Amee's Savory Dish

Super Moist Grilled Barbecue Chicken

2013-05-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

The secret to this moist chicken is brining the meat prior to cooking. You can use this brine for bone-in or boneless chicken prior to adding your rub, marinade or seasoning. Here's a great article from Fine Cooking on how brining works so beautifully to tenderize meat. It's got all the good scientific info that cooking nerds, like me, love. :) Brine the meat no less than 2 hours (for boneless) or overnight (for bone-in meat), rinse thoroughly and pat dry. Then you can add your favorite marinade, like the Best Ever Grilled Chicken Marinade, rub, barbecue sauce or seasonings. I'm sharing my mom's homemade barbecue sauce because it's delicious and my personal favorite!

Super Moist Barbecue Chicken

Simple Brine for Chicken:
3 garlic cloves, peeled and slightly smashed
8 cups water
3 tbsp sea salt
1 bay leaf

Combine all ingredients in a large ziploc bag in a deep bowl. Add chicken and seal bag, letting out as much air as possible. Brine for at least 2 hours or overnight. Rinse chicken thoroughly and pat dry.

Mom's Homemade Barbecue Sauce:
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 can (10 3/4 oz) tomato soup (go for an organic brand, if available)
2 tbsp natural brown sugar (I go with coconut sugar-tastes the same and a healthier alternative)
1 tbsp vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp mustard
dash hot sauce

In a saucepan, cook onion and garlic in oil until tender over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes 1 1/2 cups of sauce.

Grilling directions for bone-in chicken: Pre-heat grill on high heat, then lower to medium temp and grill for about 20 minutes to sear and crisp the skin, turning occasionally. Baste chicken with sauce and cook an additional 15 minutes, continuing to turn to evenly coat all sides.

Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Mug Cake

2013-05-22T10:12:00.004-07:00

This decadent clean-eating personal size cake takes less than 2 minutes to prepare! It's so delicious that you'd never know that it's gluten-free and refined sugar free. This recipe makes enough batter for two mugs, so be sure and share with a friend or fellow chocoholic.

Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Mug Cake

Ingredients:
Whisk together in a small bowl:
4 tbsp brown rice flour
5 tbsp coconut sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch sea salt

In a separate bowl stir together:
3 tbsp almond milk
3 tbsp melted pastured butter (or coconut oil, but the butter gives it a better flavor)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, slightly beaten

For topping:
Handful of (good quality) dark chocolate chips

Combine the two mixtures in a glass bowl.

Divide evenly into two mugs. Top each mug with dark chocolate chips (60% cacao) and cover each mug with plastic wrap.

Microwave for 1 minute and 10-20 seconds.

Top with homemade whipped cream, ice cream, frozen yogurt or almond milk ice cream.

Heaven on a spoon!

Gimmie 5 Campaign....raising money for a great cause

2013-05-20T20:07:00.000-07:00

My fellow blogging friend, Cindy, over at Vegetarian Mamma has started a "Gimmie 5 Campaign" as a way to help raise money for a service dog for their family. Her boys, Carson and Benjamin (ages 6 & 3), live with life-threatening food allergies. They are working to raise money to train an allergy alert dog from Angel Service Dogs. This certified service dog will detect life-threatening allergens specific to her boys.

The "Gimme 5 Campaign" is a simple donation (the cost of a cup of coffee) through Angel Service Dogs, which is a non-profit agency. All donations are tax-deductible and can be made through paypal or snail mail. Their dog will be trained on peanuts and almonds, which are life-threatening allergies in their home. Cindy's youngest son has asthma, as well as, a dairy and severe gluten intolerance.

How precious are these little guys??!!

Donations made will go towards training Gia, flying the family to meet her and a 10 day intensive training session with the family. This is a very expensive process and they need your help!!!

Little Gia waiting for her family...

You can read about their story at her blog Vegetarian Mamma.

Fresh Strawberry Pie with Grain-Free Crust

2013-05-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

This pie is just one of the many reasons that I love strawberry season in Georgia. Make sure that you use fresh, ripe and sweet berries for this dessert. It will really enhance the flavor. You will never know that this dessert doesn't use refined sugars. I love coconut sugar and use it in just about everything these days. It's sweet, flavorful, natural and doesn't alter the taste of foods or leave a weird aftertaste (like artificial sweeteners...bleh!) I encourage you to try baking with it, if you haven't already.
It all started with these gorgeous, freshly picked berries from Southern Belle Farm.....

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Ingredients:
1 Coconut Almond Pie Crust, baked and cooled or your favorite pie crust recipe
3 quarts fresh strawberries, stems removed, gently rinsed and patted dry with paper towels
1 cup white grape juice,the no-sugar added kind (you can also use freshly squeezed orange juice)
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 packet Knox unflavored gelatin
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup coconut sugar
pinch sea salt

Directions:

In a saucepan, mix half of the strawberries, juice and agave nectar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 15-20 min, stirring frequently until mixture has cooked down and thickened. This process can take up to 25 minutes. Take off heat and set aside. In a separate glass bowl, whisk together gelatin, water and lemon juice. Stir in coconut sugar and salt. Combine with strawberry mixture and bring back to a low boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Cool mixture for 30 minutes then fold in fresh berries. Pour into cooked pie shell and refrigerate for 4 hours until set. Garnish with homemade whipped cream, if desired (see below for recipe). Store in the refrigerator. Best if eaten within 2-3 days.

Homemade Whipped Cream
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp agave nectar, light amber
2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat just until stiff peaks form. Serve on top of pie with a garnish of fresh mint.

Coconut Almond Pie Crust

2013-05-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

This is a delicious grain-free option for pie crust! You can make this with all almond flour or all coconut, but I happen to love the combo of the two together. So many filling possibilities..........

Coconut Almond Pie Crust

Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 cup blanched almond flour
2 TBSP coconut oil, melted (pastured butter is wonderful here, too, if you do dairy)
1 TBSP maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. Process until mixture sticks together.

Press into an 8 inch pie plate.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Cool and fill with your favorite pie filling.

Gorgeous and Comfortable Fitness Gear from Albion

2013-05-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

I have a bit of a fetish for fitness gear. I would much rather buy comfortable and stylish workout clothing than a dress or fancy outfit. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that I live in my workout clothes and rarely go anywhere that would require a nice dress (the hubs and I really need to ramp up the date nights...) I love to feel good in what I am wearing whether I am lounging around, running errands or exercising. When style meets comfort it's the best of both worlds. Read on here to discover my favorite new gear and how you can win a gorgeous 26.2 jacket for yourself!!!

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Dates

2013-05-13T11:05:00.002-07:00

This simple appetizer is so delicious. I always double my batch, because they disappear quickly!

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Dates

Ingredients:
8 oz pitted medjool dates
30 whole, unsalted almonds
12 slices bacon, cut into thirds

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stuff dates with almonds and then wrap with a slice of bacon. Arrange in a glass baking dish.

Bake for 12-15 minutes. If you like the bacon a little more golden and crisp on top, turn on the broiler (watching carefully so they don't burn, it won't take long) and cook just long enough for the bacon to lightly brown. Drain grease and arrange on a platter. Serve with toothpicks warm or room temperature.
They are seriously addictive!!

Meat Crust Quiche

2013-05-10T06:33:00.001-07:00

I have made this quiche twice in the last two weeks. It's so good!! I doubled the recipe and made two, one for dinner and another for breakfast. It reheats beautifully and makes my life easier in the morning when we are in a rush. A tip that I would recommend is to drain the grease from the pie plate after you have cooked the sausage "crust". I did this before I set it out to cool prior to adding the egg filling. I made the recipe exactly as listed the first go around and then tried a mushroom, onion and spinach version when I made it this week. There are so many filling options that you can do with this recipe. Thank you PaleoOMG! This recipe rocks!!

Meat Crust Quiche

Click here for the recipe over at PaleoOMG (she's awesome, you'll love her stories as much as her recipes)
So good and packed with protein, healthy carbs and veggies in one delicious slice......

Homemade Almond Butter 4 Ways

2013-05-08T17:40:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that it's taken me this long to make my own almond butter!!! It's great when you can control the added ingredients, so many nut butters have unhealthy additives in them. I had fun experimenting with different variations of the recipe. You can make a mild tasting almond butter by using whole, unsalted almonds and a richer flavor almond butter by roasting your nuts on a baking sheet at 375 degrees for 5-6 minutes. Make sure that you watch them closely so they do not burn. I like the un-roasted version (especially for my cookie recipes that use nut butter), but it's totally up to your taste buds. The cinnamon nut butter makes a delicious batch of Almond Butter Dark Chocolate Chip cookies!!!

Homemade Almond Butter
4 cups whole almonds (roasting optional)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp coconut oil

Honey Almond Butter
4 cups whole almonds (roasting optional)
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp raw local honey
1 tsp coconut oil

Maple Almond Butter
4 cups whole almonds (roasting optional)
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp dark amber maple syrup
1 tsp coconut oil

Cinnamon Almond Butter
4 cups whole almonds (roasting optional)
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp raw organic agave nectar
1-2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp coconut oil

Directions:
Using the "S" blade on a food processor, add your almonds to the bowl. Process nuts for 20-25 minutes (roasted almonds will process faster), stopping periodically to scrape down the bowl, breaking apart the mound when it starts forming into a ball.

At about the half way mark, add the remaining ingredients (depending on which blend you choose) You may feel like it's never going to happen and then..........this part takes patience.........

the nuts finally break down and release their oils you are left with creamy and delicious homemade almond butter! I like to store mine in glass mason jars because they are cute, the perfect size and eco-friendly. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks for best flavor.

Wheat-Free Dark Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

2013-05-06T10:47:00.002-07:00

Ok, so I have a few banana bread recipes on my blog already....so you can see my ~~obsession~~ pattern here for baking a lot of banana bread. First of all, my kids love it. Second of all, it's pretty darn simple to make and I almost always have the ingredients in my pantry for throwing it together. We eat a LOT of bananas in this house, so there is no shortage of overripe bananas every week. If I don't feel like baking, I just throw them in the freezer for smoothies and protein shakes. They never go to waste. I was playing around with my recipes and decided to combine brown rice and oat flour this time and coconut sugar for the sweetener. It turned out delicious. The kids went crazy over this version. They were begging for a slice while it was still warm out of the oven. The whole house smelled divine. I doubled my recipe and six small loaves were gone in less than three days. :)

Wheat-Free Banana Dark Chocolate Chip Bread

4 small, ripe bananas

1/3 cup melted grassfed butter (can sub coconut oil, but butter gives it the best flavor)

1 cup coconut sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup oat flour (gluten-free)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (60% or more)

*Optional: 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mash bananas and mix with butter, in the bowl of an electric mixer, until smooth. Add coconut sugar and egg. Blend. Mix dry ingredients, except chocolate chips and nuts, with a whisk and add to the wet ingredients. Mix until well incorporated and then stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Pour into 3 buttered mini loaf pans or into a muffin pan (makes about 18 muffins) and bake for 20 minutes (muffins and 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean, for mini loaves.

Fabulous Flatbread Pizza

2013-05-01T03:00:00.000-07:00

Last night we had a DIY pizza dinner. The kid's love making their own pizza and I was excited to try out the new flatbreads from Flatout! You can read on for more information and a bonus recipes here!

Greek Chicken Stew with Cauliflower Rice

2013-04-30T07:54:00.001-07:00

I love braising foods. Braising meat yields tender, juicy and flavorful dishes and this chicken stew is a favorite. A heavy, coated cast iron pot works great for this cooking method and handles the high heat well. I recommend using organic chicken thighs for two reasons: #1. They're cheaper than breasts (organic meat gets expensive!) and #2. The higher fat content adds more flavor and moisture to the meat, ending with fall-off-the-bone heaven!

Greek Chicken Stew
Adapted from emeals (Paleo Family Plan)

Ingredients:
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6-8 boneless chicken thighs, trimmed
1 tbsp Greek seasoning (I use one from Spice & Tea Exchange)
1 tsp coarse sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp minced garlic, plus 3-4 whole cloves of garlic peeled
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1-2 tsp fresh or dried oregano, finely chopped if fresh
1 cup organic chicken stock (not broth, you want the rich flavor from the stock)
1 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 cup chopped roasted red pepper
1 tbsp capers, drained
1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes (in olive oil)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt, pepper and Greek seasoning. Cook chicken, skin side down for 3 minutes, flip and add onion, garlic (minced and whole), lemon juice and oregano. Cook for 5 minutes. Add chicken stock, olives, red peppers, capers and sun-dried tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then cover and transfer to the oven to cook for another 25 minutes. Remove from oven and serve over cauliflower "rice" (see recipe below).

Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients:
4 cups cauliflower florets
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Boil cauliflower for 8 minutes or until tender. Drain. Return to pan and add oil, salt and pepper and mash gently with a fork until cauliflower resembles rice.

Grain-Free Pumpkin Date Muffins

2013-04-28T10:15:00.000-07:00

I've been craving pumpkin muffins lately, so I came up with a grain-free version that my family can enjoy. These are moist and very flavorful. They also freeze well in an airtight container. Just thaw and enjoy.

Grain-Free Pumpkin Date Muffins
Makes 12-14 muffins

Ingredients:
1/3 cup Grass-Fed butter (can use coconut oil, melted and cooled)
1 cup coconut sugar
2 large cage-free eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
2 cups blanched almond flour
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cocoa powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds or pecans)
1 cup pitted and chopped dates

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream butter and coconut sugar for a minute or so and then add eggs, pumpkin and coconut milk. Blend well. In a separate bowl mix all dry ingredients, except nuts with a whisk until well incorporated. Add to wet ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in nuts and dates. Batter will be pretty thick.

Spoon into paper lined muffin tins and bake for 30 minutes. Check muffins at 25 minutes and continue cooking until a toothpick comes out clean.
Delicious spread with pastured butter....

Delicious Gluten-Free Meals from Evol Foods

2013-04-26T05:45:00.001-07:00

Are you looking for quick and healthy gluten-free meals that taste great? Evol Foods has delicious options that don't taste like cardboard. Yay! You can read all about these great products and their eco-friendly packaging here.

Should you make the switch from Fish Oil to Krill Oil?

2013-04-25T07:32:00.003-07:00

Which supplement is right for you? Read on here for more information.

Awesome Guacamole

2013-04-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

I have a new favorite guacamole recipe to share! This one came from a local Mexican restaurant that serves delicious guacamole, prepared at your table. I asked the waiter to share what all they put in it and the secret ingredient was pickled jalapeno juice. Brilliant!! So here's my re-creation of that incredible guacamole I can't stop craving....

Awesome Guacamole

Ingredients:
3 ripe avocados
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, hard stems removed
1 small tomato, seeded and diced
1/3 cup finely chopped onion (red or white)
juice of one small lime
1/2-1 tbsp pickled jalapeno juice
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp coarse sea salt
*optional for heat: 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced

Directions:
Slice avocados in half and remove pit. Scoop out flesh and mash in a medium size bowl (a pastry blender works great for this) or in a mortar and pestle. Work remaining ingredients in until well mixed and serve.

Homemade Salsa

2013-04-23T07:38:00.001-07:00

This salsa is simple to make and easily prepared in the Vitamix or a food processor in 5 minutes or less.

Homemade Salsa

Ingredients:
3 Roma Tomatoes, cut into quarters
1/2 onion, chopped into four pieces
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped into quarters
1-2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, stems removed
1 tsp sea salt

For the Vitamix:
Place all ingredients into the Vitamix and blend on Variable #1 or 2 using tamper to push ingredients into the blade. Blend until desired texture is reached (I like mine a little chunky).

For the food processor:
Place all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until desired consistency is achieved. Serve and enjoy.

Paleo Coleslaw with Fresh Dill

2013-04-18T09:09:00.002-07:00

This slaw tastes just like our regular favorite, but now we have a new and improved Paleo version to enjoy. The secret is using homemade Paleo-diet friendly mayo, instead of store-bought mayo. It's better for you, a clean-eating recipe and tastes fantastic! I also love adding diced dill pickles to my coleslaw for a great flavor enhancer. Make sure your pickles don't come with a lot of preservatives and hidden sugars, though. Homemade pickles are best, but you can buy the ones in the refrigerator section of the grocery store (Boar's Head Dill Pickles are a personal favorite).

Paleo Coleslaw

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Paleo mayonnaise
1/4 cup white vinegar
3 tbsp raw organic white agave nectar (I use a blend of white and blue)
1 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp celery salt
2 tbsp pickle juice (from the jar)
1 large kosher dill pickle, finely diced
4 1/2 cups shredded slaw mix (I use a blend of purple and green cabbage and carrots)
*Optional: 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh or dried dill weed
sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Mix first six ingredients in a large bowl with a wire whisk until well blended. Stir in diced pickle and slaw mix and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh dill. This slaw needs to marinate at least an hour in the refrigerator before serving for best flavor.

Paleo Smoothies

2013-04-14T18:09:00.001-07:00

Here are a few "Whole 30" approved smoothies that are really delicious. I can never have too many smoothie recipes. They are a great way to squeeze more raw foods into your diet in a fast and portable meal.

Chocolate Power Smoothie

1 cup unsweetened almond milk (Almond Breeze recommended)
1 tsp chia seeds
2 tbsp almond butter
1 tsp coconut oil
1 frozen banana
1 cup baby kale leaves
2 tsp cocoa powder

Blend until smooth.

Pumpkin Coconut Smoothie
*from my friend Donna

1 cup organic pumpkin purée
1 cup coconut milk (can do half coconut and half almond)
1 frozen banana
2 tbsp raw almond butter
Flax seeds
Cinnamon
A few ice cubes

Blend until smooth.

Blueberry Coconut Smoothie

1/3 cup coconut milk (full fat-from the can)
2 tbsp almond butter
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup baby kale leaves
1 tbsp chia or flax seeds (if using flax, I go with ground flax for better digestibility)
1/4 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
1/4 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed preferred, not from concentrate)

Blend until smooth.

Enjoy~

Healthier Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

2013-04-11T07:37:00.005-07:00

One of my favorite cookies growing up is actually one of the easiest to make (no oven required), but they weren't very nutritious (loaded with refined sugar!) I wanted to create a healthier version for the kids(and...well... me too) so this is my grown-up, cleaned-up version of a family favorite. You can make them with almond or peanut butter. So far, I have only tried them with peanut butter and they are delicious. My kids LOVE them!! Enjoy!

Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup organic coconut oil
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups coconut sugar
1/4 cup light amber organic agave nectar
1/2 cup almond milk (vanilla unsweetened Almond Breeze recommended)
1/3 cup organic peanut butter (can use almond butter, too)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups GF quick oats
dash cinnamon

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, mix coconut oil, cocoa, coconut sugar, agave nectar and almond milk over medium heat and boil for 1 minute. Take off heat and stir in peanut or almond butter, vanilla, oats and a dash of cinnamon. Mix well and drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate until firm, then transfer to a sealed container and store in the refrigerator.

Featured at:
Miz Helen's Country Cottage

Strawberry Lemonade

2013-04-09T17:45:00.003-07:00

This fruity drink is cool and refreshing for a warm, spring day. It is also amazing made with blackberries!

Strawberry Lemonade

Ingredients:
1 pint organic strawberries (blackberries and raspberries are great, too!)
6 large lemons, juiced
3 cups water
1/2 cup granulated stevia (more/less to your taste buds)
1 cup ice

Directions:
Juice your lemons and pour juice into a 2 quart pitcher. Add 2 cups water and stevia and stir until well mixed. Place the strawberries, ice and remaining cup of water into a blender and blend until smooth. Add to the lemonade mixture, stir and serve.
*If using blackberries or raspberries, blend water and berries only and strain to remove seeds. Then pour blended berries back into the blender with the ice, blend and then add to lemonade.

Robert Irvine's EAT

2013-04-09T08:37:00.001-07:00

We just returned from a great trip to Hilton Head Island, SC. I ate way too much delicious food (tried to remain as clean as possible, but vacation=splurge...so.....I cheated!) Anyway, one of the highlights from our trip was dining at Robert Irvine's EAT. The food was fantastic, the service was top notch and the icing on the cake was being there on a night that Robert happened to be in town. He's very down to earth and was kind enough to take a few minutes to talk with us. He might be from England, but he definitely knows southern hospitality. :)

The atmosphere of EAT is warm and upbeat. They had a great band playing (not too loud) and the decor is fun and contemporary. We sat at a table in the bar area since the dining room was full, but it worked out great having a good seat near the live music. We started our meal with some tapas dishes. First we indulged in a trio of deviled eggs (barbecue short-rib, chicken and original). They were scrumptious! I especially enjoyed the shredded barbecue deviled eggs. Next we ordered Oysters Bienville (local oysters with citrus tabasco cream, shrimp & bacon topped...heavenly) and then a cured meat and cheese platter with various homemade jams.

Sorry about the bad photos....this is iPhone photography.....

We each got a salad, I got the tomato panzanella salad and my husband got the BLT wedge. Both were delicious! At this point we were getting pretty full, but we decided to share the Seared Diver Scallops entree (with butternut squash risotto, bacon, asparagus and grapes). They were so tender and perfectly seared. My taste buds were in heaven.

Following our meal, Chef Lee came out and talked with us for a bit and offered to bring out samples of their sorbets for dessert. We tried a concord grape, rose petal and key lime sorbet. All of them were fantastic, but I really enjoyed the light and fresh floral flavor of the rose petal sorbet. It was unique and very tasty.

Then he followed up with three different homemade ice creams to try. We had Tabasco, bourbon and espresso ice cream. We both agreed that the bourbon was our favorite. I wish that I had a big bowl of it right now!! All of the ice cream flavors were fantastic, so you won't be disappointed with any flavor you choose.

I look forward to when we can return to HHI and enjoy another great meal at EAT. I highly recommend you stop by if you are in the area. Tuesday nights they feature half off tapas. Reservations are suggested since they do get very busy.

Paleo Chicken Salad

2013-04-03T09:09:00.002-07:00

Simple and delicious. This is one of my favorite things to eat for lunch. Wrap it up in lettuce and enjoy.

Paleo Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups cooked & shredded chicken breast meat (leftover rotisserie chicken works great & saves time)
1 cup seedless grapes, sliced in half
1/2 -1 cup chopped raw pecans or slivered raw almonds, toasted
1/2 cup finely sliced celery
2 tbsp very finely diced sweet onion
1/2 cup Paleo mayo (more or less to your taste, I use just enough to wet my chicken salad without everything swimming in mayo)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp celery seed
*optional: 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
dash cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and serve over fresh greens or wrapped in lettuce.

Paleo Mayonnaise

2013-03-30T19:53:00.002-07:00

I cannot tell you how excited I was when I finally succeeded at making homemade mayo! It's not an easy feat, I tell you, because I have tried many methods and recipes until I got just the right combination of technique and ingredients. Nothing make you want to loose your religion quite like ending up with aioli instead of creamy mayo after many failed attempts. Seriously, I was pulling my hair out each time I got this amazing whipped mayo only to have it turn backed to liquid on the next drizzle of oil. Grrrrr!!! So when I finally got this nailed down, I wanted to do a happy dance! Yay! There are a few tips that are not to be missed. Your egg needs to be room temperature. Also, you must barely drizzle the oil into the food processor. It is key to ending up with the right whipped texture. I have tried the hand whisk method....sore wrists. I have tried a stick blender...too frothy. The food processor ended up being the way to go for me. The results were far better than the other two methods. Also, I can't emphasize enough how important it is to use the extra light olive oil. Buy the cheap stuff. DO NOT use your good EVOO for this recipe! It will be too strong tasting and extra virgin oil is too thick for making good mayonnaise. Trust me on this one. Now go have fun making your new mayonnaise recipe without all the crap that's in the store bought stuff. Hopefully, I can help you master it on your first try!

Paleo Mayo
Adapted from Paleo Comfort Foods

Ingredients:
1 large egg, room temperature (very important!!)
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup extra light olive oil (not EVOO)

Method:
Combine egg, lemon juice, mustard powder, white pepper and salt in the food processor and blend until frothy. Using the drip hole in the top of the processor, drizzle the oil in a few drops at a time (do not rush this emulsion process...it will result in a liquid mess). Once you have a good bit of drops mixed in, very slowly (I cannot over emphasize VERY SLOWLY) drizzle the oil down the tube little by little until all is mixed in and mixture is nice and creamy.

Perfect texture.....

You now have delicious, homemade and healthier mayo for all your favorite recipes. It's much cheaper this way, too! Store in the refrigerator in a mason jar or other sealed container for up to a week or so. Enjoy.

No Sugar Added Apple Butter & A Delicious Snack Idea

2013-03-26T09:02:00.002-07:00

I wanted to share a delicious product with you from Kitchen Kettle Village. They have many different jams and relishes to choose from, but I love their no-sugar added apple butter as a healthier option to sugary jams and jellies for my kids. We love to mix it with peanut or almond butter as a delicious dip for apples. My daughter also loves to spread it on whole grain toast for breakfast. It has just the right amount of sweetness from the apple cider and doesn't taste too tart. I love that it only has two simple ingredients, apples and apple cider (no fake sugars! Yay!!) However you serve this thick and rich spread, it will be amazing!

My favorite way to eat this apple butter.....

Delicious mixed in with almond butter as a fruit dip!

*I was not compensated for this post, however Kitchen Kettle Village provided me with this product for review. All opinions stated are my own and not influenced in any way.