Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Macaroons

So these cookies...they're good. I mean reeeeeeally good. I guess they're not technically macaroons, since I added oats, but they're close.

And they're chock full of coconut. Coconut flour, coconut milk, coconut oil, coconut sugar...yessss! It's like someone dissected a coconut & put it back together in cookie form. Plus they added chocolate. What's not to love?

As cookies go, these are also pretty darn healthy. They have minimal sugar, all of which is un-refined. Coconut sugar is actually low-glycemic & full of nutrients (especially trace minerals). So while yes, it's still sugar, it's a much better option than most.

Maybe we can have these for breakfast then! I bet they'd be good crumbled over oatmeal or with a smoothie (like my Berry Boost Smoothie).

If you're gluten-free, you can use gluten-free oats & then you're all set. 

One more thing - the chocolate chips make the cookies. Just do it! 

Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Macaroons
Adapted from The Lemon Bowl
Makes about 24 cookies
Easily made gluten free

2 eggs

¼ c coconut oil, melted

¼ c coconut sugar

½ c coconut milk (or almond milk)

1 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt

1 c coconut flour

1 c rolled oats, gluten free if necessary

⅓ c mini semi-sweet chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 375*F. Coat 2 baking sheets with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, coconut oil, coconut sugar, coconut milk, vanilla, & salt. Once mixed well, stir in coconut flour, oats, & chocolate chips. Allow batter to sit for 4-5 minutes to thicken.

Use a cookie scoop or round tablespoon measure to scoop out dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12 minutes or until browned. Cookies will be soft, but do not over bake. Remove from oven & allow to cool on baking sheet for about 6 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Zucchini Baked Oatmeal with Fruit

It's zucchini season at last! I look forward to this time of year. I love zucchini pretty much any way it's prepared. This breakfast is a great way to add some vegetables to your breakfast. It's a healthy alternative to zucchini bread & uses a whole zucchini, so if you're not in to eating zucchini in savory recipes, this is a perfect way to use up your surplus.

Since I like to top my oatmeal with fruit & peanut butter, I kept this recipe simple. It doesn't have any sugar, so it's the perfect template for loads of fruit. I topped mine with half a banana, half a peach, a handful of blueberries, & a spoonful of peanut butter. W had the same fruits, but had Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter instead of pb. (I bought him this for his birthday because the boy is obsessed with Nutella, which is pretty unhealthy, whereas the Justin's brand is mostly hazelnuts instead of sugar. He likes it just as much!)

I don't have the patience to stir a pot of oats, so I love making baked oatmeal instead. This isn't like the baked oatmeal you get at a restaurant, it's more like a hybrid of stove-top & baked. It's firmer than stove-top oats, but has a similar flavor profile. Typical baked oatmeal is often full of sugar, making it a less healthy option. This is flavored mostly by the cinnamon instead of sugar.

If you're baking zucchini bread or roasting some veggies, mix this up & throw it in the oven, too. You'll have breakfast ready for the whole week & you barely lifted a finger.

Seasonal, simple & delicious! Enjoy!

Zucchini Baked Oatmeal with Fruit

Vegan & Gluten Free (if using GF oats)

Serves 6

2 c shredded zucchini (from 1 large zucchini)

2 c rolled oats (gluten free if necessary)

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 T ground flax seed

pinch of salt

2 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)

2 c water

Fruit of choice, such as bananas, blueberries, peaches, strawberries, etc. (optional)

Nut butter of choice (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray an 8"x8" baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together zucchini, oats, cinnamon, flax seed, & salt. Add milk & water, stirring to combine. Pour mixture into prepared baking pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until all of the liquid has absorbed & the oatmeal is firm. Allow to cook for 15 minutes before slicing. Top with fruit & nut butter. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Note:

This can be made ahead of time & reheated in the oven, or portioned out & reheated in the toaster oven or microwave. I like to make it over the weekend, then divide it into 6 servings & reheat each day throughout the week for a quick breakfast.

Blueberry Muffin Ice Cream

I'm a die-hard chocolate ice cream fan. To the point of being obnoxious about it, I'll admit. I do not want vanilla ice cream, & get very upset when it somehow ends up in my bowl, especially when I thought what I ordered what chocolate & was led astray.

This ice cream, however, is a game changer. I saw the idea for it on Jessica's blog & couldn't get it out of my head. Her recipe calls for heavy cream & whole milk, both ingredients that I don't eat, but I had this feeling that I could do something similar with canned coconut milk. I probably considered making this for over a month, all the while knowing that I had 6 blueberry muffins waiting in my freezer. It was the perfect coincidence. I had to make this. 

It was far better than I expected it to be! While it does take some time (especially if you have to bake the muffins first), it's totally worth it! It's just the right amount of sweet, perfectly creamy, & chock full of blueberry muffin chunks.

This spells summer to me. You have to try it! And if you don't have an ice cream maker, this just might be the reason you needed to go out & get one. I got the KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment for my birthday last year. It was really the gift that keeps on giving because not only do I get to enjoy making  healthified ice cream, we also get to eat it! I store the bowl in my freezer, just in case, because it must be frozen for a full day (15 hours, I think) before you can actually make ice cream. You just never know when the mood will strike! Anyway, if you don't have an ice cream maker & don't want to buy one, find a friend who has one. :-)

Blueberry Muffin Ice Cream
Adapted from How Sweet Eats
Serves 6-8
Easily made vegan & gluten free

2 T unsweetened original almond milk
1 1/2 T cornstarch
3 T cream cheese, room temperature (use vegan cream cheese if necessary)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 3/4 c unsweetened original almond milk
1 1/2 c light coconut milk (1 can)
2/3 c evaporated cane juice (or regular sugar)*
2 T agave nectar 
1 T vanilla extract
6 of your favorite blueberry muffins (I made these - they're gluten free & yummy)

Whisk together that cornstarch & 2 tablespoons of almond milk in a small bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, salt, & cinnamon with a fork. Set aside.

Pour 1 3/4 cups almond milk, coconut milk, sugar, vanilla, & agave into a large saucepan. Whisk together, then cook over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a low boil. Stir often, simmering for 4-5 minutes. Slowly drizzle in the cornstarch mixture, whisking constantly. Continue to simmer for another 2 minutes, then remove from heat. Pour about 1/3 of mixture into the bowl with the cream cheese. Whisk together until cream cheese melts. Pour remaining mixture into the bowl, whisking until it is all smoothly blended together.

Clear a spot in your freezer large enough for a 9x9 baking pan. Pour ice cream mixture into the pan & freeze for about 1 hour. Once it is cooled completely, pour into ice cream maker & churn according to manufacturer's instructions. Using the KitchenAid attachment, mine took about 20 minutes to change to ice cream. Crumble 3 muffins & add to ice cream. Continue to churn for about 2 minutes, or until well mixed. Put ice cream back into the 9x9 baking pan & fold in remaining 3 crumbled muffins. Place a layer of plastic wrap on the surface of the ice cream to keep it from forming ice crystals. Cover pan with foil (or I used one of those elastic plastic covers that look like hairnets). Freeze for 2 hours, or overnight. The longer you wait, the harder the ice cream will be, so judge accordingly.

*When I make this again, I'll probably only use 1/3-1/2 cup sugar. We loved it, but I doubt we would have noticed if there was less sugar, and that would make it a healthier treat. You may also want to vary the amount of sugar depending on the muffin recipe you use - the one I used was very low in sugar, but if you use one with high sugar content, it may add enough sweetness to really cut back even more on the sugar in the ice cream. Part of the flavor comes from the sugar caramelizing while it cooks with the milks, so don't eliminate it!

Easy Three Bean Salad

 

Here's a perfect kick-off to summer recipe for you! It's healthy, filling, & delicious.

 For those of you with plenty of potluck picnics to attend, this is just the thing to bring. It can be eaten cold or at room temperature. No mayo or eggs to worry about spoiling in the heat.

It's also very easy to make & suits many allergies/dietary restrictions. It's vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, & dairy-free! What more could you want from a simple side dish? You can even make it a quick weeknight dinner by pairing it with a green salad and some hearty bread.

My mom made a lot of bean salad when I was growing up. She's the one who gave me this recipe, but I made a few tweaks. The main change was to take out the green beans. They aren't my favorite veggie, so while I do enjoy green beans in some ways (like grilled!), I don't like them in bean salad. However, if you are a green bean lover, feel free to add in about 1 cup of lightly steamed 1 inch pieces.



Easy Three Bean Salad
Serves 8-10

1.5 c cooked kidney beans (or 1 15 oz. can, rinsed & drained)
1.5 c cooked chickpeas (or 1 15 oz. can, rinsed & drained)
1.5 c frozen lima beans, thawed
1/2 of a yellow or white onion, minced finely
1/2 of a green bell pepper, diced finely
1/3 c sucanat or coconut sugar (or substitute with brown sugar)
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 c apple cider vinegar

Mix together all three kinds of beans, onion, bell pepper, sucanat, salt, & pepper. Pour apple cider vinegar over mixture & stir until coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving to allow flavors to meld. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Note: This salad lasts quite awhile when covered & stored in the refrigerator. I like to make a batch to go with lunches & it's perfect for 2 people for at least a week.

Broccoli & Chickpea Stir-Fry

I know stirfry is pretty normal. It's quick, easy, & adaptable to what you have in the fridge. This particular version is a standard for us, & it's gluten free! While we do eat a lot of gluten free meals, by nature, it is a challenge to make sure that nothing has gluten in it. There are a lot of unsuspecting products (like soy sauce) that have wheat in them. I've been using Bragg Liquid Aminos for awhile now anyway, but when I was going through our cupboards, I found an old bottle of soy sauce that has gluten in it.

 I've been doing a gluten free diet experiment to see how my body reacts, if at all. So far, I don't notice much difference, but we will see when I re-introduce it. In case you're wondering, I'm doing this experiment for health reasons, as I hope to work on healing my thyroid.

One of the easiest dishes to prepare gluten free is a stirfry. They are usually served with rice anyway, so as long as none of the other ingredients have gluten in them, you're in the clear without even realizing its gluten free at all!

So as a quick, gluten free meal, we had some delicious stir-fry over the weekend! I'm in love with rice noodles. I love how they soak up the flavors from the sauce & are soft in texture, a great contrast to the crunch of the veggies. The chickpeas add a different texture, too, plus some staying power to the dish.

Bup likes a zillion noodles with his. :-)

I hope you'll try this! It's filling, nourishing, & most importantly, delicious!

Broccoli & Chickpea Stirfry over Rice Noodles

Serves 4

Gluten Free, Vegan option

1 onion, sliced

1 bell pepper, chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

1 carrot, chopped into rounds

5 button mushrooms, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 head broccoli, cut into florets & stems peeled, sliced & chopped

1 1/2 c chickpeas (14 oz. can)

1/2 c Bragg Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce, gluten free if necessary)

2 T rice vinegar

1 T organic ketchup

1 T lime juice

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. honey (or agave syrup for vegan option)

1 8 oz. package brown rice noodles (I used Annie Chun's Maifun Gluten Free Brown Rice Noodles)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil in preparation for cooking the rice noodles. While it comes to a boil, prepare stirfry as follows.

In a large non-stick pan or wok, cook onion until softened over medium heat (about 4 minutes). Add bell pepper, jalapenos, carrot, mushrooms, and broccoli stems. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes. While veggies are cooking, prepare sauce by whisking together Braggs, rice vinegar, ketchup, lime juice, salt, ginger, and honey. Pour sauce into the wok, then add broccoli florets and chickpeas. Stir to combine, then cook for 5 minutes or until broccoli is lightly steamed and mixture is heated through.

Prepare rice noodles according to package directions. Divide noodles into four bowls and top each with 1/4 of the stirfry. Serve immediately.

Buckwheat Pesto Salad

This stuff is delicious! It's my first experience with using buckwheat in a savory dish & I'll definitely be using it more in the future. Cooked whole buckwheat groats have a consistancy similar to rice, with the slight chew, & it has a nuttier of flavor.

I first discovered buckwheat groats through another blog I read, Edible Perspective. Ashley introduced me to Buckwheat Bakes (like this Zucchini Bread Buckwheat Bake) as a breakfast item & I really like them! They're very filling & last me through the morning without hunger pains.

When I started making the bakes, I needed to purchase raw buckwheat groats. They were not available in our local stores, so I bought a multi-pack box from Amazon.com. That was best price I found & I knew I'd use them all! The basis for this recipe was on the back of the Bob's Red Mill bag.

Buckwheat is a fairly uncommon food to cook with. It's a little misleading, because while it has "wheat" in the name, it's actually not wheat at all. It's gluten-free, in fact! Even though it's used like a grain, it's actually a seed. It's also high in protein, manganese, magnesium & fiber. Lots of healthy goodness here!

We'll be enjoying this alongside leftovers or with a big salad. I hope you try it!

Buckwheat Pesto Salad
Adapted from Bob's Red Mill
Serves 6-8

1 c Buckwheat Groats
2-1/2 c water
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 Batch Parsley Walnut Pesto
4 cloves garlic
1/4 c fresh basil
1/2 c chopped Walnuts
1 c freshley grated Parmesan cheese

 

In a medium saucpan, bring water and salt to a boil. Add buckwheat groats, cover, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from stove and leave covered for 5 minutes. Remove lid & fluff with fork.

 

In the meantime, make your parsley walnut pesto. Clean out the food processor and pulse the garlic cloves a few times to chop. Add basil & pulse again until it is chopped and mixed with the garlic.

 

Mix olive oil, parsley pesto, and the garlic-basil together. Stir this into the cooked buckwheat groats. Add walnuts and parmesan cheese. Salt to taste, if needed. Serve warm, or refrigerate in a sealed container & serve cold. It's great both ways!

Vegetable Millet Salad

Even though fall feels like it is officially here, our garden still thinks it's summer. We're still harvesting bell peppers, tomatoes, chard, kale, basil, and oregano. Soon, the turnips & beets will be ready, and another row of spinach is growing quickly.

I'm completely ready to start eating pumpkin & apple everything, but I still want the summer flavors for as long as possible.

We have purple & green bell peppers, so I used one of each for this recipe. The jalapeno is from my in-laws' garden and the onion is from ours. Both the carrot and garlic are store bought, though. Mom did grow garlic up at the cabin, though!

Later this afternoon we're heading to a house warming party that's about 1.5 hours away, so I wanted to bring something that wouldn't spoil in the car and would be tasty at room temperature. This medley has a lot of health benefits, of course from the veggies, but also from the millet. 

Millet is a great source of manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium. This gluten free grain also aids in heart health, repairing of body tissues, preventing gallstones, and providing fiber in the diet. 

Added bonus: it's cheap, and quick & easy to cook!

Vegetable Millet Salad
Serves 8-10

1 c millet
2 1/4 c water
1/4 tsp salt
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 T minced garlic
1 jalapeno, seeded & chopped
3/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 c fresh oregano (or 1 T dried)
3 T white balsamic vinegar

In a small saucepan over medium heat, lightly toast millet to bring out its flavors. Once the millet releases an aroma, add water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes or until water is completely absorbed.

Combine all vegetables in a non-stick skillet and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Vegetables should still be crisp but no longer raw. Add pepper, salt and cooked millet. Stir to combine. Sprinkle with fresh oregano and drizzle white balsamic vinegar on top. Serve hot, if desired, or refrigerate and serve cold.