Chocolate Pie

Photo: Paleo Magazine

Paleo Magazine's, Oct/Nov 2013 issue gives us this amazing chocolate pie with a raw graham cracker-like crust.  It is so easy to make and so delicious you'll be proud to serve it to guests.  It offers a perfect ending to any meal.

Crust Ingredients:

• 1 cup walnut halves and pieces
• 1/4 cup soft, pitted Medjool dates
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch of sea salt

Filling Ingredients:

• 1 cup coconut cream*
• 1/2 cup soft, pitted Medjool dates
• 3 oz dark chocolate, melted
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

* use the cream at the top of a can of separated full-fat coconut milk that has been refrigerated over night or "Let's Do...Organic" brand organic coconut cream.

Directions:

1. To make the crust, in a food processor with an "S" blade purée all crust ingredients for about 20 seconds or until very fine.
2. Transfer the crust mixture to a glass pie dish and press it across the bottom and halfway up the sides.
3. Rinse the food processor.
4. In a small saucepan heat the coconut cream just slightly.
5. In the food processor add the heated coconut cream to the remaining filling ingredients and purée for 1 minute or until the filling is dark and completely smooth.
6. Pour the filling over the crust and chill to set.
7. Store the pie at room temperature.

Flourless Mocha-Bacon Brownies

Nineteen years ago today my husband did the greatest thing - he proposed to me!  Thankfully, I was smart enough to say, "YES"!

In honor of our good choices, 19 years ago, I made my husband a batch of these to-die-for-brownies from Diane Sanfilippo's book Practical Paleo.  Now don't just copy the recipes from my blog.  Go out and buy the book yourself.  It is chock full of information along with great recipes like this one.

Photo: Practical Paleo

Ingredients:

• 4oz dark chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons very strong coffee
• 2 tablespoons fine coffee grounds
• 2 slices cooked bacon, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine chocolate, butter, maple syrup, and eggs.
3. Slowly sift in the cocoa and mix to combine.
4. Add coffee and coffee grounds and mix to combine.
5. Spread into a parchment lined brownie pan.
6. Top with chopped bacon.
7. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Dust with cocoa powder.

Did you notice this recipe is grain free? It is also FODMAPs free!

Enjoy, we did!

Susie's Famous Pumpkin Roll - Paleofied!

I can hardly believe I have successfully transformed this delicious treat into a paleofied masterpiece!  For my friends who have come to love the traditional pumpkin roll my husband and I have been making for 20 years, here is a much healthier version.  This one is grain free and gluten free and can be made dairy free or coconut free.

Photo: Carly Johnson

Directions for bread:

Start with the Best Pumpkin Bread EVER from an earlier post.  Do everything the same until you get to putting it in the pan.

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F
2. Use coconut oil and grease and wax paper line a rimmed cookie sheet.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan.  Smooth out batter to ensure it is evenly distributed.
4. Bake for 15 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 15 minutes.
6. Invert pan onto a thin dish towel, remove pan and wax paper.  Allow to cool for 10 more minutes.
7. From 10-inch side, roll cake up in the towel.  Set aside.
8. Prepare filling.

Filling ingredients:

• 1-8oz package organic cream cheese or diary free option: 2 cans of full fat coconut milk, chilled in the fridge over night.
• 4T softened butter
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup or raw honey
• 1t vanilla extract
• 1T cinnamon

Directions for roll:

1. Beat together all the ingredients for the filling.  If using coconut milk, only use the cream that is sitting at the top of the can by pouring out the milk.  If the coconut milk is a little thin, add up to a tablespoon of arrowroot powder to thicken.
2. Unroll the bread and spread the filling evenly, covering all of the bread.
3. Roll up bread without the towel and wrap in plastic wrap.  Your bread may crack in a few places, but that is ok.  Just roll it up nice and tight.
4. Chill for at least one hour before slicing and ENJOY!

Best Pumpkin Bread EVER

I was looking for a baked good to take to my bible study.  I came across this recipe and I'm so glad I tried it. Thanks to Against All Grain for this gluten-free, grains-free, dairy-free, coconut-free AND amazing treat!  

I made two.  One for the family and one for bible study.  My family (including my very picky-when-it-comes-to-food husband) loved it so much it was difficult to keep them from eating the whole thing.  I managed to save some and turn it into pumpkin bread french toast the next morning.  Delicious!  As I labeled my treat for bible study I secretly hoped the ladies would see it's gluten-free, grain-free, etc., be too afraid to try it, and I'd get to take some home.  No such luck. 

Photo: Against All Grain

Here's my version:

Ingredients:

2 large eggs

¾ cup almond butter

½ cup grade B maple syrup

½ cup pumpkin puree

3 tablespoons softened unsalted butter

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup arrowroot powder

1½ tablespoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1½  teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon lemon zest

½ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350˚F.
• Lightly grease an 8.5×4.5 loaf pan then place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan.
• In a high-speed blender or food processor combine the eggs, almond butter, maple syrup, pumpkin, butter, lemon juice, and vanilla. Puree for 30 seconds until smooth and creamy.
• Add the arrowroot, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest, ginger, and sea salt. Blend again for 30 seconds until well combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for about 40 min or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Remove the loaf from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely before eating, about 2 hours. Store tightly wrapped in the refrigerator.

For pumpkin bread french toast the next day:

• Whisk together one egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, 2 tablespoons of raw milk (optional).
• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter over a medium-high heat.
• Slice 1/2 a loaf of pumpkin bread and dip each slice in the egg mixture. 
• Cook on each side for about 2 minutes.  
• Top with grade B maple syrup.

Brown Butter and Caramelized Onion Cauliflower Mash

I love mashed potatoes but they don't love me.  Instead of subjecting my family to the big insulin spiking bomb of mashed potatoes we're on the hunt for an amazing mashed cauliflower recipe.  Oh, we're no strangers to using cauliflower as potatoes (not to mention rice, pizza dough, or tortillas) we're just out to find the best dish for Thanksgiving.

I really like this recipe but it's not quite amazing enough for Thanksgiving.  I'm sharing it with you because you may just LOVE it!  In the meantime I'll make more mashed cauliflower recipes and try to share them with you.

Here's my recipe adapted from Running to the Kitchen's guest poster, KatieDid.

Photo: Running to the Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower

5 Tbsp of salted butter
3 cloves of garlic
2 medium Vidalia or other sweet onion
sea salt to taste

Instructions:

• Slice onions and caramelize in 3 tablespoon of butter over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning. The last 5 minutes, throw in the garlic cloves to release some of their flavor.  Once onions are completely caramelized remove from the pan and set aside.
• Meanwhile cut up cauliflower into florets. Place in a casserole dish and add about a cup of water. Microwave for 5-7 minutes until they are soft.
• Place cauliflower and garlic cloves into a food processor and process for a few minutes.
• Over medium heat add 2-3 tablespoons of butter to your onion saucepan and stir constantly until just beginning to brown, about 3-4 minutes. 
• Add ½ of the caramelized onions, all the browned butter, and a healthy pinch of salt to the cauliflower in the processor. Process until fully incorporated and a smooth, creamy mash has been formed. This may take several minutes depending on your food processor. Taste and adjust salt.

Baked Onion Rings

I was craving onion rings!  My husband bought a giant sweet onion at our local farmer's market and I couldn't wait to use it.  Thanks to my friend, Heather, for the inspiration to start putting turmeric* in everything - almost!  These tasty bites are a delicious addition to our Friday burger night.  Here's my version of Delighted Momma's baked thyme onion rings.

Ingredients:

2 large sweet onions
1 1/2 cups almond meal
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
2 eggs, beaten

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400˚F.
• Slice onions 
• Mix together the dry ingredients
• Dip each onion ring into eggs then almond meal
• Bake on parchment paper lined baking sheets for about 20 minutes or until golden brown

*There are plenty of health benefits for using turmeric and putting it into everything possible.  I started using it for its anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties.

Cereal

...It's one of the things I miss about being grain free.  Carly was near tears a few days ago.  She begged me to get her a box of cereal.  She even offered to pay for it herself.  Tough love won and I scoured the internet for a paleo "cereal".  I found two great options that both kids like.

Cinnamon Apple Creamed Cereal by Paleo Parents is egg-free, grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, corn-free, soy-free, refined sugar-free.

Paleo Cereal by The Paleo Project

• In a bowl combine chopped raw almonds, chopped raw cashews (or whatever nuts you like), blackberries, raspberries, and bananas (or whatever fruit you like).

• Pour coconut milk over nuts & fruit and top with honey.

I think they are great substitutes.  If you try them, please let me know what you think.