Jalapeno Popper Fettuccini (GF & DF)

Bacon, jalapenos, AND pasta!  How can it be bad??

Jalapeno Popper Fettuccini

1/4 lb Fettuccine- I always use Tinkyada
1/4 C Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
1 small onion- chopped
2 garlic cloves- minced
2 jalapenos- chopped- removed seeds if you want
4 oz Daiya Chive & Onion Cream Cheese
1 C almond milk- I use extra creamy, unsweetened
1/2 C Daiya Mozzarella Shreds
2 T C Nutritional Yeast
1/2 C bacon- cooked crispy and crumbled


Cook pasta according to the directions.  While that's cooking melt butter in a large pan.  Sauté onion until soft and starting to brown (about 5 minutes).  Add garlic and jalapenos.  Cook about 30 seconds, until the garlic starts to brown.  Slowly whisk in the milk.  Add the cream cheese and stir until melted.  Boil for a couple minutes until it all starts to thicken a bit.  Stir in the cheddar, mozzarella, and nutritional yeast until smooth.  Stir in the bacon.  Once the pasta is done cooking drain it and add it to the sauce mixture.

Cajun Baked Swai (GF & DF)

This is a super easy dinner. 

Cajun Baked Swai

1 T Butter (Dairy Free)

1/2 C Buttermilk- (squeeze 1/2 lemon and add enough almond milk to get 1/2 C)

1 egg

8 Swai Fillets

EVOO
2 T Cajun Seasoning- I make my own

2 C "breadcrumbs"- I make these myself too... check it out here

Preheat your oven to 350.  Grease a 9 x 13 pan.  Coat the bottom of the pan with the butter.  In a shallow bowl mix the crumbs and the seasoning well.  Beat an egg in with your buttermilk.  Dip each fillet in the buttermilk mix.  Dredge in the crumbs mixture and place in the prepared pan.  Drizzle a little more oil over each fillet and sprinkle with remaining crumbs.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the fish is cooked through.

I like to make enough to have leftovers so we can make fish tacos the next night!

Original recipe here.

Cherry Tomato Pico

I had an abundance of cherry tomatoes and was making tacos... so naturally, this happened!

Cherry Tomato Pico

2 garden fresh jalapenos- seed them if you feel the need

1 small red onion- diced

juice of 1 lime
1 t sea salt

1 C sliced cherry tomatoes

1/4 C fresh cilantro- minced

Prep the onion and jalapeno and put them in a small bowl.  Sprinkle with the salt and then squeeze the lime over top.  Let that sit and allow the salt and lime to bring out the flavors of the onion and peppers while you slice the tomatoes and cilantro.  Add the sliced tomatoes and cilantro to the bowl.  Stir carefully and refrigerate until serving.

This easy healthy taco topper is full of garden fresh flavor!  You know me, I like it spicy... so I leave the seeds in my jalapenos!  Adjust the flavors to your liking.

Baked Onion Rings (GF, DF)

The kiddos and I celebrating the start of football season!

It's football season!!!  That means game day food!

Of course, we like to do it the healthy way around here...

I saw these in my Mama's Rachel Ray magazine and knew I had to try them.

Baked Onion Rings

1 Large Onion- I used red because that's what I had, but you can use white or yellow

*1 C "buttermilk"

1 egg

1/2 C brown rice flour

1 C "bread crumbs"- see how I do this here

1/2 t cayenne pepper

1/2 t black pepper

1/2 t onion powder

1/4 t sea salt

*squeeze half a lemon in a measuring cup and add enough unsweetened almond milk to make it a cup.  Let it sit while you get everything else prepared.

Prepare your buttermilk.  Preheat the oven to 475 and prep a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Put the brown rice flour in a shallow bowl.   Mix the breadcrumbs with all the seasonings in another shallow bowl.  Beat the egg in with your buttermilk in the measuring cup.  Slice the onion into rings (about 1/2 in thickness) and separate them.  Coat each ring with flour first, then dip it in the buttermilk mixture.  Let the excess liquid drip off before dredging it in the crumb mixture.  Make sure it is coated in the crumbs and place on the baking sheet.  Continue for each ring, making sure to have them in a single layer on the baking sheet.   Bake until crispy and brown, about 18 minutes.  Sprinkle with a little sea salt.  Serve with whatever sauce you like.

Blueberry Salsa

Mama loves blueberries!  She found and requested this recipe.


I know, it sounds weird...


But don't knock it til you try it!

Blueberry Salsa

1 1/2 C fresh blueberries
1/4 C sweet red pepper- chopped
1/2 red onion- finely chopped\
2 T minced seeded jalapenos- leave the seeds in if you want a kick
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 T fresh minced cilantro
1 1/2 t sugar
1/4 t sea salt
dash of pepper


Pulse the blueberries in your food processor just a bit (about 5 times) until they are coarsely chopped and a bit juicy.  Transfer to a small bowl.  Add everything else and stir it up.  Refrigerate until serving.

Serve this with sweet potato tortilla chips!  Yum!

Authentic Roasted Salsa

It's that time of year again that we have way too many tomatoes and jalapenos!  My friend who bought a house down the road from us has a giant salsa garden too and she keeps trying to share even more fresh produce with us.

I love a good fresh salsa, but sometimes it can be watery if you just throw cherry tomatoes in the blender whole, and lets face it, getting the skin off the bigger tomatoes makes a huge mess!

I've been learning about making all kinds of real authentic Mexican food from my new neighbor and I love it!  I swear I eat so much Mexican food that I really should be Mexican! 

She told me that I NEEDED to roast the veges.... that's the only way they do it in Mexico.  I've never done this before making salsa..... I don't know why the hell not!  It's so easy and the result is delicious!

Authentic Roasted Salsa

There's really no science to this... just throw in what you got and make it suit your tastes


2 large onions- peeled and halved
8-10 jalapenos- seeded and halved
(I did add one crazy yellow pepper from Ana's garden- we have no idea what kind it is, but it is spicy even to me... and her!)
1 garlic bulb- cloves peeled and halved
20-30 garden fresh tomatoes- depending on the size- just cut on each side of the core- no need to peel
1 bunch of fresh cilantro
salt & pepper to taste
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 T honey
Squirt of fresh lime juice


Preheat your oven to 375.  Grease a cookie sheet a little.   Place the tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic with the cut side up on your sheet and throw it in the oven.  Let it roast until the peppers look a bit charred and the tomatoes and onions look like they have softened.  I took them out after about 45 minutes.  Let everything cool a bit and then just throw it all in your blender.  Add the fresh cilantro and any seasonings you like.  I just use a squirt of honey, fresh lime juice, about a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and a bit of salt and pepper.  Let it puree until you get your desired consistency.  That's it.  The hardest part is waiting for the veges to roast!  It smells so amazing it makes you very impatient! :)


Next up I'll tell you what I do with all those tomatillos! :)

Green Hulk Muffins (GF, DF, Egg Free, Peanut Free)

My old preschool closed. :(


I was super bummed about it and thinking I wouldn't have any little people in my life anymore on a daily basis... you know unless I created my own (which would make my mama very happy).


Mr. Kat asked me if I could do anything what would it be.  After I considered owning a car museum or custom car shop I decided to think of something a little more realistic. :)  I said I want to teach kids about nutrition!  I didn't know how to make it happen and was just planning on hanging out for a while until I decided what to do.


One of my friends got a job at a preschool and they asked her if she knew any preschool teachers looking for a job.... she gave them my name and the rest is history!


I didn't find it, it found me!  I wasn't even sure about it to begin with.  But the part of my resume that the director latched onto was the part about my interest in nutrition.  They wanted to add nutrition as part of their enrichment program.....Totally meant to be!  I have my own three year old class and then in the afternoons I go to all of the other classrooms and teach them about nutrition!  And I absolutely love it!


God won't close one door without knowing for sure that there is another one waiting for you.


I made these muffins as part of my Fruit and Vegetable Fill Up week and the kids are still talking about them!  I sent the recipe home and kids have made their big people get all the ingredients so they could make them.  The other teachers are even making them at home too.  My favorite part about these is one of our little guys that has severe food allergies got to have them too!  After not being able to participate in so many snacks and parties at school that involve food his face just lit up when I told him that I talked to his Mommy and that he could eat these muffins!  Thanks Green Hulk!! :)

Green Hulk Muffins

2 C Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (Sarah's Blend)

¾ cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp salt

¼ cup coconut oil

¾ cup coconut milk

1 (6 ounce) bag fresh baby spinach

½ cup mashed banana (from about 1 to 2 bananas)

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare your muffin pans with paper liners or oil.  Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.  In a blender, place everything else and blend until completely puréed.  Pour puréed mixture into dry mixture and fold together with a rubber spatula until completely combined.  Fill muffin cups about ⅔ full and bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

I used my "muffin barge" as Mr. Kat calls it.
The kids love the little bite sized muffins!
They kept asking for more

I told the kids that they were green because the Hulk helped me make them!  They couldn't believe that they ate spinach! Sneaky Miss Kat! :)

A few of the 4 year old boys loving Green Hulk Muffins
and getting greens in their bellies!

The original recipe is here.