http://www.thenondairyqueen.com/2010/04/almond-buckwheat-pancakes-with-coconut.html

Almond Buckwheat Pancakes with Coconut Cream and Strawberries

The upstairs air conditioner is still broken!  Downstairs is cool since we have a unit down there, but when I bake, all the heat comes upstairs and melts the illustrator's brain while he is trying to work.  So, I was asked ever so nicely not to bake today.  Well, I really wanted something fluffy and tasty!  So, I said pancakes it is.  The illustrator said that he would do his eggs, potato and ham, so I should not bother with making some kind of gluten free pancake for him.  He was just not in the mood.  What?  Not in the mood for fluffy goodness?  I could not imagine.  Oh well, his loss... So, I have some almond flour from JK Gourmet that I got a while back and I made pancakes with it in the past, but I wanted to see if I could make them even better. When I am looking at gluten free flours, I always start reading the nutritional information.  Since JK Gourmet's almond flour is just blanched ground almonds it is loaded with vitamins and minerals!  I was really excited to get in the kitchen and play with some pancakes knowing I was about to make some super high protein vitamin packed goodness.  I know, I am weird like that...I have to make something healthy even if I think I am splurging on something as simple as a pancake.  This time I was focusing on making them fluffier, so I added some beaten egg whites along with buckwheat flour to give it some chew. I happened to pick up some amazing strawberries on sale at the store today too.  Totally NOT a coincidence.    As soon as I saw these, I knew I wanted a strawberry shortcake of some sort.  I did not have any dairy free ice cream (my favorite way to eat strawberry shortcake), so I started looking around at my options.  I saw the coconut flour in the pantry and thought the flavor would be a great addition to this concoction I was making, so I started mixing...um, YUM!  Perfect! (Check out the fluff) These were so moist and chewy.  The illustrator was making his savory mess, when he looked over and asked if these were gluten free.  Ha, I knew he would want them if he saw them!  I take it as a compliment too when he can't tell if they look gluten free or not! This was the illustrator's dessert.  We both had to stop ourselves from eating them!  Can you believe these are gluten free and they bend like that?  Not crumbly at all! I would say this is a going in the keeper jar! Almond Buckwheat Pancakes with Coconut Cream and Strawberries 3/4 cup (3oz) JK Gourmet almond flour 1/3 cup buckwheat flour 3/4 cup egg whites 2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 cup almond milk 20 drops Vanilla NuNaturals Stevia (or 1 TBSP sweetener of choice) 1/2 cup egg whites 1/4 tsp cream of tarter Put almond flour thru stevia in a food processor and mix thoroughly.  Let this sit while you whip up the 1/2 cup egg whites and cream of tartar to soft peaks.  Pour the almond flour mixture into the whipped egg whites and fold the mixture together.  You don't have to be too careful with it.  Cook on a preheated electric skillet coated with cooking spray.  I used a quarter cup scoop and flipped them when they formed bubbles.  Make sure you keep the pancakes smaller so they can cook thru without burning. Coconut Cream 3 TBSP coconut flour 6 TBSP almond milk 15 drops Vanilla NuNaturals Stevia Mix together adding more liquid if needed to reach your desired consistency. Review written for Go Dairy Free Labels: breakfast, dips, gluten free, main course,product reviews, quick bread

“Spaghetti” in Creamy Tomato Sauce

by Everyday Paleo on Monday, May 30, 2011 at 11:42pm

We had such an awesome time this weekend spending time with my sister and her family, hanging out in San Francisco, and playing, relaxing and just being. It was such a needed weekend of rest and we all came home rejuvenated and revived. John and I headed straight for the gym when we got home for a much needed workout and when we got home the entire family pitched in and made our Memorial Day dinner. It’s kind of chilly and cloudy so we did not do the typical barbecue, but instead cooked up what was in the fridge and together created an amazingly tasty and easy dish. Here’s what the family had to say about dinner.

Coby (age 15): Um, it was… I don’t know; a satisfying meal to come home to after a long time away from home.

Jaden (age 7): AWESOME!!!

Rowan (age 3): Good.

John (getting old): I thought it was a great meal to come home to after traveling all weekend and having to eat out. I liked how the zucchini was sliced thin and noodle like!

Me (not as old as John): Super freaking tasty and I love that we all pitched in.

Sausage “Spaghetti in Creamy Tomato Sauce

1.25 lbs mild Italian pork sausage, diced (we used the precooked sausage from US Wellness Meats– I’ll be there June featured chef so be sure to check their site and mine for my recipes using their amazing products!) YOU can use whatever meat you like – ground beef, sausage, chicken, beef – whatever you have on hand.

3 small leeks, diced

½ red onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, sliced thin

1 – 14oz can of artichoke hearts packed in water, cut into quarters

1 tablespoon coconut oil

5 zucchini squash, sliced thin like noodles (We sliced our zucchini thin with a mandolin slicer and then used a knife to slice the thin noodle strips into “spaghetti” like noodles. You can also make it easier on yourself and use a julienne slicer.

Sauce

1 – 14.5 oz can of organic diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons coconut cream concentrate from Tropical Traditions (or sub with coconut milk, or grass fed heavy whipping cream)

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced

Black pepper and sea salt to taste

In a large skillet or wok heat the coconut oil. If you are using raw meat, brown the meat in the coconut oil and add the onion, leeks, and bell peppers. If you are using pre-cooked sausages like we did, cook the onions, leeks and bell peppers first in the coconut oil until tender and then add the meat and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the sausage is warmed through. In a small sauce pan mix together the can of diced tomatoes with the juice with the coconut cream concentrate. Bring to a simmer and add the remaining sauce ingredients and mix well. To the meat and veggies add the zucchini and artichokes and pour the sauce over. Mix well and cook for another 5-6 minutes, just until the zucchini al dente – do not over cook or they will turn to mush! Serves 5.

Enjoy!

Avocado Goodness…

by Everyday Paleo on Friday, May 27, 2011 at 5:12pm

This little snack is too easy to be this good. I almost feel guilty posting this one but holy cow, sometimes just making one tiny change to a normal everyday food item makes all the difference in the world, so I had to share! I was telling John when he came home for lunch today that I must be in a culinary rut, as I had him sample something that was intended to be a new recipe… Being the always supportive yet honest husband that John is, he choked down the bite of food I offered to him and grinned at me sideways with his, ”This isn’t your finest hour look.” I glared at him, grabbed an avocado, hacked it in half, whisked together a dressing, and ta-da!! Avocado goodness was born…. I redeemed myself with 6 simple ingredients; thank goodness, I’m back in the game! This snack is also kid approved. I gave Rowan a bite and he grabbed the whole plate and quickly devoured it. In Rowan’s words, “This is a GOOD a-bo-cado!”

Avocado Goodness

2-3 avocados, cut in half and the pit removed

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Black pepper to taste

Whisk the dressing ingredients together and fill each avocado half with the dressing, eat the avocado and the dressing with a spoon. Yum.

Enjoy!

Commonly Used Measurements & Equivalents

How much is a peck, a pint, or a pinch?

1/2 teaspoon	=  30 drops
1 teaspoon	=  1/3 tablespoon or 60 drops
3 teaspoons	=  1 tablespoon or 1/2 fluid ounce
1/2 tablespoon	=  1 1/2 teaspoons
1 tablespoon	=  3 teaspoons or 1/2 fluid ounce
2 tablespoons	=  1/8 cup or 1 fluid ounce
3 tablespoons	=  1 1/2 fluid ounce or 1 jigger
4 tablespoons	=  1/4 cup or 2 fluid ounces
5 1/3 tablespoons	=  1/3 cup or 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
8 tablespoons	=  1/2 cup or 4 fluid ounces
10 2/3 tablespoons	=  2/3 cup or 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
12 tablespoons	=  3/4 cup or 6 fluid ounces
16 tablespoons	=  1 cup or 8 fluid ounces or 1/2 pint
1/8 cup	=  2 tablespoons or 1 fluid ounce
1/4 cup	=  4 tablespoons or 2 fluid ounces
1/3 cup	=  5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
3/8 cup	=  1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
1/2 cup	=  8 tablespoons or 4 fluid ounces
2/3 cup	=  10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
5/8 cup	=  1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons
3/4 cup	=  12 tablespoons or 6 fluid ounces
7/8 cup	=  3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
1 cup	=  16 tablespoons or 1/2 pint or 8 fluid ounces
2 cups	=  1 pint or 16 fluid ounces
1 pint	=  2 cups or 16 fluid ounces
1 quart	=  2 pints or 4 cups or 32 fluid ounces
1 gallon	=  4 quarts or 8 pints or 16 cups or 128 fluid ounces