Yummy Pie Crust

Ingredients:
4 cups (1.1lbs) Flour
1 TBS Sugar
2 tsp Salt
1 3/4 cups (11.55oz) Crisco
1 TBS White Vinegar
1/2 cup Ice Water
1 Egg

Instructions:
Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in Crisco with a pastry cutter or two kitchen knives
until the Crisco is pea sized. In a separate bowl wisk together water, vinegar, and egg. Add flour mixture a little at a time just until dough can be formed into a ball. Touch the dough as little as possible at this stage!! Refrigerate for at least an hour before rolling out. If blind baking, cook at 375 deg for 30-45 minutes.

Tips:
-Use weight measurements for a more accurate and perfect pie crust every time.
-If blind baking a pie crust use parchment paper with baking beads or beans work as well to prevent the crust from bubbling. Make sure to take them out the last 15min or so.
-Put an egg wash (egg and milk mixture) on the top crust then sprinkle with sugar before baking.
-Make sure to vent the top crust if doing a solid crust.
-roll the dough between two cloths with flour and transfer from the cloth or fold the crust into fourths place it in the pie tin and unfold.
Edge crimping demo
Lattice Top demo

Submitted by: Tenay Johnson

Apple Pie Filling

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

Calories: 346 kcal

Author: Striped Spatula

Ingredients

• 1 recipe pie crust or store bought Marie Calendars pastry Shells in the frozen foods section.
• 4 pounds mixed sweet and sweet-tart apples (I love Cameo and Jonathan, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons apple cider, divided or flavored syrup
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly-packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cool water (egg wash)
• extra granulated sugar or turbinado sugar, for sprinkling over the pie

Instructions

Prepare the crusts

1. Roll out two disks of pie dough to 12-inch diameters (about 1/8-inch thick). Fit one crust into a 9- or 10-inch pie plate and trim overhang flush with the plate's edge. (Be careful not to stretch the dough when fitting it into the plate.)
2. Keep the second crust flat. Refrigerate both crusts for 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator 5 minutes before filling and baking.

Make the filling

1. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon apple cider with 2 tablespoons cornstarch, stirring until dissolved. Set aside. 
2. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, combine apple slices, remaining 2 tablespoons apple cider, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, gently stirring occasionally, until apples are soft, but do not lose their shape, about 15 minutes. 
3. Stir in cornstarch/apple cider mixture and continue cooking, uncovered, until juices are thick and clear, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Fill and bake the pie

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F with rack in lower-middle position. Place a baking sheet on the rack.
2. Pour cooled pie filling into the lined pie plate. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons chilled, diced butter. 
3. For a traditional crust, top pie with second rolled dough round (roll the dough around a rolling pin or fold it into quarters for easy moving). Trim the top layer of dough to a 1/2-inch overhang, tuck under the bottom dough, and crimp or flute as desired to seal. Cut 3-5 slits in the center of the filled pie to vent. If desired, decorate with seasonal crust cutouts. 
4. Lightly brush the top of the pie with egg wash and sprinkle with granulated or turbinado sugar. 
5. Place on preheated baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees F and continue baking until the filling is bubbling and the crust is deep golden brown, about 30-40 minutes longer (add about 10 minutes for stoneware pie plates). Keep a close eye on the pie and cover the top and/or edges of the pie with foil if it's browning too quickly.
6. Let pie cool on a wire rack to room temperature, at least 3 hours. Slice and serve.
   
   Tips:
   - Use an apple peeler to cut the apples quickly and easily.
   -You can use flavored syrup instead of vinegar.
   -The apples can be frozen in a jar or bag to be used at a later time.
   -Cool the fruit before adding to a pie crust.
   -Don't use Red Delicious apples they will break down too fast and get mushy. Fiji, granny smith, cameo, etc would work well.
   
   

   Submitted by: Jenie Rainey from Striped Spatula

Honey Butter

Ingredients:
2 Sticks butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup marshmallow fluff

Directions:
Cream all ingredients together.

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

Ingredients:
1 Cup butter
3/4 Cup brown sugar
1/4 Cup white sugar
1 3.4 oz pkg. vanilla instant pudding
1 tsp Vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 Cup Flour
2 Cups Chocolate Chips

Instructions:
In mixing bowl cream together butter, sugars, vanilla pudding, and vanilla extract. Beat until creamy. Add eggs. Add dry ingredients and stir until well-combined. Fold in Chocolate chips. Bake 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Submitted by: Amy Brice from Mommy Savers

Butterscotch Pudding Triple Chip Cookies

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 (3.4 oz) package butterscotch instant pudding mix
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat and set aside.
2. Using a mixer, beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add in butterscotch pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla extract. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips.
3. Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until slightly golden around the edges and set. Remove cookies from oven and let cool on baking sheet for two minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Note-these cookies will stay fresh for days in an air-tight container, thanks to the pudding! Enjoy!

Submitted by: Jenie Rainey from Two Peas and Their Pod

Jalapeño Popper Creamed Corn

Yields: 6 servings

Prep Time: 0 hours 15 mins

Total Time: 0 hours 20 mins

 

Ingredients:

1/2 oz. (8-oz.) block cream cheese, softened

1/3 c. sour cream

1/4 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

8 ears corn, kernels removed

1 c. cooked bacon, crumbled, plus more for garnish

1 c. shredded cheddar

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2 jalapeños, seeds removed and minced, plus another jalapeño thinly sliced, for garnish

 

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese with sour cream. Season with the chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is golden and lightly seared, about 5 minutes. 
3. Add corn to cream cheese mixture and let cool slightly. 
4. Add bacon, cheddar, green onions, and jalapeños and toss to coat. Garnish with sliced jalapeño and more bacon.

Submitted by: Jessica Clonts from Delish

 

Flourless Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Ingredients

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 3/4 cups dutch process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 large egg
• 2/3 cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the dry ingredients and add the eggs. Whisk again until smooth. (Using an electric mixer will make this even easier, but it's simple enough by hand as well.) Stir in the chocolate chips.
2. Drop by tablespoons onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes, until the cookies are just set. They should be puffy and cracked across the top. Let cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire cooling rack. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Notes

The batter will be more liquid than traditional cookie dough, but don't worry, it works.

 

Submitted by: Amy Brice from Bare Feet in the Kitchen 

personal note: I made these for my sister who avoids gluten and my kids loved them. They are crispy on the outside a gooey on the inside. They can also be dairy free if you get the right kind of chocolate chips.

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten Free)

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 egg

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stir the ingredients together until smooth. Scoop onto a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet. (Roll into 1" balls with your hands, if you do not have a scoop.) Press down with the back of a fork and then press again from the opposite direction, to form the criss-cross pattern on top.
2. These cookies will not spread at all. You can bake the full recipe on a single tray if you would like. Bake for 12 minutes and then let cool on the tray for 1-2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Notes

I like to remove about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter from the "cup" listed in this recipe. This results in a slightly less dense cookie that everyone loves even more than the original. Alternatively, some people have mentioned that they like to add an extra egg to this recipe. If you choose to add an extra egg, simply scoop the finished cookie dough onto the baking tray. It will not be firm enough to roll into balls or press with a criss-cross pattern. The cookies will be puffier straight out of the oven and then will settle a bit as they cool.

Servings: 14-18 cookies, depending on size

Calories: 168 kcal

Submitted by: Amy Brice from Bare Feet in the Kitchen

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces thin sliced sirloin steaks
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• black pepper to taste
• cooking spray
• 3/4 cup diced onion
• 3/4 cup diced green pepper
• 1/4 cup light sour cream
• 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
• 2 oz light cream cheese, softened
• 3 oz shredded mild provolone cheese (or cheese of your choice)
• 4 medium portobello mushrooms, with no cracks

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Spray a baking sheet with oil.
2. Gently remove the stems, scoop out the gills and spray the tops of the mushrooms with oil, season with 1/8 tsp salt and fresh pepper.
3. Season steak with salt and pepper on both sides.
4. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat on high, let the pan get very hot then add the steak and cook on high heat about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on each side, until cooked through.
5. Transfer to a cutting board and slice thin, set aside.
6. Reduce the heat to medium-low, spray with more oil and saute onions and peppers 5 to 6 minutes, until soft.
7. Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Transfer to the mushroom caps, about 1/2 cup each.
8. Bake in the oven until the cheese is melted and the mushrooms are tender, about 20 minutes.

Nutrition Information

Yield: 4 servings, Serving Size: 1 mushroom cap

• Amount Per Serving:
• Freestyle Points: 7
• Points +: 7
• Calories: 256 calories
• Total Fat: 16g
• Saturated Fat: 8.5g
• Cholesterol: 26.5mg
• Sodium: 383.5mg
• Carbohydrates: 10g
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugar: 3.5g
• Protein: 19g

Submitted by: Jenie Rainey from Skinny Taste

A Guide to Flour Alternatives

Source: I Heart Vegetables
When I started thinking about doing a post about some of my favorite flours (and flour alternatives) I thought I’d only have a handful to share. But once I started pulling things out of my pantry, I realized I had quite a few flours in there. Some of them are interchangeable and some work best in a few recipes and not so well in others. Some are cheap, some are expensive, and some are harder to find than others. So I thought I’d make you a little guide to the various flours you might see on my blog or across Pinterest. Hopefully this makes it easier for you when you’re at the grocery store!

So here’s the run down of all the different types of flours I have in my pantry:

Whole Wheat Flour- You might already have this at home! Whole wheat flour contains the entire kernel of hard red wheat, which is what gives it a darker color than white flour. It’s high in nutrients and fiber which is why I love using it in recipes! If you’re swapping it out for all-purpose flour start with a half all purpose/half whole wheat blend. If you switch to all whole wheat, it can get sort of chewy and dry.
White Whole Wheat Flour– This has recently become one of my favorite flours. It has the nutrients and fiber of whole wheat flour, but it’s an easier swap for all purpose flour. The wheat flavor isn’t as strong, so depending on the recipe, you can often swap this 1:1 for all purpose flour. This is the perfect place to start when baking for people who think they hate whole wheat flour. I used it in this whole wheat flatbread recipe and they have a great texture!
Whole Wheat Pastry Flour- This flour comes from soft white wheat. The lower protein content of this flour makes it great for whole grain baked goods. It’s pretty similar to white whole what flour, but I think it’s a bit better in baked goods. I used it in these chocolate avocado muffins and it was perfect!
Gluten Free Flour: Gluten free flour can be tricky, but I’ve had a lot of success with Enjoy Life Foods all-purpose flour blend. It’s a combination of grains (Millet, Rice, Teff, Buckwheat, Rice Starch, Tapioca Starch, Brown Rice Protein, & Sprouted Brown Rice Protein) and it works well in baked goods or as a general substitute for flour. It measures 1:1 just like regular flour. I’ve used it in this falafel recipe to keep it vegan.
Coconut Flour– I think this is one of the harder flours to work with. Baked goods tend to get pretty dense, but if you’re paleo, this is a popular choice. I’ve it in a recipe for gluten free protein donuts and it worked fairly well. (Although I prefer this recipe for cinnamon sugar mini protein donuts!) Coconut flour isn’t an easy swap but if you play around with it for a bit, it can be a nice gluten free, high fiber flour option.
Quinoa Flour– I’ve loved playing around with quinoa flour but I’ll warn you, it’s expensive. I like to keep it real over here so I know not everyone wants to shell out $16 for a bag of flour. It’s great for special diets though, since it’s gluten free and quinoa is a “complete protein” meaning it contains all the essential amino acids. That’s helpful for vegans! It also offers more protein than all purpose flour. If you want to try baking with quinoa flour, try these quinoa chocolate chip cookies!
Oat Flour– Technically, you can buy oat flour but you can also make it pretty easily. I just toss rolled oats in the blender or food processor until I get to a flour-like texture. It can be a great gluten-free “flour” for baked goods, but it will definitely change the texture of the final product. If you want to start by substituting part of the flour in a recipe, start with about 20%.
Almond Flour- Again, this one is on the pricy side, but you can make your own with almonds from the bulk bin, or buy some almond flour (somtimes called “almond meal”) from Trader Joe’s where it tends to be a bit cheaper. It’s a great high protein, gluten free substitute but keep in mind that it’s much higher in calories. I love it in these almond flour brownies and these sugar free dark chocolate truffles, but I haven’t used it for things like muffins or bread. It tends to be pretty dense.

Who knew there were so many flour options?! If I’m baking for myself, I typically use white whole wheat flour. I personally think it’s the easiest substitute and it offers a good amount of protein and fiber. But if you’re gluten free or you’re following a special diet, there are some great flour alternatives!

How to Replace Sugar with Healthier Sugar Alternatives

By Kaitlin W

Unless you’re living under a rock, you’ve heard the news: there is a staggering amount of research out there that confirms a seemingly simple fact: refined sugar is bad.
It's bad for your mind, bad for your weight, bad for your teeth, bad for your overall health—just BAD. But this simple fact presents a complex problem. Refined sugar is in SO much of what we eat on a daily basis. It has infiltrated our whole wheat bread, for goodness sake!
Dr. Lustig’s informative video proclaims sugar ought to be viewed “like cigarettes and alcohol, as something that’s killing us.” Numerous in-depth articles showcase the many sources of evidence against sugar. And widely popular diets are kicking out refined sugars left and right!
Here is the good news...you can easily swap in healthier sugar alternatives. The next time a recipe calls for sugar, feel free to try one of these sugar substitutions instead.

Sugar Replacement Chart



Submitted by: Jenie Rainey from Swansons Vitamins

Avocado Egg Salad

Ingredients:

• 8 hard boiled eggs roughly chopped
• 2 ripe medium avocados
• 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
• 1-2 tablespoons Dijon mustard to taste
• juice of 1/2 lemon or pickle juice
• sea salt to taste
• freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• 1/2 - 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped, to taste

Optional serving suggestions:

• sliced bread, pita or lettuce wraps
• slices of nitrate free bacon and pickle slices

Instructions:

Cook the eggs:

1. Cover the eggs with very hot tap water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, turn heat off, cover with lid and remove from heat. Allow to sit for 18 minutes. Uncover and pour out hot water. Run under very cold water and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes until cool. Peel and chop.
2. In a large bowl, mash the avocados using a fork. Add the chopped eggs, yogurt, mustard and lemon juice and mix to combine. Season with salt, black pepper and dill, to taste.
3. Serve immediately at room temperature, or chill and serve cold. 
4. Serving suggestions: Enjoy alone, spread between two slices of bread with kale & cabbage slaw for an Avocado Egg Salad Sandwich, add to pita or scoop into lettuce wraps for a low carb keto version.
    

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic

Ingredients:
1 lb. orange sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces about 1 inch across.
1 lb. brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and cut in half lengthwise (If you get them whole you have to soak them for 30min unless the package says prewashed)
2 T olive oil, divided
1 T balsamic vinegar, divided
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450F. Spray an extra-large baking sheet with olive oil or non-stick spray.
Peel sweet potatoes and cut into chunks about 1 inch across. Put the sweet potatoes into a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1.5 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Spread sweet potatoes out on the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.
While the sweet potatoes are roasting, wash the brussels sprouts and spin dry or pat dry with paper towels. Trim the ends, then cut the brussels sprouts in half lengthwise. (Discard any leaves that fall off; they tend to burn in the hot oven.) Toss the cut brussels sprouts with the other tablespoon of olive oil, the other 1.5 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar, and a little salt and pepper.
When sweet potatoes have cooked for 20 minutes, remove the baking sheet and toss sweet potatoes with the brussels sprouts. Roast 20 minutes more, or until the sweet potatoes are cooked through and both vegetables are slightly browned. (If your oven runs hot, I would check them after 15 minutes.)

Gluten-Free Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond flour
• 3 tablespoons softened butter
• 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl until a cohesive dough forms.
3. Scoop 1" balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet; a teaspoon cookie scoop works well here. Arrange the balls of dough about 1 1/2" to 2" apart.
4. Use a fork to flatten each cookie to about 1/4" thick, making a crosshatch design.
5. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, until they start to turn light golden brown on top.
6. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool them on the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer them to a rack to cool completely before serving.

Tips from our bakers

• You can also bake these cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet. Just be sure to transfer the cookies to a rack about 2 to 3 minutes after they come out of the oven; they'll still be warm and fairly fragile. If left to cool on the ungreased pan too long, they'll stick.
• For thumbprint cookies: Instead of creating a crosshatch design with a fork, use your thumb to press an indentation into the center of each ball of dough. Fill the hole with about 1/4 teaspoon jam. Note: too much jam will boil out during baking.
• For Maple Pecan Shortbread Cookies: Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons maple syrup, and 1/3 cup diced pecans to the dough. Shape the dough into a log, chill, slice, and bake; or bake as directed above.
• For Chocolate Pistachio Shortbread Cookies: Substitute 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder for 2 tablespoons of the almond flour; and add 1/8 teaspoon espresso powder. Stir in 1/4 cup finely chopped pistachios. Shape the dough into a log, chill, slice, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes; or bake as directed above.
• For Cranberry-Orange Shortbread Cookies: Add 1/2 teaspoon orange zest (grated orange rind) and 1/4 cup dried cranberries to the dough. Shape the dough into a log, chill, slice, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes; or bake as directed above. 

Submitted by: Jenie Rainey from King Arthur Flour

Macaroni and Cheese (with butternut squash or califlower)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni
nonstick cooking spray
1 TBS olive oil
1 TBS all-purpose flour
1/2 cup nonfat milk (skim)
1/2 cup butternut squash or cauliflower, puree
8 oz cheddar cheese
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp pepper

Instructions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the macaroni and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander.
2. While the macaroni is cooking, coat a large saucepan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat.
3. Add the oil, then the flour, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture resembles a thick paste but has not browned (1-2 minutes)
4. Add the milk and cook, stirring every now and then, until the mixture begins to thicken (3-4 minutes).
5. Add the vegetable puree, cheddar, cream cheese, and seasonings, stir until cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Stir in the macaroni and serve warm.

Notes: add some milk to purée to make it easier to pour and add extra milk in the end if it's too thick.

Submitted by: Jenie Rainey

Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins Made with Coconut Flour

Ingredients

1/4 cup coconut flour, sifted after measuring
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup blueberries (make sure they're thoroughly dry)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease six wells of a standard muffin pan, or line them with lightly greased muffin papers.
2. Sift together the coconut flour and baking powder, and mix until well blended.
3. Stir together the eggs, butter, honey, salt, and vanilla and almond extracts until smooth.
4. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until there are no lumps. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter until evenly incorporated.
5. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about half full.
6. Bake the muffins for about 16 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let them cool for about 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer them to a rack to cool.
7. Yield: 6 muffins.

Tips from our bakers

• For maximum coconut flavor, enjoy these muffins warm from the oven. If you're making these a day or two ahead, or if you're planning to freeze them, add 1/4 teaspoon coconut flavor.

Submitted by: Jenie Rainey from King Arthur Flour

Soba Noodles & Almond Butter Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons MaraNatha Organic Raw Creamy Almond Butter
• 2 tablespoons warm water
• 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1 to 2 teaspoons your favorite hot sauce or sriracha
• Juice of ½ a lime
• Soba noodles

Instructions:

Mix all but noodles together in small bowl.  (you might want to add a little water to it to thin it out), toss just-cooked soba noodles (we like the 100 percent buckwheat ones) with the savory almond butter sauce.

You can enjoy the noodles cold or at room temperature, making them perfect to grab as a snack. 

Submitted by: Jenie Rainey

Zebra Caramel Popcorn

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Ingredients:
POPCORN: 1/2 cup Organic Corn Kernels (or about 9 cups popcorn)

CARAMEL COATING:
1/2 cup Butter
1/4 cup Raw Honey (or Agave)
1 cup Coconut Sugar
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

WHITE CHOCOLATE:
1/2 cup Unsweetened Coconut Shreds
1/2 cup Cacao Butter, melted
1 1/2 Tablespoons Vanilla Protein Powder
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 teaspoons Liquid Stevia

DARK CHOCOLATE: 1/2 cup Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips

Instructions

1. Pop the corn kernels in a popcorn popper and remove any kernels that may have not popped. Place in a very large mixing bowl. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheeting with parchment paper.
2. In a saucepan on the stove, melt the butter. Add the honey and coconut sugar. Bring to a boil and stir constantly for about 5 minutes until the caramel thickens and darkens in color. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the caramel over the popcorn and gently but quickly stir to coat.
3. Spread popcorn out on prepared cookie sheet. Place in the oven to bake for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through. While popcorn is baking, add the coconut shreds to a food processor and mix until completely smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined.
4. Remove popcorn from oven. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Drizzle popcorn with melted chocolates and place in the fridge until set (about 20 minutes in the fridge but you can speed up this process by placing in the freezer if you’d like). Break popcorn into pieces and enjoy! Store popcorn in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Submitted by: Jenie Rainey from Natural sweet recipes

Cinnamon Sweet Potato Chips

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato (technically, they are yams, so be sure you know what your grocery store/market calls them. They should be orange on the inside)
2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil, melted
1/2 teaspoon Sea salt
1 teaspoon Cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Wash potatoes, slice as thin as possible and lay thin slices on parchment lined baking sheet.  Drizzle coconut oil evenly, then sprinkle with salt and cinnamon. Gently toss with your hands to coat a bit more. Place on middle rack in oven and bake for 1 hour. Stir chips and rotate pan and bake another 1 hour. Turn off oven and allow chips to sit in the hot oven for an extra 15 minutes. Some thicker chips may be a bit tender still but they will firm up a bit when cooled so be careful not to over bake! It is better to create chewier chips from lack of baking than totally burnt! If chips are not baked until crisp, they will soften a bit more when stored for a few days. If they are firm and crisp once cooled, they will keep nice and crisp for a few days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. 

Submitted by: Jenie Rainey from Natural Sweet Recipes

Chocolate-Avocado Banana Bread

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1/2 small firm-ripe avocado, chopped
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (or almond flour)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup sugar (or Coconut sugar or Swerve granular sugar)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• Large pinch ground allspice
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips (Lily's dark chocolate chips no sugar)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
Pulse the avocado, egg, vanilla and zest in a food processor until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, and fold in the bananas.
Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and allspice in a medium bowl. Fold the flour mixture and 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips into the avocado mixture until just combined (it's OK if there are some lumps). Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan, and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons chocolate chips. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, and let cool completely in the pan on a rack. The bread can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Submitted By: Jenie Rainey from Food Network

Avocado Caprese Salad

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh arugula
• 2-3 campari or cocktail style tomatoes, sliced
• ½ avocado, pitted and sliced
• 3 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
• fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (I prefer the fruitiest, lightest flavored)
• 1½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• generous pinch of sugar or dollop of honey
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Assemble the arugula, tomato, avocado slices and mozzarella in a serving bowl. Top with torn or slivered basil leaves. Whisk the extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl with the balsamic vinegar, sugar or honey and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and pour over the salad. Toss to coat and serve.

Submitted By: Jenie Rainey from Foodie Crush

Extra Crisp Jicama Fries gluten free, keto & paleo

Ingredients

• 1 medium or large jicama
• 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil to taste
• flakey sea salt to taste
• black pepper freshly ground to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. Brush a baking dish or rimmed tray with olive oil.
2. Rinse and peel your jicama. Carefully cut in half, place cut-side down and slice roughly 1/2-inch thick pieces (this will keep the jicama stable). Slice the pieces further into 'fries', keeping in mind that the thinner your fries, the faster they'll cook!
3. Add jicama fries to prepared baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Roast for 45-60 minutes, until golden and crisp, tossing them about half way through. 
4. Serve right away with mayo (highly suggested!).
   
   Submitted By: Jenie Rainey from Gnom Gnom

Gluten Free Red Velvet Cupcakes (No Refined Sugar!)

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:
• 2 cups almond flour or sunflower seed flour
• 3 Tbsp coconut flour
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• a few drops of red food coloring, I prefer to use this one since it is made from veggies and has no synthetic dyes

Cream Cheese Frosting:
• 4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine dry ingredients.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
4. Line a muffin tin with cupcake wrappers and fill 3/4 of the way with batter.
5. Bake for 20 minutes.
6. Cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
7. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Submitted by: Jenie Rainey from Almost Supermom

Cedar Plank-Grilled Salmon

Ingredients:
2 TBS Brown Sugar
1 TBS Chili Powder
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper
6 (6 ounce) Salmon Fillet (Sockeye, Coho, or King Salmon)
2 cedar planks soaked in water 2 hours

Directions:

1. Combine brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Sprinkle over fillets. Arrange fillets 1 inch apart on the soaked cedar planks.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat (370-400 degrees) and lightly oil the grate. Place planks over the cooler section of the center of the grill, turning the thickest sections of the salmon closest to the fire.
3. Cover and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest parts of the salmon reaches 135 degrees F (57 degrees C), 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from grill and let salmon rest on planks, 5 to 10 minutes. 

Submitted by: Jenie Rainey from All Recipes 

Sunrise Salad

Ingredients:
14.5 oz can no sugar added sliced pears, save juice
15 oz can no sugar added mandarin oranges, drained
10 oz can no sugar added pineapple tidbits, save juice
3.4 oz box of sugar free instant lemon pudding (can use vanilla or cheesecake pudding)
8 oz thawed sugar free cool whip
1-2 bananas sliced
1 container of strawberries sliced

Directions:
In large bowl mix together the instant lemon putting and juice from the pairs and the pineapple. Set aside. 
Slice your bananas and strawberries. Add them to your bowl of pudding mix. Fold in the whip cream. If not enjoy immediately place in refrigerator.

Submitted by: Jenie Rainey