Lemony Coconut Tapioca Pudding

Published on February 16, 2014 by Alissa2 Comments

I am in need of a vacation. It’s mid February and the skies are dismal and the temperatures are even more dismal.

So I have decided to create a vacation atmosphere in my home. Cozy, comfy, and relaxing. I curl up with a great record, a cozy blanket, and something creamy….like pudding. This tapioca pudding has the bright flavor of lemon. It reminds me of a random warm day in the 50s or 60s that comes along in the middle of winter and makes you want to run wild outside after having been locked inside from snow mounds and drifts of snow. Actually, at this point, I would go running around outside like a lunatic if it hit 40 degrees outside. I’ve got my bongos ready…I think it might hit 42 today. YES.

So like I was saying. Lemons. Nothing is more refreshing and spring-like in flavor like lemons. This tapioca pudding has what every dismal winter day needs…a ray of sunshine and a warm breeze. But combine that with creamy tapioca pudding and you have comfort in a bowl.

I prefer to use small pearl tapioca, fresh honey, and a mixture of coconut milk and 2 percent milk. But for a completely dairy free version, by all means, use combination of other dairy free milks.

Lemony Coconut Tapioca Pudding

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

3 cups of coconut milk (or half coconut milk and half 2% milk)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup small pearl tapioca or granulated tapioca (I used this type)
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon gluten free vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
zest from 1 lemon
toasted coconut (optional)

Instructions

Combine coconut milk, salt, tapioca pearls, egg yolk, and honey in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer while stirring frequently. Turn heat down and allow to simmer softly for 20 minutes, stir frequently and make sure the bottom does not burn. The tapioca will begin to thicken quickly at the end.
Once the tapioca mixture is thick like gravy, remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest. Portion out 1/2 cup servings into separate pudding cups. Allow to cool in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. Serve alone or with extra lemon zest and/or toasted coconut on top.

Gluten Free French Onion Soup

Published on February 9, 2014 by Alissa3 Comments

Some things in life take a bit of extra time and extra effort to get a great result. French onion soup is a prime example. This will take a good 2 to 2 1/2 hours…but dear sweet MOSES it is worth it. You will have your mind BLOWN that you are enjoying a simple bowl of slow cooked onions under a gooey mound of cheese haven. Smells of sherry, deep caramelized onions, earthy beef broth, and fresh thyme fill your home.

I closed my eyes while enjoying this amazing bowl of soup and could hear the sounds of the tiny cafe in Paris with people whispering, rain falling outside, vespas rushing by, and the an espresso machine running nonstop. But all the while, nothing mattered but the delightful bowl of french onion soup that revealed long beautiful onions and drippy cheese with every bite. It makes me have FOMO (fear of missing out)…FOMO on amazing food.

This soup makes me want to slow down. I stir onions for an hour until they are caramelized. I breathe deep and enjoy all the smells that flow through my home as the snow falls outside the windows. It’s a lazy Sunday and a steady stream of different vinyls are on rotation…from Sam Cook to Ryan Adams and then the Band gets tossed on for good measure.

Grab the one you love, throw some good soulful music on, and dance. The soup will continue to cook and the longer the better. Don’t worry, you have some time. Get comfy and enjoy every bite of life.

Gluten Free French Onion Soup

Adapted from Julia Child’s The Art of French Cooking

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 lbs of sweet onions (about 8 cups), sliced thinly in half rounds
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coconut palm sugar
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
1/2 cup dry sherry (or dry white wine or dry vermouth)
2 quarts (64 ounces) of good beef broth
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
8 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated

Instructions

Get ready…this will take at least 2 hours. But it’s worth it.
Melt butter in a large dutch oven over medium-low heat. Place all of the onions into the dutch oven. Stir and coat the onions with the melted butter. Place lid on dutch oven and allow to cook for 15 minutes.
Remove lid from dutch oven. The onions should have cooked down. Stir. Add salt and palm sugar. Stir again and crank heat up to medium. Stir onions frequently and continue to cook until onions are soft, melting, and golden brown. This will take 40 minutes to an hour.
Sprinkle arrowroot powder over onions. Stir and cook for about 1 minute. Add sherry, broth, and thyme. Bring soup to a simmer and place lid slightly off of pot so that steam can escape the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for an additional 40 minutes, scooping off froth from the top every once and awhile. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
Ladle hot soup into 6 ovenproof bowls. Place at least 1/4 cup shredded Gruyère on top of each soup bowl. Serve immediately or broil the cheese. To broil the cheese, place all of the bowls onto a rimmed baking sheet. Place under a pre lit broiler set on high. Place under broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Grain Free Meyer Lemon Pudding Cake

Published on January 22, 2014January 22, 2014 by Alissa2 Comments

I tend to have issues with making big decisions. I freeze when provided with too many choices. I try to logically narrow down the choices. I over think it. I marinate and choke over it.

I do this with nearly e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. Cars. Houses. Jobs. Kids. Men. Shoes. Food. Does this come with a picture menu?

Apples at the store…. Pink lady? Gala? Fuji? Granny smith? wait..what do Rome apples taste like? or Empire? crap… or do I like Jonathon? no…wait… golden delicious are on sale… sold.

Sometimes I want cake. Other times I want something more creamy…pudding? Ugh… decisions. So here is where this cake is a winner on all fronts in my mind. It gives me the best of both worlds. This cake is the amazing love child between the most airy cake and the creamiest lemon curd-like pudding. I get pudding AND cake all in one bite. I get sweet AND tart all at once. I made these little Meyer lemon pudding cakes in two small 6-ounce ramekins and 1 larger gratin dish.

There is one tiny problem: trying to not devour the whole cake at once. They taste like sunshine bursting through a cold blustery day and warming you to the bone. Meyer lemons have a thinner rind, are slightly orangish in color, and are a bit sweeter than their bright yellow typical lemon counterparts. The first bite of these Meyer lemon pudding cakes was like capturing childhood in tiny ramekins. Cabin fever shmabin fever! These Meyer lemon pudding cakes will make you forget the dull skies that loom.

I loosely based my recipe on a Food and Wine recipe. To make this recipe grain free and dairy free (paleo friendly), I used coconut oil instead of butter, palm sugar instead of white sugar, almond milk instead of dairy milk, and a combination of almond flour/coconut flour in place of AP flour. The cakes have a carmel-like color which I attribute to the dark coconut palm sugar. Despite the caramel and faint yellow color of the pudding, these lil’ cuties are ridiculously good and will surely perk you up from any winter blues that you may be experiencing. Cheers.

Grain Free Meyer Lemon Pudding Cake

Adapted from Food and Wine

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons coconut oil (or grass fed butter), at room temperature
2/3 cup coconut palm sugar
3 large eggs, yolks separated from whites in separate bowls
1 cup non-dairy milk (such as coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk)
1/3 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
1 Tablespoon fresh Meyer lemon zest (plus extra for serving)
1/3 cup almond flour (such as Honeyville)
1 Tablespoon coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Optional Toppings: lemon zest, powdered sugar, coconut whip, or greek yogurt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly butter six 6-ounce individual ramekins or a 9-inch pie dish. Set the dishes inside a larger roasting pan and bring a kettle of water to a boil to create a bain-marie to evenly cook the pudding cakes.
In another bowl, whisk the coconut oil (or butter) and palm sugar until creamed. Add one egg yolk at a time until combined. Gently whisk in the almond milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest until well combined. Stir in the almond flour and coconut flour and whisk until smooth.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites and salt until stiff and soft peaks form. Gently fold in half of the beaten egg whites into the cake batter using a rubber spatula to lighten it. Carefully fold in the remaining egg whites. The batter should be light and fluffy at this point and will not resemble normal cake batter.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dishes. Since this cake will not rise, fill the dishes to the top if necessary. Place the baking dishes into the larger roasting pan. Pour the boiling water from the kettle (step 1) into the roasting pan so that the water comes halfway up the outside of the ramekins or pie dish. You can also fill the roasting pan with water while it is in the oven to keep from splashing water into the filled ramekins.
Bake until the cake is puffed and golden, 50 to 60 minutes for a single pie dish, or 30 to 35 minutes for 6 small cakes. The top will become golden and the middle of the cake will barely jiggle when shaken. Pull out of the oven and allow to cool for 20 to 30 minutes on a wire rack. Serve the cake warm and fresh from the oven sprinkled with extra lemon zest.

Grain Free Cranberry Banana Bread Muffins

Published on December 24, 2013 by Alissa2 Comments

Christmas is approaching quickly and I am hosting! Pray for me. I’ve already caught a dishtowel on fire and burned my butcher block. I will soon have a house filled with kids, love, hugs, ham, chocolate, pie, fudge, nuts, cheeselogs, stockings, egg nog, and so much more. Mmmmmm.

I’m trying to bake a few things ahead of time to prepare for the coming family. I whipped up this batch of muffins this week and have placed them in the freezer ready to be pulled out and rewarmed at a moments notice. Gotta love short cuts.

AAAAnd, you gotta love bursts of cranberries in these muffins. Well, everyone except my husband…dat’s weeeahd. But’s he’s weird anyways people. I mean, who puts their shoes in the freezer? Anyone? ya…him.

And who’s favorite christmas movie is Die Hard? Him! Well…and likely most dudes.

Ok ok ok…I love Die Hard too, but what about Jingle All the Way? Most people’s fave holiday movies are Home Alone and Christmas Story. But Sinbad and Arnold give the fabulous gift of I-haven’t-bought-anything-for-anyone-yet-so-I-will-buy-a-not-so-meaningful-but-expensive-Christmas-gift-on-Christmas-Eve-style Christmas spirit. Check it out. And don’t you dare go buy Christmas gifts ON Christmas Eve! Learn a lesson from Arnold, people. Or else you will end up driving around town, being robbed by washed up Santa’s, threatening a radio show host, and trying to steal presents from under other people’s trees. But then you end up dressed like a superhero at the end, so I guess it’s all worth it. But I digress….

If you haven’t gotten gifts at this point in the game, don’t do it. It’s a fart in the wind, friends. Make these muffins instead. Put them in a pretty box, tie some kitchen twine around them, and write a thoughtful note. When you present these to others, they’ll eat them and say “wow, that was so thoughtful and so delicious” in the voice of Ma Brady.

Now, isn’t this so much better than fighting the crowds and buying a crappy import mug with two year old hot cocoa mix and crouton-like marshmallows?

Back to these awesome muffins that you are making for “the ones that you love”, remember?!?

These muffins come together just using the food processor! It’s easy! No need to dirty multiple bowls. I adapted a recipe from Danielle Walker’s Against All Grains cookbook (best grain-free cookbook around, folks), swapping out the almond flour for tapioca flour for a nut free muffin version. I also added fresh cranberries for a fleck of holiday red and a punch of perfect tartness.

Oh Oh OH…AAAAND, even thought these muffins contain NO oil, they are uber moist. So there…you just made tasty AND healthy holiday treats for people and didn’t have to punch someone in the face at the store on Christmas Eve. You are a good person. Pat yourself on the back and enjoy a muffin. Because, of course you made a double batch so that you could keep some for yourself. We aren’t heathens around here. Sheesh.

I hope you have a happy Christmas and a merry New Year. Muah!

Paleo Cranberry Banana Bread Muffins

Adapted from Against All Grains

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas
4 eggs
3 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sifted coconut flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (such as coconut milk or almond milk)
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 cup fresh cranberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners and set aside.
Add the cider vinegar to the coconut milk and set aside for at least 5 minutes.
In a food processor or blender, add bananas, eggs, honey and vanilla extract. Process for 1 to 2 minutes until eggs are frothy. Add coconut flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, and salt to the bowl of the food processor with the frothy egg mixture. Blend/process until well combined. Add the vinegar/coconut milk mixture to the batter and process for an additional 30 seconds until well mixed.
Add the washed fresh cranberries and whole walnuts. Pulse the mixture a few times (do not over process or the cranberries will be too chopped) to distribute the cranberries and walnuts throughout the batter.
Spoon 1/4 cup of muffin batter into prepared muffin liners. This recipe makes 12 muffins.
Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven. Bake the muffins at 325 F for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top of the muffins are light golden brown.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from muffin tin and allow to cool further on a wire rack. If freezing, allow to cool completely before placing in a ziplock freeze bag or container. Microwave or reheat in oven to thaw. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in refrigerator and/or freezer.

Classic Creamy Tomato Soup

Published on December 8, 2013December 8, 2013 by Alissa2 Comments

Our tree is UP, snow is on the ground, my fire is LIT, wool socks are on my feeeeeet, and I’m eating tomato soup and grilled cheese. I do believe I am in a literal winter wonder land.

I made a HUGE batch of this creamy tomato soup yesterday when we had a OU vs OSU bedlam football watch party at our house. My Sooners about gave me a coronary, but managed to pull off a win in the last seconds. It was grueling. I was quite a fan of this soup and the grilled cheese bar that we did. Wish I had pics, but too busy screaming at the TV.

We had several types of cheese, lots o’ butter, and a few bread choices placed on the table for people to build their own grilled cheese dream. I decided to grill all of the sandwiches in the OVEN. It was brilliant (thanks Pinterest). That way we all had hot to trot grilled cheese sandwiches at the same time.

Here are the steps for a grilled cheese and tomato soup party:

1. Make your soup (recipe below). It can just simmer on the stove until you are ready to go. The soup takes a total of about 1 1/2 hours for prep, cook, and simmer. The recipe makes enough for 8 to 10 but can be cut in half for smaller crows. Of course the left overs are Ammmmmmmazing. So why would you cut in in half? exactly.

2. Next…let’s get our cheese on. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place two cookie sheets in the oven. You will use one to place the sandwiches on and the second as a type of panini press.

3. Set out all of your grilled cheese sammy fixins: cheeses, butter, bread (I used gluten free for me), meat (bacon, ham, etc), veggies (caramelized onions, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, spinach) or go pure. Butter your bread, stack yo cheeeeeeze, and add what you want…or just cheesy peeazy cheese.

4. Place a piece of parchment paper on the table and write everyone’s name on it so that each person has a location to place their masterpiece cheesewich. Then pull out one of the cookie sheets from the oven, and place the parchment paper onto the cookie sheet. Be careful, it’s HOT. (I tell your this because I forgot. NO worries, I have no feeling in my hand anymore.) Place all of the sandwiches on their names on the parchment paper. Remove the second HOT cookie sheet and place it on top of the buttered sandwiches. Place these cookie sheets back into the hot oven.

5. Cook for about 10 minutes. Then pull out the sheet of sandwiches and check them. You may need to flip them and place them back into the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the bread is nice and toasty on both sides. Pull out the sandwiches and serve the hot and melty cheesywiches with your hot yummy tomato soup.

6. Enjoy that cozy feeling inside. You are welcome.

Classic Creamy Tomato Soup

(Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit)

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons unsalted grass-fred butter (or olive oil)
2 medium onions, diced
4 cloves of garlic, smashed and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 6-oz can of tomato paste
3 28-oz cans of whole tomatoes (best quality)
8 cups of water or broth
1/4-cup to 1/2-cup half and half (or full fat coconut milk for dairy free)
salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large heavy dutch oven or pot placed over medium heat, melt the butter until bubbling. Add the onions and cook until completely soft and translucent (about 10 minutes).
Add the thyme, basil, paprika, and garlic and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the tomato paste. Stirring frequently, cook the tomato paste and onion mixture for 5 to 6 minutes or until the paste begins to caramelize in spots, but not burn.
Add all of the tomatoes with their juices and 8 cups of water or broth to the pot. Increase the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat to medium and maintain a gentle simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the soup has reduced slightly.
Remove the soup from the heat and allow to cool slightly. The soup can be pureed in a blender, a food processor, or an immersion blender. If using a blender or food processor, be careful and work in batches. Also be sure to vent the hot mixture. After the soup has been pureed, return it to the pot and keep the soup warm over low heat.
Stir in desired amount of half and half. Simmer an additional 10 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle additional thyme on top for serving or some extra half and half.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Published on November 25, 2013November 25, 2013 by Alissa3 Comments

This week is a time to give thanks and to be with those that mean the most to us. It is my favorite holiday. No pretenses. No gifts that weren’t good enough. No wrong sizes.

Just family, friends, food, and laughter.

My grandmother had seven children. However, I can’t imagine birthing 1 child, much less SEVEN, but my wonder-woman of a grandmother did it. My father was the fifth. And getting together with all of my aunts and uncles is a tradition that I look forward to every year. When I was a kid, I loved the large gatherings because I was an only child until I was 11. I had always wanted a sister or a brother. A gaggle of over 30 people enjoying each others company (sometimes), telling stories, and eating together was like heaven to me. Sure there was sometimes drama, but as a kid that all didn’t matter to me. Family mattered.

Needless to say our family gathering for Thanksgiving is large and fun. The house is warm, but the company is warmer.

On Wednesday night, my aunt hosts “Soup Night”. It’s an easy night with hot soups cooking on the stove as guests trickle in for the big event. Although Thursday is the day to showcase the TURKEY, Wednesday night is the big Paaaaarhtaaaahy.

The beer flows freely.

The wine glasses are poured large.

The stories get loud, the laughter gets even louder, and the guitars strum.

All the while, the soup stays hot.

We ladle another bowl. We pour another drink. We toast to those that have passed. We tell stories of previous Thanksgivings. We argue about the pronunciation of words and mathematical concepts and whether the seed of an avocado really keeps guacamole from turning brown or not.

All the while the soup continues to stay hot.

That is why soup is the perfect party food. You can mingle and be a great host/hostess and not worry about the food getting cold or over cooked or not being ready at the right time. Everyone can serve themselves and you get to serve yourself another tasty beverage!

This Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple soup is particularly “soup”er easy. Roast all the vegetables at once, blend the veggies with broth using an immersion blender or food processor. Aaaaand…wait for it…. Your done. Basically. Just keep it heated. Ok. NOW you are done. There.

Breath. Do some stretches.

Now GO HUG SOMEONE! And get them a drink too! Sheeesh.

I hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful, safe, and memorable turkey day.

Cheers to you and yours.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

(Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Paleo Friendly)

Ingredients

1 3 to 4 pound butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
1 small red onion, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cloves of garlic (in the skin)
2 sweet apples, cored and diced
4 cloves of garlic (in the skin)
4 to 6 cups of low sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 F. Prepare two shallow roasting pans by spraying with nonstick spray or lining with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, toss the cubed butternut squash and onion with the olive oil and salt. Place in a single layer on a roasting pan. Place in the oven and roast for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring every once and awhile until the squash are cooked through.
With 20 minutes left on the butternut squash, place the apples on a roasting pan with the garlic cloves and into the oven on a separate oven rack.
Remove cooked vegetables from the oven. Remove the skins from the garlic and discard. Place the vegetables and spices into a dutch oven or large pot with 5 cups of vegetable or chicken broth. Using a blender, a food processor, or an immersion blender, puree the soup in several batches, adding more liquid (broth or water) if necessary. Return the soup to the pot and heat over medium heat until simmering. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Grain Free Pumpkin Apple Coffee Cake

Published on October 16, 2013October 16, 2013 by Alissa4 Comments

It’s fall and we all know what that means. It is comfy time.

It is sweater time!

It is jeans time!

It is WOOL SOCKS time!!!!!

It is pumpkin time!

But first, before I roll into pumpkin flavored everything….I have to tell you about my big accomplishment. This weekend I went on a fall cleaning and organizing mission. This is monumental, people. I peeled everything out of all of our closets and was ready for a massive PURGE. Usually when I do a “purge” I just sit around staring at old memorabilia and becoming even more attached to the T-shirts that I bought 15 years ago but haven’t worn in 10 years. But seriously, folks…how can you get rid of a shirt that says “Not everything is flat in Kansas“!!?!?! I know! Precious. My point exactly.

Man, you guys just get me.

So this weekend’s purge was different. I properly purged. (No, don’t worry I didn’t get rid of that awesome T-shirt.) But I DID manage to organize everything in our closets (a.k.a shove-crap-wherever-it-would-fit space) and get rid of:

Other not-so-cool shirts,
Expired medicine (goodbye Benedryl from 1990),
Stained things (note to self – QUIT buying white things…ketchup loves it too much),
Single socks that have permanently lost their partner (let’s have a moment of silence for all of the poor sock widows), and
A metric boat load of half-marathon race packets with sample bottles of weird things, etc.

As I stuffed and crammed these unwanted and unnecessary items into either goodwill sacks or the trash, I wondered why have I held on to this crap for so long? Holding onto stuff is an interesting thing. I put a big importance on odd things, but seriously not EVERYTHING has to be a gem, does it? At this rate I will need to get a separate storage unit just to store my “awe remember when…” items.

But now I feel fabulous and comfy. I’m wearing my comfy old T-shirt and a pair of wool socks that I lost. My closet is clean, stacked, organized, and comfy. Everything is just…comfy.

Comfy like the fall weather blowing around the leaves outside.

Comfy like old love letters from my husband that I found in a shoe box at the back of my closet.

Comfy like my favorite broken-in sweatshirt that I found crammed underneath a suitcase (okay, so I didn’t purge EVERYTHING…baby steps, people).

Comfy like nearly anything pumpkin flavored!

We all get bitten by the pumpkin bug every year! I have held off for quite a bit, but now it is on like a pumpkin thong. Hrmmm….wait. Bad idea. A pumpkin thong would NOT be comfy. Scratch that…

Just make this pumpkin apple coffee cake instead. I promise that the scent of it will make you swoon. You will want to wrap up with a comfy blanket, have a warm cup of coffee, and grab a big square of this warm coffee cake.

This coffee cake recipe is adapted from my Pumpkin and Apple Almond Flour Muffins and the Peach Streusel Topped Coffee Cake recipe featured in the fabulous Against All Grain Cookbook. It is moist and light with warm spices to fill your belly. I whipped this up for a football brunch watch party last weekend. My house smelled SO good while it baked and for days afterwards. I definitely think I will make this again for the holidays (or tomorrow).

Note – To make this recipe, I used Honeyville blanched almond flour. I prefer this brand because it makes baked goods lighter and flufflier than almond meal. I have not tried this recipe with other brands or with almond meal. If you try it with another brand or almond meal, please let me know how it turned out. This coffee cake takes nearly an hour to bake. If you need something that cooks in less time, try my delicious Pumpkin and Apple Almond Flour muffin recipe.

Pumpkin Apple Coffee Cake (Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Paleo-Friendly)

Coffee Cake Ingredients

2 cups blanched almond flour (I use Honeyville)
2 Tablespoons coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
3 eggs (room temperature)
1/3 cup maple syrup (or honey)
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 Tablespoon coconut oil (or grass-fed butter), melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 medium apples (dice one and thinly slice the other)
Streusel topping (recipe below)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease a 9X9 inch square pan or 9-inch round springform cake pan with coconut oil. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients (flours, salt, baking soda, and spices) with a whisk. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor, mix the eggs and the maple syrup on medium speed until eggs become frothy (about 2 minutes). Add remaining wet ingredients (pumpkin, applesauce, oil, vanilla). Mix until all ingredients are combined. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Stir in diced apples (about 1 cup). Spread mixture into the prepared pan. Place thin apple sliced on top. Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over the top.
Place pan on middle rack of the preheated oven. Cook at 325 F for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Streusel Topping (adapted from Against All Grain Cookbook)

1/3 cup pecans or walnuts
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Combine all of the streusel ingredients into the bowl of a small food processor. Pulse a few times until the nuts are chopped finely and the streusel comes together.
Sprinkle ingredients onto the coffee cake or store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 1 day.

Thai Green Curry Burger Wraps with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Published on October 2, 2013October 2, 2013 by Alissa4 Comments

Are you sitting down? Because when you taste this burger, I swear you will fall over. It is a religious experience and will fill you with joy. And best of all…this burg is a tastebud-party that you can hold in your HAND! YOUR HAND! This will revolutionize your tailgating burger experience. For those of us that don’t get to partake in burger buns, here is your chance at handheld goodness.

Portable spicy burger snacks are the best….especially when they are topped with peanut sauce. Mmmmm.

This burger comes at you with green curry, spicy siracha sauce, tangy pickled slaw, herby freshness, and then the holy moly frijole PEANUT SAUCE. Seriously, this peanut sauce will change your life. Stick this recipe in your back pocket and USE IT. I am now an amazing fan of peanut butter on burgers. For a paleo friendly sauce, just replace the peanut butter with almond butter or sunbutter.

Really. Just try it. Trust me. You won’t look back.

Your life will consist of BPS and APS…life Before Peanut Sauce (BPS) on burgs and life After Peanut Sauce (APS) on burgs.

Now the ingredient list below is a bit lengthy. But don’t let that scare you. These burgs come together pretty quickly once you get everything prepped. I promise it is worth it and it will blow the mind of anyone that you serve it to. These also are great sliders to prepare for a crowd for football watch parties. But if you make them, just invite me. Because I can’t get enough of them.

Thai Burger Wraps with Spicy Peanut Dressing

Green Curry Burger Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1/2 Tablespoon fish sauce
1/2 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon green curry paste
1/4 cup green onions, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 Tablespoon siracha
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Burger Fixins’

Asian pickled slaw
¼ Cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
¼ Cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
¼ Cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
4 leaves of green cabbage
Siracha
1 lime, sliced into 4 slices

Thai Spicy Peanut Sauce

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup unsalted creamy peanut butter (or almond butter or sunbutter)
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 Tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Siracha
¼ Cup water

Instructions

Making Patties: Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix with hands until ingredients are distributed throughout meat. Try to handle as lightly and as little as possible so that the meat does not become compact and tough when cooking. Marinate meat for 15 minutes before making patties. After 15 minutes, lightly form the meat into 4 equal-portioned patties, about ¾-inch thick. Make a dimple in the middle of the patty, pressing down with thumb or fingers. This will keep the burger from bulging and maintains juiciness.
Peanut Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
Cooking Patties: Heat a gas grill to medium-high. When the grill is ready, brush the grill rack with the vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, until done to preference, 3 to 5 minutes on each side.
Wrap Fixins and Toppings: Mix herbs in a bowl and set aside. Wash cabbage leaves and allow to dry.
Assembling Burger Wraps: Lay out washed and dried cabbage leaves. Spread 1 teaspoon of siracha in the bottom of each cabbage leaf. Then on top of the cabbage leaf, place one grilled patty, then one heaping tablespoon of peanut sauce, then add 1/3 C of pickled slaw, and then top with one heaping tablespoon of herb mixture. Spread additional siracha and fresh lime juice on top of your burger wrap.

Kale Salad with Roasted Corn and Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette

Published on September 26, 2013 by Alissa2 Comments

Fall is rolling in so wonderfully. But I still have some end of summer garden goodies to go through. This salad is a culmination of everything that the end of summer has to offer….corn, cucumber, tomatoes, kale, cilantro! It’s all here and ready to punch your taste buds and use up any great garden overflow.

This your last chance. Get it in before pumpkins take us all over! I may be a little late for some of you. Ya, I see your Pinterest pages devoted to pumpkin everything…. yes, I too am salivating. But I have to slip this one last salad in here before we all turn orange and spiced and everything nice.

If you are a part of the lucky few to still have sweet corn, I have a super easy peasy way to roast it…do it on your gas burner on your stove. Have electric oven? Never fear…stick those shucked ears into the oven under a broiler. Ooooh! But keep an eye on them or else you’ll end up with popcorn in your oven.

This salad is also brightened up with one of my favorite herbs, cilantro. The Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette is based on this amazing recipe from Closet Cooking. You can use this vinaigrette on anything…shrimp, delicate squash, kale, maybe even pumpkin, but also your finger…anything. So give all of those lingering veggies a home and place them in a bountiful bowlful of love. And please, resist the urge to dump pumpkin in here…for just a few more days!

Kale Salad with Roasted Corn and Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette

Kale Salad Ingredients

1 bunch of kale, stems removed and leaves cut into 1-inch strips
1 medium tomato, or 2 small heirloom tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
2 ears of sweet corn, shucked
1/2 red onion, cut into thin slivers
1/2 cup of cilantro leaves

Vinaigrette Dressing Ingredients

1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves and stems
juice of 2 large limes (about 1/4 cup)
zest of 1 lime
1/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove
pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Wash and remove the stems from the kale. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Place into a bowl and gently massage the kale (yes, massage it), until the bright green leaves start to turn dark green. I promise, it will taste better. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and set aside.
Place shucked ears of corn either directly onto a gas burner on your stove (as shown on the picture), or onto a hot grill, or under a broiler. Watch carefully, and turn every few minutes until all sides are sufficiently charred and roasted to your liking. Cut kernels from the cob. To do this, rest the ear firmly in a bowl or on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut from stem to tip. Make sure to not cut into the cob.
Toss the roasted corn kernels, diced tomatoes, cucumber, and onion into the bowl of kale.
Place all ingredients for the dressing into a bowl of a food processor and blend well. Drizzle the dressing on top of the kale salad. You will likely only need part of the dressing. Toss until all of the salad is covered. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Mix the salad again just before serving. You may need to top it off with reserved dressing. Store any leftover dressing in the refrigerator and use within 3 days.

Paleo Chocolate Zucchini Banana Muffins

Published on September 17, 2013 by Alissa6 Comments

Eight years ago, I walked barefoot down the aisle to a crazy man. A crazy man who was in love with me. For the past 8 years, he has been my strength through some very difficult times. He has kept me sane (sort of), been my cheerleader, held my hand through illness, hugged me through tears, and made me laugh even when I’d rather be mad.

I’m an amazingly lucky woman. This year we celebrated early with a trip to Paris. So this week we are playing it low key with gluten-free jalapeno-bacon pizza from our fave pizza joint and a few beers. Cheers to my man.

Speaking of amazing, I also made these Chocolate Zucchini Banana Muffins for quick treats and snacks. They taste fabulous with a dollop of almond butter. If you do not have almond flour, these muffins can be made by replacing the almond flour with 2 cups of almond butter.

Honestly, you can’t go wrong with these muffins. The recipe is very versatile. I created a double dose of chocolate (cacao powder AND chocolate chips). However, you could leave out the cacao powder and just make Zucchini Chocolate Chip Banana muffins. I also delivered these muffins to several of our friends that are new parents. Huge thumbs up by all…and no one knew they were grain free. Muahahha.

Paleo Chocolate Zucchini Banana Muffin

Adapted from Against All Grain

Makes 24 muffins (Note – This recipe can easily be cut in half to make 12 muffins…or freeze the extras for quick breakfasts and snacks.)

Ingredients

3 cups almond flour (or 2 cups of creamy natural almond butter)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup cacao powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
4 eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (for dairy free, use Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Place 24 muffin liners in two 12-cup muffin tins. Set aside.
Combine dry ingredients (almond flour, baking soda, cacao powder, powder, sea salt, cinnamon, ginger) in a large bowl. Stir with a whisk and set aside.
In either a large food processor or a stand mixer, beat eggs, bananas, vanilla, and honey together for 1 to 2 minutes, until egg mixture becomes slightly frothy. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Stirring until just combined. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips.
Scoop 1/4 cup of batter into lined muffin tins. Place in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and centers are cooked through. Ovens are variable, so this time may need to be adjusted based on your location (altitude) and oven.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes in muffin tins. Remove from muffin tins and place on cooling racks.

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