grain free Archives -

Sticky Ginger Sesame Noodles

on March 30, 2017December 22, 2020 By Kelley

Slurp up these Sticky Ginger Sesame Noodles and use a spoon to lick the bowl clean…That is how amazing this sauce is! Best of all this dish can be made in 5 minutes flat with a handful of simple ingredients. Gluten free, Grain free, Paleo, Vegan.

If you visit my blog often you may have stumbled across my other famous noodle recipes. Sticky Garlic Noodles and Crazy Good Peanut Noodles are my top two most popular recipes on my blog. I guess I have a knack for creating really tasty and addictive noodle dishes, and this dish is no exception!!

So I decided to create another finger-licking, can’t stop eating, swoon-inducing delicious noodle recipe! These Sticky Ginger Sesame Noodles have the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and sticky. Consider this your warning: They are addictive! You will want to put this sauce on everything. I mean everything.

Zoodles are my go-to healthy noodles, as they are low cal and grain free, but if you prefer any other type of noodles, go ahead and sub those in. Rice noodles, wheat noodles, even sweet potato noodles would be amazing. This recipe makes one large serving (that you will not want to share), so make sure to double it if others are wanting to indulge.

Best of all, this recipe can be made in just 5 minutes! You do not need to skimp on big bright flavor when you don’t have time to cook. Top with some sliced chicken breast, tofu, pork, or beef to make a complete balanced meal. Toss in some spinach an other stir fry veggies to bump up the nutrients.

I love healthy, guilt-free dishes that taste sinfully good. These Sticky Ginger Sesame Noodles pack a flavorful punch, but they are so very healthy.

And that sauce…… So good!

Sticky Ginger Sesame Noodles

3 tablespoons coconut aminos ((or soy sauce))
2 tablespoons agave ((or maple syrup))
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon green onion, chopped ((optional))
1 teaspoon sesame seeds ((optional))
1/2 teaspoon arrowroot starch ((optional)(or cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water))

Spiralize your noodles or cook your noodles and set aside.
Add a dash of oil to a pan and sauté the minced garlic, ginger, and half of the green onions (optional) for 1-2 minutes over medium-high heat.
Add the rice wine vinegar, coconut aminos (or soy sauce), agave (or maple syrup), and toasted sesame oil. Simmer and Reduce for 3 minutes or until thickened.
Optional: If you want the sauce to be extra thick and sticky add the arrowroot slurry, mix well, and remove from the heat. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
Toss the zoodles or noodles in the sauce. (If using raw zoodles you can leave the noodles and sauce over the heat for a few minutes to soften the zoodles.) Scoop them into a bowl and top with sesame seeds and remaining green onion.

Hot Chocolate Dusted Almonds

on March 24, 2017June 29, 2021 By Kelley

These Hot Chocolate Dusted Almonds are so very addictive, so good thing they are super healthy and very easy to make! Made with only 3 ingredients and ready in under 10 minutes.

I Heart Chocolate. Dark Chocolate. Milk Chocolate. Chocolate-Covered/Smothered Anything! Chocolate is my true love:)

I also love almonds, but chocolate and almonds is truly a heavenly match. Have you tried the Cocoa-Dusted Almonds from Trader Joe’s? Um, well, they are AMAZING! I had a slight addiction to them, and found myself polishing off the entire bag in a day! Oops.

(Glazed with Agave)

I decided since I was going to single-handedly put Trader Joe’s Cocoa Almonds out of stock, I decided to make my very own. It would also save me some trips to the store to stock up on these addictive chocolatey nuts.

Almonds are a great source of energy, and they are of my favorite snacks. I always have a stash of almonds hanging around the house, and grab a handful when I am feeling hungry or need a bump of energy. But plain ole’ almonds can get a little boring.

If you are in an almond snacking slump you must try this recipe. It adds a little dash of sweetness and burst of chocolatey goodness. You will be impressed!

You can whip these babies up in under 10 minutes, and it only takes 3 ingredients. That’s it!

(HOT out of the oven!)

Hot Chocolate Dusted Almonds

These addictive sweet and chocolate roasted almonds will be your new favorite snack.

1 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup agave
1 package hot chocolate mix (or cocoa power)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder (optional- to make them extra chocolatey)

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
Toss the almonds into a bowl and mix in the agave. Stop to coat all the almonds evenly.
Transfer the coated almonds to a parchment-lined cookie sheet and spread them out.
Last them in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 8 minutes. Check them every few minutes to make sure they do not burn.
Remove the almonds, and transfer them back to the bowl. While they are hot mix in the hot chocolate powder and cocoa (or just cocoa). Stir to ensure they are all coated evenly.
You can leave them in the bowl to cool (some may stick together), or spread them back out on the parchment to cool.
Wait a few minutes, them snack away!

Snack

American

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

on February 11, 2017June 29, 2021 By Kelley

These moist and delicate Carrot Cake Cupcakes, topped with light and fluffy cream cheese whip, have a few surprising ingredients that make them extra special and extra irresistible! They make the perfect secretly healthy sweet treat, and are grain free, gluten free, and paleo.

When I was younger I always steered clear of carrot cake. It just didn’t sound good to me. I mean you’re forcing a veggie into a cake, where it really isn’t suppose to be, right?

And why would you opt for carrot cake when you can have chocolate cake?

Or vanilla cake? Or red velvet? Or ice cream cake even!? Why!?

Well, one day I decided to try it, and it was delicious, despite my years of carrot cake avoidance! It was a homemade carrot cake, made by scratch with love, for a birthday party. Everyone was making such a big deal about how good it was, so I went for it. ….And as I took my first bite I understood the joy they were experiencing. The cake was super moist, had just the perfect amount of sweetness, and oooohhh that frosting! (SWOON!)

I don’t know what it is about carrot cake and cream cheese frosting, but it is surely a match made in culinary heaven. They pair perfectly together and I really can’t have one with out the other. Ok, ok, I have been known to eat frosting, especially cream cheese frosting, by the spoonful on occasion, but it’s true home is on top of one of these Carrot Cake Cupcakes!

Cricket isn’t much of a veggie eater AT ALL, but even she likes these cupcakes! Give her a raw or cooked carrot (even drenched with butter), and she will give you the death stare as to say “Excuse me, I’m not eating THAT!”

But give her one of these and it’s gone in a few seconds flat. Leave them on the counter top unattended and you may not see them ever again! Although Cricket has never been officially caught in the act.

So these aren’t just any old carrot cake cupcakes, they are are EXTRA SPECIAL! They have a few awesome ingredient that make them so divine, extra moist and delicious, including crushed pineapple! Yes, trust me, just try it. You must!

You can even eat them for breakfast because they are very healthy, and if it makes you feel better to call it a muffin, go ahead, I won’t judge!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Whipped Frosting

1 3/4 cup almond flour
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
2 tablespoons cane sugar ((or sub additional coconut sugar))
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup carrots (finely grated)
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut (shredded)
1/4 cup pineapple (shredded)
1/4 cup walnuts (chopped)
2 eggs ((preferably pasture-raised))
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons almond milk
1 can coconut cream (chilled (frosting))
2 tablespoons powdered cane sugar ((place granted sugar in a high speed blender to make powdered sugar))
1 teaspoon cream cheese extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the almond flour, coconut sugar, cane sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt and baking soda in a large bowl and mix well.
In a smaller bowl mix the 2 eggs, almond milk, vanilla, maple syrup, shredded carrot, shredded pineapple, shredded coconut, chopped walnuts, and raisins; mix well.
Add the wet ingredient into the dry, and mix thoroughly. Batter will be thick.
Line a cupcake tin with liners. Fill each one about 3/4 the way with the batter.
Bake at 350 degrees F for about 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
Let them cool, and make the frosting.
Combine the chilled coconut cream, powdered cane sugar, and cream cheese extract in a bowl and beat with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Top the cooled cupcakes with the frosting.

Dessert

American

Veggie Christmas Tree (How To VIDEO)

on December 11, 2016March 11, 2021 By Kelley 1 Comment

This adorable Veggie Christmas Tree makes the perfect centerpiece, and doubles as a healthy appetizer for your holiday meal! It’s super easy to make, and the kids will love to help create this festive veggie-art. It will surely impress your guests!

Can you believe Christmas is almost here!? It’s just a few short weeks away and there is always so much to be done. Have you gotten your Christmas shopping done this year? I haven’t even begun. Ugh, it makes me anxious just thinking about it.

I recently moved, and the first thing I did when I unpacked was get out my Christmas decorations. There is something about dressing up the house for Christmas that makes me so joyful. Do you guys feel the same way? Today while I was making this Veggie Christmas Tree I put a pot of potpourri on the stove top and had the Holiday Log Music Special playing nonstop to get that Christmas Spirit up and running.

If you want a few easy peasy Holiday Decor Hacks (with stuff you already have around the house) check out this post I did last year: EASY HOLIDAY DIY DECOR!

My love for all things Christmas goes way back to when I was a little girl. My mom was the ultimate Christmas elf. She decorated Every. Square. Inch. of our home. It was pure awesomeness!

We had multiple Christmas trees, the banisters where dripping with garland and lights, the chandeliers held beautiful springs of spruce and holly, and even the toilet was adorned with Christmas decor! It was a Christmas wonderland, second only to the North Pole.

By the time Christmas arrives and you’ve (hopefully) finished your decorating, and shopping, and wrapping, and shipping, AND cookie making (and eating ;)), and so on, you’re exhausted, right? But if your hosting the holiday festivities this year you’re going to have to rally after pulling that all night gift wrapping extravaganza, and cook an elaborate holiday fest, right?

Well, don’t worry, I have got you covered! The super cute Veggie Christmas Tree only takes a few minutes to make (the kids can have fun putting it together), and it looks amazing. Added bonus, it’s a tasty and healthy alternative to other popular holiday appetizers.

Enjoy! Happy Holidays!

Veggie Christmas Tree

1 styrofoam cone ((I got mine from Michaels))
2 packages toothpicks
2 green peppers
1 bag snap peas
1 head broccoli
1 yellow pepper ((star))
1 red pepper ((garland))
1 package cherry tomatoes ((ornaments))

Cut your green pepper in long triangles to form the lower branches of the tree.
Cut the broccoli into individual pieces.
Use a cookie cutter to make a star from the yellow pepper.
Carefully use a pairing knife to make garland from the red pepper, cutting a spiral.
Next, use the toothpicks to make your tree. Place the green pepper branches on the bottom, then the snap peas, and then the broccoli.
Insert the cherry tomatoes, top with the yellow pepper star and wrap with red pepper garland.
Serve with your favorite dip! Enjoy!

Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie

on November 18, 2016June 29, 2021 By Kelley

This Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie is full of sweet cinnamon decadence, topped with a buttery crisp crumb. The sweet apples and tart cranberries come together in perfect union to create the ultimate holiday pie. All your guests will adore this dessert and they will never ever guess it’s gluten free, paleo, and healthy!

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, but if your judging by the weather here is sunny souther California, you may be surprised its even fall! The summer weather still is going strong, and although we have had a cool down this week it’s still in the mid 70’s here.

No, no I’m no complaining, but it does make it a bit difficult to get into the holiday state of mind. I’m from the northeast and I grew up watching the autumn foliage turn from green to gold to crimson. The crisp fall air would cause me to bundle up in my boots, hat, and scarf before I set out for an autumn hike.

Fall was always the most beautiful time to hike in the Appalachian Mountains. The trail would be scattered with leaves of all colors and I would love to hear them crunch under my feet as I wandered.

My partner in crime, Cricket also loves her autumn hikes in the woods. She would always act extra spry due to the chilly weather, darting from tree to tree, sniffing out all the squirrels.:)

Here is California I still take her out for hikes and walks at the park. Although we have some leaves scattered about, but the sun refuses to quit, so the November hikes don’t give us the same invigorating feel that they used to!

Despite the warm weather, we still bake in this house. When it’s autumn, and the holidays are approaching, it is the perfect time for apple pie no matter the temperature outside.

I decided to make my apple pie extra festive this year by tossing is some beautiful crimson cranberries that add a splash of color, and a wonderful flavor reminiscent of fall.

The crumble topping is sweet, buttery, and crunchy, adding intriguing texture and mouthwatering flavor. All the ingredients are super healthy- no refined sugars, no grains, but you will never know it!

Did I mention it also looks stunning? It’s quite a looker;)

Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie

1 Perfect Paleo Pie Crust
5 apples ((Granny Smith or other cooking apples, peeled and sliced in 1/4″ segments))
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons grass-fed butter, melted ((or coconut oil or ghee))
1/4 cup coconut sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons almond flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup almond flour ((crumb topping))
1 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot flour ((crumb topping)(or tapioca flour))
2 tablespoons maple syrup ((crumb topping))
2 tablespoons coconut sugar ((crumb topping))
2 tablespoons grass-fed butter ((crumb topping)(or ghee or coconut oil))

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare the pie crust, find recipe here: Perfect Paleo Pie Crust
In a large bowl mix the apples, lemon juice, sugar, almond flour, cinnamon, maple syrup, and melted butter.
Place the filling mixture into the lightly baked pie crust.
In a small bowl mix the crumb topping ingredients: almond flour, arrowroot flour, maple syrup, coconut sugar and softened butter. Mix until you get the consistency of wet sand.
Sprinkle the crumb topping on top of the filling.
Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes, then remove foil and bake for another 6-8 minutes, or until crumb topping is light brown and crisp.
Remove and let cool for at least 15 minutes, then serve and enjoy!

Dessert

American

Perfect Paleo Pie Crust

on November 15, 2016June 29, 2021 By Kelley 1 Comment

This flaky and buttery pie crust is the perfect compliment to your favorite pie. If you love traditional pie crust, this healthy and grain free version will surely satisfy you because it is just like the real deal! Best of all its super easy to make with only a handful of simple healthy ingredients! (Gluten free, grain free, paleo)It’s that time of year again- the holiday season is upon us! It seems to sneak up on me every year. Do you guys feel the same way?? One minute its a hot sweltering summer day in August, and with the blink of an eye (so it seems) we are on the cusp of Thanksgiving! I mean, where does the time go?

I actually got to start my holiday season extra early this year because my mom came in town this past week. Since I won’t be traveling back east this year for the holidays we decided to celebrate our turkey day a few weeks early! It was great to have her in town, and she helped me exhibit at my very first art fair! I am so excited to say my Moss Art was a big hit:) What do you guys think of it? (click here for my ETSY shop if you are interested in seeing more!)

So this week was pretty awesome with an early Thanksgiving feast and a successful art show! What more can a girl want?

With my mom’s help this year, I really perfected all my paleo/ grain free holiday recipes! This pie crust is no exception. My mom is truly a Super Mom. Did I mention she runs marathons and bakes the best pie crust ever!? Yep, that’s a fact! Well she was quite impressed with this one and I am so very happy to share it with you all today!

Perfect Paleo Pie Crust

1 1/4 cup almond flour
1 tablespoon coconut flour
1/4 cup arrowroot flour
4 tablespoons grass-fed butter, cold ((or ghee or palm shortening))
1 pasture-raised egg

Combine dry ingredients in the food processor and mix.
Add the egg, mix for a few sections.
Add the cold butter, 1 tablespoon at a time until a dough forms, on a slow/medium speed.
Scrape the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper.
You can chill to for 1 hour in the fridge and roll it out with a rolling pin (work quickly because as it warms it gets soft), or you can forgo the chilling and press the dough into the pie plate using you fingers to make smooth pie crust about 1/6″ thick.
Use a fork to poke holes into the bottom pie crust.
Bake as 350 degrees for 12 minutes (if it’s going to be baked again) or 15-18 minutes for use with a no-bake recipe.

Dessert

American

Pumpkin Pie with Sticky Pecans

on November 15, 2016June 29, 2021 By Kelley

This perfect Pumpkin Pie with Sticky Pecans will stun you with its beauty and win you over with its taste! Its creamy sweet pumpkin filling pairs nicely with some fluffy coconut whip cream-yum! Your guests will never ever guess it’s gluten free, grain free, paleo, and healthy! Your holiday spread will not be complete without this one!

Pumpkin pie has always been my ALL TIME favorite pie. I know, there’s apple pie, pecan pie, cherry pie, strawberry- rhubarb pie, lemon meringue pie, chocolate cream pie….. am I missing any of your favorites? They are all good, I must admit. Each and every one has a special place in my heart (and stomach!), but the pumpkin pie is the winner.

There is something about the creaminess, the smooth texture, with earthy sweet pumpkin and spice flavor that really satisfies. Heck, it has a seasonal latte named after it that people go crazy for this time of year, so I know I am not the only one who is obsessed with pumpkin pie flavor!

I am usually so stuffed after a Thanksgiving feast that I can barely move and have to fight the urge to put on sweats just for the extra room in the elastic waistband. haha.

But, not matter how stuffed I am, I always make room for a slice of pumpkin pie. I make sure to drown in a several heaping scoops of coconut whipped cream, and then I dig in, and enjoy ever last bite of pumpkin perfection.

This pumpkin pie is extra special because it is the BEST pumpkin pie, not just as good as a traditional one, but I would say, in fact, better! The sticky pecans makes for an sweet and crunchy topping to add in yet another flavor and texture dimension to an already fabulous pie.

It’s a must try, so you got to make it this year. You and your holiday guest will not be disappointed:)

Click here for the PERFECT PALEO PIE CRUST recipe!

Pumpkin Pie with Sticky Pecans

1 Perfect Paleo Pie Crust
1 15oz. can pumpkin
3 pasture-raised eggs
2/3 cup full fat coconut milk
1/4 cup cane sugar ((or coconut sugar))
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 pinch Himalayan salt
1/2 cup pecans, whole ((sticky pecans))
2 tablespoons grass-fed butter ((or ghee))
2 tablespoons coconut sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the pumpkin, eggs, coconut milk, maple syrup, sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a food processor (or use hand blender). Mix to combine unit smooth.
Pour the pumpkin pie mixture into the pie crust.
Place the pie in the oven for 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If your crust is browning too fast cover it with foil.
Meanwhile combine the butter and coconut sugar in a saucepan over low heat.
Using a rubber spatula mix the butter and sugar vigorously until the sugar melts and a thick syrup forms.
Add the pecans and stir to coat.
Place the sticky pecans on parchment to cool, and make sure they are separate from on another so they don’t stick to each other.
Once the the pie in finished baking remove and let it cool for at least 10 minutes on a wire rack.
Top your pie with pecans and set it in the fridge to cool, until you are ready to serve.

Dessert

American

S’Mores Galette

on November 2, 2016June 29, 2021 By Kelley

This richly indulgent S’mores Galette is stuffed with ooey gooey melted dark chocolate and fluffy toasted marshmallows! It is so simple to make, but so extravagant. It is sure to wow your dinner guests. They will never guess it’s gluten free, grain free, and paleo!

Come on, you can’t look at this picture and tell me you do want it, right!? There is some special magic in a picture of melted dark chocolate that makes my heart start racing, and my mouth salivate. I just ate a piece of this S’mores Galette, and now that I am writing this post and looking at these pictures I am certainly ready for another heaping slice!

The golden toasted marshmallows have that wonderful crispy crust, and the graham crust is the perfect compliment to the molten marshmallow chocolate center! This beautiful galette only took me 15 minutes to prepare, a quick chill, then off in the oven it went.

So simple.

So easy.

So unbelievably divine!

Cricket has been spending so much of her time in the kitchen lately, and today was no exception. She stared at me longingly with those big brown soulful eyes and followed me with her gaze as I bounced around the kitchen from the pantry to the oven. I so badly wanted to share my exceptional creation with her, but she’s a dog and can’t do chocolate, so that means more for me and none for her. Sorry Cricket!

But she hung around anyway. You know, just in case something takes a spill onto the floor then it’s fair game!

Really she is in the kitchen when I am cooking and when even I am not! I think she is expecting that I will return at any minute to start my next creation, and she may be wishing it is going to be a doggie dish for her. Yes, it’s true, I haven’t created any doggie dishes lately for the blog. Sorry Cricket (and my other doggie fans!). I will soon, I promise!

So getting back to that S’mores Galette. I know you haven’t stopped dreaming about it! Do not be intimidated by its fanciness, because it’s actually very easy to make. The dough comes together in 5 minutes, and is quite a breeze if you use your food processor. It should look something like this:

Next, wrap it up in parchment and set it in the freezer for 15 minutes. This greatly speeds up the chilling process which, in the refrigerator, can take hours!

Roll the dough out between two sheet of parchment paper, then fill it with the chocolate and marshmallows, fold up the sides and pop it in the oven. You are almost there!

When it’s ready the marshmallows and crisp should be a rich golden brown.

Let it cool for 10 minutes then serve it up and ENJOY!

S’Mores Galette

2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup arrowroot flour (tapioca should work in place of arrowroot if needed)
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt (Himalayan or sea salt)
6 tablespoons grass-fed butter
1 egg (cold)
1 cup dark chocolate chips (Enjoy Life brand)
1 cup marshmallows (Dandies brand or paleo marshmallow recipe HERE)
Optional Egg Wash: 1 egg yolk plus slapping of water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Add the almond flour, arrowroot flour, coconut sugar, salt and cinnamon to the food processor and mix on a low setting to combine.
Add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time on a low setting, then add the egg.
Once dough is formed, remove it from the food processor and place it on a piece of parchment paper. Flatten the dough down to about 1/2″ thick and cover with another piece of parchment paper on top and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes remove the dough from the freezer. Use a rolling pin to roll it out keeping the parchment paper not the top and bottom, until its about 1/4″ thick.
Remove the top parchment and place the dough with the bottom piece of parchment on a cookie sheet or cast iron skillet.
Fill the crust with the chocolate chips and marshmallows then fold up the sides to hold the filling in.
Place on a lower rack in the oven for about 30 minutes, then move to a higher rack for 5-10 minutes to get a nice golden color on the marshmallows and crust.
Remove and let cool for 10 minutes, then Enjoy!

Crispy Salt & Pepper Salmon

on October 27, 2016January 27, 2021 By Kelley

This Extra Crispy Salt and Pepper Salmon is so very delectable and mouth watering. The crisp exterior gives way to tender and succulent buttery salmon that melts in your mouth! With only 3 ingredients and only one pan to clean, it’s an easy and healthy meal the entire family will love.

I have been trying to perfect my salmon-making expertise for some time now. Years in fact, I am embarrassed to admit! Cooking comes somewhat naturally to me, but I have my flops and hang ups with certain dishes and techniques.

Anything recipe that calls for a meringue (whipping egg whites until they are fluffy) is avoided like the plague around here! Not only do I have a huge problems when it comes to separating out the whites from the yolks, but my “stiff peaks” never seem to appear :(. Bread is another baking disaster in my house, especially because my grain-free bread baking has yielded dense blocks of wood-like loafs that even Cricket will not touch! lol. And finally, salmon. I LOVE salmon, when it’s prepared well, but up until THIS recipe I just couldn’t cook an excellent piece of salmon.

I tried grilling.

I tried roasting.

I tried foil packets.

I tried it all, but I always got over-cooked bland, eh-type salmon. It was usually edible, but nothing to write home about for sure! Where is the mouth-watering salmon of my dreams….?

I just couldn’t figure out where I was going wrong! Then I stumbled upon a food network program that covered how to pan-frying salmon and I was so excited to test it out!

I ran out to the store and picked up a lovely piece of fresh wild sockeye salmon. The darker pink the salmon the better it tastes, and the better it is for your health! Wild salmon is the way to go, as it’s loaded with omegas for a healthy heart, glowing skin, lubricating joints, etc.

I used avocado oil, which is a great choice for a high heat cooking oil due to the high smoke point. Also it’s almost flavorless so you can use it for just about anything.

A little healthy dash of salt and a few shakes of the black pepper, pop it in a HOT, HOT pan with a generous amount of HOT oil, and you’re on your way. It’s that easy! It is so simple it doesn’t even really need a recipe.

And best of all Cricket got to enjoy the crispy salmon skin as a nighttime treat!

Crispy Salt and Pepper Salmon

1 filet of wild salmon
2-3 tablespoons avocado oil (or other frying oil with high smoke point)
salt and pepper

Generously salt and pepper your salmon fillet(s).
Heat the oil in a skillet over high heat (or just below high heat, but not as low as medium-high).
One the oil “pops” when you add a small drop of water you are ready to go!
Add the fillet skin-side down and cook for 4-5 minutes, until mostly golden brown and crispy.
Carefully flip the fillet and cook flesh side down for another 4-6 minuted until it’s nice and crispy. (If you have a thicker fillet, increase your cooking time by a minute or two).
Remove the fish from the pan and you may place it on a paper towel to absorb some of the excess oil.
Serve immediately and enjoy!

Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl Salad

on October 15, 2016January 27, 2021 By Kelley

This Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl Salad is so full of fresh flavor it will be your new go-to healthy and hearty meal! Use left over chicken breast, or rotisserie chicken, and this healthy and hearty meal can be made in under 10 minutes flat!

So over the last few weeks something miraculous has happened….. Cricket decided she is no longer a picky eater and now she eats everything and anything… Really! It’s so strange and I can’t figure out what happened. She just decided she likes food after 11 years. Go figure?!

Now this was the dog that only ate fresh grilled chicken and steak, and would turn her nose up to pretty much anything else. Every time we went through a drive through and Cricket would get a Milkbone from an eager drive-through window worker, she would turn up her nose is disdain, and I would have try to make up some excuse of why my dog is acting like such a snob.

But then, she woke up one day (not so long ago) and everything seemed to change. Maybe it’s all the cooking I do? Maybe she is just getting senile in her old age? But whatever had happened she is now a food hound for sure. In fact, I just fed her a RAW CARROT the other day and she scarfed it down like it was a tender piece of filet mignon. Yes way!

You know, I can relate to her insatiable hunger. You know, I feel that way a lot of the time too! I try to eat healthy, but sometimes I’m left feeling hungry, actually hangry, which is far worse for whoever is around. haha.

That is where this lovely Chipotle Chicken Burrito Salad Bowl comes in! This super tasty and nutritious salad is packed with flavor and fresh zesty ingredients, and the best part of all is it really fills you up! It has chicken and beans (omit if paleo) for protein, and lots and lots of veggies that provide fiber and nutrients. It makes a great lunch and its easy to whip up especially if you have left over chicken in the fridge!

Cricket loves this salad too. I gave her her own, and she scarfed the whole thing down including the lettuce! I guess she isn’t the best food critic anymore since she has become such an indiscrimitory eater, but I promise this Chipotle Chicken Burrito Salad Bowl is awesome!

Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl Salad

1 cup mixed mesclun lettuce (or lettuce of choice)
1/4 cup cauliflower rice (comes already riced in a bag at Trader Joes! or sub regular rice if you eat it)
1/4 cherry tomatoes (quartered)
2 tablespoons red onion (chopped)
1/4 cup shredded cheese (pasture-raised preferably, or omit for paleo)
1/4 cup black beans (omit for paleo, drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup rotisserie or grilled chicken (chopped or shredded)
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
3 tablespoons of sour cream (paleo use cashew cream, see below)

Avocado Crema:

1/2 avocado
3 tablespoons sour cream (or cashew cream)
2 tablespoons lime juice
optional: 1 tablespoons cilantro (chopped for ganish)

In a bowl combine the chopped/shredded chicken, chipotle powder, and 3 tablespoons of sour cream (or cashew cream), mix well.
In another bowl combine the avocado, sour cream (or cashew cream), and lime juice, and blend vigorously by hand with a fork or use a hand blender. (add a pinch of salt)
Layer the salad by placing the lettuce in a salad bowl and top with the other ingredients (rice, tomatoes, red onion, cheese, beans).
Next top with the chipotle chicken mixture.
Next add a bit of extra sour cream (or cashew cream) and avocado crema to top it all off, You can also drizzle a bit of olive oil on top to and sprinkle with cilantro. Enjoy!