Honey Popcorn

A friend of mine shared her family recipe for a sweet popcorn treat.  She told me they have always made a melted butter and honey combination that they pour on popcorn for a special snack or treat.  I loved this idea because who doesn't like a salty-sweet combo?  Plus, this is a processed free snack/treat I don't mind giving my kids in the place of caramel or kettle corn.  My family goes nuts for this!  Thank you Jody for sharing!!!

1/2 cup un-popped popcorn
4 Tbsp. butter (1/2 stick)
3 heaping Tbsp. raw honey
1/4 tsp. salt

I use an air popper to make the popcorn, but you can pop it on the stove if you prefer.  While it's popping, I grab a very small pot and melt the butter.  This will only take about a minute.  Then stir in the honey and salt.  Pour this over the popped popcorn and toss to evenly distribute. 

I have also made this with coconut oil instead of the butter and this resembles much more of a sweet, less salty treat - more caramel corn like.  This is also really good if you swap the honey for pure maple syrup!

Cauliflower Leek Soup

 

I saw the idea of this soup on pinterest, but there were no exact measurements to recreate it.  I love discovering recipes that include more vegetables and can be processed free, so I played around with this until I figured out a soup I liked and could recreate.  This is super fast and easy, but you don't have to admit that if you don't want to!

3 Tbsp. butter or coconut oil
8 oz. bag of clean leeks chopped, or 2 leeks cleaned and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 head of cauliflower, cut into smaller pieces
32 oz. package of chicken or vegetable broth (4 1/2 cups)
salt and pepper

In a pot, saute the leeks in the butter/coconut oil until soft.  Add the garlic and saute another minute. Add the cauliflower and chicken broth and cover the pot.  Cook until the cauliflower is soft, about 10 minutes.  Uncover and blend in the pot with an immersion blender or in small batches in a regular blender.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  This will need some salt, so don't forget it!

You can add some toppings if you want.  My suggestions would be a drizzle of olive oil, freshly grated parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese, maybe a sprinkle of bacon or freshly chopped parsley.  This soup is good on it's own, but looks fancier with toppings. 

Chicken Saltimbocca

Do you ever want to serve something that seems really fancy, but doesn't take a lot of time or effort?  Well, this is the dish for you!  I absolutely LOVE chicken saltimbocca, but I always thought it was complicated and time consuming to make.  Then I saw Trisha Yearwood make a version on her cooking show and it was so simple that I couldn't resist trying it.  I only made a minor change or two to make it processed free and the result was fabulous!!!   This may be my new favorite dish - I'm serious!!!

2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour (use sprouted whole grain or at least whole wheat)
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
juice from 1/2 a lemon
4 thin chicken cutlets - or two chicken breasts filleted to make 4 thin pieces
4 thin slices of prosciutto
ricotta cheese - rough 1/2 cup
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
salt and pepper

Start with the sauce first.  In a small pan, melt the butter and add the flour to make a roux.  After this has cooked for about a minute, add the broth and lemon juice and whisk until it starts to become thick.  Then turn off the heat and set aside.  You may need to add a sprinkle of salt.

Season both sides of the chicken and lay the pieces out flat.  Top each with a piece of prosciutto and a couple spoonfuls of ricotta cheese.  I didn't measure the ricotta, but you could.  Next, sprinkle on the spinach and roll them up.  Secure with a toothpick.  Don't worry about overstuffing or having some of the filling come out in the pan.  It will all taste and look great in the end!

Place them in a separate skillet (one that also has a lid) and sear each side in some coconut oil.  This will only take a couple minutes per side.  Then take the sauce you had set aside and pour it over the top of each roll.  Let it come to a bubble, then turn the heat to low and cover the pan with the lid for 10 minutes. 

 

Now it's ready to serve!  This comes together in less than 30 minutes and seems so fancy-shmancy!!  I love that this is so easy and a good one to keep in mind for company.  This serves 4, but could easily be doubled or tripled.  Remember that there are toothpicks on the outside, so you could either remove them before serving or warn people to watch out for them.  Give this a try, I think you'll love it!