Avocado Chicken Salad

 Needed a dairy and gluten free lunch packed with protein - this was it!!  YUMYY!!!

Ingredients

• 4 oz /100g chicken breast, cooked
• 1/2 avocado, large
• 1 egg, hard-boiled
• 1/3 cup tomatoes
• 1/2 cup spinach
• 1-2 scallions, thinly chopped
• 1 cucumber, chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped olives

Dressing & Additions

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Arranging the bowl: Start with a bed of spinach, then arrange tomatoes, avocado, cucumber, olives, chicken, egg, sprinkle chopped scallions, add freshly ground black pepper.
2. Prepare the dressing: Mix olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice and toasted sesame oil (optional) and add to the salad, combining everything together. When you've mixed everything add salt to taste.

Slow-Cooker Breakfast Casserole Recipe

Baseball got cancelled and I made up this yummy egg bake for breakfasts all week!!!  Dairy and gluten free!!!  DO IT UP :)

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 12 eggs
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
• 4 sausages casing removed
• 2 cups sweet potatoes shredded
• 1 onion diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 8 button mushrooms sliced
• 1 bell pepper diced
• 1 green onion sliced
• Cooking fat
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Melt cooking fat in a skillet over medium heat.
  Cooking fat
• Cook the onion and garlic for 1 to 2 minutes.
  1 onion,2 garlic cloves
• Add in the sausages and break them apart while cooking for 5 to 6 minutes.
  4 sausages
• Place the shredded potatoes at the bottom of a slow cooker and top with the onion-sausage mixture.
  2 cups sweet potatoes
• Add in the bell pepper and mushrooms.
  1 bell pepper,8 button mushrooms
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and coconut milk; season with salt and pepper to taste.
  1 cup full-fat coconut milk,Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Pour in the eggs on top of the sausage mixture.
  12 eggs
• Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours; serve topped with green onions.
  1 green onion

PESTO STEAK KABOBS WITH BLISTERED TOMATOES & PEPPERS

 Yummy!!!  I just used store bought pesto to keep this simple and it was great!!!  So yummy!!!

Kabobs

• 1½ - 2 lbs top sirloin steak
• 3 green bell peppers
• grape or cherry tomatoes
• salt & pepper

Marinade

• ¼ cup coconut aminos, can use soy sauce
• ¼ cup olive oil

Pistachio Lemon Pesto

• 3 cups packed fresh basil
• ¼ cup pistachios, shelled
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, or 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• ½ tsp salt
• ⅓ cup olive oil, extra virgin

Instructions

• Cut your steak into large pieces (around 1¼ - 1½ inches). Try to keep them uniform in size so they'll cook in the same amount of time.
• Add your steak and marinade ingredients to a gallon ziploc bag. Squeeze out excess air and zip closed. Use your fingers to massage the marinade evenly around the steak. Let sit for at least 30 minutes, flipping the bag over occasionally.
• Cut the top off your green bell pepper. Scoop out the inside and discard along with the top. Slice pepper into evenly sized chunks.
• Thread your marinaded steak, bell pepper, and tomatoes onto skewers.
• Place on a baking sheet and drizzle excess marinade from the bag over the kabobs so that your veggies also have a nice coat. (The olive oil in the marinade will help the veggies get a beautiful char.) Salt & pepper.
• Place on grill so they're not touching. You'll want the grill on medium-high heat. Grill for 3-5 minutes. Flip. Grill for another 3-5 minutes. Remove when you've achieved your desired doneness.
• Let the kabobs rest for a few minutes.
• In a blender combine pesto ingredients and blend. Brush over steak & serve!

Roasted Red Pepper Soup (dairy free)

 Needed a soup for fall that was gluten and dairy free -- and here you go!!!  This has a yummy kick of spice!!!  Evan was NOT a fan but it was great and flavorful :)

Ingredients

• 2 medium red bell peppers
• 1 Tablespoon light olive oil
• 1 1/2 to 1 2/3 cup diced onion or shallot
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 13.6 ounce can light coconut milk
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth (adjust to desired thickness)
• 2 Tablespoons tapioca starch or cornstarch
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 1 cup crushed canned tomatoes, drained
• Optional Bisque topping (from original recipe) – 6 to 8 ounces medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail off (see notes)
• Garnish – fresh chopped parsley or cilantro. Grated Parmesan, optional. Omit to keep dairy free.

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Instructions

ROASTED PEPPERS

1. Preheat the oven to 475 F and line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Place bell pepper(s) on a baking sheet and place in the oven to roast for 15-20 minutes, rotating halfway. Note – Use tongs to rotate the peppers so each side is browned. If needed, broil for 2-3 minutes for extra charring.
3. Remove peppers from the oven and let cool. Once cooled, remove skin from peppers and slice off the stem and remove core. Dice roasted bell peppers into small pieces for blending. Set aside.

SOUP

1. Add olive oil to a large pot. Turn to medium heat and add the onion and garlic sauteing 3 minutes or until fragrant.
2. In the same pot, combine the coconut milk, broth, tapioca starch, red pepper flakes, cayenne, cumin, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Bring the ingredients to a light boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the roasted red bell peppers and crushed tomatoes. Using an immersion blender, carefully blend until smooth. (See notes for blender option.)
4. Bring soup, uncovered, to a light boil then reduce to a simmer for 10 to 20 minutes or until soup has reduced and thickened. Stirring occasionally. (See notes if adding shrimp).
5. Serve and garnish with fresh herbs and extra seasoning, if desired.
6. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Crispy Rhubarb Lemon Chicken Bake

So apparently Rhubarb is great for inflammation SO we had to try this yummy recipe!!  It was really good and the whole crew gobbled it all up :)  Come on for less pain too!!!!  This also is gluten and dairy free meal!!!

Ingredients

For the Chicken Marinade:
1/4 cup creamy balsamic dressing or vinaigrette
1/4 cup tangy BBQ sauce (gluten free)
2 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 -3 rhubarb stalks, shaved/peeled (Keep the shavings for topping)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

For the Lemon Chicken bake and Crispy Rhubarb:
1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs (about 5 small thighs)
1 lemon
Olive oil as needed for the skillet and to toss rhubarb shavings
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Rhubarb shavings
Optional: 1/4 teaspoon lemon garlic seasoning or lemon pepper
1 cup pearled onions
Pinch of tarragon leaves or thyme to garnish

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Clean the rhubarb stalks, and trim the ends.
3. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the red skin of the rhubarb to create shavings. (See blog post.) Set the shavings aside.
4. Place 2-3 small rhubarb stalks, BBQ sauce, balsamic dressing, maple syrup, and seasonings in a blender. Pulse until creamy.
5. Clean and trim the chicken thighs. Set the chicken aside.
6. Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to an oven-safe or cast iron skillet. (A Dutch oven can be used as well.)
7. Add the marinade and chicken thighs to the skillet. Squeeze lemon juice on top.
8. Bring the marinade to a quick boil. Reduce the heat or turn it off completely when the edges begin to to caramelize on the pan.
9. Flip the chicken thighs over, and place lemon slices on top of each thigh.
10. Add 1 cup of peeled pearled onions to the skillet. Drizzle them with olive oil, and add salt and pepper to taste.
11. Transfer the skillet to the oven, and bake at 375° F for 10 minutes.
12. While the chicken is baking, season the rhubarb shavings with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon garlic or lemon pepper, if using.
13. Add the shavings to the skillet with the chicken. Bake for 15 minutes, tossing the shavings halfway through. Thinner shavings will cook faster.
14. Once the chicken and rhubarb shavings are fully cooked and crispy, remove the skillet from the oven.
15. Add more marinade on top of the chicken, and top each thigh with the rhubarb shavings.
16. Add salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with fresh thyme to garnish.
17. Serve with pearled onions.

Blueberry Salmon

This week kicks off our Gluten Free AND Dairy Free week so found lots of new recipes!!  This was delicious!!!  (Evan didn't like the blueberries being on his fish hahaha)  It was super good but leftovers were tough to eat hahaha  It looked moldy hahaha  BUT great quick work week dinner!!!

Ingredients:

• 3 to 4 salmon fillets (4 to 5 ounces each or a 16 ounce fillet)
• 2 cups Brussels sprouts, quartered
• Kosher salt, divided
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/4 to 1/3 light olive oil, divided
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves or 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 lemons, one juiced and one sliced

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the salmon fillets on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Arrange the Brussels sprouts around the salmon. Generously sprinkle the salmon and Brussels sprouts with salt. Set aside.
2. Add the blueberries to a medium-sized bowl and mash a few times with a fork. Stir in the olive oil, basil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, black pepper, and a dash of salt.
3. Drizzle 2 to 3 Tablespoons olive oil over the salmon and Brussels sprouts. Spoon the blueberry mixture over the salmon fillets.
4. Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top of the salmon and veggies. Place lemon slices on top of the veggies on the sheet pan.
5. Place the salmon in the oven to bake for 15 minutes. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes for extra crispy Brussels sprouts, being cautious as to not to overcook the salmon. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
6. Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Three Bean Veggie Chili

We were gone all day long so this was easy to throw together in the morning and then come home for dinner!!!  It was ok -- I think we just prefer our chili with meat hahaha  It had the perfect amount of spice though!!!

Quick Brown Rice and Black Bean Bowl

Another EH meal ...we put shrimp in this which was a nice touch but I'm pretty sure the boys just picked out the shrimp and ate that and some rice instead hahah

 

Chopped Salad with Tuna

Trying to find a quick and GF lunch idea isn't easy, but found this and thought we would try it....it was EH.  We just aren't really fans of canned tuna so this might have been better with some salmon or something instead ??

Herbed Lemon Garlic Chicken Skewers

 This was perfect for a gorgeous fall eve!!!  Love my self a good kabob!!

Ingredients

Marinade:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic finely minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
• 1/2 cup minced fresh herbs I used a mix of basil, rosemary and oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Skewers:

• 2 medium zucchini cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 1 large red bell pepper cut into 3/4 inch squares
• 1 medium red onion cut into wedges and then 3/4 inch squares
• 1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 lemon cut into wedges for serving

Instructions

• In a small bowl combine garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, herbs, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Set aside.
• Place cut vegetables in a zip lock bag and add 3 tablespoons of the herb marinade. Toss to coat. Place chicken in separate bag and add remaining marinade and toss to coat. Let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to 4-6 hours.
• Preheat the grill to medium heat. Thread the skewers alternating with meat and vegetables. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill for 3-4 minutes and then flip. Continue to cook and flip when necessary until the chicken is cooked through to 165 degrees.
• Serve with lemon wedges and squeeze on top.

Herb and Citrus Oven Roasted Chicken

So Rossy and I are jumping on the gluten free train for the next month SO I was looking for new recipes and found this one -- whole fam gobbled it right up (well I did after Rossy cut it off the bone for me hahaha)

We made this up with brown rice and this yummy avocado salad!!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 whole lemons, one juiced and one sliced
• 2 whole oranges, one juiced and one sliced
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 10-12 pieces about 4 1/2 lbs. bone-in chicken parts, (thighs and legs are best), pat dry
• 1 medium onion, any kind, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, or fresh chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, or fresh chopped
• Chopped fresh herbs, rosemary, thyme, parsley, for garnish, optional

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, garlic, sugar, lemon juice, orange juice, Italian seasoning, paprika, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper.
3. Place chicken in a rimmed 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Place parts skin side up and spread them out evenly in the pan. Pour olive oil mixture all over chicken, turning pieces to coat all sides. (If you marinated the chicken in this mixture, still add it all in). Arrange slices of lemon, orange and onion around and under the chicken. Sprinkle all over generously with thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.
4. Bake uncovered for about 1 hour, or until chicken is cooked and juices run clear. Remove parts to a serving platter and garnish with additional chopped fresh herbs, if desired.
5. Enjoy!