Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes

At this time of year it seems like there is pumpkin spice everything, everywhere! So why not celebrate the glorious pumpkin by adding its yummy flavor to yet another delightful treat :) Paleo pancakes are so tasty on their own, but in honor of fall I wanted to try them with pumpkin spice pizazz! If you've ever made regular paleo pancakes before you know that flipping them is the hardest part. You want to make sure to keep the moisture to a minimum because if they are too wet, they will fall apart. So remember, recipes are just a guide--if things seem a little wet you can always use a sprinkle of almond flour to tighten them back up.  Also, I would definitely consider this a paleo splurge...best enjoyed on the weekend when you can linger and savor the sweet flavors!

Best Buffalo Sauce Ever!

No matter how you make your chicken wings: baked, broiled, deep fried, grilled, breaded, un-breaded, bone-in, or boneless, the sauce is the boss! Having the perfect wing sauce can take delicious, juicy wings to the next level. There are so many sauces out there but I like to keep it simple and stick with a classic:  buffalo sauce. In my old age 😉  I tend to steer more to the milder side of things but I still enjoy a nice kick of heat and flavor mixed in. For buffalo wing sauce I like to use Frank's because it works perfectly for this recipe and goes great on the wings. I would say this recipe is about a medium in heat but if you like things 🔥🔥🔥 hot then add less butter. If you prefer things more mild then add more butter, it's that simple. The good thing about this sauce is that it's so tasty you really can put it on anything!

Ingredients 

coats about 14 wings

1/4 cup Frank's Red hot sauce

3 Tablespoons Unsalted butter

2 Tablepoons Brown sugar

2 teaspoons Honey

2 teaspoons Lemon juice

Preparation 

Add all ingredients to a small sauce pot and warm over low heat. Stir occasionally until all ingredients are melted together and sauce is formed. Toss with wings and enjoy. Sauce can be stored and refrigerated.

Meatless Monday: Superfood Tacos!

I'm always looking for healthy, simple, and tasty recipes to serve my family. I've given myself a challenge to make Monday's dinner's meatless. I'm hoping to make something so delicious that we don't even miss the meat, or even notice that it's gone! I decided to start off this week with these sweet potato tacos everyone is buzzing about...so good! You basically just add sweet potatoes to a pot of grains and cook them like you'd normally prepare the grains and what you get is an awesome filling for some amazing tacos. I decided to use a blend of super grains: red and white quinoa, millet and buckwheat but this recipe works the exact same with just quinoa. This super food version is everything you want a taco to be: yummy, filling, and fun to eat!

Ingredients

serves about 4
1 medium sweet potato, small diced
1 cup of quinoa (or super grains blend)
1 teaspoon salt

Preparation
In a medium sauce pan, bring 2 cups of water, sweet potato, quinoa and salt to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let cook until all liquid is absorbed (about 20 minutes). Serve with white corn tortillas and cabbage topping. Garnish with cilantro and sour cream.

Cabbage topping
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar (optional)

Preparation
In a small saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add cabbage and remaining ingredients. Cook until tender. Serve as topping for tacos.

My Weekend in Maryland!

I got to spend a weekend in Maryland this summer. Although it was a bit dreary the entire time I was there, the weather couldn't keep me down. First stop after a I touched down was G&M Restaurant in Baltimore. This place was packed and they are supposedly home of the best crab cakes in Maryland. They had a large menu with a great seafood selection, but there was only one thing on my mind...the crab cake! It was served simply, on a bare plate with slices of lemon and a garnish of parsley. No sauce, no frills, just CRAB. This was the most amazing crab cake I've ever had. Never have I seen anything like it. It was literally full of jumbo lump meat and I'm not even sure what was holding that heavenly mound of crab together because there were no breadcrumbs or filler, JUST CRAB. It was so moist and flavorful, plus I could sprinkle as much Old Bay seasoning on as I wanted because they keep it on the table right next to the salt and pepper shakers.

We happened to get ever so lucky and scored some tickets to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. It really was awesome: so much history, artfully and carefully displayed. Taking you on a journey throughout time with amazing artifacts, videos, and experiences. I also got to see Oprah Winfrey's new exhibit while I was there (Yay!). One of the best things about this museum that I think makes it so unique is that they have a restaurant called Sweet Home Cafe that features African American themed cuisines throughout the United States. Of course I couldn't resist. After waiting in what seemed like and eternal line, I ordered from the "Agricultural South." They could barely keep up with the demand for food because the museum was packed full of people. Luckily, I was able to try the fried chicken, mac n cheese, collard greens, and sweet potatoes. That is my favorite soul food combination by the way, and yes it tasted as authentic as it looked. This cafe is the real deal! Everything was absolutely delicious. It took us about 4 hours (every moment well worth it!) to explore the museum but there was still so much we didn't see. If you are in the area, have the time, and are fortunate enough to get tickets, this museum is a must see.

  

Well, that was my weekend in a "crab shell" ;-)
I also got lucky at Maryland Live Casino, had some fun with Old Bay Themed Scratch offs, and I have to give a quick shout out to The Bagelry in Silver Spring...so good!

  

Garlic Parmesan Zucchini

Summer squash has been really yummy lately. For dinner tonight I made some beautiful zucchini. The colors are just gorgeous when they are grilled and they taste so good. This is a simple and easy recipe that has great flavor and takes no time at all. I used a grill pan but you can totally use a real grill especially if you're already grilling other things. Also, in this recipe I use garlic powder--normally I'm not a huge fan of substituting fresh when it comes to garlic, however in this particular recipe I think it just makes sense. You can cut the zucchini however you want but when grilling I like to cut them lengthwise because it looks so darn pretty.

  

Ingredients
serves about 2-3 people
1 large zucchini or 2 small
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Preparation
Preheat grill pan over medium high heat. Wash the zucchini well then pat dry. Slice the zucchini lengthwise cutting it into 1/4 inch slices. Drizzle the zucchini with olive oil, then sprinkle each side with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Grill the zucchini in the pan over medium high heat for about 1 minute on each side. Careful not to move the pieces too much so they can have nice even grill marks. Remove the zucchini from the pan and top with the freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve warm or room temperature.

The Best Cookies Ever!

A few years ago a good friend of mine introduced me to the most delicious gluten free oatmeal chocolate chip cookie clusters I've ever had...and I've been obsessed ever since! Everyone loves these cookies. You can't even tell that they are gluten free! They are so moist (I know, I used the word moist :) and chewy with the perfect amount of chocolate chips, with little bites of walnuts. When I asked her for the recipe, she told me that she got it off the back of a Trader Joe's Gluten Free Oatmeal bag--I couldn't believe it! I found the recipe and it is so simple and straight forward. All you need is a spoon and a bowl and these cookies practically make themselves-- no stand mixer required. I guarantee this yummy, protein packed snack will become your new fav!

  

Ingredients
makes about 48 cookies

1/4 cup salted butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup of peanut butter (or any nut butter, ie. sunflower, cashew, almond)

3 cups of Rolled Oats

6 ounces of chocolate chips

1/2 cup of chopped walnuts (or any nut you prefer)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and both sugars until well combined. Add in baking soda, eggs, vanilla, and peanut butter. Finally, stir in oats, chocolate chips, and nuts. On a baking sheet spoon out 1 1/2 inch clusters of cookie dough on baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool before removing from cookie sheet.