Albina2000

I’ve got a super simple, healthy and ridiculously flavorful dinner for you!

Riiiight here. Cue all the exclamation points.

I often wonder if literary scholars, English teachers and excellent writers in general still believe in the you-only-have-one-exclamation-point,-use-it-well rule now that it’s 2016 and the internet rules the world. Self expression in the form of exclamation points is very important, FYI. Also, self experssion in the form of exclamation points is a huge crutch. And also the worst.

But the best. How else would you know that this salmon is i!n!c!r!e!d!i!b!l!e!?

Sorry.

I’d jump through my screen and make it in your kitchen if I could, it’s that easy. I’d deliver it to you with a few beers or a glass of wine or maybe just four cans of your favorite la croix flavor. (< pssst. mine’s passionfruit, what’s yours?)

One of our absolute favorite comfort meals is this cajun chicken pot – we could probably eat it every week and be happy. Eddie could, for sure. It’s one dish that he requests frequently, and that’s huge because usually when I ask him “any ideas for dinner this week?” he responds with “I don’t know. I just ate. I can’t think of ideas when I’m full.”

And for the record, he ALWAYS “just ate.” Always.

It’s very inconvenient when my brain is lazy.

As a huge salmon lover, I’m always trying to find new favorite ways to flavor it. Eddie is not much of a salmon lover these days – I think he used to be, perhaps I served him one too many dried-out filets? Guilty.

It’s that, combined with loving burgers and pizza too much. He isn’t into it. So I was determined to make some spicy, flavorful salmon that he’d love and that chicken pot was my inspiration.

Problem though: I was completely out of cajun seasoning. I threw together a makeshift one of my own that was delish and might keep me from buying the bottled stuff from now on. I also made a boatload of it and Eddie has been sprinkling it on every bite of food he has put into his mouth since last week.

Probably even cookies. Maybe.

This buttery fish is topped with so much delicious spice that your taste buds will straight up lose.it.

And then! It’s topped with even more flavor as you scoop on a touch of salty lime butter while it’s still hot. It melts all over and runs down the sides and is worthy of so much more than one exclamation point, I swear.

Big bonus: it’s probably going to take you way less than 30 minutes – the most time consuming step will be measuring out your spices. Serve it with some rice and/or asparagus or something springlike and lovely. Thumbs up!

30 Minute Cajun Salmon with Salted Lime Butter

Yield: serves 4

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 (2 pound) salmon filet
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• pinch of cayenne pepper

salted lime butter

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 lime, zest freshly grated
• 1/8 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Directions:

Preheat the broiler in your oven to high and set the oven rack about 6 inches below it.

Place the salmon on a baking sheet and brush it with the grapeseed oil. If desired, you can rub it with 1 tablespoon of the lime butter instead (or in addition to, for flavor). In a bowl, stir together the paprika, italian seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder, pepper flakes and cayenne. Sprinkle it evenly over the top of the salmon filet and press gently to adhere.

Broil the salmon for 6 to 8 minutes, or until just opaque and flakey with a fork. Remove from the oven and cover with a few teaspoons of the lime butter. Serve with rice and lime wedges for spritzing.

salted lime butter

Stir together the butter, lime zest and salt until combined.

I’m thinking margarita.

A homemade recipe for chicken, broccoli and rice casserole made completely from scratch with a cheesy cream sauce and topped with buttered breadcrumbs.

It’s been quite a long time since I made a casserole, so when I asked my husband last week if he was hungry for anything in particular on Sunday and he said “a broccoli casserole”, I jumped at the opportunity to make one. My great aunt used to make a killer broccoli casserole on Sundays growing up, and I put a homemade spin on it a couple of years ago. While I could have made that again as a side dish, I took it a step further and decided to make a main dish casserole with chicken, broccoli and rice. I know that’s a popular recipe, so I did some searching for a good recipe and was disappointed when I couldn’t find one that was completely homemade. So, I made my own!

I made a huge batch of chicken breasts in the slow cooker on Friday night and used some of it for this casserole, which made the prep work significantly easier. If you’re looking for an easy shortcut, picking up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store would be a great way to cut the prep time. I also made a batch of rice the day before and used pre-cut, pre-washed broccoli to keep this recipe as simple as possible. I didn’t cook the broccoli before adding it to the recipe and it was al-dente in flavor (which I like), but if you prefer super soft broccoli, I would par-boil them.

For the sauce, I made the base sauce for my favorite macaroni and cheese and added some cheddar cheese, which turned out to be the perfect vessel for serving the chicken, broccoli, rice and mushrooms.

I used panko breadcrumbs for the topping of this casserole, but you could use plain breadcrumbs, Italian breadcrumbs, or even Ritz crackers!

Now that we’re heading into the blustery winter months, I’m excited to start recreating more homemade versions of casseroles… Do you have a favorite?

Four years ago: Macaroni & Cheese Casserole
Eight years ago: Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli & Rice Casserole (From Scratch!)

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

A homemade recipe for chicken, broccoli and rice casserole made completely from scratch with a cheesy cream sauce and topped with buttered breadcrumbs.

Ingredients:

For the Casserole
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 cups cubed cooked chicken (3-4 chicken breasts)
4 cups broccoli florets (about 1 pound)
2 cups cooked rice

For the Topping
2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about ½ cup)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup plain or Panko breadcrumbs or crushed Ritz crackers

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9x13-inch casserole dish.

2. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat and add the sliced mushrooms. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are cooked down and all of the liquid has evaporated. Transfer the mushrooms to a separate bowl.

3. In the same pan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, until the flour starts to brown a bit and smells nutty, whisking constantly. In a slow, steady stream, whisk in the milk. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer.

4. Once the sauce comes to a simmer, whisk in the cheddar cheese, adding a handful at a time and whisking until completely melted before adding the next handful. Season with salt and pepper and turn off the heat.

5. Add the chicken, broccoli, rice and cooked mushrooms to the sauce. Stir with a wooden spoon until everything is completely combined and evenly distributed. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.

6. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with the breadcrumbs (or Ritz crackers).

7. Sprinkle the casserole with the ½ cup of shredded cheese. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top of the cheese.

8. Bake until browned and bubbly, about 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Remember those Raw Mixed Berry Tarts recipe we featured recently. Well, its creator Larina Robinson is more than just a foodie! She is an experienced nutritionist and wholefood dietitian (based in Sydney) and runs The Body Dietetics website – on all things health, nutrition and wellness inspiration. We’re pleased to have her back on the site and this time in her capacity as a nutritionist. She has put together the best foods for our gut health because, let’s face it, that’s where good health and wellbeing start. 

By Larina Robinson

Gut health is critical for overall health. It’s the hub of our immune system, where we digest and absorb the nutrients from the food we eat, and plays a role in our mood and energy levels too. A wholefood diet filled with a variety of fresh produce is always going to be a great start to good gut health, but there are a few star ingredients that can really help keep your tummy happy. Here are my top ten favourites:

1. Kombucha – A fermented tea using a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast to produce beneficial probiotic compounds. You can buy it in stores, or make your own at home with a SCOBY starter. Learn how to here.

2. Sauerkraut – A traditional preservation method using salt or a culture starter to preserve cabbage. It has taken a recent spotlight in the health world for its probiotic benefits. The cabbage is fermented by lactic acid bacteria which breaks down the natural sugars in the cabbage and leaves behind compounds beneficial in overall gut health. If you don’t like cabbage that much, try one of the mixed vegetable blends available that includes carrot, beetroot, onion or sea vegetables. Learn how to make your own own sauerkraut.

3. Allium vegetables aka the ‘onion family’ – Onions, shallots, garlic, leeks, spring onions – they’re part of a range of foods that are prebiotic rich. Prebiotics act as food for the bacteria already in our gut, keeping them healthy and thriving. Healthy, happy gut bacteria are a vital element of proper digestion, absorption and immunity. An overgrowth or imbalance of bad bacteria is thought to be a contributor to many of today’s common digestive troubles including Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

4. Herbs and spices – Never underestimate the power of herbs and spices to heal and nourish the body. Gut-loving herbs and spices such as turmeric, ginger, coriander, and cinnamon are all anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial helping to soothe our digestive system, and support our immune system to function optimally. Check out this warm turmeric tea.

5. Berries – Berries are rich in insoluble fibre, which helps to keep our digestive system moving, eliminating waste and toxins. They’re also potent free-radical fighters with their high level of antioxidants protecting our cells from excessive damage that can lead to disease.

6. Salmon – Perhaps my ultimate ‘superfood’, protein and omega-3 rich, anti-inflammatory salmon helps with the management of inflammation in the body and repair of our cells that line our gut wall. Salmon also contains bioactive protein molecules that researchers are studying for their support of insulin effectiveness and control of inflammation in the digestive tract. It also contains selenium, associated with the prevention of colorectal cancer!

7. Gelatin – The highest concentrations typically found in the parts of animal products that we throw away – skin, cartilage, bones etc. Gelatin can strengthen our gut health by enhancing gastric acid secretion and restoring the lining of our stomach.  As it absorbs water, it also helps to keep fluid on our digestive tract, assisting with healthy bowel motions. In addition, regular muscle meat contains methionine – too much methionine can increase blood levels of homocysteine – a risk factor for certain chronic diseases such as heart disease and colon cancer, as well as increasing our requirements for folate, B12, B6 and choline. When we consume the amino acid glycine – rich in gelatin (and muscle meat in smaller amounts), we help to counteract this negative effect of methionine. You can easily get more gelatin in your diet by consuming bone broth or a high quality gelatin supplement (Great Lakes is the brand I use). Vegetarian paleo-style eaters can increase their glycine intake from fish, leafy greens, pumpkin, cabbage, cauliflower, banana, kiwi fruit, and cucumber too.

8. Jerusalem Artichokes – Jerusalem artichokes are especially high in inulin, a prebiotic, indigestible fiber that feeds our gut bacteria. Inulin is fermented in the colon forming a compound called butyrate as a byproduct. Butyrate has been shown to improve the health of the intestinal barrier and also have anti-inflammatory effect.

9. Broccoli – Broccoli and broccoli sprouts contain a chemical called sulforaphane that kills helicobacter pylori, the bacteria responsible for peptic ulcers and most gastric cancers. Eat your broccoli, sprouts, cabbage and Brussels sprouts to help reduce your risk of stomach cancers, and other stomach disorders including gastritis, esophagitis, and acid indigestion.

10. Grass fed butter – Butter is a source of naturally occurring butyrate in our diets. Butyrate is an important source of energy for intestinal cells. Without butyrate, or with very little supply, intestinal cells die. I always recommend a mixture of healthful, wholesome fats and oils in a general person’s diet, and as some foods ferment in the gut producing butyrate, it’s not as essential to consume as some of the other foods listed. Basically, you don’t need to serve up lashings of butter to benefit. However, food sources of butyrate may also enhance intestinal barrier function and improve overall gut health. If you’re not into butter, a diet rich in fibre – both soluble and insoluble will help your gut bacteria to produce more of this healthful compound.

Larina Robinson is a nutritionist and wholefood dietitian based in Sydney. Larina specialises in addressing food intolerances and strongly believes in an individualised approach to healthy eating. Check out her website and blog The Body Dietetics or her Facebook page for more wellness and good living inspiration.

The post Top 10 Foods For A Healthy Gut – Guest Post appeared first on Eat Drink Paleo.

Although these take a while to bake, they are rather simple to make. They are a unique and delicious twist on potatoes; almost like mashed and roasted potatoes in one. What a fantastic side dish idea for just about any meal! For the recipe and baking instructions, go visit the mother and daughter team of cooks over at Caramel Potatoes!