RECIPE: Broccoli Salad

BROCCOLI AND BACON SALAD

Dressing:

1 cup Best Foods Real Mayonnaise or you can make your favorite homemade mayo
3 - tablespoons raw honey
1 - tablespoon real maple syrup
1 to 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
Mix all ingredients above in a bowl add vinegar to taste starting with 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing, and adding more if your taste requires.  It should be a bit sweet and tart.

Cook 8 to 10 slices of bacon, cut into thin slices about 3/4" to 1" thick and fry until crisp. Set on paper towel to drain off all grease. Set aside

In a large mixing bowl add;
2 large or 3 medium size crowns of broccoli, cut into small florets, chop and peel stems.  (I personally, don't use that many stems, but if you like they can be used.)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup almond slivers
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1/2 fresh blueberries
1 large Fuji apple sliced in small to medium chunks ( before adding apples to salad drizzle with fresh lemon juice to prevent the apples from browning.)  then add to the rest of the ingredients.
Add cooked bacon pieces and mix.

Combine salad dressing with all the ingredients, refrigerate for a about 2 to 3 hours and serve.
It is delicious... Enjoy!

RECIPE: Paleo Banana Nut Bread Scones

I admit it ... I'm a scone lover. Crunchy, delicious scones. Vanilla bean scones. Pineapple coconut scones. Cranberry walnut scones. Orange scones. I crave them. This morning we went for a six mile walk. We ate brunch while we were out. I had a salad of mixed greens, chicken, bleu cheese crumbles, cranberries, walnuts and broccoli. I finished lunch off with a pluot and a big bottle of water, then we made our way home ... The long way.
We got back home and sitting there on the counter in the kitchen was a couple of sad looking bananas. Way past their prime for peeling and eating, but well within the range of using them in banana bread. I decided to combine the two ideas ... Scones and Banana Bread while keeping it Paleo.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Almond Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon G round Cinnamon 
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 
2 tablespoons Honey
1 Very Ripe Banana, mashed 
1,2 cup Chopped Pecans
Topping:
3 tablespoons Honey
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a Silpat.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. 
3. Add vanilla and honey and mix well.
4. Fold in the bananas and pecans and mix again until everything comes together in one big massive ball of dough.
5. Place the dough on the baking sheet and flatten. I used my hands.
6. Bake for 16 - 18 minutes (depending on your oven).

7. While the scones are baking, make the glaze.
8. Once they are golden brown remove them from the oven to cool. Using a serrated knife, cut into 8 equal pieces.
9. Combine the honey and cinnamon in a small bowl, whisking until smooth.
10. Drizzle the scones with the glaze.
Makes 8 scones.

RECIPE: Bartlett Pear Salad

The other night we had good friends over for dinner. I made a dish with the following ingredients, but the outcome was a bit different. Both ways were excellent, and I will prepare both again, but this was was a bit 'lazier' than the other because rather than layering the ingredients, I mixed them all together and made a salad. It was go good I literally licked the bowl!

INGREDIENTS:
1 ripe Bartlett pear
1 package Pancetta cubes (4 ounces)
2 ounces Chevre (goat cheese) with honey
1 tablespoon Honey
Freshly cracked Pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Brown pancetta cubes in a frying pan until brown. Drain. I put the cooked crumbles on a couple of paper towels to absorb the excess grease.
2. Wash and cut the pair into bite-sized pieces, removing the core.
3. Place the cut up pear, the cooled pancetta and Chevre crumbles in a bowl and toss lightly. 

4. Drizzle honey and pepper and mix lightly again.

5. Serve. Enjoy!

**Note: I was hungry and ate every bite of this delicious concoction immediately. I can imagine it would be devine if allowed to chill in the fridge for a while before serving!

RECIPE: Chocolate Coconut No-Bake Candy

First and foremost I want to say HAPPY 88th BIRTHDAY to my precious dad!! I wish we could be there with you today, but we just couldn't squeeze in a trip before we leave for Switzerland on Tuesday. We sent you a box of goodies for your birthday ... Enjoy! See you soon! We love you! (We live on opposite sides of the continent!)


About this recipe and the inspiration behind it ... 


One thing I remember vividly from my childhood was the ever-popular Friday lunch at school. Seems it didn't matter if it were 1 - 5 grade in Texas 6 - 12 grade in Tennessee. The one thing they all had in common was that dessert was chocolate oatmeal no-bake cookies. Even after I became an adult, those cookies (AKA Cow Patties) were always my favorites! I looked forward to hikes with friends because I'd make them to take along as a power snack. Perhaps it's a Pavlovian response, but everyone would call or email me to see if I'd be bringing a batch along. See? We may grow older, but we never grow up!
Since those wonderfully delicious taste sensations are made with tons of sugar and raw oats, they are totally off limits these days. However ... Last night I came across a recipe that brought on a most exciting "ah-ha" moment! The ingredients are Paleo, so I thought the final product might be a suitable replacement for that beloved childhood treat. Here's the link to the video I found: Video of Coconut Honey Candy for Easter
Here's the recipe for the version I came up with last night ...
CHOCOLATE COCONUT NO-BAKE CANDY

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup Honey
1 cup Almond Butter
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
1 tablespoon Vanilla
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened Coconut
1/2 cup chopped Pecans

DIRECTIONS:
1. Line an 8" X 8" pan with parchment paper. I couldn't find mine, so I used "Press N Seal" with the sticky side down. It works GREAT!!
2. Pour honey into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.

3. When honey boils, continue to stir constantly for two minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Stir in almond butter until it melts, then add cocoa powder and vanilla, stirring well. Add coconut and pecans, stirring well.
5. Once everything is well blended, pour into the lined pan and spread evenly. The mixture will be stiff, so use your fingers to press it into the corners, if needed.

6. Chill 30 - 45 minutes or until the mixture had sufficiently hardened.
7. Remove from pan, peel lining off the bottom and place on a cutting board to cut into pieces. I cut 6 strips first, turned it and cut into 6 rows, making 36 candies.

8. These are best kept in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, but will remain somewhat firm if left out for an hour or so.

RECIPE: Cinnamon Pecan Coffee Cake

By far the best coffee cake I have ever tasted! I doubled the recipe I originally found on Paleo on Main's Blog because the only pan I could find was a 9 X 13! I then realized my 9 X 9 is in the freezer ... Silly me!
CINNAMON PECAN COFFEE CAKE

INGREDIENTS:
Cake:
1 cup Coconut Milk 
4 Eggs
1/2 cup Raw Local Honey
2 teaspoon Vanilla
4 cup Almond Flour
1 cup Arrowroot Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
Swirl:
4 tablespoon Cinnamon
1/2 cup Coconut Oil (or butter)
6 tablespoon Honey
Topping:
1/2 cup Chopped Pecans

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325. In separate bowls, combine dry cake ingredients and wet cake ingredients. 
Pour wet into dry and stir to combine.  Pour into coconut greased 9X13 dish.

Combine swirl ingredients and dollop onto cake.

Using a knife, swirl in topping. Top with chopped pecans.

Place in preheated oven and bake 40-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.  

Enjoy!!
**Note** If making 1/2 this recipe, place in a 7X9 pan and bake for 25 - 30minutes.

RECIPE: Peach Sorbet

For four nights in a row we have had a different variety of sorbet as our dessert. Strawberry, mango, blueberry, and now peach! I didn't realize we were out of coconut milk, so I decided to try almond milk instead. We were pleasantly surprised with how it turned out!

PEACH SORBET

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup unsweetened Almond Milk (We were out of coconut milk - turned out great!)

1 cup frozen Peaches

4 Ice Cubes

2 tablespoons Honey

DIRECTIONS:

Add ingredients  to blender in order listed. For best results blend milk, fruit and ice fairly well before adding the honey. Those goes with all fruits ... The honey hardens when it sits too long with the frozen berries and ice. Blend until very smooth and creamy. 

Store in a container in the freezer for a few hours before serving. Mix well because the edges will be a lot firmer than the center. Spoon into decorative glasses or bowls. 

Garnish, as desired. Serve. Enjoy!

RECIPE: Blueberry Coconut Sorbet

Okay, so the strawberries were awesome in sorbet ... Mangos, too ... Tonight I tried blueberries ... Guess what? They were awesome, too!
BLUEBERRY COCONUT SORBET

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Coconut Milk
1 cup frozen Blueberries
4 Ice Cubes
2 tablespoons Honey

DIRECTIONS:
Add ingredients  to blender in order listed. For best results blend milk, berries and ice fairly well before adding the honey. That tip goes for all fruits ... The honey hardens when it sits too long with the frozen berries and ice. Blend until very smooth and creamy. 

Store in a container in the freezer for a few hours before serving. 

Mix well because the edges will be a lot firmer than the center. 

Spoon into decorative glasses or bowls. Garnish, as desired. Serve. Enjoy!

RECIPE: Mango Coconut Sorbet

A variation of the sorbet I made yesterday ... Minus the strawberries add mango ... VERY yummy ... AND healthy!
MANGO COCONUT SORBET

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup cold Coconut Milk
1 cup frozen Mango chunks
2 tablespoons organic Honey
4 Ice Cubes

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

2. Place in the freezer until ready to serve. Stir well.
3. Pour into decorative glasses or bowls. Serve. Enjoy!

RECIPE: Strawberry Coconut Sorbet

I have never really tried much sorbet, but that has all changed now. I found a super easy recipe the other day on The Paleo-Project website for Strawberry Coconut Sorbet! I made a batch a couple of hours before dinner, so we had it for dessert. I am going to try this recipe with lots of different fruits, so beware ... There will be more sorbet recipes to follow!
STRAWBERRY COCONUT SORBET

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup cold Coconut Milk
1 cup frozen Strawberries
2 tablespoons organic Honey
4 Ice Cubes

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

2. Place in the freezer until ready to serve. Stir well.
3. Pour into decorative glasses or bowls. Serve. Enjoy!

RECIPE: Fruit and Nut Bars

So by now you all have figured out I really like nuts, berries, and dried fruits. I do. Guilty as charged. I absolutely LOVE the "Blonde Cave Girl" cookies I invented, but I'm still not ready to let that recipe out. I've been approached about marketing them, so I'm going to keep that recipe under wraps for a while longer ... BUT, I found a great recipe for a baked crunchy bar that has a very similar taste!
I made a few alterations to the original recipe, so here's my version.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup raw Almonds
1 cup raw Macadamia Nuts
1/2 cup Walnuts
1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds
1/2 cup dried Cranberries
1/2 cup dried Blueberries
1/2 cup melted Coconut Oil
1/2 cup Honey
2 Eggs
2 tablespoons Cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place almonds in food processor and pulse until the nuts are small chunks - not meal or butter. Place almonds in a mixing bowl. Do the same to the macadamia nuts, then walnuts. (I prefer to do them separately to make sure they get chopped evenly.)

3. Add dried fruits to the nut mixture.

4. Put eggs, honey, melted coconut oil and cinnamon in the food processor and blend well.

5. Add liquid to nut/fruit mixture and stir well.

6. Spread mixture into a greased 8X11 (or 9X13 for thinner bars) pan, spreading with a spatula to make sure mixture is evenly distributed in pan.

7. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (In my oven it took 20 minutes)

 8. Allow the bars to cool to room temperature before cutting. Allowing them to be in the refrigerator for an hour or so before cutting will help them cut without tearing or crumbling.

9. Store the bars in an air-tight container or individually wrap them if you plan to eat them while on-the-go.