double chocolate chip cookies (vegan and gluten free)

My husband has a love affair going...with chocolate chip cookies.  I believe he actually considers the chocolate chip cookie to be its own food group.  Its the only sweet treat he consistently asks for when I'm in one of my wrecking the kitchen frenzies otherwise known as baking.  This recipe has become my go to, its gluten free, dairy free and not loaded with fat and sugar (ok aside from 2 cups of chocolate chips). I found the original at Elena's Pantry but I couldn't find unblanched almond flour in my little town so I opted to try and tweak the recipe and many, many batches later here is what I have come up with:

2 1/2 cups almond meal flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1 /2 cup coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup grapeseed oil (you can also use coconut oil)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dark agave nectar
1 cup chocolate chunks
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl
Stir together wet ingredients in smaller bowl
Mix wet ingredients into dry
Place mixture in freezer for 15-20 minutes until it hardens up enough to scoop balls of dough out with an ice cream scoop or spoon
Form one inch balls and place on on lined baking sheet

Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes

Cool for a few moments before transferring to a wire rack, the cookies will need a bit of time to set up before moving to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes approx 12 cookies

coriander crusted salmon and chickpea salad

I fell off the blog bandwagon for a bit but am back!  Moving on.

Friday night me and the husband had dinner at the home of some of our dearest friends, Matt and Heather. They always serve delicious meals that of course include plenty of good wine and conversation.  It’s treat to share at meal with them and Friday night was no exception. 

Matt served up this feast of coriander crusted salmon with a chickpea and artichoke salad.  It was so good I recreated the meal on Sunday night.  Matt didn’t take credit for the recipe, he first had it when another friend named Sarah had made it and Sarah found the recipe at Publix.  Thank you Publix (and Sarah and Matt).  I’m getting to wordy. 

Here’s the recipe, I made a few tweaks (like including bacon in the salad).  I prepped the salad in advance and it made this a quick and easy meal to put together.  Enjoy!

Here’s what you need:

3 tablespoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
4 fish fillets (salmon)
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Combine coriander, salt, and pepper; then coat both sides of fish (wash hands). Place oil in pan, then add fish; cook 4 minutes on each side or until 145°F and fish flakes easily.

Chickpea & Artichoke Salad

1/2 cup canned quartered artichokes, finely chopped
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped and sautéed
1 bag baby arugula leaves (4–5 oz)
Bacon, 2 pieces cooked and roughly chopped
1/2 cup canned chickpeas (garbanzos), drained and rinsed and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Prep
Chop artichokes and garbonzo beans (I prefer when mine have a rough chop)

Chopped and diced onion and sauté over medium heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil until soft

Bacon cook at 425 on foil lined pan for 15-20 minutes

Combine arugula, chickpeas, onions, artichokes and bacon

Whisk vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper until blended; add to salad. Toss and serve.

almond flour pancakes with berry compote

 

When I crave pancakes, these are my go to recipe. They are light, crispy around the edges and just the right amount of sweet.  You can add anything you like to them, my husband prefers chocolate chips in his, for me berries all the way.  Dress them up with whatever works for you, I made a simple berry compote, well technically not even a compote.  Its just berries cooked with some spices, I don't know why it works but it does.  These little cakes won't leave you in a pancake coma after you eat them either.  Enjoy with a good cup of coffee and you've got a great start to the day. 

Almond flour pancakes

adapted from Paleo Plan

1 cup almond flour

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 Tbs coconut flour

2 eggs

1/4 cup water ( or consider soda water for slightly fluffier pancakes)

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp sea salt

coconut oil or oil of preference

1 cup fresh berries – blueberries, strawberries, you choose!

Here's what you do:

Combine almond flour, applesauce, coconut flour, eggs, water, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, sea salt and berries in a bowl, and mix together completely with a fork.   The batter will appear a little thicker than normal mix.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat with 1 tsp coconut oil or oil of preference.

Drop 1/4 cup of batter onto the pan once it is fully heated. Spread out batter slightly if desired. 

Flip like a normal pancake when the bubbles start showing up on the top, and cook for another minute or two.

Add more oil to the pan and repeat with remaining batter.

Top with berry compote

Berry Compote

2 cup strawberries

1 cup blueberries

3 tablespoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons agave or honey (depending on how sweet you want your fruit, you can use sugar as well) 

1 cup water (or fruit juice you have on hand)

Place your berries, cinnamon, sweetener of choice and water in a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat.  Let mixture cook for at least 45 minutes or until fruit is broken down to your liking.  Taste to ensure mixture is sweet enough for you.

I prefer mine to taste more like fruit and less like a jam and feel free to add in all kinds of spices and fruits to create this to your liking. This will make about 2 cups, I keep mine in the refrigerator and it keeps for about a week. 

Rise and shine, its pancake time!  

Image is of sunrise from our back deck.

fruit and nut bars

Need a break from Christmas cookies?  Not yet? Me either, but if you do these bars are a great alternative to cookie cravings.  They are just the right amount of salty and sweet.  Did I mention they are also ridiculously easy to put together?  There, I just did.  Now go on, go make some and enjoy.

Fruit and Nut Bars
Adapted from Cave Women Cafe

1 cup of almonds
1 cup of cashews, raw and unsalted
½ cup of nut flour, (I used Bob’s Red Mill Almond Meal)
½ cup of unsweetened dried coconut
½ cup sun butter (or your favorite peanut butter)
½ cup of coconut oil
¼ cup of honey
2 tsp of pure vanilla
½ teaspoon of salt
½ cup dried cherries
½ cup dark chocolate chips 
½ cup raisins 

In your food processor pulse together the almonds and cashews until they are a coarse meal and stir into the nut flour in a medium bowl.

In a microwave safe bowl, warm up the coconut oil and sun butter for about 20 seconds, in the microwave and stir them together well. Add the honey, vanilla, and salt then mix till all creamy. Fold the nut mix into the honey mix then add the fruit and chocolate chips. 

Pat into an 8 x 8 baking dish and stick in fridge for 1 hour or more till nice and solid. Cut into squares or rectangular bars. 

I wrapped them individually and kept them in the fridge (if you leave them out they will get soft); these made a great breakfast and or snack before running.  

Merry Christmas ya'll!