Tag Archives: Gluten Free

Chai Love You! – Individual Chai Spice Creamer

Chai Love You – Individual Chai Spice Creamer

If you think the smell of Chai is a warming, comforting aroma like I do, these individual frozen creamers are just what you need for your cup! I am really loving the convenience of these individual creamers that are frozen to stay fresh! Right now I have Pumpkin Spice and Chai in my freezer so I can have whatever flavor I am in the mood for in my coffee and tea. I have even popped them in my morning smoothies with great results! Chai is like a warm, loving hug! I have been reading the book The Power of Intention by Wayne Dryer, and one really important insight I like in the book is choosing to see the good in others and letting go of the negative thoughts that surface in your mind, replacing them with something you see positive about people. It really has been broadening my view and opening me up more positive intention throughout the day.

Chai Love You – Individual Chai Spice Creamers

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Coconut Oil

1/4 Cup Clear Honey

1 1/2 Cups Full Fat Coconut Milk (no additives, I like this kind)

1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

1 1/2 Teaspoons Ground Cardamom

3/4 Teaspoon Cloves

Directions: Line a twelve cup muffin pan with natural or foil muffin cup liners. Melt the coconut oil in a medium bowl in the microwave or on the stovetop. Whisk in the remaining ingredients until thoroughly blended and divide evenly between the muffin cups. Place the muffin pan in the freezer and freeze solid. After about four hours you can remove the Chai Spice Creamers from the pan and store in an airtight container in the freezer. To use, add to your favorite hot beverage and whisk.

Eat Your Nutrients!

Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Pumpkin Creme Brulee

If you like creme brulee, you are going to love this seasonal recipe for Pumpkin Creme Brulee! If you have missed creme brulee because you are dairy free, this recipe is no compromise. It is delicious and creamy, a perfect Autumn dessert! Creme Brulee is an easy fancy dessert, but it is also comfort food, it is prepared in advance, chilled and finished off minutes before serving. I haven’t met anyone yet who doesn’t love it. You are getting the nutritional benefits of egg yolks, pumpkin and good fat in this dessert.

Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Ingredients:

1 Large Pastured Egg

4 Large Pastured Egg Yolks

1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree

1/4 Cup Clear Honey

1 Can Full Fat Coconut Milk, No Additives

1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract

2 Teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice, Organic Gluten Free

1/4 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt

4 Teaspoons Clear Honey for the Tops of Creme Brulee

Directions:

Grease 4 ramekins with organic palm shortening or coconut oil. Directions: Preheat your oven 325º degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together your egg and yolks, honey and vanilla extract. Set aside. In a medium, heavy pot, add your coconut milk, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Over medium heat, scald your coconut milk mixture. When the milk mixture is scalded, slowly add a cup of the scalded milk to your egg mixture whisking constantly. Now, pour your egg yolk mixture slowly back into the remaining scalded milk in the pot, whisking as you do so. (This is done slowly to emulsify and not cook the eggs.)

Pour the custard into the four ramekins, dividing evenly. Place the ramekins in a baking pan that has at least 3 inch sides. Pour boiling water into the pan so it comes half way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until custard is almost set but still a little soft in the center. It is important not to over bake. Cool in the refrigerator for 4 hours, or up to two days, covered.

When ready to serve, remove creme brulee from the refrigerator, place a teaspoon of warmed honey on each creme brulee and caramelize the honey with a blow torch or place under your oven broiler for 2 to 3 minutes watching carefully. I used a kitchen blow torch, and it creates a thick delicious topping. It will not reach the crunchy stage like when using sugar, but it is unique and really decadent. Sprinkle with a dusting of cinnamon. Serve!

Makes 4 Creme Brulee

Eat Your Nutrients!

Bolognese Sauce

If you are looking for a delicious meaty bolognese sauce, then this one is sure to hit the spot! I cannot call it classic, because it doesn’t contain dairy, and I have taken some liberties beyond the Academia Italiana della Cucina‘s official definition. But I have to say, it tastes pretty darn authentic tasting!

Bolognese

You start with a Soffrito Base also known as the Holy Trinity…Carrots, Onions (Green Onions in this Case) and Celery, finely chopped.

Saffritto for Pork Ragu Bolognese

Pork Ragu Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients:

1 Bunch of Scallions, Green Parts Only Sliced

4 Carrots, Peeled and Finely Diced

4 Stalks of Celery, Finely Diced

2 Tablespoons of Garlic Olive Oil

1 1/2 Teaspoons of Himalayan Pink Salt

1 1/2 Teaspoons of Black Pepper

2 Pounds Ground Chicken

1 Pound of Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage Links, diced (I used gluten free)

1 Cup of Dry Red Wine

1 Cup Full Fat Coconut Milk, no additives

1 28 oz. Jar Organic Strained Tomatoes

2 Cups Chicken Stock (homemade if you have it)

Directions: Finely Dice your Scallions, Celery and Carrots. Add two tablespoons of Garlic Infused Olive Oil to a large stock pan over medium high heat. I love this brand and used the 5 quart braiser for this recipe, if you are looking for a good versatile pot. Add your scallions, celery and carrots and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of Himalayan Pink Salt and 1 teaspoon of Black Pepper. Sautee for five minutes until starting to brown and they are tender, stirring occasionally. Turn heat to high and add the two pounds of ground chicken and diced sausage sprinkled with another 1/2 teaspoon of Himalayan Pink Salt and 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper, and continue to cook, breaking up the meat until the meat is starting to caramelize. Don’t skip the caramelization! It adds flavor! It will take about ten minutes.

Soffritto Ready to Sautee

When meat has caramelized and you have a nice brown coating on the bottom of your pan, you deglaze! Pour the red wine into the pan, bring to a boil for one minute scraping the bottom of the pan to release all the brown bits and flavor. Add your stock, tomato puree and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Then, turn heat to a low simmer and cover the pot 3/4 with the lid and simmer for four hours until very thick and reduced. If it starts sticking before the four hours add more stock just a half cup at a time. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Bolognese Sauce

Serve over noodles of your choice. I used zucchini noodles in the photo below, I have also served it with spaghetti squash noodles.

Bolognese with Zoodles

Eat Your Nutrients!

Real Pumpkin Spice Creamer Cups

Real Pumpkin Spice Beverage Flavor Drop-Ins

Real Pumpkin Spice Creamer Drop-In Cups

One of the best Fall traditions is pumpkins! There has been a lot in the media lately about some of the pumpkin spice beverages out there and the less than healthy ingredients they contain, even though the are deliciously addictive. I have a figure friendly, healthy, real food solution to a pumpkin spice beverage craving that will leave you feeling great with no sugar crashes or slumps.

These individual Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamers are only 65 calories, contain all natural ingredients, including real pumpkin, and are frozen individually for convenience and freshness. The recipe makes twelve. They have a true, delicious pumpkin spice flavor, are dairy free, and sweetened with just 1/2 teaspoon of honey per serving. If you like yours sweeter, you can add more. You also get 15% of your RDA of vitamin A from the real pumpkin each beverage contains along with beneficial spices. You can use these all-in-one flavor drop-ins creamers for coffee, lattes, tea or steamers.

Real Pumpkin Spice Matcha Latte

Real Pumpkin Spice Individual Portion Creamer

Recipe Ingredients:

Real Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer Cups

1 1/2 Cups Canned Pumpkin (this one is organic and SCD Diet legal)

1 1/2 Cups of Full Fat Coconut Milk, room temperature (this is my favorite and SCD Diet Legal)

3 Tablespoons of Pure Vanilla Extract

2 Tablespoons Clear Honey, warmed in the microwave more or less to taste (you can substitute Maple Syrup)

1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon

1 1/2 Teaspoons Ground Ginger

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Allspice

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

1/8 Teaspoon Ground Cloves

Line a muffin pan with good quality natural unbleached muffin papers. They have a non-stick coating on the inside for easy removal. Add your pumpkin to a medium mixing bowl. Whisk the warmed honey into the pumpkin. I like mine just slightly sweetened. You can add more or less honey depending on your taste. Whisk in the room temperature coconut milk and vanilla extract. Finally, whisk in all your spices. Using a level Muffin size scoop or a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop 1/4 cup of the pumpkin beverage drop-ins mixture into each muffin cup. Level by tapping the bottom of the pan on the counter top to flatten and place the pan in the freezer until they are frozen solid. After they are frozen, remove them from the muffin pan and store in a gallon zip bag in the freezer. When you need a pumpkin spice beverage, take one serving from the freezer and add it to your coffee, latte, tea or steamer. It is good to have the beverage slightly hotter than normal because the pumpkin spice drop-in is frozen. I like to put everything in a shaker and shake it up then pour it into a mug, but you could also use a whisk in your mug. This is the shaker I use (It is Awesome to get a frothy beverage!)

I hope you are enjoying Fall and pumpkin season!!! I look forward to having one of these every day!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Sunflower Pumpkin Seed Crackers

Sometimes I just gotta have something crunchy! Crackers are especially nice, because I like something to go with the crunch, if I am not eating them plain for a quick crunch fix. You can dress up a cracker with toppings. I personally like to pile them with meat and veggies or eat them with a salad. Some of the benefits of pumpkin seeds are healthy fat, magnesium, zinc, tryptophan, and studies also show they aid in hair growth. Sunflower seeds contain many beneficial vitamins as well, including B vitamins and vitamin E.

This recipe for crackers is free of all major allergens, no nuts, dairy, soy, gluten, grain, and they are easy and fast.

Sunflower Pumpkin Seed Crackers

You will need a high speed blender or food processor to grind the nuts into flour, two parchment lined cooking sheets, and a rolling pin if you want them thin.

Ingredients:

3/4 Cup Sunflower Seeds (I bought sprouted ones, but optional)

3/4 Cup Pumpkin Seeds (optional sprouted)

1 Pastured Egg or 1 Flax Egg, See Here for good directions on How to Make One

2 Tablespoons Tahini

2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil, melted or Olive Oil

2 Teaspoons Lime Juice

1/2 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt

Directions: Pulse the seeds in a blender or food processor until you have a very fine flour consistency. Transfer the ground seeds to a bowl. and add the salt. Next Whisk egg and incorporate it into the nut flour mixture. Melt the coconut oil and tahini in the microwave together for ten seconds then whisk to incorporate, whisk in the lemon juice to the coconut oil mixture. Add the liquid ingredients to the nut flour, egg mixture and stir vigorously until a ball forms and the ingredients are thoroughly blended.

Divide dough in half, form into balls and place on two separate pieces of parchment paper. Top each sheet with another piece of parchment paper to roll them thin and keep the dough from sticking to your rolling pin. Roll or pat each cracker round out until 1/4 inch thick. Take off the top parchment paper and bake in the oven 325º degrees for 15 minutes until golden brown. After they cool, break into pieces. Store cooled in an airtight container.

Eat Your Nutrients!

Italian Bacon Popovers

The air is starting to cool here in preparation for Fall, and that makes me crave popovers! According to James Beard, although they resemble Yorkshire Pudding, they are purely an American creation. I have a lot of English heritage, and grew up eating recipes my Grandmother made from what she called “the old country” (England). So here is a version of a popover that I find to be Fall Comfort Food in my humble opinion. It is a little American, with an Italian Flair and a bit of English whimsy, but mostly they are plain delish! I added some good quality parmigiano reggiano, which is SCD Legal, but if you don’t tolerate dairy, they are equally delicious without it. They are so, so good hot from the oven! They are fun to eat, and I used leftover popovers to pack sandwiches for my daughters lunches the next day. Just split them and fill them for a mini sandwich. So, enjoy a little Fall comfort food and make some popovers!

Italian Bacon Popovers

You can use a popover pan like this, but a muffin pan works just fine! It makes a dozen puffy popovers!

Oven Ready Popovers

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil or Ghee, Melted

1/2 Cup Cooked, Sugar Free is Bacon (4 slices) cooked and chopped

8 Large Pastured Eggs

1 Cup Full Fat Coconut Milk

1/2 Cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano, optional Omit for Dairy Free

1/4 Cup Coconut Flour

1/4 Cup Scallions, green tops only, sliced

1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1 Teaspoon Pink Himalayan Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Preheat your oven 400º degrees. Place a half teaspoon of melted coconut oil or ghee in each popover or muffin pan cup and brush it up the sides. Crack eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk together with the coconut milk, whisk in the coconut flour and keep whisking briskly until no lumps, stir in the remaining ingredients, then fill each popover or muffin cup 2/3 full with batter. Don’t overfill, leave room for them to pop up! Your batter will look like this.

Italian Bacon Popover Batter

Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake 30 – 35 minutes keeping an eye on them until they are golden brown. Don’t be tempted to open the oven door. Think Souffle! When they are done, remove them from the oven and take them out of the pan while still hot and cool. Eat them warm, or they make a very nice mini-sandwich!

Italian Bacon Popover

Italian Romenesko Fennel Salad

What is Romenesko? It is a gorgeous member of the Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprout family. It does look like an alien cousin to Broccoli! I love fun vegetables, don’t you?

It is bright grass green and very pretty. I love the texture of it, which is similar to cauliflower. So I thought, why not incorporate it in a salad cooked? Here is a veggie packed salad with Italian flair.

Italian Romenesko Fennel Salad with Italian Vinaigrette

Italian Romenesko and Fennel Salad with Italian Vinaigrette

Ingredients for Salad:

1 Head of Organic Iceburg Lettuce or Two Heads of Organic Romaine

One Head of Organic Romenesko

1 Large Fennel

1 Large Organic Tomato

1 small can of Black Olives (I use Field Day 3.8 oz.)

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1/2 tsp. Himalayan Pink Salt

1/4 tsp. Black Pepper

1 tsp. fresh Lemon Juice

Directions:

Finely shave your fennel after cleaning and cutting off top and clean and separate your Romenesko pieces. In a heavy skillet add olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add shaved fennel and romenesko and saute covered for ten minutes until just becoming tender. Remove lid, add a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice and continue to saute until starting to brown and any liquid has evaporated, about 5 to 10 more minutes.

Meanwhile place your lettuce, sliced tomato and black olives in a salad bowl.

While the Fennel Romenesko mixture cools, make your salad dressing.

Italian Vinaigrette:

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup Good Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Garlic Infused Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar (check it is zero carbs, so not added sugar)

1 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1 Teaspoon Organic Italian Herbs

Combine all the ingredients and Shake it Up to emulsify.

Italian Vinaigrette

Add the Fennel and Romenesko to your salad and toss with the dressing. Serve! We had this for dinner with broiled fish. It is a light and satisfying meal.

Cinnamon Date Thumbprint Cookies

I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend! The kids are all back in school now, so our routines are changing. We made this delicious cookie this weekend that I wanted to share with you. Thumbprints are such a fun cookie to eat and make. I especially enjoy making them with my children because the process is very hands on and fun.

Here is a delicious version of a thumbprint cookie that has just the right amount of cinnamon and a date filled center.

Also, don’t forget to enter the giveaway! It is posted under Products I Love. The giveaway ends Monday, September 8th, and is a very modern Cooler that is eco-friendly, light and functions so much better than the cheap styrofoam ones. It is hosted by Rafflecopter, so just click on the link on the giveaway page, and it will take you there to enter.

So, here is the new cookie recipe! It makes 18 cookies.

Cinnamon Date Thumbprint Cookies

Preheat your oven 350º degrees F.

Ingredients:

For Cookie:

1 1/2 Cups Blanched Superfine Almond Flour

6 Tablespoons Coconut Flour

1 Tablespoon Grass Fed Gelatin

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1/4 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt

1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

1/2 Cup Coconut Oil

1/4 Cup Clear Honey

1 Tablespoon SCD Legal Vanilla Extract

In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl cream your coconut oil, honey and vanilla extract. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until incorporated thoroughly. Scoop tablespoon sized cookies onto two parchment lined baking sheets two inches apart and make a thumbprint in the center. I used a tablespoon cookie scoop.

Filling:

4 Medjool Dates, Pits Removed

2 Tablespoons Hot Water

2 Tablespoon Finely Shredded Unsweetened Coconut

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 tsp. Fresh Lemon Juice

Pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt

Puree the filling ingredients together until smooth. I used my small Ninja chopper for this, but anything that will puree fairly small amounts will work fine. Scoop a teaspoon of filling for each cookie and place it in the thumbprint.

Bake 20 minutes, then cool. I hope you enjoy these cookies like we do! Also, remember the great giveaway! I use my cooler all the time!

Raw Blueberry Energy Bars

Raw Blueberry Energy Bars

It can be hard to find snack food that is prepackaged and clean. What I mean by clean is free of dairy, soy, gluten, added sugar, corn and other allergens. I miss the days when I was out and could just grab a bar of some kind that sounded good when I needed something quick. I don’t leave the house anymore without some kind of emergency snack. Here is my recipe for Blueberry Energy Bars that are really delicious! They are sweetened with dates. The ingredients are all nutritious and will give you energy. I make these in my food dehydrator.

Blueberry Energy Bars

You will need a food processor and a food dehydrator for this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Raw Walnuts

1 Cup Raw Almonds

6 Medjool Dates (pitted)

1/2 Cup Finely Shredded Unsweetened Coconut

1/3 Cup Dried Blueberries

1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract (Pure SCD Legal)

1/4 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt

In a food processor, place the dates, walnuts and almonds and pulse until finely chopped. Add in the coconut, vanilla extract and salt. When it is all incorporated and starting to stick together (so you can form bars) add the blueberries and pulse a few times until they are incorporated. You want them to stay pretty much whole. On a teflon lined or parchment lined dehydrator tray, form the mixture into a dozen bars. Dehydrate for 22 hours at 105° degrees. Let cool, then individually wrap the bars.

You have a portable, delicious snack to take with you!

Raw Blueberry Energy Bars

Toasted Hazelnut-Vanilla Nut Milk & Lattes

Toasted Hazelnut Vanilla Nut Milk.jpg

Are you a hazelnut lover? I have this new recipe for Toasted Hazelnut-Vanilla Nut Milk that I adore with my cold brew iced coffee and matcha green tea. Nut milks are nutritious and easily made at home without the fillers and gums that can be difficult for your digestive system.

The nuts are plentiful in mono-unsaturated fatty acids and also essential fatty acid. Also, nutritionally, they contain Folate, B-Complex Vitamins, Copper, Magnesium, and Iron. They make delicious milk!

You can make the milk with raw hazelnuts, but toasting them boosts the flavor profile and makes the milk even more delicious. There is just three ingredients to make the milk. You do need a high speed blender and a nut milk bag. The nut milk bag is very inexpensive and handy to have around.

Homemade Nut Milk Tools. High Speed Blender & Nut Milk Bag

Ingredients:

4 Ounces Hazelnuts (Toasted & Skins Removed)

2 Tablespoons Pure Vanilla Extract (SCD Legal)

6 Cups of Filtered Water

1 Pinch Himalayan Pink Salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F.

On a parchment lined cookie sheet toast hazelnuts in one layer in middle of oven 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly colored and skins are blistered. Using a lint free kitchen towel, wrap the nuts hot from the oven and let them steam 1 minute. Briskly rub nuts in the towel to remove loose skins (don’t worry about skins that don’t come off) and cool completely.

Place the nuts, vanilla, water and salt in your high speed blender and blend for three minutes. Pour into the nut milk bag and drain the liquid squeezing gently at the end to extract all the liquid. Pour into a pitcher or storage container and refrigerate. It stays fresh for about a week, if it lasts that long.

Makes 6 cups

Here are some of the ways I love to use it. You can also use it as you would any milk in your recipes and baking where you want a hazelnut flavor.

Make a Matcha Green Tea Latte!

Directions: Whisk 1 teaspoons of Matcha Green Tea into 1/4 Cup of hot water. Stir in 1 cup of Toasted Hazelnut-Vanilla Nut Milk and pour over ice. It is so refreshing!

Iced Hazelnut Matcha Green Tea Latte

Use it in Coffee for a delicious Hazelnut Flavor without the Syrups. Iced or hot! Here I made iced coffee with a cold brew coffee, ice and toasted vanilla hazelnut milk. You can choose to add honey if you like your beverages sweet.