Let me preface this by saying, this recipe is NOT Paleo or Whole30 compliant. It contains chickpeas – well, technically, just the liquid from the can. Personally, chickpeas work for us, and since my husband is intolerant of soy and eggs, this mayo has been a lifesaver!!
Make sure to follow the directions and don’t make this like normal homemade mayo. It can liquefy if you do the steps too quickly. Have patience. It will pay off!
In a deep jar (wide enough to fit an immersion blender), add chickpea liquid, garlic, vinegar, salt, and mustard.
Blend for 45 seconds, ensuring that everything is blended up very smooth, slightly thickened, and emulsified. It will still be fairly runny at this point.
To the jar, drizzle in avocado oil - SO SLOW. You don't want to add more than 1-2 tsp at a time. Stop drizzling and blend for 20 seconds after every 2 tsp.
After 1/4 cup of the oil has been added, begin to add in 1-2 tbsp each time and blend for 20 seconds after each addition.
Repeat step 4 until all of the 1 cup of oil has been added. After 1/2-3/4 cup of oil has been added, you should start to see the consistency of mayo. If you don't, stop adding the oil and blend until it's thickened. (I like to stir the immersion blender around while it's blending. )
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Keeps for up to 7 days. It's even better the second day once the garlic has really had a chance to infuse the mayo!
Potato salad is just one of those dishes that scream summertime and cookouts! It’s just a total classic – who doesn’t love a good potato?
I love putting new spins on the classic, and this week, I bought way too many jalapeños so I needed to use them up! When in doubt, throw jalapeños in every dish you make! 😉 That’s basically the motto that my husband wishes I’d live by every day!
…my motto: throw bacon in every dish that I make!
This Smoky Jalapeño Bacon Potato Salad is the best of both worlds – you get a little heat from the jalapeños and smokey flavor from the bacon! If bacon wasn’t enough, we paired it with some smoked turkey thighs and smoked pulled pork the other night for dinner. It was PERFECT! This summer is definitely going to be the summer of the smoker, and I am not ashamed to admit that at all!
We got it for Christmas this last year and are obsessed with it! Do any of you have a smoker? What’s been your favorite thing to smoke in it?
I’m always looking for some inspiration for unique things to try out for the next go at the smoker! Let me know your favorites in the comments below!
In a large pot of boiling water over medium heat, cook chopped potatoes (I left the peels on - feel free to remove them if you'd like!) for about 13 minutes or until the pieces are just barely tender. You don't want the pieces to fall apart - so keep an eye on them!
While the potatoes are cooking, remove the skin from the onion and shred the onion into a bowl. You can use a regular sized grater or a very fine one - depending on your preference.
To the bowl, mix in remaining ingredients, except for the bacon pieces and eggs.
Once the potatoes have finished cooking, drain the water from them.
Let them cool for just a couple minutes, and then mix them into your mayo mixture.
Finally, stir in the bacon pieces and hard-boiled eggs. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate it for later!
Sloppy Joes was a big-time comfort food for me growing up. I feel like everyone ate theirs a little different – some on buns or in a wrap, some covered in onions or mustard, some with shredded cheese, or some just PLAIN.
For me, I almost always ate it with mustard, shredded cheese, and onions…and corn chips. To this day, I eat it very similar. I scoop up that sweet tomato-y goodness with plantain chips, but leave off the cheese most of the time. Not because I don’t want it or never eat it, though! We just rarely keep cheddar cheese in the house. Thanks to my lactose-intolerant hubby, cheese is a rarity! I never thought I’d say that! I’ll go as far as saying that I don’t really miss all of that dairy. I used to be obsessed!
I love to stretch out meals to save some extra change. This way, it’s more affordable to use quality proteins. This recipe only calls for one pound of ground beef, but makes 5-6 good-sized servings … thanks to lots of veggies! I cook the veggies down enough (and chop them small!) that you don’t even notice they’re in there – a tip, courteous of my mom who used to cook for a bunch of school-aged children each week. It’s a great way to sneak some in for those picky eaters in your family. I get no complaints when I serve these for dinner, that’s for sure!
Note: It’s highly recommended to simmer this for at least 30 minutes, however, it’s not completely necessary.
My favorite way to make cheese sauce involves cashews, however, there are some allergies out there that do not permit eating those. So I wanted to come up with a comforting, cheese-like sauce anyone could enjoy!
I like to mix this with cauliflower rice or paleo pasta for a “Mac ‘n Cheese” inspired meal!
It’s even delicious as a soup! (Mind you, I LOVE SOUP!) There is no guilt involved in eating this sauce because it is PACKED with veggies. It’s a great way to sneak in a new vegetable that your kids may not normally want. They won’t even know that they are eating a….SQUASH! That’s right! The main ingredient in this “cheese” sauce is a vegetable! The color it adds is amazing! I swear, the cheddar-cheese color of this sauce makes it taste even cheesier!
My instant pot comes in super handy with this recipe! It cooks the squash in less than 5 minutes! CRAZY! If you haven’t heard about the Instant Pot craze…get on it! It’s my favorite appliance! SO WORTH EVERY PENNY!
Disclaimer: THIS IS NOT AN ACTUAL CHEESE SAUCE. IT IS NOT GOING TO TASTE THE SAME. However, to those with dairy intolerances or those who just want to eat better, it is delicious and nice way to change things up!
Cook your squash however you prefer! See recipe notes for different cooking methods.*
To a blender (you could use an immersion blender too!), add your cooked squash and remaining ingredients.
Blend until smooooooth!
Recipe Notes
*
You can cut the squash in half (long ways), remove the seeds, and roast it in the oven for 30-45 minutes at 400 degrees, or until soft. Then scoop out the insides of the squash and add it to your blender.
You can peel it, remove the seeds, chop it into 2 inch chunks and boil it until it's soft.
OR You can cook it in the Instant Pot, like me! I peel it, remove the seeds, chop it up into chunks and cook it for 4-5 minutes on HP. It comes out perfect!
Tip: I cook the other half of the squash at the same time. Then, I freeze the cubes for smoothies later! OR you could double the recipe for more "Cheese" sauce!
