recipe Archives - Page 9 of 18 - Tasty Yummies (2024)

I have been obsessed with berries lately. They are in season here in Southern California so much earlier than I was used to on the East Coast, so I feel like I have been given this extra special gift this year. The berries out here are seriously better than I have ever tasted before. The pint of strawberries I picked up a from my favorite organic farmer this week, are seriously THE best I have ever had. I can’t get over it.

When Sherrie from With Food + Love invited me to share a seasonally inspired dish for The Spring Dish {PLANT POWER}Blog Series, I knew instantly I wanted to share a sweet berry recipe. I wanted simple and light, but with a little something special to make it unique. A fragrant lavender simple syrup compliments the berries with all that lovely soft aroma and flavor and the coconut sugar gives it a nice robust almost rustic finish. And of course, the whipped coconut cream is the best way to finish these parfaits off. Read the rest of this entry »

Oh gosh, what is it about crispy potato chips that are so satisfying? These delicious baked sweet potato chips are the best alternative to store-bought bagged chips that you could ever find. They are light and crispy and full of so much flavor from the curry powder. I have no shame in admitting that store-bought kettle style crispy potato chips are definitely one of my biggest weaknesses. I never buy them or have them in my house, for fear that I would sit down and eat an entire LARGE bag in one sitting.

These simple-to-make chips really satisfy that craving for me and the best part is, you can play around with the flavors. Besides the curry powder, which is one of my very favs, you can also just add salt and pepper, or maybe some smokey chipotle powder or even a sweet mix with a little cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg. The possibilities are endless.

Read the rest of this entry »

I have severely cut back on my pasta intake the last few months. I am so seriously obsessed with pasta, but since I do try to limit my intake of grains as much as I can, pasta is a great place to start. But in total honesty, it is also the hardest one for me to eat less of. I adore good organic brown rice pasta, I like both Jovialand Tinkyadaorganic brown rice pastas, I like how light they are and there is something just so comforting about pasta.

When Cappello’s offered to send me some of their grain-free pastas to try, I of course jumped at the offer. Pasta that is grain-free and ready in less than 1 minute (not counting the time it takes for the water to boil) – sounded pretty darn good to me.

Cappello’s sent me some of their fettuccine, gnocchi and lasagna sheets. I made the fettuccine first, to get an idea of how it cooks and tastes. It is really good and similar to a lot of fresh (grain-containing) pastas, though it has been very many years since I have had fresh pasta made with gluten, so I cannot say how similar it is to that specifically. Their pasta is made up mostly of almond flour and eggs. It is firm but properly tender and not at all mushy, which I honestly expected. The pre-portioned container says “two servings”, but I found it to be heavier than the usual brown rice pasta I have gotten used to, I found myself getting full very quickly. Which isn’t always the case with pasta, sometimes I feel like I could eat it until I explode. It didn’t reheat the next day quite as nice as my usual organic rice pasta, but that is to be expected with a fresh pasta. I do find that rice pasta is quite firm after coming out of the fridge as leftovers, that I am not always a fan of since it HAS to be reheated. So there is no cold pasta eating with the rice pasta. This pasta is definitely possible to eat cold and was quite good that way actually. Hubby really liked the Cappello’s pasta as well, but he still prefers rice pasta as his first choice.

I know it isn’t totally fair to compare this grain-free pasta to rice pasta, since they are quite different, but since I am not 100% grain-free or paleo, I thought this was a fair assessment on my end.However, if you do eat a completely grain-free diet, 100% of the time, and you love your pasta – you would be a total FOOL not to try Cappello’s pastas. It hits the spot and nails that pasta craving right on the head.

Read the rest of this entry »

“There’s always money in the banana stand!”

If you get the fun name of these and the quote above, then I know you are celebrating with me today, too!

The final season of Arrested Development is on Netflix as of today and I couldn’t be more excited!!! The only dilemma I have with this final season besides this meaning it’s really over, is trying to decide with the entire 15 episode season being available all at once, do I cram them all in, marathon style or space them out, savoring each amazing moment? I may have to stay off all social media until we watch them all, so no one ruins it for me. I hate spoilers.

Arrested Development is one of our all time favorite shows, it is embarrassing how many times we have watched the whole series in it’s entirety and how many random lines my hubby and I quote from it all the time.

Our favs:

“It’s an illusion Michael!”

“Army had half a day.”

“I’m half machine. I’m a monster.”

“I just blue myself.” Read the rest of this entry »

I am going to start off this post by saying that this isn’t the usual über healthy dessert that I am usually touting here on Tasty Yummies. It has a full 2 cups of maple syrup and some additional coconut sugar. So yeh. But the good news is it IS healthier than the usual pecan pie. No butter, no corn syrup, no refined sugar, etc. Could I have made this healthier? Probably, but this was the compromise I came up with since I promised hubby I wouldn’t mess with this classics too much. I actually hadn’t even planned on sharing this recipe, but after I posted a photo on Instagram, people were begging for the recipe.

I made this for the Kentucky Derby party that we hosted here at our house on Saturday. I promised Mark an afternoon of all of his favorite Southern foods that remind him of Louisville. I promised not to “healthy-up” the recipes. I mademini hot browns (the sandwich made famous at the Brown Hotel in Louisville), pimento cheese dip, southern style deviled eggs, jalapeño cornbread mini muffins, a blackeyed pea salad, apple cobbler (I made this recipe with apples instead of the berries), mint-infused raw sugar simple syrup for Mint Juleps and this Maple Bourbon Pecan Tart. The menu was ALL about Mark and though I couldn’t eat a lot of it, I wanted it to be all yummy and I wanted to bring as much of Mark’s home to him on a day he is super homesick

When I promised to make pecan pie, I did specify that I had to make it gluten-free and dairy-free so I could enjoy it and I refused to make it with the usual corn syrup or regular sugar. I wanted a grain-free crust that would compliment but not overpower the tart and I went for as much maple and bourbon flavor as I could get.

I am so excited with how this turned out. It has a really rich flavor from the maple syrup and the bourbon that is really special. It is luscious, sticky and sweet, without being overly sweet and heavy. Though it isn’t something I will be making often, it is perfect for those special occasions, like a Derby party or the holidays.

[print_this]Grain-free Maple Bourbon Pecan Tart – Gluten-free + Dairy-free
Serves 8-10

Tart Crust

• 2.5 cups almond flour aka almond meal
• 3 tablespoons flax seed meal
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 375º F. Lightly grease a 9 or 10-inch tart pan. In a large bowl, add all of the crust ingredients and mix very well. I like to get my hands right in there to make certain it is all mixed up. Add the crust mixture to the tart pan and press down firmly into the pan, going up the sides just a tad bit. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Tart Filling

• 2 cups pure organic maple syrup, preferably Grade B
• 3 large local farm fresh eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar or firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspon salt
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 3 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups organic raw pecan halves or pieces

Meanwhile in a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the maple syrup to a boil and boil for 8 to 10 minutes to reduce. Remove from the heat and pour into a heatproof measuring pitcher. The syrup should be reduced to 1 1/2 cups. If necessary, return the syrup to the saucepan and continue to boil until sufficiently reduced. Let cool to room temperature before proceeding.

In a bowl, stir together the eggs, coconut sugar, reduced maple syrup, the bourbon, salt, coconut oil and vanilla until well mixed. Add the pecans and stir well. Pour into the partially baked pie shell, making sure the pecans are evenly distributed.

Bake the pie until the center is set and firm to the touch, 25-30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 1 hour; remove pan sides. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.[/print_this]

This week as part of my ongoing Restricted Diet series with Free People, I created a simple Strawberry Coconut Smoothie recipe featuring the beautiful fresh strawberries that are in season here in California right now. I still cannot believe how much earlier in the year they are in season here, they are everywhere and so delicious.

When I made the smoothie to photograph it, I wasn’t in the least bit hungry so I didn’t want to drink it, but I obviously also didn’t want to just pour it out, so I was thinking of what I could do with the mixture. Then I recalled the popsicle molds I got for Christmas from my mom and dad. Perfect!

I just poured the mixture in and let it freeze up. Later that night I was ready for a treat! Here’s the original post on Free People highlighting the smoothie, but I couldn’t let these frozen fruit pops go ignored!

Since there is no sugar or sweetener in these, when they freeze up they aren’t overly sweet. Just the perfect amount sweetness from the bananas and strawberries and just a little tartness, too. If you like things to be a bit sweeter, you can add a little honey or maple syrup, or even try blending 1 or 2 dates into the mixture. Also, depending on how much coconut you add to the mixture, if you decide to, you will see pretty white flecks of coconut in the pops. I didn’t think to add any until it was too late, but next time I certainly will.

[print_this]Strawberry Coconut Frozen Fruit Pops / Smoothie– Gluten-free, Vegan + Sugar-free
makes 6 frozen pops or 1 large smoothie

1 cup fresh organic strawberries, hulled
1 frozen organic banana
3/4 cup Unsweetened Organic Coconut Milk (light or full fat)*
1/2 cup ice cold cold water
1 tablespoon Chia Seeds
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, optional

Add all of the ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into a glass and serve for the smoothie. If you are making the frozen fruit pops – pour the mixture into your popsicle molds and chill for a minimum of 4 hours or until completely solid.

I use these popsicle molds – Tovolo Groovy Ice Pop Molds

*Note – Look for a non-BPA containing canned coconut milk, if you can.

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Since we’ve moved here to Southern California, just about two months ago, we haven’t had any guests come stay with us just yet. My sister comes two weeks from today and I have literally been counting down the days minutes, then my parents come just one month later! I cannot wait! Last week however, our very good friend Jane, who lives in Colorado, came to see us for the day. She had been in Corona, CA for the week and she was able to borrow a car to drive out to our neck of the woods.

Although we have quite a few good friends here in Southern California, whom we have known for many years, it was really nice to have our first “family” guest since we’ve moved here. Even if just for a few hours. Jane has been a part of my life since I can remember, she and Mom went to high school together and have remained in contact since. My sisters and I have always jokingly called Jane, “our other Mother”. There hasn’t been a Christmas morning that we didn’t share with Jane, she would always make the trip back to Buffalo from Colorado to spend the holidays with her family and we were always lucky enough to steal her away for a few hours on Christmas morning. Before she had nieces Jane would actually spend Christmas Eve night at our house and we would wake up in the morning and she would make us clean our room before we could go downstairs and attack the tree. Likely buying my parents time to get more sleep, since I am sure they were all up late.

Besides my own actual immediate family, I don’t think that we could have another guest here in the first two months that could have made me any happier. Since she was here a short time, I offered to make her lunch. She absolutely adores my family’s Greek Avgolemeno soup, which she loves to tell me Mom that I make better than her. So I of course, made a big pot of that for her visit. I am sure you have heard me mention many times before that this soup always reminds me of home and my family, so it really couldn’t have been more perfect for this visit.

When Jane arrived she brought me a huge bag FULL of fresh produce from the organic farm on the land where she was staying. So many different varieties of oranges, lemons, a few grapefruits and a few types of citrus that I have never even seen before, plus the most delicious avocados. Besides looking beautiful and tasting amazing, all of the citrus have been making the house smell incredible.

There were some Meyer lemons in the bag. Those are my absolute favorite. They are just so tasty and subtly sweet, so much so that I hate to waste them just in my morning lemon water or in a juice. I wanted to make something extra special with them. I just wish I could have made these bars and then shared them with Jane.

What makes this recipe extra special, besides who/where I got the Meyer lemons from, is that you actually use an entire whole lemon in the filling. Yes the whole fruit. Peel, pith and all. So, it is quite important that you use an organic lemon, or at least one that is unsprayed and free of pesticides or other chemicals.

You can certainly use a regular lemon in place of the Meyer lemon, but you’ll want to increase the sweetener a bit since it won’t be as sweet as the Meyer lemon is. The filling of this recipe was adapted from David Lebovitz. His recipe utilizes corn starch, a regular lemon, regular sugar and butter, so I tweaked it to make it work for me and to highlight the flavor of the Meyer lemon.

*If you are vegan, I would be hesitant to recommend any egg replacers in place of the eggs, since there is a fluffiness from the eggs that gives the filling it’s texture. There are many vegan lemon bar recipes that use silken tofu or soaked cashews to created a creamy topping, but since I had a dozen beautiful brown eggs fresh from a local farmer, I decided they would be perfect for this. If anyone does experiment in making this vegan, please do report back, I would love to hear how it turns out.

[print_this]Grain-free Meyer Lemon Bars
{Gluten-free, Grain-free, Dairy-free + Refined Sugar-free}
One 8-inch Square Pan – Makes 16 squares

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour, I prefer Honeyville brand
• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Lemon Topping:

• 1 whole organic Meyer lemon, washed (organic or unsprayed)
• 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup*
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice (approx 2 additional lemons)
• 4 large farm fresh brown eggs, at room temperature
• 4 teaspoons arrowroot starch (tapioca starch or corn starch would also work)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted (make sure it isn’t too hot when you add it in, you don’t want it to cook the eggs)
• Unsweetened shredded coconut for topping or the traditional powdered sugar works, too.

*Please Note – since the sweetness and bitterness on Meyer lemons can vary drastically, you may need to increase your sweetener to account for more tart Meyer lemons. Give the mixture a quick taste before you add the eggs to see if you need to. It should be a bit bitter but not too much so. Obviously the sweetener will have to be increased if you choose regular lemons over Meyer lemons. Additionally, if they are on the tart side, powdered sugar on top can definitely help with that, as well.

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line an 8-inch square pan with two pieces of parchment paper, one going in each direction. In a medium bowl, mix all of the crust ingredients together. You may want to get your hands in there to really get it mixed together well. This will be a thick crumbly crust that you will need press onto bottom of pan. Make sure it is even and gets into the corners. Place in oven to pre-bake the crust. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven.

While the crust is baking, cut the whole lemon in half, remove the seeds, and cut the lemon into chunks. Put the chunks of lemon in a food processor or blender along with the honey and additional lemon juice, and let it run until the lemon is completely broken up. Add the eggs, arrowroot powder, salt, and melted coconut oil and blend until almost smooth. (A few tiny bits of lemon pieces are ok and totally encouraged.)

Once the crust comes out of the oven, lower the temperature of the oven to 300ºF. Pour the lemon topping over the hot crust and bake for 25 minutes or just until the filling is no longer jiggling and is barely set.

Remove the bars from the oven and let them cool completely. Once totally cool, carefully lift out the bars out grasping the parchment paper. Cut the bars into squares or rectangles. I like to cut into 16 smaller sized squares. They last longer that way. Add shredded coconut or sift powdered sugar over the top just before serving, if desired.

These bars will keep covered or in an airtight container at room temperature up to three days. The crust will definitely get soggy as they sit, however. You can also freeze the lemon bars for up to one month, letting them come to room temperature before serving.[/print_this]

I myself am not allergic to eggs, but I don’t always have them on hand and I don’t necessarily always want to use them in a baking recipe. What I love about flax eggs, besides being a great replacement if you cannot eat eggs, is that they are full of wonderful nutritional benefits for anyone who chooses to add them into a recipe, no matter why.

Flax “eggs” are an easy substitute in most recipes calling for just one or two eggs. They’re a great option for vegans and those allergic to eggs. However, you don’t have to be vegan or allergic to benefit from this great substitution! Flax seeds are a nutritional powerhouse and sneaking some into baked goods is an simple way to get some of their wonderful nutrients into your diet.

Flax seed eggs “bind.” They do not add lift or fluff as eggs would in some recipes, say for a sponge cake or a souffle. I have had pretty great luck using flax seed eggs in most baked goods that call for two eggs or less, like breads, muffins, oatmeal cookies or pancakes, plus they are great in homemade veggie burgers. To make flax seed eggs you you just need a grinder like a Magic Bullet or coffee/spice grinder for grinding the raw, whole flax seeds to a meal. You can buy already ground flax seed meal, but it is much more expensive than just doing it yourself and they are far more likely to go rancid, quickly (see notes below).

Flax seeds are rich sources of the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a precursor to the omega-3 fatty acids. In comparison to regular eggs, flax eggs are packed with nutrition, including B vitamins, vitamin E, and important minerals such as manganese, potassium, calcium and iron. Each one even has two grams of fiber. They have no cholesterol and are very low in sodium. A flax seed egg has half the calories of a large chicken egg and much less fat — no saturated fat and half the total fat of an egg. Besides using flax seeds to make an egg replacement you can also enjoy the health benefits of flax seed by mixing it into your oatmeal or smoothies, it is great as a topping on yogurt or ice cream or added to baked goods like bread or muffins.

Store your flaxseeds in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container to maximize their shelf life. Being apolyunsaturated fat, they can go rancid fairly quickly at room temperature.

How to Make Flax Eggs

Yields one “egg”

• 1 tablespoon flax seed meal
• 3 tablespoons lukewarm water

If you are starting with whole flax seed to prepare the flax seed meal, simply grind some flax seeds in a coffee grinder or magic bullet. Measure after grinding.

Place the flax seed meal in a bowl and add water, stirring/whisking as you go and place in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to allow the egg to set. Allow to stand until thick, gelatinous and egg-like. Use in baking as you would one egg. Make in larger batches and store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

NOTES:

– If you don’t want the dark color from the brown seeds, look for golden flax seeds.

– If you do buy pre-ground flax seeds, always store in the fridge or freezer. Flax seeds contain oils that are extremely perishable. When the flax seed is ground, the oil is exposed to oxygen and begins to oxidize almost immediately. This oxidization turns the oils rancid which makes them toxic and causes them to impart a linseed oil aroma and flavor to your food.

– Ground chia seeds also work in place of the flax seed meal.

I wrote this recipe up back when we were still in Buffalo staying at my parents house but I never had the time to make them while we were there. Both of my parents and Mark are coffee-aholics. Man do they love their coffee. Me, I could take it or leave it these days. I probably drink 2-3 cups a month, at most. Most times it is part of a super early wake up call for an event or on a long road trip. I love the way coffee tastes, but I don’t always like how it makes me feel. I don’t like the caffeine jitters or the burny, acid bitterness of some cups of joe.

Mostly I like the smell of coffee and the culture surrounding it. Yeh, I know that’s weird. I love coffee cups and mugs, localcoffee shops,french presses, pour over coffee, fancy organic fair trade beans, and yes, I even love cookies meant for dunking in coffee. That is exactly what I think of when I think of biscotti.That crispy, crunchiness is just begging to be dunked into coffee.

All the nights at my parents house when the three of them would fill up their mugs, add their splash of cream, grab a sweet of some kind and then come out to the living room to watch the evening news. I felt kinda left out. Sometimes I would have a cup (then have a terrible time getting to sleep that night), sometimes I would have some tea and other times I opted for another glass of wine! I should have made these cookies when I was staying there, they could have added dunking these yummy cookies to their evening ritual and I would have dunked mine into Mark’s hot cup of java.

I was inspired to combine orange and dark chocolate in these biscotti because my mom LOVES that flavor combo. So do I. Just the smell alone is so delicious. Looks like I’ll just have to make these for my parents when then come visit in June! (Which by the way, I cannot wait for) I originally wanted to make these with cocoa nibs, but was unable to find any at the stores locally, so I just went with dark chocolate chunks, I cannot wait to get my hands on some cocoa nibs and make these again!

Do you drink coffee? What is your favorite thing about coffee?

[print_this]Grain-Free Orange, Almond & Dark Chocolate Biscotti – Gluten-free + Vegan
Makes 12-15 cookies

• 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour (tightly packed)
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (or tapioca starch)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds or other nut
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chunks, mini chocolate chips or cocoa nibs

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

In your food processor combine the almond flour, arrowroot powder, salt and baking soda. Process until all of the ingredients are well combined. Then pulse in maple (or honey), orange juice and orange zest until the dough forms a ball. Fold in chopped almonds and chocolate chunks by hand.

Dampen hands and form the dough into a log approx 10″ long and 2″ wide on the parchment paperlined baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned and firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool for 1 hour. Turn the oven to 250º F.

Once fully cooled cut the log into 1/2-inch slices on the diagonal with a very sharp knife.

Spread slices out on a baking sheet cut side down and bake at 250° for 10 minutes then turn over and bake another 10 minutes on the other side. Turn off the oven and let them sit inside the oven on the baking sheet until cool.

Once cooled they should be nice and crispy. Serve with coffee, tea, ice cold almond milk, etc. Also, you’ll want to consider sharing these with friends or you will likely eat the entire batch yourself. In one sitting.

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I have no problem admitting my obsession with coconut. I absolutely adore it. If I see a macaroon at a high-end bakery and they can assure me it is gluten-free, I am on it! Sadly, most times I take a bite and it is sooo overly sweet that it actually ruins it for me, I can rarely finish one of those from a bakery due to the extreme sweetness. I don’t think coconut has to be so overly sweetened. It is so amazing on it’s own. Add some chocolate and forget about it, I lose all control. But you already knew that, didn’t you?I mean really, is my obsession really that obvious?

I decided the best thing to do instead of always being let down and not being able to finish the ones I buy at bakeries, is to create my own macaroon recipe at home that utilized an unrefined sweetener instead of loads of sugar or that gross canned sweetened condensed milk that many recipes call for. Some recipes actually call for sugar, the canned condensed milk which is usually sweetened AND sweetened coconut. UGH. Hurts my teeth just thinking about it.

As much as I love macaroons dipped in melted chocolate, I can sometimes be lazy with melting chocolate. It can be annoying, I hate the mess and really the same flavor combo could be achieved by adding mini chocolate chips instead. Problem solved. If you want these cookies truly refined sugar-free, leave the chocolate chips out or make your own refined sugar free chips.

Most classic macaroon recipes are made with egg whites, I decided to keep that as part of the recipe, but I have seen many vegan recipes that utilizeEner-G egg replacer in place of the egg whites. I haven’t yet tried this myself, so please report back if you do.

[print_this]Chocolate Chip Coconut Macaroons – Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Paleo

Makes 18-20 cookies

• 2 cups unsweetened shredded organic coconut
• 1/4 cup local organic honey* or organic Grade B maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or almond extract)
• 1/3 cup dairy-free mini chocolate chips
• 2 large local egg whites
• pinch of salt

*If you want to use raw honey, just heat it up before hand over a very low heat, to liquify it.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl mix together everything except the egg whites and salt, making sure the coconut is evenly coated with the honey (or maple syrup). Get your hands in there, that’s what I do!

In the bowl of your stand mixer, or using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with a small pinch of salt. Beat for 2-3 minutes until stiff peaks form when you lift the mixer out.

Gently fold the coconut mixture into the eggs, being careful not to totally destroy the lovely beaten eggs. Let sit in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Drop batter onto the lined baking sheet, one rounded tablespoonful at a time. I like to really press the batter into the tablespoon, then carefully tap the cookie out of the spoon. It makes for the most perfect shape.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Let chill for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to wire rack to continue cooling completely.

*To make vegan try using 3 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer with 4 tablespoons of water and be sure to choose maple syrup over honey. I haven’t tried these yet this way, but there are many recipes online that use the egg replacer instead. Just whisk the egg replacer with the water, add a pinch of salt and add the coconut mixture to it.[/print_this]

Head on over to the Free People Blog BLDG 25, where I am sharing this recipe as part of my Restricted Diets series. Please leave a comment there if you enjoy the post and feel free to comment here let me know if there are any other classic recipes that you would like recreated to be gluten-free, refined sugar-free, cleaner, etc.

I have always LOVED tacos, but from traveling a ton to Texas and California and even Mexico once or twice, I am well aware of what makes a good taco. Living in Western New York for the past 30+ years meant getting the very best tacos I could on the road and when I was really craving them at home, just making them myself. I have made soo many different tacos, some vegan, like these, some with slow cooked meat from our farmer, some loaded just with grilled veggies, and so on. I am not saying my homemade tacos are THE very best and most authentic, but for the most part they were better than any I could get in Buffalo. (Though Lloyds Taco Truck were damn delicious and the best in WNY outside of my kitchen, for sure!)

I find the key to authentic tacos (or at least for my taste) is skipping on the loads of cheese and chopped iceberg lettuce like most Americans love. You want good quality ingredients like slow cooked beans or a meat, spiced to perfection. Add some fresh cilantro, a quick homemade pico de gallo or other salsa and add a few other simple but yummy things like quick pickled red onions, (diced onions or green onions are always great to) or maybe a simple chipotle cream. Less is more in a lot of ways.

OK so now I am living in Southern California, the land of amazing tacos. Why did I make tacos at home, you ask? Almost every week for Taco Tuesday we have tried a different place out, since you can get amazing prices/deals at most places. Last week, we didn’t wanna go out and we still wanted tacos, so this was the next best thing.

These tacos feature super flavorful slow-cooked black beans, that do their thing ALL day in the crock pot. Load it up in the morning before work and by dinner time it’s all ready for you. You can make the pickled onions and chipotle cream the day before, the morning of when you are loading up the crock pot or just a couple of hours before you serve dinner. I highly suggest making your own corn tortillas whenever possible, they are so simple to make and once you do, you will realize what you have been missing. I was forced to skip on it this time as I wasn’t able to find non-GMO masa harina around here, so I just bought some pre-made organic non-GMO corn tortillas that were very good and very fresh.

**BONUS ADDITIONAL MEALS: The great thing about this recipe is that it makes a decent amount of black beans and other goodies. So make tacos for 4 – 6, or more – or make tacos for 2 one night, then make delicious black bean and brown rice bowls another night. Instead of tortillas start with brown rice in a large bowl, top with the slow cooked black beans, add any other veggies or toppings, top with the pickled red onions and chipotle cream sauce and you have another deliciously incredible meal.

Slow-Cooked Black Bean Tacos with Vegan Chipotle Cream {Gluten-free + Vegan}

[print_this]Slow Cooked Black Beans

• 1 lb organic dried black beans – soaked overnight, drained and rinsed*
• 4 cups water and/or vegetable broth (if you aren’t using canned tomatoes, you may want a bit more water)
• 1 jalapeño, diced
• 1-2 dried chipotles, left whole
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small can diced fire-roasted tomatoes (I like Muir Glen organic) you can also use fresh tomato
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

Salt to taste at the end of cooking

Soak the beans overnight. Drain and rinse well.

Add all of the ingredients to the crock pot. If you aren’t using canned tomatoes, add another 1-2 cups of water. You want to make sure there is enough liquid so the beans don’t scorch or burn.

Stir well. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Salt to taste and the end.

*If you forgot or didn’t leave time to soak the beans overnight, no problem. Put them in a large pot, and cover completely with water. Bring to a rapid boil for 10 minutes, then turn off stove and cover pot. Let your beans sit for 1 hour, then drain water and put beans into crockpot)[/print_this]

[print_this]Quick Pickled Red Onions (and Jalapeños)
These simple pickled onions can be made ahead, it will keep for 2 weeks.

• 1/3 cup red wine or apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon raw sugar (if you are totally sugar-free try a splash of maple or other sweetener of your choice)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeño, cut into rings

Whisk first 3 ingredients and 1 cup water in a small bowl until sugar and salt dissolve. Place onion and jalapeños in a jar, pour the vinegar mixture over. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. Cover and chill. Drain onions before using or just pull right out of the jar and add them to your tacos.[/print_this]

[print_this]Vegan Chipotle Cream
This sauce is great on these tacos, but also delicious in place of mayo or other spreads on sandwiches or wraps.

• 1/2 cup organic raw cashews (soaked for at least an hour), drained then rinsed well
• 1/4 cup water (you may need more)
• 2-3 chipotles (the canned kind in adobo sauce)
• 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
• 1 large clove garlic
• squeeze or two of fresh lime
• salt, to taste

Add all of the ingredients to your blender. Start on a low speed. You may find you need to add more water to get it moving and to reach your desired consistency. Gradually increase the speed of the blender until the desired creaminess is reached. If you add to much water and it’s too thin, just add a couple more cashews. Pour into a jar, cover and place in the fridge.[/print_this]

[print_this]Assembling Your Tacos – All The Add-Ons
These are the other ingredients you will need:

• Slow Cooked Black Beans (above)
• Pickled Red Onions and Jalapeños (above)
• Chipotle Cream Sauce (above)
• 6-8 Corn Tortillas (more if serving more)
• Organic baby greens, shredded lettuce or cabbage
• fresh cilantro
• lime wedges

Optional:

• sliced avocado
• roasted corn
• pico de gallo, salsa or fresh tomatoes
• Tapatio or Sriracha or other hot sauce
• etc

Assemble. Heat up your corn tortillas. Add the beans, lettuce, pickled onions and jalapeños, cilantro and drizzle the chipotle cream over top. Serve with a fresh lime wedge.[/print_this]

Imagine my excitement when I came across gluten-free couscous at the Whole Foods here a few weeks back. And on a sale rack, to boot. It has been over 8 years since I have had couscous. I know it’s nothing fancy to get excited over. I know it’s really just tiny pasta, but there is something so fun about it and come on, who doesn’t love tiny food?

I immediately decided I would make a simple salad highlighting both the couscous and some green lentils, which I have been obsessed with lately. With roasted red peppers and marinated artichokes already on hand, how could I not make it Mediterranean inspired?

This simple but full-of-flavor salad is perfect for lunch or as a side dish. I even served it as a meal with some of my baked falafel, with a drizzle of the tahini dressing on top, one night for dinner. So many wonderful textures and tastes.

Head on over to the Free People blog BLDG 25 now for the full recipe.

YAY!!! Today is Day 7 of my 7-Day Spring Cleanse. Tomorrow is the Spring Equinox and I made it. I feel incredible and I am ready to start the new season feeling refreshed, energized, cleansed and invigorated!! I am so happy I did this, it is exactly what my body and my mind needed right now.

In celebration of Day 7, I took a 2-mile run this morning at the beach, then came home and did 30 minutes of yoga. For breakfast I made a super delicious fresh juice of pink grapefruit, ginger, carrot, strawberry and Persian cucumber. Such a perfect way to celebrate the final day of this cleanse!

For lunch today, I made this humble and simple-to-make warm lentil salad. It has become my favorite thing this week. I have made it a couple times and I have a feeling it is going to be on regular rotation around here for lunch.

It is so quick to make and it is loaded with flavors, colors and it is so satisfying. I like to barely wilt the baby spinach to take the chill off and so it isn’t totally raw, but I like it to retain some of it’s crunch. Feel free to leave it totally raw if you wish. I rarely add onion powder to things, but the spinach was just screaming for a little something special to give it just a hint of flavor on it’s own.

The salad has so many great textures and flavors from all of the different vegetables and the lentils make it really hearty. By serving this salad warm, I have found it to be a really comforting meal. Recently, I have fallen in love with the white balsamic vinegar from Trader Joes, on my friend Kathleen’s suggestion, so I have been using it a lot this week. It was the perfect way to finish this dish. If you don’t have that, regular balsamic would work nicely as would rice wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, etc.

If you have been following along with this cleanse, whether you are on day 7 or day 1, how are you feeling? I hope everyone has enjoyed following along with me on this cleanse, I hope I didn’t annoy folks too much on my Facebook or Instagram feeds, but it has been great for me to stay aware and honest with myself by sharing what I was eating. It was also so encouraging to see how so many people were inspired to do a cleanse of their own in honor of the changing season. It really is the perfect time for it. Thanks for following along. Happy Spring Everyone!!

[print_this]Warm Lentil Salad – Gluten-free + Vegan
makes one fairly large entree-sized portion (and then some) or 2-4 smaller servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/2 cups organic baby spinach, washed
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 organic onion, diced
1/2 organic red bell pepper, diced
2 organic celery stalks, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups organic mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 cup cooked lentils
2-3 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar (regular balsamic will work just fine too)
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pan over a medium-high heat, heat just 1-2 teaspoons of the olive oil. Add the baby spinach and onion powder and stir around till it is coated and cook just 2-3 minutes, for the spinach to just barely wilt. You want it to retain some of the crunch, just to soften it a tad. Add the spinach to your serving bowl.

Add the remainder of the oil, once heated add the onion, bell pepper and celery. Cook for about 3 minutes until they begin to get tender, add the mushrooms, garlic and the spices. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. Stir and cook until the mushrooms are cooked through, maybe another 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. When the mushrooms are close to being cooked, add the cooked lentils and toss it all around together and cook only long enough for the lentils to be heated up (if they aren’t already). You don’t want them to overcook and get mushy and smashed up.

Pour the lentil mixture over the wilted spinach and drizzle the vinegar over top. Use as much as you would like. Salt and pepper, to taste and serve warm.[/print_this]

Happy St. Patrick’s Day and Happy Cleanse Day 5 to me!! I am feeling super great today. Tons of energy, my skin is clearing up and I just feel lighter and more grounded, all at once.

I am never one to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, honestly I don’t think I ever have outside of possibly a grade-school classroom shindig. Since everyone was posting photos of their green clothes, green beer and green-filled parades and whatever else green you can think of, I was inspired to take a run first thing this morning enjoying all of the beautiful greenery around Southern California right now. The grass is vibrant, the trees are blooming and there is a wonderful aroma in the air. I am trying to get into a regular running routine, now that I have such incredible views to keep me inspired. Even though it will be a slow start getting my body used to the idea of running and everything that goes with it, I have to start somewhere.

After this morning’s run, I was craving another green smoothie. I was super happy with the green smoothie I made the other day, but wanted to play with some of the other amazing ingredients I picked up at the farmers market earlier this week. There is a local organic apple farmer that had tons of delicious apples, but he also had some beautiful and super flavorful Asian pears, the large round yellow skinned ones, I believe they are Hosui. I grabbed a couple of those and anticipated adding them to a fresh crisp salad, but then was inspired to add some to this morning’s smoothie.

Besides the beautiful green hue, this smoothie was full of flavor and was nice and creamy, with just the perfect amount of sweetness. If you don’t have an Asian pear, just go with a medium apple, of your favorite variety. If you wanna add 1/2 an avocado instead of the banana, like my last smoothie, go for it, you may just want to add another date. if it is lacking sweetness.

Are you celebrating (did you celebrate) St. Patrick’s Day? If you are on the cleanse, did you eat something green today? Hope you have all been following along with my cleanse on myFacebook page, where I have been sharing what I am eating for each meal.

[print_this]Spring Cleanse – Asian Pear Green Smoothie – Gluten-free, Vegan + Sugar-free
makes 1 large serving or 2 small

• 1 cup organic non-dairy milk or water (I used 1/2 coconut milk and 1/2 water)
• 1 cup organic baby spinach
• 1/2 large organic Asian pear, cored and diced (or 1 whole small/medium, mine was pretty big)
• 1/2-inch piece of organic ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 organic banana (preferably frozen)
• 1 organic Medjool date, pitted
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• A few ice cubes

Add all of the ingredients to your blender (in the order above) and process until smooth and creamy.

* I know it is repetitive on the “organic”, but it is especially important to consume organic produce when cleansing. All of my ingredients, included the flax and cinnamon were all organic.

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Good morning guys!! Today is day 4 of my 7-Day Cleanse. Yesterday, day 3, was a lot easier than day 2. No more headaches, but I definitely felt pretty tired. I had that delicious creamy green smoothie for breakfast and for lunch I heated up some of the leftover vegetable soup that I had made the night previously for dinner (see my Facebook page for a photo and description of the soup). I decided a curry for dinner sounded perfect. I need you to know that I fought off every single desire to serve this over brown rice, like I was craving. I wanted to keep the first 3-4 days of my cleanse totally grain free, since I am absolutely a carboholic!! Always have been. Honestly, I didn’t miss the rice one bit. Seriously.

This curry is full of flavor and has a very satisfying crunch and texture to it, and it is insanely simple and quick to make. There is so much going on with the different flavors and the creamy curry sauce is so delicious. And look at all of those beautiful colors! What a feast for your eyes and your tummy! I ended up sprinkling some shredded unsweetened coconut on top after I took photos, along with the fresh cilantro and garlic chives and it was amazing. Mark even liked this dish and it is hard to get him to eat anything that even slightly resembles Indian food (after last year’s food poisoning incident at an Indian restaurant in Austin).

FYI – if you prefer to make your own curry spice blend, definitely go for it. I have a premixed blend that I bought at an Asian market and I really love it, so it makes this dish that much easier.

How are you feeling today on Day 4 if you are following along? What have you been eating?Hope you have all been following along on myFacebook page, where I have been sharing what I am eating for each meal.

[print_this]Broccoli and Chickpea Curry – Gluten-free + Vegan
serves 2

• 1/2 – 1 tablespoon olive oil (ghee or coconut oil would be great here too)
• 1 small organic onion, diced
• 1/2 large (or 1 small) organic red bell pepper
• 1-inch nub of ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1-2 tablespoon yellow curry powder (I prefer a lot and a lot of heat, so I use 2 TBS +)
• salt to taste
• 1 head organic broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 medium organic tomato, diced
• 1 cup organic chickpeas cooked, you can use canned (BPA free) or if you soak dried beans over night and cook them, those would be even better
• 2 tablespoons (up to 1/4 cup) full-fat organic coconut milk (you can certainly use more, I was just looking to go light)
• 1 lime
• bunch of cilantro
• Green onions or garlic chives
• shredded unsweetened coconut

In a large pan, heat oil. Add onion and bell pepper. Sautee for a couple of minutes until the onion is slightly translucent and both are beginning to get tender, add the ginger and garlic, stir around and cook for about a minute, until fragrant. Add the curry powder and salt to taste. Give everything a good stir to get it all covered in the spices.

Add in the broccoli, sautée/stir fry until tender to your liking. Add in the tomatoes, chickpeas and coconut milk, stir around and let it all simmer for a 5-10 minutes. Just before serving, squeeze in the juice from half the lime and a bunch of cilantro, stir around and taste. Adjust seasonings to your preference.

Serve as is (which is how I ate it) or over brown rice, topped with some fresh cilantro, green onions, a lime wedge and some shredded coconut if you wish (forgot to put it on for the picture, but it sure is good).

* I know it is repetitive on the “organic”, I truly believe it is always good to choose organic, but it is especially important to consume organic produce when cleansing!

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Today is day 3 of my 7-day Spring Cleanse and I have to be honest that the second half of yesterday just kinda sucked. I had a terrible pounding headache, that started out not so bad and just got worse as the day went on, then my tummy got involved a little, too. I just felt crazy worn out. Oh yeh, and there has definitely been an excess of mucus. (sorry, gross I know, but I am all about sharing) However, hubby and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather here in Long Beach last night and we took 2+ mile walk around out new neighborhood, down to 2nd Street and I got myself an iced herbal tea unsweetened. It feel great to get out and move and I needed that, but boy when I got home was I ready to hit the hay. I was in bed and ready for sleep before 10pm. I didn’t sleep super great since I was dealing with the headache, but when I woke today at 6am I was feeling a lot better.

Since we took that long walk last night, I decided to skip a morning workout today to give my body the rest I think it is craving right now. I may try to get a run in later today depending on my energy level. Cleansing and detoxing is a lot for your body to go through and you have to read your body’s cues on what it is craving (besides the sweets and salty snacks). This morning I was craving rest and something very green! With St Patrick’s Day just two days away, I found myself inspired to make the first smoothie of the cleanse, this creamy green smoothie! Since I am consuming most of my fruits and vegetables cooked, the only time I will eat raw is first thing in the morning, when I feel like my digestion hasn’t been taxed yet and can take on the task of breaking it all down. Since a smoothie basically does a lot of that for you, I felt like that was an even better way to enjoy some raw.

From what I know of cleansing and what I have personally been through, I know that once (if) you can get past day 3, the worst is over. Your body will have detoxed from many things by the end of 72 hours and you shouldn’t be going through withdrawals or any of that sort of thing. So hopefully today is a little easier than yesterday.

Feel free to change this up however you’d like. Any apple type will do, but please only include the skin if you are using a certified organic apple. And please still wash it well. You could also use kale in place of the spinach if you wish. Also, I included ground flaxseeds to help with the thickness of the smoothie but also for their many benefits, like omega-3 essential fatty acids and fiber. If you don’t care for avocado, go with 1/2 banana instead. Have fun with the recipe and make it your own.

If you have been joining me on this cleanse, how are YOU feeling? Experiencing any detox side effects? Hope you have all been following along on my Facebook page, where I have been sharing what I am eating for each meal.

[print_this]Creamy Green Smoothie – Gluten-free, Vegan + Sugar-free
makes 1 large serving or 2 small

• 1 cup organic unsweetened non-dairy milk or water (I used almond milk)
• 1 cup organic spinach
• 2 organic Medjool dates
• 1 organic medium apple – cored, skin can be left on, if organic
• 1/2 organic avocado
• 2-inch organic piece ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 or 4 ice cubes

Add all of the ingredients to your blender (in the order above) and process until smooth and creamy. Serve with an apple slice and a sprinkle of cinnamon or a cinnamon stick to get real fancy!

* I know it is repetitive on the “organic”, but it is especially important to consume organic produce when cleansing. All of my ingredients, included the flax and cinnamon were all organic.

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Today is Day 2 of my 7-Day Spring Cleanse. So far I feel pretty good, energized and well-rested. I have been getting to bed by 10:30pm each night and I begin waking up at 6:00 am. I give myself a little time to wake up, I drink some warm lemon water and then I practice yoga. The last two days I have taken classes on YogaGlo, an amazing online community that is perfect for a home practice. Since I much prefer the essence and energy of a class at a studio this has been perfect for me, now that my budget doesn’t exactly allow me to keep up with the 5-6 days a week at the studio, that I was doing in Buffalo. I plan to go to 1-2 classes a week at local studios but for the rest of the days practicing at home is going to be what works best for me and YogaGlo will definitely be a part of that practice many of the days. YogaGlo is a membership based site that offers classes taught by some of the very best yoga teachers. HD videos of the classes are cataloged on the site for you to search through by style, level, length, teacher, body part, and more! You get unlimited classes!! Anyhow, this isn’t a PSA or a sponsored post, I just love their website and their services, especially now more than ever. My favorite teachers on there are Kathryn Budig and Tiffany Cruikshank. I love their Vinyasa Flow classes, they remind me so much of the yoga I practiced at East Meets West in Buffalo.

So in addition to my warm lemon water each morning and 60-90 minutes of yoga, I have been trying to start my day with a simple cleansing juice. Yesterday since I hadn’t yet stocked up on my organic produce, I went to local juice bar here in Long Beach, Revive. The lovely young lady working the counter, Faith, turned out to be a very knowledgable health coach and she and I got to chatting about cleansing and juicing etc and she told me about their “Master Shot” which is made up of ginger, lemon and cayenne. She mentioned she suggests this to all of her clients, as the perfect way to start the day when cleansing. From the Revive menu “Ginger: contains anti-inflammatory properties making it helpful for pain relief, it reduces nausea and neutralizes stomach acids, is great for motion sickness, helps balance out the equilibrium and improves digestion. Lemons: beneficial for the liver, are a natural diuretic, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-diarrheal.” From what I have read elsewhere,supposedly cayenne pepper stimulates your metabolism and helps to break-up mucus and other other stored toxins in your body.Cayenne also aids in proper digestion and delivers powerful B and C vitamins to the system during it’s cleanse. Faith also told me when cleansing it is best to consume your fruits in the morning and your vegetables in the afternoon/evening. Better for digestion. I definitely will be back to Revive Juice Bar. Any place that has someone that knowledgable about their job and what they are serving, plus who is that excited by what food can do for our health, is a place I will love to support.

This morning after I drank my warm lemon water first thing and then I practiced60 minutes of detoxifying yoga, I made a quick shot of the lemon ginger cayenne concoction by just juicing 1 lemon with 1 two-inch nub of peeled ginger and then I added about 1/4 teaspoon of ground organic cayenne pepper and mixed it well and drank it down. After the shot I made this beautiful and tasty juice as my breakfast. A Pink Grapefruit, celery, fennel and strawberry sunrise cleansing juice, also slightly inspired by my trip to Revive yesterday.

Grapefruit is great for stimulating digestive enzymes, increasing your metabolic rate, lowering your insulin levels and making you feel fuller. Strawberries are wonderful for the nervous system and keep your glands happy. Celery helps fight off infections, it lowers bad cholesterol, cools the body and reduces cravings for sweets. Fennel is great for easing intestinal cramps and reducing inflammation.

[print_this]Sunrise Spring Cleansing Juice
Makes 1 large serving
Always juice organic vegetables when juicing, especially when cleansing

• 1 large pink grapefruit
• 2 stalks of celery
• large handful of strawberries
• 1 bunch of fennel stems (Though the entire plant can be juice, I was saved the fennel bulb for another recipe, and used just
• the tops in this juice)

Juice all of the ingredients. Serve immediately with ice, if you wish.[/print_this]

I have been posting what I am eating at every meal over on my Facebook page. Most don’t require recipes or measuring, which is why I am not posting recipes over here very much. Have you been keeping up with me? Anyone else cleansing right now?

I am writing up this post and recipe from somewhere in the sky over the middle of America while we fly from New York to California. We’ll be in Long Beach for 8 days checking out homes and hopefully securing something for our March 1st arrival. So exciting!

I am trying to keep my mind busy during this long flight by writing this up, watching episodes of Gossip Girl and dreaming of these cookies. I only wish I would have grabbed the last few and stuck them in my bag.

By the time this post goes live, we’ll already be in California for a day and starting to look at houses. I am so excited to find up next place and to start this new chapter. It’s all so exciting!

OK back to the cookies. I came up with the idea to make these on earlier last week after having a crazy hankering for peanut butter cookies, that I don’t even normally care too much about. I like them just fine, they just aren’t my first pick. Rather than a standard peanut butter cookie, I thought a cookie inspired by the popular sandwich would be fun and super delicious. Plus, one of my least favorite things about a lot of peanut butter cookies is how dry they can be. I thought the jam would be the perfect compliment.

These cookies came out so great, if I can say so myself. I brought them to my friend Carrie’s house for a little get together along with another sweet treat that I can’t wait to share with you guys. Everyone loved the cookies, hubby even proclaimed “these are the best cookies you’ve ever made”.

They are moist and chewy with the perfect amount of slight golden brown crisp to the outside and the jelly center is such a treat. You could use whatever your favorite jelly, jam or preserves is. I used a strawberry jam that I grabbed at the co-op and I was so pleasantly surprised at how well it held up, it didn’t melt or get watery at all. I am sure you could use these same recipe and replace the jam with a hunk of chocolate, too. Something I was certainly dreaming of while these were baking.

By the way, in case you were wondering, these cookies are AMAZING for breakfast with a nice cold glass of almond milk.

[print_this]Grain-Free Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies – Gluten-free + Vegan
makes approximately 24 cookies

• 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour (I use this brand)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup organic creamy peanut butter, almond butter or sun butter (I used this brand)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (or honey)
• 3 tablespoons organic palm shortening (I used this brand)*
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened organic non-dairy milk, such as almond or coconut
• approx 1/4 cup of your favorite local jelly or jam, I went with strawberry

*I am sure grass-fed butter would also be great here.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

In a large bowl, cream peanut butter, shortening, maple syrup, vanilla and non-dairy milk together with mixer. Mix until smooth and creamy.

In a small bowl mix almond flour, salt and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to the wet. Mix with hand mixer until well combined, it may start out looking crumbly and dry. Just keep mixing it and it will come together into a thick cookie dough. (which by the way is SUPER delicious on it’s own).

Scoop the dough 1 tablespoon at a time onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. I found it easiest to form uniform sized balls, by rolling the tablespoon worth of dough in my hands. Gently press down and make a large thumbprint in the center of each cookie. Scoop the jam, approximately 1/2 teaspoon’s worth, into the center of each cookie.

Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned and slightly crisp. Allow to cool on the baking pan for 5-10 minutes, they will be quite delicate while they are warm, so make sure you let them cool and set for those few minutes. Then, transfer them off the cookie tray to a cooling rack to finish cooling fully. Store in an air-tight container, in the fridge for a few days. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.

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I finally made some time to play in the kitchen with a new baked good recipe and boy am I glad I did. I have been craving chocolate chip cookies like crazy lately but rather than another cookie recipe, which there are a ton of all over the internet, I wanted to make cookie bars. These tasty beauties are soft and chewy and the chocolate just melts in your mouth. They satisfy that craving for chocolate chip cookies, and then some.

I made these with coconut oil, since that is what I had on hand, but I cannot wait to try it with palm shortening, since whenever I have made cookies with it they are always extra incredible. But, these are definitely not lacking in any way! These bars would be great with other goodies added like dried cherries, chopped walnuts, coconut, etc.

I cannot wait to share these with my parent’s tonight after dinner. I made these last night and I couldn’t try them until today after I took photos and the anticipation was killing me. As much as I don’t necessarily want to share these, I am quite happy to not only have other recipe testers around, but also a few more mouths to eat my creations, to save me from sitting down and eating ALL of them! Also two more people to judge me if I am a pig and eat ALL of them in one day. Ooh it’s so tempting.

[print_this]Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars – Gluten-Free + Dairy-Free

• 2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour (I use Honeyville)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 extra-large local farm fresh brown eggs
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted(grass-fed butter, palm shortening or ghee will also work)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used almond)
• 3/4 cup dairy-free gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chips (I like Chocolate Dream or Enjoy Life)
• 1/4 cup walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350º F and lightly grease the bottom and sides of an 8″ square baking pan with coconut oil.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, add all of the wet ingredients. Mix well with a hand mixer or a whisk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix very well with a hand mixer. Then fold in the chocolate chips and nuts (if you are including) with a spatula.

Pour all of the batter into the greased pan and spread evenly with a spatula or your hands, gently press in.

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until the top is nice and golden brown and the center is no longer doughy. Allow to cool 10-15 minutes before cutting into bars or they could fall apart.

*These keep best in an air-tight container in the fridge. You could put these in the microwave for a few seconds when serving to take the chill off or to get them slightly warm.[/print_this]

It has been quite a whirlwind for us since the start of the new year. On Friday, January 4th the moving truck to got dropped off at our house and we had that weekend to pack up everything we wanted to keep, to go out to California and go into storage. The truck was on it’s way on the following Monday, January 7 and then we had the rest of the week to finish cleaning up the house, sell off our remaining furniture that we weren’t taking with us and get ourselves temporarily moved over to my parents house where we are staying until the official move to California.

Yesterday our house closed!! So, after the moving truck pulled away last week and now handing off the keys of our house to the new owners, it is definitely all very real. We have a lot to do before we are officially on our way to California for good, but it is all feeling a little less overwhelming. At least right now. Staying at my parent’s house is going to take some getting used to, since I haven’t lived at home in nearly 10 years, but it is also really nice to spend some quality time with my parent’s before we move across the country.

Last week was spent getting settled here and wrapping up everything at our house, but over the weekend I finally got some time to sit down and write up some recipes that have been swirling around in my head the last few weeks. I also made time to meal plan for the next week and write a grocery list. Yesterday I made dinner for everyone, hopefully the first of many while we are here. We popped a bottle of prosecco to celebrate the house sale being finalized and I made a huge pot of my chili, with some of the grass-fed ground beef from our farmer and some ground venison from a local hunter. Then I spent some time in the evening making this granola.

I am quite fond of minimal food photos that really allow the food to be the center focus rather than lots of props and other stuff, and I am excited to have some of my photography stuff here, but I really don’t have any of my props besides my nice white back drop. So, look for even more minimal photos than ever here at Tasty Yummies over the coming weeks. Hopefully the food will be as enticing as ever and I can create some fun stuff in the kitchen here at my parent’s place to share with you guys. With or without props and linens. I have some fun stuff in the works for you guys. By the way, the napkin seen in these photos is something I made as a gift for my mom. Designed and hand silkscreened fabric made by me and then I sewed it into a set of napkins. I still owe her a few to make the set complete, but we are going to work on them together, now that I am staying here! Can’t wait.

I think what I like about this granola is that it is grain-free, something I am trying to be much more aware of, as I definitely feel better and less bloated when I am not consuming a lot of grains. Besides the fact, quinoa, those cute little seeds, often mistaken for a grain, is a nutritional powerhouse of a super-food, take a read here for the long list of benefits quinoa has to offer. I went a bit heavier on the maple syrup than I normally would have, but I really wanted to capture some of the wonderful maple flavor. I wanted to make sure it wasn’t lost in the flavor of the quinoa and cinnamon. Feel free to use less and/or to also consider adding in a tablespoon or two of some blackstrap molasses, which is a great source of iron. And as always with so many of my recipes, you can easily make this recipe your own. Taking out, adding in or swapping your favorite nuts, seeds, fruit and spices. This is a versatile recipe that is quite easily adaptable.

[print_this]Maple Cinnamon Crunch Quinoa Granola
Makes approximately 4-5 cups

• 1 cup quinoa, uncooked (rinsed well and drained)
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut or coconut chips
• 1/3 cup flax seeds
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 3/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl or directly in a roasting pan, combine all of the dry ingredients, including the spices. If solid, heat the coconut oil in a small microwave-safe bowl on high for 20-30 seconds until melted. Pour the coconut oil and maple syrup evenly over all of the granola. Toss it all very well to make sure the dry ingredients are all nicely coated.

Make sure the granola is evenly spread in a thin layer in your roasting pan (you can also use a parchment paper lined baking sheet as well). I like using a roasting pan, since it makes stirring easier, so you don’t lose any over the sides. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, and slightly crisp. Stirring a few times while it is baking.

Cool completely in the roasting pan or on the baking sheet. As it cools the granola will crisp up even more. Cool fully before adding placing in air tight container for storage.

Enjoy this granola as cereal in your favorite milk (dairy or non-dairy), sprinkled with fresh fruit over your favorite yogurt or ice cream, on top of a smoothie, etc.

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Next in my ongoing series with for Free People of Giftable Recipes, is a simple adaptable recipe/DIY for homade finishing sea salts. These would make the perfect gift for any food-lover (dare I say, foodie, I kinda hate that word). You can really have fun with the flavoring on these, creating your own to suit the tastes of the recipient. Or change it up and make flavored sugars, too.

Plus, you can really have fun with the packaging on these.Package in cute jars, wrap paper or fabric around the lid, finish with ribbons or twine and make fun handmade tags or labels, to really personalize the gift. I kept it simple and just painted the lids with chalkboard paint so I could write what was inside. I plan to actually give these as gifts this year, so I will make some fun personalized gift labels for whoever these end up going to.

Flavored Finishing Sea Salts

Vanilla Sea Salt

This smooth and aromatic salt would be great to rim drinks, for the top of truffles, caramels, cookies and other sweet treats, and don’t let it fool you, it would be great with savory items as well.

1/2 cup sea salt

2 vanilla beans,split lengthwise and scraped, seeds reserved

Remove beans from vanilla pod and mix thoroughly with sea salt. Package in an airtight container of your choice.

Sezchuan Peppercorn Sea Salt

This spicy salt has a kick plus a nice earthy rustic flavor and it would be great on grilled veggies, meat and seafood, popcorn, homemade chips, veggie burgers, stir-fries, etc.

1/4 cup Sezchuan peppercorns (aka Sichuan peppercorns) or any other peppercorn of your choice

1/4 cup sea salt

Dry roast the peppercorns over a medium/high heat in a dry skillet on the stove top for 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool then add to processor (a spice grinder or mortar and pestle would also work) and grind to the size of the sea salt, add the salt to incorporate, pulse a few more times. Package in an airtight container of your choice.

Citrus Sea Salt

This bright and fresh flavored salt would be great on vegetables, grilled or roasted chicken or seafood, shellfish, steamed rice, chocolates, cookies etc.

1/2 cup sea salt

1 tablespoon fresh citrus zest from well scrubbed fruit such as lime, orange, lemon, grapefruit or any combination of those (I used Organic Navel Oranges)

Mix together the zest and the salt, making sure there are no large clumps of the zest. Spread out evenly on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Allow the citrus zest dry out in the oven at 200ºF for about 60 minutes. Once cooled, package in airtight container of your choice.

Lavender Sea Salt

This fragrant and flavorful salt would be great on sweet treats like truffles, chocolates, ice cream, shortbread cookies, scones, etc. Also try it in savory dishes like roasted squash, herbed flatbreads or with grilled chicken , lamb or salmon, etc.

1/4 cup dried lavender (make sure it is culinary grade lavender)

1/2 cup sea salt

Add the dried lavender to your food processor (a spice grinder or mortar and pestle would also work) to quickly chop the lavender, then add the sea salt, whir it together a bit, then package in an airtight container of your choice.

These recipes were originally shared on the Free People Blog BLDG 25. Share your thoughts below on how you would use these particular sea salts or what flavors you would try making yourself?