Roasted Almonds with Rosemary

First off, I would like to thank my Grandma who taught me how to make roasted almonds, and all of the funny memories I have with her of squeezing them out out their skins, and watching them fly. 

What you need:

Raw almonds with the skin on 

Salt

Olive oil

a few sprigs of rosemary, just the green leaves not the woody stems

I get my nuts from Bates Nut Farm in Valley Center, CA

You can order nuts online! 

What to do:

Pre heat your oven to 325 F

Get a pot of boiling water

 dump your bag of almonds in to the water and set your timer for 6 minutes 

or until they come out of their skin easily (you might have to test a few)

Next:

Drain the almonds and start popping them out of their skin

This may seem like a daunting task, but if you have someone to help you, it's not that bad

Also, its easier if you squeeze from the rounded edge rather than the pointed

When all of the skins are off, pat them dry with a paper bowl and place them on a cookie sheet

Drizzle a few tbs. of olive oil over the almonds 

and sprinkle them with sea salt 

Toss to make sure they are coated 

Put them in the oven for 10 minutes 

(you might hear some popping, don't worry they are fine.)

After 10 minutes take them out and toss them around 

Add the rosemary and put them back in the oven for 5 more minutes

When the almonds are done, they should be golden brown and smell wonderful 

Transfer to a paper towel and let cool

These little guys are the perfect homemade holiday gift!

Enjoy 

Bison Burgers

My husband and I grilled up some grass fed bison burgers for the first time the other night. 

They were so good! 

I have never had bison before, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

I just treated the bison as if it were beef, so I added all of the spices I normally would for beef burgers. 

Oh, and don't forget the egg!

I place my US Wellness Meats order on Sundays (so that it will ship out on Mondays) and I used this promo code:  AFF15  

It worked for me, and took off 15%. Its a limited one order per customer, not exceeding 40 lb.  

Grilled Squash

What you will need:

your favorite type of squash (I used yellow squash and zucchini) 

olive oil 

salt 

pepper 

any other dried seasoning 

What to do:

Wash and dry the squash

Trim off the ends 

Very carefully, with a sharp knife slice the squash length-wise

The thinner you get them the better 

Next, dress them with a little drizzle of

 olive oil, salt, pepper, and your favorite seasoning 

When your grill is nice and hot, arrange the squash so they won't fall through grates

It only takes a few minites on each side 

I like mine with a little char on them 

Enjoy!

What other veggies do you like to grill? Something unusual? 

Grass Fed Beef Burgers

The difference between grass and grain fed beef is astonishing, grass fed has so much more flavor and it tastes "real" but you wont know that until you try it. Try grass fed meat, its amazing!

Since the meat is so good you don't have to add much to it.
Here is how I make my burgers, they are always moist and bursting with flavor. 

What you will need:

Grass fed ground beef (about 1 lb.)

1 egg

salt (a few pinches)  

pepper (a few grinds)

garlic powder (a few pinches)

your favorite all purpose seasoning with no salt or sugar added (something like Mrs. Dash)

Preheat the grill for med-high heat

With your hands, combine all ingredients in a bowl and

shape to desired patty size

Place them on the grill and cook for 5 min on each side or until the doneness you prefer

Now for the fun colorful part, the toppings. 

Tonight I topped my burger with tomato, red onion  and pesto

The topping possibilities are endless, how ever I must say that pesto on top of a burger is outstanding!

Check out my pesto recipe here

Let me know what you think about grass fed meat.

 Can you tell a difference between grass and grain fed?

If you have a hard time finding grass fed meats in your grocery store,

 I highly recommend US Wellness Meats 

Enjoy!

Paleo Sushi

What you will need:

Nori Sheets 

1 can of Tiny Pink Shrimp

1 Avocado 

2 Scallions 

Carrots 

Sesame Seeds

Soy Sauce 

Apple Cider Vinegar

Optional:

Cucumber 

Wasabi 

Rice Wine Vinegar 

Other Veggies

Prep the veggies.  Thinly slice scallions, carrots, avocado, ect. Let the onions, carrots, and scallions  marinate in the vinegar  while you are getting ready to assemble the sushi.

  

 Next place a layer of avocado, then the other veggies, carrots, scallions ect. and lastly add the shrimp

Drizze a little soy sauce over everything 

 Careful not to fill it too much, as it will spill out the sides

  Gently, but securely roll the nori sheet 

When you are almost to the end, wet your fingers and "seal" the end of the sheet by dragging your fingers horizontally across the nori sheet. 

When you are done rolling slice on the diagonal 

Try different combinations and different veggies, its sure to please!

Serve with soy sauce

Enjoy! 

  

Grilled Chicken with Tomatillo Sauce

What you need: 

• 6 tomatillos
• 1 serrano
• 1/2 small red onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 tablespoons honey
• olive oil
• Chicken breasts, or thighs 

What to do:

Fire up your grill

Husk and wash the tomatillos, when the grill is hot place the tomatillos and serrano directly on the grill 

(We are trying to achieve a blackened out side, so pretty much just burn them)

Season the chicken with what ever you like, 

I used garlic powder, salt, Chilli powder, paprika, cyanne and  a little bit of olive oil

Place the chicken on the grill, just until cook through

When the chicken is done, shred or cube the chicken, and set aside

For the Tomatillo sauce,

 place all of the ingredients in a blender 

(except  for the chicken)

Blend on high until everything is completely incorporated 

Next, pour the tomatillo mixture in a sauce pan and place it on the stove to get hot 

Add the shredded/diced chicken and warm through 

completely

Spoon in to a bowl or serve on a bed of lettuce. Anyway you eat it, enjoy!

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Easy Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream

What you will need:

An ice cream maker

1 can of full fat coconut milk

3 Tbs of chocolate powder

1/4 cup good quality maple syrup

Optional:

1 pinch of sea salt

Dark chocolate chunks(chopped)

Nuts
Vanilla 

How to make it:

Combined all ingredients in a bowl

Turn on the ice cream maker, and pour in the mixture.

Let churn for 15-20 minuets

When it is done you can dig in, or put in an air tight container and store it in the freezer.

This coconut ice cream taste just like regular ice cream and it's so fast and easy!

Enjoy!