Compassion in Tupperware

When was the last time you felt really compassionate for another fellow human? For me it was the day I heard my friend Bryan Hagan was gone. I was just starting to get to know him, but his girlfriend Justine is one of my favorite people, and she was by his side through this whole tragic event. That morning, they were so content and warm, they let the kids skip school so they could snuggle in bed late that morning. Later, Bryan suffered a massive seizure as a result of a blood clot in his lung, and was suddenly just gone. I can't even imagine. Just gone. 


I was sitting in a meeting that afternoon, and I peaked at Facebook on the break, only to find the world all upside down. Between Bryan, Justine, and I, there were 60 mutual friends posting their remembrances. So many people were touched by Bryan's life, devastated by this loss, and inspired by their happiness. This hit me HARD. He was vibrant and funny, a talented musician, loving father and loyal friend. They were in love in a way that inspired and uplifted everyone who laid eyes on them. The way they supported each other made me hopeful that things really do turn our alright, and love conquers all. 


I left that meeting to call Justine. The pain in her voice cut through the phone lines and stabbed me in my heart, giving me chills. All I wanted to do was run to hug her. No, first I wanted to run and hug my son. For a second, the world went black with the reminder that happiness can be ripped out from under you without rhyme or reason, and there was not a thing I could say to Justine to ease that reality. Life is precious, and unfair, and sometimes tragic. All the cliche quotes about manifesting our destiny, things happening for a reason, and trust and faith in the universe- all nonsense that day.

This. ^ That's why it's soul crushing. 

So, I did the only thing I could think of... I bought her some wine. And dark chocolate. And then I cooked my ass off. Because I know that if it were me, I'd want all the minutia of the world to stop so that I could just lay in bed and cry. It was all I could do, but it was something. I poured my heart into those meals for her freezer- in hopes that she and her boys could have one less thing to do while in the eye of the storm. And as I cooked, I made extras for myself and my son, because we all have days when we want the minutia to stop so we can just get caught up in a feeling. I vowed to slow down, and enjoy life more. I also vowed to speed up, chase dreams, catch the sunset at the beach or hike all day and come home tired.


Two weeks later, the food was running low and our poor girl's grief was stronger than ever. Again, I wanted to help by DOING something, since words seem so utterly tiny. Justine traveled across the state for his funeral, so I sent her with a cooler full of food for her trip.


This blog post is my tribute to Bryan, with love for Justine, and a reminder to appreciate every second you have in this life. The recipes are posted below, with lots of ideas for meals that freeze well, and then camping and road trip meals. If you find a recipe you enjoy, or you want to honor Bryan by donating to the family, click here or the picture below to visit link to his memorial page, with a fundraiser to support Justine with the financial burden of losing a partner. The thought of waking up in a few weeks and realizing that missing work to mourn has taken a financial toll, and there's no one to help pay the bills and take care of the kids... well that's just unbearable, isn't it? You can also give a gift of kind words and loving thoughts.

https://www.facebook.com/events/416296688392259/


Here's the first batch of cooking I brought: 

And some of the road trip food:

Ok...here's the recipes... enjoy <3 


Part one: freezer friendly foods


Below is what I packed for Justine that first week. (recipes follow, or are linked here). 


Tim's chili (<click link for recipe)

(I tweak this a little differently every time and it always comes out great. I used grass fed beef from my farmer, and ground pork because that's what I had on hand.)

Civilized Caveman's sweet pulled pork (<click for recipe)

Civilized Caveman's beef and squash casserole with bacon and caramelized onions. My friend Orleatha over at Mrs. Paleo suggested making the original recipe a casserole by cubing the butternut squash and letting it roast while you brown the beef and bacon. Then put it all back together and let it bake again. (click her link for more freezer recipes!)

Recipes below:

• Almond coconut shrimp curry with cauliflower "rice" 
• Caribbean Chicken Soup
• Zucchini bread (see optional hacks below)
• Dark chocolate covered mint leaves
• Chocolate cranberry almond bars

I also brought the following groceries for back up and comfort:

• Flank steak
• Bacon
• Raw cheese
• Dark chocolate
• Wine
• Macadamias
• Smoked salmon

*Disclaimer: I cook with the philosophy of "a lil' of this and a lil' of that until it tastes right"... your recipe may vary. Let me know how they turn out, you may need to give or take a little in the spice department, but nothing is so exact that it won't turn out if you tweak the recipe a little. 

Almond Coconut Curry Shrimp

Ingredients:

2 lbs cooked shrimp

1 head cauliflower
1/2 cup almond butter
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
2-3 tbs curry powder
1-2 tbs chili powder
1 clove garlic
3-5 leaves fresh basil
salt, pepper, to taste

In a skillet, combine coconut milk, almond butter, curry power, and chili pepper to taste. Throw in your shrimp and simmer on low about 15 minutes for flavors to meld. I added large coconut flakes, you could also add red pepper and other veggies. 

"Rice"
Just put raw cauliflower in the food processor or cheese grater. Then steam it in the microwave for 3 mins, fluff with a fork and season with salt, pepper and butter. 




Caribbean Chicken Soup

Ingredients:
2 cups bone broth of your choice (I had grass fed beef broth, so I used that)

1 cup water

1 cube/packet organic chicken bouillon (Trader Joe's sells one that's pretty clean-if you're using chicken broth to start with this isn't really necessary but enhances flavor)

2 cups roasted chicken (I used leftover rotisserie chicken)

2-3 tbs jerk seasoning

2 tbs red chili powder (to taste)

1 tbs oregano

4 stalks celery

4 medium carrots

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Easy peasy, just throw everything in the pot and simmer at least an hour for flavors to meld. Photo above is my leftovers, I added local grass fed beef sausage I picked up at the farmers market. 

Zucchini bread 
You can follow the recipe above and it turns out great. Justine has mentioned that she prefers a fluffier bread, so I changed the recipe, adding about a cup of gluten free flour mix, and 1/2 cup coconut milk. I've made it several times and never really measured the coconut four/GF mix... just eyeball equal parts of each flour until the batter is the consistency of thick pancake batter. I also added about a tbs of ground cloves and doubled the spices to make the flavor deeper. Again...I taste as I go, so no recipe is ever exact on this blog as far as spices go. This recipe seems pretty fool proof though- it was even delicious when I forgot the baking soda ;)

Dark Chocolate Covered Mint Leaves 

30 Fresh mint leaves

2 squares Baker's 100% chocolate

3 tbs coconut oil

2 tbs honey (to taste)

1 tsp vanilla

a pinch of sea salt

Wash and pat dry your leaves.

Prepare a tray with wax paper covering it.

In a double boiler (or a soup can in a pot with boiling water), melt 2-3 large squares of Baker's 100% chocolate, unsweetened. 


Add other ingredients and mix together as the chocolate melts.  

Dip leaves in chocolate to cover both sides, Lay flat to cool on wax paper.

Freeze before serving.

Part Two: Have Food, Will Travel
This menu could also just be your next getaway to a cabin or camping trip!


Road Trip Snacks

• Boiled eggs
• Trail mix (almonds, walnuts, cranberries, banana chips)
• Strawberries
• Carrot and celery sticks

Breakfast:

• Breakfast casserole (recipe below)
• Zucchini bread 
• Bacon and eggs
• Coffee with heavy cream and honey

Lunch/Dinner

• Lettuce wrapped burgers
• Sweet potato fries (recipe below)
• Sirloin and chicken fajitas (recipe below)

Chocolate Cranberry Almond Bars (makes 8 bars)

1/2 lbs raw almonds

5 dates

1/4 cup coconut oil

3 tbs unsweetened organic cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

1 tbs vanilla

Combine nuts and dates in food processor, chop finely.

In a mixing bowl, add cranberries, vanilla and cocoa powder.

Melt coconut oil (place jar in warm water), and add liquid to nut mixture.

Mix all ingredients and form into bars on wax paper. Wrap in wax paper or cellophane and refrigerate. Coconut oil will solidify and hold bars together well. 

Breakfast Casserole

*I adapted from THIS recipe, which also looks delicious


Ingredients:
2 cups cooked sausage ( I use Isernio's GF, Nitrate Free Italian Sausage- it comes in a roll)
1 zucchini, grated
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
8 eggs
2 Tbsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350F

Saute onions, peppers and garlic until your onions start to caramelize and then turn off the heat. In your mixing bowl, combine eggs, cooked meat, shredded zucchini, oregano, and salt and pepper and mix well.

Once mixed, add in your sauteed onions, peppers and garlic, and half of the cheese, and mix again. 

Grease your 9×13 Inch baking dish using oil of your choice, I used olive oil.

Pour your mixture into your baking dish, top with remaining cheese. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes or until cooked through and passes the toothpick test. I baked mine for about 25 mins- slightly under cooked so that it would be perfect when reheated.

Sweet Potato Fries

Fries prepped for the cooler, with beef patties and lettuce to wrap the burgers in, and a side of broccoli

3 large sweet potatoes, cut into wedges or strips

1/4 cup coconut oil, bacon fat, or ghee

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbs ground cinnamon

1 tbs chili powder

1stp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

Preheat your oven to 425F.

In a bowl, coat evenly the sweet potatoes with oil/fat, spices and salt and pepper. 

Place on a backing tray in a single layer. 

Toast about 20 mins. Broil another 5 minutes, or until crispy. Test with a knife, they should be soft inside.

Sirloin and Chicken Fajitas

Prepped for the cooler

Ingredients:

2lbs sirloin and chicken thighs, cut into strips

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 medium yellow onion

1 large tomato

2 avocados

3 cloves garlic

3 tbs cumin

2 tbs chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tbs poultry seasoning

1/4 cup olive oil

veggie seasoning:

1/4 cup lime juice

1 clove garlic

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

In a bowl, combine beef, garlic, half of oil and spices except poultry seasoning. Cover and marinate overnight. 

In a separate bowl, cover chicken with the remaining spices, cover and marinate overnight.  


Drizzle a large skillet with olive oil and bring it to medium-high heat on the stove. Grill meat about 8 minutes until cooked tender. Add bell peppers, and onion, and sprinkle with garlic powder, chili powder, lime juice, and cumin. Stirring occasionally, cook until veggies are tender, about 6 minutes. Serve with chopped tomatoes, avocado, and salsa on top.

Well friends, let me know how these turn out for you, and please take the time to cook for those who are special to you, and appreciate those precious moments with the ones you love. 


Cheers!

Kellie