The Urban Poser:

Poached Salmon w/ Coconut Cream Reduction & Arugula Micro Greens

2013-05-10T10:39:00.000-05:00

Poached salmon is one of my favorite meals! Arugula micro greens.....my current obsession. Coconut cream and white wine reduction....do I even need to qualify THAT one? And so I give you this delicious salmon recipe that's super easy to make and yet designed to impress. I used salmon from US Wellness Meats. In fact you'll find this recipe in it's entirety over on their site where I was the

Grain Free Samoa Donuts, Girl Scout Cookie Style (Paleo, Grain free, Dairy free options, Refined sugar free)

2013-05-09T10:16:00.000-05:00

I know, I know....I've teased you with pics of this recipe for long enough! These "Samoa" inspired donuts were so delicious and such a joy to make. I mean really, how can you go wrong with all the key elements of a classic Girl Scout cookie.....in donut form? I am super thrilled to be sharing this recipe with you today over on my friend Juli Bauer's blog. Maybe you've heard of it..

Book Review & Giveway of Gather by Primal Palate & A Blackberry Skillet Jam Recipe

2013-04-28T13:30:00.001-05:00

For whatever reason, I don't typically purchase cookbooks. It's not that they aren't useful, or that I don't ever need new ideas, it's just that I get so busy with life and kids and blogging that I sometimes forget to stop and look around. But there are a few instances where even in all the chaos of life, my attention is still captured: One: if the subject matter of said

3 Step Honey Caramel (Cane Sugar Free, Casein & Lactose Free)

2013-04-23T18:06:00.001-05:00

Caramel has many different faces; I mean seriously, it's like a complicated woman....(not that I would know anything about that). It can be runny, soft, hard, thick or even viscous like molten lava. You will find some caramel that's made with butter and some without; the same goes for cream. In fact, this past Christmas we made a dry caramel entirely out of just sugar! Yep....just one single

Overnight Vietnamese Pickled Shrimp

2013-04-11T15:47:00.001-05:00

Today I get to share another great recipe from my stint as the April featured chef over at US Wellness Meats. If you haven't been over there to check them out, do it now. They have a wide variety of grass fed, sustainable meats and seafood as well as pastured goat and cow cheeses, nitrate free meats, sugar free bacon, sausages and more. I absolutely love this place! Now, more about these

Kashmiri Fried Lamb Lollipops (Rib Chops)

2013-04-02T11:21:00.001-05:00

I'm super excited this month to be the featured chef over at US Wellness Meats. I will be featuring a new recipe each week for the entire month of April. And let me tell you, if you've never tried out their meats......you are in for a REAL treat! It is seriously the most delicious stuff you will ever eat and their mission is to "Do what's good for our animals, good for our planet and

Paleo Cauliflower Mash-tinis: Getting Perfect, Fluffy Cauli-Mash Everytime

2013-03-21T11:16:00.001-05:00

Truth be told, I am and have always been a sucker for wedding/party food. I remember the first "Mash-tini" bar that I encountered. It was at a wedding (of course) and there was a tall, quiet man dressed in black pants and a crisp white dress shirt serving up elegant, long stemmed martini glasses filled with fluffy clouds of buttery mashed potatoes. With a sweep of his arm he invited me to

Maple Meringue Kisses w/ Raspberry Frosting (Grain/Gluten/Dairy Free)

2013-03-01T10:55:00.003-06:00

These maple meringue kisses are delightfully crunchy and sweet! Though super easy to make, they will ask for a few hours of your ovens time. To get the that "delightful" promised crunch, meringues have to bake for about two hours at a very low temp and then sit in the cooling oven for about another 2-3 hours more. I've found that humid days take longer than dry days to get a nice crisp

Vanilla-Strawberry AND Raspberry Coconut Macaroons (Dairy/Gluten/Egg/CaneSugar Free)

2013-02-11T15:20:00.001-06:00

*Warning: These Macaroons are irresistible and bite-sized so it's imperative that you keep your eyes peeled for chipmunk-cheeked little ones or before you know it, you'll have nothing left to serve!* Vanilla-Strawberry Coconut Macaroons (Paleo, Dairy/Gluten/Egg/Refined Sugar Free) Ingredients: 3/4 cup fine ground blanched almond flour (like Honeyville) 1 1/2 cup “Let’s Do

Strawberry Whipped Frosting (Dairy/Refined Sugar Free)

2013-02-09T17:48:00.001-06:00

This is by far my favorite frosting yet! Some time back I found a vanilla recipe that I liked so I started to play with it and boy have I ever been rewarded with some serious deliciousness! This frosting holds up well when piping and doesn't turn into liquid after a few minutes of sitting out (like so many natural frosting's do.) I've even left mine overnight and the frosting was still

Double Chocolate Cupcakes (Grain/Nut/Dairy Free, Honey Sweetened)

2013-02-09T17:47:00.003-06:00

Here we are again, with Valentines Day just around the corner. One of my favorite holidays! YES, I used to be a "Valentine hater" (read more about that in my Confessions of a Valentine Junkie) but my hating days are long gone. It started out with sophisticated things like french macrons, dark chocolate truffles and peonies, but now I just swoon at everything pink, red,

Getting A Perfect Roasted Butternut Squash

2013-01-18T15:23:00.001-06:00

Preparing perfectly roasted butternut squash isn't rocket science... ....but it does take a bit of patience and time! Just like people, every butternut squash is unique and different. Unfortunately, this means that it's impossible to establish a guaranteed, fool-proof, exact length of time to roast these sweet beauties for. So what is my method, you ask? I go by smell. YEP......

Paleo Masala Cauli-Rice (Grain Free, Vegan)

2013-01-17T10:09:00.000-06:00

Paleo Masala Cauli-Rice Grain/Gluten/Dairy Free (Grain Free, Vegan, SCD, GAPS, Paleo) Ingredients: 3 tablespoons ghee/oil of choice 1 medium cauliflower head, grated (about 4 cups) Half a large yellow onion, diced (about 1/2 cup) 2 medium sized carrots, diced (about 1 cup) 1 whole jalapeno, seeded and diced or 1/4 cup diced green pepper* 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced (

Banana Walnut Grain-Free Granola

2013-01-15T10:43:00.000-06:00

Ok, I'm just going to come right out and say it. I mean, there's no point in pretending that we're not all thinking about the elephant in the post here! Grain-free granola is FREAKING expensive. I mean seriously, "Can I get a witness"!?! Yet in spite of the cost, I find myself making it again and again and again. WHY? Because I like it. No let's be honest here....I LOVE it. At

Spicy Baked Tex-Mex Meatballs (Paleo, Grain Free, Gluten Free)

2013-01-09T11:32:00.001-06:00

I tried to think of something funny and witty, or even romantic (yes....food romance, I like to call it "fromance") to write before I posted this recipe. THAT was 3 weeks ago. After numerous emails asking..."Hey where's that Texas meat ball recipe that you promised?", I realized that I should set aside the aspirations of brilliant witty writing this go around and just post the recipe..

Meat Lovers Cream Of Mushroom, "Not Really Wild Rice"Soup(Paleo,Dairy/Grain Free)

2012-12-31T11:31:00.001-06:00

As a child I grew up in the deep.....DEEP North. And when I say " Deep North", what I really mean by this is dark woods, two-seater outhouses, dog sleds, giant black bears roaming around, endless tree-covered landscapes and frigid, 40-below winter nights. Besides the fact that my mom insisted on dressing me like the abominable snowman every time I left the house (seriously, you should have

Paleo Grain Free Sourdough Bread (gluten/grain/dairy/starch free)

2012-12-17T12:27:00.004-06:00

Bread: Every culture, in every time period, through all of history has had some version of it. From ancient raisin cakes to modern day baguettes, there are a million different varieties but the one thing that remains consistent is that regardless of time or culture or tradition, people have always gathered together to "break bread". This has certainly been the culture for our

Paleo Sourdough Mini Bagels (grain/gluten/starch/dairy free)

2012-12-17T00:00:00.000-06:00

When I was in my twenties, I managed a little bagel shop called NYC Bagels, at which time bagels became a sort of obsession of mine. My favorite was a salt bagel with cream cheese and a big slice of ripe tomato. It was pure heaven! Obviously at this time in life, bagels are out of the question for me.....well, the NYC gluten packed ones anyway. So I took my Grain Free Sourdough

Homemade Dairy Free Eggnog (Dairy free, Refined Sugar Free)

2012-12-11T13:33:00.000-06:00

Homemade Dairy-Free Eggnog (Dairy-free, Refined Sugar-Free) Ingredients: 2 cups canned coconut milk (I like Natural Value or Aroy-D) 1/3 cup maple syrup (or more to taste) 4 large egg yolks 2 whole cloves Pinch of cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg plus more for garnish Splash more of coconut milk if desired, just before serving Optional: 2-4

Sugared Gingerbread Cake Donuts (Grain/Gluten/Dairy Free)

2012-11-30T10:15:00.000-06:00

I sent a bunch of these tasty donuts up to Ben's work today. This is the email he sent to his marketing team to let them know they were there for the taking. I think this boy might just have a future with words (for the record I don't really understand half of what he says on a regular basis, but it sounds good).... "Good morning everyone! My periodic and somewhat serendipitous

Rustic Homemade Marshmallows W/Honey (Gluten/Corn/Egg/Diary Free)

2012-11-21T15:32:00.002-06:00

Rustic Homemade Marshmallows W/Honey (Gluten/Corn/Egg/Diary Free) Check out the instructional video at the bottom of the post 1 cup filtered water (split into half cups) 3 tablespoons Grass fed beef gelatin 1 cup organic honey or maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt optional: Arrowroot starch (in place of the traditional powdered sugar) to

Easy Butternut Squash or Pumpkin Porridge; A Nut & Egg Free Breakfast

2012-11-13T15:35:00.004-06:00

This is definitely one of our go-to breakfasts! It's so easy: I just get up an hour before breakfast, throw the squash in the oven and then read a book and drink some tea. 45 minutes later.....we have the wonderful sweet aroma of squash/pumpkin, ready to come out of the oven. The kids love it because they can build and create their own custom breakfast bowls with all their favorite

Almond Flour's Dirty Little Secret (Omega-6)

2012-11-08T15:53:00.001-06:00

Lately I've received a number of emails with questions concerning the high omega-6 levels in almond flour and the related concerns about this causing inflammation and other health issues. There's a lot of science wrapped up in this issue but rather than link you out to a bunch of stuff to read I'm just going to give you my simplified answer. The key to the "omega" issue is balance. Here, I

Mexican Chocolate Coconut Macaroons (Paleo, Egg/Grain/Dairy Free)

2012-11-03T13:42:00.003-05:00

I have the great privilege today of sharing a recipe over at the talented Against All Grain's blog. If you haven't been over there yet, you are in for a real treat. Danielle has the most unbelievable delicious grain free and Paleo recipes as well as stunning photography to go with it....at some point I guarantee you'll be licking your screen. So head on over and get my new Egg/Nut

Almond Flour Cut Out "Sugar" Cookies (Diary/Egg/Grain Free, Paleo)

2012-10-29T16:38:00.000-05:00

These cookies resemble a soft sugar cookie and have a slight sweetness that will pair nicely with frosting, jams or whatever else you can think to decorate them with. So Bake, Cut, & Enjoy! Almond Flour Cut Out "Sugar"Cookies (Diary/Egg/Grain Free, Paleo) Ingredients: 2 cups fine ground blanched almond flour (such as Honeyville, not Bob's Redmill it's too coarse ground)