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Elotes – Grilled Mexican Street Corn {gluten-free with dairy-free option}
Elotes is grilled corn on the cob, usually spread with mayonnaise (or sour cream or crema) and topped with a salty crumbly cheese, chile powder, cilantro and lime juice. Elotes – Grilled Mexican Street Corn is a crowd-pleasing, show stopper for your backyard BBQ or summer cookout party! Naturally gluten-free with option for dairy-free, too.
Elotes or Grilled Mexican Street Corn is ones of those simple but impactful dishes that is so fun and great for a party. It is popular at fairs, farmers markets, and is a great street food. This isn’t exactly a fork and knife food so just embrace the delicious mess!
Elotes is an amazing option for entertaining. Mexican Street Corn is always a crowd pleaser that takes traditional grilled corn to the next level. It pairs alongside nearly everything from chicken wings, to burgers, you can grill up fajitas or make homemade carnitas and your elotes would pair beautifully.
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Gluten-free Chocolate Mousse Pies {Dairy-free with grain-free options}
These mini creamy, rich, decadent gluten-free chocolate mousse pies are the perfect sweet treat to share with your sweet. This dairy-free cream pie is served on a crumbly cookie crust that brings the perfect texture and flavor. With lots of options for serving, don’t miss out on the Tasty Yummies Organic Raw Dark Chocolate to compliment and finish these pies off, just right.
Chocolate mouse is one of my favorite desserts…well basically anything including dark chocolate will get you an A+ in my book. This is one of those desserts that is so simple but tastes so decadent you and anyone who tries it will think that it was made by a professional baker. No need to tell anybody that this is dairy free and gluten-free, that’s how amazing it tastes! This recipe is can easily be made grain-free and refined sugar free, depending on the cookies you use or how you make the crust. We love a good dessert, but we also like to ensure that we use the highest quality ingredients within our budget and still making sure that the recipe is amazing.
First, you want to make sure that you have a good can of coconut milk. We want the cream on the top because that will help the pie stay more solidified. If you can shake your can of coconut milk and hear everything move around, you’re going to want to put it in the fridge for a few hours and if you think about it ahead of time, put that can of coconut milk in the fridge the night before. When you open your can of coconut milk you’re going to want to scoop off the solid part on top, that’s the good stuff! You want to measure out one cup of coconut cream. You can also purchase just canned coconut cream, too, if you’d like.
Next you want about 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of dark chocolate chips, bittersweet chocolate chips or roughly chipped dark chocolate. We used dark chocolate chips that were sweetened with coconut sugar. We recommend using a double boiler to melt the chocolate down, it is the easiest way to melt down the chocolate without burning it. If you do not have a double boiler you can also use the microwave heating for 1 minute to start then 30 seconds at a time stirring every time you need to add more time.
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Dark Chocolate Crispy Peanut Butter Balls – No Bake {Gluten-Free + Cane Sugar-Free}
These gluten-free Dark Chocolate Crispy Peanut Butter Balls are literally ALL of my favorite things in one. Dark chocolate, peanut butter, they’re a little creamy, a little crunchy and they have the perfect bit of salt on top. WHAT? Did I dream these?
We had a small outdoor, safe, Thanksgiving celebration here at out house with our little “Pandemic Pod of Pals” and I made a full spread of classic, Thanksgiving food w could enjoy outside on our deck. Our friend Audrey offered to bring her famous Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls to share and when dinner ended and I pulled them from the fridge, made sure they were gluten-free and then promptly popped one into my mouth. After I yelled a few overly excited expletives I realized for me, it was love at first bite!! I believe while I was dancing with one of these in my mouth, my exact quote was (and I will leave out my excited use of the F-word) – “OMG, what is this magic? This is all of my most favorite things in one bite!!!”
After getting Audrey’s original recipe, I made a few small tweaks to the recipe, swapping powdered sugar for coconut sugar and maple syrup, leaving out vegan butter and cutting it in half and opting for salted grass-fed butter instead (you can also use ghee or coconut oil here, too) and the box of sprouted brown rice cacao crisps I already had in the pantry made for the perfect crispy crunchy interior.
There’s just something about the classic flavors of dark chocolate and peanut butter that I will never tired of and while there are so many nut butter alternatives and yeh, sure, they are good, they just don’t quite do it for me the way that peanut butter does (see below for options and alternatives for other options, if you must).
Making these Dark Chocolate Crispy Peanut Butter Balls was a therapeutic baking session (sans actually baking) thanks to the sadness of my cancelled plans. There’s something about being in the kitchen, Christmas music blaring and making something sweet that is instantly soothing to the soul.
The best part about these, since they make well over 4 dozen balls, they are perfect to portion out and share with people you love, especially for the holidays. Leave a small box for your neighbors, give some to your trainer in an effort to bribe him to go easy on you in your workout (I might have done that) or just keep them ALL for yourself.
I have since learned, thanks to Google that these Rice Crispy Peanut Butter Balls are a classic recipe, though many of the original recipes include half as much cereal and peanut butter and a full cup of powdered sugar, plus milk chocolate. I can’t even imagine how overly sweet those are. I really love that these Dark Chocolate Crispy Peanut Butter Balls are the perfect amount of sweet without hitting you over the head with it.
I hope you enjoy these Dark Chocolate Crispy Peanut Butter Balls as such as I did – and please let me know if they make you scream swear words out of pure glee, too!
By the way, in other circumstances I would have loved to share process photos while I made these, but to be fair, I did make them at like 8pm on a Sunday night after we found out our Yosemite trip had been officially cancelled because our campgrounds had closed due to this secondary lock down in California. So it is what it is, like the rest of 2020!
Also, hey – did you hear the news?
Speaking of chocolate, in case you missed it, I officially unveiled the brand new Tasty Yummies web store last week and introduced the three exclusive Tasty Yummies raw organic dark chocolate bars – Basic B, Salty B and Spicy B. All of the bars are dairy-free, cane sugar-free featuring the right amount of sweetness from mineral-rich coconut sugar, and luscious raw cacao butter stone ground at low temperatures. I am so proud of these bars and I am so excited to finally share them with all of you.
While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend melting down these Tasty Yummies Chocolate Bars like 10 of them for this particular recipe, they are the perfect bar to savor and enjoy every single day.
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California Avocado Ranch Chicken Salad
This creamy rich, California Avocado ranch chicken salad recipe is a delicious, easy, everyday dairy-free recipe, it is also Paleo, Keto and Whole30 compliant!
When it comes to easy meals on the go, for me, it always starts with quality protein and healthy fat. A meal that starts with these two staple macronutrients means more balanced blood sugar, adequate satiation and satisfaction levels and less of a need for all day snacking.
Whether you follow a paleo approach to your eating, keto or low carb, if you are simply focusing on a balance nutrient-dense, whole foods diet, this simple recipe can be made with leftover batch prepped shredded chicken or a roasted or rotisserie chicken and it’s great for prepping ahead for the week for easy quick lunches or even a quick breakfast option.
Serve on top of your favorite greens in California Avocado boats, on your favorite toasts or with crackers, however you want to enjoy it.
We love chicken salads for easy, fast meals. Most weeks I prep a few pounds of shredded chicken in the Instant Pot or we grab a rotisserie chicken at the market, this makes for fast meals and lots of versatility. You can also buy pre-cooked chicken, or make shredded chicken in a slow cooker with enough chicken broth to cover and cook it for 4 hours on low.
This California Avocado Ranch Chicken Salad features my easy-to-make, dairy-free avocado ranch dressing with California Avocados as the star of the show, bringing rich, creamy goodness without dairy or eggs. Best part, you can use this amazing California Avocado ranch dressing here in the chicken salad, or whip it up quickly and thin it out a bit to dress your favorite salad or leave it on the thicker side for a delicious dip for fresh veggies.
I love how quickly this can get put together with minimal ingredients and so much satiating and flavorful goodness.
California Avocado Ranch Dressing
gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, egg-free, nut-free, whole30, keto, AIPPrint Pin RateIngredients
- makes approx. 8oz dressing
- 1 Fresh California Avocado, seeded
- ¼ - ⅓ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk*
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon chives
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ½ teaspoon garlic
- ½ teaspoon onion
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a food process or the butcher of a high speed blender. Start with the 1/4 cup of non-dairy milk, continuing to add more as needed to reach your desired consistency, you may want to add upwards of 1/2 cup for a thinner dressing. You can also use a hand-held immersion blender.
- Cover and refrigerate; eat within 3-5 days.
Notes
Recipe notes:
Add as much non-dairy milk or water to thin to your desired consistency
You can use fresh herbs in place of dried, I recommend approximately 1 tablespoon of each of the herbs. 1 small clove of garlic and 2 tablespoons fresh onion
Depending on your dietary preferences, to make your California Avocado Ranch dressing creamy like a traditional ranch dressing you can also add in 1/4 cup greek yogurt or 1/4 cup avocado oil mayonnaise
California Avocado Ranch Chicken Salad
gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, paleo, Whole30, Keto, AIPPrint Pin RateServings: 4 servingsIngredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced, chilled
- ¼ cup diced celery
- ¼ cup dice red onion
- ¾ cup California avocado ranch dressing, more or less to taste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add the chicken, celery and onion to a medium mixing bowl. Add desired amount of avocado ranch and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to eat. Serve in California Avocado, on toast, over a salad or enjoy as is.
- Refrigerate, eat within 3-5 days.
This post is sponsored by the California Avocado Commission but all opinions are my own.
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White Chicken Chili {Keto, Paleo, Whole30, Nightshade-free}
This comforting and hearty low carb White Chicken Chili cooks in under 30 minutes and in one pot. It’s perfect for a delicious fall or winter weeknight meal! It’s keto, paleo, whole30 and nightshade-free. With a few simple tweaks, AIP-compliant, too.
It’s about that time of year, soup, stew and chili season. My absolute favorite!!! I adore the comforts of these foods, I crave them. This is the food that makes my soul happy.
I also REALLY love meals that are ready in 30 minutes or less on the stove top, one pot, no special tools or equipment, just a straight-up, easy, hearty meal.
This particular White Chicken Chili recipe is low carb and keto-friendly, it’s paleo, Whole30 compliant and made without any nightshades. With a few minor changes you can also make this White Chicken Chili AIP compliant.
What are Nightshades?
Nightshades are a botanical family of plants, more technically called Solanaceae. The most common nightshades are tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and eggplant. These plants all have certain characteristics in common (like the shape of the flower and how the seed is arranged within the fruit–Wikipedia has a good description). There are more than two thousand plant species in the nightshade family, the vast majority of which are inedible and many of which are highly poisonous (like deadly nightshade and jimsomweed). Tobacco is a nightshade, and is known to cause heart, lung, and circulatory problems, as well as cancer and other health problems (although, clearly some of this has to do with the other toxins in tobacco products derived from the processing.) The reason why nightshades are problematic for many people is due to the glycoalkaloid content. Over-consumption of these edible species can actually be poisonous to anyone, and it is possible that the low-level toxic properties of nightshade vegetables contribute to a variety of health issues over time.1https://www.thepaleomom.com/what-are-nightshades/ Read more here about the potential concerns with nightshades for those with autoimmune disease.
Why Nightshade-free?
While I am not 100% nightshade-free, 100% of the time, I have discovered in this last year that in abundance, nightshades can trigger my autoimmune symptoms and cause noticeable joint pain for me, it can cause migraines and allergy-like symptoms, so, I have been careful about how much I consume them and the amount. If I am struggling with an autoimmune flare-up or digestive flare-ups, I will cut nightshades out completely until things calm down a bit. On the regular, when my autoimmune symptoms are managed, I still prefer to avoid them in whole food form, like tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and eggplants, but usually in pretty small amounts, as a garnish or in spice blends, etc – nightshade do not trigger a noticeable response for me, so I don’t overly concern myself with obsessing over it, in that sense. I know folks who have to be 100% nightshade-free and it can certainly be challenging, in a lot of ways I think even more than having to avoid gluten, since they can hide in spices, seasonings, sauces, etc.
References
1. ↑ https://www.thepaleomom.com/what-are-nightshades/ -
Instant Pot Thai Peanut Chicken {Keto, Gluten-free}
This post is sponsored by the National Peanut Board. I received compensation, but all opinions and content are my own.
This Instant Pot Thai Peanut Chicken is coated in the most incredible, flavor-rich peanut sauce. Serve it over zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice for an easy meal, and garnish with extra peanuts for added crunch!
I know you all are with me on those easy, weeknight meals that come together in no time but pack a major flavor punch. This simple Instant Pot meal requires very little prep and it’s layered with rich flavors. I find this easy meal brings the flavor of the Thai classic Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce but with far less work, no need to skewer meat and no grilling necessary. Just pull it all together, set it and forget it.
Peanut butter is front and center in this easy, weeknight meal. I love how a creamy organic, unsweetened peanut butter fits into a tasty, savory dish like this Instant Pot Thai Peanut Chicken. It’s so rich and creamy and together the peanut butter and the coconut milk leave the chicken super juicy, moist and tender.
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Instant Pot Hamburger Soup aka Ground Beef Stew {Paleo, Keto, Whole30}
This Instant Pot Hamburger Soup is a simple, weeknight meal is a breeze to throw together, it’s hearty and budget-friendly. This comforting classic version of a ground beef stew is paleo, Whole30 and keto-friendly.
This simple, humble Instant Pot Hamburger Soup was born accidentally. You see, I had fully meal planned for this week , which is exciting enough when I plan ahead and to that and on the menu I had my Instant Pot Beef Stew, it’s a favorite of mine, it’s pure, cozy comfort food that reminds me of my childhood. I had planned to leave out the white potatoes and mix up the veggies to suit my tastes and needs. I love that this stew recipe is generally affordable as chuck roast or stew meat is often an budget-conscious cut of meat, however I hit up my local grocery store and the grass-fed chuck roast was $12 / pound, EEEEK and no other quality stew meat option. That’s a hard NOPE!! I wasn’t making a stew that cost over $30 in meat. I looked to my left and there I found grass-fe, grass-finished ground beef, $4.99 / pound. Perfect, I thought, I would just make my beef stew with hamburger meat and it would be amazing.
To create this ground beef stew I made a few light changes, I increased the broth, went with less meat, I left out the potatoes and opted to create for more of a soup, then a stew, though it still had those cozy stew vibes with the veggies and the flavors.
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Smoked Salmon Dip {Paleo, Gluten-free, Keto} + Video
This Paleo Smoked Salmon Dip has become synonymous with party invites for me. Ready in about 5 minutes, with just 4 ingredients, it’s fuss-free at it’s finest. I make with a dairy-free cream cheese, but you can also make with regular cream cheese, as well.
This Paleo Smoked Salmon Dip has turned into a bit of a mainstay when it comes to entertaining, it was my signature move this past holiday season. I’ve literally brought it to every party, event and dinner, from prior to Thanksgiving and including the holiday straight through Christmas and our New Year’s Eve celebrations, too. Over the summer it is a hit at BBQs and picnics, too!
With the classic flavors of smoked salmon with cream cheese, with a couple of additional ingredients to maximize the punch of taste, this is a must for parties and it’ll impress even the non-paleo folks, as well.
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Paleo Baklava Shortbread Cookie Bars {Gluten-free}
A twist on traditional baklava these Paleo Baklava Shortbread Cookie Bars bring the classic flavors of this popular Greek pastry, I grew up on without flour or gluten. Luscious butter, comforting, aromatic spices, a hint of citrus, a blend of spiced nuts and a sweet honey syrup. Mmmmmm!
I am sorry, I have been holding onto this recipe for sometime now. I usually work several months out on my content, I create and test recipes several times over to get them right, then I make them for the final shoot, I style the food, shoot and edit all the photos, I write up the post and recipe and put it into the content calendar. I move my content around to keep it fresh, I base it on what’s in season, holidays and what you all are wanting most. For me, baked goods aren’t always a priority, I don’t love to bake and I don’t generally care about sweets so the baked goods always get pushed down in the queue.I created the recipe for these Paleo Baklava Shortbread Cookie Bars after a trip back home to Buffalo to see my family this past April. My trips home always inspire so many recipe ideas, often new ways to create family or local classics that I didn’t even know I missed so much. The day I made this recipe for the very first time, the smell in my kitchen reminded me of home, of my mom and my dad, my Yia Yias. The first bite I took of this Paleo Baklava, I actually cried. A full on dessert-induced cry.
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Banh Mi Salad {Keto, Paleo, Whole30}
Banh Mi Salad. This is a delicious take on Vietnamese classic sandwich, the Bánh mì. Keto, paleo, Whole30 and gluten-free, this deconstructed take on one of my favorite sandwiches is loaded with flavor, fresh crunchy vegetables and so much color. I cannot wait for you to try this one.
Alright all my keto, paleo, Whole30 pals, you didn’t think I would leave you hanging on this whole Banh Mi thing, did you? I shared my delicious gluten-free Banh Mi Sandwich a few weeks back, as part of a Sammie Smackdown Contest with Canyon Bakehouse, all for a very good cause, but a lot of you, like me, are generally on that grain-free train. I feel ya, I feel better that way, too! But, there’s no reason we can’t get it on these sammie vibes, in our own way. Enter the Banh Mi Salad, my new favorite thing!
I entered my tasty take on this classic Vietnamese sandwich, the Banh Mi, to try to win $10,000 for my charity, Joyful Heart Foundation. Joyful Heart is a leading national organization with a mission to transform society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse and support survivors’ healing. Through healing, education, and advocacy, they are paving the way for innovative approaches to treating trauma, igniting shifts in the way the public views and responds to these horrific acts of violence and reforming legislation to ensure justice for survivors – and ultimately working to end this violence, forever!
Voting is still open. It remains open until August 20th and you can vote up to 3 times a day for my sandwich, with extra votes coming in if you share on social media and sign up through email to win a years worth of gluten-free bread! Head over to the Sammie Smackdown contest on Canyon Bakehouse’s website and help me by voting EVERY SINGLE DAY until the contest ends on 8/20. It would mean the world to me to win this money for this incredible, privately funded organization, doing such important work.
In the meantime, if sandwiches and bread aren’t so much your thing, you need to make this epic salad, inspired by that sandwich. All the flavors, tastes and vibes, without the bread. (And yes, I am aware that Banh Mi literally translates to bread, so this becomes an oxymoron of sorts, but I am OK with that.) If you are following a paleo or keto approach to your eating or maybe just doing a Whole30 and looking to have something fun, this salad is for you!!
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Grilled Spicy Shrimp and Veggie Skewers with Pineapple Turmeric Salsa {gluten-free, paleo, Whole30, keto}
Ready in no-time, these Grilled Spicy Shrimp and Veggie Skewers are fast, simple, and so crazy-flavorful. Turmeric adds a boost of health benefits and flavor depth to both the marinade and the Pineapple Turmeric Salsa served on the side. This recipe is gluten-free, paleo, whole30 and keto compliant.
This post and recipe were created in partnership with MegaFood®. I am proud to work with brands that care about the health of its consumers and the planet. As always, all opinions, ideas and text are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that allow me to create new and special content like this for Tasty Yummies.
There’s something so special about the food of summer. At our house, we opt for lots of easy-to-make, all-encompassing meals that don’t require too many pots and pans or heating up the kitchen. But more, I LOVE celebrating all the vibrant colors and tastes of the season. And we are ALWAYS down for a grill-centric meal over here.
By now you folks know I am all for getting in ample superfoods and supplements, be it classically in tablet or powder form, tossed into smoothies – I have some very important supplements that are part of my everyday routine, no excuses. That said, there is something I love so much more about foods and supplements working together in harmony. Often, there are other nutrients found in our foods that work symbiotically with these supplements and other nutrients to ensure the best chance for assimilation and absorption.
Turmeric is one of those foods/supplements that I don’t ever miss! I’m serious, I take it every day. I have personally seen improvements in the health of my joints and muscle recovery post-workout by consistently including turmeric in my diet over the past few years*. In fact, I can almost always feel a marked change if I miss even a single dose. It’s pretty wild.
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15-Minute Paleo Taco Skillet Dinner
This 15-Minute Paleo Taco Skillet Dinner is ready in just about 15 minutes and it’s loaded with quality protein, fibrous leafy greens and if you top it with avocado, you’ll get some bonus healthy fats. A perfect, low-carb, one pan meal to please all!
I have been loving a good one-pan meal these days. Despite the, I am sure, blanket assumptions that when you don’t have kids, you have all the time in the world for meal planning, it can actually be quite hard, even still, in a child-free home. Without the forced structure and routines that comes with having little ones, we can often flail and have to just “make do”.
I am not that great at planning ahead some weeks and I am often not that methodical with our meal planning, so there are always staples that we have around, so there are always those staple-inspired meals. You know the ones – they aren’t all that glamorous and they are more about the function than the fashion.
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Super Quick Coconut Red Curry Soup {paleo, keto, Whole30 Veg Options}
This Super Quick Coconut Red Curry Soup is ready in just about 15 minutes and it’s highly adaptable. Add chicken or shrimp, drop in whatever veggies are in season and you have on hand, add noodles, or don’t. It’s creamy, rich and a breeze to make.
In continuing with the simple weeknight meal ideas, I bring you one of my go-to, super quick meals. I make and share this often on my Instagram stories and I am constantly receiving messages for the recipe. It hardly seems like a recipe to me, given what a breeze it is and how I rarely even measure, but here we go.
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Lemon Tahini Dressing {Paleo, Vegan, Whole30, Keto}
This Lemon Tahini Dressing is a kitchen staple food for us. It’s naturally paleo, vegan, keto, nut-free and Whole30-compliant, so it’s a really great option for entertaining. Creamy, flavorful and so quick to whip up it makes an amazing dressing, dip or sauce with just a few ingredients.
If you haven’t sensed the theme, this year on Tasty Yummies, it’s been all about getting back to basics. Both with the foundations of cooking and in our health. I think both have gotten somewhat unnecessarily complicated. I find that having a solid base of pantry staples, meal prep and batch cooked recipes, sauces and dressings that you always have on hand – this is key to being prepared and ready to take on the busy weeks with your health and well-being at the forefront. No excuses.
I have been taking notice of the kinds of foods we make week in and week out, in our house. The uncomplicated, not-so-fancy, easy-to-make foods that keep us organized and feeling in control. We have several non-negotiables around here, top of that list, is always having a solid, super tasty, homemade, dressing on hand. Since we have Big F-ing Salads just about daily around here, having a tasty dressing already made and waiting, makes it even easier to make good choices.
For us, it goes between Dad’s Greek Dressing, Homemade Dairy-free Ranch Dressing, 5-Minute Green Goddess Dressing and this tasty Lemon Tahini Dressing. This thick and rich dressing is one of my personal faves, because I will forever love a good creamy dressing, but definitely prefer to avoid dairy. Not only does this Lemon Tahini Dressing not have any dairy, but there’s no mayo or eggs, no nuts, just simple ingredients. Tahini is a paste made from toasted and ground sesame seeds. This dressing is paleo, vegan, keto, Whole30 compliant, nut-free, etc etc so it’s great for entertaining a crowd.
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Instant Pot Carnitas w/ Slow Cooker Option {Paleo, Whole30, Keto}
These Instant Pot Carnitas have become a bit of a favorite around here. Especially when we’re hosting guests but also just for meal prep for busy weeks. I love that this recipe is naturally gluten-free, paleo, Whole30, keto and AIP-friendly and yet still simple and tasty-enough to serve to anyone – no matter their preferences! You can serve your Instant Pot Carnitas in lettuce cups or your favorite tortillas, over a big veggie-loaded salad or cauliflower rice and go burrito bowl-style.
I truly love recipes like this that are not only fuss-free while still being super impressive, but that also allow me to eat how I prefer while still serving my guests without any dietary restrictions, so they’ll never feel like I am pushing my “health-food” onto them. I don’t want my closest friends to decline dinner invites for fear of being served liver and sprouts! haha. It’s important to me to enjoy amazing meals with my family and friends, no matter how differently we all eat, I never want anyone to feel like like I am preachy or pushing my agenda on them. I just cook them the food that I know to be healthful and hopefully they see how simple it can be. A focus on real whole foods is truly just a solid baseline / foundation that would do everyone some good.
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Wilted Kale Salad with Warm Mustard Shallot Vinaigrette and Spicy Butternut Squash Croutons
This Wilted Kale Salad with Warm Mustard Shallot Vinaigrette and Spicy Butternut Squash Croutons is winter’s answer to a green salad! Loaded with nutrients and pops of color and SO much taste it’s dreamy as a side or plop your favorite protein on top and make it a meal. The squash croutons? Sure I know they aren’t croutons, but with a little finesse we get a subtle crisp to them that are better than any boring ‘ol bread crouton.
It’s winter and salads often become a distant memory for many. I get it, cold, crispy raw salads just aren’t that appealing to me either, when there’s a chill in the air. I crave warming, comforting and cozy. But, I have made a commitment to my daily #BFS (Big F&%$ing Salad). I find this practice is a great way to ensure I get a big blast of daily nutrients, no matter what!
This is a salad for the winter. With kale as the shining star, this is the perfect way to get in those nutrient-rich greens in the cooler months. Kale is exploding with disease-fighting phytochemicals and it’s one of my most favorite whole-food sources of cognition-boosting nutrition. Here’s what Max Lugavere has to say about kale:
Dark leafy greens like kale and spinach are a top source of lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids which have been the focus of numerous recent studies.
In volunteers, supplementing with lutein and zeaxanthin led to faster processing speed. 1http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0108178 This effect was significant “even when testing young, healthy individuals who tend to be at peak efficiency,” wrote study authors.
In another study, human subjects with higher levels of lutein and zeaxanthin did better on a test of working memory, while their brains seemed to be working more efficiently when observed under fMRI.2https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-international-neuropsychological-society/article/relationship-of-lutein-and-zeaxanthin-levels-to-neurocognitive-functioning-an-fmri-study-of-older-adults/128FA33729CB102A1DC5ACAAFF7D972D
Finally, lutein (found in egg yolks, spinach and kale) was associated with greater crystalized intelligence—the ability to use learned knowledge and experience—in older adults. 3http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnagi.2016.00297/full
References
1. ↑ http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0108178 2. ↑ https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-international-neuropsychological-society/article/relationship-of-lutein-and-zeaxanthin-levels-to-neurocognitive-functioning-an-fmri-study-of-older-adults/128FA33729CB102A1DC5ACAAFF7D972D 3. ↑ http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnagi.2016.00297/full -
Paleo Breakfast Sausage Patties {Whole30 friendly}
Paleo Breakfast Sausage Patties are simple to make at home. Just about 15 minutes of work and you’ve got ready made breakfast options for the week. With a pre-made hard or soft boiled egg (or any eggs really) and a side of greens or other veggies, you’re starting your day with quality protein, fat, greens and fiber, without any of the sketchy ingredients found in many store-bought sausages and you have a well rounded breakfast for the busy mornings, ready in just minutes.
I find one of the best ways to feeling more in control of your meals and let’s be honest, your life, is to plan ahead. With cooking, while I don’t fully subscribe personally to meal prep or even very rigid, planned out batch cooking, I am always looking for ways to cook in abundance so I can cook once and enjoy multiple times over.
These Paleo Breakfast Sausage are a perfect example of that. Often I will make a double batch so we have plenty on hand for the week, for simple breakfasts without the fuss.
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Grain-free Spinach Tortillas {Paleo, Vegan, Nut-free} + Video
I am so excited to share the recipe for these Grain-free Spinach Tortillas with you guys. It took a little testing to get these tortillas to where I wanted them, both in texture and pliability, but also color and taste. I have tested them many times now and I am still amazed at how simple they are to make and just how perfect the end result is.
I know that homemade tortillas can be a tad intimidating at first, especially if you’ve never made them, but I can assure you after one or two times, it feels like second nature. There is something so meditative and soothing about the process of rolling the dough into balls, pressing, rolling, a quick cook. You get into this beautiful flow and within minutes, a stack of these gorgeous, vibrant wraps.
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Grain-free Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Tart {Paleo, Gluten-free + Vegan} + Video
As if I could find a better pairing, two of my favorite foods come together in the perfect marriage, for this rich, silky, decadent treat that’s low carb, low in sugar, grain-free and vegan. The smooth fruity taste of Terra Delyssa’s organic extra virgin olive oil is the perfect compliment to super dark chocolate and in all it’s impressiveness this dessert comes together in no time.
Truth be told, I am not much of a baker. Mostly it comes from a lack of caring about most baked goods and sweets. I know you’ve heard this story before, in the nearly 8 years of Tasty Yummies. What I do love, admittedly daily, is a couple of squares of high quality super duper dark chocolate. It’s really just about all I need.
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Billionaire’s Bacon – Thick Cut Paleo Candied Bacon
I am super excited to share this recipe with you for Billionaire’s Bacon – Thick Cut Paleo Candied Bacon. This was recreated and inspired by Villard restaurant at Lotte New York Palace Hotel in New York City, after a recent trip to the city, along with the Hamptons for an amazing Blogger Retreat I attended. Read on for this amazing candied bacon situation, that features a little sugar and a little spice recreated to be paleo-friendly, along with scenes and highlights from our amazing East Coast trip.
This bacon will 100% make you feel like you’ve struck riches, you’ll totally feel big time. Aptly named this Billionaire’s Bacon tastes as if it were fit for royalty. It’s sinful really. With the original recipe calling for a full cup of light brown sugar, and having tasted it and devoured it, it’s super tasty, decadent and sweet, but maybe too much so for this low sugar gal. So, I recreated this paleo-friendly version, adapted from the original, to lower the sugar but still offer that sweet stickiness, with the multi-layered spices.
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Red Velvet Pudding Pops with White Chocolate Drizzle {Dairy-free, Paleo, Vegan}
In honor of #popsicleweek, I am bringing a traditional cake recipe new life with these tasty Red Velvet Pudding Pops. Of course, there’s a twist. I boosted this sweet treat with nutrient-dense whole foods, so you can have your cake and nutrients and eat it, too!
It wasn’t too long ago that I snuck a little cauliflower into some popsicles here on Tasty Yummies. I’m hoping if you tried that recipe, you still trust me and know that despite these strange ingredient combos, I will never lead you astray. It was a fun surprise to find that the cauliflower brought another level to the treat, with creaminess and also of course, nutrients. While I don’t feel that every dessert should have a veggie snuck into it, I do love the unexpected nutritional boost that this provides. And why not?
So, I am back at it again today with these Red Velvet Pudding Pops. As traditional Red Velvet Cake is simply a subtle amount of cocoa with red food coloring, it’s actually a cake flavor that has forever eluded me. I never really understood it. It’s not chocolate and the red color has nothing to do with flavor. But not too long ago I tried a gluten-free Red Velvet cupcake and I am not gonna lie. I was into it. But, ya know, it was loaded with sugar and grains. Additionally, red food dye used in baking is almost always derived from Red #40 (Allura Red) an artificial food dye. According to a CSPI report, some of the most commonly used food dyes may be linked to numerous forms of cancer, along with hyperactivity and other behavioral problems in children.1http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/02/24/are-you-or-your-family-eating-toxic-food-dyes.aspx The European Union has recently placed regulations on labeling food dyes to inform consumers of the health risks, but the United States has no such requirement.
References
1. ↑ http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/02/24/are-you-or-your-family-eating-toxic-food-dyes.aspx
