Herb and Citrus Shrimp and Vegetables over Squash Noodles

I love shrimp. I love herbs. I love veggies. I love bacon. There's really not much more to say except that I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed creating and eating it. :)

Chicken, Berries, and Apples over Spinach with Homemade Lemon Ricotta, Poached Egg, and a Honey-Lime Vinaigrette

I went to a local restaurant about a year ago and ordered a fantastic salad. It had berries and a whipped lemon ricotta with a poached egg and a honey vinaigrette dressing. It seems odd that all of this would go together, but once mixed, it was perfect. The next time I went to this restaurant, the menu had changed and this salad was no longer on there. I decided to recreate this salad at home and add in some of my own extras. I hope you give it a try.  :)

Coastal and Berry Grain/Dairy-Free Cups

I have been baking with grain and dairy-free ingredients for long enough that I understand how they work. I might not know the exact science behind the combination of ingredients, but I get that coconut and almond milk can be used as a 1:1 substitute for cow's milk. I understand that when choosing one milk over the other, the coconut milk has a creamier consistency versus the almond milk. I understand that grain-free flours (almond, coconut, etc.) cannot be used as a 1:1 flour substitute (not even for each other).

Coconut Chicken Curry with Fruit over Cauliflower Rice

Coconut Chicken Curry with Fruit over Cauliflower Rice
1-2 TBS coconut oil
1.5 pounds chicken breasts, cubed
1 TSP coriander
1 TSP cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 TSP pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 green apples, peeled and chopped
1 TBS grated ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 TBS curry powder
1/3 cup raisins
6-8 chopped, pitted dates
1 head of cauliflower, stem discarded, chopped and pulsed into rice in food processor

Toppings-
Chopped cilantro
Sliced scallions
Mango chutney

Grain-Free/Dairy-Free Berry Trifle

Berry Trifle

I have always loved a good trifle. It seems that my favorite part is how all of the pieces fit together. The trifle is essentially one giant mess consisting of layers of goodness that have been strategically placed in order to see the beauty of its preparation from a see-through serving dish. Nothing else does that. Nowhere else do you find a person wanting to throw together random ingredients, show you from the outside how they have been thrown together, and then hand you a spoon so you can scoop through all of the layers and dump them into a bowl for consumption. This happens with no other dessert. Sure, layered desserts are around, but these have boundaries. They have distinct lines of perfection. They come with the chocolate fudge layer evil-eyeing the chocolate mousse layer while it's on its way in for a landing. Then, the chocolate mousse layer holds tight while the clouds of white from the whipped cream fall delicately on top. The mousse holds its breath, desperately awaiting the moment of victory where all of the lines perfectly match in width. You see where I'm going with this, right?? Trifles are adventurous, as well as beautiful, even with all of their imperfections. (And I haven't even started talking about how delicious they taste.)