• ABOUT
  • 60 Minutes or Less
  • ABOUT
  • 60 Minutes or Less

  • Wild Rice Hotdish- A recipe remake by Real Food Girl: Unmodified. Tasty wild rice, ground beef, mushrooms, creamy sauce...
    Grains, Rice, Pasta

    Minnesota Wild Rice Hotdish- A Recipe Remake

    I’ve been working on remaking a family recipe that my Aunt MJ makes.  Her recipe is great, but I thought it would taste even better if I added some plain Jasmine rice and a creamy sauce.  I mentioned in the Perfect Wild Rice post that it has taken me a while to enjoy the taste of Wild Rice.  My Aunt’s recipe uses all Wild Rice, and for my sensitive palate it’s a little too strong.  And for The Stud Muffin, it’s just got too much rice. That man has never met a rice he liked.  Unless Chipotle’s rice bowl fixin’s are dumped on top of it. Or if it is combined with Stir-Fry.…

    Read More
    Kristine Cocchiarella

    You May Also Like

    Organic, pastured chicken baked with rice and homemade, GF Cream of Chicken soup! GMO-Free easy chicken dinners!

    Lazy Baked Chicken and Rice

    April 4, 2013
    Chicken Pasta Primavera by Real Food Girl: Unmodified. Yes please!!

    Chicken Pasta Primavera

    March 26, 2014
    30-Minue Monday's with Real Food Girl- Skillet Mac-n-Cheese. Best comfort food at its best!

    30-Minute Monday- Skillet Mac-n-Cheese

    February 17, 2014
  • How to cook the perfect wild rice by Real Food Girl Unmodified
    Gluten Free,  Grains, Rice, Pasta

    How to Make the Perfect Wild Rice

    I’m from Minnesota. It’s the land of Wild Rice. Did you know that Wild Rice is actually an aquatic grass seed, not a rice grain?  ‘Tis true my Food Hippies.  It’s a coarse annual grass called “zizania aquatica”. Despite its name, the plant isn’t even related to rice.  For me, Wild Rice was an acquired taste.  I’m not sure if I just had dishes from people who didn’t cook it long enough, or if I just didn’t have the palate for it. Whatever the reason, I shied away from it.  Fast forward to a few years ago when I was working in a restaurant and developing a soup recipe with one of the chefs.  He wanted a chicken…

    Read More
    Kristine Cocchiarella

    You May Also Like

    Apple Poppy Seed Coleslaw by Real Food Girl: Unmodified

    Apple-Poppy Seed Coleslaw

    September 12, 2013
    Pineapple Coconut Chia-colada, Healthy, organic, rich, creamy and yumtastic, healthy recipe, healthy drink recipe, real Food GIrl: Unmodified

    Pineapple Coconut Chia-Colada

    March 29, 2013
    Truly tasty spaghetti squash #Real Food Girl: Unmodified

    Spaghetti Squash- (A Recipe Request from a reader)

    March 12, 2013
  • 30-Minute Mondays- Beef & Bean Enchiladas by Real Food Girl Unmodified Pinning this for later!
    Mexican

    30-Minute Mondays- Beef and Bean Enchiladas

    Mexican food is one of my top 4 favorite cuisines.  I suppose if I were to be honest, there is actually a three-way tie between Mexican, Asian and Italian cuisines for second place with French being my #1 favorite to cook and eat. There is just something about the fresh flavors, the spice, the heat, and simplicity of Mexican food that I really like.  I do tend to Americanize my Mexican dishes for the blog, but some day, I’ll break out the authentic stuff taught to me by some of the line cooks at the restaurants where I worked.  I simply have no idea where I packed those notes when we moved last…

    Read More
    Kristine Cocchiarella

    You May Also Like

    One pot wondererful! Chicken Salsa Verde with Cornbread Dumplings. This is GMO-Free/Organic comfort food done right. Real Food Girl: Unmodified.

    Chicken Salsa Verde with Cornbread Dumplings

    February 21, 2013
  • Real Food Girl Unmodified 30-Minute Meals- Skillet Tamale Pie. This looks SO good!
    One Pot Meals

    30 Minute Monday- Real Food Skillet Tamale Pie

    Welcome to the fist installment of 30-Minute Monday’s.  When I used to work out in the real world I never cared for Mondays.  My biggest reason was I never slept well on Sunday nights and so I was always so sleepy on Monday. Typically I was dragging.  By the time I got home from working a 10-hour day the last thing I wanted to do was spend 90 minutes or more in the kitchen making dinner.  I wanted to jump in my flannel jammies, make something quick and filling and vegetate on the couch and snuggle with the fur babies and catch up on the day with The Stud Muffin. That ‘feeling’ was…

    Read More
    Kristine Cocchiarella

    You May Also Like

    Real Food Girl Unmodified Guest Posts for Mommypotamus- Risotto alla Milanese with Herbs

    Risotto alla Milanese with Herbs

    April 20, 2015
    30-Minute Mondays by Real Food Girl: Unmodified- Shepherd's Pie. Savory ground lamb, fresh veggies, rich gravy-like sauce and fluffy mashed potatoes. Yum!

    30-Minute Monday Skillet Shepherd’s Pie

    March 31, 2014
    Skillet Chicken with Mushroom and Onion Cream Sauce by Real Food Girl: Unmodified. You gotta see this!

    Skillet Chicken with Mushroom and Onion Cream Sauce

    January 6, 2014
  • Real Food Tex-Mex Pasta Bake by Real Food Girl. This is must try, easy, comfort food. Pin me!
    60 Minutes or Less

    Real Food Tex-Mex Pasta Bake

     I had a tough time naming this dish.   It looks like a Goulash, but not only is it not Hungarian, it’s also not a stew.  My grandmother used to make something similar to this using elbow macaroni, a can of  Campbell’s™  Tomato soup, and a can of Chicken Gumbo along with some ground beef.  It’s tasty, but that old standby needed some new life breathed into it.  Hence how this dish was born.  I took one of my grandpa’s favorite dishes and I breathed new life into it. I finally decided on Tex-Mex because the dish has Southwestern, American and Mexican components to it.  And to give this dish even more of an…

    Read More
    Kristine Cocchiarella

    You May Also Like

    Pan Seared Pork Chops with Mustard Cream Sauce- Thing of beauty from Real Food Girl: Unmodified

    Pan Seared Pork Chops with Mustard Cream Sauce- (Organic/GMO-Free)

    January 20, 2013
    Creamy Mushroom & Beef Stroganoff from Real Food Girl: Unmodified. It's organic and it's spectacular!

    Creamy Mushroom & Beef Stroganoff

    February 9, 2013
    Out of the Box Hamburger Helper! No more processed boxed food for dinner! #Real Food Girl: Unmodified

    Out of the Box Hamburger Helper (GMO-Free)

    February 19, 2013
  • Caramelized Onion Burgers by Real Food Girl: Unmodified
    Barbeque

    Caramelized Onion Burgers with Gruyere

    It’s been very warm here in MN this summer.  We had a miserably long winter–as in measurable snowstorms in May.  Once summer hit, it’s been hot and humid ever since.  I’m not complaining.  When you have 6 months of winter, you welcome the heat, humidity, and the sun.  But not the mosquitoes. I don’t welcome those at all. I’ve been working for the past 4 days in this 90-degree weather, organizing my garage for the moving sale I’m having later this week.  I spend about 6-10 hours in the garage each day and by the time I’m finished, I’m spent. The last thing I want to do is spend eternity in the kitchen…

    Read More
    Kristine Cocchiarella

    You May Also Like

    Slow Cooker Saucy Country Style BBQ Ribs by Real Food Girl Unmodified. Pin now, make these tonight!

    Slow Cooker Country Style BBQ Ribs

    February 14, 2014
    Real Food Girl BBQ St. Louise Style Ribs on the grill. Juicy, tender, and saucy! www.realfoodgirl.com

    St. Louis Style BBQ Ribs on the Grill

    August 26, 2014
    BBQ Spice rub for ribs Real Food Girl

    Real Food Girl BBQ Spice Rub

    August 24, 2014
  • Ground Sirloin Steaks with Brown Gravy- Homecookin' organic food from Real Food Girl: Unmodified
    Beef

    Ground Sirloin Steaks with Brown Gravy

    One of my favorite blogs is South Your Mouth.  South Your Mouth is run by Mandy.  She’s spunky, sarcastic and is fast becoming a good friend.  I get the opportunity to meet her later this year, which has me seriously stoked!  Not only do I get to experience her yummy food, and her bold, nothing is sacred, irreverent sense of humor but I’ll get to tear things up in the kitchen with her.  I have to say I’m super excited to finally be meeting a favorite blogger in the flesh.  I’ve been stalking following Mandy’s blog for a little over two years.  I know you’ll enjoy her humorous stories and her recipes as…

    Read More
    Kristine Cocchiarella

    You May Also Like

    This burger is to die for. Grated Gruyere cheese, onion bacon jam, and organic grass-fed ground beef. If you like burgers, make these! #Real Food Girl: Unmodified

    Cheeseburgers with Onion Bacon Jam (Organic/GMO-Free)

    January 14, 2013
    SImple and delicious one pot beef stew! Organic and GMO-Free. Perfect comfort food from #Real Food Gril: Unmodified

    One Pot Hearty Beef Stew (Organic/GMO-Free)

    January 11, 2013
  • Veal, Pork and Ground Beef Meatballs from Real Food Girl. This is as authentic as it gets folks! If you want great meatballs, this is THE recipe!
    Freezer Meals,  Side Dishes

    Meatballs with Beef, Pork and Veal

    Welcome to the new blog site everyone!  Are you as excited to be here as I am to have you here?  I hope so!  Are you ‘CRAZY excited’, as my 8-year-old niece would say?   Imagine my surprise when after importing all the posts from my Blogger site I realized that I’ve shared my “Gravy”/Marinara sauce recipe, and a quick tomato meat sauce/ragu recipe and a basic white sauce recipe but I never shared my meatball recipe?  What is wrong with me?  Um, don’t answer that please… Please accept my most genuine apology for taking so long to post my meatball recipe.   I should probably remember to take my memory supplements more often.   I…

    Read More
    Kristine Cocchiarella

    You May Also Like

    Not yo' Momma's meatloaf! Cheddar-bacon BBQ meatloaves! Organic and GMO-Free. #Real Food Girl: Unmodified

    Cheddar Bacon BBQ Meatloaves

    February 15, 2013
    Homemade Non-GMO Beef Stock. Easy to make and tastes so much better than canned, or boxed stocks. Much healthier, too! Real Food Girl: Unmodified

    Organic Beef Stock

    March 21, 2013
    Real Food Wild Rice Corn Chowder from Real Food Girl:Unmodified (with chicken and bacon)

    Wild Rice Corn Chowder

    December 12, 2013
12

Recipes by Category

Meet Real Food Girl

Hi! I'm Kristine!

I'm a classically trained chef, who thinks that every aspect of health and wellness starts with food, but I also believe that you need to make room for a slice of cake every once in a while! Join me as I show you how to navigate a realistic and achievable 80/20 Real Food lifestyle, without breaking the bank, losing your sanity, or feeling shame because you can't live up to the "perfection" preached on other Real Food Blogs. Yeah, I went there.

Search Real Food Girl

Real Food Girl Vault

Calendar of Posts

May 2025
S M T W T F S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Apr