Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Paleo 5 Ingredient Chicken Marinade

Paleo 5 Ingredient Chicken Marindade



      We love grilling in our house, and especially love grilling chicken! I always know that grilled chicken tastes better when you take the time to marinate it but I found myself not having the ingredients on hand that most marinades called for. I came up with this marinade based off of flavors I enjoyed from other marinades I had used in the past, but put a paleo twist on it.
     Does anyone know how to take a picture of chicken and make it look pretty?! Ha ha Chicken is just one of those things that doesn't photograph well but trust me, this tastes SO good! I love to grill a few pounds of chicken tenders to have leftovers for lunches during the week. This recipe can be easily adapted to be non-paleo ( and a little less expensive to make) just use the substitutes listed. 

Chicken Marinade

1/2 C coconut aminos ( my favorite brand is from trader joes) ( you can sub soy sauce if you can have  soy)
1/2 C avocado or olive oil 
2 TBSP sesame oil 
2 TBSP coconut sugar ( you can sub brown sugar)
1/2 tsp salt

Pour ingredients over 2-3 lbs of chicken in a large ziplock bag and marinate for at least 4 hours before grilling.
Make sure you rotate the chicken or shake the bag you have the chicken in every few hours to make sure all the pieces are coated.


Monday, July 29, 2019

Paleo Cardamom Zucchini Muffins


Paleo Cardamom Zucchini Muffins



     Have you ever had cardamom? My first time trying this spice was a few years ago when I came across a recipe for cardamom tea cakes during Christmas. I decided to try to make them gluten free. The warming spice of the cardamom in the tea cakes soon became a favorite of mine! Suddenly cardamom was showing up everywhere I looked. In ice cream at Coneflower, pound cake at Goldenrod pastries, and then I realized it was in quite a few middle eastern savory dishes I had recipes for. The gluten free, dairy free cardamom pound cake at Goldenrod Pasteries in Lincoln, NE is one of my favorite treats! If you ever find yourself there you need to try it!  If you don't have cardamom (it can be hard to find) you can sub cinnamon.
   
      Because of the texture these muffins are best at room temperature or heated in the microwave for a few seconds. In my opinion they are also amazing slathered with some wild blueberry jam. Coconut flour is one of my favorite paleo baking flours to use because of its low carb count, and low price point. If you've never had a coconut flour muffin the texture is a little more "eggy" than a regular muffin, or even an almond flour muffin, but very tasty!



Paleo Cardamom Zucchini Muffins

6 eggs at room temperature
3/4 cup coconut flour 
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cloves
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups of shredded zucchini 

Preheat oven to 350 and place cupcake liners in 12 muffin tins

1) Break the eggs into a large bowl and whisk until yolks are combined with the whites

2) Add the coconut flour, maple syrup, cardamom, cloves, and baking soda and stir well to combine

3) Gently stir in the shredded zucchini 

4) Divide the batter among the 12 muffin tins 

5) Check the muffins at 20 minutes, if a toothpick comes out clean they are done. If not add another two minutes at a time and keep checking until done.

Coconut flour muffins are a lot different texture than most gluten free muffins, these will naturally have a softer and "eggy" texture. Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to five days.

Recipe adapted from Detoxinista https://detoxinista.com/paleo-coconut-flour-zucchini-bread/




Friday, July 26, 2019

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

 Black Bean and Corn Salsa

      This recipe is one that I have taken to family meals more than any other recipe I make. I originally got this recipe as a newlywed from my mother-in-law who got it from her niece Jennifer. Jennifer got it from her friend who is a missionary in Turkey. She said when she passes the recipe along she asks people to pray for her friends in Turkey, and also the people of Turkey when they make it. I thought that was such a sweet idea, so I'm passing that idea along also.
My mother-in-law asked me to make this salsa for a family dinner one night, and it has become my job the past 7 years to make it. I passed the recipe along to my side of the family and now anytime this salsa goes with a meal we are having I get requests to bring it along. This feeds a crowd and goes great with Mexican food or a BBQ!
   
I have tweaked the recipe a little to fit what my husband likes the best about it, lots of black beans and not as much cilantro. The really funny thing about me posting this recipe right now is that I can't currently eat corn, tomatoes, onions, or lime juice. Hopefully soon I will be able to, and when I am this will be the first thing I make myself!






 Ingredients

Dressing
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 clove of minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2 (15 oz) cans of black beans drained and rinsed
1 can organic sweet corn drained and rinsed
1 avocado cut into chunks
1 pint of cherry tomatoes sliced into quarters
6 thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup cilantro finely chopped

1) Mix dressing in a cup and stir until well mixed

2) In a large bowl combine the rest of the ingredients except for the avocado and cilantro. Pour the dressing over and let sit in the fridge for a few hours for the flavors to develop.

3) Right before serving add the chopped avocado and cilantro.

Serve with tortilla chips for dipping!




Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

     These chicken fajitas are on rotation in our house all year round! I have been known to ask my husband to fire up the grill in the midst of snow and sub zero temperatures. He usually obliges me but when it's really too cold to go outside and grill these can be made in a skillet and still taste great!

We really enjoy having family and friends over for dinner, and this is one of our go to recipes! The prep work can be done ahead of time and your guests can chat outside with you while you are grilling the fajitas. I also love that you can put the rub on the chicken right before it cooks and still get a lot of flavor. I usually forget to marinate chicken ahead of time and with this recipe you can get the chicken grill ready in just a few minutes!

The subtle spiciness of the chicken from the rub with the freshness of the grilled veggies is one of my favorite combinations! It's such a fun meal for guests, and everyone can accommodate their dietary needs by choosing different tortillas and toppings. Recently when we had friends over I had regular tortillas, gluten free corn, and grain tortillas free tortillas to choose from. I also splurged and bought some site foods dairy free queso which is not quite the same as regular queso, but it's tasty. I hope your family enjoys this meal as much as we do!





Chicken Fajitas
serves 6-8 people
Ingredients
5 medium sized chicken breasts
red and green bell peppers cut in half and seeds and stems removed
red onion sliced into 1/4 inch intact rings

1 TBSP olive oil
Rub for chicken
Mix all ingredients in small bowl
1/2 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried parsley
1) Cut bell peppers in half removing seeds and stem.  Peel onion and cut into 1/4 inch slices keeping rings intact
2) Coat the chicken breasts with the olive oil
3) Sprinkle the chicken with the rub evenly on all sides. 
4) Grill chicken over medium high heat until it reaches an internal temperature of 175, about six minutes each side.
5) Halfway through cooking add peppers and onions to the grill and cook until peppers are soft and a little charred and onions become flexible 
6) Cut peppers, onions, and chicken into strips and serve in tortilla shells
Our favorite way to eat these is with sour cream and a little hot sauce! Other great toppings are cheese, fresh jalapenos, and guacamole.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Joy Filled Table

Welcome to Joy Filled Table! My name is Lydia Kohrs and I live in the middle of the United States with my husband and four year old son. I have always loved cooking, baking, and sharing my recipes with others. In recent years our family has had to change a lot of the way that we eat due to auto-immune conditions and chronic health problems in our family. Since I love food so much I didn't see these dietary changes as a bad thing, but as an opportunity to be creative in the kitchen! These are the recipes I have created over the years of experimenting with what works best for our family. 

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Turkey and Zucchini Nuggets

Turkey and Zucchini Nuggets


     In the photo above I hadn't asked my son to pose for the picture, he was grabbing for these nuggets beacause he loves them so much! That's right, I found something that has protein and veggies in it that my 3 year old loves! If you have a surplus of zucchini this time of year this is the perfect recipe for you.

     When my husband Brian and I were first married I decided it would be fun to start a small garden in our backyard. I jumped in like I do with most things. Without a plan, and without reading too much  about how to plant a garden. In our small space I planted two zucchini plants, four tomato plants, a bell pepper plant, and a jalepeno plant. I was so excited to see the fruit of our labor once the plants started blooming! We had way too many plants for our tiny garden but I didn't care, I had grown these vegetables myself. Very soon after, our garden was overflowing with more zucchini than I knew what to do with. I did what every backyard farmer does and made tons of zucchini bread. 
     
     These days we can't have as much traditional zucchini bread in our house so I have been looking for new ways to use it. The key to these little nuggets is to put them under the broiler the last few minutes so they turn a little brown on the outside. If you have an air fryer they get really crispy on the outside, so much so that my three year old ate five of these in one sitting! He had no idea I was feeding him turkey and vegetables! This recipe can also be changed depending on what spices you have on hand or what you are craving! Just keep the zucchini, meat, egg, and salt the same and switch up your spices! 




 The picture below is what the nuggets look like out of the oven without the air fryer, still really yummy but not as crispy as in the air fryer! 



Turkey and Zucchini Nuggets
Makes 20

-1pound ground turkey or chicken
-1 egg
-2 cups shredded zucchini ( I leave the peel on and use my food processor but a box grater works)
-1 tsp salt
-olive oil spray or olive oil to brush onto the nuggets

Here is the fun part! You can switch up the seasonings based on the rest of your meal!
Italian
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mexican
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder

Savory Zucchini Nuggets
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

My son prefers them with just basil and parsley!

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400

1) In a large bowl crack the egg and beat with a fork until the white is mixed with the yolk. Stir in the ground turkey or chicken, zucchini, salt, and spices of your choice. Mix well until the zucchini and chicken are well incorporated.

2) Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spay a sheet tray with olive oil spray.

3)Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon drop the mixture onto the sheet pan and flatten with the back of a fork to make a little patty. Spray the nuggets with olive oil spray or brush lightly with olive oil. This will help them to crisp up.

4) Bake for 10 minutes and then flip and bake for another 7 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165.

5) Remove the sheet pan from the oven and turn the oven on broil. Remove the parchment paper ( so it doesn't burn) and return the nuggets to the pan. Broil for 1 min per side or until slightly browned, watching closely so they do not burn. I like to sprinkle a little salt on them when they come out to add a little more flavor.

Serve with ketchup, mustard, guacamole, or marina sauce depending on which spices you chose!

AIR FRYER INSRTUCTIONS

These nuggets got very crispy in the air fryer and also reheat really well. For the air fryer cook at 350 for 15 minutes turning over once during cooking time. To reheat in the air fryer place in a single layer and cook on 350 for 5 minutes.





Saturday, July 20, 2019

Dairy Free Cream Cheese Mints



Dairy Free Cream Cheese Mints

Have you ever had the delight of having a cream cheese mint at a wedding, baby shower, or graduation party? Growing up these little mints were so tempting at every celebration. I remember the first time I learned how to make them. I was at a friend's house and her mom was making hundreds of them for a wedding. I started to help and then ended up eating more than I was making! 

Recently on a girls trip, I was talking with my friend Vanessa about my love for these mints. I was so excited to find out that she shared my same love for them! I knew I had to make them for her upcoming baby shower. The only problem was I currently am not eating much dairy and I knew there would be a few other women at the shower who couldn't have dairy either. I searched the internet for a recipe to make them dairy free without much luck. I decided I would visit natural grocers and see if there was a  dairy free cream cheese that would work. I have tried cashew based "cream cheese" in the past and although its healthy and very few ingredients it was so salty I knew it wouldn't work for the recipe. I found the daiya brand cream cheese and when I got home and tried I bite I was surprised how much it tasted and looked like real cream cheese! 

I decide to make these mints lemon flavored with a hint of almond because I love all things lemon. You can use the recipe and add peppermint extract too! These mints were a hit and were eaten more than the regular cream cheese mints I also made. 



Dairy Free Cream Cheese Mints
Makes about 25 small mints

2.5 oz dairy free cream cheese at room temperature ( I used the daiya brand)
15 oz powdered sugar ( plus a little more to adjust texture if needed)
3/4 tsp lemon extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
granulated sugar for dusting

Beat the cream cheese until softened in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment. Pour the powdered sugar in a little at a time, stopping to scrape the sides so the mixture is incorporated well. The texture of the dough should be firm and not sticky. If it is sticky add 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time until the dough is firm and does not drip off the beater. 

Next, add the lemon and almond extract until incorporated ( or 1/2 tsp peppermint extract for peppermint flavored mints)

Using a small cookie scoop or teaspoon portion the dough into balls using your hands to smooth them into shape. Drop the dough balls into a small dish of granulated sugar and roll until coated.

Remove the balls from the sugar and place on a pan covered in parchment paper. Use a fork dipped in granulated sugar to flatten the ball into the mint shape.

Refrigerate for 20 mints until they hold their shape, transfer to a sealed container or large plastic ziplock bag. Mints stay fresh for a week in the refrigerator, or may be made ahead and frozen for up to a month. To defrost place the bag in the refrigerator a few hours before serving, or serve or eat frozen out the bag like I do!