BUCKWHEAT PANCAKES

Several days ago, after having had just the worst day, I arrived home to make myself lunch (at 4 pm... it was one of those days). I put away the groceries, did the dishes, and started to clean the house while I waited for my sweet potato to roast in the oven. After a while I noticed something odd... the house wasn't getting any warmer and there was a familiar buzz of the oven that didn't seem to be present. Come to find out, there were some guys doing construction on our building, and they turned off the gas line to our unit... We found this out at 4:50 on a Friday night... you do the math. 

I have successfully survived an entire weekend cooking SOLELY on a griddle. I made nachos (that were damn delicious), chicken and sautéed broccolini, with roasted potato shreds, burgers with sweet potato fries (I made broccoli and cauliflower in our hot pot that night! McGiver would have been proud), and of course eggs, sautéed kale, and biscuits for breakfast. 

As Monday approached I became more and more fearful... I haven't had time lately to prep a proper Monday Treat and I feel just terrible about it! Today however, I was bound and determined to make something delicious and, of course, griddle friendly (I will say, the upside to using ONLY a griddle, is the lack of dirty dishes). 

-CHIA, FLAX, BUCKWHEAT PANCAKES-

What you will need: 

1 cup buckwheat flour 

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1.5 tsp cinnamon 

1/4 tsp sea salt 

1 tbsp flax + 1/4 cup water 

1 tbsp chia seeds + 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk 

1 tsp vanilla 

1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1 tbsp coconut butter, melted

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk (or milk of your choosing)

1 cup warm water with 1 tsp lemon juice squeezed into it

Mix buckwheat flower, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together. Add in your (soaked) flax and chia, vanilla, melted oil and butter, milk and water. Stir until smooth. 

Pour a 1/4 cup of batter onto a pre-heated griddle. Cook on that side until bubbles appear on the surface, flip the pancake and cook for another minute or two on the other side. 

Top with anything you like, devour, and have the best day of all time. I topped my cakes with sunbutter, banana slices and a little agave nectar which, I must admit, is a pretty magical combination (if you are able to do almond butter go that rout! it is a dream), Drew however, went for the classic combination of butter and syrup (also known as pancake heaven). 

Though it may not be earth shattering, this griddle favorite, the pancake, is damn delicious and (a little) healthier than it's forefathers, so I consider it a win (even Drew liked it's gluten free, sugar free, vegan, etc. ness).

Now if only I could get my oven to work... 

xx

A CHEESECAKE BY ANY OTHER NAME...

When hearing the words 'cheesecake' what do you think of? 

Personally, I am taken back to yesteryear, a time where cheesecake bites were the epitome of class (naturally I had to have them at my thirteenth birthday party), when Philadelphia Cream Cheese made individually wrapped "low fat" cheesecake bars (that I would eat while babysitting... Trish, I am sorry for eating all of your cheesecake, really I was doing you a favor) and The Cheesecake Factory was exploding into chain restaurant stardom. 

Cheesecake is love. It contains all of the most comforting parts of a dessert- it is creamy, smooth, decadent, and usually (when I make it) topped with something delicious. Turtle, New York, Philadelphia, almond joy, double chocolate, chocolate raspberry, birthday cake, pumpkin, cookies n' creme, strawberry, lemon, blueberry, peanut butter, caramel apple... seriously... you name it, someone has made it into cheesecake (don't believe me? Check pinterest)! 

When I asked Drew what he wanted for dessert on his birthday he said he would love cheesecake (bet you didn't see that one coming)... however, he didn't want it to be too sweet or too heavy, in fact he didn't really want it to be made with dairy at all. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! 

I had been wanting to make a vegan (raw) cheesecake for quite sometime, but hadn't had a reason to do so, until now. I read about a million recipes, looked up reviews, asked a few friends for advice. At the end of the day I took inspiration from this amazing recipe by Kate Bradley  .

-VEGAN CHEESECAKE-

What you will need for the crust: 

1 cup raw pecans (the first time I made this I used Pistachios... also amazing) 

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 tsp coconut oil

1 tsp agave nectar 

10-12 dates pitted and mashed

dash sea salt

What you will need for the filling:

1.5 cups raw Cashews (soaked and drained)

1 cup coconut milk (full fat)

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup coconut manna 

1/4 cup agave nectar

2 tbsp coconut nectar

2 tsp vanilla  

To do: 

Pulse the pecans and sunflower seeds with sea salt until their is a nice powder to grain ratio (I like a little "nut" texture) add this to your mashed dates. Add in the tsp of coconut oil and agave, mix together by hand until well combined. 

Line a pan with wax paper (I used a loaf pan 9x4x4... a spring form pan would be ideal). Press your crust mixture into the bottom of the pan evenly. 

Place into the freezer. 

In your blender or food processor, combine the filling ingredients and puree until smooth (no joke... it is that easy) the mixture should be thick and creamy. 

Remove the crust from the freezer, cover with your delectable filling and place back into the freezer for at least 2 hours. Remove and place in the refrigerator 20 minutes prior to serving. 

I chose to serve mine with fresh raspberries and raw (sugar free) chocolate, which was amazing! However, you could easily serve it with any other number of tempting toppings. 

In the days following Drews birthday I gave slices of his cheesecake away (so we wouldn't eat the WHOLE thing). The rave reviews floored me! Not to taut my talents as a cook (I mean I am decent, but I am no Tyler Wells) but every single person who tried it a) asked for the recipe and b) said it was the best cheesecake they had ever had... and you guys... it didn't even contain cheese! 

xx 

(NO) BAKED

I recently found out that I have a condition called Candida which, simply put, is a build up of yeast in my system (sick right!?). I also had blood work done which diagnosed me with a myriad of new foods I am no longer supposed to ingest. The good news is that I have a mild form of the infection (again sick!) and don't have to remove all of the good things (aka ALL food) from my life. 

The primary focus of the diet I am about to undergo is to remove all of the yeast from my system. One of the ways to do this is by removing all yeast, vinegar, mold and sugar from the food I eat (as well as about a million other things). Though I may not have the biggest sweet tooth, I do enjoy a bit of a treat every now and again (more now than again). That being said, I am not willing to give up on eating "normal food" so I set out to recreate a childhood classic, the no bake cookie. 

NO BAKE 2.0

What you will need: 

1/3 cup coconut sugar

2-3 tbsp agave nectar 

2 tbsp coco powder

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 tsp vanilla

4 tbsp coconut butter (or oil) 

1/4 cup unsweetened cashew butter

1/4 cup unsweetened sunbutter

1 1/3 cup gluten free oats

In a sauce pan, combine the coconut butter, sugar, agave nectar, cashew and sun butters, place on the stove top and heat together until the ingredients begin to melt. Add in the milk, vanilla, and coco powder, continually stirring to combine ingredients without letting them burn. Once everything is melted and smooth, add in the oats. Stir until the oats are well covered. 

Drop chunks of the "dough" onto wax paper and allow to cool.  

I kid you not, I think I like this version of the cookie, dare I say it, more than I like the peanut butter version (I realize that is blasphemous, but you guys, they are soooo good).  

Do you have any sugar free treats I should know about? Do share with the class, by the end of this thing I will be going crazy. 

xx 

POTATO SOUP

At the start of this year Drew and I became a part of the Unique co-working family. The Unique Space is home to some of the best, most creative people in all of LA; seriously, everyone who works there is so inspiring to me and we consider ourselves lucky to be a part of such an incredible movement.  

A couple of weeks ago we decided to start a little tradition at the space- Foodie Friday, a celebration of good people and good food all meeting together in one place. For the first FF I decided to start simple, a nice soup, some homemade bread, and ginger snap cookies. This turned out to be a bit ambitious...but what can I say? it was the over achiever in me. 

-POTATO SOUP-

What you will need: 

4 medium potatoes peeled and diced

1/2 a head of cauliflower, chopped

48oz veggie broth 

1/2 lb peeled and diced carrots 

1 medium onion diced

4-5 stalks celery diced

3 cloves garlic peeled and minced

2 tbsp olive oil 

1 tbsp celery seeds

1 tbsp black pepper 

2 tsp sea salt (to taste) 

1 can coconut milk 

Toppings: 

bacon

sharp cheddar cheese

diced scallions 

sriracha 

In a large pot, combine olive oil, carrots, onion, and celery, allow to sweat down until the onions are translucent. Add veggie broth, potatoes, cauliflower, garlic, and seasoning into the pot and allow to simmer on low. Cook for 30-40 minutes (until the potatoes are soft). Pour the soup into a blender (in batches) and puree with coconut cream* until smooth. 

Top with bacon, cheese, scallions, and or sriracha and enjoy.

The smell of fresh baked bread pulled everyone from their work induced coma. A line formed in the kitchen as bowls of steaming soup were poured and warm bread was smeared with butter. The table was full of laughter and conversation as we ate together. Needless to say, our very first Foodie Friday was an absolute hit! We have since carried on the tradition and look forward to seeing all the delectable dishes people come up with from week to week.  

What do you like to cook when feeding a lot of people? I'm always looking for good dishes to share. 

xx 

*You should be able to blend the soup in two-three batches, add half (or a third) of the can of coconut milk to each batch

OATMEAL COOKIE BARS

I would like to say that I am a good cook... I can make all of the basics well; boil water, fry an egg, etc. and you know what they say, you must learn the rules before you can break them... I won't lie to you, sometimes breaking the rules pays off... and sometimes rule breaking should be left to the true gourmand.

It is a tale as old as time, I imagine a recipe based on the scraps of ingredients left in my cupboards, cross my fingers and hope beyond hope it doesn't taste like cardboard. Nine times out of ten things turn out amazing! (or at least edible)... that tenth one however, usually ends up the texture of styrofoam with the flavor of a sneaker... it isn't pretty to say the least.  ANYWAYS... 

The other day I decided to concoct an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie inspired by a recipe I found online. Well... being that I rarely (never) follow directions, the batter ended up a bit runny, so I decided that instead of cookies they should be cookie bars! Brilliant, I know. 

-CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIE BARS-

What you will need: 

1 1/4 cups gf flour mix (I used Bobs Red Mill) 

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt 

1/2 tsp cinnamon

4 tbsp coconut oil melted

4 tbsp butter melted

1 1/2 cups coconut sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs 

1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce 

3 cups gf oats

1 cup gf, soy free, dairy free chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place, flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon into a large bowl and stir. Pour in melted oil and butter, mix well. In a separate bowl, blend sugar, vanilla, eggs, and apple sauce, stir until smooth, add to the dry ingredients. Mix the oats and chocolate chips into the batter until evenly coated. 

Pour the batter into a 9x9 inch pan, bake at 350 for 25 minutes. 

Allow to cool, cut into 2 inch squares, and devour. 

I won't lie, these little gems are hella crumbly... but they taste like heaven so it is worth the crumbs that will, inevitably, grace the front of your sweater. Also if you spread those crumbs on a baking sheet and toast them at 350 for 10-15 minutes, they turn into a granola like substance that is divine with almond milk poured over the top... seriously, it is delicious! 

Best of luck my fellow bakers, may your next kitchen mistake turn out better than the last. 

xx

BANANA MUFFIN MAGIC

I don't know about you, but I would argue that banana bread is one of the best, most comforting foods out there. I am not entirely sure why I hold such an attachment to this baked delight, perhaps it has something to do with its warmth. I realize that is a strange way of phrasing it, but in the house hold of my child hood 90% of the loaf was devoured the instant it came out of the oven. We would smear each steaming piece with (I can believe it's not) butter, one after another, not caring in the slightest that we were ruining our dinner. Moments later the counter, as well as the fronts of our shirts, would be scattered with crumbs. 

It was with this memory that inspired me to create these coconut laden banana muffins. I realize I am usually one to opt for a more "health conscious" recipe when creating a new dish... not this time kids! I threw caution to the wind! I USED REAL SUGAR and felt the diabetes instantly set in (totally kidding... but seriously, sugar coma is real).  

-COCONUT BANANA MUFFINS-

What you will need for the muffin:

2 tbsp coconut cream 

1-2 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp butter

3 tbsp coconut oil 

2 tsp raw coconut butter 

2 eggs

3-4 overly ripe bananas mashed

2 tbsp almond milk

1 cup coconut (or brown) sugar

1 1/2 cup bobs redmill all purpose gluten free baking mix

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp sea salt

For the crumble topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 tsp cinnamon 

3 tbsp butter (melted) 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine the coconut cream, vanilla, eggs, bananas, butters, coconut oil, almond milk, and sugar, blend together. Add in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and sea salt, stir until smooth. Set aside. 

In a separate bowl combine all the ingredients for your topping. Mix together until the substance is crumbly. Set aside. 

Pour batter into your cupcake tin lined with cupcake papers, filling each paper half way up. Top each muffin with a small spoonful of crumble. 

Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean. 

Do try to not burn your mouth when you pull these decadent morsels from the oven. (Word to the wise, they may actually be better once they have cooled). 

The holiday madness is over, time to face a new year. Time to make resolutions and build a better life. But before you go on that diet bender and resolve to loose ten pounds, do yourself a favor and eat (at least) three of these muffins (you know... for fuel purposes). 

xx 

CRANBERRY SAUCED

Growing up holiday meals were a big to-do with all of the fix'ins one would imagine. Everyone had their "signature dish", each holiday had it's "signature" protein (ham for Easter, turkey for Thanksgiving, prime rib AND turkey for christmas) and more often then not the holiday meal was served at a select persons home... it was all very traditional. 

One thing I never could get my head around as a child was the idea of slathering a jelly like goo over the top of my entire holiday meal... what was the point? Cranberry sauce from a can was like the holy grail of condiments and I was entirely at a loss for why. It jiggled unpleasantly, smelled sour and sweet, and CAME FROM A CAN! 

While out thanksgiving shopping I bought cranberries... you know for decor purposes. Somehow, one thing led to another, and Drew talked me into making cranberry sauce for the holiday meal.

Dread instantly filled my stomach! I didn't know how to make cranberry sauce... I hated cranberry sauce, the very idea of creating the congealed goo from my childhood made me nauseous. Thankfully, a girl who works at the organic market gave me some tips and what ended up emerging, was the easiest, most delicious sauce I have perhaps ever created. 

-CRANBERRY SAUCE-

What you will need: 

1 lb of fresh cranberries 

1 8oz bottle of Pom Wonderful (pomegranate juice) 

1-2 tbsp orange zest 

1/3 cup coconut sugar 

Optional- cinnamon, nutmeg, taste first to see if you would like to add the spice. 

Rinse your cranberries throughly, place into a sauce pan with the pomegranate juice, orange zest, and sugar, bring to a simmer and turn to a low heat. Cook covered (the berries will burst as they cook) for 15-30 minutes until the cranberries have softened and turned to (for lack of a better word) mush.

Pour into a jar and refrigerate, this sauce will keep well so you can make it several days in advance if need be. 

Thanksgiving day arrived and my suspicions were high. However, when I took my first bite of chicken, slathered in cranberry sauce... I became a believer.  

This sauce would be perfect over chicken, turkey, or pork and I promise, though the canned stuff may be tradition, this will blow it out of the water. 

Happy holiday eating! 

xx 

MINT CHOCOLATE MAGIC

You know how, every now and again, you get really lucky when inventing a new baked good? I mean like, this thing should not have worked BUT IT DID, lucky? It is the jackpot in baking! I mean... it's not like baking involves science or anything... oh wait.

I was given the task of baking cookies or brownies for an event the other week, and instead of going to a time worn recipe I opted to get crafty in the kitchen (red flag number one), then, halfway into the mixing process I realized I didn't have the appropriate ingredients to create the treats I had set out to make (red flag number two). Needless to say, this wasn't my best work, BUT some good did come out of it. I was determined to recreate and master these goodies, because I am a good baker damn it and I wouldn't have my reputation trod upon by a flopped batch of cookies! And so was born the Mint Chocolate Magic Bar (your hips may hate my but your mouth will thank me, you are welcome).

-MINT CHOCOLATE MAGIC-

What you will need for the bar:

1/2 cup coco powder

2/3 cup almond flour

2/3 cup coconut flour

1/3 cup tapioca flour

2 eggs

1/2 cup almond milk

6 tbsp butter softened

3 tbsp coconut oil

1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 tbsp molasses

1.25 cups coconut sugar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1.5 tsp vanilla

1.5 tsp peppermint extract

For the frosting:

1/3 cup coconut cream (full fat coconut milk in a can) chilled

2 tbsp butter softened

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

Optional: 1/3 cup chocolate chips melted to drizzle over the top (not really an option...)

In a large mixing bowl, blend together your coco powder, almond, coconut, and tapioca flour, sugar and salt until there are no lumps remaining. Add in the eggs, almond milk, butter, coconut oil, molasses, apple sauce, vanilla, and peppermint, stir until smooth.

Pour batter into a 9x9 baking pan, place in the oven at 350 degrees for 12-18 minutes (checking often).

Once the surface is solid, remove from the oven and place in the refrigerator to chill.

While the bars are in the oven, whisk together the coconut cream, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and peppermint until creamy (a good frosting consistency). Refrigerate until ready to frost.

In a double boiler, melt down the chocolate chips (right before the frosting process).

When the bars are fully cool, remove them from the refrigerator, frost, drizzle with chocolate and devour!

Refrigerate the remaining bars (should there be any) for optimum taste and texture.

These bars were a complete and total accident, but boy am I glad the first batch flopped! Unfortunately all but one got eaten before I got a photo so please forgive the bad lighting... but you get the idea right? Chocolate, mint smeared goodness?

Happy holiday baking everyone, may all your adventures turn out to be magical.

xx

WINTER CARROTS

It is now, officially, the Holiday Season (not like at Hobby Lobby where Christmas decor is displayed in July… that is just asinine).

I don’t know about you, but, I am convinced that time went slower as a child. This time of year brought days and days of agony; waiting for Christmas was like being put in timeout for a month! Nowadays, I understand why all of the adults around me looked so frantic this time of year; when you grow up life goes into hyperdrive and the holidays are warp speed.

As with the Fall season, the Holidays translate to all things food in my life. The smell of my Grandma Buffs house on Christmas Eve was always prime rib and mashed potatoes, while my Grandma Zahn, who found herself to be something of a gourmand, left the air smelling rich and savory, with sweet spice lingering around the edges on Christmas day. Each side of the family had their staple dishes, which even now have the power to transport me to another time.

Winter Carrots were a Zahn tradition. As a kid I wasn’t very fond of them, the tang of the horseradish was a little much for my under developed palette. Now, however, I can’t get enough! They are one of my absolute favorite side dishes. This recipe may be a little different from the Kraft Mayo schmeered version from my youth, but I promise you it is equally as delicious.

-WINTER CARROTS-

What you will need:

1 pound of carrots, peeled and cut into 3 inch strips

1/4 cup soy free vegenaise 

2-3 tbsp horseradish

1/4 cup sweet onion, diced

salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp butter, melted

3/4 cup cashew flour

Peel, rinse, cut, and cook your carrots (until they are tender but not soft).

In a small bowl, mix together the vegenaise, horseradish, onion, salt and pepper until smooth.

Strain the cooked carrots and place them into a baking pan (9×9), pour the cream mixture over the top.

Mix together the butter and cashew flour. Drop in small clumps over the carrots.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes (or until the cashew flour is lightly browned).

The savory aroma filling your kitchen will make every mouth on your street water. Though these carrots may not seem like anything special, I promise you, they are a dish you will keep in your recipe rolodex for years to come. How I lived without them for so long is beyond me!

What dish takes you back? Is it the classic green bean casserole with cream of mushroom soup and french onions!? (I would kill for that right about now…) An appetizer, dessert?! What is it, I’m dying to know (so I can recreate it for the holidays!).

xx

THIN MINT POPCORN

It is now, officially, the holiday season! Like it or not December is upon us…which, to be honest, boggles my mind because yesterday was the 4th of July right?! Seriously though! How is it December?

Anyways. I am, despite my protesting, thrilled that Christmas is around the corner. Christmas movies, treats, memories, all flooding in on a pine scented wave. It is a season of tidings and good cheer! Comfort and Joy! The Grinch, Home Alone, The Family Stone!!! I can hardly wait! And what, may I ask, goes better with movies than popcorn!? Seeing that is the holiday season however, we can’t just make any popcorn for our favorite festive flick, we need to have popcorn fitting to such an occasion. And so… I give to you…

-THIN MINT POPCORN-

What you will need:

2 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 cup popcorn

For the topping:

1/2 cup chocolate chips

3 tbsp coconut oil separated

2tbsp coconut sugar (plus some for sprinkling)

1 tsp peppermint flavoring

Sea salt

Prepare the popcorn according to the directions for your air popper or in my case, a large pot. Place the popcorn in a large bowl and set it aside.

In a double boiler melt together 1.5 tbsp coconut oil, chocolate chips, and sugar, stirring regularly. Once melty and delicious add in the peppermint flavoring.

Melt the remaining coconut oil and pour over the freshly popped popcorn. Sprinkle with coconut sugar and sea salt.

Pour the popcorn out onto a cooling mat or brown paper bag. Drizzle with the melted chocolate and place in the freezer for 10 minutes (or until the chocolate hardens).

Try not to offend those around you as you shovel handfuls of this rather unorthodox treat into your mouth!

I realize this sounds like a stretch… And it is… But you guys, it is so good. A friend said (and I quote), “I’ve never tasted anything like this, but I want, I need, to taste it more.” and proceeded to eat half the bowl…

Happy holidays everyone! May they stay as sweet as they start!

xx