Thursday, July 28, 2016

French Onion Soup

Happy Thursday!!!!
I absolutely LOVE french onion soup!! It is full of so many delicious flavors, and super cheesy!! If you are a cheese lover like me, then you will love this soup! You only need a few ingredients and a little bit of time to make this classic soup!!
Let's get to cooking!!

French Onion Soup (serves 4) 

  • 3 yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 3 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons grass-fed butter
  • 1/2 tablespoon WEDO banana flour 
  • 2 cups white wine 
  • 4 cups chicken stock (beef stock works too)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 bay leaf 
  • 1 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
  • 8 slices of gluten-free bread (or any bread of choose)
  • chopped chives, for garnish
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once melted, add in onions and lower heat to medium. Saute for about 14 minutes, or until completely caramelized and softened. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in banana flour, then whisk in white wine and bring to a boil. After the wine has been boiling and reduced slightly, add in stock and bay leaf. Boil for about 10 minutes or so.

Pour about 1/3 cup of soup into 4 oven safe soup crocks. Top with 1 slice of bread, then top with more soup, almost filling to the top, then top with 1 more piece of bread, and then a handful of gruyere cheese. Repeat until all 4 crocks are filled. Bake for about 14 minutes, or until cheese is melted and slightly golden. Serve and enjoy!!

-Juliet

Monday, July 25, 2016

Double Dark Chocolate Protein Truffles

These truffles taste like the real thing; but are free of dairy, and processed ingredients that truffles usually contains! Plus, these have many health benefits, including protein from plant-based protein powder, resistant starch from the banana flour, and much more. When you bite into these truffles, you will be amazed by how perfectly chocolaty, sweet, and creamy they are! 
Onto the recipe! 

Double Dark Chocolate Protein Truffles
  • 1 cup medjool dates
  • 1 cup dark chocolate almond milk
  • 1/2 cup chocolate plant-based protein powder
  • 1/4 cup WEDO banana flour 
  • 1/4 cup almond flour
  • 1/4 cup cacao powder
  • 2 tablespoon raw honey
  • 1 cup 70% dark chocolate chunks
Add medjool dates and almond flour to a food processor and blend until well combined. Add in protein powder, banana flour, cacao powder, raw honey, and chocolate almond milk. Continue processing until thoroughly combined. Roll rounded tablespoon into a ball and place on a baking sheet, then place in fridge. Now melt chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until fully melted. Dip chilled protein truffles into melted chocolate, then place on a parchment lined sheet. Let chill in fridge for about 1 hour, then devour! Enjoy!

-Juliet

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Blueberry Chocolate Chip Grain-Free Cookies

Happy Thursday!! Hope y'all have been having a great week!
If you haven't noticed by now, I absolutely LOVE cookies! I am the cookie monster! I've made so many different cookies, from s'mores, to ginger-molasses, and much more! These blueberry chocolate chip cookies have the perfect sweetness and texture (thanks to WEDO banana flour!) 
Onto the recipe!

Blueberry Chocolate Chip Grain-Free Cookies
  • 1 cup WEDO banana flour 
  • 1 cup coconut sugar (raw cane sugar works too)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons grass-fed butter, softened
  • 4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips 
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries 
First, preheat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Mix butter, coconut oil, and sugar in a mixer on medium speed. Add in eggs one at a time and mix until thoroughly combined. Then, add in banana flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Mix until dough is smooth. Fold in chocolate chips and fresh blueberries.

Place rounded tablespoons on baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes, or until slightly golden. Let cool, then devour! Enjoy these scrumptious gluten-free and grain-free cookies!

-Juliet

Sunday, July 17, 2016

Grilled Eggplant with Mushroom-Sage Olive Oil Drizzle & Goat Cheese

Happy Sunday!! Hope you all had a great weekend!
These grilled eggplant slices are super simple to make and you only need a handful of ingredients! Not only is it super tasty, it is really healthy for you as well! It is the perfect summertime side dish to pair with grilled steaks, chicken, anything! 

Let's get to cooking!


Grilled Eggplant with Mushroom-Sage Olive Oil Drizzle & Goat Cheese (serves 4)

  • 5 baby eggplants, sliced into 1 inch slices
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
  • Mushroom-sage infused olive oil, to drizzle
  • Fresh basil, to garnish 
Turn on grill and heat. Toss eggplant slices with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Let sit for about 5 minutes, to absorb the flavors. Grill each side for about 2-3 minutes, or until softened. 

Once all eggplant slices are grilled, place on a plate, top with goat cheese, fresh basil, and olive oil drizzle! Enjoy!

-Juliet

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Honey-Cinnamon Almond Butter Granola

Happy Wednesday!
You should definitely make this healthy & delicious granola for your breakfast tomorrow morning! This granola pairs perfectly with a cup of cold almond milk or a hot cup of coffee! It is perfectly sweet and crispy! WEDO banana flour is used in replace of traditional flour, which makes this granola gluten-free! It also contains no dairy, thanks to coconut oil, the perfect butter substitute!
Onto the recipe! 

Honey-Cinnamon Almond Butter Granola
  • 1 cup WEDO banana flour
  • 3 cups rolled oats
  • 1 1/2 cups almond butter
  • 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar (cane sugar works too) 
  • 1/4 cup raw honey
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • pinch of sea salt
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Whisk together almond butter, honey, and coconut oil in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together banana flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and sugar. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir until throughly combined. Fold in rolled oats and mix until well combined. Spread dough onto parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 11 minutes, then stir and bake for another 11 minutes, or until crispy and golden. Remove, let cool, then devour! Enjoy!
-Juliet

Monday, July 11, 2016

Crabcake Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce

Happy Monday!! 
I absolutely love eggs benedict! If I go out to eat for breakfast or brunch, and I see eggs benedict on the menu, I definitely would choose it as my meal! The jumbo crabcake topped with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce is pretty much perfection! I want to eat this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. No joke, it's that amazing! 
Let's get to cooking!

Crabcake Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce 

  • Make a batch of my Jumbo Crabcakes 
  • 4 large eggs 
  • 6 egg yolks 
  • 5 tablespoons grass-fed butter 
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon paprika 
  • 1/2 tablespoon mustard
  • chopped chives, for garnish
First, make my jumbo crabcakes, then keep in a hot oven to keep warm until ready to serve.

Now we are going to make the hollandaise sauce! Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium to medium-low heat. Whisk egg yolks in a small bowl with mustard, and lemon juice. Temper in a little bit of butter into egg yolk mixture, then pour all egg yolks into saucepan with butter. Whisk for about 3-4 minutes over medium heat, or until slightly thickened.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Once it reaches a slow boil, add in all 4 eggs, then turn off heat and cover with a lid. Let sit for about 4 minutes.

As soon as the poached eggs are done, it is time to start plating! Put crabcakes on a plate, then top with poached egg, then the hollandaise sauce & fresh chives! Enjoy this delicious breakfast, dinner, or lunch!

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Spicy & Sweet Citrus BBQ Pork Ribs with a Mushroom-String Bean Salad


Both the spicy & sweet pork ribs and mushroom string bean salad are DELICIOUS! After the first bite, you will be blown away! The pork ribs are super tender, and the homemade spicy and sweet BBQ sauce is the perfect sauce to compliment the ribs. The ribs take 8 hours to cook, so all you have to do is prep the sauce in advance, then put the pork in the oven! Once the pork is pretty much almost done, you can make the string bean salad. 

Let's get to cooking!


Spicy & Sweet Citrus BBQ Pork Ribs with a Mushroom-String Bean Salad

For the ribs & BBQ sauce: 

  • 6 pound pork ribs 
  • 3/4 cup coconut aminos 
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • zest of one orange 
  • 1/2 cup raw honey
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 orange, sliced
  • 1 lime, sliced
For the mushroom-string bean salad:

  • 4 cups string beans
  • 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 onion, medium diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste
First, we are going to make the BBQ sauce. Add about a tablespoon of coconut oil to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add in minced garlic and ginger. Once fragrant, add in coconut aminos, Worcestershire sauce, orange juice, orange zest, honey, salt, and pepper. Let simmer for at least a 1/2 hour on medium-low heat, stirring continuously. 

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Add pork ribs to a roast pan. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Place on sliced limes and oranges. Place in oven and roast for about an hour. After the hour, pour on all of the BBQ sauce. Continue roasting for another 6-7 hours. 

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high and once hot, add in onions and garlic. Saute for about 4 minutes or until translucent. Add in mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Once the mushrooms are finished, remove from heat and set aside. 

Once the pork is almost finished roasting, we are going to start the mushroom string bean salad. Heat salted water to a boil in a pot. Prepare an ice bath for blanching. Once the water is boiling, add in string beans and boil for about 6 minutes. Drain, and immediately add to ice bath. Remove from ice bath and place in pan and mix with mushroom mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Plate pork ribs and string bean salad. Enjoy!

-Juliet

Monday, July 4, 2016

Banana Flour Lemon Pound Cake Fruit Trifle with Mint Whipped Cream

Happy 4th of July y'all!! 
This dessert is super easy and quick to make, and pretty healthy for you too! The lemon pound cake is so light and perfectly sweet! The WEDO Banana Flour gives the pound cake an AMAZING texture! You will have a hard time believing it is gluten-free! 

Onto the recipe!


Banana Flour Lemon Pound Cake Fruit Trifle with Mint Whipped Cream

Lemon Pound Cake Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup gluten-free all purpose flour blend
  • 1/2 cup WEDO banana flour 
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup avocado oil (or coconut) 
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 3/4 cup cane sugar (or coconut sugar) 
Mint Whipped Cream Ingredients:

  • 1 quart organic heavy cream (sub coconut milk for dairy free version) 
  • 1/4 cup raw honey
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fruit layer: 

  • Strawberries, chopped
  • Blueberries 
  • Fresh mint, for garnish 
First we are going to make the cake! Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a cake pan with coconut oil. Whisk together dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Add wet ingredients to dry and whisk until thoroughly combined. Pour into cake pan and bake for about 25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.

While the cake is cooling, we are going to make the whipped cream! Make sure your stand mixer bowl is as cold as it can be before making the whipped cream. Add heavy cream, mint, vanilla, and raw honey into the bowl and start mixing on the highest speed until stiff peaks form. Careful not to over mix, or it will churn into butter!

Once your cake has cooled, chop it into medium sized cubes. Time to make the trifles! First pipe in a layer of whipped cream. Then add cake, then strawberries, then more whipped cream, then blueberries, then more whipped cream, and then garnish with extra fruit and mint! Repeat until all trifles are made. Enjoy!!!

-Juliet