Individual Berry Crumble Cobblers

Happy Spring everyone! It is pouring like crazy in CT, but it is a good night. For the first time in 4 months (a.k.a ever), I am handing over the reigns in the kitchen and allowing a guest chef (Ryan). I am surprisingly calm which is pretty impressive given my OCD control-freak personality :)

It turns out that sometimes I do need a little help, and I am glad to have it! I have been prepping like crazy for my Kickstarter campaign to launch, and the official countdown is on. I was planning to launch early tomorrow morning, but the approval process is taking longer than expected. I will keep you posted, but it may be a Friday/Saturday launch instead. The Kickstarter campaign is for my first cookbook "Bowls of Love: Paleo Soups for the Seasons" and I could not be more excited! I have been writing recipes and working with an incredible photographer Erica (www.ericagannett.com). A lot more information is to come, so stay posted, and follow me on twitter @sooopaleo to get all the updates!

The blog has been resting for a while, so I figured it was only right to bring it back with a delicious dessert. You can easily adjust this recipe to make more or less depending on how many people you are cooking for. If you don't have ramekins, you can bake this all together in a bread pan or small square baking dish. If you are really feeling crazy, you can even make a single serving! Enjoy and stay tuned for more news on my cookbook Bowls of Love!

Individual Berry Crumbles: Serves 4, Prep time: 10 min, Cook time: 30 min

Ingredients:
- 2 cups berries (I used half blackberries, half blueberries)
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 cup cashew flour
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

- 1-2 tsp. cinnamon

- 1/8 tsp. salt

- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

- 2 Tbsp. organic grade B maple syrup

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Mix all ingredients other than the berries in a bowl
3. Distribute the berries evenly among 4 ramekins
4. Top each ramekin with the crumble mixture
5. Bake for 30 minutes until berries bubble and crumble is lightly browned

  

  

Vermont Balsamic Maple Turkey Meatloaf

Well hello there. Today was a big day with my blog hitting over 100,000 hits and my health coaching certificate and card coming in the mail. I am now officially a board certified health coach, and I am thrilled! It has been an interesting journey of self-reflection throughout my studies, and my life is completely different (in so many wonderful ways) than when I started. 

I have been a bit MIA from blogging over the past few weeks with some major things going on. Luckily in the midst of the craziness Ry came home from Dubai and we had an amazing getaway in Vermont. We celebrated Heather and Kenny's wedding and had tons of adventures along the way. I wanted a souvenir from the trip, and I ended up with some special Vermont-made food products to experiment with. One of the treasures was maple flakes which basically looks like brown rice krispies. The only ingredient is dried maple syrup, and they are crispy and sweet. I figured I could sprinkle a few of them on tonight's recipe instead of covering my meatloaf with the more traditional sugary ketchup concoction. It was just a hint of sweet mixed with the tangy balsamic, and it came out great. Enjoy!

Vermont Balsamic Maple Turkey Meatloaf: Serves 4-5, Prep time: 20 min, Cook time: 40 min

Ingredients:
- 1.25lbs ground turkey
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, peeled & chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1+ tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. basil
- 1/2 tsp. thyme
- 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. Vermont maple flakes

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Heat olive oil over medium heat
3. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes until soft
4. Add carrots, celery, salt, pepper, garlic powder (more is better!), basil, and thyme and cook for another 10-15 minutes until soft
5. Mix turkey, egg, almond flour, and veggie mixture in a bowl
6. Form into a loaf on a foil-lined pan
7. Brush with balsamic vinegar
8. Sprinkle meatloaf with Vermont maple flakes (if you don't have these you can use a mixture of balsamic and maple syrup for the topping)
9. Bake for 20 minutes
10. Brush the meatloaf with the leftover balsamic

11. Bake another 15 until cooked through (no pink in the turkey)

12. Cover the meatloaf and let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving

  

  

Rainbow Carrot Cake

Having a blog is perfect for my inner (and outer) math geek. I get limitless entertainment from reviewing my stats. With 10,000 hits last night and visitors from over 50 countries, I get pretty excited. I love seeing what people are searching for like "sooo hungry now paleo" and "paleo dessert asap". I think the common theme is that all you paleo followers out there love good food, want it fast, and are dying for new dessert recipes. With that in mind, I am posting dessert #2 from ladies night this past weekend. The cobbler/crumble was a huge hit, and the carrot cake did not disappoint either. This recipe made a lot of cake, so I sent everyone home with a little piece. I figured that was a better idea than devouring the entire rest of the cake in bed at midnight when they all left! Carrot cake has always been one of my favorite desserts. The frosting is my least favorite part, so I didn't even bother making a paleo version. Next time I will probably attempt it just to see how it comes out. This cake was extra special because it used fresh rainbow carrots and eggs from the farmers market. It was beautiful to make and delicious to eat! If you don't want an enormous cake, you could cut the recipe in half, bake it in a round pie dish or an 8x8 square pan, and bake it for about 40 minutes. Enjoy!

Rainbow Carrot Cake: Serves 12-15, Prep time: 20 min, Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

- 3 cups almond flour

- 1 tsp. salt

- 1 tsp. baking soda

- 1 Tbsp. cinnamon

- 5 eggs

- 1/3 cup organic grade B maple syrup

- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

- 3 cups carrots, shredded

- 1 cup raisins

- 1 cup pecans 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon

3. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, maple syrup, and coconut oil

4. Add carrots, raisins, and pecans to the wet ingredients 

5. Mix wet and dry ingredients together and pour into a 9x12 baking dish

6. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean

7. Let cool, frost if you like, and enjoy!

  

  

Blueberry Peach Cobbler Crisp

I had to take a few days off from blogging after I had my first ever epic kitchen fail last week. I had dreamt up this creative beet chili recipe, and it was a complete disaster. I decided to pre-boil the beets a bit to soften them, and while I was on a 5-minute phone call, the beets absorbed 100% of the water in the pot, and burnt to a crisp. My entire apartment smelled like fiery beet smoke (not very inviting if you were wondering), and I even had to throw my pot away! I soaked and washed it multiple times and even put it through the dishwasher, but I think a layer of the pot itself burnt off, so I had to ditch it. Needless to say, I had some making up to do in the kitchen. 

I took a couple days off and then geared up for a ladies night potluck dinner party I threw last night. Ten wonderful ladies came over, and we had an amazing time. There was a recipe contest, and Sheena won with curried goat. It was my first time trying goat, and it was fantastic. Katherine's Moroccan chicken tagine was a close second - I will definitely be getting the recipes for both dishes and trying to recreate them. I was in charge of dessert, so I made a carrot cake (will be featured in a couple of days) and this blueberry peach concoction. My favorite farm at the Cambridge Winter Farmers Market occasionally has some summer staples that were picked fresh months ago and frozen to last through winter. I have missed out on the peaches every week until yesterday. I was so thrilled, and I decided to make a very summery dish. You can switch this up and use any fruit you have in season (apples, pears, cherries, etc.). This dish was a huge hit, and there wasn't an ounce left over. The peaches tasted insanely ripe, and they brought back amazing memories of my favorite meal of the summer up at Ryan's lake house when we made grilled peaches stuffed with prosciutto and fresh basil. Trust me when I tell you that you should make this cobbler. It is hands down my favorite paleo dessert to date. Summer will be here before we know it!

Blueberry Peach Cobbler Crisp: Serves 10, Prep time: 15 min, Cook time: 45 min

Ingredients:
- 6 peaches, sliced
- 3 cups blueberries
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla

- 2 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans

- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

- 1 Tbsp. cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp. salt

- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

- 1/4 cup organic grade B maple syrup

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Toss the fruit with the lemon juice and vanilla

3. Put fruit mixture in a 9x12 casserole dish

4. In a small bowl, combine almond flour, pecans, coconut flakes, cinnamon, salt, coconut oil, and maple syrup

5. Mix until well combined and then crumble topping over the fruit  (I used my hands)

6. Bake for 45 until fruit is bubbly and the top is golden brown

  

  

  

Paleo Chia Pudding

 24 hours until Mal's arrival! We haven't seen each other since July, so this reunion is long overdue. Mal hasn't even seen me since I started my paleo transformation, so she hasn't had the pleasure of tasting any of my new creations. I wanted to make sure she gets fed well when she arrives, so I cooked a great crockpot chicken recipe that I will post tomorrow, and I did my best attempt at "Rice Pudding" paleo style which is really chia seed coconut pudding. Back in the day in Stamford, Mal and I used to eat rice pudding every night after dinner together, so I thought I would finally try to recreate our favorite treat. The recipe is inspired from Deliciously Organic, and it came out great. The texture and flavor differ quite a bit from your standard rice pudding, but this is a simple and delicious dessert good for ice cream and rice pudding lovers like me!

Ingredients:

- 1 can coconut milk

- 1 Tbsp. vanilla

- 2 Tbsp. organic maple syrup

- 1/3 cup chia seeds

Instructions:

1. Whisk together coconut milk, vanilla, and syrup until well combined

2. Add chia seeds, and stir consistently for a few minutes so all seeds are coated

3. Let sit for 1-2 hours so the seeds can expand in the liquid. 

4. If you prefer it cold (I do), stick the mixture in the fridge or freezer. Note that this will significantly harden the pudding since the coconut milk solidifies at cold temperatures.

Cashew Raisin Paleo Bread!

One of the most common things people say to me about my paleo lifestyle is that they could never give up bread. I have actually been shocked how easy it has been to say no to the bread basket at restaurants and pass on sandwiches I used to order all the time. That being said, I do miss my favorite fruity/nutty breads, and I knew I could create a delicious paleo version to have once in a while. Raw cashews are my favorite because my grandma always had them in her house in Brooklyn when we went to visit. To this day, every single time I eat a raw cashew I can picture being in her house and seeing her smile knowing that we were eating one of her special treats (she loved to feed us). 

This is a simple, dense bread with just a hint of sweetness. You can omit the maple syrup, substitute it for honey, or use another sweetener of choice. I stored the bread in foil overnight after it cooled. It was much easier to slice on day two, so don't get frustrated!

Ingredients

- 1 cup almond flour

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1/2 tsp baking soda

- 1 Tbsp. cinnamon

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 1 Tbsp. all natural organic maple syrup (can also use raw honey)

- 3 eggs

- 1/2 cup cashews, chopped/crushed

- 1/2 cup raisins

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix all ingredients other than nuts and raisins

3. Fold in nuts and raisins

4. Put batter into a parchmont-paper lined loaf pan (you can also use a silicon loaf pan)

5. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick or fork comes out clean

6. Let sit for at least 10 minutes, then lift the paper out of the pan and remove your loaf

7. This bread is delicious plain but would be great to experiment with for sandwiches, toast with almond butter and/or fig jam, french toast, etc. Enjoy!