Christina's Pad Thai

from closetcooking.com

2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate (or 4 tablespoons lime juice)
3 tablespoons fish sauce (or soy sauce)
3 tablespoons palm sugar or sugar
1 tablespoon Sriracha

6 ounces rice noodles
1 tablespoon peanut oil
6 ounces shrimp, chicken or tofu
2 shallots, chopped or red onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, chopped
1 cup bean sprouts
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lime lime cut into wedges

Heat the tamarind, fish sauce, sugar and chili sauce until the sugar is dissolved.
Soak the noodles in water as directed on package until just pliable.
Heat oil in a pan.
Add the shrimp, shallots and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes.
Add the sauce and the noodles and mix and move to the side of the pan.
Add the egg, let it set a bit and then mix it into the noodles.
Add the peanuts and bean sprouts and cook for a minute.
Add the green onions and cilantro and remove from heat.

Christina's Red Beans and Rice

1. 1 pound dried red beans, rinsed and picked through for stones
2. 1/3 cup diced pancetta
3. 1 large yellow onion, diced
4. 3 celery stalks, chopped
5. 1 green or red bell pepper, deseeded and diced
6. 1/2 teaspoon salt
7. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8. pinch cayenne or a few dashes of Tony Chachere Seasoning
9. 3 cloves garlic, minced
10. 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
11. 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, roughly chopped
12. 1/2 pound cooked smoked sausage cut into 1-inch pieces
13. about 10 cups chicken stock
14. 2 bay leaves
15. 6 cups cooked white rice
16. chopped green onions, garnish

1. Place clean dried beans in a medium pot and cover with room temperature water. Allow to soak overnight before making the beans.
2. If you don't have time to soak the beans overnight, don't fret. Place the clean dried beans in a medium pot and cover with room temperature water. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. As soon as the beans boil, cover, remove from heat, and allow to soak for 1 hour. Carry on with the recipe.
3. In a large soup pot over medium heat, cook pancetta until very well crisp, about 6 minutes.
4. Add the onions, celery, and bell pepper and cook until vegetables are very well done, about 8 minutes.
5. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne or Tony Chachere Seasoning and stir to combine.
6. Stir in the garlic, parsley, thyme, and sliced sausage. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until the sausage is well browned, about 5 minutes. Stir frequently.
7. Add the softened beans to the pot, the stock, and bay leaves. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for about 2 hours, uncovered, until the beans are well softened.
8. Taste and season with more salt or pepper.
9. For a slightly smoother consistency, blend about 1/3 of bean and sausage mixture in a blender or food processor and return to the pot. This way, some of the beans will be ground smooth and some will be kept whole, creating a really lovely consistency. You can also smooth out some of the beans by mashing them against the side of the pan once they're softened, but I like the blender method best.
10. Serve beans with white rice and a hearty garish of green onions.

Christina's Orange Honey Butter

adapted from eatcakefordinner.blogspot.com

1/2 c. butter, room temperature

3 Tbl. powdered sugar

1 Tbl. honey

1/4 tsp. vanilla

grated zest from one orange and/or 1 drop orange essential oil

Beat butter until smooth.  Add the powdered sugar, honey, vanilla and orange zest and beat until light and fluffy.  Serve with your favorite rolls.   

Christina's Gluten-free Blueberry Scones

adapted from eatgood4life.com

1 egg

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup unrefined sugar (adding squeeze of lemon juice since I use refined)

1 cup almond flour 

1/2 cup rice flour

2 tbsp arrowroot powder, or cornstarch

1 tsp vanilla

6 oz fresh blueberries

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9 inch round baking pan with unbleached parchment paper all the way up to the sides of the baking pan, just like in the pictures. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, add the egg, sugar and coconut oil. Beat until combined. Add the remainder of the ingredients except the blueberries and mix through. Add the blueberries and gently with your hands incorporate them into the batter.

Press the batter into the prepared baking pan and sprinkle some coarse sugar over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Let the scones cool for at least 15 minutes. Pulling from the parchment paper, lift the scones up from the pan and cut into 8 pieces. You can store them on a cake stand for up to two days.

Christina's Paleo Chicken Fingers with Garlic Honey Mustard Sauce

from thehealthyfoodie.com

2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts (1-1/4 pound)
1 cup finely ground almonds (or almond flour) 
¼ cup tapioca flour (or rice flour or cornstarch)
1/2 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
2 tbsp black sesame seeds (or white sesame seeds)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried mustard
½ tsp sweet paprika
½ tsp himalayan salt or kosher salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
2 whole eggs, beaten
2-3 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil


1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp unpasteurized liquid honey
¼ tsp cayenne pepper

*The night before - While this is entirely optional, I strongly recommend that you soak your chicken breasts overnight in a solution of salty water made of 1 teaspoon of salt for every cup of water. This creates a much juicier and tastier chicken and requires very little effort on your part. 

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Take the chicken out of the "brine" and pat dry. Cut each chicken breast into 6 relatively even strips. In a shallow bowl, add ground almonds, tapioca starch, unsweetened coconut, sesame seeds, garlic powder, dried mustard, paprika, salt, black pepper and cayenne and stir until evenly combined.

Beat the eggs in a separate shallow bowl. Dip each chicken strip in eggs then roll in almond mixture until nice and evenly coated on all sides; place on lined baking sheet and repeat until all chicken is used.

Drizzle generously with oil, place in the oven and bake until the crust gets golden brown and chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken fingers. Flip after 10 to 15 minutes of cooking time. 

While your chicken fingers are cooking, prepare the dipping sauce by combining mayonnaise, garlic, honey and mustard in a small bowl. When the strips are fully cooked, allow them to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then serve with the dipping sauce.

Christina's Lemon Basil Shrimp Risotto

adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

2 Tablespoons Butter

1-1/2 pound Shrimp

1 whole Onion, Finely Diced

4 cloves Garlic, Minced

2 cups Arborio Rice

1 cup Dry White Wine

5 cups Vegetable Broth, Heated (give Or Take)

1 whole Lemon, Zest And Juice

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream

18 whole Basil Leaves, Chopped Plus Extra For Serving (or 1 tsp dry)

Grated Parmesan Cheese For Sprinkling

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp in a single layer and cook both sides until opaque in the middle, about 3 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and chop roughly. Set aside.

Return the skillet to the stovetop (do not wash it) and add the onion and garlic. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until onion starts to turn translucent. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add dry Arborio rice to the pan and stir it around for a couple of minutes, taking care not to burn it. Pour in wine and stir gently, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid. After the wine is absorbed, begin adding warm broth 1/2 cup to 1 cup at a time, allowing the rice to cook and absorb the liquid each time. Stir occasionally as you go, and add the salt and pepper during one of the broth additions. After 4 cups of broth have been absorbed, taste the rice. It should have a slight bite, but if it seems undercooked, add additional broth and cook it until it absorbs until the risotto is the perfect doneness. 

Zest and juice the lemon and add both the zest and the juice to the risotto toward the end of cooking. Stir in the heavy cream, the basil, and serve immediately with extra lemon zest and Parmesan cheese on top.

Christina's Beef and Broccoli

adapted from Our Best Bites

adapted from Our Best Bites

3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lb. flank steak or London broil or any roast, cut into thin slices (partially freezing helps make thinly slicing the meat easier)
Black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil plus 1 TBSP sesame oil
12 ounces broccoli florets (about 4 cups), broken into bite-sized pieces
1 small onion, halved and sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger (or 1 tsp dry)
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced (optional)
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger

sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions:

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of water, and the garlic powder.

Sprinkle the sliced beef with freshly ground pepper. Add the sliced beef and toss to coat thoroughly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the beef and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked through.

Transfer the meat to a separate dish and add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan. When hot, add the onions, ginger, garlic, and broccoli (and carrots, if using). Stir-fry until the broccoli is tender-crisp, about 4-5 minutes. Return the beef to the pan and cook until heated through. 

While the beef is re-heating, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup water, 1 tablespoon corn starch, soy sauce, brown sugar, Sriracha, ground ginger and sesame seeds (if using). Add the sauce to the beef mixture and cook for about 1 minute or until the sauce is thickened. Serve immediately over hot rice. Makes 4-6 servings.