Lemon Garlic Chicken Wings

These were so easy, and so good!!! There was no need for dipping sauce at all!

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs organic chicken wings (Costco)
• 2 Tbsp avocado oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne (more if you like spicy)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• additional salt and pepper to taste

Boil the chicken wings for 8 minutes. Drain and allow to cool. Preheat the oven to 450. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. In a large bowl or ziploc bag, combine oil, lemon, salt, cayenne, and garlic. Add the chicken and marinate for at least 45 minutes. Place the chicken wings onto the tray and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Bake for 20 minutes. Turn and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Gorgonzola Sauce

I LOVE blue cheese. And I’m not enough of a snood to really be able to tell the difference between gorgonzola, blue (or bleu) cheese, camembert etc.  Anyway, I LOVE IT!!! Here, I put it on mushrooms and steak, but I also think it would be truly amazing with spaghetti squash to imitate pasta.  It’s really amazingly flawless.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups  heavy whipping cream
• 4 oz gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• 1.5 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp himalayan sea salt

Method:

Heat the heavy whipping cream until it is boiling. Lower heat to continue a low boil for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally (watch that it doesn’t boil over) or until desired sauce thickness. Remove from heat, whisk in remaining ingredients until combined.

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

I LOVED this. It is really similar to the eggplant lasagna, but I felt like it was worth giving its own post. I like to make the spaghetti squash ahead of time so it is easy to handle after being cooled.

Ingredients:

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• sea salt and pepper
• avocado oil or coconut oil
• 1 15oz container of whole milk ricotta
• 1/2 cup plus 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
• 1 lb ground italian sausage, cooked and set aside (make sure to check ingredients for carbs or frankenfoods)
• 1 cup pasta sauce (Wild Oats organic has very low net carbs)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the spaghetti squash into 1 inch thick rings, discarding the top and bottom of the squash. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush both sides of squash with avocado oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes. Allow squash to cool before peeling off the rinds. Between two dish towels, press the squash to remove excess moisture. You can also put into a skillet over medium-high heat to get rid of the extra moisture as well. Set aside.

Reduce oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, combine the cheeses (using only 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese), egg, and basil.  In a glass baking dish, use the back of a spoon to spread a thin layer of the pasta sauce on the bottom. Lay a single layer of squash on top of the sauce, gently spreading and pressing with your fingers. Spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture on the squash, sprinkle half of the sausage, and spoon a small amount of sauce over the sausage and cheese layer. Continue layering (two layers of each ingredient, total).  Put remainder of sauce on top and spread. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese over the top (can also add some parmesan to the top). Bake for 25 minutes.

Creamy Green Chili Bake

Wow!!! I was so nervous about this one, but it was soooooo good, and the leftovers were awesome. With the leftovers, I would eat them with an avocado and egg on top. It was perfect for some extra protein and potassium! Make sure to really drain and dry the chilis and cook down the sauce so that it is not watery.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 bag frozen cauliflower rice (Trader Joe’s) or 1 head riced cauliflower
• 4 cups cooked chicken, cubed
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (or you can use 1/2 cup and omit the sour cream)
• 30 oz green chili enchilada sauce
• 27 oz whole green chilis, drained and dried
• 1.5 cups Monterey jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 375.

In a skillet, simmer the green chili enchilada sauce for 40 minute so that it reduces. Put cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 14 minutes, stirring half way.  Press with paper towels to eliminate moisture or throw into a hot skillet for a few minutes. Add chicken to the cauliflower and stir to combine.

Once the chili sauce is done simmering, whisk in heavy whipping cream, cream cheese, and sour cream. Simmer for another 10-15 minutes until it is thick.

In a 9×13 casserole dish, put a layer of half the green chilis on the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of half of the cauliflower chicken mixture. Pour half of the chili cream sauce and spread with a spatula to evenly distribute. Sprinkle with the cup of cheddar cheese. Add another layer of green chilis using what is remaining. Add remaining chicken and cauliflower mixture and then the chili cream sauce. Us the Monterey jack cheese to cover the top of the casserole.

Bake for 40 minutes, and then let it rest for 15.

Wonderful served with sliced avocado and egg over easy on top.