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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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