Tag Archives: soy free

Paleo “Sugar” Cookies with Cinnamon Maple Frosting (plus options!)

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With Christmas fast approaching, I wanted to give my wonderful readers an early present…a sneak preview of not one, but TWO recipes from my latest book, Paleo Indulgences!! 

That first Christmas after switching to a Paleo lifestyle, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to make sugar cookies with my daughters, which had been a tradition for almost a decade.  (Started with my oldest, before my youngest was even around!)  So I went to work to find a suitable sugar cookie cut-out with no gluten, grains, dairy, soy or cane sugar.  After a few attempts, we were oh-so-happy with the results!  The final recipe created a cookie that was so versatile, I could make a simple drop cookie out of it, or roll it into a log and slice the cookies if we were lazy that year, but best of all, we could  roll it out and use our beloved cookie cutters!!  Not only that, the cookies stay together nicely and don’t fall apart while we decorate them!  Our tradition was saved!

Now, I must confess, that I also make a small batch of my original Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs (with modifications) for my youngest, because she can’t have nuts, and a full coconut flour cookie, or one with ground seeds, just hasn’t passed our taste tests yet.  For this small batch, I use maple syrup instead of sugar, and coconut oil and palm shortening instead of non-dairy butter.  It’s not Paleo because of the GF grains, but it’s the best choice for us since nuts leave her feeling awful, and missing out on the tradition would leave her feeling even worse.  Nope, not on this Mama’s watch!

What are your family’s Holiday traditions, and how have you adapted them to fit your gluten free and/or Paleo lifestyle?  Whatever they are, I hope you enjoy this recipe with your family and create some wonderful memories along the way!

 

Paleo “Sugar” Cookies
Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free*, Soy Free, Cane Sugar Free

Dry Ingredients:

1 C Almond flour
¼ C Coconut flour
2 TBSP Arrowroot starch
½ tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp sea salt

(~Option – for chocolate sugar cookies, add in 2 TBSP organic unsweetened cocoa powder~)

Wet ingredients:

1 egg (*for an egg free option, you can use 1 TBSP flax meal mixed with 3 TBSP hot water)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp pure almond extract
1/3 C pure maple syrup
2 TBSP coconut oil, melted

1)     Preheat oven to 350°.

2)     In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.

3)     Add wet ingredients to the dry, except for the coconut oil, and blend with a hand
mixer.

4)     With mixer on low, slowly add coconut oil to the bowl and mix well.

5)     For a soft cookie, you can scoop and bake now for 11-13 minutes

6)     For a crispier cookie, roll the dough in plastic wrap into a log.  Place in the freezer
for 2 hours (or more, until very firm).  Remove and slice into ¼” slices.  Place on parchment lined baking sheet and bake 13-15 minutes.

7)     For cutouts, shape dough into a disc and refrigerate for 3 hours (or more).  The longer you keep them in the fridge, the easier they are to work with.

8)     Using a fine dusting of arrowroot powder to prevent sticking, dust two sheets of parchment paper and the dough.  Roll dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about 1/4″ thickness.

9)     Remove top piece of parchment and cut out cookies with cookie cutters. *Tip* – dip your cookie cutters in some arrowroot or cocoa powder (for chocolate cookies) to keep them from sticking to the dough.  Remove excess dough from around cutout shapes.  *Tip* -  If your dough is still soft and not easy to peel off the parchment, knead a small amount of arrowroot starch (or cocoa powder for the chocolate cookies) into the dough until it’s a little less sticky, then re-roll.

10)    Place bottom sheet of parchment with cookie shapes (no scraping cookies and transferring to another sheet!) onto a baking sheet and bake 13-15 minutes or until edges are browned and center is firm to the touch.

11)    Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

12)    Frost with your favorite icing or my Cinnamon Maple Frosting (below)!

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Cinnamon Maple Frosting

½ C Palm Shortening

1/3 C pure maple syrup

Pinch sea salt

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 TBSP Arrowroot starch

2 tsp Coconut flour (sifted)

2 TBSP Coconut oil, melted

 

1)     In a medium bowl with a hand mixer, blend all ingredients except coconut oil until fully combined.

2)     With mixer on low, slowly add in coconut oil.  Blend well and there are no lumps.

3)     If frosting is a bit too soft, refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Candy Cane Sugar Cookies

For a Holiday party variation, I bake small circles of the sugar cookies, both chocolate and vanilla.  After the cookies cool completely, melt dark chocolate, unsweetened dark chocolate and a little peppermint extract together and stir until smooth.  (The unsweetened chocolate helps cut the sugar a bit since I use less of the dark chocolate this way.)  Then drizzle the minty chocolate over the cookies.  Next, crush organic (read: no artificial colors, flavors or corn syrup) gluten free candy canes and sprinkle them on top!  They’ll be a hit at your next Christmas Cookie Exchange Party!

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Oh, and one last suggestion…sometimes, when I’m in a Naughty List kinda mood, I like to dip half of a BIG sugar cookie in melted dark chocolate.  Yep.  I’ll just leave it at that.

Cranberry Vinaigrette – (Cranberry Sauce – Take 2)

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Apparently, it’s really difficult to make a small amount of cranberry sauce.  Have you ever noticed that?  Long after the leftover turkey, dressing and pumpkin pie have vanished, there’s still that bowl of cranberry sauce sitting in the fridge.  My family loves cranberry sauce, but no matter how much we use on the big T-Day, we always have lots leftover.  Always.

So what’s a thrifty mom to do?  Re-purpose and re-use, that’s what!  Today I’m making my Cranberry Vinaigrette – one of the 200+ recipes in my first book, The Healthy Gluten Free Life.  It’s my gift to you on this post Thanksgiving, what do we eat now, kind of weekends.  So cook up some chicken or steak, slice and make yourself a hearty spinach salad with this Cranberry Vinaigrette!  It’ll be the best thing you’ve done with cranberry sauce all week!

Cranberry Vinaigrette
(Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Grain Free, Cane Sugar Free, Soy Free)

⅓    C (80 mL) balsamic vinegar

¾    C (180 mL) olive oil

¼    C (60 mL) Cranberry Sauce (I use my leftovers from pg. 252 in The Healthy Gluten Free Life.  But use what you’ve got!)

1     tsp organic Dijon mustard

1     clove garlic, minced

¼    tsp sea salt

¼    tsp pepper

1     Tbsp raw organic honey

Blend all ingredients in a blender or Bullet blender until fully
combined. Use immediately. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the
fridge for up to a week.

Spiced Maple Pecans

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It’s almost Thanksgiving, and I just realized I have NO munchies for guests before dinner!  Uh-oh.  Hungry guests are a no-no in my family, so I’m whipping up some Spiced Maple Pecans, from my first book, The Healthy Gluten Free Life, to keep everyone busy while dinner is cooking.  Along with a variety of olives, munchies are taken care of.  Yay!  Sweet, salty and absolutely delicious, you and you’re guests will love them!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Spiced Maple Pecans

2 Cups Raw Pecans
3 TBSP Pure Maple Syrup
¼ tsp Cinnamon
¼ tsp Ground Ginger
1 tsp Sea Salt
A pinch of freshly ground pepper

1) In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon, ginger, salt and pepper.  Set aside.

2) Place maple syrup in a medium bowl, set aside.

3) In a large skillet, toast the pecans over medium high heat, stirring almost constantly, until nuts are slightly toasted and hot.  (about 5 minutes)

4) Add nuts to the maple syrup bowl and toss to coat.

5) Sprinkle spice mixture over nuts and stir to evenly coat.

6) Spread nuts in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Cool completely and enjoy!!

Last Night’s Dinner – Chili Dusted Cauliflower

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Sometimes getting the family (or yourself) to eat certain things means finding the right
combo of flavors that make you appreciate what you’ve been avoiding.  For my kids and I, the same ‘ol salt and pepper cauliflower was getting boring and I found we weren’t making it very often anymore.

To accompany a lovely, spiced pork tenderloin one evening, I figured a nicely seasoned
cauliflower might go well and maybe it would be just different enough that we’d eat it.  Well, the pan was left empty by the end of dinner and I have found myself making this side dish a couple of times a week ever since!  Yay for cruciferous veggies with a kick!

The coconut oil mixed with the sea salt and chili powder kinda help the cauliflower to
caramelize beautifully which give such a punch of crunch and flavor, you’ll find yourself licking the parchment paper for any leftover bits.  I’m guessing one might do this.  I have no experience in this area.

Adjust the seasonings to your taste, adding more or less of each spice.  We do just a sprinkling of chili powder so it doesn’t get too spicy for the kiddos.

Enjoy!

Chili Dusted Cauliflower

1 Head Organic Cauliflower, washed and cut/broken into bite
size pieces

¼ C Coconut Oil, melted

Coarse Sea Salt

Freshly Ground Pepper

Chili Powder

Paprika

Granulated Onion

Cumin

1)  Preheat oven to 450°.

2)  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

3) Place cauliflower pieces in a large bowl.  Pour melted coconut oil over pieces and toss to coat.

4) Sprinkle spices on cauliflower in desired amounts, toss to coat.

5) Spread seasoned cauliflower evenly on parchment paper.

6) Bake 20 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender and bottoms have caramelized.  I love caramelized bottoms.

 

 

Monkey Munch

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Yesterday was a little cooler and rainy which tends to make me want to snack more.  Apparently I feel the need to store calories and be prepared for a famine when the weather cools off.

To satisfy my chocolate craving but with something semi-substantial, I decided to doctor up one of my favorite on-the-go snacks from Paleo People.  They have a wonderful line of oat-free, grain free granolas that are absolutely delicious.  For my concoction I chose the Banana Nut Granola because, as I’ve mentioned before, I do love the chocolate/banana combo!

The granola is amazing on it’s own, but I wanted to take it up a notch by adding in toasted coconut flakes, a drizzle of dark chocolate and a sprinkle of pink Himalayan sea salt.  The results were better than I’d hoped!!

We devoured ours very quickly, and by “we” I mean me.  So be careful and portion this one out since it’s easy to over-do in one sitting.  Have fun!

 

Monkey Munch

 1 pkg (5 oz) Paleo People Banana Nut Granola (http://www.paleopeople.com/)

¼ – 1/3 C Dark Chocolate (72% or higher – amount depends on
how chocolaty you want it)

1/3 C Unsweetened Organic Coconut Flakes

Pinch of Sea Salt (I used Pink Himalayan Sea Salt)

 

1)  Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.  Spread granola evenly on paper.

2)  Place chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat in the microwave, for 20 second increments, stirring each time, until chocolate is almost completely melted. Remove from microwave and stir until completely melted.

3)  Spread coconut flakes evenly on another baking sheet.  Bake in a 350° oven for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until coconut is evenly toasted.

4)  Stir toasted coconut into the Banana Granola.

5)  Drizzle melted chocolate evenly over coconut/granola mixture.

6)   Sprinkle top with a tiny amount of sea salt.

7)   Cool at room temperature until chocolate hardens, or if you just can’t wait, place in the fridge until chocolate firms up, about 30 minutes.

8)   Break into pieces.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

 

Last Night’s Dinner: Orange Ginger Shrimp, Kale Chips & Green Salad

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Last night’s dinner was a quick and easy affair…ahhhhh, my favorite kind!  I love shrimp for dinner because they cook so quickly, are low in mercury, and are an excellent source of protein, selenium, B12, iron, zinc and phosphorus.  As with just about every food, wild is best, so steer clear of farm raised (especially out of the USA) when you can.  And yes, we had kale chips….again.  But we can’t help it!  They are so crispy, light, salty and satisfying, we just can’t stop eating them.  And when it’s one of the only ways I can get my kids to scarf down kale, well, yeah, we’ll be eating it as often as they want.  If we must. (secretly doing the happy dance!)

(Please excuse the color of the photo…night shots are tough for good lighting in my house.)

Orange Ginger Shrimp: In a bowl mix together the juice of 1 orange, 1 TBSP coconut aminos (or tamari gf soy sauce), 1 TBSP fish sauce (such as Thai Kitchen), 1 TBSP olive oil, 1 tsp fresh grated ginger, 1 garlic clove (minced) and 1 TBSP raw organic honey.  Saute shrimp in coconut oil until almost done, add sauce, simmer for 1 minute, or until shrimp are cooked through.  Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions.

Organic Kale chips:  Rub washed, dried and torn kale pieces with melted coconut oil, making sure to cover them all with a little oil.  Spread on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350° for about 15 minutes, or until kale is crispy, but still green.  Watch carefully as it turns brown quickly at the end and then it’s bitter.  Sprinkle with sea salt.

Organic Green Salad:  I’m pretty sure you’ve got this one covered.  For a simple dressing, sprinkle on a touch of red wine vinegar, drizzle on olive oil, and season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, a little granulated onion and a touch of italian seasoning.

 

Hope that helps you crank out a quick, healthy & tasty dinner this week!

Mini Pumpkin Cakes with Pecan Praline – GF & Paleo Versions

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For me, one of the best parts of Fall is trying and enjoying all of the wonderful pumpkin recipes!  Pumpkin gives gluten free baked goods a great texture and mild flavor and helps those goodies keep moist.  Especially when you’re baking gluten free and dairy free AND egg free!  I like to keep canned organic pumpkin in my pantry all year long to help add moisture and rise to just about anything I bake.  This works well if you cannot tolerate apples (i.e. applesauce) which can be bothersome to many with food allergies.

These little mini cakes are a perfect Thanksgiving dessert since they aren’t overloaded with sugar and just about everyone loves getting their own personal cake to enjoy!  While we are thankful for our families, it doesn’t mean we want to share our dessert with them.  Or maybe that’s just me.  Oh, and if by chance you can eat dairy, a dollop of organic, grass fed, whipped cream sure doesn’t hurt the flavor either.  Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

Mini Pumpkin Cakes with Pecan Praline
Makes 6 (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Cane Sugar Free, Soy Free)

Dry Ingredients:
¼ C Brown Rice Flour
½ C Sorghum Flour
¼ C Teff Flour
½ C Potato Starch
¼ C Tapioca Starch
½ tsp Xanthan Gum
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Sea Salt
½ tsp Cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg

Wet Ingredients:
½ C Coconut Oil (melted)
2 tsp Olive Oil
¾ C Organic Pumpkin Puree (canned pumpkin)
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
½ C Pure Maple Syrup
½ C Warm Water

1)      Whisk together dry ingredients.  Make a well in the center.
2)      Add wet ingredients into the well of the dry ingredients.
3)      Mix on low until fully incorporated.  Turn mixer to high and blend for 1 minute.
4)      Spray 6 ramekins, mini spring form pans or English muffin rings with cooking
spray.  Spoon batter into each, until level with tops.  Smooth tops with a spoon if
necessary.
5)      Bake in a 350° oven for 15-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center
comes out clean, and the tops spring back to the touch.
6)      Meanwhile, make praline topping:

Pecan Praline Topping:

1/3 C Pure Maple Syrup
1 TBSP Grass Fed Butter (Optional)
¼ C Coconut Milk
3 TBSP Chopped Pecans

1)      In a small saucepan, over medium-high heat, combine maple syrup, butter, milk
and pecans.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low and simmer until the
mixture thickens and reduces a bit.  About 10 minutes.   Remove from heat to cool
slightly.
2)      Top pumpkin cakes with a small amount of praline topping and enjoy the
Holidays!

 

Option:  Add 2 tsp Ground Ginger, a pinch of ground cloves and 2 TBSP Molasses for a Pumpkin Gingerbread Cake for Christmas!

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**UPDATE – Grain free Paleo Version of Mini Pumpkin Cakes!**
Gluten free, grain free, dairy free, soy free, cane sugar free

Due to popular demand, here is a Paleo version of my Pumpkin Mini Cakes with Pecan Praline Topping!  Yay!!

Dry Ingredients:
3/4 C Almond Flour (Finely ground, blanched.  I use Honeyville)
1 TBSP Coconut Flour
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg

Wet Ingredients:
2 Large Organic Eggs (Farm fresh and local if you can)
3 TBSP Pure Maple Syrup, or Raw Organic Honey, or Coconut Nectar
1/2 C Organic Pumpkin Puree (I use canned organic pumpkin)
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 TBSP Coconut Oil, melted

1) In a Medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
2) Add wet ingredients to the dry and mix well with a hand mixer.
3) Grease 4 ramekins with coconut oil.  Pour batter evenly into the ramekins, smoothing tops with a spoon if needed.
4) Place ramekins on a large baking sheet and place in the oven.  Bake for 25 minutes or until the center is set and springs back when lightly pressed.
5) Cool ramekins on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.  Then carefully remove cakes from ramekins (use a knife to cut around the edges first) and cool completely on racks.
6) To serve, place cake on serving plate, spoon 1 TBSP Pecan Praline Topping (see recipe above) over the top of each cake.  Enjoy!

 

“The Healthy Gluten Free Life” Available for Pre-Order!

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“The Healthy Gluten Free Life” cookbook is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com!  This hefty book is over 400 pages with 200 recipes and full color photos of each dish.  All recipes are free of gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, white rice & bean flours, so get ready to enjoy some amazing food, even if you have multiple food intolerances.  From breakfast to snacks to make ahead dinners, this book will inspire and motivate you to get in the kitchen again!  Pre-order your copy today so that you can be one of the first to receive this very special cookbook.

Peach Maple Pork Chops

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I was torn today.  Outside, Fall was tapping at the door with leaves starting to change color and the clouds covering the sky.  Inside, I had a bowl of ripe, organic peaches, reminding me I was just wearing flip flops last week.  Sometimes during these seasonal transitions my body doesn’t know what to eat!  So I decided to bid farewell to the heat of summer and say hello to the coming Fall with a dish inspired by both.  Our favorite source of great quality, grass fed meats, when local isn’t available, is US Wellness Meats.  Head on over and check them out.  You will love the selection and prices.  Nothing better than high quality, pastured meats delivered to your door!

 

Peach Maple Pork Chops

2 Pkgs Bone In Pork Chops (US Wellness Meats (4 chops))
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Chili Powder
1 TBSP Coconut Oil

Salsa:
2 Organic Peaches, diced
¼ tsp Organic Cinnamon
3 Leaves of Fresh Basil, finely chopped
1 tsp Pure Maple Syrup
2 TBSP Chopped Toasted Pecans
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Organic Lemon Juice

Directions:

1)      Combine Salsa ingredients in a medium bowl, toss to combine.  Set
aside.
2)      Sprinkle both sides of pork chops lightly with salt, pepper, pumpkin pie
spice and chili powder.
3)      Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
Brown pork chops on both sides.  Transfer skillet to a 400° oven and
cook until chops are cooked, about 3-5 minutes.  Remove pan from
oven and place chops on a cutting board to rest.
4)      To serve, spoon salsa over chops and enjoy!