G Eats: Wing Tips w BBQ Sauce

I have a favourite snack that some might consider weird.  I love to munch on crispy, crunchy, delectable chicken wing tips.  Baked until they are golden brown and easy to bite through, they pair well with a smokey bbq sauce for dipping.  These often discarded morsels may seem an odd choice, but I would pick them over a handful of chips any day of the week.

Wing tips are cheap.  You can find packages of them on their own at the grocery store.  You could also buy chicken wings and instead of throwing the part away, start a wing tip collection in the freezer for future snacking.  I've always been so content to snag the tips off my roast chickens that I had to give a full snack plate of them a shot.  This dish is really simple.  Very few ingredients but lots to love about it.  

Chicken Wing Tips
1 package of wing tips
Salt & pepper to taste
1 cup of your favourite bbq sauce

Preheat oven to 375.

Season your wing tips and lay them out in one layer on a baking sheet.  Place in oven and bake 30-40 minutes, flipping once, until golden brown and crispy.

Serve with bbq sauce for dipping.  

It may seem crazy but don't write them off until you try them. The flavour possibilities are endless.  Toss a dry rub on them before baking, experiment with different dipping sauces, whatever you like.

Enjoy!


G.   

Another Year of Ghoulish Fun

My most favourite time of year has finally come upon us again!  Halloween is just a few days away and it is always prefaced by the Zombie Walk.  Saturday brought all the bloody undead to the streets of Toronto in all their ghoulish glory.  

As always, the enthusiasm people bring to the day brings a smile to my face.  I like to go all out for the zombie walk and appreciate others who do as well.  I usually pick an outfit that is unique enough that others won't be dressed the same but recognizable as well.  I also like to take into account that it is late October and likely to be cold and rainy.  This year I didn't have the funds to buy a whole bunch of new costume stuff so I had to make due with whatever I could find in my costume trunk.  As luck would have it an unopened fox costume happened to be there.  With the popularity of the song "What Does The Fox Say" I had the perfect idea.   

A simple sign made of felt was the only thing I had to add to the costume.  Throw on some tights and bloody up a matching turtleneck from Value Village and I was set! The hat and jacket (which I already owned in a complementary colour) kept me warm and dry.  I shambled, stumbled, groaned and shouted "BRAAAAAAAINS" with the masses.  All in all another successful zombie walk.


G.

Gastropost Missions

Food missions for food lovers.  That is the tagline below the heading of the two-page section of the National Post known as Gastropost.  Every Saturday finds food pictures from all over social media as mission participants visit restaurants, or cook up a storm at home, to complete the current theme.  Wednesdays bring the mission and everyone has 1 week to take pictures and post them with the hashtag Gastropost.  The best pictures are featured in the paper.  

Past missions have included such things as Slammin' Sammiches, The Value of Pie and Beer vs Wine. Some are more difficult then others, but all encourage food creativity.  The whole idea to utilize the social media frenzy of food pictures as a section of the newspaper is really inventive.  Print media is always battling with the ease of the online world.  With blogs so plentiful and most people disinclined to read anything in paper format, I imagine it can be difficult to keep people interested in buying a paper.  Put a picture they took in there and I bet they will change their mind real quick.   

I found out about all this after Gastropost left a comment on one of my Instagram pictures to contact them if I was interested in taking part.  Curious, I emailed them to see what it was.  I have now signed on for the missions. Should be fun.  Please watch out for my pictures. Hopefully they make the cut!

G.

Good Food Box

Today I received my very first good food box.  I am proud to be supporting my local farmers.  The program, run by Foodshare Toronto, allows me to buy fresh, good quality produce, at a fraction of the cost. As someone who is watching both her wallet and what she eats, this couldn't be a more perfect fit for me.  

As I arrived at the pick up site,  I felt as if it was Christmas morning.  There sat a little green box, contents unknown, with my name on the lid.  It was just waiting to be opened. Each piece of produce pulled out of the box brought a smile to my face.  I wish everyone could be that happy when buying their fruit and veggies.  

My first box, priced at $24.00, was a small organic good food box. It included:

4 Apples

1 Avocado

1 Bunch Bananas {Fair Trade}

1 Large Cabbage

1 Bunch Kale

1 Bunch Red Leaf Lettuce

1 Red Onion

1 Green Pepper

1 lb Potatoes

.5 Basket Field Tomatoes

2 Heirloom Tomatoes

All of these items are organic and only two (the avocado & bananas) are not local produce. 

As of right now I am excited to eat all of this food and to try out the other boxes that are offered.  I'm sure next weeks present will be just as wonderful!

G.

Current Obsessions {GGO}

Summer continues! I never really get tired of the warm weather and all that comes with it.  Particularly the August events that happen every year.  They play a starring role in my current obsessions.

1) Shark Week (it's a constant obsession). I will admit here that I've developed a wee love for sharks.   This year was one of the best shark weeks programming wise. Not only did Canada actually get the full week, but they added in some shows on more than just great whites and attacks.  Hopefully they will continue to bring a new variety of shark shows next year.

{Help! I have shark week on the brain}

2) BBQs.  What is summer without food grilled over a flame and friends to share it with?  Whether you have burgers or spider dogs, grilled pineapples or peaches the bbq adds a little extra magic to whatever you're cooking.

{Paleo burger & faux-tato salad}

3) Family Gatherings.  Every year we do a big weekend get-together with my Mums side of the family.  We compete in games, catch up and eat turkey cooked in a garbage can.  It's one of summers greatest highlights. 

{My team for the family games competition}

4) The Canadian National Exhibition. The food building alone is enough of a reason to go.  Add in the games, rides, shows and various other activities and it's a solid day of good times with friends.

{The view from above}

August has been kind to me, if only summer could last forever!

G.

G Eats: Honey Ginger Chicken Stir Fry

Stir fry has to be the one of the easiest ways to use up a lot of veggies and stretch out a smaller amount of meat.  It comes together quickly for a delicious meal full of good for you stuff. This recipe came together as one of those toss-what-you-got-into-a-pan-and-make-it-delicious kinda meals.  Feel free to use whatever vegetables you have on hand for this one.

Honey Ginger Chicken Stir Fry

4-6 Boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
Marinade:
3 TBSP Coconut Aminos
1/2 tsp each Onion Powder, Garlic Powder & Ground Ginger

Place chicken in non reactive bowl. Combine marinade ingredients and pour over chicken.  Toss well to coat.  Set aside in fridge for at least 1 hour.

1/2-1 Cup Tapioca Starch {enough for just a light coating on the chicken} seasoned to taste with salt & pepper
Coconut Oil for the pan
Assorted Mixed Vegetable {onions, carrots, celery, mushroom, broccoli or whatever you have on hand}
2 Cloves garlic; minced
Sauce:
1/4 Cup Coconut Aminos
Ground Ginger
Chilli Flakes
Lime Juice 
Honey
{add the seasonings to your own taste, depending on how hot or sweet you like your sauce}
Arrowroot Powder {for thickening if needed} 

Heat enough oil in a frying pan or wok for a shallow pan fry.  Dredge marinated chicken pieces in the tapioca starch, shaking off any excess.  Pan fry in batches until cooked, flipping part way through.  Roughly 5-7 minutes.  Set aside on paper towel lined plate.

Remove extra oil and toss in your mixed vegetables {except for the broccoli which can be added later so it won't over cook}.  Fry until they begin to get tender {you can add a bit of water to steam them slightly if you want to speed up the cooking process} when they are at the halfway done mark, stir in the broccoli and garlic.  Cook for a couple more minutes, then pour in the sauce.  Continue cooking until the vegetables are at their desired doneness and the sauce has thickened.  Add the chicken back to the pan and mix.

Serve on a bed of riced cauliflower.

Enjoy!



G.

Current Obsessions {GGO} Birthday Edition!

Yesterday was my birthday! I got to spend the day outside with my friends having tons of fun. I thought an obsessions post would be appropriate for today.

1) Birthday Cakes! Are we surprised this is number one? What is a birthday but an excuse to eat as much {paleo} cake as possible?

2) Paleo Desserts Cookbook.  It goes hand in hand with number one. You can't have cake without cake recipes. This book rocks!

3) Long Sunny Walks in the Summertime.  Walking is free AND good for you.  I love spending solo time appreciating the beautiful things around me.

4) Batting cages.  Even if your terrible this is a lot of fun with a group of friends and it's relatively inexpensive.  I personally swing until I can't lift my arms anymore.  Batter up!!

 

Not a very in depth post, but here it is, short and sweet {just like me}. Now I'm off to find more cake.



G.