Busy Week Eats- Paleo Garbage Salad, Chicken Hearts and Brussel Sprouts

We had a fairly normal week chez GFG.  Normal meaning crazed, chaotic, frantic, and maybe a little bipolar.  But that's ok!  It's Friday, and the forecast looks positively delicious.  You know what else is delicious?  Garbage salads.  So satisfying and yummy, but also a fantastic way to clean out the fridge/pantry.

Garbage salads never contain the exact same ingredients but do always contain a few key items- two kinds of protein to keep you full, flavorful greens, some roasted veggies, and a simple dressing of EVOO and red wine vinegar.  This week's salad was arugula, shrimp, pepperoni, black olives, avocado, roasted red peppers, marinated artichoke, and cucumber.  If I have some laying around, I like to throw in a little broccoli too.  I will usually go for arugula because I find it lasts longer in the fridge and I really prefer the taste to plain old lettuce.

Some other great ideas for your big ol' pile o' garbage salad-

• Hard boiled eggs
• cauli
• sweet potatoes
• green onions
• tomato
• roasted eggplant
• carrots
• salami
• chicken
• spinach
• nuts (if you aren't allergic, obvy)
• basil, or other fresh herbs
• asparagus
• zucchini
• kale

And the list goes on.  The secret to having a garbage salad at the ready at any time is all about what's in your pantry.  Yes fresh veggies FTW always but sometimes you just aren't that prepared.  So I like to keep olives, artichokes, red peppers, and capers around as much as possible.  With a protein or two and some greens you are good to go!  I have a feeling as summer approaches this will become more and more a part of our weekly menu.

We also had a quick meal of chicken hearts and brussel sprouts.  I know- chicken hearts EWWWWW I can hear you all collectively saying.  But don't knock it til you try it.  They are really good and cook up in a flash.  They have a taste slightly reminiscent of chicken liver but nowhere near as overpowering.  They are leaner and more muscly so won't make you feel full in 2.4 seconds like liver.  The best part is I roasted everything, the hearts and quartered brussel sprouts all together on one baking sheet at 425.  No messy pots and pans to deal with.  Just some olive oil, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper and you are good to go.  Chicken hearts are dirt cheap and crazy good for you.  You can buy enough for two or three people for like, $2.  Keep 'em in the freezer for emergency protein.  You'll thank me some day!

In other news, we are planning a little weekend getaway to Santa Fe, NM in October.  Anyone have hotel recommendations?  What else.... oh yeah... we are getting ready for a very large, and depressing purchase... a minivan...  Please excuse me while I go vomit/sob in the corner.  So some car shopping will probably take place this weekend.  After doing some exhaustive research on SUVs with a third row, I came to the conclusion that we really have no choice but to get a minivan.  We take quite a few road trips with the dog, and once you've got the stroller in, and the dog, and the luggage, and the kiddos, well- you get the picture.  So yeah.  Wish us luck!  

Have a great weekend GFGs! xoxo

Paleo Sauteed Chicken Hearts

Hmmm...  Ok, so this pic is truly one of the most unappetizing pics I have probably ever posted.  Sorry about that.  The arugula looks tasty at least, right?  Yikes.

Anywho.  Chicken hearts are a fantastic source of nutrients.  They are HEARTS after all!  Containing very high quantities of the following nutrients, you really can't argue with 'em:

• iron
• niacin
• pantothenic acid
• phosphorus
• riboflavin
• vitamin B6
• vitamin B12
• zinc

And for those of you who aren't big fans of liver, hearts have a much milder flavor and are also way less chewy and dense.  I suspect broiling or grilling them would be amazeballs.

I picked up about 1 lb and three quarters of the stuff at Whole Paycheck for about $1.40.  Certainly enough for two people, with leftovers for the dog.  At such a low price point, may as well give it a shot right?  Preparation is a snap.

I know it sounds weird.  But when you eat a paleo, primal, or ancestral diet, focusing on getting lots of protein, you really have to branch out sometimes.  And I am not a big steak eater, so that basically means poultry, fish, seafood, and some pork occasionally.  Sh*t gets old eventually.  So what the heck?  Try something new.

Paleo Chicken Hearts
1.5-2 lbs chicken hearts
1 yellow onion
garlic powder
salt
pepper
EVOO, or ghee

Saute your yellow onion in EVOO until its translucent.  Season with salt and a bit of pepper.  Add in your chicken hearts, and season liberally with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Cook for about 7-9 minutes until hearts are completely cooked through.

Easy peasy folks.  You've got nothing to lose! Try it out!

Paleo Thai Coconut Chicken Soup, for Lazy Folk

Want some delicious thai flavored chicken soup?  Are you a big ol' lazy person like me and don't want a lot of fuss but reaaaaally want some hot yummy soup on a cold wintery day?  This soup is PERFECTION I tell you.  It is the ultimate lazy person soup recipe.

Paleo Thai Coconut Chicken Soup
1 can coconut milk (all I had was lite, it worked fine.  Use what you got!)
2-3 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 tbsp red curry paste
1 inch of ginger, grated (If you start out with frozen ginger, it grates very easily)
2 tbsp gluten free soy sauce or coconut aminos for truly paleo
1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
juice of one lime
zest of one lime
4 green onions, sliced
5-6 carrots, noodle-ized with a julienne peeler
1 bag frozen bell peppers
frozen chicken tenders

This soup could not be easier.  Open your can of coconut milk, pour into large stockpot, add chicken broth, red curry paste, green onions, and bring to a boil.  Add in your ginger, soy/coconut aminos, fish sauce, lime zest and juice, and then throw in your frozen bell peppers, chicken tenders, and carrot noodles.  Bring to a boil once again and then reduce to a simmer for at least 40 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.  You may want to make it saltier or spicier or more gingery at this point.  This is not a thick creamy soup at all, more like your favorite chicken noodle soup from childhood, just paleo-ized and with a delicious Thai kick.  This made about 4 servings.

In other news, I've decided to do some DIY holiday gifts for my coworkers.  I debated about doing spiced nuts, or homemade chia fruit jam.  After making homemade spiced walnuts, I decided they were too delicious to share.  So chia fruit jam it is!  The spiced nuts are CRAZY amazing.  I chose walnuts only as they have a favorable Omega 3:6 ratio.  The recipe I used is available here: http://paleocomfortfoods.com/recipes/paleo-comfort-foods-nuts/ and the only difference in my recipe was that I used EVOO and added lots and lots of kosher salt.  Well, that and I also used twice as much spices as the recipe indicated.  I don't know if it's just me or what, but whenever I follow I recipe I end up using at least twice as much spices as directed.  Are my tastebuds totally whack or do people just enjoy blandish food?

This week is sloooooooowly crawling along.  OMGGGGG I wish it would be over!  I feel bad saying that because it's Chanukah but holy crap it is moving at a snails pace.  Ever have one of those weeks?  Sure you do.

And now for a gratuitous nail polish update:  OPI Wooden Shoe Like to Know.  Loooving it!  It's brown with a hint of golden sparkle to it and it's just gorgeous!  Ok the pic does not do it justice at all- but google it and you'll see, it's beyond.  Up next, Essie Butler Please, one of the new winter collection colors.  Dying over this one!

Stay tuned for my chia fruit jam recipe!  I bought a case of Ball jars in the 4 ounce size and I'll be wrapping them in cello bags with some holiday ribbon.  I hope my coworkers enjoy my paleo hippy dippy jam as much as I think they will.

XoXoGFG

Sugar Detox/Phase 1 Complete! And Curried Chicken Salad with Cashews, too

Phase 1 is in the can!  It was not as hard as I thought.  I am still amazed at how easily I fared without treats.  Instead of dessert, I drank decaf tea.  I am ready and psyched for Phase 2- my first Whole30!  The biggies for me will be cutting out all cheese, peanuts and peanut butter, and other legumes.  Although I have been avoiding legumes for awhile anyways because I noticed they made me pretty uncomfortable.  So peanuts and cheese, buy-bye!  Also, nothing with MSG, sulfites, carageenan, etc.  Let's do this!

Another interesting effect of the sugar detox, is I am totally beyond bored by the million and one paleo #faleo treat recipes in the blogosphere.  I can't eat them, and I wouldn't anyways since most of them contain a bunch of dates, honey, or maple syrup, but now I'm not even tempted to GFG them.  I made a small batch of peanut butter cake the other day for my munchkin (which is really so healthy she can eat it for breakfast) as well as some pumpkin mousse (that darn half can of pumpkin in the fridge was starting to irritate me but I'll be damned if I'm going to throw it out!) and was so bored by the recipes I can't even bother to post them.  If it's not REAL FOOD then I DON'T CARE.  For now, anyways.

I am looking forward to seeing how eliminating peanuts and legumes is for me.  I do believe those foods are troublesome for me and I'm frankly pretty excited about hopefully kicking them to the curb for good.  Besides, I've eaten enough hummus these past few years to last me a lifetime.  Other than that, I really don't expect this Whole30 to be too terrible.  I've already ditched sugar/sweeteners/fruit, and also have been faithfully avoiding anything starchy.  I think I'll be ok!  The question is, what will happen on #JAN1???

So folks, what's for dinner at Chez GFG these days?  Fridge clean out soup (a turkey leg, two frozen sausages, a bag of leftover kale, leftover beef/chicken stock), Curried Chicken Salad with Cashews, and my first time ever cooking pork!  Not bacon, but pork.  Entirely different.  The last time I had a pork chop or pork tenderloin I must have been 5 years old.  This will be inneresting eh?  If it's decent blogworthy look for the recipe next week.

Curried Chicken Salad with Cashews (makes 3-4 servings)
cubed/chopped/shredded roasted chicken breast, about 2 cups
7-8 stalks of celery, chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped
1/3 cup mayo
2 tbsp curry powder
1/3 cup cashew pieces
S&P to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Serve atop baby arugula.  Nummy!  If you eat fruit, throw in some halved red grapes too.  But feel free to skip the fructose and enjoy this as is.  You won't miss the sugar with all that yummy curry powder.

Garden Goodness

In late April we set out to create a simple raised garden.  We didn't have super high expectations, and honestly had no idea what we were doing.  But in about 8 weeks, we went from this...

 …to this!

Pretty cool huh?!  The kale was finally getting so crowded I had to harvest some.  I filled up an enormous shopping bag full of greens, and it barely looked like I had even picked anything!

Dinner on Sunday night consisted of probably the simplest, but most amazing and delicious salad I have ever had.  Mixed lettuces with homegrown basil, tomato, and some mozzarella.  I don't think I have ever eaten tastier, fresher, or better veg in my life.  I'm sure much of it is due to the pride factor, and this being our first harvest ever, we were sure feeling proud of ourselves.

Besides the awesome salad, we enjoyed some sautéed kale and fabulous baked chicken.  The chicken was pretty incredible- maybe my new favorite way to bake up a big batch of it.  Just marinate chicken thighs in raspberry balsamic vinegar with salt and pepper for 4-6 hours, then bake it at 475 until cooked through with some S&P, and rosemary.  Simple, easy, delicious, and pesticide/GMO/chemical free, totally organic.

Yay for Team GFG!  Now here's hoping our tomatoes spring to life one of these days.

Do you garden?  What have you been your successes thus far?  Any tips or suggestions?  How do you store all the veg you can't eat right away?

XoxoGFG

Easiest.Yummiest.Baked.Chicken.Ever.

Chicken is just such a bore.  UGH sometimes just thinking about it annoys me.  We don't even eat it that much but still it feels omnipresent doesn't it?  There just has to be a better way to prepare it that won't dirty five million dishes or take hours to prepare.

Well- if this recipe isn't the answer to my problems, I don't know what is.  And no, I don't have a pic (do you care really? My pics are shit.) because 1) it's not much to look at and 2) it was gone in a flash.

Couple of thoughts first.  I've made chicken probably every possible way, and used every possible part.  Wings, legs, drumsticks, breast, whole chicken, half chicken, smoked chicken, poached, marinated, brined, tenderized, bacon-wrapped, grilled, seared, boiled, slow-cooked, baked, fried, ground… you get the picture.  I have to say, if you have the time, a whole chicken butterflied on the grill is tops.  But what if you don't want to buy a whole chicken, or don't have the time, or patience to cut it up etc.  Here is my secret to the best chicken ever- stop buying boneless skinless chicken breast.  For reals.  Just stop.  Buy the best chicken you can, grass-fed/pastured/organic whatever, and get boneless, skinless thighs.  No messy skin and bones to deal with, no muss no fuss.  Freezes great, retains flavor and moisture a zillion times better.  Just try it.

However- if you aren't in to dark meat, have a bunch of white meat on hand still, or have a few different parts, this will still work GREAT!

EYB Chicken
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cups buttermilk**
Rub:
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 - 2 tsp kosher salt

Marinate your chicken in buttermilk for at least four hours, can leave overnight even.  Preheat your oven to 425 (and use the convection feature if you have it!) and mix all your seasonings together.  Spread your chicken out onto a foil lined baking sheet/pan so they have a little space in between.  Very liberally distribute your seasoning mixture over the chicken.  Don't worry about coating both sides.  Bake until the juices run clear- probably 25-35 minutes.

**This chicken is so freaking easy.  Buttermilk is the ultimate chicken marinade/tenderizer people.  I know I know, what the hell do you with the leftover buttermilk?  Two suggestions- 1) it is already "spoiled" shall we say, so you can leave it in the fridge for quite awhile, even after it's been opened.  Like, weeks and weeks.  Just make sure it's properly sealed and towards the back of the fridge.  2) freeze the rest!  Pour it in a freezer bag and be done with it!  Thaw it next time you need it.  Dunzo.

Cashew Curry Chicken Salad

You know those times when you have a bunch of somewhat bland, and getting close to spoiling chicken in the fridge, leftover from who knows what, and if you don't use it up soon it will either go in the trash or the dog bowl?  Here is an awesome recipe to use said chicken.  Or even canned chicken I bet.

Cashew Curry Chicken Salad
2 cups shredded, torn, or chopped up chicken
1/4 cup mayo (or more if you like mayo)
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 green onions, sliced finely
1/4 to 1/3 cup raw unsalted cashews, chopped or in pieces
1/3 cup raisins, I used golden as that's what I had on hand
2 tbsp curry powder
S&P to taste

This takes all of 10 minutes start to finish.  Let it sit in the fridge for a bit for optimal yumminess.  I love curry powder and wanted this to have a ton of flavor, but try adding 1 tbsp first and go from there.  This made about 3 or 4 servings.  Shown with some sliced avocado.  Even better if you have some baby spinach or greens.

Not that it makes any difference for me, but this is a great recipe for passover as it can easily be eaten by itself, or with some GF matzah.  Could also sub out the chicken for eggs and make it a curried egg salad, also super yum!  I'm sure everyone has tons of boiled eggs laying around from easter/seder plates.  Have fun experimenting!

XoXoGFG @GrainFreeG

Tomato Pesto No Carb "Flat Bread"

After my success with Mexican Chicken Dip, the canned chicken was once again forgotten in my pantry.  There just had to be something else I could do with it right?

Maybe you're familiar with the site- Your Lighter Side.  On this website there are kinds of low-carb recipes, probably the most famous being her oopsie rolls which I tried once but failed to whip the egg whites long enough- anyways- she has a few different uses for chicken that result in either a cracker-y or bread-y type finished product so I thought- what the hell, I'll try it!

It seemed too easy and too good to be true that by simply pulsing some chicken and cheese in a cuisi could result in something that would ultimately come out like a cracker- but it's true!

All I did was pulse a can of chicken with two slices of cheddar until crumbly, then press into a giant circle on a parchment lined baking sheet and baked at 425 for about 25 minutes.  It was crunchy and browed like flatbread!

After slathering with some organic pesto and chopped tomatoes- it was exactly like one of those yummy flatbreads I used to order.

Try it!  So easy and a great use for an otherwise forgotten food item that would probably languish in the pantry forever.  I'm looking forward to trying it again with different flavors!  I bet even some string cheese would work well and be mild enough in flavor to go pretty much any direction you wanted.

XoXoGFG

Mexican Chicken Dip

I'm calling this Mexican Chicken Dip- but I use "mexican" loosely because I don't know how else to describe it.  It's really good.  How about that?

My mom was in town for 8 days and brought some food from home, including a few cans of canned chicken breast from costco.  Canned chicken breast has never been on my list of items to buy.  I don't think I had ever had it before.  Canned tuna and salmon, for sure, but chicken?  No.  A quick google search revealed ten billion recipes for chicken dip using canned chicken- so I figured, what the hell?

This dip took two minutes to make, plus another two minutes in the microwave.  S ate most of it, no joke.  The girl loves meat and cheese.  It's hilarious.  Anyways- this would make a great superbowl app served with some celery.


Mexican Chicken Dip
1 can canned chicken breast, drained
4 tbsp cream cheese (i use neufchatel)
1/3 cup shredded taco cheese
1/2 can of fire roasted tomatoes
2 tbsp chili powder

Stir everything, then stick it in the microwave to melt the cheese for a minute.  Stir, and put back for another minute.  Dunzo.  Makes a ton of dip- certainly enough for a party.

Whole Chicken in the Crockpot

I was a little wary of trying a whole chicken in the crockpot- would it taste bland and boring like a boiled chicken?  Would the skin get all oozy and gross?  Would it dry out and be totally flavorless? 

No, no, and no!!!  Another win for team crockpot!  I don't know why I was so chicken in the first place, har har.  Stupid, sorry.  Ok anyways- I know it seems a little strange to cook a whole chicken when you can probably get a rotisserie chicken for pretty cheap- costco has 'em for $4.99.  But rotisserie chicken and homemade whole chicken that hasn't been sitting out for hours and hours under a heat lamp, and made with god knows what ingredients, are really not comparable.  This is a different situation altogether.  The meat falls off the bone, you really don't even need a knife to cut it- and you get the bonus of tons of chicken broth too.  Does it get crispy?  No.  Duh- a crockpot needs moisture to work.  But its great.  So if you see whole chicken on sale- jump on it.  Buy two and freeze them, whatever. 

Whole Chicken in the Crockpot
1 whole chicken- mine was roughly 3lbs
3 carrots, halved
2 celery stalks, halved
1 lemon
1/2 an onion
2 tbsp EVOO
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp dried herb poultry seasoning (rosemary, oregano, sage)
1/4 tsp cayenne

In the bottom of your crockpot, position your carrots and celery, then throw in half of your chopped onion.  Place your raw chicken on top of the veg.  In a small bowl, mix the juice of half a lemon with your EVOO and mix in your seasonings.  Stuff the cavity with most of the other half of your onion and your lemon.  Pour EVOO mixture over chicken and rub it all over.  I seasoned mine a bit more afterwards because I have a major salt-tooth, but you don't need to.  Cover with lid and cook on low for 7 hours.  You will have tons of food and also some great broth.  The carrots are almost the best part!  This is a great base recipe that you can get creative with. 

M is at a bach party in New Orleans this weekend, so grammy GFG is here for awhile.  The three of us enjoyed this super yummy and almost no prep dinner together.  I think it took me about 7 minutes to get this ready this morning, and I did it while S was having breakfast.  If you haven't tried this cooking method yet, give it a shot!  XoXoGFG

Chicken Fingers!

After my huge brownie accomplishment, I think I indulged a bit too much.  Which made me think about some of my other questionable choices- too many nuts, too many dried cherries.  Everyone is doing Sugar-Free Challenges, Whole30, etc, and while I don't think I can detox quite to that extent, I do think a little abstaining is in order.  No dried fruit, no treats, and less nuts (but not none, that would be almost impossible!)  I've also recently started a new job, and my schedule has changed pretty dramatically, and I'm still trying to figure out how to fit in my daily exercise.  Part of me is ok with taking a little break, things have been pretty rough lately and I just need a break.  I'm not hardcore about my workouts, but 7 days a week of anything will burn you out eventually.

Wow I got off-topic there!  Basically, what I was trying to say was that when you decide to do a little detoxing, reduce your carbs/sugar or even grain/sugar-free treats, you need to be sure you are getting an adequate amount of protein and healthy fat to curb those cravings!  I have been craving chicken fingers and french fries for awhile now, and after seeing some interesting recipes on Pinterest, I thought, I can definitely GFGify something!  And I did!  So once again folks, when sh*t gets tough, you can still get in the kitchen and make a healthy meal your whole family will love, and that always manages to put a smile on my face!

Grain-Free, Gluten-Free Chicken Fingers
1 package chicken tenders, mine was about 1.5 lbs
3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, or coconut powder
1/2 cup almond flour
1 tbsp kosher salt (I wanted mine salty, so use less if you don't have a salt-tooth like me)
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 eggs
EVOO for the pan

Whisk your eggs in a small bowl.  In a large dish (I used a glass pie-dish which worked great) combine your coconut, almond flour, S&P and mix well.  You want to create a little assembly line so that you can get your chicken tenders in the egg, then dredge them in your coconut/flour mixture, and then lay them out somewhere easily accessible to the stovetop.  I laid all my chicken fingers on a large strip of wax paper.  Coat all chicken fingers well, and then heat up some oil in a large pan.  You could of course also bake these puppies but I wanted them super crisp, and also didn't have the time to wait for them to cook in the oven.  Cook about 3 minutes per side, or longer depending on how browned you want them.  I tend to like mine pretty brown and crunchy.  These chicken fingers were AWESOME!  You do not need to miss out on one of the world's best bar foods anymore.  Chicken fingers are back!  I served mine with some homemade ketchup.  Yummmm!  We also had these with some carrot fries, which I'll post about soon.

Hope everyone's new year is off to a great start, and that you are happy, healthy, and grateful!  XoXoGFG

Spicy Mexican Chicken Stew

I'm calling this Mexican Chicken Stew because really, I couldn't figure out a better descriptor.  I'm kind of lazy, and don't feel like getting cutesy with the name.  But it was good.  And easy.  And about as healthy as you can get.  There are plenty of leftovers, this probably makes enough to serve 6-8.  I made it in the crockpot but you cold make it on the stovetop too, no problem.  It would be great served with sliced avocado, sour cream, or shredded cheese.  We had none of the above and it was still great.  I had planned on making this because, hey, it's January, and it's cold and wintery outside!  Except it's not!  It's 60 degrees!  So we had some hot filling stew on a 60 degree day... oops!  Oh well.  Beats shoveling snow and digging icicles out of your dog's paws right?

Spicy Mexican Chicken Stew
2 chicken breasts, skinless/boneless, bone in skin on, whatever you got
1 14.5 ounce can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
8 ounces of green tomatillo sauce
2 1/2 cups chicken stock, reduced sodium, or homemade
2 cups of chopped carrots
3 or 4 celery stalks, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup salsa
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp minced garlic
squeeze of lime, or lime juice, if you have it

Throw all your chopped veg into the crockpot, then pour in your tomatillo sauce, salsa, fire roasted tomatoes, chicken stock, beans, seasonings, garlic, lime juice, and stir well.  Then put your chicken in, and try to submerse it under the liquid but not so it's touching the bottom.  Cook on low for 7 hours or so.  When it's finished, shred the chicken with a fork and give it a big stir, and serve with whatever accoutrements you want!  I actually served this with some flax quesadillas based on this recipe which I actually hated but I'll admit, having something resembling a tortilla was kind of cool.  But still, I hated it.  Then again, the taste of flax is very overpowering to me and I think it tastes like snot, or what I think snot would taste like.  Ugh yuck, I hate flax.  But if you like it, or don't mind it (then I apologize for saying it tastes like snot) then try out the recipe!  Lots of fiber and all those ALA's!

So now the house smells like spicy stew and I have lots of leftovers for S to eat over the next couple days which makes me inexplicably happy.  Yayy!  Hope everyone has a great weekend!  XoXoGFG

Butter and Herb Roasted Whole Chicken

Even though we all eat chicken all the time, there is something special, but comforting, about a whole roasted chicken.  The way it fills your entire house with the most delicious smell, knowing you can make an awesome chicken stock afterwards, and most likely having plenty of leftovers make it such a fun dish. 

This time I bought a fresh, all-natural, organic chicken from WF and I don't think I have to tell you that the taste and texture was far superior to a frozen, hormone-filled chicken.  This particular birdy was a bit shy of 4lbs.  I let it sit out on the counter for probably an hour or two before cooking, so it could come to room temp.  I did not wash it.  People have differing opinions on washing your bird first.  I don't do it- do you?  I don't want to get raw chicken juice all over the place personally.

I also did not use a roasting rack- rather I tossed a bunch of sliced onions and baby carrots over a foil-lined baking sheet, and placed the chicken on top of the carrots to keep the bottom of the chicken off of the baking sheet so the hot air could circulate underneath it.  I didn't bother greasing the foil. 

The picture doesn't do this guy justice.  It may look burnt, but that's just the herbs.  It was not burnt at all.  In fact, it was the juiciest, moistest chicken I've ever had!

Butter and Herb Roasted Whole Chicken
1 whole chicken, giblets removed (mine was almost 4lbs) and totally DRY
One container poultry herbs (several sprigs of rosemary and thyme, plus a handful of sage leaves, FRESH)
4 tbsp all natural butter, like Kerrygold (I prefer to use unsalted) room temp
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
handful of baby carrots
half an onion, chopped

Place your baby carrots and sliced onions on your foil-lined baking sheet, then place chicken on top of the carrots.  Salt and pepper the inside of the bird generously, and if you have extra herbs or onions, throw them in too.  Tie the legs together with twine (I only had hemp, it worked fine!) and tuck the wings under the bird so they don't burn.  Finely chop all your herbs and then throw them in a small dish.  Add your room temp butter, garlic, and salt and pepper.  Mix it up well.  Then, with clean hands, take a glob of butter and smoosh it around under the chicken skin.  Try to get it as far down as you can.  Smear the remaining butter mixture all over the skin and don't skimp on the legs, thighs, wings, etc!  Roast in your preheated oven at 425 for about an hour and 20 minutes.  I used my convection feature and it only took one hour, so if you have a convection oven go for it!  You must must MUST let the bird rest for 20 minutes at least.  If you are unsure whether it's done or not- take a peek at the juices running out.  Are they clear?  If so, it's dunzo.  You can absolutely eat the carrots, they are ridiculously insanely good.  Best of all- keep the carcass and use it for the best stock ever!

I did a lot of googling before I decided to use butter.  I had never ever used butter before to roast anything.  EVOO all the way.  But the milk solids in the butter create a fabulous crispy and browned skin that EVOO just can't.  I've also seen a lot of recipes that call for Mayo- which I also think is a great idea, but was worried about trying it for the first time on company.  But I'm all for it next time.  On their Thanksgiving special, I noticed the Voltaggio (sp?) bros used mayo to roast something.  I also am not thrilled with the mayo I have on hand.  I need a really good quality organic mayo. 

Make this chicken.  It's awesome.  Super easy.  Pretty to look at.  Who doesn't love a roast chicken.  With butter.  Duh. 

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Breast

We all know how boring, bland, and dry plain boneless skinless chicken breast can  be.  Especially if it's been sitting in your freezer for awhile.  But, it's nothing some bacon can't fix!  Many recipes call for first pounding out your chicken, and rolling up some kind of elaborate stuffing into it- smoked gouda, swiss cheese, herbs, all kinds of things.  By all means, if you have the extra time and ingredients, go for it.  But if you're looking for a quick and budget friendly meal, this version is it!

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Breast (Serves 2)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, patted dry
1 tbsp mayo
2 tsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper
5-6 slices of bacon, depending on how big the breasts are

Preheat your oven to 365.  In a foil lined baking dish, spray a little cooking spray to ensure nothing sticks.  Mix mayo and dijon in a small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Slather may mixture onto chicken breasts liberally.  This will keep them moist and flavorful.  On a clean surface, lay your bacon strips down horizontally, then put your chicken breast down over them perpendicular to the bacon.  Wrap the strips around the chicken breast.  You don't really need to put toothpicks through them to keep them in place, but if you want to, go ahead.  Repeat for second chicken breast, or however many you're doing.  Now, I would not recommend using turkey bacon, as there is really not enough fat for them to crisp up nicely, and you'll end up with something more like smoked turkey wrapped chicken, which is fine, but not really what we're going for.  If that's all you have on hand, you could try brushing some EVOO or butter over the turkey bacon to help it crisp up in the oven.  Bake chicken breasts for 30 minutes or until the bacon is starting to brown.  Let it rest for a few minutes before slicing.  Served with some kale chips and salad, this was Wednesday night's dinner in a flash.  Best of all, clean up is easy- just remove the foil and you're done!

Bacon is sure getting ample time in the spotlight these days.  I'd say we are experiencing full-on bacon fanaticism.  Don't get me wrong, I love bacon, but people are really going all out nuts.  One awesome result from the bacon craze is that people are really starting to seek out sustainably raised, organically fed heritage pigs, and going back to nose-to-tail eating.  Utilizing every ounce of protein and fat from the animal humanly possible.  And why not?  If you have to kill an animal for food, do it with honor and respect for the animal, and use every bit of it you can. 

What are your favorite bacon recipes?  Bacon pancakes?  Bacon chocolate-chip cookies?  Bacon milkshakes?  I just recently made some egg muffins with bacon too.  Share your fave bacon recipes! 
XoXoGFG

Ina-Inspired Chicken Piccata with Lemon and Wine Sauce

As we all know, I love Ina Garten.  I adore her.  She seems like such a fun, sweet, happy person, and is usually no muss no fuss in the kitchen.  She's not overly fancy and she seems to generally enjoy life.  Although, with a life like hers, how could you not?!  Her husband is only home on weekends, and the rest of the time she's entertaining her fabulous group of Hampton notables and a steady crew of her gays!  Anyways- you'd be surprised how many of her recipes are paleo, or can easily be adapted to paleo.  Vegan, not so much.  The other day I pinned a chicken piccata recipe of hers and was excited to give it a try.  Even though I was using frozen chicken breasts, it worked out great.  Another win for Ina!  I've had a half-full bottle of wine in the fridge for awhile and wanted to get some good use out of it- so decided to make the sauce too.  Here is the original recipe.  Don't let the fact that you need to pound the chicken first scare you.  It takes all of two minutes and you don't need any special equipment.  I used a heavy plastic cup.


Ina Inspired Chicken Piccata with Lemon Wine Sauce, Grain-Free
2 chicken breasts, dried very well, and pounded out so they're equally thick, about 1/4 inch
2 cups almond flour
1 tsp each sea salt and pepper
1 room temp egg, beaten
2 tbsp water
2 tsp EVOO or butter
If you have any fresh herbs they'd be great too
Juice of one lemon
3/4 cup wine

Make sure your chicken breasts are the same thickness and very dry.  Beat your eggs with the 2 tbsp of water in a bowl.  On a plate, combine almond flour with salt and pepper.  Get another plate to put the chicken on once they're coated.  Dunk your chicken into the beaten egg and then coat it well on both sides with almond flour.  You'll want the chicken to be nice and crispy so don't be stingy with the coating!  Place the coated chicken breast on the empty plate, and repeat with second breast.  In a large skillet or saute pan, melt your butter or oil until it's sizzling.  Put both pieces of chicken in the pan, you want to hear it sizzle immediately.  Cook your chicken breasts 3 or 4 minutes per side, until the it's nice and browned, then flip.  Once the chicken is finished, remove it so you can start the sauce.  Add your white wine (something dry) and lemon juice, then put the rinds in too.  Cook for a few minutes until it starts to thicken, then spoon over chicken breasts.  This is an easy recipe that seems quite complicated and fancy, but it's not!  And for those of us who miss fried chicken, this is very slightly reminiscent.  A great choice for little mouths too because the chicken gets very tender from pounding.  With a salad, this was dinner done in less than 20 minutes.

Tonight is Friday night, and we usually stay in and do shabbat.  I have a bunch of frozen ground turkey.  What to make????  Any fun new recipes with ground meat you've tried lately???

Happy Friday!  And happy pinning!  I am loving being able to pin all my fave food bloggers recipes I want to try.  You can follow my pins at http://pinterest.com/gfg/. XoXoGFG!

Chicken Adobo and Kale Chips

I am the latest convert to Kale Chips!  I was soooo pleasantly surprised by the taste, texture, and ease of preparation.  I'm looking forward to trying them again some time with nooch!  This version of chicken adobo is probably an abomination of the traditional Philippine dish but it was easy and tasted great.

Kale Chips
1 bunch kale (I prefer curly) ripped/chopped into bite sized pieces
1 tbsp EVOO
salt and pepper to taste, garlic powder, onion salt, whatever spices you like

Preheat oven to 300.  Place kale on baking sheet and pour EVOO over, then sprinkling spices.  Coat kale evenly and bake for about 30-33 minutes.  Start checking at 25 min or so and see how you're doing.  You do not want these suckers to burn!

GFG's Chicken Adobo
4 pieces chicken, split breasts, thighs, etc
1 cup water
1 cup soy sauce (if you have gluten sensitivities make sure you are using gluten free!)
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar (or white wine)
cracked pepper
3 bay leaves
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 large onion, sliced

 I marinated my chicken for a few hours in the fridge.  Take them out 30 min before cooking to let them cook to room temp.  Brown each piece of chicken in your skillet/dutch oven, about 4 min per side, and then pour marinade over and cover for about 20 minutes.  To make life easier, I also through a bunch of frozen vegetables in the dutch oven.  Use what you got!  Simple and tangy!

Greek Inspired Roast Chicken with Cauli Rice

Chicken gets pretty boring if you don't switch up your flavor profiles- and as much as I like to use powerful spices in cooking, especially with chicken, even that can get tired if you're always doing the same thing.  I was looking through an old Real Simple for inspiration for yet another chicken recipe and came across a souvlaki recipe with tzatziki.  I love chicken souvlaki so decided to make my own interpretation.

Having a whole chicken to use, and no indoor grill- I was stoked to use the convection oven.  I had never used the convect feature for a whole roast chicken and had heard they come out so much juicier and more evenly browned.  Yay! Another win for my convection!

Greek Herb Roasted Chicken 
1 whole chicken, marinated in red wine vinegar, lemon juice, S&P, rosemary, and oregano for a few hours. (I cut out the backbone and butterfly it, roasting it on a cooling rack over a tin foil lined baking sheet to catch all the grease.)
1 tbsp EVOO
additional S&P to season the skin
1/2 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tbsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Arrange your butterflied chicken on the rack and make sure legs are both facing outwards and wings are tucked under for more uniform cooking.  Slather EVOO over skin then sprinkle with salt and pepper (I used sea salt) and rosemary, oregano, and garlic.  I roasted mine for 50 minutes in a 425 degree oven.  Make sure to let it rest for at least an extra 10 minutes!  Serve with TJ's tzatziki!  So delish!  I contemplated making my own but reading the ingredients on the store-bought version, I didn't see any reason to.  The ingredients seemed natural and fairly unprocessed.  I served this with plain slices of cucumber, and cauliflower rice.

Cauli rice is a super popular recipe on all the food blogs.  I was happy with it's couscousy texture and it was super easy to prepare.  And no steaming or boiling either!

Cauli Rice
1 head of cauliflower
1/2 med onion
1 tbsp EVOO
S&P to taste

Cut cauli up into large chunks and place in bowl of food processor.  Pulse until it looks like small grains of couscous.  In a large saute pan, brown onion in EVOO and season to taste.  After onion is nice and brown (maybe 7 min) add cauliflower.  By now you've noticed I rarely cook with garlic, I really cannot stand it, but feel free to add at this point.  Stir cauli regularly and cook until starting to brown.  This took another 7 minutes or so.  Since S was going to be eating this, I didn't add anything spicy.  But some red pepper flakes would be awesome if you aren't concerned with spiciness.  This makes quite a lot of cauli rice.  We all ate large portions and had more to spare.  Perfect for babies too.

Are you an NY Times reader?  If not- you must check out the Food & Drink Issue of the Times Magazine.  It is amazing.  It has fun interactive features and answers some very interesting questions.  Play around with it.  There's an even a separate link to stress-free dinner party recipes.  I really applaud the NY Times' effort to familiarize more people with the business of agriculture, and the sad state of food policy in the U.S.  Rather than being completely downtrodden and pessimistic however, they encourage readers to become their own food advocates and seek out locally sourced, non GMO and organic foods.  The more we buy from these sources, the more available higher quality food becomes.  One person really can make a difference.  And for gods sake, start reading food labels and ingredient lists!  Don't just look at the calories, look at what you're actually eating!  Is sugar the first ingredient? DON'T EAT IT!  Are there ingredients that aren't actually food?  DON'T EAT IT!

I could go on and on but I won't- just read the piece instead, and enjoy!  I'm contemplating sharing a non-GFG pancake recipe- I feel like it wouldn't be appropriate to post it since it's mainly oatmeal- but S eats oatmeal for breakfast most days and I wanted to switch things up a little.  It wasn't quite what I was imagining, so perhaps once I perfect it I'll put it up.  Have an awesome day, XoXoGFG

Catching Up: Pesto Chicken, Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies...

Wow!  It has been a busy past 6 days.  As usual work is nutty, and with MKG out of town over the weekend I didn't have much time to spare.  S and I had an awesome time together at the Plaza Art Fair, OP Fall Fest, and we even got our first pair of shoes!  These cuties:

I even got to sneak out to a cocktail party and see The Help, which I had been wanting to see for awhile!  I loved the book, and the movie was really great too.  All in all, a busy and fun fall weekend.  S got to wear lots of new outfits too!

I can barely think past to last week at this point but I did have a few minutes to whip up some Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies on Saturday- the texture was amazeballs.  I'm not sure if it is because I've been using my convection feature or what- but they were crunchy and had a good snap, not cakey or sconey like past cookie attempts have been.  Super simple recipe.

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies, Grain-Free & Sugar-Free
2.5 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon (I love cinn and choc together but this is optional)
1/2 cup oil (coconut, grapeseed, canola etc)
1/2 cup sweetener like Stevia in the Raw, I used a smidge less
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup choc chips.  I had a few bars of partly eaten choc chips laying around so I combined them all and cut them up.  Takes more time than opening a bag of choc chips but it allowed me to combine three different types of chocolate.  72% cocao- 85% cocao, and 90% cocao.  This created different layers of flavor that I really liked!

Combine flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon thoroughly.  In a separate bowl, combine vanilla, sweetener, and oil.  At this point I added a few tablespoons of nut milk because I had a feeling the mixture would be too dry.  Probably 3 tablespoons or so.  This depends on what sweetener you are using, so you'll have to experiment with the amount of liquid.  The batter should end up being wet enough that you can form it into little 1 inch balls.  If it's too crumbly, you may want more liquid.  Add dry to wet and mix, then adding in chocolate chips.  This would also be a great time to add in 1/2 cup of walnuts, dried cherries, etc.  Place balls of dough on parchment lined cookie sheet.  I got 20 cookies total.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top.  I used my convection oven and was very happy with the texture.

Yesterday- after the cukoo weekend, we all decided to stay in for dinner.  And I was itching to make some pesto after this latest purchase:

Yay!  I don't know why I waited until now to buy basil.  It's my favorite herb and I never have any of it on hand.  Next I need to get some rosemary.  Anyways- I never measure out pesto- I eyeball it and add more ingredients as I go along, tasting as I "pulse."  We had a simple dinner of pesto chicken breast and spinach salad.  Suuuuuuuuuuper easy.

Walnut Pesto Chicken Breast
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
      Marinade:  (2 hrs in the fridge'll do it!)
      1 lemon
      1/4 cup red wine vinegar
      2 tsp salt
      1 tbsp Meyer Lemon Olive Oil (or reg EVOO)
Pesto:
1 cup basil
1/3 cup walnuts
2 tbsp EVOO
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp grated parmesan
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Pulse pesto ingredients in cuisi until a thick paste forms, you may need to scrape the sides down once or twice.  If you want this to be more saucy, add more oil as you pulse the mixture until you reach the right consistency.  You'll need to add more salt most likely.  I wanted mine to be more spread-like than saucy.  Remove marinated chicken and place in baking dish, pour remaining marinade over chicken.  Spread pesto over chicken and bake at 415 for about 45 minutes or until cooked through and juices are clear.  Let sit for 5 min before eating!

I'm so glad MKG is home and we can all have a great Rosh Hashanah together this Wednesday night.  Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and typically you welcome it with apples and honey- so I'll need to come up with a special apple dish that is GFG appropriate!  Stay tuned!  XoXoGFG

Today's experiments

I feel pretty successful about my two coconutty creations!  And I had fun doing them!


First, I tried Vegan Freezer Fudge!  YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I posted about it earlier in the week.  OMG how easy and delish!  Love it!

2 tablespoons coconut butter
2 tablespoons organic all natural peanut butter (no additives, peanuts only!)
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 ripe banana, although mine wasn't too terribly ripe and it was more like 3/4 of a banana, baby S ate the first 1/4!
1/2 teaspoon sugar substitute
1/16th teaspoon salt

Blend everything until smooth in blender, then transfer to square tupperware and press until evenly layered, and freeze!  It is delish.  Seriously.  I'd like to try a vanilla version with no cocoa or PB and some vanilla extract.  Yum!  Easy and fun.  And no baking for me to screw up!

Later on while S was napping I tried my hand at Pumpkin Spice Bread, adapted from like twelve different pumpkin break recipes I found.  All of them call for an enormous amount of eggs and I just can't do it.  It just seems gross to me.  So I finally settled on the following:

3/4 cup coconut flour, sifted
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
2 eggs
2 flax eggs (2 T ground flax meal with 6 T water, blended well and then let sit for five minutes)
1/4 cup liquified coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar substitute
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350.  Blend flax eggs and combine with real eggs.  Pour in vanilla, coconut oil, and pumpkin puree, sugar substitute and stir.  Sift coconut flour, salt, baking soda, and spices in separate bowl and combine.  Pour in wet mixture, add walnuts, and stir, then transfer to greased loaf pan.  Bake 45-50 minutes. 

The end result is good, not sweet at all, but still getting used to the mousse-iness of coconut flour baked goods.  I wonder if anything can be done about that?  And also, I wish it would rise more.  I wonder if a bit more baking soda would help?  I think only further experimentation with more/less eggs and liquid will tell.  I have seen other blogs add chocolate chunks to pumpkin bread, but I remember last thanksgiving my aunt made a chocolate pumpkin cheesecake and the flavor combos did NOT sit right with me, or anyone else really, so I'm kind eh about trying that out.

This week, I'll be trying a few more items, like this one from Spunky Coconut that I'm excited about, with quite a few tweaks, of course. 

Chocolate Raspberry Cookie Bars:

Add to bowl:

3/4 cup coconut flour

1/3 cup almond meal flour

1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

4 tbsp coconut oil, liquified

Combine and pour into lightly greased square baking dish.

Spread evenly.

Melt over lowest heat:

1/4 cup coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)

1/4 cup cocoa powder

2 tbsp sugar substitute

Combine and immediately remove from heat (so the chocolate doesn't burn).

Add to measuring cup:

3/4 cup coconut milk + 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 2 tbsp sugar sub

Pour over crust.

Drop chocolate mixture (or chips if substituting) on top of crust and coconut milk.

Drop 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp sugar-free raspberry jam like this:

Top with 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

and 1/2 cup chopped nuts.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Refrigerate about 8 hours.

It solidifies from chilling.

We'll see how it goes with my many tweaks and substitutions!  Yikes!  The orig recipe calls for Quinoa flakes and stevia and ghee- no thanks!

Here are two other Grain-Free entrees I'll be trying this week:

Spicy Turkey Sausage with Flageolets and Cauliflower
1 lb spicy turkey sausage or kielbasa
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 can rinsed and drained Flageolet
1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets and blanched
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
salt and pepper to taste

Saute cut up turkey sausage, browning evenly.  Remove from pan and transfer to plate.  In same pan, adding coconut oil, saute onions for a few minutes until transparent, then add spices, then beans.  Cook for two minutes.  Add blanched cauliflower florets and cook 5-7 minutes.  When browned and cooked through, add turkey sausage to warm through.  Serve with arugula and lemon vinaigrette!

Coconut Flour Chicken Curry

• 1 whole chicken cut into 6-8 piece
• 3 Tablespoons coconut oil 
• 2 Tablespoons coconut flour 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 
• 1 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon curry powder 
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup water 

Sauté garlic, onion, ginger, with coconut oil. Add the cut-up chicken, slightly brown the chicken. Add chicken stock, simmer for 15 minutes. Add salt, black pepper and curry powder. Cover the pan. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Dissolve coconut flour in 1/4 cup of water. Stir it into the pan. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

What else?  Well I'm excited that baby S is finally really embracing solid foods!  This morning she ate 1/4 of a banana with her oatmeal, and then at lunch ate cut up fruit pieces from a fruit cup!  So that is really great.  She is also way into cottage cheese, which is awesome.  And while I am not a fan of edamame or soy products in general due to their phytoestrogens (which flaxseed has as well?), she did enjoy some edamame last night at Oakwood.  Yay!  Next I want to try cooked broccoli and cauliflower.  

Have I mentioned my shortcut muesli yet?  It was pretty simple, although the flaxseed gives a somewhat odd smell and texture.  Now that I make flax eggs in baking all the time, the snot-like texture that flax gets when mixed with water is grossing me out, alas, I ate it!

This is sort of in-line with CCK's volume oatmeal, just in that I stole her trick of adding tons and tons of water.  

Lazy-ass Muesli

1/4 cup irish steel cut oats

2 tablespoons flax

2 1/2 cups water

pinch of salt

Combine ingredients in bowl and put in refridge for 2 days.  Oats will increase in volume 250%!  I ate mine with 6 ounces of yogurt.  Adding some nuts would make it more nutritious, or some sliced berries.  Yes I am aware oats are a grain and no I will not be making a habit of this- but I felt like the extra protein, fiber, and good fats from this particular combination were worthwhile.  This is, I believe, gluten-free, just not grain-free.  The cool thing about my Lazy-ass Muesli is that because the oats grow so much, you can actually end up eating half of a serving and feeling like you just ate a ton, so the muesli itself ends up being only about 100 calories.  All that water it absorbs makes it quite filling!  

Ok S is tearing up the room and needs a bath, until next time grain-free groupies!

Carriage Club, Westport Food Truck Festival, and Sunday Berger BBQ!

 Another fun-filled, jampacked, and amazing weekend!  It goes without saying that I consider myself incredibly, ridiculously, amazingly lucky to have such wonderful friends that I cherish so immensely!

 It started out with the Carriage Club on Friday where the kids swam while the adults schmoozed, although I suppose the wives were actually all kind of in crappy moods, but S&Z hugging and posing for the camera quickly erased my shitty attitude!

Saturday was the Rounhill pool, which shabby and rundown as it is, is still such a fabulous resource to have literally one block away, the baby pool is shaded, and there were tons and tons of other neighborhood kids there.  We really are so fortunate to have such a cute little pool/tennis club right at our front door.  After S's afternoon nap we headed over to the Westport Food Truck Festival, which I know I've spoken about before.  It was a great idea, don't get me wrong, but the combination of some crucial rookie mistakes, with the 100-plus-degree heat, made for a rather interesting evening, to say the least.  Here are my thoughts for improvement:
1)Hold the festival in October when cooler weather will better lend itself to the heavy, filling, and mostly fried foods
2)If you are going to charge $5 per person and then proceed to charge quite a bit for the food on top of that, once you get in, the admission price really needs to get you something.  For instance, kick-promos or coupons/discounts to participating vendors, a couple drink tickets, etc.
3)If they want people to try all the different food trucks and give them all a shot at making money and increasing awareness, a few things need to be done.  A) Someone needs to get all the food menus in advance so there are not 13 tacos, 12 hot dogs, and 6 cupcakes.  There needs to be some oversight over the menu so people have a variety to choose from and don't feel like everyone is serving the same exact thing. B)Prices need to be lower to encourage trial and repeat visits.  The whole point of the festival was to get people to try multiple trucks and acquaint themselves with a number of different cuisines and offerings, this is not possible when each truck is serving a pricier meal.  Lastly, C)portion portion portion!  Serve smaller, more affordable portions so that people can SAMPLE!

However, the evening was still a lot of fun and we did finally get to try Magical Meatball Tour, which was DELISH!  Other than that, it was just too hot and the food just not conducive to trying a bunch of different things.  So we grabbed a drink at The Foundry where we gave S her dinner and enjoyed a nice glass of Pinot.  Then it was on to Peachwave and nighty night!

Sunday, I spent most of the day preparing for our Sunday Berger BBQ!  We definitely had a great menu plan.  Grilled whole butterflied chicken, turkey burgers, grilled asparagus, portabello's, plus bread for the non-grain-free peeps, and chips/salsa, plus a grain-free, vegan, sugar-free Peach Cobbler.

The chicken was phenomenal.  I marinated it all day in the Raspberry Balsamic vinegar I bought at The Oilerie in Fish Creek.  Just the vinegar, and then seasoned with thyme, kosher salt, and pepper on the grill.  It was amazing, thank goodness we have leftovers!  If you've not butterflied and grilled a whole chicken before, I definitely suggest you give it a try.  Skin side down for 15 minutes, then another 20 on the other side.  It's awesome!  And I got to use my Meyer Lemon Olive Oil on the veggies, which was fantastic as well.

Per usual when I am baking, I did not follow directions, not even close.  But it came out pretty good and everyone lapped it up happily!  I do have som2e suggestions for improvement, of course!  Next time I would probably not make it vegan and use Smart Balance in the crumble, or would not have left it sitting out for so long before I baked it, and perhaps that would have kept the coconut butter a bit cooler.  I think it melted sitting out so the crumble could not come together properly in the oven.  Also, the peaches weren't ripe enough, even after maserating with lemon juice, sweetener, and extracts.  But here goes!

Grain-Free, Vegan, Sugar-Free Peach Crumble
2 lbs peaches, sliced
juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup sugar substitute, plus 2 teaspoons
1/4 cup brown sugar substitute
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup almond flour
1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 coconut flour
4 ounces coconut butter

Toss peaches with lemon juice, extracts, and 2 teaspoons sugar and let sit for 30 min to one hour.  Place in 9 inch diameter baking dish.  Pulse sugar subs, almonds, coconut, and flours in food processor very lightly until just combined, then drop in clumps of coconut butter and pulse until clumps form.  Spread evenly over peaches and bake at 425 for 25 minutes. 

So in summation- I am so very thankful for my great friends, fun weekend, yummy new recipe, new olive oil and vinegar, the proliferation of food trucks, my daughters unending ability to make other people, young or old smile and laugh hysterically, and my wonderful family that I treasure spending every spare moment with.  Keep on giving thanks, until next time!