Cumin Spiced Red Lentil Burgers

These were good, but a little dry. I don't think I would use this particular recipe again. I would like to try another lentil burger recipe. I wasn't a big fan of the yogurt sauce. All in all, they were tasty but I have had better.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of red lentils 
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 of teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 of teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 of cup gluten-free bread crumbs (I used a little more than 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup of dried parsley leaves
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup plain coconut milk yogurt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Coconut oil cooking spray

Directions

1. In a large pot, cover the lentils with cold water by 2 inches and bring to a boil over high heat

2. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the lentils until they are very tender, about 10 minutes then drain the lentils well
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

4. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden

5. Add the carrots and two-thirds of the garlic and cook until the carrots begin to soften

6. Stir in the cumin and cayenne and remove from the heat

7. Mix in the lentils, bread crumbs, 3 tablespoons of the parsley, and the eggs

8. Form the mixture into sixteen 1/4-cup burgers.
9. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking oil 

10. Bake until cook and crispy, about 10 minutes on each side
11. In a small bowl, mix the yogurt with the lemon juice and the remaining garlic and 1 tablespoon of parsley

Gluten-Free/Vegan Pancakes

I wanted to make gluten-free pancakes, but also vegan. These were really easy to make. I think they tasted pretty much the same as regular pancakes. I enjoyed them! Add blueberries, strawberries, or whatever you'd like to them.

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups of gluten-free pancake mix (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 Cup of applesauce (Or 1 egg-for non vegan)
3/4 Cup of almond milk (You can use any type of milk)
1 Tablespoon of canola oil
Vegan butter
Pure organic maple syrup

Directions

1. Combine the pancake mix, applesauce, milk, and oil in a large bowl ad mix well
2. Place some butter in a pan and pour the pancake batter into the pan 
3. When the batter starts to bubble, flip it, and cook until done
4. Serve with pure organic maple syrup

Tuscan Chicken w/ Spaghetti Squash

This chicken is really easy to make. You throw a bunch of herbs and spices together, then rub it on the chicken and bake. 

Ingredients

Chicken breasts
Coconut oil cooking spray
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of tomato powder
1 tablespoon of salt
1 tablespoon of pepper
1 tablespoon of onion salt
1 tablespoon of dried rosemary
1 tablespoon of dried basil
1 tablespoon of dried parsley
1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon of coriander
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of  of oregano
1 tablespoon of dried thyme

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl
3. Rub the spice mix on both sides of the chicken
4. Place the chicken in a baking dish sprayed with coconut oil cooking spray
6. Bake for 20-30 minutes 

Paleo Snickerdoodle Muffins

These muffins are sort of like cupcakes. I made a frosting to go with them. They are nice, light, and fluffy! They can be vegan if you substitute the egg with applesauce.

Ingredients

Muffins

1/3 cup of coconut flour

1/8 cup of almond flour (I did not have this so I use brown rice flour, I used a bit more than 1/8)1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon 
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder 3 eggs
1 egg white 
1/4 cup of honey 
1/2 tablespoon of vanilla 
1/4 cup of canned coconut milk 

4 tablespoon of melted butter (I use vegan butter)

Frosting 

1/3 cup of honey 
1 tablespoon of cinnamon 

1 1/4 tablespoon of coconut flour 

2 1/2 tablespoon of coconut cream( the thick coconut cream skimmed off the top of the canned coconut milk)
1 tablespoon of sugar 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Line a muffin tin  with 10 cupcake liners
3. Place the coconut flour, almond flour, cinnamon, and baking powder in a small bowl and mix together with a whisk
4. In another bowl, combine the eggs, egg whites, honey, vanilla, and coconut milk, beating together well
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, whisking until well combined
6. Add the melted butter to the batter and mix in well
7. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes to allow the coconut flour time to absorb the liquids.
8. Divide batter evenly between cupcake liners and bake for 20-22 minutes

For the frosting...

1. Place the honey, cinnamon, and coconut flour in a bowl and beat with a mixer until well combined
2. Beat in the coconut cream, the mixture should be thick and glossy
3. Add the cinnamon and mix well

Lentil and Spinach Curry

I really enjoyed this. I made it because my husband wanted to try something Indian inspired and it was Ash Wednesday which means no meat. He liked it except for the onions because he is not an onion fan. When I make this again I will have to omit the onions.

Ingredients

1 cup of red lentils
2 cups of water
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp of ginger, grated
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 tsp of curry powder
2 tbsp of tomato paste
Chopped spinach

Directions

1. In a medium pot add the oil and the onions

2. Fry the onions and stir them until they soften 

3. Add the garlic and the ginger and continue to stir. Then add the curry powder and stir well

4. Add the lentils and water and bring to a simmer

5. Let the lentils cook for 15-20 min then add the tomato paste and stir to combine

6. Stir in the spinach leaves and mix well. Once the spinach as cooked, serve

Oven Fried Chicken

There were a few ways to make this chicken. I stuck with the original recipe because it was simple and did not require a lot of ingredients. When is was cooking, it did not look like the picture from the recipe. I was feeling a little discouraged, so I added more flour to each piece of chicken. When it was finally done...my husband and I enjoyed it.

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Ingredients 

Chicken tenders
4-5 tbsp of butter (I used vegan butter)
1 cup of gluten free flour (I ended up using more flour. You also can use any type of flour you want.)
½ tsp of salt
½ tsp of pepper
2 tsp of paprika

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place butter in a baking pan and place it in the oven to melt
2. Combine all the ingredients besides the chicken in a large ziploc bag, then add the chicken and shake to coat
3. Take the baking dish out of the oven once the butter has melted and place the chicken on it

4. Bake for 10-12 minutes, then flip and bake another 10-12 minutes. Bake longer if you want extra crispiness 
5. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up any excess greaseimmediately.

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

I have never had shepherd's pie before because traditionally it is made with beef and lamb covered in mashed potatoes. I was willing to give it a try if my husband found a recipe that I could substitute turkey for the meat and sweet potatoes for the white potatoes. And he found one! It's a crock pot recipe and it turned out really well. I enjoyed it!

Ingredients

3 cups of mashed sweet potatoes (I used a bit less)
1 lb. lamb, beef or turkey (I used turkey)
2 cups of frozen peas (You can use any frozen vegetables you want, like celery, corn, carrots, etc.)
1 onion (I used 1/2 an onion)
2 cloves of garlic
1 Tablespoon of herbs de provence
1/2 cup of beef broth (I used vegetable broth)

Directions

1. Brown the meat on the stove with the onions, adding the garlic and the herbs towards the end
2. Plop the meat mixture in the crock pot and stir in the frozen vegetables and mix well

3. Pour the broth over the mixture

4. Using a rubber spatula or a large spoon, spread the mashed sweet potatoes over the top of the meat

5. Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours
6. Turn the crock pot to HIGH and take off the lid and let sit for 30 more minutes to make the sweet potatoes crusty 

Blueberry Lemon Muffins (Paleo)

I do enjoy making paleo recipes because they are gluten free and dairy free. These were very good. One batch only makes abut 6 or 7. I recommend eating them right away or keeping them in the fridge for no longer than a week.

Ingredients

6 eggs
1/2 cup of vegan butter or coconut oil, melted (I used vegan butter)
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup of pure organic maple syrup
1 lemon, juice and zest
1/2 cup of coconut flour
1/4 cup of baking soda
1 cup of fresh blueberries

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Whisk eggs, butter, vanilla extract, maple syrup, lemon juice and zest together in a large bowl
3. Sift in the coconut flour and baking soda and stir until well combined
4. Gently fold in the blueberries
5. In a muffin tin, scoop the batter into a lined muffin cup and bake for 35-40 minutes 

Sunflower Power Bites

I love making bites using some time of butter, whether it's almond butter or sunflower butter. These little power bites are really good and not too sweet. It's a quick and easy snack to make. If you make these using sunflower butter than they are nut free. These little bites are gluten free and dairy free. Plus sunflower seeds have so many healthy benefits.

1. Ingredients
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1/3 cup of shredded coconut
1/4 cup of ground flax (Use a food processor to ground the flax seeds)
1/2 cup of sunflower seeds
1/3 cup of sunbutter 
1/2 tsp of pure vanilla
1 tsp of chia seeds
1 tbsp of maple syrup or raw honey
1/2 cup mix of dried cranberries

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients and mix well
2. Roll into balls and let chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes
3. Eat them within a week

Pretzel Crusted Chicken Bites (Gluten-Free)

If you are going to make these, make a lot of bites. They are delicious. At first when you bite into them, you might not notice the chicken is covered in pretzel...and then BAM! It hits you and it tastes oh so good!

Ingredients

Skinless, boneless chicken breasts or tenders
1/2 cup of gluten-free flour
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
2 large eggs
Finely crushed gluten-free pretzels
Coconut oil cooking spray 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

2. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray

3. Cube the chicken

4. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Beat the eggs in another bowl

5. Use a food processor to crush up the pretzels then place in another bowl

6. Coat the chicken in the flour. Then, dip it in the egg. Then roll it in the pretzels, shaking off any excess

7. Place the chicken bites in the baking dish and lightly spray each with the nonstick spray to prevent the breading from staying raw. This also allows it to bake onto the chicken

8. Bake for 20-30 minutes or bake the chicken longer if you want it extra crispy

Sharing is caring!

I really do love sharing and learning new recipes! If you have any recipes you think I may like and want to share, please do! Leave a comment or email me at lets.drop.anchor@gmail.com

Some of the ones that I have been sent, look so good and I cannot wait to try them!

Paleo Creamy Tomato Soup

I have made a few tomato soups in my day. I am always trying new tomato soup recipes because there are so many ways to make it. This recipe is dairy free and gluten free, therefore it's paleo. I did enjoy it, but I do not think it's the best tomato soup I made. I would make this recipe again but change and omit a few things.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of olive oil 
1 large onion, chopped (I used a 1/2 of onion, but I would probably omit this next time)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
28-ounce can of  crushed tomatoes 
11⁄2 cups of  vegetable stock 
1 cup of coconut milk (I used a little more than a cup)
parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
Directions

1. In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat

2. Add the onions, and saute, then stir in the garlic and saute 
3. Add the vegetable stock, coconut milk, and tomato paste to the pot

4. Puree the crushed tomatoes in a food processor until smooth. Add them to the pot and mix well

5. Add parsley to the soup and mix

6. Allow everything to heat up nicely and serve

Avocado, Carrot, & Honey Muffins

When I first saw this recipe I was intrigued. I thought, avocados in muffins? I love avocados, I even put it on pizza. So I figured I would give this a try. The muffins tasted good. You can taste the avocado a bit, so if you really do not like avocados...you probably will not like it. The avocado replaces any unhealthy fats in baked goods, like oil and butter. This recipe is dairy free and gluten free. 

Ingredients 

(This amount only makes about 6-7 muffins)

1/4 cup of coconut flour (I used a bit more)
1/4 tsp of baking powder
1/4 cup of honey
1/3 cup of grated carrot
1/4 cup of a very ripe avocado, mashed well
1/2 tsp of lemon zest
3 large eggs

Coconut oil cooking spray

Directions

1. Whisk together the eggs, avocado, carrot, lemon zest and honey
2. Mix the coconut flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl
3. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. Make sure the batter is semi-runny
4. Spoon the batter into a greased muffin tray

5. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes

Gluten Free Chicken Parmigiana

I needed to make a quick dinner. I had pasta sauce, an egg, chicken, gluten-free breadcrumbs and cheese. The end result, chicken parmigiana. It was easy and fast to make! The one on the left is with mozzarella cheese and the one on the right is with vegan mozzarella cheese.

Ingredients

Chicken breasts
1 Egg
Gluten-free breadcrumbs
Mozzarella cheese
Pasta sauce
Coconut oil cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Whisk the egg and dip the chicken into it, then dip the chicken into the gluten free breadcrumbs
3. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken down
4. bake for 15-20 minutes
5. Take the chicken out of the oven and coat it with pasta sauce and cheese
6. Bake it for another 10 minutes

Vegan Spinach and Artichoke Dip

I made this dip for my Superbowl party. It is so much healthier than traditional spinach and artichoke dip. There is no sour cream or mayo or cheese. It was really good. Unless I said it was vegan, I do not think anyone noticed the difference.

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons of vegan butter
4 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour (I used gluten-free flour)
2 Cups of plain nondairy, unsweetened milk (I used original almond milk)
3/4 Teaspoon of salt
1/4 Teaspoon of pepper
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1/2 Cup of nutritional yeast (I used more than a 1/2 of cup)
2 (14 ounce) Cans of artichoke hearts
1 (10 ounce) package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
3 Cloves of garlic

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Heat the vegan butter in in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, until melted
3. Whisk in flour and cook for one minute
4. Slowly whisk in nondairy milk. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg
5. Cook until mixture is very thick. Let it cool, stirring occasionally
6. In a food processor, chop the artichoke hearts, spinach, and garlic. The mixture should be smooth
7. Stir it into the nondairy milk mixture 

8. Stir in nutritional yeast
9. Pour the mixture into an ungreased baking pan
10. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes

Chinese Green Beans with Ground Turkey

This was a fairly easy recipe. it doesn't take that much prep or cooking time. It is a great meal to make if you need to throw something quickly together. I enjoyed it, as well as the hubby. You can serve it over rice if you'd like too.

Ingredients

1 tbsp of sesame oil
Green onions, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced 
1 lb. ground turkey
2 tbsp of chili garlic sauce (I used a bit more)
2 tbsp of hoisin sauce (I did not have this and I don't think it's gluten free, so I used fish sauce)
1 tsp of crushed ginger
1 lb of washed and trimmed green beans 
1 tbsp of soy sauce (I used coconut aminos because it's gluten-free)
1 tbsp of rice vinegar

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet over high heat and add sesame oil

2. Saute green onions and garlic 

3. Stir in ground turkey until meat is mostly cooked. Crumble the meat as much as possible
4. Stir in chili garlic sauce, hoisin sauce, and ginger

5. Add green beans and soy sauce and stir

6. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until beans are slightly tender
7. Stir in the rice vinegar and cook one minute longer

Gluten Free Oatmeal w/ Almond Butter

I decided to put almond butter in my oatmeal the other morning and now I am obsessed with this combo. If you have not tried it, definitely do! It is a life changer. Make the oatmeal first and when it's nice and hot, scoop a big spoonful of almond butter and drop it right in the middle of the oatmeal. Yum!

Deviled Eggs

I LOVE deviled eggs. They are a great appetizer or snack. I made these for my Superbowl party.

Ingredients

Hard boiled eggs
¼ cup of mayonnaise
1 tsp of yellow mustard
1 tsp of white distilled vinegar
Salt

Pepper
Paprika 

Directions

1. Hard boil, cool, and peel eggs
2. Cut eggs in half lengthwise and carefully remove the yolks. Place yolks in a bowl and mash with a fork
3. Add mayonnaise, yellow mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper

4. Continue mixing and mashing with a fork until smooth and creamy
5. Spoon the yolk mixture into a ziplock bag

6. Cut a whole in one of the corners of the bags and squeeze the mixture back into the egg white shells

7. Sprinkle with paprika for a garnish