I’ve been craving some chocolate decadence lately, but with some of the weight I gained back recently (keeping weight off is HARD people), I wanted something with fewer calories and sugar but not miss an indulgent thing – as it should be, right?! I have high expectations. I also have lazy expectations, so I threw all the ingredients in the blender and created a crazy-good double chocolate decadent monster. Yep, in the blender, the one-stop-good-old-smoothie-making blender … quick and easy … guilt-free … mess-free … chocolate bliss … these muffins are a very delicious thing and so accommodating. 🙂
Asparagus Fennel Basil Soup (dairy free, gluten free, paleo, vegan friendly)
Most days, I find asparagus doesn’t need more than a simple steam or roasting, and usually my first inclination, but for Passover, I wanted something special. Something with a bright spring color, light enough to make room for the ridiculous amount of food I prepared, make ahead, and of course, better be delicious. With all the beautiful asparagus at the market, a velvety smooth soup was the obvious choice – spring flavors in a bowl!
Butternut Squash Gratin (dairy free, gluten free, grain free, soy free, vegan friendly)
Hey! Before we talk butternut squash things I wanted to share our Paleo experiment with you. Scroll down to the recipe if you came for the food. 🙂Remember back in September, I mentioned giving the Paleo diet a try? We did. Not die-hard though, more Paleo-ish, since I still used non-dairy cheese and cane sugar a few times a month to satisfy cravings and to keep pissed-off feelings to a minimum. Kidding aside, special needs inspires a very, very special love. I’m blessed to have two older sons’ who fully support our journey towards better health AND who are truly the best siblings and sons’ a Mom could ask for. This journey isn’t easy and their support for Mom’s trials and errors means the world to me.
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (gluten free, grain free, egg free, soy free, vegan)
Oh have I got a cake for you!
Carrot cake is an all-time favorite in my house and it’s about time I made it as a layer cake. If you have missed carrot cake you need this in your life – it’s a carrot cake lovers dream!
I usually make it as a quick and easy sheet cake but thought with my teenage son turning 16 (he LOVES carrot cake) last week why not make it fancy, shmancy for his birthday with layers and completely studded with pecans. My birthday boy was over-the-moon happy. He’s still a boy to me even though he’s nearly a head taller. I’ll admit this cake needs a good chunk of time but no need to reserve it at once – I never do. I made the frosting a couple of days prior, baked and chilled the cake the day before his birthday and assembled the cake the morning of his birthday while he was sleeping (until noon!) then hid it away in our garage fridge and managed to get a few photos before we dug in. And what better for Easter OR Passover? Actually, any day is a good day for carrot cake. No?
Broccoli salad with Tahini Honey Dressing (gluten free, dairy free, paleo friendly, nut free, refined sugar free, vegan friendly)
Although hearty cold salads are a staple at summer picnics and outdoor gatherings, you shouldn’t wait that long to try this broccoli salad slathered with a creamy tangy kick-ass tahini honey dressing that has, what some may call, the boring broccoli, doing cartwheels. And just look at those bright colors – hello happy school or work lunches!
Sweet and Sour Meatballs over Cabbage, a modern take on stuffed cabbage (dairy free, gluten free, nightshade free, paleo friendly, soy free)
It’s been about four years since removing tomato, after discovering three out of four of my sons’ no longer can tolerate it. The high level of phenols affects my twin boys’ and my teenager gets sneezing episodes and eczema symptoms the next day. Plus, with arthritis prominent on both sides of my family and having recovered from fibromyalgia, we are all better off without it. But that doesn’t mean we need to give up one of our favorite sauces. Tomato shmotato! The marinara sauce for this sweet and sour meatballs kicks tomato in the butt. It took a dozen attempts to get it just right, but finally, finally think this is it. It’s freaky how similar this tastes to the real thing.
Nightshade Free Marinara Sauce (gluten free, dairy free, soy free, nut free, refined sugar free)
To all who have a sensitivity to nightshades and tomato have I got a marinara sauce for you! This has brought on so many new recipes and I’m thrilled to be sharing this with you – oh the possibilities! After many attempts, this sauce is bound to trick your taste buds. Use it for pizza, quesadillas, pasta dishes, lasagna, stews, anything that calls for tomato or marinara sauce. No more missing out on your favorite dishes. The recipes makes 5 cups that goes pretty quickly in my large household but can easily be halved if needed and freezes well too!
{Paleo Friendly} Ginger Spice Cookies (gluten free, grain free, dairy free, egg free, soy free, vegan)
When I think about how changes like subbing flours, use of fat, or even as small as reducing a baking soda amount can make a baking recipe quicker, easier, and better, then I am up for the challenge. Especially so with my ginger cookies. We can’t live without these things and since we are giving grains a break until the end of the month, I gave them a makeover. These are a chunkier, thicker paleo version of the original that has me over-the-moon-excited over how freakin good it is.
Kale Fennel Cauliflower Hot Dish (gluten free, dairy free, paleo, soy free, vegan)
Dropping in briefly today to share a quick hot dish that makes a lovely dinner or side during this holiday week. It’s one of those throw-together meals that’s versatile (try mushrooms, swiss chard, parsnips, what have you), reheats like a dream, easily doubles or triples the recipe, and comes to the rescue when you need to feed your more-than-usual crowd pre-Thanksgiving. It’s a hot-dish hero I tell ya!
Sweet Potatoes with Pecan Syrup (gluten free, dairy free, paleo, soy free, vegan)
I guess you could say this is a short-cut version of a sweet potato mash. Kinda sorta. As much as I love making a big family-style casserole dish, I don’t enjoy the extra prep work of chopping, boiling, mashing – you get the idea. And if we took a minute to discuss the boiling part, I would say we then need to add sugar, fat and ‘cream’ to bring back the flavor we lost in the orange-tinged water left behind.