Easy Ground Beef Goulash

 This is probably nothing like traditional Goulash, but it is delicious, easy and everyone in my family likes it, so that is a huge win! We serve it over spaghetti for the kids and spaghetti squash for the adults. You can also add some shredded cheese to the top, though it is delicious without it.

*Originally from iwashyoudry.com. I made some changes to the original recipe.

Ingredients:

1 Tbs olive oil

1 cup of onion, diced

2 lbs ground beef

3 tsp minced garlic

2 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes (I puree these because one of my kids doesn't like tomatoes)

1 6 oz can tomato paste

3 cups beef broth

3 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbs Italian seasoning

3 Bay leaves

Spaghetti/macaroni, uncooked

Directions:

The original directions called for cooking the macaroni in the Goulash, but since we serve it to the adults over spaghetti squash, I cook the pasta separately.

1. Add olive oil into a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and beef and cook until beef is cooked through. Drain excess fat and return to stove. Add garlic and stir until fragrant (about 30 seconds)

2. Pour in tomatoes, paste, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, and bay leaves (and pasta if you are cooking it in the sauce). Stir and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 20 min.

3. Meanwhile, I cook the pasta to al dente.

4. Remove the bay leaves and serve over pasta/spaghetti squash. You can add shredded cheese on top if desired (mozzarella or cheddar work great).

Chicken Carnitas

From The Cookful (https://thecookful.com/slow-cooker-chicken-carnitas/)

• 1 and 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs or a mixture of both
• 1/2 onion, diced  
• 1 cup chicken broth  
• 2 limes, juiced  
• 1/4 cup orange juice 
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin 
• 1 tsp. garlic powder 
• 1 tsp. oregano 
• 2 bay leaves   
• 1 tsp. salt 
• 1 tsp. pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.
2. With 30 minutes left, remove the chicken and shred with forks. Remove the bay leaves. Place chicken back in the slow cooker for the remaining 30 minutes. 
3. Move an oven rack to 6 inches below the broiler. Set broiler to high. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and place it on a cookie sheet.  
4. Place chicken under broiler for 5 minutes. Remove from under broiler, spoon 1/4 cup of broth from slow cooker onto chicken and toss. Place back under broiler for 2 minutes. Spoon 2 tablespoons of broth onto the chicken and toss. Place back under broiler for 2 minutes. Spoon 2 tablespoons of broth onto the chicken and toss. Repeat until chicken has a nice crunch in many places. If it burns in small spots, break off the burnt bits and discard.

Grilled Chicken and Red Onion Quesadillas

This is an old favorite that I have dug back out lately. I love the versatility of it! Patrick and I eat the onions and chicken on a salad with lime vinegarette. The oldest three do chicken quesadillas and the younger two just do cheese quesadillas with the chicken on the side. Everyone wins!

Marinade:
2 large garlic cloves
1 jalepeno (I haven't had these on hand during the quarantine so I leave this out and it is still great!)
1 cup tightly packed cilantro
3 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 T Sherry vinegar (I've used red wine vinegar)
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

Other ingredients:
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
1 Large red onion, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices
Extra virgin olive oil
2 c. grated Monterrey jack or cheddar cheese
4 flour tortillas
Optional serving items: salsa, guacamole, sour cream, etc.

Process the garlic and jalepeno in a food processor. Add the remaining marinade ingredients and process until a paste. Add the paste to the chicken breasts to cover them (I put them in a large ziplock bag and shake it around until the chicken is coated. Refrigerate 3-4 hours.

Lightly brush the onion slices with oil and grill them. I've been using a cast iron skillet on my stove. You can also cook them in the oven at 450 until browned.

Grill chicken until it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Assemble quesadillas with chicken, cheese and onions, then grill or cook on the stove top until cheese is melted.

Again, a delicious option is to skip the quesadilla and serve the chicken and onions over a salad. We've been using a homemade lime vinegarette dressing: 2T Extra virgin olive oil, 2 T lime juice, a little sugar to help it emulsify. I add these into a canning jar with a lid and just shake it up and serve.

Apple Crumble Cake

Recipe by Pamela Salzman
https://pamelasalzman.com/apple-crumble-cake-recipe/

INGREDIENTS

Crumble Topping:
½ cup maple sugar or light brown sugar
¾ cup oat flour, whole wheat pastry, spelt, einkorn, or a combo of GF oat flour and Jovial GF Flour
⅓ cup old-fashioned rolled oats (I use One Degree Organics)
1 ¼ teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon sea salt
6 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter or vegan butter, cut into pieces

Cake:
3 sweet apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced and tossed with a little orange juice or apple brandy (Calvados) to prevent browning
2 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour or Einkorn flour (or Jovial GF Pastry Flour + 1 ½ teaspoons of xanthan gum)
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ cup maple sugar or unbleached cane sugar
½ cup unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil + extra for greasing the pan
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
¾ cup whole milk or oat milk (I used low-fat Oatly)
Powdered sugar for serving, if desired


INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a small amount of oil on the bottom of a 9-inch round springform cake pan and line it with parchment paper.
2. Make crumble: In a large mixing bowl, with your hands combine all topping ingredients until no longer dry. Set aside in the refrigerator or freezer.
3. Make the cake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.
4. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, and milk until very well combined. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula.
5. Arrange the apple slices evenly over the batter. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the apples. Bake in the center of oven, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-50 minutes*. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake and remove the springform ring. Cool completely before serving. Dust with powdered sugar if desired before serving.

Autumn Wild Rice Soup

Recipe by Gimme Some Oven
https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/cozy-autumn-wild-rice-soup/

INGREDIENTS
6 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
1 cup uncooked wild rice*
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 large (about 1 pound) sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 small white onion, peeled and diced
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 large handfuls of kale, roughly chopped with thick stems removed
Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

1. Heat (an extra) 1 tablespoon butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.  Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.

2. Add in the vegetable stock, wild rice, mushrooms, carrots, celery, sweet potato, bay leaf and Old Bay seasoning.  Stir to combine.

3. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally.

4. Meanwhile, during those final 10 minutes, prepare your cream sauce in a separate saucepan on the stove.  In it, cook the butter over medium-high heat until melted.  Whisk in the flour until combined, and cook for 1 minute.  Gradually add in the milk, and whisk until combined.  Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture nearly comes to a simmer and has thickened.  (It should be very thick.)

5. Add the cream sauce and kale to the soup, and stir gently until combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper (plus any extra Old Bay seasoning, if you would like) as needed.

6. Serve warm.  Or transfer to sealed container(s) and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

*Coconut Milk Option: If you would like to skip making the cream sauce (butter, flour, milk), feel free to just add in a can of full-fat coconut milk instead.  It’s dairy-free and vegan, and absolutely delicious in this recipe

Tuna Patties

Recipe by Pamela Salzman
https://pamelasalzman.com/tuna-patties-recipe/

Serves: makes 4 large patties or 7-8 smaller patties

INGREDIENTS
2 6-ounce cans tuna (if you use 5-ounce cans of tuna, decrease lemon juice and water to 2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ cup panko bread crumbs (or crumbled crackers or mashed potatoes)
1 teaspoon lemon zest (lemon your lemon before juicing it)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon water (or liquid from the cans of tuna) - omit if your tuna is very wet like some chunk light varieties
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (measure after it’s chopped)
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh green onions, shallots or chives
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (I used ½ tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper)
A couple dashes of hot sauce or tabasco
1 large egg (I imagine you can substitute 1 Tablespoon ground flax meal mixed with 3 Tablespoons warm water. Just let it sit for 15 minutes before you add it to the tuna mixture.)
3 Tablespoons unrefined olive oil or ghee
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter or ghee


INSTRUCTIONS
1. Drain the liquid from the tuna cans.  If the tuna is packed in water, reserve a tablespoon of the tuna water and also add a teaspoon of olive oil to the tuna mixture in the next step. If your tuna is soggy and not dry, do not add water.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the tuna, mustard, bread crumbs, lemon zest, lemon juice, water, parsley, onions, and hot sauce.  Add salt and pepper and taste for seasoning before adding in the egg.  Add egg to mixture and combine.
3. Line a baking sheet or a tray with parchment or waxed paper.  To make a patty, shape some of the mixture into a ball and then flatten between your hands.  Place all the patties on the prepared tray and refrigerate for an hour so they don’t fall apart when you cook them.  If you’re in a hurry, you can stick them in the freezer for 15 minutes.
4. Heat the oil and butter or ghee in a large skillet over medium heat.  Use less fat if you use a smaller skillet.  You want the oil and butter to be warm enough so that the patties sizzle when they hit the pan, but you don’t want them to be smoking.  Gently transfer the tuna patties to the pan and sauté until browned, about 3-4 minutes on each side.

Paleo Banana Bread Mug Cake

Originally from Roasted Root. This is a yummy, dairy-free, gluten-free quick breakfast. I leave out the syrup and it is sweet enough. I have also forgotten the egg, and it is still good... just less like a "cake" and more like "cookie dough".

Ingredients:
1 banana
1 egg
2T milk of your choice
1t. syrup (optional)
2T coconut flour OR 4T almond flour
1/4 t. baking powder
pinch of salt
Handful chopped walnuts (optional)
1/4t. cinnamon (optional)


Add one banana to a large mug and mash it. Add an egg and 2T milk of your choice (coconut milk or almond milk will make this dairy free). Optional, add 1t syrup.

Add either 2T of coconut flour OR 4T almond flour.

Add 1/4 t. baking powder, a pinch of salt. Optional, add a handful chopped walnuts and 1/4 tsp cinnamon.

Microwave on high 3 min (if using coconut flour) or 3 1/2 min (if using almond flour).

**Let it cool! It will be hot**