The Crucial Ingredient

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Spaghetti Squash Pesto with Sausage and Bacon

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Yet another long break between posts, but I think you’ll agree this recipe is worth the wait. I’m rather particular about what I’ll post. Most things I cook are good, unless I’ve tried someone else’s recipe (if you follow me on Facebook you know to what I am referring. Gag me.) But just good isn’t enough. Many things are good, I’m looking for exceptional. I’ve been testing and tinkering, looking for the right combination of flavor, health, and ease. Tonight I’m ready to share a winner. As I type this I am so satisfied and my ears are ringing with praise from Brother’s multiple declarations of “best thing you’ve made in months,” “this almost makes up for missing the gym,” and “put this into permanent rotation!”  So without further fanfare, Gluten Free, grain free, and paleo Spaghetti Squash Pesto with Bacon and Sausage.

2015-09-08 19.16.56

Ingredients

1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeds scrapped out

16 oz. your choice sausage

4 slices bacon

2 cups spinach

For Pesto:

2-3 cups fresh basil

2 full bulbs of garlic, separated into cloves and peeled

¼ cup pinon (pine) nuts

¼ cup parmesan

1 pinch salt

1/8-1/4 cup olive oil

1-2 cups spinach

so simple yet so flavorful.

so simple yet so flavorful.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Drizzle a little olive oil over cut sides of squash and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a pinch of fresh ground black pepper. Place cut side down on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, flip cut sides up to cool. When cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrap squash fibers into a dish. Set aside.

flakes right out. Isn't nature amazing?

flakes right out. Isn’t nature amazing?

While squash is cooking, drizzle a pie plate with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and add garlic. Roast on top rack of oven till garlic starts to turn golden, about 10 min. Add Pinon nuts to garlic and continue roasting, checking every couple minutes as the pinon nuts can scorch easily. Once garlic and nuts are toasted and golden, remove from oven.

yummy, crumbly, brown sausage.

yummy, crumbly, brown sausage.

Brown sausage in a skillet till brown and crumbly. Add 2 cups of fresh spinach and sauté till wilted. Turn off heat.

Cook bacon till crispy and allow to cool.

In a food processor, blend till smooth: roasted garlic and pinon nuts, basil, parmesan, olive oil, spinach, and salt. If taste is flat or a little too “green” add 2-3 Tbsp. minced garlic. More olive oil can be added to make pesto blend smoothly.

silky smooth.

silky smooth.

To combine, layer: spaghetti squash, pesto, sausage/spinach sauté, crumbled bacon, 2 large pinches of shave parmesan. Enjoy!

oh baby, were you floating around in my mind this whole time?!

oh baby, were you floating around in my mind this whole time?!

Spaghetti Squash Pesto with Bacon and Sausage
Serves 2
Paleo, Gluten free, Grain free, completely indulgent and hearty faux pasta dish with spinach, sausage, and bacon.
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Total Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr
Ingredients
  1. 1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeds scrapped out
  2. 16 oz. your choice sausage
  3. 4 slices bacon
  4. 2 cups spinach
For Pesto
  1. 2-3 cups fresh basil
  2. 2 full bulbs of garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
  3. ¼ cup pinon (pine) nuts
  4. ¼ cup parmesan
  5. 1 pinch salt
  6. 1/8-1/4 cup olive oil
  7. 1-2 cups spinach
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Drizzle a little olive oil over cut sides of squash and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a pinch of fresh ground black pepper. Place cut side down on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, flip cut sides up to cool. When cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrap squash fibers into a dish. Set aside.
  2. While squash is cooking, drizzle a pie plate with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and add garlic. Roast on top rack of oven till garlic starts to turn golden, about 10 min. Add Pinon nuts to garlic and continue roasting, checking every couple minutes as the pinon nuts can scorch easily. Once garlic and nuts are toasted and golden, remove from oven.
  3. Brown sausage in a skillet till brown and crumbly. Add 2 cups of fresh spinach and sauté till wilted. Turn off heat.
  4. Cook bacon till crispy and allow to cool.
  5. In a food processor, blend till smooth: roasted garlic and pinon nuts, basil, parmesan, olive oil, spinach, and salt. If taste is flat or a little too “green” add 2-3 Tbsp. minced garlic. More olive oil can be added to make pesto blend smoothly.
  6. To combine, layer: spaghetti squash, pesto, sausage/spinach sauté, crumbled bacon, 2 large pinches of shave parmesan. Enjoy!
The Crucial Ingredient http://www.thecrucialingredient.com/

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Frozen Custard

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Raspberry Chocolate Chip Frozen Custard

What memories or images do summer conjure for you? For me I think of the first hot day, when as a child I kicked off my shoes and dug my bare toes into the rich dark earth of the back yard. I think of the smell of thunder and lightning in the air just before it breaks over the prairie in the night. I also think of the whirring-screeching noise the ice cream freezer would make when Mom made home ice cream. I still go barefoot as often as I can, and go outside to smell the air and watch the lightning when a storm rolls across the sky. The ice cream isn’t as difficult to conjure as the thunderstorms and the flavor is a big hit with Mom. Note: I apologize for the lack of photos for each step, but I was trying to cook 5 items at once, so you’ll have to excuse me.

1 1/2 cups half and half

1 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

5 large egg yolks

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 small box of fresh Raspberries, mashed

1 ½ cup mini morsel chocolate chips

Heat the half + half, sugar, and vanilla in a medium saucepan over low heat, whisking constantly to avoid a skin forming on the top of the mixture.  Turn off the heat when the mixture is just about ready to start simmering – the mixture should coat the back of a metal spoon.

Beat the egg yolks until thick and pale, about 3 minutes.  Slowly drizzle in about half of the half + half mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly.  This is tempering the eggs – if you pour it in too fast, your eggs will scramble… and no one wants Scrambled Egg Ice Cream.

Pour the egg mixture back into the pan with the remaining half + half mixture and heat on low or medium-low heat until thick, stirring constantly.  It will start to get really thick and custard-like, or possibly look very thickly frothy. Remove from heat when it begins to simmer.

Pour the now custard into a bowl with the heavy whipping cream, add the raspberry mash and stir to combine.  Take a piece of plastic wrap and gently press it on to the top of the custard so the entire top surface is covered.  This will help prevent it from forming a skin on top.  Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.  Or if you are impatient like me, stick it in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour. Just be careful that edges don’t start to freeze. You’re just aiming to get the mixture to tepid or cool temperature so it will freeze more easily.

Following the manufacturers directions, freeze in an ice cream maker until it reaches your desired consistency, about 20-30 minutes. If your ice cream freezer has a whole in the top, then scatter the chocolate in a handful at a time every 5 minutes. If your freezer doesn’t have a top opening, then scatter all the chocolate over the top of the mixture before you attach the lid (the idea is to keep all the chocolate from settling on the bottom.) Place mixture in an air tight container and place in freezer to harden for at least 8 hours. Or eat it immediately as soft serve, which is always my choice.

just try not to eat it all at once!

just try not to eat it all at once!

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Frozen Custard
Yields 1
thick, creamy, yet still light. An indulgence anyway you look at it.
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Prep Time
20 min
Prep Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 1/2 cups half and half
  2. 1 cup granulated sugar
  3. 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
  4. 5 large egg yolks
  5. 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
  6. 1 small box of fresh Raspberries, mashed
  7. 1 ½ cup mini morsel chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Heat the half + half, sugar, and vanilla in a medium saucepan over low heat, whisking constantly to avoid a skin forming on the top of the mixture. Turn off the heat when the mixture is just about ready to start simmering – the mixture should coat the back of a metal spoon.
  2. Beat the egg yolks until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Slowly drizzle in about half of the half + half mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. This is tempering the eggs – if you pour it in too fast, your eggs will scramble… and no one wants Scrambled Egg Ice Cream.
  3. Pour the egg mixture back into the pan with the remaining half + half mixture and heat on low or medium-low heat until thick, stirring constantly. It will start to get really thick and custard-like, or possibly look very thickly frothy. Remove from heat when it begins to simmer.
  4. Pour the now custard into a bowl with the heavy whipping cream, add the raspberry mash and stir to combine. Take a piece of plastic wrap and gently press it on to the top of the custard so the entire top surface is covered. This will help prevent it from forming a skin on top. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. Or if you are impatient like me, stick it in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour. Just be careful that edges don’t start to freeze. You’re just aiming to get the mixture to tepid or cool temperature so it will freeze more easily.
  5. Following the manufacturers directions, freeze in an ice cream maker until it reaches your desired consistency, about 20-30 minutes. If your ice cream freezer has a whole in the top, then scatter the chocolate in a handful at a time every 5 minutes. If your freezer doesn’t have a top opening, then scatter all the chocolate over the top of the mixture before you attach the lid (the idea is to keep all the chocolate from settling on the bottom.) Place mixture in an air tight container and place in freezer to harden for at least 8 hours. Or eat it immediately as soft serve, which is always my choice
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
The Crucial Ingredient http://www.thecrucialingredient.com/

Forget-it Roast with Horseradish Cream Sauce, Horseradish Mashed Potatoes and Sunny Sauteed Spinach

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Wow, kind of a long gap between posts. I’d say sorry but as early stages as the blog is, who am I kidding? Long story short there haven’t been enough hours in the day to accomplish everything that needs to happen. Which also lends itself to “lazy cooking,” meaning easy, simple, and leaning towards boring. But boring doesn’t apply to today’s recipe. As long as you can think a few hours ahead of time, this meal will take the headache out of impressive hospitality. You could use a crockpot, but ironically, even though I have mad kitchen skills, anything I cook in a crockpot simultaneously burns and is undercooked. Crockpots hate me and the feeling is mutual. If you like them, by all means make this a crockpot recipe. I will also say this meal received rave reviews from my brother and cousin; they thought I had spent hours in the kitchen but it all actually came together in around an hour. Just before anyone points it out, this is not a paleo meal. Could be adapted to paleo though.

Forget-it Roast with Horseradish Cream Sauce, Horseradish Mashed Potatoes and Sunny Sauteed Spinach

For the Roast
2-5 lbs. Chuck Roast or your choice roast, frozen

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into chunks

5-8 peeled cloves of garlic

2 tsp Sea Salt

½-1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

2 tsp garlic powder

1-2 tsp dried thyme

2 tsp paprika

¼-1/2 tsp chipotle powder

1 tbsp ghee or butter

 

Set oven to 400 degrees. Line a dutch oven with tin foil, leaving enough to complete fold your roast in it with room to spare. Place your frozen roast on the foil and season both sides, using half the spices for each side.

mm, spices...

mm, spices…

Place the onion and garlic around the base of the roast and the Ghee on the top of the roast.

Looking very promising!

Looking very promising!

Bring the edges of the foil together and crimp to make a bag/envelope/steam room for the roast. Place dutch oven lid on pan, and cook for at least 4 hours or until the roast falls off the bone or could be shredded by hand easily. I cooked mine somewhere around 4-5 hours. Allow roast to rest out of the oven for 5-10 minutes, cut into chunks and serve.

I was so excited to eat this, I didn't think to take a picture till several bites in.

I was so excited to eat this, I didn’t think to take a picture till several bites in.

 

Horseradish Cream Sauce

1 cup sour cream

3-4 Tbsp fresh grated horseradish root

½ tsp fresh ground pepper

½ tsp sea salt

juice of 1 lemon

Whisk all ingredients together. Add more lemon juice or horseradish to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

3-4 medium potatoes, peeled

3-4 Tbsp fresh grated horseradish root

1-2 tsp sea salt, to taste

1-2 Tbsp butter

Boil potatoes for 20-30 minutes until soft, then mash to creaminess. Add all other ingredients, adjusting to taste. Cream can be added to make the potatoes more creamy if you so desire. Serve immediately.

Sunny Sauteed Spinach

2 bags spinach

1-2 tsp coconut oil

2 tbsp sundried tomatoes in olive oil and herbs

In a large pot melt the coconut oil over medium high heat. Add the spinach and tomatoes, stir until slightly wilted. Serve Immediately.

Forget-it Roast with Horseradish Cream Sauce
Serves 3
fall off the bone roast with a spicy creamy sauce.
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Prep Time
10 min
Prep Time
10 min
For the Roast
  1. 2-5 lbs. Chuck Roast or your choice roast, frozen
  2. 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into chunks
  3. 5-8 peeled cloves of garlic
  4. 2 tsp Sea Salt
  5. ½-1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
  6. 2 tsp garlic powder
  7. 1-2 tsp dried thyme
  8. 2 tsp paprika
  9. ¼-1/2 tsp chipotle powder
  10. 1 tbsp ghee or butter
For the Horseradish Sauce
  1. 1 cup sour cream
  2. 3-4 Tbsp fresh grated horseradish root
  3. ½ tsp fresh ground pepper
  4. ½ tsp sea salt
  5. juice of 1 lemon
For the Roast
  1. Set oven to 400 degrees. Line a dutch oven with tin foil, leaving enough to complete fold your roast in it with room to spare. Place your frozen roast on the foil and season both sides, using half the spices for each side. Place the onion and garlic around the base of the roast and the Ghee on the top of the roast. Bring the edges of the foil together and crimp to make a bag/envelope/steam room for the roast. Place dutch oven lid on pan, and cook for at least 4 hours or until the roast falls off the bone or could be shredded by hand easily. I cooked mine somewhere around 4-5 hours. Allow roast to rest out of the oven for 5-10 minutes, cut into chunks and serve.
For the sauce
  1. Whisk all ingredients together. Add more lemon juice or horseradish to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
The Crucial Ingredient http://www.thecrucialingredient.com/
Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
Serves 4
creamy mashed potatoes with a little horseradish kick.
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Prep Time
10 min
Prep Time
10 min
Ingredients
  1. 3-4 medium potatoes, peeled
  2. 3-4 Tbsp fresh grated horseradish root
  3. 1-2 tsp sea salt, to taste
  4. 1-2 Tbsp butter
  5. 1/4 cup buttermilk
Instructions
  1. Boil potatoes for 20-30 minutes until soft, then mash to creaminess. Add all other ingredients, adjusting to taste. Serve immediately.
The Crucial Ingredient http://www.thecrucialingredient.com/
 

Sunny Sauteed Spinach
Serves 3
a better way to eat your greens.
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Cook Time
8 min
Cook Time
8 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 bags spinach
  2. 1-2 tsp coconut oil
  3. 2 tbsp sundried tomatoes in olive oil and herbs
Instructions
  1. In a large pot melt the coconut oil over medium high heat. Add the spinach and tomatoes, stir until slightly wilted. Serve Immediately.
The Crucial Ingredient http://www.thecrucialingredient.com/

 

Weeknight Taco Salad

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I admit it: I am fickle and cannot help it. On occasion I know I need to eat and want to eat healthy, but can think of nothing that I would like to eat, so I must find a way to force myself (I know, I’m weird.) I was having such a mood this week, dead out of inspiration. So I went back to summers in my childhood, when the long light of the evenings  and heat encouraged activity, and the garden provided lush veggies. Mom would often make Taco Salad as quick, light, healthy, and kid approved dinner. The best thing about Taco Salad is the scent of the spice simmering as the beef is browning. That scent always makes me hungry and this week’s dinner was no exception and thus a great success.  

Ingredients

1 packet of taco seasoning (it is very easy to make your own, but for reasons of time I did not on this occasion. Sometime soon I will post a recipe for seasoning.)

1 lbs. ground beef

3 hearts of romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and torn to bite size

2 avocadoes, cubed

2-3 tomatoes, diced

½ cucumber, peeled and diced

1 can black beans

1 tsp. chili powder

3-4 stalks of celery, washed and chopped

Ranch Dressing ( I use Ree Drummond’s recipe for Ranch Dressing, except I use plain unsweetened goat yogurt and almond milk shaken with the herbs and spices to taste and consistency.)

Shredded cheese to taste

Favorite tortilla chips to taste

Favorite Salsas (I used my homemade Tomatillo Verde Salsa. Yet another recipe I’ll be posting soon.)

 

Directions:

Heat beans in small sauce pan with the chili powder. When warm through, strain away liquid.

While the beans are warming, brown the beef in a skillet, adding the taco seasoning when very little pink is visible. Continue to simmer until all pink has been cooked away and the seasoning has been well distributed throughout. Remove from heat.

just imagine the scent of spice wafting through the air.

just imagine the scent of spice wafting through the air.

While the beans are heating and the beef is browning, prep all veggies.

for easy cubing, cut a cross hatch pattern to, but not through the skin.

   for easy cubing, cut a cross hatch pattern to, but not through the skin.

Insert a spoon between the flesh and the skin to easily remove the cubes.

Insert a spoon between the flesh and the skin to easily remove the cubes.

 

In large salad bowls layer lettuce, crushed tortilla chips, taco meat, beans, cheese, and veggies.

its all coming together.

its all coming together.

Dress with the fresh ranch and the salsa. Serve and enjoy!

hearty, healthy, and delish, oh my!

hearty, healthy, and delish, oh my!

Taco Salad
Serves 3
A light, healthy, and quick dinner. Perfect for a weeknight
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Total Time
30 min
Total Time
30 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 packet of taco seasoning (it is very easy to make your own, but for reasons of time I did not on this occasion. Sometime soon I will post a recipe for seasoning.)
  2. 1 lbs. ground beef
  3. 3 hearts of romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and torn to bite size
  4. 2 avocadoes, cubed
  5. 2-3 tomatoes, diced
  6. ½ cucumber, peeled and diced
  7. 1 can black beans
  8. 1 tsp. chili powder
  9. 3-4 stalks of celery, washed and chopped
  10. Ranch Dressing ( I use Ree Drummond’s recipe for Ranch dressing, except I use plain unsweetened goat yogurt and almond milk shaken with the herbs and spices to taste and consistency.)
  11. Shredded cheese to taste
  12. Favorite tortilla chips to taste
  13. Favorite Salsas (I used my homemade Tomatillo Verde Salsa. Yet another recipe I’ll be posting soon.)
Instructions
  1. Heat beans in small sauce pan with the chili powder. When warm through, strain away liquid.
  2. While the beans are warming, brown the beef in a skillet, adding the taco seasoning when very little pink is visible. Continue to simmer until all pink has been cooked away and the seasoning has been well distributed throughout. Remove from heat.
  3. In large salad bowls layer lettuce, crushed tortilla chips, taco meat, beans, cheese, and veggies. Dress with the fresh ranch and the salsa. Serve and enjoy!
The Crucial Ingredient http://www.thecrucialingredient.com/

Flourless Coconutty Brownies with Caramel Drizzle

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If you spend any amount of time with me, you’ll probably notice that I have a fiendish sweet tooth. Fruit will rarely satisfy the craving; more often protein will, but sometimes nothing will slay the beast. Tonight was such an occasion, but horror of horrors, my secret stash of dark chocolate (don’t judge me) was completely exhausted. There was nothing to do but bake brownies. To lessen the sugar spike but keep the indulgent taste I opted to go flourless. The result was an intensely chocolatey brownie with a slightly fudgy crumb. Best of all, from start to finish was only 30 minutes and it is gluten free.

Flourless Coconutty Brownies with Caramel Drizzle

Ingredients

For Brownies

4 eggs

1 cup cocoa powder (I used two different brands for a more complex flavor)

1/2 to 2/3 cup maple syrup (cut back to 1/3 for a very dark chocolate flavor)

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

2 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

¼ cup shredded coconut (plus 3-4 Tbsp. more for topping) (optional)

For Caramel Drizzle (optional)

½ cup maple syrup

½ cup honey

1 tsp. baking soda

For Brownies: Preheat oven to 350F. Mix eggs, cocoa powder, vanilla, coconut oil, maple syrup, pecans, and shredded coconut with a mixer.

I used two varieties of cocoa powder and my own homemade bourbon vanilla. I'll post that recipe soon!

I used two varieties of cocoa powder and my own homemade bourbon vanilla. I’ll post that recipe soon!

Pour into 4×8 loaf pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. When about 6 minutes are left to the cooking time, sprinkle remaining coconut shreds over top of brownie to toast.

yummy toasty coconut.

yummy toasty coconut.

Allow to cool before eating.

It is sooo hard to wait for it to cool!

It is sooo hard to wait for it to cool!

For drizzle: in a small sauce pan heat maple syrup and honey over medium heat. When bubbles form, reduce heat to medium low and cook until it darkens and thickens, roughly 10 minutes, whisking periodically to keep from scorching.

Once the drizzle has thickened, remove from heat and stir in baking soda until well combined (it will expand and bubble as you whisk.) Return to medium heat for 2-3 minutes whisking constantly till drizzle is thick and does not deflate.

Remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to reincorporate any liquid that might separate. Drizzle over brownies, serve and enjoy immediately.

Note: any unused drizzle may be stored in the fridge for 2 weeks. No pictures for the drizzle; I needed both hands to make it.

Flourless Coconutty Brownies with Caramel Drizzle
Yields 1
fudgey dark chocolate brownies loaded with nuts and coconut, with a lovely caramel drizzle
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
20 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
20 min
For Brownies
  1. 4 eggs
  2. 1 cup cocoa powder (I used two different brands for a more complex flavor)
  3. 1/2 to 2/3 cup maple syrup (cut back to 1/3 for a very dark chocolate flavor)
  4. 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
  5. 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  6. ½ cup chopped pecans (optional)
  7. ¼ cup shredded coconut (plus 3-4 Tbsp. more for topping) (optional)
For Caramel Drizzle (optional)
  1. ½ cup maple syrup
  2. ½ cup honey
  3. 1 tsp. baking soda
Instructions
  1. For Brownies: Preheat oven to 350F. Mix eggs, cocoa powder, vanilla, coconut oil, maple syrup, pecans, and shredded coconut with a mixer. Pour into 4x8 loaf pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. When about 6 minutes are left to the cooking time, sprinkle remaining coconut shreds over top of brownie to toast. Allow to cool before eating.
  2. For drizzle: in a small sauce pan heat maple syrup and honey over medium heat. When bubbles form, reduce heat to medium low and cook until it darkens and thickens, roughly 10 minutes, whisking periodically to keep from scorching.
  3. Once the drizzle has thickened, remove from heat and stir in baking soda until well combined (it will expand and bubble as you whisk.) Return to medium heat for 2-3 minutes whisking constantly till drizzle is thick and does not deflate.
  4. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to reincorporate any liquid that might separate. Drizzle over brownies, serve and enjoy immediately.
Notes
  1. Note: any unused drizzle may be stored in the fridge for 2 weeks.
The Crucial Ingredient http://www.thecrucialingredient.com/