Kristen Suzanne

Writer. Expat. Foodie.

recipe

Thanksgiving in Italy in My Tiny Italian Kitchen

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image source: simplebites.net

Last year when we traveled during the Thanksgiving holiday, we opted to go to a restaurant while we were living in Porto, Portugal. My kitchen was simply not capable of handling that kind of meal I figured, plus I didn’t know if I’d be able to score a turkey.

So, we went to a nice restaurant. I had an amazing steak. We went around the table and spoke of what we were thankful. It was memorable.

But, it wasn’t entirely Thanksgiving. It just didn’t feel like Thanksgiving, because there was no turkey, sweet potatoes, traditional fixins’ etc. And, well it was our first Thanksgiving abroad, meaning just the three of us.

Living in Italy, this year is different.

I scored a turkey.

And, I’ve a bit more swagger as I’m more comfy in my tiny Italian kitchen.

I’ve written about my amazing Italian butchers here. So far they have been able to get duck, various cuts of beef, and organ meats for me. I asked them if they could get a turkey for me. Yes, they could.

So today I went to pick it up. I asked my butchers to break it down for me because my tiny Italian kitchen is not the place I want to be hacking away at a turkey. (Literally, zero counter space.) Plus, I don’t have a good knife for the job.

Therefore, because my Italian kitchen is small, and because not all traditional Thanksgiving ingredients are available in Italy, we’re going to do the best we can.

And? It’s going to be amaze-balls!

Sheet Pan Thanksgiving Meal

My small oven will cook everything in one sheet pan, also known as a sheet-pan meal.

I never knew this was actually a thing, but yes, there are even books about sheet-pan meals. Sign me up! I love a cooking experience that is as simple as one-pot or one-sheet pan.

Inspired by this recipe…

image source: simplebites.net

I’m basically going to take my turkey pieces and roast them together in a pan with the vegetables and stuff.

More specifically, I’ll start with just cooking the turkey for a bit. Then, I’ll add root vegetables. Later, I’ll add brussel sprouts. Finally, it’ll get finished off when I add dried cranberries and cubes of bread (Greg loves stuffing).

My family is excited. Wish me luck!

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Mint Bulletproof Coffee Inspired By Dave Asprey’s Super Human Book

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Complete with ancient-looking Italy behind.

I just finished listening to Dave Asprey’s latest book, Super Human, on Audible (get the kindle version here).

As usual, I’m impressed with his work.

I’ve met Dave in person, been interviewed on his podcast, and video-conferenced with him in the past. He’s a really nice guy. Humble and kind are the words that come to mind when I think of him. And when I read his books, especially the latest, I think of him as courageous (and of course, interesting).

Inspired by my weird? cravings for MCT oil and his new book, I wanted some Bulletproof Coffee.

Back up: You all know I’m learning Italian for a few reasons: 1) bad-ass speaking more than one language 2) I’m living in Italy, so Italian was the smart choice, and 3) longevity. Learning a foreign language is really good for your brain.

I decided to try MCT oil and see if it helped my learning the language. I hadn’t had MCT in a couple of years I’d estimate?

In the late spring, I ordered C8 MCT oil from Amazon in the UK, and I started whisking butter and MCT into my coffee for a traditional Bulletproof Coffee Recipe as Dave Asprey created.

For whatever reason, maybe it was traveling during the summer and I couldn’t bring my big glass bottle of C8 MCT oil, but I found myself going back to just shots of espresso.

Then, I set it aside to oil-pull for oral health.

Not using it for coffee, I started to make my through the bottle this fall by oil-pulling. But, I decided I wanted to add extra-virgin olive oil to it so I could reap those benefits with my oil-pulling as well.

Then, because I like mint, I added mint essential oil drops. It made for a great oil-pulling solution.

Fast-forward to last month.

Before reading Super Human, I found myself craving MCT oils and keto-style coffee. In my research, I found this powder (on Amazon in the UK) to mix into coffee that included collagen protein powder, grass-fed butter powder (how do they do that lol?), MCT oil powder, and whey protein powder, plus a few trace ingredients of other things.

I wanted it. I ordered it.

I started making coffee with it and found myself only craving this coffee a couple of times in the morning. I didn’t want my usual scrambled eggs or greek yogurt or anything else. I did enjoy swallowing raw egg yolks though and continued to do that on the side.

[Read more…] about Mint Bulletproof Coffee Inspired By Dave Asprey’s Super Human Book

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My New Book: The Carnivore Diet Handbook

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Book cover
The Carnivore Diet Handbook

I’m excited to announce that I wrote another new book, The Carnivore Diet Handbook.

This is the book I wish I had when I started my carnivore diet.

I wrote The Carnivore Diet Handbook because I’ve been loving my experiences on a carnivore diet so far, and I wanted to share everything I’d discovered to help you do it, too!

Tons of people are curious about this diet, and people have lots of questions. I took everything I learned about trying the carnivore diet and put it in an easy-to-read book. You’ll learn exactly how and why I started this diet.

I used to be a body-builder way back in the day!

I’ve been fascinated by health and fitness for over twenty years, beginning at age 19 when I was a competitive bodybuilder. I remember the days fondly when I would eat an entire rack of ribs (sometimes 2 racks), every day for a week, leading up to a competition.

Then things changed… I went vegan!

In my mid-twenties (no longer bodybuilding), I became a vegan, primarily for ethical reasons, but I dove deeply into the pro-vegan literature, and I believed veganism was the healthiest way to eat.

Then one day, I realized that my toddler daughter was not thriving (nor my husband or myself upon honest inspection). This was despite my serious commitment to providing her with what I believed was a nutritionally complete diet, and spending a small fortune in the highest quality supplements.

From vegan, to “reformed vegan,” to heart-eating carnivore…

The short version is that I’ve done a complete, 180-degree reversal from my plants-only diet days.

When I’m eating a carnivore diet, I eat zero plants. I’ve even recently (finally) given up coffee (a plant extract and insecticide). I’m on day 4 for that. (I love and hate that I’ve given up coffee.)

Beef
Beef patties

The Carnivore Diet Handbook will show you why I’m eating this way and how you can get the benefits, too. Things like finally losing the weight you’ve always wanted to, only this time it’s EASY and delicious. You can experience what it’s like to not be addicted to sugar or carbs. If you have acne, this diet is amazing for giving you gorgeous clear skin. If you have aches and pains in joints or muscles, they are dramatically reduced of go away all together.

It’s an amazing diet and you should try it today. I love it!

The book is filled with all things carnivore diet:

  • My carnivore diet story and I how I came to try it including my skeptic’s tale(!)
  • The results I’ve experienced since being on it twice
  • FAQs about the carnivore diet (like, do I need veggies??? what about fiber???)
  • Tips for transitioning to a carnivore diet
  • Holidays on a carnivore diet
  • Traveling on a carnivore diet
  • Meal plans
  • Shopping list
  • Cooking tips
  • Plenty of mouth-watering meaty recipes

If you’re wondering about how you could feel better, get more energy, lessen inflammation in your body, and lose weight, then a carnivore diet is for you!

Bacon

Buy The Carnivore Diet Handbook TODAY ! Your body (and taste-buds!) will thank you.

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Delicious 4-Ingredient Boursin Stew Recipe (Slow Cooker)

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4-Ingredient Stew

I am in the UK right now, specifically the Isle of Wight. It’s cold, rainy, and slow cooker stew has been on the menu more nights than not.

This particular 4-Ingredient Stew (and that includes the sea salt!) has been made four times this week alone!

So easy, maybe the easiest dinner I’ve ever made.

So delicious, easily one of our favorite’s.

The main secret ingredient…

Apart from the wonderfully tender beef, the main secret ingredient is the Boursin “garlic and cheese” spread. If you’ve had it, you know. If you haven’t had it, you’re welcome.

Boursin cheese is wonderfully addictive. So creamy, flavorful, and delicious. In fact, I think I’ll go search on Pinterest for this item, I’ll bet there are tons of recipes.

Let’s make this slow cooker stew!

2 of the 4 ingredients

4-Ingredient Stew Recipe (Slow Cooker)

  • 12 to 16 ounces stew beef (or your choice of beef cut)
  • Sea salt
  • 1 box or can of tomatoes (crushed, puréed, or whatever, your choice)
  • 1 package Boursin “garlic and cheese” spread
  • Slow cooker! (You could use a pressure cooker, like my favorite Instant Pot, too but those directions would be a bit different)

Directions:

  1. Season the beef with the salt.
  2. Pour the tomatoes into the slow cooker, smash if needed. Add the seasoned beef. Turn the slow cooker on to low or high, your choice. If it’s low, it might take up to 8 hours for fork-tender beef. If it’s high, it might be done in 4 hours. You decide and then check on it. If it’s not fork tender, wait another 30-60 minutes before checking again.
  3. When it’s tender, scoop in the whole package of cheese and stir it around.

Done.

Tonight, I’m making a twist on the recipe. I’m cooking ground beef in a skillet with the tomatoes, then stirring in the Boursin cheese and serving on top of pasta. Oh yeah. 🙌🏼

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Holiday Recipe Roundup

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Holiday recipe time. I wrote this post filled for myself – I wanted an easy way to access my best holiday recipes on my blog in one place. Some are raw vegan recipes and some are for the omnivore crowd. Even though I am not vegan anymore, I certainly still enjoy and love many vegan recipes.

Holiday Chia Pudding Recipe

Holiday Chia Pudding

This holiday recipe made the rounds heavily when I first introduced it because it is so creamy, delicious, and full of holiday flavors. Healthy, too. That’s what makes it a winner. Healthy and fabulous.

[Read more…] about Holiday Recipe Roundup

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Strange Meals: My Breakfast Chocolate Salad

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Starting the day with a chocolate salad

I like having salads for breakfast because they’re fresh, crisp, and get my day started with vegetables. My daughter does, too. One day I simply presented it for breakfast and she ate it. No questions.

Why not?

And, why not pancakes for dinner? Or sourdough french toast for lunch?

My daughter is also keen for pizza at breakfast (frozen gluten-free crust cooked with organic tomato sauce or tomato paste, sea salt, and raw, grass-fed, mozzarella cheese). It takes longer to make than a bowl of cereal (something we’ve never done in our house), but it’s worth the extra few minutes.

Miso soup is a great breakfast, too, especially on a chilly winter morning. Try that instead of coffee. Well, maybe not instead of, but perhaps after your first cup.

Omelets for lunch slathered in grass-fed whole-fat Greek yogurt. Yes.

Some nights we do savory oatmeal mixed with scrambled eggs.

Mix up the meals, no need to stick to tradition. Doing so can make it easier on you, because you can cook in the moment, with what you have on hand. Trust me, the family will enjoy it.

I even fed my family dessert for dinner one night. Whoa, that was a fun surprise… Grass-fed ice cream with gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.

My Breakfast Chocolate Salad:

  • Organic romaine lettuce
  • Organic olive oil, courtesy of Apollo Olive Oil from California (polyphenol rich and fabulous!)*
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Dark chocolate with ginger
  • Dried cranberries
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • Macadamia nuts
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Toss it together. Start the day right.

* I’m on an epic olive oil kick right now. Ever since I was enlightened to the fact that you can cook with extra virgin olive oil, I started consuming more. Funny though, the learning inspired me to buy more but then I started eating more salads and drizzling it raw on everything. Still(!), one can (and should) cook with it. More on that here. In my search for TRUE olive oil, because did you know they’re not all “true” (more on that in future posts or just read this book, Extra Virginity), I learned about the throat burn of olive oils, high polyphenols, processing, origins, health benefits, etc. I’m Italian and I should’ve known as much, but I didn’t. Better late than never.

This olive oil from Apollo Olive Oil keeps it local, California, and is a trusted source for TRUE olive oil. It’s fabulous. One of my favorite aspects is the bottle – it should always be a dark container and never clear glass – I love it’s pouring spout and wood top. Adorable. Smart. Delicious.

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