Above Hoarded Gold

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies (Gluten Free)

2014-02-22T18:42:00.001-05:00

Peanut butter and chocolate is easily my favorite food combo. I really love my dad's recipe for peanut butter and chocolate brownies, but since going wheat-free, dairy-free (mostly), and refined sugar-free, those are pretty much out. Enter these yummy treats! While these are gluten an dairy free, the sugar in the chocolate chips is still a bit much for me, but if I make the pan to share, I can have one. :)

Here's what you need:
1 cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup cocoa powder
2/3 cup maple syrup
3 eggs
1 cup oat flour*
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsweetened (natural) peanut butter
2 cups dark chocolate chips, divided
2 Tbsp almond or coconut milk

*a coffee grinder works great for grinding rolled oats into oat four

Here's what you do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly oil a 9 x 13" baking pan.

In a saucepan, gently heat coconut oil, milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, peanut butter and cocoa powder on a low heat just until everything mixes together easily. Do not let it get hot or you will have scrambled eggs in your brownies. :).

Remove the saucepan from the burner and add the eggs. Whisk together until all ingredients are well incorporated.

In a mixing bowl, add the oat flour, 1 cup of the chocolate chips, baking powder and salt and stir together. Pour in the chocolate/peanut butter mixture and mix until completely smooth.

Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until brownies test clean.

While your brownies are baking, go ahead and prepare the ganache for the top. In a small saucepan, combine the remaining 1 cup chocolate chips plus the 2 Tbsp of milk over low heat. Stir the mixture constantly until the chocolate has melted and the ganache is smooth. Pour over warm brownies and spread evenly.

source: adapted from The Roasted Root

CSA Tuesday 2/11/14

2014-02-11T17:51:00.000-05:00

This is our last CSA delivery until April, so I will be taking a break from posting our weekly menu. I do plan to continue to post new recipes over the next few months, though.

Here's what we got:
Country sausage
Zesty Italian sausage
Loin roast
Stir fry
Soup bones
Pork hock
Collards
Red potatoes
Spinach
Sweet potatoes
Brussels sprouts
Strawberries!!!
Apples
Pears

Here's our menu for the week:

Tuesday

Taco Tuesday! Tacos, black beans, and all the fixins

Wednesday

Spaghetti with Italian sausage

Thursday

Leftovers
homegroup snack – cookies

Friday

Corndog muffins
Chocolate covered strawberries

Saturday

Bbq pork
Baked sweet potatoes
Roasted Brussels sprouts
Collards

Sunday

German pork hocks
Red potatoes
Sauerkraut

Monday

Leftovers
Bluebird babies snack –deviled eggs

Tuesday

Sweet Potato Cornbread

2014-02-05T19:55:00.001-05:00

I have attempted several homemade cornbread recipes and they all turn out dry and well, just not good. Since I don't eat wheat, that has complicated the search for a good real food cornbread recipe a bit.

And then I made this. I swear it is soft and moist and perfectly sweet and you would never ever know it was gluten free. I am in cornbread bliss.

Here's what you need:
1 cup of mashed sweet potato (about two average sweet potatoes cooked and mashed... I use leftover baked sweet potatoes for this)
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup honey
1 cup cornmeal
2 cups gluten free all purpose flour (you could use traditional wheat all purpose flour as well)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Here's what you do:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and butter a large cast iron skillet.

Mix together the mashed sweet potato, eggs, buttermilk and honey. Set aside.

Blend together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in food processor. Add butter and pulse until it resembles a coarse meal. Add to sweet potato mixture and mix just until combined.

Pour into prepared skillet and bake for about 45 minutes.

source: adapted from See Girl Cook

CSA Tuesday 2/4/14

2014-02-04T18:00:00.001-05:00

Well, last week ended up being a little different than I had anticipated. So, we have some items left over from last week's CSA which is why a few of these menu items might look familiar this week. Sometimes, you just gotta go with the flow and make new plans as you go.

Here's what we got:
carrots
collards
red potatoes
sweet potatoes
spinach
green onions
bologna
beef tips
brats
soup bones*
ground beef
apples

Here's our menu for the week:
Wednesday

crockpot beef chili
cornbread

Thursday

fried bologna sandwiches
beet chips
salad
home group snack - chips and guacamole/salsa

Friday

cowboy caviar (taking a little break from pizza)

Saturday

crockpot beef tips
mashed potatoes
collards

Sunday

crockpot brats and cabbage (will post this recipe next week)
roasted sweet potatoes

Monday

leftovers
Bluebird Babies class snack - healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

Tuesday

spaghetti and meatballs (will make real meatballs)

*Bones will go in the freezer for my next batch of bone broth and apples will be eaten as snacks.

CSA Tuesday 1/28/14

2014-01-28T18:36:00.001-05:00

The girls got a big kick out of the "legs carrot" we got in our CSA box today. She even did a little dance on the counter before ending up in the fridge. :)

Here's what we got:
Boneless pork chops
Pork hocks*
Chorizo
Stir fry
Beets
Spinach
Sweet potatoes
Carrots
Apples*
Pears*

Here's our menu for the week:
Wednesday

Pork Chops with mushrooms
Roasted sweet potatoes and carrots

Thursday

Baked eggs with potatoes, spinach, and chorizo
homegroup snack – banana bread

Friday

Homemade pizza

Saturday

Jambalaya soup

Sunday

Slow and low ribs
Beet chips
Potato salad

Monday

LO
Bluebird Babies snack – strawberry muffins

Tuesday

slow cooker chili (using the stir fry beef)
Cornbread

Pork hocks will go in the freezer for another time. Apples and pears will simply be eaten.

CSA Tuesday 1/21/14

2014-01-21T17:56:00.000-05:00

Right now the forecast is calling for snow and my house smells like apple brats and cabbage. All in all, a lovely winter evening. :)

Here's what we got:
broccoli
spinach
turnips
kale
collards
sweet potatoes*
pears*
beef roast
andouille sausage*
ground beef (2)
eggs

Here's our menu for the week:
Wednesday

crockpot beef and broccoli
brown rice

Thursday

biscuits and gravy
eggs

Friday

homemade pizzas

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

leftovers for dinner
spinach and artichoke dip for my class snack

Tuesday

tacos

*Pears will simply be eaten and the andouille will go in the freezer for another time.Sweet potatoes are roasting as I type; they will be yummy lunches this week!

CSA Tuesday 1/14/14

2014-01-14T17:12:00.001-05:00

It's a short week for us since we will be traveling this weekend, so some of our items will go in the freezer for another time.

Here's what we got:
carrots
spinach
daikon
turnips
apples
beef stir-fry
pork ribs
apple brats
hot country sausage
1.5 dozen eggs

Here's our menu for the week:
Tuesday

gluten free Italian wedding soup

Wednesday

pork chops with bacon and cabbage (using the pork chops from last week's delivery)
roasted turnips and daikon

Thursday

leftovers

Friday - Sunday

out of town

Monday

Biscuits and gravy
eggs

Tuesday

slow cooker beef and broccoli
brown rice

*The brats and ribs will go in the freezer for another time. Apples and eggs will simply be eaten.

Radish Dip

2014-01-12T20:11:00.000-05:00

Yes. Radish dip. We keep getting radishes in our CSA and I am determined to use everything, even if it's not our favorite food (beets, anyone?). I have tried making them into chips and they are okay. We're crazy about just eating them raw. But this... THIS... this is how you eat radishes! I was not expecting my children to like it, but they LOVED it! I actually made this for a little party and everyone really loved it. So, if you find yourself with some radishes, definitely make this dip!

Here's what you need:
10 or so medium-sized radishes, grated or finely chopped in your food processor
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sweet onion, grated or finely chopped in your food processor
1 clove fresh garlic, either pressed
1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper to taste

Here's what you do:
Using a fine mesh strainer, press the liquid from your processed radishes and onions. Discard the liquid or add it to vegetable stock the next time you make it.

Combine all ingredients together. Serve with crackers and/or raw veggies. I served it with mini brown rice crackers from Trader Joe's. YUM!

source: adapted from Tahny Cooks

CSA Tuesday 1/5/14

2014-01-08T18:52:00.000-05:00

I'm back! I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Our CSA deliveries picked back up today! Hooray! I felt a bit rusty planning around specific items since it had been a few weeks, but once I got the first meal planned, it seemed to come together fairly easily.

Here's what we got:
carrots
kale
mustard greens
sweet potatoes
radishes
ground beef
pork chops*
beef kabobs
apples
1.5 dozen eggs

Here's our menu for the week:
Wednesday

curried lentils and sweet potatoes (with mustard greens)
brown rice

Thursday

Irish beef stew
homemade bread

Friday

Saturday

leftovers for dinner
radish dip with carrot sticks and gluten free crackers for my childbirth class reunion snack

Sunday

spaghetti (will use the sauce from this recipe, but will likely add real meatballs)

Monday

leftovers

*The pork chops will go in the freezer for another time.

CSA Tuesday 12/17/13

2013-12-17T16:49:00.002-05:00

Sorry! No CSA Tuesday post today. I'm having a rough time with some health issues right now and won't get to the menu for this week.

Will be back soon, I hope!

Homemade Sauerkraut (in a Mason Jar)

2013-12-15T15:22:00.001-05:00

I love sauerkraut. LOVE IT. Since making it from scratch, my oldest daughter has now decided she likes it, too. :) I never attempted this before because the process sounded so complicated and apparently I needed to buy a special "crock" for it to ferment in. No thanks. But this? Super simple and nothing needed but cabbage, salt, and a few mason jars.

Here's what you need:
2 heads of cabbage
3 Tablespoons kosher salt
2 2-quart wide mouth canning jars
2 jelly jars
a few clean rocks or marbles
muslin or cheese cloth
2 rubber bands

Here's what you do:
Discard the wilted, limp outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut the cabbage into quarters and trim out the core. Slice each quarter down its length, making 8 wedges. Slice each wedge crosswise into very thin ribbons.

Transfer the cabbage to a big mixing bowl and sprinkle the salt over top. Begin working the salt into the cabbage by massaging and squeezing the cabbage with your hands. At first, it may not seem like enough salt, but gradually, the cabbage will become watery and limp — more like coleslaw than raw cabbage. This will take 5 to 10 minutes.

Pack the cabbage into the jar: Grab handfuls of the cabbage and pack them into the canning jars. If you have a canning funnel, this will make the job easier. Every so often, tamp down the cabbage in the jar with your fist. Pour any liquid released by the cabbage while you were massaging it into the jar. Place one of the larger outer leaves of the cabbage over the surface of the sliced cabbage. This will help keep the cabbage submerged in its liquid.

Once all the cabbage is packed into the mason jar, slip the smaller jelly jar into the mouth of the jar and weigh it down with clean stones or marbles. This will help keep the cabbage weighed down, and eventually, submerged beneath its liquid.

Cover the mouth of the mason jar with a cloth and secure it with a rubber band or twine. This allows air to flow in and out of the jar, but prevent dust or insects from getting in the jar.

Over the next 24 hours, press down on the cabbage every so often with the jelly jar. As the cabbage releases its liquid, it will become more limp and compact and the liquid will rise over the top of the cabbage. If after 24 hours, the liquid has not risen above the cabbage, dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of water and add enough to submerge the cabbage.

Ferment the cabbage for 3 to 10 days. As it's fermenting, keep the sauerkraut away from direct sunlight and at a cool room temperature — ideally 65°F to 75°F. Check it daily and press it down if the cabbage is floating above the liquid.

Because this is a small batch of sauerkraut, it will ferment more quickly than larger batches. Start tasting it after 3 days — when the sauerkraut tastes good to you, remove the weight, screw on the cap, and refrigerate. You can also allow the sauerkraut to continue fermenting for 10 days or even longer. There's no hard and fast rule for when the sauerkraut is "done" — go by how it tastes.

While it's fermenting, you may see bubbles coming through the cabbage, foam on the top, or white scum. These are all signs of a healthy, happy fermentation process. The scum can be skimmed off the top either during fermentation or before refrigerating. If you see any mold, skim it off immediately and make sure your cabbage is fully submerged; don't eat moldy parts close to the surface, but the rest of the sauerkraut is fine.

This sauerkraut is a fermented product so it will keep for at least two months and often longer if kept refrigerated. As long as it still tastes and smells good to eat, it will be. If you like, you can transfer the sauerkraut to a smaller container for longer storage.

For further instructions and troubleshooting tips, see the original recipe at The Kitchn

Stuffed Cabbage

2013-12-13T17:57:00.000-05:00

When your CSA box hands you ground pork and cabbage, you make stuffed cabbage. Truly, this is so good I wanted to cry. Even my children both LOVED it (much to my utter surprise). Try it... you'll like it, too.

Here's what you need:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large head green cabbage
1 pound ground pork (or beef), uncooked
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
28 tomato sauce
1/2 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon paprika

Here's what you do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Using a small, sharp knife, cut in a circle all around the stem of the cabbage and remove the core. Place the cabbage in the boiling water. After about 2 minutes an outside leaf will come loose--pull it off and out of the water using tongs. After another minute the next leaf will come loose. Remove and repeat until you have 12-14 leaves. Cut out the thick part of the rib from the bottom of each leaf, but don't cut more than a third of the way into the leaf.

In a mixing bowl, combine the pork, cooled onion, rice, salt, garlic powder, and pepper.

With the stem side of the cabbage leaf facing you, place about 1/4 cup of the pork mixture in the center of each cabbage leaf.

Fold the bottom edge over the mixture

and then fold the sides over and roll into a tidy packet.

Place the cabbage rolls, seam side down, in 9x13 baking dish.

In a medium bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, broth, and paprika. Pour evenly over the cabbage rolls. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.

source: adapted from Seeded at the Table

CSA Tuesday 12/10/13

2013-12-10T19:55:00.000-05:00

Oh, man... I cannot wait for this week's menu. It's going to be soooo yummy! :)

Here's what we got:
broccoli
kale
bok choy
cabbage
rutabagas
asian pears*
fuji apples*
hot dogs
bacon
andouille sausage
beef brisket
1.5 dozen eggs

Our menu for the week:
Wednesday

Peanut Shrimp with Bok Choy and Rice Noodles

Thursday

French Quarter Potatoes with Andouille
Garlicky Kale Salad

Friday

family tradition - homemade pizzas

Saturday

Hot Dogs
Rutabaga Chips (my kids are not fans of root veggies, in general, but will happily eat chips!)

Sunday

Monday

leftovers

Tuesday

Pork Chops with Cabbage and Bacon

*Pears and apples will be eaten for snacks.

CSA Tuesday 12/3/13

2013-12-03T19:24:00.001-05:00

I am happy to report that Thanksgiving went beautifully AND this week's menu was a snap to pull together! No photo this week because my laptop with the card reader died a few days ago. :/ Will hopefully have a new computer by next week!

Here's what we got:
sweet potatoes
purple sweet potatoes
spinach mustard
green beans
turnip greens*
cabbage*
asian pears*
pork chops
ground pork
balogna (much to my oldest daughter's delight!)
1.5 dozen eggs

Our menu for the week:
Wednesday

slow cooker pork and sauerkraut (I actually made my first batch of sauerkraut ever a few weeks ago with the napa cabbage we got. Will post that recipe soon!)

Thursday

sauteed andouille (leftover from last week), carrots, and purple sweet potatoes

Friday

family tradition - homemade pizzas

Saturday

stuffed cabbage (will use ground pork instead of beef)
roasted green beans

Sunday

leftovers

Monday

spinach mustard and goat cheese quiche
salad

Tuesday

fried bologna sandwiches
baked sweet potato chips

*Pears will be eaten for snacks,the turnip greens will be frozen for smoothies, and I will probably make another batch of sauerkraut with some of the cabbage we got this week.

CSA Tuesday 11/26

2013-11-26T20:37:00.000-05:00

Ugh. I'm not gonna lie; the menu this week was challenging for me. I am feeling a bit (read: A LOT) overwhelmed by Thanksgiving this week and the fact that we will have house guests AND I have to work the day before Thanksgiving. So my prep time for the big day is pretty limited. I have the menu planned out and will be enlisting family to do a lot of the prep work and some of the cooking on Wednesday. But that stress sort of spilled over on to the menu this week and it may or may not have taken me two hours to pull this menu together and it may or may not have involved tears.

Anybody relate? Am I the only one who gets stressed out by Thanksgiving? Either way, TA DA! This week's menu. :) I hope it maybe saved you a little bit of stress this week.

Here's what we got:
butternut squash*
pumpkin*
spinach
collards
sweet potatoes
white sweet potatoes
romaine lettuce
red leaf lettuce
apples*
ground sausage
deli ham
andouille
beef roast
ham hocks*
1.5 dozen eggs (not pictured)

Our menu for the week:
Wednesday

slow cooker shredded beef tacos

Thursday

turkey
gluten free stuffing
mashed potatoes
gravy
bean and corn casserole
cornbread dressing (in the crock pot!)
creamed collards
whole wheat rolls
cranberry sauce
pecan pie
flourless chocolate cake

Friday

definitely leftovers!

Saturday

family night pizzas

Sunday

sweet potato soup with spinach and sausage (will heavily tweak this recipe)

Monday

ham sandwiches
sweet potato fries
salad

Tuesday

black bean soup with andouille

*Apples will simply be eaten. Ham hocks will go in the freezer for another time. The butternut squash will be made into one of my favorite soups to take to work for lunches next week.And I will either throw the pumpkin in with the butternut squash soup or add to my freezer stash of pumpkin puree.

Slow Baked Ribs

2013-11-24T21:11:00.000-05:00

My husband LOVES ribs and I have always been a bit intimidated by making them, so I haven't. But when ribs came in our CSA box this week, I just had to find a good recipe. Jamie said these were really good ribs. And if he says they're good, then they really, really are! The best part is that this recipe is super duper simple.

Sorry... we were too excited to eat them to take a pretty picture!

Here's what you need:
1-2 racks of ribs
salt and pepper
a bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce (we really love Trader Joe's sauce)

Here's what you do:
Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

Season your ribs with salt and pepper on both sides. Place them meat-side down in a baking dish (one rack per baking dish). Cover tightly with foil and bake in the oven for 3.5 to 4 hours.

30 minutes before eating, flip the ribs over, pour your favorite barbecue sauce over the top, recover with foil, and bake an additional 30 minutes.

Ta da! Fall-off-the bone tender barbecue ribs. And your house will smell wonderful!

source: food.com

Slow Cooker Jambalaya Soup

2013-11-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, you read that correctly. Jambalaya soup! This just might be my new favorite soup. You could add chicken to this as well if you want, but I chose to use only Andouille sausage and shrimp.

Here's what you need:
5 cups stock of your choice (vegetable, beef, chicken, etc.)
28 oz crushed tomatoes
2 bell peppers, diced
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 stalks of celery, sliced
2 bay leaves
3 Tbsp Cajun seasoning (adjust to your preference)
1/2 cup brown rice (or 1 head of cauliflower rice, for Paleo)
1 lb Andouille sausage, sliced
1 lb shrimp, raw, shelled, and deveined
hot sauce to taste

Here's what you do:
Place the stock, tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic, celery, bay leaves, and Cajun seasoning in your slow cooker. Cook on low for at least 5-6 hours.

1-2 hours before you'd like to eat, stir in the sausage and rice.

10 minutes before you'd like to eat, add the shrimp.

CSA Tuesday 11/19/13

2013-11-19T19:17:00.000-05:00

I have to be honest. Every Saturday, I get the list of CSA ingredients coming our way and I wonder how in the world I am going to make easy, family-friendly meals out of them. And every week, by some miracle, I end up with a menu that uses all the ingredients and that my family is excited about. It's not easy, but it's fun for me. I hope that these posts are helpful for you, too, fellow Green Button Farmily members! Please share your recipe ideas with me as well. I'd love to know what you're making!

Here's what we got:
red leaf lettuce
rutabagas
sweet potatoes
kale
radishes
beets
apples*
ribs
salami
pork chops
trotters (pig's feet)*

Our menu for the week:
Wednesday

slow cooker pork chops with mushrooms
mashed rutabagas
red leaf salad

Thursday

slow cooker vegetable barley soup
home made bread

Friday

apple quinoa salad for my Thanksgiving potluck at work (lunch)
family tradition - homemade pizzas

Saturday

salami sandwiches
Evie's favorite kale salad
baked beet and radish chips

Sunday

slow and low baked ribs
baked sweet potatoes

Monday

leftovers

Tuesday

sweet potato hash and eggs

As always, apples will simply be eaten as snacks. The trotters will be made into broth.

Naturally-Dyed Red Velvet Cupcakes

2013-11-17T14:00:00.000-05:00

My husband's birthday was last weekend and he requested red velvet cupcakes to celebrate. Inwardly, I cringed at the thought of all that food dye and I began seeking out yummy alternatives. Luckily, we received a bunch of beets in our CSA box right around the time I found this recipe. Win-win. And you know what? Everyone loved them! These are moist and delicious little red velvet cupcakes (and egg-free for those with allergies!).

Here's what you need:
3/4 cup freshly puréed beets (boiled until tender, then puréed)
1/3 cup oil (I used coconut)
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp natural cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk (or almond milk)

CREAM CHEESE ICING
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 8-oz. block cream cheese, softened
1 to 1 1/2 cups icing sugar
a splash of vanilla extract

See? Pretty and red, just like red velvet cupcakes should be!

Here's what you do:
Preheat oven to 350F.

In your mixer, combine the beet purée and oil until incorporated. Add sugar, vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder.

Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk until incorporated into the batter.Beat on high with the whisk attachment until well mixed and fluffy (about 2 minutes)

Divide among cupcake liners, filling them 3/4 full, and bake for 20 minutes until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean when poked in the middle.

To make the cream cheese icing, whip together all ingredients (add the icing sugar 1/2 cup at a time until it reaches your desired consistency). Again, beat the frosting on high with the whisk attachment until nice and fluffy.

Pipe onto cupcakes as desired. The beetroot may discolour the frosting if left for too long, so if you are piping this ahead of time, do not do so more than 24 hours ahead of time.

Keep the cupcakes in the fridge and let sit at room temp at least 30 minutes before serving.

source: Je Suis Alimentageuse

Daikon Cakes

2013-11-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

My kids' faces say it all. WHOA! Look at the size of that daikon! We received this beauty in our CSA box last week and I had to figure out something to do with all of it (still working on some of it, actually... it might just get shredded and put in the freezer). I found this recipe and it is a winner! So if you ever find yourself with a surplus of daikon, or just in the mood for something yummy to eat with your eggs, this ought to do the trick.

Here's what you need:
3 cups grated daikon radish
2 teaspoons salt
1 clove garlic, minced
6 green onions, finely sliced
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup bread crumbs (I just whirred some gluten free bread in my food processor)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chile-garlic sauce (such as Sriracha®)
oil for frying

Here's what you do:
Place the daikon in a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Drain daikon, and squeeze out excess moisture. Stir in the garlic, onion, eggs, bread crumbs, pepper, paprika, and chili garlic sauce. Mix well. Form into round patties (I got about 8 out of mine, but you could make them smaller).

Cover the bottom of a large skillet with the oil of your choice (I recommend coconut oil). Heat over medium heat. Fry patties in the hot oil until firm and nicely brown, about 3 minutes per side.

source: allrecipes

Flourless Chocolate Cake

2013-11-14T09:11:00.000-05:00

If you've never had flourless chocolate cake, it is not exactly cake-like. It is more like very dense pudding and it is divine. As cakes go, this has very little sugar and if you are looking for something gluten free and/or high in protein, you'll find it here. The original recipe does not call for a ganache topping but my wise friend Jenn added this step because it covers any (all) imperfections from removing it from the pan... and it tastes really, really good.

Here's what you need:
8 large eggs, cold
2 bags semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided (the best quality you can find/afford)
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
1/4 cup whole milk or cream

Here's what you do:
Preheat the oven to 325° F and adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position. Grease the sides of an 8-inch springform pan* and line the bottom with parchment paper. Wrap the outside of the pan tightly with heavy duty foil and set in a larger baking pan.

Bring a pot of water to boil.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment beat the eggs at high speed until the volume doubles to approximately 1 quart (about 5 minutes).

Meanwhile, melt 16 ounces of the chocolate (1 entire bag and 1/3 of the second bag) and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Heat until smooth and very warm, stirring once or twice.

Fold about a third of the beaten eggs into the chocolate mixture using a large rubber spatula until only a few streaks of egg are visible. Fold in half of the remaining eggs, and then the last half, until the mixture is homogenous.

Scrape the batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Pour enough boiling water into the larger pan surrounding the springform to come about halfway up the sides of the springform.

Bake until the cake has risen slightly and the edges are just beginning to set, 22-25 minutes.

Remove the springform from the water bath and set on a wire rack; cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight to mellow the flavor.

The cake can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. About 3o minutes prior to serving, carefully remove the sides of the springform pan, invert the cake onto a plate to peel off the parchment paper, and reinvert onto a serving platter.

To make the ganache, heat the milk/cream in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until very warm (do not bring it to a boil). Remove the milk from the heat and stir in the remaining chocolate chips. The mixture should thicken with the addition of the chocolate. Let cool slightly and pour over the cake. Serve.

*Note – a 9-inch springform may be used as well, but you will need to adjust the baking time to 18-20 minutes.

source: Annie's Eats

Kale and Apple Salad

2013-11-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

This is such a yummy salad! Some friends of ours made it for us once and I instantly fell in love. Kale, apples, almonds, curry... what's not to love? I believe this recipe is from Let Them Eat Vegan, but I found it here. I make it a little differently, as I do not julienne everything to make it a slaw; I just chop everything up for a yummy salad.

Here's what you need:
Salad:
1 apple, cored and chopped
2 1/2 – 3 cups chopped kale (stems removed)
1 1/2 cups grated or chopped carrot
1 cup very thinly sliced or julienned fennel*
1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins**
4 Tablespoons sliced or chopped raw almonds
Extra salt and pepper to taste

*you can omit the fennel or substitute celery, sweet peppers, or jicama... or some of each!
** dried apricots or sour cherries are also great... basically, use the dried fruit of your choice.

Dressing:
1⁄2 cup raw almonds
2 1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
2/3 cup water (or more to thin as needed)
1 small clove garlic
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1⁄2 teaspoon brown mustard or dijon mustard
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
1⁄4 - 1/2 teaspoon curry powder

Here's what you do:
Place all the salad ingredients in a large bowl.

In your food processor or blender, process the dressing ingredients until smooth, adding more water if necessary.

Toss the salad with the dressing and serve. This salad keeps well in the fridge for a day or two.

CSA Tuesday 11/12/13

2013-11-12T15:25:00.001-05:00

I am feeling a bit under the weather today, so I don't have much to say. :) Let's just get straight to the CSA goodies for the week!

Here's what we got:
purple sweet potatoes
nappa cabbage*
romaine lettuce
spaghetti squash
butternut squash
spinach mustard
apples*
pears*
shoulder roast
jowl bacon
andouille sausage
1 dozen eggs

Our menu for the week:
Wednesday

crockpot French dip sandwiches
roasted sweet potatoes and butternut squash
green salad

Thursday

leftovers

Friday

Family night = homemade pizzas

Saturday - date night! I'll be making a big breakfast today instead of supper.

Sunday

spaghetti squash with bacon and spinach

Monday

Tuesday

leftovers

*The cabbage will go in to a Thai quinoa salad for my work lunches this week. Apples and pears will simply be eaten for snacks. :)

Taco Soup

2013-11-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

Heads up - this makes a TON of soup! Which is great if you are feeding a small army or want lots of leftovers for lunches during the week (yes, please!). If not, it's very easy to cut this recipe in half. My whole family loved this soup and asked me to make it again soon... even my picky eater.

Here's what you need:
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 onions, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. oregano
2 sweet peppers, diced (yellow, red, or orange)
1 lb. ground beef or ground pork
8-10 cups of bone broth (chicken or beef)
2 cans of diced tomatoes
2 cans of black beans, rinsed
1 can hominy, rinsed
a small handful of cilantro, chopped

Here's what you do:
Melt oil in large stock pot.
Saute onions until softened.
Add garlic, stir.
Add salt, cumin, chili powder, and oregano, stir.
Add 1/4 cup of the broth, if necessary.
Add the meat, stir until it is broken up and browned through.
Pour in remainder of broth and stir.
Add diced tomatoes, black beans, and hominy.
Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes.
Stir in cilantro, if desired.

Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy! We like diced avocado, hot sauce, cheese, sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips.

source: Red and Honey

CSA Tuesday 11/5/13

2013-11-05T17:38:00.001-05:00

I confess that was I feeling rather uninspired this week by the CSA selections. However, once I sat down and started to sketch out a menu for the week, my enthusiasm definitely grew. I think I've got a really lovely menu planned for this week!It's a nice mix of family favorites with a few new recipes to try this week. I have linked to the original recipes for the new ones, but will make changes and likely post them here later. I can't help it... I just have to "tweak" recipes! :D

Check out the size of that daikon! We'll be eating that for WEEKS!

Here's what we got:
breakfast sausage links
ground beef
beef roast
daikon radishes
red radishes
bok choy
beets (with greens)*
turnips (with greens)
apples*
1.5 dozen eggs

Our menu for the week:
Wednesday

Thursday

Chinese meatballs with stir fried bok choy and daikon radish (the girls actually picked this recipe out to try!)
brown rice

Friday

Family night = homemade pizzas

Saturday - Jamie's BIRTHDAY!

buffalo chicken dip
red velvet cupcakes (colored with beet puree!)

Sunday

Monday

leftovers
class snack - flourless chocolate cake (recipe coming soon)

Tuesday

eggs
fried potatoes
biscuits with sausage gravy

*The beets will be make into a coconut and ginger beet soup for my lunches at work this week and the beet greens will be used in my morning smoothies. Apples will simply be eaten for snacks. :)