Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Oh, yeah! I said it. The perfect guilt-free summer treat! It’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream! I don’t even know why I haven’t thought of it until now. This is so creamy and so rich, I seriously cannot believe it’s guilt-free. (And I think the added 1 tbsp of butter to the mix helped the ice cream not stick to my ice cream maker.)

RECIPE

• 1 cup of coconut milk (or almond, soy, cow)
• 1/4 cup of agave nectar (or any other sweetener equivalent of your choice)
• 1/3 cup of unsweetened cacao powder
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp of butter
• 1/4 cup of peanut butter

1. In a sauce pan, combine all ingredients (except the peanut butter) until cacao powder is dissolved and the mixture is heated.
2. Cool at room temperature for 1-2 hours (or more).
3. Pour into your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s instructions.
4. Halfway through when the mixture is the consistency of soft serve ice cream (about 10 minutes) , add the peanut butter while it’s churning. Let it run until it’s ice cream.
5. Serve.

Cucumber and Tuna Tea Sandwiches

Sometimes I feel girly and want to make little finger sandwiches for lunch. That’s probably because I bought three giant English cucumbers and didn’t know how I could eat them all before they went bad. So I got creative and made these very simple Cucumber and Tuna Tea Sandwiches.

RECIPE

• a can of albacore tuna (I prefer in oil. You can also use chicken.)
• 1 tbsp. of mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp. of diced celery
• 1 tbsp. of diced onions
• a squeeze of lemon juice
• salt & pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients above. Put a dollop of the tuna salad on a cucumber circle. And voila… it’s a low-carb, gluten-free lunch! Also perfect as a guilt-free appetizer or snack.

(Feel free to add other spices like turmeric or dill, or some dried cranberries, or even top with slivered almonds.)

Cheesecake Muffins

If you can’t have real cheesecake, then you should bake a batch of these guilt-free Cheesecake Muffins instead. These low-carb, gluten-free, flourless, sugar-free desserts are super easy to make! You can eat them warm or cold. I tried both ways and chilled is definitely the way to serve this. I’ve decided to highlight the pre-baked state of these muffins because they’re so beautiful, and because the “after” picture (scroll down) shows them all shriveled up. It’s okay. They still taste good.

RECIPE

• One 8 oz. package cream cheese
• 1-2 tsp of Stevia or Splenda, depending on preference or 1/4 cup sweetener (agave, coconut palm sugar)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla

1. Pre-heat oven at 350˚F.
2. In a medium glass bowl, soften cream cheese about 40 seconds in microwave.
3. Add sweetener, egg and vanilla. Beat with mixer till smooth.
4. Pour into muffin pans lined with the papers. (Option:  sprinkle cinnamon on top.)
5. Bake for 20 min.
6. Cool in the fridge for a cheesecake type texture or eat warm. Makes about 5-6 muffins.

Mary’s Gone Crackers

I am IN LOVE with these new organic, gluten-free crackers: Mary’s Gone Crackers! I found them at Costco – actually there was a lady handing them out as samples and that was it. I was hooked. My family loves them too, even the kids – who question the types of food I eat. “What’s gluten? Why don’t you eat hotdog buns? Why are there pizza crusts with the toppings peeled off on your plate?”

We took a bag of these crackers to the beach, along with a block of Wisconsin sharp cheddar cheese, and snacked on these guilt-free treats practically all day. Yummy!

Garlic Roasted Mashed “Potatoes”

Garlic Mashed Potatoes doesn’t have potatoes in it, but cauliflower: the low-carb magical substitute vegetable we all rely on. When I’ve made mashed cauliflower before I usually just boiled it (like I would potatoes), then mash it up with butter and salt in a blender. Snooze-fest but it did the job and I had my, albeit, boring side dish to accompany my lunch or dinner. But now after a bit of research for some exciting options – I’ve jazzed it up a bit. Now guilt-free mashed cauliflower can be exciting!

RECIPE

Step One:

• 1 whole head cauliflower
• 1 large whole head garlic, chopped (or 1 T of pre-chopped jarred garlic)
• 1 T olive oil
• salt & pepper for seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 400˚ F.
2. Cut cauliflower into individual florets. Toss with garlic and 1 T olive oil. Transfer to a foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
3. Roast the cauliflower and garlic at 400˚ F for 15-20 minutes. When the cauliflower is tender and golden remove from the oven.

Step 2:

• 1 T butter
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1. Heat the butter, salt and pepper in a medium-large stock pot.
2. Add the wine and water, then slowly add in the 2 cups broth. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add the roasted cauliflower and simmer an additional 5 minutes.

Step 3:

• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• butter
• salt and pepper
• 3 oz. cooked and crumbled bacon (optional)
• additional oil for serving – olive oil or truffle oil

1. Strain the broth and keep some just in case.
2. Puree the cauliflower in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add additional broth during or after blending to achieve desired consistency.
3. Stir in cream, more butter and truffle oil. Adjust salt and pepper for taste.
4. Serve immediately, topped with bacon and a drizzle of olive or truffle oil.

 

Snickerdoodles

If you love the topping from the Blueberry and Pear Pecan Crumble, then you’ll like these Snickerdoodles whether as a dessert or as a guilt-free snack. These gluten-free cookies (based on glutenfreefix’s recipe) have a chewy texture – something I miss about “real” cookies. I also like crumbling one of these on top of vanilla ice cream. Or better yet, make an ice cream cookie sandwich!

RECIPE

• 1/2 cup melted butter or coconut oil or grapeseed oil
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1 cup almond meal or flour, firmly packed
• 1/3 cup coconut flour, firmly packed
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Coating

• 1 tablespoon almond meal or flour, packed
• 1 tablespoon coconut flour, packed
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. In a pie pan, mix together coating ingredients. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, whisk together melted butter/oil and agave nectar.
4. Add dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Shape dough into 16 balls.
6. Gently roll each cookie dough ball in the coating mixture.
7. Place them onto a lined cookie sheet and press each ball down to flatten.
8. Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Let sit on the sheet tray for a few minutes, as they will be soft at first. Then place cookies on a cooling rack.
10. Store in an airtight container up to 5 days.

Cinnamon Pecan Scones

I haven’t had a scone in ages! I used to get the maple glazed ones at Starbucks. But with my new eating lifestyle, I’ve learned to live without. But then… I found these gluten-free, flourless Cinnamon Pecan Scones from glutenfreefix.com. (I tell you, this lady is a genius!) I did little tweaks to make it guilt-free and give it a nuttier flavor. Overall, her recipe is SPOT ON! I love the texture. It’s it’s crumbly and satisfying as any scone can be.

RECIPE

• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup oil or melted butter
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1 cup almond flour or almond meal, packed
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of almond or maple extract
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Whisk together eggs, oil, and agave.
3. Add all dry ingredients except pecans. Combine well.
4. Stir in pecans.
5. Scoop onto parchment-lined or silpat-lined cookie sheet (about 12).
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
7. Serve warm or at room temperature.  Enjoy!