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Wholesome Chef Mici
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Beef Moussaka

2/17/2019

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Mmmmmm... Moussaka!
​I just love the smell of those Middle Eastern spices that fill my home when it's baking in the oven. I make this quite a bit for a few of my clients. Sometimes, dairy free, sometimes onion/garlic free, or sometimes egg free... depending on the needs of the person I'm cooking for that day. Me, I like it with beef not lamb, goat dairy not cow, and without peppers. The version here is no peppers or onions, but it still tastes great if you take any one of these mentioned  ingredients out. Great for a rainy day or big event with friends. 
1-2 lbs. Ground Beef or Lamb
1-2 cups of Onion
2-3 cloves of Garlic
1 can of diced Tomatoes
​1 Zucchini or Summer Squash
1-2 Red Bell Peppers (optional)
1 cup Red Wine
2-3 Eggplants
1/4 cup Raisins (I prefer golden)
Salt/Pepper
Olive oil
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Ginger
1/4 tsp. Allspice
1/8 tsp. Cayenne
Béchamel Sauce:
1/2 cup GF flour (I prefer 2/3 rice,1/3 arrowroot)
2 1/2-3 cups Milk (I prefer goat or light coconut)
1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
2 Eggs (pasture raised)
1 large Goat Cheese Log
1 lemon zested

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​Slice and bake eggplant on a cookie sheet with olive oil and salt for about 30 min or so till soft and starting to brown. 350 degrees.
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Mince garlic (and onions/peppers if using) and sauté with squash for 3-4 min. then add Beef and cook till almost done.
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Add the canned tomato, spices, raisins and S/P to taste. Stir over med flame for 1 min. Shut off burner. 
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Line the bottom of your casserole dish with half of your eggplant. Then pour the beef mixture over this layer. 
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Top with the remaining eggplant.
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For the Béchamel sauce:

Dilute your flour in 1/2 cup of milk and mix till there are no lumps. Then add the egg and mix well. 
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Add the nutmeg, zest and goat cheese to a pan with the rest of the milk and flour mixture. Stir constantly over med flame until it starts to thicken. Don't let it boil. Just stir, stir, stir. Should take about 3-5 min or so. 
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Pour over the eggplant.
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Bake uncovered for 45min-1hr at 350, or until you see bubbles and the top starting to get brown. 
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Try not to burn your tongue! The smells are intoxicating! You may try to eat while it's too hot!
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Briciole

8/22/2015

 
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Briciole is that dish that Marie makes Frank in "Everybody Loves Raymond." No wonder he falls in love with her and she gets jealous when Raymond's wife learns to cook it! If you don't know the episode I'm referring to, its worth a watch (below) for the fun factor.

Pronounced ("Bre jole" slang) ("Bri chi o lay" traditionally)

This is my simplified version. Use real cow dairy or dairy alternative. Either way its sure to please...




2 lbs. Frank Steak... I mean Flank!
1 cup GF bread crumbs
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbs. fresh Basil, minced
2 tbs. Olive oil
1/3 cup Parmisan, freshly grated or
      1/3 cup grated mochi soaked in 2 tsp. ume vinegar 
1/3 cup Provolone or  
       1/3 cup vegan cheese (like Daiya -made from Tapioca)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Favorite Maranara sauce (I used "White Linen" from Italy) 

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Pre-heat oven to 350.


Pound your steak on both sides till tender and thin.
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Prepare your stuffing ingredients and mx in a bowl.
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I used these bread crumbs because I don't like the ones with corn in them. Choose wisely. 
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Spread your stuffing mixture on top of your pounded steak.
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From one of the thin ends start rolling the steak up. You can use twine to hold it shut, but I'm much to busy for all that. It works fine this way. 
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Place in a lined casserole with the finishing end down. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 



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Bake till browned. About 30 min.
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Pour a generous amount of sauce over your browned roll and then cover with parchment paper and foil.


Bake for 1 1/2 hours.
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Slice into rounds and serve with something green!
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Meaty Loaf

7/17/2015

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I regularly make Turkey meat loaf for one of my clients and the house smells sooooooo good, that I decided to make my own version for dinner last night. I don't like turkey so this paleo recipe is made from Grass Fed Beef and Pasture Raised Pork. But feel free to mix whatever ground meats you like: white/dark, poultry/beef, beef/pork...









1lb. Light ground meat
1lb. Dark ground meat
1 Sweet onion, finely chopped
Grassfed butter or oil of choice
1 Zucchini, grated
1 Carrot, grated
1/2 tsp. Sea salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1 tbs. Honey
2 tbs. Tomato paste or Ketchup
1 tbs. Mustard (I prefer dijon)
1 Pasture raised egg
1/3 cup Almond flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour or arrowroot
1/4 cup coconut flour



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Preheat oven to 350.

Finely grate your carrots and zucchini. 

Then chop your onions.
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Sauté your onions till translucent in butter or oil of choice with a pinch of salt.
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Add all ingredients together in a bowl and massage together till all is dispersed evenly.
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Place meat mixture on a parchment lined casserole dish with a small amount of oil on the bottom.

Bake for 1 hour at 350 uncovered.


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Yum City here I come!

No need for gravy.  Very moist and tender. Delicious as is. 


Pair with veggies or a salad. 
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Persian Stew

11/24/2013

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It's cold and windy in North England. "What would you like to do today?" my friend asks me in French. "I can think of nothing better than learning from your mom how to make a traditional Persian dish." I then spend the best day in the warm kitchen with smells and taste combinations I've never had before, laughing and cooking. It was one of the most memorable and fun times on that trip to Europe.

Her mother didn't speak English and I don't speak Farsi, so your guess is as good as mine as to the name of this stew. It's made with walnuts and pomegranates. In Persia, its only prepared at important events like weddings, etc. I'm so happy to share this exotic treasure with you for the Holidays!

3 cups Walnuts
1 med Onion
2 cloves Garlic
2-3 Lbs. Organic Free Range Chicken  or Stew beef (I'm using boneless beef ribs here)
1 tsp. Turmeric
1 1/2 cups Water plus 1 more cup
2 tbs. Tomato Paste or 1/3 cup Tomato Sauce
1/2-3/4 cup Pomegranate Molasses (see below)
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 cup Date syrup (click here to learn more) or coconut sugar to taste

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Roast your walnuts for 10-15 min. They need to be aromatic and golden not browned.

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Roughly chop your onion and skin your garlic.

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Add onion, garlic and turmeric to walnuts with 1 1/2 cups water into a food processor. My Blender is a Ninja, so it can food process. A regular blender may not blend everything smoothly.

Blend until smooth. 

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Pour into your cooking pot. Then add the 1 cup of water to the food processor to get all the walnut particles off the blades and sides. Add to the rest of the mixture in the pot.

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It should have this consistency.

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Bring to a boil. Boil on low for 30min or so.

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You can find Pomegranate molasses at your local Iranian store. Most cities have one. If not, maybe the internet. It's only a few buck. Be sure to get the one that has no added sugar. Just pom concentrate.

Add pom molasses and tomato paste.

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Low boil until the oils separate like in this picture.

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Add your meat and cook for 2-3 hours (depending on your cut). Just make sure whatever meat you choose is falling off the bone or very tender.

At that point, add your date syrup. Mix well.

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This dish is traditionally served with Persian rice with the crispy bottom...

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... but because of it's sweetness, I suggest something plain or salty like my Fish tail potatoes for a grain-free option.

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When you have leftover sauce and have eaten all the meat, saute some sausage up and pour over zucchini pasta. This was even better than the original... but left overs usually are, aren't they?

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Stewing Meat

11/23/2013

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Not eating meat for most of my adult life, I had no idea how to make it tender and flavorful. When I  made the switch, I asked my body how it would like my first piece of meat and I saw a picture of a woman stirring a caldron over a fire. It had carrots, cabbage and potatoes in it. You would expect the body to have some difficulty with it's first time in almost 20 years, but there was none! I was emotionally ready and I chose my first cooking technique well. Now I'm known in my circle of friends as "super carnivore" as a joke. And needless to say, I've mastered stewing it. Many of my clients also like it this way, I hope you do, too.

1-2lbs. Grass Fed Stew Meat (like Chuck, Shank or Rump Roast)
Pad of Grass Fed Butter
Fresh Garlic
Stew Spices: Bay Leaf, Pepper Corns, Mustard Seeds, Rosemary, Red Pepper, Coriander Seeds, Onion Powder
Sea Salt
Water
Optional: Cooking Wine


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Melt your butter in a stew pot. I have a Zepter one that really cooks nicely, but anyone with a thick bottom and stainless would be fine.

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Add your stew meat and fry in butter until it is brown and aromatic. Boy will it be aromatic! My mouth waters at this stage, but you have to snack on something else, because it's gonna be hours before it's done.

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Turn it over and braise the other side.

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Once both sides are browned, add fresh garlic and your cooking wine if you are using it. Maybe 1/4-1/2 cup.

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Place your spices of choice on a piece of cheese cloth. I'm using 1 tbs. of corned beef mix here plus adding rosemary. Each time I do it a little differently. Play around to find your favorite combo.

Tie the cheesecloth in a knot, trapping the spices, so they give flavor but you can remove them later.


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Add enough water to come at least half way up the side of your meat and bring to a boil. Then cover and let it simmer on low flame for 3-4 hours. This will depend on your cut of meat. Half way through, I usually flip it.

It's done when it falls apart with the touch of a spoon.

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Remove the spice sack.

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If using shank, take the bone out. Any marrow that may be left inside, remove and leave it in the broth.

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Taste and season with salt if it needs it.





Options: Wonderful just as it is...

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...Or add vegetables and a little tomato sauce for a beef vegetable stew.

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...Or drain the liquid for another soup and add BBQ sauce.

I don't generally eat agave. It doesn't seem to break down in the body as clean as other sugars (something about an extra carbon on it's molecule), but once in a while, just for fun, I'll use this brand.

In the future, I'll create my own BBQ recipe and post it here.

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Bone Broth

11/22/2013

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Bone Broth is famous for healing all kinds of ailments like the common cold, making your joints move smoothly, your hair and nails strong, and reducing need for actual meat... to even big things like reversing autoimmune dysfunction.

I can tell you, as I made this for the blog, the house smelled rich and sweet... and better than a pie in the oven! It takes a while to make it the way I describe, but you can take the short cut and simmer it on the stove for 3-4 hours until the marrow melts into the broth. I often make a slighter version by getting a beef shank and braising it, then cooking it till the marrow and meat are falling away tender.

Grass fed Beef Bones with marrow
Veggies like carrot, onion, celery, etc...
Water

Parchment paper
Cookie sheet
Crockpot


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For good quality bones, you'll pay around $5/lb. But this makes a lot of broth that you can use in many dishes or freeze for later.

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Line a casserole or cookie pan with sides with parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 mins.

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Or until it is browned.

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Place in a large crock pot with your veggies. Cover with 10-12 cups of water.

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Set Crockpot to High for 2-3 hours and then to low for 12-20 more.

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Strain your bones and veggies out.

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Place in mason jars or freezable containers.

Lasts 7-10 days in the fridge.

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Stuffed Peppers

11/6/2013

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Need something quick and easy? This recipe is so simple and makes a meal next to a salad or veggies. Stuffed peppers are a burger in a shell. This pares well with my Yam Pudding Bread. (click here)
Make dinner fun!






2 Red Bell Peppers
1/2 lb. Organic Ground Meat of choice
Sea Salt & Pepper to taste
(Optional) Red Pepper or Pickled Jalapenos -if you like it spicy
1/2 tsp. Onion Powder
1 clove Fresh Garlic, minced
1 tsp. Dried Basil
1/2 tsp. Dried Thyme

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Cut open the peppers in a jack'o'lantern fashion removing the seeds but leaving the top.

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Mix your ground meat thoroughly with the herbs and spices.

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Stuff your peppers well with your mixture.

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Place into a casserole with a little water on the bottom (about 1/4 cup) and cover with parchment paper. Cover that with aluminum.

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Bake at 350 for 30-40min or until the pepper is tender and the meat is fully cooked.

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Let cool.

Dig in!

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    Author

    Mici is the owner of Wholesome Goodness.

    These recipes are focused on wholesome ingredients from the garden or farm with very little sweet if any. They are gluten or grain free and organic, grass-fed or pasture raised.

    She menu plans, shops, cooks, cleans and fills the fridge with healthy Gluten-Free meals and naturally sweet desserts!

    She also teaches and does personal menu planning for those with restricted diets.

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"I have been richly blessed by Mici’s healing presence in my life.  As a facilitator of personal transformation, her passion and dedication to serving others is evident.  I have grown tremendously from her gifted use of emotional healing work, nutritional counseling, culinary artistry and organizational skills.  She unfailingly demonstrates the highest efficiency and effectiveness, true strength of character, wisdom reaching well beyond her years and a generous heart of gold."    

~Gabriella B.


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