Recipes: At least 3 of them

So a week ago I told you that I would surely start posting some recipes, this is the first installment of such recipes.

When I started the whole eat healthy home cooked meals I had only intended to help my wallet and my waistline in one fell swoop. It worked. I started shopping with a list of ingredients that would serve as breakfast, lunch, dinner over the next 7 days. I think the biggest thing for me was creating a plan, as one of my favorite American generals once said;

“A good plan executed violently now, is better than a perfect plan next week.”-----General George S. Patton Jr.

You can take out the violently part here since it’s most likely not the best approach to grocery shopping. Although an all battle royale grocery shopping game show is something I would likely enjoy. None the less, let us get back to situation at hand. A good plan, so what I do is search through some of my cookbooks old recipes from restaurants past and put together a few simple ideas that will help me eat affordably and healthy throughout the week. So receipes I seek are the ones that have bulk potential, stews, soups, braised meats, chili, roasted or slow cooked proteins. Cooking something that can be transformed into multiple dishes is the key. For instance, if you roast a whole chicken you get 2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 legs, and couple wings, how does that transition into multiple meals? The chicken breasts are two lunches reheated later with some fresh veggies, the thighs can be a dinner with some quinoa, or pulled apart and used in tacos.

Make a plan, execute your plan, look for inspiration in books, online, magazines, and then create your own cooking experience. The one thing that has stuck in my head with no exceptions is this: A recipe is simply a guide to your own culinary adventure. You don’t have to take a recipe word for word. Enjoy the process, enjoy the journey, and get yourself into the kitchen and have fun.

The three recipes below will feed you for a week. If you have any questions or comments please share them and let me know how you are enjoying your cooking experience.

All the best and happy cooking.

NW Elixirs GrassFed Beef Chili

This recipe will make enough Chili for you to enjoy for 2-3 days depending on how many people you are cooking for. The recipe was just something I put together while on this eating clean journey I started about a three weeks ago.

16 oz. Ground GrassFed Beef

1 Tbsp Olive oil

8 oz. Yellow Onions, julienne

2 oz.Jalapeno, split and sliced thin

8 oz.Cremini Mushrooms, sliced thin

1 10 oz, can Diced Tomatoes

1 8 oz can Kidney Beans

6 oz. Red Bell Pepper, diced

6 oz. Celery, sliced thin

2 tsp Cinnamon, ground

1 tsp Cloves, ground

2 Tbsp Salt

1 Quart Bison Bone Broth (in the nutrition section of your local grocery store)

2 Fl. Oz. Buffalo Trace Whiskey

2 Tbsp Jubal’s 92.5 Hott Sauce

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in medium sauce pan.
2. Add ground beef, cook until browned then add spices stir to combine and remove from pan; set aside for later.
3. Add onions, cook until slightly borwn.
4. Add remaining mushrooms, and stir to combine with onions and cook slightly.
5. When the little brown bits start adding up on the bottom of the pan, deglaze with whiskey and stir until whiskey has completely reduced.
6. Add remaining vegetables and stir to combine. Allow to cook together for 5 minutes.
7. Add tomatoes and kidney beans, again stir to combine and cook for about 2 minutes.
8. Add the Bison Broth and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes.
9. Turn off heat, and serve over your choice of quinoa, rice, potatoes, yams, or whatever starch you’d like. You can also just eat this beautiful creation on its own as a soup.
10. And don’t forget to top each bowl of goodness with Jubal’s 92.5 Hott Sauce created by NW Elixirs.

Braised Brussel Sprouts w/Bacon

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Ingredients:

2lbs of Brussels sprouts (cut in half)

oz.  Good Bacon (cut into ½” lardons)

oz.  White wine

2Tbs NW Elixirs #3 Hott Smoke

alt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

In large sauté pan render fat from bacon once bacon is browned nicely, add sprouts and get a nice golden brown color on the outer leaves. Deglaze pan with white wine and season with salt and pepper, add #3 Hott Smoke. Place into a roasting pan, roast uncovered for 8 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool in pan.

NW Elixirs Hott Quinoa

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked quinoa (any variety — white or golden, red, or black)

Olive oil, optional

2 cups water or broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 Tbsp Jubal's 92.5 Hott Sauce

Tools

Fine-mesh strainer

2-quart saucepan with lid

Spoon

Instructions

1. Rinse the quinoa: Measure 1 cup of quinoa and place into a fine-mesh strainer. Rinse thoroughly with cool water for about 2 minutes. Rub and swish the quinoa with your hand while rinsing. Drain.
2. Toast quinoa in saucepan (optional): Heat a drizzle of olive oil in the saucepan over medium-high heat, and add the drained quinoa. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute to let the water evaporate and toast the quinoa.
3. Add liquid, Jubal's 92.5 Hott sauce, and bring to a boil: Stir in 2 cups of water or broth and the salt. Bring to a rolling boil.
4. Lower heat and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn heat down to the lowest setting. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
5. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes: Remove the pot from heat and let stand for 5 more minutes, covered. Don't peek!
6. Fluff and eat! Remove the lid — You should see tiny spirals (the germ) separating from and curling around the quinoa seeds. Fluff the quinoa gently with a fork, and serve.  If any liquid remains in the bottom of the pan or if the quinoa is still a bit crunchy, return the pot to low heat and cook, covered, for another 5 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed.