with grass-fed steak which makes it wholesome and nutritious on top of being delicioso. And not to mention a great way to get that Vitamin B12 in, a critical member of the Vitamin B complex family! No need for store-bought seasoning with the added sodium and preservatives. This seasoning combo is easy to throw together with spices you likely already have in the cabinet! Then we have the guacamole broccoli slaw. A spectacularly easy way to get in the veggies without even realizing it, in perfect combination with the must-have guac. Oh and then the tortillas. You know, just a grain-free, gluten-free tortilla that is pliable, roll-able, fold-able, hold-able, and delectable. Stupid Easy Paleo nailed it with this one, so I’ve just ever so slightly adapted her recipe to complete this taco night meal. So on that note, who’s bringing the margs? I’m ready to eat!

Steak Tacos with Grain-Free Tortillas & Guacamole Broccoli Slaw

• Taco Meat:
  • Approximately 0.75-1 lb of grass-fed steak (I use Sirloin) cut into cubes that are about 0.5-0.75 of an inch
  • About 1 tsp each of dark chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and cumin
  • Salt, black pepper, and cayenne to taste
  • Avocado oil to coat the pan
• Grain-Free Tortillas (from Stupid Easy Paleo):
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup of your choice of starch (arrowroot, tapioca or potato)
  • 2 tsp of coconut flour
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 2 tsp grass-fed butter, melted (I use Kerrygold)
  • 1/4 tsp each of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper
• Guacamole Broccoli Slaw
  • about 2 cups of broccoli slaw (I get the pre-made bagged kind, with broccoli, carrots, and red cabbage)
  • about 0.5-0.75 cups of your favorite guacamole (if I don’t make my own, I love the one Whole Foods makes)

1. Start with the tortillas. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of your tortilla ingredients. Use an electric mixer to combine the ingredients, in order to most effectively eliminate the lumps from your mixture, until very smooth but not to the point of frothing the eggs.
2. Use an 8-inch, non-stick skillet to make the tortillas. Heat the skillet on medium heat. Once heated, pour about 1/4 cup of the tortilla batter onto the skillet, and roll the batter around in the skillet so it is evenly coated (like making a french crepe). Cook about 1 minute on each side, until lightly browned. The edges will curl away from the pan. If you have any issues with this process, you can refer to the original recipe and instructions for these tortillas here. This will make 6 tortillas. Allow the tortillas to cool, or keep them warm in a warm oven.
3. Next, prepare your guacamole broccoli slaw by combining your broccoli slaw with your guacamole in a medium sized mixing bowl. That’s it!
4. Now, prepare you taco meat. Coat a large skillet with avocado oil (1-2 Tbsp) and heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is heated, add your cubed meat. Stir the meat in the skillet, coating the meat with the oil. Add your taco seasoning spice mix, and stir until it coats the meat and combined with the oil to make a taco sauce. The meat will cook very quickly when cubed! You only need to saute for about 1-3 minutes total, in order to keep the meat nice and tender.
5. Assemble your goodies, evenly distributing your meat and slaw over the tortillas. Eat up!

Makes 6 tacos.

Oh my my. I could eat this for every meal for a week, no joke. This recipe came from our need to stretch our budget a little bit farther, as money has been a little bit tight. So instead of housing $20 worth of cod in one sitting, we decided to draw it out by putting it in this oh-so-yummy-in-my-tummy jambalaya-esque stew. Now hear me out, you Nawlins die-hards. I say jambalaya-esque because I know it is not a tried and true jambalaya recipe, and I am sure there are rules and regulations that I know nothing about when it comes to cooking a traditional jambalaya. But that being said, the flavors and composition are definitely a solid nod to the Louisiana specialty, so I will leave it at that. This stew though is one of those comfort foods that makes you want to curl up on the couch with a big ol’ bowl and watch a movie with wine and a blanket. Now if that isn’t a cozy thought, I don’t know what is. Warm, hearty, filling, and flavorful. Plus it makes a lot of food, so perfect for a family meal or for leftovers! Both Andrew and I get two full meals out of this recipe. And bonus! This is absolutely one of those meals that actually tastes even better the next day. You can easily substitute any protein in this recipe, or add sausage, chicken and shrimp for that more traditional jambalaya mix, but if you’re like us and want to get some quality seafood and make it last, I would definitely suggest sticking with the cod!

This whole week was devoted to preparing for a little obstacle race we like to call the Spartan Race. And by “little obstacle race” I mean actually one of the most physically grueling events I have ever put my body through. So in an effort to bulk up a little before the race, we ate way more carbs/grains than usual, including rice in this jambalaya. However, we found a sprouted rice trio (link in recipe below) that we loved with this meal, didn’t make our tum-tums ache, and filled us up to the brim, so it turned out well.

So… let’s talk about this Spartan Race. For those who have never heard of such a thing, maybe you should keep it that way. Just kidding, kind of. Yesterday we did the Virginia Super Spartan, which is the middle level of their 3 race options in terms of distance. The catch, however, is that this particular race happened to be at Wintergreen, which is a ski resort here in Virginia. And the race took place on the double black diamond mountains. Which means we spent 5 hours hiking/slipping up and down a muddy (it rained) 7.2 miles of mountains, with challenging obstacles strategically placed throughout. We heard several people saying this race was harder than many of the “Beast” level Spartan races, because while those races are longer in distance, they aren’t usually on mountain sides. Oh and also NBC filmed it. Which to me says it was “something special.” Yeehaw. We made it over the finish line, but just barely. Needless to say, I’m spending most of today on the couch.

Cod Jambalaya

• about 1 lb of wild cod
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped (make sure the pepper and celery are chopped to approximately the same sized pieces)
• 1.5 cups of Truroots Organic Accents Sprouted Rice Trio or rice of your choice
• 8 oz of chicken stock
• 2 cups of water
• 16 oz of tomato sauce
• approximately 1 tsp each of celery salt, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder and onion powder
• approximately 1/2 tsp each of salt, black pepper, and italian seasoning
• cayenne pepper to taste (I only use a couple dashes, but I’m not a fan of spicy foods)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle the cod with a pinch of the spice mix.
2. Cook the cod in the oven for approximately 15 minutes, or until the cod has split open. Let rest once cooked.
3. In a large pot with a lid, saute the onion until soft and translucent.
4. To the pot, add the water, chicken stock, and rice. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to simmer.
5. Cover and cook the rice for about half of the designated time on the package (about 15 minutes for the Truroots Sprouted Rice Trio).
6. Half way through cooking the rice, add the peppers, celery, tomato sauce, and spice mix, and stir to incorporate.
7. Replace the lid on the pot, and cook the rice mixture for the remaining time based on the package (for the Truroots trio, about 10 minutes).
8. Turn off the heat, and add the cod, breaking it into large chunks, and folding it in.
9. Replace the lid of the pot once again, and allow the mixture to steam, without added heat, for another 10 minutes.
10. Most of the liquid should be absorbed by the rice, but some will remain for a thick, saucy mixture. Once done steaming, stir one last time to fluff the rice and incorporate all of the ingredients. Enjoy!

Please note that some of the links in the above post are affiliate links that will take you to an Amazon.com page. If you choose to purchase a product featured in this post using an affiliate link, you will be directly supporting You’re An Animal. Thanks!