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!

  

  

Pomegranate Pecan Brussel Sprouts

My first memory of brussel sprouts was when my mom used to steam them in the microwave when I was a young kid, and the whole house would smell like sewage. I never understood how anyone could even taste such a foul-smelling food. Later in life I realized how amazing brussel sprouts are if you just roast them in the oven. I am still not sure what my mom was thinking back then, but the good news is that she roasts them now too! I can't get enough of these this year; at last night's Thanksgiving potluck, Chris made delicious roasted brussel sprouts with parsnips. It was such a great combination of flavors, and I will absolutely make those together soon. Last week on Thanksgiving, I wanted to make a sweet and savory side dish, so I decided on roasted brussel sprouts with toasted pecans and fresh pomegranate seeds. This was probably one of my favorite creations to date! Sorry to mom and Aunt Randi for giving them stomach aches for making such a delicious side dish... I didn't mean for them to eat so many!


Ingredients:
- A lot of brussel sprouts (filled up two 9x11 pans)
- Seeds from 2 pomegranates
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- Olive oil
- Sea salt, pepper, & garlic powder

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (convection if you have it)
2. Wash brussel sprouts, cut off the ends, and cut in half (keep all the leaves that fall off - these are the best part!)
3. Put the sprouts in a baking dish, and drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss until well combined.
4. Add pecans to the sprouts and mix
5. Bake for 20-30 minutes depending on your crispiness preference, stirring every 5-10 minutes
6. When sprouts come out of the oven, mix in the pomegranate seeds, and serve immediately

Sweet, Sweet Potato Pie

Are you ready for Hurricane Sandy? Apparently my office is closed tomorrow, and it is debatable if/how that affects me given that I work from home in another state. Regardless, I have my mini flashlight, some great smelling candles, and leftover sweet potato pie from tonight's paleo potluck, so I should be in good shape. 

The potluck was great, and we had quite a nice fall feast. I am looking forward to hosting more events and getting some cooking classes in the works. I think the applesauce, sweet potato pies, and the goodie bags were all a success. Great company as always!

In other exciting news, I upped my crossfit membership to 3x a week. Hopefully Sandy doesn't keep me away this week!

This recipe is straight from Paleo Comfort Foods, a fantastic cookbook my mom got me. I tweaked it a bit (removed the nutmeg and cut the honey in half), and it was wonderful. I highly recommend making one (or two) of these for Thanksgiving to switch out the standard pumpkin pie. Enjoy!

Nutty Crust

Ingredients:
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine almond flour, pecans and salt in a bowl
3. In a separate bowl, combine the coconut oil, honey, and vanilla
4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry until completely combined
5. Press the dough into a pie dish
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the crust is golden brown
7. Remove from the oven and put on a baking rack to cool. Make sure the crust cools completely before filling it

Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients:

- 2 cups sweet potatoes, peel, boiled, & mashed

- 1 Tbsp. coconut butter

- 2 eggs

- 1 tsp. cinnamon

- 1 tsp. baking soda

- 1 tsp. baking powder

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 2/3 cup coconut milk

- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

- 2 Tbsp. honey 

Instructions:

1. Prepare crust as outlined above

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

3. Mix sweet potatoes and coconut butter with electric mixer or in food processor

4. Add in eggs and mix until fluffy

5. In a separate bowl, combine cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt

6. Add dry mixture to sweet potatoes along with coconut milk and apple cider vinegar

7. Mix well and then add honey

8. Pour mixture into pie crust

9. Bake for 10 minutes, then lower the oven to 325 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes 

  

  

Crispy Apple Crisp

No (good) party or cooking class would be complete without a paleo dessert. I know some paleo followers stay away from paleo-ized versions of baked goods, but I personally like to indulge every once in a while. I created this apple crisp recipe, and you will see there is no honey, maple syrup, or sweetener. You can use those if you like, but I found that the sweetness of the baked apples was enough. Next time I will definitely need to make a little homemade paleo ice cream on the side for the full experience.

I did give the leftovers to my gracious hosts, but it is key to note that they could be eaten for breakfast without a single ounce of guilt. Check out the ingredients - you won't be disappointed!

Ingredients:

- 2 lbs. apples (about 6 small apples)

- 1 cup almond flour/meal

- 1/2 cup crushed pecans

- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

- 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. cinnamon 

- 2 tsp vanilla

- 1/3 cup coconut oil

- 1/2 lemon

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Chop apples (I left the skin on) and put in a big ziploc bag. Add lemon and 1 tsp. of the cinnamon. 

3. Shake the bag, and when evenly coated, arrange the apples in a pie dish or 9x9 pan

4. In a mixing bowl, mix almond flour, pecans, walnuts, and 1 Tbsp. of cinnamon

5. Add vanilla and coconut oil

6. Use your hands to fully combine the ingredients - you are looking for a somewhat soft/crumbly mixture. If it is too try, you may need to add another dollop of coconut oil

7. Pour topping mixture evenly over the apples

8. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes

9. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes to make your apple crisp nice and crispy

10. Serve plain or with some paleo ice cream