Cinnamon Bread

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Bread is something that can be hard to replace when you either have to be gluten-free, or just trying to eat less and healthier.

This is a lovely go-to recipe, that is easy for an on-the-go breakfast.  Most people rarely eat breakfast at home, and are always looking for something to grab to eat at work.  Next time I make this, I’m using some of it for a cinnamon raisin bread pudding that my friend shared with me.  (the ends of the loaf are a bit tough, so another use for them is key… I would look into bread pudding or french toast)

1 jar of almond butter ( or 2 cups ) – it really is a 16 oz jar.  Yikes.

1 1/2 cups almond flour (I substituted and did HALF almond meal, and HALF almond flour)

4 eggs

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp sea salt

OPTIONAL- 3/4 cup raisins

Now, a food processor is probably easiest.  Mixing it with an electric beater (as it was the only thing I had.  I still would have preferred the food processor. one of these days) was fine.  Mix everything together (except the raisins).  If the dough is dry, add a little of melted coconut oil until you get a good dough consistency.  Fold in the raisins if you want to go that route.

Grease a loaf pan with some coconut oil, and scrape the dough into the pan, smoothing out the top.

Bake for 45 min-1 hour at 350 degrees.  The toothpick test works every time.  I believe it took mine just 45 minutes.  It will cook some more as it rests on a cooling rack.  pre-slice it and store in an airtight container for about a week.

 

Happy Baking!

Cheesy Cauliflower

https://instagram.com/p/1HKBxTiFlW/

What is really better than cheese?

I have been eating more cauliflower lately, in different ways (riced and mashed) and so when one of my favorite blogs, ABeautifulMess.com, put up this recipe, I figured it was a must.  It ended up being one of our Easter side dishes.  It is super easy to doctor up the recipe to be gluten-free friendly.

Their pictures are a lot better than mine *hides*

http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2015/03/cheesy-baked-cauliflower.html

It is simply making a cheese sauce, pouring it over chopped up cauliflower (after blanching it for 2 minutes), and topping it with some form of bread crumbs and parsley.  Use Trader Joe’s Almond Meal in place of bread crumbs.  Season the almond meal anyway you’d like.  Can’t go wrong with thyme and sage.  Bake it at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until it is brown and bubbly.

You won’t even realize that it is a vegetable that you are eating.

Tuna Salad Wraps + Sweet Potato Fries/Chips

https://instagram.com/p/1PIUCuiFpT/

One thing that I am always looking for are easy things to take to work for lunch.  Sandwiches are always my go-to.  I have been trying to eat less bread, and had been trying to find the perfect greens for wraps.  The latest book that I got mentioned collard greens.  Now, even though I live in the south, I have never been a fan of collard greens.  It might just be because the preferred way of eating them around here is cooked.  Cooked collard greens just don’t look appealing to me.  I figured I would get some for these wraps and give it a go.  I’m not really a picky eater anymore and will try almost anything.  Besides i read somewhere that even if you didn’t like something before, you have to try it again because your taste buds change constantly.

Now I know what you are thinking… tuna salad.  The easiest thing to make.
Just open the can of tuna and add:

diced onion (probably just a quarter of an onion) ~ 1/4 cup

diced celery (a couple of stalks) ~ 1/4 cup

shredded carrots ~ 1/4 cup

1 tsp of dijon mustard (I used the whole grain dijon from Trader Joes)

relish (sweet, dill, whatever you prefer) ~ 2 tbsp

mayonnaise, obviously.  use how much you like your tuna.

salt and pepper to taste

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one of my go-to sides is to cut up a sweet potato.  usually in matchsticks, but this time I did slices.    You will want to soak the cut potatoes in cold water for 30 min-hour.  It is okay if you don’t, they just won’t get as crispy as you may like.

Toss the sweet potatoes with oil (grapeseed, olive oil, etc), sea salt, pepper, and coconut flour.  Bake at 425 degrees for 20-ish minutes, turning them over about halfway through.  Go longer or shorter on the time depending on your preference.

A collection of recipes for me

This is simply a place where I can share recipes that I have tried. I like to adapt recipes from books and the internet. While I will read paleo recipes, I am only 80/20 because it is just more attainable. I like cheese. I like wine.  Some recipes are paleo, with substitutions with real cheese or milk for example, or some recipes are not paleo but with gluten free substitutions.  There is no rhyme or reason to the types of recipes.  Sometimes i will be lunch/dinner, breakfast or even desserts.  I have a big sweet tooth and I am always looking for guilt-free desserts to try.