monster cookies. you know, the kind that have a bunch of mix-ins dumped into the batter. well, i went ahead and adapted my own version of some monster cookies i’ve seen lately. one of the major things in my recipe is that it’s double peanut butter. not only is there a full cup of natural PB in the batter, but i switched some of the ratios, & added PEANUT FLOUR. peanut flour jumped out at me a few weeks ago at trader joes; it’s literally dried peanuts ground into a flour. basically peanut powder. but when it mixed in with my monster cookie dough, it doubled the peanut butter and made these cookies so freaking creamy.
Continue readingTag: snacks
baked sweet potato fries
baked sweet potato fries can be tough to turn out… sometimes they come out soggy or undercooked, and on the flip side, they can burn quickly with high temperatures. i have tried a bunch of different methods, and i’ve recently found that the trick is in adding a little starch to help the potatoes crisp!
a starch that is used frequently in paleo baking and cooking is tapioca starch. it’s a grain-free alternative to corn starch, and it’s the trick to making baked sweet potato fries that get crispy on the outside and are fully cooked on the inside. because let’s be honest, who wants a soggy french fry that flops over when you pick it up? just no.
making these fries couldn’t be easier or require less ingredients and effort. literally all you have to do is chop the potato, coat it in olive oil, tapioca, and s&p, and put it in the oven for 40ish minutes. then you are DONE.
depending on how many fries you wanna end up with, use 1 or more sweet potatoes. first step (ALWAYS) in cooking with a sweet potato is giving it a solid scrub under water… these came from the ground and are covered in nasty ish. then, use a good knife to cut into fry shapes, obviously, and throw in a bowl. toss the sweet potato strips with olive oil, about 1-2 tsp tapioca starch, salt and pepper, and maybe some garlic powder. spread them into an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, & bake on 425F for 40ish minutes. keep your eye on them to watch for crispy edges, and save them before they get burnt!
eat right away [after cooling] with your fave dipping sauce or keep in the fridge for up to ~ 5 days. reheat in the oven or broiler to maintain crispiness. devour!!
INGREDIENTS >>
– 1 to 3 large sweet potatoes
– 1-2 tbsp olive oil
– 1 to 2 tsp tapioca starch, to coat
– garlic powder, to sprinkle
– salt & pepper, to sprinkle
HOW TO MAKE >>
- set oven to 425F
- using a good knife, cut the sweet potato(es) into strips
- place potato strips in a mixing bowl. toss with olive oil, to coat.
- add in tapioca starch, garlic powder, salt & pepper to potatoes, and toss to evenly coat.
- place pre- fries in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, allowing each one to have it’s own space.
- bake on 425F for 40ish minutes.
- keep your eye on them to watch for crispy edges, & save them before they get burnt!
- enjoy with your fave dipping sauce, or save in the fridge for up to ~ 5 days!
- ( to reheat later, use broiler or high temp baking to maintain crispiness )
mango jalapeno salsa
mango jalapeno salsa is going to be the perfect addition to your summer lineup!! use it as a topping to your tacos, burrito bowls, or as a dip with tortilla chips or plantain chips. along with jalapeno and red onion, this mango situation screams summer… so let it!
lemon poppyseed muffins
can you get more springy than a lemon poppyseed muffin?! i simply do not think so. a light, fluffy, lemony yellow muffin, eaten as part of a breakfast, snack, or dessert, you just can’t go wrong!! my new lemon poppyseed muffins are grain-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar free, aka PALEO + delish!!
paleo banana nut muffins w/ chocolate chips
the words “banana nut muffin” remind me of a very specific muffin that i used to eat a LOT when i was a lot younger. the big muffins that came in a 3 pack and were topped with walnuts — i used to eat those for breakfast, at volleyball tournaments, any time. they were so sweet and dense, & when i saw this SIMPLE MILLS banana mix, i knew i had to try my own version of banana nut muffins!! these are perfectly dense but still light, filled w/ walnut pieces & sweet n light banana flavor, i could go on. here’s how to make them!
paleo carrot cake loaf
so carrot cake is like THE cake that is a true treat in my mind. i don’t know if it’s the cream cheese frosting or the multiple additions of raisins, walnuts, or even coconut/pineapple, but every time i hear or see or eat carrot cake, i want some more. this loaf is truly PERFECT for any day of the week as a breakfast, snack, or dessert, because it checks off all those boxes and fixes the craving, but it isn’t as heavy or sweetened as a full on cake might be. it’s a recipe that’s honestly just necessary, and i’m SO EXCITED to share it today!
espresso walnut brownies
okay so i came up with this brownie recipe and ingredient combination by the request of my mini me (@jozlow) to make a bar with espresso in it!!
to be honest, you might not know there was straight coffee or espresso grounds in this, but it enhances the brownie flavor so much that you just can’t leave it out! [realistically, you can leave it out if you want, lol, but it really does make the flavor that much better].
even the walnuts come THRU in this brownie batter and batch… they make it SO indulgent and so good.
in this recipe, i use the SIMPLE MILLS chocolate muffin & cake mix, which i picked up at whole foods [they also have it at mariano’s]. it’s a paleo baking mix that you can use to make muffins or cake or cupcakes, or now with my recipe: BROWNIES!!! to be honest, one of the things i legit love about this is that a serving size is 2 brownies, & the nutrition facts are outrageously flattering. for 2 brownies… it’s… just over 100 calories… how is that possible?! the mix is made with clean ingredients, keeping it free of gluten, dairy, grains, soy, refined sugar. which means it really fits my blog and everything i make on here!! so i can have a brownie with lunch [or breakfast if you are feeling bold] without feeling weighed down by the density of those normally heavier baking ingredients!
okay! here’s how i make the brownies:
i started by melting the coconut oil, and letting it cool to room temperature, because i mix it with eggs, and the last thing i want is for it to be too hot that it starts to cook the eggs. NO. so let the coconut oil cool on the side before you start mixing!
to the cooled melted coconut oil, add eggs and vanilla, and mix until they are combined. next, you’ll add the coffee grounds or espresso grounds. a lot of recipes prefer using espresso or instant coffee powder, and that’s because normal coffee grounds could really change the texture of the brownie if they aren’t used appropriately, or are used in excess. my recipe & the way i tested it was completely successful and DELISH using plain old coffee grounds, (just 1.5 tbsp!). so combine the coffee grounds to the wet ingredients, and combine. next, add your coconut sugar. once combined, finish the mixture by adding the SIMPLE MILLS chocolate muffin & cake mix! lastly, you can add the walnuts to the batter here, or just sprinkle them all over the top once your batter is poured.
when everything has been mixed, pour the batter into a parchment-lined or greased 9×13 baking dish or pan. and bake on 350F for ~30-35 minutes.
INGREDIENTS »
› 1 box SIMPLE MILLS chocolate muffin & cake mix
› 7 tbsp coconut oil, melted + cooled
› 3 eggs
› 1 tbsp vanilla extract
› 1.5 tbsp espresso or coffee grounds
› 3/4 cup coconut sugar
› 1/2 cup walnut pieces
HOW TO MAKE »
- set oven to 350F.
- melt the coconut oil, & let it cool to room temperature.
- to cooled melted coconut oil, add eggs & vanilla. mix until combined.
- add coffee grounds or espresso grounds. stir to combine with wet ingredients.
- add coconut sugar. stir to incorporate.
- add the SIMPLE MILLS chocolate muffin & cake mix to wet ingredient mixture.
- add the walnuts to the batter [or sprinkle them all over the top once your batter is poured in baking pan]
- pour brownie batter into a parchment-lined or greased 9×13 baking dish or pan.
- bake on 350F for ~30-35 minutes.
paleo vegan tahini [nut-free] banana bread
BANANA BREAD. can it get any more classic? i’ve been wanting to create my own banana bread recipe for a while, & i finally did it! it’s free of all the following: gluten, grains, dairy, soy, nuts, refined sugar. when it came out of the oven, i just had to sample it before i even took these photos, & trust me when i say this — my BANANA BREAD has been LANDED. it’s fluffy, dense, moist, full of banana flavor, & completely heavenly. let’s get to it!
nut butter cups
reese’s peanut butter cups used to be my absolute favorite candy. the PB middle was always the best part, & i’d eat all the chocolate off the outside first to save the best for last. this new nut butter cup recipe is my new reese’s!! with 2 mixtures to layer into the nut butter cup, the chocolate mixture + the nut butter mixture, you get the reese’s vibe immediately!! the sunbutter [of sunflower seeds] is the closest in texture & flavor to peanut butter, in my opinion, and it is a little salty, so it was my choice of substituting for these nut butter cups… time to build it up, butter cup
guacamole
it almost feels like i don’t need to post how i make guac, because i feel like guac is kind of a thing that most people [probably?] know how to make! BUT… for those who don’t, HERE YA GO!!! my guac is fresh n tasty, like most guacs [lol]. simple & light, too!! and no additives, just natural ingredients! Continue reading
rachel tiedmann 