Bacon Brussels Apple Hash

One of my favorite flavor combinations: bacon, Brussels sprouts, onion and apple. I could eat varying kinds of hashes all day long.

Bacon Brussels Apple Hash

  • 1 pkg “ends and pieces” bacon (Trader Joes)
  • 1 bag shredded Brussels sprouts (Trader Joes)
  • 1 white onion, loosely chopped
  • 1 apple, diced (mine was soft, not one you’d want to eat by itself)
  • Grassfed garlic butter
  • 2 Pastured eggs
  • Salt/pepp

Start cooking the ends and pieces in a deep sauté pan, continue cooking until bacon is cooked to your liking (I cooked a little longer because I prefer crispier bacon). Add the onion, and sprinkle with salt/pepp, continuing to sauté on med heat. Once the onions start to turn transparent, add the entire bag of shredded sprouts and toss. Once the hash is almost entirely cooked, toss in the apple just to warm, so it doesn’t get mushy and turn to low heat.

In a small sauté pan, melt a cube of grassfed garlic and herb butter, and crack two pastured eggs into the butter (LOOK AT THE COLOR OF THE YOLKS, OMG). Cook to your desired yolk texture. Pair with hash. Mmmm. Leftovers for lunch today!IMG_4025[1]IMG_4028[1]IMG_4027[1]IMG_4033[1]

Garlic Charred Broccoli

I’ve been craving broccoli. It upsets my stomach, but I eat it anyway because IT’S SO GOOD.

I bought two bags of organic broccoli from Trader Joe’s, dumped it all on a foil lined baking sheet, drizzled olive oil over it (very little), sprinkled with fresh ground sea salt and black pepper, and garlic powder. Roasted at 400 degrees until it started to char. Slightly crunchy, super flavorful and delicious!photo 1 (24) photo 2 (25) photo 3 (14)

Trader Joe’s Garlic “Flavored” Olive Oil

I just posted an article on my Facebook page the other about what “natural flavors” are. Pretty much comes down to if it says natural, it’s most likely not, and disgusting too. Here’s the article: “Chemical Warfare with Natural Flavor.” Thanks to Food Babe for this!

One of my most favorite, and simplest lunches is butter lettuce, avocado, sea salt and black pepper, with Trader Jose’s 100% Spanish Organic Extra Virgin Garlic Flavored Olive Oil. I was worried by the word flavored, and preferred to know what it was (and what I’m putting in my body), so I asked.photo (7)

Here’s what I sent Trader Joe’s:

Hello There!
I am needing to understand the ingredients behind the “Organic Natural Garlic Flavor” included in this Garlic Flavored Olive Oil, as a result of serious food sensitivities. I tried to research on your site, but couldn’t find the information. It is my all time favorite, but am concerned about the ingredients that are in the “natural flavoring.”
Thanks so much!
Lindsay

Trader Joe’s response:

Hi Lindsay,
Thank you for contacting us! There are no “natural flavors” listed in our Trader Joe’s 100% Spanish Organic Extra Virgin Garlic Flavored Olive Oil. The “Organic Natural Garlic Flavor” is made by extracting and concentrating the best Spanish Organic Garlic then added to the oil.
Thanks again,
Nicki K.
Trader Joe’s
Customer Relations

Love their customer relations and I will continue eating my favorite quick lunch salad 🙂 Better salad dressing than Kraft Ranch any day. Ha.

Thyme Brussels Sprout Hash

I am whipping up some crazy good hashes here lately, that have all the key ingredients: healthy fat, vegetables, herbs and protein. They’ve recently become my go-to meal on a busy weeknight when I can quickly choose 5-7 ingredients, and saute. I typically have something that needs to be used, so I take that 1 ingredient and creatively build around it: last night, I had cherry tomatoes that were on their last day of survival.

Thyme Brussels Sprout Hash

  • Bacon, cut into pieces
  • 1/2 small red onion, cut into pieces
  • 1 bag shredded Brussels sprouts (I use TJ’s)
  • 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 apple, diced into small pieces (sweeter, like gala or pink lady)
  • 2 TBSP dried thyme
  • Kosher salt/pepp

I started by sauteing the cut bacon pieces (1/2 a package of TJ’s uncured ends and pieces) in a pan until they started to cook, and then added the cut onion, TBSP of thyme, and dash of kosher salt/pepp. I sauteed for a few minutes longer, then dumped the bag of shredded sprouts into the pan and let them cook down to where the bacon and sprouts were just starting to caramelize/brown. Sprouts start out white and slowly turn a pretty rich green as they cook, which makes it easier to know when they’re approaching done-ness. Then I added the cherry tomatoes, halved, and tossed gently to let them warm up. Last, I added the diced apple and remaining TBSP of thyme. I let it cook just a few minutes longer and served. It was so comforting, and as with all hashes, there was plenty leftover for breakfast or lunch the next couple of days 🙂photo (1)photo 1photo 2photo

Tips: Add the “softer” ingredients toward the end to just warm them, this prevents mushiness and watery-ness. Also, with the exception of the apple, I cut everything for this dish directly over the pan, with kitchen shears-so convenient! If you don’t have any, I’d highly recommend getting a pair.

Fried Rice…with no Rice

I don’t eat rice anymore. It’s high glycemic, gmo, nutritionally void food, in my opinion. I don’t really miss it, either (or what it did to my blood sugar).

I completely and accidentally stumbled upon this recipe last week when I had to use or lose my bag of broccoli slaw. When I started cooking, the last thing on my mind was rice. But it looked a lot like rice…so I went with it 🙂

“No Rice Fried Rice”

That’s it! 5 simple ingredients. I started by sautéing the entire bag of organic broccoli slaw from Trader Joe’s (it’s the only place I’ve seen broccoli slaw like this. Shredded carrots and shredded broccoli stalk), in a little Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil. I lightly seasoned with kosher salt/pepp, and continued sautéing until it had really cooked down. I broke 4 eggs into the same pan, and began stirring (thinking this would just be a yummy scramble). Then it started to resemble fried rice, but needed more egg, so I broke two more in the pan. I cooked for maybe 10 minutes longer, stirring constantly making sure the egg was cooked thoroughly and broken up well. Since it looked so much like fried rice, I decided to treat it as such, and sprinkle with coconut aminos (soy-free soy sauce, therefore gluten free!), it was TO-DIE-FOR. What the heck. Re-heated even better the next day! So easy and flavorful.DSC_0342