All posts by Pat

Sweets

Dark Chocolate Buckwheat Cupcakes

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup buckwheat flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp cloves
  • dash ginger, if desired
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1 Egg
  • dash sea salt
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup xylitol or coconut sugar
  • 3 to 4 oz good baking chocolate (I used unsweetened 100% cacao Ghirardelli)
  • 2 T Butter (organic, preferably)

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt chocolate and butter over hot water.

In bowl, mix buckwheat flour, baking powder, sweetener and spices.  Add almond milk, egg, and salt and mix well.  Mix in chocolate mixture and stir well.  Divide into 12 cupcake paper liners or a sprayed loaf pan.  Cook cupcakes for about 10 minutes or loaf pan for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Note:  spices are optional

Also, for additional yumminess, cook muffins 5 minutes and then put a chunk of chocolate in center and continue to bake.

Sweets

Cinnamon Almond Butter Fudge Bars

Ingredients:
  • 1-½ cups of almond butter
  • ¼ cup of coconut oil
  • 1 tsp of cinnamon
  • 1 large tablespoon raw honey
  • Pinch of pink salt
  • 2 tbsp of chia seeds
Directions:

Simply mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, until smooth and
creamy. (Note: It helps if everything is at room temperature, to keep the coconut oil soft!)

Transfer the mixture to a loaf pan, lined with plastic wrap, then
smooth with a spatula, and freeze until solid, about an hour.

Salads

Pomegranate and Greens Salad

Ingredients:
  • 1 large avocado
  • 2 handfuls romaine lettuce
  • 1 handful raw spinach
  • 1 handful walnuts
  • 1 handful black currents or raisins
  • 1 handful almonds
  • 2 tablespoons dark balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 handful pomegranate seeds

Puree the avocado, roughly crop greens, and add all ingredients to the mix and mix well.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Optional additions:  tomatoes, blueberries or pineapple chunks, alfalfa sprouts, carrots, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, red onion, etc.

NOTE:  Video on how to peel a pomegranate below…just copy and paste into browser:

 

Appetizers

Fresh Tomato and Black Bean Salsa

Ingredients:
  • 4 cups chopped vine-ripened tomatoes
  • 2 cups cooked and cooled black beans
  • 1 cup red onions, diced small
  • 1 large fresh jalapeño, seeded and diced small
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 T chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 T chopped garlic
  • Celtic sea Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 T fresh lime juice
  • 1 T EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
  • Beanitos brand chips (Health Food Store)
Directions:

Combine first seven ingredients in mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lime juice and EVOO.  Mix well. Place in serving bowl and serve with Beanitos chips.

Sweets

Blueberry Cobbler (Gluten Free)

If you can’t get fresh blueberries, frozen ones will work. If you don’t have blueberries, strawberries, raspberries or blackberries may be used

Filling:
  • 2 cups blueberries (I used frozen and slightly thawed in micro)
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 4 tablespoons xylitol or coconut crystals (I used xylitol)
  • 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon himalayan salt
Topping:
  • 1-1/2 cups almond flour
  • 1/4 cup softened organic real butter
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Almond slices, to taste (I chopped up about 1/2 cup
  • Small amount of coconut nectar
Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

 Filling:

Add all filling ingredients to mixing bowl and stir until combined.

Place filling in baking dish and spread evenly.

Topping:

In separate bowl, combine almond flour, butter, cinnamon and almond slices. Mix until crumbly.

Sprinkle topping over filling.

Drizzle just a little coconut nectar or honey on top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or more until filling starts to bubble and is thickened a little. If the topping is getting too brown, cover with aluminum foil.

Let cool for 10 minutes and serve warm.

Main Dish

NO NOODLE ZUCCHINI LASAGNE

Organic Ingredients if possible (suggest Muir Glen tomato products)

 Ingredients:
  • 2 large zucchini
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 pound organic ground beef or buffalo
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 1 small green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 cup tomato paste
  • 1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
  • hot water as needed
  • 1 free-range egg
  • 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
  • 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 8 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Oil a deep 9×13 inch baking pan with coconut oil.

Slice zucchini lengthwise into very thin slices. Sprinkle slices lightly with salt; set aside to drain in a colander.

To prepare the meat sauce, cook and stir ground meat and black pepper in a large skillet over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Add in green pepper and onion; cook and stir until meat is no longer pink. Stir in tomato paste, tomato sauce, wine, basil, and oregano, adding a small amount of hot water if sauce is too thick. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer sauce for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, stir egg, ricotta, and parsley together in a bowl until well combined.

To assemble lasagna, spread 1/2 of the meat sauce into the bottom of prepared pan. Then layer 1/2 the zucchini slices, 1/2 the ricotta mixture, all of the spinach, followed by all of the mushrooms, then 1/2 the mozzarella cheese. Repeat by layering the remaining meat sauce, zucchini slices, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella. Spread Parmesan cheese evenly over the top; cover with foil.

Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil; raise oven temperature to 350 degrees, and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.

 

Breads/Crackers

Multi “Grain” Crackers (Gluten Free)

Ingredients:
  • ½ cup blanched almond flour
  • ½ cup macadamia nuts
  • 1 tablespoon coconut flour
  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
  • 1 tablespoon golden flax seed
  • ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon palm shortening or coconut oil
  • ¼ cup water
Directions:

Pulse almond flour, macadamias and coconut flour in a food processor until well ground.

Pulse in seeds, flax meal and salt until almost fully ground (leave a little texture for crunch)

Pulse in shortening, then water; dough will form a ball in food processor

Roll out dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper to ¼ inch (or less) thick

Cut into 2-inch squares with a flat and wide pastry cutter. Scoop up each square with the pastry cutter, turn over onto a cookie sheet.

Bake at 300° for 20 to 25 minutes or longer, until brown around the edges and crispy.

Makes about 25 crackers

 

Sweets

CHOCOLATE NUT TORTE (organic, sugar free, gluten free)

I’ve made this cake before and it’s awesome. Would be a good Holiday cake.  This recipe takes a long time to make, but it’s worth it.

Recipe:

Have all ingredients about 70 degrees. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Beat until light:

  • 6 egg yolks (keep whites) from free-range chickens
  • Add 3/4 cup ***xylitol gradually and beat until well blended.

Grind nuts in food processor:

  • 3/4 cup finely chopped organic raw walnut meats
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped organic raw pecans

Add rest of ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon organic coconut flour
  • 1 tablespoon organic almond meal (or almond flour)
  • 2 tablespoons water, or coffee
  • 1/4 cup grated unsweetened organic chocolate
  • 1/2 teaspoon double acting baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon cloves (or a dash)
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (or a dash)

Whip until stiff, but not dry:

  • 6 egg whites

Fold lightly into cake batter. Bake in ungreased 9-inch round removable-rim pan (spring form) about 1 hour. Let cool for about 10 minutes. (It helps to place greased parchment paper in bottom of pan to assist in removing cake. Spread warm cake with Chocolate Butter Icing below:

Chocolate Butter Icing:

(makes about 1-1/2 cups)
  • 1/2 cup ***xylitol (pulverize in blender until it looks like powdered sugar)
  • 4 oz. organic unsweetened chocolate (try to use 70% or more cacao)
  • 4 oz. organic butter
  • 1/4 cup cream OR coffee
  • 1/8th teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt chocolate over very low heat.  Add butter and stir until melted.

Remove from heat and add the cream OR coffee and salt.  Gradually sift in the powered ***xylitol along with vanilla extract.

Ice the warm torte with a spatula dipped frequently in hot water for a glossy finish.

NOTES: You can get xylitol, organic chocolate, almond meal and coconut flour at any Health Food Store.

***Also, when using xylitol, please be aware that it is poisonous to dogs.  Do not feed to animals.  If you don’t want to use xylitol, coconut sugar is a good substitute.

 

 

Veggies

Mock Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
  • 1 medium head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into small florets (about 6 to 7 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • Fine sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • Fresh garlic (if desired)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add cauliflower and cook until very tender, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid and then drain.

Add oil and reserved water, 1 tablespoon at a time for desired texture while mashing cauliflower with a potato masher. Season with salt and pepper (and minced garlic if desired) and serve.  (May substitute organic butter for EVOO.)