My first bite of these cookies, warm out of the heaven, was a heavenly experience! You just gotta eat 'em warm. They're still good once they've cooled, but warm? Holy Macaroni!--as my 7-year old would say. :)
To learn more about how you can get Thrive ingredients in YOUR kitchen, visit my website.
Ingredients:
6 tbsp. butter
3/4 c. THRIVE Powdered Sugar
5 tbsp. THRIVE Honey Crystals
1 tbsp. water
1 c. almonds or walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1 c. butter, softened
2 tbsp. water
1 egg
3 1/3 c. THRIVE Vanilla Sugar Cookie Mix Directions:
1. In a small saucepan, melt the 6 T. of butter over low heat. Stir in the powdered sugar, honey crystals, and 1 T. of water.
2. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and add nuts and cinnamon. Set aside to cool for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
4. In a mixer, cream the 1 cup of butter for a few minutes until smooth and fluffy. Add in 2 T. water and egg and mix well, scraping down sides part way through.
5. Add in the sugar cookie mix. Mix well, until dough begins to clean the sides of the bowl.
6. Using a 1.25"-diameter cookie scoop, place cookie dough on cookie sheet leaving 2" spacing around each cookie.
7. Bake for 10 minutes.
8. Remove cookie sheet from oven and top each cookie with 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon of the nut mixture.
9. Return cookies to oven and bake for 3 minutes.
10. Allow to cool on the pan for a few minutes, then remove cookies to a wire rack to cool.
To use this recipe without Thrive cookie mix, substitute your own cookie recipe, mix, or dough for the last four ingredients. To use without Thrive honey crystals, use 4-5 tablespoons of honey.
Don't those cookie skillet desserts at your favorite restaurants look amazing? Sometimes they actually taste amazing too, but sometimes that little skillet is a fake! Make the real deal with this easy, decadent recipe.
You may even get a "this is one of the best desserts I've ever had" compliment like I did tonight!
1 c. butter, softened
3 1/3 c. THRIVE Classic Cookie Dough Mix
2 1/2 tbsp. water
1 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
9 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce
1/4 c. butter
1 1/2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
3/4 c. THRIVE Cane Sugar
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
1/4 c. heavy cream
1/8 tsp. THRIVE Iodized Salt
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Peanut Butter Sauce
1 c. Creamy Peanut Butter
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter in mixer until light and fluffy. Add in cookie dough mix and water and mix well.
Add in 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips and mix until chips are well distributed.
3. Divide dough in half. Place half into greased cast iron skillet, patting to spread dough evenly across bottom and up the sides a little.
4. Place unwrapped Reese's cups atop the cookie dough. Fill in the spaces between the peanut butter cups with the 1 cup of chocolate chips.
Place the remaining cookie dough over the top, spreading evenly to cover.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until edges are brown.
Sauces
1. To make the chocolate sauce, melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate together in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.
2. Add sugar, cocoa, heavy cream, and salt. Stir until combined.
3. Bring slowly to a low boil, stirring only once or twice to make sure sugar has dissolved.
4. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
To "make" peanut butter sauce, place peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30-45 seconds until peanut butter is runny.
To Serve
1. Scoop out some cookie, top with ice cream and sauces. Serve immediately.
2. Prepare yourself to receive praise.
Why? Well, it was there--by the pool deck--that I had my first taste of shawarma. I thoroughly enjoyed the shaved, slow-roasted chicken with its unusual spice set. The fresh fixins and delicious garlic aioli made it a special treat.
I've been wanting to figure out how to recreate it but, doggone it, I don't have a roasting spit or the patience for all-day roasting! And ever since I started using Thrive Life foods, I'm been a little spoiled in the quick meal prep department. I want it. And I want it now.
So I combed the internet, looking for just the right recipe to "Thrive-alize". After a less than stellar attempt, I found a recipe that fit just right. Thrive's Seasoned Chicken Slices make it super fast. They are freeze dried and reconstistute quickly. Once the spices have been added to them, they really only need to heat through!
Why the funky name? Well, I thought I'd use my Thrive dough mix to try and simulate naan bread. Didn't work. But what happened was a scone-like bread circle that my family has previously used for Navajo Tacos. So I thought, well.....let's mix the two. Add a little garlic sauce, and there you go!
If you don't want to try this recipe with Thrive foods (why wouldn't you, though? It's so super fast!) then I encourage you to visit the recipe site that I used as a springboard for my Thrive-alized version, Jo Cooks. And if you don't have time to do the bread, pick up some naan bread in your grocery store.
Give shawarma a try. Your hunger will be AVENGED!
Ingredients: Taco Bread
1 1/3 c. hot water
2 1/4 tsp. THRIVE Instant Dry Yeast
1 tsp. THRIVE Iodized Salt
4 c. THRIVE Honey Whole Wheat Dough Mix Chicken Shawarma
4 c. THRIVE Seasoned Chicken Slices - Freeze Dried
2 c. hot water
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
1/2 c. Olive Oil
2 tsp. Paprika
1/2 tsp. Ground Turmeric
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. THRIVE Iodized Salt
4 clv. Garlic, minced Garlic Yogurt Sauce
1/3 c. fresh lemon juice
1 c. Vegetable Oil
1/4 c. plain Greek yogurt
6 clv. Garlic, peeled
1 tsp. THRIVE Iodized Salt
1 tbsp. THRIVE Parsley Toppings
diced hothouse cucumbers
halved grape tomatoes
iceberg lettuce, sliced thinly
Directions: Taco Bread
1. Dissolve yeast in hot water (hot from the tap). Add salt. Whisk. Stir in Thrive dough mix.
2. Knead for 5 minutes. Lightly cover dough with a little vegetable oil, place in bowl, cover with towel, and allow to rise until dough has doubled in size.
3. Punch dough down. Divide into 8 equal pieces.
4. Place nonstick or cast iron skillet on stove on medium heat.
5. Take one piece of dough, roll into ball, then flatten as thin as possible with your hands. Place on skillet and cook on each side until golden brown and cooked through.
6. Repeat with remaining dough pieces. Set aside and cover to keep warm. Chicken Shawarma
1. Put the chicken into a bowl and add the 2 cups of water. Toss with a spoon every few minutes while you let it reconstitute (about 15 minutes).
2. Put remaining shawarma ingredients into a small bowl, whisk well, and pour over the chicken (after the chicken has sat for 15 minutes). Toss to coat the chicken well.
3. Drizzle a little vegetable or olive oil in a large skillet and heat to medium high on the stove. Pour in the chicken and allow it to heat through for about 5 minutes. Garlic Yogurt Sauce
Place all sauce ingredients in a blender and process for 1-2 minutes. Allow to rest while you prepare the toppings. Assembling the Tacos
Place a bread circle on a plate and top with some chicken.
Add toppings and drizzle with sauce.
Notes:
This recipe is highly customizable; reduce or increase the shawarma spices as you see fit.
Too much garlic? Simply reduce.
Want a creamier sauce? Increase yogurt and decrease oil.
Play around with it and make it your own!
It's the afternoon. You're dragging. And you're hungry. "Is there still ice cream in the freezer?" you think to yourself. "Wait, no, there's a bag of chips in the pantry!" Or maybe you're at the office and there's leftover birthday cake in the break room. Or donuts. Or both!
Let me introduce you to my secret weapon against those junk food temptations. I wage war on those moments with this recipe in my arsenal. I call them....(pause for dramatic effect).....Chocolate Bombs!
Ever since I found this recipe from The Gabriel Method E-Cookbook, it's been my go-to for fighting hunger and snack attacks with a healthy and filling alternative. One of my most vulnerable times for hunger is Sundays. I try to eat something right before I leave, but by the time I get home after church (which is three hours long) I am ready to eat the front door! Armed with a few of these tucked away in my purse or waiting for me in the car, I soothe the hunger beast during the twenty minute drive home.
You could make a breakfast of these if you like; or just snack on them when you need a pick me up or have an afternoon snack attack. I always have a big glass of water (or water bottle) on hand with these as they are quite the mouthful!
It's the afternoon. You're dragging. And you're hungry. "Chocolate bombs to the rescue!" you shout triumphantly.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup almonds
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds
unsweetened coconut (to taste)
1 tsp. sesame seeds
4 tsp raw cacao
3 Tbsp almond butter
2 Tbsp coconut palm sugar
1 Tbsp raw cashew butter
5-10 drops liquid stevia
1 tsp cinnamon
1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process until the almonds are in very small pieces.
2. Check the consistency by taking a small amount of the mixture and forming it into a ball. If it's too crumbly, add more almond or cashew butter in small amounts and process again. Once it will form a ball, you've gotten it right!
3. Using your hand or a small cookie scoop, take out tablespoonfuls of the mixture, squeeze if necessary, and roll into a ball in your hands.
4. Eat immediately or store in the fridge in an airtight container.
Makes about 10-12 bombs, depending on how big you make them
A few notes:
The original recipe calls for Tahini in place of cashew butter. Not a Tahini fan, so I subbed. The original also called for a teaspoon of stevia but I only had liquid. For the cacao I increased the amount from 3 teaspoons in the original, to 4.
How much coconut you say? I'm a coconut lover, so I would guess I add 1/4 cup. This will affect how much extra nut butter you need to add at the end (if any).
I love these. So when I make them, I triple the batch. Tripling just fits the mixture in my Ninja food processor.
There I sat, thumbing through who-knows-what outdated magazine at the salon, color setting in my hair. And I almost didn't read it. I almost passed right by it. But when I read the ingredients I couldn't help myself. I snapped a pic of it with my cell phone and made a mental note to try it soon.
The family was up for it. (They are adventurous with anything that involves Nutella.) And when we bravely tried it for the first time, they were not disappointed. It as a big hit! And though this dish is a rich, not-every-day kind of food, it gets requested more often than I can tell you (especially from one kid in particular).
So tonight, when we had the missionaries over for dinner and served these for dessert (at the request of that one kid in particular), I remembered...."Oh yeah, I never put this on the blog, did I?"
It only took me a year and a half to remember to share it. Once you try it, you may not forgive me for waiting so long! My apologies.....but honestly, you'll be so transported by the unique flavor, you'll forget all about being mad at me. :)
p.s.....comment below if you get why it's called an Italian Elvis.
Ingredients:
8 slices sturdy white bread*
6 strips of crispy bacon, in bit sized pieces
Nutella
1 ripe banana
8 ounce tub of mascarpone cheese
softened butter
lots of napkins
1. Heat a griddle or skillet to medium-low heat (like you are making a grilled cheese sandwich, cuz well, you are!).
2. Place the banana on a dinner plate and mash it well with a fork. Empty the tub of cheese on top of the mashed banana and use the fork to incorporate the two together. Set aside.
3. Butter one side of a slice of bread. Place this butter-side down on another slice of bread. Then carefully spread Nutella on top of the slice that's face down with butter. About 1/8" thick is fine--it's up to you how much you want. Now place the bacon pieces on top of the Nutella. (Each sandwich has about 1 1/2 strips of bacon.)
4. Carefully lift just the Nutella slice of bread and place it butter side down on your griddle or skillet. Immediately drop some scoops of your banana/cheese mixture on top of the Nutella/bacon and carefully spread it out (it will be about twice as thick as the Nutella).
5. Place the other slice of bread on top (you know, the one you used earlier). Using your flipper/turner/spatula device, gently press down on that top piece. Then carefully spread some butter on it.
6. When the bottom slice is golden brown, VERY carefully lift and turn it over to cook on the other side. All that gooey goodness might make this step a little challenging, but stick with me....it's worth it.
7. Once the other side is done, lift it out carefully and place it on a flat surface to cool for a minute or two before slicing and eating.
Makes 4 sandwiches
A few notes:
Regarding the bread*--super soft white bread will not hold up well to the spreading of Nutella and tends to flatten too much during cooking. I recommend something like Pepperidge Farm breads, which are delicious and stand up well to this recipe.
How many sandwiches this recipe makes will depend a lot on how thick you spread the ingredients on the bread slices. The amounts listed above reflect my family's preferences and you may need to adjust the recipe based on your own preferences.
Where to find mascarpone cheese? In my grocery store, it's found in the deli department, but if you can't find it, just ask someone at the store.
Yes, you do need to have the bacon in pieces. If you just lay 3 half-strips on bacon down, those suckers will slide right out of the sandwich when you take a bite. Also, my family prefers it crispy; yours may like it chewier (in which case it's even more important that the bacon be in pieces).
Why lots of napkins? You obviously haven't tried to eat one yet. Go make one, eat it, and then we'll talk.
source: pretty sure it was out of a Food Network magazine
Have I told you how much I absolutely love Thrive? I mean, seriously. It's amazing. I have saved so much time in the kitchen just by using Thrive foods--they are ready to use right out of the packaging--no more chopping onions, no more greasy meat prep, etc. And the taste is unmatched! Not to mention the nutrition bonus of eating freeze dried foods of the highest quality. You are really missing out if you haven't tried Thrive for yourself.
I love "throw and go" cooking with Thrive foods. The other day I made some spaghetti sauce using that method; and for me, that means just tossing in what I like and adding enough water along the way to rehydrate the foods to perfection. This is all without any measuring!!! Love it. And my spaghetti meat sauce, which I began making AFTER I started the pasta, was done before the pasta was!
But sometimes I do like to try recipes and measure. Lasagna Soup intrigued me when I saw it and, lemme tell you, it did NOT disappoint my taste buds. Several in the family went back up for seconds of this tasty dish. This one is definitely going to be made many times in our house! And, bonus, you can also vacuum seal this (layered in the order listed) in a quart mason jar and keep it on the shelf for emergency quick meals (although going directly into the pot was fast to begin with). Just dump and go. (Email me at gimmethrive@gmail.com for more info on jar meals!)
1. Dump all the ingredients into a pot or Dutch oven. Stir in 8 cups of water.
2. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the noodles are al dente.
Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and serve with salad and breadsticks! Easy peasy!
For more information on how you can save time and money while eating nutritious, convenient food from Thrive,
Are you gluten-free? Do you find that you are sometimes less than thrilled to try new gluten-free recipes because they often don't satisfy? Maybe it's just me. I guess I'm jaded now. Nevertheless, I decided to try this one for breakfast today because, well, I suppose I haven't lost all hope.
I wasn't expecting much. Actually, I was expecting a slightly sweet blob of cardboard. But I was really happy with the result. Happy, as in, I will make these again. And that's saying a lot....for me, anyway.
Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Blueberry Muffins
2 large eggs, at room temp
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/3 cup palm shortening, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup warm water
1 3/4 cup Pancake Mix (see recipe below)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup fresh blueberries (or reconstituted freeze-dried blueberries--what I used)
Topping
1/3 cup pecan halves
1 Tbsp. unsweetened shredded coconut
1 Tbsp. solid coconut oil
1 Tbsp. blanched almond flour
1 Tbsp. honey
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 large date, pit removed
pinch of sea salt
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place an oven-safe dish filled with 2 cups of water on the bottom oven rack. Place a rack in the middle--this is where the muffins will bake.
2. Place all the muffin ingredients, except the blueberries, in a blender. Process for half a minute, scrape down, and process again until smooth. Pour mixture into a bowl and stir in the blueberries.
3. In a muffin tin, place 10 paper liners. Fill each liner 2/3 full.
4. In a food processor, combine all the topping ingredients. Pulse them together until like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle atop each muffin.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Test with a toothpick by inserting into the middle of a muffin; if it comes out clean, it should be ready. Remove the baked muffins to a wire rack to cool for a bit.
Pancake Mix
3 cups blanched almond flour
1 cup coconut flour
1 Tbsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cream of tartar
3/4 tsp. sea salt
Whisk together and store in airtight container in fridge (will last for 6 months).
I love simple, tasty food. Especially when it's comfort food. And this Beef Stew hits all those attributes for me. I just love it.
Ingredients:
2 pounds stew beef
2 Tbsp. bacon grease (or shortening)
1 large onion (sliced)
1 tsp. minced garlic (from the jar)
1 quart hot water
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 bay leaf
6 small potatoes, cut in chunks
6 small onions, cut in chunks
3 carrots cut into 1" pieces
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cold water
1. In large pot, heat bacon grease over medium-high heat. Brown stew beef.
2. Add remaining ingredients up to and including the bay leaf. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
3. Add veggies. Cover and simmer 1 hour.
4. Remove and discard bay leaf. Combine flour and water in a small bowl to form a paste. Stir this into the stew. Cover and cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly.
Makes 2 1/2 quarts of stew.
Notes:
Though I always use the same type of ingredients, their form varies from time to time for me. This time I didn't have any fresh onions so I used my freeze-dried Thrive onions.
To make this GLUTEN FREE, use an alternative flour like I did this time. I used Krusteaz Gluten Free flour.
One of the things I love about Thrive Life foods is the convenience. This morning I awoke to realize that all my scheduled recipe posts have run out! I thought I had a few more in the reservoir. But alas, they are all gone. And today is my posting day...what to do?
Thrive Life to the rescue. I quickly went to one of my newest cookbooks, Against All Grain, and tried to find a breakfast recipe that I could Thrivalize. I had tagged this frittata recipe because I have always wanted to try making one and the ingredients sounded pretty tasty.
I was able to sub Thrive freeze dried foods for almost all of the ingredients. And really, I could have also subbed the eggs for the scrambled egg mix (which is SO good) but I wanted to try it with traditional eggs first. I could also have used Thrive zucchini, but I was out.
When I use Thrive in a skillet meal, I just keep adding water a few tablespoons at a time until things get hydrated the way I want them. If I end up adding in too much, I just wait for it to simmer off and then move on with the recipe. If you are not using Thrive, see the notes at the bottom of the recipe for conventional directions.
Ingredients:
oil or bacon grease for the pan
1 cup Thrive freeze dried ground beef (or 1/2 pound raw ground beef)
1/4 cup Thrive freeze dried onion (or 2 Tbsp. chopped onion)
1/2 cup Thrive freeze dried butternut squash (or 1/2 cup diced butternut squash)
2 1/2 tsp. taco seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup Thrive freeze dried spinach (or 2 cups fresh baby spinach)
1/2 cup diced zucchini
1/3 cup Thrive freeze dried red bell pepper (or 1/3 cup diced red bell pepper)
10 eggs, beaten
cheddar cheese, grated
avocado
salsa
sour cream
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a cast iron skillet (mine is a square 10") melt some bacon grease over medium heat...about 1 Tbsp (or use your oil of choice). Pour in the ground beef and onion and stir to toast a little. Add in about 1/4 cup of water and allow the beef and onion to rehydrate. Add in the butternut squash and keep adding water a little at a time. You will see the squash change color a little as it rehydrates.
3. Once these ingredients are well-hydrated, add in the taco seasoning and salt and stir well to combine.
4. Add in the spinach, zucchini, and red bell pepper....adding in more water as needed to adequately hydrate the ingredients. Cook for about 4 minutes.
5. Turn off burner, pour eggs into skillet, and place skillet into preheated oven for 20 minutes OR until the eggs have puffed up AND are cooked through (no wet jigglies on the surface). Immediately sprinkle with grated cheddar, if desired. Allow to melt for a minute or two.
Serve with avocado, salsa, sour cream.
Conventional Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a cast iron skillet (mine is a square 10") melt some bacon grease over medium heat...about 1 Tbsp (or use your oil of choice). Add in ground beef, onion, squash, taco seasoning, and salt and saute until the meat is mostly cooked through.
3. Add spinach, zucchini, and red bell pepper and cook for 4 more minutes.
4. Turn off burner, pour eggs into skillet, and place skillet into preheated oven for 20 minutes OR until the eggs have puffed up AND are cooked through (no wet jigglies on the surface). Immediately sprinkle with grated cheddar, if desired. Allow to melt for a minute or two.
Notes:
Original recipe stated 12 minutes of bake time, but I needed a full 20. Check your frittata starting at 12 minutes.
Okay, I admit it. I've never tried spaghetti squash before this. But I've always wanted to. It always looks so cool....all those little curly fibers. But I never had motivation to try it until I had to go wheat-free. You know, rice pasta is nice and all, but it's a little bland. So I was really hoping for something interesting here. I got it, and it's pretty versatile to boot. You can serve it with a sauce like you would pasta or just top it with Parmesan cheese and chopped basil, or serve it as a side with salt, pepper, and butter or ghee.
And it's just so stinkin' fun to scrape all those little fibers!!! Seriously, I giggled.
How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut a spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and loose flesh and discard. Place cut-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for one hour.
Remove from oven and carefully turn the squash halves over to cool.
When it has cooled enough for you to handle it, take a fork and scrape the squash flesh towards the middle. (This would be so fun for kids to help with!)
A while back I posted a recipe for Kale Chips. I never even considered that you could use another type of green but I like these Spinach Chips even better than the kale! If you can find curly spinach it will probably be even easier, but the baby spinach leaves are great. Just make sure you put them in a single layer not touching each other. And take it easy on the salt--these are really easy to overseason.
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Italian seasoning, to taste
salt, to taste
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil.
2. Put the spinach leaves in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil over leaves and gently toss with your hand to evenly coat the leaves. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and salt and toss.
3. Arrange the leaves in a single layer not touching each other. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until leaves are crispy. Take from oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes. Use a spatula to remove from foil.
I love a good tuna sandwich, but it can be a bit, well, uninspired sometimes. Here's a way to jazz up your tuna salad. And you can eat it plain, over greens, on crackers, or in a a good old sandwich. I ate it over salad and didn't need any dressing because it's so moist.
Ingredients:
2 cans tuna packed in water
1 ripe avocado
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 red apple, finely chopped
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. dried dill
1/2 tsp. Dijon or Dusseldorf mustard
1/4 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1. Drain the tuna. Mash the avocado in a bowl with the back of a fork. Mix the tuna and avocado together.
2. Add celery, apple, and walnuts. Stir to combine.
3. In a small bowl mix water, mustard, and spices. Add to tuna mixture and mix well.
I love homemade fries. But I don't make them anymore for two reasons: (1) fried food is unhealthy, and (2) frying stuff makes my whole house smell gross. I've seen this recipe bounce around Pinterest enough to know that these fries must be pretty good. So I figured I'd give 'em a try. I'm not normally a crispy fry person, but I must say with these I prefer them crunchier.
Ingredients:
2 large Russet potatoes
2 Tbsp. olive oil
coarse sea salt or kosher salt
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut potatoes into 1/3" thick fries. (Cut in half first, then cut each half into 1/3" slices, then cut each slice into fries.)
2. Place in a bowl of very cold water and stir them around with your hand. Strain in a colander and place on a cookie sheet lined with a clean kitchen towel. Use another clean towel to dry the fries well.
3. Remove the towels. Drizzle olive oil over the fries and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and toss again. Spread the fries out evenly.
4. Bake until browned, turning halfway through.....25-35 minutes, depending on your oven and preference.
Source: this is all over Pinterest and is supposedly from Gwyneth Paltrow
This time around I thought I'd post more of an idea than a recipe. You can use any bread dough recipe you like or use a mix like I did. Whatever dough you choose to work with, the results will be similar. This is an easy way to bring a little fall fun to your Thanksgiving table.
Directions for one-loaf's worth of dough:
1. Prepare dough according to recipe or can instructions. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk. Punch down.
2. Roll dough into a log. Using kitchen shears (or unflavored dental floss) cut the log into half, then cut each half into half again. This will give you four log pieces. Each of these pieces should then be cut into thirds. You will have 12 pieces.
3. Take one section of dough and roll firmly between your palms. Roll into a tight, smooth ball. Take your kitchen shears and snip into the edge of the dough eight times equal distance apart. Do not cut all the way through.
4. Place on greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover lightly with a sheet of plastic wrap lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Allow to rise.
5. Bake according to your recipe. Garnish with a sliver of pecan.
One of the things I have a hard time resisting is pizza. Even when I'm not trying to eat wheat- and dairy-free, pizza is a huge temptation. I just love it. But it doesn't love me. I didn't think there would be an alternative that I would enjoy.
I've seen pics for this crust all over Pinterest but never really had the gumption to try it until now. While it doesn't rival Domino's or Pizza Hut or Whatever-Your-Favorite-Pizza-Place-Is, it's good enough that I will be making it again. And that's sayin' somethin'.
1. Remove leaves from cauliflower and cut head into pieces. In a food processor with a grater blade, process the cauliflower.
2. Place 2 cups of cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl and cook on full power for 5 minutes.
3. Cool to room temp. Add remaining ingredients and stir until combined.
4. Grease a cookie sheet or pizza pan. Form pizza crust into desired shape.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with desired toppings. Return pizza to oven for a few minutes, or broil to melt additional cheese.
Notes:
The head of cauliflower I used yielded about 3 1/3 cups of shredded.
You can use regular cheese, but I'm trying to go dairy-free so I used a cheese substitute. If you want to give it a try, you can find it in the produce section at the grocery store.
I didn't add extra cheese since there is some in the crust already. I just topped with a bit of pizza sauce and some pepperoni. If you are adding veggies, you may want to saute them a bit first since they won't spend long in the oven.
Now, I'm normally a "make it from scratch" kind of girl. But sometimes, well, you just don't have the time or energy. I had planned to make these cookies from scratch but then thought, "You know, it's just as wonderful to have a time-saving way to make something cute as it is to have a scratch way to make something cute!"
So, if you're the type of person who loves ideas using convenience foods, you'll love this.
Ingredients:
2 logs of sugar cookie dough
food coloring
1. Preheat oven according to dough directions. Unwrap logs of dough. Set aside about 1/3 of the dough. Take the other 1/3's and place into two small mixing bowls. Color one of the 1/3's orange and the other yellow. (I used gel food coloring in orange and yellow because that's what I had. If you have liquid food coloring, use yellow and then yellow/red to make orange.)
2. Line a loaf pan with a large sheet of wax paper (you want it to cover all the sides, not just the bottom...and allow some to hang over the sides). Press the uncolored cookie dough into the bottom of the paper-lined loaf pan. Make sure it's even. Then do the orange, then the yellow so that you have three even layers. Fold the wax paper down over the top of the dough and press to help the layers be even and also to adhere them to each other well. Chill for an hour.
3. Use the paper to lift out the dough from the loaf pan. Remove the paper. With the dough on a cutting board, carefully cut the dough into slices about 1/3-inch thick. Cut each slice into little candy corn shaped wedges (also known as triangles!). Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, two inches apart.
4. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are just barely starting to get golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet. Then carefully remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
I could have sworn I had a picture of the loaf slice cut into diagonal candy corn shaped wedges, but apparently I did not. Sorry!
These cookies are a little on the small side, but 2 logs makes a lot of them. I only had time to cut and bake a few of the slices and that was over 2 dozen. The rest of the dough I put back in the fridge to use later.
I love breakfast. Love it! But when you're trying to go dairy- and gluten-free, breakfast can be hard. Well, hard if you're like me and love carbs for breakfast. Pancakes weren't something I ate every morning but when they were gone, they were missed. In the few months that I've been eating this way I've tried a few pancake recipes; and they were okay. When I found this recipe I really didn't have high expectations. And when I saw the batter, my expectations dropped even lower. (Seriously, it looks like mud. And don't the pancakes look more like hamburger patties from a distance?) But I was pleasantly surprised when I took my first bite. So happy I decided to try these!
Ingredients:
1 cup whole grain buckwheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 egg, separated
1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. melted ghee
coconut oil for cooking
1. In a medium bowl combine the dry ingredients (flour through cinnamon). Whisk and set aside.
2. In a smaller bowl, combine the milk, egg yolk, maple syrup, vanilla, and ghee. Whisk well to combine. Add this to the dry ingredients and stir well until just combined.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the egg white until soft peaks form. Fold this into the batter gently.
4. Coat griddle at medium heat with coconut oil. Pour batter onto griddle, forming 4" cakes. Cook until bubbles form on top and the edges are no longer shiny. Then flip and cook on the other side until done.
This is a great sauce and it's full of healthy fat and flavor. I served it with some cubed, cooked chicken and rice vermicelli noodles (since I'm avoiding wheat). But you could serve it with any noodle you wish and have it as a main dish or as a pasta side dish.
Ingredients:
1 ripe medium or large avocado (pitted and scooped out of the skin)
1/2 lemon
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup fresh basil
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
(Begin cooking your pasta before you start the sauce. By the time it's al dente, your sauce will be all ready to go!)
In a food processor blend the garlic, the juice from the half lemon, and the olive oil. Add the avocado, basil, and salt. Process until smooth. If too thick, add water a couple of Tbsp. at a time through the feed chute until it reaches the consistency you want.
Garnish your pasta and sauce with zest from the lemon half and with extra chopped basil if desired. You may also want to add some salt and pepper.
Mine was pretty thick even after about a third cup of water added, but once it was mixed in with the pasta it was perfect!
It's time for us to share some freezer meals on Mormon Mavens in the Kitchen! I mean, it's back-to-school season and we are all pressed for time with all the added stresses that entails. So how about we take the next couple o' weeks and share some of our favorite freezer-friendly recipes with you?
I chose to share a breakfast freezer recipe. Pancakes? Well, not exactly. These are pancakes disguised as muffins! Make a big batch ahead of time, cool, freeze, and take them out the night before to thaw. Serve with warmed maple syrup and you've got a great breakfast treat without having to get up early!
Itty Bitty Pancake Muffins
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups milk
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
blueberries or chocolate chips, optional
warmed maple syrup for serving
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine dry ingredients and whisk well to combine.
2. Combine milk and vinegar and allow to sit for one minute. Then whisk in the eggs and the vanilla.
3. Pour the wet mix into the dry mix and mix by hand until just combined. Then added the melted butter adn stir to combine. (Add more milk if batter is too thick, more flour if it is too runny.)
4. Spray a mini-muffin tin with baking spray and fill cups only 2/3 full. Then top with 3 blueberries or a few chocolate chips (I use maxi chips, so I only need 3 chips).
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Tops don't really brown much, but the sides do. Let them sit in the pan for a minute or two and then take them out of the pan. I use a plain ol' cereal spoon for this. I run it around the edge and then the muffin scoops out easily!
To freeze, just let them cool completely and then place them into a freezer bag in one layer, flat. Seal the bag almost all the way and then use a drinking straw to suck out as much air as you can. Seal, date, and freeze. Use within a few weeks to avoid freezer burn.
Source: very slightly adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Although I love oatmeal and have it most mornings, sometimes I grow tired of the same-old, same-old. I thought I'd break out of my routine a bit and give this a shot. Glad I did!
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Slice avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop out about 2 Tbsp. worth of avocado from pit area of each avocado half. This allows for more room for the egg.
3. In a loaf baking pan, arrange a large sheet of foil so that you can kind of scrunch it to make an area for the avocados to rest without moving. Place avocado halves in pan.
4. Sprinkle each avocado half with salt and pepper (The pic doesn't show it, but I'm suggesting it after the fact!). Crack an egg into each half, slowly.
5. Bake until egg whites are set. (Original recipe said 15-20 minutes but it took my oven 25-30 minutes.)
6. Remove from oven and sprinkle with more salt and pepper, if desired, and garnish with the chopped chives.
