Blog — The Culinary Coon

BLT Summer Salad

SUMMER ISN’T OVER! That’s right, I said it. Here in the south, summer lives on throughout September, and sometimes even October. Heck, we’ve had years where it’s 80 degrees on Christmas Eve. That happened two years ago, and it was wild!

I haven’t had a typical summer. If you don’t follow me on Instagram (go follow me!), you might not know that my husband and I adopted a precious baby boy. I will definitely share more of his story and our adoption story eventually but I’m still processing it for now. The majority of our summer has been spent indoors with our precious newborn baby boy. And we wouldn’t have it any other way! Now that our sweet baby is 3 months old, we’re starting to come out of the newborn fog and we don’t want summer to be over! I know a lot of people consider Labor Day the end of summer, but I say if the veggies are fresh and the temperature is still high, it’s still summer! You can’t force boots on me when it’s 100 degrees outside.

This salad is everything summer is and should be: fresh heirloom tomatoes, spicy-smokey jalapenos, RANCH, and hot flavors with cool textures. Bonus: it’s Whole30 compliant! It is such a quick and easy meal that you will love! It is so easily adaptable to make work for you or your family. If you don’t like spice, leave out the jalapenos. Add cheese if that’s your thing. If you don’t like cooking bacon in the skillet (I recently learned from a friend some people hate cooking bacon- I didn’t know this was a thing), cook it in the microwave. Lay paper towels on a plate, then lay bacon, then more paper towels. I cook for 2 minutes at a time and check them. I like my bacon very crispy! Be careful though, the plate will be hot, hot, HOT!

Lunch, DinnerAnna CoonSeptember 6, 2018Comment

Citrus Chorizo Hash

I love a hash! There. I said it. The definition of a hash in my own words is: chopped potatoes and meat cooked in a skillet topped with a fried egg. I make hashes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner regularly! It is so easy and completely delicious. It MUST, and I mean must, be cooked in a cast iron skillet. For the longest time I thought it wasn’t important to have a cast iron skillet. Then I got one and my life was forever changed. I love the heck out of a nonstick pan, but nothing compares to the crust you get from a cast iron skillet.

You can use any kind of potato for this hash, but I like Japanese sweet potatoes. They are purple on the outside and white on the inside. I don’t lovethe taste of sweet potatoes, but I do really like Japanese sweet potatoes. The taste is similar to regular sweet potatoes but much milder in my opinion. I also really love to use plantains for hash. Their flavor fills me with delight.

Blog, BreakfastAnna CoonAugust 12, 2018Comment

Timmy's Blueberry Bliss Smoothie

My husband LOVES blueberries. He lives for them. This man has gotten blueberry pancakes with blueberry syrup. I guess it’s the same way I feel about pancakes. I wanted to create a very blueberry smoothie for him that wouldn’t cause a sugar crash and would fuel his body and brain for the day! That’s how I came up with this smoothie recipe. It’s substantial enough to drink for breakfast or lunch, but not so heavy you will feel queasy during a workout.

I like to add as much protein as I possibly can before a workout because, for me, I’ve noticed the more protein I have, the better the workout goes. Protein helps keep me satiated and improves my endurance, especially when I am doing cardio or HIIT.

Keep Austin Delicious

Welcome back! They say introverts are energized by being alone, and extroverts are energized by time with others. Well, I’m energized by traveling, adventure, and exploration. So, I guess that makes me a…travel-vert? Yes, let’s go with that. A few weeks ago, I went on such a fun little weekend getaway to Austin, Texas! I went with two sweet friends, Mandy and Amelia. We had dinner each night at the event we went to.

Travel, BlogAnna CoonMay 15, 2018Austin, ATX, Austin Texas Comment

Chipotle Lime Chicken Salad

This chipotle lime chicken salad delicious! The best part? It’s completely dairy and mayo free! Chipotle is one of my favorite flavors and I’ve been using it a lot lately. I have made a few different versions of this and this one is my favorite! It makes the perfect lunch or snack and keeps in the fridge for about a week. Make it on Sunday and you’ve got lunch for the week!

You could certainly use a rotisserie chicken for this chicken salad. I used boneless skinless chicken breasts because it’s what I prefer. You could also use Primal Kitchen’s chipotle lime mayo if you have a nut allergy. I found Bitchin Sauce at Natural Grocers and it’s made out of almonds and it’s SO GOOD! You can find chipotles in adobo in the Mexican food area of your grocery store. They are super spicy so be careful! You can usually find jicama chopped into strips in the produce section of your grocery store.

LunchAnna CoonMay 1, 2018Comment

Groom's Cake Smoothie

I dream about this smoothie. I drink it for breakfast. I drink it for lunch. I drink it for a snack. I would drink it every day. It’s the perfect start to your day. It’s a great pre-workout snack. You can make it ahead of time and put it in the fridge and drink it on the go. Basically, it’s perfect!

I create all my smoothies using Kelly LeVeque’s formula of protein, fat, fiber, and greens. This is such a simple concept but truly so genius. I even look at my dinner plate often and see if I have those four elements. In this smoothie, the protein is protein powder, fat is MCT oil, fiber is ground flaxseeds, and greens are spinach.

BreakfastAnna CoonApril 17, 2018Comment

Meal Planning and Prepping 101

Meal prepping is one of those buzz words right now. Like kale, adaptogens, or super foods. Meal prepping or meal planning does not, I repeat, does NOT have to be a four-hour cooking extravaganza on Sundays. Because that’s just insane! If you precook all your food for the week one day of the week then I’m happy for you but I just don’t think that’s realistic for the rest of us.

Usually on Sunday afternoons or Monday mornings I take a look at my fridge and freezer and assess what I have. I get most of my meat from Ozark Pasture Beef in Fayetteville which delivers high quality, pasture raised, grass fed, and grass finished beef. Even the meat you buy from Whole Foods is oftentimes grass fed but NOT grass finished. They finish it with corn at the end of their lives because it makes the meat taste better to the conventional buyer. However, I do sometimes buy extra meat at Whole Foods or Natural Grocers based on what I need if I don’t have it. I buy my fish from Sizzle Fish and get it shipped to me. They sustainably and responsibly source their fish and they make high quality fish available to everyone, not just the restaurant industry. They also have information about farm raised versus wild caught fish. I continue to buy wild caught but I’m doing more research into farm raised.

BlogAnna CoonApril 16, 2018Comment

Pupkindoodles!

There are six VERY special little girls who live at my house. I love them more than anything on earth and they are my best buddies. They are my pets! We have four dogs and two cats. I have started making them treats at home occasionally and they love them! Actually, the dogs love them, and the cats are curious but suspicious. If I made them treats regularly I would have to make them just about every day!

People ask me all the time how we ended up with all these pets and why they are all girls. Truthfully, it just happened. I really just LOVE animals and my deepest desire is for all of them to have a warm, loving home. Here’s the breakdown of how all my girls came home…

BlogAnna CoonApril 8, 2018Comment

Copper Coons

My sweet husband and I recently went on a getaway to Copper Mountain, Colorado. I absolutely LOVE to travel! When we got married he promised me adventure, and boy has he delivered. We have traveled to some amazing places with the most important part: amazing food. I would love to share this trip’s food with you too!

Timmy had to work, so I got to explore, workout, and go to the spa! I had never been snow skiing before so we got to try that too! When I was working out on our first morning, I was panting like a dog- I couldn’t breathe! Well I didn’t know that is a side effect of the altitude. Copper Mountain is at almost 10,000 feet! Pretty crazy. No wonder I couldn’t breathe!

Blog, TravelAnna CoonMarch 20, 2018Copper MountainComment

Double Thyme Roasted Carrots!

This one goes out to all the vegetarians, vegans, and plant-based friends! I have recently become OBSESSED with rainbow carrots! They are so tasty, not to mention beautiful. I love colorful foods!

Carrots are a great example of a healthy, fresh food high (in relative terms) in sugar and carbs. I don’t have a problem eating foods like carrots and a variety of potatoes that are high in carbs but are SIMPLE carbs. My philosophy is: if it comes from the earth, it is good for ya.

These are SUPER easy to make and are so delicious! Make these for your mother-in-law, she will be mighty impressed.

Blog, SidesAnna CoonMarch 5, 2018 Comments