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Smoky Paprika Grilled Shrimp Skewers

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Guys, it has been HOT across the midwest lately. Like, really, really, hot! In times like these I just cannot imagine turning on the stove or the oven to make dinner (and the other 5,000 meals a day my kids insist on eating). Luckily, the Instant Pot and the grill are my best friends! And these Smoky Paprika Grilled Shrimp Skewers are the most delicious way to beat the heat!

If you’re a fan of seafood, you’ll love these! They are just the right amount of ‘heat,’ but perfectly balanced from cooking on the grill! To get in our daily dose of veggies, we take whatever we have ready in our garden! Our zucchini and squash seem to be thriving this first year, so we have an abundance!

paprika shrimp skewers

Speaking of gardens, this was our very first year growing and planting! Since moving into our new home almost two years ago, we now have plenty of space. We didn’t plant anything last year, as we were still getting settled. But this year I knew I wanted to plant as many veggies as possible!

smoky grilled shrimp

Chad ordered two raised beds and we assembled them. Naively, I thought this would be enough space for everything. Guys — I was very wrong! While things are growing well and producing fruits and veggies, certain items are completely taking over! I, clearly, did not space seeds and plants out appropriately. And our cucumber plants are wrapping themselves around literally everything else!

grilled shrimp skewers

I’ve certainly learned a lot with this first garden. And I’m already planning on purchasing several more raised beds after the season ends (in anticipation of next Summer)! In the meantime, we will enjoy the heck out of all of the zucchini!

So if you’re looking for a delicious, easy, weeknight recipe — then look no further than these incredible Smoky Paprika Grilled Shrimp Skewers!

Yield: 6-8

Smoky Paprika Grilled Shrimp Skewers

paprika shrimp skewers

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 tablespoons of lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
  • red pepper (to taste)
  • sea salt (to taste)
  • 1 pound of shrimp, peeled and cleaned

Instructions

    1. Soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes in water before using.
    2. Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, smoked paprika, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt together in a mixing bowl.
    3. Add the shrimp to the bowl and mix until well-coated.
    4. Let the shrimp sit for a minimum of 30 minutes in the fridge, covered.
    5. Preheat the grill (or charcoal grill) to medium heat, oil the grates and grill the shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side until opaque.
    6. Transfer skewers to a plate.
      grilled shrimp skewers
    7. ENJOY!
© Rachel

If you’re looking for a dessert recipe to accompany these grilled shrimp skewers, be sure to check out this delicious chocolate tart!

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Vegan Chocolate Tart (gluten free / dairy free / Vegan )

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Having two kids with dairy intolerances has its challenges. For one — it can feel impossible to make a dessert that kids enjoy. But the reality is that gluten free and dairy free desserts are way easier to make than you may think! In fact, this vegan chocolate tart, which is both dairy free and gluten free, is incredible and enjoyed by all ages!

vegan tart

Vegan and Dairy Free Doesn’t Have to be Difficult

Incorporating dairy free or vegan dishes into your diet is actually way easier than you would think. Mostly everything has a vegetable or nut substitute. And, in meals where appropriate, a ‘cheesy’ flavor is easy to replicate!

If you’re looking to incorporate more vegan options into your diet, there are a few things you should always have on hand! My suggestion is to stock up on cashews, nutritional yeast, and Ajoyo almond milk.

Lick the spoon! — It’s Vegan!

We’ve all seen desserts that look too decadent to eat. This is one of those. But it’s easier to make than you would think! Simple ingredients and a simple process. And absolutely nothing to stop you from licking the batter off the spoon!

vegan ingredients

Your family and friends will never know this vegan chocolate tart is also gluten free

Gluten Free + Vegan Chocolate Tart

vegan tart

Gluten Free / Egg Free / Dairy Free

Ingredients

Tart Crust

  • 1/2 cup of buckwheat flour
  • 1/2 cup of whole almonds
  • 1/4 cup of cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of corn flour
  • 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter alternative ( or for non-vegan, unsalted butter)
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt

Tart Filling

  • 7 tablespoons of dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 cup of vegan whipping cream
  • 4 tablespoons of AJOYO Unsweetened Almond Milk, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon of instant coffee
  • 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon of corn flour
  • 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup of sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract 
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt

Instructions

For the base / crust:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Place the buckwheat flour and almonds in a Vitamix or food processor and grind to form a firm powder.
  3. Add the powder to a bowl. Then add all the remaining ingredients and mix it together by hand until everything is well combined.
  4. Spray tart tin with cooking spray. Place the crust mixture on the tart tin and spread evenly with a spoon or hands.
  5. Bake crust at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes (until cooked through).
  6. Remove and set aside to cool.

For the filling:

  1. Warm a medium saucepan over low heat.
  2. Add the vegan cream, chopped chocolate, coffee, cocoa powder and sugar to the saucepan. Stir until all of the chocolate melts.
  3. Add AJOYO Unsweetened Almond Milk to the saucepan and stir in the corn flour until it is completely dissolved. Cook and continue to stir until the mixture begins to thicken (about 5 minutes).
  4. Remove the saucepan from heat, and add the salt, olive oil, and vanilla extract to the pan. Mix thoroughly.
  5. Let filling cool for roughly 15 minutes before pouring it into the cooled tart base.
  6. Spread the filling evenly and place in fridge for 6 hours to chill.
  7. Serve with your choice of fresh fruits! ENJOY!
© Rachel
vegan chocolate tart
vegan tart

Tell me — what’s your favorite vegan substitute?!

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PIN ME - CHOCOLATE TART RECIPE

Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe — Dairy Free

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If you’re new around here, you may notice that I try to incorporate as many dairy free / vegan recipes into our life as possible. The reason being? Two out of three kids have had some sort of dairy intolerance. If you’ve ever shopped for dairy free products, you know it can get expensive. This is especially true when you have two kids who love yogurt. Enter: dairy free Instant Pot yogurt.

I have long heard about people brave enough to make their own yogurt in the Instant Pot. But I was always super intimidated with the process. I mean, it sounds complicated so it must be, right? I decided to try and figure out exactly what I would need to make it and I quickly realized it was a lot easier than it seemed!

almond milk yogurt

What You’ll Need

Besides the Instant Pot, there were only a couple other “must-have” items for this recipe. First, you will need a vegan yogurt starter. I ordered this one from Amazon Prime and it arrived within 2 days. You’ll also need a cheesecloth, agar agar powder, and a reliable cooking thermometer.

Don’t Get Discouraged!

Once you have all of the items, it’s really quite simple! There’s a lot of waiting. Like, a lot. And I think the ‘time’ of all of it can be intimidating. But don’t let it be discouraging!

instant pot yogurt

Tips for Making the Best Instant Pot Almond Milk Yogurt

Whatever you do, do not skip the thermometer step! Also, be sure that once the incubation period starts, you leave it. Don’t try and sneak a peek at the yogurt; this will have a negative effect on the results.

Yield: 8 servings

Dairy Free Instant Pot Yogurt

plain yogurt
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 day
Additional Time 10 hours
Total Time 1 day 10 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 ¼ Cups of Ajoyo Sweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
  • ½ teaspoon of vegan yogurt starter
  • 4 teaspoons of powdered agar agar 

Instructions

    1. Turn the Instant Pot on by pressing the Yogurt button. Use this function and continue pressing until it reads “Boil.”
    2. Pour Ajoyo Almond Milk into the Instant Pot. Add the agar agar. Whisk to mix well. 
    3. Use a cooking or candy thermometer to watch the temperature of the mixture. Wait until the temperature reaches between 110 - 115 degrees fahrenheit (this will take only a few minutes). 
    4. Once the temperature is reached, turn the Instant Pot off.
    5. Use a mesh strainer lined with a cheesecloth to strain the mixture into a bowl. 
    6. Add the vegan yogurt starter to the mixture. Whisk until combined. 
    7. Pour the mixture back into the Instant Pot and close the lid. to start the incubation period.
    8. Press the yogurt function, set pressure to “normal,” and set time to 24:00 (hours).
    9. After 24 hours of incubation, remove the mixture from the Instant Pot and place in a covered container in the refrigerator for 10 hours. 
    10. Once the yogurt has sat refrigerated for 10 hours, mix the yogurt to combine (some will have settled). Sweeten to your taste (I prefer honey and almonds). 
    11. Enjoy!
© Rachel

Once your yogurt is done, top it with whatever you’d like. My kids prefer it a little on the sweeter side, so we use honey and strawberries to give it an extra kick! But I understand that a lot of vegans do not eat honey. You could also try sweetening with vanilla extract!

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Easy 4th of July Apple Galette Recipe — VEGAN!

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As things really hang in limbo with the reopening of everything, the kids and I have been still hanging at home. But this has left a lot of time to try new recipes. Lucky for me, I have three little taste-testers — and one big one! Creating a vegan apple galette recipe just in time for the 4th of July was a huge success!

tart dessert

While not everyone agrees on meals I make (mostly because kids are picky, y’all!). They will always agree on dessert! And, can you blame them? Nope!

So I’m sharing this delicious (and vegan!) Apple Galette recipe — just in time for the upcoming 4th of July holiday! It’s sweet, a little tart, and a whole lot of delicious!

Apple Galette

APPLE GALETTE RECIPE
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Additional Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 cup of whole wheat flour OR all purpose flour
  • 1 Tablespoon of powdered sugar
  • 6 Tablespoons of cold butter / butter alternative
  • 1/4 Cup of water, ice cold
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon of AJOYO Unsweetened Almond Milk (for brushing)
  • 1 teaspoon of sliced almonds (optional)

Filling

  • 2-3 apples, sliced and cored
  • 4 Tablespoons of powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon of powdered cinnamon
  • 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice

Instructions

To make the crust:

  1. Place the flour, salt, sugar, and butter into a bowl and give this a mix, breaking the pieces of butter into smaller chunks, rubbing into the flour.
    APPLE GALETTE RECIPE PROCESS
  2. Add the apple cider vinegar and ice cold water to the mix. Gently start mixing it with the dry flour until it starts to form a ball.
    APPLE GALETTE RECIPE PROCESS
  3. Once the dough is well mixed, wrap it with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours.
    APPLE GALETTE RECIPE PROCESS

To make the filling:

  1. Place the sliced apples in a large bowl. Toss the apples with cinnamon, powdered sugar, and lemon juice until well-coated.
    APPLE GALETTE RECIPE PROCESS

To assemble:

  1. Preheat the oven 350 degrees.
  2. Remove the dough from the fridge. Roll out until relatively round and thin.
  3. Sprinkle half of the sugar on the rolled crust.
  4. Place the sliced apple filling in the middle of the rolled crust and spread it evenly leaving a half a centimeter edge.
    APPLE GALETTE RECIPE PROCESS
  5. Sprinkle the remaining sugar on top of the filling.
  6. Take a small edge and fold it over the filling. Repeat this step taking small sections of the dough until the galette is formed.
    APPLE GALETTE RECIPE
  7. Brush the folded over crust with AJOYO Unsweetened Almond Milk and sprinkle the sliced almonds on top.
  8. Bake the galette for about 30 minutes or until the crust turns golden brown. 
  9. Let it cool before serving.
    APPLE GALETTE RECIPE
  10. ENJOY by itself or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
© Rachel

As you can see, this recipe can easily be modified to be made into a fully vegan recipe. Some of my favorite butter alternatives are coconut oil and avocado oil, but I wouldn’t recommend either of those for this particular recipe. Instead, try and use the Country Crock Plant Based Butter Sticks! They have the same density and consistency of milk-based butter, which definitely helps in this recipe.

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Vegan pie

Boozy Red, White, and Blue Popsicles Recipe

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Is it even the 4th of July if you’re not donning red, white, and blue and eating an array of themed foods? No — no it definitely isn’t! If I’m being honest, I am a tad bit obsessed with themed foods. For my eldest child’s first birthday party I used puns and themed foods for literally every. single. thing. While it’s been increasingly difficult to be that ‘extra’ with each subsequent child, I still go all-out for the important parties!

And, even though we’ll be homebound for this Independence Day, we’ll be holding our own little backyard celebration. Complete with mocktails, cocktails, and snacks of all kinds!

Boozy 4th of July Popsicles

My favorite part, by far, is my delicious Boozy 4th of July Popsicles. Patriotic and the perfect adult frozen treat! Sure, there will be other goodies — like red, white, and blue kabobs! And even other adult beverages (helloooo, red wine!). But these “Adult Bomb Pops” are just too perfect.

Boozy 4th of July Popsicles

But the best part of this recipe? Is it’s EASY! No blender required and nothing over the top. Just simple, straightforward fun!

Boozy 4th of July Popsicles

I’m OBSESSED! And you will be, too! If you need a recommendation for freeze pop ziploc bags, check these out here.

Yield: 3 pops

Boozy 4th of July Popsicles

Boozy 4th of July Popsicles

An adult version of the kid-favorite, BOMB POPS! Easy, unique, and FUN!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 bottle of Red, White & Berry Smirnoff Ice
  • 3 ounces of Vodka
  • 3 teaspoons of patriotic sprinkles
  • 3 ziploc popsicle bags

Instructions

  1. Pour 1 ounce of vodka into each of the Ziploc Popsicle Bags.
  2. Pour Red, White, and Berry Smirnoff Ice into bag until fill line.
  3. Add a teaspoon of patriotic sprinkles.
  4. Seal the bag and shake before freezing overnight.
  5. ENJOY RESPONSIBLY!
Category: brews + food

Tell me — what’s your favorite boozy beverage?!

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PIN ME - Boozy 4th of July Bomb Pops Popsicles

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The Perfect Summertime Grilled S’mores Recipe

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With Summer plans in limbo for everyone, we’re all scrambling to find fun things to keep our families busy. What better time to get creative with Summer recipes, am I right?

All three of my kids are in this really picky ‘grilled cheese’ phase. You know the kind of phase. It’s where literally all they will eat is plain old grilled cheese and nothing else.

GRILLED S'MORES SANDWICH

The funny thing about kids is that no matter how much they refuse real food, they will never ever turn down sweets. To tell you the truth, neither will I! I mean, we all love sweets, am I right?!

GRILLED S'MORES SANDWICH

The great thing about ‘Summer recipes’ is that it doesn’t have to be Summer to create them. As much as we would like to be around the campfire, life doesn’t always work out that way. In fact, on the best of days a good backyard campfire can quickly be ruined by a quick rainstorm or a fussy toddler. So, why not bring the backyard favorite indoors?

GRILLED S'MORES SANDWICH

For instance, a fun family favorite is S’mores. Everyone loves s’mores, right? Even I, someone who doesn’t really like chocolate, LOVES a good s’more. Truthfully, I prefer a non-traditional s’more with chocolate caramels instead of a chocolate bar. But a s’more is a s’more!

Tips for getting your s’more on indoors!

My first tip is this — don’t eat the chocolate (or the marshmallows!) before you start your s’mores! This is the most important and most difficult task!

My second tip is to use real butter. Margarine just doesn’t fry up and crisp the bread the way that real butter does! And I prefer salted butter — it just gives it a little salty-sweet flavor combo that is extra delicious!

Yield: 1

Grilled S'mores

GRILLED S'MORES SANDWICH

Have this decadent and RICH Summer recipe year-round!

Cook Time 7 minutes
Total Time 7 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 slices of white bread
  • 1/4 cup of mini marshmallows
  • 1/4 cup of chocolate (dark or milk)
  • tablespoon of butter

Instructions

    1. Butter one side of each piece of bread with real butter (works better than margarine).
    2. Place 1 slice of bread onto a frying pan
    3. Set the heat to low (electric level 1 or 2). The process is slow and steady!
    4. Place chocolate chips and marshmallows on top of the slice of bread and top with second piece of bread (butter side up).
    5. Cover with lid to frying pan until chocolate starts to melt.
    6. Flip over once chocolate is melted. Fry other side until it is toasted (lid off).

Notes

This is completely addictive. I am warning you! Also, feel free to try with peanut butter cups or your favorite chocolate (like peppermint patties or ROLOs!).

As you can see, this recipe is simple and easy. I wish I could say it was also healthy, but it most definitely is NOT!

So tell me — what is your favorite chocolate for s’mores — milk or dark?

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PIN ME - Perfect Indoor S'mores Recipe