Paleo Oven-Baked Rutabaga Fries

Rutabaga Fries.

…Are the best. No joke. I don’t think I’ll ever eat normal fries again. And the best part? Blair loved them too! Yippee!

Yummy, Low-Carb and Healthy!

Since we started buying local organic fruit and veggies through a co-op where you buy a share or group of items for a set price, Blair and I have been challenged to try new things in new ways. This past week we found ourselves with a rutabaga on hand.

Neither of us had ever eaten this root vegetable that’s a mix between a turnip and a cabbage – so it was definitely a challenge!

You can mash them, roast them, put them in soup, and even hash brown them. We ultimately decided to make somewhat spicy garlic fries in the end – and they are delicious!

Here’s the easy Paleo recipe!

• 1 rutabaga (will make a little more than 2 servings)
• salt & pepper
• minced garlic
• paprika
• rosemary
• olive oil
• cookie sheet

I didn’t need any ketchup – These were perfect by themselves!

1. Preheat the oven to 425° F
2. Wash and peel the rutabaga, just like you would a potato
3. Remove the ends and cut the rest into small french fries size slices – Try to make the slices the same size so they cook evenly.
4. Add a dash of salt and pepper, along with paprika, rosemary, and minced garlic – You can personalize it here!
5. Place the slices on the cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, turning the “fries” halfway so both sides crisp up – Cooking times will vary depending on your oven so keep an eye on them!

While these aren’t the same as fast food fries, not only are you getting a healthy alternative, but also still able to fix any french fry craving you have! My “fries” fixed my garlic fry craving and went perfectly with my burger! They were perfect.

So… what will you put on your rutabaga fries?

Lauren

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Paleo 3 Berry Sorbet Recipe

Seriously Fresh & Seriously Yummy!

Great summer treat too!

Blair and I have been trying to gradually switch our eating style over to Paleo – a.k.a. primal, caveman diet, no grain. So far it’s  been an amazing lifestyle change and one that we both have been excited to dive deeper into the more we are on it!

My only complaint right off bat was no sugar. Instantly I thought that meant no more cakes, ice cream, brownies, cookies and so on. The little fatty in me was devastated!

However, the more I read and studied what Paleo is really about, I’ve found that I can still enjoy the natural sweets God has given to us! That’s when I got to experimenting and made my first homemade all natural sorbet! A super yummy treat that cures my sweet tooth, while still being healthy! The steps are below!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of Berries *I used some fresh and frozen berries I had on hand – strawberries, raspberries and blueberries
• Water *1/3 for the berry mixture and 1 cup for the simple syrup recipe
• 1 Cup of Honey

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of water and 1 cup of honey to create a natural simple syrup. Mix together on low/medium heat until both are combined, then place in a separate container to cool. *Don’t let it boil!
• Using either a food processor or blender, mix together the berries and 1/3 cup of water until well blended.
• Filter out the seeds by placing a sieve into a bowl and pouring the mixture on top of it. *This may require some work to make sure you get all of the juice! I just used a coffee filter to do this job.
• Add 1 cup of your simple syrup mixture to the berry juice (there should be about 2 cups of that after filtering it). *Play with the amount of simple syrup you add. 1 cup may be too much or too little for your taste!
• Let the mixture chill for an hour or so.
• Put into your ice cream maker and get to freezing! *Make sure to follow the instructions for your particular ice cream maker. Mine took 30 minutes to properly chill and set up.
• Place in an airtight container and keep it in the freezer!

And enjoy!

I’m excited to play with even more versions of this – today I saw a strawberry lime sorbet on Pinterest! Sounds heavenly to me!

Lauren

Spicy Jalapeño & Parsley Marinade

The Marinade.

Getting started on the marinade!

I’m a sucker for a good steak, especially if it’s hot off the grill! So we took advantage of the sun yesterday and broke out the BBQ for the first time this year.

Baked Beans and Corn Bread (literally the best cornbread recipe too!) with Spicy Jalapeño & Parsley Marinaded London Broil. Yummmmmy!

This marinade is too good not to share – it’s light, yet savory with a kick! Super delicioso!

The Recipe

1 bunch of fresh parsley leaves
2 small jalapeños *get rid of those seeds!
1/2 of a yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes *optional – depends on how much of a kick you want
Salt and black pepper

• Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor until it’s thoroughly mixed together. *I like my marinade a little more chunky so I pulse it rather than putting the setting on low or high
• Take your meat and place it in a bowl – use a fork and poke away so the marinade has spots to drip in.
• Let it sit in the marinade for at least 4 hours.

And enjoy! Your taste buds will thank you! 🙂

Lauren

Easy Soda Bread Recipe

Soda Bread.

We had a combined Saint Patrick’s Day celebration and birthday dinner for my dad on Sunday. Both he and Blair loved the Soda Bread!

I don’t know about you guys, but Saint Patrick’s Day is a big deal in our household. We go all out. Corned beef & cabbage, red potatoes & carrots, Guinness chocolate cake and homemade Soda Bread. It’s seriously all too delicious.

Now I’ve been watching the women in my life make corned beef since I can remember, but it was when I was in elementary school that I can first remember having Soda Bread. I went to a private Catholic school and there was an Irish family that went there – like really really Irish! Since the school was small, we were always doing cool little activities. And this one year Alexandra’s dad, Mr. Dent, came in and told us how to make Soda Bread in his Irish accent. I must of been in first grade, but I still tell people about that day. Now married, it was my turn to make Soda Bread on my own and it was quite the daunting task!

I searched around for the perfect recipe. However, most of them had raisins or were sweet and I was just wanting a classic Soda Bread recipe. In the end, I tweaked a couple of recipes to make the perfect one for us.

Our recipe calls for these four ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups of All Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon of Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon of Salt
• 12 ounces of Buttermilk

Right before I bake the bread, I like to sprinkle some flour on top to create an even more rustic looking bread!

Then you:

1. Whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda.
2. Create a “well” in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the buttermilk into it.
3. Use your hands (cover with flour first!) and fold the buttermilk in with dry ingredients. *It will create a biscuit-like dough.
4. Wash and re-flour your hands.
5. Pick up the dough and place it on a floured cookie sheet.
6. Going from the outside in, fold the dough together into a ball shape. *As you can see in the picture, the dough ball won’t be fluffy like other yeast risen doughs.
7. Flatten the dough ball till it is 1 1/2 inches tall and cut a deep cross shape into the top to allow the dough to “breathe”.
8. Cook for 20 minutes at 450°, then for another 20 minutes at 400°.
9. Place on a cooling rack and enjoy!

Since I doubled the amount corned beef and cabbage we had, I knew we were going to have leftovers. The great thing about this bread is that it takes practically 5 minutes to throw together. So even though the first loaf disappeared on Sunday, I could quickly whip up another one for leftovers on Monday. Definitely a “must keep” recipe that will be added to the rest of the Draper household traditions!

Lauren

A Lovely Treat – Beignets

Beignets.

It’s decided. Beignets in the Draper household are going to become a staple Valentine’s Day tradition. They were delicious, simple and a blast to make and eat with the love of my life.

And when I say simple, I mean they were RIDICULOUSLY SIMPLE. I’m pretty sure I’m going to offend some beignet fanatics out there by what I’m going to tell you next. But… they were actually made out of Pillsbury’s biscuits. Yes, I said it – those store-bought biscuits that frighteningly pop open a little too loudly.

I originally saw this idea on Pinterest but since there were no step by step directions, I figured I would post my own. So…

What you’re going to need to make these lil’ devils are:

• 1 can of Pillsbury’s Grands! Flaky Layers – Honey Butter
• Vegetable oil – enough to fill the pot halfway or an inch deep
• Pot/pan – it just needs to be at least 3 inches deep *I used a taller pot.
• Instant thermometer *Tip Below!
• Powdered suger & sifter
• Honey – optional, but delicious!

Then:

1. Get your oil heated up to 360° *If you don’t have a thermometer, take a small piece of bread and place it in the oil. Watch how it fries up. When it is fried to your liking, get to frying! A close Army friend taught me this and I think it is genius! Thank you, McNally!
2. Open the biscuits and cut each one into quarters. *We used a heart cookie cutter on some of ours
3. Place three at a time into the oil
4. After two minutes, flip them over to the other side for another two minutes
5. Place fried beignets onto a paper towel covered plate
6. Top with powdered sugar and honey and enjoy!

*A good thing to keep in mind when frying foods is that the oil will continue to get hotter. After your first batch, keep an eye on how the oil is frying things up. They may be browning a lot faster than you want so just turn the stove heat down a little!

When last night came to an end, Blair and I were literally licking the powdered sugar off our fingers. I’m so happy I bought two containers of biscuits – I might just have to make these again here soon! Right after I go to the gym first, of course…

Lauren