Not Every Recipe is A Winner – Common Sense Philosophies

Not every recipe is a winner. If you’re new to cooking, I think it’s important for you to know this. Now, I admit I do have an uncanny luck with liking most things that I make. My husband was shocked one day when they liked a dish and I refused to eat it because I didn’t like the flavor. It’s rare, but I promise I don’t always like everything I come up with…but my biggest message is…That’s okay!!!

One reason I like doing review blogs on recipes by other bloggers is because I want you guys to know these recipes are accomplish-able. I like to show you guys which recipes I’ve tried. Now…I think my first review was my only negative one and I immediately decided that I did not want to do another negative review. We all have different opinions…We all have our own food issues. For instance…Since going paleo for well over a year now I am not fond of most gluten free bread like products. I have given up on finding a pancake that I like. It’s just a texture issue for me. However, there are several good recipes out there that many people like. My goal is never to discourage anyone from at least trying a recipe.

When you’re cooking you have to be reasonable with your expectations. Not every recipe is going to be right for you. There may even be ingredients that you are just not ready to try. I, frankly, love to try anything and everything. I learned the hard way that I’m not a fan of short ribs. The flavor is just not something I care for. I’ve tried making up my own recipe. I’ve tried other recipes. I’m just not a fan…Again…That’s okay!

The picture above is actually shrimp sauteed in butter, lemon, and pepper. The shrimp turned out really soft and the butter flavor over powered the shrimp. It just didn’t taste good. I was not a fan of the texture either. Grilled shrimp would be a much choice for this salad in hind sight.

Things I’ve learned when choosing and trying recipes:

• Go for it! Don’t be afraid to try it.
• Modify when you know what you like. If you know you prefer basil over thyme…Do it! Try it!
• Recipes are not written in stone. Experiment. Use the recipe as a guideline when you’re comfortable enough to experiment.
• Keep time in mind. Do you really want to try to master bouef bourguignon on a Wednesday night?
• Don’t be afraid to make your own recipe! (Have you seen the tab that says “Stuff I Make Up”?)
• Shop local and in season as much as you can for inspiration.
• Stay inspired and watch others cook, such as cooking shows, or on YouTube.

To end this Common Sense Philosophies post, I want to remind you my dear friends, just because the recipe isn’t a winner, doesn’t mean you’re a loser. You are still winning with experience points. Every meal is a lesson and you get a chance three times a day to try again, and learn more. I told my husband the other day, there’s nothing in this world that I wouldn’t want to learn. The day I stop learning is the day I’m ready to move on to the next life to learn something new there.

Keep on cooking friends and come back next time. I have several recipes and a review coming up that I am so very excited to share with you. I’ll be reviewing He Won’t Know It’s Paleo’s Red Wine Pasta Sauce…and I have figured out my AIP Bouef Bourguignon. Thank you guys for your continued support. It is so greatly appreciated.

-Ami M. Lee, Experimenter, Mad Hatter Chef, The Common Sense Cook

Roasted Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Alfredo

One of my husband’s favorite things that I make him is my Orange Sauce. You can look back and find that recipe on this blog. The problem is, it has roasted red bell pepper and I can not eat nightshades. I had a craving and just felt there was a solution to making this sauce. I picked up some small butternut squash from my farmer’s market and voila!

I’ve also figured out my meatball recipe! I’ve been trying for about a year now on how to make a good, juicy meatball. I want to encourage you, even if you fail on a recipe, don’t give up! Try and try again.

Here’s what you’ll need for this yummy yellow sauce:

Meatballs-

• 1 to 2 pounds of Grassfed Ground Beef
• 1 Large Clove of Garlic
• Italian Seasoning
• Salt and Pepper (Omit Pepper for AIP. Sauce isn’t AIP but you could enjoy these meatballs.)

Sauce-

• 2 Small or 1 Large Butternut Squash, Peeled and Diced
• 1 Large Onion, Sliced
• 1 Can of Artichoke Hearts
• 1- 4 Ounce Package of Garlic and Herb Goat Cheese
• 1 Cup of Parmigiano Reggiano, Grated or Pulsed till Fine in a Food Processor
• 1 Cup of Half and Half
• Olive Oil

Prepare all of your vegetables and set them aside in different bowls.

Throw the diced butternut squash onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and set under the broiler for 10 minutes. Stir the squash around and try to flip each piece. It doesn’t have to be perfect though. Put it back under the broiler for another 7 to 10 minutes. When you use your broiler, don’t walk away from it. Keep a very close eye on it. Set it aside once it is done.

Add olive oil to a large pan. Heat it on medium to medium high heat (depending on your stove) and saute the onion and artichoke hearts. Add garlic and herb cheese. Allow it to melt then start adding the half and half. After it come to a bubble add the Parmigiano. Stir until well combined and bubbly.

Carefully, place the sauce in a blender or food processor. Blend until it is smooth.

For the meatballs, add the spices (or change it up, use what you like) and mix with your hands. Form into small balls and place on a baking sheet. If you use non-stick aluminum foil it’ll make the process of using the broiler twice, easier. Here’s the part that I figured out. My meatballs were about the size of if you made a circle by placing your pointer finger and thumb together. Nothing bigger. Maybe…Ping Pong ball size if that helps. I spaced them out on the sheet and put them under the broiler for only 10 minutes. I was (and had been) putting them in for 10 minutes each side. My best advice is to go ahead and break one open.

If you’re gluten free, you can try to find a gluten free noodle or I enjoy sweet potato starch noodles. You can find them in Asian grocery stores. Or, if you aren’t paleo or gluten free, feel free to enjoy with your favorite pasta of choice. You can also try chicken instead of beef as well. Top off with some extra parmigiano reggiano and devour.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! I want to encourage each and everyone of you that may be dealing with food allergies to keep trying! Food should be enjoyed and delicious…To me, it’s only..You know, Common Sense. Make sure you come back next time to see what I can recreate next.

-Ami M. Lee, Sauce Loving, Common Sense Cook

Flashback Friday – Predominately Paleo Taco Shells, Two Ways (AIP Friendly)

I mentioned in my Month in Review for February that one of my favorite bloggers recently has been Jen from Predominately Paleo. She shares a wide variety of recipes that are often easily modified (or are) AIP Friendly! Not only that, but even my kiddos who don’t require their diet to be strictly AIP, enjoy many of her recipes.

I had read plenty of her blogs…pinned several. But, when it came to what I actually wanted to do I was a little unsure. The first time I tried this I messed up. I used coconut oil instead and ended up with a thick, hot mess… However, I happened to press some into a cupcake tin and made some amazing taco shell bowls! So if you want cupcake, taco bowls…Switch the avocado oil for coconut oil. Bake for 20 minutes and you’re done. If not…Stay tuned and try another way. It never hurts to know how to use a recipe in more than one way.
Here’s what you’ll need:
⦁ 3 Ripe Plantains (They should be heavily spotted, yellow, or black.)
⦁ 1/2 Cup Avocado Oil
⦁ 1 Teaspoon Garlic Sea Salt (I just used garlic powder and sea salt separately.)
⦁ 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder (left out)
⦁ Optional: 1 teaspoon hot sauce (not AIP)
⦁ Optional: Juice of half a lime.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Add all of the ingredients to a blender. Process until it turns into a consistent, slightly thick batter. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. I decided to add some coconut oil to try to keep it from sticking…but it definitely still stuck on pretty well. If you’re okay with using non stick aluminum foil it does help. (I don’t know how this stuff works, but it’s magic and did help the next time I made these).
Add a spoon full onto the baking sheet and use the back of the spoon to spread it out. Mine ended up being 2ish inches wide making some awkwardly shaped, baby taco shells. I may consider making fewer taco shells and opting for larger ones next time. Try to get them even and flat, keeping the size of your palm a good consideration for size (according to the original recipe that I’ll link below!).
Bake for 20 minutes. You’ll want to carefully try to flip them. I’m wondering if the parchment paper would have done better because I had a hard time flipping these bad boys. A good, flat spatula was helpful. Throw them back in the over for 10 minutes.
Here comes the dangerous part…Are you scared? Don’t be! Set those tacos on a plate. Place the baking sheet on your bottom rack to catch any crumbs or drippy grease. Drape the tacos directly over a bar on the oven rack. I found tongs very useful in helping to bend them without getting my fingers too close to the rack. Jen has some links on her blog to taco racks that are probably much easier and safer to handle that you can check out.
My tacos came out awful crisp and so close to burnt. It’s suggested that they go back in for another 20-30 minutes. I think this will depend on the size. If you have little baby tacos like me, it can be as quick as 10 minutes!
Carefully remove them from the oven with some tongs. I went ahead and left them folded to cool, and dry a few minutes. Add your favorite taco fixin’s and you have an amazing, flavorful taco shell creation that is sure to please! I know that we loved them! It was a little tricky at first, but I think once you get this down, it’ll be Taco Tuesday every Tuesday. Even if you’re not paleo/aip I hope you’ll try out this yummy alternative. Here’s is the link to Jen’s original recipe (http://predominantlypaleo.com/grain-free-taco-shells-paleo-vegan/).
I hope you enjoy this recipe review! Be sure to check out Jen on her website and on Facebook. She is very interactive and just the sweetest and brightest energy I’ve seen from a blogger. I just want to find her and make her my blogging best friend! Make sure y’all come back and see me on Manic Monday where I try to give you guys some of my quicker recipes to help you through dealing with a case of the Mondays!.
-Ami M. Lee, Taco Destroyer, Common Sense Cook

Manic Monday – Paleo Chicken Salad

Lunch has to be my least favorite meal. I just don’t know what to make half the time. I don’t want to cook a full meal, but I need to feed four people. These little kiddo of mine are getting more of the big kid appetites. Day after day…What in the world am I going to feed you little people, rolls across my mind. I was looking through “the pinterest” and happened across a club chicken salad. Lost that recipe and had to do what I do best… Making things up as I go.

On a funny side note…As I sit here blogging and realizing how many times I say that, I can see a whole line of cookbooks… “Paleo Stuff that I make Up.” “Still Making Stuff Up.” or “Making Stuff Up, Too Paleo, Too Fast.” Okay maybe that last one is a little silly… But I do dare to dream.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 Package of Chicken Tenderloins (The strips…Or go ahead and cut up the breasts yourself.)
• 1 Package of Bacon (I do Simple Truth or Oscar Mayer Selects without nitrates and such.)
• Green Onion
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Homemade Mayo (Check out my previous blog: https://acommonsensecook.wordpress.com/2015/03/28/paleo-mayonaise/)
• Lettuce Wraps (Or bread if you do bread. The kiddos enjoyed it as a sandwich.)

Cut up your bacon into small pieces and add them into a pan. Let them get into the cooking about 5 minutes before adding the pieces of chicken. Spread them out into one layer letting the bacon be in between the pieces. Let cook until a little brown on each side…This shouldn’t take much longer than 15 minutes. If you want to make sure it’s cooked through, go ahead and cut one open.

To make the cutting into bite size pieces easier, use a pair of kitchen scissors. Cut them into a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Now…This is super simple. You can add many more things that you like into this. You could even add the salad part. ^__^

For the kiddos, I added some plantain chips with some golden raisins. They enjoyed their sandwich and all of them finished. I would feel good sending this in their school lunches and would be confident that they would eat it without Mommy supervision.

I hope you’ll try this out. Feel free to share any other great ingredients we could include in this in the comments below. Don’t forget you can come chat with me on Instagram (thecommonsensecook), Twitter (@AmiLeePhotos), and Facebook (a link is on the side bar >>>). You can also see that I like a lot of things other than cooking! LOL Make sure you come back next time to see what I can figure out for lunch next.

-Ami M. Lee, Lunch Packer, Bacon Lover, Common Sense Cook

A Rainbow of Vegetables!

I hope you enjoy a look into what kind of vegetables we eat around here. This is, by far, no where near close to the odd things I usually keep around here…but a good look at what we eat most often. What are the veggies that you buy most? Leave me a comment below! 🙂 I’d love to see.

Wherever you are in the world, I hope you are having a wonderful day, from my Common Sense Kitchen to yours.

-Ami M. Lee, Veggie Hoarder, Batch Cook Novice, Common Sense Cook

Coconut Butter

This may be the toughest recipe I’ve ever done! While there is only one ingredient…the prep of this recipe is long and tough. I’m not one to be negative, but if you don’t have a very, high powered blender. This will not work. Even my Ninja blender that I normally brag on as affordable and great working…Just couldn’t do it. I had to pull out the big gal…the loud….the powerful, Black and Decker Food Processor.

What is coconut butter? Oh man. It is a sweet spread and my kiddos agree that it goes great on apples. I’ve seen recipes where you can use it as “frosting” for cinnamon rolls or added into recipes to make chocolate chunks. It definitely has it’s uses. The problem for me as a budget conscious momma is that a pre-made jar is over $8 before tax and isn’t even organic at our local store. Is it worth it? After the trouble of this recipe…I see why it is a little more expensive but let’s save some money and do it ourselves if we have the resources!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 – 7 ounce Packages of Wild Oats Marketplace Organic Unsweetened Coconut Flake (Found at Wal-Mart.)

If your food processor bowl is big enough, go ahead and add all of the coconut flake. If not, add it in batches as space allows. This is the hard part…. It’s loud. It’s a long time to wait. But, basically you go until it turns into a creamy consistency. Keep an eye out and stop it to scrape down the sides to help it along. This can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes depending on the ability of your food processor. This should fill up a 12 oz jar.

While you’re waiting, here’s the benefits of all that hard work. Instead of $8 plus tax for a jar; I was able to make mine homemade and organic for $4.11 with tax (of course that’ll vary depending on where you live). Basically, you could save over half by taking some time to do it yourself!

When doing diets like Paleo and the Autoimmune Protocol, it seems very important to me to save where you can. Real food coupons are not released as frequent as junk food coupons. If you can make things from scratch, it really helps save on the budget. And in turn, you might make you’re grandparents happy by doing what they grew up doing.

I hope you enjoy the fruits of your labor with this recipe. I’m sending you an ooey gooey snacking alternative from my Common Sense Kitchen to yours. Come back next time and see what recipes I can hammer out next.

-Ami M. Lee, Coconut Butter Loving, Common Sense Cook

Homemade Taco Seasoning

When I ask my children what they would like for supper for the week the first answer is usually always, “TACOS!” I’ve always rather been fond of tacos so I really don’t mind paleo-fying some tacos. What I found was my trusty seasoning packet from McCormick that claims All Natural and No MSG (which are winners in my book), just was too salty. Even the low sodium packet made me blow up like a balloon. I really don’t cook with much salt. Just a few cracks of Pink Himalayan salt and I’m good.

So what to do? I went scouring the internet and came up with a recipe. However, the recipe was too small, and needed garlic. This is what came of it.

Here’s what you’ll need for this seasoning:

• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• Salt and pepper

All you have to do is measure and throw this in a tiny bowl. Mix with a fork (or a finger…who’s watching!?). For ground beef tacos I always pour the seasoning on top of the beef then add a little bit of water. Around 1/2 a cup or less, depending on how much meat I’m using. If I’m really looking for a strong garlic flavor, I mince up some fresh garlic. But, as one of the readers mentioned on a previous post, not everyone cares for such a strong garlic flavor. Play around with this and make sure it’s what you like! 🙂

I hope you enjoy this quick and easy trick to taco seasoning. It doesn’t just work for tacos, feel free to use it on chicken, beef, or even tuna. That’s right…I said tuna. (Recipe on the way…)

Come back next time to see what this Spicy, Maraca shaking Common Sense cook will throw together next. I’m sending you full, but not bloated from sodium bellies, from my kitchen to yours.

-Ami M. Lee, The Common Sense Cook

Mushroom Broth

It’s getting so close to fall here in Arkansas. If you live anywhere north of us, it may already feel like fall. It’s time for pumpkins and stews. Oh, I love a good stew. I made a great beef & butternut squash from Autoimmune Paleo last night that was soooo delicious!

However, one day, I was going through my pantry and happened to pick up a box of my “favorite” organic box of chicken stock. I’ve been buying it for years. Ingredients are clean and organic but wait…what the heck is this y’all!? Allergen warning: May contain wheat. -____-
Unfortunately for me, being pretty allergic to gluten, I can’t use it. I was a bit furious at the time because the ingredients didn’t list anything that was a known gluten product, except the “natural flavors” and most companies distinguish between, produced in the same facility as, or produced with an ingredient that may have. So what did I do? I made. Stuff. Up. (Are y’all seeing a theme yet?)

Here is what you’ll need for this gluten free broth:

• 1 package of portobello mushrooms
• A lotta water (Enough to fill a big soup pot. Store the extra!)
• Bay Leaf
• Salt and Pepper
• Rosemary

In my DDP Yoga guide they mentioned using mushroom broth but didn’t leave a recipe. This is so easy. It stores beautifully in the fridge for you to pull out whenever you need it.

Simply add everything into a big pot of water. My regular sized soup pot held about 15 cups of water and I ended up saving 2 quarts, plus the 2 cups I used for supper that night. Bring everything to a slow boil and turn the mushrooms every so often. This really shouldn’t take more that 20 to 30 minutes. We’re basically making brown, flavored water. Don’t let it boil over, just let it bubble away until dark brown.
Transfer this dark brown liquid into a storing container and let it cool. If you want a stronger flavor you could leave the mushrooms to sit in the broth over night. Then, pull them out and discard them (or save them for your friends compost pile :)).

I’ve put this in stews, chilli, soups, and even used it with a can of green beans to pull out that canned flavor. My mom even asked if they were fresh green beans! This is a great staple to keep in your fridge. I believe I kept mine for a week or two in the fridge and it worked out fine every time. It’s also a great way to sneak in other veggies into the family diet.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. If you give a try come on over to the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/commonsensecook) and show me a picture! Really, if you’re a beginner cook, this one is just too easy to mess up. Come back next week to see what this crazy hippie gal Common Sense Cook makes up next.

-Ami M. Lee, The Common Sense Cook

We Be Jammin’

One of my good friends has started baking his own bread. Yes, I am a little jealous of his beautiful bread maker! Did you know they come with gluten free bread settings? This may just need to go on my Christmas list this year. In addition, some have a jam setting. One thing lead to another and bing, bang, boom! I wanted to make paleo jam. But, how does one make paleo jam without refined sugar?
I have been avoiding sugar since April and have found such an extreme sensitivity to it since. My friend had told me a few things about making jam that I tried to translate to my recipe. The jam cooks hotter than the bread cycle, it continuously stirs the jam, and it needs something citrus. Like a fairy god mother in a Disney movie, I waved my magical spoonula and off I went!
What you will need for this “Awesome Sauce” as Madison calls it:
⦁ Your favorite kind of fresh berries (I have used Strawberries, Blackberries, Peaches, and Blueberries)
⦁ Salt
⦁ Honey (Use local if you can…It is said to help with seasonal allergies and has anti-bacterial qualities.)
⦁ A Fresh Lemon (Depending on how many berries you have, you may only need half a lemon.)
You will need to make sure you have the time to stick around with this jam. It needs almost constant stirring. But, as far as labor, this is pretty easy.
Add your berries to a medium size sauce pan. Add a crack or two of sea salt. I love Pink Himalayan Salt. It is said to have one of the highest trace mineral counts. Then swirl some honey three or four times around the pan (add more or less depending on your taste). I have been using Simple Truth Organic Orange Blossom Honey. It has a smooth taste and light flavor, but remember there are good benefits to local honey if you have some on hand. Last, but not least, squeeze that lemon over the pot making sure not to let any seeds fall in. It’s a sticky mess if you do! I know from experience…
The salt helps the water come out of the berries, the honey makes it sweet, and the lemon helps with the balance and helping it last longer. I start out on a 6 on my cook top (or medium high) and let it get to a very good bubble. Don’t let it over flow the pan though. Let it do this for a few minutes then turn it down between 4 and 5 (medium) and just let it reduce away. The time varies depending on the berries. Blueberry took the least amount of time and was very smooth. The blackberries come in next and has a grainy texture but is tart and very delicious. The strawberries took the longest and let out tons of water! The peaches were chunky, sticky, but by far my favorite. When the mixture is thick and sticky and starts sticking to the pan, it is done! I let mine cool in a bowl and clean the pan immediately!
So there you go! We be jam’min in this house and I don’t mean doing a funny little jig to a funky song in my kitchen. What am I saying? I am that mom who dances and sings around her kitchen while cooking up a storm! This jam is great on bread, waffles, toast…or any other yumminess you can think up.
I’m sending you artificial sugar free deliciousness, from my common sense kitchen to yours. I hope you’ll come back next week to see what this funky fresh, hippie, common sense cook comes up with next.
-Ami M. Lee
The Common Sense Cook