Korean Comfort Bowl

Bibimbap

Want a simple one bowl meal that tastes great and all the goodness you want? Try Korean Bibimbap! If you haven't had an authentic version, try to seek out a good Korean place to give it a try. Most bibimbap uses the same ingredients, but you can make this more paleo or less - use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice for the paleo feel, but I enjoy using a sushi rice to make mine. This dish does the job in filling you up, eating your colours, and giving you great flavour to enjoy what you are eating! 

 

Bibimbap (makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1lb Lean Ground Beef (You can pick up grass-fed organic ground beef from Costco!)2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 Small Piece of Ginger, peeled, finely chopped (about 1" piece will work)
1/2lb Mushrooms, sliced (Use your favourite kind)
4 Cups Spinach, washed well, stems removed (Any Asian Greens will work too)
4 Large Eggs
1 Cup Daikon Radish, cut julienne or grated
1 Cup Carrots, cut julienne or grated
Coconut Oil (Or Avocado Oil)
Tamari
Fish Sauce
Sesame Oil
Sea Salt

1. The first thing you need to do is prepare your rice, or your cauliflower rice, then go to the following steps.
2. Cook out the ground beef in a pan with coconut/avocado oil, making sure you break it up well. If the beef you are using is too fatty, drain off the excess fat. 
3. Add in the half the garlic, ginger, 1 Tbsp Tamari, and 1/2 Tsp fish sauce to the beef and cook for a further minute or two. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. In the same pan, add in some coconut/avocado oil and start frying up the veggies separately. First, add in the mushrooms and stir, add in a pinch of salt and cook out until brown and set aside. Repeat again for the spinach, adding the oil first, toss in the remainder of the garlic then the spinach until wilted, but not too soft. This should take no time.
5. In the pan, fry the eggs so they are sunny side up and separated, each portion will get one egg.
6. Now it's time to put it together! In four bowls, place the rice in the bottom, top with ground beef, and drizzle some sesame oil on the beef. Place some mushrooms, spinach, carrots, and daikon radish on top of the beef in each bowl and finally top it off with the fried egg. Enjoy with some Sriracha sauce or Korean hot sauce if you have it!

Lighten Up After the Holidays

Papaya Time!

The big day of feasting is over and now you feel a bit, well, stuffed LOL Time to get back to the routine and lighten up your meals to start of the New Year right. Try this refreshing and simple salad for lunch or dinner. 

 

 



Ingredients for the Salad:

1/4 lb of Small Shrimp, cooked, deveined, cut in half and chilled
1 Green Papaya, peeled, seeded and shredded (use a mandolin or a food processor for this)
1 Carrot, peeled and shredded like the papaya
1/3 Cup Coriander, stems removed, washed well and patted dry
Mint and Thai Basil for garnishing (optional)
Crushed Peanuts (optional)

 

Ingredients for the Dressing:

1 Large Garlic Clove, crushed or minced finely
1 Lime, juiced
1-2 Tbsp Fish Sauce (check your local Asian grocery)
1/2 Tbsp Coconut Sugar
1 Small Red Thai Chili, seeded, and minced finely

 

1. In a large bowl, combine the dressing ingredients until the sugar is dissolved and is a balanced salty-sweet tasting dressing.
2. Add in the salad ingredients, minus the peanuts if you are using them, and toss thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes for the dressing to infuse, or up to 2 hours before serving.
3. When you are ready to serve, you can top with some crushed peanuts for some extra protein.

Mmmeatloaf

Mixed up Meatloaf!

The weather has taken the messy, mixed up turn for the worst...the snow has arrived! This recipe is mixed up on it's own with different ingredients used in this moist meatloaf that makes it so good to eat during these cold days of winter. 

Ingredients:

1lb Antibiotic-free Ground Pork
1lb Grass-fed (if available) Ground Lean Beef
2 Carrots, shredded
1 Small Shallot, minced
1 Cup of Mushrooms, diced small (choose your favourite kind)
1/2 lb Bacon, cut into small pieces
Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper

1. Set your oven to 350F. Grease a loaf pan (or whatever pan you are going to make your meatloaf in), using coconut oil, or some sort of fat (like bacon grease or butter).
2. Combine all the ingredients together until they are completely incorporated. Don't squish the meat to mix it, fold it, so it won't end up being tough when cooked.
3. Place the mixture in the pan and then set in oven to bake for about 45-50 minutes. If you want to have a crispy top, for the last 5 minutes put the broiler on and it will crisp it right up, but be careful not to burn it.
4. Remove from oven when done and allow to cool before cutting into slices. Serve with a grainy mustard to dip it in, along with some sweet potatoes and some sautéed collard greens to make the meal complete!

One Pot Roast

It's time for a Roast!

Turkey weekend is the sure sign that winter is coming, time to get comfortable with some comfort foods that are filling and good for you. Pot roast is a simple and easy thing for first time or newbie cook's to do because you get your protein, veg, and drippings all in one! Tried VG Farms beef this week that I picked up at Longo's. Turned out pretty good and was readily available at a reasonable price! 

Ingredients:

2-2.5 lbs of Good Quality Beef Rib Roast, or Shoulder
1 Cup Chopped Carrots
1 Cup Chopped Celery
1 Cup Chopped Onions
2 Cups Potato (Both Sweet and White Potato)
Sprig of Rosemary or Thyme (your preference)
Bacon Fat or Avocado Oil (need the oil to sear the meat)
Beef Stock - homemade if you got it!
Salt & Pepper

1. In a large pot that has a fitted lid, add in your fat or oil. On medium-high heat, sear your roast on each side for about 3 minutes each (this will keep it tender inside).
2. Once that is done, add in all your vegetables, and then the stock until it is just covering the top of the beef.
3. Cover the pot and reduce the heat so that it is cooking on a simmer. Not a big boil, as that will make the beef tough. Cook for approximately 1 to 1-1/4 hours, checking to stir vegetables every once in awhile.
4. When done to your liking. Remove the beef and let rest on a cutting board for about 5 minutes. You don't want to cut it right away, as it will loose all the goodness out of it. Scoop out your vegetables and then cut your beef and top with the stock "jus" - Enjoy!

Chili Season Ahead!

Ch-ch-chili!

Well it's that time of year again...the season is changing to one of the most colourful times of the year, but that also means, it's going to get chilly again! That's okay though, the fall and winter season is full of comforting and yummy foods. Try this hearty chili to warm you and your family up on a one of the many cool days we have in store! If you canned your own tomatoes this season, use them in this recipe - I did!



Ingredients:

2lb Ground Beef, browned (Use Bison meat if you want a super lean chili)
2 Cups Sweet Potato, cut into small chunks
1 Cup Carrots, diced small
1 Cup Red Onions, diced small
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Fresh Jalapeno, seeded, and minced
1 Can Whole Tomatoes (Homemade Canned Tomatoes work)
1 Can Crushed Tomatoes
2-3 Cups Beef Stock (Depending how thick you want your chili)
3 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Paprika
1/2 Tsp Cayenne (optional if you want to spice it up more)
Avocado and Bacon for Garnish

Sea Salt and Pepper to Taste 

1. In a large pot, heat a tablespoon of oil over medium heat; add the ground beef to brown.
2. Add in the garlic, onions, carrots, sweet potato and continue to cook until meat is browned through and vegetables are just tender. Drain any excess fat if needed.
3. Add in the spices and mix thoroughly; add in the tomatoes and continue to stir. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Bring the chili to a boil and cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 25 minutes for flavours to infuse.
5. Remove from heat and top with crisped bacon and avocado chunks when ready to serve!

Super Cabbage!

Move over Kale, Cabbage is the Superhero now!

Kale has been king of the superfoods for a long time now, but Cabbage is moving on up the ranks to dethrone it. Cabbage and kale come from the same plant family, therefore they have similar qualities we look for when choosing the best foods to eat. Cabbage is full of fibre, antioxidants, can help lower cholesterol, vitamins and minerals. To gain the most out of this superfood, you should try to consume cabbage raw, as the more you cook it, you will lose the beneficial aspects that make this vegetable super. Recommended cooking methods include steaming or lightly sautéing it - if cabbage is still slightly crunchy, you're good! Try this raw cabbage slaw that is sure to be a hit during this hot summer season.

Ingredients

1/2 Head Red Cabbage, shredded (more antioxidants in red, but you can use any type of cabbage)
2 Carrots, shredded
2 Green Onions, sliced thinly on a diagonal
1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1.5 Tbsp Avocado Oil (or you can use olive oil)
Sea Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Quickest way to shred the cabbage and carrots is to toss them into a food processor. If not, just slice them with a kitchen knife - be careful with the cabbage though, you need to remove the centre stem and discard it, but it can be tough to cut and you don't want to eat that!
2. Place the cabbage, carrots, and green onion in a bowl and mix. Add in the apple cider vinegar and olive oil. Combine thoroughly.
3. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
4. Cover slaw and place in fridge for at least an hour for it to absorb the flavours before serving.

Cauliflower Rice...whhaaatt??

CAULI-FRIED RICE
Going back to my Asian roots for this one...kinda. Cauliflower is pretty amazing when you think about it - even being considered the Superfood that took Kale out of the number one spot! You can steam it, bake it, eat it raw and even fried rice it...we're going with that last one today :)

 



Ingredients
1 Head Cauliflower
5 Slices Slab Bacon, chopped (the good stuff if you can!)
1 Chicken Breast, chopped (same size as the bacon for even cooking purposes)
3 Eggs, beaten
1 Tsp Fresh Ginger, grated
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Bunch Green Onions, chopped (separate the green parts from the white parts)
1 Cup Carrots, diced small
1 Cup Peas, fresh or frozen
1/3 Cup Thai Basil, chopped
1-3 Tbsp Tamari
1 Tsp Sriracha (optional)
Avocado Oil or Coconut Oil (for frying)

Method

1. Make sure all your ingredients are cut before you start frying, you gotta move fast in this one! For the "rice" cut the cauliflower into small florets and pulse in a food processor until it starts resembling little pieces of rice. No food processor, you can grate it roughly with a hand held grater.
2. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and fry until brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a separate dish and set aside.
3. Add to the pan the eggs and quickly scramble then breaking into small pieces, then move to the holding dish. If needed, add a little oil to the pan and turn the heat to high. Add the chicken, white onion pieces, ginger and garlic. Stir fry until the chicken is just barely cooked through, then add the carrots and cook another minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the holding dish.
4. Now add the cauliflower "rice" to the pan. Stir fry for 3-5 minutes until soft, but still firm, you don't want it to be too soft or it will become mushy. Place the cooked bacon, chicken, vegetables, ginger and garlic into the pan. Add in the peas and Tamari to taste and the Sriracha if you choose. Stir and toss together until peas are heated through, then toss in your green onion and basil. Serve!