Mango Jalapeno Cilantro Turkey Meatballs

It's been "Mango Mania" at Trader Joe's recently. Not quite sure what that means exactly... but the store is decked out in orange spheres and their "Fearless Flyer" newsletter included more mango-flavored products than I'd ever imagined. Mango dish soap, mango dog food, mango EVERYTHING!! So it was no surprise when I got a hankering for the sumptuous tropical fruit. I remembered a recipe from my favorite paleo food blogger, The Whole Smiths, and decided to recreate her masterpiece (original recipe here). She said these meatballs are one of her most popular recipes to date! I'm just glad they were delicious as the recipe makes enough for a week!

Served on butter lettuce with avocado and broccoli slaw mixed with my spicy ranch dressing

Mango Jalapeno Cilantro Turkey Meatballs
2.5lbs ground turkey (I mixed a lb of lean with an lb of organic)
1/2 onion, minced
1 cup minced mangos (I bought frozen and put a cup in the fridge to defrost)
5 cloves minced garlic
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 minced jalapenos (how much heat you want? Use one if you're a wimp)
3 eggs
1 cup almond flour
1/2 tbsp chipotle powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper

Oven at 375
Lay out foil on cookie sheets
Mix all ingredients in a bowl
Form mixture into meatballs (I made them rather large - 16 total)
Bake for 25 minutes until beginning to brown
Done!

Cilantro Cashew Crema

When at a taco shop (9 times out of 10 it's name ending in a 'berto's) I honestly used to order based off which items had sour cream on them. The old me thought, "the creamier, the better!" Nowadays, though dairy and I are no longer amigos, I still crave a glob of something cold and somewhat tart atop my lettuce leaf tacos or cheese-less chili rellenos (recipe to be posted soon). This cashew-based cream is versatile (I just ate it with kale and eggs) and easy to make. Adios leche! All I need are cashews :)

Cilantro Cashew Crema served on a Cheese-less Chili Relleno with a Cilantro Kohlrabi Slaw

Cilantro Cashew Crema
3/4 cup cashews 
1 large clove of garlic
1/2 cup water
1/2 heaping cup of chopped cilantro
3-4 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp avocado
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

Soak the cashews overnight OR boil water, pour over and let sit for an hour. Rinse. 
Put cashews and all other ingredients in a food processor. 
Blend!
Add more water if necessary. 
Depending on the strength of your food processor, should be pretty creamy. 
Mine came out a bit gritty (my cuisineart is on it's last legs) but was still awesome.

Kickin' Ketchup

I am a condiment queen. When I cut the sugar out of my diet, the last thing I wanted to do was curtail my sauce intake.  I looove to dip, drench, dollop, mix and mop. I wanted to grill chicken tenders for a BBQ this weekend, so I needed something to submerge them in! Other than Tessamaes, I have yet to find any brands that offer a sugar-free ketchup. (Insert sad face emoji here) While Tessamaes is unbelievably good, it's a bit on the expensive side and only sold at Whole Foods -- which is not my go-to grocery store. So rather than make the trek to the clusterf*#k that is the Whole Foods parking lot, I decided to make my own!

Kickin' Ketchup
1 pint of cherry tomatoes (2 cups), cut into quarters
1/2 onion, minced
1 6oz can of organic tomato paste
1/2 cup chopped dates
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1.5 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp chipotle powder

Put all ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat. 
Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Pour into blender and puree until smooth. 
EAT ON EVERYTHING. 

Go Slow Jerk Chicken with Coconut Lime Cauliflower Rice

This is a perfect Sunday night dish (aka when you have time to let the chicken marinate). The complexity and spiciness of the meat goes really well with the creaminess of the "rice".   This was one of those "oh my goodness, I made this?!" meals - a real pat-yourself-on-the-back dinner. These island flavors brought me back to the idyllic, lazy beaches of Caye Caulker in Belize. Take it easy and go slow. Let the chicken season 'mon and get your island on. 

Go Slow Jerk Chicken with Coconut Lime Cauliflower Rice and Sauteed Beet Greens

Go Slow Jerk Chicken with Coconut Lime Cauliflower Rice 
1 tbsp olive oil 
1/2 onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 habenero pepper, minced (wear gloves!) (use 1/2 pepper if super small)
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp salt
2 tsp fresh oregano
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp all spice
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp red chili flakes
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2-3 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breast

Combine all ingredients in plastic bag. Shake and massage spices in well. Let sit for as long as you can. Keep in fridge - take out of fridge 45 minutes before cooking.

Oven at 375
Heat 1 tbsp oil in cast iron skillet til hot (does it sizzle when you flick water on it?)
Add chicken to skillet. Cook each side for 5 minutes (should start to brown/blacken)
Put skillet in oven for 15-20 minutes until chicken juices run clear. Let chicken sit for 5 minutes before slicing. 

Coconut Lime Cauliflower Rice 
Bag of Trader Joe's Cauliflower Rice (best product ever!)(or grate 1.25 lb head of cauliflower)
3/4 can organic coconut milk
zest and juice of 2 limes
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Melt oil in pan at medium heat. Add cauliflower and stir well to completely coat. 
Fry for 7-8 minutes.
Stir in coconut milk, shredded coconut and 3/4 of the lime juice.
Bring to simmer but lower heat to avoid boiling. 
Simmer for 15 minutes - until liquid starts to absorb.
Stir in the rest of the lime juice, lime zest and cilantro. 
Cook for 10-12 more minutes. 
Remove from heat. Add salt to taste. 
Serve with something spicy!

BalSAMic Roasted Brussel Sprouts

As a kid, brussel sprouts were the only vegetables I didn't like. I normally had no problem eating my greens but when I came to these tiny stinky cabbage-looking things, I just flat out wouldn't eat them. Fast forward to 20+ years later and I eat them all the time. I just enjoyed brussel sprouts for three meals in a row! Crispy, oven roasted brussel sprouts are a thing right now and I am 100% onboard with this cruciferous trend. The Whole Smiths Best Ever Brussel Sprouts is the original recipe -- I altered it ever so slightly to make these so-delicious-you-will-eat-them-all-and-then-make-more BalSAMic Roasted Brussel Sprouts. 

BalSAMic Roasted Brussel Sprouts
1.5-2 lbs of Brussel sprouts, cut off the end and chop into quarters
4 pieces of bacon, chopped (If you freeze the bacon for 10 minutes - it's easier to chop)(non-meat eaters... omit)
1 tbsp olive oil (2 tbsp if you are ixnaying the bacon)
1/3 cup raisins (I get sun-dried organic raisins from the farmers market. They are seriously the most amazing plump nuggets of deliciousness - taste like candy. Invest if you have the option!)
1/3 cup raw walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Oven at 400 degrees
Heat skillet and partially cook bacon. It will be heated in the oven as well so, to avoid burning, I cooked only until starting to brown. 
Add contents of skillet and oil to a bowl with chopped Brussel sprouts. 
Mix together well with chopped walnuts. 
Spread onto foil-covered cookie sheet. 
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and mix in raisins.
Return to oven for 10-12 more minutes (Will be quite brown and crispy when done).
While the sprouts are finishing up, heat balsamic vinegar over medium heat (a simmer) until it reduces, starts to thicken a little and tastes a bit sweeter (will probably take about 10-12 minutes).
Remove pan from oven and pour balsamic reduction over the sprouts.
Stir well and serve immediately!
Double the recipe if you're looking for leftovers :)

Also delicious if you include chopped carrots and/or sweet potato!

BalSAMic Roasted Brussel Sprouts served with Spicy Mustard Chicken Thighs