Watermelon Sorbet and One Year of Blogging!

Happy Sunday! Guess what? Exactly one year today, I wrote my first ever blog post! (Which today, is still one of my favorite recipes!) 

This past year of GATG has been so fun, and I love expressing myself through my recipes, and blog. Through social media and email, I’ve been able to connect with many fellow paleo bloggers, which has been so great! I am going to continue expanding my blog, and working on my cookbook, and I’m so excited to see where it will lead me.

And what is the best celebrating food ever? Ice cream! Well, actually sorbet, in this case. Sorbet that only requires 2 INGREDIENTS! Yes, please!

Let’s go make some sorbet! But first, I just want to thank all you faithful readers for reading my blog, and trying all my recipes! It means so much to me. If you try this recipe, or any others on my blog, please let me know by commenting below!

I hope you enjoy this refreshing, colllllllllddddd sorbet!

 

Serves ten people.

Ingredients:

10 cups seedless watermelon, cubed (or however much watermelon you have)

2 splashes lemon juice

mint leaves and sea salt, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1.     Place as much watermelon as can fit in your blender, along with the lemon juice, (mine could fit 10 cups watermelon) and blend until smooth.

2.     Pour into your ice cream maker, and make according to your manufacturer’s instructions.

3.     Serve immediately as a slushy, or scoop into a bread pan (or other shallow dish) and freeze for 1-3 hours, depending on how soft it is.

4.     Garnish with mint leaves, and sea salt, then scoop into dishes, and serve!

Very Berry Summer Crisp

Nothing screams summer more than a homemade berry crisp!

I know I haven’t posted in a while, but it’s all for a good reason: I am writing a cookbook! It is going to contain all paleo treats, categorized by season. In fact, this berry crisp is going to be one of the recipes in the book! I thought I’d give you a little sneak peek… and this recipe was surely the best for you to try!

It only takes a few minutes to make, yet it is all gone in a matter of seconds!

If you love berries, this crisp is for you.

If you love warm baked goods, this crisp is for you.

If you love me, this crisp is for you (thanks, Mom and Dad ;) ).

If you love chocolate, go check out every other recipe on my blog.

I like crisps alone, with no ice cream, but if you prefer yours with vanilla ice cream, go ahead!!

Serves 4-5 people.

Ingredients:

2 cups diced, hulled strawberries (or berry of choice)

1 cup blackberries (or berry of choice)

1 cup blueberries (or a different type of berry)

½ cup coconut flakes

½ cup sliced almonds

2 Tbs arrowroot starch

1 pinch Himalayan pink sea salt

3 Tbs coconut sugar (or maple sugar)

3 Tbs maple sugar (or coconut sugar)

4 Tbs cold palm shortening, plus more for greasing (or organic butter)

Directions:

1.     Preheat your oven to 350° F, and grease an 8½x8½ (or 8x8) –inch glass baking dish with palm shortening or butter.

2.     Place all of the fruit in a medium bowl, and set aside.

3.     In a large bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients. Mix in the palm shortening, using your hands, until the mixture resembles course crumbs.

4.     Layer the berries evenly, on the bottom of the greased pan. Sprinkle the crumble topping on top, covering all the berries.

5.     Bake your crisp for 30-35 minutes, or  until the fruit starts bubbling, and the top is crispy and golden.

6.     Let the crisp cool for at least five minutes before serving (so you don’t burn your tongue off). Serve in bowls, plain, or a la mode (with vanilla ice cream)!

Ginger-Lemon-Mint Gummy Squares

Lately, I’ve really been wanting to cook, but the use of an oven, and the heat it emits into my already-hot house, just didn’t sound that fun. So, I set out to find the perfect no-cook treat to make! When I saw the huge pot of mint leaves growing in my backyard, I knew exactly what to do.

These are like that good ‘ole Jell-O you always crave! But minus all the artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, of course! They are like the superfood of all treats, with unbelievably healing powers. And man, oh man, are they refreshing!

Ingredients:

1 large, whole ginger root, chopped and peeled (about 38 grams)

1/3 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice

20 mint leaves

2 cups water

3 Tbs unflavored grass-fed beef gelatin

1 Tbs plus 1 tsp raw honey

1 Tbs coconut oil, melted, for greasing

Directions:

1.     Grease a 8½x8½ (or 8x8) –inch baking dish with the melted coconut oil, and line the bottom of the dish with a square piece of parchment paper.

2.     Place all ingredients except the gelatin and honey in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.

3.     Heat the mixture until the mint leaves start turning brown, and the mixture reaches a boil. Let it boil for one minute, then remove from heat.

4.     Strain the mint, ginger, and pulp out of the mixture, and into a large heatproof bowl, of glass measuring cup.

5.     Whisk in the gelatin slowly, until there are no lumps. Stir in the honey, and let the mixture sit until it reaches room temperature.

6.     Pour it into the baking dish, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until it jiggles, and is slightly firm to the touch.

7.     Cut the Jell-O into squares, and serve! Leftover squares should be stored in the fridge for up to three days (if they aren’t eaten before then!)

Strawberry, Rose, and Coconut Milkshake (Dairy-Free)

The air is becoming warmer, the flowers are poking through their soil, the little birds are chirping, and animals are having their young. It must be springtime! To me, this treat fully embraces spring with its sweet, creaminess of the fresh coconut, the bright, fruity strawberry, and the floral, springy hint of rose.

This milkshake is very rich, creamy, and soooooo easy to make! Just pop everything in a blender, and boom! Pure yumminess.

Fresh, young Thai coconuts are chock-full of nutrients, and they add an amazingly sweet creaminess to this drink. I buy my coconuts at Whole Foods, and then open them using the awesome Coco Jack, which I highly recommend buying! If you don’t have a Coco Jack, the employees at Whole Foods can open your coconuts for you. Then, all you’ve got to do is pour the coconut water into your blender, and scoop out the coconut meat using a large metal spoon.

Serves 4 people.

Ingredients:

The meat and water of 2 Young Thai Coconuts (about 2 cups meat, and 2¼ cups water)

1 heaping cup frozen strawberries (if you use fresh strawberries, I recommend adding a handful of ice cubes too, to make it cold)

1 Tbs food-grade rose water

Optional topping:

Coconut cream (the thick stuff at the top of a can of coconut milk that’s been chilled overnight)

Directions:

1.     Whip the coconut cream in a large bowl

               using a hand or stand mixer, until fluffy.

2.     Place the coconut meat and water in a high powered blender, and blend on high, until smooth and creamy

3.     Add the frozen strawberries and rose water, and continue to blend until there are no lumps.

4.     Pour the milkshake into glasses, and top with the whipped coconut cream, and serve.

Paleo Coconut Macaroons

These coconut macaroons require 37 ingredients and corn syrup. 

April Fools! Hahaha! I probably didn’t get you, did I?

This April Fools' day, I filled a Juice Squeeze (fizzy fruit juice) bottle with Sriracha, cherry juice concentrate, water, and raspberry jam, which made it look exactly like the pomegranate drink it was supposed to be. I left it in the fridge, just waiting for my brother to try it… Right after he woke up, he saw it in the fridge, opened it and took a huge gulp, and yelled,  “Ewww! This is disgusting!! Who did this?”

Ha.

And now, back to the macaroons. They really only require four ingredients: egg whites, shredded coconut, maple syrup, and vanilla. Perfect for a quick Easter treat!

When you pop a little macaroon into your mouth, the lovely coconut flavor will erupt, as your teeth break into the crispy outside shell. Then, as you devour the soft, moist inside, you get to enjoy the wonderful maple-vanilla sensation!

I swear, that is not an April Fools’ Day joke.

Makes 17 macaroons.

Ingredients:

5 egg whites

2 ⅔ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

½ cup pure maple syrup

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1.     Preheat your oven to 350° and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2.     In a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until white, fluffy, and a stiff peak forms.

3.     Stir in the coconut, maple syrup, and vanilla.

4.     To make the macaroon shape, use a cookie scoop and tightly pack the mixture into it, then drop the cookies onto the lined baking sheet. In order for them to hold together, you must tightly pack it. If the cookies start to slightly fall before they get into the oven, you can mold the edges of each one with your hands, before they get baked.

5.     Bake the macaroons on the middle rack of the oven for about 26 minutes. Then, let them cool on a wire cooling rack for at least ten minutes, to set.

Store the macaroons in a container in the freezer, then remove at least 30 minutes before serving.

Mini Chocolate Cupcake Bombs

Chocolate cupcakes, covered with walnuts and encased with a rich chocolate shell; decadence in its purest form. People, you need to make these! Right now! Don’t you want them? I sure do, just writing this!

I made these little treats for a get-together last weekend, and they were a huge hit. No one could believe that they were made of cashew butter, and contained no grains or dairy!

One tip: Before announcing to your whole family that the cupcake bombs are done, make sure to eat a few in secret! (I was not very smart the first time I made these.)

Makes 12 mini cupcake bombs.

Ingredients:

1-2 Tbs coconut oil, melted (for greasing)

½ cup creamy salted cashew butter, unsweetened (if your cashew butter is unsalted, add another pinch of salt to the recipe)

1 large egg

1/3 cup raw honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup cacao powder

1 Tbs coconut flour

½ tsp baking soda

1 pinch salt

3 Tbs walnuts, coarsely chopped

¾ cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1.     Preheat your oven to 350° and heavily grease a mini muffin tin with the melted coconut oil.

2.      In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together the cashew butter, egg, honey and vanilla until smooth.

3.     Blend in the cacao powder, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt.

4.     Scoop the batter into the greased mini muffin tin using a cookie scoop (or just a spoon). Fill them up almost all the way. The batter should fill the 12 cups in the tin evenly.

5.     Place a few pieces of walnut on top of each muffin, then put the tin in the oven.

6.     Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

7.     While the muffins are baking, melt the chocolate in a double boiler over high heat, or a small saucepan over medium/low heat.

8.     Let the muffins cool in their tin for 5 minutes, then gently remove from the tin, and onto 2 plates lined with parchment paper.

9.     Pour a spoonful of melted chocolate on top of each muffin, then place them in the freezer. Cover them with aluminum foil.

10. Keep the muffins in the freezer until the chocolate on top hardens, then serve!

To Store: Keep the muffins in the freezer until 30 minutes before you want to serve them. For those last 30 minutes, put them in in the fridge.

Leprechaun Pancakes (Grain-free, Dairy-Free)

Oh, the sunflower seed butter and baking soda reaction! I remember the moment so vividly…

It was about a year ago. I was concocting a recipe for oatmeal cookies, made with sunflower seed butter. When the delicious cookies came out of the oven, they seemed to look a bit yellow. The longer they cooled for, the greener, and greener they got. When I bit into one, they tasted perfectly normal, but the inside was a deep green! How strange!

Recently, I was browsing recipes online, when I found a recipe for green oatmeal cookies! It was then I learned that when you combine baking soda and sunflower seed butter, it turns green. Amazing! And perfect for St. Patrick’s Day!

These pancakes are deeeeelish, and can be made in a jiffy!

Just don’t let the leprechauns eat them! You know how greedy they get with paleo pancakes.

Makes about 16 pancakes.

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened sunflower seed butter

2 Tbs maple syrup or honey

3 large eggs

½ cup almond milk (or coconut milk for nut-free)

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp cinnamon

scant ¼ tsp sea salt

1-2 Tbs coconut oil, for greasing

Directions:

1.     Place a large cast iron skillet on your stove, and turn the heat up to medium.

2.     In a high speed blender, blend the sunbutter, maple syrup, eggs, and almond milk until smooth.

3.     Blend in the baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

4.     Spread a bit of coconut oil all over the preheated griddle, and then spoon the batter onto it. I use about 2 Tbs of batter per pancake. Then, spread out the top of the pancake with the back of a spoon, to make it thinner.

5.     Let each side of the pancake cook for about 2 minutes, or until the edges start to curl slightly under, before flipping.

6.     Serve the pancakes! NOTE: The greenness may start to form a few minutes after the pancakes have been cooked, because it takes a little while for the baking soda to activate.