Mexican Chopped Salad

This has to be one of the easiest recipes ever and I know it's going to be in our menu rotation a lot this spring and summer. Its so fast and easy and it's been my very favorite meal we've had lately. In fact Chris liked it so much he asked me to blog it so we'd remember to make it again.

Last night we wanted some sort of salad for dinner and had some leftover grilled chicken and some perfect avocados to use. This was the result. If I was making this for just me, I would skip the chicken because my serving was great without it. This was a huge main dish salad for two, but could easily be a side salad for more to share.

Here's how easy it is:


Mexican Chopped Salad

1 Chicken breast half, grilled and chopped
2 Avocados, chopped
1 to 2 cups Cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup Red Onion, chopped
1 large bunch Cilantro, finely chopped
1 large Jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
Juice of half a Lemon
Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix to blend gently so the the avocado mixes with the lemon juice but doesn't get to mashed.

Serve as is or on a bed of mixed baby greens as we did.

Enjoy!

Butternut Squash, Spinach and Black Bean Tacos

For a good, long while I have been on kitchen auto-pilot making mostly the same things. The time has now come to work on my menus.

I'm currently researching the best diet for me as I start treatment for breast cancer and while I have just started the process I know that increasing the most nutritious veggies, herbs and spices is as important important as drastically cutting sugar. Cutting sugar has been easier than I expected so I'm focusing on getting the good stuff in.

There are so many different theories are out there - Vegan, Keto, Mediterranean, etc. - all been recommended by various people and sources. I can see pluses and minuses to most so am taking my time and learning what will be right for my situation with my necessary restrictions like gluten free, dye free, etc. So while I continue to research I'm making lots of old favorites (especially Sri Lankan recipes with all the turmeric, ginger and spice) and some new vegan dishes.

Vegetables are a favorite, so it's not a burden to try and reconfigure my diet but it can be a challenge to make them a main course when you love spicy flavors and strive to use only whole foods rather than processed items.

The guys are not changing their diets but are getting exposed to lots of new veggie dishes in the process. So far they are just adding them to their usual meals and it's working out fine for everyone. Joe, especially, has surprised me with embracing arugula and watercress in his salads and trying some different roasted veggies. So in many ways this is a win win for us.

This is one dish I experimented with on our last Taco Tuesday and we liked it so much I made it all over again on Friday - doubling the recipe for leftovers. It's super fast and easy and very satisfying.

I've tried this combination in a crispy taco shell, without tortillas in a bowl and wrapped in in collard leaves. Every version was delicious and I've got another two pounds of butternut squash to saute tonight.

Butternut Squash, Spinach and Black Bean Tacos

Saute in a medium sized saute pan:

1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
1 large Onion, minced
4 large cloves Garlic, minced

In another small saucepan heat:

2 cups Black Beans (approximately, either homemade or canned)

When the onions and garlic are softened, add:

1 teaspoon Cumin
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne (this will be spicy - just a dash if you don't love it hot)
1/2 teaspoon dried Oregano
1 pound Butternut Squash, cut into cubes

Continue to saute until squash is cooked through - about 15 minutes or so. I mashed a bit with the back of a spoon as I stirred.

Just before you are ready to serve, toss in:

2 cups packed and rinsed Baby Spinach which will wilt and heat through in a minute.

Serve in taco shells, as nachos, in bowls or rolled in a large steamed kale leaf and top the squash and spinach with black beans, and guacamole and any favorite salsa you like.

We love to add a mixture of cilantro (one whole large bunch), onion (one medium to large) and jalepeno (at least one large) all minced together and liberally spooned on top. I make up this mixture at least once a week and use it to top almost all Mexican and Asian foods I make. It will keep a couple of days in the fridge.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we have.

Almond Flour Scoop Biscuits

In my attempt to greatly increase beneficial veggies, herbs and spices and lower the sugar and carbs in my diet, I am revisiting some favorite old recipes and sites. One of my very favorite sites is Elana's Pantry. Elana has beautiful, simple to follow recipes using some of my favorite ingredients like almond flour and coconut flour. She has been such a great inspiration and made our gluten free living so much sweeter - especially her gluten free cupcakes!

These days I find that my veggie meals fill me up initially, but my tummy starts to rumble well before my next meal. Adding a little more low carb protein helps balance things out for me. Elana's biscuit recipe is relatively low carb and easy to make, but with my energy levels waning these last few weeks between surgery and the flu I found a way to make them even easier and lowered the carbs further.

While I loved the flavor of coconut oil in Elana's recipe, the coconut oil I have on hand is very strong. I love it at breakfast but it kind of clashes with some meals.

Switching out to an avocado oil gave the finished biscuits a really mild flavor and the same nice texture. Cutting the sweetener out completely still left a delicious biscuit. Adding all the ingredients to the same bowl and scooping each biscuit with a baking scoop (ice cream scoop) cut washing and prep time in almost half. The scoop makes a drop biscuit much more uniformly. Baking them in a 9x13 glass pan that I can store in the fridge meant one less pan to wash, too.  I'm not sure if necessity is the mother of invention or exhaustion is. Either way, it's a win.

I've been using Blue Diamond Almond Flour since our Costco started carrying it. I know that isn't a brand Elana used to recommend but it has worked very well for me. I've also made the recipe vegan because of all I am reading about flax meal again. Still great texture but I'll include the egg/flax information so you can decide what works best for you.

The biggest issue I have with nut flour baking is the calorie content. It is high, but one biscuit is satisfying and makes a big mug of miso soup a meal. It rounds out a smoothie or a salad and holds me over. I just have to resist the temptation to eat several.

Almond Flour Scoop Biscuits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl stir together:

1/2 cup Avocado Oil
4 Flax Eggs (4 Tablespoons Golden Flax Meal plus 6 ounces water OR 4 large eggs for non-vegan biscuits)
1 teaspoon Salt - Sea Salt or Himalayan pink are my favorites
1 teaspoon Baking Soda

Once well combined, add:

5 cups Almond Flour

Mix well and don't worry about over mixing like traditional flour. These will still be moist and tender. Once fully mixed take your handy scoop and scoop out 12 to 14 nice round biscuits onto a baking sheet or right into a 13x9 baking pan. After scooping I usually give the round biscuits a little push with the back of the scoop to flatten slightly as in the photo above. Both pans have worked perfectly and whether you leave them round or flatten they bake pretty much the same.

Either pan, bake at 350 degrees approximately 15 - 20 minutes - a bit longer in the baking pan and a bit shorter on the baking sheet. They'll be a light golden when done as in the photo on the right. Be sure to let them cool about twenty minutes or they might be crumbly as in my photo at the top. I store mine a few days in the fridge and bake about once a week. If I want a warm biscuit I just pop it in the toaster oven for a couple of minutes.

Enjoy!

*Or 4 Large Eggs for Non-Vegan Biscuits

The Bee's Knees Gnocchi!

Kecia Johndrow is someone I "met" online several years ago through the Feingold Association. Four years ago she opened her own gluten free bakery, Bee's Knees Bakeshop in Cedar Park, near Austin, Texas. Not only does she make beautiful baked goods like cakes, pies, brownies and cake balls; she also serves breakfast and lunch.

Now Kecia has written her first e-cookbook, Gluten Free is the Bee's Knees, A Bee's Knee's Cookbook.  A mutual friend let me know about the e-book and I bought it immediately.

The variety of recipes is great. Soups, appetizers, sides, dips, casseroles, breakfast items, entrees from Mexican to Cajun to Italian, desserts and more are included. Kecia has included answers to some frequently asked questions and shopping tips, making this a great resource for anyone newly gluten free.

She graciously has allowed me to share one of her entrees here for a little sneak peek. I had a hard time choosing because everything sounded really good.

Ultimately, I chose Gnocchi because it's one of my favorite comfort foods.  Kecia recommends topping them with a marinara sauce for a GFCF meal.  Since we do some dairy I chose to serve them drizzled with Laura's Garlic Herb Dip and a sprinkle of Asagio cheese.

I am certain mine are not as pretty as Kecia's but oh my goodness, they were delicious! I used brown rice flour and made them a little larger than Kecia recommended so they took a couple minutes longer to cook. Chris and I absolutely loved them and went through nearly half a batch between the two of us.

Here's Kecia's recipe, straight from her book:

Try it, I think you'll enjoy!

Happily shared on Gluten Free Wednesdays thanks to Linda at The Gluten Free Homemaker.

Cilantro Hummus!

Traditional hummus is one of my favorite things all year round. Whether I make or purchase it, there is almost always a container of it in the fridge. Hummus makes a great vegetarian protein snack with crackers (I especially love it with my flax crackers) or veggie sticks, and is an awesome spread on sandwiches. A favorite breakfast is simply a half a toasted gluten free bagel spread with hummus.

We love it plain or drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sumac or paprika. Chopped olives are my personal favorite, or addiction if I'm honest, these days.

My cilantro hummus is a spring and summer favorite.  It's creamy and cool and has a fresh pop of flavor. It takes just minutes to make and can be adjusted to your tastes easily.

Made as shown below it's very mild, at least with the jalapeños I use. If you like more heat, just add another jalapeño or switch to a pepper with more kick. Habanero is my favorite. The more cilantro, the better, as far as I'm concerned. I use a large bunch - about a cup and a half of washed leaves and stems. Cilantro has many health benefits so I'm always adding it to something I'm making.

This hummus is a great way to get your raw veggies in. Above I used daikon radish. I love the look of the perfect circles and crispy bite of the radish with the creamy hummus. Our veggie selection to the right wasn't the most exotic or beautifully sliced today but they were still delicious.

Cilantro Hummus is great as a spread on a veggie burger like my Chipotle Lime and Black Bean Burgers. My favorite crackers for this hummus are my Spicy Pepita and Almond Crackers which I like for a quick lunch. This combination also makes a nice appetizer with a lighter meal.

To really amp up the color and kick, spoon a little of Gabby's Green Sauce on top.

Cilantro Hummus

3 cups Garbanzo Beans
1 large bunch Cilantro, or enough to equal about a cup and a half leaves and stems
1 large Jalapeño, seeded
1 medium clove Garlic
1/4 cup Lime Juice
1/4 cup Olive Oil
Salt, to taste

While all ingredients can be put into a food processor at one time and blended, I like to use my Vitamix for an even creamier hummus.  If you use a Vitamix you will need to use the tamp to keep things mixing and moving to blend quickly. Just add all ingredients to the Vitamix at once and blend until smooth and creamy for about two minutes.

The flavor will improve as it chills so plan on letting it sit in the fridge an hour or two prior to serving.

Enjoy!

Happily shared on Gluten Free Wednesdays thanks to Linda the Gluten Free Homemaker!

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

For the last year I have been making Elana Amsterdam's brownie recipe. It is so perfect in taste and texture and since calls for an entire jar of almond butter it's got a good protein to carbohydrate balance for us. Everyone who tries it likes it, it is simple and fast to make so I haven't tried another in all that time. I usually cut the honey a bit and the end result is still sweet and delicious. They also tend to stay moist and pack well without getting crumbly, unlike some I've made with gluten free flours.

Elana's Pantry is such a great resource and while I have given many of my cookbooks away, I hold on two of Elana's. They are carefully written and everything I have tried has turned out perfectly.

Yesterday I used peanut butter and upped the cocoa for a little change. While the almond butter gives a mild flavor in the original recipe, the same amount of peanut butter really jumps out. The extra bit of cocoa seemed to balance it nicely. I like to sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top to dress them up a bit instead of mixing them in the batter.

Because almonds are a high salicylate food making Elana's recipe with almond butter is Feingold stage 2, this peanut butter variation makes them a Feingold stage 1, gluten free, casein free treat.

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
Preheat oven to 325 degrees

16 ounces     Organic Creamy Peanut Butter
1 1/4 Cups.   Honey (yes, 1 and 1/4 Cups)
3/4 cup        Cocoa
2 large.         Eggs
1 teaspoon   Vanilla
1 teaspoon    Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan or Sea Salt
1/2 cup         Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips

Mix everything together except the chocolate chips. I use my KitchenAid and it takes just moments. Spread into an un-greased 9 x 13 baking pan and bake. In my oven it usually takes 35 to 40 minutes.

Enjoy!

This recipe happily shared on Gluten Free Wednesdays at Gluten Free Easily.

Feingold information can be found HERE.

Friday Finds - Lovely Candy

With Easter just around the corner I wanted to do a quick post on these wonderful candies. Lovely Candy Company makes the candies pictured and a few other tempting flavors. What is pictured is what I have been able to find locally at Target but they are in many more stores according to their website. I love being able to pick up a bag so conveniently. 

I don't post a lot of products because my family feels better when we keep processed and packaged food to a minimum and eat a whole food based diet. Treats like these are an exception to the rule. Lovely Candy is gluten and GMO free and uses rbst free dairy in their caramels. The fruit chews are vegan. I feel good about the quality and I love each flavor we have tried.

Since they are individually wrapped they would be perfect for putting in plastic eggs for an egg hunt or Easter basket. The individual wrapping also slows me down a wee bit keeping me from inhaling the bag instantly!

As I said, we've all loved every flavor. My sons used to love a certain fruit chew years ago - one we gave up when we went dye free - I had hoped these would be a good replacement. Not really. They are so much better than what we remember those other candies tasting like that it seems wrong to compare them. Both caramels are chewy and creamy and delicious. 

Try them and let me know how you like them. I'd love to hear your all natural and gluten free Easter ideas, too!

Enjoy!

March Muffin Madness With Gluten Free Easily!

I am so excited to be a part of Shirley Braden's March Muffin Madness over at her amazing site: Gluten Free Easily.

Every day this month Shirley has been featuring a different muffin recipe from various gluten free bloggers. It's been so fun to check out each recipe - they are all so different and they all look delicious. Check them all out and be sure to comment on her posts as she has some amazing prizes lined up!

And spend some time on Gluten Free Easily. I've told many friends that I wish I'd known of it when we first went gluten free. Not only does Shirley have dozens of her own wonderful recipes, she features lots of other bloggers on GFE Facebook page and her all dessert site: All Gluten-Free Desserts All the Time!

Shirley will be featuring one of my very favorite, high protein muffins, my Sneaky Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins.  My family cannot taste the sneaky ingredient and I love that they're getting extra nutrition.

Now, go! Check out March Muffin Madness and all the wonderful muffin recipes! Enjoy!

Gluten Free Cashew Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

My awesome friend Laura recently gave me a head's up that Trader Joe's is carrying now carrying bags of Cashew Meal. She knows I use TJ's almond meal in so many of my breads, muffins and cakes as it's a high protein, gluten free and grain free flour. Baking treats with more protein seems to help us to metabolize them better without nasty sugar highs and lows. However, a lot of my Feingold friends cannot use almonds as they are a higher salicylate food.

(Speaking of Feingold friends, Candy has an interview with Cindy Harrell who, among other things puts the Feingold Food List together. Check it out for a great, quick overview of the program which we joined in 2005. We found Joe's migraines were triggered by food dyes and by following Feingold we've relieved a host of other issues.)

Other nuts can be used very successfully in baking. You can grind your own nuts and I've done that making the delicious Leah's Pecan Paleo Bread and my own Pecan Pie Muffins! Purchasing specialty nut flours online is easy but they're pricey and waiting for delivery isn't always convenient. Trader Joe's charges $4.99 a pound now - that's less than half what my online source charges.

Cashews are a wonderful choice because their mild taste won't overpower other ingredients and TJ's cashew meal has a really fine texture and bakes to a nice consistency. Coconut sugar gives a nice brown sugar flavor and has many nutritional benefits. I've made these with coconut oil and with butter and both were very well received. The butter made for a slightly softer bar than the coconut oil version. I've used flax meal rather than eggs and if you use coconut oil you'll have yummy gluten free, casein free, grain free and vegan bars. The best part is they come together in about five minutes.

Gluten Free Cashew Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a 13 x 9 pan.

1 lb.   Cashew Meal
1 cup Coconut Sugar
6 T.   Golden Flax Meal
1 cup Water
3 T.    Coconut Oil or Butter, softened
1 T.    Gluten Free Vanilla
1 t.     Baking Soda
dash   Salt
1 cup  Mini Chocolate Chips - I use Enjoy Life

Mix together everything but the chocolate chips. The batter will seem very wet until the water is absorbed by the flax meal. When well combined mix in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into pan and bake for approximately 30 - 40 minutes or until set in the middle and as golden brown as you like. Enjoy!

Easy Peasy GF(CF) French Toast

While making a hot breakfast in the morning isn't my claim to fame, I've actually made this easy French Toast two mornings in a row. It's that quick and easy.

Udi's sells wonderfully large loaves of their bread at Costco. Normal adult bread sized slices of bread that make sandwiches and toast that fit my guys' appetites. The texture of Udi's is great for French toast as well, it absorbs lots of egg mixture without getting soggy.

This is an easy recipe to divide in half or double. I just keep the same ratio of one large egg and 1/3 cup of light coconut milk to three slices (or four smaller slices) of bread. The light coconut milk I use is Trader Joe's. It has a pour-able consistency that makes it a great sub for regular milk in many recipes. I fry these up in either coconut oil (CF) or butter and we like both versions.

Easy Peasy GF(CF) French Toast

Preheat skillet (I prefer cast iron)

Six slices GF bread such as Udi's
2 large Eggs
2/3 cup Light Coconut Milk
pinch of vanilla bean powder (optional but nice)
2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil or Butter for Frying

In a low, wide bowl or 8x8 square pan whisk Eggs and Coconut milk and add the Vanilla Bean Powder if using.

Briefly soak each slice in the egg mixture and fry in Coconut Oil or Butter a few minutes on each side until lightly browned. While Joe prefers them plain or with butter, a topping of fruit preserves is delicious, too.


Enjoy!

Luce's Gluten Free Artisan Bread Mixes!

Saturday morning Joe and I headed out to the Gluten Free & Allergen Free Expo together. Our time was really limited and I wanted to make sure we checked out some new-to-us products.

The night before Chris and I had the pleasure of attending a blogger dinner at Bella Monica where we got to know some very interesting people. I want to than Pam Jordan of I'm A Celiac for including me. I hoped to introduce Joe to a couple of the people I'd met at the dinner, especially CPT Ben Adrasik.

In the coming days I will tell you about Moon Rabbit Foods, Stacie Moor of Nature's Radiance Healthy Cosmetics, This is Grub Water Kefir and CPT Ben Andrasik who has written the book Gluten Free in Afghanistan but tonight's post is all about Luce's Gluten Free Artisan Bread Mixes.

Joe and I nearly walked past Charles Luce and his table of artisan bread. We backed up and tried a sample and I was floored. The crust is chewy and the crumb is tender and it tastes like real bread. It's not just really good gluten free bread - it's really good bread period. We tried samples of each of his flavors - New Italian, Bold Buckwheat Premium, OMG Flatbread and Classic Sourdough. (That's the Classic Sourdough above, just minutes after I pulled it out of the oven.)

I purchased three bags of bread mix and I'm glad I did because it will hold us over until our first order arrives. Yes, I placed an order right after sampling our first loaf of bread - it's really that good.

What is really nice is that everything you need to bake a wonderful, crusty loaf of bread is in that bag. The baking flour, dusting flour (doesn't it give the crust a great, authentic look?), parchment, baking bag and precise, easy to follow instructions are all included.

All you have to do is measure one cup of warm water, mix it up, form it into a loaf, slide the loaf into the baking bag and let it rise a bit before baking. Charles has done all the work.

I was concerned it might be hard to slip the dough into the bag but the parchment support works perfectly.

The rice flour for dusting is perfectly measured and easy to sprinkle on.

The baking bag keeps just enough steam on the loaf for a perfect crust.

I love that the ingredients are simple and natural and while I do make my own flour mixes and bread I bake I just think this is a genius product and look forward to trying another flavor.

What I really look forward to is my French hubby getting to enjoy a crusty loaf of bread when he gets home. He can eat anything but chooses to eat gluten free at home to keep the rest of us safe. This is his kind of bread and can't wait for him to try it. I ordered the bulk mixes which lowers the price per loaf to about half making it really reasonable for a good loaf of gluten free bread.

Try it and if you do, please let me know how you like it!

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffin Bread!

It's good to be a ChaCha for so many reasons. I loved the name the very moment my Ev gave it to me three years ago and I adore that his sweet and sassy little sister yells "my ChaCha" and comes running when I pick her up from camp. Ev will tell you it is a very good name and he's excited (and just a little proud) that our soon to be grandbaby Aiden will be calling me ChaCha when he's old enough.

Being ChaCha has it's perks, too!  When Ev and Ollie went blueberry picking at Herndon Hills Farms last week, Gabby gave me a huge bag of the most gorgeous, freshest blueberries I've seen in a long time. While I haven't been to Herndon Hills Farms, Gabby vetted the farm and they use only natural materials approved by the OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) and are working towards organic certification. Gabby's photos show how beautiful the farm is, too. Lucky for me, Evan and Ollie can pick a lot more berries than they can eat! Can you see that Ollie can hardly hold up her own bucket!?!

I wanted to make some gluten free coconut flour muffins, similar to these but with a splash of lime juice and chock full of blueberries. Since I had just washed the loaf pan and it was still on the counter, I used it instead of the muffin pan and liners, although this recipe should make twelve muffins easily.

And please take a moment to read Pam's blog at I'm A Celiac on the Gluten Free and Allergen Free Wellness Event next month in Durham! It's a wonderful blog to sit and explore when you have some time. In this post, Pam's got lots of information and some really helpful tips for first time visitors. It would be wonderful to see lots of friends there!

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffin Bread

Heat oven to 400 degrees

This lemon "glaze"? Will tell more soon!

Grease a Pyrex loaf pan with Coconut Oil 

1/2 cup Coconut Flour

1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

6 Eggs

1/2 cup Coconut Milk, canned

1/3 cup Sugar

1 Tablespoon Lime Juice

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

Combine all ingredients in bowl of Kitchenaid mixer on low speed to combine.  Increase speed to medium high for two minutes or until smooth. 

Gently mix in.

1 Cup Fresh Blueberries 

Pour into greased pan and bake for approximately 50 minutes until golden brown. You can use a toothpick to test the center, but you'll know it's ready when you gently press on the center of the loaf and it feels firm.

Enjoy!

GF Raw Macaroons & Tea With Pattie

Pattie was coming by for a quick cup of tea in the garden this morning and I wanted to make something quick but special. It also needed to be light and healthy. I remembered some amazing raw macaroons my friend Laura had made a while back and decided to try to recreate them. Since my guys are gone on a road trip I purposefully made a small batch so that I wouldn't have too many left over to gorge on. These may not be exactly like Laura's but we really enjoyed them. The almond extract is a stage 2 Feingold ingredient but you can skip it and they will be delicious. Not only are these treats gluten free but they are also casein free and vegan. Perfect for so many of our friends' diets these day.

If you have everything on hand you can be eating them in minutes. Store them in the fridge and they will melt in your mouth.

I've just shared them over at Gluten Free Cat's Raw Thursdays! Gluten Free Cat is one of my favorite gluten free blogs and one of my Link Loves.

Raw Macaroons

Make 8 but can easily be doubled or tripled.

1 1/2 Cups Shredded Coconut

3 Organic Medjool Dates (if not very moist, soak in water for a few minutes)

3 Tablespoons Coconut Cream Concentrate, Coconut Butter or Coconut Manna depending on brand

1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil

1 Teaspoon GF Vanilla Extract

1 Teaspoon GF Almond Extract

In a food processor combine all ingredients, except the shredded coconut and mix until the dates are completely pureed. Add coconut and process just long enough to mix. You want a bit of texture.

Scoop into one tablespoon balls either rolling by hand or using the tablespoon to shape.

Store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Aunt Leora's Coconut Pie!

Leora was an amazing lady. She was one of my dad's two younger sisters and mom to six of my cousins. She was my godmother and I loved her dearly. Leora was named after my Grandmother Leora and in all these years I've only met one other woman with the same name. One fun fact about my dad's sisters is that Leora and her sister Pat both married men who shared the same first and middle names with my dad. Leora shared a birthday with my brother Bobby and since it's coming up next week she's been on my mind.

Aunt Leora, Uncle Tom, Grandma Lee, Dad & Aunt Pat

About thirty years ago a friend and I put together a cookbook full of recipes from our families and friends. I love looking through it all these years later - we all eat so differently now. When I pulled it out recently and looked for her recipes I came across this Coconut Pie. I can't recall ever seeing this on the table all those years ago but coconut wasn't one of my favorites back then and I might have not noticed.

The original recipe called for milk, butter and regular flour. I believe the coconut Leora would have used would have been sweetened flakes but I used unsweetened. I knew a touch of coconut flour would sub for the regular flour easily and decided to ditch the dairy and use coconut milk and coconut oil.

I can see why this recipe appealed to Leora, as busy as she was, because it is as delicious as it is easy. Leora's pie didn't call for a garnish but since I had coconut flakes and mini chocolate chips nearby I sprinkled some on just because. My pie took much longer to bake than Leora's recipe - no doubt due to the subs.

Version 1.0 - the breakfast edition.

We had the same friends for dinner twice this week and we shared version 1.0 and 2.0 with them. I have to say the presentation of 1.0 wasn't very special looking. The soft custard was still warm and the slices were really more like spoonfuls. A yummy crust had formed on the top due to the coconut and chocolate chips I'd added. It was much like a creme brule topping. We all really loved the texture and the taste. I chilled what was leftover and "tested" it for breakfast. Amazing but still soft for pie.

Version 2.0 made us all happy. It plated up much better. The texture was better and the taste was a exactly the same. This time only one slice remained and it, too, was delicious the next day. I can't really decide whether I prefer it served warm or cold - both are yummy and completely addictive.

This is definitely going in the dessert rotation. It is sweeter than I am used to so I'll probably cut the sugar next time I bake it. It would be an easy, wonderful treat to make for Easter.

Leora's Coconut Pie
Grease pie plate with coconut oil, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add all ingredients below in blender container:

1 can Light Coconut Milk, I used Trader Joe's
4 large Eggs
1 cup Coconut, unsweetened shredded
1 cup organic cane sugar
1/4 cup Coconut Oil
1/4 cup Coconut Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
Dash of salt

Blend until well combined. Pour into prepared pan and garnish, if desired, with additional coconut and mini chocolate chips. I used Enjoy Life which are dairy free.

Bake for approximately one hour. Insert a sharp knife in the center, if it comes out clean the pie is done. Cool or chill before serving.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Date Granola Cookie Bars

I made these bars yesterday for Joe to take to a youth event at a friend's house. Since there are now a few kids in the group who are also gluten free and others who are healthy eaters, I wanted to make something safe for the gf'ers and enjoyable for everyone else. The cookies turned out soft and chewy and seemed to be a hit.

My oatmeal date cookie recipe is fast and easy and very flexible. Omitting the sugar altogether and letting the dates and chocolate chips sweeten the batter worked well. Adding an extra egg, the extra almond butter and pecans upped the protein. 

Since yesterday was a busy morning I didn't have time or inclination to scoop dozens of cookies out and bake several sheets.  Instead I covered a large baking sheet with parchment, dumped the cookie dough on to it and used clean, wet hands to smooth the dough into one large rectangle about a half inch thick. They baked up beautifully and I was able to cut nearly sixty small bars with a pizza cutter in no time.

Breanna, this recipe is for you! 

For some reason Blogger has "bolded" the rest of this post. I guess I won't have to wear my reading glasses when I refer back to it! ;-)

Chocolate Chip Date Granola Cookie Bars
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cover one large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the following a large mixing bowl:

12 Organic Medjool Dates, chopped

1 1/2 cups Natural Almond Butter

4 large Eggs

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

I used my Kitchen Aid and let it mix on medium a couple of minutes until the dates were breaking down and the batter looked creamy but with a few flecks of dates.

Then add:

4 cups GF Rolled Oats

1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

1 cup raw Pecan pieces

1 cup mini chocolate chips - I used Enjoy Life 


Mix everything together until well mixed. Your dough will be stiff and heavy.

Dump out the dough onto your baking sheet and, using clean, wet hands smooth the dough out into one large rectangle about one half inch thick.

Bake approximately 15 minutes and let cool a few minutes before cutting.  I used a pizza wheel to make cutting fast and easy. My bars were approximately one inch by two inches and I was able to get nearly 60.  

Allow to cool completely before removing from pan.

They made a yummy breakfast today, too!

Enjoy!

Easy Coconut Flour Pancakes!

We finally have a quick, high protein coconut flour pancake we all enjoy. I like to make six very large pancakes from this recipe. Six eggs to six pancakes means, obviously, a full egg of protein per pancake to hold us over all morning. You can make them any size you like. They reheat well in the toaster oven for an even faster breakfast the next day.

Coconut flour is my very favorite flour to work with. I really think that if I could miraculously consume gluten again coconut flour would still be my go to. It's packed full of nutrition and only a small amount is used per recipe. It does require a large quantity of eggs or flax-eggs but that makes baked goods that are nutritious and satisfying. We find that keeping protein high and carbs low in general keeps us feeling better and more focused through the day.

I have only used Tropical Traditions coconut flour and recently heard that using another brand made for some rather dry cupcakes in one of my recipes. Perhaps the cupcakes were a tad over baked, perhaps it was the flour - I don't know. But I'll stick with Tropical Traditions. When I'm making cupcakes or muffins in my Kitchen Aid mixer I rarely sift coconut flour, the mixer will take care of any lumps there may be.  When making pancakes or anything I stir by hand I sift the flour to make everything blend quickly and smoothly.

I also love Tropical Traditions coconut oil. If you are new to coconut oil you'll find their site to be really informative. You can choose from mild tasting for very strong coconut flavored oils. Coconut oil has many health benefits and just tastes so good that it is what I use most of the time to saute or bake. Even for the very occasional deep frying of onion rings! I always keep a spoonful or two of coconut oil in my cast iron pan when making pancakes. It makes for crispy edges and is a good way to get a bit more coconut oil in.

Flax seed is a great source of fiber and protein and even calcium so that's why I add some to the batter. I like to use a finely milled golden flax from Flax USA. I find huge bags of it at Costco.

Local honey sweetens these pancakes. I've used as little as a scant tablespoon to two tablespoons.

Easy Coconut Flour Pancakes!
Preheat skillet.
Makes six large or eighteen small pancakes.

1/3 cup Coconut Flour
6 eggs
1/2 cup Coconut Oil,  melted plus more for cooking the pancakes
1/2 cup Water
Dash Salt - I used either Himalayan or Grey Sea Salt
1 to 2 Tablespoons honey
2 rounded Tablespoons Flax Meal

I melt the coconut oil in my cast iron skillet while measuring all the rest of the ingredients into my mixing bowl.

Combine all ingredients until just mixed. Add another spoonful of coconut oil to your pan and melt.

Drop by spoonfuls onto hot skillet. Let cook until the entire top is covered in tiny bubbles. It won't look dry around the edges like most other pancakes. Slide a metal spatula under the pancake and turn quickly. Cook another few seconds and serve.

I love to drizzle a teeny bit more honey and add a pat of Kerry Gold butter on top (not casein free) on mine but I usually eat them plain.

Fast & Easy Flax Chips or Crackers!

Sometimes a recipe seems so basic to me that I don't think it blog-worthy. These flax chips or crackers are one of those recipes. It is really more of a technique than a recipe like many of my other favorites.

These are a great naturally gluten free snack that you can put together in minutes. Flax seeds are full of fiber, minerals, omega 3 fatty acid, anitoxidants and vitamins. You'll feel good scooping up your guacamole with these. But do be mindful that while they are nutritionally amazing they are not exactly low calorie!

They really couldn't be easier to mix up. They are simply flax seeds, water and salt. The mild nutty taste works great with nearly every dip you can dunk them into. It's also a wonderful base for adding spices and herbs. Get the basic recipe down and play with it.

I take equal parts flax seeds and filtered water and a bit of sea salt to taste and mix them in a bowl. The mixture will become gelatinous and spreadable very quickly. You can get an idea of the texture of the flax/water combination in the bowl.

It's at this point I would add any herbs or spices to the bowl. My Flax Fiesta Crackers are a new favorite - but for now we'll keep it simple and straightforward.

Dividing the mixture between two parchment covered baking sheets I spread it as thin as possible for chips (or a little thicker for crackers). Bake in a slow oven as my grandma would say. I use 300 degrees if nothing else is in the oven. If I'm baking other things I will go as high as 350 degrees.

You can see in the photo on the middle right that the seeds are spread very thin. This is what I do for chips. I'd keep it a little thicker for a cracker - that's the only difference.

After an hour or so I usually flip the whole sheet of flax over to dry the other side. That's what you're really after, drying them rather than baking them.

If the edges start to brown while the center isn't quite done I just snap off pieces around the edges, put them in a bowl and put the tray back in the oven.

You can score the sheet of flax with a pizza cutter after about 45 minutes to get squares like I've done on the right. Breaking off pieces works just as well. Up to you.

So, here's the actual recipe:

Fast & Easy Flax Chips or Crackers
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Line two baking sheets with Parchment Paper.

2 cups Flax Seeds, Roasted or Raw
2 cups Filtered Water
1.2 teaspoon Sea Salt

Mix everything together and let sit for a few minutes to gel.

Divide mixture evenly between two baking sheets and spread as thin or thick as you like.

Put in the oven and check every thirty  minutes or so. When the top and edges look dry I put the cookies sheets on the stove and carefully flip them over so the bottom is now on the top and can dry.

Once they're dry and you can snap off chip sized pieces you are done. Depending on thickness it could be two hours or more.

Enjoy!