Sides and Snacks

Goat Cheese Balls

Ingredients:

• 2 goat cheese logs
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup gluten free Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• raw honey (optional)
• marinara sauce (for dipping)
  

Directions: Slice plain goat cheese logs into 5 - 6 slices.  Roll into a ball using the palms of your hands (this will get messy.)  Place balls on a plate covered in plastic wrap, making sure balls don't touch.  Cover with more plastic and place in the freezer for about 20 - 25 minutes.  Add spices to a small mixing bowl.  Whisk egg in a separate bowl.  Add gluten free Italian seasoned bread crumbs to a plate or small mixing bowl.  Remove goat cheese balls from freezer.  Toss first in seasoning mix, then in whisked egg, then in bread crumbs.  Set on plate and set aside, repeating until all goat cheese balls are coated in bread crumbs.  Shallow pan fry in neutral oil on medium heat - these brown very fast so be careful not to burn them.  Serve with a drizzle of raw honey (optional) on a bed of marinara sauce.  Enjoy!

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Guacamole

Ingredients:

• 1 - 2 avocados
• cilantro
• onions
• tomatoes
• juice 1/2 lime
  
• Tajin (optional)

Directions: Use 1 - 2 ripe avocados that are soft and press in when you touch them.  Finely chop onion, cilantro leaves, mince garlic, and chop up tomatoes.  Add to a bowl.  Cut open avocado and scoop out insides with a spoon and add to bowl.  Add avocado seed to bowl to prevent guacamole from turning brown.  Squeeze the juice of half a lime over bowl.  Mash avocados and thoroughly mix ingredients together.  Add a few dashes of Tajin and serve with corn tortilla chips or fried plantains.

Kale Greens

Ingredients:

• kale
• shallot
• 3 - 4 garlic cloves
• bell pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• few shakes of liquid smoke
  
• seasoning: onion and garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, Creole seasoning

Directions:

Clean kale greens in a mix of water and vinegar, rinsing greens at least 3 times to make sure dirt and small bugs are removed.   Give greens a rough chop and set aside.  Finely chop up a shallot or 1/2 an onion and garlic.  Thinly slice up a bell pepper (I used roasted bell pepper from a jar).  In a pot saute shallot, garlic and bell pepper in olive oil and seasoning mix until softened.  Add kale in batches with about 1/2 cup of water.  Add liquid smoke and let cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes until greens are softened and no longer chewy.  May need to add a bit extra water 20 minutes into cooking process.

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Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 box gluten free elbow noodles (Barilla)
• 1 7 oz. package smoked gouda cheese
• 1 cup smoked white cheddar cheese
  
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp. gluten free baking flour
• 1 egg
• 1 stick salted butter
• seasoning: 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. Creole seasoning (contains salt)

Directions:

Grate cheese and set aside.  In a nonstick pot, melt butter with flour and stir to create a roux.  Add in seasoning and mix well.  Add milk and sour cream, mashing out lumps.  Add in 1.5 cups of grated cheese and stir until cheese is well blended.  Remove from heat and set aside.  In a pot of salted boiling water with a drizzle of oil, add in 1 box of noodles and cook until al dente (less than 8 minutes).  Drain and pour noodles into an oven safe casserole dish.  Pour cheese sauce over noodles and mix well.  Scramble egg and pour into noodles and cheese sauce.  Mix in half of the remaining grated cheese, leaving enough for the top layer.  Add the top layer and top with thin slices of butter.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 27 - 30 minutes until top is lightly browned.

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Peanut Butter Protein Balls

Ingredients:

• 1 cup gluten free whole oats
• 1 cup protein powder (toasted almonds, flaxseed, chia seeds, sunflower seeds pureed into a powder)
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup dates
• 1/4 cup almond flour (optional)
  

Directions: In a large bowl, combine whole oats, protein powder and peanut butter.  If not done already, remove seeds from dates and finely chop into a paste.  Add to bowl with oats.  Mix thoroughly.  Use the palms of your hands to roll mix into a ball.  Serve as is or toss in almond flour.

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Beef Quesadillas

Ingredients:

• ground beef
• corn tortillas
• onion
• bell pepper
• Peruvian aji panca pepper paste (dark red)
• tomato
• cilantro
• 2 - 3 garlic cloves
  
• soft cheese (mozzarella, gouda, cheddar)
• juice of 1/2 lime
• sour cream (optional)
• seasoning: Tajin, cumin, paprika, onion and garlic powder
  

Directions: Finely chop half of a large onion and half of a bell pepper.  Take about 1/4 of the finely chopped onion and place it in a bowl with finely chopped tomatoes, garlic and cilantro.  Sprinkle salsa with a dash of salt or Tajin and a squeeze of lime.  Set aside.  Grate cheese of your choice and set aside. In a large skillet cook the rest of the onion and the bell pepper until softened.  Add ground beef and cook until brown.  Drain off excess oil.  Add Peruvian pepper paste and season beef, onion and pepper with paprika, cumin, onion and garlic powder and a dash of Tajin.  Remove beef from pan and wipe skillet with a paper towel.  Lightly coat tortillas with oil and layer half of tortilla with cheese, ground beef mix and a layer of cheese on top.  Cook in a lightly oiled skillet, folding tortilla in half once cheese starts to soften but before tortilla becomes hard.  Repeat until you're done.  Serve with salsa and sour cream. 

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