8.10.18

Gluten Free & Allergen Friendly Expo 2018

Last year, I had the really awesome privilege to attend the Gluten Free & Allergen Friendly Expo. I wasn't sure what to expect - but it was one of the funnest Saturday's we had that fall.

As someone who is restrictive by choice - it was so pleasing to see how many options are out there for those of you who are restrictive because of health reasons or allergies.

The overwhelming amount of vendors and options for food - it's simply amazing. Not only the quantity of them but the quality.

After last year, I walked away with some new favorites - such as BANZA pasta - which is seriously the best alternative to pasta I've ever tried.

Here are some pictures from last years event:





Here is the best part - I am giving away free tickets!

For full information, check out my Instagram account right HERE:

I will be there on Saturday all day and would love to hang out with fellow GF&AF fans :)




And even if you don’t win, don’t fret –
right now through FRIDAY October 12th there’s a 20% off sale going on. Use the code ADVANCE

When:
October 13 10:00-4:00pm < See my there live on this day
 & 14 10:00-3:00pm
[2018]

Where:
Meadowlands Exposition Center
355 Plaza Drive
Secaucus, NJ 07094

What the ticket gets you:
- Access to over 100 brands
- Samples from vendors
- Valuable coupons
- Informative Classes
- Free bag to carry your goodies.

So have I sold you? Check out tickets HERE and see you in Seacaucus in October!

For more general information on the GF&AF Expo, please check out their social media accounts:
https://www.facebook.com/gfafexpo
https://twitter.com/gfafexpo
https://instagram.com/gfafexpo/

16.4.18

GRILLED GARLIC LIME CHICKEN FAJITA SALAD

INGREDIENTS
Dressing
1/2 large avocado pitted
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons water
lime juice from 1/2 lime
1 medium garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon sea salt


Marinade
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil I use trader Joe's brand
2 teaspoons minced garlic
lime juice from 1/2 lime
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salad
2 large chicken thighs
2 large eggs soft boiled
1/2 medium red bell pepper cut into 1/2" strips
1/2 medium yellow bell pepper cut into 1/2" strips
1/2 medium white onion cut into 1/2" strips
10 oz salad mix

Sweet potato fries
2 medium sweet potatoes cut in 1/4" strips
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon cumin powder or Trader Joe's chili lime seasoning
sea salt flakes to taste

INSTRUCTIONS



Blend marinade ingredients together until smooth.
Pour marinade into a ziplock bag with the chicken thighs and marinade for two hours or as time allows.
Grease a grill pan or skillet with olive oil and cook chicken fillets over medium heat, cook on each side until crispy and cooked through.
Once chicken is cooked, set aside and allow to rest.
Fry peppers and onion lightly in olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, until cooked to your liking.
Preheat oven to 475F.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Slice sweet potato fries into thin strips and toss in oil, flour, and seasoning.
Bake fries on 475F for about 30-45 minutes until crispy.
In a blender or food processor, blend ingredients for dressing until smooth.
Slice chicken into strips and prepare salad with salad mix, avocado slices, peppers, onion strips, chicken, fries, and eggs.
Drizzle with avocado dressing and serve.

Boursin-Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients
YIELDS: 4

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 package Boursin cheese or herbed goat cheese, 4 oz.
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella
4 slices prosciutto
Directions
PREP TIME: 0:15
TOTAL TIME: 0:50

  1. Preheat oven to 400°.
  2. Using a meat tenderizer, pound the chicken until 1/4" thick. Pat dry and liberally season it with salt and pepper on both sides. Place a spoonful or two of Boursin on one end of each piece, top with a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese, and roll the chicken up, starting at the cheese-topped end. Wrap chicken with a slice of prosciutto and place in a baking dish seam-side down, so the prosciutto doesn't unravel. Repeat with each piece of chicken.
  3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear when pierced with a fork or knife.

Slow-Cooker Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients
YIELDS: 10

1 c. heavy cream or half and half
1/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 pinch paprika
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, plus more for garnish
2 tbsp. freshly chopped rosemary, plus more for garnish
2 tsp. garlic powder
3 lb. russet potatoes, sliced 1/4" thick
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan
2 1/2 c. shredded Gruyère
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
PREP TIME: 0:15
TOTAL TIME: 4:45

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together heavy cream (or half and half), chicken broth, paprika, nutmeg, thyme, rosemary, and garlic powder until combined.
  2. Line bottom of a slow-cooker with a layer of potatoes, then top with 1/3 of cream mixture, 1/2 cup parmesan and 1/2 cup gruyère. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat until all ingredients are used up. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
  3. Remove the lid, turn off heat, and let set 30 minutes. (Drain any grease.) Transfer to a bowl and garnish with more thyme and rosemary, then serve.

Creamy Spring Peas With Pancetta

Ingredients


Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Fill a large bowl with ice water. If using fresh English peas, add to the boiling water and cook until tender, about 1 minute. Add the snap peas and cook until bright green, about 2 minutes, then add the snow peas and cook 30 seconds. Drain the peas and plunge into the ice water to cool.
Cook the pancetta in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Add the flour to the drippings in the skillet and cook, whisking, until toasted, about 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken broth and cream and cook until reduced by one-third, about 6 minutes.
Drain the peas, shaking off the excess water, then add to the skillet (if using frozen peas, add them here). Cook, stirring, until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the pancetta.

29.3.18

Mexican Style Oaxacan Bowl

INGREDIENTS
For the spice rub:
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon ground chipotle (see recipe notes)
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the sheet pan ingredients:
1/2 of a medium red onion, cut in 1/2 inch wedges
1 medium yam or sweet potato, diced into 3/4-inch cubes, skin on
8 baby bell peppers, cut in half (see recipe notes)
1/2 cup fresh pecan halves
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 can unseasoned or seasoned black beans (see recipe notes)

For the quick cabbage slaw:
1/2 of a red cabbage, shredded (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro or scallions or both
1 teaspoon coriander
Salt and lime juice to taste

Optional Garnishes:
Avocado, cilantro, scallions, cabbage slaw, or Avocado Sauce

METHOD
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a small bowl, mix cumin, chipotle and salt together in a small bowl.
Roast the sheet pan ingredients: Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and place onion, sweet potato and peppers on top. Drizzle onion and potato with a little olive oil and sprinkle generously with the spice mix, reserving 1 teaspoon for the pecans. Toss to coat all sides well. Place in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, tossing again halfway through.
On another smaller parchment-lined pan, toss the pecans with 2 teaspoons maple syrup and the remaining 1 teaspoon of the spice mix. Place in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove pan from the oven and give the pecans a quick toss to loosen them up so they’re easier to remove once cooled.
If seasoning the beans (see recipe notes below), do so now. Then in a small pot over low heat, heat the seasoned or unseasoned beans.
Meanwhile make the slaw: Finely chop or shred the cabbage and place in a medium bowl with the rest of the ingredients, toss. Taste, adjust lime and salt.
When the veggies are fork tender, assemble the bowls. Divide the beans among 2 to 3 bowls. Divide all the veggies, placing them over the beans, and top with slaw and garnishes of your choice.
Serve with the Mexican Secret Sauce or Vegan Avocado sauce (recipes in notes), and if you’d like, top with sour cream and hot sauce.

17.3.18

Whole30 Enchiladas with Pork Stuffing

Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes


Ingredients
Cilantro-Spinach Pesto:
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
3 cloves garlic
1 cup baby spinach
1/4 cup unsalted pepitas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Whole30 Enchiladas
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch collard leaves
1 pound ground pork
1 poblano pepper
2 cups mushrooms
1/2 cup salsa verde
almond flour
diced red onion
fresh chopped cilantro
pepitas

Creamy Avocado-Cilantro Sauce
1 clove garlic
2 avocados
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup red onion
1/2 jalapeño
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
Equipment Needed
food processor
large saucepan
sharp knife
, peeled (pumpkin seeds) , stemmed , roasted, stemmed, deseed

Instructions
Make Cilantro-Spinach Pesto
1. Add all cilantro-spinach pesto ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.
This pesto should be near the consistency of traditional pesto, but not quite as moist.
Make Enchiladas
1. Preheat oven to 375º F. Prepare your collard leaves: with a knife, cut off the edge of the stem where
the bottom of the leaf is. Then use the knife to very carefully slice off the round part of the thick
stem, so that you have a flattened stem. This step helps you roll the enchiladas, and the stem can be
quite large and tough to eat.
2. Fill a large saucepan about 1/2 full with water and bring to a soft boil. About 2-4 at a time, blanch
collard leaves for about 60 seconds, or until they turn from a soft blue-green to a very bright kelly
green. Remove from saucepan and drain.
3. Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat, then brown ground pork, breaking up with a
spoon or spatula. When pork is browned and mostly cooked through, add mushrooms and sauté
until softened. Add cilantro-spinach pesto and stir to completely coat and incorporate, then add
poblano pepper. Remove mixture from heat.
4. Working one at a time, lay your blanched and drained leaf onto a flat surface. Spread 1/2 cup or
pork mixture on one side of the stem, as shown. Fold long edge over then fold bottom and tops
over the mixture. Roll towards open edge then place seam-side down in a baking dish. Repeat until
remaining mixture is used up, about 8 enchiladas. Top with 1/2 cup salsa verde and spread to
mostly cover enchiladas.
Creamy Avocado-Cilantro Sauce
1. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt
to taste.
2. Bake enchiladas for 20 minutes then remove from oven a

8.2.18

Paleo Italian Sausage & Potato Soup

Ingredients

  • I lb ground hot Italian sausage
  • 4 slices of uncooked bacon, chopped small
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 3 white sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into about 1/2" pieces
  • 1 large carrot, sliced thin
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 5 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
  • 3 cups chopped spinach
  • 2 tbs chopped basil
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to your taste)
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Olive oil
  1. In a large pot over medium heat, add the onion, sausage and bacon plus 2 tbs of olive oil. Stir just until sausage is cooked through
  1. If you have a lot of fat in the pot, drain most of it leaving a little behind for flavor
  1. Next add the minced garlic to the pot and cook for just 1 minute. Now add in the potatoes, carrots, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to the same pot. Stir over medium heat to combine flavors for about 5 minutes
  1. Add chicken broth to the pot and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender
  1. Add coconut milk, spinach and basil – simmer for 5 minutes
  1. Finally stir in the cayenne – taste and add more if you want it spicier
  1. Ladle into soup bowls and enjoy!

Instructions

2.2.18

Corned beef hash

Corned Beef Hash Recipe

PREP TIME: 10 MINS COOK TIME: 10 MINS TOTAL TIME: 20 MINS
SERVES: 3

1 CUP POTATOES, PRECOOKED AND CHOPPED
1 CUP CORNED BEEF, PRECOOKED AND CHOPPED
1 CUP CARROTS, PRECOOKED AND CHOPPED
3 EGGS
2-3 TABLESPOONS, OLIVE OIL
1 TEASPOON GARLIC POWDER
1 TEASPOON ONION POWDER
GARNISH WITH FRESH OR FLAKED PARSLEY


SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE


Chop corned beef, carrots, and potatoes into small bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl.
Mix together with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and parsley.
Transfer to a skillet on medium heat and sauté for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown and crispy.
To fry eggs:
Heat pan

Crack eggs

Allow egg to fry for 3-5 minutes

Top each hash serving with a fried egg and serve.

NOTES

This recipe is intended to be made with previously cooked corned beef, potatoes and carrots.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

1.2.18

Slow Cooker Cran-Apple Pork Roast Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 pound – pork roast
  • 1/2 cup, whole – cranberries, raw
  • 2 medium – apple
  • 1/2 cup – apple juice
  • 1/3 cup packed – brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon – cinnamon

Directions

  1. Chop apple into 1-inch slices.
  2. Grease slow cooker and add pork roast. Layer on cranberries, apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour apple juice on top.
  3. Turn crockpot on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours, until roast is tender and begins to fall apart when you put a fork in it.

31.1.18

Peach Pie

Peach Topping:
1/2 C water
3 T cornstarch
2 large peaches, peeled and smashed up
1 C sugar
1/2 t almond extract
2 T butter
8 peaches, peeled and sliced

Crust:- or just buy one?
3 C graham cracker crumbs (about 2 packages)
7 T butter, melted
1/2 C sugar
1/8 t cinnamon
dash salt

Filling:
2   8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
1   16 oz cool whip
2 C powdered sugar
2 t vanilla
dash salt

PEACH TOPPING
1. Place your cornstarch into a small bowl. Pour the 1/2 C water over the top and stir it around until it's all combined.
2. In a separate bowl smash up the 2 peaches.
3. Put your smashed peaches, sugar, almond extract, butter and cornstarch mixture into a medium sized sauce pan. Stir it all up.
4. Heat up the mixture over medium high. Let it come to a boil while you stir it. Let it cook for about 2 minutes or until it's nice and thick. Set it aside to cool. Give your self a high five.

CRUST
1. Put all crust ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Stir them around until well combined.
2. Divide the mixture in half. Press each half into a 9 inch pie tin. I like to use a measuring cup to press it in.

FILLING
1. With electric beaters (or with your stand mixer) beat the cream cheese until smooth.
2. Add the sugar, vanilla, dash of salt, and beat until nice and smooth....again with the smooth.
3. Add your cool whip....and get the old girl rolling. Blend it up until it's fluffy-ish. Wow. That's technical.
4. Put half of the filling into each crust. Spread it out evenly with a knife.
5. Add the rest of your fresh peaches to the your cooled topping glaze. Stir until combined and pour over the top of each pie. Wrap each pie with plastic wrap and let it chill out in the fridge for at least an hour.


Fried Apples & Honey

Makes 1.5 cups fried apples in about 15 minutes

2 large apples
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Core the apples, and cut into small cubes.  If you’re using organic apples, you can leave the skin on.  Otherwise, peel and discard the skin.

Melt butter in a pan over medium-high heat.  Add in diced apples, and saute for 10 minutes.  Add more butter if the apples start to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Drizzle on honey and sprinkle cinnamon, then stir to evenly distribute.  Continue cooking an additional 5 minutes.


Dump & Bake Chicken

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package uncooked rotini pasta
1 (22 ounce) jar Alfredo sauce (about 2 ½ cups)
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups diced rotisserie chicken (or other diced cooked chicken)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 (4 ounce) jar diced roasted red peppers, drained (about ½ cup)
½ cup minced sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup shredded mozzarella (or Italian blend) cheese
Optional: Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped herbs (such as basil, oregano, and parsley) for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a large 13 x 9-inch baking dish, stir together uncooked pasta, Alfredo sauce, chicken broth, chicken, garlic, red peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes.
Uncover; stir. At this point you should check the pasta to make sure that it is al dente (firm but just about finished cooking). If it’s still too hard, cover the dish and return to the oven until pasta is al dente. Then move on to the next step.
Once pasta is al dente, stir in the fresh spinach. The spinach will wilt almost instantly as you stir it into the hot pasta. Sprinkle mozzarella over the top. Bake uncovered for 10 more minutes (or until cheese is melted and pasta is tender).
Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan or fresh chopped herbs, if desired



Slow Cooker Cuban Vaca Frita

Slow Cooker Cuban Vaca Frita

Prep time: 20-30 minutes
Cook time: 8 - 12 hours

Ingredients for Slow Cooker
  • 3-4 lb grass-fed beef (brisketchuck roast, or flank steak)
  • 4-6 roma tomatoes
  • 2 onions (any color)
  • 2-3 bell peppers (any color)
  • 1 head garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 3-4 dried bay leaves
  • 2-3 tsp spice mix ("Sazon" substitute, recipe below)
  • filtered/purified water for cooking
"Sazon" spice mix (to avoid MSG and excessive refined salt in the pre-packaged kind
  • 1 part garlic powder
  • 1 part dried coriander (substitute dried parsley if for some reason you can't find it)
  • 1 part paprika powder
  • 1 part ground cumin
  • 1/2 part unrefined sea or Himalayan salt
Marinade ingredients
  • 1 heaping Tbsp fresh pressed or minced garlic
  • 1 Tbsp unrefined sea or Himalayan salt
  • Juice of 1-2 limes (depending on how juicy they are)
Ingredients for Frying
  • Shredded marinated beef
  • several Tbsp cooking fat (lardpalm shortening, or tallow -- NOT coconut oil
  • 1 onion, sliced or chopped
  • 1-2 limes, quartered
Cooking Directions
  1. Thaw roast in fridge about 2 days before you want to cook it.
  2. Gather all ingredients for the slow cooker. Place thawed roast in your slow cooker's crock. Coarsely chop all vegetables (onion, bell pepper, and tomatoes) and add them. Peel garlic and crush each clove using the heel of your hand or the broad side of a chef's knife and add to crock.
  3. Make "Sazon" spice mix. To make just enough for this recipe, use 1/2 tsp each of the garlic powder, dried culantro or parsley, paprika powder, and ground cumin and 1/4 tsp of salt. Or, make a larger batch to use in other recipes. It's a great all-purpose Latin seasoning. Sprinkle over ingredients in crock and then add filtered/purified water to cover ingredients.
  4. Set slow cooker to low and cook for 8-12 hours, or until meat is falling apart tender (able to shred with a fork).
  5. Carefully remove roast from your slow cooker and place it on a large plate or platter to cool. Strain broth and freeze for a soup or other recipe (don't throw it away!). Discard vegetables.
  6. While you wait for the roast to cool, make the marinade. Press or mince the garlic into a small bowl and mix with salt and fresh-squeezed lime juice.
  7. Once roast is cool enough to handle, use 2 forks to shred the meat. Place shredded meat in a large non-reactive bowl, then pour marinade on top and mix well with the meat. Make additional marinade if necessary. Cover bowl with an air-tight lid and place in refrigerator overnight (about 24 hours). Note: If you made a large roast and will be eating leftovers for a few days, do not worry about leaving the beef in the marinade.
  8. Work in small batches. Heat about 2 Tbsp of your fat of choice over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Spread out meat to cover about 1/2 to 3/4 of the surface area of the pan, and space the pieces out (as pictured). Let it sizzle and fry for several minutes on each side. As it is cooking, I like to use 2 forks to pull apart the meat into even smaller pieces that get crispier. DO NOT crowd the beef in the pan or else it will steam rather than fry and the texture will not turn out correctly.
  9. After about 5-8 minutes of cooking, add 1/3 or 1/2 of a chopped onion. Continue to stir frequently and fry until the onion is softened, about 3-5 minutes. I recommend using a stainless steel spatula so you can scrape up any crunch bits that try to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add additional fat as needed to keep everything well oiled. Total cooking time should be between 10 and 15 minutes, and the end result should be darkened, crispy beef and soft onions (see photo).
  10. If you are just cooking for one, you're done! If not, set aside and cook up additional batches as needed. Before serving, add all the beef and onions back to the pan and let them cook over medium heat for several minutes, stirring frequently, so everything is piping hot. Squeeze some fresh lime juice on top just before serving and garnish with an additional lime wedge. Enjoy!