Tag Archives: entertaining

  1. Paleo Cincinnati Chili (w/ options for Instant Pot and Slow Cooker)

    Paleo Cincinnati Chili a classic American recipe that can be served up a variety of ways to please all. Paleo, primal, gluten-free, keto / low carb, whole30! Traditionally it gets served over spaghetti, with onions, cheese and beans, I offer all of the toppings as options to my guests but serve mine simply with the white onions. BOOM Paleo Cincinnati Chili, just like that. This is total comfort food, perfect for Super Bowl hangs or wintery weekend meals. I also include instructions for Instant Pot Pressure Cooker and a Slow Cooker if you’d prefer to make either of those ways.

    Paleo Cincinnati Chili (with Instant Pot and Slow Cooker options)

    Paleo Cincinnati Chili (with Instant Pot and Slow Cooker options)

    With a husband hailing from Louisville, Kentucky (not too far from Cincinnati) and several close friends here in Southern California with Cincinnati roots, this is a recipe I have perfected over many years. It’s now requested often here at our place – it’s become a bit of a staple when some of our friends come for dinner.

    I can still recall the first time I ever had Cincinnati Chili. It was 1988. Super Bowl XXIII. My dad always LOVED making food inspired by the teams in the final big game. Love some good themed food! The Bengals were playing the San Francisco 49ers. I honestly can’t recall exactly what he made that was SF-inspired. If my memory serves me, I think he we went with a Rice-A-Roni inspired dish. Cleary whatever it was it didn’t make nearly the impact that the Cincinnati Chili did. He made this chili and I remember loving it.

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  2. 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.

    Grain-free Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Tart {Paleo, Gluten-Free, Vegan}

    Grain-free Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Tart {Paleo, Gluten-Free, Vegan}

    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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  3. Skillet Baked Eggs and Greens with Herby Feta Yogurt Drizzle

    Breakfast for breakfast, breakfast for dinner, breakfast at any time, this flavor-loaded Skillet Baked Eggs and Greens with Herby Feta Yogurt Drizzle is a one-skillet meal that you too will be obsessed with.

    Skillet Baked Eggs and Greens with Herby Feta Yogurt Drizzle

    Skillet Baked Eggs and Greens with Herby Feta Yogurt Drizzle

    If you haven’t deducted from the insane amount of breakfast and brunch posts – I love eggs. I love meals centered around eggs. I like eggs for breakfast, just fine, but I also really love eggs for dinner. Shakshuka is one of my absolute, all-time favorite dishes, but to be fully honest, baked eggs of any kind will forever have my heart.

    I also have a really big soft spot in my heart for one-skillet meals, especially those that can get me everything I need in one gorgeous pan. This meal is a fabulous, versatile dish that can be served at any meal – breakfast, lunch or dinner. With a gorgeous bed of nutrient-abundant greens, laced with the caramelized shallots and scallions, topped with the most perfect, soft, baked eggs with luscious, runny yolks, it’s all topped with a rich, drizzly, herby, feta-yogurt sauce that is the finishing move to end all finishing moves.

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  4. Maple Bourbon Glazed Chicken Wings

    Maple Bourbon Glazed Chicken Wings

    Maple Bourbon Glazed Chicken Wings

    As I sit down to write this recipe I am having the realization that these Maple Bourbon Glazed Chicken Wings in a nutshell are basically a food representation of my marriage and just 9 days before our 10 year wedding anniversary, at that. I would love to act as if this was 100% purposeful in it’s intent, but nope, kinda just a happy accident. But you guys, chicken wings inspired by the Kentucky Derby – it’s like Buffalo meets Louisville. I a Buffalo girl, my husband Mark from Louisville. Nifty. Totally planned (not really).

    Tomorrow is the Kentucky Derby and while I could care less about horse racing, in fact I actually have some inherent issues with it from a moral and ethical standpoint, I do have a husband that grew up in Louisville, surrounded by the culture of this 2-minute long historic sport. They party for 2 weeks prior to the Derby in Louisville, there are boat races, fireworks, fancy hats and a plethora of foods and cocktails exclusively served for the Derby. They don’t mess around.

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  5. Grain-free Carrot Cake Coconut Panna Cotta {Dairy-free and Paleo-friendly }

    Grain-free Carrot Cake Coconut Panna Cotta {Dairy-free}

    Grain-free Carrot Cake Coconut Panna Cotta {Dairy-free}

    Subtly spiced dairy-free coconut milk panna cotta topped with chunks of grain-free spiced carrot cake and a little whipped coconut cream, makes for the perfect Spring-inspired treat without the sugar, grains or nuts.

    I kinda love that carrot cake has become synonymous with Easter, simply because of the Easter Bunny. Rabbits eat carrots, Easter invites a sweet bunny that leaves baskets and eggs and chocolate for us. Hmmm. It’s a stretch, but I’ll take it – cuz carrot cake rules.

    While I have been experimenting with the ketgenic diet since the start of this year and have slowly transitioned toward a fat fueled lifestyle over the last year and a half, my interest and taste for sweets has admittedly all but disappeared. Beyond a solid, super duper dark chocolate, I honestly can’t really be bothered. Not so great as a food blogger, but I make it work.

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  6. How-to Build an Epic Grain-free Cheese and Charcuterie Board

    How-to Make an Epic Paleo-ish Meat and Cheese Board

    How-to Build an Epic Grain-free Cheese and Charcuterie Board

    When it comes to entertaining, boards are the ultimate in wow factor without a ton of fuss. More specifically I am a HUGE fan of cheese and meat boards. Selfishly when entertaining, since I prefer to avoid grains and greasy chips and snacks, cheese and charcuterie boards offer a great, pretty low maintenance way for me to have everything that I want, while still making all of my guests happy.

    My cheese and charcuterie boards are generally focused around being totally grain-free and then depending on my guests, I will often have a generous pile of toasted crostini, that I serve to the side, separately for the non gluten-free or grain-free folks. I simple arrange sliced crostini in a single layer on a cookie sheet, brush both sides with olive oil and toss under the broiler for a few minutes on each side. Add a sprinkle of sea salt. It’s the fastest way to lots of toast.

    Follow along for all of my tips on How-to Build an Epic Grain-free Cheese and Charcuterie Board.

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  7. Miso Roasted Brussels Sprouts

    Miso Roasted Brussels Sprouts

    Miso Roasted Brussels Sprouts

    As we head into the holidays, the focus obviously shifts to any and all dishes for entertaining. Side dishes and treats, mains and snacks. ‘Tis the season of all the eating! The Miso Roasted Brussels Sprouts are begging to be the star at your Thanksgiving or Christmas meal! Trust me, this is a veggie that can steal the show!

    I enjoy creating the sweets and treats recipes, because let’s be real, the joy that healthy treats can bring is palpable. I’d like to wrap that feeling up with a pretty bow and give it as a gift. That said, when it comes to the holidays, my heart will forever remain with sides and veggies. I love a good, plant-based side dish. So much room for creativity in the vegetables. The mains are usually pretty traditional, those are generally on lock down. I just truly enjoy the challenge of creating exciting enough veggie dishes that will please the masses and especially those that won’t be the forgotten soldier at a table full of meaty mains and their carb-loaded friends. I literally have made it my mission when I feed people to make the vegetable(s) the first thing to disappear from the plate, rather than the last. This dish 100% is successful at doing exactly that.

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  8. Grain-free Everything Bagel Crackers

    Grain-free Everything Bagel Crackers

    Grain-free Everything Bagel Crackers

    It only seems fair after the rash of sweets recipes that has filled this website over the last week, to give you a solid savory recipe. Seeing as savory, salty and crunchy are definitely my personal, crave-worthy foods. These 4-ingredient Grain-free Everything Bagel Crackers are my everything, this is my kind of snacking!

    The amount of options for gluten-free crackers in the snack aisle at the grocery store is kind of mind-blowing to me. I still remember what it was like 12 years ago when I first shifted to a gluten-free diet. There was absolutely nothing. Nothing at all. Now there are far too many options, but the problem still exists, as it does with most processed and packaged foods, vetting the ingredients. Trying to find an option that isn’t highly processed and loaded with strange ingredients, it’s just damn near impossible.

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  9. Raspberry Vinaigrette

    Raspberry Vinaigrette

    Raspberry Vinaigrette

    Happy Friday, friends! I am still away on a little anniversary getaway with my husband. We’re in Palm Springs soaking up all of the desert goodness, celebrating 9 years of marriage and 13 years since our first blind date. We try for a vacation every year for our anniversary, it’s so important for us to stop the clock, step out from our busy lives and just celebrate each other for a few days. Especially since we both work from home, going away is a really nice opportunity to just be with each other, without the distractions of our work and life. We get to relax, talk, reminisce and most excitingly, nap in the middle of the day, just because we can.

    Raspberry Vinaigrette

    Raspberry Vinaigrette

    I think one of the (many) things I love most about our love, is that Mark still has the ability to surprise me, even after all of these years. He’s always keeping me guessing and on my toes and he is always willing to try something I made, just to support me.

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  10. Slow Roasted Salmon with Meyer Lemon Gremolata

    Slow Roasted Salmon with Meyer Lemon Gremolata

    Slow Roasted Salmon with Meyer Lemon Gremolata

    The thing about food is, it all tastes better when enjoyed with someone (or several someones) you love! Food is nourishment, but it is also community, it is celebration and it is love. When you put your passion, care, love and mindfulness into a meal, people will be eating your love. How incredible an idea is that?

    If I could, I would give the universe to the people whom I love the most, so in my food, I seek to do just that.

    Each Spoonful Contains the Universe

    Pay attention to each spoonful of food. As you bring it up to your mouth, use your mindfulness to be aware that this food is the gift of the whole universe. The Earth and the sky have collaborated to bring this spoonful of food to you. While breathing in and out, you only need a second or two to recognize this. We eat in such a way that every morsel of food, every moment of eating has mindfulness in it. It takes only a few seconds to see that the food we’re holding in our spoon is the gift of the whole cosmos. While we chew, we maintain that awareness. When we chew, we know that the whole universe is there in that bite of food.

    – Thich Nhat Hanh // How to Eat

    Slow Roasted Salmon with Meyer Lemon Gremolata

    The one contains the all.  When you pick up a lemon, you can know that the entire universe resides in that lemon. The earth, the sun, the sky. When you enjoy a dish made with the lemon, not only is the love and care of all that came together to grow that food contained within it, the love of the farmer, but also the love of the person who made the meal. What’s more, even with all this talk of sharing your love through the food you make, if you are eating by yourself, you can trust that you are never truly alone. The food becomes the means to connect you with the larger community that helped to grow your food, every meal contains the presence of so many caring people.

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  11. Zucchini Noodle Shakshuka {gluten-free}

    Zucchini Noodle Shakshuka (gluten-free)

    It’s quite possible you have heard of Shakshuka (or Shakshouka) before, but it’s also pretty likely you haven’t. If you haven’t – I am excited to introduce you to one of the yummiest egg dishes you ever will have. I myself hadn’t heard of Shakshuka before late last year sometime. I recall seeing a photo of it in a cookbook then on Pinterest and it was love at first (and second) sight, before I ever even tasted it. I have made it several times since discovering it, always changing things up a little here and there. Bottom line is no matter how I make it, it’s precisely my kind of meal – an egg dish that can literally work for any meal. Breakfast, lunch or dinner.

    Zucchini Noodle Shakshuka (gluten-free)

    Though the origin of Shakshuka is somewhat uncertain, it is a staple dish in Israeli, Morrocan, Tunisian and Egyptian cuisines, among many, many others. Wikipedia (and several other sources) says it to be of Tunisian origin – which is perfect considering my love of Tunisian olive oil.

    Zucchini Noodle Shakshuka (gluten-free)

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  12. Gingerbread Cookie Cocktail – Gluten-free + Vegan

    Gingerbread Cookie Cocktail

    I was supposed to be in San Francisco for the weekend, our final show of the holiday. Sadly, the dog got sick  which meant I had to stay home, since we didn’t feel comfortable boarding her. Hubby had to go to the event without me, so that equated to some unplanned time off this weekend. I actually didn’t know what to do with myself, we have been going non-stop for the past month and a half or so. I seriously actually made a list Friday night of what I wanted to do to relax. That’s how tightly wound I was.

    Saturday morning I got up bright and early headed to a yoga class to start my unwinding and relaxing. I really cannot think of a more perfect way to kick off a weekend of no plans. By Saturday afternoon I found myself getting a relaxing pedicure with Meg and after that I curled up  on the couch with my furry baby, watching Christmas movies and I decide I should whip up a quick seasonal cocktail. Gingerbread felt appropriate given that we are just a couple days away from my favorite day of the year.

    This cocktail is spicy and has a strong molasses flavor, it tastes just like a traditional gingerbread cookie. If you want it sweeter add a bit more maple syrup or honey, or use a smidge less molasses. The fresh ginger is optional, but I personally love the little bits of it floating in the cocktail, such a great taste. Read the rest of this entry »

  13. Vegan Pumpkin Pie Martini – Gluten-free and Refined Sugar-free

    Vegan Pumpkin Pie Martini

    I will keep this one short, yesterday’s post was enough words to read for the next week. Phew! What can I say, sometimes I just have stuff I wanna chat about. Thanks so much for being here to read it and all the rest of my ramblings!

    I originally was only going to be sharing this recipe with my email list. An exclusive content kinda thing. But, I just can’t keep this from you guys and I am a little bit of a sucker. Many of you asked if you could still get the recipe even if you aren’t on my mailing list so I decided rules are meant to be broken, even if they are your own.

    Too many people hate emails lists and I kinda don’t blame you. My inbox is a hot mess most days. If you are a busy person and you have a lot of stuff coming and going from your email everyday, adding one more could just be the tipping point. I don’t ever want to annoy you, my friends. So, for those of you that don’t want to mess with emails, I didn’t want you guys to feel left out. I don’t like holding out on you guys and this one is way too yummy to not be shared with the masses. So here ya go – enjoy this, share it and make it part of your holidays this year.

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