I love to make my own spice blends and rubs! They taste so much fresher, plus they don't have any anti-caking agents or preservatives added to them. It takes just a few minutes to blend, and they store really well. There are a few brands I buy in bulk because I make a lot of blends, linked below. It's worth the savings for things we use all the time, or for things that I don't grow and dry myself like cinnamon.
Homemade Greek Rub 3T dried oregano 3t pink Himalayan salt 2T onion powder 3T garlic powder 2t black pepper 4t dried parsley 2t dried thyme 3T paprika 1/2t cinnamon 1/2t nutmeg Blend all ingredients well in a coffee grinder or bullet. Store in a small ball jar until ready to use. There are no preservatives, so it may clump a bit but breaks up again when shaken or crushed with your hands. Coat the chicken drums with Greek seasoning. I use approx. 1T per 5 drums. Allow to sit in the fridge for at least 30 min up to several hours. Bake at 500 for 20 min, turning once, until the skin is bubbly and crisp and the internal temp reads 155. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. |
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Heat the olive oil in a pan on medium high heat and add the onions, mushrooms and salt. Saute for 5 minutes until all liquid evaporates, then add the aminos and allow to evaporate again. They will start to brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Meanwhile, assemble your salad, dividing all ingredients into 4.
Dressing Ingredients 1/4c grapefruit juice 1/4c avocado oil 1T tahini 1T honey (vegans use agave nectar) 1T dijon mustard 1/2t salt 1/4t pepper Blend all ingredients with an immersion blender or in a bullet. Divide over the four salads and serve immediately. * Variation: This dressing was just as good over mixed greens with cucumber, kalamata olives, blackberries and goji berries.
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2T tapioca starch, reserved
1 cup water, reserved 1 bag frozen peas, thawed Place the onion, parsnips, celery, wine and broth in the bottom of the IP. Add a layer of 5 bay leaves on top. Salt and pepper the chicken, then place them on top of the veggies. Close the lid, make sure you are sealed tight, and let her rip on Manual setting for 15 min. Do a quick release, then pull out the chicken and veggies. Cover to keep warm. Turn the IP back on to saute, while you strain the fat out of your broth. You can do it the old fashioned way, or with one of these nifty separators like I use. Put the strained broth back into the hot IP. Mix the tapioca starch with the water and whisk into your warming broth. As it starts to thicken, add in the peas and allow to warm and thicken to your desired consistency. Pour the gravy with peas over the top of the chicken and serve with a side of your veggies. Enjoy. This will very quickly become a family favorite, since even my pickest eater told me it was the best chicken he's ever eaten. Maybe if I make it another 9,000 times or so I'll even use up all my bay leaves. Enjoy!
Place 1/2 the beans in a bowl and mash with a fork. Add in the cut up chicken and mix fairly well. Add the onion, herbs, oil, vinegar, lemon juice and zest and toss well to combine. Add the last half of the beans and gently toss so they stay fairly whole. Serve immediately! You can do all of the herbs or just one or two. Just add a little more of each if you don't use all four. I had mine in romaine lettuce cups. So fresh and delicious!
I have included links for your convenience; some of these are affiliate links. It doesn't cost you any extra to order from them, and if you do purchase something using one of these links, I am given a small compensation from the seller. This helps me keep my blog up and running! For more questions please see my disclosure page. Hoisin Chicken Marinade
1T Hoisin
1/4c Sesame Oil 1/4c Olive Oil 1/4c Liquid Aminos or Soy Sauce 2T fresh chives, chopped 1t salt 1t onion powder 1t garlic powder 1T Rice Vinegar Whisk together all ingredients until mixed well. Pour over chicken and marinate at least 3-4 hours or overnight. I split my marinade between two freezer bags, one with 4 chicken breasts and the other with 1.5lb of chicken thighs. Grill 3-4 min per side, or bake in the oven at 425 for 20 min, or until an internal temp of 155. Mango Avocado Salsa
2 Mangos, cubed
1 Avocado, cubed 1 Shallot, minced 2T Fresh Basil, chopped 3T Lime Juice 2T Olive Oil 1/2t Pink Himalayan Salt 1/2-1t Crushed Red Pepper, depends how spicy you like Fresh Ground Pepper Combine all ingredients and toss well. Allow to chill at least 30 min before serving. Try changing up the flavors by using cilantro or mint instead of basil. Yum!
I have included links for your convenience; some of these are affiliate links. It doesn't cost you any extra to order from them, and if you do purchase something using one of these links, I am given a small compensation from the seller. This helps me keep my blog up and running! For more questions please see my disclosure page.
Just in time for the weekend! These bunless burgers are amazing!!!! One bite and your mouth will be screaming Aloha! I've had my eye on a few recipes and just knew I needed to create one that was more friendly to our diet. If you aren't gluten free, by all means, have yours on a bun and just add some shredded cabbage on top. We didn't miss the buns at all! We had ours with a side of cilantro lime rice (recipe below) and some grilled plantains. Yum!
Ingredients
Fire up the grill, and grill each burger 4-5 min per side or to an internal temperature of 155 degrees. Grill the pineapple and onions 2-3 min per side. Stack your cooked burger into the cup of a cabbage leaf, then layer the pineapple and onions on top. If your leaves are big, you'll only need one to fold over the top. If your leaves are smaller you can add a second leaf, cup side down, on top. I added a few homemade refrigerator pickled carrots and cucumbers to mine.
Cilantro Lime Rice
3c jasmine rice
3c water 2T cilantro, finely chopped 1T coconut oil 1 lime, juiced Add the rice and water to your Instant Pot*, seal the lid then use the manual setting for 4 minutes. Do a 10 min natural pressure release, then release the rest of the steam and open the pot. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and serve immediately. If you want a more dominant lime taste, zest your lime before you juice it and add the zest in. *Note: if you don't have an Instant Pot, cook your rice however you normally cook it.
I have included links for your convenience; some of these are affiliate links. It doesn't cost you any extra to order from them, and if you do purchase something using one of these links, I am given a small compensation from the seller. This helps me keep my blog up and running! For more questions please see my disclosure page.
Toast the almonds lightly, then allow to cool. Whisk the oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Add the arugula, mint, watermelon, onion and cooled almonds to a bowl, then drizzle with the dressing, toss well and sprinkle the lemon zest over the top. Enjoy! This made a nice side dish or light lunch. If you wanted to make it a little heartier meal on its own, add some cooked chicken or shrimp on top! We had ours with grilled chicken and blistered oven baked
potatoes.
We tried something new for Taco Tuesday! This started out as a super fast throw together meal, with a plan to top with traditional taco toppings and go. I had already used my Instant Pot this morning to cook brown rice and quinoa for the week, so I knew of them would make it to the table. I had black beans frozen that I cooked a few weeks ago, so I popped the bag in a water bath to thaw. I tossed the tofu in my favorite homemade taco seasoning and popped it in the oven. Then I promptly realized we were out of salsa, vegan cheese and any other traditional taco toppings you might ask for. Facepalm.
Thank goodness one of my parents had stopped by and taken two of my kids to the park and the third got a ride to karate with daddy. I had a moment of silence to regroup. I spent a few minutes chopping I wasn't planning on, but I ended up with a really delicious meal. You'll notice that's not lettuce on my plate, but slaw I had made earlier and added at the last minute. Mostly because I was running out of time (*cough* lazy) after my unexpected chopping and I didn't feel like picking and washing and chopping lettuce. I'd share that recipe for slaw with you, but I didn't measure a single thing and just threw it together. If I had to guess, it's cabbage, shredded carrots, chopped onion, cider vinegar, olive oil, homemade dry ranch seasoning and a spoonful of coconut palm sugar. If you're good at " a little of this, little of that" go for it. If not, lettuce. If you've got time to make and add the extras I did, go for it. It was delicious! If not, by all means, add your favorite yummy taco toppings and enjoy! Ingredients
This is such an easy, refreshing, colorful salad. Perfect for May's Juice Plus+ theme of Color Your Plate! When I was meal planning this morning, I knew I needed a dish I could easily get to school for the Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week Potluck, and I thought this would be delicious and colorful. Plus, I had all the ingredients. Win.
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About Dana Merrill
I'm a busy mom of three, determined to maintain a healthy lifestyle amidst the beautiful chaos. Links
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