Chocolatey Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Flour and Hemp Seeds

choc choc chip cookies

These cookies are full of chocolatey goodness and no dairy, gluten, or added sugar (aside from the chocolate chips).

Ingredients:
Makes 12

1 banana, mashed
3 Tbsp of water
1/2 cup quinoa flakes
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 Tbsps almond butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F.  Mash the banana in a medium sized mixing bowl with the water and add all of the other ingredients.  Mix together until evenly combined.  Roll into 2 inch balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Lightly press cookies to flatten on the cookie sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Gxo

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Creamy Guacamole

guac

I love guacamole and usually stick to a traditional and simple version.  I decided to mix it up a little when I saw a recipe for guacamole made richer and creamier with the addition of sour cream.  I substituted Greek yogurt for the sour cream and added my usual ingredients of lime, garlic, cilantro, crushed red pepper flakes and salt.  The result was a smoother guacamole with a subtle hint of creaminess.  This version will go so well with tacos.

Ingredients:

1/2 an avocado, mashed
1 clove garlic, finely chopped or grated with a microplane
2 Tbsps Greek yogurt
Juice of 1/2 lime
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Chopped cilantro

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well until everything is combined.  Taste and adjust seasonings according to your taste.

Enjoy!

Gxo

Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Hummus

cauliflower hummus

I am loving this vegetable based hummus!  This is the first time I’ve tested out this idea and I will definitely be trying different combinations of ingredients, spices, and fresh herbs.  This works nicely as a nutritious dip, side dish or even a sauce/topping.  I did not add any tahini but you could add some for a creamier texture.

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, chopped into evenly sized pieces
4 cloves of garlic, smashed and skins removed
1/2 cup water
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
4 Tbsp olive oil (plus more for adding when blending)
1/4 tsp paprika
Sea salt

On a baking sheet mix the cauliflower, 2 Tbsp olive oil, garlic cloves, and a few pinches of sea salt until evenly coated – add to a 425F oven and roast for 25 minutes or until soft and browning.  Allow to cool slightly before adding to a  food processor along with the water, lemon juice, paprika, 2 Tbsp olive oil and a few pinches of sea salt.  Blitz the cauliflower while slowly streaming in additional olive oil for the hummus to come together in a thick consistency.  (You can add more water if you prefer a thinner style hummus).  Taste the hummus and season accordingly with more salt or paprika.  You can also add cayenne pepper for a touch of heat.

Enjoy!

Gxo

Coconut Lime Rice Pudding

Mango rice puddingDespite the fact that I spend a lot of time at Whole Foods because I sell products to them, I still get very excited to visit their stores and wander the aisles.  This is especially the case on a Saturday when I’m not in NYC and the aisles are twice as wide and demos are happening at every turn.  I was visiting a newly opened store in Alpharetta, GA last weekend with my friend Karen and we tasted the most amazing rice pudding.  I am not even a rice pudding person but this one really won me over.  It’s rich and creamy AND gluten and dairy free!  I am sharing the original recipe here but I swapped out the sugar for maple syrup and only used half the amount which was still sweet enough for me.  There are endless flavor combinations with other fruits, nuts, and seeds – let me know what you come up with! Ingredients: 4 Tbsp shredded coconut 1/2 cup Arborio rice 2 cups water 1 (13.5oz) can of coconut milk (I used the light kind) 1/2 cup sugar (I used 3 Tbsp maple syrup) 1/4 tsp sea salt Zest of 1/2 lime (plus a bit extra for garnishing) 1 ripe mango, diced 2 Tbsp pistachios, chopped Toast the shredded coconut in a dry pan over medium heat until it turns golden brown (2-3 minutes) and set aside. In a pot combine the rice, coconut milk, water, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil.  Then lower the heat and simmer stirring occasionally for 35-40 minutes.  The rice is ready when it becomes soft and reaches a thick and creamy pudding-like consistency. Remove from heat, add the toasted coconut and lime zest.  Garnish with the mango, pistachios, and extra lime zest to serve.  Serves 4. Enjoy!  xo

Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Ginger Almond Butter Sauce

Chix tacos

Lettuce wraps are so versatile and you can use any variation of fish, meat or veggies.  For these I used shredded chicken, julienned cucumber, and carrot.  To add a huge punch of flavor I drizzled with a ginger almond butter dipping sauce.  These are so tasty and they don’t look too shabby either.

Ingredients:

Boston lettuce leaves
Cooked chicken, shredded
1 Carrot, julienned
1/3 English cucumber, julienned
A few cilantro leaves

For the Almond Butter dipping sauce:

1 Tbsp finely grated ginger (I recommend using a microplane)
1 clove of finely grated garlic (again, I recommend a microplane)
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Almond butter
1 Tbsp water
1/2 Tsp toasted sesame oil
Pinch of red chili flakes (optional)

First make the dressing so all of the flavors have time to blend together.  Add all ingredients for the almond butter dipping sauce to a jar with a lid and when lid is firmly tightened shake to incorporate all ingredients.

Next assemble the lettuce wraps: on one lettuce wrap add the carrots and cucumber then shredded chicken.  Drizzle with the dipping sauce and finish by topping with fresh cilantro leaves.

Enjoy!  xo

Roasted Broccoli in Coconut Oil with Salmon and Quinoa

Broccoli

Roasting in coconut oil adds a deliciously subtle hint of coconut and this works so well with broccoli.  I’ve added some to this lunch bowl along with salmon, quinoa, and treviso leaves (a type of radicchio).  This is simply dressed with lemon juice and Maldon sea salt flakes and black pepper.

Ingredients:

1-2 cups broccoli florets
1/4 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup cooked salmon
A few treviso leaves
2 Tbsp coconut oil
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
Maldon sea salt – season to taste
Black pepper – season to taste

Mix coconut oil and broccoli florets on a baking sheet so they are evenly coated and season with salt and pepper.  Roast in a preheated 425F oven for 10 or so minutes (until starting to brown and broccoli is cooked thru).  Add to your bowl along with the quinoa, salmon, treviso and season with lemon juice and salt and pepper.

*Note: if your coconut oil is still solid you can place jar in a bowl of hot water and it will melt right away.

Enjoy!

Chicken Soup with Broccoli, Bok Choy, Quinoa and Cilantro

Chix soup

When you crave soup but don’t have time to put together a big pot try this for a bowl in minutes.  I boil water, add to my soup bowl with bouillon cubes, and while the bouillon cubes dissolve I add steamed veggies, leftover chicken, leftover quinoa, or anything else on hand.  I also always have frozen chopped kale and frozen organic edamame in the freezer which work perfectly as well.

Here are my ingredients for this soup bowl.

Ingredients:

2 cubes bouillon (I use this one)
1/4 cup chicken – shredded
1/4 cup steamed broccoli
Steamed bok choy – 1 bulb
1 chopped carrot
1/4 cup quinoa
Few cilantro leaves
Small handful frozen organic edamame
Add salt to taste

Boil water, add 1-2 cups of boiled water to a soup bowl with 1-2 cubes of bouillon.  Stir together to help the bouillon dissolve in the water.  Add everything else and enjoy!

Golden Beet Salad with Feta, Basil Pesto, and Toasted Walnuts

Beet salad

This salad is a stunner and it’s delicious and easy to make.  Everything can be made ahead of time too so it’s great for entertaining.  Each ingredient in this salad works together: the toasted walnuts give a great crunch and nuttiness, the basil is bright and fragrant, the feta is salty, and the beets are sweet.  I drizzled a little garlic infused olive oil to finish it off but regular will work too.  It’s so good – you can’t beat this one as a light salad or start to a meal (sorry, couldn’t help myself!).

Ingredients:

1 large golden beet
Basil pesto
Feta
Small handful of toasted walnuts
Olive oil (I used garlic infused but regular is delicious too)
Maldon sea salt

Roast the beet in a 400F oven for an hour or until you can easily insert a knife.  Allow for it to cool while you prep the other ingredients.
Toast walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat until they turn golden brown.

Basil pesto:

1 Large bunch basil (4 handfuls of leaves), washed clean and dry off excess water
1 large clove garlic
1/4 toasted pine nuts
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

In a dry pan over medium heat toast pine nuts until they start to turn golden brown.
In a food processor add the basil, garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice and mix it while adding the olive oil in a stream until it comes together into a paste/thick sauce consistency.  Add salt/pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, back to the golden beet.  Once cool – peel the outer skin and then slice using a mandolin if you have one or cut very thin with a knife.  Arrange slices on a plate in a single layer slightly overlapping.  Using your artistry dollop pesto to your liking then sprinkle crumbled feta, toasted walnuts, and Maldon sea salt flakes, and lastly drizzle with olive oil.

Enjoy!

Gxo

Curry Chicken Salad

Chicken salad

It pains me to throw away food so I do whatever I can not to let anything go to waste.  This habit usually serves me well as I come up with recipes that I wouldn’t have otherwise thought of on my own.  Here is one such recipe.  I had leftover roast chicken and leftover curry yogurt sauce from my last post featuring parsnip fries.  This was a perfect base for chicken salad.  I served the chicken salad in beautiful little Bibb Lettuce leaves.  They were refreshing and tasty and nothing went to waste!

Ingredients:

Yogurt curry sauce (see here for recipe)
Cooked chicken (you can use roasted, rotisserie, grilled, whatever you have on hand – cut or shred to small pieces)
1 stalk of celery, chopped
Bibb Lettuce leaves
Salt
Sliced almonds (optional)

Add chicken, yogurt sauce, and celery in a bowl and mix together.  Add salt to taste.  Serve in lettuce leaves and garnish with sliced almonds.

Enjoy!

Gxo

Baked Parsnip Fries with Curry Dipping Sauce

Parsnip fries

I absolutely love parsnips and had a bunch in the fridge that I normally would have added to my assorted roasted vegetables but was trying to think of something new to do with them.  I am pleased to report that this experiment is well worth repeating.  Who knew parsnips would work so perfectly as fries?  They even look just like them too.  These tasted deliciously indulgent and I already know how to use up my left over curry sauce.  I’ll share that next.

Baked Parsnip Fries

Ingredients:

Parsnips, peeled and cut into evenly sized strips (4-5 parsnips for 2 people)
A few tablespoons of olive oil
A few pinches of Sea salt

Preheat oven to 425F.  Place parsnips on one layer on a baking sheet, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt making sure they are evenly coated and not crowded together so they’ll brown nicely.  Roast for 15-20 minutes or until nicely golden checking half way thru – stir with a baking spoon to allow other sides to brown.

Curry Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp turmeric
pinch of sea salt
pinch of cayenne (optional if you like a little heat)

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.  I recommend making an hour or more ahead of time so the flavors have more time to blend together.

Enjoy!

Gxo