Caribbean Shrimp & "Rice"

So my first time cooking "fake rice" and I  must admit, it was good. 

Using the Ninja (my new best friend in the kitchen), I grated one large head of cauliflower for a double batch.

Once ready, heat in microwave for 4 minutes or till tender and set aside.

Next slice up one large red pepper & 4 scallions

Heat 2 TBSP olive oil on medium heat and add veggies to saute' for about 5 minutes.

Add one can of Organic Diced Tomatoes (14.5 oz.), seasoning mix, and ginger.

I used two since I had to double the recipe for my crew...

measure out 1 pound peeled shrimp

Add in to pan and heat till shrimp are pink

Stir in the reserved "riced" cauliflower, lime juice, and cilantro.

Cook about 2 minutes to let flavors mingle.

1/2 head cauliflower, broken into florets

2 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil

4 scallions, sliced

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

1 tsp. Cajun Seasoning Mix

2 TBSP. grated fresh ginger or 2 tsp. ground ginger

1 pound peeled, deveined medium shrimp, tails removed

Juice of 1 small lime

2 TBSP coarsely chopped cilantro

Per Serving: 206 calories, 18 g protein, 14 g carb, 9 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 3 g fiber, 917 mg sodium

Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Fettuccine

This was a brand new recipe that we tried tonight, though we had not thawed enough chicken to double it, so there was only enough for the boys to each have a small serving.

I didn't get any. (But, all is forgiven, I thoroughly enjoyed my IsaLean Chocolate shake instead. :-)

So, I can't give it my personal thumbs up yet, but the kids all seemed to like it aside from the lack of leftovers or "seconds"

We start the sauce with a can of coconut milk

Pour the coconut milk into the food processor along with one large roasted red pepper.

(The recipe called for a jarred pepper, but I found out too late that I didn't have any, so I punted and roasted my own with the broiler.)

Once I got a good "char", I placed them into the food processor with the coconut milk and blended well. (About a minute)

The fettuccine in this recipe is a new one for us. They are "Shirataki" noodles. They were refrigerated in the grocery store. 

I drained them and heated them through, then set aside.

I heated olive oil and cooked 1 pound of chicken breast in cubes.

 

Once the chicken was cooked, I added 3 minced garlic cloves and sea salt and cooked another 3-4 minutes on medium high.

Now that the garlic is well distributed, we pour in the red pepper sauce that we have on hold. Let it boil, then lower heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Next we add in some fresh basil leaves and 1/2 c. grated fresh Parmesan cheese. 

Continue to simmer a few more minutes on medium low allowing the sauce to thicken a little. 

Then, we toss in the fettuccine till it is well coated.

Serve immediately and garnish with a small dash of grated parm on top as desired. 

Seared Salmon over Sesame Spinach

 This was so much yummier than I had anticipated, and I love salmon!

First, you heat 1 TBSP Coconut Oil in a pan on medium high.

Once heated, cook Salmon on one side for 5 minutes.

Flip and top with 12 ounces of fresh organic baby spinach.

Cover and cook through while spinach wilts.

Pour the sesame sauce over the spinach and cook for 3 more minutes. 

(There is a recipe in this book for homemade Ginger-Miso sauce, but I took a short cut today and used the Organic Ginger- Miso salad dressing from our local grocery store- Harris Teeter)

After this has a few minutes to heat through, serve immediately and pour pan drippings on top. 

DELISH!

1 TBSP Coconut Oil

4 Salmon Steaks (about 6-8 oz. each)

2 packages spinach (6 oz. each)

1/2 c. Ginger -Miso Sauce

570 Calories, 46 g. protein, 5 g carb, 40 g total fat, 10 g saturated fat, 2 g fiber, 464 mg sodium

Open-faced Chicken Caprese Sandwiches

Open-faced Chicken Caprese Sandwiches

Earlier this month, Tom came home with a new cookbook. This is not so shocking, since Tom loves to cook and loves recipes. 

What was somewhat shocking was that this particular cookbook was an entirely Wheat Free recipe book. 

We have been on a crazy journey this year in our pursuit of better health, and we have made some great changes to our regular eating, but we haven't gone Gluten free. 

At least not yet.

But, I have thoroughly enjoyed experimenting with some of these recipes, so I thought I would share some of our favorites here from time to time, starting with this home run recipe that all our boys really loved!

To start, I needed to make my "sandwich bread" which in this case is Gluten Free Focaccia Flatbread. I was skeptical, but pleasantly surprised that it was so easy and tasty too.

Once the bread is ready, I topped it with seasoned chicken breast.

(Made my own Italian seasoning mix too!) 

On top of that, I piled large slices of beefsteak tomatoes.

Last, but certainly not least, a slice of mozzarella cheese.

(about 1 oz.)

The final step?

Broil on high for about 6 minutes or until cheese is lightly toasted. 

Add a little fresh basil and...

Delicious masterpiece!

Not just a pretty meal, but... the ultimate test?

Will the KIDS eat it?

YEP!

Recipe credits to Dr. William Davis, MD

Wheat Belly 30-minute (or less) cookbook

Focaccia Flatbread

2 c. All-Purpose Baking Mix (recipe in book)

2 TBSP. extra-virgin olive oil

2 TBSP Vinegar

1/4 c. water

1 tsp. xanthan gum (optional)

1/2 tsp. sea salt

3 eggs, whisked

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease large rimmed baking sheet.

In large bowl, place baking mix. In small bowl or cup, combine oil, vinegar, water, xanthan gum (if desired), and salt. Add to the baking mix and quickly mix together. Let sit for 1 minute, then add the whisked eggs and mix together thoroughly. 

With moistened hands, place the dough on the baking sheet and shape into an 8" x 12" rectangle. 

Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. With a pizza cutter or knife, cut into six pieces. Store in refrigerator. 

Per serving: 289 calories, 11 g protein, 10 g carbohydrates, 25 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 6 g fiber, 415 mg sodium.

A great and busy Saturday

Have you ever known a "do-er"?

You know the type...

Type A (with a capital A!)

That person who fidgets unmercifully if they aren't "doing something" productive?

That person who has the hardest darn time "relaxing"?

Yeah, me either!

(I may have just caused my husband to choke with those words.)

Much to his dismay sometimes, HE is married to such a gal!

Yep, hard as it might be to believe about me, I am a "doer"!

So, unlike most of the human race, I wake up on a Saturday morning and can't wait to "get to work". I thoroughly enjoy "home projects" and "running errands" and all that comes with my "free time" (read: time out of the office).

Today was one of those "busy days" where I didn't even leave the house.  But, it was a great day!  Allow me to elaborate.

My awesome friend, Kim, shared the yummiest looking recipe yesterday.

A recipe I just happened to have all the ingredients for...

Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Bake w/
Greek yogurt and blueberries as garnish.

A recipe that was super healthy...

So, I decided to start the morning out by baking this incredible breakfast up for my crew.

After all, it just isn't summer without blueberries!

After breakfast is "chore time" in casa Rylands.

So, off the boys went to tackle their regular Saturday morning chores.

Upon taking a break from my own "to-do" list, to go check on the boys, I find Connor upstairs alone STUDYING his scripture memory verses for an upcoming Karate test.

UNPROMPTED Y'ALL!

(score!)

Then, my same good buddy Kim, stops by to give me a few pointers on slimming and trimming my arms. Can you see Tom standing guard making sure I'm doing everything "right"? 

After a short 15 minute workout, I'm back at it.

Now, the day starts to get really exciting!

You know, ladies, that time when your husband grabs the screwdriver and hammer and sets out to hang those blinds that you've wanted hung since....

well yeah, you get the idea!

Woot!  Not only did the towel rack get hung in the boys' bathroom, 

but the new blinds in Connor and Cameron's room too! 

(It's sometimes the "little things" that get me all excited!)

Some of you may remember when I first made this towel rack and wrote about that here.

While "Bob the Builder" is hard at work, I gather the boys to do some work on scripture memory. This is a very easy task for our youngest (the only natural born english speaking child in the house), but it is really hard for the other 4, so it takes a concentrated effort.

Let's face it, ENGLISH IS HARD. 

Don't believe me?  Ask anyone who you've taught phonics to, who wasn't born here, who now has to "unlearn" all the "rules" they were taught, because now they are encountering all the "rule breakers" in the English language. 

Man, there are a lot of those!

So, we drilled all 6 verses for about an hour, but they were making great progress.

After that, it was time for reading. Yes, reading. A constant battle with older adopted kids. But a necessary evil all the same. 

So, we instituted Momma's reading boot camp for the summer. (You know you're jealous!)

Each morning before I head out to work, we have a reading lesson. Then, each child is responsible to read for 30 minutes in English so they can refine the assignments.

This afternoon, several of them we anxious to read their current chapters to me. 

So, while they took turns on the computer (30 minutes each in our house), others took turns reading to Mom.

Each child struggles with something a little different but they are all making progress which is all we need to see. Forward momentum!

We use the Hooked on Phonics curriculum that we purchased for Tommy many years ago. It is great. 

When the boys successfully complete a level (color coded), they earn a date night with Mom or Dad!  Cameron earned one today by finishing this book:

So, being that it is Father's Day weekend, he chose Dad to accompany him on his date night!

They are off at the movies now and then headed out for Ice Cream after.

So, since Tom was off with Cam tonight, I decided to dust off my apron and do some baking!

Chocolate swirl

Strawberry Cream

I love baking muffins for the boys. I prepare the batter and then drop it into the muffin papers. I freeze them (yes, unbaked) and let them harden up for about 30 minutes. Then, I place them into the freezer bags.

Bottom: Blueberry Banana Oat Muffins

That way, I can have fresh baked muffins anytime we want.

These Strawberry Cream muffins were awesome!  Colin loved them.

All in all, a very productive, enjoyable day.

That's MY kind of weekend relaxation!