Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cake Balls

I hope you and your family had a very happy and relaxing Thanksgiving, full of gratitude and blessings!

I first saw these pumpkin truffles on the Whole Foods recipe site. These little pumpkin bites are originally called truffles, but I think they taste more like cake balls. The Whole Foods recipe calls for graham cracker crumbs and gingersnap cookie crumbs, but the idea of pumpkin truffles sounded so good that I knew I would have to make some gluten-free adjustments. My family (even the gluten-eating ones!) loved these gluten-free Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cake Balls, which I brought to our Thanksgiving celebration.

Tips:
-Double check ingredient list on cream cheese - almost all conventional cream cheese brands contain high fructose corn syrup, and even some organic brands have wacky ingredients
-The original recipe calls for orange zest, but I left that out. If you try this recipe with the zest, please leave a comment and let me know how it turns out!
-I used my cookie scoop to form the balls, and they were way too big. I recommend using 1/2 tablespoon of dough per ball, or aiming to make them each 1 inch in diameter.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cake Balls (based on Whole Foods Market's recipe)
1 10 oz package of white chocolate chunks
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup almond flour
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch ginger
pinch salt
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp coconut oil

1. Melt 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips (either in a double boiler or in the microwave), stirring frequently and being careful to not burn.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the melted chocolate, pumpkin puree, almond flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cream cheese. Stir until thoroughly combined - about 3 minutes. Mixture should be smooth.
3. Cover and chill until firm enough to form into balls, at least 3 hours.
4. Line a tray or glass baking dish with parchment paper. Form balls with the dough 1 inch in diameter (about 1/2 tablespoon of dough), and place on parchment paper. Freeze overnight.
5. After balls have frozen, melt remaining white chocolate chunks (about 2 cups) and coconut oil (either in a double boiler or in the microwave). Working quickly, drop the frozen balls, one at a time, into the melted chocolate, carefully coating entirely in a thin layer of chocolate. Remove any excess chocolate from balls before transferring back to the parchment paper. Repeat with remaining pumpkin balls.
6. Chill for at least one hour, then serve and enjoy!

Roasted Carrot Salad

I am so excited to share this recipe with you! My hubby and I have been getting carrots in our produce share from Rawfully Organic Co-Op every week for almost two months now. While carrots are great, and I enjoy carrots, we had so many carrots in our fridge that I didn't know what to do! We couldn't seem to eat (or smoothie) them fast enough. So last week, I decided it was time to find a recipe that featured carrots - and lots of them. After some quick googling, I came upon this amazing roasted carrot salad. Oh my goodness. It is delicious AND easy AND gluten free! The only change I made was to substitute feta cheese for blue cheese, which is sometimes aged on bread and therefore not safe for people with gluten intolerance. Feta was a great substitute!

Here is a link to the original recipe: Roasted Carrot Salad: Allrecipes.com

I will be making this again soon - and I can't wait! Who knew that carrots, almonds, feta, cranberries, and arugula would all taste good together?!? I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

Beef and Bean Chili

This simple chili recipe from Whole Foods is easy to make and perfect for fall. It has a short ingredient list, as well as only 10-15 minutes of prep time. I always purchase grass-fed beef (see why here) , as well as organic beans, onions, tomato sauce, garlic, and spices. The chili makes our home smell so delicious while it is simmering! My hubby gets so excited when he comes home and smells chili cooking. I like to make a double batch and freeze the extras in individual serving containers to take for lunches; it is always a good idea to plan ahead for gluten-free lunch at work!

Tips: 
When I make this chili, I use an entire 15 oz. can of both kidney and black beans. I have found that adding the spices at the same time as the meat, rather than before, is much easier. I omit the cilantro and the hot pepper sauce, and instead serve with grated organic cheddar cheese on the top. I highly recommend this easy gluten-free, grain-free chili!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This Chicken "Tortilla" Soup is a staple in our home. My mom used to make this for my family all the time, before any of us discovered our gluten allergy. Although the original recipe, from Houston's Rotisserie for Beef and Bird restaurant, didn't actually contain tortillas, it was not naturally gluten-free. Since we loved this soup so much, my mom and I worked together to transform this into a gluten-free, grain-free recipe.

This soup makes great leftovers, and also freezes very well. My hubby and I often take a big batch with us when we go out of town. It reheats very nicely in the microwave, and still tastes great!

I highly recommend purchasing organic canned tomatoes, as well as free-range chicken and chicken broth. Make sure to double-check the ingredients in the chicken broth - it often contains corn (and sometimes wheat) in some form.

We love this Chicken "Tortilla" Soup - and I hope you do too!

Chicken "Tortilla" Soup (based on the recipe from Rotisserie for Beef and Bird)
3 Tbs olive oil or butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 ribs celery, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 16 oz bag carrots, peeled and sliced
2 lbs free-range chicken breast, diced
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes - NOT strained
1 32 oz box free-range chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon pepper
Sour cream
Shredded cheese
Avocado, diced

1. Heat 2 Tbs olive oil or butter over medium-high heat in a large stockpot. Add garlic, celery, onion, and carrots and cook until vegetables are soft and onions are translucent.
2. In a separate skillet, heat just enough olive oil to cover bottom of pan. Add chicken and cook until browned.
3. Add cumin, chili powder, salt, and lemon pepper to chicken and stir to incorporate.
4. Add chicken mixture, tomatoes (with their juice), and chicken broth to the stockpot with the vegetables. Stir and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for one hour.
6. Serve hot, garnished with shredded cheese, sour cream, and avocado.

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Strawberry Cupcakes have been haunting me for months now. I’ve made countless batches – tweaking and changing things along the way to come up with the perfect version. My hubby has been kind enough to taste every one of these experiments, some of which didn’t taste like cupcakes at all! All of the experimenting was worth it though, because this Strawberry Cupcake is the amazing result. All of my taste testers (gluten-free and gluten-eating alike!) loved this cupcake.

These cupcakes are dairy free, refined sugar free, and of course gluten and grain free! I love using coconut sugar because it has a low glycemic index and is also full of nutrients. It is very similar in texture to refined white sugar, which makes it easy to use.

The strawberry frosting does contain refined powdered sugar as well as butter, but it completes the cupcake. I’ve been experimenting with vegan frostings as well as natural sweetener frostings, but am still working on it. For now, this strawberry frosting is the perfect addition to its cupcake counterpart. 

A few tips:

-Allow all ingredients to be room temperature before starting (especially eggs, almond flour, and coconut flour).

-Use frozen strawberries instead of fresh strawberries – the strawberry flavor is more concentrated.

-Use organic powdered sugar (sifted) for the frosting – it does not contain corn starch and produces a grain-free and more delicious frosting.

-The lemon zest brings out the flavor of the strawberry. I guess this is not a tip, but an FYI. :)

-Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before icing them. This is always difficult for me. I want to eat them right away. Trust me, it's better if you wait.

Strawberry Cupcakes

1 (10 oz) bag frozen organic strawberries, thawed

1/2 cup almond flour

1/3 cup coconut flour
2 tsp baking powder (I make my own so that it is corn free)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup grapeseed oil

3 eggs, whisked

3/4 cup coconut sugar

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with 8 cupcake liners.

2. Place strawberries into a food processor or blender and puree. Reserve 1/2 cup for the cake, and save 2 Tbs for the frosting.

3. Combine almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

4. In a large bowl, beat eggs and grapeseed oil on medium speed until combined.

5. Add coconut sugar and lemon zest to egg/oil mixture on medium speed.

5. Reduce speed to medium-low and gradually incorporate the dry ingredients, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl so everything is evenly combined.

6. Stir in 1/2 cup of strawberry puree to batter.

7. Pour batter into prepared cupcake liners and bake for 27 - 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

8. Let cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.

makes 8 cupcakes

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting (based on this recipe)

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature

1 1/2 cups organic powdered sugar, sifted

2 Tbs strawberry puree

1. Beat butter on medium-high speed until fluffy.

2. With the mixer still on medium-high, slowly add the sifted powdered sugar. You may need more or less to get the desired consistency. Beat until well combined.

3. Turn mixer off and stir in strawberry puree.

Makes enough for 8 cupcakes

Green Breakfast Smoothie

This past summer, my hubby and I purchased a Vita-mix Blender. We use it at least once a day, often more than that, and it is my favorite kitchen appliance. We love to make smoothies with raw fruits and vegetables, because we are getting tons of nutrients from the whole fruit or the whole veggie.

My sweet hubby makes a smoothie for us every morning before work. We use whatever fruits and vegetables we have at the time, so our smoothies often depend on the season. This Green Smoothie is our go-to breakfast smoothie. It is a great way to start the day and will keep you full until lunch!

Green Breakfast Smoothie
apple juice as a base (optional) - enough to cover blades of blender
1 banana
1 orange, lightly peeled (try to peel the zest and leave as much of the pith or “white stuff” as possible)
1 apple, cored
1 pear
1 small – medium zucchini
1 large handful spinach or 2 kale stalks, stems removed
½ cup frozen peaches or frozen pineapple
4-6 ice cubes

1. Add ingredients to Vita-mix or other high powered blender in the order listed.
2. Blend on high for 60 seconds or until smooth.
3. Serve immediately.

Serves 2

Against the Grain Pizza

I recently stumbled upon Against the Grain Gourmet frozen pizzas while on a trip to Whole Foods. I checked the ingredients and, to my surprise, there were no grains at all! They are true to their name "Against the Grain," and use no alternative grain flours. The only flour in their pizza crust is Tapioca Starch! There are also no gums or binders. The pizza comes with tomato sauce and a mix of parmesan, cheddar, and mozzarella cheeses. All ingredients are safe for me to eat, and this pizza is delicious. I like to add my own toppings (usually some extra freshly grated parmesan, Applegate Naturals pepperoni, mushrooms, and red onions). We cook it directly on the oven rack for 15 minutes to get the crust nice and crispy, and it is divine! I'm thrilled to have found this grain-free pizza for an occasional dinner treat, and I highly recommend it to you.

Against the Grain pizzas come in two kinds - Three Cheese and Pesto. Several Whole Foods locations in Houston carry them in the frozen section (I have found them at both the Montrose location and Bellaire location). Make sure to call the Whole Foods near you to double check for and/or request Against the Grain!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These chocolate chip cookies are THE BEST grain-free cookies ever! In my gluten-eating days, I made homemade chocolate chip cookies all the time - probably once a week. They were delicious, but they were making me sick! These gluten-free, corn-free, processed sugar-free chocolate chip cookies taste incredible, and are healthy too. I worked on this recipe for weeks to get it just right, and hope you enjoy it! (And just a warning, the cookie dough is amazing - don't eat too much or you won't have any cookies!)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1½ cups Almond Flour

½ cup Coconut Flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder (I make my own so that it is corn free)

1½ cups Coconut Sugar

½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract (Make your own!)

3/4 cup chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life - they are soy free!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and coconut sugar on medium speed.

4. Add eggs and vanilla and continue beating on medium speed until smooth.

5. Reduce speed to low, and gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

6. Stir in chocolate chips.

7. Scoop cookie dough onto baking sheet, 2 inches apart, using a cookie scoop. Flatten the cookies with your hand - they will not spread on their own.

8. Bake for 13 - 17 minutes.

9. Cool and serve.

Makes 2½ dozen cookies