Tasty Tuna Tidbits

Source: Oxygen, July 2016

Cherry Granola Parfaits (in a jar)

Source: Oxygen, December 2015

No-Sweet Paleo Granola

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Coconut Oil
• 2 tbsp. of Cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
• ½ cup Pecans
• ½ cup Walnuts
• ½ cup Macadamia nuts
• 2 small green apples chopped (peel it if you like)
• Salt to taste

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 300.

 

Break/Chop the nuts.

 

As a time and money saver I use a piece of plywood, ziplock bag and a hammer to break up all the nuts. Pre-chopped nuts are much more expensive, I also do this because I like a few whole nuts in my granola.

 

In a large mixing bowl pour in the metaled coconut oil, add in the cinnamon and stir until blended. Add in the shredded coconut, nuts and chopped apple.

 

Stir until everything is well coated. Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet and spread it out. Sprinkle a pinch or two of salt over the granola and place it in the oven.

 

Stir it every 5-7 min until done. It is very easy to burn the granola, so keep your eye on it.

 

Take it out of the oven and let it cool. Portion out servings into small zip lock bags so they are ready to go when you are!

grain-free banola

PREP TIME 10 MINS • COOK TIME 30-35 MINS • SERVINGS 8

2 cups whole or halved nuts of choice (walnuts, pecans, macadamias, almonds)
1 cup slivered or sliced almonds
1/2 cup seeds of choice (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame)
 1/2 cup almond or other nut meal
2 green-tipped bananas (to yield about 1 cup when puréed)
1 egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a food processor, pulse the whole or halved nuts until they’re partially ground and partially still in small chunks. Pour the nuts into a large mixing bowl, then stir in the slivered almonds, seeds, and almond meal.

Place the bananas, egg, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg (if using), and sea salt into the food processor and process for 20 seconds or until all the ingredients are puréed. Pour the banana mixture into the nut mixture and stir until the nuts are well coated.

Pour the nut mixture onto a parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 30 to 35 minutes, checking every 10 minutes and turning the chunks of granola with a large spoon to break up the very large pieces. This allows it to dry out and lightly brown on all sides. Remove from the oven and let cool, uncovered, or turn off the oven and allow it to continue to dehydrate as the oven cools. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week. Enjoy it plain as a snack, or with coconut or almond milk as a cereal.

Source:
Sanfilippo, Diane (2013-12-29). The 21-Day Sugar Detox: Bust Sugar & Carb Cravings Naturally (Kindle Locations 4514-4518). Victory Belt Publishing. Kindle Edition.

spicy thai nut mix

PREP TIME 5 MINS • COOK TIME 25-30 MINS • SERVINGS 4

1 tablespoon coconut aminos*
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
2 to 4 drops fish sauce*
zest and juice of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon minced fresh ginger, or more to taste
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/2 cup walnuts
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 275°F.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut aminos, coconut oil, fish sauce, lime zest, lime juice, cayenne pepper, and ginger. Add the nuts and seeds (you may substitute others of your choice), and toss to evenly coat. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until toasted.

Source:
Sanfilippo, Diane (2013-12-29). The 21-Day Sugar Detox: Bust Sugar & Carb Cravings Naturally (Kindle Locations 4349-4358). Victory Belt Publishing. Kindle Edition.

cinnilla nut mix

PREP TIME 5 MINS • COOK TIME 25-30 MINS • SERVINGS 4

1 egg white
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 pinches of sea salt
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup macadamia nuts
1/2 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons almond meal, store-bought* or homemade

Preheat the oven to 275°F.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg white, coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Add the nuts (you may substitute others of your choice) and almond meal, and toss to evenly coat. Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until toasted.

Source:
Sanfilippo, Diane (2013-12-29). The 21-Day Sugar Detox: Bust Sugar & Carb Cravings Naturally (Kindle Locations 4328-4337). Victory Belt Publishing. Kindle Edition.

baked kale chips

PREP TIME 10 MINS • COOK TIME 15-20 MINS • SERVINGS 4

1 large bunch curly kale
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional)
3 tablespoons brewer’s yeast* (optional)
2 tablespoons almond meal (use 4 to 5 tablespoons if omitting brewer’s yeast), store-bought* or homemade (see here)
sea salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

INGREDIENT TIP * For brewer’s yeast, I recommend Lewis Labs brand.

KITCHEN TIP Baking kale on glass or ceramic cookware tends to yield a more “wet” result, and the chips don’t bake up as easily. This is why I recommend metal baking sheets.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Holding the stem of each kale leaf with one hand, use your other hand to rip both sides of the leaf from the stem. Discard the stems. Rinse the kale, then thoroughly pat it dry with paper towels and/or spread it out and allow it to dry for several hours.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil, garlic, onion powder, paprika (if using), brewer’s yeast (if using), almond meal, salt, and pepper.

In a large mixing bowl, toss half of the well-dried kale with half of the spice mixture, massaging it into the leaves, then arrange the kale in a single layer on a metal baking sheet (without a nonstick surface). Repeat with the second half of the kale and spice blend and spread evenly onto a second baking sheet. Sprinkle the kale with a little extra salt and the granulated garlic.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the kale becomes crispy but not browned. If after 20 minutes of baking the kale still seems a bit soggy (which often happens if the kale was not completely dry before baking), simply turn off the oven and leave the kale in the oven while it cools down for an additional 20 minutes. This will give the kale more time to dry out.

Source:
Sanfilippo, Diane (2013-12-29). The 21-Day Sugar Detox: Bust Sugar & Carb Cravings Naturally (Kindle Locations 4319-4320). Victory Belt Publishing. Kindle Edition.

herb crackers

PREP TIME 30 MINS • COOK TIME 10-15 MINS • SERVINGS 4

1 cup fine almond meal, store-bought* or homemade
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs of your choice (see Chef Note)
black pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten

CHEF NOTE Fresh chives and rosemary are good choices for these crackers.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a mixing bowl, use a fork to combine the almond meal, salt, onion powder, granulated garlic, herbs, and pepper. Add the egg to the dry ingredients and combine with the fork until it forms a crumbly texture. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap it in a sheet of plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator, place it between 2 sheets of parchment paper, and roll it out gently with a rolling pin.

Use a knife or cookie cutter to make cracker shapes of your choice. Place the shapes on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Allow the crackers to cool before serving with your favorite toppings.

Source:
Sanfilippo, Diane (2013-12-29). The 21-Day Sugar Detox: Bust Sugar & Carb Cravings Naturally (Kindle Locations 4194-4199). Victory Belt Publishing. Kindle Edition.
.

Buffalo Chicken Pot Stickers

• 4 cups shredded cooked chicken 
• 3/4 cup Buffalo-style hot sauce
• 3 green onions, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 48 wonton wrappers
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup water
• Parchment paper

 

Stir together chicken, hot sauce, green onions, and freshly ground black pepper in a medium bowl. Spoon 2 tsp. chicken mixture in center of each wonton wrapper. Moisten edges of each wonton with water; fold corners over mixture to form a triangle. Press edges to seal. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook wontons, 12 at a time, in hot oil 2 minutes or until golden. (Do not turn.) Add water; cover and cook 2 more minutes. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and keep warm in a 200° oven until ready to serve.

Makes 4 dozen

Robyn Stone, Carrollton, GA, addapinch.com, Southern Living

FEBRUARY 2014

Broccoli Chips

Ingredients:
Broccoli stems sliced into thin coins (as many as you like)
1 cup panko bread crumbs
a shallow bowl of egg wash (1 egg plus a splash of milk whisked together)
A good dash of salt, onion powder, and cayenne pepper (mix this in with the panko crumbs)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the broccoli stems into thin coins.

Prep your egg wash and panko mix (panko crumbs + spices).
Dip the coins into a bath of egg wash and then coat them in the panko mix. Next, place them on a cookie sheet and bake for about 10 minutes until coins are tender and fragrant.

You could fry these up just as easily. I tried both and honestly, preferred the taste and crunch of the baked version. Plus, the baked are leaner.
Pull the chips out of the oven when they look like this.

Serve them up hot and pop them like chips. They are crunchy and tender and have great flavor from the panko and spices. They are perfect to munch on when you’re prepping dinner.

Snack away!

Source: Keep It Simple Foods

Baked Asparagus Fries

 

Makes 1 pound
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 lb asparagus, ends trimmed and cut in half
3/4 cup all purpose flour (use almond flour for paleo)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
salt and pepper to taste
cooking spray

Dipping Sauces:
sun-dried tomato jam:
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups sun-dried tomatoes
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon oregano, minced
2 teaspoons thyme, minced
1 teaspoon rosemary, minced
1/2 cup red wine
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste

roasted garlic aioli:
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/4 cup salad oil (or a light flavored oil like vegetable oil)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 head roasted garlic, beaten to a paste
salt and pepper to taste

bleu cheese sauce:
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup crumbled bleu cheese
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 tablespoons chives, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Place almonds and panko in a food processor and pulse until the almonds are finely ground and well mixed. Pour mixture into a shallow dish.
3. Dredge cut asparagus spears in flour and shake off excess (not much flour will stick to the waxy spears, but that’s okay).
4. Dip each spear into the egg wash followed by the panko mixture. Cover each spear in the panko mixture until fully coated. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Place coated spears onto a parchment lined baking sheet and spray with a light coating of cooking spray. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until crisp and lightly
browned. Season with salt and pepper.
6. For tomato jam: Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Place first 6 ingredients into the pan and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, oregano, thyme, and rosemary and continue to sauté for 3 minutes. Deglaze pan with the wine and vinegar and cook until almost all of the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and lower the heat to medium. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the hot mixture into a food processor and pulse 3 times. Allow the mixture to cool.
7. For aioli: Place the egg yolk mustard and lemon juice into a mixing bowl and whisk together. In a measuring cup, stir together the two oils. Pour the blended oil into the yolk mixture, while whisking, until fully emulsified. Whisk the roasted garlic paste into the mixture and season with salt and pepper. Stir.
8. For bleu cheese sauce: Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk together. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Serve baked asparagus fries with the trio of dipping sauces.

Source: Spoon Fork Bacon

Baked Butternut Squash Chips

 

Note: This recipe uses only the necks of the squash, so reserve the base of the squash for a soup or salad!
What You Need2 butternut squashes with long necks
Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Kosher salt

What To Do
1 Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2 Cut the necks of the squashes off of the bases. Peel each neck and slice it into thin slices, about 1/8th of an inch thick.
3 Drop the slices into the boiling water and boil for 2 minutes (this allows the squash to get crispy when baked). After 2 minutes, carefully drain and rinse under the faucet until the slices are cool to the touch. Pat the slices with a towel to remove excess water.
4 Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper, and top them with slices. Be careful that the slices do not touch. Brush with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle on a little kosher salt, and top with finely grated Parmesan cheese.
5 This is the tricky part – bake the chips until crispy, for about 15-20 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on them and remove them when they turn brown and crispy – the timing for your oven may be shorter or longer! We had to remove them in intervals, since our oven is a bit uneven.
Enjoy! Once cooled, store in an airtight container for up to one week.
Note: You can also microwave the chips; each batch takes about 10 minutes on high power.

Source: A Couple Cooks

Blueberry Cream Cheese Mini Pies

INGREDIENTS 


Streusel
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1/4 cup cold butter or margarine Blueberry Filling
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Cream Cheese Filling
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar 1 egg
Crust
1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Flaky Layers refrigerated biscuits

DIRECTIONS
1 Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, mix flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon peel. Cut in butter, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Set aside.

2 In 2-quart saucepan, mix 3/4 cup sugar and the cornstarch. Gradually stir in water. Cook and stir over medium heat about 10 minutes or until thickened. Add 1 1/2 cups of the blueberries. Reduce heat to low. Cover; cook about 10 minutes or until mixture returns to a boil. Stir in 1 teaspoon lemon peel and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Add remaining blueberries; stir gently. Set aside.

3 In small bowl, beat cream cheese filling ingredients until smooth; set aside.

4 Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Split each biscuit in half to make 16 rounds. With floured fingers, flatten each to form 4-inch round. Press 1 biscuit round into each of 16 ungreased regular-size muffin cups. Spoon 1 tablespoon cream cheese filling and 2 tablespoons blueberry filling into each biscuit-lined cup. Sprinkle each with about 1 tablespoon streusel (cups will be full).

5 Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups to cooling rack. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Source: Pillsbury.com

Texas Pecan Brittle

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 cups pecans
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons vanilla

1. 1Bring the first 3 ingredients to 260°F.
2. 2When temperature reaches 280°F add remaining ingredients.
3. 3Add the baking soda last.
   1. ingredients.
   2. 4 Pour onto greased cookie sheet.
   3. .

Asparagus Pesto

Toss with cooked pasta, or spread on crostini and top with chopped tomatoes and bacon.

Prep Time: 18 minutes
Yield: Makes about 2 1/2 cups
Ingredients
1 pound fresh asparagus
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation
1. Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus. Cook asparagus in boiling water to cover 3 to 4 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain.

2. Plunge asparagus into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain. Coarsely chop asparagus.

3. Process asparagus, cheese, and remaining ingredients in a food processor 30 seconds to 1 minute or until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.

Southern Living, MARCH 2010

Benne (Sesame) Brittle

Prep Time: 23 minutes
Other Time: 20 minutes
Yield: Makes about 1 lb.
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups benne (sesame) seeds
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract



Preparation
1. Cook benne seeds in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring often, 8 minutes or until seeds begin to turn brown. Remove from skillet.

2. Cook sugar and 2 Tbsp. water in skillet over low heat, stirring constantly, 10 minutes or until sugar is melted. Quickly stir in benne seeds and vanilla. Pour onto a well-buttered baking sheet. Quickly spread to 1/8-inch thickness, using a metal spatula. Cool completely (20 minutes). Break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Adapted from Charleston Receipts, Southern Living, MARCH 2010

Oreo Caramel Dipped Apples

5 medium apples, washed, well dried
1 pkg. (14 oz.) KRAFT Caramels (about 50)
12 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, coarsely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 square BAKER'S Premium White Baking Chocolate, melted
Yellow and red food coloring (optional)

INSERT wooden pop stick (from bag of caramels) into stem end of each apple; set aside.
PLACE caramels and 2 Tbsp. water in large saucepan; cook on medium-low heat until caramels are melted, stirring frequently.
DIP apples into melted caramel, spooning caramel over apples to coat. Roll in chopped cookies, pressing cookies gently into caramel to secure. Place on wax-paper-lined baking sheet; let stand 25 minutes or until caramel is set.
STIR 4 drops yellow food coloring and 1 drop red food coloring into melted white chocolate to tint orange. Cool 15 minutes. Drizzle over apples; let stand until firm. Store in refrigerator up to 2 days.

KRAFT KITCHENS TIPS
Size-Wise Caramel apples are a special treat that are fun to make with children. Keep an eye on serving size as you enjoy this rich dessert.Substitute Prepare as directed, using Halloween OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies.

Source: www.kraftfoods.com

Chocolate Dipped Caramel Apples

5 medium apples, washed, well dried
1 pkg. (14 oz.) KRAFT Caramels
3/4 cup chopped PLANTERS Salted Peanuts
1 pkg. (4 oz.) BAKER'S GERMAN'S Sweet Chocolate
1 tsp. butter or margarine

INSERT 1 wooden pop stick (from bag of caramels) into stem end of each apple.
MICROWAVE caramels and 2 Tbsp. water in deep microwavable bowl on HIGH 2 to 3 minutes or until caramels are completely melted, stirring after each minute. Dip apples into hot caramel mixture; turn until well coated. Scrape excess caramel mixture from bottoms of apples. Roll bottom halves in peanuts. Place on greased tray. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes.
MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in deep microwavable bowl on HIGH 2 to 3 minutes until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after each minute. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Drizzle chocolate generously over apples or dip bottom of apple into melted chocolate. Let stand on wax paper-lined tray until chocolate is firm.

KRAFT KITCHENS TIPS
Size It Up Here's a special occasion treat that is perfect for enjoying in the fall when apples are at their peak. Variation Prepare as directed, substituting 4 squares BAKER'S Premium White Baking Chocolate for the BAKER'S GERMAN'S Sweet Chocolate.

Cinnamon Tea Rolls

1 tube (4 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 T. sugar
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1-1/4 tsp orange juice

Unroll crescent dough into one rectangle; seal perforations. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over dough. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short side; pinch seam to seal. Using a serrated knife, cut into four slices.

Place rolls, pinched side down, in ungreased muffin cups. Bake at 375 F for 10-12 m inutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 mintues before removing to a wire rack. In a small bowl, combine confectioners sugar and orange juice; drizzle over rolls.

Yield: 4 rolls