If you’ve ever had legit Mexican food these will taste familiar. It’s common to soak onions in lime and water to reduce the pungency of them before adding them to tostadas, tacos, and other South of the Border street food. I took the traditional method a step further by adding salt and letting the onions ferment on the countertop for 5 days. The result is nothing short of marvelous, and adds a bright dash of flavor to chicken soup, pozole, tacos, guacamole, sandwiches, and anything else you enjoy onions on while delivering billions of happy probiotic bacteria. 

2 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced into half moons

Juice and zest of 1 lime

1/2 lime, thinly sliced into rounds

4 cups water

2 tbsp. salt

Dissolve salt into water. Layer the bottom of a quart canning jar with lime rounds. Mix lemon juice and zest with onions. Add onions to the quart jar, making sure all juices are included. Top with salt water. Layer an additional layer of lime slices on top of the jar, so they stick out just above the lip of the jar.
Seal the jar. It’s okay (and good) if the water sills out over; this ensures there is less oxygen in the jar.

Let sit in a warm dark place for 3-5 days, breaking the seal every 48 hours to release pressure.
Once the onions are to your liking, refrigerate them to prevent further fermentation.

I’ll admit, these are not what I would call healthy.
These are a super fun, tasty indulgence to make for guests, enjoy every now and then, and are made to share with friends. Consuming a batch yourself is sure to give you a bellyache at the very least!

• 6 gypsy peppers (these are a mild pepper; mini sweet peppers can be used instead)
• 8 oz. manchego cheese (Spanish sheep milk cheese)
• 12 pieces of your favorite sulfite-free bacon
• 1 cast iron skillet
• 1 heavy smaller skillet, or brick, or small pot with water to press the peppers.

Turn on oven to warm (or 200 degrees). Slice gypsy peppers in half from stem to tip. Clean out seeds and white inner pith, keeping the top and stem attached. Slice chunks of manchego off the block, stuffing each pepper half. Wrap a slice of bacon around each pepper half, securing the cheese inside.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add peppers two at a time, placing the smaller skillet (and perhaps a saucepan of water or brick atop that) on top of the peppers to press them into the skillet. Let cook for 2 minutes, or until crispy, then flip and repeat. See photo below for the jerry-rigged weight we used: a small saucepan filled with water placed inside a small cast iron skillet which pressed the peppers against the larger cast iron skillet.

There are peppers under there!

As peppers are completely cooked, place them on an oven-safe dish in the warmed oven while you finish the remaining peppers.

Enjoy these with a hearty green salad with pepitas and lime dressing for a satisfying summer meal!

Spring is here! There are loads of people who utilize spring as a time to ‘reset’ and shake off the winter sludge with a dietary detox or cleanse. Spring cleaning season is also here, and you may be finally seeing the extent that the dust has accumulated on the blinds now that the sun is shining. While seasonal detoxes can be a great mental reset, if toxins are a concern it is of primary importance not to cleanse your diet for X days, but to first minimize exposure to harmful chemicals every day. I encourage you to go through your cupboards and garage this spring and get rid of harmful pesticides, herbicides, and heavy-duty cleaners which have warning labels on them. While you can pick up some non-toxic cleaners at the store, some of these still contain questionable ingredients and all of them are far more expensive than the DIY recipes I have here that work just as well. Give these a try and let me know what you think!

DIY everyday cleaner – I have a couple bottles of this in the house in various places. Some essential oils have strong antibacterial and antiviral properties; these are the ones I like to use in this cleaner.

• 1 cup white vinegar (If your countertops are made from marble, granite, or stone, use rubbing alcohol or cheap vodka instead of vinegar (its acidity can harm these surfaces).
• 1 cup distilled water
•  10-20 drops of your favorite essential oils (lemon, tea tree, orange, pine, and clove all have great antibacterial action). Alternatively, add the peel from 1-2 citrus fruits instead!

Mix all in a spray bottle and use when needed.

Use Lemon and Salt to Clean Wooden Cutting Boards & Surfaces

 Photo via The Kitchn

Clean butcher blocks and wooden cutting boards with lemon and salt! Sprinkle the wooden surface with coarse salt and then scour it well using a lemon that has been cut in half. Squeeze it slightly as you scrub to release the lemon juice. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, scrape it off and then give it a final rinse with a clean, wet sponge.

Clean Your Baking Sheets with Baking Soda & Vinegar

Photo via Bon Appetit

Any baking sheet that gets used often will end up with black, caked-on residue. I used to think I needed a pressure washer to get it looking new again, but not quite! An easier solution is to mix 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup baking soda. Put the baking sheet in a plugged sink, and cover it with the baking soda and water, letting it sit for 30 minutes to an hour before scrubbing that black tar off with a scouring pad.

Shower Cleaner – 1 cup water, 1 cup vinegar, 5-10 drops of lemon, pine, or lavender essential oils. Spray on tile and let sit for several minutes before wiping away.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner – Kristin Marr at Live Simply has a great toilet bowl cleaner that utilizes baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. The baking soda adds a little bit of grit and the peroxide disinfects *and* reacts with the making soda to foam up the bowl a bit. Take her advice and keep the two separated until they are to be used. Here’s the recipe:

• • cup water distilled or boiled water for long-term use

• • 1/2 cup baking soda

• • 1/2 cup Dr. Bronner’s liquid castile soap

• • 15-30 drops lavender essential oil or grapefruit, tea tree, lemon, orange, or whatever you like!

• Hydrogen Peroxide

1. 1. Using a small funnel, add the liquid ingredients: water and castile soap to a squirt container or bottle. Then, add the baking soda. Shake to combine the ingredients, except the hydrogen peroxide.
   2. Place the top on the bottle (make sure the squirt top is closed!). Shake the bottle vigorously until the ingredients are combined.

To Use: Squirt the interior sides of the toilet bowl with cleaner. Spray hydrogen peroxide over the cleaner. Allow both to rest for 5-15 minutes, then scrub the toilet bowl with a cleaner brush. Store the cleaner (sans peroxide) at room temperature and vigorously shake before using. Separation of the ingredients is normal. You may wish to store the peroxide in a spray bottle next to the bowl cleaner. Alternatively, it can be omitted, but it will then not have as strong as a disinfectant effect. Read more here.

Mildew killer – spray vinegar directly onto the affected area. Let sit for 30 min, then rinse away with warm water, scrubbing if needed.

DIY Window Cleaner – This is originally from Crunchy Betty, but nabbed from WholeNewMom.com.

• 1/4 cup white vinegar 
• 1/4 cup isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch (the cornstarch reduces streaking)
• 2 cups water
• 8-10 drops essential oil of choice (optional)

To use: Combine everything in a spray bottle and shake well to mix. Spray onto glass surface and wipe clean with newspaper.

For more recipes I strongly recommend the book Clean House, Clean Planet! It’s a timeless publication that covers all areas of the home. If you want something a little more current that includes such 21st century items as foaming hand soap and dishwasher pellets, check out The Organically Clean Home: 150 Everyday Organic Cleaning Products You Can Make Yourself–The Natural, Chemical-Free Way

These cleaners will leave your home smelling fresh and your surfaces shining! In my next post I’ll share some other tips to keep toxin exposure low inside your home.

This meal is hearty enough to be satisfying on a cool evening yet light enough not to weigh you down. It’s also quick to the table – in thirty minutes or less depending on how small you dice the apple. Give this a try the next time you want a quick, hearty meal! It also pairs well with a rice pilaf or butternut squash risotto.

• 2 tbsp. sour cherry jam
• 1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 medium apple, diced
• 1/4 cup apple juice
• 1/4 – 1/3 tsp. thyme
• 10 twists black pepper (about 1/2 tsp)
• 4 pork chops, about 1″ thick
• 1 large bunch lacinato kale, de-stemmed and leaves torn
• 1 tbsp. avocado oil

Preheat oven to broil. Salt and pepper pork chops and begin making the sauce (below) while the oven preheats.

Sauté the apple in a small saucepan over medium heat in a little avocado oil or butter. When the apple begins to soften, add cranberries, jam and apple juice. Stir to incorporate and simmer on low-medium, breaking up the cranberries and apples as they soften to create a thickened sauce. Add thyme and pepper and simmer on low for 5 more minutes, or enough liquid evaporates to create a chunky applesauce consistency.

Broil for 7-10 minutes then flip the chops and continue to broil for 3-5 minutes, monitoring closely. Remove and let rest.

While the sauce is cooking, sauté the kale in a little oil. Add 1-2 tbsp. water to steam-saute the kale until it is bright green and wilted.

Assemble the plate by placing the pork chop on a bed of kale and adding the compote atop the dish. Serves 4.

Since football season is here it means that HOT WING SEASON is here! The great thing about hot wings are that they are an easy crowd pleaser that can be made to be fairly healthy. Here’s a Instant Pot Hot Wing recipe you can take with you to the next game – you’ll look like a culinary bad ass, but Instant Pot does most of the work!

This recipe is gluten-free and paleo-friendly and is adapted from The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook which has recipes for all kinds of eaters. I’ve cleaned it up by following instructions to broil instead of fry the wings and by making my own hot wing sauce, which is easy and keeps the dairy and gluten-free folks happy!

Bomb-Diggity Game Day Hot Wings

• 3 pounds chicken wings
• 1 cup water
• kosher salt
• 2 cups wing sauce (see recipe below)

Add chicken wings and water to Instant pot. Season with salt to desired taste. Selected ‘Manual’ and ‘high’ pressure on Instant pot and set time to 10 minutes.

While Instant Pot is cooking the chicken wings assemble the hot wing sauce:

Hot Wing Sauce

• 1/2 cup avocado oil*
• 3 tbsp. honey
• 1/3 cup sriracha
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp. coconut aminos
• 2 limes, juiced

Combine all ingredients in a blender or vitamix until garlic is well blended and set aside.

When the wings are finished, use the natural pressure release for ten minutes and then manually release any additional pressure. Removing wings and place upon a cooling rack to drain or press them dry between paper towels. Preheat oven to broil.

Dump wings and sauce into a large bowl. (you may want to reserve a little bit of sauce for dipping; its totally up to you!) Mix until sauce coats those wings well! Line a baking sheet with foil (for easy clean up) and lay wings on the baking sheet. Broil for 5 minutes, or until crispy. Flip wings and broil for 3-5 more minutes, then remove.

Serve with celery sticks and your favorite hot wing dip.

*I use avocado oil instead of olive oil because it is a mild flavored oil that has a high smoking point. Olive oil should not be used for broiling, frying, or sautéing due to its low smoke point. If you have an olive oil that is reportedly acceptable for such purposes its quality is highly questionable.