Game Day appy’s

Sunday means GAME day over here - where the boys get to enjoy some football and afternoon appy’s! Recipe credit 

JALAPEÑO PUFFS

INGREDIENTS

4 oz. Cream cheese, softened

1 ½ c. Shredded cheddar cheese

1 egg, beaten 

1/4 cup almond flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 Jalapeno peppers finely chopped

6 Slices of bacon, cooked crispy, crumbled

1 tbsp Ranch seasoning

 

Instructions:

In a small mixing bowl, whip the cream cheese until smooth. 

Mix egg into almond flour until well combined. 

Add Shredded cheddar cheese, jalapenos and ranch seasoning to the cream cheese, mix well. 

Stir in almond flour egg mixture until fully incorporated.

Crumble the bacon pieces and place them on a plate.

Form a tablespoon of the jalapeno mixture into a ball, and roll it in the crumbled bacon.

Place on cookie sheet, refrigerate 30 mins. 

Preheat oven to 425.   Bake 10 minutes or until golden and puffed. 

Allow to cool a few minutes before eating.

These are SO tasty - next time I’m gonna double the recipe cause I let the boys wanting more! 

 

Bon Appetite

Margaret 

Live, Laugh, Love

Be Totallyawake4-life 

Sweet 'n Smoky Salmon

So it's been a while since I have had a chance to blog - life got really busy with other awesome opportunities in my Stampin' business that brought more custom orders and time in the craftroom and in the process I lost my balance of all the plates I have in the air for a bit but I am back at making my health and wellness a priority and with that comes making sharing my journey with others, as a form of accountability, a priority too! 

It is funny how easy it is to slip back into poor habits even when you know better they can just 'sneak back up' on you!

Going to share one of my favorite ways to enjoy Salmon here for you - I adapted the recipe a bit for my own preferences

Sweet 'n Smoky Salmon (adapted from here)

Serves: Makes 4 servings

What You Need:

• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Epicure Louisiana Hot and Spicy, divided 
• 2 tablespoons organic coconut palm sugar or honey, divided 
• 1 pound salmon fillets 
  
  

Orange Salsa 

• 2 cans (11 ounces each) mandarin oranges, in their own juice, drained and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon Epicure Louisiana Hot and Spicy

What You Do:

• For the Salmon, mix juice, oil and 1 tablespoon each Seasoning and sugar or honey in small bowl. Place salmon in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add marinade; turn to coat well. Refrigerate 30 minutes or longer for extra flavor. Meanwhile, for the Salsa, mix all ingredients in medium bowl until well blended. Cover. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.* Mix remaining 1 tablespoon each Seasoning and sugar/honey in small bowl. Remove salmon from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade. Rub salmon evenly with seasoning mixture.
• Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with Orange Salsa 

 * Alternately if you would rather do on the BBQ for an additional smokey flavor. Soak a Cedar plank for a few hours and bake on the preheated BBQ for the same 10-15 minutes avoiding the 'direct flame'.

Pairs awesome with a light spinach, cranberry and almond salad or the boys had mini potatoes and a side salad. 

Have an amazing day!

Margaret

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much

Be Totallyawake4-life

• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   

Spicy Cheese and Jalapeno Bites

Had a craving for deep fried cheese sticks after being out this past weekend for dinner with a friend who ordered some so came home and opted for some grain free Epicure inspired cheese bites! All the flavor and a fraction of the calories!

What you Need:

• Head of cauliflower - washed and broken up into bite size pieces
• 1 tbsp Coconut oil melted 
• 1 tbsp Cheese and Jalapeno seasoning
• 1 tbsp black pepper

What you Do:

• Toss cauliflower in melted coconut oil 
• Sprinkle in seasoning and pepper and toss to coat. Can add more seasoning if you want extra cheesy/spicy. 
• Bake at 400 F on a parchment lined pan for 20-30 minutes until crisps up
• Serve as a side with a meal or as a snack with some marinara sauce for dipping!     

Have an amazing day!


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

Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus with a TWIST

So my family thinks I am crazy for taking the time to 'flower' our radishes but I totally think they taste BETTER when they are sliced like this ... I enjoy them sliced thing in a salad, sliced thin and sauteed with garlic and spices and I enjoy them floral inspired like this but I totally get wigged out trying to bite into a fully intact radish! 

So with trying to reduce my legume intake for a while to heal my gut after years of Celiac abuse I went searching for an option for my beloved hummus that was 'legume free' and found this tasty version from Meatafied  so thought I would give it a whirl with a bit of an Epicure Twist! 

Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

 

 

What You Need

• 1 cup soaked, rinsed and drained organic raw cashews 
• ¼ cup tahini 
• 1 - 2 cloves garlic
• Juice of 1 lemon 
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin or I used a tablespoon Epicure Garlic hummus blend
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 
• ¼ cup coconut milk 
• 8 oz roasted red peppers, roughly chopped. Make sure to drain well if from a jar.
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika 

What You Do

• Pre-soak your cashews over night, rinse and drain.
• Add the cashews, tahini and garlic cloves to your mini food processer or blender and process until the mixture is a thick paste.
• Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and cumin and process to combine.
• Add the coconut milk, roasted red peppers and smoked paprika. Process one final time until the peppers are the consistency you like.

To garnish:

• Spoon the hummus into a bowl. Sprinkle extra with smoked paprika and some extra fine chopped roasted red pepper to finish.

My first time recipe review

While it is not an exact mimic of 'traditional hummus' I actually did not mind this at all the texture if very close ~ and I found the 'leftovers' much taster the next day so think the key might be to make it ahead and let it sit for a day before serving so that the spices can get absorbed into the mix and hide the bit of 'cashew' flavor that I found it had the first day! 

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

Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs

This the Christmas season for the start of work and family potluck parties and the enjoyment of tasty appetizers with friends over great conversation ... we are heading to one this weekend with my other half's Civil War reenactment troop and this is one of the offerings we are bringing ... we are well known for our desire to spice up everyone's life so of course it is sometime that has a little heat.

Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs 

What You Need

• 12 large eggs
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1½ teaspoon vinegar ~ rice or apple cider
• ¾ teaspoon ground mustard
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped
• 6 pieces bacon, cooked, crisp and crumbled
• Smokey Paprika

What You Do

• Hard boil the eggs and let cool. Peel
• Slice the hard boiled eggs in half, lengthwise
• Remove the yolks and put them in a mixing bowl
• Mash the egg yolks with a spoon
• Add the mayonnaise, vinegar, ground mustard to the mashed egg yolks and stir until well combined and minimal lumps
• Mix in the jalapenos and bacon
• Fill each egg hole with the mixture
• Sprinkle with paprika
• Chill until ready to serve

 

Cannot wait to share them with everyone this afternoon ~ like a good cook I sampled one to make sure they were serve-able and just a nice hint of heat to make them a unique alternative .... next time I might try this combo but with avocado in place of the mayo as an option but my other half is not an avocado lover and requested I make 'normal' style and well since this one is a 'his side' party I aim to please! 

 

 

Have an amazing day!

Margaret

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much

Totallyawake4-life

Paleo Inspired Pad Thai

We were in the mood for some Pad Thai ~ so playing with our old favorite and how to make it Paleo Inspired this week ... I have to say the stepson had two helpings so that was a sign that it turned out tasty. Myself I had to add some extra 'hot chilies' to mine at the table mostly because I am fighting a cold this week and think my taste buds were just shrouded by that so I needed the extra heat to clear my sinuses so I could actually taste the creamy delight that this actually was!

 Pad Thai Pork in the Crockpot

 Serves 6

What You Need

• 1 lb. boneless pork loin
• 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1/2 cup prepared grain free Teriyaki sauce
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes - more of less to taste depending on how spicy you like
• 2 cloves garlic - minced
• 4 tablespoon nut butter (peanut, almonds, cashew)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion

What You Do

• Place pork, Teriyaki sauce garlic, and red pepper flakes in crockpot.
• Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
• Stir nut butter into the liquid until evenly distributed.
• Shred meat with two forks right in the sauce of the crockpot.
• Add sliced peppers, and return meat to crockpot.
• Cook approximately 30 minutes until peppers are slightly cooked, but still crisp.
• Just before serving, stir in green onion and cilantro.
• Can be served over spaghetti squash pad thai below, or with rice, in lettuce wraps, or on top of salad.

 Nutritional Breakdown 

So if you are fixing it would be 1 red for pork, 1/2 green for peppers/onions and 1 tsp for peanut butter ... for those who like the calories and other tidbits this is the breakdown from over at Calorie Count

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai 

serves 4

 What You Need

• 4  cups of Cooked Spaghetti Squash
• 1/2 cup Shredded Carrots
• 1/4 cup Green Onions
• 2 Garlic Cloves ~ minsed
• 1 tablespoon Minced Ginger
• 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 cup  Bean sprouts
• 2 tablespoons of prepared grain free Teriyaki Sauce
• 1 tablespoon of nut butter
•  Cilantro and Almonds or Peanuts (optional for garnish)

What You Do

• Melt coconut oil in a pan and saute onions, garlic, ginger and carrots for about 2 minutes.
• Add egg scramble until cooked through. Then remove the mixture from the pan and set aside.
• Mix together teriyaki sauce and peanut butter ingredients in a small bowl.
• Warm spaghetti squash in the pan over low heat and stir in the peanut sauce. Then add in the onion/carrot mixture and bean sprouts.
• Serve your “noodles” on a plate with pulled pork from above over top or as a 'solo lunch dish' or omit the egg add tofu to it to make it 'vegan'.
•  Top with cilantro and nuts.

 Nutritional Breakdown  

So if you are fixing it would be 2 green for squash, carrots, onions and 2 tsp for peanut butter and coconut oil and 1/2 blue if you top with the nuts I personally would not count the egg cause its such a small amount mixed in ... for those who like the calories and other tidbits this is the breakdown from over at Calorie Count

Over all this was six thumbs up around the dinner table last night ~ I found mine so filling I did not even finish so have leftovers to have with my lunch today!

Have an amazing day!

Margaret

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much!

Totallyawake4-life

 

Chipotle Honey Mustard Glazed Salmon

We are working on getting more 'fish/seafood' into the menu rotation ~ a constant work in progress for myself cause it is not one of the foods that I would 'crave' so the key is to find ways to prepare it so that it tastes like something I would crave ... so for me that means how to make it have a KICK of spice! 

Chipotle Honey Mustard Glazed Salmon
 Serves 6


What You Need

• 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 
• 2-3 teaspoons of chipotle pepper puree
• 2 small garlic cloves,minced
• 3-6 ounces of salmon per person being served. My spouse always eats twice the amount of meat serving as I do so 3 oz is plenty of salmon for me and the teenager but he'd eat 6 oz for sure. 

What You Do

Chipolte Honey Mustard Glaze

• Combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl and stir. 
• Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary ~ if you want it spicier add more chipolte pepper puree if you want it more sweet add more honey and so forth to your personal taste ... I always sprinkle red chili peppers on my and my spouses section so that the sauce is mild for rest of family or leftovers for the daycare crew but extra kick for myself and my other half. 
• Marinate the salmon for 2-3 hours in the glaze before BBQ or baking ~ about 1 tablespoon of glaze per serving of salmon spread over the flesh side of the salmon
• BBQ on a cedar plank skin side down over medium heat or bake in the oven at 350F aim for 4 to 6 minutes per half-inch of thickness ... so typically anywhere from 8-12 minutes until it is flaky with a fork.
• Serve salmon with rice or quinoa or cauli-rice and veggie of choice ~ can use more glaze to drizzle on your side dishes to compliment the meal.
• Unused glaze can be store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and used as salad dressing, veggie dip or on a sandwich. 

Cedar Planks

Cooking Tip

If you are using a cedar plank ~ make sure to soak it for a good 6-8 hours in some water BEFORE putting it on the BBQ this will reduce the chances of it charring while you are cooking and allow you to get several uses out of a plank before having to toss it for a new one! These ones shown here have been used twice already and cleaned afterward with just water and my Enjo kitchen glove.

Nutritional Information for the glaze only

 Nutritional Info for a 3 oz serving of Salmon 

What is your favorite way to prepare Salmon?





Have an amazing day
Margaret
Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much
Totallyawake4-life

Jalapeno and Goat Cheese White Bean Dip ~ oh my!

I was a little skeptical of the white beans but the goat cheese and Jalapeno's had me drooling so thought I would give this one a try for a recent potluck offering we were invited too.

A #repost recipe review from over at the doTERRA blog 

Jalapeno and Goat Cheese White Bean Dip

What You Need

•  2 cans white kidney beans
• 1-2 Jalapenos depending on the heat you enjoy
• 2 ounces Chevre Goat Cheese
• 1 toothpick of Cilantro essential oils
• 2-3 drops of Lime essential oils
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp raw honey
• 1 tsp salt (optional I personally do not add salt to my cooking)
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1-2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1-2 tablespoons of water ~ if desired for consistency

What You Do 

•  Preheat oven to broil  500F or preheat the BBQ if you like. Place the whole jalepeno on a roasting pain in the oven or direct to the BBQ and grill on each side turning when skin starts to blister get brown markings. Cook evenly on all sides and than place in a covered bowl ~ this allows the skin to 'loosen'. When cool remove the skin (should peel off now) along with stem and seeds. Chop finely. If you want to 'skip' this step and are not concerned about your sodium content or other processed food concerns they do sell these 'pre-made' in the Taco section at most grocery stores. Ole El Paso is one brand I have seen.
• Place all ingredients, except the Cilantro oil, Olive oil and water into the food processor.
• Pulse 5-6 times and than add the Cilantro by the toothpick 'swirling' the toothpick around through it. Essential oil are much stronger a little goes a LONG way! 
• Pulse 10-15 more times while slowly adding the EVOO a little bit at a time until desired consistency is reached. If needed after the 2 tablespoons of oil than use some 'water' as well to keep the oil content down.
• Taste test to check spice level ~ add more cumin, pepper, cilantro or lime if desired
• Store in fridge until ready to serve ~ serve at room temperature
• Dip goes great with veggies or sweet potato chips!

And for those who like to know the nutritional breakdown of a tasty 2 tablespoons of this for a snack .... high fiber and protein and making the Jalapenos yourself it has a low sodium content. Store bought option will likely drive that right up.

 
Have an amazing day!

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

Jalapeno and Goat Cheese White Bean Dip with Cilantro and Lime Essential Oils
2 cans white kidney beans
1-2 jalapenos, depending on your preferred spice level
2-ounce plain goat cheese
1 toothpick Cilantro essential oil
1-3 drops Lime essential oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-3 tablespoons water for desired consistency
Health Highlights:
* White Kidney Beans- These legumes are filled with antioxidants that can help fight off certain types of cancer, heart disease, and other degenerative diseases. A one cup serving of white kidney beans contains almost half of your recommended daily fiber needs.1
* Jalapenos- Capsaicin is the substance in jalapenos that gives it its kick. Additionally, capsaicin can also help raise your metabolism and diminish your appetite, which can aid in weight loss.2
* Goat Cheese- This type of cheese has significantly less sodium than most cheeses. Making a switch to goat cheese can help reduce the risks associated with high sodium diets such as high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.3
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to broil (500°F).
2. Place jalapenos on a baking sheet and rub with olive oil. Roast peppers under the broiler until jalapeno skin is blistered and blackened (about 5-10 minutes). Turn them with a pair of tongs periodically to ensure all sides are equally done. Once done, pull jalapenos from the oven with a pair of tongs and place in a covered bowl. This allows the skin to steam and loosen. Remove skins (they will peel off), tops, and seeds, then roughly chop.
3.  Place all ingredients, except Cilantro essential oil and olive oil, into the bowl of a food processor.
- See more at: http://doterrablog.com/jalapeno-and-goat-cheese-white-bean-dip-with-cilantro-and-lime-essential-oils/#sthash.ZyY8T4VR.dpuf

Grain Free Chipolte Mac-n-Cheese

Spaghetti Squash is another versatile veggie that I had no clue how AWESOME it could be as an alternative to 'pasta' in most recipes! 

Cooking Spaghetti Squash Tips

Baked Spaghetti Squash Rings

 When I first was introduced to spaghetti squash I had no clue how to cut it open the rind seemed so tough so I was poking it with a fork and 'microwaving' it for 10-12 minutes and than cutting it in half was much easier but removing the seeds was tricky cause it was now HOT and forking to make it into strands of spaghetti like substance trickier to get all the strands off without burning fingers so after more than one burnt figure and several occasions of the thing EXPLODING in my microwave cause I had not poked enough holes in it and the pressure built up I decided to research if there was a better way!

So now BAKED is by far my favorite way to prepare it takes a little more time but the results are worth it. You need to invest in a large sharp butcher knife so you can slice your squash into 2-3 inch wide rings without breaking your back! . Remove all the seeds ~ much easier when the thing is raw and cold to scrap them out. Place squash rings on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper ~ add some ground black pepper if desired or other spices like garlic or cayenne and bake on 400 F for 30 minutes .... use a fork to gently pull away the strands of squash. This method results in a much more spaghetti like texture and nice LONG strands of it and I find it is not as 'watery' as the microwave method!

Use spaghetti squash in place of all your pasta needs as a nice low carb and high fiber alternative ... below I will share a quick and easy 'mac -n- cheese' with a little kick!

Grain Free Chipolte Mac-n-Cheese

Serves 2 as a 'side' or 1 as a meal


What You Need

• Small spaghetti squash
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 1 small sweet onion - finely diced
• 2 gloves garlic - minced
• 1 cup of Riccotta cheese
• 1 tablespoon Epicure Chipolte spice blend 
• 1-2 slices bacon crumbled
• 5 cherry tomatoes - chopped fine
• 2 green onions - chopped fine
• Fresh ground pepper
• Milk/Cream optional
  

Grain Free Chipolte Mac-n-Cheese

What You Do

• Bake your spaghetti squash and 'shred' into long strands and set aside
• In a skillet melt the coconut oil over medium heat.
• Saute the sweet onions and garlic and fresh ground pepper until onions are translucent. 
• Add the spaghetti squash and toss to mix together
• In a small bowl mix the Riccotta cheese and the Chipolte seasoning and crumbled bacon and than add to the skillet ~ tossing as the cheese mixture melts. Add some milk/cream if it seems too thick for your preference. I like thick sauce so just do the Ricotta as is.
•  Add in the tomato and green onion toss and serve as a side with your favorite comfort food like BBQ chicken or baked ham or eat on its own as a meal.

 Have an amazing day!

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