Cranberry Orange Cookies -- Paleo deliciousness!

Cranberry Orange Cookies

Cranberry Orange Cookies

This is a grain free, gluten free, non glycemic sweetener, Paleo style cookie.  It could be dairy free, too, if just coconut oil is used instead of part butter and part coconut oil.  That being said, they are a very yummy sweet treat!

Pre-heat the oven to 375F.  In a large bowl combine:

1 cup almond flour

¾ cup shredded coconut 

½ cup flaxseed meal (ground)

¼ cup potato flour
1 packet unflavored gelatin (Knox)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Set this aside.  In a mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, beat until light:

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup coconut oil

Carefully add while mixing:

1 cup coconut sugar

4 packets “Truvia” type sweetener 

Add and mix until combined:

2 eggs
1/2 tablespoon vanilla

1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate

Add the flour mixture little by little until it is mixed in.  Finally, add and mix till just combined:

1/2 cup dried unsweetened cranberries

½ cup walnut pieces (optional)

Scoop by 1/4 cupfuls or same-size ice cream scoop onto parchment lined cookie sheets.  Using fingers, flatten the tops of the cookies.

Bake at 375F for about 13 minutes. They should be just becoming firm around the edges and still very soft and puffy in the middle. Remove them from the oven and allow them to finish baking on the hot baking sheet. 

Allow them to cool completely on paper towels before storing them covered with paper towels between the layers of cookies.

Enjoy!

Creamy Potato and Chicken Soup

Creamy Potato and Chicken Soup

This basic delicious recipe can be varied in several ways.  Instead of potatoes, the primary vegetable can be cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, celery or mushrooms.  The vegetable base, either 1/2 or all, can be put into a blender before adding the milk and chicken and pureed for a truly "creamed" soup.  The chicken can, also, be omitted or substituted for just about any another meat.  I do this same basic soup with salmon for a salmon chowder which is very good.  I don't think I'd like this soup with beef or venison, but pork, clams (for clam chowder), or fish are all good.  For a dairy free version of any of these soups, simply use almond milk, (unflavored), or any other non-dairy milk that is unsweetened, instead of the milk as stated in the recipe.  This recipe is gluten free by nature, or to make it grain free, use potato starch instead of the corn starch as stated in the recipe.  Additionally, for a really decadent version, which is amazing with the salmon variation, use half and half or full cream for part or all of the milk in the recipe.

Creamy Potato and Chicken Soup
Makes about 6 servings

In a large sauce pan, (about 4-6 quart size), place:

2 tablespoons cooking fat (I had some bacon grease, but just about anything will work here)
3/4 cup sweet onion, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon thyme flakes
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds

Cover the pot with a well-fitting lid and cook the onions and seasonings over medium heat until the onions are fragrant and translucent.

Add to the pot:

4 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and 1/2" dice (other potatoes will work, these are just the best!)
5 cups chicken broth (recipe here)
1 teaspoon sea salt (omit if broth is salted)
2 teaspoons Everything Seasoning (or seasoning salt)

Cover the soup and bring it to a boil.  Skim off any foam that comes to the surface.  Reduce the heat to simmering and cook the veggies until the potatoes are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Combine 1/2 cup water or cooled broth and 6 tablespoons cornstarch in a cup and pour into the boiling soup.  Stir well until the mixture has thickened.  It may seem like it is a bit too thick, but adding the remaining ingredients will thin it down to the proper consistency.

At this point turn the heat off, but leave the pot on the burner.  Add, stirring very gently as to not break the chicken up any further:

2 cups diced, cooked chicken 
4 slices bacon, cut up

Then gently stir in:

2 cups milk 

Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

Healthier Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Healthier Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Healthier Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This is a healthier version of the old-time banana cake from my 1981 Better Homes and Gardens "New Cook Book."

Pre-heat the oven to 350F and spray with olive oil cooking spray a 13"x9"x2" pan.

In a mixing bowl, place:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 cup measurable stevia extract ("Stevia in the Raw," measures cup-for-cup like sugar)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt

Add and mix until combined on low speed:

1/2 cup coconut oil
2 small ripe bananas, about 1 cup 

Add and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes:

2/3 cup buttermilk or milk + 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla (my homemade vanilla extract recipe is linked.)

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake it at 350F for about 30 minutes or until a knife inserted off center comes out clean.

Cool the cake completely and frost with Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe below.



Cream Cheese Frosting, reduced Sugar or regular

(Note:  I would recommend preparing the frosting either a day ahead as written OR using all powdered sugar if serving the same day.  The stevia flavor is over-powering the day it is made, but mellows thereafter.)

In a mixing bowl combine and whip until fluffy:

3 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (as above)
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Add and beat until light:

1 cup measurable stevia extract ("Stevia in the Raw," measures cup-for-cup like sugar)
1 cup powdered sugar (organic preferred)

Spread onto cooled cake.  Serve and enjoy!

Home Made Country Style Pork Sausage

Home Made Country Style Pork Sausage

I really like sausage, but even some of the "best" sausage out there has nasty chemicals and a lot of sodium, ie., table salt in it.  Yuck!  Or, if a "natural" sausage can be found, it's horrendously expensive!

However, making sausage from scratch is really not difficult and then I know exactly what is in it.

Home Made Country Style Pork Sausage

In a mixing bowl, with an electric mixer or by hand, combine:

1 1/4 pounds ground pork (ground turkey or beef may be used instead)
1/2 tablespoon ground sage
2 teaspoons Everything Seasoning (or Adobo seasoning or a seasoning salt blend made without msg, sugar or table salt if there's one out there!)
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Sprinkle the seasonings evenly over the ground pork, or they will tend to be in clumps in the sausage.  Not pleasant!

Once the sausage is uniformly mixed, it can be formed into patties, crumbled and cooked, or used in any recipe calling for pork sausage.

Enjoy!