I finally got to visit the bayou with a quick trip down to New Orleans in December. When I say quick I mean I only had to take off one day of work and was back here in the Carolinas to work the next. I use the word “work” very loosely as I was managing some brief and easy tasks with a beating headache and sunshades on from my night of partying. It was my first time in the city known for its Creole food and Bounce music. Being there for that short period of time forced me to pack a load of activities and sightseeing in with little time. I picked up some jambalaya, at the famous Mothers’ Restaurant, had some Pork Belly at Mr. Bs’, checked out the resting place for the Voodoo Queen, and drank everything in spirits except for the infamous Fireball on Bourbon Street.  

You know how you get to eat a banging cookie but there’s no more? Or that last piece of fried chicken that they left you? You want more but that’s it.  Well that’s how that trip was, I feel like I want so much more of what New Orleans has to offer. The locals were some of the most genuinely friendly people that I’ve encountered and that’s saying a lot considering I live in the Carolinas. My Uber driver was a good friend of Cash Moneys’ Hot Boys and described who he was in the video. Now me being the Hot Girl that I am majorly fan-girled  when I knew exactly who he was and recognized him from the videos. We went through the list and proceeded to tell me how everyone was doing including who was out and still locked up. I was felling like a little groupie after a while and changed the subject to best food spots. There were tons, but my main goal was to reach the spot with the best gumbo. Mothers was the place to get some of the best Gumbo, according to my N.O. native Uber driver. Because I knew the multiple drinks and probably allergy ridden food I had already ingested I opted against the Gumbo and instead bought the hubs back some Jambalaya from Mothers’ which he reported to be amazing. And while he enjoyed his Jambalaya I decided to make the best and allergy free Gumbo I could enjoy right at home.

Growing up my mother would make the best Gumbo, but as a base she would use flour as a thickener. Because I don’t do flour I used pounded yam instead. I also omitted the imitation crab meat she used not because I’m bougie { even when the Migos make it sound cool I’m just not} but because most of what I found had tons of additives that were non-pronounceable and therefore scary. I did attempt to use REAL crab meat in my development of this recipe but I found it to add little benefit to the overall flavor. This recipe is easy and fuss free once all your chopping is done. You simply put all ingredients in the crockpot and let it do it’s thing. The shrimp should be added at the end to prevent over cooking. Rice is optional, but I chose to eat it with the protein rich Quinoa instead.

I’m participating in a Black History Month Potluck with food bloggers who are in every way that is important to me my peers. I love and have enjoyed many of these same bloggers and strongly advise you to go check them out! I remember when I started blogging and would Google search for “black food bloggers”. The list was short shall I say. It seems that list gets longer every month and I’m loving it. I love seeing us with unique and traditional foods. Cultural and personal. Watching how our diverse and similar experiences shape and influence the foods we share. Black food across the diaspora is it’s own beating heart. So unique, so personal, so soulful, so American.

Meiko and Dish | Crispy Fried Chicken with Pepper Jelly Molasses

Whisk it Real Gud | Trinidad Oxtail Pelau

Raised on Ramen | Caramelized Plantain Tacos with Pecan-Honey Butter

Dash of Jazz | Aunt Georgia’s Peach Cobbler

Foodie in New York | Twice Baked Yams

The Seasoning Bottle | Jamaican Sorrel/ Bissap

Chef Kenneth | Smothered Okra with Shrimp

Savory Spicerack | Cajun Panko Crusted Shrimp Po Boys

Chocolate for Basil | Groundnut Stew (Peanut Stew)

Simply LaKita | Homemade Banana Pudding

My Forking Life | Callaloo and Saltfish

Gucci Belly| Swamp Water

Kaluhi’s Kitchen | Ukwaju (Tamarind) Marinated Spicy Chicken Thighs

Sweet Savant | Coffee Rubbed Lamb Ribs

Salty Sweet Life | Southern Greens Shakshuka

Eat. Drink. Frolic | Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I Heart Recipes | Dirty Rice

Jehan Can Cook | Mango Turmeric Smoothies

Margarita’s On The Rocks | Lemon Pepper Fish Tacos with Collard Green Slaw

The Kitchenista Diaries | Coconut Milk Braised Collards

My Life Runs On Food | Orange Chocolate Smoothie

Butter Be Ready | Skillet Cornbread

Domestic Dee | Shrimp Creole

D.M.R . Fine Foods | Curry Chicken Pot Pie

The Inner Gourmet | Lamb Fried Rice

Marisa Moore Nutrition | Hoppin’ John Patties with Tomato Salsa

The Hungry Hutch | Blood Orange Cornmeal Cake

I’ve been playing around in my kitchen quite a bit this holiday. Cooking up gluten and grain free meals and desserts. Honestly I’ve been preparing more desserts than meals these days. I’m starting the top of the year with a 6 week sugar detox to include my normal food restrictions. It’ll be apart of my New Years Resolutions.

I see everyone seems to look down on New Years resolutions these days. Commentary surrounding the failure and uselessness of resolutions even had me rejecting the traditional list of goals at the top of the year. The truth is I am here and will always be here for a good New Years resolution list. If I don’t complete everything on the list for that year than guess what? I simply didn’t complete everything on the list for that year. It’s not the end of the world, doesn’t mean I’m a failure or that I failed. I look as it as recognizing an area for improvement and working on it. Either way my consciousness shifts to improvement maybe not a complete 360  but simply being conscious of the area needing improvement can assist in making a maybe 180 shift.

This is not my first chocolate chip cookie recipe but it’s certainly the one I’m most proud of and it didn’t happen over night either. I’ve been working on the perfect chocolate chip recipe since I stopped eating wheat  a few years back. I’ve had this one for some time now and I’ve been too busy baking and eating it to post it. My kids love it, my husband loves it, my friends love it, and next week at a kitchen pot luck I’ll find out if my team loves it.

Today you can find out if you love it, cause I’m in a sharing kind of mood on this first day of December. These cookies have no grains or gluten and if you get this brand of chocolate chips they’ll be dairy free as well. If you’re trying to get right with nutrition and body this is a treat that should bring little to no guilt.

The only hiccup about the recipe is the mix needs to refrigerate for at least an hour. I like to mix them up at night and pop a few in the oven in the morning. Most times the cookies won’t last through my morning commute.

I’ll be baking and gifting these bad boys all throughout the holiday. So can you, and the receivers won’t even know they’re grain and gluten free unless you tell them, promise.

I grew up eating tons of seafood which was readily available and at a high quality due to our close (5 miles tops) proximity to the ocean. When we moved to Maryland my Senior year of High School 30 minutes outside of Baltimore, my love for seafood continued and got even stronger as I learned what a REAL crab cake was all about. And then a year later when I went off to college in a small coastal Carolina Town I was spoiled even further with the freshest of bass, plumpness of scallops, and real big shrimp. My favorite after class restaurant being a little off the beaten path seafood spot that I still get nostalgic over whenever it’s brought up. The fish was thrown straight into the fryer from the ocean.

With seafood being taken granted during the first take of my life I wasn’t aware that some seafood could actually not taste like, well the sea. My other half who was raised in the far west of the Carolinas with the nearest ocean being more than 2 hours away did not understand the frustration I had with us now living in the middle of Virginia and not being able to find fish that actually tasted like….fish.

 At this stage I’ve become accustomed to having seafood at those rare moments in travel. As of lately I’ve been having strong cravings for that fresh seafood I grew up enjoying.

And although the shrimp, fish, and scallops aren’t the same in central VA as they are on the coast the salmon is one fish that travels well. They somehow manage to keep their “ocean” taste during the long voyage to our local grocery store, and because I know that Salmon is an essential component of any whole foods and nutritionally packed diet I’m making it a priority to consume the sea critter at a minimum of twice a week.

This past week I decided to try Salmon in our tacos vs. the usual ground beef. For the topping I  put together a spring inspired pico de gallo with peaches vs tomatoes, and topped it in a simple but complimentary avocado sauce. Simply delicious.

Is there a culinary delight you miss from your hometown?

March is National Autoimmune Disease Awareness month, and even if you don’t suffer from the disease yourself you may know someone who does. Some of the more common and well-known Autoimmune disease are Lupus, Crohns disease, Hashimoto’s disease, Celiac disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Vitiligo. More than 50 million Americans suffer with an Autoimmune disease in a simple description is your immune system mistaken healthy cells as foreign and further attacking said cells. Although I have not been officially diagnosed with an Autoimmune disease my eczema/ atopic dermatitis, and food allergies. My skin is the organ my immune system is upset with. Who doesn’t want healthy glowing skin? I’m obsessed with anything skin related and what it takes to maintain a beautiful, even, and healthy complexion. Through testing, eliminating, and adding a plethora of foods to my diet, I know exactly what it takes for me to maintain a healthy complexion, without eczema. Sticking with the regimen %100 is another story. I find it difficult to completely eliminate sugar, but I know my eczema and body is better for it. It’s also pretty tough avoiding dairy products but when I do my skin thanks me for it every time.  Sugar and dairy are the little things, I can handle those, as for wheat I cannot be close to the stuff. If I even touch wheat I break out with hives all over my body with the exclusion of my face and legs. It is a sad sight to say the least. Even worst, when I do have wheat it makes all of my other food allergies exacerbated. So when normally I would enjoy a little egg scramble with a few nuts, that is not a possibility if I have wheat in my system.

Which is why I would then need to take an Autoimmune Paleo Approach (strict Paleo diet in addition to eliminating nightshade veggies, eggs, nuts, seeds, and limiting fruit intake) to get my body back to normal, whenever I made the mistake of trying even a little wheat. The last time I had wheat I was forced to go to the doctor and get a prescription for the dreaded Prednisone. Prednisone is a steroid that is used to treat many autoimmune diseases, my atopic dermatitis (eczema) being one. I try to avoid the meds at all cost because just like most conventional medicines with all it intends to cure there are an even bigger number of ailments that it will cause. One that affects me relatively quickly is the Moon face, which looks exactly like it sounds a rounded blowned up face.  Then there’s the weight gain, which is due to an insatiable appetite. I’ve never been able to maintain my weight on the Prednisone steroid. Even though I eat the healthiest of foods, the . I can eat a big breakfast and 30 minutes later I’m hungry again. The upset with those side effects can be chalked up to vanity and worth the trade-off as long as I’m not suffering with an itchy and often painful rash. The side effects that are of most concern are my moods which are usually funky on the steroid. The most difficult side effect are the headaches and sleepless nights. Eventually when I come off my moods are swayed, my appetite comes down, and my skin issues start to creep back. This last time I’ve been micro managing all the foods I eat including those Chic Fil-A fries I love so much. The best way to make certain I will stick to my plan is to always have healthy and allergy-free food available at my fingertips. Not just little snacks and fruit but food -food. Something I can get full- and satisfied off while still nourishing my body.

This recipe is just that, something you can pre-make and only gets better with time.

Breakfast is pretty difficult if you’re following an Autoimmune diet if you want an actual breakfast and not dinner leftovers. When following the autoimmune protocol eggs are off-limits, which are nearly essential when you cut grains.  This forces me to get a little more creative when it comes to breakfast. I want a filling and satisfying meal that packs a nutritional punch at the same time. I’ve come up with quite a few go-too egg free breakfasts’ and this right here is one of them. This recipe is pretty simple minus the cutting, and if you make enough you can eat it for breakfast for the entire week. For the hubby and I this exact recipe lasts us two mornings, but again I eat quite a bit and so does he. For one person this could certainly stretch for five mornings. My husband eats his sauté with eggs which I know is fantastic. This week, I’ve been enjoying my mix with either a side of bacon or sausage. I leave the house with a great portion of my nutrition consumed for the day, and I’m full and satisfied, well at least until I get to work.

Do you have any make ahead breakfasts that you live by?

I’m at home again today, with all this snow our city is shut down. That’s a four-day weekend as of today and last week with Martin Luther King Day I only “worked” three days. I will be tele-working today, making a few calls and checking the status of my clients, to prevent the inevitable build up of work that will accompany these days off.

As a homeless services professional I’m probably more conscious than the masses of the dangers present when this kind of weather hits. Thursday as we were expecting the bad weather, the outreach team in my city canceled our monthly meeting and instead went to the “camp sites”, and the streets to pass out some cold weather gear and inform about the impeding storm. Trying to convince a person who’s had negative experiences with shelters (or not) to go into a shelter is not an easy task, add to that, many of our chronically homeless have some form of or are suffering with a mental illness. Many of our chronically homeless have become accustomed to living in their makeshift “homes” outdoors. These “homes” are personalized with art work, collected treasures, make shift household items, family pets and even love. They  more than often share these spaces and it becomes a community. They look out for each other, and even in freezing temperatures to take them away from the “home” they’ve created is a tough task. As we passed out cold weather items at one “community” we were reminded by a resident of a gentlemen who died right out in front of our cities cold-weather overflow shelter when according to him “he was denied entry”. Word travels fast amongst those who live on the streets. Still while he recollects the story of the gentlemen who lost his life weathering the freezing temps, he also sounds as if he plans on weathering the winter storm himself, right there in his outdoor home. My fellow outreach colleague encourages the gentlemen to take advantage of the overflow shelter which will be open the entire weekend and through the cold weather conditions. I give him a look of concern while reiterating my colleagues previous offer. Encouraging him to take advantage of the overflow shelter, which  will be open during the days in addition to its normal overnight schedule. What I really wanted to say was “you better take your a$$ over to that shelter or this storm will kill you!” When life and death is of concern, many times I will get direct with clients and say it how I see it. Usually not in the presence of colleagues mainly due to the bureaucracy surrounding my actual title and agency.

 I know that regardless of how many street homeless we warn there will always be some who choose not take advantage of the shelter. I use the word “choose” very loosely as I know that for many it is not a choice, as some are not equipped to make any decisions, in addition to the more personal and convoluted reasons they may avoid shelters. Either way as I “suffer”through this storm my professional experience allows me to reflect in a way that makes it clear that I’m not suffering at all. There are real victims, and I am not one. Grace is all that keeps me safe and warm, and if not for a few altered seconds in any moment of my existence I could be faced with the decision to either abandon my “home” or live.

Can I share with you this awesomely delicious warm and chocolaty drink? If you are not a fan of “The Choc”, then this recipe is more than likely not for you. If you are a fan of “The Choc”and you also enjoy glowy and healthy skin then this is the recipe for you. I used maca, cacao, coconut milk and cream. This drink is packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and yumminess. Don’t forget the marshmallows! I made homemade brown sugar marshmallows and when they meted on top I was transported into another world of deliciousness. Just imagine drinking a warm and melted together s’mores!

And it’s vegan.

Are you feelin’ me yet?

Now check out the pics.

A warm bowl of Fruit and Creamy “Cereal” would hit the spot on this snowy day in, right? We’re suffering through a cold storm over here on the east coast. I plan on making the best out of the days stuck in by getting some deep weekend cleaning done. (sounds legit) We’ll see how that works out considering I have to entertain a three-year old who jumps around as if he’s in a kung-fu movie just to go potty. And a five-year old who believes it’s my job to make certain that she is never bored.

My nine-year old twins are comfortable entertaining themselves, and as long as they eat, they’re good. Now let’s get into this dish. This bowl of hot cereal is not the ordinary instant oatmeal packages with the Quaker on the side. I ditched the Oats for one, and for good reason. Growing up Oatmeal was one breakfast that appealed to me in concept. A warm bowl of sweetness first thing in the morning certainly sounds like a good idea. But even when mama made it from scratch with raisins and tons of butter ( and it tasted sooo gooood) I could never stomach it. No matter how good it was I would usually get sick. Now I know it’s because I have an oat allergy. Ding!

After a little research I learned oats aren’t all that good for anyone. They have some pretty useful nutrients (steel-cut, or rolled oats not that instant stuff) but they also contain phytic acid which has a tendency to bind minerals together and prevent their absorption. Which kind of defeats the purpose right?

Not Buckwheat. Buckwheat is not a grain it is an actual seed that’s related to rhubarb and sorrel fruit.

Buckwheat is gluten-free and a good alternative for those of us with sensitivities to wheat and other grains. It reminds me of the tasty bowl of homemade oatmeal my mother would make, without the butter, milk, oats, and more importantly gestational disruption. :/ Coconut oil, apples, pears, coconut milk, craisins, walnuts and maple syrup make up this bowl heaven. Now let me just leave you here with this recipe and recommend you try it. You should really try it. 

I have to give my body a bunch of good stuff first thing in the morning.

I need the energy.

I’m no good on an empty stomach.

If I’m at work with food all on my mind you can count me useless.

Well food is always on my mind, but if I fail to eat a decent breakfast it’s on ten.

To counter that morning hunger crankiness I make sure I’m getting some real sustenance before I step foot out the door.

This meal is a bunch of REALfood that fills your belly, provides good nutrition, while pleasing the palate.

Grass fed beef is always better but this time I’m using this frozen all beef steak.

Yep I used a pack of good old frozen cheese steak meat. Mostly I’m pretty particular about the cut and quality of meat I use, but these work perfect. When it’s a busy & rushed morning, this frozen beef is as good as prime rib as far as I’m concerned.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat olive oil in pan and add the steak.

Cook steak (til it’s brown all ova’)

Add chopped peppers and onions.

Season generously with salt, peppers, and herbs of you choice.

Cook peppers and steak mix down.

Crack eggs over top of the peppers and meat.

Bake in oven for 5 minutes or until egg is done to liking.
I like my eggs a little runny so I don’t keep them in the oven long.

You can place it over top a cooked and sliced sweet potato for an energizing, and healthful breakfast.  

I add a little cheese to my kiddos but for me it’ perfect just as so.

Hope you enjoy!

Who doesn’t love Pinterest?

You get to pin a bunch of  crap that you’ll probably never have, like a grown up tree house made out of old bottle caps.

DIY Pallet refurbishing projects that you’ll never start.

Or recipes that you’ll never cook like a Krispy Kreme Donut casserole.

Who am I kidding?! 

If I had some grain free donuts I would totally make a ridiculously sweet casserole out of them. 

This recipe was inspired by a Biscuit Battered Fruit Ring Pin I found one day.

I was doing my daily Pinterest browsing and up pops these little treats. The process thy used is much more sophisticated than mine. They actually dip the entire fruit into the batter and cook.

I just knew I had to remix this recipe into a grain free/Paleo  hit!

I decided to make grain free pancakes and simply place a fruit ring in the middle.

These and my Paleo Cinnamon Roll Pancakes are my favorite grain free pancakes thus far.

But if I had to choose one recipe between the two I’d probably choose this one.

The mix of grain free flours I used gave this the most traditional pancake texture. With the addition of fruit you add more sustenance to the recipe.

These pancakes will be in constant rotation on our grain free breakfast menu.

If you try them they’ll be on yours too.

It’s not a difficult recipe. I mix everything together and whip two egg whites separately. Adding the egg whites to the batter I fold them into the mixed batter.  This part is crucial to the final product, it gives the pancakes the fluffy texture you would expect from traditional pancakes.

Here’s all you do.

Mix all Dry ingredients together.

 In a separate bowl beat two egg white until they are stiff.

Carefully mix stiff egg whites into the batter.

Oil and heat skillet to 375.

Pour batter onto preheated skillet and place the apple ring in the middle.

When edges are brown flip over and cook for a few more minutes or until pancake is done. Serve with a little maple syrup, and voila.

I just love how the hot skillet gives the apples a nice and sweet caramelization.

You really don’t need much syrup with all the flavors you get out f these cakes.

                                                                        Paleo/Vegan Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

If you don’t know yet, wings are kind of my thing. 

I play around with flavors, cooking methods trying to find that perfect balance of crispy outside and tender juicy center to compliment.

The texture of wings are what i enjoy the most. I get a sensation from pulling tender meat from its bone. Call it the cave woman in me but I’ve always had an innate urge to chaw at a bone like it was my last meal!

But don’t be too quick to judge, because chowing down on the bone is exactly what you’ll be doing when you try these CRAZY delicious wings. 

 Even better, you don’t need fancy ingredients to prepare this yumminess.  A few easy steps, simple ingredients, and you have a great little appetizer. 

 Squeeze the juice from one lemon. Cover the wings in the lemon juice along with salt and pepper. 

Marinate wings for at least an hour. 

Melt butter in a larger pot. Add some olive oil. 

Add pressed garlic cloves to the butter and olive oil in the pot. 

Simmer butter and garlic on low for about 5 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning. 

Add marinated chicken to the pot mix the butter and garlic together with the chicken and make sure all chicken is evenly coated in sauce. 

Cook and mix for 5 more minutes. 

Turn off the stove. 

Turn oven on broil 500 degrees F. 

In a shallow dish place 1 cup of the grated Parmesan cheese. 

Spread Parmesan out evenly. 

One by one put the chicken into the Parmesan and turn around so that all sides are covered in cheese. 

Place chicken on a baking sheet when finished coating.

Place baking rack on the second to the top rack. 

Broil for 15 minutes.

Flip chicken over to cook other side. 

Broil for a remaining 10 minutes or until tops are perfectly bubbly brown.