Tag Archives: paleo

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

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This time of year, many people catch Pumpkin Fever, a perfectly harmless virus kept in check only by immediate administration of pumpkin pie, or other pumpkin-rich treat.

When you’re in the kitchen baking up a batch of tasty gluten-free pumpkin muffins, or pumpkin recipe of your choice (I recommend my Pumpkin-Date Blondies, which happen to be not only delicious, but vegan, refined sugar-free, and grain-free as well) you don’t have to wait for that timer to buzz. You can get a quick and easy pumpkin fix by sipping a wonderfully refreshing Pumpkin Pie Smoothie (also vegan, refined-sugar free, and grain-free). Bonus: It’ll keep you cool while the ovens heat up the kitchen.

You can use canned or homemade pureed pumpkin in this smoothie. If you roast your own pumpkin, it’s better to chill the pumpkin puree before using it in a smoothie. Hot, fresh from the oven roasted pumpkin is deliciously tempting, a lot of mine gets directly eaten as soon as it’s done, but for smoothies, it’s much better cooled off first. In fact, the more ingredients that are pre-chilled, the frostier your smoothie will be.

You can even freeze the coconut milk. Just measure out the desired amount of coconut milk and sliced bananas and place into a freezer bag. Carefully squeeze all the air out of the bag, seal it, and lay it flat in your freezer. A thin layer of coconut milk and banana works best. Don’t squeeze too many into a bag or you’ll end up with a tropical frozen brick. When you’re ready for a smoothie, take a bag out, gently bend it to break up the contents into pieces, and pour into your blender with the other ingredients.

To make your smoothie even frostier, make ice cubes out of some of the cup of coconut water ahead of time. The ratio of coconut water ice cubes to liquid coconut water will be determined by how well your blender handles ice.

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Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Yield: serves 2

Calories per serving: 204

Fat per serving: 7 g

Ingredients

  • 1 cup coconut water (without added sugar)
  • 5-6 (40 grams) Deglet Noor dates, pitted
  • 1 tablespoon shelled hemp seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
  • 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (canned or homemade)
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk (cooking kind, not coconut milk beverage)
  • 1/2 cup frozen sliced bananas

Instructions

  1. Put the coconut water, dates, hemp seeds, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg into a blender jar. A high-speed blender works best. For a BlendTec, press the WHOLE JUICE button. For others, blend until smooth. If your blender is not very powerful, you may need to chop and/or soak the dates first.
  2. Add the pumpkin, coconut milk, and banana slices. Press the SMOOTHIE button, or blend until smooth.
  3. Serve as is, or top with whipped/chilled coconut cream, coconut cream froth, or your favorite gluten-free gingersnaps or graham crackers.
http://www.laurawestkong.com/gff/2012/pumpkin-pie-smoothie/

Be creative and add toppings to your Pumpkin Pie Smoothie. Chilled/whipped coconut cream is a classic vegan whipped cream replacement, but did you ever try Coconut Cream Froth?

I discovered Coconut Cream Froth one day when I didn’t chill my canned coconut cream far enough ahead in advance. It’s light, airy, and delicious, and will make you look like a vegan master chef.

You’ll need coconut cream, canned or UHT. Make sure there are no added gums or stabilizers. Pour it into a container with a tight fitting lid and extra room for shaking. Shake well, let it settle a bit, and a light frothy foam will rise to the top or stick to the lid. Like frothed milk for a latte.

Dee-lish! Makes me want to whip up a hot pumpkin drink just so I can top it with Coconut Cream Froth.

To give your Pumpkin Pie Smoothie a real pumpkin pie vibe, crumble some gluten-free gingersnaps or graham crackers on the top for a crust-like crunch. I’m not sure which gluten-free cookies are best. I generally try to avoid sugar, and now grains as well. If you have a favorite gluten-free cookie brand or recipe, especially grain-free or refined sugar-free, please share.

(This recipe was shared at: Tasty Traditions, Sugar-Free Sunday, Monday Mania, Fat Tuesday, Keep It Real Thursday, Healthy Vegan Friday, Wellness Weekend, Pumpkin Potluck Party)

Sublime!

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Fall may have fallen in some parts of the universe, but it still feels like mid-summer to me. So I’m glad for a cool, refreshing drink that’s as lovely to look at as it is to drink.

I love a good green smoothie, but let’s be honest. More often than not, they come out looking like mud. Tasty, healthy mud, but mud nonetheless.

That’s why I was simply tickled pink (or lime green!) that my Sublime Lime Smoothie came out looking as gorgeous as it is delicious and nutritious.

You can thank organic baby spinach for that lovely shade of green. Spinach is one of those Dirty Dozen veggies that are particularly high in pesticide residue, so buy organic spinach whenever you can. (Learn more about the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen.) Baby spinach is very mild in green smoothies. It doesn’t make them taste like salad in a glass at all.

A trio of tangy ingredients helps the lime flavor pop. First of all lime, including the zest, organic if possible when eating citrus peel. Next pineapple for its incomparable sweetness and also hints of tartness that brighten the limey flavor. And finally, So Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk.

Don’t have or never seen Cultured Coconut Milk before? You could substitute dairy kefir or another non-dairy beverage, but I encourage you to look for So Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk. Ask for it at your local health food store. (Visit the So Delicious Dairy Free website to learn more about Cultured Coconut Milk and other dairy-free products or print a coupon.)

Cultured Coconut Milk is one of my favorite non-dairy smoothie bases. Goes fabulously with a wide variety of fruit flavors. It has 10 active, live cultures and is certified gluten-free, vegan, and non-GMO. It’s also soy-free, nut-free, and the original flavor is refined sugar-free as well.

Frozen, sliced bananas for sweet, non-dairy creaminess, and a splash of vanilla round out the simple, healthy ingredient list. (Making your own vanilla extract is easy, economical, and fun. Check out my Making Vanilla Extract, part 1 post. Guess it’s time for a part 2 update cause the homemade vanilla turned out fantastic!)

Finally if you must gild the lime green lily (and I say, “Why not!”) chilled coconut cream is a decadently delicious choice. You can separate the cream from the liquid, whip it with a mixer, or any number of advance preparations if you like. I just chill the coconut milk or cream and scoop a dollop on top. Simple and delish. Don’t buy the low-fat kind with too much added water or you will have to separate it. Look for 60-100% coconut milk/cream in cans or tetra-paks.

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Sublime Lime Smoothie

Yield: 2 servings

Serving Size: 8 ounces

Calories per serving: 107

Fat per serving: 2 grams

Ingredients

  • 1/2 organic lime
  • 3/4 cup So Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk, Original Flavor
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-1/2 cups organic baby spinach, lightly packed
  • 1/2 cup frozen banana slices
  • 3/4 cup frozen pineapple tidbits
  • (fresh pineapple, chopped and frozen or pineapple canned in juice, drained and frozen also works if you can't find frozen pineapple)
  • Optional garnish: thick coconut milk or cream, chilled

Instructions

  1. Zest the half lime and set aside the lime zest.
  2. For a high-speed blender, peel the half lime, making sure to remove any thick bitter white pith. The thin membrane is OK to leave.
    3. For a regular blender, juice the half lime. (about 1 tablespoon)
  3. Put the lime or lime juice and half of the lime zest into the blender jar. Add the remaining ingredients in the order listed.
    4. If you have a regular blender, you may want to chop the spinach first, or blend the spinach with the liquids a little before adding the frozen fruit, depending on how powerful the blender is or isn't.
  4. For a BlendTec, press the "Smoothie" button. For all others, blend until smooth.
  5. Garnish with a dollop of chilled coconut milk, if desired, and the remaining lime zest.
http://www.laurawestkong.com/gff/2012/sublime/

Are you a green smoothie fan? What do you like to put in green smoothies?

(This recipe was shared at: Fat Tuesday, Fit & Fabulous Friday, Gluten Free Friday, Healthy Vegan Friday, Wellness Weekend)

Guacamole Fresco

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Guacamole. Two words: Love it!

You had me at avocado. However, if any of you need more convincing, how about cool, refreshing, and bursting with fresh farmer’s market goodness!

In this easy-peazy guacamole recipe, you don’t even have to mash the avocado. Just chop and stir. Not too much stirring, or you’ll end up mashing the avocados in spite of yourself.

To ensure a wonderful chunky texture, make sure one of your avocados is firm ripe. Not rock hard though. Rock hard avocados are definitely NOT delicious. Trust me on this. (View the California Avocado Commission’s Hass Avocado Stages of Ripeness guide.)

I created this chunky Guacamole Fresco for this month’s Gluten-Free Whole Foods Vegan Cooking Class. We served it on Roost Blog’s Raw Tacos with Cashew Sour Cream.

We used butter lettuce for the tacos instead of cabbage, but any sturdy leafy green will do. Use your favorite or whichever one is freshest! A perfect combination for those lazy late summer days when it’s too hot to cook.

Also featured at August’s cooking class was Jan’s delicious Black Bean Quinoa Salad. (stay tuned, recipe coming soon!)

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Guacamole Fresco

Ingredients

  • 2-3 avocados, diced 1/2 inch (2 cups)
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, finely diced (1/2-3/4 cup)
  • 1/4 cup finely diced sweet onion
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (2-3 tablespoons)
  • 1-2 tablespoons minced cilantro
  • 1 lime, juiced (2 tablespoons)
  • a sprinkling of lime zest, optional
  • Coarsely ground Himalayan or sea salt

Instructions

  1. Prep all ingredients as indicated.
  2. Place all the ingredients except salt and optional lime zest in a bowl. Stir gently to combine. Stir less for a very chunky guacamole. Stir more to make it smoother.
  3. Add salt to taste and lime zest if desired.
  4. Enjoy!
http://www.laurawestkong.com/gff/2012/guacamole-fresco/

P.S. If you love avocados as much as I do, you’ll be thrilled to know that this guacamole can shine all on it’s own as a wonderful avocado salad. No chips or tacos required.

(This recipe was shared at: Gluten Free Friday)

Coconut-Date Chocolate Bonbons

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These bonbons are simply amazing. In a word, paleo crack. OK, that’s two words, but you get the picture. Chocolatey, coconutty goodness. Like an inside-out Mounds bar.

Their secret ingredient is coconut butter. (That and dates, but you already know where I stand on dates. For more on dates, see my post, California Chocolate Pudding.)

Coconut butter is simply dried unsweetened coconut, pureed into a smooth paste. Similar to peanut butter, except way more delicious. If you’ve never had coconut butter before, you’re in for a real treat. You can use it in smoothies, sauces, baked goodies, and more. But my favorite use for coconut butter is making delicious, healthy, whole food candies. After all, who said life can’t be sweet just because you don’t eat refined sugar?

Because coconut butter is a whole food, you get all the nutritional benefits of the entire coconut. Fiber, protein, oil, vitamins, and minerals. They’re all in there.

You’ll most likely find two different brands of coconut butter on your health food store shelf, Artisana Coconut Butter and Nutiva Coconut Manna. They’re both made from organic whole coconut, both are equally delish, and both work well in my bonbon recipe.

The main differences are that Nutiva is less expensive than Artisana, and Artisana is raw and produced in a gluten-free facility. Whichever one you choose, just be sure to warm the jar well and stir the oils in completely before using for the best texture. When cold, coconut butter can have a bit of a gritty texture.

In a pinch you can make your own coconut butter, although it will probably not be as smooth as the kind you buy. That may not matter once you mix it into the candy. It’s not like you’re spreading it on toast or anything. (Although people do report that coconut butter is delicious on bread. I can’t say from experience.) Just put some shredded, unsweetened dried coconut into your food processor and process away, until it turns into butter.

Because these bonbons use cocoa powder rather than melting chocolate, they’re quick and easy to make. No need to worry about temperatures, splashing water, or chocolate seizing or scorching. Quick. Easy. Delicious.

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Coconut-Date Chocolate Bonbons

Yield: 30 tablespoon-sized bonbons

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup chopped dates
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, preferably unrefined
  • 1/2 cup coconut butter
  • A generous 1/2 cup unsweetened macaroon coconut, lightly toasted if desired

Instructions

  1. Soak the dates in 3/4 cup water for 30 minutes. (The easiest way to measure is by volume: Use a clear liquid measuring container and add the water to the 6 ounce line first. Add chopped dates until the mixture reaches the 10 ounce line.)
    2. (If you have a high-powered blender like a BlendTec or VitaMix, room temperature water is fine. For a regular blender, the dates will be smoother if you put the 3/4 cup water and dates into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, place a lid on the pan and soak for 30 minutes.)
  2. While the dates are soaking, warm the jars of coconut oil and coconut butter in a bowl of hot water until the coconut oil is liquid and the coconut butter is softened and pourable. (Make sure the lids are on tightly so no water gets inside the jars.) If the oil has separated to the top of the coconut butter, stir it back in until smooth.
  3. Blend the dates and soaking water in a blender until smooth. (On my BlendTec I use the 'Whole Juice' cycle.) Push the mixture down the sides to the bottom of the blender jar with a spatula.
  4. Add the vanilla, salt, and cocoa powder and pulse to combine.
  5. Pour the date-cocoa mixture into a bowl. You'll need a spatula to get all the chocolatey goodness out. Add the coconut oil and coconut butter. Stir well until smooth and combined completely.
  6. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or more, until the mixture is the consistency of fudge.
  7. Roll the mixture into tablespoon-size balls. The heat from your hands may slightly melt the surface of the balls, but the entire ball should not melt. If the rolling is too messy, the bonbon mixture may need more chilling time. Return the bonbon mixture to the refrigerator for 5 or 10 minutes more and then try rolling again.
  8. Place the bonbons onto a pan or sheet of parchment paper. Refrigerate for a few minutes to firm up the bonbons if desired.
  9. Roll or gently press the bonbons in unsweetened macaroon coconut.
  10. Can be served chilled or at room temperature. Store in the refrigerator.
    11. VARIATIONS
    • Roll some of the bonbons in different colored cocoa powders.
    • If you're serving the bonbons immediately you can roll them in coconut sugar.
    Coconut sugar will soak up moisture from the bonbon, so roll once, set aside and when the coconut sugar has melted into the surface of the bonbon, roll it one more time in coconut sugar. Rolling a second time ensures a longer-lasting coating. A coconut sugar coating will not last overnight though. The coconut sugar will soak up so much moisture that the bonbons will be sitting in syrup (a delicious syrupy mess).
    • Coating the bonbons in a mixture of half coconut-sugar and half-cocoa powder is another option. The coating will look more like cocoa powder, but taste a little sweeter.
    • Try putting a whole nut or a generous pinch of chopped nuts inside the bonbon. Chopped, toasted macadamia nuts make a delicious bonbon filling.
http://www.laurawestkong.com/gff/2012/coconut-date-chocolate-bonbons/

Have you tried coconut butter before? What’s your favorite way to use it?

(This recipe was shared at: Chocolate Coconut Party, Sugar-Free Sunday, Made from Scratch Monday, Allergy Free Wednesday, Raw Foods Thursday, Gluten Free Friday)

Cauliflower Couscous

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One issue when removing foods from your diet is what to do with the big empty space left on your plate. Vegetarians have tofu dogs and chickenless nuggets. Gluten-free folks have Udi’s bread and Tinkyada pasta. Now that I’m grain-free, cauliflower is one of my favorite low-carb grain replacement foods.

There are many wonderful ways you can serve cauliflower: roasted, curried, mashed, etc. But have you ever turned your cauliflower into couscous? Ground up into couscous-size bits in the food processor, cauliflower is the perfect grain or starch replacement on your paleo plate (and of course, it’s naturally gluten-free as well). I was missing something to put underneath a good curry, and cauliflower couscous is just the thing.


I usually use whatever cauliflower is available at my local produce stand. If you can find them, purple, orange, or green varieties of cauliflower are beautiful and just as delicious as white cauliflower. Check out the World’s Healthiest Foods website to learn more about cauliflower’s health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and digestive support properties.

I prefer to lightly saute the cauliflower. This makes the cauliflower more mild tasting than when it’s raw. After sauteing and seasoning I serve it warm, usually with a curry or other stew. Or I chill the cooked cauliflower couscous and use it to make a grain-free tabouleh salad. Use your favorite tabouleh recipe and add extra lemon juice to the dressing. If you can find baby cauliflower heads, buy them. The flavor of baby cauliflower is naturally sweet and mild, and they are a delicious treat served raw in a salad.

This recipe is quick and easy and lends itself well to unlimited variations. Try adding minced onions or other chopped veggies, curry powder, smoked paprika, or other seasonings customized to go with whatever menu you’ve planned.

Fresh chives, either garlic, onion, or both are a fragrant and colorful addition to cauliflower couscous. Chives are easy to grow, and if you keep a pot of them on your porch, you’ll almost always have fresh herbs to brighten up your dishes. Chive blossoms make a pretty (and edible) garnish. The purple flowers in my photos are from onion chives. Garlic chives have white flowers, which are lovely too. If you don’t have any chives, feel free to substitute a handful of another fresh herb you have: basil, cilantro, mint, oregano, parsley, or thyme.

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Cauliflower Couscous

Ingredients

    Cauliflowers vary in size. One medium head of cauliflower should provide at least 8 cups of raw cauliflower couscous (which will reduce down to about 6 cups after cooking.) For a larger cauliflower, add 1 extra tablespoon each of the oil and chives, and 1 extra clove of garlic for every additional 2 cups of raw cauliflower couscous.
  • One head of cauliflower (8 cups of raw cauliflower couscous)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil (or coconut oil, ghee, or olive oil/butter combination)
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives (optional)
  • sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Wash cauliflower ahead of time and thoroughly dry. Excess water will make the finished couscous soggy.
  2. Chop cauliflower into florets up to two inches and stems into 1/2 to one inch pieces.
  3. Process cauliflower florets and stems in a food processor fitted with the S-blade. Do not overfill the food processor. The cauliflower should process into couscous-sized pieces in 10-30 seconds. You may need to process it in batches.
  4. If cauliflower gets stuck and does not rotate in the food processor or several chunks of cauliflower remain unprocessed after 30 seconds, you will need to chop the florets/stems smaller or process less cauliflower per batch.
  5. When all the cauliflower is processed, measure or roughly estimate the amount of raw cauliflower couscous. Adjust the amount of oil, garlic, and chives accordingly if you are going to cook more or less raw cauliflower couscous than 8 cups.
  6. Place the oil in a large pan on medium heat. When the oil is hot, saute the garlic for one to two minutes or until golden, stirring to prevent sticking and burning.
  7. Add the raw cauliflower couscous to the garlic and oil in the pan and stir to distribute the garlic and oil throughout the cauliflower.
  8. Cook the cauliflower for three to five minutes or until as crisp/tender as you prefer, stirring frequently for even cooking.
  9. Remove pan from the heat and add the optional chives and salt and pepper to taste, stirring to combine well.
  10. Serve hot as a vegetable side dish or grain replacement, or chill and add to a salad.
http://www.laurawestkong.com/gff/2012/cauliflower-couscous/

What’s your favorite replacement food?

(This recipe was shared at: Fill Those Jars Friday, Gluten Free Friday)

California Chocolate Pudding

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Vegan desserts. Just another culinary oxymoron like white chocolate or healthy junk food?

Technically it is possible to make all kinds of sweet treats from donuts to red velvet cupcakes without animal products. While many debate what it means to be a vegetarian, the definition of vegan is crystal clear: no animal-sourced ingredients, period. But when I think of vegan cuisine, I think of fresh, natural, healthy whole foods which only happen to be, by the way, animal-free.

dates
Raw agave syrup and organic cane juice certainly have more syllables than sugar. Unfortunately, more syllables does not equal healthy or natural. Try sweetening your treats with a natural, delicious, healthy whole food such as dates. (While dates do have fewer syllables than sugar, that’s not what makes them so healthy. ;-) )

Dates are my all-time favorite natural sweetener. They add a rich, complex sweetness to desserts and are delicious in savory dishes too. They are a good source of potassium and other minerals. I have never personally had a blood sugar problem or carb intolerance with dates, but if blood sugar or food intolerance are issues for you, it’s always a good idea to consult your health care provider first.

What makes dates a healthy sweetener is that they are a whole food: the fiber and nutrients have not been removed. Beets and sugar cane were also healthy whole foods once upon a time before they were processed into sparkly white powder. While honey and maple syrup are certainly natural, to your body they are primarily sugar with traces of nutrients. I prefer to use maple syrup and honey as sweet flavorings rather than as a sweetener. Think spoonfuls, not cupfuls.

I usually soak dates in water or some other liquid and blend them into a smooth date butter for use in desserts. A high-powered blender like a Blend-Tec or VitaMix is perfect for this. (but not absolutely necessary if you don’t have one.) Use more or less liquid depending on the consistency you’re looking for. To try date-sweetened desserts, you can start with my easy California Chocolate Pudding recipe below, but don’t be afraid to experiment with dates in your favorite recipes.

Some people like to use date sugar, which is simply finely ground dried dates (still a whole food, nothing’s been removed but the water, which dates don’t have much of to begin with). I’ve never tried date sugar myself, but I’ve heard it’s a good substitute for regular sugar in recipes. If you have experience with date sugar, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

recipe makeover
Here’s a classic vegan recipe: Chocolate Avocado Mousse.

Chocolate. Avocado. What’s not to love? How about those unhealthy (and unnecessary) sweeteners? I’ve replaced them with, surprise, dates! Healthy and delicious. And of course, still gluten and dairy free. I’m new to paleo and therefore, still learning, but I think we can call this recipe paleo-friendly as well. I’m not going to call it mousse, though. Mousse means foam in French, and although it certainly is creamy (thanks to our good friend, avocado), foamy it is not. Pudding is just right. And I’m calling it California pudding because, well, here in sunny southern California, I’m fortunate to be surrounded by avocado and date trees!

It’s pudding, not chiffon cake. The recipe’s not going to fall flat or explode if you change a thing or two, so feel free to experiment and add your own special touch. If you’re a chocolate aficionado, see how different cocoa powders taste in the pudding. A mix of half regular cocoa and half raw cacao powder is divine! 1/2 teaspoon almond extract in place of the 1 teaspoon vanilla is a good variation. Another is: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. If I hadn’t tossed out all my coffee, I would give espresso a try in the pudding, either brewed in place of the water or add a spoonful of instant. Please come back and share the results of your variations with me!

This is perfectly sweet if you’re used to the mild sweetness of real dark chocolate or if you generally avoid refined sugar in your diet. If you prefer a sweeter dessert, replace some of the water with maple syrup or your favorite liquid sweetener. Or simply pour the maple syrup over the top like a chocolate-maple sundae.

My favorite way to serve California Chocolate Pudding is with sliced bananas. Fresh berries are great, too. Macadamia nuts are a super paleo topping. Trader Joe’s sells dry toasted, chopped macadamias now, which are as fantastic on salads as they are on chocolate pudding. But I digress, let’s get on to the recipe, shall we?

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California Chocolate Pudding

Yield: 4 servings

Serving Size: 3/4 cup

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup chopped dates
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1-1/2 cups mashed avocado (about 2 medium)

Instructions

  1. Soak chopped dates in water. For a high-powered blender cutting the dates into fourths is enough. For a regular blender or food processor cut into smaller pieces and use hot water. (The easiest way to measure is by volume: Use a clear liquid measuring container and add the water to the 8 ounce line first. Add chopped dates until the mixture reaches the 12 ounce line.) Let them soak for 1/2 hour.
  2. Blend dates and water until smooth. In a Blend-Tec use the "Whole Juice" button. In a food processor, start out with just the dates and add the soaking water gradually to avoid leakage. Push mixture down with a spatula as necessary.
  3. Add the vanilla, salt, and cocoa powder and pulse to combine. Push mixture down with a spatula as necessary.
  4. Add the mashed avocado and pulse to combine until smooth. (Mashed avocado is both easier to measure accurately and easier to blend smoothly into the chocolate mixture. The final mixture will be somewhat thick and you will not be using your machine to smash the avocado, just to combine it with the other ingredients.)
  5. If necessary, add extra water a tablespoon or two at a time to help the ingredients combine smoothly. (Avocado is a natural ingredient, after all, and sometimes they vary in their moisture content. Adding more water can also make the pudding less thick if you prefer a lighter consistency.)
  6. Chill before serving.
http://www.laurawestkong.com/gff/2012/california-chocolate-pudding/

(This recipe was shared at: Gluten Free Friday)

Pumpkin-Date Blondies {+ Coconut Flour Giveaway}

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A little bit pumpkin pie, a little bit cookie bar, Pumpkin-Date Blondies are a perfect autumn treat.

Sweetened with dates, these blondies are refined sugar-free. Enjoy them for a healthy breakfast, dessert, or any-time snack.

Just make sure you stock up on cans of pureed pumpkin before pumpkin is all gone until next fall. I had the worst craving for a pumpkin treat in August when pumpkin was nowhere to be found on grocery store shelves!

Luckily, coconut flour is easy to find year-round. It’s one of my favorite gluten-free flours to bake with. Coconut flour is high in protein and fiber. A simple way to use it is to replace 1/4 of your usual flour with coconut flour. Or try one of the many delicious coconut flour recipes on the Tropical Traditions website (scroll down to find recipes).

If you’re inclined to experiment in the kitchen like me, then you’ll be pleased to know that you can add lots of flavorful liquids. Coconut flour will soak them all up. Moist and delicious!

Whether you like to follow recipes to the letter or prefer to improvise as you go, scroll down to the bottom of this post to find out how you can enter to win a 2.2 pound bag of Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Flour to try for yourself.

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Pumpkin-Date Blondies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup coconut flour
  • 1/4 cup ground flax seed meal
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil
  • 1 cup pureed cooked pumpkin
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
  • 1 and 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons coconut milk (the cooking kind, not the beverage kind) divided into 1/2 cup, 1 cup, and 2 tablespoons portions

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch nonstick baking pan with coconut oil.
  2. In a medium bowl combine coconut flour, flax seed meal, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and sea salt.
  3. Place pecans on a baking sheet in the oven for 3-5 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Stir the toasted pecans into the dry mixture and set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, combine applesauce, coconut oil, pumpkin, and vanilla.
  5. Place the dates and 1/2 cup of the coconut milk into a saucepan on medium heat. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer gently for 1 minute. Turn heat off, cover, and let rest for 5 minutes.
  6. Place warm coconut milk-date mixture into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. If needed add some of the 1 cup coconut milk to help blend dates.
  7. Add the blended coconut milk-date mixture and the rest of the 1 cup coconut milk to the wet ingredients in the large bowl. (Reserve the 2 tablespoons coconut milk for use later.) Stir to combine.
  8. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until well combined. Batter will be the consistency of mashed potatoes.
  9. Spread batter evenly into prepared baking pan. Spread remaining 2 tablespoons coconut milk evenly onto top of the batter with a spatula. Spread the coconut milk around until it picks up a little color from the batter underneath. Sprinkle a little cinnamon lightly on top of the smoothed coconut milk. (photo below)
  10. Bake about 35 minutes or until the edges start to brown and/or pull away from the sides of the pan.
  11. Let cool/refrigerate before slicing and serving. Blondies will set as they cool. Top with creamy coconut-cashew topping if desired.
http://www.laurawestkong.com/gff/2011/pumpkin-date-blondies/

(This recipe was shared at: Gluten-Free Monday, Whole Foods Friday, Fit & Fabulous Friday, Wellness Weekend, Pumpkin Potluck Party)

Enter to win a 2.2 pound bag of Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Flour! (a $15.00 value) There are 6 ways to enter:
1. Subscribe to Tropical Traditions’ Email Newsletter for special sales and free recipes.
2. Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter
3. Like Tropical Traditions on Facebook.
4. Visit the coconut flour recipes webpage and leave a comment below telling which coconut flour recipe you’d like to try.
5. Follow me, GrainFreeFab on Twitter.
6. Tweet this post/giveaway on Twitter and put a link to your tweet in a comment below. (Click on the timestamp underneath the tweet to get a link to an individual tweet.) You can tweet the giveaway as many times as you’d like, but only the first tweet will count as a giveaway entry.

Leave a me a separate comment with your name and email address after completing each item. Each comment will count as an entry. The giveaway starts today, Wednesday, November 23, 2011 and ends Tuesday, December 6, 2011. A winner will be picked at random via Random.org on Wednesday, December 7, 2011. Open to residents of U.S. & Canada.

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Creamy Coconut-Cashew Topping

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It’s that time of year when it chills up outside, and warms up inside … the oven that is. Pies, gingerbread, and other holiday treats call out for a creamy topping.

Here’s one of my favorites. It’s an easy, delicious, vegetarian dessert topping. Cashews and coconut are naturally sweet, so all you need to add is a touch of honey and vanilla. Happy eating!

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Creamy Coconut-Cashew Topping

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup coconut cream (not sweetened cream of coconut)
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  1. Soak cashews in water overnight. (This step is optional if you're in a rush. However soaking the cashews makes them easier to blend and brings out their natural sweetness.)
  2. Drain cashews and place in a food processor or blender with 1/2 cup water and blend until smooth.
  3. Add coconut cream, honey, and vanilla, and blend until combined well. If you like your topping sweeter, add more honey to taste.
  4. Refrigerate to thicken before serving.
http://www.laurawestkong.com/gff/2011/creamy-coconut-cashew-topping/

Gluten-Free in Guam

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The view from our beachfront kitchen in Guam

Whether your autumn winds are chilly or scorching, you can still escape with me to Guam for some cool ocean breezes and refreshing Chamorro cuisine.

Kelaguen is a ceviche-style dish in which the acid in the lemon juice “cooks” the fish, or in the case of grilled chicken, serves as a delicious marinade. Freshly grated coconut, green onions, and chili peppers round out the island flavors.

While visiting Guam, some vegetarian friends taught me how to make soy chicken kelaguen. Now I have to confess that even though I am practically vegan myself, I am not a big fan of soy chicken. The kelaguen marinade, however, completely transformed the soy chicken and I could not stop eating it. It was that delicious.

I have a new version of kelaguen to introduce to you today: Mushroom Kelaguen. While not a traditional ingredient (I’m pretty sure mine is the first mushroom kelaguen ever made), mushrooms are a perfect fit for this tangy, lemony dish. And luckily, kelaguen is naturally gluten-free!

Grating fresh coconut in Guam

One of the secrets to a good kelaguen is freshly grated coconut. Freshly grated coconut is not the same thing as dried, shredded coconut and will not give the same results. Much the same way that orange powdered cheese is not a satisfactory replacement for a good Wisconsin cheddar.

Luckily you can find good frozen grated coconut in Asian/Filipino markets, which is a decent replacement for fresh.

Look for frozen grated coconut without added sugar or preservatives. If you are a coconut fan, you should buy more than one package, because you will certainly want to try it out in cakes, muffins, and other recipes as well.

Frozen grated coconut

Frozen grated coconut comes in one pound packages. To use it, simply thaw a package, measure and set aside what you need, then use a half-cup measuring cup to make 1/2 cup mounds from the remaining grated coconut. Place the coconut mounds on a baking tray and put the baking tray in the freezer until frozen like ice cubes. Then transfer the coconut cubes to a freezer bag and store in the freezer. When you want more grated coconut, just take out the amount you need and thaw. Nothing could be easier!

Print
Mushroom Kelaguen

Yield: 4 cups

Ingredients

  • 2-3 lemons, juiced
  • 2 pounds white mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup unrefined coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1-1/2 cups grated coconut, fresh or frozen (thawed)
  • 2 green onions, finely chopped
  • 4-6 small red chilies, finely chopped

Instructions

  1. Juice the lemons and set aside the juice. Rub the inside of your food processor (if using) and cutting board with the insides of the juiced lemons. This will give some protection against mushroom discoloration.
  2. Slice mushrooms in a food processor or by hand. A food processor will give very thinly sliced mushrooms. If you slice them by hand you don't need to slice as thinly as a food processor would, aim for about 1/8 inch wide slices.
  3. Cross-cut the slices in both directions to make small pieces, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch. Don't worry if a few pieces come out too large. You can always cut them with your spatula while cooking the mushrooms.
  4. Melt the coconut oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add the finely chopped mushrooms. They will likely fill the pan close to overflowing, so stir carefully until they cook down a bit and let their water out. Two pounds of mushrooms chopped like this will shrink down to 3-4 cups. Cook the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes until most of the water has evaporated.
  5. Add the sea salt and stir. Cook for 15-20 minutes longer to coax out and reduce any remaining water. A little moisture when you press down on the mushrooms with a spatula or spoon is OK. Just so there is no liquid in the pan.
  6. While the mushrooms are cooking you can prepare the coconut (if grating fresh), and chop the green onions and red chilies. If you don't like chili heat, remove the membranes and seeds from inside the chilies before chopping.
  7. When the mushrooms are cooked, transfer them to a bowl and add the grated coconut, green onions, and red chilies. Stir to combine.
  8. Add the lemon juice to the mushroom mixture. Start with 1/2 cup and stir to combine. Taste, and add more lemon juice if desired. Add more sea salt if desired.
  9. Enjoy! Can be eaten at room temperature or chilled. Serve as a salad or side dish with gluten-free tortillas, tortilla chips, flatbread, or large lettuce leaves for scooping.
http://www.laurawestkong.com/gff/2011/gluten-free-in-guam/

We made kelaguen and other island favorites right on the beach in our camping kitchen.

Too many cooks couldn't spoil these pancakes!

Well worth the wait for this island feast!

(This recipe was shared at: Gluten Free Friday)

Lemongrass Mahi Mahi

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Marinades are one of those irresistible improvisational creations. Not much in the way of science to worry about usually, just imagine the flavors you love and swirl them together in a sea of deliciousness.

The only problem one encounters occasionally in improvisational marinades is happening upon utter perfection, and having no way to duplicate exactly what you’ve done. A way around this would to be measure everything carefully as you go and write it all down, but that takes away half the fun.

This Lemongrass Mahi Mahi is one of those problems…

Serious. Died-and-gone-to-heaven good.

I don’t have the measurements for you, but I do remember what I mixed together. You’re on your own for the proportions. Luckily for both of us, marinades are rather forgiving concoctions. Here’s what I used:

  • coconut milk
  • minced garlic
  • minced red & green Thai chilies
  • lemongrass, sliced & smashed
  • green onion, sliced crosswise
  • celtic sea salt
  • coconut sugar
  • galangal powder
  • amchur powder

Cook as desired and serve over brown rice, with romaine lettuce leaves for scooping. (Or go paleo-style and skip the rice, just serve with romaine.)

Lemongrass can be bought fresh or frozen in Asian supermarkets. You can even grow it yourself if you live in a warm climate. Lemongrass gives bright, citrus-y notes to curries, soups, and marinades, and goes particularly well with garlic and chili.

You can cook with lemongrass in one of two ways. First, like in my marinade above, in large pieces used for flavor and removed before eating. Smashing the lemongrass with a large cleaver helps release more flavor. The second way is to cut the lemongrass into small pieces and pulverize them with a mortar and pestle or food processor, then add to food before cooking.

Galangal powder is available in Asian and Indian markets. Galangal is a relative of ginger root and tastes a bit like peppery ginger. It is used in Thai and Indian cooking. It goes well with fish, as well as garlic and chili. A little goes a long way. Like ginger, galangal can also be used fresh.

Amchur powder, or ground dried green mango, can be found in Indian markets or online from Rani’s World Foods. Amchur has a sour, acidic taste and is used in curries and chutneys. In marinades it makes a good tenderizer. Use it with fish and other meats, in vegetable curries, and wherever you’d like to add a bit of tart flavor.

What’s your favorite marinade mixture?