Health Nut Balsamic Spinach Salad

Monday, July 8, 2013

Honey Oat Bread, gluten and yeast free!

Sorry once again for the lack of pic!! I literally didn't have a chance before this stuff was gobbled up :(This bread is sturdy and everything you want in a hearty, homemade quick bread. I love it toasted with some organic butter or with some scrambled eggs piled on top!


1c. Blanched almond flour (honeyville is best!)
1/2c. gf oat flour( I grind them into a flour in a coffee grinder or the vitamix)
1/3c. tapioca flour
1/3c. coconut flour
1/2tsp. baking soda
1/2tsp. sea salt
1/4c. oil ( i use coconut or melted butter)
2Tbls. raw honey
2eggs
2 egg whites
1/2c.-3/4c. water
Preheat oven to 375
Blend all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl beat eggs until frothy, add in the oil, honey, and water. Add to dry ingredients. Oil a loaf pan ( I like the pyrex 7x4 because the loaf is higher) Be sure to line the bottom with a small piece of parchment. Pour in the batter and bake for 20-30 minutes. I realize that all ovens are different so don't hold me to these numbers. This is what my oven does, you may need to cook yours longer or shorter:)..AND MOST IMPORTANTLY......LET THE BREAD COOL!!!! Whatever you do don't cut into the bread before it is completely cool.....ok maybe the end piece, but that's it! If it's not completely cool it will collapse and be a steaming pile of deliciousness.....but who wants their bread in a pile???

Monday, April 22, 2013

Gluten Free Paleo Chocolate Brownie Cake

 This is honestly the best chocolate cake I've ever had! It's so good, in fact, that it doesn't need a bunch of hype and a loooooong drawn out post about it....just make it.....today......go make some!!! You can serve this as a moist delicious brownie or use it for your next birthday celebration cake. Don't be bothered by the "special secret ingredient" It MAKES this cake...trust me with all your heart!

This makes one 9" cake,10-12 cupcakes, or an 8x8 pan of brownies. :)

1 1/2c. blanched almond flour
1/2c. cocoa powder
1/2c. coconut crystals ( for best results, blend them in a coffee grinder for a smoother texture)
4 packs of sweet leaf stevia
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
2 eggs
1/2c. grapeseed or coconut oil
1 very ripe avacado
3/4c. water
Preheat oven to 350
Combine dry ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand held, beat eggs, oil, and avacado until most of the avacado is broken down. There will remain some pieces but trust me, it's ok and they will not mess with the final product :) Add in the dry ingredients and water. Pour mixture into a 9" pan or 8x8 pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until firm to the touch on top. Do not overbake. Even slightly underbaked, this cake will finish cooking in the pan, and be even more moist and delicious! Frosting recipe to come, until then, enjoy!
The pic below was a birthday cake for my son's buddy Brayden...I had to quadruple the recipe.....it made one 2layer sheet cake.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Pie! MMMMMMMMMM!

Well this beautiful pie is one of my faves! Who doesn't love peanut butter and chocolate!?? Weird people, that's who! :) I won't hold it against you if you're not a die hard fan:) There's always mint chocolate chip pie! But for now, peanut butter is the star of this show! Most of my pies like this are raw. This one is not however, simply because of the roasted peanuts I use. I have a vitamix, so I make my own PB with unsalted, dry roasted peanuts. But you can always buy your favorite natural brand and use that. I also love the mix of peanut butter and chocolate together so I include a chocolate mousse layer. If you like more PB than chocolate, just cut out the chocolate mousse altogether. It will be slightly shorter,but still delicious! This pie is kind of a labor of love, meaning it's a little time consuming and specific because of the layering. Which has more to do with presentation than anything. So I'll totally understand if you skip the layering and just blend everything all together and eat it with a spoon! It'll still be gooood! :D

First layer-The Crust:

1c. raw almonds
1c. dry roasted, unsalted peanuts
8 medjool dates
1tbls. coconut oil
2tbls. cocoa powder(optional) If you want extra chocolate flavor :) if not, omit.
2tbls. almond or coconut milk
Blend first 3 ingr.together in a food processor until dates are completely processed. Then add the rest and blend til mixture comes together. Pour into a 7 or 8" spring form pan and press until it's all even.
Second layer- Chocolate Mousse (optional) but delicious!
1 very ripe avacado
4tbls. cocoa powder
1/4c. honey or 1/4c. birch xylitol or coconut sugar
Blend together in vitamix or food processor until creamy. Pour on top of crust layer. At this point you can either put it in the freezer to set while you make the third layer, if you want it all to look separate. If you want to swirl the chocolate and PB layer, then wait to freeze til all layers are done.
Third layer- Peanut Butter Filling
3/4c.creamy peanut butter (homemade or a good natural brand)
1/2c. raw cashews
4tbls. coconut oil
1/4c. birch xylitol or coconut sugar
5-6 packs of sweet leaf stevia. Depends on personal taste.
Blend together in food processor until creamy. Spread on top of mousse layer.If swirling, take a knife or toothpick, and gently swirl the peanut butter in with the chocolate until desired look is reached. Grate some chocolate on top or top with a couple chocolate chips. Freeze for at least 2 hours to set before removing from springform pan. This pie keeps beautifully in the freezer, even uncovered which is my personal fave, or refrigerate for up to a week. It usually softens very quickly if left out, but still cuts quite easily even when kept in the freezer. :)

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Easy Gluten Free Biscuits

Hello everyone! I have been MIA for a few months, but am back now with a few more recipes under my belt! This biscuit recipe is a couple years in the making. I have tried different methods, flour blends, fats, oven temps, and STILL just could not get it right! I also wanted to use mostly almond flour which gets a little tricky when it's completely alone. So I finally figured out the perfect combo that is still very protein and fiber dense, lots of almond flour, and very little starch. You can omit the tapioca flour in this recipe if you like and add another 1/4c. almond flour, but they will not be as chewy and fluffy.

Makes 10-12 small biscuits

2c. Blanched almond flour ( usually I'm not a stickler about blanched or almond meal, but in this case, it HAS to be blanched almond flour!)
1/2c. tapioca flour
1tbls. baking powder or for paleo 1/2tsp. baking soda
1/2tsp. sea salt
4tbls. cold butter
2 egg whites
2-4tbls. almond milk
Preheat oven to 400
Combine first 4 ingredients.Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or a fork until the dough looks like small peas. Whisk egg whites and gently combine with dough. Add in the almond milk. Start with 2 tbls., add more if needed. The dough should come together and be slightly sticky. Not dry at all! With a tbls., scoop out a ball of dough and roll it between your palms to get a round, smooth shape. Then place it on a parchment lined baking sheet and press down very slightly with the palm of your hand. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Make sure that you place the biscuits very close together. This will allow them to rise up better and not spread out so much. :) Bake for 10 minutes until they are a little firm on top to the touch. These biscuits will not get brown. You could brush the tops with butter before baking, and then broil for about a minute or two if you really want them to have that color, but it's not necessary for the taste. :) Enjoy! Will post pics soon!