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Paleo Sushi!

1/10/2018

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My paleo sushi!
This recipe is so easy it's kind of dumb. And I didn't even come up with this brilliant plate of food. I might have plated it, but it wasn't my idea. My awesome husband bought some wasabi seaweed snacks yesterday. He proceeded to tell me these would be "up my alley" (not so much his) and I should turn the seaweed into sushi. I MEAN COME ON. SO. GOOD.

The closest sushi spot is a good 40 minutes away, so if you're craving sushi (like I do 24/7) and live in a tiny town with zero sushi options, these wraps will hit the spot. I used smoked wild Alaskan salmon. I also sliced cucumber and avocado. I dressed the wraps with coconut aminos - a paleo friendly substitute for soy sauce. I topped it all off with toasted sesame seeds. Simply pick them up and consume. This is the perfect snack, lunch, or dinner. I might have made four more wraps after cleaning this plate...

PALEO SUSHI
dairy free, gluten free, grain free, soy free

INGREDIENTS
  • 4 ounce package of wild Alaskan smoked salmon (make sure you are using wild caught fish, especially fish that was caught and smoked in the USA. Say NO to farm raised fish!)
  • 1 package organic wasabi (or plain) seaweed snacks (you can find these at your local Kroger in the nut/snack section or Thrive Market!)
  • 1 organic cucumber, peeled and cut into strips
  • 1 organic avocado, sliced
  • Sesame seeds, optional
  • Coconut aminos for dipping/topping

METHOD
  • Lay the seaweed wrappers on a plate and top with smoked salmon, sliced cucumber, and avocado.
  • Top with sesame seeds, and drizzle (or dip) the wrap in coconut aminos.

​Enjoy! 
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Paleo Beef Strogranoff with Greener Grass Farms

1/7/2018

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My paleo beef strogranoff.
This is really, really good, guys. I'm making this again, and again. I didn't grow up with stroganoff, so I'm not familiar with the original version. I googled a classic beef stroganoff recipe, and I'm glad I didn't grow up with it. Thanks, Mom!

I've been told that Danielle Walker's beef strogranoff was pretty awesome, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. Her recipe calls for ground beef, but Dan and Deb with Greener Grass Farms gave me a sirloin tip steak to prepare this month, and I thought this cut of meat would be a great addition to the dish. If you're new to my blog and page, Dan and Deb provide a new cut of meat every month for me to prepare on the first Sunday of each month. I buy all of my meat from Dan and Deb! They raise grass fed and finished beef, pasture raised pigs, turkeys, and soy free chickens. It is glorious.

Below is Danielle's recipe from her second cookbook, Meals Made Simple. I added a few ingredients and tweaked a few things. She said the recipe would serve six, but I beg to differ. It fed four with zero leftovers. I would suggest doubling the recipe if someone wants seconds, or if you simply want leftovers. I buy my cashews at the local health food store - Hillsdale Natural Grocery. You can find raw cashew pieces for a decent price. They're on the bottom shelf, FYI. The whole raw cashews are on the top shelf, and are more expensive, but who cares. They're being blended.

Did you grow up with the classic strogranoff? Tell me your stories!

PALEO BEEF STROGANOFF
dairy free, gluten free, grain free, and soy free

INGREDIENTS
  • 3 cups water
  • 3/4 cup raw cashews (pieces work great, too)
  • 2 tablespoons organic grass fed butter, ghee, or olive oil
  • 1 pound Greener Grass Farms sirloin tip steak, or ground beef
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 large onion, diced
  • 3-4 yellow squash or zucchini, spiralized and dehydrated (see method)
  • 8 ounces organic mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup beef bone broth (chicken stock will also work)
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons raw apple cider vinegar
  • Freshly chopped chives/green onions

METHOD​
  • Prepare the steak. I marinated my tip steak in my paleo Worcestershire sauce (1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 tablespoons coconut sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon onion and garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon cloves and all spice. Let simmer until slightly thick. Water down if necessary) for a good hour.
  • While steak marinates, spiralize and dehydrate the squash noodles. I've mentioned this tool before, but if you don't have it, click here and get yourself one! Preheat oven to 200. Line a baking sheet with paper towel. Put the zoodles on the baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt. Toss well. Dehydrate the noddles in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven to cool. Wrap the noodles kind of like a sushi roll, and gently squeeze. You may need extra paper towel to absorb the liquid. That's ok! You don't want watery noodles.
  • Bring three cups of water to a boil and add cashews. Set the cashews aside to absorb water and become soft.
  • By now, your steak should be marinated. I suggest pulling the steak out of the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking time. You don't want to cook meat, especially a steak, cold.
  • Get a cast iron skillet hot - like smoking hot - and add a tablespoon of ghee or butter. Cook the steak on both sides for approximately 5-6 minutes. Set aside to cool. I like to slice the steak in small bites (for the girls!). You may cut the steak to your own personal preference. 
  • Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and add the onion, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and saute for 5ish minutes until the onion becomes translucent. AND keep all those lovely juices in the pan from the beef! That's flavor!
  • Add the mushrooms to the onions and continue to cook for another 5 minutes until mushrooms are soft. 
  • Add the dry white wine to the pan and stir constantly to remove any browned bits from the bottom. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
  • Add the beef stock and meat and reduce heat to medium-low.
  • Drain cashews and put them in a blender with a 1/4 cup of the water, lemon juice, and vinegar. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add a tablespoon of water at a time if it seems too thick.
  • Add the cashew cream to the onions, mushrooms, and meat, and combine. 
  • Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Finally, add the dehydrated zoodles and combine.
  • Top the dish with chopped green onions and enjoy!
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Happy birthday!

10/4/2017

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I started my blogging journey nearly four years ago. I had a small handful of blogs, and they all failed. I was busy with life and having babies. Writing was and is an outlet, and I didn't have much time for myself then. With my youngest turning two in November, I am confident that I can devote time to my new blog - The Steph Gordon Blog. 

If you've followed me, you know that I was once The Wholesome House. I loved what The Wholesome House stood for, but it wasn't quite right. The Steph Gordon Blog is more fitting. I plan to write about my passions; my family, my husband, and my girls. This is a blog that will dabble in a little bit of everything, but my main focus will be paleo food and natural living. This past year I've done a lot of cooking for a lot of people. I enjoy spending time in the kitchen, and I hope to do something big with my passion someday down the road.

I started my paleo journey in 2011. I thought I was a healthy person before I started this journey, but little did I know that I was at the most unhealthy stage in my life. I lived off of crappy carbs, skim milk, ground turkey, and peanut butter crunch cereal. I was unstable in my personal life, and my work life wasn't bringing me much joy.

I met Matt, my now husband, in 2011. He has helped me become who I am today. I learned from him, and I was transforming into my best self. My body felt amazing. I was thriving. I wasn't tired anymore.  I was hooked and wasn't turning back.

In 2011 there weren't many resources for paleo recipes. I followed a few of my favorite paleo moguls, PaleOMG, and Danielle Walker with Against All Grain. The crazy thing is, is that they were just starting their blogs, and today they are thriving. They are truly an inspiration.

So, I was inspired to learn. I learned to cook with paleo ingredients. I learned to use this for that. So on and so forth. It was fun, and I felt good. I totally immersed myself into this lifestyle, and added crossfit to the mix.

In 2012 I became pregnant with our first child. A short 10 weeks later, I had a miscarriage. Who knows what from, and it kills me to this day to not know what triggered it. I blame birth control (another story for a later date). After my miscarriage, I really focused on my health. I quit birth control and reset my body. A year later I became pregnant with Eloise in 2013. She was born May 21, 2014. Flora followed 18 months to the day on November 21, 2015. My body hasn't stopped. It's either been pregnant or nursing. Hormones galore. I can proudly say that I just finished nursing Flora the day before my 30th birthday on August 10, 2017. This is the first time I've been free of pregnancy and postpartum stuff since 2012. My body is thanking me.

This stage of life hasn't been easy for me. I've been tried in more ways than I can count. But, I still remain true to the fact that I continue to provide real food to my family. I am fortunate enough to work with Greener Grass Farms and consume their grass fed and pasture raised meats that feed my family. I am also thankful for my relationships with vegetable and fruit farms such as Adams Farm. I'm also thankful for one of my best friends, Jen, who so graciously believes in me that she took all of these beautiful photos for my blog. And, Matt. I don't know what I would do without you...

I am surrounded by some really great people. I have high hopes for this blog, and everything it stands for. I'm excited to have you here! I want to get to know you! I want to cook with you! I want to teach you so much! With that said, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE STEPH GORDON BLOG! Cheers!
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