The big day is coming….Super Bowl Sunday!!  I have to admit I’m not a huge NFL girl.  I mush rather watch a college football game then I would NFL, but I make an exception for Super Bowl Sunday.  Yes, the commercials are fun…and the halftime show….but my favorite is cheering for the underdog.  Makes it a little more exciting to me for some reason.  So who will the underdog be this weekend….we shall see and I promise I’ll be cheering them on till the end. 

Another favorite thing about Super Bowl Sunday is the food.  I love mapping out the bites for the game!  With that being said I had to test out a test run this weekend on these chicken salad crostini’s.  The exciting part about these crostini’s is they are totally Paleo and your guest will totally not know they are Paleo either.  

I’m going to keep this short because I’m one totally tired girl and need a little shut eye.  It’s going to be a busy week.  Working and mapping out some things that I hope will change a few things around here.  Don’t worry nothing too major….just exciting!  Stay tune and enjoy these Paleo Crostini’s!   

Sundried Tomato, Bacon, Chicken Salad Crostini

1 pound chicken breasts

1 quart low sodium chicken broth

2 bay leaves

3 slices sugar-free bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (packed in olive oil), diced reserve some for topping the crostini’s

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

2 to 3 green onions, diced

Garlic Herb Mayonnaise

Paleo Herb Buns

Instructions:

Wash chicken and season with salt and pepper.  In a large pot bring chicken stock with bay leaves to a boil.  Place chicken breast into the stock, cover and remove from heat.  Let chicken sit in the stock for 40 to 50 minutes until cooked through. 

Remove chicken and dice or shred chicken.  Place chicken into large bowl and add sundried tomatoes, bacon, fresh basil, green onion, and garlic herb mayo.  Remember to reserve some of the sundried tomatoes to top the crostini’s.

Cut the paleo buns in half and lightly toast in a toaster oven.  Top each half with chicken salad mixture and top with sundried tomatoes and extra chopped fresh basil.

Makes about 14-16 crostini’s.

You can also serve chicken salad as is without the paleo bun/crostini’s.  Still delicious!

Enjoy!!

I’m very excited about today’s post and partnering with some very talented bloggers and Paleo mom’s, Stacy at Paleo Parents and Jenni at Urban Poser.

Stacy reached out to Jenni and I and we all tossed around some ideas and decided to each feature a “course” to give you a full New Years Eve menu.  I’m featuring an appetizer with these Sundried Tomato Herb Chicken Sliders surrounded by a Paleo Herb Bun.  Jenni took on the main course of a chicken pot pie – which sounds amazing!  I haven’t had chicken pot pie since cutting gluten out last January so I’m excited to try her recipe.  And the wonderful Stacy did a dessert – a take on Jenni’s marshmallows, a S’more Marshmallow! Yum!

Here is a glimpse at these fabulous ladies recipes.

Jenni at Urban Poser used leftovers to make an amazing looking main course, Chicken Pot Pie.  Can’t wait to try this!

Warm, savory and the perfect match to a cold winters day…Try this grain free rendition of the classic ‘Pot Pie’. These personal sized pies are chock full of hearty chicken, seasoned vegetables, and thick (grain free) gravy. Then they’re topped off with a flaky almond flour crust, just like my Grandma used to make…only better for you!

Now for Stacy’s fabulous dessert of Marshmallow S’mores….can you say YUM!  A great end of the year treat for your New Year’s Eve!

These marshmallows won’t have you missing anything. Especially the sticky burning goo on your fingers. Or the smoke in your eye. But, if you’re into that sort of thing, by all means – eat them beside a bonfire and let the chocolate melt in your hand instead of your mouth! But first, you have to make them…

Click the links and head to their sites for the full recipes!  You won’t be disappointed, I promise!

 Now to skip to the front of menu to the appetizer.  Here is the recipe for my Sundried Tomato Herb Chicken Sliders with Paleo Herb Bun with a Garlic Herb Aioli.

Sundried Tomato Herb Chicken Sliders

1 pound ground chicken

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (packed in olive oil), chopped

2 slices bacon, just cooked and crumbled

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

1/2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh garlic, finely minced

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Paleo Herb Buns

Fresh Baby Spinach

Garlic Herb Aioli (optional), recipe below

To make burgers:

Heat a nonstick grill pan over medium high heat.

In a large bowl, add chicken, sundried tomatoes, bacon, thyme, basil, garlic, salt and pepper.  With a fork combine the ingredients make sure not to completely over work the slider mixture.

Form mixture into small sliders and place on the preheated grill pan and grill sliders for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until slider is cooked through.

Garlic Herb Aioli

1 egg

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground mustard powder

1/2 cup avocado oil

1/2 cup light olive oil

1/2 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 tablespoon rosemary, minced

1/2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

To make aioli:

In a food processor, process egg, lemon juice, and mustard powder.

Slowly add the avocado oil and olive oil while processing to fully emulsify.  When the oil has all emulsified and you have a creamy mayonnaise, add salt and pepper, and continue to blend

Add garlic, rosemary, and basil and process until smooth.

So there you have it folks, a “Trifecta” post with some very special ladies for a NYE Menu.  Now go and check out these recipes!  And most importantly HAPPY NEW YEAR!!  See you back here in 2012 for another fun filled year of recipes.

Back from vacation and had a wonderful time away with my family.  We had a lot of fun and now we have a lot of new memories to add to our box.  I look at my little ones and I’m amazed every day how big they are becoming.  It makes me so sad so gathering all those memories are very important.  I will always remember Christmas 2011 in one of the magical places in the world….Disney World! 

Now that we are back it was nice to get back in my kitchen and make something for my Paleo palate.  Word to the wise….Paleo eating at Disney World can be a little challenging.  Thank goodness I pre-made some things for the trip for snacks and brought along some of my favorites from Steve’s Original.  Those saved the day on many occasions.  Today I spent the better half of the day cooking away.  First on the list was this salsa.  I think I have told you in the past but sweet potatoes are my little addiction.  I love them.  If I could I would have them every day.  My husband jokes that one day I might turn into a sweet potato!  Hmmmm…weird thought!  Ok, so lets talk salsa.  I’ve made all kinds of salsa, but never a sweet potato salsa….and let me tell you it will be made again.  The sweet potato adds a slight sweetness to the salsa.  Now the beauty of this salsa is you can use it in the traditional way, ok not totally traditional in the Paleo world but in my Paleo traditional way, dipped with a Paleo Cracker. But you can also use this salsa in scrambled eggs for breakfast, on top of a salad, there are many possibilities.  Either way its a sweet little bite!  And perfect to serve as a appetizer for New Year’s of the Super Bowl!

Enjoy!!

Roasted Sweet Potato Salsa

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced small

1 small red onion, diced

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium tomato (seeds removed), diced

1 avocado, diced small

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)

salt and ground pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  On a baking sheet, toss sweet potato, red onion, and olive oil.  Roast until sweet potato is tender and browned in spots, about 20 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl and let cool completely.

Add tomato, avocado, cilantro, and lime juice.  Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.

Note: To enjoy salsa serve with Paleo Crackers, scatter over a salad, use in scrambled eggs at breakfast, or inside an omelet (or on top).

Recipe Adapted from Martha Stewart

A few weeks ago while in Sedona my mom and I had a wonderful tomato salad as an appetizer before my birthday dinner.  Of course being Paleo we had them split the salad for us because my mom the cheese lover had cheese with her tomato salad while I stuck with just the tomato and basil.  It was such a refreshing salad that we had it again a few days later.  I’ve been thinking about that salad since I got home so while walking through the produce section at my local Whole Foods this weekend I almost jumped and rejoiced when I saw that the heirloom tomatoes where on sale.  With only a few remaining I quickly gathered a few that looked good and stored away in my cart.  The remaining time spent at Whole Foods was spent daydreaming about the tomato salad I was going to recreate once I got home.  Amazing how the smallest things can brighten your day…and funny that it’s food! Once home, it didn’t take much to put this salad together.  You only need 5 ingredients and maybe 5 to 10 minutes to prepare and presto you have great appetizer, side dish, or even a main dish!  I know summer has pretty much ended which means tomato “season” has ended too but with temperatures still way up there here in South Florida it still feels like summer which makes this salad perfect!

Heirloom Tomato Basil Salad

 Print Recipe

2 to 3 heirloom tomatoes

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Instructions:

Cut tomatoes in slices in thickness of choice.  Place on a large plate or in a bowl and drizzle olive oil and balsamic over tomatoes.  Use the amount you like, some like more some like less so use according to your liking.  You can always use less and add more.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Store in refrigerator for about 30 minutes and before serving sprinkle freshly chopped basil over tomatoes.  Serve and enjoy by themselves or as a side dish.

Note: And for my non-Paleo followers out there….add some fresh mozzarella to this salad and I’m sure you can make a meal out of this…that’s what my mom does

Enjoy!!

I’m back from vacation.  I’m still trying to get back into the swing of things.  I have to say a getaway to a spa on your birthday is absolutely fabulous and I highly recommend everyone do that one in their lifetime.  It was a well needed break for my mom and I!  We had a great time!  I was sad to leave my little ones for 4 days but in the end I came back a happier mom.  I’ll be recapping my trip soon.  After I download over 150 photo’s that is! 

On our trip to the spa we had the chance to participate in a cooking demo by one of the chefs at the spa.  The wonderful thing about the Enchantment Resort in Sedona is the food is healthy and they are willing to make any changes you may need to fit your diet needs.  So all you Paleolovers out there….this is the perfect place for a vacation!  There wasn’t anything on the 3 restaurants on site that didn’t offer something that wasn’t Paleo friendly with just a few minor adjustments. 

Now back to the cooking demo, in the demo the chef made a version of this recipe.  Instead of using watermelon like the chef used I used cantaloupe, honeydew and pineapple.  So try different fruits in your recipe to adapt it to your favorites.  This was great when I was there and great when I got home and made it for the hubby.  If you don’t like things too spicy just don’t use as much jalapeno pepper.

I’m going to keep this post short because I’m a tired girl who just headed back to work today and need to get some shut eye before my 4:30am wake up call happens tomorrow morning.  CrossFit calls!

Enjoy everyone!!

Spicy Lime Shrimp with Fruity Pico De Gallo

Print Recipe

Spicy Lime Shrimp

15-20 Large Shrimp (about 1 pound), clean and peeled

1/2 Jalapeno Pepper, diced (less if you don’t like spicy)

3 limes, juiced

1/2 cup green onion, diced

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon coconut oil

Instructions:

Preheat saute pan to med heat with coconut oil.

Saute shrimp on medium heat.  Cook 3/4 of the way through, add garlic and then deglaze with the lime juice.  Toss for 2 minutes or until shrimp are cooked.

Finish with fresh jalapeno, green onion, and cilantro. 

Fruity Pico De Gallo

1/2 cup pineapple, diced

1/3 cup cantaloupe, diced

1/3 cup honeydew, diced

1 tablespoon red onion, diced

1/2 Jalapeno, diced

1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

salt to taste

fresh ground pepper to taste

Juice of one lime

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Mix well.  If time allows allow to stand in refrigerator for 1 hour before serving other wise serve on top of shrimp and enjoy.

Enjoy!!

I’m a little in love with these Paleo Herb Crackers, so much so I have made them 3 times in the past week.  Wow!  I know crazy, but here is another crazy thing…I have also made the Coconut Chicken Nuggets 3 times too!  Yes, I guess I’ve had a addicted type of personality these days in the kitchen!  That or I’m too lazy to make anything else.  Hmmm?  Possibly so since life is totally crazy lately, hence the lack of blog posts on the other side of the blog.  I promise I will try to get back to a somewhat normal posting soon.

Ok, back to these crackers….  since the nuggets require a egg yolk and the crackers require a egg white they are a great pairing when I’m cooking one or the other.  Nothing wasted.  Perfect, especially considering I love them both.  The crackers can be changed up depending on what spices you want to add too.  I have a organic salt free pizza seasoning that rocks in these crackers.  I also added rosemary, which is another one of my favorite herbs.  But again, you get to decide what spice you like best.  I’m telling you though these crackers are very addicting.  They are a great little quick “snack”, but of course in proportion if you are following a Paleo lifestyle.  My little munchkins loved these too so I added these to their lunch box a couple times last week.  If your little ones don’t like spices keep that in mind when picking your spices of choice.  For example, the pizza seasoning I use has red pepper flakes and if you get a bite of cracker with too much of red pepper flake it can have a little spicy bite.  Some little ones don’t like the heated spices.  If you do try different spices come back and leave a comment letting me know what you added and what you and your family liked.  I would love to hear.  I’m seriously thinking about doing a “sweet” like cracker with cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice….I wonder how that would taste.  To be continued…if I try it I’ll let you know.

Enjoy the crackers everyone and I’ll be back later this week with a special treat….a giveaway! 

Paleo Herb Crackers

Print Recipe

2 cups almond flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoon favrite herbs of choice (I used a blend of pizza seasoning and rosemary)

2 tablespoons water

1 egg white

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon coconut oil

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine almond flour, salt, and spices in a medium mixing bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk together the water, egg white, oilve oil, and coconut oil (melted).  Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until stiff dough forms and all dry ingredients are wet.

Place dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll out to an even thickness of about 1/8 of an inch.  Transfer parchment to a baking sheet pan and remove the top piece of parchment.  Using a pizza cutter trim off uneven edges of dough, then cut the sheet of dough into cracker size pieces/squares.

Bake for 10 minutes.  Turn off oven and let crackers sit inside oven for an additional 10 minutes, until golden. 

Let crackers cool and enjoy!

 If you are looking for a Paleo friendly and kid friendly football game day treat look no further.  These coconut chicken nuggets are my families new favorite bite size treat.  I actually had to contain myself from popping them in my mouth as I was cooking them.  And what is a chicken nugget without something to dip it in?  My favorite dipping sauce before going Paleo was BBQ sauce.  As a southern girl I love BBQ sauce, but it’s not exactly Paleo friendly.  I came across this recipe by Whole9 for the Whole30 plan.  It’s not exactly like my beloved BBQ sauce but it’s pretty darn close and pretty darn good. 

Now just a warning these chicken nuggets may not last too long so if you want you can double the recipe.  They are great as a game day snack or even for the kids dinner or to pack away in their lunch box. 

Sorry to keep this short but it’s been a crazy week and next week will be even crazier.  Enjoy these nuggets and have a great weekend!

Coconut Chicken Nuggets with Paleo “BBQ” Sauce

 Print Recipe

1 pound ground chicken

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ cup + ½ cup almond flour

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

½ cup coconut oil

Salt & Pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

 In a bowl combine ¼ cup almond flour, ½ cup coconut and salt & pepper.  Mix to combine.

In a separate bowl, combine the ground chicken, ½ cup almond flour, onion powder, garlic powder, egg yolk and salt & pepper.  Mix well until everything is incorporated. 

In a sauté pan, melt coconut oil on medium heat.  Take about 2 tablespoons worth of the chicken mixture and roll into a ball and then coat with the coconut and almond mixture.  Repeat with the remaining chicken.  You should make about 15 to 18 chicken nugget/balls.

In small batches place nuggets into heated coconut oil and cook on each side for about 3 to 4 minutes.  Transfer balls to a parchment lined bake pan and place in oven for 4 to 5 minutes to allow the chicken to cook through.  Repeat with the remaining chicken nuggets.

 Allow nuggets to cool and serve with Paleo “BBQ” Sauce (recipe follows). 

 Paleo “BBQ” Sauce

3/4 cup fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

10 tablespoons tomato paste

4 tablespoons shallots, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Instructions:

Heat coconut oil in a saute pan over medium heat.  Place minced shallots and garlic in sauce pan until soft.  Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes.

Here is one of my new favorite lunch time salads.  Since going Paleo, a little over a month now, I find myself in the kitchen a lot during the weekends planning my lunches for the week.  Of course towards the end of the week the cabinets are a bit bare and the only option left is a spinach salad, you know the typical salad…great but boring!  I needed a little change this week which meant I needed several lunch options to avoid the spinach salad come Thursday and Friday.  This weekend I got in the kitchen and got creative.  For example, this salad came about by looking in my refrigerator to see what I had and what I could make.  Sometimes these can be a hit or a miss.  Luckily in the case of this chicken salad it was a hit.  The roasted peppers add a slight sweetness to the salad and the almonds add a slight crunch.  The best of both worlds.  The dressing I adapted from my Chicken Salad with Peas and Herb Vinaigrette, one of my first recipes on the blog, but I changed it up to make it Paleo.  So no honey, no rice vinegar, no honey mustard, etc.  The dressing turned out great and it was the perfect balance with the other ingredients in the salad.  For a fun idea to serve the chicken salad, you can cut an avocado in half removing the pit and place a scoop of salad carefully in the hole where the pit was.  I saw this idea in the Food Network magazine a few months ago and knew I had to try it.  Yum!  Of course that is totally optional.  I have also made “wraps” out of the salad by wrapping it in lettuce leaves.  Another option to enjoy the salad.  I have to say this was meant for this weeks lunch but I found it hard not to eat the whole thing this weekend.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

And just a note to all those that were in the path of Irene this weekend.  I hope you and your family weathered it out ok and there wasn’t too much damage to your homes and towns.  It was hard seeing some of the images over the weekend as I know first hand what a hurricane/tropical storm can be like.  Thoughts are with you all!

Chicken Salad with Roasted Bell Peppers in Avocado Cups

Print Recipe

4 skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds total)

4 bay leaves

1 quart organic low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth (or half of each, which I did here)

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 cup unsalted, roasted almonds, finely chopped

1/2 large red onion, diced

1/2 a bunch asparagus, roasted and diced into small pieces**

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped

2 roasted bell peppers (red or yellow peppers), skin removed and diced (recipe below)*

salt and pepper to taste

Mustard Herb Dressing:

1/3 cup fresh parsley, tightly packed

1/3 cup fresh basil, tightly packed

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon gluten-free Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

fresh ground pepper to taste

Instruction:

*To Roast Bell Peppers:

Preheat oven to 45o degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with coconut oil, set aside.  Cut the peppers in half and clean out the seeds and innards. Place them on a baking sheet skin side up.  Bake peppers for 15 to 20 minutes. Once the skins are brownish-black, remove from the oven and immediately place the peppers in a large ziploc bag. Close and let sit for 20 minutes or so (or until the peppers have time to cool and “sweat”). Once they have cooled you will be able to peel the skins right off. What you will have left is a moist, wonderfully cooked pepper. Yummy!
**To roast asparagus, toss asaragus in a little olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper.  Roast in the 450 degree oven for 5-10 minutes, depending on size of asparagus, while bell peppers roast.  Remove and allow to cool before cutting into small pieces.

For Chicken Salad:

Put the bay leaves and the chicken broth in a large pot with a lid and bring stock to a simmer.  Add the chicken breasts to the pot.  Return the broth to a simmer.  Cover the pot.  Turn off the heat.  Let the chicken steep in the stock for 30 minutes to an hour.

While the chicken is cooking, chop the other ingredients – garlic, almonds, onion, asparagus, basil, parsley, roasted bell peppers – and add to a large bowl.  Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

When the chicken breasts are cooked, remove them from the broth and let them cool.  When they are cool enough to handle, shred the chicken breasts into bite-size pieces by hand.  Mix the chicken pieces in with the rest of the ingredients.

To Make Dressing:

In the bowl of a food processor combine parsley, basil, apple cider vinegar, mustard, garlic, and salt.  While food processor is running slowly add olive oil in a small drizzle.  You may have to stop the food processor to scrape the sides.  You want the mixture to come to a liquid consistency.  Add fresh ground pepper to taste.

Add dressing to chicken salad and toss to combine.

Serve chilled or at room temperature.  Or inside a halved avocado.  Take an avocado, remove pit, and place chicken salad in the inside. 

Makes about 6 to 8 servings of salad

Hello Mango….you have entered my world in quite an abundance lately.  The sweet fruit that graces my kitchen counter.  What, oh what should you be used for? 

Hmmmm….

The weather’s hot the air is sticky.  I want something cool and refreshing.  Mango Coconut Sherbet is in the freezer.  Can’t have that…at least not yet.  What about salsa?  Yes, my dear mango that sits on my kitchen counter that’s what I’ll do with you.  Mango salsa you will be and mango salsa we will enjoy on this hot and sticky day that is officially summer in my book.

Warning to all, mango’s will be used in many recipes to come.  Again, I have lots.  That’s a beauty of living in Florida there is a mango tree in most neighborhoods and if you have a nice and generous neighbor they tend to share.

Hope everyone had a nice long holiday weekend!!

Mango Avocado Black Bean Salsa

Print Recipe

1 medium (to large) ripe mango peeled and diced

1 red bell pepper, finely diced

1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced

1 – 14 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup green onion, diced

1/2 cup cilantro chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

Tortilla Chips

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine.  Serve immediately.  Salsa can be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 3 days.  Can be made the day before a party too.

Enjoy!!

The weekends seem to come and go.  Why is that?  Maybe because your having fun?  This weekend was a laid back fun filled weekend for us, which is always the best kind.  Here in South Florida the temperatures are heating up so we are busy trying to enjoy the cooler temperatures before the real heat and humidity arrives.  This weekend we headed to the beach for some fun in the sun.  Nothing like the sand in between your toes, the smell of the salt water, and the breeze in your hair.  Just a year ago, a typical day at the beach meant running after two little girls (both going in opposite directions usually).  We always ended up more exhausted in the end than they did.  Amazing how things have changed in one short year.  This weekend while we were at the beach my husband and I actually got to sit back and relax while we watched two little girls play together and entertain themselves.  We couldn’t decide to be happy or sad about this either.  Sad because they are growing up or happy because they were playing together and happy (and we got to sit back and relax).  We decided to go with the happy, but I know deep down inside we had some sadness.  Amazing how quickly they grow up!  We had a great time at the beach and we even got to see a manatee floating by!  To a 3-year old this was pretty major.  They’ll be talking about that for weeks.

Again, with the temperatures rising I was craving something light and refreshing to enjoy with a nice cold glass of wine after the girls went down for the night.  And this my friends was the perfect bite size treat.  The fresh crab and mango together with the crisp wonton makes these my new favorite thing.  These are must try this summer if you are looking for something for a party.  Or even as a appetizer for two.  My little ones actually helped me make the salad and the wontons earlier in the day.  I stuck the salad in the refrigerator and the wonton cups in an airtight container.  When the girls were down and the wine was poured a pulled out the cold salad and placed right into the cups.  So easy and so good!  A must try!

Hope everyone had a nice weekend.  See you back here soon.

Mango Crab Salad in Wonton Cups

Print Recipe

For the wonton cups:

18 wonton wrappers, thawed if frozen

3 teaspoons canola oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

For dressing:

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons olive oil

For the salad:

1/2 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage

1 stalk celery, finely diced (about 1/4 cup)

1/2 cup peeled and finely diced ripe mango

1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions (white and green parts)

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375.  Coat mini-muffin tins with cooking spray.

To make the wonton cups, brush both sides of the wonton wrappers with canola oil and place each wrapper into a section of a mini-muffin tin.  Gently press each wrapper into the tin and arrange so that it forms a cup shape.  The wrapper will stick up out of the cup.  Sprinkle with the salt and bake until browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes.  Allow the cups to cool, then remove from the tin.  These can be prepared the day before and stored at room temperature in an airtight container. 

To make the dressing, whisk together the lime juice and zest, salt, black pepper, and red pepper.  Add the olive oil and whisk until well combined.

To make the salad, in a medium bowl, gently toss together the crabmeat, celery, mango, scallions, and cilantro, trying not to break up the crab too much.  Add the dressing and gently toss to combine.  This can be prepared the day before and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. 

Fill each cup with the crab salad and serve immediately.

Recipe Source: The Food You Crave by Eillie Krieger