Triple-Coconut Berry-Pear Crumble (grain free)

"Triple" because I use coconut flour, coconut nectar, and coconut oil!  I've recently discovered coconut nectar, which is made from coconut sap.  It's interesting because it is very low in fructose, unlike agave nectar, plus it can actually aid digestion.  Coconut nectar is expensive, but I rarely use that much at one time, so it's worth it.

Ingredients

Topping:

1 C almond flour

1/2 C coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
pinch or two of nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 C of coconut nectar (or 1/4 C agave nectar)

1/3 C melted coconut oil (or melted butter)

Filling:

4 medium-large pears, peeled and sliced (OR 2 pears and 2 medium apples, THINLY sliced)

1 1/2 - 2 C fresh or frozen berries (I used fresh blueberries and raspberries)

1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
2 tsp arrowroot (or cornstarch if not concerned about grains)
2-3 T coconut nectar (or agave)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and lightly oil the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch pie plate.

Mix together the dry ingredients for the topping, then add the coconut oil and coconut nectar.  Blend well; it should be stiff and somewhat crumbly, of course.

Toss the fruit together with the other ingredients for the filling.  Sprinkle a small amount of the crumble topping on the the bottom of the pie plate, then spread the filling in the pan.  Use your fingers to crumble the remaining topping over the fruit filling.

Bake at 325 F for 30 - 40 minutes.  After approximately 30 minutes test with a sharp knife, skewer or toothpick; if the pear (and/or apple) slices are very tender, and the topping is a deep golden brown, remove from oven.  Serve warm as is, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

This is a VERY nutritious grain free dessert, so I don't mind my kids asking for more!  If you use the coconut oil rather than butter, it is casein free too.

Crockpot Indian Butter Chicken, aka Chicken Makhani

This recipe is from the Crockpot Lady, Stephanie....the original recipe is here. Stephanie actually got it from a fellow blogger, Kindra, and modified it to suit herself. Kindra's recipe is here.

Crockpot Chicken Makhani

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (can be frozen)
1 med onion, sliced
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 stick butter, cut into chunks
15 cardamom pods (sewn together or tied in cheesecloth)
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 T garam masala
approx 1 inch grated fresh ginger root
1 can coconut milk (13.5 oz)
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
2 T lemon or lime juice
1 C plain yogurt
1 tsp salt (more or less to taste)

NOTE: If you don't have cardamom pods, you can use 1/2 tsp ground cardamom, maybe a bit more. You can always add salt, more spices, to taste. Always feel free to modify it to suit your own taste buds!

Directions

Use a 5 quart or larger crockpot. You can either sew together the cardamom pods using a needle and thread or you can tie them in a little cheese cloth bundle instead, if you have cheesecloth in the house. Put some sliced onion in the bottom of the crockpot, then place chicken on top. Scatter rest of onion and garlic over chicken. Combine dry spices, grated ginger, tomato paste, lemon or lime juice, and coconut milk in a medium sized bowl and pour the resulting mixture over the chicken and vegetables in the pot. Drop chunks of butter randomly over the top.


Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 (I doubled the recipe and cooked it on high for 2 and low for 4). The chicken will shred easily when fully cooked.

Stir in the plain yogurt 15 minutes before serving.


Discard cardamom pods. Salt to taste, serve with white or brown basmati rice. Enjoy!!

The Best Baked Beans in the WORLD!

I cannot take credit for these incredible baked beans; I found this recipe posted on the Pioneer Woman's blog. Actually, Ree didn't come up with this one either....she got it from an online friend named Pam Anderson (no, not THAT Pam Anderson!).

These beans are truly to die for!! You've got to try this recipe!

Quick Southern-Style Baked Beans

Serves up to 18

Ingredients:

8 slices bacon, halved
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 medium green pepper, diced
3 large cans (28 ounces each) pork and beans
3/4 cup barbecue sauce (I use my own gf bbq sauce)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup distilled or cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dry mustard or 2 tablespoons Dijon

NOTE: Pure distilled vinegar is gluten free, malt vinegar is not. Flavored and seasoned vinegars may contain gluten, most typically in the form of malt, so ingredient lists should be carefully read. If wheat protein is contained in vinegar, the label will say so. The single word “vinegar” on a food label implies cider/apple vinegar and is gluten free. (from diet.com).

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Fry bacon in large, deep saute pan skillet until bacon has partially cooked and released about 1/4 cup drippings. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Add onions and peppers to drippings in pan and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add beans and remaining ingredients bring to a simmer. (If skillet is not large enough, add beans and heat to a simmer then transfer to a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients). Pour flavored beans into a greased 13-by 9-inch (or similar size) ovenproof pan. Top with bacon, then bake until beans are bubbly and sauce is the consistency of pancake syrup, about 2 hours. Let stand to thicken slightly and serve.

Twice-Baked Beef-Stuffed Potatoes

This was inspired by a post on the Dutch Girl's (Kay's) blog....it's a great way to use leftover chili, or stews, or any sort of meat dish that might work as a filling.

Ingredients:

Potatoes (russets), well scrubbed and baked
butter
cream or milk
salt
pepper
grated cheddar cheese (optional)

Pre-cooked meat fillings:

Fillings can be as simple as chili, or beef or chicken stew.
Or season cooked ground beef with taco seasoning, or curry powder and ketchup, as Kay does, or any seasoning that strikes your fancy!
Even meatballs and marinara sauce!
The sky (and your imagination) is the limit!

Directions:

Cut hot baked potatoes in half, and scoop out the insides, leaving a shell approximately 1/4 inch thick. Mash the potato insides with a little butter and milk or cream, and add a handful or two of shredded cheddar cheese (or other type of cheese) to the mixture. Salt and pepper to taste, of course. Fill the potato shells about 2/3 full of heated meat filling of your choice, then top with mashed potato cheese topping. Return to the oven to bake for 15 or 20 minutes, until heated through and the tops begin to brown a bit.

Enjoy!

Stovetop version of Obama's chili

This is based on the Crockpot version of the Obama family's chili that I first copied from Stephanie's blog. Here I have converted it back to something resembling the original recipe used by the Obama family, although I have definitely increased the spice level. It is still not hot by any sort of normal "chili-head" standards. But use your own judgment when adding spices; when in doubt, start with half of what I recommend and add more slowly until you find the right level for you. Or if you think it's too tasteless and wimpy, add MORE! :)

This makes a LOT of chili, because I'm using my 8-quart Dutch oven. If you are serving a normal-sized family and you don't want a lot of leftovers (we LOVE leftovers), you might want to cut this recipe in half.

Ingredients

2 can kidney beans
3 lbs lean ground meat (beef, chicken, turkey or a combination)
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
10 medium tomatoes or 8 large, chopped (include seeds and all)
6 chopped cloves of garlic
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp basil
2 tsp turmeric
2 T chili powder
2 1/2 T Old Bay Seasoning
2 tsp salt
5 T red wine vinegar
Cooked white rice, if desired

Directions

Again, you'll need a large Dutch oven, otherwise cut the recipe in half.

I've increased all of the spices from the original recipe, and also increased the amount of ground meat (we like more meat than beans).

First, brown the meat in the Dutch oven on the stove top, and drain well. Add the two cans of red beans, liquid and all; set the heat at medium low and allow to simmer while you chop and add the tomatoes, garlic, onion, and bell pepper.

Lastly stir in all of the spices and the red wine vinegar. Cover the Dutch oven and cook on medium-low for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. If the chili seems to have a bit too much liquid, tilt the lid so that some of the steam escapes while cooking, but keep an eye on it.

Serve over white rice, if desired.

Sweet and Spicy Baby Carrots

Here is a veggie dish that my four-year-old just LOVES...he loves most vegetables, but this recipe is one of his favorites. Best of all, it's super simple and FAST!

Ingredients:

1/2 C butter (one stick)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tst nutmeg
2 T brown sugar
1 1/2 T agave nectar or 2 T honey
fresh parsley (optional)
4 C baby carrots (the ones in the bag, already peeled/washed are the most convenient)

Directions:

Melt butter in a medium skillet; add brown sugar, agave or honey and spices and blend together thoroughly. Add baby carrots; cover and cook over medium-low heat for approximately 15 minutes. Carrots are done when cooked through, so that they can be sliced easily with the stirring spoon for example, but are still firm and hold their shape.

Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley if desired before serving.

Gluten Free Potato-Cauliflower Gratin

This is just a variation on Potato Gratin, of course, inspired by the idea from the low-carb community of substituting cauliflower for potatoes. I love both potatoes and cauliflower, with or without cheese, so this is really the best of both worlds, and definitely lower in carbs than if it were made with potatoes alone.

Ingredients:

One head of cauliflower, cut into florets/bit-sized chunks
5 medium-sized russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into thick slices or chunks
3 T butter
1 onion, diced
3 T sweet rice flour
1 C heavy cream
1 - 2 C milk
Shredded cheese (Gruyere, cheddar, Gouda, whatever) - approx 3+ Cups
1/2 tsp dry mustard
salt
Lawry's seasoned pepper

Directions:

Place the potato and cauliflower pieces into a large pot and add enough water to cover; bring to a boil then turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes. You want the potato and cauliflower chunks to be cooked through but still firm, not mushy. Drain thoroughly and dump the pieces into a large buttered casserole dish or 13" by 9" pan.

While the potato and cauliflower pieces are cooking, prepare the cheese sauce: melt butter in a large skillet and add the diced onion. Saute the onion until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add a bit more butter if needed, then add the sweet rice flour and dry mustard to make a thick paste. Pour in the heavy cream, stirring vigorously over low heat. This will thicken rapidly; add milk, stirring constantly, a little bit at a time, until the sauce is about the consistency of paint, maybe a bit thinner. Remove from heat and add cheese; reserve some cheese for the top. I tend to use a LOT of cheese, but you can adjust the amount to your personal tastes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the sauce over the potatoes and cauliflower pieces in the casserole dish; top with extra cheese and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 - 35 minutes, until bubbling around the edges and beginning to brown slightly on top.

Yum!!