Archives for September 2019

Hoisin Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Mango Salsa

September 30, 2019~ Main, The Platefull Blog

This recipe is hands down one of my grilling favorites. Any time we have friends or family coming for dinner, this is a go-to recipe. I like to serve this with sweet potatoes and a mango salsa (make your own or do what I do and buy it premade – my favorite is the mango salsa that Whole Foods makes in their premade items in the produce section). I mix the sauce for the meat on Sundays during my meal prep for the week, which makes for a really quick weeknight dinner! In fact, we are having it tonight!

Hoisin Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Mango Salsa

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

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1/3 cup hoisin sauce

2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

2 Tbsp maple syrup

1 1/2 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger

1 1/2 tsp fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp chile garlic paste

1 garlic clove, minced

2 lbs pork tenderloin (1-lb each)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper

cooking spray

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Instructions

Prepare grill or Traeger.

Combine hoisin, rice vinegar, maple syrup, ginger, lime juice, Chile garlic paste, and garlic in a bowl and whisk together.

Butterfly the pork tenderloin by slicing lengthwise, not through to the other side. Press the pork flat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the butterflied pork on the grill and cook for 5 minutes. Flip the pork over, baste with the sauce, and cook 5 more minutes. Flip the pork again, baste with the sauce, and cook 5 more minutes. Continue flipping and basting the pork until it reaches the desired degree of doneness (I prefer mine cooked to 155 degrees). Let the meat rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve the sliced pork pieces topped with mango salsa.

Perfect Pancakes

September 28, 2019~ Breakfast, The Platefull Blog

About a year ago, my brother came to visit and made the most amazing pancakes for breakfast. It has forever ruined my children. No longer is boxed pancake mix acceptable to them. But at 7:30 AM on a Saturday, I had no desire to be separating eggs and whipping egg whites. (If you have the patience and time for that, you must try this recipe!). I knew I needed to find a way to make perfectly fluffy pancakes, without the hassle. That’s how this recipe came about.

A fun way to serve pancakes if you have guests is to set out berries, chocolate chips, crumbled cooked bacon, butter, and syrup for a build-your-own pancake bar. Seeing as how my kids prefer eating chocolate at 7:30 in the morning, I take the easy way out and put a small dish of chocolate chips on their plates with a puddle of syrup. Either way, these pancakes taste great!

Perfect Pancakes

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

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1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon granulated white sugar

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 1/4 cups milk

1 egg

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Instructions

Melt the butter in the microwave and let cool slightly. In the meantime, whisk the egg and milk. Slowly stream the melted butter into the egg/milk mixture, while constantly whisking. Add the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt and stir with a fork until well combined and the big lumps are gone. Let the batter stand for 10 minutes.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium low heat. Add 1/2 Tablespoon butter and melt in the pan, swirling to coat the bottom. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, pour batter into the pan to form a pancake. Cook until the top side is bubbly, then flip to cook through on the other side.

Serve with butter and syrup (or your favorite pancake toppings) fresh out of the pan!

Pizza Night!

September 27, 2019~ Baking, The Platefull Blog

About 3 years ago, my dear friend taught me how to make pizza dough from scratch and it changed our lives forever. Really! ;). Since that time, Friday night pizza night has been a tradition in our house. It’s a night that all of us look forward to. I make the dough during the day, then the boys hop up in their cooking towers to make their own pizzas. They love getting to choose what goes on their pizza and sometimes surprise me with their choices! While the pizza cooks, we put on a movie, spread out a picnic blanket on the living room floor, and settle in for pizza night. I love this tradition because it makes meal planning a cinch (for at least one night of the week) and it’s a relaxed way to end the week. The boys are happy (and quiet!) while they watch their movie and eat pizza, and I’m happy to sit between them and have a glass of wine. Perfect way to end a week!

Here’s the recipe for the pizza dough. Top it any way you like! Check out the guest post my dear friend wrote a few years ago when she first taught me the art of homemade pizza dough. 🙂

Small Batch Pizza Dough

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

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1 ¼ c. very-warm-but-not-hot water (ideally between 105 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit)

1 package active dry yeast

Pinch of sugar

4 c. flour

Pinch of salt

Olive oil

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Instructions

Dissolve the sugar in the warm water and gently stir in the yeast. (I use my kitchen thermometer to be sure the water temperature is about 110 degrees Fahrenheit). Allow it to proof for 5 – 15 minutes.

Place 2 of the 4 cups of flour in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached and add a pinch of salt, the yeast/water mixture, and 1 – 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Stir until it’s combined, and then gradually (1/2 cup at a time) add in the remaining flour until the dough forms a ball. (You don’t want to use too much and make the dough too dense, you just want to make sure that it isn’t sticky).

Remove the dough from the mixer bowl and knead the dough by hand until it’s smooth and elastic, then form into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl. Use your hand to lightly coat the top with olive oil and cover it loosely with a kitchen towel.

Allow it to rise for a few hours and then form into 4 balls to then roll out into dough. Top with desired pizza toppings and cook at 450 on a pizza stone (heat the stone in the oven as the oven preheats) for 10 minutes.

No-Parm Chicken Parm

September 16, 2019~ Main, The Platefull Blog

This recipe is one that I created during my second Whole 30. This breading is so good that I keep it on hand as a pantry staple! It’s Whole 30 compliant, but you’d never know it. I serve it on zucchini or carrot noodles.

No-Parm Chicken Parm

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

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1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup almond meal

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1 Tbsp water

2 chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thick

1 jar marinara sauce

2–3 Tbsp olive oil, for frying

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Instructions

In a bowl, combine the coconut flour, almond meal, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt.

In another bowl, lightly beat the egg with 1Tbsp water. In another dish, place 1/2 cup of the coconut flour mixture. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Bread the chicken by coating both sides in the egg mixture, then in the breading mixture. Shake off the excess so that you have a thin coating of breading. Place the chicken in the skillet and cook about 3-4 minutes per side, until cooked through. In the meantime, heat the marinara in the microwave. Top the chicken with warm marinara.

Serve with spaghetti noodles, carrot noodles, noodles, or mashed potatoes.

Taco Potatoes

September 14, 2019~ Main, The Platefull Blog

Just writing out this recipe makes me hungry! My mom made this for us as kids – I guess she was 30 years ahead of the “stuffed potato” fad! This is another easy weeknight meal. I prep all of the ingredients and serve it taco-bar-style. My kids stuff their own potatoes, or sometimes choose to eat the ingredients all separately. Either way, it’s easy on me! This recipe is easily adaptable for Whole30 by omitting cheese and sour cream and using a compliant taco seasoning (or making your own). Oh, and the Doritos are definitely not compliant….

Taco Potatoes

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

Scale

4 russet potatoes

1 lb hamburger

1 packet taco seasoning

1/2 can black beans

Salsa

Shredded cheddar cheese

Avocado, diced

Tomatoes, chopped

Doritos, crushed

Sour Cream

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Instructions

Clean the potatoes and poke holes with a fork. Microwave until the potatoes are soft through the middle.

While the potatoes are cooking, heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the hamburger to the skillet. Once the hamburger is cooked about halfway through, drain a can of black beans. Add half the can of black beans (or more, to your liking) to the skillet. Once the meat has cooked through, add the taco seasoning, per the package instructions. Set the meat mixture aside.

When the potatoes are finished cooking, cut each potato down the middle and squeeze the outside to open. Stuff the potato with the meat mixture, then top with salsa, shredded cheddar cheese, diced avocado, chopped tomatoes, crushed up Doritos, and sour cream.

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Feta

September 12, 2019~ Side Dishes, The Platefull Blog

This is definitely one of the easiest side dish recipes you could ask for and has quickly become one of my go-to sides for a weeknight dinner.

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Feta

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

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1 bunch asparagus

1/2 cup feta

1 lemon

1 Tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

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Instructions

Preheat the broiler. Trim the asparagus and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the asparagus on a sheet pan and broil until tender and starting to brown. As soon as the asparagus comes out of the oven, squeeze the juice of 1 small lemon over the top and sprinkle with feta.

Alternatively, the asparagus can be cooked on the grill.

Fajita Chicken

September 10, 2019~ Main, The Platefull Blog

One of my favorite recipes is my fajita stuffed chicken. It’s gooey-gooey, cheesy fajita goodness stuffed into a chicken breast and baked. When I set out to do my first Whole 30, I had to find a way to get the same flavors, fast and easy. That’s where this recipe was born (if you can even call it that – it’s so easy, it’s not really even a recipe!). This is my kind of weeknight dinner!

Fajita Chicken

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

Scale

2 Tbsp Penzey’s Fajita Seasoning, divided

2 Chicken Breasts

1 bag Fire Roasted Peppers and Onions (Frozen, from Trader Joe’s)

Guacamole (Trader Joe’s Avocado’s Number Guacamole)

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375. Place two chicken breasts in a baking dish and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp fajita seasoning. Bake for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, top the chicken breasts with the peppers and onions and sprinkle the remaining 1 Tbsp of fajita seasoning on top. Bake for another 15 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked.

Serve topped with Trader Joe’s Avocado’s Number Guacamole.

Sheet Pan Fajitas

September 10, 2019~ Main, The Platefull Blog

I have been completely obsessed with sheet pan dinners lately. There is nothing easier on a busy school night than a meal that can be fully prepped ahead of time and thrown into the oven on one pan at dinner time. The best thing about these is that I just put the pan directly onto the table, set out tortillas and toppings, and everyone built their own! Just ask my kids – when you build your own fajita, it tastes great. When your mom builds it for you – no bueno. I hope you find a sous chef as cute as mine! 😉

Sheet Pan Fajitas

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

Scale

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

2 large chicken breasts (1 to 1 1/2 lbs), sliced into 1/2 inch thick strips

2 bell peppers (green, red, or yellow – your preference), sliced into strips

1 sweet yellow onion, halved and sliced

For serving:

Tortillas

Shredded cheese

Sour Cream

Salsa

Avocado or Guacamole

Lime

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Instructions

Prehead oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine 2 Tbsp olive oil and spices. Add the chicken strips and toss well to coat the chicken.

Line a sheet pan with foil. Spread out the chicken on one side. Spread out the peppers and onions on the other side and drizzle with the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil. Toss to coat.

Bake, tossing the veggies once during cooking, until the chicken has cooked through, about 18-20 minutes (make sure the chicken has reached 165 degrees in the thickest parts). When the chicken has finished cooking, remove from the open and squeeze a little fresh lime juice over the top of the chicken. (If you don’t have fresh limes, skip this step).

Serve with tortillas, shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa and guacamole.

Notes

To prep ahead, mix the spices and store in a small spice container. Slice the chicken and veggies and refrigerate. On the day of cooking, combine the spices with 2 Tbsp olive oil and mix well with the chicken. Follow remaining recipe steps.

One-Pan Sausage and Peppers

September 7, 2019~ Main, The Platefull Blog

I don’t think dinner could get much easier than this recipe! I love a meal that produces very few dishes. While I love to cook, I hate doing the dishes. Someday I’ll task the boys with that job. 😉

One-Pan Sausage and Peppers

Author: Sarah

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Ingredients

Scale

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 package Trader Joe’s Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Chicken Sausage

1 package pre-sliced fajita veggies

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Instructions

Heat the skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken sausage (whole) until partially cooked and browned some on the outside. Remove from the pan and slice into 1.5 inch thick slices. Add 1 Tbsp oil to the pan. Add the sausage slices and fajita veggie mix and cook until charred. Flip the sausage pieces over part way through so they get a char on both of the cut sides.

Notes

I use the frozen peppers and onion mix from Trader Joe’s. You could also use fresh peppers and onions (slice them ahead to make mealtime even easier).

BBQ Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Crispy Shallots and Slaw

September 5, 2019~ Main, The Platefull Blog

One of the things I love about stuffed sweet potatoes is that I can modify the meal to suit my kids’ tastes without sacrificing my Whole30 plans. For this recipe, I just serve their items separate – they don’t like them all mixed together, but are happy to eat plain meat and plain potato. Add a side of fruit and they are good to go!

BBQ Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Crispy Shallots and Slaw

Author: Sarah
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Scale

4 sweet potatoes

1 package Kirkland’s Smoked Pulled Pork

2 medium Shallots

Barbecue Sauce

3 Tbsp olive oil

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Instructions

Wash the sweet potatoes and poke holes in them for microwaving. Microwave until cooked through. Microwave the pulled pork to warm, following the instructions on the package. While the potatoes and pork are cooking, heat the oil in a small skillet over medium high heat. Thinly slice the shallots. When the oil is hot, add the shallots and cook until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

To assemble, cut the sweet potato open lengthwise. Stuff with the pulled pork, top with your favorite barbecue sauce and crispy shallots. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even top with coleslaw! Or just have it on the side.