Boiled Chicken Broth Potatoes {Gluten Free}

June 25, 2014November 3, 20141 Comment

Doesn’t this look like a Farmer’s table!? Fresh and natural.

Boiled these beautiful potatoes last night! Sometimes you just have to sink your teeth into starchy food. This fit the bill after a long day of work in heels!

These yummy potatoes were full of such flavor, and I have gluten free chicken broth to thank for that. Seriously, I may never boil potatoes the same again.

By adding chicken broth, it really infused the meat of the potato with a great taste. Give this a try.

I am so sure your family will love this recipe and dinner guests will too. What a simple little dish that is delicious.

I kind of felt like Mother Earth setting this out on my table. Don’t they look so delish and natural!?

Yum. Look at those delicious potatoes!

You will need: 2 cups of gluten free chicken broth, 1 tbsp. chives, 1 tbsp. olive oil and a sprinkle of garlic powder.

This is simple y’all. But, simple has never tasted so good! Just bring your two cups of chicken broth to a boil. Dump your teeny potatoes (after washing them) in the boiling broth and add your olive oil.

Add your seasonings on after the potatoes have boiled for about 10 minutes. So sprinkle on the dried chives and garlic powder. Cook for another 10 minutes. Once the potatoes are soft, serve!

Avocado Radish Toast {Gluten Free}

June 23, 2014November 3, 2014Leave a comment

Okay – this combo may look a little kooky; but, believe me when I say – it is delicious. You will not want to stop eating this cute, dainty appetizer. Bring it to a party or just eat it as a healthy afternoon snack.

Its gluten free (used Udi’s gluten free bread) and gives you that little crunch you need. Simply toast the bread in the oven or toaster, spread the avocado on and add slices of yummy radishes.

It’s that easy. Really. AND – even more of a bonus: radishes are super good for you. It reduces pain and swelling, can aid in weight loss, helps hydration, eliminates mucus and clear the sinuses. You can read all the benefits here.

You will need: ½ avocado, 2 pieces of gluten free bread and 4 radishes.

After taking the bread out of the oven or toaster, simply cut the bread into little strips and place them on a pretty plate. In a bowl, mash up ½ an avocado with a fork and spread this goodness on to your bread strips. Slice radishes and arrange them on top of the mashed avocado.

Have fun with this dish. If you don’t like radishes, try another veggie on top. Maybe a diced red pepper! However, the radishes really give it a zesty, spicy taste.

It is melt in your mouth good. Don’t believe me, give it a try.

Pesto Spaghetti Squash Boat {Gluten Free}

June 8, 20141 Comment

Let’s just talk about all the pluses of this simple little dish. It’s cheap (my squash cost a total of $1.50 at the grocery store). Its vegetarian and gluten free. And, you don’t have to dirty up any dishes with this meal- simply eat out of the squash itself.

You will love making this really easy dinner. One squash = dinner for two. How perfect! Or if it’s just you, eat one side for the dinner and take the other to work. Perfecto.

With spaghetti squash you get all the yummy tasty benefits of eating pasta without the wheat, heaviness and fatigue afterward.

You will need: 1 medium sized spaghetti squash, pesto sauce (store bought or homemade), parmesan cheese, garlic powder.

This is how it should look when you scrape the sides! Photo: Roasted Root

This recipe is as simple as 1, 2, 3. Put your spaghetti squash in the microwave for 1 minute. This softens it up for the cutting you are about to do! After the minute slice your squash half in two long ways.

Gut your squash. So take a spoon and get rid of all the seeds and extra junk inside that resembles a pumpkin. You are going to be eating the fleshy walls of the squash, not the soft gooey insides.

Once the insides are out, sprinkle some garlic powder over the fleshy sides. And lay the two parts of the squash face down on a baking sheet. Set the oven to 375 and cook your squash bowls for around 25 minutes.

After 25 minutes, pull them out of the oven. Use a fork to scrap the inside walls toward the direction of the center. You will see that the flesh looks very much like noodles.

Once you have scarped and filled the squash bowl with its natural ‘noodles’, add some pesto sauce and parmesan cheese.

Serve and enjoy this filling, gluten free dinner.

If you are looking for another awesome recipe for spaghetti squash, I made this yummy meal in the fall – Garlic Spaghetti Squash. It’s awesome.

2 Minute Chocolate Cake Cup {Paleo, Gluten Free}

June 2, 2014Leave a comment

So, if you are on the paleo diet and are in need of a little chocolate treat, if you are gluten free (like me) and need a little cake taste or if you are looking to make a quick dessert for family and friends, this is an awesome choice.

No joke – it literally takes 2 minutes (maybe a little more) to put together. You just add all the ingredients in to a mug, stir and microwave. That’s all.

If you are planning to serve to a dinner group, add some ice cream to the cup – to spice up the sweet treat. Or add sprinkles or fresh fruit to the top.

You will need: 1 mug, 3 tbsp. coconut flour, 3 tbsp. cocoa powder, 2 tbsp. honey, 1 cap full of vanilla extract, 3 tbsp. almond or coconut milk, 2 tbsp. butter and 1 egg.

Simple ingredients. Looks like cake batter. Cook in microwave for only 2 minutes!!!

Simply add the dry ingredients to the mug. So pour in your coconut flour and cocoa powder.

Next pour in the almond milk, honey, vanilla, and egg. Stir.

Lastly, melt your butter and then pour into the cup. Make sure all the powder is dissolved or mixed in. You don’t want a grainy sweet treat.

Pop in the microwave for 2 minutes (yes, that’s all). Take out your sweet cake – paleo, gluten free and perfect portion size. You are done. Your taste buds, body and friends will love you. Seriously.

Yummy Shrimp Salad {Gluten Free}

June 1, 2014June 1, 2014Leave a comment

Hello taste bud explosion!

Looking for a yummy, cool shrimp salad?

This one is fantastic and it really fits the bill for a little summer salad. You can have it out on the open porch, take it to a party or a potluck or bring it to a beach and break it out watching the open waves.

It’s low calorie and gluten free. Score. And perfect for seafood lovers of any age! Eat it as is – or add some green lettuce underneath for a garden salad.

You will need: 1 bag of shrimp (1 lbs.), 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1 tbsp. dill, ½ cup sliced tomatoes, ½ leek, lemon juice, garlic powder, 1 tbsp. butter, salt and pepper to taste.

Make sure your shrimp is thawed out and the tails are off. First, sauté your frozen shrimp (fresh is better, but alas – just had frozen in the freezer). Dab the tablespoon of light butter in the frying pan and sprinkle garlic in there too. This is to flavor your shrimp.

Serve on a bed of lettuce, piece of bread or in a bowl!

After the shrimp is sautéed, place your yummy little butterballs into a big bowl. Let cool for about 5 minutes.

Next, dump your 1/3 cup of mayo into the bowl. I always use the light Hellman’s with olive oil. Also sprinkle some dill in there too and stir.

Chop up some tomatoes (you can use whole or grape). For my little mixture, I used grape tomatoes and just sliced them half in two.

Also, chop up a fresh leek. I only used half of it for this salad. Gives it more of a zing of flavor.

Lastly, squeeze some lemon juice over your salad. If you need salt and pepper, use this spice to fit your taste buds. Yum. Serve on some greens, in a bowl or on a toasty piece of gluten free bread!

Mama T’s Texas Jalapeño Poppers {Gluten Free}

May 28, 2014May 28, 2014Leave a comment

Today, I have a little Texas fire within me! So, I will let you in on a yummy, yummy treat that you can make as an appetizer or a main dish. However, I will warn you, these are a bit spicy. So have a tall glass of water with lemon ready.

When I was young, my mom would make these all the time. So, they are not only comfort food for me, they are a normal little filling southern snack and they are gluten free. Also, spicy foods are good for the metabolism, so you should not feel too guilty indulging in this little creamy popper.

The yummy filling!

Hot peppers (such as jalapeno and cayenne peppers) increase the body’s release of certain hormones (adrenaline), which stimulates the metabolism and increases calorie burn (Self Magazine).

You will need: 10 medium size jalapenos, 1 package of light cream cheese, ½ cup shredded cheese, 2 tbsp. cumin, 1 bundle fresh cilantro, 1 tbsp. chili powder and ½ tbsp. onion powder.

First, carefully cut the jalapenos in half (included a little picture of what they should look like). You want to remove any inking of seeds inside the flesh. These are really hot and will be really hot in your mouth if you leave even one inside. So trash those.

About to go in the oven!

Set your little poppers on a cookie tray and then mix up your filling. In a bowl, add in the cream cheese, shredded cheese, spices and fresh cilantro. You can add in dried cilantro; but, I think fresh tastes so much better.

Use a fork to mash all these ingredients together. Taste it before you fill your jalapenos. You may want to add a little more cumin or chili powder – to create that perfect bite!

Preheat to 400. Use a spoon to fill each little popper boat. And then place them in the oven for 25 minutes or until lightly golden brown and enjoy!

Kale Chips {Gluten Free}

May 16, 2014Leave a comment

Finished product. These got a little too crunchy for my taste. Try to take them out of the oven sooner rather than later.

Have you ever made kale chips? If you have not you are in for a big surprise. They are crunchy, tasty and just really melt in your mouth with exploding flavor.

I am obsessed with Trader Joe’s Kale Chips. Oh my goodness – they are good. But at $3.99 a bag, I can’t love them too much or my little wallet will pay big time. Ummm – here is a blog post written about them.

That is why you can and should make these scrumptious chips at home. They are so easy to make and taste very very good. You can make them have any flavor you like – cheesy, curry seasoned, salty, a burst of garlic – whatever you like.

You will need: 2 cups of kale (I used baby kale leaves), a pinch of salt, 2 tbsp. olive oil, a seasoning of your choice (for this batch I used a curry powder from Home Goods).

Kale Chip Preparation

Dump your leaves in a big bowl and douse in oil. I used my hands to mix up the goodness. Yes, my hands did get a little messy but you want all the chips coated with the olive oil.

Next sprinkle in your savory seasoning and fold it in using a large fork. You want your leaves to get coated in the spices as well. That way they will have loads more flavor.

Line a cookie tray with foil and dump your leaves on the tray. I sprinkled the leaves with salt (just a little bit). Set the oven temperature to 400 degrees. You want it nice and toasty in there.

Place your leaves in for about 20 minutes or maybe less. And, enjoy your yummy little crunchy snack. These are low-fat and gluten free. Much guilt free on these babies.

Rosemary Bread Bites {Gluten Free}

May 5, 2014Leave a comment

This is a surefire appetizer winner especially for you gluten free mavens!

Don’t get jealous of those Olive Garden breadsticks. Now, you can make your own in like 15 minutes.

This is a great way to use some of that gluten free pizza crust mix, you may have laying around at home. My problem is I will use ¾ of the package and have that awkward ¼ mix laying around.

Now, you don’t have to throw that not so cheap mixture away – use it to make a bread bite appetizer!

You will need: ¾ cup gluten free pizza bread crust mix (I used Bloomfield Farms Mix), ½ cup water, 1 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. dried rosemary, 1 tbsp. garlic powder, 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning and ¼ cup parmesan cheese.

In a bowl, pour in your gluten free mix and add in the water. Stir this up to create a pastey dough. Next add in the olive oil and stir it up again.

Add in the parmesan cheese and fold into the dough. It should make the dough thicker and not as runny. Sprinkle in the spices: rosemary, garlic and Italian seasoning. Let the dough sit for about 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 475. You need it hot to make your bread bites. And then spray a pan with some cooking spray. Take the dough and mash it down into the pan- creating a flat surface.

Once the oven is heated, pop it in there for about 18 minutes. After it’s baked to your liking – take it out and cut into little strips and serve with an olive oil and rosemary dip mixture. Yum.

Avocado-Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad {Gluten Free, Low Carb}

May 4, 2014June 4, 2014Leave a comment

Looking for a summer dish, well – look no further. This little summer salad will be perfect for outdoor grilling, potluck dinners or just a simple dinner at home.

This salad was easy as pie to make, and it really tastes like you brought it pre made at the store. It is sure to be a show stopper. This dish is gluten free and low carb! Yeah – so you don’t have to feel so guilty eating this creamy little dinner.

You will need: 1 rotisserie chicken (you can use regular chicken breasts, sliced too), ¼ a bundle of cilantro, ¼ cup shallots, 2 tbsp. light mayo, 1 lime, 2 avocados, sprinkle of garlic powder and sea salt.

In a bowl, add in your shredded chicken. You can buy a whole chicken at Costco for $5. I think rotisserie chicken shreds a whole like easier than just plain chicken breasts. But, nevertheless, you can still bake some seasoned chicken breasts and use them instead. It’s really up to you.

Next, dice up your cilantro and shallots. Just make them into little fine pieces and dump them on top of the chicken in the bowl. Mix them in with the chicken. It’s better to mix each ingredient in – before you get too many in the bowl.

In a separate little bowl, spoon in 2 tbsp. of mayo and squeeze your lime juice into the mayo mixture. I cut my lime in 4 parts – and squeezed each part separately into the bowl. Feel like I got more juice out that way. Just dump this little dressing on top of your chicken salad.

Lastly, cut up your avocados into little cube pieces and add to the bowl. Gently mix in all the ingredients. You don’t want to mash up the avocados too much.

Sprinkle in a little garlic powder and sea salt – and serve or cover and take to your outdoor party.

Avocado Chicken Soup {Gluten Free}

May 2, 20141 Comment

I don’t care if it’s spring – soup is always good and wholesome regardless the weather situation outside. This dish was filling and bowl licking good. You may just have to enjoy two bowls of this gluten free soup goodness (because I sure did!).

The Greek yogurt and avocado really make the soup pop. They also added creaminess without the cheese. This soup is totally diet friendly. Absent of noodles, rice or carbie starches – it will leave you feeling full, but not stuffed and heavy.

You will need: 1 quart gluten free chicken broth, ¼ cup almond milk, 3 small baked and seasoned chicken breasts, 1 tbsp. cumin, 1 tbsp. chili powder, 1 tbsp. onion powder, 1 tbsp. garlic powder, 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 tbsp. dried onions (or real if you have them handy), 2 tbsp. Greek yogurt and a pinch of salt and pepper.

For soups, I feel like it’s all about the spices – so in this dish, you will find a medley of rich, yummy spices. First, pour your broth into a pot on the stove and let that simmer. Add in the almond milk for creaminess and stir.

Next, chop up your seasoned chicken (seasoned and baked before) and dump into the hot pot. Stir and slowly add in the spices: cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder and dried and/or real onions.

Dump in the lovely canned tomatoes and stir up. Lastly, add in your Greek yogurt and salt and pepper. Let all the flavors sit for a while on the stovetop.

Serve with avocados and cheese on top, if you wish.