Simply Berry Jam

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Every year I get overly excited about the Organic Blueberry Ranch and those dang Bluecrop Blueberries.  I have no clue why I love them so much, but they are the best variety!!!!  Some may argue otherwise, and in that case, use your own favorite variety. ;)  I get so excited that I buy over 30lbs every year and have packages in the freezer until the next season starts.  Right after blueberry season comes apple season; therefore I take a break from berries and move to applesauce, etc.  However, when April and May come around, I start to think about blueberries again and exactly how many I still have frozen!  This is a perfect way to use some of your frozen berries if you still have some around from last season.  If you have a family, I suggest making a double batch.  You can assess whether or not you will eat it all within a week or so or if you should freeze a small container of it for the next time you need jam.

I’ve never made jam until now because I have no patience for reducing, canning, etc.  This jam is perfect because you can tailor the berries to your liking, make the amount you want, you only truly need two ingredients, and its made in 10 minutes.

Chia Berry Jam

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups mixed berries, frozen or fresh
  • 1-2 Tbsp of honey (optional)
  • 2 Tbsp chia seeds

Directions:

In a saucepan over medium heat, place berries and honey and let breakdown.  Use a spatula to occasionally break up the berries for about 10 minutes until you have a chunk, jam-like consistency.  Take off heat and add the chia seeds.  Stir them in evenly and place in a mason jar in the fridge.  Let sit for an hour before serving.

 

Ginger Curry Cookies

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Have I lost my mind?!  Quite possibly.  The other day, I made chicken with garam masala and thought to myself: “This is savory but it has a lot of the traditional warming spices we use in baking. I wonder what it would taste like in a cookie?”  After that, I had to try it.  Since Garam Masala is more smoky and earthy in flavor, I wanted to pair it with something that had a little bit of brightness and sweetness.  Candied ginger was the perfect pairing for the garam masala!

This is not a cookie to eat when you want a sweet treat.  This is not a cookie to make when you need some for a party.  This is not a cookie that is for the faint of heart!

This is, however, a cookie that would be great for those that love curry and ethnic cuisine.  This is a cookie that is perfect for people that see interesting flavor profiles as enjoyment.  This is a cookie that will take you out of your chocolate chip cookie rut.

Ginger Curry Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 4 TBSP honey
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 cup chopped candied ginger

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Mix all the ingredients together and bake on a lined baking sheet for 8-10 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodles

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Who doesn’t love chocolate chip cookies?  Who doesn’t love snickerdoodles?  Why can’t they make a love child?  That’s what I’ll do….crossbreed two classic cookies.  These are basically like chocolate chip cookies with cinnamon. ;)  I posted a chocolate chip cookie recipe a really long time ago, so I am posting this classic here and now.  If you just want basic chocolate chip cookies, leave out the cinnamon.

Chocolate chip Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 1/4 cup grassfed butter, melted
  • 3 TBSP pure maple syrup
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat to 350F.  Mix together all dry ingredients.  Add the wet ingredients.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Drop little balls onto a lined baking sheet and press down slightly.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden.

Chia Seed Pudding

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I have been posting a lot of breakfast recipes this past week for a special someone I am working with that finds quick easy breakfast as an obstacle!  I’m a creature of habit when it comes to breakfast especially; however, I have made all of these recipes for a long time on occasion and love them all!  So, I might as well get around to sharing them for anyone else who may want easy breakfast (esp if you don’t appreciate eggs).

Chia Seed Pudding

  • 1 can full fat coconut milk, canned
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 4 dates (or 2 tbsp. maple syrup or honey)
  • 4-6 Tbsp Chia seeds
  • optional toppings: blueberries, bananas, granola, ANYTHING!

Mix all ingredients together. (if you are using dates then you will need to use a blender of some sort).  Let sit in the fridge overnight. Grab as is for breakfast or add take a few extra seconds to throw a topping on there!

Cinnamon Rolls (grain-free, dairy-free, nut-free)

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I have tried several versions of cinnamon rolls that use no wheat in the past, and I always came out with a disappointing , somewhat dry, fake cinnamon roll.  If it isn’t gonna taste like the real deal, then don’t spend the effort!  These are nice for a couple reasons, they are gooey and moist, they taste sweet and cinnamon-y, the dough rolled up easily, and they aren’t crazy expensive to make! These would be a great option for Easter Sunday morning!

The only warning I will give you is that there is some “rest time” involved.  So be prepared to let the dough chill while you enjoy some coffee, let them bake for more than 15 minutes, and put your mind somewhere else while you are letting them cool!  You could make them ahead of time and just pop them in the oven if you feel like doing all the work the night before!

Cinnamon Rolls (adapted from Detoxinista)

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups arrowroot powder
  • 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp coconut flour, sifted
  • 1/2 cup grassfed butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 eggs, whisked
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Filling:

  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar
  • cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix all the dough ingredients together until there are no clumps.  Place the dough in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to chill.

Dump the dough onto a piece of parchment paper and cover with another sheet of parchment paper.  Use a rolling pin (or a bottle of wine) to roll out the dough to an 8×11 ish rectangle.  Use a knife to cut off round edges and just pat the dough into gaps where you may need to make a corner.  Sprinkle the 1/3 cup coconut sugar on the dough and sprinkle a generous amount of cinnamon on the entire thing.  Using the edge of the parchment paper, begin to the roll the dough into a log from the end that is shorter.  Use a sharp knife to slice your log into 6-7 rolls, and transfer them onto a parchment lined round pan.

IMG_1024 This is what my dough looked like before cooking it.

(I used the pampered chef baking stone dome to cover mine)  Use aluminum foil to create a tent over the rolls. AKA just make sure the steam will stay in without anything laying on top of the rolls. Bake the rolls for 20 minutes then remove the cover and bake for another 7 until the outside of the roll have a firmness to them.

Cool for 10 minutes.

Serve with a tab of grassfed butter on top!

*Eat these warm or they won’t be as delicious.  That means right after you make them or heat them up.

*I tried a few different forms of storage and tried them all!  On the counter, in the fridge, and in the freezer.  All work great!  I just made sure to cover them in the oven at 350F for about 8-10 minutes when I reheated them so they didn’t lose too much moisture.  I do not use microwaves, but if you try that method, let us know how it turns out!

 

Carrot muff-a-cake

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I love carrot cake. I love the typical cream cheese frosting too because it is rich, creamy, and not too sweet. However, I usually only have cream cheese once a year…homemade cheesecake on my birthday! However, that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the same flavors throughout the year.

What’s the different between a muffin and a cupcake? Typically it’s the sweetness and frosting. This carrot cake is not super sweet. So, it can be used as a morning muffin or you can up the sweetness and frost it in order to go the cupcake route.

Carrot cake muffins:

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups almond flour
  • 1/4 cup arrowroot powder (or tapioca)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 1 1/2 cup grated carrots
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven at 350F.

Whisk together dry ingredients.

Whisk together the olive oil, eggs, vanilla, syrup. Once well combined, add the carrots, walnuts, and lemon zest.

Combine the dry and wet ingredients. Distribute among 12 silicon muffin liners. Bake for 18 minutes or until set. Let cool completely before frosting.

Nutty Chocolate Bars

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There have been a lot of takes on the peanut butter bar with chocolate.  I am all about ease and therefore, “peanut butter” cups seems a little too much work…although if I’m honest, probably no more work than these little bars of goodness.  There is just something nice about pouring it all into a pan and pulling it out on parchment paper!  These bars are rich.  The texture is slightly dense, crunchy, fudgy.  They melt in your mouth, and this is one recipe that is addicting but not in the “I could eat 100” kinda way because of the richness. My palate tends to be sensitive to how sugary something is, so if you are like me, you could easily decrease the amount of sugar in this recipe and get the same satisfaction! This is also one that can stand a TON of interpretation without issue.  Use the nuts, nut butters, and chocolate you have on hand.

Nutty Chocolate Bars

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick grassfed butter
  • 1/2 cup pecans
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup nut butter (I used my own homemade almond/sunbutter)
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1 Tbsp of butter

Directions:

Start melting the butter over low heat in a sauce pan.  While that is melting, put the nuts and the coconut sugar in a food processor and pulse until grainy.  Once the butter is melted, pour the nuts and sugar mixture into the butter, and add the salt, vanilla, and nut butter.  Stir until thoroughly incorporated. Place parchment paper in an 8×8 dish and pour the mixture into the pan.  Let it sit in the freezer for an hour or so until solidly set.  Once set, melt the chocolate chips and add a TBSP of butter.  Pour the chocolate over the set nutty bars and tilt the pan until the chocolate is all across the top.  Put in the fridge to set for 15 minutes or so.  Cut into squares and serve!

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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I have a standard chocolate chip cookie recipe that I use as my go-to, but every once in awhile, you gotta kick it up a notch.  I have had an obsession with this chocolate bar that is made with grassfed browned butter.  When I get obsessed with a flavor profile, I tend to use it a lot in my own baking and cooking.  That’s how these were born! Browned butter gives these cookies a toffee-like flavor.  This is a crispy cookie because it has no egg or leavening agents.  So, it kind of reminds me of a perfect coffee accompaniment.  Toffee like, crispy cookie….makes you wanna go “mmmm.”  Just dated myself…oh well.

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 1 cup arrowroot powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup browned grassfed butter
  • 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a saucepan on the stove, heat over medium heat and put the butter in.  Break the butter up in the pan into smaller chunks for even melting.  As it begins to heat up, the milk solids will separate and it will begin to foam slightly.  Keep swirling the pan or stirring.  Keep a close eye.  As soon as the butter begins to turn to an amber color, take it off the heat.

Mix the almond flour, arrowroot, and salt together in a bowl.

Pour the browned butter into the dry ingredients.  Add the maple syrup and vanilla.  Mix together until a ball of dough forms. Fold in the chocolate chips.  On a lined cookie sheet, put TBSP drops of dough on the sheet and press down slightly.  These do not spread, so make sure you flatten them some. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the cookie just begins to brown on the edges.

 

Lemon Thumbprint Cookies

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Not a fan of chocolate?  Have no fear, these lemon thumbprint cookies are just the right sub!  I like lemon dessert, but you could easily make them blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, etc! You can just use preserves if you would like to bypass the step of making your own!  You could also go more traditional with a sweeter filling that is frosting-like.  Possibilities are endless! I used my lemon curd recipe for the middle.  The cookie is like a sugar cookie meets shortbread. Not too sweet, holds together nicely, but isn’t overwhelming in flavor so it makes a good carrier for the flavor in the thumbprint.

Thumbprint Cookie

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 1 cup arrowroot powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup or honey
  • 1/4 cup melted grassfed butter

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine the dry ingredients. Then add the wet ingredients until you get a ball of dough.  Form them into spall golf balls and flatten them a bit.  Use your thumb to put an indent in the center.  Place just enough filling to fill the center!  Bake for 20 minutes.  Let cool before eating. ;)

Thai Curry Soup

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There aren’t too many people that venture into the world of Thai food when they cook at home.  However, there are a couple products you can find in the store that makes this feat super easy and well worth it.  This comes together in about 15 minutes total with prep and everything.  If you don’t like seafood too much, this is fool-proof, so no excuses not to try making it! You can choose whatever protein you like and certainly whatever veggies you prefer.

Paleo Thai Curry Soup

Ingredients:

  • 1 can full fat coconut milk
  • 2-4 cups of chicken or seafood stock (depending on what you want…less is more like stew and more is like soup)
  • 3 Tbsp red curry paste
  • 1/2 cup shitake mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup bean sprouts
  • 1/2 cup snow peas
  • 1 lb salmon, skin removed, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar (optional)

Directions:

Put the coconut milk, stock, and curry paste, and coconut sugar into a pot and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add your veggies and simmer for another 3 minutes.  Add your salmon and fish sauce and cook until the salmon is cooked through.  This will only take a few minutes.  Serve over cauliflower rice or as is!