Butternut and Chicken Tomato Bake (Paleo)

First post of 2017! I’m expecting great things out of 2017:

1. I’m finishing Student Teaching and college in the next few months
2. I’m moving to Thailand to teach and travel!!!!!
3. I’m planning to continue to post recipes until moving day (and maybe even while in Thailand).

Needless to say, I am very excited for upcoming events!

Now, onto food. This is something I served at my family’s Christmas Eve party. It was a definite hit and gobbled all up before the evening ended. Enjoy!

P.S- Results are in! My most popular post of 2016 (with 2,681 views): Shrimp and Chicken Fajitas! 

Butternut and Chicken Tomato Bake (Paleo)

Ingredients:

4 cups butternut squash, cubed

2 tbsp avocado oil

salt and pepper

1.5 lb chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 cup whole fat coconut milk

1/2 cup tomato sauce

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 cups fresh spinach

1 egg

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a bowl, toss together the butternut squash, 1 tbsp oil, salt and pepper. Spread in a roasting pan and place in the oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the other tbsp of oil in a skillet. Add the chicken pieces, salt and pepper, and cook all the way through. Add in the onion and garlic cloves and sauté for 2 minutes. Add in the coconut milk, sauce, and tomato paste and bring to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute and then reduce to a simmer to thicken. Add in the spinach and cook until wilted.

Once butternut squash is finished, gently mix squash in with the chicken mixture. Transfer entire mixture into a baking dish. In a bowl, whisk an egg and then pour on top of mixture. Place mixture into a 350°F oven for 20 minutes. Let cool before serving.

This year’s annual Christmas Eve Sibling picture (I’m the one on the left!)

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Sausage-Stuffed Peppers (Paleo)

I think someone needs to slip me some sedatives. I have an issue when it comes to relaxing. Simply, I can’t. I become too antsy and guilty with doing nothing. Surely I can begin some project or be productive in some way during winter break?

Now if I lived in my ideal world, I would cook and bake all day. Unfortunately, I don’t think this would do much for my wallet and jeans So substitute teaching it is! In addition to my other part-time jobs, that is. Consequently, a hectic schedule has ensued.

On the plus side, I’ve become best buds with about 100 kindergartners from subbing in one school all week. Nothing can make you feel like a rock star more than little people coming up to hug you from behind and yell “Miss K, Miss K” from down the hall to get your attention. I’m more of a middle-school person, but I have to say, little people have grown on me… Anyway, it’s been a crazy week with a lot of running around.

In the middle of it, I found time to make some stuffed peppers. I’ve always loved the combo of sausage, onions, and peppers. It’s practically comfort food to me. Confined to a “pepper cup,” it was perfect to eat while cuddled up on the couch after a long day.

Sausage-Stuffed Peppers (Paleo)

Ingredients:

4 green bell peppers

1 lb ground sweet italian sausage

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper

Optional: mozzarella cheese, shredded

Sauce:

1 (28oz) can of peeled whole tomatoes and juice

1/2 cup tomato paste (about 1 can)

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tbsp garlic powder

1/2 tbsp dried oregano

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp rosemary

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut off the tops of the green bell peppers. Chop the removed pepper around the stem into small pieces. Reserve for later. Place bell pepper “cups” on a baking pan and place in the oven for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the sauce ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and allow to cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally and squashing tomatoes gently with the back of a spoon.

While the sauce cooks, brown ground sausage in a deep skillet. Once mostly brown, add in onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and reserved bell pepper. Cook until onions begin to brown.

Once everything is cooked, spread a thin layer of sauce into a baking pan or 2 bread pans. Place bell peppers in baking dish/ bread pan. Distribute meat mixture evenly between peppers. Pour the remaining sauce on top of and around the peppers. Place in the oven for 25 minutes. If desired, top with mozzarella cheese and place back in the oven until cheese is melted. Serve.

Cheesy (yet cheese-less) Butternut Squash Mash

Oh. My. Goodness. I cannot think of a better recipe to post to start off 2016. Just thinking about this sauce makes my mouth water- no lie.

Luckily, it requires just throwing everything in a pot and cooking until hot. And I swear, it looks and tastes like this dish is cheese-heavy. Yet, no cheese is used!

Not that I mind cheese, but I tend to eat an indecently large amount of this mash whenever I make it and I’d rather avoid that meaning that I just ate a block’s worth of cheese.

Hmmmm, I was so excited to introduce this recipe that I forgot to start off by saying Happy New Years. So Happy New Year, everyone! I’m not a big new years resolution person- simply because I start my goals whenever throughout the year- but I thought of a couple things that I want to start doing.

1. Drink green tea everyday- particularly between 3pm-4pm (the time I usually begin picking at food before dinner)
2. Listen to music more! Listening to music generally puts me in a better mood and gets me up and moving, and yes, sometimes dancing (only in private though 😉 )

Sounds simple and silly? That’s because it probably is! But these are mini improvements that I actually want to incorporate into my well-being. So, all is well.

And with that, I’ll leave you with a quote that has pushed me these last few years (and even inspired to travel to India and recently decide on new traveling destinations): “Great things never came from comfort zones.”  Here’s to 2016!

Cheesy (yet cheese-less) Butternut Squash Mash

Ingredients: 

2 cups cooked and diced meat (whatever you fancy!)

2 cup broccoli stems, diced (or another cut-up veggie)

1 cup butternut squash, mashed

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

3 tbsp ghee

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (do NOT omit!)

1 tbsp stoneground mustard 

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

Directions: 

Combine all ingredients in a pot over the stove. Cook until thoroughly heated. Serve.

Caramelized Broccoli, Onions, and Walnuts (Paleo)

I first made this recipe back in the summer, when my laptop was being repaired. Because of this, I had to jot everything down on a piece of paper.

Which I then lost thanks to the chaotic wind whirl known as school.

Luckily, I was moving some textbooks around today and found this recipe under one of my seminar books.

Yay! A little piece of summer still lives on!

Caramelized Broccoli, Onions, and Walnuts (Paleo)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp avocado oil

1 small red onion, chopped

5 cups broccoli florets

1/2 cup walnuts

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Heat avocado oil in a skillet over medium-low heat and add in onions and broccoli. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the broccoli begins to caramelize, stirring occasionally. Add in walnuts and cook for 5 minutes. Add in balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper and cook for another 10 minutes. Take off heat, transfer to serving dish, and stir in olive oil. Serve.

Eggplant Sauce over Butternut Squash Noodles (Paleo)

Eggplant is what I like to call the “transition” vegetable. Poor thing (yes, I just expressed sympathy for a vegetable), it’s not really the summer vegetable since it comes in at the end of the season. And you can’t really call it a fall vegetable since it peaces out by the time October rolls around. It kinda hangs out in limbo. Unfortunately that limbo is going to be ending pretty darn soon, so time to get the last few meals out of it!

Eggplant Sauce over Butternut Squash Noodles (Paleo)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp avocado oil

1 onion

3 garlic cloves

1 tsp parsley

1/2 paprika

salt and pepper

1 eggplant

2 peppers

1 and 1/2 cups diced tomatoes with juice

Black olives (optional)

———-

Shredded butternut squash from 1 “neck” *

1 tbsp avocado oil

*By “neck,” I mean the long part of the squash. Simply peel this section, cut off from the round part of the squash (use this part for another recipe), and run through the shredding attachment to your food processor (you can also shred with a grater). Make sure you are working with squash that has NOT been cooked!!!

Directions:

Heat 1 tbsp of oil over medium low heat in a deep skillet. Add in onions and sauté for 3 minutes. Add in garlic, parsley, paprika, and salt and pepper and let cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in eggplant and peppers, cover with a lid and let cook for an additional 15 minutes. Afterward, add in tomatoes and olives. Heat for 5 more minutes and then set aside.

During this cooking process, heat the other tbsp of oil in another deep skillet. Add in shredded butternut squash and cover with a lid for 4 minutes, stirring once or twice (DO NOT let this cook for longer!). Place in a bowl and top with finished eggplant sauce.