Snickerdoodle Cookies-Grain, Dairy, and Egg free

I love Snickerdoodle cookies, and I have found  many variations of converting my favorite cookie with Paleo ingredients. This has been the closet recipe that tastes almost like the cookie I grew up eating. These cookies are super yummy right out of the oven, but I find that almond flour base cookies are better frozen after the first day to prevent getting too soft and stale.

 Ingredients:
2 cups blanched almond flour
1/4 teaspoon Celtic salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1/4 cup mild honey
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon coating:
1 tablespoon palm sugar
1 tablespoon cinnimon
sprinkle of Stevia for extra sweetness (optional)

Directions:
Mix almond flour, salt and baking soda in a bow. Mix melted coconut oil, honey and vanilla in a separate bowl. Combine together. Using a tablespoon form small balls of dough and roll in cinnamon mixture until covered. Place on lined baking pan. Flatten cookie with a bottom of a flat glass. I dip glass in the cinnmon mixture to prevent sticking. Place a few inches away from each other. Bake 8-9 minutes at 350. Let cool on pan for an additional 5 minutes before removing. Cookies will seem under cooked at first, but they will firm up. Makes around 15 cookies.

Open-face Bell Pepper "Sandwich"

This is a great way to enjoy lunch, and not miss sandwich bread. There are many variations to this recipe, so use ingredients that you find tasty.

Ingredients:

1 bell pepper sliced in half , I like red peppers for this recipe

Mix in bowl:

1 can tuna or canned chicken, or use leftover roasted chicken, and chop into small pieces
2 celery sticks chopped up into bite size pieces
Chopped up marinated artichoke hearts
1 small roasted red pepper sliced into bite size pieces
1 Tablespoon mayo (optional)
Celtic salt and pepper to taste
sliced cheese for topping (optional)

Directions:
Place oven on Broil  Hi
Stuff bell pepper with mixture and place in oven. Broil for 5-10 minutes watching it carefully. You just want the pepper and mixture to warm up. Top with cheese (optional) and continue to broil until melted and toasty brown. Serve over bed of greens drizzled with Olive oil and salt and pepper

* if you do not enjoy bell peppers, tomatoes are a great substitute. Remove seeds, stuff tomato, but bake for a shorter time. I also top my peppers with avocado when done broiling instead of cheese.

Pizza- Gluten-free and Grain Free

Ingredients:

Crust:
2 cups raw spinach leaves
1 egg (large)
1 cup shredded low moisture mozzarella cheese
spices (I used salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and garlic powder - a sprinkle of each)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425. Line a 12 inch pizza pan with parchment paper (Definitely do this. DO NOT skip theparchment paper. I found that where the crust touched the pan it stuck horribly! It peels off the paper no problem.). Set aside. In a blender (or magic bullet), blend spinach until it is a baby food consistency. Add egg and pulse until combined. Add in cheese and spices and pulse until just combined. Spread evenly in prepared pizza pan. Just spread it out slowly and carefully and it will get there!
-Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes. Edges will be browned and crispy.
-Prepare pizza sauce by placing tomatoes and garlic in blender (or magic bullet) and pulse until smooth.
Spread evenly over cooked crust. Top with toppings, and don't forget Parmesan cheese. Place back in oven and broil until cheese is melted.

Pizza Sauce:
24 grape tomatoes
2 cloves garlic

Toppings: These are up to you! But here are some combo suggestions:

Garden Pizza:
Finely slice red onion, black olives, marinated artichoke hearts, sliced tomatoes, sliced green peppers, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. I added a couple slices of salami.

Canadian Bacon Pizza:
2 rounds of Canadian bacon diced, 1/4 cup onion diced, and 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

* Veggies have a lot of extra moisture, so the pizza does become a bit messy to hold and eat. I suggest forks and knives to enjoy this pizza experience, and the taste won't disappoint you.

Crust only: 400 calories, 29 fat, 5 carbs, 32 protein.

Gingerdoodle Cookies

I love Snickerdoodle and Gingersnap cookies, and one of the hardest things to give up on a Paleo diet is sweets. This recipe is an awesome way to kick a sweet tooth, while tasting like the perfect combination of both my favorite treats. These cookies are on the chewy side, and do not harden.

Ingedients:
1 ½ cup Blanched Almond Flour
1 tsp Coconut Flour
1 Egg
¼ cup Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
¼ cup Blackstrap Molasses
1 tsp Vanilla extract
½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
¼ tsp Ground Ginger
¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg
¼ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Baking Soda


Roll in:
1 Tbsp Granulated Sugar or Sucanat
1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon

Directions:

1.    Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt coconut oil on low power in the microwave or in saucepan on low heat.
2.    Combine almond flour, coconut flour, egg, molasses, vanilla, coconut oil and spices in a medium bowl.  Stir well to combine.
3.    Add baking soda and stir well to incorporate.
4.    Chill dough in fridge at least 30 minutes prior to rolling. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F.
5.    Combine sugar and extra cinnamon and place on a small plate or shallow dish.  Remove cookie dough from fridge and roll tablespoonfuls into 1-inch balls.  Roll cookie dough balls in cinnamon and sugar mixture to coat completely and place on cookie sheet.  Flattening cookie is optional, however I give it a light tap.
6.    Bake for 8-12 minutes depending on your over. Check each minute.  Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for a couple of minutes before moving to a wire cooling rack.  Enjoy!

Paleo Ice Cream (Guilt Free)

This recipe was introduced to me by a friend, and with a little tweaking, we now have the ultimate frozen treat. This is a great way to use up your ripe bananas.

Ingredients:

2 frozen bananas sliced
2 Tablespoons Almond butter (I use creamy)
1-2 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips ( I use Enjoy Life mini chips, they are soy, gluten, and dairy free)
Sprinkle of Celtic Salt
-Add a splash of almond milk or water if mixture doesn't blend completely

Directions:

In a small food processor ( blender does not work as well), mix all ingredients together except for chocolate chips. Blend until smooth. Add chocolate chips, and mix. Serve immediately for frozen yogurt like consistency, of freeze for a more scoop-able ice cream consistency.

* For non-Paleo followers, peanut butter is a fine substitute for this recipe.