Bacon Wrapped Tenderloin

I love to bow hunt with my brothers and my dad. One of our favorite meals at the shack is "bacon wrapped venison tenderloin." You could also use a pork loin or chicken for this recipe.

1 large venison loin (or other), cut into 2 inch squares
1 package nitrate free bacon
Marinade:
1/2 cup Organic Tamari sauce (soy sauce)
3 TBS macadamia nut oil
2 tsp Organic Zero (or a few drops of stevia)
3 tsp fresh grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced

Cut tenderloin into 2 inch pieces. Place in a large bowl. Mix marinade ingredients together and put into the bowl with the tenderloin pieces to marinate for 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven on Broil (500 degrees). Remove tenderloin from marinade. Cut bacon slices in 1/2. Wrap each piece of loin with 1/2 a bacon slice, secure with a toothpick. Place on a baking sheet.

Once the oven is hot, place the baking sheet just under the broiler. Broil for 5 minutes or until done to liking (they will continue to cook once you remove from oven). Enjoy!

Nutritional Information (per bite) = 35 calories, trace carbs, 0 fiber.

Mini Filled Donuts

It is Saturday morning and we all know what that means! Cartoons and donuts! Just kidding, but if you are craving a little piece of childhood, try this recipe.

1/2 cup vanilla whey (Jay Robb) 2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp Celtic sea salt
4 TBS vanilla almond milk
1 egg
1/8 cup Swerve (or Erythritol and a few drops of stevia glycerite)
Coconut oil or Ghee (for frying)

For Filling:
Nature's Hollow Jelly

For Topping:
3 tsp Swerve
Pinch cinnamon

Mix topping ingredients and set aside. Whisk dry ingredients together. Whisk egg with other wet ingredients, add to dry ingredients, and whisk to combine well. Fill a donut skillet, cast-iron pan, or dutch oven with oil and heat. When oil reaches around 350 to 360 F, drop batter into the oil. The batter will spread and puff up.

When the underside browns, flip. In another 30 to 45 seconds, it will be ready to remove. Be sure enjoy them ASAP, as they will lose their crisp if they sit too long.

Cut a hole with a knife through the middle and fill with jelly. I placed the jelly into a small ziplock and cut a small hole into the corner. I then squeezed the jelly into the hole.

Sprinkle with Swerve and cinnamon.

Nutritional Info: Makes 12 doughnuts, each about 2½ inches in diameter.
1 donut = 26 calories before frying (then it depends on the oil absorption), less than 1 gram of effective carbs:)

Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing

It is Friday night and my husband loves to go to Barker's in Hudson, WI for their chicken wings. Here is a option to satisfy those cravings.

3 TBS coconut oil or butter
3 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
Celtic sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
10 chicken wings

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Combine the butter/oil, garlic, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Rub onto the wings with your hands until well coated. Arrange the chicken wings on a baking sheet. Cook the wings in the preheated oven 1 hour, or until crisp and cooked through. Meanwhile, make the dressing.

Buffalo Cauliflower. Lots of awesome recipes like this in my book: The Art of Healthy Eating: Savory

Dressing:
2 1/2 ounces blue cheese
3 TBS beef broth
3 TBS sour cream
2 TBS Organic Spectrum Mayo
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1/8 tsp garlic powder
Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, mash blue cheese and broth together with a fork until mixture resembles a broth large-curd cottage cheese. Stir in sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, and garlic powder until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. The dressing makes 4 servings.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving of dressing)
Traditional Blue Cheese Dressing = 241 calories, 1.2 carbs
“Healthified” Blue Cheese Dressing = 104 calories, 1.1 carbs

Shrimp and Pine Nut Risotto

4 1/2 cups "riced" cauliflower
2 TBS coconut oil or butter
1 small onion, diced
2 TBS white wine (optional...I didn't use)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp chili powder
12 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1 large red chile pepper, minced
ground black pepper to taste

Place cauliflower pieces in a food processor and pulse until small pieces of "rice." Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in "rice" until well coated in oil; continue cooking until both the onion and rice begin to turn golden-brown, about 4 minutes.

Pour in 1/3 of the chicken broth; stir constantly as the cauliflower simmers and slowly absorbs the broth, about 3 minutes. Add half of the remaining broth, and continue stirring until absorbed, about 2 minutes.

Stir in chile, garlic, butter, shrimp, pine nuts, black olives, and red chile pepper until the butter has melted. Stir in the remaining chicken broth, and again stir constantly until absorbed, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with black pepper. Makes 4 servings.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving):
Traditional Risotto = 765 calories, 99.2 carbs, 3.1 fiber, 27 protein, 25g fat
"Healthified" Risotto = 355 calories, 5.9 carbs, 2.9g fiber, 27 protein, 25g fat