Author Archives: ebchr

Raspberry Coconut Bonbons

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Love the Dark Chocolate Covered Mint Ice Cream Hearts I posted on Tuesday? So did I! 🙂 But my kids were not too keen on the mint flavor and I don’t give them dark chocolate.. intentionally. 😉 So we made this into a fun kid project where they did the scooping and pouring and I did the blending. Both kids participated and were both very engaged in the process of measuring, stirring and “organizing” ingredients. I dipped half of the batch in chocolate for the grown-ups and left half as is for the kids. Happy kids, happy mommy! Blog paleo ice cream bon bons-5 Blog paleo ice cream bon bons-4 Blog paleo ice cream bon bons-3 Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup cashew nuts/pieces, soaked overnight in cold water
  • 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
  • 1/2 cup raspberries
  • 1-2 Tbsp agave syrup
  • 2 tablespoons coconut milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup dark chocolate + 1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted, to coat (optional)

Directions

  • Drain and rinse soaked cashews and add to a blender along with all the other ingredients, except the chocolate. Blend on high for about a minute, or until really smooth.
  • Pour into silicone muffin trays (oiled with a little coconut oil), or regular metal trays lined with paper cases. Freeze to set for at least 30 minutes.
  • Remove patties from the molds and place back into the freezer on a tray while melt the chocolate.
  • Dip patties in melted chocolate, covering thoroughly and place on a sheet of parchment paper.
  • Once they’ve all been covered, return the lot to the freezer for 5 minutes or more to set. They will keep in a covered container in the freezer for 2-3 weeks.

dit-elle-Esther

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bonbons

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I made these for Valentine’s day, but let’s just say we had a classic “case of the missing Ice cream bonbons” so I had to make some more batches for photos! No complaints there! 🙂 These would be awesome for St. Patrick’s Day!

Blog paleo ice cream bon bons-7 Blog paleo ice cream bon bons-2 Blog paleo ice cream bon bons-1

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup cashew nuts/pieces, soaked overnight in cold water
  • 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
  • 1/4 cup agave or maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons milk (rice, almond, coconut)
  • a big handful fresh peppermint leaves (approx 1 cup loosely packed)
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon natural peppermint extract, to taste
  • 1 cup dark chocolate + 1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted, to coat

Directions

  • Drain and rinse soaked cashews and add to a blender along with all the other ingredients, except the chocolate. Blend on high for about a minute, or until really smooth with just little flecks of green throughout.
  • Pour into silicone muffin trays (oiled with a little coconut oil), or regular metal trays lined with paper cases. Freeze to set for at least 30 minutes.
  • Remove patties from the moulds and place back into the freezer on a tray while melt the chocolate.
  • Dip patties in melted chocolate, covering thoroughly and place on a sheet of parchment paper.
  • Once they’ve all been covered, return the lot to the freezer for 5 minutes or more to set. They will keep in a covered container in the freezer for 2-3 weeks.

Thanks for the inspiration MyDarlingLemonThyme.com

dit-elle-Esther

Tossed Salad & Scrambled Eggs

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Need a quick go-to meal that includes protein and veggies? My quick fix meal is tossed salad and scrambled eggs (yes, I’m a fan of Frasier..:-)). You can add all sorts of veggies, cheeses, or leftover cooked meats for a delicious quick meal!

Here’s a my super fast recipe for scrambled eggs. Basically you put some oil in the pan and add whatever raw veggies/meats you wish, cooking for a few minutes, then crack the eggs directly into the pan stirring occasionally until no longer runny. Add cheese at the end, and mix it in by fluffing a bit with fork and serve!

Blog tossed salad eggs

Ingredients

  • Eggs
  • Oil for cooking
  • Veggies (my favorites include chopped asparagus, fresh spinach, artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes)
  • Cheese (my favorite is goat, but try cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan or pepper jack or others)
  • Fresh herbs, spices, salt & pepper (to taste)
  • Cooked meats (bacon, chopped ham, etc)

Directions

  • Heat oil and saute herbs and veggies (onion until it’s translucent and garlic until fragrant if using either) for a few minutes
  • Crack eggs directly into pan and stir occasionally until eggs are no longer runny
  • Add cheese and salt/pepper to taste
  • Serve with tossed salad (salad greens + oil + balsamic vinaigrette)

Enjoy! 🙂

dit-elle-Esther

Oat Nut Raisin (or Chocolate!) Balls

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I wanted to make a low sugar variation of Classic Oatmeal Cookies – something I could give to the kids for breakfast or as a snack – without the sugar rush and totally spoiling appetites!

These are high protein, low glycemic (low sugar) and my kids approved of these big time! Make them with raisins or mini chocolate chips for some added sweetness!

Blog Oat Ball Bites-2

Ingredients

  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 Tbsp agave syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup coconut flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup coconut, shredded and unsweetened
  • 1/2 cup raisins, currants or chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, broken up in pieces (optional)

Directions

  • Beat eggs, agave, vanilla and eggs
  • Mix all dry ingredients
  • Mix all together
  • Roll into balls and place on baking sheet
  • Bake @ 350 for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown

Super Mom Tip: a fun cooking project for tots – they can measure and help mix! 🙂 Also these cookies freeze really well in a sealed bag or container!

dit-elle-Esther

Paleo Chocolate Pudding with Almond Date Topping

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If you’ve been following our blog for a while you know that we are big fans of avocado! This recipe takes avocado, some cocoa, a little sweetener, a splash of coconut milk and vanilla – and makes a lovely silky chocolate pudding.

It is similar to the Paleo Chocolate Pudding I made a while ago, but the recipe below is quicker and a nice variation! I discovered it sort of by accident – as luck would have it – while trying to make a Paleo Chocolate Pie.. turned to soup.. turned to pudding!

Blog paleo avocado chocolate pudding

Ingredients for the Topping

  • 1 cup almond meal
  • 4-5 dates, pitted

Ingredients for Filling

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 2-4 tbsp. cocoa (depending on how dark you like it)
  • 1-2 Tbsp agave syrup (or you could use maple or honey)
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk (adjust for consistency)
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence

Directions

  • In food processor, pulse almond meal and dates until crumbs form
  • For filling – combine all ingredients and blend with an inversion blender until smooth
  • Layer filling and topping in individual serving dishes

Enjoy!

dit-elle-Esther

Spinach, Bacon and Artichoke Dip

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It feels like I’ve been on this Artichoke Dip frenzy now that I look back at our recipes, but then I guess we’ve also been doing this blog for a while! 🙂 Over the holidays I discovered Hot Artichoke and Crab Dip, then I was looking for a very simple baked dip and discovered the awesome Warm Artichoke Dip with only FOUR ingredients, then finally with some tweaking and consulting of multiple recipes, discovered this excellent Spinach, Bacon and Artichoke Dip that I’m posting today.

This recipe is very similar to my Spinach Artichoke Dip with Bacon, with one key difference being that this one calls for sour cream and the other one calls for mayo, and this one uses a mix of cheeses. This recipe has more veggies and less dairy that many similar dip recipes that you’ll find out there, but that’s the way I like it. And you know, with ingredients like cheese, artichoke, spinach, and BACON.. well.. you can’t really go wrong! Enjoy whatever variation you decide on or come up with. 🙂

Blog spinach bacon dip

Ingredients

  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese + more for topping
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese + more for topping
  • 5 bacon strips, cooked and chopped (an easy way to cook bacon is to microwave between paper towels until crispy)
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 (14oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
  • 1 (8oz) blocks of cream cheese, softened
  • 1 (10oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
  • Serve with fresh cut veggies or tortilla chips

Directions

  • Heat oven to 350*
  • Combine mozzarella, sour cream, Parmesan and next 6 ingredients (through spinach) in a large bowl and stir until well blended
  • Spoon mixture into a baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese
  • Bake at 350* for ~30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown
  • Serve warm

Super Mom Tip: this freezes well! Put in individual containers and let thaw in fridge a day ahead of use. 🙂

dit-elle-Esther

Warm Artichoke Dip

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This is a staple – super easy to make – artichoke dip. Four ingredients, mix well and pop in the oven. Voila! Serve hot with fresh cut vegetables or crackers!

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Ingredients

  • 1 can (~14oz) artichoke hearts, quartered
  • 1 can (4oz) chopped green chilis (you can find them with varying degrees of heat, so check the can – mild, medium or hot – whatever your preference)
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup mayonnaise

Directions

  • Combine all ingredients
  • Turn into 8 inch round baking dish
  • Bake 350* for 25 minutes or until it starts to turn golden around the edges and bubble
  • Serve warm as a dip with fresh cut veggies, crackers or chips

dit-elle-Esther

Smoked Salmon Dip

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This is a classic Smoked Salmon Dip with a hint of lemon juice and chopped dill – delicious as an appetizer, great dish to bring to a party, and it can be dressed up or down. Serve with cut vegetables, crackers, or toasted baguette!

Blog smoked salmon dill dip-3 Blog smoked salmon dill dip-2 Blog smoked salmon dill dip-1

Ingredients

  • 8oz cream cheese
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 4 oz smoked salmon, chopped and divided
  • Dill springs (for garnish)
  • Serve with fresh cut vegetables, crackers or toasted bread

Directions

  • Combine first three ingredients in a food processor
  • Add half of the salmon and process until smooth
  • Fold in remaining half of salmon
  • Garnish with dill sprigs
  • Yields 12 servings

Super mom tip: This dip makes very well ahead of time. Simply cover and refrigerate a day in advance.

dit-elle-Esther

 

Sweet Potato, Sausage and Kale Soup

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It’s been rainy and damp this past week, so this soup seemed like a great dish – the sweetness of the sausage and sweet potatoes balance out the kale in a delicious way. Hot steamy bowl anyone? This recipe makes a large batch and freezes very well!

Blog sausage kale sweet potato soup 1 Blog sausage kale sweet potato soup 2

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cups chopped onion (about 2 large)
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 lb sweet turkey or chicken Italian sausage
  • 8 c. coarsely chopped peeled sweet potatoes (~2 lbs)
  • 5 c. water
  • 4 c. chicken broth
  • 1 bunch kale, rinsed and chopped
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • Salt / pepper to taste

Directions

  • Heat oil in large pot, add onion and sauté for 5 minutes
  • Add garlic, salt & pepper (if desired) and sauté for a minute
  • Remove casings from sausage and add sausage to pan
  • Cook 5 minutes or until sausage is lightly browned, stirring to crumble
  • Add potato, water and broth and bring to a boil
  • Reduce heat and simmer for ~8 minutes
  • Gradually add kale, cook another 10 minutes or until tender
  • Season with salt/pepper as needed
  • Makes 10 servings

dit-elle-Esther

Shakshuka

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What’s Shakshuka? That’s what I wondered too when I saw this recipe. Apparently it’s a popular dish in Tunisia and Israel – a thick sauce made of onions, peppers and tomatoes simmered with spices. Then you poach eggs directly on top of the sauce and serve. Yum!

Blog shakshuka

The recipe below makes 12 servings – a lot! You can easily cut it in half, or the sauce freezes very well!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 large yellow onions, diced
  • 10 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 3/4 teaspoon cayenne or harissa (optional)
  • 6 red or yellow bell peppers, seeded and diced
  • 2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
  • 1 quart low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp salt or to taste

Toppings

  • Eggs (optional)
  • Avocado (optional)
  • Feta cheese (optional)
  • Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions

  • In a large, deep saucepan over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Add onions, and stir for several minutes, cooking until translucent and pale gold, about 10 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low, add garlic and cook for several more minutes, being careful not to brown the garlic. Stir in spices, cayenne or harissa and bell peppers. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add tomatoes with their juice and broth, stirring gently to blend. Simmer uncovered for 30 to 60 minutes, until liquids have reduced to a thick sauce. Taste and add salt as desired.
  • Warm the sauce to medium and poach one egg per person directly in the sauce.

To store: Divide equally between 3 large freezer tubs. Label with the name and date. Use within 6 months.

Thanks for the inspiration PCC Natural Markets.

dit-elle-Esther