These are so delicious. Make them today. Make sure you share, or you will eat the entire batch. Amazing. Simply. Amazing. If you don't already own Elana Amsterdam's The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook (of the blog Elana's Pantry) you need to own it. It's amazing!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Raspberry FIg Filling:

Cupcake Batter:
3 c blanched almond flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 c grapeseed oil
1/2 c agave nectar
2 lg eggs
1 T vanilla extract
1/2 t apple cider vinegar
1/4 t orange zest

Filling:
1/2 c dried figs
1/2 c raspberry fruit spread (*I chose the variety that was sweetened by fruit juice and had no other ingredients or added sugar)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 24 mini-muffin cups with paper liners.

To make the batter, combine the almond flour, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the grapeseed oil, agave nectar, eggs, vanilla, vinegar, and orange zest. Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined.

To make the filling, place the figs in a food processor and pulse to a fine paste. Gradually pulse in the raspberry fruit spread.

Scoop 1 heaping TEASPOON of batter into each lined mini-muffin cup. Drop 1 TEASPOON of the raspberry-fig mixture into the batter. Cover the filling by scooping an additional heaping TEASPOON of batter onto each cupcake.

Bake for 12-17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then serve.

Salmon Burgers

As always, thanks Elana's Pantry for this great recipe! This is such a great summer/spring recipe! It tastes so fresh thanks to the fresh dill.

Salmon burgers:

1 lb skinless salmon fillet
1/2 c blanched almond flour
2 lg eggs
1 T lemon zest
1 T finely chopped fresh dill
1/2 t salt
2 T grapeseed oil

Rinse the salmon, pat dry, and cut into 1/4-inch cubes.

In a large bowl, combine the salmon, almond flour, eggs, lemon zest, dill, and salt. Form the mixture into 2-inch patties.

Heat the grapeseed oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the patties 4-6 minutes per side, until golden brown. Transfer the patties to a paper towel-lined plate and serve.

Paleo Pecan Raisin Bread!

And the best part is (1) it's like bread, (2) it is super easy to make and (3) NO AGAVE!!!

Seriously, try this today.

Pecan-Raisin Bread

3/4 c creamy roasted almond butter @ room temp
4 lg eggs
1/4 c blanched almond flour
1/4 c arrowroot powder
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1/2 c pecans, coarsely chopped **
1 c raisins

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 7x3 loaf pan with grapeseed oil and dust with almond flour.

In a large bowl, mix the almond butter with a handheld mixer until smooth, and then blend in the eggs. IN a medium owl, combine the almond flour, arrowroot powder, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Blend the almond flour mixture into the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined, then fold in the pecans and raisins. Pour the batter into the loaf pan.

Bake for 45-50 min on the bottom rack of the oven, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for 1 hour, then serve.

To store: wrap the bread in a paper towel, place in a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate. WIll keep for up to six days (as if it would last that long!).

Thanks Elana's Pantry for the recipe!

**the only change I would make would be to toast the pecans first.

Paleo Meatloaf

I wanted to create a flavorful and delicious meatloaf for lunch. So, I took some advice from CrossFit Dallas Central and made a couple of alterations. It resulted in a delicious meat-y dish that I now love. It's ridiculously fast and forgiving and you can add your favorite things to it!

Paleo Meatloaf:

2 lbs. Ground Beef (I used 1# 91% Laura's Lean and 1# Kroger "natural's")
1 Bell pepper finely diced
1 White or yellow onion (approx. 1/2 lb.) finely diced
2 large eggs
Black Pepper to taste
1/2c Almond Flour
3+ Strips bacon

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and adjust to the middle rack. Combine everything except for the bacon, put in a loaf pan. Top with bacon slices. Bake for 35-45 minutes.

Next Time:
I would add a little more salt and pepper
I would add garlic
I would add more bacon
Add carrots

Carrot Cake

I made this as-Paleo-as-a-carrot-cake-can-get recipe for Easter. Even non-Paleo people liked it! I didn't make the frosting, but I am sure it is delish!

Carrot Cake:

3 cups blanched almond flour
2 teaspoons celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
5 eggs
½ cup agave nectar
¼ cup grapeseed oil
3 cups carrots, grated
1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts

In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg
In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, agave and oil
Stir carrots, raisins and walnuts into wet ingredients
Stir wet ingredients into dry
Place batter into 2 well greased, round 9 Inch cake pans
Bake at 325° for 35 minutes
Cool to room temperature and spread with coconut cream frosting
Serve

Coconut Cream Frosting

1 cup coconut milk
1 cup agave nectar
pinch celtic sea salt
5 teaspoons arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon water
1¼ cup coconut oil

In a medium saucepan, heat coconut milk, agave and salt, simmer for 10 minutes
In a small bowl, combine arrowroot and water to form a smooth paste
Pour arrowroot mixture into saucepan
Mix contents of saucepan with a hand blender and bring to a boil, briefly
Remove pot from heat and very gradually blend in coconut oil
Place pot in freezer for 30-40 minutes, until frosting solidifies and turns white
Remove from freezer and blend again, until fluffy
Spread over cake or cupcakes

Cinnamon Rolls - Not AT ALL good for you

I love Ree Drummond. I want to be her and live on her ranch and cook all the time. Everything except for the five kids; that's a lot of work! Anyway, I made her cinnamon rolls for a food day at work. They were amazing, delicious and life changing. They are not good for you. Not at all. But they are oh so good .. try these. Just note the recipe makes 7 or 8 (mine made 8 - a total of 56 rolls) round baking dishes of cinnamon rolls. Not that that is a bad thing. Also make sure your read her instructions on her site, they are good and fun. Just click on the words "Cinnamon Rolls" below. Oh, and if you feel if-y about the coffee , don't be. I hate coffee but added it anyway and it was delish. I asked people at work and they said it's great!

Cinnamon Rolls

1 quart Whole Milk
1 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Sugar
2 packages Active Dry Yeast
8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
Plenty Of Melted Butter
2 cups Sugar
Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon
_____
MAPLE FROSTING:
1 bag Powdered Sugar
2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
½ cups Milk
¼ cups Melted Butter
¼ cups Brewed Coffee
⅛ teaspoons Salt

Preparation Instructions
Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. “Scald” the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it – overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).
When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.

Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.

Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.

Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 400 degrees (see note below) until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.

For the frosting, mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Go crazy and don’t skimp on the frosting.

Almond Flour

Almond Flour

I recently bought 25 pounds of almond flour. I had no idea how much 25 pounds of almond flour was until the huge box came. It's a lot of almond flour. I'm going to have to bake a lot ...

If you need any, check out honeyvillegrain.com they are great with incredibly low shipping rates.

Paleo Pancakes

Eek! Sorry for the posting hiatus! I drove to New York for a late Easter with the fam and then got sick! But, I'm back and so are the recipes!!

Breakfast it by far my most favorite meal of the day. Historically, pancakes are my favorite thing, specifically banana-walnut pancakes. So I miss them! These pancakes are a delicious alternative to regular pancakes. You can even add your favorite ingredients to them if you want! Make a big batch and store them in the fridge, heat them up for 25-30 seconds for a super quick breakfast treat!

Paleo Pancakes (thanks for the recipe Elana's Pantry!)

2 eggs
¼ cup agave nectar**
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups blanched almond flour
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
grapeseed oil for sautéing

In a blender, combine eggs, agave and vanilla and blend on high until smooth
Add almond flour, salt and baking soda and blend again to incorporate dry ingredients into batter
Let batter sit for 15-20 minutes to thicken up
Warm grapeseed oil in a large skillet over medium heat
Ladle pancake batter onto skillet - make silver dollar size
Pancakes will form little bubbles, when bubbles open, flip pancakes over and cook other side
Remove from heat to a plate
Repeat process with remaining batter, adding more oil to skillet as needed

**In an effort to reduce my sugar I halved the amount of agave.

Paleo Brownies

Yum. Yum. Yum.

**Just a quick note - I cut the agave down to half of what the recipe calls for, I just thought it was a lot. I am glad I did because they were super rich and I think any more would have made it too intense.

Brownies

1 (16) ounce jar salted almond butter, smooth roasted
2 eggs
1 ¼ cups agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup cocoa powder
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup dark chocolate 73%

In a large bowl, blend almond butter until smooth with a hand blender
Blend in eggs, then blend in agave and vanilla
Blend in cocoa, salt and baking soda, then fold in chocolate chips
Grease a 9 x 13 pyrex baking dish
Pour batter into dish
Bake at 325° for 35-40 minutes

Butternut Squash Latke

This creates a well rounded and satisfying breakfast!

Latkes

4 cups butternut squash, peeled and grated
1 small onion, peeled and grated (**I've had with and without onions, both are good, but I prefer without)
3 eggs, whisked
grapeseed oil, for frying(**I use olive oil)

-In a large bowl make latke batter by mixing together squash, onion and eggs
-Use your hands to form batter into 3 inch patties
I-n a large skillet, heat oil
-Fry patties on each side over medium heat until golden brown and crispy
-Remove latkes from pan and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil
-Repeat Steps 2-4 until batter is used up
-Serve with applesauce, sour cream or yogurt

Paleo Roasted Broccoli Pizza

Recipe to follow!

Very Vanilla Cupcakes - Paleo!

A co-worker is having a birthday and she actually eats like me (well, almost)! So, I thought I'd make her some paleo cupcakes. They are as paleo as a cupcake can get (let's not get into the Agave debate!!!). So, vanilla cupcakes with chocolate frosting, yum!!!

Ok, I'm going to try 2 different recipes for this! I'll let you know which one is better!!

Cupcake 1:
½ cup coconut flour, sifted
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
6 eggs
½ cup grapeseed oil
½ cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

-In a medium bowl, combine coconut flour, salt and baking soda
-In a small bowl, blend together eggs, grapeseed oil, agave and vanilla
-Mix wet ingredients into dry and blend with a mixer or hand blender until smooth
-Pour batter into well oiled muffin tins
-Bake at 350° for 20 minutes
-Cool completely
-Top with chocolate frosting

Cupcake 2:

2 large eggs, separated
1/4 c grapeseed oil
1/2 c agave nectar
1 T vanilla extract
1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 & 1/2 c blanched almond flour
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 t baking soda

-Preheat oven to 350. Line 10 muffin cups with paper liners.
-In a large bowl, whisk the eggs yolks until pale yellow with a handheld mixer, then whisk in grapeseed oil, agave, vanilla, and lemon juice. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs whites to stiff peaks with a hand held mixer. Gently fold the egg whites into the yolk mixtures.
-In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, and baking soda, then gently fold into the egg mixture. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
-Bake for 20-30 min, until the tops are golden brown or a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 30 minutes; the center will sink just a bit - that is normal. Frost, if desired, then serve


Chocolate Frosting:

1 cup dark chocolate 73%
½ cup grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
pinch celtic sea salt
-In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt chocolate and grapeseed oil
-Stir in agave, vanilla and salt
-Place frosting in freezer for 15 minutes to chill and thicken
-Remove from freezer and whip frosting with a hand blender until it is thick and fluffy
-Frost over cake, chocolate or vanilla cupcakes or between cookies

Savory Vegetable Quiche - Paleo!

The crust smells amazing when it's baking and the whole thing is amazing!!! YUM!!

Savory Vegetable Quiche

Crust:
1 & 1/2 c blanched almond flour
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 t baking soda
1 T minced scallions (white and green parts)
1/4 c grapeseed oil
1 T water

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, and scallions. In a medium bowl, whisk together the grapeseed oil and water. Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Press dough into a pie pan.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before filling.

Quiche:

2 T grapeseed oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 c mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 c finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (dry packed)
3 large eggs, whisked
4 oz goat cheese (** I omitted this ingredient to make it paleo)
1/2 t sea salt
1 savory pie crust

Preheat oven to 350

Heat the grapeseed oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion for 8-10 minutes until soft and translucent. While the onion is sauteing, steam the broccoli until it is bright green. Add the steamed broccoli, garlic, mushrooms, and tomatoes and saute for 15-20 minutes, until the broccoli softens. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cheese (** if using), and salt. Stir in the sauteed vegetables, then pour the mixture into the crust.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until browned around the edges and cooked through. Let the quiche cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then serve.

Blueberry Banana Muffins

Blueberry Banana Muffins:

3 cups blanched almond flour
1/4 t sea salt
1 & 1/2 t baking soda
2 T grapeseed oil
3 large eggs
2 c (4-5) mashed very ripe bananas
1 c frozen blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

in a large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together the grapeseed oil and eggs. Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir the bananas into the batter, then fold in the blueberries. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the muffin tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 30 min, then serve.

My Favorite Kitchen Things

I think I've done this once before. My favorite kitchen things are my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, my cast iron skillet (thanks Mom!), and my steamer. I love all these things and can't live without them!

Updated Links

Check out my link section (on the right) I've updated it to add a bunch of new sites that I am obsessed with (i.e. Elana's Pantry and The Pioneer Woman).

Enjoy!

As Paleo as it gets Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ok, so Agave isn't the greatest for you, but it's better than the alternative! Sometimes you just NEED a cookie! Well, here's a Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. They are actually pretty good. One "batch" doesn't make a whole lot, so you may need to make two! The "official taste-tester" is on hiatus, so in my opinion, these are pretty good for a paleo cookie! Though, next time I am going to cut down on the agave ...

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 ½ cups blanched almond flour *
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup agave nectar
1 cup dark chocolate 73%

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl
Stir together wet ingredients in a smaller bowl
Mix wet ingredients into dry
Form ½ inch balls and press onto a parchment lined baking sheet
Bake at 350° for 7-10 minutes
Cool and serve

Paleo Baking

The hubs is leaving tomorrow and so I am sending him on his way with some Paleo baked treats!

Breakfast Bars:

1 ¼ cup blanched almond flour
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup grapeseed oil
¼ cup agave nectar (** I only added a third of this to cut down on the sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup shredded coconut
½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup almond slivers
¼ cup raisins

1. In a small bowl, combine almond flour, salt and baking soda
2. In a large bowl, combine grapeseed oil, agave and vanilla
3. Stir dry ingredients into wet
4. Mix in coconut, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almond slivers and raisins
5. Grease an 8x8 baking dish with grapeseed oil
6. Press the dough into the baking dish, wetting your hands with water to help pat the dough down evenly
7. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes
8. Serve

Official taste tester said: "Scrumptious"

Roasted Cauliflower and Seared Ahi Tuna

Roasted Cauliflower:

Ingredients

* 1 head of cauliflower
* 2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely minced
* Lemon juice (from 1/2 or a whole lemon)
* Olive oil
* Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper (*I used Celtic Sea Salt - be careful it's very potent!)


1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut cauliflower into florets and put in a single layer in an oven-proof baking dish. Toss in the garlic. Squeeze lemon juice over cauliflower and drizzle each piece with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If the oven hasn't reached 400°F yet, set aside until it has.

2 Place casserole in the hot oven, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown. Test with a fork for desired doneness. Fork tines should be able to easily pierce the cauliflower.

Seared Ahi Tuna:

Season Tuna with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Sprinkle sesame seeds over tuna and press down. Place seasoned side down in the pan. Sear 1 & 1/2 to 3 minutes per side (depending on your preferred doneness). It should be pink in the middle for best taste.

Enjoy!

Root Vegetable Chicken Apple Sausage Stew

Such a comforting stew in the cold winter! Yum!

1 butternut squash or acorn squash
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
1 & 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth or chix broth or grapeseed oil, divided (I used veg broth - Brand: Pacific Natural Foods)
2 c kale, spinach, chard or collards, washed, chopped, and stems removed
4 chicken apple sausages, fully cooked and sliced (I used Adiells Chicken and Apple Sausage)
Cayenne Pepper
dried thyme, crushed

Preheat oven to 400f.
Pierce squash with the point of a knife and microwave on high power for 3-4 minutes. when the squash is cool enough to handle, peel, seed and cube it.
In a saute pan, saute the squash and sweet potatoes in 1/2 cup of the broth until they begin to soften. Add the greeens, continuing to saute, stirring frequently. Stir in the remaining broth, then add the sausages, pepper and thyme to taste.

Bake for 30 minutes, basting 2 or 3 times with the pan juices. Serve hot.