Monkey Bread

Prior to this, I had never made "monkey bread" before, I had tried it once at a friend's house growing up and my husband had grown up with it and loved it.  Obviously, the original was is soooo unhealthy so I researched and found a better version and tweaked it myself.  Here it is-fun for a Christmas morning treat!

1 package immaculate baking company biscuits/trader joes dough mix (anything decent)
2 Tbsp. coconut palm sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup unsweet applesauce
1/4 cup melted organic butter
1/4 pure maple syrup

1.  Cut the dough into small, bite size pieces.
2.  Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and dip each dough piece into the mixture to coat (you might even be able to skip the sugar and just use cinnamon).
3.  Place the coated pieces in a baking dish/I used a pyrex 8 x 8
4.  Mix melted butter, applesauce, and syrup together and cover evenly.
5.  Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees and enjoy!

My husband and daughter loved these, I still thought they were a bit too sweet but tasty!

Roasted Mushrooms with herbs

This is a yummy side dish (and could really be done with any vegetables)!

1 cup cremini mushrooms, washed and sliced
1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, washed and sliced
1/4 cup coconut oil/olive oil/grapeseed oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh herbs (thyme, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, anything you like

Mix and spread on a large cookie/baking sheet and roast at 350 for 20-30 minutes stirring once in the middle.

Our family loves mushrooms so this is a great one for us, we also like them grilled.  If you do not like mushrooms you could try cauliflower, sweet potatoes, carrots, broccoli, anything else!

Grain-Free Chocolate Cupcakes

I got this recipe idea from elanaspantry.com.  She is awesome and I have gotten many great ideas from this site!  I made these for a Halloween party treat and everyone loved them!

Cupcakes:
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
4 organic eggs
1/4 cup melted coconut oil (butter should work too)
1/3 cup raw honey (I would guess maple syrup would be yummy too)

Whisk together ingredients in order until completely combined.  Fill each muffin liner with about 1/4 cup batter (mine made 11 cupcakes and I used Halloween themed liners).  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes.

Frosting:
1 cup dark chocolate chips (I used 70%)
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Melt chocolate and coconut oil over low heat in a small saucepan.  Stir in vanilla extract.  Place frosting in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes to thicken.  Remove from refrigerator and whip frosting with a hand mixer until thick and fluffy.  Frost over cupcakes and enjoy!  Mine were very gooey so I refrigerated them until the party!  But, the kids especially thought that gooey was awesome!

Minestrone

The weather is getting cooler and Fall is definitely upon us (if you ask my husband and daughter, they say Winter is coming).  I made this soup with frozen farmer's market veggies so it's fresh and tasty!  You could add/edit vegetables or add quinoa or pasta or rice-really, go crazy!

1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. onion powder
1 T garlic flakes (or diced fresh)
2 cups diced carrots
1 cup diced eggplant
1 cup diced zucchini
3-4 cups diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning Mix
1-2 fresh rosemary spriggs
1-2 cups water (depending on how saucy you like it)
1 can organic kidney beans

Mix together and simmer on low for 4-6 hours.  Enjoy!

Stuffed Mushrooms

I forgot to take a picture, but these were super yummy!  I made them tonight with some other appetizer-type foods (bbq meatballs, mexican layer dip) for Monday Night Football!  They were light and tasty!

Large Mushrooms (I made a dozen of them or so)
1 small carrot, shredded
1/2 cup spinach, diced
1/4 sweet onion
2 cloves garlic
Seasoning of choice (I used italian seasoning mix and sea salt)
coconut oil
Organic Parmesan, shredded
2 Tbsp. bread crumbs (I used ezekial bread broken up, just a bit)
Raw, Organic Cheddar (optional)

1.  Remove stems from mushrooms and dice.  Saute' diced mushroom stems, shredded carrots, onions, and garlic in the coconut oil for 4-5 minutes.
2.  Add Diced spinach and saute' until soft and cooked through.
3.  Remove from heat and mix well with Parmesan, seasonings, and bread crumbs.
4.  Use a small spoon to stuff each mushroom cap with mixture.
(Top with organic, raw cheddar if using)
5.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until soft and cheese is melted!

Healthier Apple Crisp

We love Apple Crisp and I have tried to make versions without sugar but they lack that "crisp" that sugar brings, so this one is a better version-not perfect but better!

5-6 diced apples
3 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
2 tsp. cinnamon

*Stir together and add to 8 x 8 glass pyrex

Topping:
1.5 cups whole oats (gluten-free and organic if possible)
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup coconut palm brown sugar (found in most stores, lower glycemic index)
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
6 Tbsp. melted organic butter or coconut oil
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1tsp. vanilla

*Stir together and spread on top.
*Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until apples are soft and top is crispy!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

 I was very skeptical of this, I kept finding recipes for different cauliflower crusts and waited a while to experiment-I thought there was no way it could be tasty.  I was wrong!  It was good, and better yet it left me wanting more (instead of the usual regret after eating typical pizza).  My only regret was that I did not have very much cauliflower and only made a small pizza...so be warned, I would double this recipe for a typical family because I wanted lots more!  Search cauliflower pizza crust if you need to see more pics!

1/2 head cauliflower (1 cup)-grated/food processed very tiny
1/4 cup organic parmesan shredded cheese
1/4 cup organic, raw cheddar cheese shredded
2 Tbsp. Almond Flour
1 Tbsp. MILA chia seed (helps hold the dough together)
1 organic egg
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 T fresh basil, diced
1 tsp. italian seasoning
1 T olive oil (for brushing on top)

1.  Combine ingredients in a bowl-will be crumbly.
2.  Spread (with your hands) on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet.
3.  Pre-bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes or until edges are browning.
4.  Add your favorite toppings-I added Eden Organic Pizza Sauce (no sugar), sauteed mushrooms, diced chicken sausages, and raw, organic jack cheese.
5.  Broil for 5-7 minutes or until done!