Dish It Up Sunday~Sweetness Addition

Hello friends!

Today we are dishing up a whole lot of sweetness along with a whole lot of cuteness...

Those of you who follow along on Instagram got a glimpse of our newest addition yesterday.

Meet Henley, our new grandpuppy (#2 is his mommy).  He is a 7 and a half week old Golden Retriever puppy who joined our family yesterday.

He has the sweetest, most soulful brown eyes (main reason I think #2 picked him out of the bunch). He's already settling in and our "princess", Kylee, seems to be quite smitten with him (it's only the 2nd day, but here's hoping they become fast friends).

His first car ride...once we hit the highway he slept the ENTIRE time, not a peep!

They are already smitten with each other.  (We called him the grumpy old man before she picked him out because in all the pictures the breeder posted he had a furrowed brow and an uncertain look).

He's already choosing his favorites.

Have a blessed week friends.  You can find me loving on this fluff ball!!

Dish It Up Sunday~

For today's menu, we are serving up another "Dirty Bird" recipe...

Atlanta Falcon's Style!

Ingredients:

The Atlanta Falcons
The New England Patriots

Directions:

1. Tune in to the pre-game show at 11:00 am on Fox TV.
2. Prepare game day munchies 11:00 am-5:30 pm. Don't forget to pick up the chicken wings!!
3. Grab a plate and refill your drinks (admit it, you've already started ;-) and claim your spot in front of the big screen tv by 6:00 pm.
4.  6:30 pm Kick Off
5.  Prepare to spend the next 3 hours and 12 minutes cheering on your favorite team, throwing things at the TV, wishing you could strangle a ref or two...and praying that this year brings no wardrobe malfunctions during the half time show!
6. Pray your team won or you'll be hearing about it for the next 12 months!!

Have a fun filled day friends!!

Dish It Up Sunday~

Today I am sharing another yummy soup recipe.  Who doesn't enjoy a warm bowl of soup on a cold winter's evening?

French Onion soup is something we have always enjoyed, but take out the gluten and dairy, and well...you basically take out the best part, the crusty bread and gooey cheese. Until now.

Rich French Onion Soup

Ingredient:

3/4 C butter or expeller-pressed coconut oil (we used Earth Balance Dairy/Soy Free Butter)
3-4 large sweet onions, (Vidalia), approx. 6 cups, thinly sliced
6-10 cloves fresh garlic, minced (more or less to suit your taste, we used our good old jarred)
2 TBS. arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
1/2 C red wine
2-3 tsp dried thyme
5 large bay leaves
1 1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper (we use white since I can't have black, crazy, I know)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (the more garlic the better I say)
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 quarts organic beef stock (we use Kitchen Basics)

Instructions:

1. Place the butter (or coconut oil) in a large soup pot (we love our Staub Dutch oven) and add your thinly sliced onions and minced garlic.
2. Cook over medium heat, covered but stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and starting to turn golden brown.  This will take about 10 minutes.  Careful not to let the onions burn.
3. Stir in the arrowroot powder until the onions are coated.
4. Add the red wine (hope you didn't drink it all ;-) and stir around.
5. Let the mixture cook for 3-4 minutes to burn off the alcohol (we do want this to be kid friendly).
6. Add the spices and stir.
7. Add the beef stock and bring soup to a nice simmer.
8. Reduce heat to low/medium-high and let simmer 45 minutes.
9. Remove from heat and serve.

To add back in that crusty bread with the gooey cheese, we sliced a loaf of Udi's French Bagette and toasted with sliced Follow Your Heart Provolone Cheese.

Spoon soup into individual bowls and top with two "cheesy croutons".

Enjoy!

Dish It Up Sunday~

Winter months bring a longing for a good old bowl of comfort food, do they not?  Y'all this recipe fits the bill.  My daughter found it on Pinterest, and knowing my hubby is a potato lover we just had to give it a try.

I was curious to see how it would taste.  Comfort food, Potato soup...Gluten AND Dairy free? I am hear to tell ya, you won't miss a thing!  It is that good.  Hearty, rich AND creamy. Yum.

Homestyle Potato Soup (dairy + gluten free)

Ingredients:

6-8 slices bacon, diced (we use Hormel naturals)
1 C white onion, diced
2 whole carrots, sliced lengthwise and diced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 C gluten-free all purpose flour (or cornstarch)
2 Cups chicken stock (we use Kitchen Basics)
2 Cups dairy-free milk of choice (we use flax milk)
4-5 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 Cup So Delicious Dairy Free Unsweetened Cultured Coconut Milk Yogurt (say that 10 times fast)
salt and pepper to taste
chopped parsley, optional

Directions:

In a large pot over medium heat, brown the diced bacon until crispy.  Remove from pot with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain the grease.  Reserve the bacon grease in the pot.  Add onion, carrots and celery and allow to cook a minute or two until translucent, then add garlic.

Whisk in the gluten-free flour and allow it to cook for one minute.  Add the chicken stock and continue whisking until lumps are gone.  Stir in the dairy-free milk, then add the potatoes and the cooked bacon.  Turn temperature to medium low and allow soup to simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally.

For added creamy texture, mash some of the potatoes in the soup.  Leave about half the potatoes in bite-sized pieces.  Stir in the cultured coconut milk yogurt and season to taste with salt and pepper. Just before serving, sprinkle with chopped parsley.  Serve alongside your favorite gluten-free dinner rolls.

Enjoy!

Dish It Up Sunday~Jambalaya

Having raised two daughters who were both very active in school activities and sports, I know that weeknights during the school year can be a bit hectic.  Especially when it comes to getting a hot, home-cooked meal on the table.  I was always looking for something that didn't take a lot of time to prep, and could be prepared in 30 minutes (or less).

We recently made this dish out of our Wheat Belly 30 minute (or less) cookbook, so I decided to share it with you all.  It fits the bill.  30 minutes or less, hot, and tasty.

Jambalaya

Prep Time: 15 minutes/Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
3 TBS extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil, divided
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and minced (wear plastic gloves when handling)
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
8 oz chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes (we substituted 1 lb of peeled & deveined shrimp)
1-2 TBS Cajun Seasoning Mix (recipe to follow or you can use a store bought version)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 package (6 oz) fresh baby spinach

***Cook's notes:
We use this chopper for quick veggie prep.  (this is the newer version)
We purchase jarred minced and chopped garlic. (so no prep)
We took our fresh andouille sausage out of the casing and crumbled.
We had chicken the night before, so we subbed with a pound of shrimp.

Cajun Seasoning Mix:

2 TBS paprika
1 TBS garlic powder
1 TBS onion powder
2 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp sea salt

This will make more than you need.  Prepare and head and keep in an airtight jar.

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until hot.  Cook the onion, garlic, and pepper for 3 minutes, or until they begin to soften.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet.  Stir in the sausage and chicken (shrimp if using it).  Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the chicken and sausage are almost cooked through.  Stir in the seasoning mix, tomatoes with their juice, and spinach.  Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring once, or until the chicken (or shrimp) and sausage are cooked through.

We served ours over rice.  Minute Rice of course!

Dish It Up Sunday~ 5-Ingredient Bacon Crusted Chicken (Paleo, Low Carb)

Hello friends!  Are you thawing out from the "deep" freeze?  We were warned to expect 4-6 inches of snow here in Hotlanta...all we got was a dusting and a bit of ice in the trees. Boo!

So, since the grocery stores were open and ready for business,  I decided to search Pinterest for a yummy new recipe to try for dinner.

When I stumbled upon this one..5-Ingredient Bacon Crusted Chicken...I knew we had a winner on our hands.

Suffice it to say, it did not disappoint.

5-Ingredient Bacon Crusted Chicken (Paleo, Low Carb)

Ingredients:
4 large Chicken Breasts (we prefer organic)
1/4 Cup Mayonaise (we use Veganaise as it is dairy free)
1 1/2 Cup Bacon Bits (cooked) we used Epic Bacon Bits (gluten free)
2 cloves Garlic (minced)
1/4 tsp Sea Salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees . Line a baking sheet with foil and grease lightly.

2. In a blender or food processor, pulse the bacon bits, garlic, and sea salt, until pieces are very small. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

3. Place the mayonnaise in a medium bowl. Dip each chicken breast into the mayo (coating with a thin layer only), then roll in the bacon mixture to coat all sides.  Place on the baking sheet. Repeat with all the chicken.

4. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the bacon is crispy.

We served alongside mixed veggies.

Super easy.  But, everything tastes better with bacon y'all!

The original recipe can be found here.