Guest Post: Strawberry Doughnuts!

Look at these...Advanced Plan Strawberries-n-Cream Doughnuts from Tall Girl (Jessica) over at Tall World After All!

Jessica took the original recipe for Strawberries-n-Cream Cake and, voila!, turned it into doughnuts!  Can you say GENIUS?!

Prepare the recipe as normal, but increase the baking powder by 1 teaspoon.  Spoon the batter out into the doughnut pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes.  Test with a toothpick for doneness.

Great on their own, or make a simple and lovely glaze by melting down some coconut butter.  You could stir in vanilla, stevia or a little almond milk to thin.

Be sure to check out Tall Girl's blog.  She is a world traveler, currently living in Madrid.  She always has interesting experiences and stories to share, and some new recipes along the way.  Thanks for this new spin on a recipe, Jessica!  :)

Gingered Pear Upside-down Cake

I'm back to blogging.. again.  :)  We lost Internet last week and finally got it fixed today.  If you're like me, that is a crisis that severely limits daily functionality!  I totally went through an Internet detox!!  LOL  Not proud of it, but I'll be the first to admit I depend on the Internet, email, Facebook, and social media connection on a daily basis.  [A quick disclaimer, that I do this all in the right balance to make sure my little man is well taken care of and he always gets my first attention and time every single day.  :)  We are an Attachment Parenting family and our child always comes first!]  But any free time I have during the day goes to the computer.  I learned this because last week my house got REALLY clean with all that don't-know-what-to-do-with-myself time.

I'm happy to be wired up again and have another dessert recipe for you that we enjoyed over the holidays.  It's another remake of a traditional, the pear upside-down cake.  Hope you enjoy it!  It's perfect with a cup of tea or coffee!

Gingered Pear Upside-down Cake
Makes 8 Servings

2 organic ripe pears (any kind is fine, I like Riesling the best)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp raw local honey
1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup coconut oil, room temp
1 Tbsp Spoonable Stevita stevia
1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted
5 free range eggs
1/2 cup organic unsulfered molasses
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp sea salt

1.)  Preheat your oven to 350ºF.  Grease a 9 inch cake pan with coconut oil and set aside.  Cut the pears in half, then quarters, then core each quarter. Remove the stems and butts, then cut each quarter into 2 or 3 wedges (depending on thickness of your pear).  In a small bowl, toss together pear slices with lemon juice, raw honey, and cinnamon.  Let sit while you prepare the cake batter.

2.) In a stand mixer, cream together the coconut oil and stevia.  Add eggs one at a time with mixer on low speed, scraping down the bowl as needed.  Finally, add the molasses.

3.)  With the mixer on low speed, add in remaining dry ingredients/spices one at a time.

4.)  Place the pear wedges in a starburst pattern around the bottom of your greased 9 inch cake pan.  Pour the batter over the pears and pat down with a spatula or your fingers to fill in all the holes and distribute evenly.  (the batter is thick!)

5.)  Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center, comes out clean.  To serve cake right side up, let the cake cool in pan until completely room temperature.  Run a knife around the edges of the pan. Place a plate over the top of the pan, and holding the plate with your fingers and the cake pan with your thumbs, flip the cake pan over, and remove gently (you may need to give it a little shake to release).

Caramel Apple 'Cheesecake'

Tomorrow is Day 1 of our 25 Days of Christmas Giveaways series!!!  I'm excited for you guys!  We've got 25 big name companies participating.  You'll have the opportunity to enter for a new prize every day for 25 days in a row, from November 30th until Christmas Eve December 24th.  Some days will have more than 1 winner, so be sure to read the details closely.  You'll have 24 hours to get entered every day.  Each day, there are two easy entry options, plus bonuses for tweeting, sharing, or liking the giveaway or company.  It should be easy and fun!  This is my way of giving back to you all for the years of support and love and suggestions and praise!!  Merry Christmas!

A hint for tomorrow's prize..... It promotes natural beauty and relaxation, and the beautiful lady behind this company has been generous here at Healing Cuisine many times in the past.  Her products have always been a hit!  So stay tuned, you'll want to get in on tomorrow's giveaway!

Now, on to those new dessert recipes I promised you.  These are the two desserts I made for Thanksgiving this year, brand new:  Caramel Apple 'Cheesecake' and Cherry Crumble Bars!  I've only got time at the moment to share the first one with you.  My friend Molly and I fell in love with this cheesecake, a new version of my summer favorite Strawberry Cream Pie.  This caramel apple cheesecake uses raw cashews as the base for the no-bake cheesecake, and is now our new favorite fall dessert.  You've got to give it a try!  The caramel sauce is optional, so if you're Advanced Plan feel free to leave that layer of the pie out.  The Cherry Crumble Bars were yummy, too.  Recipe is coming as soon as I catch up on unpacking these boxes!

Salted Caramel Apple 'Cheesecake'
Makes 8 Servings

CRUST LAYER
1 1/4 cups coconut flour
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
5 Tbsp coconut oil (solid room temp)
1 Tbsp raw almond butter or coconut butter
2 tsp Stevita Spoonable stevia
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp cinnamon

CARAMEL PECAN LAYER
1 cup oozy caramel sauce
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

CINNAMON APPLE LAYER
5 Tbsp raw butter
3 Tbsp raw unfiltered local honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch sea salt
5 small organic Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped

APPLE CHEESECAKE LAYER
2 small organic Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours then rinsed
1 Tbsp Stevita Spoonable stevia
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp coconut butter, melted
4 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

1.)  CRUST LAYER   Add all crust ingredients to food processor.  Pulse until well combined and small crumb texture forms.  Dump into a 9 inch spring form pan.  Press the crust into the pan edges with your fingers, going about 1/2 to 2/3 up the sides.  Place in fridge while you prepare the next layer.

2.)  CARAMEL PECAN LAYER  Spoon caramel sauce into the base of the pie crust.  Spread evenly with a spoon.  Sprinkle chopped pecan bits over the caramel.  Place pie crust in fridge while you prepare the next layer.

3.)  CINNAMON APPLE LAYER  Heat a large skillet over Medium-High heat.  Melt the butter then add the honey, cinnamon and sea salt, stirring to combine.  Cook the mixture until it is gently bubbling, about 1 minute.  Add the chopped apples to the pan and toss to coat.  Cook over Medium-High heat until the apples are very tender and just about all of the liquid has evaporated, about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes, then add to the pie pan evenly over the caramel pecan layer.  Return the pan to the refrigerator while you prepare the final layer.

4.)  APPLE CHEESECAKE LAYER  Blend all apple cheesecake ingredients together in a high speed blender until completely smooth.  Scrape down sides as needed.  Taste for sweetness, add more stevia if you wish (it depends on how sweet your apples are).  Pour the 'cheesecake' over the cinnamon apple layer.  Add a fifth layer of whipped coconut cream, then drizzle caramel sauce over the top and swirl around with a knife (optional).  Chill in freezer for 5 hours then in fridge for 1-2 hours before removing ring and serving.

See you back here bright and early tomorrow for the big 25 Days of Christmas Giveaways kickoff! 

Dark Chocolate Chip Orange Bread

We had some friends staying with us this weekend from Minneapolis area.  You know that if you're a guest at my house I am going to make you a healthy treat.  We all wanted something with a touch of chocolate.  Chocolate orange sounded pretty good on Saturday evening, so I made an almond flour loaf with orange zest and dark chocolate chips.  I wanted to make a coffee frosting for it using coconut butter, but to be honest it was so late when we finally ate the bread that I didn't feel like melting down the coconut butter and whipping it with coffee.  (I still think it would be an amazing pairing!)  Instead I opened a can of coconut milk and scooped out the fluffy white cream solids from the surface.  Save the separated oil in the fridge for a smoothie later.  To the coconut cream solids, stir in some stevia, cinnamon, and vanilla and you're good to go!  It makes a yummy sauce to drizzle over your slices of bread.  Eat them with a fork and a nice cup of tea!

Dark Chocolate Chip Orange Bread
Makes 2 Loaves

3 cups almond flour, sifted
3/4 cup coconut flour, sifted twice
1 1/4 cup 73+% dark chocolate chips
5 tsp spoonable Stevita stevia
4 tsp baking powder
2 cups pureed organic Granny Smith apple (OR two whole organic oranges, peels removed and pureed)
3/4 cup raw butter or coconut oil, melted
2 free range eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp fresh orange zest (zest of 2 oranges)

1.)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease two standard loaf pans and line with unbleached parchment paper.  In a large bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, chocolate chips, stevia, and baking powder.

2.)  In separate bowl, mix together pureed apple, melted butter, eggs, and orange zest.

3.)  Add the wet ingredients into the dry and blend until just combined.

4.)  Spoon batter into greased loaf pans.  Bake 45 - 50 minutes, until knife inserted into center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes in pan before removing loaves to cool completely on wire rack.

Questions Answered: Grain Free Pizza - 5 Ways

Three days late is better than never, right?? :)  My little man came down with the cold bug that hit his daddy and me last week and weekend.  This was my first experience with a sick baby ever.  I feel blessed to have made it 10.5 months without him having a hard illness to overcome.  And man, was it hard to watch him suffer for those couple of days.  Today he is back on the upswing, still with a raspy cough, but tearing up the house like normal again.  Will tell you what we did to boost his immune system in a future post.

On Saturday, we talked about the importance of choosing healthy free-range chicken nuggets, and I shared my grain-free recipe for chicken nuggets from my Kid's Birthday Party e-Book.

Continuing to answer Tyrese's question, I am going to share with you my top 5 favorite grain-free pizza recipes!  Without further ado, in my favorite to my most favorite order....  (Now don't get me wrong, I love each one of these pizza crust recipes, otherwise I certainly would not share them with you.  Think of this as my like-to-love scale.)

Flax Seed Meal Crust (left)

# 5 - Flax Seed Meal Crust (A)
Makes one 12 inch pizza a slightly nutty taste with light texture, somewhere in between thin and normal crust thickness

2 cups fresh raw flax seed meal
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup filtered water
3 free range eggs, beaten
3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
12 drops pure liquid stevia

1.)  In a medium bowl, stir flax seed meal, sea salt, baking powder, dried herbs together.

2.)  In a small bowl, whisk together water, eggs, coconut oil, and stevia until smooth.  Pour liquid mixture into flax seed mixture, stirring until smooth.  Cover with a tea towel and put in a warm place until doubled in size for about 1 hour (I put mine on top of my fridge).

3.)  Heat oven to 425 degrees F.  Grease your pizza pan with coconut oil.  Uncover dough and pour out onto pizza pan.  Press into circular shape (or oblong/rectangle if desired).  Bake for 15 minutes on center rack of oven until cooked.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.  Add favorite toppings, then return to the oven on Broil to bake for a final few minutes just to melt the cheese and crisp the edges.

Socca Chickpea Crust (below)

# 4 -  Socca (Chickpea Flour Pizza Crust) (C)

Makes one 12 inch pizza  savory with a hint of sweet, slightly chewy in texture, very similar to traditional pizza crust texture, normal crust thickness

1 cup organic chickpea flour, sifted
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp filtered water
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1.)  In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, water, sea salt, cumin, and olive oil.  Cover with a tea towel and let batter rest for 2 hours at room temperature.

2.)  Heat the Broiler in your oven.  Oil your pizza pan with coconut oil (I also like to do this crust right in a large cast iron skillet).  Pop it in the oven for a few minutes, until the pan is nice and hot.

3.)  Carefully remove the hot oiled pan from the oven.  Place on stove top (make sure it's stable!)  Pour the batter onto the pan, swirling it around with a spatula until it is of even thickness and to the edges of the pan. Pop it in the oven on the top rack.

4.)  Bake until the socca is firm and beginning to blister and burn.  The exact time will depend on the heat of your broiler (for me, about 8-10 minutes).

5.)  Remove from oven, top with sauce, toppings, and cheese, and place back under broiler for a few minutes until cheese is just melted.  [Alternatively, socca is usually enjoyed on it's own without toppings, much like a savory pancake or flat bread.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper.]

Cauliflower Pizza Crust (below)

# 3 - Cauliflower Pizza Crust (A)
Makes one 12 inch pizza  your kids won't know it's a vegetable! the cheese helps it crisp up to be firm enough to hold a slice in your hand.

1 head organic cauliflower
1 cups full fat grass fed mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 free range egg, beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried onion powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/8 cup olive oil

1.)  Cut unbleached parchment paper to the size of your pizza pan.  Set aside.  Remove the florets from the head of cauliflower.  Place into your food processor and use the S blade to pulse to the consistency of rice.  [No food processor?  You can grate the cauliflower using a cheese grater on the smallest holes.]  You need 1 cup of "cauliflower rice."

2.)  Heat 2 Tablespoons water to boiling in a medium saucepan with a steam basket inserted.  Add the cauliflower rice and cover tightly over Medium-High heat.  The cauliflower will start to break down and steam on its own -- do not add more water to the pot.  Let it steam for about 8 minutes, until the cauliflower rice is cooked but not mushy.  Measure out 1 cup of cooked cauliflower rice for one 12 inch pizza.  Let sit to cool.

3.)  Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.  Combine cooled cauliflower, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and sea salt in a medium bowl. Spread the dough into a thin round layer on to your pizza pan covered with parchment paper.  Brush the dough surface with a thin layer of olive oil.

4.)  Bake for 20 minutes or until the crust is uniformly deeply browned.  Remove from the oven, transfer, still on the parchment paper, to a wire rack.  Allow to cool completely for a more sturdy crust.

5.)  When your crust has cooled, top with a light brushing of pizza sauce and toppings.  Return to the oven under the Broiler setting for a few minutes until cheese is melted.

# 2 -  Coconut Flour Pizza Crust  (A)
Makes one 12 inch pizza  a thin crust pizza, extra crispy and delicious

Coconut Flour Crust (left)

4 free range eggs
1/4 cup kefir / organic yogurt / coconut kefir / coconut yogurt
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup coconut flour, sifted
1 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

1.)  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line your pizza pan with unbleached parchment paper.  In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together with the kefir (or yogurt) and sea salt.   Add the coconut flour and whisk until very smooth, about 2 minutes until the coconut flour as absorbed the eggy liquid.  Stir in the onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, basil, and Parmesan cheese.

2.)  Pour the batter onto the paper lined pan.  Use a spatula to spread the batter to the edges and to an even thickness.  This is a thin crust dough, so it will be quite thin.

3.)  Bake on middle rack for 10-12 minutes, until lightly brown.  Remove pan from oven, add sauce, cheese and other toppings as desired.    Place back in the oven on to rack and Broil until crispy on edges and cheese melts.

Nut Flour Crust (below)

# 1 -  Nut Flour Pizza Crust  (A)
Makes one 12 inch pizza  slightly chewy and almost perfect texture closest to yeast-dough recipes, normal crust thickness

3/4 cup whole raw cashews
3 Tbsp raw almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour, sifted
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
2 free range eggs
2 Tbsp organic unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp cold filtered water
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano

1.)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a food processor, pulse the cashews until a fine flour has formed.
Add to the food processor the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, sea salt, and garlic powder, then process the mixture on High for 1 minute.

2.)  Add the eggs, almond milk, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, water, and herbs and process for another minute.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pulse a few more times until you have a very smooth dough.  Let the dough rest for 2 minutes to let the coconut flour absorb some of the liquid.

3.)  Sprinkle a piece of unbleached parchment paper with a bit of almond flour, then turn the dough out onto the parchment paper, forming it into a ball.  Flatten the dough ball slightly, then sprinkle a little more almond flour on the top.  Place another piece of parchment on top.  Lightly roll out the dough into a circle that is about 1/4 inch thick.

4.)  Remove the top piece of parchment paper and discard.  Lift the corners of  the bottom parchment piece hold the dough circle and slide it onto your pizza pan.  Bake for 12 minutes or until it is golden brown around the edges and firm in center.

5.)  Remove from oven.  Top with sauce, toppings, and cheese.  Return to oven and Broil on top rack for a few minutes until crisp on edges and cheese is melted.

So there you have it, my top 5 tried and true grain-free pizza crust recipes.  I hope you enjoy!!  Lots of options here, from thin crispy crust to doughy chewy goodness!  You've got to try them all or else you're missing out!  :)  Enjoy!

Questions Answered: Grain Free Chicken Nuggets

Happy WEEKEND everyone!

Boy did I ever need this weekend to arrive.  It's been a long week with Austin, and I appreciate the few extra hours that I have my husband home to help me this weekend.  Austin is about 10.5 months now, and his mood swings are high and often lately.  From what I've read on some attachment parenting forums, this is about the age where he's developing a lot of new skills all at once (walking, talking more, expressing new emotions, eating new foods, more teeth, etc etc) and it can be overwhelming, so babies often release in this way.  What do you all think?  Experience the same moodiness with your little one(s) at this age?  Well it's been almost a week straight.  I'm fried.  And on top of it, I've worn myself down and come down with a cold.  I am in need of a momcation!!  :)

Now, while I sip on my Healing Cuisine Tincture Tea and think of all the ways today was a blessing and a gift, I'll answer a recipe question from Tyese P.:

"I wanted to know if you can help me come up with healthy versions of chicken nuggets and pizza. My kids love to eat them, but I don't like the unhealthy ones... If you could help me out I would appreciate it.  Thanks!"  - Tyese P., Illinois

These are two great recipe requests, and two that every mom should have up her sleeve.  You are right on, Tyese.  Chicken nuggets and pizza bought in the frozen food aisle, the deli section, or from a fast food restaurant are all extremely unhealthy and can be laden with chemicals, preservatives, and food dyes.  Grains and sugar can be the least of your worries when buying a manufactured chicken nugget or pizza!  Have you peeked at the ingredients list of one of those packages lately??

I'll be sharing my recipe for chicken nuggets today, and pizza tomorrow.  I looked up Tyson Chicken Nuggets.  That is the brand my mom fed us growing up.  This nutritional and ingredients info is direct from their website.  Check it out:

At first glance you might say, wow that's not so bad!  But let's remember where this chicken came from, how it was raised, and how it was butchered.  When you hear the brand name "Tyson," you may remember that they are known for loading their birds with chemicals BEFORE the butchering takes place...probably so they don't have to post the chemicals on the ingredients label since it's not added during the manufacturing process?  I remember news reports came out about that a few years back, also about the way they treat their animals....  Google it!

My point is, this meat is not coming from free range pastured chickens.  We don't know the chemical burden of the meat, which also means the fats are compromised.  If we continue to look at the ingredients list, you can see there is a lot of wheat going in (sugar), and corn (sugar), and vegetable oil (bad fat).  And look at all the salt!  Bad salt, too.  It's not our healthy Himalayan mineral sea salt.  And on a label when you see "spices" or sometimes it can read "other flavorings," that can mean MSG.  Who really knows what they are hiding by using a vague term like that.

Your kids deserve better!  Start with some free range organic chicken and make these nuggets with Advanced Plan ingredients!  My recipe is below.  I have decided to share this recipe which is originally found in my Kid's Birthday Party e-Book.  Inside, you'll also find easy Core and Advanced Plan menu options perfect to please your birthday boy or girl and their party guests!  The menu list includes: Almond Crusted Chicken Strips, Sweet Potato Fries, Caramel Apple Slices, Banana Nut Stacks, Chocolate Almond Snack Bars, Very Berry Smoothie, Strawberry Lemonade, Vegetable Art, Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting.

Grain Free Chicken Nuggets
Makes 24 Nuggets

1/2 cup almond flour, sifted
3 Tbsp coconut flour, sifted
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh black pepper
1 1/2 tsp olive oil 
3 free range eggs
1 lb free-range boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approx. 2 large breasts)
4 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

1.)  Preheat oven to 475°F.  Set a wire rack on a foil-lined baking sheet and brush with coconut oil. Wash and dry chicken breasts.  Cut each breast into 6 uniform strips, then cut each strip in half.  Use a meat mallet to pound out thick nuggets to each nugget is of uniform thickness.  Lay out on a plate and set aside.

2.)  Place almond flour, coconut flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, sea salt and pepper in a food processor.  Pulse until the the paprika is mixed throughout, about 1 minute.  With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil.  Blend until just combined.  Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish.

3.)  Whisk eggs in a second shallow dish.  Add chicken nuggets to eggs and turn to coat.  Transfer each nugget to the almond mixture and dredge evenly on all sides.  Place the chicken nugget on the prepared rack.  Repeat until all chicken nuggets are dredged and on the prepared rack.

4.)  Brush each nugget with coconut oil.  Flip and coat the other side.  Bake the chicken nuggets until golden brown, crispy and no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.  Serve with organic ketchup and honey mustard.

TIP:  Prepare in advance:  Bake, cool and freeze in an airtight container.  Simply remove from freezer and pop, frozen, into oven at 350 degrees F until warmed through.  May need to cover with aluminum foil to prevent burning during reheat.

Tune in tomorrow for Advanced Plan PIZZA!

Mint Chocolate Creme Tart

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas celebration with your loved ones!  This was our first year away from home for the holidays, which for us is the U.P. of Michigan.  A little bittersweet to be away from from family and snow, and still have a good time with our Austin on his first Christmas.  We ended up driving up to the Washington D.C. area to spend Christmas with my aunt.  We had a cozy time with good food, drinks, and stories of past years.  Very fun!  Here is our 2011 family portrait:

I have a lovely dessert recipe to share today.  This dessert is a lighter version of my Grasshopper Pie that I shared with you last December.  It turned out this year I couldn't find any avocados that weren't shipped in from Mexico (and in extremely bad condition, if I may add), so I nixed that layer of the pie and changed it up a little.  This Mint Chocolate Creme Tart was delicious with a dollop of my Advanced Plan vanilla flavored Coconut Whipped Cream on top (find that recipe in my Season's Eatings Holiday e-Book).  Sorry no picture to accompany...we had the intention but devoured the tart before grabbing the camera!

Mint Chocolate Creme Tart
Makes 8 Servings

CRUST
1 1/4 cups coconut flour, sifted
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
5 Tbsp coconut oil (room temp solid)
1 Tbsp raw almond butter
2 tsp spoonable Stevita stevia powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

FILLING
2 1/2 cups cashews, soaked 6 hours in water
1 cup unsweetened organic coconut milk
1 tsp pure liquid stevia, or to taste
5-8 drops pure mint essential oil, or to taste
5 drops liquid chlorophyll (for natural green color)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt
5 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

1.)  CRUST    In your food processor, add all crust ingredients and pulse until it is of uniform consistency.  It should be crumbly.  Transfer your crust to a spring form pan or 9 inch tart shell and press firmly and evenly to line it.  Place in fridge to set slightly while preparing filling.

2.)  FILLING    In a blender, combine the cashews, mint leaves, and coconut milk.  blend until smooth.  Add remaining FILLING ingredients and blend until combined.  (Start with less mint oil and stevia, tasting between blends until you get the perfect combination to your personal taste.  I shared my preference above in the ratios. You can use mint extract instead of oil, but will need to use lots more to achieve the right taste.)

3.)  Pour filling into chilled tart crust.  Cover and place tart in fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.  Best if in fridge over night to set.  Enjoy!

Coconut Dream Cake

This cake is for the coconut lover (aka my hubby)!  I've titled it as Coconut Dream Cake as it's got a dreamy like texture to it, almost a custard-like cake if you will.  Yummmo!  Crushed macadamia nuts only add to the dreamy flavor.  For our second serving, we dolloped on a spoonful of my Coconut Whipped Cream (recipe found in Season's Eatings e-book) as a topping and it was truly divine!  A great coffee or tea cake.

Idea just came to me -- would also be great topped with fresh crushed pineapple, ooooo, trying that next!

Coconut Dream Cake
Makes 12 Servings

8 free-range eggs
3 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 cup full-fat organic coconut milk
1 cup coconut flour, sifted twice
1/2 cup xylitol
3 tsp Stevita Spoonable stevia
1/2 cup melted butter or coconut oil
2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
3 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 tsp nutmeg (plus more for top)
1 tsp cinnamon (plus more for top)
Handful or two of chopped macadamia nuts (optional)

1.)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9"x13" glass baking pan with coconut oil and line with unbleached parchment paper.

2.)  In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) beat eggs, almond milk, coconut milk, coconut flour, xylitol, butter/coconut oil, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon until smooth.  Fold in coconut flakes and chopped nuts.

3.)  Pour batter into pan and sprinkle additional cinnamon and nutmeg over top.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes, or until top is golden brown and a knife inserted in middle comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool to room temperature before cutting and serving.

Zucchini Bread (GUEST POST!)

This recipe comes from Patty Anderson and I hope you all enjoy it!!  I am a LOVER of zucchini bread and am excited for it to be coming into season again here shortly (at least down south where we're now living).  However, you can make this using frozen zucchini as well -- just be sure to thaw and allow to drain out the excess liquid for a few hours in a mesh strainer.  Now, on to Patty's sugar-free, grain-free, casein-free Zucchini Bread!

Patty's Zucchini Bread
Makes 1 loaf

2 1/2 cups almond flour, fine ground & sifted
1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted twice
1 tsp spoonable stevia powder
1/2 cup xylitol
1 tsp baking soda (all natural and aluminum free!)
2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of sea salt
4 organic free-range eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
2 cups organic zucchini, finely grated (about 2 med/large zucchini)
Optional:  handful of chopped raw nuts

1).  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a glass loaf pan with unbleached parchment paper and grease the sides with a teaspoon of coconut oil.  Mix almond flour, coconut flour, stevia powder, xylitol, baking soda, cinnamon and sea salt in a large bowl until well combined.

2).  In separate small bowl, lightly beat the eggs.  Stir in the vanilla, coconut oil and zucchini.

3.)  Make a well in the middle of your dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients stirring well to combine.

4.)  Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes until light brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Thanks Patty for the fabulous recipe!  If YOU have a great Maximized recipe you'd like to share, send it to me:  elise@healingcuisinebyelise.com.  Yours could be the next Guest Post!

Strawberries-n-Cream Bundt Cake

It's kind of fun when our birthdays come around.  Mine is January 29th and Dave's on the 31st, so we are just two days apart.  This means duo celebration every year!  For the last few years, there has been a Maximized Living seminar on our birthdays since we fall on the weekend.  Usually this means a January birthday trip to Orlando, FL on our birthdays for training in chiropractic and nutrition, and hope we can sneak outside a little thru the weekend to enjoy the sun!  Thankfully this year we live right here in Orlando and the seminar is just a short drive away from our house!

So this year we can truly celebrate our birthdays.  I made this birthday cake, my own version of the popular boxed strawberry cake.  I remember asking for this flavor of cake mix many birthdays ago in my single digit years.  My mom will be the first to tell you she lacked the skill of baking from scratch, and thus she resorted the the box cake variety for all of our birthdays growing up.  I wanted to re-create this cake Healing Cuisine style this year!  And you'll be happy to know, this is Advanced Plan and EASY to make! :)

This recipe works best in a bundt pan in order to get the batter to cook thru the middle without burning.  You could probably get away with making two 8" or 9" round cake layers, but I haven't tried it yet.  Bake until a clean knife inserted comes out clean.

Strawberries-n-Cream Bundt Cake
Serves 12
1-2 tsp coconut oil (to grease the pan)
1/3 cup coconut flour, sifted twice
3 cups fine ground almond flour, sifted
3 Tbsp coconut oil, room temperature
1 16oz package frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed
1/2 cup unsalted raw butter, room temperature
1 cup xylitol (organic, from birch trees)
3-4 tsp spoonable stevia (to taste)
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
4 large eggs
1/2 cup organic full-fat coconut milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp natural almond extract
1 tsp lemon juice

1.)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 12 cup bundt pan with coconut oil and sprinkle with fine ground almond flour to flour the pan.  Invert pan and tap lightly to remove excess almond flour. Set aside.

2.)  Puree thawed strawberries in a food processor or blender.  Since I only had a 16 oz pack of strawberries, bear with me on these reservations:  Reserve 3/4 cup of blended strawberries and refrigerate for another use (don't need this portion for the recipe, would be great in smoothies or other dessert).  Also reserve 2 tablespoons puree, pour into a mesh strainer and place over a small bowl.  This portion is for the strawberry cream frosting and we want to remove the seeds.  Occasionally scrape thru the strawberry puree pushing the juice thru and leaving the seeds in the strainer.  The remaining about 1 cup of puree is for your cake!

3.)  Place butter, coconut oil, xylitol, and stevia in mixer bowl.  Cream together on Medium speed for about 5-6 minutes, scrapping down beaters and bowl with rubber spatula as needed (I had to twice with my Kitchen Aid).  You're looking for a light fluffy mixture.

4.)  In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut flour, almond flour, sea salt, and baking powder.  In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, 1 cup of strawberry puree, almond extract, vanilla extract and lemon juice.

5.)  Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl with xylitol/butter mixture and mix on Low speed for 30 seconds or until moistened.  Scrape down bowl. Add half of the wet ingredients and mix on Low speed until incorporated, about 30 seconds.  Scrape down bowl.  Repeat with remaining dry and wet ingredients, scraping down bowl after each addition.  Finally, mix on Medium-High speed for 1 1/2 minutes, then scrape down bowl and beater.

6.)  Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and bake in oven for 45-55 minutes, until a clean knife inserted in center comes out clean.

7.)  Cool cake in pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then remove from pan to further cool.  (Run a knife along the edges to ensure a clean removal, then invert onto a cake plate.)

Strawberries-n-Cream Frosting
2 cups xylitol, pulverized into powder
1 Tbsp arrowroot powder
8 oz organic cream cheese, softened
4 Tbsp raw butter, softened
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp organic vanilla extract
2 Tbsp pureed strawberries, strained to remove seeds

1.)  Make "powdered xylitol" to use in place of powdered sugar/confectioners sugar in this frosting.  Here's a great trick.  In small batches, pulverize your xylitol by dropping thru the lid of your blender (on High speed) to create a fine powder.  Do this to the entire 2 cups and transfer the powdered xylitol to a medium bowl.  Whisk in the arrowroot powder.  You now have powdered xylitol!  I usually make a double batch and store in an airtight container in the pantry for future use.

2.)  In a mixer bowl on Medium speed, cream together the butter and cream cheese.  Add the 2 tablespoons of strained strawberry puree, lemon juice and vanilla extract.  Wait about 30 seconds.  Add in the powdered xylitol mixture 1/2 cup at a time until your frosting forms and is nice, fluffy, and pink!  This should take maybe 2-3 minutes.

3.)  Once cake is cooled, you can frost away.  Extra frosting can be covered and saved in the fridge for later. (I think this frosting would be great over these Advanced Plan fluffy pancakes!)  ENJOY! :)  This cake is heaven!

Gluten FREE Fluffy Pancakes

Here is a delicious recipe that I hope you can utilize on Christmas morning.  I know growing up pancakes were a treat we only enjoyed on Christmas morning.  I've been attempting to perfect my pancake recipe for some time now, and I'm finally satisfied with this one.  I've also made it with finely ground almond flour, and it works very well!

These guys are super fluffy and easy to make!  They have a light texture, which is sometimes hard to achieve with pancakes.  The fluffiness is controlled by how much you whip the egg whites.  The more you whip them, the fluffier the batter will be.  I usually separate my egg whites and yolks, then beat my egg whites to the point of just starting to get white and airy.  If you want even fluffier pancakes, go ahead and beat your egg whites to a stiff peak.

Fluffy Pancakes
Makes 10

6 large free-range eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp raw butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp spoonable stevia powder
1/3 cup coconut flour, sifted twice
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)
1-2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries (optional)

1.)  We don't use maple syrup in our house.  Instead we make a berry syrup/compote to drizzle over top our pancakes.  In a medium saucepan, add berries and simmer over Medium heat for about 12 minutes.  Use a fork or masher to squash berries down and blend into a compote.  Make as smooth or chunky as you'd like!

2.)  Preheat a cast iron or stainless steel skillet over Medium heat.  In a medium bowl, add the wet ingredients and whisk together until well blended.

3.)  Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Whisk together until well blended and frothy – this will get them even fluffier!

4.)  Add a dab of coconut oil to the skillet to grease it.  Spoon batter into small circles or shapes in the frying pan.  Keep the heat fairly low and let the pancakes heat up slowly and rise – about 3 minutes.

5.)  Wait until there are several bubbles appearing on top of the pancake  and the edges are cooked.  Flip each pancake to cook the other side.  This will take only about a minute more, then move cooked pancakes to serving platter.  Continue this until all the batter is gone.  Drizzle pancakes with raspberry topping and serve.

Make Christmas morning fun with festive holiday characters!  Get creative!  Stack large, medium and small pancakes to form a snowman's body.  Rudolph with your cranberry nose so bright -- use a leaf shaped cookie cutter or a knife to cut out antlers.  Santa's beard, a half circle.  His hat, a quarter circle with a notch taken out of a straight side.  An angel using a small pancake for her head, 2 quarters for wings and 1 quarter for her dress.  There are so many options! (snow flake, Christmas tree, gingerbread man/woman, cross, elf, mitten)

Dress these characters up and bring them to life -- grab raisins, dark chocolate chips, cranberries, cream cheese, shredded coconut, fresh or frozen berries..eyes, nose, arms, mouth.  Your kids will love to help!  This could be a new tradition your family looks forward to every year.  We'll be doing it when we start a family.  :)

Here are a few pictures for inspiration of what other bloggers have done.  Just remember to keep it healthy and cut out as much of the sugar as possible.  A Holiday breakfast to remember!

One Pot Wonders: Salmon Casserole

This casserole is quite yummy, a real comfort dish.  It reminds me of Lent, really the only time of year my family ate fish growing up.  My mom made a tuna version of this from a Hamburger Helper box.  It tasted so good, but was so bad for us.  After all, it was loaded with sugar, chemicals, grains, gluten, food dyes and preservatives.  My version is Healing Cuisine approved and Advanced Plan. 

You can prepare this dish up to 2 days in advance, store in fridge, add 20 minutes covered with foil to baking time.  Enjoy!

Salmon Casserole
Makes 8 Servings

4 free-range eggs
2 cups filtered water
2/3 cup raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours
1 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp fresh pepper
16oz wild Alaskan salmon, cooked and flaked
1 1/2 cups frozen organic green peas, thawed
8oz raw cheddar cheese, shredded & divided
1 organic red bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/8 cup coconut flour, sifted

CRUMB TOPPING
1 1/2 c almond flour
1/2 c sliced almonds
2 Tbsp cold, unsalted raw butter
3/4 tsp sea salt

1.)  PREPARING THE CRUMB TOPPING:  Combine the almond flour, butter, and sea salt in a food processor and pulse until it resembles bread crumbs (or by hand, cut the butter into the flour with your finger tips until it resembles bread crumbs).  With your fingers, work in sliced almonds until well combined with the butter crumbs.  Refrigerate the crumble, covered, until the filling is ready to be topped.

To Make Your Own Almond Flour:  Pulse raw almonds in a food processor until they are a fine, fluffy flour.  Tilt the machine back and forth, side to side, to disperse the nuts every few pulses.  Don't switch the machine to ON (continuous) or you'll quickly wind up with almond butter.  Sift out any larger pieces of nuts using a medium-mesh strainer.  Measure out 2 cups of almond flour.  Freeze the rest.

2.)  Drain and rinse cashews.  In blender, combine filtered water and cashews.  Process until very smooth.  Pour into a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over Medium-High heat, stirring occasionally.  Once it starts to boil, reduce heat immediately to Low and continue stirring until thickened.  Remove from heat.  Set aside to cool.

3.)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a separate bowl, whisk eggs.  Stir in dill, pepper and cooled thickened cashews and mix well.  Add the flaked salmon, thawed peas, half of the cheese, bell pepper, onion, and coconut flour.  Stir to blend.

4.)  Transfer mixture to a greased (with coconut oil) 9x13 inch casserole dish.  Sprinkle with crumb topping.  Bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and continue baking for 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted.  Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Pumpkin Pudding

This is a quaint dessert perfect for Autumn!  I like to serve this dish in individual ramekins so each person gets some of the crunchy edges to accompany the warm, silky center.  This dish is great topped with berries (hard to find fresh organic ones this time of year, so I often do thawed raspberries or blackberries from the freezer blended into a syrup-like topping) and a spoonful of coconut milk or unsweetened Greek yogurt.

Pumpkin Pudding

2 c pumpkin puree
3 free-range eggs
1 13oz can of organic full-fat coconut milk
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp of powdered stevia, to taste
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Coat a small baking pan or individual ramekins with coconut oil.  In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and blend well with a whisk.  Pour ingredients into the baking dish and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until brown on top and knife comes out clean from center.  Enjoy warm or cold.

Zucchini & Mushroom Crumble

I'm still enjoying fresh zucchini over here.  This dish turned out more like a crumble than a casserole, and thus I titled it such.  The crumb topping is also great for fruit crumbles or other savory combinations of vegetables and meat.

Zucchini & Mushroom Crumble
Makes 8-10 Servings

6 medium zucchinis, washed and chopped or julienned
3 c mushrooms, mixed variety, wiped clean and chopped thin
1 medium onion, diced
1 Tbsp dried thyme and parsley (more/less to taste)
Sea salt and fresh black pepper to taste
1 tsp coconut flour
1 Tbsp coconut oil

CRUMB TOPPING
1 1/2 c almond flour
1/2 c sliced almonds
2 Tbsp cold, unsalted raw butter
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/3 c raw Parmesan cheese, grated

1.)  PREPARING THE CRUMB TOPPING:  Combine the almond flour, butter, and sea salt in a food processor and pulse until it resembles bread crumbs (or by hand, cut the butter into the flour with your finger tips until it resembles bread crumbs).  With your fingers, work in sliced almonds until well combined with the butter crumbs.  Refrigerate the crumble, covered, until the filling is ready to be topped.

To Make Your Own Almond Flour:  Pulse raw almonds in a food processor until they are a fine, fluffy flour.  Tilt the machine back and forth, side to side, to disperse the nuts every few pulses.  Don't switch the machine to ON (continuous) or you'll quickly wind up with almond butter.  Sift out any larger pieces of nuts using a medium-mesh strainer.  Measure out 2 cups of almond flour.  Freeze the rest.

Altering this recipe for fruit crumbles:  Add about 2 tsp spoonable stevia, 1 tsp nutmeg, and 2 tsp cinnamon to the crumble and prepare the same way.  (ginger, clove, anise, may also be good spicing options)

2.)  In a large skillet, heat about a Tablespoon of coconut oil of Medium/Medium-High heat.  Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes, until softened.  Add zucchini, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.  Cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for about 12 minutes with lid on until zucchini is slightly softened.

3.)  Remove lid and stir in the chopped mushrooms to the pan.  Return heat to Medium-High and cook for about ten minutes, until the mushrooms have shrunk and have released their water.  Sprinkle in the 1 teaspoon of coconut flour and stir to thicken the mixture/absorb the excess liquid.

4.)  Pour the mushroom-zucchini mixture into a large glass casserole dish (I used a 9x13 inch).  Spread crumb mixture evenly over top.  Sprinkle the top with grated Parmesan and bake at 300 degrees F for about 20 minutes, or until crumb topping is nicely browned and cheese is melted.  **Keep an eye on it tho, as almond flour/almonds/nuts brown more quickly than white flour or oats.  That's why we're cooking it at a lower temperature, but still watch out so your crumble doesn't burn!  It's too good to waste!  :)** 

TIP:  You can prepare this dish a day ahead of time.  You'll need to bake it for about 15 minutes covered with foil first, and then 15-20 mins uncovered if taking it from the fridge.

Raw Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

We were blessed with the gift of a bag full of rhubarb from our naturopath, Dawn.  She had more than she knew what to do with, and we were more than happy to take a bunch off her hands.  :)  It is one of Dave's spring favorites after all!  I have been messing around with raw desserts lately, and I hope you enjoy this Raw Strawberry Rhubarb Pie!

THE CRUST (my standard crumb pie crust)

1 1/2 cup coconut flour (double sifted)
1/2 cup organic unsweetened coconut flakes
5 Tbsp coconut oil (melted)
1 Tbsp raw almond butter
1/4 tsp liquid stevia
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon

THE FILLING
4 cups organic rhubarb stalks, peeled, chopped to 1" lengths
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup raw honey OR about 3 tsp spoonable stevia
2 cup organic strawberries, hulled and chopped
PLUS 1/2 cup organic strawberries, hulled and diced
3 Tbsp arrowroot powder
a few strawberries for garnish

1.)  THE NIGHT BEFORE -- THE FILLING:  In food processor, blend the rhubarb, lemon juice, stevia and 2 cups of strawberries until smooth, making sure to scrape down the sides if there are lumps.  Pour into a bowl and stir in 1/2 cup diced strawberry chunks (this step is optional, but we like the extra strawberry chunks in each bite).  Cover bowl and let sit in fridge for at least 12 hours to allow the flavors to blend (this is for the rhubarb, since it's raw it needs time to break down).

2.)  THE NEXT DAY -- THE CRUST:  In your food processor, add all crust ingredients and pulse until uniform consistency.  It should be crumbly.  Transfer your crust to a pie pan and press it firmly and evenly to line the pan.  Set in fridge to firm up for about 15 minutes.

3.)  To 2 Tablespoons of ice cold water, add the arrowroot powder and mix with fork until smooth.  Take filling mixture out of fridge and stir in arrowroot mixture.  With a spatula, pour the filling mixture onto the crust and spread it evenly throughout the pan.  Cover and freeze for a half hour before slicing.

It was verrrry good, Dave enjoyed it!

Gluten-FREE Apple Crumb Pie

I was just going to post this recipe, simple and delicious as it is.  But I wanted to add a little bit on waxed paper, as I recommend utilizing it for the crust of this scrumptious pie.  I highly recommend switching over to an all natural waxed paper.  You can look up various brands online to learn more.  All natural waxed paper is made 100% petroleum-free.  They also use an unbleached paper, meaning that paper went thru much less chemical contact before it reached your food.  They get the waxy finish from all natural soybean wax.  And it's safe for our planet, too, as it is non-toxic and biodegradable, which is wonderful.  We use our waxed paper in place of plastic baggies for packing our lunches and storing foods in the fridge.  So that's my note.  Give it a try.  Now on to today's dessert recipe...

Gluten-FREE Apple Crumb Pie

adapted from Cooking With Coconut Flour (an amazing cookbook everyone should own)

Crust:

1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted twice

1/2 cup almond meal (chop raw almonds in food processor until the consistency of flour)

2 free-range eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 tsp raw honey (optional)

1/4 cup organic unsalted butter, melted

1/4 tsp sea salt

Filling:

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1/3 cup xylitol

1/4 tsp liquid stevia

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp sea salt

2 Tbsp arrowroot powder

1/4 tsp almond extract

Crumb Topping:

3/4 cup chopped raw almonds

1/4 cup raw brown sugar (OMIT IF ADVANCED PLAN)

2 Tbsp organic butter, melted

1.)  CRUST   Sift the coconut flour twice and set it aside.  Beat the eggs slightly, then thoroughly mix all the remaining crust ingredients into the eggs.  Add the coconut flour last and mix it in well to form the dough.   Kneed the dough with your hands for about 1 minute.

2.)  Roll the pie dough out between 2 sheets of waxed paper to ensure minimal breakage.  Coconut flour is very tricky to work with, so I highly recommend this step.  If needed, tape the waxed paper down to secure your work surface.  Roll the dough into a ball then place between the waxed paper sheets.  Press down with your hands until about 6 inches in diameter.  Use your rolling pin to flatten to about 1/8 inch thickness.

3.)  Moving the dough to the pie shell is the trickiest part.  I recommend slipping a thin, flat object such as a pizza paddle, cookie sheet or piece of cardboard under the bottom layer of waxed paper.  Untape the waxed paper, discard the top sheet, and carefully lift the cookie sheet and dough off the counter and into the fridge for a couple minutes to firm up.  Remove.  Using both hands, gently but quickly flip the dough over and on top of your pie pan.  Shape the dough into the pan, removing the waxed paper.  You did it!!  It will be so worth the extra sifting, taping and shaping to taste this yummy, nutty gluten-free flour!

4.)  TOPPING    In a medium bowl, mix all the topping ingredients together with a fork.  Set aside.

5.)  FILLING   In a large saucepan over Medium heat, cook apples in 1/2 c water with lid on until slightly softened (around 10 mins).  Add agave nectar, stevia, cinnamon, nutmeg and sea salt.  Mix arrowroot with 1/4 cup of cold water and stir into mixture to thicken.  Cook thru until apples are tender.  Remove from heat and stir in almond extract.  Fill pie crust with mixture.

6.)  Spread topping over the pie and bake at 375 degrees F for about 18 minutes.  I recommend using a pie crust ring or trimming the pie shell with aluminum foil to prevent the pie crust edges from burning (remove at last 5 minutes of cooking).  Watch that the nut topping does not burn, too.  If it starts to get dark, tent the pie with aluminum foil to disperse heat on the almonds.

Gluten FREE Coconut Flour Bread

This is a great bread that you can enjoy while following the Maximized Nutrition Plans.  Coconut flour is gluten free, jam packed with fiber (58%!) and low in carbohydrates.  Coconut oil, coconut flour, and coconut products in general are fantastic for anyone who is looking to lose weight and improve their health.  Rich in lauric acid, coconut oil contains NO trans fat, strengthens your immune system and boosts your metabolism!   Coconut oil/flour helps keep you feeling full so that you eat less and is an anti-fungal to boot!

Keep in mind that while this recipe is super quick and easy to make (no soaking required as there is no grain!), it is not anything like regular old wheat bread.  You'll find this loaf to bake up very short at about 1 1/2 to 2 inches tall.  It will also be very dense.  Not ideal for sandwiches, but so good slathered with honey (butter, almond butter, pureed berries) along side a cup of tea.

Coconut Flour Bread

6 eggs
1/2 c melted coconut oil or butter (I usually use coconut oil)
1-2 Tbsp honey (optional, I usually leave it out)
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 c coconut flour (sifted once or twice)

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Sift coconut flour with sea salt into medium bowl.  In small bowl, beat eggs together slightly then add to flour.  Stir in oil/butter and optional honey.  Pour into a small oiled loaf pan. Bake for 40 minutes.

2.) Turn the loaf out and cool completely on a rack before serving.  That’s it!

Raw, Sugar FREE Key Lime Pie

*** This recipe has been updated!  Second try's a charm!  Dave and I made this pie for a party we attended this weekend and we made a few changes in the ratio of avocado to lime to coconut.  It turned out much better.  The crust is perfect for this tropical inspired pie!  ***

This is yet another delicious and HEALTHY dessert that you can have on your Maximized Nutrition Plan.  I am a Key Lime Pie lover, but I couldn't remember the last time I had one because, as you probably know, those pies are full of refined sugars, flours, and most likely food dyes to brighten up the greenish yellow color, among who knows what else.  So here we go!  I guarantee you will love this creamy dessert, and your kids probably won't even notice it's a raw dish!

Raw, Sugar FREE Key Lime Pie

The Filling:
5 medium avocados
1/2 cup organic full-fat coconut milk
20 key limes, zested and juiced (should get almost 3/4 cup of lime juice and  a couple Tbsps of lime zest from the limes, depends on their size)
1 tsp pure liquid stevia
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt to enrich flavors

The Crust:
1 1/2 cups coconut flour
1/2 cup organic unsweetened coconut flakes
5 Tbsp coconut oil (room temp)
1 Tbsp almond butter
1/4 tsp pure liquid stevia
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1.)  The Crust:  In your food processor, add all crust ingredients and pulse until it is of uniform consistency.  It should be crumbly.  Transfer your crust to a pie pan and press it firmly and evenly to line the pan.  Set aside.

2.)  The Filling:  Wipe out the food processor. Next, add and blend all filling ingredients until smooth, making sure to scrape down the sides if there are lumps.  Then, with a spatula, pour the filling mixture onto the crust and spread it evenly throughout the pan.

3.)  Garnish with about 1/4 tsp. of lime zest, some coconut flakes, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours OR freeze 30 minutes before serving.  :)

Gluten FREE Cranberry Nut Bread

Let me say that while this is a very delicious recipe, it is not necessarily the easiest.  While coconut flour is delicious and full of fiber, it can be a bit fussy to work with.  It is very important to always sift the coconut flour (at least once, sometime two or three times depending on the humidity) to ensure a smooth loaf/dough.  A word of advice:  it is normal for your loaves to brown both inside and out.  It's just something that happens with coconut flour  This is normal and the bread still tastes delicious.

Cranberry Nut Bread

1/2 c organic coconut flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
5 organic eggs
1/2 c melted coconut oil
1 Tbsp powdered stevia
1/4 c raw honey
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 c frozen organic cranberries (make sure the package is sugar free)
1/2 c chopped raw almonds (chop in your food processor)

1.)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease two 6.5x4" loaf pans with coconut oil.  In a medium bowl, sift together coconut flour, sea salt, stevia and baking soda. (If using liquid stevia, add with wet ingredients and use 1/2 tsp.)

2.)  In a large bowl, whip the eggs.  Stir in coconut oil, agave nectar and vanilla.

3.)  Blend dry ingredients into the wet.  Fold in frozen cranberries and walnuts.

4.)  Pour batter into the loaf pans and bake for about 35 minutes.