Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sometimes, you just want a chocolate chip cookie. But you don't want to go to the store to buy those pre-portioned ones just to make 1 or 2 cookies when you've got all the ingredients at home. But how difficult would it be to pull out a dozen plus fresh baked cookies from the oven and not eat them all in one sitting?! This recipe only makes two cookies, perfect for an after dinner treat when you just want a little sweetness. I've played around with this recipe and depending on whether or not you chill the dough will give you two different textures. Baking the cookies right away will give you crispy edges and a soft center. Chilling the dough for at least 5 minutes, will give you a soft baked cookie all the way through. The choice is yours, now lets get baking!

 Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies

What you'll need:

• 2 tbsp grassfed butter (like Kerrygold), soften at room temperature
• 2 tbsp maple sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp tapioca
• 4 tbsp almond flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 3 tbsp chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. In a bowl, beat the soften butter and maple sugar together until combined. Add the vanilla and egg yolk and beat until just combined. 
2. Add the tapioca, almond flour, baking soda and salt. Beat until just combined, it's okay if there are small streaks. Fold in the chocolate chips. 
3. Chill dough for at least 5 minutes for soft baked cookies. Divide the batter using an ice cream scoop onto a parchment paper or silicone lined baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. 
4. Bake the cookies at 350F for 8-10 minutes. Cool slightly before enjoying!

 

Ratatouille Lasagna

Traditionally, Ratatouille is a stewed vegetable side dish usually composed of tomatoes, onions, garlic, zucchini, eggplant and bell peppers. Here I've combined all those flavors into lasagna! Eggplant makes great "lasagna" noodles for those that like to keep it glutenfree or low carb. And with a little char, they're delicious. I like to make my own marinara sauce, which I've included the recipe for below, but feel free to use your favorite recipe or store bought sauce.

Ratatouille Lasagna
What you'll need:

For the marinara sauce*

• 1 large onion, diced small
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 5-6 sweet mini peppers, diced small
• 32 oz tomato sauce
• scant 1 cup water
• 1 TBSP Herbes de Provence (or Italian seasoning if you can't find this)
• 1 TBSP red chili flakes (use less for mild, or remove completely for non-spicy)
• 1 TBSP garlic powder
• 1 TBSP onion powder
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp oregano/marjoram
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 2-3 TBSP coconut/maple sugar, adjust to taste (or omit all together for no sugar added)
• 1/2 TBSP grassfed unsalted butter
• fresh cracked black pepper and sea salt, to taste

For the lasagna

• 2 large eggplant, sliced ~ 1/8 inch thick length wise 
• 3-4 medium zucchini, sliced length wise
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 3 medium bell peppers
• marinara sauce
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 cup diced onions
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• salt and pepper
• cheese (optional)

What to do:

1. Make the marinara sauce. Heat a pot over medium heat and add about 1 TBSP of olive oil. Saute onions and mini peppers until fragrant. Add the garlic, chili flakes, and Herbes de Provence. Saute until fragrant. 
2. Add tomato sauce and stir. Then add water and the remaining spices (garlic powder to the bay leaves). Stir to combine. Then stir in the coconut sugar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 
3. Bring the sauce to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot with it's lid and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Before removing from the heat, give it a little taste to see if it needs more seasoning or sugar, to your preference. 
4. Remove from heat. Cool slightly before taking an immersion blender and blending the sauce together. Alternatively, the sauce could be cooled and poured in a blender/food processor and blended until smooth. Set aside to cool. 
5. Prepare the eggplant, zucchini, onions and bell peppers for the lasagna. Using a mandolin, carefully slice the eggplant and zucchini evenly and thinly (about 1/4 in. thick). Place sliced veggies on a baking pan and season both sides with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. 
6. Pre-heat the grill. Once the grill is up to temperature, grill the eggplant and zucchini slices on both sides. Remove grilled veggies and set aside for assembly.
7. In a pan, heat a little olive oil over medium heat. Add sliced onions and peppers. Cook until fragrant and onions are translucent. Remove from pan and set aside for assembly.
8. Make the meat sauce. In another pan, heat about 1 TBSP of olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until fragrant. Add garlic and stir. Then add the ground beef, breaking up any large chunks. Season the meat with salt and pepper, to taste. Once most of the beef has been cooked, working a 1/2 cup at a time, add the marinara sauce. Stir to combine the beef and sauce. Keep adding the sauce to your preference. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and get ready to assemble. 
9. Pre-heat the oven to 350F. In a 9x13 baking dish, coat the bottom of the dish with about 2-3 TBSP of the marinara sauce (not the beef/marinara mixture). Layer the grilled eggplant on the bottom of the dish, followed by the zucchini, meat sauce, and onions+peppers.
10. Repeat the layering until there are no more, or the dish is full. Try to make the last layer the grilled eggplant. Spread another 2-3 TBSP of marinara sauce over the eggplant. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmeasean cheese, if preferred. Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes or until cheese and filling are nice and bubbly.
11. Cool slightly before slicing. 

Dairy-Free Cherry Almond Fudge Ice Cream

Dairy free ice cream is tricky. Because you're using non-fatty milks (unless you're using all coconut milk, but coconut milk can be overpowering in taste), it tends to ice over pretty quick. It also doesn't have that creamy mouth feel of traditional dairy ice creams. But there are tricks to achieving that creamy dreamy taste. 

1. Up the fat since fat doesn't freeze. Use egg yolks to make a custard base. If you're using almond or other nut milk, try doing a 70/30 nut milk and coconut milk ratio. 

2. Add gelatin. According to the master of ice cream, David Lebovitz, using 1 tsp gelatin per 1L/quart can help soften your ice cream. 

3. Use honey or maple sugar. Sugars like these will lower the freezing point of your ice cream, and ultimately make your ice cream smoother and less-icy.  

Here, I played around with the "science" of ice cream making for you! While, this recipe still might have a little more fine tuning before I can say this is the most creamiest dreamiest dairy free ice cream, it's still pretty dang good. 

Diary Free Cherry Almond Fudge Ice Cream

What you'll need:
- 3-4 cups cherries, halved and pitted
- 2.5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 6 egg yolks
- 2 cups + 3/4 cup almond milk
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- 2-3 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp gelatin (the one that makes jello, like this one)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup toasted almonds, chopped
- 2-3 tbsp Nikki's Dark Chocolate Fudge Coconut Butter

What to do:

1. In a sauce pan, combine the cherries, balsamic vinegar, and water. Cook over medium heat until cherries are soft and syrupy, stirring occasionally. About 8-10 minutes. Divide in half.  
2. Had half the cherry compote to a blender along with the egg yolks, 2 cups almond milk, coconut milk, vanilla, and honey. Blend until smooth. Strain the mixture into a large sauce pan. Sprinkle the gelatin over the mixture and allow to bloom for a few minutes. 
3. Heat the custard mixture over medium heat and cook for 10-12 minutes until custard thickens. Be sure to be stirring continuously. 
4. Prepare a large bowl with ice water. Place another clean bowl into the ice water bowl. Add the remaining 3/4 cup almond milk. Strain the mixture into the clean bowl placed in the ice water bath. Stir and cover with plastic wrap. Push the plastic wrap on to the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. 
5. Chill overnight in the fridge. 
6. Add the chilled custard to the ice cream maker and prepare ice cream per manufacturer's instructions. Fold in toasted almonds and Nikki's Dark Chocolate Fudge. 
7. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container. Before serving, allow the ice cream to soften at room temperature for a few minutes for easier "scoopability"

Salted Almond Coconut Chocolate Candy Bites

I recently had the pleasure of finally meeting the face behind one of my favorite brands, Nikki of Nikki's Coconut Butter, at Paleo F(x) in Austin. She's one awesome boss lady and one of the sweetest people I've ever had the pleasure meeting! It certainly was a happy coincidence that I was just vacationing in Austin with my BFF and decided to stop by the expo at Paleo F(x). So glad we did! 

Since changing my diet one that's Paleo/gluten free, I've found ways to satisfy my sweet tooth with Nikki's coconut butter. All the flavors are soy, dairy, egg, and gluten free. The newest flavor, Cashew Cookie Butter, is also sugar free, for those that are watching their sugar intake. It's also one of my personal favorites, next to the Mint Chocolate Chip (yum!). Being creative in the kitchen is a great outlet for me, when I'm stressing, I like to have fun in the kitchen whipping up something fun and delicious. So, when I'm in the mood for something a little sweet (I'm normally a salty, chips and dip, kinda girl), I like incorporating a little Nikki's coconut butter. It's got all the sweetness I need and the recipes I'm going to share with you include little to no added sugars (except for those already found in the coconut butter or fruits, YAY!). Coconut Butter has so many potential uses and I'm going to try to create all the recipes I can to show you just how versatile it can be!

Now for the Salted Almond Coconut Chocolate Candy Bites. Think of these as a more "grown-up" version of Almond Joy Candies. The extra step of salting and roasting the almonds really take these to the next level. 

Salted Almond Coconut Chocolate Candy Bites

What you'll need:

1/2 cup raw almonds

1 tbsp kosher salt + 1 cup boiling water

2 cups shredded, unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup Nikki's Vanilla Cake Batter, melted

3 tbsp coconut cream (from canned coconut milk)

1-2 tbsp honey, warmed 

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp kosher salt

4 oz good quality dark chocolate + 1/4 cup Nikki's Dark Chocolate Fudge Coconut Butter

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 300F. In a bowl, add the raw almonds and 1 tbsp kosher salt, add the boiling water and allow the almonds to brine for at least 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, drain the almonds and pat dry. Bake at 300F for 20 minutes. 
2. Remove and allow almonds to cool slightly. In a food processor, combine the almonds, shredded coconut, Vanilla Cake Batter, coconut cream, honey, vanilla, and kosher salt. Pulse until mixture starts to form a ball/or comes together but not enough to turn into a smooth puree. 
3. Using a small cookie scoop, or your hands, form the coconut mixture into uniform shapes. Set aside and melt together the dark chocolate and Nikkis Dark Chocolate Fudge. Dip each coconut ball into the chocolate. Allow to harden in the fridge before consuming. Store in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container. 

Japanese Style Crispy Chicken Wings (Teba No Karaage)

I love a good crispy chicken wing. Crunchy skin, tender meat and usually greasy was my preference...back in the debaucherous days of college. Now, you could say, I've grown up (a little) and my tastes have gotten a little more sophisticated. Enter, these Japanese Style Crispy Chicken Wings. These are lightly coated in potato starch to give the outside the crispiest crunch without being too over powering. I also fried these in olive oil, making these "better" for you. HAHAHA.   

Japanese Style Crispy Chicken Wings 

What you'll need:

• 2 lbs chicken wings/mini drum sticks
• 2 tbsp gluten free Tamari/coconut aminos
• 1 tbsp mirin/rice wine
• 1 tsp FlavorGod Garlic Seasoning (or garlic powder)
• 1 inch piece of ginger, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• Potato starch
• FlavorGod Garlic Herb Salt (or salt/fresh cracked pepper)
• Olive oil, for frying
• Japanese chili powder (optional)

What to do:

1. Prepare the marinade by combining the Tamari/coconut aminos, mirin, garlic powder, minced garlic and ginger, and sesame oil. Pour over chicken wings (placed in bowl) and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the chicken to marinate for at least 4 hours in the fridge.
2. Heat 2" olive oil in a small saucepan over medium until a deep-fry thermometer reads 320°. Alternatively, if you’ve got a mini fryer, fill olive oil to the fill line. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of potato starch and 1 tsp Garlic Herb Salt/ salt + pepper.
3. Remove the chicken from the marinade and toss wings in potato starch mixture, shaking off excess; working in batches, fry wings until crisp, about 5-8 minutes. Transfer wings to paper towels to drain. Serve with lemon wedges and Japanese chili powder (optional).

Hong Shao Rou (Shanghai Style Red Braised Pork Belly)

Hong Shao Rou or "Red Braised" Pork Belly is one of my favorite ways to prepare and enjoy pork belly.  A little salty and a little sweet, but Oh So Delicious. The pork belly gets browned and crispy first, then braised in a mixture of salty sweet goodness. This is one of those comfort food type meals growing up so I wanted to put my spin on it by making it gluten free and "paleo" friendly (if you can tolerate rice), but also keeping it true in flavor and texture. :) 

Hong Shao Rou

What you'll need:

• 1.5-2lb pork belly, cut into ~ 1 inch pieces
• 2-3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
• 5 tbsp coconut aminos/gluten free Tamari
• 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp mirin/rice wine/dry sherry
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp FlavorGod Garlic Seasoning (or use 1 tsp garlic powder)
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 3 tbsp raw honey
• 1 tbsp maple sugar/1 piece rock sugar (optional)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp cooking fat

What to do:

1. In a bowl, combine the coconut aminos/Tamari, rice vinegar, mirin/rice wine, paprika, garlic, white pepper, and ground ginger. Whisk to combine and set aside.
2. In a large pot, add 2-3 cups water, smashed garlic cloves and fresh peeled ginger. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Once boiling, add the pork belly cubes. Bring the water back to a boil and allow the pork to simmer for 5 minutes. Drain the pork belly and remove the garlic and ginger pieces. Pat the pork dry. 
3. Using a heavy bottomed wok or cast iron pot, add 2 tbsp cooking fat over medium high heat. Working in batches, fry each side of the pork belly until browned and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat for remaining pork belly. 
4. Turn the heat down to medium, working with the same wok/cast iron pot, carefully add the raw honey and maple sugar (if using). The mixture will bubble rapidly. Then, carefully add the water. Stir in the coconut aminos/Tamari mixture. Place the pork belly back into the pot, stir to coat and cover. Allow the pork to simmer for 25-30 minutes. Stirring occasionally. 
5. Remove cover and allow the sauce to thicken for 5-8 minutes. Serve with fresh chopped chives and sesame seeds over riced cauliflower or white rice. 

Patacon Pisao (Plantain Sandwich)

So, I stumbled upon this deliciousness while browsing the interwebz. You know how you click on one link, only to find yourself randomly clicking on something else, then you're on some website that's completely unrelated to what you were originally look at? Yea, that happens to me a lot. But anyway, that's how I found out about Patacon Pisao. Patacons are basically the Venezuelan equivalent of giant tostones, used as tostadas or sandwich "buns." Freaking. Genius. There's a restaurant in New York that's tooted as having the most authentic Patacon Pisao, which consists of "shredded beef, special sauce, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, fried cheese, on a double fried plantain bun." I've never actually had one before...but I did a quick internet search and sort of put my spin on it (aka, used whatever I had in my fridge/pantry). I think the flavors would be pretty close, so any of my friends who've had a Patacon Pisao, please let me know if this one is close! 

Patacon Pisao

What you'll need

• green plantains
• salt
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1.5 lb rump roast
• 1/2 large onion (softball size), diced
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1.5 tsp gluten free Worcestershire 
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp FlavorGod Chipotle (or 1 tbsp chili powder + 1 tsp smoked paprika)
• 1/2 cup beef broth (I used homemade)
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1 bay leaf

For the avocado cream sauce

• 2 medium avocados
• juice of 1/2 lime and 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, roughly chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeds removed, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp FlavorGod Garlic Lovers (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)

What to do:

1. Make the avocado cream sauce by adding all the ingredients to a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Set aside. The cream sauce can be made a day in advance.
2. To make the shredded beef, liberally season the rump roast with salt. Heat 2 tbsp oil over medium high heat in a heavy bottom pot. Sear each side of the roast for 2-3 minutes over medium high heat. Remove and place in the pot of a slow cooker. 
3. To the heavy bottom pot, add the onions and bell peppers. Saute for 3 minutes, then add the garlic. Be sure to scrape the bottom for all the brown bits! Saute for another 2 minutes. Add the Worcestershire, tomato paste, ketchup, chipotle (or chili powder/paprika), and cumin. Cook for an another minute before adding the beef broth. Bring the mixture to a simmer and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
4. Add the sauce mixture to the slow cooker, cover the roast and add the bay leaf. Cook on low for 8 hours. Shred meat and mix with sauce. Set aside to make the fried plantain buns.
5. Cut the ends off of green plantain and remove peel. Cut plantain down the middle, lengthwise. Then cut in half, horizontally. Fry each side of plantain for 2-3 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove from oil and flatten two halves until about 1/4 inch thick. Fry flattened plantains again for another minute on each side. Remove from oil and season with salt. 
6. Assemble the sandwiches with shredded beef, avocado cream sauce, lettuce, and tomato. I omitted the cheese, but if you like, a little fried cheese would be delicious!