Low-Carb Deconstructed Egg Roll

I am a sucker for some good asian cuisine. However, I am not a fan of the swollen face and fingers that come with it (or at least seem to immediately happen to me). Daniel and I have found an Asian take-out restaurant in our new community that has KILLER eggs rolls!! When ever we order from there (which we try not to do too often), we both double check to make sure the pork eggs rolls are in our “cart” before we check out… whoops ;p. In efforts to try and satisfy our craving for these delicious eggs rolls but not wanting to have to cut my rings off my fingers (don’t you hate that feeling?), I wanted to make a dish without so much guilt (or sodium). Inspired by 40 aprons, this dish did just that. I changed a few things around and added Thai peanut sauce- which I don’t use too much or too often because it can get dangerous real quick! But the end result was delicious!!! Take a look…

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp sesame oil (can use extra virgin olive oil if needed)

• 6 scallions, sliced- green and white parts divided

• 1/2 cup red onion, diced

• 5 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 lb ground pork

• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger

• 2-3 tbsp Thai peanut sauce

• 10 oz bag of kale coleslaw mix (or something similar)

• 2 cups shredded cabbage

• 3 tbsp coconut aminos or low-sodium soy sauce

• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

• black pepper

• salt to taste

• Sesame seeds for garnish

• green parts of sliced green onions from above for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat sesame oil in a large skillet and place over medium heat.

2. Add white parts of green onions, diced red onion and garlic. Sauté, stirring frequently, until red onion begins to soften, about 4-5 minutes.

3. Add ground pork, grated ginger, and 2 tbsp of Thai peanut sauce, lightly season with salt and pepper and cook until pork is browned, breaking up the pork while cooking, about 7-10 minutes.

4. Add kale coleslaw mix, shredded cabbage, coconut aminos (or soy sauce), rice wine vinegar, salt & pepper to taste, and stir until well combined. Cook, stirring regularly, until cabbage is tender, about 5 minutes.

5. Serve while hot and top with green top of scallions, sesame seeds and a drizzle of Thai peanut sauce and/or hot sauce, if desired.

   Enjoy <3 Norma

Chicken Poblano Corn Chowder

Soup season is HERE!!! There is something about the cool crisp breeze and a good bowl of soup… makes me feel warm inside. Another great thing about soup is you can basically throw whatever you have into a pot of soup and make it work. I encourage you to use what you have in the fridge/pantry to make this soup your own. I was inspired by a recipe I found in Fine Cooking Magazine, and decided to change a few things up based on what I was craving/what I had at home. Not even going to lie to you, I used a pre-chopped mirepoix mix (which is a pre-chopped onion, carrot & celery) because with an infant— ain’t nobody got time to chop every single veggie. Amiright? But I left them separate in the ingredients in case you’re feeling ambitious. I also boiled my chicken in Bonafide Provisions Organic Bone Broth and then shredded it. I added in some spinach for a fresh element, but if you’re not feeling it then you can leave it out. Here’s the recipe, take a look…

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded 

• 3 tbsp grass-fed butter  

• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped  

• 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped  

• 1 medium celery, thinly sliced  

• 1/2 tsp ground coriander  

• 2 tsp ground cumin  

• 1 tsp chopped thyme, preferably fresh  

• 2 tbsp flour

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

• 1 1/2 cup low fat milk  

• 4-5 red potatoes, chopped into 1/2” pieces  

• 1 cup sweet corn  

• 1 tbsp lemon  

•  1 cup fresh spinach, packed (optional)

Directions

1. Melt better in a stockpot over medium heat.  

2. Add the onion, poblano, carrot, celery, coriander, cumin, thyme, lightly season with salt & pepper. Stir occasionally until onions become translucent (~5-6 minutes). 

3. Sprinkle flour over veggies and stir for about 30 seconds.  

4. Stir in tomato paste, and then add the broth and milk.  

5. Add in potatoes and corn and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. 

6. Add in shredded chicken and spinach (optional) and stir. Cover and continue to simmer for about 10 minutes. Serve warm and top with lemon juice, as desired.

Enjoy <3 Norma

Chapman Jane Powell

Chapman Jane Powell was born a little over 2 weeks ago, and yes, she goes by Chapman! I cannot even begin to describe the love and joy we have felt since she was born. Also, a lot of exhaustion adjusting to our new normal— thank goodness for family!

Daniel and I talked a lot before we decided on a name, and we went through both of our family trees— which was so fun!! She is named after my two grandmothers, Lyra & Jane. Chapman was my great-grandmother’s (Lyra’s mother) maiden name and Jane is the name of my maternal grandmother. I could do an entire post on what those names mean to me, but I’ll keep it short this time and save that for another day.  

I have had several people reach out about her birth story and her nursery, both of which I intend to post about {at some point}, but for now here are some pictures of our newest addition. Can’t believe she is already two weeks old, and at the same time can’t believe it has only been two weeks since she has been in our arms. We are all just smitten! Even Ralph & Calvin seem to be adjusting well to their new sister (that is a huge praise!)

 Shout out to my mom, aka YaYa, for capturing these precious moments when Chapman was 1 week old! 

<3 Norma