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 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 

Anyone else 'getting healthier' in 2016?

 So typical New Year's goal is to 'be healthier' but what does that necessarily MEAN to people? 

 

For me it means working to ensure I continue to eat cleaner, get moving more and to ensure that I am fueling my body with what it needs as I am aging and my bodies needs change!

Part of that means overcoming my phobia of 'swallowing pills' and committing to taking multi vitamins and support and the other part means detoxing my body for the decades of nasty crap that I put in it my committing to doing a 'cleanse' that is designed to heal my gut and restore its balance so that my food can be properly absorbed and do its thing!! Once I have done that I plan to try doing a further 'elimination' diet for those who have auto immune issues to see if there are more foods aside from 'grains' that are causing me challenges. This will be a TOUGH one because it will mean giving up both dairy and nightshades for at least 30 days. I love my cheese and spicy foods so a month without and PEPPERS or foods from the pepper family is going to require a very strong VISION board to keep me on track!  

To make sure I am putting an 'action plan' behind my resolution I have signed up for a 7 Day guided DETOX with the amazing Ange Peters of Hol:Fit ~ a holistic nutritionist. The program comes with over 5 awesome videos full of amazing information and more support as part of the guided portion of the program! You can find out more about the Detox program and how to sign up HERE.  

Are you looking to get healthier in 2016? Want to join me on the Detox journey so you can start 2016 with a strong step forward? The next 'guided' journey will be happening Jan 25 - 31, 2016 but you can register now to get started on the pre-detox journey!  

Below is a chart of the essential oils and supplements that will help support you during your Detox and you can place your order for them HERE or give me a shout HERE and I can help set you up if you do not care for ordering online.

I am excited to see how this goes and how it helps with my overall health moving forward into 2016 ... going Grain Free has weaned me off my metformin and I would be stoked if I could heal my gut and metaloblism enough to wean off my thryoid medication! 

Have an amazing day!

Margaret

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much

Be Totalllyawake4-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

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