Buttercups of the Peanut Variety

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (makes 4 large cups)

Chocolate Ingredients:

• 4 T cacao
• 4 T coconut oil, melted
• 2 T grade B maple syrup

Peanut Butter Filling:

• 3-4 T peanut butter (without oil added, I love Santa Cruz)
• Optional: 1/2 tsp raw honey for added sweetness

Directions:

1. Mix chocolate sauce in a bowl until smooth.
2. In a small or large cupcake baking cup, pour enough chocolate sauce in it to cover the bottom. Placing your cups in cupcake pan will help keep the roundness. Freeze for 5-10 minutes until hardened.
3. Dollop peanut butter onto frozen chocolate base. (Make as thick as you want, I used about 1 T per cup.)
4. Top with chocolate sauce until peanut butter is covered and freeze for 5-10 minutes.
5. Store in the freezer for a harder cup or the fridge for a softer one.

You really cannot go wrong with the mixture so feel free to use different molds and/or change the filling type or quantity. Any oil-free nut butter can be substituted (cashew, almond, walnut, coconut) – even non-nut butters like sunflower butter would be great. Eating 1/2 of 1 cup was plenty to satisfy my sweet tooth at that crucial moment. As we approach the end of the 4th sugar-free month I can gladly say I’ve had a few slips and the resulting headaches really keep me honest! With tricks like these up my sleeve I’m not afraid of being refined-sugar free forever.

Kaleprese Pasta Salad

I’m trying to find more ways to sneak healthy greens into everyday foods other than the cooked way. I am just not a fan of warm squishy greens – but more power to you if you do! For those of you who need a boat load of sauce or dominant flavoring I think you’ll be more than surprised at this awesome pasta salad. The kale is actually a pleasant addition to one of my favorite ‘salad’ flavors – Caprese and it’s dairy-free too.

Kaleprese Pasta Salad

• 1 12 oz. package cooked gluten-free pasta (brown rice, quinoa, etc.)
• 10 oz. grape tomatoes, diced
• 1/8 tsp pink salt
• 2 T basil, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped dino/tuscan kale (~3 leaves)
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder, optional
• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large cloves garlic (save 1/2 tsp finely minced)
• 3 T fresh lemon juice (~1/2+ lemon) white balsamic vinegar might be ok here
• 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and cooled (350° for 10 mins – flip 1/2 way)
• 1/3-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/8 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 cup basil
• 1/4 tsp raw honey, optional
• Optional: mozzarella or parmesan

Directions:

1. It’s easy to cook the pasta while making the rest of the salad, or you can make in advance.
2. In a bowl mix the tomatoes, salt, and 2 T basil. Allow to sit and drain before adding to pasta.
3. In another bowl mix kale, garlic powder (if using) and 1 T olive oil. Massage kale with oil until softened.
4. In a blender combine garlic, lemon juice, walnuts, 1/3-1/2 cup olive oil (enough to cover the blades), thyme, red pepper flakes, white pepper, honey and basil. Blend until almost smooth and all ingredients are well blended.
5. Pour the dressing onto the pasta and mix, then add the kale, remaining garlic and tomatoes. Mix well and cool before serving.
6. Optional: add mozzarella or parmesan.

Check out this other kale salad recipe and learn more about this awesome veggie! You can also try other veggies like arugula, spinach, dandelion greens or chard. Why stop there? Add green beans, peas, broccoli – anything you like! This is one easy way to enjoy eating your vegetables.

Call Off the Search for Shortcake

The berries are here and just in time for all of the 4th of July-themed foods! Isn’t it just a beautiful site? I recently purchased my first flat of berries which left a giant strawberry shortcake-sized hole in my heart. I loved Hostess shortcake as a kid, but that food isn’t an option today. In 2 days we will be refined-sugar free for 3 months with 9 to go, so finding this cupcake recipe by Pretty in Primal was icing on the proverbial cake. The texture of the cake is spongy and moist, either right out of the oven or a few days later. I cut one in half, placed sliced strawberries on top and took a bite. Then I ran to give Jon his half so he could meet me in the kitchen to fight over the remaining cakes.

I count my blessings one survived.

Paleo Shortcake

• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup coconut milk (one without additives; coconut and water only)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup granulated maple sugar
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or omit maple sugar and use 1/2 cup coconut sugar)
• 1/2 cup fine almond meal (or blanched almond flour)
• 1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted
• 1/4 tsp pink salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. In one large bowl, mix all ingredients together with a handheld immersion blender, mixer or fork. Sifting your coconut flour will eliminate chunks of the dense flour-trust me.
3. Line 10 cups in a muffin pan and fill 3/4 with batter.
4. Bake for 28-30 minutes until golden brown (and you can hardly stand it).
5. Cut them in half and serve with sliced farm-fresh strawberries if you can! If you’re not sugar-free then try a cool whip-like topping called Tru Whip which uses non-hydrogenated oils (trans fats).

One Paleo shortcake: 4 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 5 g protein, 9 g carbs, and 130 calories per muffin (using coconut sugar).

One Hostess shortcake: 0 g fiber, 12 g sugar, 1 g protein, 20 g carbs  and 110 calories.