Beefy Kale and Mushroom Ragu

Serving a simple Ragù can warm any belly. What's great about this recipe is that you can serve it as is or you can use it to top pasta, fresh greens, crusty bread, or rice. I decided to use it over gnocchi since that's what I was craving at the time. This Ragù isn't very saucy, it's mostly meat and veg. If you prefer to have a more saucy sauce, just add an additional 1/2 cup or cup of tomato sauce. I made my own sauce by simply combining fresh herbs to plain tomato sauce. It's tastes so much better when there is fresh basil in it :) . 


I used a fresh gnocchi that was sold at my local store, took about 4 minutes to cook. Very easy stuff. If you don't want to make your own tomato sauce, then use whatever type of prepared tomato sauce you enjoy.  

Beefy Kale and Mushroom Ragù 

Cook Time: < 25 minutes
Prep Time: < 10 minutes
Serves: 4 


Ingredients:

• 2 cups organic tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 1/2 tsp fresh oregano, minced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 4-5 large Kale leaves, stems removed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 6oz cremini mushrooms, cleans and sliced 
• 3/4 lb lean ground grass-fed beef

Optional:

• 1- 17.5oz package of gnocchi
• freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• fresh minced parsley

In a small pot, heat the tomato sauce, basil, parley and oregano over medium-low heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Stirring occasionally. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. 


In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes, then add the garlic. Saute for another 3 minutes, or until the onions are soft and the garlic is fragrant. Salt and pepper, to taste (lightly)

Add the chopped kale and mushrooms into the pan. Mix well into the onion mixture. The kale leaves will gradually decrease in size. Cook for about 4 minutes or so. Remove the mixture from the pan and set aside. 


In the same large skillet, add the ground beef, still at medium heat. Crumble and brown until completely cooked through (5-8minutes). Salt and pepper, to taste if you'd like. Drain the excess fat. 

Add the kale mixture to the ground beef and toss well. Pour the tomato sauce over and allow the mixture to cook for 5 minutes. Taste and check seasoning. Adjust if necessary. 


Serve the Ragù piping hot. Enjoy it over whatever you'd like or as it. 



Nutritional Info for 1/4 recipe (not including optional ingredients): 
Calories: 220 ; Fat: 7g ; Carbohydrates: 19g ; Fiber: 5g ; Sugar: 5g ; Protein: 22g

Guest Post - Ellen's Asparagus Soup

Hello everyone, I'm Ellen from Ellenbcookery .   I'm so pleased to be guest posting again here at Laurie's cravings and happy you're back today.  Laurie and I would like to show you what was done with the leftover asparagus stems we didn't use in yesterday's stuffed pepper recipe .  Since the previous recipe only calls for the asparagus tips, I also made an asparagus soup with the remaining sticks.  It's really tasty and uses simple ingredients.  We hope you enjoy!


- EllenB 

Ingredients:

• 1 large organic onion, diced
• approx. 3-4 cups of water (add more if you'd like)
• 1 organic vegetable bouillon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 organic potatoes, quartered
• leftover asparagus spears
• splash of cream (optional)

Instructions:  


Saute the organic onion in a large pot until well cooked. 


Add water to pot,  an organic vegetable bouillon, salt & pepper.  


Once bouillon dissolves, add 4 quartered organic potatoes and cut up asparagus sticks.  


Once potatoes are cooked, puree with hand blender.  


Tasty on it's own, or you could add a splash of cream.

Earthy Spinach and Mushroom Chicken

The mushrooms in this dish really shine. There is such an earthy flavor going on. It is hearty enough for any appetite - full of veggies, lean protein and very little oil used. Excellent meal to serve any weeknight. It comes together quickly and uses only 1 pot. Also most of the ingredients are pantry staples, so no need to make an extra trip to the store. 


I used baby bellas, as they stand up well during the cooking process. I didn't discard the stems though. I cut up the stems and used them in this recipe. It helps make the flavor earthy and full. I really like using chicken thighs, as they tend to stay moist and have a bit more flavor than chicken breast. This meal can be easily halved or doubled, depending on how many mouths you need to feed. It is great for leftovers or next day lunch. The flavors really come together the second time around. 


I opted to toss the spinach, mushroom and chicken mixture with freshly cooked pasta, but it is completely optional. By omitting the pasta, this is a wonderful Primal, Low-Carb or Gluten-Free meal. Same goes for the cheese that I used as a garnish - completely optional. By omitting the cheese, this is a dairy-free. 

Earthy Spinach and Mushroom Chicken

Cook Time: < 30 minutes
Prep Time: < 10 minutes
Serves: 4 


Ingredients:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 large onions, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 lb of organic boneless skinless chicken thighs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp of Herbs de Provence 
• 2 tbsp organic tomato paste
• 8oz baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (use stems)
• 1/2 cup frozen organic chopped spinach
• 1/4 cup dry red wine (I used Shiraz) or chicken stock

Optional:

• 8oz of dry spaghetti (cook according to directions on container)
• freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano 
• fresh parsley, minced 

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. 


Optional: Heat another large pot with salted water - for the pasta. Cook the pasta according to directions


Add the diced onions to the oil and saute for about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Make sure to stir every so often.


Add the chicken thighs, salt & pepper, Herbs de Provence. Let the chicken thighs brown on 1 side for about 5 minutes, then turn. Cook for another 5 minutes. 


Add the tomato paste, mushrooms and spinach. Stir in well. Cook for about 5 minutes. 

Add the red wine and cook for another 5 minutes, allowing the alcohol to cook out. 


Serve as is, or as I chose to - tossed with spaghetti, Parm and parsley.


Nutritional Info per Serving (not including optional toppings/pasta):
Calories: 215 ; Fat: 6g ; Carbohydrates: 12g ; Fiber: 3g ; Sugar: 2g ; Protein: 26g

Chicken Fajitas

It's Cinco De Mayo!!! And of course I'm celebrating with a simple, one pot meal that satisfies the belly. I wasn't 100% sure what to call this, but fajitas came to mind, so I'm going with it. When it comes to Mexican food, I find a lot of people use pre-packaged taco seasoning packets to flavor their meals. Well in this recipe you don't have to. The combination of the spices used here are pretty much what come in those packet, minus the chemicals, preservatives, excessive salt and added sugars. These are pretty basic spices that most people have in their pantry, so there is no need to spend the extra money on a seasoning packet. Also you can control how much spice, salt, and smokiness you prefer. 

I am a lover of anything spicy, so I included hot sauce in this recipe but if you aren't a fan, just omit it. Same goes for topping the fajita, if you dairy-free, then using cheese alternatives or no cheese as at all is perfectly fine. If you are on a gluten-free diet, then instead of the flour tortilla, try corn tortilla. Clean Eaters and the like - just omit the tortilla and enjoy the fajita mixture. This dish is flavorful enough to be eaten without toppings. Also I love being able to customize a dish to my liking (extra lime please!). A majority of this fajita mixture is veggies, so if you are trying to be a sneaky chef, this is your recipe! 

Chicken Fajitas

Cook Time: < 30 mins
Prep Time: < 10 mins
Serves: 4


Ingredients:

• 1 tsp of canola oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 green or red pepper, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tbsp of cumin
• 1/2 tbsp of chili powder
• 1 tsp of dried oregano
• 1/2 tbsp hot sauce (optional)
• 1 14.5oz can of organic diced tomatoes (drain some of the liquid)
• 1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced into bite size pieces
• 1 lime
• 3 Tbsp of fresh cilantro, minced (optional)
• 1/2 cup shredded organic Mexican blend cheese (optional)
• 8-10 flour or corn tortillas (taco-sized) (optional)

Heat the oil in a large skillet to med-high heat. Add the onions, peppers and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the spices and in corporate well. Now add the tomato and the chicken, stir in well. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Let this simmer for about 10 minutes. 


Now remove the lid and bring the heat up to med-high. Let cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the chicken is cook thoroughly (about 10 minutes). Right before serving, squeeze the 1/2 lime over the top of the chicken mixture. 


Optional: Serve in a warmed flour or corn tortilla, sprinkle about 1 tbsp of cheese and top with fresh cilantro. Feel free to incorporate your favorite toppings as well. I reserve the other half lime to anyone who may want to add more lime to theirs. This recipe makes about 2 fajitas per person. 


Nutritional Info for 1/4 of the chicken mixture(not including optional ingredients):
Calories: 165 ; Fat: 2g ; Carbohydrate: 8g ; Fiber: 2g ; Sugar: 3g ; Protein: 27g 

Guacamole

I've been looking forward to having guacamole for 3 days now! I've just been waiting for my avocados to ripen. Luckily I had them in a brown paper bag to make sure they ripened quick. I was turned on to guacamole when I used to live in San Diego. I had seen it before, but never really understood what the big fuss was about. That was until I tried freshly made guacamole. Not that pre-made gooey stuff you find in the deli section at the grocery store. Nice and chunky with a little spice. Since then, I make guacamole whenever the craving hits or I've got a couple extra avocados on hand. 

Super easy recipe, requires no cooking and can last 3 days in the fridge (if it lasts that long). Can be served with practically anything. Chips, cut up veggies, or as a topping on most dishes. I'm going to be eating mine with some flax crackers. Enjoy!

Guacamole

Cook Time: 0 mins
Prep Time: < 10 mins
Serves: Makes about 2 cups


Ingredients:

• 2 large ripe avocados 
• 1/3 cup minced red onion (about 1/2 an onion)
• 3 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro
• 1 jalapeno, minced (with or without seeds)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp of cumin
• juice of 1 small lime
• salt and pepper to taste
• cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

Mash the avocado to desired consistency. Add the rest of the ingredients, combine well. Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper to taste. 


Serve immediately or place in the refrigerator, covered (to prevent browning). 


Nutritional Info per 2 Tbsp of Guacamole (if it makes 2 cups):
Calories: 80 ; Fat: 7g ; Carbohydrate: 6g ; Fiber: 3.5g ; Sugar: 1g : Protein: 1g

Roasted Lemon Rosemary Chicken

Roasted Chicken is a simple meal to make and very versatile. If you want to change the herbs or omit the lemon, you can. It will still turn out delicious. I chose to use lemon and rosemary because that is what sounded good. But you can use sage, thyme, herbs de Provence, or just plan salt and pepper. Also what is great is that after you've eaten your meal, the chicken bones can be used to make homemade chicken stock. Buying the whole chicken is usually less expensive than buying the chicken already cut up into sections and it can accommodate the dark and the white meal eaters in your family. 

I used Petaluma's Rocky Whole Chicken. It is free range, contains no antibiotics, fed a vegetarian diet and is humanely treated. If you are Clean Eating, remove the skin and focus on eating mostly white meat. 

Roasted Lemon Rosemary Chicken

Cook Time: 2 hours @ 350 degrees

Prep Time: 5 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 lb Free Range Whole Chicken (remove innards and giblets, if it contains it)
• Juice from 1/2 an organic lemon
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary (minced)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup organic low sodium chicken stock

Preheat oven to 350. Place the chicken in a roasting pan or an oven proof dish. 

Squeeze the 1/2 lemon over the top of the chicken. Sprinkle the rosemary, salt and pepper onto the chicken and rub into skin well (make sure to do this all over the chicken). Pour about 1/4 cup of chicken stock into the bottom of the pan (it help keep the chicken from drying out). 

Then place the pan into the oven and let it cook for about 2 hours or until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees.  If you have a larger or smaller chicken adjust the time by 15-20 minutes per pound.

Once you remove it from the oven, let the chicken rest for about 5-10 mins before carving. 

Nutritional Info per Serving (including skin):

Calories: 330 ; Fat: 17g ; Carbohydrate: 1g ; Fiber: 0g ; Sugar: 0g ; Protein: 40g

Nutritional Info Per Serving (without skin):

Calories: 215 ; Fat: 4g ; Carbohydrate: 1g ; Fiber: 0g ; Sugar: 0g ; Protein: 36g