Snacks Candace Dorsey Snacks Candace Dorsey

Prosciutto Wrapped Figs

Confession time: I don’t like figs, there I said it! Dried figs, sure. Fig newtons as a kid when that was the only snack you could find in the pantry, you bet. But fresh - you can forget it!

So when my personal training client handed me a bag of freshly picked figs, I had no idea what to do. But she entrusted me to create a recipe using them and I didn’t want to let her down! So not only does this recipe goes out to my client … you know who you are ;) This fig recipe also goes out to my newfound fresh fig taste buds!

The secret to enjoying fresh figs is wrapping them in prosciutto and roasting or air frying them. Having the addition of goat cheese and pistachio for added creaminess and texture doesn’t hurt either. And to take it to an even magical level, enhance the complexity in sweet, salty, and acid flavors with a drizzle of honey.

 

A sweet, salty and acidic appetizer or snack delight that features figs stuffed with goat cheese and pistachios, wrapped with prosciutto, and air fried or baked to tender goodness.

Confession time: I don’t like figs, there I said it! Dried figs, sure. Fig newtons as a kid when that was the only snack you could find in the pantry, you bet. But fresh - you can forget it! 

So when my personal training client handed me a bag of freshly picked figs, I had no idea what to do. But she entrusted me to create a recipe using them and I didn’t want to let her down! So not only does this recipe goes out to my client … you know who you are ;) This fig recipe also goes out to my newfound fresh fig taste buds! 

The secret to enjoying fresh figs is wrapping them in prosciutto and roasting or air frying them. Having the addition of goat cheese and pistachio for added creaminess and texture doesn’t hurt either. And to take it to an even magical level, enhance the complexity in sweet, salty, and acid flavors with a drizzle of honey. 

It quite literally cannot get any better than this! 

So if you are looking for a summer appetizer, macro balanced snack, or trying to figure out ways to use figs, then this is your recipe ladies and gentleman! 

And feel free to switch out ingredients: figs for dates, goat cheese for blue cheese, pistachio for almonds, honey for balsamic glaze, prosciutto for bacon, air frying for baking…you get my drift ;) 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!


A sweet, salty and acidic appetizer or snack delight that features figs stuffed with goat cheese and pistachios, wrapped with prosciutto, and air fried or baked to tender goodness.

Servings: 4 | Prep Time: 4 min | Cook 5 min

Ingredients

  • 8 figs

  • ⅓ cup goat or blue cheese, softened

  • 8 prosciutto slices

  • 2 Tbsp raw pistachios, chopped

Garnish

Local honey and chopped pistachios

Directions 

  1. Cut the figs in half and set aside. 

  2. In a small bowl, mix softened goat cheese and chopped pistachios until well combined.  Dollop a small amount on one fig half and place the other fig half on top like a sandwich. Repeat with the remainder of figs where you should have 8 fig sandwiches. 

  3. Wrap the prosciutto around each fig sandwich. The ends of the prosciutto should overlap. Place a wet toothpick through prosciutto wrapped fig so that it doesn’t fall apart. 

  4. If using an air fryer: preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees and cook for 5-7 minutes flipping halfway until prosciutto is crispy. 

  5. If using the oven: preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place in the oven on the top rack and roast for 8-10 minutes. 

  6. Garnish with honey drizzle and leftover chopped pistachios and enjoy! 


SHOP OUR FAVORITE TOOLS + INGREDIENTS FOR THIS RECIPE!

 
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Lunch Candace Dorsey Lunch Candace Dorsey

Smoked Sardine Toast with Radicchio Salad and Pickled Onions

Not going to lie, this was my first sardine recipe on the blog as well as my first sardine recipe creation to date! I’m not quite sure why it has taken me until now because I love all things fish! The only thing I can come up with is that I think it’s the most underrated fish in the nutrition world and because it’s not the most photogenic thing to shoot. But...that’s just me!

But if you are hesitant about sardines or automatically thinking of another fish to sub out for this recipe, don’t do it!


Flavor-wise - go with smoked sardines as it’s reminiscent of smoked salmon. Hello, bagel and lox or my everything bagel and lox socca pizza!

Healthwise - Heart-healthy benefits including omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, calcium, and minerals like iron, zinc, potassium, and magnesium.

 

Smoked Sardine Toast with Radicchio Salad and Pickled Onions - Heart-healthy toast that is great for #toasttuesday, lunch, or as an appetizer!

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Not going to lie, this was my first sardine recipe on the blog as well as my first sardine recipe creation to date! I’m not quite sure why it has taken me until now because I love all things fish! The only thing I can come up with is that I think it’s the most underrated fish in the nutrition world and because it’s not the most photogenic thing to shoot. But...that’s just me!

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But if you are hesitant about sardines or automatically thinking of another fish to sub out for this recipe, don’t do it! 

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Flavor-wise - go with smoked sardines as it’s reminiscent of smoked salmon. Hello, bagel and lox or my everything bagel and lox socca pizza

Health-wise - Heart-healthy benefits including omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, calcium, and minerals like iron, zinc, potassium, and magnesium.

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Want to know more about sardines!? Check out my fellow FNTP gal pal and creator of #sardineweek, Kendall McKinven IG page on all things sardines! 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!


Smoked Sardine Toast with Radicchio Salad and Pickled Onions - Heart-healthy toast that is great for #toasttuesday, lunch, or as an appetizer!

Ingredients

Toast

  • 2 slices of sourdough bread or bread of choice

Spread

  • ¼ cup Goat cheese, plain greek yogurt, or dairy/non-dairy spread of choice

Radicchio Salad

  • ½ head of radicchio (finely chopped)

  • 5 radishes (thinly sliced)

  • 1 English cucumber (thinly sliced)

  • 5-10 olives (sliced in half)

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 3 garlic cloves (minced or sliced)

  • 1 tsp (or more) red hot chili flakes

  • S&P

Pickled Onions

  • ½ red onion (thinly sliced)

  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar (with the mother)

  • 1 tsp fine sea salt

  • ½ Tbsp pure maple syrup (or another sweetener)

  • Filtered water

1 can smoked sardine filets of choice (wild-caught & sustainable)

Garnish

  • Lemon juice, sea salt flakes, fresh dill, extra virgin olive oil, capers, chili flakes

Directions

  1. In a 16 oz mason jar, place thinly sliced onions in a 16 oz mason jar or jar of choice. Add apple cider vinegar, sea salt, and sweetener of choice. Fill to the top with filtered water. Screw on the lid and shake vigorously to combine all ingredients. Make sure the onions are evenly coated with the vinegar mixture. Let the onions marinate for 30 minutes.

  2. In a medium bowl, add chopped radicchio and sliced radishes, cucumbers, and olives. In a small saucepan, heat oil on low-medium heat and add garlic. About halfway when the garlic is turning brown, sprinkle chili flakes. Once the garlic and chili flakes are aromatic, turn the heat off. Let the oil mixture cool before tossing it into the salad until fully coated. Season with S&P. 

  3. To assemble your smoked sardine toast: toast 2 slices of sourdough bread, spread dairy/nondairy mixture, top with radicchio salad mixture, pickled onions, 2-3 sardine filets per toast and garnish with desired toppings. Enjoy! 

  4. **For the pickled onions - Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to two weeks. Great as a garnish on tacos, eggs, or making more smoked sardine toasts! 

  5. **You will have leftover radicchio salad which is great as a side dish, turn into a meal by adding a fish of choice, or making more smoked sardine toasts! 

INGREDIENTS/KITCHEN TOOLS USED FOR THIS RECIPE:

Smoked sardine filets, mandolin (vegetable) slicer, 16 oz mason jar

 
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Snacks Candace Dorsey Snacks Candace Dorsey

Curry Chicken Nachos

So earlier this week, I posted my red curry sauce on the blog. And as I discussed in that post, you can put red curry sauce on just about anything and everything! But today, I wanted to share a fun and crowd-pleasing recipe that will get your weekend starting strong - Curry Chicken Nachos!

 

Curry Chicken Nachos - A fun and healthy crowd-pleasing dish that is bursting with flavor and texture!

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So earlier this week, I posted my red curry sauce on the blog. And as I discussed in that post, you can put red curry sauce on just about anything and everything! But today, I wanted to share a fun and crowd-pleasing recipe that will get your weekend starting strong - Curry Chicken Nachos!

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These are so much fun to make and will take you less than 30 minutes to prepare. If I am cooking over a lb of chicken - Instant Pot is my friend! So if you are crunched for time and would like to make this recipe on the fly, I would highly recommend cooking the madras curry yogurt chicken in the Instant Pot. 

For the curry sauce, you simply blend all ingredients into a blender, Nutri bullet, processor, or simply sub fresh ginger for ginger powder and heat in a small saucepan to thicken the sauce. That’s it! 

Last but not least, salsa! Other than the sauce, it’s my favorite part! We are following the same base as most salsas except we are using Indian influenced produce like mango, cilantro, fresh ginger, and pomegranate seeds. You can also use leftover salsa to put over grilled chicken, eggs, and fish. 

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Every element in this dish is Indian inspired so welcome to FlavorTown! Did I just write that? :|

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with! 


Curry Chicken Nachos - A fun and healthy crowd-pleasing dish that is bursting with flavor and texture!

Ingredients

Madras Curry Yogurt Chicken

  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast

  • ¼ cup unsweetened greek yogurt (or DF)

  • 1 tsp madras curry (or regular curry powder)

  • ¼ tsp pink Himalayan sea salt

  • ¼ tsp turmeric

  • ¼ tsp cayenne

  • Pinch of organic cane sugar

Red Curry Sauce

  • 1 can unsweetened coconut milk 

  • 2 Tbsp red curry paste

  • 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

  • 2 Tbsp curry powder

  • 2 scoops collagen peptides (optional but helps to thicken the sauce)

  • 2 tsp (heaping) organic white miso paste

  • 1 Tbsp liquid aminos

  • 1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger

  • 1 tsp pure maple syrup

  • Juice of ½ lime

Mango Pomegranate Salsa

  • ½ mango (diced)

  • ½ tomato (diced)

  • ¼ red onion (diced)

  • 2 Tbsp pomegranate seeds

  • 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro (chopped)

  • 1tsp - 1tbsp* fresh ginger (minced) Depending on preference

  • ¼ tsp pink Himalayan sea salt

Toppings

Lime wedges, fresh cilantro, a dollop of Greek yogurt, tortilla chips 

Directions

  1. Start by cooking the chicken: Add seasonings to yogurt until combined and coat chicken with the yogurt sauce until completely covered. Either cook in Instant Pot (meat setting; 20 min with less pressure or preferred setting), grill, or bake until chicken is cooked through. *If cooking in Instant Pot, I love adding about ¼ cup chicken bone broth and using the rack so it can keep the chicken extra juicy!  

    1. Allow the chicken to cool and then shred using two forks. 

  2. Curry Sauce: While your chicken is cooking, prepare the curry sauce by adding all ingredients to a blender or nutribullet and blend until the mixture is in a sauce form. *If you do not have a blender, you can sub fresh ginger for ginger powder so that the sauce is smooth and consistent in texture. 

    1. At this point, taste sauce and see if it needs more umami (miso paste/liquid aminos), cheesy (nutritional yeast), bitter (lime juice), spice (curry paste/powder), or salt.

    2.  Pour sauce into a small saucepan and heat on medium heat. Stir sauce until the sauce is about to boil and turn the heat off. Make sure you are constantly stirring so as to not burn the sauce. 

    3. As the sauce cools down, it will thicken. Collagen helps to thicken the sauce so if you are adding more collagen, make sure the sauce is hot enough for the collagen to blend well so that you don’t get clumps! 

  3. Salsa: While the sauce is cooling, prepare the salsa by adding all the ingredients into a small serving bowl. 

    1. You can easily double this recipe so as not to waste produce! 

    2. If you have leftover salsa - it’s great to have over grilled chicken, fish, or eggs!

  4. Prepare the rest of the toppings, and start building your nachos!

    1. Tortilla chips < shredded chicken < dollop of yogurt/sour cream < salsa < curry sauce < cilantro < lime juice < devour! 

Notes

Products that were used in the curry sauce: coconut milk, curry paste, collagen peptides, nutritional yeast, white miso paste, curry powder, maple syrup, liquid aminos

 
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Sides Candace Dorsey Sides Candace Dorsey

Fresh and Easy Ceviche: 2-Ways

This is sad to say, but my first experience eating ceviche was about six months ago when trying out a new Peruvian restaurant with a girlfriend. She ordered ceviche for the table and after having one bite, I was blown away! Why haven’t I had this before!? It seems like I was doing a disservice to my taste buds for not having it sooner!

So instead of dragging her to this restaurant to help translate that, “I need ceviche!”, I just make it at home! And you can, too! Ceviche is actually very easy to make.

 

Fresh and Easy Ceviche: 2-Ways - Salmon Mango and Spicy Jalapeno Shrimp Ceviche are tasty dishes that can be served over nachos, tostadas, avocado boats, or with chips!

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This is sad to say, but my first experience eating ceviche was about six months when I was trying out a new Peruvian restaurant with a girlfriend. She ordered ceviche for the table and after having one bite, I was blown away! Why haven’t I had this before!? It seems like I was doing a disservice to my taste buds for not having it sooner!

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So instead of dragging her to the restaurant every time I need translating: “I need ceviche!”, I just make it at home! And you can, too! Ceviche is actually very easy to make. 

The ingredients for ceviche:

  • Raw fresh fish (snapper, sea bass, halibut, mahi-mahi, tilapia, shrimp, salmon, octopus)

  • Citrus juice (lemon, lime, oranges)

  • Salt

  • Add-ins: mango, red onion, avocado, cilantro, jalapeno, tomatoes

To show how easy it is to make ceviche, I have provided 2-ways that you can make ceviche as well as 3-ways to serve it. You can serve ceviche over nachos, tostadas, avocados or with chips; the possibilities are endless!

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Ceviche pairs perfectly with a margarita or a Paloma, just saying! ;)

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If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with! 


Fresh and Easy Ceviche: 2-Ways - Salmon Mango and Spicy Jalapeno Shrimp Ceviche are tasty dishes that can be served over nachos, tostadas, avocado boats, or with chips!

Ingredients

Salmon Mango Ceviche

  • 1 lb raw salmon (skinless and cubed)

  • 1 fresh mango (diced)

  • 1 cup lime juice from 6 limes

  • 2 roma tomatoes (diced)

  • ½ red onion (diced)

  • ¼ bunch cilantro (chopped)

  • 1 large avocado (cubed)

  • 1 small shallot (minced)

  • ½ tsp pink himalayan salt

Spicy Jalapeno Shrimp Ceviche

  • 1 lb shrimp (raw or cooked) peeled, deveined, and diced

  • 1 cup lime juice from 6 limes

  • 2 roma tomatoes (diced)

  • ½ red onion (diced)

  • ¼ bunch cilantro (chopped)

  • 1 large avocado (cubed)

  • 1 large jalapeno (diced)

  • 1 small shallot (minced)

  • ½ tsp pink himalayan salt

Directions 

  1. Add chopped shrimp or salmon to a large bowl and stir in 1 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice, ½ tsp salt, and minced shallots. Refrigerate and marinate. See Notes for marinating times.

  2. Dice remaining ingredients: avocado, tomato, red onion, jalapeno, mango, and cilantro. 

  3. Once the seafood is done marinating, stir in the diced ingredients. 

  4. Season with salt and pepper and serve over nachos, tostadas, avocado boats, or with chips!

Notes

  • Spicy mayo to go over nachos? ¼ cup mayonnaise + 2 tsp sriracha + ½ tsp lime + 1 tsp water.

  • Feel free to sub shrimp or salmon for ahi tuna and diced cucumber to the ceviche.

  • Marinating times:

  • 1 ½ - 2 hours for raw shrimp and up to 30 minutes for cooked shrimp 

  • 30 min to 1 hour for raw salmon

 
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Lunch Candace Dorsey Lunch Candace Dorsey

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I tried so hard not to create a copycat PF Chang’s lettuce wrap recipe, but in the end, I have done exactly that. I know, sounds cliche and basic, but I can’t hide the truth.

This recipe has a total of just three easy steps and takes less than 30 minutes to make.

Step 1: Brown the ground chicken

Step 2: Prepare a marinade to drizzle over browned chicken and veggies.

Step 3: Make the most delicious almond butter sauce known to man.

If you are concerned with your sodium intake, I have a great alternative -- I use liquid aminos. If you are not familiar with liquid aminos, it’s a vegetable protein from soybeans.

 

Chicken lettuce wraps - made with an almond butter sauce that is full of flavor and lower in sodium! Gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo friendly!

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I tried so hard not to create a copycat PF Chang’s lettuce wrap recipe, but in the end, I have done exactly that. I know, sounds cliche and basic, but I can’t hide the truth.

This recipe has a total of just three easy steps and takes less than 30 minutes to make.

Step 1: Brown the ground chicken

Step 2: Prepare a marinade to drizzle over browned chicken and veggies.

Step 3: Make the most delicious almond butter sauce known to man.

If you are concerned with your sodium intake, I have a great alternative -- I use liquid aminos. If you are not familiar with liquid aminos, it’s a vegetable protein from soybeans.

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If soy is an issue for you then e coconut aminos is a great substitution. Coconut aminos is a soy-free alternative to soy sauce. There are only two ingredients to this condiment: coconut tree sap and salt. It’s popular in the paleo community and significantly lower in sodium than tamari or soy sauce.

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Both options are lower in sodium, just remember that coconut aminos will have a coconut undertone.

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Let’s get to the recipe! Btw, this recipe is very macro friendly so if you need me to provide the macros, please let me know.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!


Chicken lettuce wraps - made with an almond butter sauce that is full of flavor and lower in sodium! Gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo friendly!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground chicken

  • 1 can 8 oz water chestnuts (drained)

  • 8 oz mushrooms (sliced)

  • 1 red bell pepper (diced)

  • 1 white onion (diced)

Marinade

  • ¼ cup liquid aminos (or GF/low sodium tamari or soy sauce)

  • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar

  • 1 Tbsp almond butter

  • Juice of ½ orange

  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)

  • 1 small knob fresh ginger (grated)

  • 1 tsp hot chili oil

Almond butter sauce

  • 1 Tbsp almond butter

  • Juice of ½ orange

  • 1 Tbsp liquid aminos (or GF/low sodium tamari or soy sauce)

  • 1 tsp sriracha

Other

  • Head of butter lettuce (or romaine)

  • ½ cup cashews

  • Spring onions

  • Sesame seeds

Directions

  1. In a large skillet, brown ground chicken on medium high heat for 5-10 minutes.

  2. Set browned chicken to the side and add diced onions to the skillet. Saute onions for 2-3 minutes and then add red peppers, followed by mushrooms and chestnuts until cooked through.

  3. While your vegetables are cooking, prepare the marinade by adding all the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together until mixture is fully incorporated.

  4. Lower heat to medium and transfer chicken back to the skillet. Pour marinade over the cooked chicken and veggies and cook until marinade has simmered down, coating the chicken and veggie mixture completely.

  5. While the chicken mixture is cooking, wash and clean butter lettuce, and prepare almond butter sauce by adding all ingredients to a small bowl and whisking together until fully incorporated. Depending on how oily the almond butter is, you may need to add water to the mixture until you reach desired sauce consistency.

  6. When you are ready to eat, spoon a small amount of the chicken mixture onto a single butter lettuce and top with the almond butter sauce, sesame seeds, cashews, and spring onions.

 
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