Sliced Brussel Sprouts with Caramelized Onions

Confession: this dish is the first taste I've had of brussel sprouts. I've only ever seen them steamed or boiled or something mushy and nasty sounding like that... Slicing them up thinly and sauteing it in delicious olive oil with sweet caramelized onions... mmmmmm. I need to add bacon. Doesn't that sound amazing? Bacon will definitely be entering the dish next time. And nuts. So good!

Recipe adapted from here.

Serves 2-4 as a side dish

12-14 large brussel sprouts

2(ish) tbsp olive oil, divided 

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Start warming up your cast iron skillet. (If you don't have one, GET ONE. They are amazing, last forever and make everything taste 10x better.)

Add oil and onions to the hot pan. Cook until caramelized, 6-7 minutes. Make sure you don't let them get too brown or they'll taste burnt, not sweet and delicious.

Add garlic, stir and cook for 30 seconds. Add more oil and the brussel sprouts. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. I like to leave mine with a bit of crunch to it. 

Serve warm and enjoy! 

Oven Roasted Asparagus

I think asparagus gets a bad rap because people don't know how to cook them. Or they buy frozen and then they're nasty mush once they thaw. Gross. Go fresh, people. So much better and better for you! This is one of our favorite vegetable sides. Or snacks. I make them as an afternoon snack for the girls and I all the time. My 3 and 1 year old love it! So delicious and so healthy! 

fresh asparagus 

olive oil

salt, pepper and granulated garlic to taste (you can use garlic powder if that's what you have. I just like it a little more coarse)

Preheat oven to 425.

Wash the asparagus and then it pat dry. Lay it all out on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Give it a good mix here so that they all have a covering of the oil. (You can do this step in a big bowl or something if that's easier for you.)

Season with a good sprinkling of salt, pepper and garlic. Roast for 7-8 minutes until tender. (I pull them out while they still have a little bite to them.)

Paleo Banana Muffins

Everyone's heard about the Paleo diet, but I only recently looked into it. It's fantastic! And pretty close to how we eat already. Except the grains. And the minimal amount of dairy we eat. (CHEESE. I LOVE CHEESE.) It's basically meat, veggies, fruit and nuts. No sugar. No processed crap "food". It is fantastically healthy. I encourage you all to click the link and look at the graphic. It has really great information that could help you in huge ways! 

Anyway. Back to the muffins. They are delicious. Really banana-y with a hint of coconut. So yummy. Super healthy- eat as many as you want, without any guilt. Isn't that the best type of food?

Recipe slightly adapted from here.

2 really ripe bananas, mashed 

1/3 coconut oil

3 eggs

2-4 tablespoons agave nectar, honey or maple syrup (use less sweetener the more ripe your bananas are)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine the first 5 ingredients until well blended. Add the last 4 ingredients, stirring until smooth. Place paper liners in muffin tin or grease generously. Spoon batter into muffin tin, filling each 1/2 full. (Batter will be enough for 10-12 muffins, depending on the size of your bananas.)

Bake for 23-25 minutes.