Sweet & Spicy Peanut Dusted Chicken and Biscuit Sandwiches

This evening I was in the mood for something different -- something "fast food-like". Not just fast as in quick to make, but something reminiscent of what we used to eat at Chick-fil-a. I never really ate a lot of fast food before going wheat free, but occasionally, we liked to go on a weekend morning for a Chick-fil-a chicken biscuit for breakfast. This evening I made my Sweet & Spicy Peanut Dusted Chicken using chicken cutlets. Since I was putting the chicken on biscuits to make little sandwiches, I cut the chicken cutlets before cooking them so they would fit on the biscuits. I placed a couple small pieces of the lightly browned dusted chicken cutlets on each biscuit and topped them with sliced Muenster cheese. I made roasted brussels sprouts to go with our meal and dusted them with chipotle chile powder and sea salt to give them a little spicy kick. I snapped a few photos below as well as the recipe for the Sweet & Spicy Peanut Dusted Chicken. The recipe for the biscuits is in this link: Easy Cheddar Black Pepper Biscuits. Enjoy!

Beef Paprikash -- Slow Cooker

This evening we had Slow Cooker Beef Paprikash that I cooked overnight in the crock-pot. It was so simple and easy to make. I put it together last night and cooked it all night last night and all day long today. Sometimes I brown my meat before placing it in the crock-pot, mostly for aesthetic reasons...but I didn't brown it for this dish and it turned out great (I did lightly saute my peppers, onions and garlic beforehand since hubby is picky about those items). Rather than use traditional stock in the sauce, I used 1/2 cup of red wine instead. My version uses both sweet and hot paprika (because I like a little kick in it), but it isn't necessary. If you don't have hot paprika, you can add a little cayenne pepper in its place, according to your own taste. Most paprikash just uses the sweet paprika. Sour cream is stirred in at the end after its cooked, and shortly before serving (and heated just until hot). To serve it, I made simple yellow squash ribbon "noodles" using a regular vegetable peeler running it lengthwise on yellow summer squash. I sauteed them lightly in a bit of olive oil in a non-stick skillet until al dente (it only takes a few minutes). I served the Beef Paprikash over the lightly buttered yellow squash ribbons. I also made my Easy Cheddar Black Pepper Biscuits and brushed them with Kerrygold's Garlic Herb Butter a couple minutes before removing them from the oven. It was a great meal to come home to on this frigid Tuesday night. Our temps will be plunging into the low-mid 20s tonight which is unseasonably cold for us this time of year. I snapped a quick photo as well as the recipe below. Enjoy!

Crustless Spinach-Feta Pie w/ Bacon -- Low Carb & Wheat-free

This evening I decided to make a slightly different version of my Greek Style Spinach-Feta Pie.  I made it crustless, but added 2/3 cup of almond flour to the mixture to make it similar to the "impossible pies" I used to make many years ago that used Bisquick in them. The Bisquick helped produce sort of a crusted type bottom without the regular thicker pie crust. I also added 5 or 6 strips of cooked crumbled bacon left from Sunday's breakfast. It turned out great. I snapped a few photos below as well as the easy recipe. This would make a great breakfast or brunch meal, too. I even like it for lunch. Enjoy!

Grilled Marinated Shish Kebabs

This evening hubby grilled beef Shish Kebabs for dinner that I marinated overnight and all day long today. They turned out great. Both sons came for dinner this evening and the guys had theirs over rice. I grilled red peppers, onions and mushrooms, too. Since hubby doesn't like mushrooms or onions, I grilled them separately. It was such a simple meal to make. It was a beautiful sunny day and got up into the mid-upper 60s. It's supposed to be warm again tomorrow and then we have a chance of snow flurries some time this week. I snapped a few photos of the kebabs below as well as the super simple recipe for them. Enjoy!

Breakfast Burrito (Wrapped in a Grain-free Tortilla/Wrap)

This morning we got up early because hubby had a meeting to attend in Macon. That means I was left to my own devices...LOL. I am working on some recipes and decided I needed to start the morning by making a nice big brunch to last me until dinner time. So, I baked for a while this morning and then took a break mid-morning to make myself brunch. I decided to make a big breakfast burrito. I made a quick grain-free tortilla/wrap that only takes a couple of minutes. Even though its thin, it is sturdy and holds a lot of stuff. I filled my tortilla with a couple of scrambled organic eggs with cheddar cheese and oven roasted nitrite-free bacon. I did a quick and light saute of some sliced red peppers, onions and a little sauteed baby spinach and rolled it all up into a big fat breakfast tortilla. Besides being delicious, it is wheat free, grain free and low carb...it doesn't get much better than that! I snapped a few photos for you to see below. Enjoy!

Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk -- Sugar Free & Low Carb

I spent this afternoon baking and planning some recipes. One of the recipes I am trying out tomorrow requires sweetened condensed milk. I first created my recipe for sugar free Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk back in March when I made my Absolutely Magical Cookie Bars and have also used it to make Seedy Power Bars, Key Lime Pie w/ Almond Coconut Crust, Grainless-ola Bars, Lemon Coconut Chiffon Fluff w/ Toasted Coconut Chips (no bake), and Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie Bars. I realized that my recipe for sugar free Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk might be very helpful to many of you to substitute in some of your older recipes that use regular (sugar laden) sweetened condensed milk. This recipe can open up a wide variety of possibilities for your holiday baking, along with a few other tweaks that might be necessary in your older favorites. As written, the recipe makes 2-1/2 to 3 cups (depending on how long you reduce it). You can easily cut it in half for most recipes, but I like making the larger batch to use to make other recipes, too, since it takes a little while to make (about 45 minutes). If a slightly thicker condensed milk is desired, you can add a pinch of xanthum gum (literally, just a pinch using your thumb and forefinger) and whisk that in during the last 5 minutes of cooking. With this recipe, the possibilities of low carb, wheat free, sugar free desserts you can recreate are endless. It uses very few ingredients and is super easy to make. The recipe for the Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk and a couple photos are below. Enjoy!

Rich and thick Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk (makes 2-1/2 to 3 cups)

Friday's Random Finds...at Costco

This evening, hubby and I did our Costco run after work -- Friday nights are usually pretty quiet and not the crazy zoo-like environment it tends to be on the weekends, especially this time of year with the holidays approaching. As many of you know, I shop at Costco almost every week. I am often asked what some of my favorite "finds" are there...so this evening I will share a few items that are some of my frequent purchases (below). Enjoy!

It's Baaaaack -- As of tonight, they have Marantha Almond Butter back in stock!

I buy this every week to make my Greek Style Spinach-Feta Pie ($3.99)

They have cranberries now -- I've used them to make Cranberry Muffins twice as well as Cranberry Orange Sauce w/ Walnuts ($2.99)

When I'm not in the mood to cut up whole butternut squash...I pick up a package of it already peeled and cut ($5.99)

I love brussels sprouts -- I pick up a bag of these every week! ($3.99)

I pick up a couple dozen eggs every couple weeks -- organic and cage free ($7.69)

I use this in my Spinach-Feta Pie -- it typically makes about 3 pies with this container

They still have Kerrygold butter...there are 3 bricks in there

They carry a lot of organic products, including olive oil

Here is their organic tomato paste, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce

Pizza and Cranberry Yogurt for Dessert

This evening I decided to make pizza for dinner. I thought about waiting and having it tomorrow night, but was in the mood for it tonight. Since I still have half of my pizza left...that means I can have pizza for Friday night's dinner, too! So...I see that as a win/win! I love being able to enjoy a wheat free pizza that's so good that even the wheat eaters like it. This recipe was one of those pivotal recipes for me early on in my elimination of wheat and grains. Once I created this recipe that restored a sense of "normalcy" to my meals...I had hope and comfort that this might just be doable...and not just for a few weeks or months...but for the long haul. Anyone can modify their way of eating for a period of time., that's nothing special. The real problem lies when we return to our previous way of eating that created or contributed to many of our health problems in the first place...whether it be weight gain, diabetes, insulin resistance, inflammation and a host of other maladies. This pizza recipe is what helped me see the forest for the trees so to speak. I realized that it wasn't about what I "couldn't have any more"...it was more about learning how to find ways to still enjoy some old favorites like pizza, but in ways that wouldn't be detrimental to my health. It also helped rediscover the beauty and simplicity of eating a simple piece of meat and fresh vegetables with butter; single ingredient foods not tainted and contaminated with additives like wheat, sugars, starches and other appetite inducing ingredients and fillers put there for one purpose -- to make you crave more. Additives that had no business being there in the first place. It was an awakening of sorts! This recipe has a lot of significance for me -- and not just because I like it. It was a turning point for me and when I realized that I could just sit back, relax and enjoy the "wheat-free ride". For the last 16 months, I have sought to make every day a new adventure and new challenge and to defy the odds stacked against us in navigating how to eat in a world where we are continuously bombarded with food choices that are detrimental to our health and well being. I look at every meal I prepare and each recipe I create as a challenge and a triumph in defying those odds. I haven't just adopted a wheat-free lifestyle; I have embraced it. What a truly liberating feeling that is!!!  Below I snapped a quick photo of my pizza (topped with onions, red peppers, mushrooms, fresh baby spinach and fresh mozzarella cheese) as well as the recipe for my pizza crust. I've also posted a photo of the simple dessert I had this evening -- a cup of Fage Greek yogurt with a spoon of my Cranberry Orange Walnut Sauce swirled in it -- it was awesome. Enjoy!

Almond-Flax-Parmesan Herb Pizza Crust
Makes 1 10-inch round pizza (approximately 2 servings)

Dry Ingredients:

1/4 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 cup golden flax seed meal (organic golden flax is milder in taste than brown)

2/3 teaspoon baking powder (aluminum free)

1/2 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder 
Dash cayenne pepper, optional

1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste (decrease salt if using saltier cheeses and toppings)

Few grinds of freshly ground black pepper

4 - 5 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Wet Ingredients:

1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute such as Egg Beaters)

1 tablespoon olive oil (a little more, if desired)

1 to 2 tablespoons water (start with 1 tablespoon of water and add the second, if necessary)

Toppings (Optional):  
Pizza sauce, pesto sauce, etc.
Cheese: shredded mozzarella cheese, sliced or diced fresh mozzarella, etc.
**Pre-cooked vegetables of choice: onions, green peppers, mushrooms, spinach, etc. 
**Pre-cooked meat of choice: sausage, ground beef topping, etc.
Other: artichokes, olives, pepperoni, etc.

**Tip: Fresh vegetable and meat toppings should be pre-cooked and drained to prevent crust from becoming soggy

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix dry ingredients together; add wet ingredients and mix well. Let the dough sit for approximately 5 minutes to thicken. 

Spread dough on a lightly oiled large pizza pan or cookie sheet lined with greased parchment paper (you can also use Reynolds non-stick foil, lightly brushed with olive oil).  Using a lightly oiled rubber spatula, press the dough out to desired shape and thickness (I usually make it about 1/4" thick -- *see note below).  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through (check crust after 15 minutes and remove from oven when it looks and feels done).  Spread with a thin layer of sauce, cheese and desired toppings (fresh vegetable and meat toppings should be pre-cooked to prevent soggy crust); place back into the oven to bake an additional 5-10 minutes to melt cheese.  If desired, run under the broiler for a few minutes to lightly brown the toppings and make the cheese bubbly (be careful not to burn it).

*Note:  For a crust that is flat, smooth and even in thickness, lightly spray a 2nd sheet of parchment paper with olive oil spray and place it on top (oiled side down) of the ball of pizza dough that is centered in the middle of your prepared pizza pan or baking sheet.  Using either your hands or the flat edge of an object (I use a big container of black pepper) press the dough smooth by swiping it the direction you want the pizza crust to go.  When it is the desired thickness and shape, carefully peel off the top layer of parchment paper...and "Voila"...perfectly flat, smooth, thin pizza crust! If you don't have parchment paper, pressing the dough out with a lightly oiled rubber spatula works just fine, too.

Chocolate Chip Cranberry Mini-Muffins - Low Carb & Wheat Free

The other day I was in the mood for chocolate chip cookies, but I was also in the mood for cranberry muffins, too. I really enjoyed the Cranberry Orange Walnut Muffins I made not too long ago -- I absolutely love cranberries. I really didn't want to make both the cookies and muffins and was torn between which to make...so I did what any good chocolate and cranberry lover would do...I compromised and made Chocolate Chip Cranberry Mini-Muffins and satisfied two cravings with one low carb, wheat free recipe! They turned out great and are perfect for either breakfast or a tasty snack with coffee. It was great combining two of my favorite "big flavors" together into one little muffin! I snapped a few photos below as well as the easy peasy recipe. Can't you picture these on your Thanksgiving breakfast table? Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cranberry Mini-Muffins (Low Carb & Wheat Free)
Makes 3 dozen

Ingredients:

1 cup blanched almond flour
1 cup ground golden flax seeds
2 tablespoons coconut flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup Swerve Confectioners Sweetener (or powdered erythritol or preferred sweetener)
3 large eggs
1/4 cup extra light olive oil or coconut oil
1 teaspoon orange extract (or vanilla extract)
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup 70% or 85% cacao chocolate bar, chopped (one 3.5-ounce bar)
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional
3 tablespoons Swerve Granular Sweetener, optional (for sprinkling on top of muffins before baking)
Olive oil spray or coconut oil spray for greasing muffin tins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray mini muffin pan with oil and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, ground flax, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda and 1 cup sweetener until combined.

In a separate medium bowl, beat eggs, oil, orange extract, and buttermilk until well combined. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir until combined. Fold in chocolate, cranberries and walnuts. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling almost to the top. If desired, sprinkle top of each muffin with granular sweetener. Bake for 18-21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool about 5 minutes in pan; flip and cool completely on a wire rack. Makes approximately 3 dozen mini-muffins.

      

Spicy Beef & Cabbage Soup -- Slow Cooker

This evening we had one of my favorite type of meals -- "slow cooker / crock-pot" whichever term you prefer to call it. I have always called it crock-pot, but I know that technically that is a brand name (which mine just happens to be). I made a big pot of Spicy Beef & Cabbage Soup. I actually started my soup last night. I diced my beef into small 1-inch or smaller cubes, diced an onion and cut up a large head of savoy cabbage into wide strips and then lightly sauteed the beef, onions and cabbage, put it into my crock pot along with a can of fire roasted tomatoes (for extra flavor), beef stock and then added ground chipotle chile powder for a tasty little "kick"...and seasoned with salt and pepper....and BOOM dinner was cooking away in my crock pot over night. I checked it this morning to see how it was doing and decided to continue letting it cook until lunch time and check again. When I came home for lunch, I checked it once more and the cabbage was still a little al dente and I wanted total and complete tender cabbage in my soup...so I let it go until I got home from work. My soup cooked almost 24 hours on low. It turned out awesome! It was so simple without too many ingredients...but the flavor was really good with the addition of fire roasted tomatoes and chipotle chile powder. The broth was a combination of beef stock, fire roasted tomato juice and the juices that cooked out of the cabbage...it was the perfect comfort food soup to come home to on this chilly day.  I snapped a few photos below as well as the easy peasy recipe. I love coming home to a crock pot meal -- it's like someone cooked all day long, just for me. Enjoy!

Grilled Filet Mignon w/ Mushrooms, Red Peppers & Onions

This afternoon hubby and I worked on trying to bring some order to our house. While we didn't finish, by any means, we at least made a noticeable dent! If we don't get a handle on it before the holidays...well, I will just need to move and start over again...LOL. We cleaned and worked until late in the afternoon and then ran out and did a bit of grocery shopping. Only one son came for dinner tonight (the one that likes beef)...so I decided with the beautiful weather AND the son that likes beef eating with us, that it would be a great evening to grill steaks. We had simple grilled filet mignon with fresh mushrooms sauteed in Kerrygold butter, steamed broccoli, sauteed red peppers and onions and both of the guys had baked potatoes with their meal. It was simple, fresh and delicious!  I snapped a quick photo for you to see below. Enjoy!

Sunday's Skillet Breakfast Idea

Happy Sunday! It's a beautiful bright and sunny fall day here. We slept in late and now must get back to trying to get some organization done around our house before the holidays hit! I snapped a quick photo of my "brunch" this morning as a possible breakfast idea for using leftovers. I had some leftover roasted brussels sprouts from last nights dinner and some leftover little sausage links from yesterday's breakfast and 1 of my Easy Cheddar Black Pepper Biscuits that I made with buttermilk last week. So...how to incorporate all of that into my breakfast? I had a vision...reheat the sprouts in a skillet and spread them out in a little wreath in the middle of my skillet, crack an egg to fry in the middle of my sprout wreath and toss in a few sausages to reheat while my egg cooked gently in the skillet (covered)...toss in a lightly toasted week-old biscuit and here is how it turned out. Check out my "Skillet Breakfast". Leftovers can be awesome with a little bit of creativity!  :-)

Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce w/ Walnuts -- Holiday Recipe Countdown

Today was a busy day. Hubby and I worked around the house most of the day today trying to sort through the stacks of stuff we have accumulated. With the holidays approaching, we have some serious house organizing and cleaning to do...in other words, it looks like a bomb went off here! LOL After we put a small dent in our housework, we did our Costco run and then stopped at the mall and did a bit of shopping, too. We actually headed to Costco after work yesterday, but never made it because hubby couldn't pry me away from Macy's before Costco closed (it's across the street from Costco). They had their Christmas stuff out...and I bought my first Christmas ornament of the season (hubby already bought one a few weeks ago -- we collect Swarovski snowflake ornaments and he found one of them at Costco several weeks ago, and picked it up. Even though the ornament he bought is pretty...mine is super cute -- I snapped a picture for you to see below. Needless to say, we had to go to Costco again today since we didn't make it there yesterday before they closed...LOL. While working around the house today, I made a test batch of cranberry sauce. It turned out great. I am officially kicking off "Operation Thanksgiving Menu" today! Over the next few weeks I will be including recipes for the holiday meal. I am so excited! Last year it seemed so challenging to be preparing my first wheat and grain free Thanksgiving meal, but this year I am psyched!  :-)  So, rather than ramble on and on...I will present you with my low carb, sugar free, wheat free homemade fresh cranberry sauce. It only takes about 15 minutes to make and it is super simple, too! I snapped a few photos below as well as the recipe. Enjoy!

Breakfast for Dinner -- Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! This evening I made a quick dinner since it's Halloween and I wanted to get done early before the kids began to trick or treat. I love seeing the little ones in their costumes, so I decided to make a quick "breakfast for dinner". I had a big bag of "ancient sweets red peppers" which are long narrow brilliant sweet red peppers. I sliced one of those large peppers and sauteed it in a bit of olive oil and then made omelets and filled them with the sauteed sweet peppers and grated mini Babybel cheese. It was so simple and so delicious. I lightly browned the already cooked "Three Cheese Mini Chicken Sausage" links by Old World Kitchens I found at Costco last weekend. The sausages have provolone, mozzarella and fontina cheese in them along with oregano, fennel and garlic. I also used these sausages in my Spicy Pumpkin Sausage Soup I made yesterday. I served our red pepper and Babybel cheese filled omelets with the chicken sausages, a toasted Easy Cheddar Black Pepper Biscuit and a couple of Cranberry Orange Walnut Mini-Muffins that I made earlier in the week. I love having breakfast for dinner and tonight was the perfect night to do so. Check out my last meal for October below...low-carb, wheat-free never tasted so good. Enjoy!

Spicy Pumpkin Sausage Soup -- Low Carb & Wheat-free

This evening I was in the mood to have soup for dinner. I wanted to have something "seasonally appropriate"...LOL -- which translates into a sort of "politically correct" for cooks. I decided to make Spicy Pumpkin Sausage Soup. This past weekend I picked up a package of little "three cheese chicken sausage links" from Costco. They are fully cooked; I just browned them a bit in a skillet and sliced them for the soup. They are small links, about the same size and style of "little smokies" if you've ever had those before. I wanted to keep it simple and didn't want to make a real time consuming soup. It turned out delicious and better than I expected. I will definitely make this soup again. 

I have to be honest with you...when hubby called on his way home from work and I told him what I was fixing for dinner, after a really long pause, he said "oh my, that makes my mouth water...and not in a good way"....LOL. I was already well into my preparation of my soup...so my response was "it's too late to turn back now" as I chuckled. I will admit, his response did make me wonder if this was such a good idea, but fortunately I plugged along...and am happy to report that he liked it...he REALLY liked it!!! Now, maybe next time I make it, his mouth will water for the right reasons!  :-)  It was a quick and simple soup to make; it was smooth, spicy, creamy and luscious. We enjoyed our soup with a tablespoon of heavy cream drizzled on top as well as a toasted Easy Cheddar Black Pepper Biscuit on the side. If you prefer it less spicy, reduce the chipotle chile and just add a little bit at a time. You can easily substitute your favorite sausage in place of the chicken sausage I used or omit it entirely if you want a vegan version. If you are avoiding dairy, simply substitute coconut milk in place of the cream. This was the perfect soup for the eve before Halloween. I snapped a few photos below as well as the easy recipe. Enjoy!

These are the little chicken sausage links I sliced and put into the soup

Swirled little cloud of cream on top...

Spicy Pumpkin Sausage Soup
Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients:

1 15-ounce can 100% pure pumpkin
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
Few grinds black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon Swerve Sweetener, optional
1/4 cup cream
1 tablespoon butter
1-1/2 cups sliced cooked sausage links, (about 16-20 small links)

Directions:

In a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat, combine pumpkin and chicken stock, stir until well blended. Heat mixture until it begins to simmer, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Add onion powder, chipotle chile pepper, and sweetener. Stir in cream and butter; heat through, just until soup begins to simmer; do not boil. Divide and place sliced sausage links evenly among bowls; ladle soup over the sausage. Garnish with a tablespoon of cream drizzled on top, if desired.