Bacon Pecan Maple Mustard Chicken

I recently received a sampler pack of goodies from Steve's Paleo Goods.  The box was full of grain free granola, cookies, jerky's sauces, dried fruits and more!! The cool thing about this online paleo store, is that 15% of the proceeds go to Steve's Club National Program.  This is his 501c3 non-profit that brings fitness, nutrition guidance and mentorship to at-risk youth.  He works with CrossFit Affiliates across the country to start Steve’s Club Local Clubs in their own communities. This has always been his passion; and it continues to be the driving force behind Steve's PaleoGoods.  You can find these goodies along with nut butters, spice rubs, oils, cracklings and so much more at Whole Foods or online!!

 One smell of the two sauces I erceived and I knew I needed to create a savory recipe for you guys!  I was lucky enough to receive his Maple Mustard and Ginger Cilantro sauces.  These can be used for dressings, marinades, sauces and dips.  The best part is that they are made with olive oil and apple cider vinegar, unlike most sauces and dressings that are full of gmo canola oil!  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!!  It makes for great leftovers...even cold right out of the fridge!

Bacon Pecan Maple Mustard Chicken

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Total time: 40 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, thinned out
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup Maple Mustard*
• 4-5 strips of bacon, cooked and cut into pieces
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped into pieces
• Stone ground mustard

Instructions

1. Place the chicken breasts in a greased baking dish
2. Brush or spoon on about 1 tbsp of Maple Mustard onto the top of each breast to lightly coat. Reserve the rest of the sauce for later
3. Sprinkle the bacon and pecan pieces over each breast
4. Bake with a loose cover at 350 for 15 minutes. Remove the cover and bake an additional 15 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and drizzle the remaining Maple Mustard over each breast. Finish them off with another drizzle of stone ground mustard

Notes
*Maple Mustard sauce is from Steve's Paleo that can be found online (link in blog) or from Whole Foods.

xo,

Bacon Meatloaf

I have been sitting on this recipe for over six months until I got a good picture!  Meatloaf is not my favorite to photograph, but this is a fantastic recipe!!  Who doesn't like sausage and bacon thrown together with some beef!!!  We eat this for dinner, but it's perfect for breakfast too.

Breakfast isn't complete without potatoes or hash browns of some sort.  I wanted to keep this recipe lower carb so I opted for boiled jicama instead of potatoes.  Either one will work and you could really use any type of potato, taro or yucca.  The key is to par-boil them to soften them up before hand.

Breakfast Bacon Meatloaf
Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs grass-fed ground beef or bison
• 1/2 lb pork breakfast sausage
• 1/2 lb bacon (about 6 pieces), sliced into 1 inch pieces
• 3/4 cup jicama, cubed and softened (potatoes can be substituted)*
• 1/2-3/4 cup onion, diced
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp fennel seed
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Brown the breakfast sausage, disgard the grease and set aside.
2. Cook the bacon pieces until crispy or desired tenderness, set aside. Keep the grease in the pan!
3. Saute the onions and softened jicama in the bacon grease, add in all of the seasoning. Cook until the onions are translucent
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef, sausage and bacon with the egg. Add in the onion mixture using your hands to mash it all together
5. Form into a loaf and place in a greased casserole dish. Drizzle with ketchup
6. Bake at 350 for about 55 minutes
7. This is fantastic as leftovers too!!

Notes

*To soften the jicama, cook in boiling water until soft. Takes 45-60 minutes depending on the size of your cubes. I cut them about 1/4 inch squares in size. Use the entire jicama and save the remaining pieces to saute as potatoes another time!

If you prefer to make your own ketchup, here is a low carb recipe.

If you are an Amazon shopper, would you be so kind to use my affiliate link to make your purchases.  It is at no cost to you, it does provide a tiny kickback to Kate’s Healthy Cupboard.  This allows me to continue making and testing recipes for free.  Thanks so much!!

I have recently switched all of my skincare and makeup to a company that is free of 1,500 chemicals!!  I am so particular about what goes into my body, I need to be just as picky as to what goes on my body!  Your skin is your largest organ and absorbs chemicals into the bloodstream faster than the gut does!  I am vain when it comes to my skin and was so thrilled to find products that are anti-aging and work!!!  Check out BeautyCounter for more info!!  You will love it!! 

Kate's Healthy Cupboard - Gluten Free Recipes

Sausage Fauxtato Frittata Recipe

Fauxtato Frittata...say that 5 times fast!!!  As many of you know, I tend to eat a lower amount of carbs.  This means potatoes are not an item I consume regularly, white or sweet.  For those of you looking to stay away from starchy carbs or from nightshades (more on this below), this frittata recipe is for you!!

How did I replace the potatoes in this recipe...jicama!!  When you boil jicama prior to cooking with it, it softens up and tastes great!  I have been experimenting with jicama a lot lately, so get ready for more recipes that include it.  If you don't like jicama, I suggest you try this recipe and see if you change your mind!

Potatoes are avoided by some for the carbohydrate content and others avoid them due to the fact they are a nightshade.  What the heck is a nightshade (or moonshade as my sister likes to call them)?  If you suffer from any of the following, nightshades MIGHT be a problem for you.  Most common symptoms are: joint pain, stiffness upon waking, or stiffness after sitting for longs periods of time, muscle pain and tension, muscle tremors, sensitivity to weather changes, poor healing, insomnia, skin rashes, heartburn, stomach discomfort, digestive difficulties, headaches, mood swings depression, chronic pain, inflammation, arthritis, or rheumatism. They can also cause permeability in our intestinal membranes (known as leaky gut), all of which may contribute to autoimmune disease.   If someone is healthy, with low inflammation in their body, a balanced immune system, and a balanced and strong digestive tract, they can often eat nightshade vegetables without a problem.  However, people with autoimmune disease are vulnerable, as nightshades often exacerbate symptoms.

What are nightshade vegetables?Tomatoes, tomatillos, potatoes, eggplant, pimento, bell peppers (green, red, yellow, cherry), banana peppers, hot peppers of all kinds green, red, chili, paprika, cayenne, goji berries, ground cherries, ashwagandha (an ayurvedic herb), Tobacco is also a nightshade.  The Latin name for this family of plants is Solanaceae, because all of them produce an alkaloid compound called solanine. This chemical is part of these plants’ natural defense system, acting as a nerve poison on insects that try to eat the plants.

Sausage Fauxtato Frittata

Ingredients

• 10 pasture raised eggs (I like Tropical Traditions soy free eggs)
• 1/2 lb pork breakfast sausage
• 5 slices bacon, sliced (about 1/2 inch pieces)
• 1 1/2 cups jicama, cubed and boiled to soften*
• 1/4 -1/2 of an onion, diced
• 1 tbsp dry parsley
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• couple dashes of pepper

Instructions

1. Heat a 10 inch cast iron skillet over medium and cook the sausage. Remove the sausage once cooked and set aside
2. Cook the bacon in the pan until about half way done. Add the onions and cooked jicama to the bacon and saute until onions are translucent
3. While bacon is cooking, whisk the eggs in a bowl with the salt, pepper and parsley. Also turn your oven broiler on at this time
4. Once the bacon, onion and jicama mixture is done, add in the sausage and turn the heat to medium low.
5. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and cook until eggs start to form curds and edges look cooked. You want the frittata to be half way done before you put it under the broiler.
6. Place the frittata on the lower shelf of the oven and let cook for 3-5 minutes or until top is golden brown
7. Remove from heat and serve hot. This is also great as leftovers hot or cold!

Quick notes

*The jicama needs to boil for about 45 minutes (the smaller the pieces, the less time it takes them to get soft) before you add it to this recipe. This step can be done a day or two ahead of time or right before you make the frittata. Simply add the cubed jicama to a pan of boiling water and let boil for about 45 minutes. Drain off the water and store in the refrigerator.

For more information on how to create your own frittata recipe, check out my Sausage and Mushroom Frittata Recipe.

If you are an Amazon shopper, would you be so kind to use my affiliate link to make your purchases.  It is at no cost to you, it does provide a tiny kickback to Kate’s Healthy Cupboard.  This allows me to continue making and testing recipes for free.  Thanks so much!!

Kate's Healthy Cupboard - Gluten Free Recipes

Bacon Brussel Sprouts

Happy New Year!  I hope everyone had a great holiday season and got a chance to enjoy a few of my treats.  I just finished off the last of the cookies I made for Christmas.  It's so nice to know almost all of my treats were free of sugar since I used Swerve (my favorite sugar alternative) in all my recipes.  If your resolutions include giving up or decreasing the sugar in your diet, I highly recommend trying Swerve!  They are running a special in January and always offer 10% off to my readers with coupon code KATE10.

Enough about the sweets, it's time for vegetables, dinners and breakfasts for a while...well until it's Valentine's recipe time!  We enjoyed this brussels sprout recipe for our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.  These were a huge hit by everyone, even the brussels sprout haters liked them...how can you not when bacon is included!   This recipe is not a lot of work and certainly isn't high maintenance!

Recipe: Bacon Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

• 3-4 slices bacon, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 lb brussels sprouts, halved or quartered depending on size
• 1/4 cup onions, diced
• 1/2 cup water
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Place the sliced bacon in a skillet over medium heat and cook until tender but not full cooked
2. Remove all but 2 tbsp of the bacon grease and toss in the onions, cook until onions are translucent and bacon is fully cooked
3. Add the brussels sprouts, stir to coat with grease
4. Stir in the water and sprinkle with some salt and pepper
5. Turn temperature down to low and place a lid on the skillet
6. Let cook for 30-60 minutes or until very tender. The longer they cook, the more the sprouts take on the bacon flavor
7. Salt and pepper to taste

If you are an Amazon shopper, would you be so kind to use my affiliate link to make your purchases.  It is at no cost to you, it does provide a tiny kickback to Kate’s Healthy Cupboard.  This allows me to continue making and testing recipes for free.  Thanks so much!!

Kate's Healthy Cupboard - Gluten Free Recipes

"Rice" and Bacon Stuffed Pumpkin

Here's a fantastic and fun recipe to add to your Thanksgiving menu.  I originally had this dish with rice in place of cauliflower a couple years ago and loved it!!!  I figured I could recreate this to be grain free by using cauliflower rice.  My inspiration came from this recipe, Pumpkin Stuffed With Everything Good.  It was made with bread crumbs, but along the way it has been changed to rice (I include how to do that variation below).  I made my own additions and changes as well.  I had to make some adjustments after trying to cook the cauliflower in the pumpkin. I decided it gets way too much moisture (which is perfect for cooking rice), so it needed to be cooked in a casserole dish.  Also, through trial and error, I decided that sauteing the onions and mushrooms in the bacon grease added some additional flavor.  You certainly can leave the entire pumpkin part out (unless you are using rice), but it makes for such a great fall presentation!Instructions

Recipe: “Rice” Stuffed Pumpkin

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized pumpkin, about 3 pounds
• 1 medium head of cauliflower, riced (run though a food processor)
• 4 pieces of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups mushrooms, chopped
• 3/4 cup sliced green onion, greens and whites (about 4 onions)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla non-dairy milk
• 2 tbsp grass-fed butter, melted (optional, see variation below)
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/8-1/4 tsp nutmeg
• Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Place the riced cauliflower in a large mixing bowl and set aside
2. Cook bacon in a skillet until crispy, remove from grease and add to the cauliflower. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons of grease.
3. Place the onions and mushrooms in the skillet of grease and saute over medium heat until the onion is translucent and mushrooms are tender
4. Add the onion and mushroom mixture, garlic, butter, milk, thyme, salt, pepper and nutmeg to the cauliflower and mix well
5. Place the mixture in a casserole dish and cover
6. Bake at 350 for an hour
7. While the cauliflower is baking, cut off the top of the pumpkin and remove the seeds and guts
8. Once the cauliflower is done, spoon it into the pumpkin and place it on a cookie sheet. Return it to the oven with the lid on for another 15-30 minutes (make sure the oven shelf is low enough so the stem isn’t touching the burner).
9. Remove the top after 15 minutes and remove from oven if cauliflower is done or cook another 15 minutes with lid off until done.
10. Serve hot in the pumpkin

Variations

Butter makes everything better! You could substitute it with ghee as a dairy free option or increase the milk to 1/3 cup from 1/4 cup.

The original recipe calls for bread crumbs or rice. To make this with rice, sub the cauliflower with 2 cups of uncooked rice, use 1/3 cup milk and cook the entire dish inside the pumpkin from the start for 60-90 minutes with lid on.  Remove lid the last 15-30 minutes and cook until rice is done (Directions in link above for original recipe).

Holiday baking season is here!!  My favorite place to order all of my nut flours, nuts, chocolate, dried fruit, etc is www.nuts.com.  They have every kind of nut flour out there that is finely ground and sure to make your grain free baked goods perfect! They are certified gluten free so there is absolutely no cross contamination!!

Baking wouldn't be the same without a sweetener, but I prefer to use a sweetener that won't raise insulin levels, is natural, won't upset your belly and won't leave you feeling guilty!  Swerve is my go to...and you can enjoy 10% off as one of my readers with coupon code KATE10!

Kate's Healthy Cupboard - Gluten Free Recipes

Bacon Chili

What!!!  No beans in your chili?  Yep, no beans.  I have chosen to not eat beans and legumes for a couple of reasons.  For one, I don't eat much starch anymore, I have chosen a high fat eating plan.  Second, beans and legumes contain considerable amounts of phytates — anti-nutrients which bind to minerals in the legumes, making them unavailable to our bodies. (This means some of the minerals present in the legumes aren’t able to be accessed by our bodies).  Nuts also have some phytates, but I feel the beneficial fats far exceed any of the nutrients in beans and legumes.  With all of that said, please feel free to add beans to this recipe.

I remember as a kid I never really cared for chili, unless it was canned with meat and beans only.  I think too many chili's have too many tomatoes that over power the taste.  I just don't like biting into a spoonful of mushy tomatoes personally.  I did put tomatoes in this recipes, but next time may make it with even less.  Some of you may want even more and love the mushiness and flavor they add.

Bacon Chili

Ingredients

• 1 lb grass-fed ground beef
• 4 slices bacon
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (optional)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/8 cup chili powder
• 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp sea salt (or more if tomatoes don’t have added salt)

Instructions

1. Slice the bacon into 1/2 inch pieces and place in a large saucepan over medium heat
2. Once the bacon is cooked though, pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease and return pan to the heat with the bacon in it
3. Add the onions, peppers, garlic and all of the spices except the salt and cook until the onions get tender and start to brown, about 10 minutes
4. Increase the heat to medium high and add the beef, breaking it up into pieces with a spoon until no longer pink, about 3-4 minutes
5. Add the tomatoes and salt and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover, stir occasionally and cook for about an hour
6. Remove lid and let the chili cook for an additional hour to thicken up
7. Add salt to taste

This is great without, but you could top with cheese if you can tolerate it!!  This is the perfect make ahead meal or double it to freeze for later!

If you are an Amazon shopper, would you be so kind to use my affiliate link to make your purchases.  It is at no cost to you, it does provide a tiny kickback to Kate’s Healthy Cupboard.  This allows me to continue making and testing recipes for free.  Thanks so much!!

*I have recently switched all of my skincare and makeup to a company that is free of 1,500 chemicals!!  I am so particular about what goes into my body, I need to be just as picky as to what goes on my body!  Your skin is your largest organ and absorbs chemicals into the bloodstream faster than the gut does!  I am vain when it comes to my skin and was so thrilled to find products that are anti-aging and work!!!  Check out BeautyCounter for more info!!  You will love it!!  Give the gift of safe skincare this holiday season, gift sets available.

Kate's Healthy Cupboard - Gluten Free Recipes

Creamy Roasted Cauliflower and Mushroom Soup

It seems that most of the west is about to experience a bit of a cold front.  I thought this would be the perfect time to share this recipe!  I'm fortunate enough to still be in Arizona where a cold front means it's going to be in the 50's!  I live in Colorado, so listening to the weather forecast here cracks me up!!  What these people think is cold is definitely a hot winter day at home!

Even if it's not cold where you are, this is a delicious soup recipe to enjoy for lunch or dinner.  I served it with bacon pieces and used the bacon grease for flavor.  If you'd prefer, you can certainly skip the bacon, but who skips bacon?  This would also be good with shredded chicken as well.

Creamy Roasted Cauliflower and Mushroom Soup

Ingredients

• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into pieces
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 2-3 pieces of bacon (optional)
• 2 tbsp bacon grease, butter or coconut oil
• 1/4-1/2cup white onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme or 3 tsp dried
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 3 cups homemade chicken broth (or canned)
• 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk
• 2 tbsp grass-fed butter (optional)
• sea salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Place the pieces of cauliflower in a bowl and coat with the 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Place single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast at 400 for 25-30 minutes
2. Cook the bacon in a skillet, reserve the grease, cut the bacon into pieces and set aside
3. Place the bacon grease, coconut oil or butter in a large sauce pan with the onion. Saute the onions until slightly browned
4. Add the garlic, thyme and mushrooms. Saute until the mushrooms are tender, about 5-10 minutes
5. Add the white wine and de-glaze the pan
6. Add the chicken broth and cauliflower and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer for 5 minutes
7. Place the soup, coconut milk and optional butter in a food processor or blender and combine until desired consistency
8. Salt and pepper to taste
9. Sprinkle the bacon pieces on top (optional)

I served this tonight and when I told Tom what I had made, this was his response: "If I saw that on the label ofa soup can, I would not think it sounded very good."  About two bites into it, he kept telling me how awesome it was!  I knew he was going to like it!  Butter, bacon and mushrooms, who wouldn't love this!!

Kate's Healthy Cupboard - Gluten Free Recipes

Sauteed Shredded Brussels Sprouts

Some of you may make the same menu every Thanksgiving, and others like to switch it up a bit.  I am sure we all have our staples of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes and what ever else is a family favorite.  Here is an idea for any of you looking for a new idea for a vegetable to serve.  It includes bacon, so it's sure to make everyone go after a second helping...except those vegetarians out there!!!

I have quite a few recipes to get out before the holiday, so I am going to keep it short and sweet in my upcoming posts.  I have a fantastic muffin recipe coming that is perfect to include in your breakfast on Thanksgiving morning and a pumpkin tart dessert for anyone looking to do something different than a traditional pumpkin pie!!

Sauteed Shredded Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients

• 2 lbs fresh brussels sprouts (2 bags), cleaned and trimmed
• 4 slices of bacon (US Wellness Meats is a great place to buy bacon that is pasture raised and sugar free)
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2- 1 cup onions, diced
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Place the brussels sprouts in a food processor and pulse until they are shredded
2. In a large skillet, fry the bacon until crispy. Set aside and reserve 2 tbsp of bacon grease in the pan
3. Add the onion, salt and pepper to the pan and saute until the onions are close to translucent
4. Add the sprouts and the garlic and continue to saute until completely cooked (about 3-5 minutes)
5. Tear the bacon into pieces and stir into the sprouts

I found myself going back for more of this...it's that good and such a different way to fix brussels sprouts.  I think this would also be good with cabbage if any of you are not sprouts fans.

Kate's Healthy Cupboard - Gluten Free Recipes

Bacon Wrapped Scallops

So let's be honest, what isn't delicious when it's wrapped in bacon...can't think of anything!!  I don't eat it that often, but when I do, I savor every last bite.  I am not worried about bacon fat, or really any healthy fat for that matter.  As long as your bacon is from a hormone free source and not full of sugar, treat yourself to it here and there!  I get mine from a local butcher, but I highly recommend US Wellness Meats for their bacon and all things meat!  Trusted family farm raising animals right!!

This is such an easy recipe and may remind you of a popular appetizer that calls for water chest nuts wrapped in bacon.  This is just as good, but lacks the crunch of the chestnut, so feel free to add them to each bite as well.  I used bay scallops, it's what I had, but diver scallops cut in half will work just fine.  You may need a bigger piece of bacon for the diver scallops halves or if you are adding a water chest nut.

Bacon Wrapped Scallops

Ingredients

• 1 lb bay scallops (or diver scallops cut in half)
• 8-10 pieces of bacon
• 1/2-2/3 cup Coconut Aminos (found online or Asian aisle of natural grocery stores)
  (Gluten Free Soy alternative)
• can of water chest nuts (optional)
• tooth picks or bamboo skewers

Instructions

1. Marinate the scallops (and water chestnuts) in the Coconut Aminosfor at least an hour
2. Cut the bacon into half or thirds depending on what scallops you are using or if you are adding chestnuts
3. Wrap the bacon around the scallop and hold it together with a toothpick or skewer
4. Place the wrapped scallops on a broiler pan. If you don’t have one, a cooling rack placed on a cookie sheet that is lined with foil works great too
5. Broil for 3-4 minutes on each side. Watch these so they don’t burn
6. Serve hot and crispy!

Kate's Healthy Cupboard - Gluten Free Recipes

BLT Lettuce Wraps

I really wanted to call this a BLATE lettuce wrap but figured people would have no clue what the heck it was.  You have hopefully heard of a BLAT, a BLT with avocado.  Well I took it a step further and added some diced up hard boiled eggs to increase the protein content.

This wrap can be tailored to your liking.  Some options are to eat it plain or mix in with some Homemade Mayo, Avocado Vinaigrette or some mustard before you wrap it up.  Either way, you can't go wrong when bacon is involved!

I agree with a modified paleo/primal way of eating, but I am not endorsing eating as much bacon as you want like the die hard paleo do.  I believe the saturated fat in it is healthy and is fine to eat, just not everyday.  Make sure you are buying uncured bacon that is nitrate and nitrate free from a quality source.  The other option is buying unprocessed turkey bacon if that suites your taste buds more.

Recipe: BLT Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, cooked and broken into pieces
• 4 eggs, hard boiled and diced
• 1/2 to 1 avocado, diced
• 3/4 cup of tomatoes, diced
• 4 big lettuce leaves
• mayo, mustard or dressing (optional)

Instructions

1. Place all of the ingredients minus the lettuce in a bowl and toss with or without a condiment
2. Place the filling in a lettuce leaf and roll up

Quick notes

Serves 2 people (2 wraps each)

Whether you opt for a BLT, BLAT or a BLATE lettuce wrap, enjoy!!!!

Kate's Healthy Cupboard - Gluten Free Recipes