Tea Sandwiches and Paleo Berry Scones

Tea time for one! I think sipping on a hot cup of tea and eating cute mini sandwiches definitely counts as “self-care”. It’s rainy and cool today in Nashville so I put on some comfy, warm clothes and threw myself a tea party. In the future, when this pandemic is over, this would make a really great girls’ brunch (and I would add champagne cocktails along with the tea). Hope you guys are staying sane and getting creative with activities/meals! Some days are easier than others, am I right?

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• For the egg salad:

I mixed one hard boiled egg, 1 T of homemade mayo, a squirt of mustard, a pinch of paprika, and salt and pepper in a bowl. I topped the sandwiches with a little more paprika for decorative effect ;)

• For the cucumber sandwich:

I spread a layer of whipped cream cheese on the bottom and next came smoked salmon. I decided to place a thin slice of cucumber on top instead of in the middle to make it pretty!

• For the sandwich bread:

I used whole wheat bread, cut off the crust, and cut into rectangles and triangles. Cold bread is easier to cut, so I put the bread in the freezer for a few minutes beforehand.

• For the scones:

I googled “Paleo berry scones” because I had almond flour, berries, and maple syrup. Although they look delicious, they turned out kind of dry. They also took, like, 40 minutes to make. I would recommend buying scones from your favorite store or bakery, or using real flour if possible. There may be a better paleo scone recipe out there, I just haven’t found it yet!

• For the tea:

Black tea is the most common tea used for “tea time”. You could use something like Earl Grey, or you can simply raid your pantry and see what you have! I happened to have chai, and it was delightful.

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I ate everything you see pictured myself except for one of the scones. This amount is perfect for two people to share if you want something light, or if you’re really hungry like I was, it makes a great meal for one, too.

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Gluten Free Trail Mix

Deconstructed trail mix...a little bit sweet, a little bit salty, a little bit crunchy...my favorite type of trail mix. My favorite mix consists of unsweetened banana chips, raw unsalted nut mix, freeze dried blueberries and mango, goji berries, @glutinofoods pretzels, @purely_elizabeth granola and dark chocolate chips! Add a scoop to the container to dole it out, no thank you to hands on my trail mix. Bonus: Add some milk and call it cereal! 🤷‍♀️

Thick & Chewy Granola Bars

 “We learn flexibility and adaptability” ~John Roper

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I love an adaptable recipe, and these thick, chewy granola bars from Smitten Kitchen are exactly that! I used gluten free oats, and the minimum amount of sugar, but will probably go with even less next time. I also replaced the corn syrup with maple syrup. My bars have dried fruit, shredded coconut, walnuts, almonds, pepitas, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, flax meal and a handful of leftover dark chocolate m&ms (they wouldn’t be missed, but that random bite of chocolate-y heaven sure is nice). Go make these…now.  And be sure to double your recipe, because one batch isn’t enough!

Football Food Favorites

 “Are you ready for some football?!?!!”

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Decided on your Super Bowl menu yet? Here are our favorite tried and true, perfect for game day, pleases a crowd dishes!

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1. Mini Mexican Meatballs w/avocado crema

2. Bang Bang Cauliflower Bites

3. Burger Bar!

4. Easy Baked Fries

5. Assorted Deviled Eggs

6. Buffalo Chicken Dip

7. Wings, wings and more wings!

8. Buffalo Chicken Nachos

9. Cheese Burger Bites

Grain & Dairy Free Charcuterie Board

Let me introduce you to The Ultimate Grain & Dairy Free Charcuterie Board, because who needs cheese and crackers when you have a spread like this? A fun game day appetizer to eat with friends that is sneakily healthy. For anything that is store bought, check the ingredients on the back to make sure they are grass fed and have 0 sugar, and try to avoid anything with ingredients you can’t pronounce. Pickle your own veggies if you can using Sarah’s Pickled Veggies technique.

What’s on my board:
Grapes
Dates (pitted)
Blueberries
Marcona Almonds
Cashews
Olives
Pickles
Pickled Okra
Sliced pear
Prosciutto 
Salami

What would you add to this Gluten and Dairy Free Board?

Salt & Vinegar Wings

 “I have the right to life, liberty, and chicken wings.” ~Mindy Kaling

It’s a football playoff kind of weekend and even if you’re favorite team isn’t in the running you can use it as an opportunity to test out some different recipes for THE big game coming up in a few weeks! And of course, wings should always be on the menu! These salt & vinegar wings from Alex @thedefineddish are addictive and AMAZING! They are savory and zingy and are the perfect wing to serve in place of (or alongside) the old faithful, buffalo wing. Put these on your menu, you won’t regret it! *Bonus tip: If you have tried our refrigerator pickled veggies, the liquid works well to toss these with, just add a little extra vinegar to adjust the zing!

For an alternative cooking method, in case you don’t have a wire rack, this is what I do:

Preheat oven to 425°. I lay out my wings on a parchment lined baking sheet (don’t crowd them) and cook for about 20 minutes, then flip them over. Then I flip them every 15 minutes or so up to about an hour, until they have reached the desired crispiness. I usually toss them in whatever sauce I am using at about the 45-55 minute mark and return them to the oven for 5-10 minutes. Perfectly crispy every time!

Cajun Oven-Roasted Okra with Lemon-Garlic Aioli from The Defined Dish

Growing up in the South means growing up with fried okra, one of my favorite foods in the world. But nowadays, I avoid fried foods as much as I can, so I was delighted when I found this Cajun Oven-Roasted Okra with Lemon-Garlic Aioli from @thedefineddish for a healthy alternative. Crispy, tasty, with a little spice, these were a perfect appetizer before dinner. For the recipe go here: http://www.thedefineddish.com/cajun-oven-roasted-okra-fries-with-lemon-garlic-aioli/

Mini Potato Skins

 “The party has begun.” ~F. Scott Fitzgerald

These bite sized stuffed potato skins are a great addition to any party spread! And guess what? They are free of all the junk, but full of all the flavor. Make a big batch though, because these will go fast! My batch was potato, broccoli and onion and drizzled with @tessemaes avocado ranch, but you could customize them a million ways! 

Ingredients:

1 bag of small dutch potatoes

broccoli florets

olive oil

2-3T finely chopped onions

3T coconut cream (the thick portion)

2T nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

pepper

green onions for garnish

ranch dressing

*Boil your potatoes until fork tender. Remove from heat and let cool. Cut them in half and using a spoon, scoop out center and add to a bowl. Toss skins gently with olive oil and lay out on parchment lined baking sheet. Cook at 425° for 20-25 minutes until edges begin to crisp and brown.

*Steam broccoli until just fork tender. Chop into small pieces. Add equal amounts of broccoli to potato.

*Add coconut cream, onions, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the potatoes and broccoli and stir to combine.

*Once potato skins are cooked to crispy, remove from oven and fill each skin with potato/broccoli mixture. Return to oven and cook an additional 5-10 minutes.

*Remove from oven and drizzle with ranch and green onions.

Gluten Free Sausage Balls

My mom always makes sausage balls for breakfast for Christmas/Christmas Eve morning, and this time she made them gluten free just for me! She used local sausage, organic sharp cheddar, and gluten free flour, and no one even noticed they were different from the usual gluten-full recipe.

Ingredients:
-1 lb pork sausage (mild or spicy or both)
-10oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
-1 1/2 cups @bobsredmill gluten free biscuit and baking mix

Mix ingredients in a bowl (she used her hands). Roll into golf sized balls and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.

The Ultimate Cheese Board

The holidays mean gathering with friends and family and lots of entertaining, so a good meat and cheese board is always a good idea for the season!

To copy our cheese board you’ll need:

• cured meats

• a few quality cheeses

• mustard

• jam

• crackers, regular and gluten free

• olives

• fruit (fresh and dried) We went for prosciutto wrapped pears this time!

• nuts

• And of course a beautiful garnish of something green like rosemary or thyme!

The most fun part about a cheese and charcuterie board is arranging and organizing all the ingredients on the board. Take your time and try moving things around to achieve the aesthetic you want. We usually prefer mixing everything in together compared to having all the meats in one place and all the cheeses in another, but there’s no wrong way, so get creative with it!

Bang Bang Cauliflower

@40aprons Bang Bang Shrimp might have been the most tasty thing I’ve had this year. Yesterday I looked in my fridge and sadly, there were no shrimp. But I did have a head of cauliflower. So I decided to combine 40 Apron’s Bang Bang Shrimp recipe with my baked cauliflower recipe to create “Bang Bang Cauliflower”, and it turned out wonderfully! I love that this recipe is vegan, paleo, and whole30 friendly. Plus, it’s seriously SO GOOD. Perfect for an appetizer, snack, or even for dinner with rice!

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Ingredients:
*1 Small head of cauliflower, cut into florets
*Extra virgin olive oil spray
*1 egg, beaten (I’ve also used almond milk before and it works fine too if you don’t want egg)
*1/3 cup arrowroot powder
*1/2 cup almond flour

For Bang Bang Sauce:
*1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp homemade mayo *2 1/2 tsp hot sauce (I used sriracha)
*2 1/4 Tbsp. Ketchup
*1 1/2 tsp. Coconut aminos
*1 garlic clove minced
*salt to taste

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place egg in one bowl. Mix arrowroot powder, almond flour, and salt and pepper in another bowl. Dip cauliflower florets into egg and then into the flour mixture (tapping off any excess flour mixture) and place on a large, greased baking sheet. Do this in batches. Once all florets are drenched, spray them with the EVOO spray. Bake for 18 minutes, flipping halfway through. Mix ingredients for the sauce in a bowl. When cauliflower is done cooking, pour bang bang sauce over florets and serve hot. Another option is dipping the cauliflower into the sauce to ensure cauliflower stays crispy.

For original Bang Bang Shrimp recipe by 40 aprons go here: https://40aprons.com/whole30-bang-bang-shrimp-paleo/

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

 "It's nacho average #tacotuesday!"

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Buffalo chicken nachos...promise to make this sometime this week, ok? I'm lucky I grabbed the pan to take a picture before anyone got a taste of these, because these nachos were devoured in record time. A delicious alternative to traditional nachos, and perfect proportions for each flavorful bite!

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Ingredients:

1 lb ground chicken

¼ c buffalo sauce (I use @tessemaes)

Tortilla chips

¼ c thinly sliced celery

¼ c finely diced red onion

¼-½ c crumbled bleu cheese

Ranch dressing and extra buffalo sauce for drizzling

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Brown the ground chicken until cooked through. Once cooked, add buffalo sauce and stir to combine. Arrange tortilla chips on baking sheet (a 12"x18" is the perfect size for these proportions, but you won't regret the decision to double it!). Top with cooked chicken and crumbled bleu cheese. Cook in oven for about 5-10 minutes, until the chips are a little crispy and bleu cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with onion and celery, and drizzle with a little more buffalo sauce and ranch (I used my favorite @tessemaes avocado ranch). Serve and watch it disappear.

Jalapeño Popper Buffalo Chicken Dip (Whole30)

One of my favorite Sunday game day appetizers is @thedefineddish Buffalo Chicken Dip! It’s so simple and delicious and always pleases a crowd. I added some nutritional yeast, cooked bacon bits, and jalapeño slices to her original recipe to make a “Jalapeño Popper” variety of this already amazing dish. Plus, it’s Whole30!

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Ingredients (serves 4-6):

1 (whole) large chicken breast, cooked and shredded

1/2 cup mayo, homemade or Primal Kitchen Mayo

1/4-1/2 cup hot sauce (I used Frank’s)

2 jalapeños, diced

1 T nutritional yeast

4 cooked bacon slices, broken into bits

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Mix ingredients in a bowl, pour mixture in baking dish, and bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve with veggies (I love it with zucchini) and/or crackers (I used Van’s Gluten Free).

*Note: What I’ve found is sometimes I like it more mayo-y/saucy and other times I like it drier. I put the minimum amount of mayo and hot sauce I like to use, so please add more if you’d like more!

For Alex’s original recipe, click here: http://www.thedefineddish.com/3-ingredient-buffalo-chicken-dip/

Cheeseburger Bites (Gluten Free!)

Who doesn’t love a cheeseburger in cute bite-sized form? These Cheeseburger Bites are gluten free, fun, easy to eat, and please a crowd. They were so delicious that my husband begged me to make more after they had all disappeared.

Ingredients (makes 24 mini-meatballs)

-1lb ground beef

-1½ -2 T seasoning of your choice (I used s&p, garlic powder, onion powder, & cayenne)

-1 egg

-2 T almond flour

-6 slices Boar’s Head American cheese, cut into fourths

-24 thin jalapeño slices

-24 toothpicks

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Sauces: ketchup, Garlic Mayo (homemade mayo + minced garlic), & Mac Sauce from @seriouseats : 1/2 cup homemade mayo, 1 T ketchup, 1 T yellow mustard, 4 slices kosher dill pickle (chopped), 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp paprika, pinch of cayenne)

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Directions:

Combine ground beef, seasoning, egg, and almond flour in a large bowl (I used my hands 😜). Chill mixture for fifteen minutes, and preheat oven to 375°. Roll into 24 mini-meatballs and place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. I used a melon baller for this part to make each meatball the same size. Bake for 20 minutes. When meatballs have about three minutes left, take them out and add cheese slices to each meatball with a toothpick. Bake for about three minutes or until cheese melts. Add jalapeño slices to the toothpicks, and serve with sauces.

Paleo Bang Bang Shrimp

Holy moly, these Bang Bang shrimp by @40aprons are the best things I have ever tasted. I can’t take credit for making these beauties though; my father-in-law whipped them up, and I’m forever grateful. Not only are they delicious, but they’re Whole30 and Paleo friendly!

I was lucky to grab a picture before they disappeared. I felt like a thief as I stole these away from people eating them and was then chased by said people as I snapped. They are addicting!

The shrimp coating is made of egg, coconut flour, arrowroot powder, and s&p. Then they are fried in coconut oil and lastly tossed in the Bang Bang sauce: mayo, sriracha/hot sauce of your choice, ketchup, coco aminos, garlic, & salt. How easy! Done in 20 minutes.

For the full recipe go here: 40aprons.com

Crispy Paleo Baked French Fries

These fries are crispy, healthy, and only require four ingredients… including salt and pepper! 🤯I served mine with three side sauces: Ketchup, Sriracha Ranch, and Vegan Queso.

Ingredients (serves 4):
2 russet potatoes, peeled and rinsed
2 tablespoons avocado oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425. Peel potatoes (or don’t… up to you!)

2. Cut potatoes into “fries”. (Thank you YouTube for teaching me how to do this. Life changing.)

3. In a bowl, mix fries with avocado oil and s&p, spread over baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Ensure fries aren’t touching!

4. Bake for 20 minutes and then flip fries. Bake for another 5-15 minutes depending on how you like them. Every oven is different so keep an eye out so they don’t burn! If your oven is really hot, feel free to turn temp down halfway through. Serve hot and enjoy!

For the sauces:

• Sriracha Ranch: Mix 2 T @tessemaes ranch and 1/2 tsp @huyfongfoods Sriracha hot sauce

• Vegan Queso: I found this delicious and easy Vegan Queso from Pinch of Yum. All you need is cashews, green chiles, and taco seasoning. For full recipe go to: pinchofyum.com

Mexican Street Corn

 “Get it while you can.” ~Janis Joplin

Fresh corn is a summer favorite and now is the time to enjoy it! It’s great to freeze too, so stock up! I had some Mexican Street Corn (or elotes) at a restaurant last week and realized just how easy it would be to make and enjoy at home. 

Ingredients:

8 ears corn (shucked)

2 T olive oil

½ c mayo

⅔ c crumbled cotija cheese, plus more for garnish

½ c chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish

1 T chili lime seasoning blend from Trader Joe’s (or sub 2 tsp lime zest + 1 tsp chili powder)

s&p

Lime wedges for garnish

Combine cotija cheese with mayo, cilantro and seasoning blend. Brush corn with olive oil and season with s&p. Place corn on a hot grill, turning as needed until cooked through and lightly charred (8-10 minutes), you can also cook the corn on a hot grill pan. Once corn is cooked brush each cob liberally with the cheese mixture. Garnish with more cheese, cilantro and lime wedges. Enjoy!

Roasted Tomato “Pesto”

 “Summer...it ain’t over till it’s over.”

Just so you know, I love sauces, dips & dressings...anything that can take a simple dish and bump it up a notch. This roasted tomato “pesto” is AMAZING and can be used in so many ways: mixed with mayo to top a sandwich, as a veggie dip, perfect addition to a charcuterie platter, brushed topping for grilled meats and fish, as a pasta sauce, etc...the list is endless. And the best part is this is something you can make a big batch of and store in the freezer, and pull out whenever you need a boost of amazing flavor.

Ingredients:

¾ - 1 c roasted tomatoes (see below)

⅔ c raw walnuts (or another that you prefer)

1-2 small cloves of garlic

2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 scant T of fresh thyme (or rosemary, basil)

1 T nutritional yeast

2 pinches salt

Fresh ground pepper

⅓ c olive oil

Pulse walnuts in processor or blender until finely ground, add roasted tomatoes and garlic and pulse to combine. Add lemon juice, herbs, nutritional yeast and S&P, pulse to combine. Then drizzle oil in slowly while processing the mixture, stopping to scrape sides as necessary. Consistency should be of a thick pesto. As with regular pesto, you can adjust the amounts to suit your flavor preference.

 * To roast tomatoes: Preheat oven to 400°. Place halved roma tomatoes, cut side up, on parchment lined baking sheet. Brush each lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt (you can also add additional seasonings of your choice at this point). Roast until caramelized and a little shriveled. About 30-40 minutes. Once cooled, I transfer to a large freezer bag and store in the freezer (up to 6 months) and pull out whatever I need.

Kale Chips

 “I’m so crazy for you, it kales me.”

When discussing some lunch options with my daughters prior to the beginning of the school year, I’ll admit I was a bit surprised when my oldest suggested kale chips and kale salad. No complaints from me! And while I don’t make their lunches everyday, I do make sure they have healthy and easily accessible items available in the fridge or premade to bring to school.

1. Kale chips: Preheat oven to 225°. Wash and dry kale (I favor lacinato for kale chips, I find they get a more uniform crunch since they cook flatter than curly kale...and they take up less space when storing). Toss in a large bowl with about 1T of your preferred oil. Sprinkle about 1T of preferred seasoning (I used a combo of the vegan “parmesan” mix from the zoodles post below and some 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe’s) and toss thoroughly to coat. Layer kale on baking sheets, careful not to overlap or crowd pieces (cook in batches or use multiple baking sheets). Cook for 15 minutes, flip kale pieces and cook for another 10 minutes (add time in 5 minute increments if not crisp enough).

2. Kale salad prep: Wash and dry kale. Chiffonade kale (see video in highlights). Fill large wide mouthed mason jar with the kale (a full bunch of lacinato kale, firmly packed, fit in a 2c jar). This will easily serve as 6 lunch sides. Each day, a kale serving will be put into a small (8oz) mason jar, topped with some dressing (I premixed their favorite combo of Tessemae’s avocado ranch and creamy caesar + a spoonful of nutritional yeast) and sealed. Give it a shake to coat the kale...it holds well until lunchtime.

3. Pour a little dressing (or hummus) in the bottom of a ball jar. Add in cukes and carrots. I find this prevents wasted dressing.

Venetian Crostini Recipe

My husband and I traveled to Venice, Italy last year, and it is an experience I will never forget. The highlight of the trip? The food, of course. One of my favorite experiences was stopping at Cantine del Vino già Schiavi, a cozy bar on the water selling the best crostini and wine I’ve ever had. I was recently reflecting on this trip and decided I had to try to replicate this snack. I paired it with one of Venice's most popular drinks, the Aperol Spritz. If you’re interested in how I make the drink, you can click here for those instructions.

While this is neither my usual #glutenfree or #dairyfree, it is worth it the next time you need a break from you’re routine. It is also a crowd-pleasing appetizer for when you have friends over.

First, I cut a baguette into small slices, drizzled them with evoo, and baked at 375 for 18 minutes (you may need more or less time depending on your oven), flipping bread halfway through. Once cooled, I topped slices with:
-Prosciutto, fig jam, & and brie
-Honey, walnuts, blueberries, & brie
-Smoked salmon, whipped cream cheese, & dill
-Tuna & whipped cream cheese (mixed together)
-Pesto & tomato
-Prosciutto, brie, & olives

Let me tell you, I made a LOT of these for a group of friends... like, 20, and they were all gone within minutes. They are that delectable. I hope you give them a try!