Living Life Balanced Blog

White Bean Guacamole

5/17/2019

I love guacamole. I could eat it every day. Unfortunately avocados can be kind of expensive so I like to throw in some beans to help make a bigger batch. It doesn't really alter much except the color but it does add extra protein and fiber, which is great! Try out this budget friendly white bean guacamole at your next party and see what your friends and family think! This is great as a side, snack or paired with Jackfruit Carnitas!

White Bean Guacamole: gluten-free and dairy-free recipes by Elena McCown, LLC a health coach in Franklin, TN

Servings: 6
Prep/Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 can northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 avocado, chopped
1 lime, juiced
1/4 small sweet onion, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, diced
1 roma tomato, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded, deveined and diced
1 tsp minced garlic
Dash salt/pepper/cumin

Directions

In a blender, puree the beans until smooth.
In a bowl, smash the avocado pieces until you reach the consistency you desire.
Place the beans and lime juice in the bowl with the avocado and mix together.
Add the onion, cilantro, tomato, jalapeno, garlic, salt, pepper and cumin and mash everything until well blended.
Serve with tortilla chips.

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Vegan Jackfruit Carnitas

5/17/2019

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Two years ago I went to a Franklin Road Runners picnic and I wanted to bring a unique dish. I had never tried jackfruit before and I thought it seemed interesting so I whipped up some Korean BBQ jackfruit tacos and the group all really liked them. They didn't even know they were vegan! Since they were such a hit I have made them several times since then. I had been wanting to try different versions and thought carnitas would be a great one to cook. I am hosting a cooking demo at the Williamson County Health Department and I thought these would be great to test out on new tasters! While jackfruit makes for a great meat replacement due to its texture and how easily it absorbs the flavors you add to it, it unfortunately doesn't have the protein. I added in the beans to help with that and also served it with my White Bean Guacamole to make the meal more filling. If you want to add more veggies into your life or try out new recipes, you have to give this one a go! This makes for a cheap, easy and delicious Taco Tuesday :) You can order a bunch of the jackfruit boxes from Amazon or purchase them from Sprouts (I'm sure it is available in other stores but I haven't checked). The best part is that this is a fun, unique, healthy, delicious budget meal! To feed a family of 4 with 2 tacos each PLUS the guacamole and chips - it falls under a total of $10 (and that even includes buying all of the spices which you might already have)!

Vegan Jackfruit Carnitas: gluten-free and dairy-free recipes by Elena McCown, LLC a health coach in Franklin, TN

Servings: 4
Prep/Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

7 oz jackfruit, boxed unseasoned pieces
1/2 small sweet onion, chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
6 oz tomato paste
1 tsp chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
2 cups water
1/2 an orange, juiced
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp minced garlic
Dash salt/pepper/cinnamon
8 corn tortillas (for the tacos)
1/4 small sweet onion, diced (toppings)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (toppings)

Directions

Spray a skillet over medium-high heat with some oil.
Add the jackfruit and onion and cook until onion starts to soften, about 5 minutes.
Add in the beans, tomato paste, chipotle pepper, water and orange juice and mix well.
Season with the chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic, salt, pepper and cinnamon.
Cook until sauce has absorbed and looks slightly sticky and smells fragrant.
Set aside to cool.
Top corn tortillas with jackfruit mixture, onion and cilantro.
Serve with White Bean Guacamole and some chips on the side and enjoy!

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Gluten-Free Kentucky Bourbon Chex Mix

5/16/2019

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I used to love Chex Mix as a fun snack (in moderation) but ever since I discovered I couldn't eat gluten anymore, I haven't been able to eat it (unless I make it myself). I like homemade Chex Mix because I can add my own flavors and ingredients to personalize it just for me. Last week for Steeplechase, one of the dishes I made was my Champions Corner Chex Mix. Everyone loved it so I decided to share with the world in case you can't eat the pre-bagged Chex Mix either! For the tailgate, I added in the yogurt covered raisins and Boston Baked Beans candy for the Patriotic Party effect. This recipe leaves those two ingredients out to keep it dairy-free. Feel free to play around with different amounts of ingredients to fit your taste. I added in the bourbon since we were going to Steeplechase and it seemed like a very Kentucky Derby like thing to do. I also love making a sweet and spicy flavored mix but I thought this flavor was more unique and fun to post! Maybe I will add in another one later :)

Gluten-Free Kentucky Bourbon Chex Mix: Gluten-free and dairy-free recipes by Elena McCown, LLC a health coach in Franklin, TN

Servings: 50 (1/4 cup servings)
Prep/Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

5 cups Honey Nut Cheerios
5 cups gluten-free pretzel sticks, broken in half
5 cups Rice Chex Cereal
4 oz Cauliflower Cheese Crackers
1/2 cup vegan butter - melted (or olive oil)
1/3 cup Kentucky Bourbon (I used Four Roses)
2 Tbsp coconut aminos (or gluten-free soy sauce)
2 Tbsp honey
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp celery seed
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
dash of salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 275 F and prepare a few sheet pans (with edges) by lining them with parchment paper. If you are going to do a few sheets at once, turn your oven to the convection setting.
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.
In a small bowl, combine the butter, Bourbon, coconut aminos, honey and the spices. It might look a little funny when it all combines but it is fine!
Add the butter mixture to the cereal mixture and toss to coat all pieces.
Spread out on the pans and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely and store in airtight containers.
*If you wanted to add in the yogurt covered raisins and Boston Baked Beans candy or any other sweets, you would do it once it comes out of the oven and is cooling.

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Patriotic Party Planning

5/16/2019

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Patriotic Party Planning - Planning a healthy red, white and blue, All-American, healthy, party, BBQ or tailgate with Elena McCown, LLC a health coach in Franklin, TN

Last Saturday was the 78th Iroquois Steeplechase - Nashville's rite of spring since 1941, a celebration of southern traditions, hospitality and fashion. The event attracts around 25,000 spectators from near and far to watch the best horses and riders in the world race over hurdles on a 3 mile turf track.

Since Josh and I moved to the Nashville area, we have attended this fun event. Each year gets better and better. We decided to tailgate this year (instead of general admission) and when we realized there was a tailgating contest we knew we had to enter and go all out! The categories were: Best Overall, Best Food Spread, Best Dressed and People's Choice. We came up with a theme and based our decor, clothing and food around it. Our theme was: Stars, Stripes and Stallions. Everyone loved it but unfortunately we didn't win any of the categories :/ BUT, I still think we did a great job and the theme (without the horses) would be great for any red, white and blue, American or Patriotic party/get-together/tailgate/BBQ/etc. Memorial Day, Flag Day and Independence Day are coming up so if you are planning a party - hopefully this will help!

My friend Tara (in the red hat) did all of the fabulous decorations that she picked up mainly from the dollar store and Hobby Lobby. I especially loved the truck tailgate lounge! Josh purchased his red pants, hat and suspenders from Amazon and that is where I got my dress from as well. I bought my hat from Tuesday Morning.

As always, Josh and I focused on (mainly) healthy, fresh foods that were all gluten-free! Everything was pretty easy to make ahead of time and/or to cook right before serving. It all tasted amazing and we are already thinking about how to go bigger and better next year! I hope this helps for your future party planning adventures with a patriotic theme :) Enjoy!

The Menu - serves 8+
Star Spangled Spinach Dip
*16 oz unsweetened dairy-free yogurt with 1 Tbsp ranch seasoning (store bought or homemade), 2 Tbsp mayo and 10 oz frozen spinach (thawed, cooked and cooled) all mixed together. Top with diced tomatoes and served with blue corn tortilla chips.
Champions Corner Chex Mix
*Gluten-free chex mix (store bought or homemade) mixed with yogurt covered raisins and Boston Baked Beans candy.
American Flag Fruit Tray
*I used blueberries, strawberries, and gluten-free yogurt covered pretzels for the flag design.
All-American Ribs
*Ribs were smoked the night before with a mixture of salt, pepper, chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder, slathered with my homemade BBQ sauce and then grilled right before serving.
Let Freedom Wing
*Wings were seasoned with a mixture of salt, pepper, chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder and were grilled right before serving (with ranch).
Red, White and Bleu Cheese Pasta Salad
*16 oz gluten-free spiral pasta with 2 diced tomatoes, 1 diced red bell pepper, the diced whites from 4 green onions and 2 oz bleu cheese crumbles all mixed with a drizzle of olive oil, white wine vinegar and a dash of salt and pepper.
Bacon Wrapped Firecrackers
*Jalapenos and sweet peppers stuffed with cream cheese mixed with a bit of fresh pineapple, wrapped in 1/3 slice of bacon, held together with a toothpick, sprinkled with BBQ seasoning and grilled right before serving.
Patriotic PB Cookies
*Find this flourless cookie recipe here!
The Lonesome Glory
*1 bottle of Sauvignon Blanc mixed with 1 bottle of sparkling apple juice (no sugar added) with pineapple (cut into stars using a cookie cutter), grapes and blackberries (or any red, white and blue fruit). Served in a glass with pineapple stars, raspberries and blackberries.

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Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

5/10/2019

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I am always trying to create new cookie recipes. Cookies are my favorite dessert. They are generally pretty quick and easy to make and there are so many different types and flavors to play around with. As you can see with a lot of my recipes...I really like the combination of chocolate and peanut butter. Tomorrow is Steeplechase and as I was planning the tailgating menu I knew I wanted to make cookies to hand out to people that visited our tent. I decided on flourless peanut butter cookies (mainly because I had all of the ingredients on hand) and as I was in CVS I spotted some red, white and blue m&ms (our Steeplechase tailgating theme is Stars, Stripes and Stallions) so I thought I would add those in! Normally I would have just added dark chocolate or dried fruit but these fit the theme so perfectly! They will also be great cookies for the 4th of July!

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies: gluten-free cookies by Elena McCown, LLC a health coach in Franklin, TN

Servings: 48
Prep/Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
Filling

1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup add-ins (I used red, white and blue m&ms)

Directions:

Pre-heat the convection oven to 325 F (or bake at 350 F).
Top 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, add the peanut butter, honey, vanilla, eggs, baking soda and salt and mix everything together until well blended.
Gently fold in the m&ms.
Using a spoon, scoop out 1 inch balls and drop onto the cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Let cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring over to a cooling rack until completely cooled.
The cookies will be soft and I prefer the texture better when they are stored in a container in the fridge.

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