Buffalo Spaghetti Squash Casserole

 Buffalo Spaghetti Squash Casserole.

Video Credit 

Ingredients 
* 2 cups pre-cooked chicken breast, shredded
* 1 large (or 2 small) spaghetti squash, baked in “rings”
* 2 tbsp olive oil
* 1 large egg
* 1/2 cup (or more) buffalo sauce
* Optional: add some ranch seasoning from Epicure
* Sea Salt (to taste)
* 1/2 cup celery/chopped/sliced
* Green onion (for sprinkling)

Instructions
SPAGHETTI SQUASH:
* Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice ends off the squash, then cut into rings.
* Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds.
* Place squash on lined baking sheet. Use hands to coat each ring w/ a little olive oil/salt/pepper.
* Bake for 30-40 minutes, flipping rings about half way. I love doing these in my Air Fryer helps with some caramelization of the squash - nom nom!  
* Allow to cool for about 15 minutes, then peel the skin away and separate the strands into long spaghetti noodles using a fork.

CHICKEN:
* While spaghetti squash is cooking, make shredded chicken. Pan fry on stove, cook in instant pot, or buy rotisserie chicken - once cooked shred/pull apart with forks or hand mixer.

CASSEROLE:
* In a medium bowl, mix together olive oil, egg, buffalo sauce of choice until well incorporated.
* In a large bowl, add cooked spaghetti squash, shredded chicken + buffalo sauce mixture until well combined. Stir in celery or any other add-ins.
* Pour contents in a greased 8×8 glass baking dish. Bake at 400 for ~25 minutes or until starting to lightly brown on the edges. You can broil at the end to get crispy if you want!

This is also tasty with some extra old Balderson cheese shredded on top. 

Bon Appetite

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love 

Be Totallyawake4-life

Baked Balsamic Chicken

Tik Tok for the win - adding this one to the menu this week! 

3 chicken breast - partially sliced across 

Mix together in bowl:

• 2 tsp olive oil 
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 
• 1 tbsp swerve brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp oregano 
• 1/2 tsp basil 
• 1/2 tsp salt & pepper to taste 
• 2 cloves garlic

Add chicken breast to marinate

Mixed following in baking dish 

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes 
• 1/2 Red onion sliced 
• 1 tbsp Oil and salt 

Mix together well

Layer chicken over top and drizzle with any remaining marinade 

Bake at 430F for 25 minutes 

Remove & Cover chicken

 with 1 cup shredded mozzarella

Return to over until cheese melted and bubbly.

Serve with a side salad 

Bon Appetite

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Chicken Caprese Casserole

 Drop me a 💗 if you’re a menu planner too? 

Now that the home childcare is closed I am not nearly as anal about it like Monday we are having this but I do sit down each Sunday to plan the 7 family dinners we will be having than I cook whatever I feel like from that list on any given day. 

Menu planning is especially important for me right now because Paul is still doing all the in person shopping since I can’t keep the mask in long enough to do a full shop so I need to make sure I have added everything I am gonna need cause he doesn’t have the same intuition to have his memory jogged in the aisle that we need something I forgot to put on the list - so if it’s not on the list he’s likely not to get it. Heck thanks to supply issues these days  sometimes even if it’s on the list he’s not likely to get it all …. like apparently slim pickings in the frozen veggie aisle poor Alex is getting so sick of salad as a side cause Paul can’t find some frozen veggies to toss his way 🙁 

If the pandemic had reinforced any skills it’s definitely the ability to learn to accept the things you can’t control and pivot as required to adapt! 

It was a slow lesson for me but I am getting there! 

 

Thankfully he just got home and found everything I needed to try this chicken caprese casserole recipe this week except the fresh Basil but I can add a drop of basil essential oil to compensate and add some spinach chopped for colour! With the no frozen veggies to be found I’ll figure out a side dish! I think air-fried asparagus might go nice!  

Bon Appetite 

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Tasty Thursday Recipe Review - Baked Boursin Chicken

Nom nom - saw this recipe on a Tik Tok so had to give it a try! I wish I had jotted down the creator so I could give a shout out but it was a 2am insomnia find and in my effort to read the ingredients on my phone clearly I zoomed in and accidentally cropped off the handle when I took the screenshot! So whoever you are - thank you kindly for this one it was a huge hit!

 

 This one got 6 thumbs around the table here and at least one this is a worthy mouth orgasm  - even the still developing his clean eating palette cleaned his plate! 

We had this with a spinach salad because we try to eat grain free - however if you can have grains it would be lovely over pasta. Next time I think I will try it over some sauteed Zucchini noodles to help with the delicious sauce having something to stick to - although its all good I got it up with a spoon this time so it did not go to waste!

 

Bon Appetite 

Margaret

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4/life 

What’s On Your Plate Wednesday

 What’s your favourite kind of salad dressing? 

Did you know making your own dressing could be SO EASY and QUICK?

Plus no need to have 12 different dressings taking up space in your fridge! Control the quality of your ingredients - a lot of store bought dressings use oils that are inflammatory to both the digestive tract as well as to your muscles/joints! 

I whipped up this dinner tonight for the family in under 30 minutes - the chicken was done in the BBQ and seasoned with Montreal Chicken spice from Epicure and served with Caesar salad!  

If you want to learn more about Epicure solutions and don’t already have a spicy crack dealer aka Epicure consultant - my friend the lovely Lisa  Maybery is a consultant and she can hook you up! 

Bon Appetite

Margaret

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life  

*post contains affiliate links 

Meal time Favorites!

 Table time Thursday - what’s on your plate tonight?

I made Parmesan crusted chicken and roasted veggies for the fam jam tonight! 

I love it cause it’s so easy - just mix Parmesan cheese with homemade or store bought mayo and a bit of Epicure Herbs and Spices. Make a paste with it and spread over the meat. Bake 400F for 30 minutes along with your roasted side veggies choice! We had diced tri colour sweet peppers, sliced radishes and wee bit onion. 

Bon Appetite

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4/life

#foodporn #whatsfordinner #lowcarb #grainfree #glutenfree #keto #paleo #mealideas #recipes #autoimmunedisease #cleaneating 

Bacon Wrapped Apple BBQ Chicken in the Crockpot!

 Bacon Wrapped Apple BBQ Chicken in the Crockpot!

 





What You Need

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup BBQ sauce,  either store bought or quick DIY version below pairs nicely!
• ¼ cup coconut palm sugar
• ⅛ cup lemon juice, fresh or from a bottle
• 5 small apples, peeled and chopped, I love the tartness of a Granny for cooking but Gala works well too.
• 8 slices bacon

What You Do

1. In a small bowl, combine BBQ sauce, coconut palm sugar, lemon juice and peeled/chopped apples.
2. Wrap each chicken breast with two slices of bacon and place in a greased slow cooker.
3. Pour BBQ-apple mixture over chicken and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until chicken is done.

Maple BBQ sauce
 
What You Need:

• 1 cup ketchup (homemade ketchup using Epicure Chai Ketchup blend)
•  3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil 
• 1.5 tablespoons molasses 
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon ground mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

What You Do: 1. In a medium saucepan mix together all ingredients. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer.
2. Simmer for 20minutes (uncovered), stirring occasionally.
3. Makes 1.5 cups of sauce. Pour and unused sauce into a glass jar and refrigerate for future use with a lovely BBQ hamburger option.

Serve with a side of your choice ... I opted for a lovely spinach and cabbage salad with a  Balsamic vinaigrette ... perfect dinner specially this past weekend with the wet weather we were having making using BBQ outside less palatable! 

Have an amazing day!

Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Be Totallyawake4-life

Spicy Paprika Chicken

We had a craving for pub grub over the holidays but unfortunately most actual pub grub is so not Celiac friendly and well I am frugal paying for a pub drink when we can make a Bailey's over ice at home for a fraction of the cost I would rather just stay home put on some music and have our own pub grub night in ~ so that is what we did! 

These are a tasty hit in the house ~ grain free and totally crispy just like a pub grub wing or in my case drum cause I only like the drums! 

 

Spicy Paprika Chicken

What You Need

• 2 lbs. chicken wings and drums
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon smokey paprika
• 1 tablespoon cayene pepper (adjust more or less depending on your heat preference)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

What You Do

•  Rinse meat well. 
• Mix spices in a small bowl
• Place chicken pieces in a ziplock bag and spices
• SHAKE IT to cover ~ I like to leave it marinade in the spice over night in the bag
• Cook in oven on 350F until internal temp is 160F or we like them on the BBQ for the extra smoky flavor.
• Serve with veggies and dip for a nice pub grub feel! (I tried a new Paleo inspired hummus for mine)

I love these just plain like this and that is how they look in the photo but if you like a 'glaze' for your chicken my spouse loves this Sriracha based sauce brushed on his as they are BBQ and than uses any leftover as a dip while eating.

Sriracha-based sauce

What you Need

• 5 tbsp. olive oil
• ¼ cup raw honey  
• ¼ cup sriracha 
• 1 tbsp. coconut aminos
• 1 lime - juiced 

 What You Do

• Combine in a small bowl and mix well. Let stand at least 20 minutes to blend the flavors.
• If you want to have some for both basting and as a dip divide the bowl into two halfs. Use one for basting on your meat and set some aside the other for your dip
• Can store any leftover dip (from the bowl that was not contaminated with a basting brush or anyone actually dipping meat in it) in air tight container in fridge for several weeks.

I shared this on Instagram before I posted to the blog and got a reader tip of using the spicy paprika and onion powder for a Doritos inspired chicken ~ I cannot wait to try that combo! 

Have an amazing day!


Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Be Totallyawake4-life 

Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Bacon Chicken Bites

More party pleasers! This were a HUGE hit on Saturday this past weekend they were literally gone in 60 seconds from being placed out on the table and they were so easy to make but packed a nice flavor and not too much heat for those tender palettes at a party!

 Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Bacon Chicken Bites

 

What You Need

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets 
• ½ cup extra virgin oil
• 2 tablespoons lime juice ~ freshly squeezed
• 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
• 1 lb bacon
• Honey-Sriracha Glaze for basting while cooking if desired

 

 

 

 

What You Do

• Whisk together canola oil, lime juice and Sriracha sauce and pour into a gallon sized Ziploc bag.
• Cut the chicken into 1 inch cubes and add it to the bag. 
• Seal bag and shake to coat the chicken with the marinade and place in the fridge for at least an 1 hour ~ we marinated ours overnight.
• Take 1 pound of bacon and cut in half down the middle. Wrap the bacon around the chicken pieces and secure with a wooden toothpick seam side down on to a baking tray.
• For extra heat, brush bacon with additional Honey-Sriracha glaze before place in the oven and than few more times while it cooks.
• We prefer to BBQ ours on a tinfoil baking tray on 400F for about 30 minutes. Alternatively you can bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes rack in the middle position and than if needed 'broil' for the last few minutes to caramelize the sugar ~ watching closely that it does not burn.

These were so very tasty ~ I honestly enjoy making them just for dinner and served with a cauli-rice stir fry! They paired great with the bacon wrapped pineapple we brought as well!

Have an amazing day!

Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Totallyawake4-life

Creamy Lemon Dilly Chicken with Bacon

Did someone say BACON everything is better with bacon ~ including this tasty combination of flavors created in a one dish skillet that can be served either with cream or coconut milk depending on your dairy needs! We use to use the heavy cream but with me attempting to limit dairy tried it last night with the coconut milk and it tasted awesome too!

Creamy Lemon Dilly Chicken with Bacon
Serves 4

What You Need 

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 4 x 4 oz servings chicken breasts - chopped to bite size
• 4 strips bacon (chopped into small chunks) 
• 1/2 sweet onion ~ finely diced measures 1/2 cup
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 cup of homemade stock
• 1 tablespoon Lemon Dilly Seasoning from Epicure or a pinch of fresh dill weed chopped finely
• 5 thin lemon slices
• 1/4 cup heavy cream or for a dairy free version use Coconut Milk or other alternative.
• 1 cup of flash frozen peas

What You Do

• Melt coconut oil in the skillet. Saute onions, bacon, garlic and pepper in the oil for a couple minutes to let it absorb their flavors and the bacon to crisp up.
• Add chicken to the skillet and cook chicken a couple minutes on each side to sear the edges and flavor from the oils in. 
• Once the chicken is seared add your stock, lemon dilly spices, and sliced lemon over the top of the chicken and cover and let simmer as the stock reduces 'down' and gets thicker. About 8-10 minutes over medium heat ~ check to make sure chicken is heated to 165 F with a meat thermometer or no pink is visible in the middle of chicken.
• Remove lemon slices and disgard and either move chicken/bacon to the very 'edges' of your skillet for a minute so that the stock in the middle or if you do not mind a second dirty dish temporarily remove from chicken from the pan and slowly stir in the cream into the thickened stock to form your cream base. Bring sauce to a boil and than reduce heat and return chicken along with peas to your skillet.
• Cover and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes to cook the peas in the cream sauce and ensure that the meat has reached the proper internal temperature. 

 Nutritional Breakdown

If you are doing the #21DayFix you would count 1/4 of this recipe as is ~  1.25 red for chicken and bacon, 1/2 a yellow for the peas, 1/4 green for the onion, 1 tsp for the coconut oil and if you use the coconut milk option than 1 blue. 

The following is the nutritional facts of just the above using heavy cream or coconut milk options does not really change the calories but the coconut milk option appears to change the 'high in cholesterol' warning to 'high in saturate fat'  ~ depending on what you serve it 'over' will change the totals below.

We had it served tossed with spaghetti squash for a grain free version as well as so that it used a 'green container' for myself ... it would taste lovely over a pasta or rice of your choice if you can par take in those options . 

Have an amazing day!

Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Totallyawake4-life

BBQ Squash French Fries and Poco Picante Chicken

BBQ Butternut Squash Fries with Poco Picante Chicken

BBQ Butternut Squash Fries

Used the process from here but used different flavoring ~ the Epicure BBQ chip seasoning however  you can easily DIY your own BBQ seasoning for this as well I just prefer having the guess work taken out.

Epicure BBQ Chip Seasoning

DIY BBQ Seasoning


What You Need

• 1/2 cup paprika
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
• Salt ~ optional most recipes call for this but I personally do not add salt to any recipe

What You Do

• Mix all spices into a air tight container ~ use to taste in your recipes

Poco Picante Chicken

What You Need

• 4-5 Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts
• 4-5 teaspoons Poco Picante Spices ~ again lazy chef I use Epicure blend because it is quick and easy but if you do not have access to Epicure Selections representative you can DIY using Salsa spice 
• 1 tsp Coconut oil

What You Do

• Grease your casserole dish with coconut oil
• Rinse your meat and sprinkle each piece of chicken with 1 teaspoon of the poco picante seasoning
• Bake in the oven at 350F for 30-45 minutes until no longer pink in the middle or if using a meat thermometer the temperature of 165 F is reached when inserted in the middle.

 DIY Poco Picante DRY Seasoning

What You Need

Epicure Selections Poco Picante

• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp red chili peppers
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper or more to taste for 'hot preferences'
• 1 tbsp garlic seasoning 
• 1 tsp black pepper 
• 2 tsp ground cumin 
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp ground oregano 
• 1 tbsp coriander
• 1 tbsp onion flakes

What You Do

•  Mix all spices and store in air tight container labelled 'Poco Picante spices'

 

Poco Picante Chicken with BBQ Butternut Squash

This is one of my favorite meals cause it packs a lot of flavor but is low sodium, low carb and high protein and full of awesome nutrients and ready in under 45 minutes from start to finish most of which the time spent 'cooking 'is very low maintenance so I can be multi tasking other things! 

Have an amazing day!

Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Totallyawake4-life