Date Energy Bars

One of my favourite recipes is the one for chocolate energy bars. And it's not just my fave. When I share it, people are convinced they are eating something really bad for them. Decadent. However, I'm in the mood for something that is not chocolate right now, so I'm thinking of an energy bar that doesn't use cacao.  I'm thinking pumpkin seeds and dates, shredded coconut and hemp, flax meal, and ground chia. If this sounds like it's up your alley, you may be as crazy as me. Anyway, here goes.

ingredients:

1 cup pitted honey dates

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup flax meal
1/2 cup hemp protein flour

1/2  tsp sea salt
2 tsp ground vanilla bean

1/4 cup ground chia seeds
1/4 cup ground sesame seeds


1/2 cup coconut butter
1/2 cup coconut oil


directions:

in a food processor

1. puree the pumpkin seeds and shredded coconut, then add the dates and pulse until pureed and combined
2. add the flax meal, hemp protein powder, ground chia seeds, ground sesame seeds, sea salt, and ground vanilla bean
3. when everything is combined, add the coconut butter and coconut oil and pulse to combine
4. press the mixture into silicone baking dishes, and score into pieces
5. chill in fridge or freezer until set.
6. when fully set, break into pieces and store in an airtight container in the fridge


A softer, more gentle energy bar with a mellow flavour. Somehow they remind me of white chocolate. I don't know why. Go figure.

Apple Muffins -- gluten free, sugar free, great breakie treat

Breakfast, lunch, snack, whatever. My son just ate 2 and asked for a third. You get the picture. No, I don't starve him.

ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup dates
1 cup cool water
4 eggs

1/4 cup ground chia seeds
1/4 cup hemp protein powder
1/4 cup flax meal
1/2 cup shredded coconut

3/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground vanilla bean
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger

2 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup chopped apple


directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine 1 cup hot water and dates and let sit for 10 minutes. Add coconut oil
2. puree using an immersion blender
3. add the cool water, and  add the eggs
4. add the chia seeds, hemp, flax meal, and shredded coconut
5. add the sea salt, vanilla bean, cinnamon, and ginger
6. add the almond flour and baking soda
7. add the chopped apple
8. scoop into 24 prepared muffin cups
9. bake at 345 for 35 minutes
10. cool in the muffin cups for at least 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack
11. store in an airtight container

Cookies my friend, cookies. Dare we Date and Hemp?

Cookie lovers of the world, unite. Dyslexic cookie lovers of the world, untie.

ingredients:

1 cup dates + 1/2 cup hot water, pureed
1 cup peanut butter

4 eggs

3/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground vanilla bean
1 tsp ceylon cinnamon

1/4 cup hemp flour
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
1/4 cup ground chia seeds

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup pecan meal
1 cup almond meal


directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. pour the hot water over the dates and allow to soak for about 10 minutes. Make sure there are no pits in the dates before you do this. Trust me, you'll be glad you did.
2. once the dates have soaked, puree them, either using a food processor or an immersion blender. I loves me an immersion blender.
3. add the almond butter, and mix thoroughly
4. add the eggs and you know the drill
5. stir in the remaining ingredients in the order listed
6. roll into balls and flatten with a wet fork on a lined baking sheet
7. bake at 345 for 12 minutes
8. serve with good will and a little bribery
9. be the change you wish to see in the world
10. store in an airtight container

Cookies!

These have a lot of coconut sugar in them, in addition to date. And raisins. They are very very very sweet. My husband is all over them. 

ingredients:

1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1 cup honey dates
1 cup coconut sugar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

4 eggs

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean
1 1/2 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp saigon cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup ground chia seeds
1/2 cup flax meal

1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups pecan meal
1 cup almond flour


directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine the water, coconut oil, coconut sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, sea salt, and dates, and let sit for 10 minutes
2. puree with an immersion blender (or in a food processor)
3. mix in the ground chia seeds and ground flax seeds
4. add the shredded coconut and eggs
5. add the baking soda
6. stir in the pecan meal, and almond flour
7. scoop spoon fulls onto a lined baking sheet
8. bake at 345 for 12 minutes

A twist on the whole Gluten Free Pizza Thang

So, it's pizza for dinner tonight -- yes, we know how to live large on a weekday night. I thought it would be fun to try this twist on our gf pizza recipe of a year ago. So, now it's got some other things going for it. We used a mixture of mozzarella and raw milk parmesan cheese, but you know what you like best. I'm fantasizing about carmelized onions. I think they'll have to find a place on our pizza next time ...

Truthfully, the crust is so flavourful and savoury, however, that just topping it with a slow simmered tomato sauce and the afore-mentioned cheese does the trick.

ingredients:

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 eggs

4 tbsp water

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp oregano (or other herbs you like would be fine)

black pepper 

1/4 tsp granulated garlic powder

1/4 cup hemp protein flour

1/4 cup ground flax seeds

1/4 cup ground chia seeds

1 cup almond flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

3 tbsp coconut flour

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. melt the coconut oil in warmed water

2. add the vinegar, and making sure it's not hot anymore, add the egg and combine well

3. add the sea salt, pepper, and herb of your choice

4. add the flax and chia

5. add the almond flour and baking soda

6. add the coconut flour, and mix well

7. mix until the ingredients have formed a smooth dough

8. roll the dough into whatever size pizzas you want, and top with your favourite ingredients

9. bake at 345. The time will vary depending on the size and thickness you choose

I did as thin as I could press 'em using my hands (slightly damp) and cooked them until they were crisped and the cheese was nicely browned in places. Around 35 or 40 minutes. Worth the wait ... And reheats really well in the oven for left-overs if you do a big enough batch.

Muffins -- Moist, spongey, and delicious

So, these days, it's muffins for breakfast everyday for my son. That's what's up with this string of sort of strange, oddly hearty muffins. Although these have peanut butter and coconut in them, they taste neither like peanut butter nor like coconut. They are exceptionally moist, nice and spongey, super high in protein, and wonderfully datey. A great breakfast or a perfect, on the go snack.

ingredients:

1 cup crunchy peanut butter (250 g)
2 cups water

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp vanilla bean (ground)

1 tsp ceylon cinnamon

1/2 cup ground flax meal
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup hemp flour
1/4 cup shredded coconut

4 eggs


1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup pecan meal
1 cup almond meal

1 cup chopped dates


directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine the boiling water and peanut butter, and stir until smooth
2. add the vanilla bean, cinnamon, sea salt, black pepper, flax meal, chia seeds, hemp flour, and shredded coconut.
3. add the eggs and mix well
4. add baking soda
5. add almond meal and pecan meal and stir
6. add chopped dates
7. scoop into 24 prepared muffin cups
8. bake at 345 for 30 minutes

Really Rustic Vegetable soup!

This is a wonderfully rustic chunky soup with a thin incredibly rich broth. The flavours are so balanced and so savoury that I am already looking forward to my next bowl of it. Definitely a keeper! The perfect soup for a loaf of really rustic bread to sop up the last drops.

That's what we're doing tonight for dinner. Soup with rustic bread. And we're chasing it with a bowl of ice cream. Just sayin'. 

ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil -- this is a loose guideline
1 1/2 cups chopped red onion
1 tsp dried granulated garlic
1 lb chopped roma tomatoes

1 tbsp marjoram
1 tbsp oregano
1/4 cup finely crumbled dried mushrooms

4 cups cooked chickpeas
2 cups coarsely chopped celery
2 cups coarsely chopped carrots -- sliced really, into large medallions
2 cups chopped parsnips -- likewise sliced into large medallions
1/2 head chopped green cabbage -- very coarsely chopped

1 tbsp sea salt
1 tsp chili powder

black pepper

8 cups boiling water


directions:

1. As I usually do, I layered the ingredients in the order listed in my crockpot, and cooked everything for about 6 hours. All the veges still had tooth to them when I stopped the cooking. Nothing mushy. Nothing crunchy. Just a pleasant texture and a truly wonderful broth.

Almond Butter, Maple Syrup, and Chocolate Ice Cream

1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 cups milk
1/4 cup raw cacao

pinch sea salt
1 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1 tsp ground vanilla bean

Hodge Podge Muffins -- Peanut Butter and Hemp muffins

More breakfast muffins. 

ingredients:

1 cup smooth peanut butter

2 cups water

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

4 eggs

1 tbsp ceylon cinnamon

1 tbsp ground vanilla

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup carob powder

1/4 cup hemp protein powder

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/2 cup flax meal

1 cup almond flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 - 1 1/2 cups raisins

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine the ingredients in the order listed

2. scoop into 24 muffin cups

3. bake at 345 for 25 minutes

Lentil and Vegetable Soup

before!

after!

This makes a truly delicious lentil soup. Packed with vegetables, it's a meal in a bowl. We all really really liked it.

ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1 1/2 cup onion finely chopped

3 cups frozen green peas

2 cups dried lentils

2 cups diced carrots

3 cups sliced celery

4 tsp sea salt

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp marjoram

8 cups boiling water

1/4 cup dried mushrooms finely crushed

1/2 cup water

3 cups broccoli florets, finely chopped

directions:

1. turn your crockpot on to your preferred setting. Perhaps mine runs hot, but I find the high setting reduces lentils to mush within a couple of hours. So, I shall use  LOW for 4 hours.

2. add the ingredients in the order listed, save the broccoli

3. when the cooking is done, add your broccoli, turn off the heat, and let the residual heat cook the broccoli. Unless you like well cooked broccoli.

Peanut Butter and Honey Ice Cream Again -- more bang for your buck

ingredients:

2 cups whole milk
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey

1 pinch of sea salt
1 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1 tbsp ground vanilla bean


directions:

1. combine the ingredients using an immersion blender
2. freeze in your ice cream freezer per the manufacturers directions
3. enjoy

Gnudi -- or something like it.

A sassy friend of mine told me about gnudi, and how easy it is to make. So, I came home and made this up. It's not gluten free, nor it is vegan. However, it is a quick and easy dinner that will please the pasta lovers among us. Basically these are little dumplings of spinach and cheese. They were wolfed down by everyone with grunts of enjoyment, and requests for seconds.

ingredients:

300 g chopped and cooked spinach
6 eggs
500 g pressed cottage cheese
2 tbsp parmesan, crumbled

black pepper
2 tsp sea salt
dash nutmeg

2 cups finely ground whole grain kamut flour


directions:

1. combine the spinach, eggs, cottage cheese, and parmesan
2. using an immersion blender (or food processor), process the ingredients together
3. add the seasonings and flour and stir together until fully combined
4. let sit covered in the fridge for a couple of hours
5. bring a large pot of water to the boil
6. drop tsp of dough into boiling water and scoop out as they rise to the surface
7. serve with a well simmered tomato sauce

Chocolate Cake for my son's birthday

Light and delicate in texture, moist, rich, insanely chocolaty. This cake is everything a chocolate cake should be. It is also gluten-free, grain free, high in protein, (and if you take away all the ganache and glaze, pretty good for you), and of course truly delicious.

ingredients:

1/4 cup agave

1/2 cup bittersweet callebaut chocolate morsels (or any other very high quality bitter sweet chocolate morsel you prefer) (100g)

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/2 cup organic butter

1 cup boiling water

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

 2 tbsp ground chia seeds

1 tbsp ground vanilla bean

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp ceylon cinnamon

pinch chili pepper finely ground

a little black pepper finely ground

3 dark roast or espresso beans, finely ground

1/2 cup raw cacao

1/2 tsp baking soda

4 eggs

2 cups almond flour 

directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. pour boiling water over room temperature butter and chocolate morsels to melt them

2. when they are melted, add the agave and coconut sugar, followed by the apple cider vinegar

3. add the chia seeds, vanilla, sea salt, cinnamon, chili pepper, and black pepper

4. add the raw cacao

5. add the eggs and mix well

6. add the almond flour, and combine fully

7. add the baking soda

8. scoop the batter into prepared muffin cups

9. bake for approx 30-35 minutes, until the cakes feel firm and springy to the touch

or

10. pour the batter into prepared pans (buttered and lined with parchment

11. bake for 40-45 minutes, until the cake feels firm and springy to the touch

remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool before removing from the pan

I assembled the layer cake with a truffle ganache filling between the layers and a chocolate glaze covering the cake in a lovely layer of sheen and deliciousness. Plus, the glaze can hide a multitude of sins ... ;)

Truffle Ganache Filling

Chocolate Glaze

This recipe will make 24 baby cakes, or 3 x 8 inch layers. I guess it would probably make 2 of the 9 or 10 inch layers.

Truffle Ganache Cake filling

This is for between the layers.

ingredients:

1/2 cup of cream

4 tbsp butter (room temperature)

8 oz callebaut bittersweet chocolate

1 pinch of salt

directions:

1. heat the cream, salt, and butter until just before it comes to a simmer 

2. pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow to sit for 2 minutes until the chocolate is melted

3. slowly and gradually stir the concoction until it is smooth and homogeneous

4. chill

5. use between the layers of the cake for a decadent truffle ganache filling ...

Glaze

ingredients:

1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup callebaut bittersweet chocolate morsels
pinch salt
2 tbsp butter


directions:

1. heat milk, vanilla, sea salt, and butter until just before simmering
2. pour over chocolate to melt
3. let sit for 2 minutes
4. stir slowly until chocolate is melted
5. chill slightly
6. pour over a chilled cake -- I put mine in the freezer for a little while to achieve a chilled platform for the glaze to go on ... As the glaze runs down the side, I swoop it up to cover the sides uniformly. I then use a clean, damp, cloth to clean up the plate the cake is on ...