in Eat Your Veggies 0

Maple Cumin Carrots

I walked around the house last night mumbling to myself, “oh my gosh, I love those carrots, those carrots are so good, wow those carrots were amazing”. So here you go. Trader Joes has these great multi colored carrots, don’t miss them! I peeled and cut the carrots in half and boiled until al dente (can you say that with carrots? You don’t want them mushy). Run them under cold water to stop the cooking process once they’re done. Meanwhile, boil maple syrup and sage leaves until reduced by 1/2. Set aside and take out sage leaves. Mix together equal parts (1 tsp-ish) cumin, brown sugar, coriander, salt, and chili powder. In a large cast iron skillet heat butter and EVOO until bubbling. Add 1/2 of carrots and 1/2 of herb mixture to the pan. Only flip once so you get a nice crust on carrots. Add second half of carrots and rest of herb mixture. Plate carrots and top with sage maple syrup and juice and zest of one lime. Trust me these are worth the extra effort.

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in Lifestyle 0

Spice Kitchen

Loved supporting the pursuit of innovative culinary entrepreneurs at the opening night of the Spice Kitchen. This commercial kitchen space is now open to refugees and new immigrants starting food businesses in Salt Lake City. Mama Tikoto served up some delicious African fare and I see great things ahead for her!

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in Carnivore, Dinner, Healthy 0

Kicked Up Sloppy Joe Peppers

On this blustery cold day, kicked up sloppy joes sounded perfect. These low carb versions won’t hurt your waistline either! Don’t get too used to getting a list of ingredients. 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, deveined and diced 1 red onion, diced 1 carton diced mushrooms 2 pounds extra lean ground beef 2 tablespoons minced garlic 3 tb red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon paprika 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1 6 -ounce can tomato paste 1 cup tomato sauce 1 can diced tomatoes 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar 2 tb Worcestershire sauce Heat canola oil in large sauté pan. Saute peppers and onions for about 5 minutes then add ground beef, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook through. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 45 minutes or so. Core yellow or red peppers and add sloppy joe mixture. Bake for 30 minutes at 350.

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in Eat Your Veggies, Side Dishes, Traeger 0

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

I made these Stuffed sweet potatoes for a cooking segment I did this past month and I can’t imagine going back to sweet potato casserole ever again. 12 large sweet potatoes 3/4 cup butter 3/4 cup light brown sugar 3/4 cup all-purpose flour Dash of ground cinnamon Dash of salt 1 cup toasted pecans 1 cup mini marshmallows Wash and prick the sweet potatoes and place on a cookie sheet. Bake or TRAEGER for about 45 minutes or until soft and squishy inside. Mix the butter, brown sugar, and flour together until it’s crumbly-looking. Add the cinnamon, salt, pecans, and marshmallows until combined. Once the sweet potatoes are done baking, slice them down the center and open up to make room for topping. Stuff the sweet potatoes generously with the topping and return to the oven or grill. Bake for another 20 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and brown. These are especially amazing on the Traeger with that hint of smoky sweet flavor.

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in Brunch, Salad Dressings, Salads, Side Dishes 0

Stacked Cobb Salad

The other day I was eating string cheese and wheat thins for lunch with my kids when my husband sent over a picture of the most beautiful stacked salad he was having at lunch in Minneapolis. Today, I grabbed some ingredients from the salad bar at my local grocery store, turned on Giada while the girls were napping, and ate like a Queen! Having a food stacker is helpful for this but not necessary. (A food stacker looks like a giant round cookie cutter and can be found at any cooking store.) A measuring cup, cookie cutter, or can might work. I decided to stack a Cobb salad but feel free to use any ingredients you like! I shredded iceberg lettuce and added a little dressing to it. Chopped tomatoes Chopped hard boil eggs Diced bacon Blue cheese Sliced purple onion Avocado Lump crab meat Arugula micro greens Add each ingredient on top of each other and press down firmly. Hold down ingredients and slowly pull up stacker. I whipped up a dressing of lemon juice, EVOO, chopped garlic, and…

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in Appetizers, Indulge, Snacks, Traeger 0

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

Preheat your Traeger or oven to 350 degrees F. For the Buffalo sauce: Sauté butter, jalapeno, and garlic for about 2 minutes. Stir in the hot sauce, chicken broth, lime juice and bring to a simmer and reduce by 1/2. Season with salt and pepper. For the dry rub: Combine the smoked paprika, cayenne, onion salt, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Shred rotisserie chicken and sprinkle rub throughout the chicken. Add 1/2 of buffalo sauce to chicken. Let sit or put in oven to warm through. For the blue cheese topping: Add milk and 1/2 cup of the blue cheese in a sauce pan. Allow the cheese to melt into the milk, then transfer the mixture to a bowl along with the remaining blue cheese and the mayonnaise, sour cream, and green onion. To assemble: In a large roasting pan, spread out half of the pita chips in an even layer. Top with half of the shredded chicken, half of the remaining Buffalo sauce, half of the blue cheese topping and 1/2 cup of the shredded mozzarella. Repeat,…

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in Carbo Load, Indulge, Side Dishes 0

The Best Cornbread

My girlfriend served this cornbread at a dinner party last week and I have dreamed about it ever since. It’s the Banderas copycat recipe but it’s even better, if you can believe it. Tonight I made it for the whole family and it rocked our worlds! 1 cup butter, melted 1 cup granulated sugar 4 eggs 1 (15 ounce) can creamed-style corn 1/2 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers, drained 1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup yellow cornmeal 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt Heat oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly grease a 12-inch cast iron skillet In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in creamed corn, chiles, Monterey jack and cheddar cheese. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to corn mixture; stir just until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, until a wooden pick inserted into center of the pan…

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