Fried Goat Cheese Balls with Peppered Honey

10 oz goat cheese
1/3c all-purpose gluten-free flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 egg, beaten with a splash of water
1 ¼c gluten-free bread crumbs
¼c honey
¼ tsp hot pepper flakes, finely crushed
Vegetable oil, for frying

Cut the goat cheese into 16 even pieces. Roll into 1-inch sized balls. Place on a baking sheet covered with waxed paper and freeze for 20 minutes. Combine gluten-free flour and salt in a shallow bowl. Place egg and water mixture in another bowl, and the gluten-free bread crumbs in a separate shallow bowl. Set aside. Stir together honey and hot pepper flakes- set aside. In a large saucepan, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil to 375 degrees F. Once the cheese is out of the freezer and is no longer sticky, roll the balls into the flour mixture and shake off excess. Dip into the egg mixture, and then coat evenly in the breadcrumbs. Working in batches, gently drop the coated goat cheese balls into the hot vegetable oil. Fry each ball for about 2 minutes, turning over once after 1 minute. The balls should be golden brown. Remove the balls with a slotted spoon, drain, and place on a plate with paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Once all of the balls have been fried, place on a serving plate and drizzle the spicy honey mixture over the goat cheese. Serve immediately with toothpicks.

Breakfast in a Cup

Crust:

1c thawed hashbrowns

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp parsley, dried

1 tblsp olive oil

olive oil spray

12 paper or foil liners

Filling:

6 pieces of bacon, baked or fried - patted dry

8 eggs, beaten

1/2 c almond milk

1c fresh spinach, chopped

1/4 onion, chopped

1-2 roma tomatoes

1/2 jalapeno, minced (optional)

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp sea salt

3 tblsp shredded low fat cheese

Preheat oven to 400F Degrees.  Place 12 paper or preferably foil liners into your muffin tin. Spray with olive oil spray. Place all crust ingredients in a mixing bowl, mix well and spoon by tablespoons into the muffin liners. Press to bottom and sides leaving no holes in the crust. Bake for 12 minutes or until hashbrowns are golden brown. Remove from oven.

While the hashbrown are baking, mix all filling ingredients together and whisk until well combined.  When hashbrowns are done, poor egg filling by 1/4 cups into foil liners. Return to oven and bake for 13-15 minutes or until eggs are set.  Remove from oven and serve immediately.  I topped mine with Sicilian Yogurt Cheese :)

*These can also be refrigerated for the week or frozen for up to 3 weeks.  Reheat in the microwave or oven and serve.

**I'm also working on a mashed red potato & cauliflower crust. As soon as this is perfected I'll post the recipe here as well.

Banana Bread Protein Muffins

Banana Bread Protein Muffins

3/4c ripe banana (about 1)
3/4c egg whites
1/2c plain low fat greek yogurt
3/4c oats (use gluten free if sensitive to gluten)
1/4c brown rice protein powder
1/4 cup baking stevia OR 1/2c sweetener of choice that measures like sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray, or line with silicone or foil liners, (spray liners if using). (DO NOT USE PAPER LINERS)

Place all of the ingredients in a blender, (or food processor), and blend until mixture is smooth.  Divide mixture evenly between 12 muffin tins.  Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Smoked Salmon Spread

Smoked Salmon Spread

8 oz whipped cream cheese
3 oz smoked salmon, chopped
2 tblsp capers, minced
2 tblsp red onion, minced
1 tblsp fresh dill, minced
1/8 tsp black pepper

Stir together cheese, salmon, capers, onions, dill and pepper in a medium bowl. Serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to use.

What is Amaranth? Recipe: Amaranth-Corn Muffins

What is Amaranth? Amaranth is a less-common grain produced mostly in Mexico and native to the Aztecs.  Similar to Buckwheat and Quinoa, Amaranth is a a very high quality protein grain.  Amaranth is also packed with iron and calcium and has triple the fiber of wheat.  It is also completely gluten-free which makes it a great choice for those that have Celiac's disease as well as those with digestion issues as it's very easily digestible.  It can be cooked on it's own in 20-25 minutes like quinoa or it can be added to other recipes. I especially like this great Amaranth-Corn Muffin recipe!

Amaranth-Corn Muffins

3 tblsp uncooked whole grain amaranth
1/2c unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2c whole wheat pastry flour
1c yellow cornmeal
3 tblsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1c milk or almond milk
1/4c (1/2 stick) butter, melted
3 tblsp honey
1/2c seedless raisins

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 12-muffin tin; set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add amaranth and toast, stirring constantly, until grains start to smell nutty and turn golden brown, about 2 minutes. (Be careful not to cook the amaranth too long; it will start to pop and jump in the skillet.) Transfer to a large plate and set aside to let cool.

Combine flours, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Whisk together eggs, milk, butter and honey in a second bowl, then add to flour mixture and stir until just combined. Add toasted amaranth and raisins and gently stir again, just until combined.

Spoon batter into prepared tin; each muffin will use about 1/4 cup of the batter. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean, 16 to 18 minutes. Cool slightly then serve.

The Dairy/Calcium Myth...

The biggest draw myth about dairy products is the amount of calcium they contain and that dairy is the only place high levels of calcium can be found.  We've been led to believe that if we are going to "grow up big & strong" and have strong bones we have to have 3-5 servings of dairy a day.

"When studies examine the effects of one nutrient at a time, they show that some nutrients - magnesium, potassium, vitamin D, and lactose for example - promote calcium retention. Others - like protein, phosphorus, and sodium - promote calcium excretion.  So calcium retention and the strength of your bones may depend much more on everything else you are eating, and how active you are, than how much calcium you take in." ~ Marion Nestle

Calcium intake is important when accompanied with a healthy diet, but attaining a proper should not be dependent on dairy alone.  Just switching from 1% Milk to Almond Milk will give you an additional 160mg of Calcium per serving.

8oz of 1% Milk = 290mg of Calcium (29% of daily)

8oz of Regular Almond Milk = 450mg of Calcium (45% of daily)