Beet Salad

 Spring mix or red leaf lettuce or any variation thereof
1 pear or granny smith apple, chopped 

3 beets

Handful of roasted pecans, chopped

Red onion, thinly sliced

Feta cheese

Balsamic vinegar

Olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Almond Pulp Hummus

Good use of leftover almond pulp from making almond milk.  This is just as good, if not better, than real hummus.  However, it does not keep NEARLY as long as real hummus.  Best to eat it within a day or two.

1 c. almond pulp  

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 c. tahini

2 cloves garlic

salt

cumin

olive oil

Puree in food processor until creamy and garlic cloves are fully incorporated.  Add olive oil slowly until creamy consistency is achieved.  

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa

 Fish 
2 lb cod or other firm white fish, chopped in 1-inch pieces
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
Juice of 1/2 lime
 
Toss and set aside to marinate.
 
Mango Salsa
1 mango, peeled and diced
2 T. minced red onion
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
pinch of salt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 avocado, diced
 
Crema
Equal parts sour cream and mayonnaise (1/4-1/2 c.)
1/2-1 avocado
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 c. cilantro
1 jalapeno
1/2 tsp. cumin
Blend in food processor until well incorporated.
 
Olive or avocado or coconut oil for frying
Heat oil in skillet or wok until smoking.  Drain fish and pat dry with paper towels (this will ensure it is crispy). Fry fish in batches until crispy.  Drain.  
 
Serve in tortilla with shredded cabbage and chopped cilantro.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Nearly Dairy-Free Quiche Base

1 14.5-oz can coconut milk, full fat
5 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp salt

Cooked filling of your choice: 2 cups or so; sauteed mushrooms, wilted spinach and nutmeg and onion, cooked bacon or sausage, other sauteed vegetables or any combination thereof. 

Shredded Gruyère cheese, 2-4 oz  (This is optional but all egg and no cheese makes Stella a dull girl).

1 recipe Almond Flour Pastry Crust


Prepare crust, separate evenly into two balls of dough, roll out and fit into two pie dishes.  Bake at 325 for 10 minutes; remove from oven and raise heat to 350.

Mix filling, divide in half, and distribute equally between the two precooked pie shells.  Top with shredded cheese and bake for 35 minutes,or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean. 

Bacon Jam

1 package bacon (1 lb)
2 12-oz yellow onions, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar or maple syrup (I use brown erythritol)
1/2 cup water
Ground cayenne pepper, depending on how much kick you want
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Mince bacon and fry over medium low heat until crispy and dark.  Add onions and cook until translucent.  Add remaining ingredients and cook down slowly, stirring frequently until mixture has cooked down into a lovely gloppy jam-like mass.  Adjust seasonings and puree a bit with a boat motor if you like to establish a smoother consistency.  Serve warm or at room temperature. Phenomenal on hamburgers.

Erythritol Lemon Bars

1 cup lemon juice
zest of 2 lemons
1 c. almond flour
1/2 c. plus 2 Tablespoons melted butter
Erythritol- over 1 1/2 cups
Confectioner's erythritol
7 egg yolks
3 eggs
1 egg white
coconut flour

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and butter liberally.

Mix almond flour, 1/4 c. erythritol, 1 egg white and 1/2 cup melted butter.  Add coconut flour a spoonful at a time until it forms a soft pie dough consistency.  Press in bottom of pan and bake until it begins to brown.  Remove.

Mix lemon juice, lemon zest, erythritol, 7 egg yolks, 3 whole eggs in medium saucepan.  Cook stirring constantly over medium heat until mixture has thickened (about 170 degrees).  Add more erythritol until it is sufficiently sweet (I think it was at least another 1/2 c. or so). Whisk in 2 T butter. 

Pour mixture in pan containing the shortbread and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, until center of filling jiggles slightly.

Chill completely and sprinkle with powdered erythritol. 

These are best the day they are made.  Erythritol tends to crystallize the longer it sits.

Cauliflower Mash, No cheese

2 heads cauliflower
1 head garlic, peeled
1/2 stick of butter
Salt & Pepper

Steam or boil vegetables until tender.  Drain.   Masticate veggies until creamy using a boat motor or food processor.  Add butter and season with salt and pepper. 

Drum Coffee's Chocolate Beet Torte

Haven't actually tried this one myself yet.  Will eventually and likely will adjust according to sugar-free, grain-free needs.

Cake

• 1 can drained beets, pureed
• 2 c unsweetened almond milk
• 1 T cream of tartar
• 1 ½ c sugar
• ½ c coconut oil, melted
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 1 ½ c GF oat flour
• ¾ c almond meal
• 1 c unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp of baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt

Frosting

• 3 oz chocolate, melted
• ⅓ c almond milk
• ⅓ c coconut oil
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 3 c powder sugar (more as needed)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 oz espresso

Line two springform pans and grease. In a food processor, blend drained beets until it looks similar to apple sauce. Add the almond milk and cream of tartar and allow to stand for about 5 minutes (melt the coconut oil during this time).

Going down the list in order add each ingredient. Once everything is measured out in the food processor, blend the mixture. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to check for anything that did not get mixed in. Blend once more. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans, using a scoop for accuracy. Bake at 320 for 25 minutes, spinning halfway through. Cool before frosting.

For the frosting, place chocolate, salt, vanilla, and almond milk into a small bowl. Bring a small pot of about 3 c water o a boil. Once boiling, turn the water off the heat and set thebowl on to of the pot. Allow the chocolate to melt, stirring occasionally. Once Melted, add in the powdered sugar, sifting one cup at a time, and adding more or less until a thick, almost fudgy consistency. Once all the sugar is added, pull the espresso, and mix until the frosting is one consistent texture. Add ½ c frosting per cake, leaving an unfrosted edge around the cake.

Allow the cakes to cool in the freezer for 1 hour. To cut the torte, use a pitcher full of hot water, dip a sharp knife into and allow to heat up. Wipe down the knife with a dry towel, and cut the tortes into 8 equal pieces.

Best Dairy-Free Sugar Free Pumpkin Pie EVER

Pureeing then cooking the non-eggy portion of the filling and adding it to the raw eggs is KEY to achieving the silky texture of this pie. 

1 14.5-oz can pumpkin puree
1 1/3 cups coconut CREAM (Refrigerate 2 14.5-oz cans of coconut milk; the cream will rise to the top of the can and solidify.  Strain cans, discard the "whey" and keep the cream).
1 cup erythritol (I use confectioner's; it dissolves better)
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. black pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp. pure maple extract  (I use Boyajain)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 large eggs

1.  Process the pumpkin puree, coconut cream, erythritol, spices and salt in a blender or food processor for several minutes.  Transfer to a saucepan and bring mixture to a simmer.  Cook for 5 minutes or so, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.

2.  Process the eggs in the blender and slowly add hot pumpkin mixture until well combined, 30 seconds to one minute.  Scrape down sides, ensure everything is well combined.

3.  Pour hot pie filling into warm, partially-baked pie crust and bake at 300 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until the center of the pie registers 175 degrees. 

THE Pizza Crust

This is Alton Brown's recipe for pizza dough, except I cut the salt by 1/2.  When we were in England we had pizza at Franco Manca in Oxford and I really enjoyed how little salt the dough contained.  Tried duplicating it here. Theirs is a sourdough so the texture and flavor are different, but this is still the best crust I've ever made.

• 690 grams bread flour (plus 1/2 cup or so for shaping)
• 9 grams yeast
• 15 grams sugar
• 10 grams kosher salt
• 455 grams bottled water
• 15 grams olive oil
• Sauce and pizza toppings as desired

1. Scale the dry ingredients together and place all the dry ingredients in the work bowl of your stand mixer. Scale the liquids into a measuring cup then add to the dry ingredients.
2. Install the bowl on the mixer and attach the dough hook and turn the mixer to “stir.”
3. Mix until the dough just comes together, forming a ball and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Increase the mixer speed to medium (4 on a Kitchen Aid) and knead for 5 minutes.
4. Remove the dough to a lightly floured countertop and smooth into a ball. Coat a large mixing bowl with oil. Place dough in bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours.
5. Remove dough to counter and punch down and knead into a ball.  Split the dough into 3-4 equal parts. Shape into a smooth ball by folding the edges of the round in toward the center several times and rolling it between your hands on the counter.
6. Cover each ball and allow to rest for 30 minutes. (At this point you can also transfer doughs to air-tight plastic containers and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Bring them to room temp for half an hour before forming.)
7. To bake, heat oven (pizza stone inside on lower rack) to 500 degrees F, or hotter if possible. Give the oven a good half hour to heat up.
8. Sprinkle a couple teaspoons of flour on a peel and place the dough right in the middle. Pound the dough into a disk with your hands, then pick it up and pull it through your fingers to create the outer lip.  Alton Brown claims rolling rather than stretching will ruin the dough.  (I'm not so sure I buy that).
9. Stretch the dough to desired pizza shape. 
10. Top with whatever you want.
11. Slide the pizza onto the hot pizza stone.
12. Keep an eye on the dough for the first 3 to 4 minutes. If any big bubbles start ballooning up, reach in with a paring knife or fork and pop them. Bake for 7 minutes or until the top is bubbly. Then slide the peel under and lift to check the underside, which should be nicely brown.
13. Slide the peel under the pizza and remove to the counter or a cutting board. Let it rest for at least 2 minutes before slicing.

Recipe from Alton Brown, modified.