Mom's Guilt Free Chocolate Bar

Last weekend, my mom called me out on being a complete slacker in the blog world.  She is not wrong.  I have slacked off.  To be fair, I just started a new job and things have been incredibly hectic.  My mom, being the awesome lady she is, knows this and stepped up to the plate.  She emailed me this recipe last weekend, requested that I make it, and if I liked it I would publish it for her.  I made it today.  Holy Moly it is good!  I will be snacking on this all week long! 

Generally, the problem I have with snack bars heavy on a variety of nuts is I find it to be too dry.  This particular treat is not dry at all.  In fact, it is kind of chewy.  The flavors all come together perfectly, making this already guilt-free snack even more enjoyable.  So, without further delay:

Ingredients

¼ to ½ cup Almonds, roughly chopped

¼ to ¼ cup Walnuts, roughly chopped

¼ cup Sunflower seeds or pine nuts (I used sunflower seeds)

Flax seed

½ cup ghee or high quality butter

½ cup coconut crystals

2 tablespoons almond milk

Bag of Chocolate chips 

       (Note: Mom used a bag of Ghiradelle dark chocolate.  I used a combo of high quality milk chocolate and white chocolate because I forgot to pick up dark chocolate at the store and that is what I had on hand.)

Line a pan with parchment paper. Add the rough chopped almonds and walnuts. Then add the sunflower seeds or pine nuts.  Really any variety of nuts you want.  Also, dried fruit would be good too.

It is much darker than normal
caramel, but the flavor is amazing!  

Sprinkle flax seed on top of the nuts.

In a pan, melt the ghee with the coconut crystals and almond milk.  This will cook down to a very dark caramel.  For me, I cooked it for about 10 minutes. 

Pour the caramel on top of the nuts

Bake at 350 for 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven and add the chocolate.  Put back in the oven for about 2 minutes.  Remove from oven.  

Spread chocolate around and place in freezer for 2 hours.  Once it has set in the freezer, it is easier to break into pieces.

This was right after I took the pan out of the oven,
before I spread the chocolate all over. 

Enjoy!  And let me know what you think!

Grain Free/Dairy Free Tomato Basil Soup with GF/DF Naan

When I was in college, I used to frequent a restaurant called La Madeleine.  It is a chain restaurant across a lot of the Southeastern United States, and it has the most amazing tomato soup!  I loved getting their soup with a warm piece of bread on chilly, windy day.  It is my ultimate comfort food and I have really missed La Madeline’s tomato soup since I moved to Oregon.  So last week, when I got a text message from my younger sister, Natalie, asking specifically for a healthy tomato soup recipe, I knew this was a challenge I could get excited about.  I perfected the recipe today, as a huge windstorm started making its way through Portland.  So tonight, on a cold, windy Portland fall evening, I can curl up next to a fire and enjoy a warm bowl of some amazing grain free, dairy free tomato soup.   And I must say, it is even better than the tomato soup I enjoyed during my time studying at LSU. 

Tomato Basil Soup Recipe

6 tomatoes on the vine, quartered

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 to 3 teaspoons salt

2 to 3 teaspoons pepper

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

1 white onion, finely chopped

4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced (4 cloves if the cloves are large)

32 ounces chicken broth

6 ounces tomato paste (One small can)

6.75 ounces of coconut milk (I use a can of coconut milk that is 13.5 ounces total, so just use half the can.)

¼ cup Basil plus a few extra leaves, chopped

Salt and pepper
Worcestershire Sauce, just a few dashes

Tomatoes roasting in the oven

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cut the tomatoes into quarters and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Lay the quartered tomatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. 

 

On medium heat, add the coconut oil to a large soup pot.  Once it has melted, add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté until translucent.  Add the roasted tomatoes and sauté for about a minute or two.  Pour the chicken broth and tomato paste.  Cook on medium heat until the soup boils, then reduce and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. 

Onion, garlic, and roasted tomatoes in soup pot

In batches, add the soup to a food processor and puree until smooth.  (If you do not have a food processor, a blender will work.)  Pour the smooth soup back into the large soup pot.  Add the coconut milk into the soup and stir until well mixed.  Then add ¼ cup basil and the salt and pepper to taste.  Finally, toss a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce into the soup and stir.  I know that sounds weird, but it enhances the flavor of the roasted tomatoes.  Garnish with chopped basil. 

Since I LOVE a slice of bread with soup, I decided to make a paleo naan (Indian bread) recipe I found on this blog. 

I’ve made this naan a few times and while I think the recipe is really delicious, I made a few changes.  The recipe on the blog makes my batter a bit too runny, so instead of 1 cup coconut milk, I use ¾ cup coconut milk with ½ cup almond flour and ½ cup tapioca flour.

Finished product! 

Jamie Oliver's Mushroom Soup

It is fall.  And that means it is soup season.  It occurred to me last week that my sister-in-law is having a baby in just a few short weeks. It's not that I wasn't aware she was expecting, I just realized how quickly the past few months have flown by!  She already has a darling little boy and soon will be welcoming a lovely little girl!  When her son was born, I brought her some of her favorite soup to eat instead of the mediocre hospital food.  The way I see it is when you create new life, you deserve your favorite meal.  So, in that spirit, I decided to practice making her favorite mushroom soup so I can be well prepped to hand deliver it in just a few weeks!

I really thought long and hard about making a dairy free version of mushroom soup.  While I know the point of this blog was to eat as clean as possible by eliminating foods that are over processed, sometimes you just don’t need to re-invent the wheel.  Thanks to Jamie Oliver, I have discovered the BEST mushroom soup.  Honestly, it is perfection.  The recipe is actually really healthy and as long as you are not dairy intolerant, it is ok to eat.  Click on the link to access the recipe.

Jamie Oliver's Real Mushroom Soup

One aspect of the recipe that makes it so amazing is the number of different mushroom varieties the recipe calls for.  It really adds to the complexity of the flavor while still keeping the recipe itself very simple to make.  In addition, the ingredients are all so fresh so the soup is really a guilt free dish.  But my favorite thing about it is the lemon.  Jamie calls for lemon juice and lemon zest to be added to each bowl as you serve the dish.  

Y'all, the lemon juice and zest really make this dish.  It just adds a unique flavor that most mushroom soup recipes lack.  I could eat this soup all winter long.  It's hearty and has such an incredible flavor, you will likely go back for seconds….maybe even a third helping.   

-Kim

Fresh Spaghetti Squash Pasta

I have to give a little shout out to my friend in Ohio.  The one.  The only.  Jess.  She rocks.  A few nights ago I was tired and frustrated with a lot of things going on.  To make matters worse, I reached a roadblock with a few recipes I am working on.  When it came time to figure out what to make for dinner, I was completely uninspired.  So, I texted Jess and she responded with one ingredient that inspired the entire meal: spaghetti squash.  Now, I have had spaghetti squash before, but I’ve never prepared it myself.  With that one text, I decided dinner would be an Italian staple.  What’s more, I already had most of the ingredients for an incredibly fresh meat sauce.   So, Jess, this one goes out to you!  Here are the details:

Spaghetti Squash Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the spaghetti squash in half.  If you’ve never handled spaghetti squash, be aware that cutting it in half can be difficult.  You may need to use a towel to help hold the squash in place.

Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.  Place the halves down on a rimmed baking sheet.  I add a little bit of water of the baking sheet to help the squash get a little moisture.  It isn’t necessary; it is just a personal preference.  Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

Pasta Sauce

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 package Sweet Italian sausage

1 white onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

42 ounces diced tomatoes  (If you are using canned diced tomatoes, make sure the tomatoes are canned in water)

¼ cup red wine

¾ ounces fresh basil, chopped

handful of fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

* Optional: Crimini mushrooms, sliced.

Here is some good news: the pasta sauce can be made in one pot.  With the burner on medium to high, pour a tablespoon or two of olive oil into a large pot.  Add the sweet Italian sausage and lightly brown.  Add onion and garlic.  Cook until the onion is translucent. 

Who ever said you can't 
play with your food?

Pour diced tomatoes into the pot and mix with the rest of the ingredients.  Add red wine. If you are like me, and you love mushrooms, add them after the red wine.  Finally, mix in the basil, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.  Turn the heat down to low or simmer and keep warm until the squash is done.  When the spaghetti squash is coked, remove it from the oven and use a fork to scrape the noodles.  Add the noodles to a bowl and top with the sauce.  Top with some fresh basil and Italian parsley!

Now, keep in mind the sauce will be chunky.  If you prefer a smoother sauce, then I would recommend cooking the sausage in a separate pan.  Add all the other ingredients as I listed above.  Once the sauce is completed, use an immersion blender or a food processor to smooth out the sauce. 

Finished product!

Chris and I have been eating this spaghetti for the past few nights and the sauce tastes better and better.  You could also use it for lasagna, which I may have to do soon! 

I hope y’all enjoy it! 

On an unrelated note, my mom made the apple cider cookies back home and shared with a few friends.  The reviews have been great!  So y’all start baking!

-Kim