Peanut Butter Cookies Variation 2 -- Still gluten free, grain free, and good for you

My obsession with peanut butter continues. I found a source for smooth organic peanut butter that is very reasonably priced. The peanuts are roasted to perfection, and they add a pinch of sea salt to the concoction. The result is heavenly. My brain thinks it's candy, and I'll confess to eating it by the spoonful whenever I need a little snack. Sort of embarrassing, but oh well. For this recipe I used crunchy peanut butter this time. Maybe next time I'll try the smooth ....

These cookies are grain free, gluten free, and pretty good for you. They do contain agave, for those of you who are sensitive to it, but the effects are offset by the judicious addition of ground chia. Super yum.


ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter (organic, crunchy)
1/2 cup clear agave
2 eggs

1 tsp ground vanilla
1/2 - 3/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup ground chia
3 cups almond flour
1/4 tsp baking soda


directions:
1. combine the peanut butter and agave
2. mix in the eggs
3. add the vanilla and sea salt
4. mix in the chia
5. add the baking soda and almond flour, and mix well
6. scoop by spoonful onto a lined baking sheet, and flatten with a wet fork
7. bake at 345 for 16-18 minutes
8. store in an airtight container when fully cool

Ice Cream -- Peanut Butter, Maple, and Chocolate

The peanut butter addiction continues un-waning. To my great embarrassment. This concoction is ridiculous. Ridiculous, I tell you. I ought to be ashamed. But I'm not. Sooooooo gooooooood.


ingredients:

2 cups raw milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup raw cacao
pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla


directions:

1. combine ingredients and mix with hand blender (or blender)
2. pour concoction into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturers instructions.
3. share with your friends.

Bread All Gussied Up -- the evolution continues

Nothing hits the spot like rustic bread and a hearty, rib-sticking stew. This was dinner tonight, and boy, am I glad.

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp bread yeast

1/2 cup spelt flakes

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/4 cup flax meal

2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 1/2 - 2 cups red fyfe flour

directions:

1. combine the honey and water, and add the yeast. Make sure the water is not hot -- just warm, like a bath -- or it will kill the yeast

2. combine the other ingredients, except for the last  cup of whole wheat pastry flour

3. add the proofed yeast mixture to the flour mixture, and combine to form a dough that is neither dry nor wet, neither hard nor sticky. Add the last cup of whole wheat pastry flour gradually as you knead it until a dough of the correct texture is formed. I would describe the correct texture of dough as sort of firm, with a slightly clammy or sweaty feel to it. Sorry to be gross. It shouldn't really stick to you. I use a mixer with a hook attachment, but dough is a lot of fun to knead by hand. If you choose to knead it by hand and you've never done it, I suggest looking up online proper kneading technique.

4. KNEAD

5. If you are kneading by hand, step 4 will take a very long time. If you are kneading by mixer, 15 minutes should do it.

6. shape into a loaf on a lined baking sheet

7. rise for at least 90 minutes, but hopefully not longer than 2 hours

8. bake at 345 for 30 minutes

9. cool on a wire rack

10. store in an airtight wrap in the fridge

Autumn Harvest Crockpot Stew -- Vegan and Delicious

I went down to the final farmer's market of the season and filled my bag by fancy. Coming home, I threw a whole bunch of good stuff into the crockpot, followed by a generous scoop of peanut butter.

Perhaps because I am running low on energy these days, I find myself craving fat and protein. I found myself spreading a little butter on a hard boiled egg at work the other day. Unusual, because I am a fan of neither eggs nor butter on a personal taste level. However, it was delish. I have also been desiring peanut butter by the scoopful, and have been adding it to everything.

Result: rib-sticking, warming, autumnal fare. Yummy.

ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
2 onions, diced (approx 2 1/2 cups)
2 large carrots diced (they were the size of my son's arm) 4 cups
3 cups cooked chickpeas
4 cups brussels sprouts, cut in half (small ones)
3 cups chopped tomatoes (4 medium sized)
3-4 cups diced broccoli stems

1 tbsp sea salt
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cinnamon
black pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp marjoram

1/2 - 1 cup organic peanut butter, smooth, add in at end and mix well for final 30 minutes of cooking

directions:

turn your crockpot on to high, and set the timer for 6 hours

1. add all the ingredients in layers in the crockpot except the almond butter. I recommend layer with the order as above, because it will allow things to cook well
2. towards the end of cooking, add the peanut butter, and stir well. Allow to cook and blend flavours for the final hour
3. serve with fresh bread

Sunday Family Dinner

Market-fresh autumn vegetable stew, bread with 4 kinds of seeds, chocolate-peanut-butter-maple-syrup ice cream, and peanut butter cookies. Casual comfort food with plenty of leftovers.

Peanut Butter and Honey Ice Cream -- Sticky Kids stuff

I have to tell you it's pretty fabulous. Sinfully rich, fabulously delicious, and such a classic combination of flavours. A small scoop is enough to tantalize as well as satisfy.

ingredients:

2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup raw honey
1/2 cup natural organic peanut butter

a pinch of sea salt
a pinch or two of ground vanilla bean
a pinch or two of ceylon cinnamon


directions:
1. combine and freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.
2. share because it's just too damn good to keep to yourself.
3. don't be surprised if it's all gone when you come home ...

Sometimes the simple things in life are so good.

Oven Roasted Cauliflower

ingredients:

1 cauliflower, cut into small florets
2 or more tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
a generous pinch or three of salt
pepper


directions:

1. toss the cauliflower with the coconut oil, sea salt, and pepper
2. spread evenly on a (lined) baking sheet -- single layer is best
3. oven roast at 345 for at least an hour, or until turning brown and very nicely cooked

This is a tremendously tasty way to prepare cauliflower, and the texture and flavour are heavenly. We used a neon green cauliflower from the farmer's market, but apparently they all taste the same. Just fun to look at!

Lentils again -- a polenta topper?

ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 small onion finely diced
1 tbps ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp sea salt

2 cups small green lentils, uncooked
4 cups water
500 g green peas
2 tbsp marjoram

300 g chopped spinach


directions:

1. saute onion with spices, sea salt, and coconut oil until translucent
2. add the lentils and peas with water and marjoram
3. simmer until water absorbed and lentils are soft
4. add the chopped spinach and cook for 5 minutes

Serve on a bed of polenta with a nice tomato sauce garnish ...

Polenta Variation -- gluten free and delicious

ingredients:

2 tbsp coconut oil
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 large carrots, shredded (2 cups)
2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin powder

2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup flax meal
1 cup almond meal
6 cups boiling water


directions:

1. saute the garlic, carrot, and onion with coconut oil, sea salt, and spices
2. when the vegetables are fully cooked, add the boiling water, cornmeal, flaxmeal, and almond meal
3. stir to combine, and continue cooking until fully cooked
4. when all the water is absorbed, scoop the polenta into a greased rectangular pan and bake at 345 for 60 minutes

Serve in polenta fingers after set, or as a base for lentils or vegetables.

We ate ours topped with delicious lentils, garnished with a splash of tomato sauce, and sided by roasted cauliflower. Two thumbs up, my friends.

A Dinner Date

Delicious polenta (with shredded carrot and sauteed onion) topped with yummy lentils cooked with spinach and green peas garnished with a swish of tomato sauce all sided by oven roasted neon green cauliflower. Say THAT three times fast. Oh yeah: and peanut butter and honey ice cream for afters.

King Oyster Mushrooms

To me there is no mushroom more heavenly.

Sadly I crossed a picket-line to get them. Unfortunately, it was unwittingly. The picketline somehow appeared only as I was leaving, at which point it was too late to show solidarity to my brothers and sisters, and for this I am truly regretful.

However, ill-gotten or not, I couldn't leave my mushroom score to languish, so I sauteed them with frivolity not at all befitting a scab. A generous portion of herbe de provence, sea salt, and chili powder raised these mushrooms from wow to YOW. They were that good. But not good enough, I confess, to make me cross a picket-line to by more enviro-mushrooms from T&T Supermarket. Enviro-mushrooms are grown locally and free from chemicals, irradiation, and spite of any kind. Unfortunately, the same can't apparently be said of the international conglomerate that runs T&T. According to the striking union members, the company is guilty of ill-treatment of Chinese workers. Of course my mind immediately went to: and you know if THEY are complaining, it's gotta be bad.


ingredients:

baby king oyster mushroom pieces
extra virgin coconut oil
black pepper
herbe de provence
chili powder

Sexy mushrooms, baby. Oh yeah.

Banana Bread -- gluten free, dairy free, grain free, fulla seeds ... Good! Especially with Butter! ;)

This banana bread is moist and filling, and pays flavour homage to the old standby of banana and chocolate. What it ain't got is empty calories and blood sugar spiking refined carbs. What it has got is my high protein twist involving such goodies as nut flours, ground seeds, and bitter sweet chocolate. Come on now, who says good for you has to taste bad?

ingredients:

1 banana, mashed (not pureed)

1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup hemp seeds (no shell)

1 tbsp ceylon cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground vanilla bean

1 cup  pecan meal
1 cup almond flour (blanched)

4 eggs

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup chocolate chips (bittersweet, best quality you can get your sweaty little hands on)


directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine the boiling water with the coconut oil, coconut sugar, seeds, and spices. Allow to sit for 10 minutes
2. mix in the banana
3. stir in the pecan and almond flour
4. add the eggs and mix well
5. stir in the baking soda, mixing thoroughly
6. add the chocolate chips
7. pour into a prepared loaf pan (I lined a glass one with parchment paper)
8. bake at 345 for 55-60 minutes, or until it feels firm when lightly pressed
9. allow to cool in the pan after baking, or if you lined the pan with parchment, remove from pan and allow to cool before you remove the parchment.
10. serve with or without butter
11. store in an airtight container

Tree Fruit Pie -- Plum, Peach, and Nectarine

the baked cookie crust

the piled fruit in the baked crust

fruit patted down but not yet baked

baked and ready to be eaten with custard -- yum

artist's representation of the pie in question

crust:

ingredients:

2 cups blanched almond meal

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup coconut sugar

3 tsp cinnamon (I used 1 tsp each of korintje, saigon, and ceylon)

1 tsp ground vanilla bean

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

directions:

1. combine the ingredients (I used a fork). It will be crumbly looking.

2. press the mixture into a lined and greased springform pan (I used my hands)

3. bake at 345 for 20 minutes

pie filling:

2 large organic plumcots, washed, pitted, and chopped -- 2 cups
3 large organic nectarines, washed, pitted, and chopped -- 4 cups
2 large organic peaches, washed, pitted, and chopped -- 3 cups

total fruit -- approximately 9 cups.

Now, the fruit will bake 'down', so don't worry if it seems a bit ... full.

3 tbsp arrowroot powder
4-6 tbps coconut sugar, depending on how tart the fruit is, and how tart you want it ...
pinch sea salt

directions:

combine everything!
fill the springform pan!
bake at 345 for 60 minutes


custard:

ingredients:

2 cups milk (I use raw whole milk. I recommend at least using organic whole milk (not skim))

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 tsp ground vanilla bean

1/4 tsp sea salt

3 tbsp arrowroot powder

directions:

1. combine the ingredients in a double boiler

2. stir while cooking until thickened

3. remove from heat and set aside to serve over slices of pie

sauteed Kale

coconut oil

1 bunch kale, washed and chopped
1 small onion, finely diced
1 large carrot, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 large ripe tomato, finely diced

ground cumin
chili powder
sea salt


1. saute the onion, tomato, and carrot with the cumin, sea salt, and chili powder
2. add the kale, and toss well.
3. saute until cooked

serve