Recipes
Recipes
by Alex Wittenberg
on Jan 09 2015
Prep time: 10 min • Cook time: 14 min • Yield: approx. 48 crackers
Ingredients
1 cup sesame seeds, toasted
1 cup almond flour
¼ cup coconut flour
2 tablespoons arrowroot
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried Herbes de Provence, or any combination of herbs you like
3 tablespoons ghee, melted, or extra virgin olive oil if you use it in baking
2 large eggs
Directions
Preheat oven to 375º F
Grind half the toasted sesame seeds in a coffee grinder or Vitamix™.
Place all dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
In a small bowl whisk ghee with eggs to fully combine.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mix with a fork, then knead using your hands to fully blend all the ingredients.
Using half the dough, roll between two sheets of parchment to 1/8” or less in thickness. Remove top sheet and place entire bottom sheet with rolled out dough onto a sheet pan. Using a sharp knife cut into 24 crackers. Repeat with the second half of dough.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until golden brown.
Cool completely before separating crackers. Store in an airtight container. Do not refrigerate.
Notes: For a crisper cracker, which I prefer, bake for 13 to 14 minutes. I use organic Herbes de Provence because I love the flavor combination of thyme, rosemary, basil, marjoram, sage, fennel, and lavender, but you can use any herb or combination of herbs you like. These are great served with soup or salad, or paired with a dip or a bit of cheese if you use dairy products. Try them with my Tapenade which is a traditional pairing in France or BLT Dip. Finally some great Paleo Crunch!
Recipes
by Kellyann Petrucci
on Jan 03 2015
Prep time: 15 min • Cook time: 10 min • Yield: 4 dozen crackers about 3 inches x 1 ½ inches
Ingredients
1 ¼ cups coconut flour
¼ cup arrowroot (and a little extra for rolling)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon pasture raised butter or ghee
¼ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup coconut sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
2 to 3 teaspoons unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 325℉.
Combine all dry ingredients: coconut flour, arrowroot, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, and set aside.
In a stand mixer combine butter, maple syrup, coconut sugar, eggs, molasses, and vanilla and whip until fully combined.
Add dry ingredients gradually and mix thoroughly. The dough should be sticky. If you find it too sticky to roll between parchment you can add additional coconut flour by the tablespoonful.
Divide dough into 4 balls. Individually roll out to about ¼-inch thickness between two sheets of parchment. As you roll, be sure to flip the dough and parchment and roll both sides so the dough does not stick to one side. If needed sprinkle with a very light dusting of arrowroot. Remove the top sheet of parchment. You will leave the dough on the bottom sheet to bake.
Using a sharp knife, trim the edges so you have a perfect rectangle about 9 inches x 6 inches. Put extra dough back into the mixing bowl to add to another batch. Make a vertical cut down the center. Then cut horizontally so you have 12 pieces of about 3 inches x 1 ½ inches. If desired, make 2 fork marks in each cracker so they resemble packaged graham crackers. Move the entire sheet of parchment to a baking pan.
Bake at 325℉ for 9 to 11 minutes. When they come out of the oven, they will be soft. Do not remove crackers from parchment until they are cool as they will break. Store in a sealed container.
Notes My boys like to break these crackers into smaller pieces to enjoy as breakfast cereal in almond milk. We also make s’mores using homemade marshmallows and dark chocolate. Now that’s a real treat!
Recipes
by Alex Wittenberg
on Dec 23 2014
Prep time: 20 min • Cook time: 5-8 min • Yield: 24 – 32 cookies depending on size of cookie cutters
Ingredients
For cookies
1/3 cup pasture-raised unsalted butter, at room temperature or slightly chilled
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ½ cups almond flour
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
Arrowroot for rolling (optional)
For frosting:
Creamy Vanilla Frosting OR
Unrefined Paleo Powdered Sugar/Confectioner’s Sugar/XX Sugar
Directions
Whip butter in a stand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes until it starts to get fluffy. Add honey and vanilla and mix well.
In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients: almond flour, salt, and baking soda, and gradually add to wet ingredients to blend.
Form into 2 balls and wrap in parchment or wax paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350º F and line baking sheets with parchment or a silicone mat.
Remove one ball from refrigerator and roll out to about ¼-inch thick between 2 sheets of parchment or waxed paper. If needed, dust with arrowroot to prevent sticking.
Cut out desired shapes with cookie cutter, and very gently remove cookies and place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with second ball of dough.
Bake for 5 to 8 minutes. Allow cookies to fully cool in pan before removing.
Optionally pipe with Creamy Vanilla Frosting or dust with Unrefined Paleo Powdered Sugar using a fine mesh sieve.
Notes
The cookies are somewhat delicate before they are baked. Use a very thin metal spatula to transfer cookies from parchment/waxed paper to baking sheet. In cutting out the cookies, they may remain in the cookie cutter. Gently place them on the baking sheet, by holding the cookie cutter just above the parchment and use your fingertips to very gently release them from the cookie cutter. After every few cookies, wipe the cookie cutter edge to keep it clean and easier to use. It also helps to put arrowroot on a flat plate and tamp the cookie cutter into the arrowroot to make the cookies easier to cut out. Do not remove cookies from the baking sheet until they are fully cooled; they are apt to break if moved while still warm.
Recipes
by Alex Wittenberg
on Dec 20 2014
Prep time: 30 min • Yield: 16 to 20 pops
Ingredients
1 cup dark chocolate (i.e. Enjoy Life brand) or dark chocolate (at least 70% dark)
1 ½ cups hazelnuts, toasted with the skins rubbed off
1 cup medjool dates, pitted & packed
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt
Paper straws or cake pop sticks.
Powdered sugar, colored holiday sprinkles, or maldon salt for finishing (optional)
Directions
In a double boiler or microwave, melt ½ cup of the chocolate. Remove from heat when melted.
In a food processor, process hazelnuts, dates, vanilla, and salt until fully incorporated.
Add in roughly 2 to 3 tablespoons of the melted chocolate to the date nut mix and continue processing to fully incorporate.
Place the mixture in a container and freezer for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, if using paper straws, cut them to the size for a cake pop stick. Cover a flat dish that will fit in your refrigerator with parchment.
Remove dough from freezer, scoop into walnut-sized pieces, and roll into balls. Dip straw or cake pop sticks into melted chocolate and insert into the center of each ball about half way through. Using a spoon as needed, dip balls into the chocolate and place on prepared parchment paper with the stick pointing straight up. Refrigerate until chocolate hardens.
Optionally dust with powdered sugar, colored holiday sprinkles, or maldon salt.
Recipes
by Alex Wittenberg
on Dec 13 2014
Prep: 20 min • Cook: 40 min • Yield: 10 to 12 servings Equipment
9-inch round cake pan or spring form pan
Ingredients
3 tablespoons ghee or pasture-raised butter, melted
¼ cup coconut sugar
½ to ¾ cup fresh cranberries
¾ to 1 cup pecan halves (based on the size of the pecans)
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
6 eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons full fat coconut milk or coconut cream
6 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoons pure orange extract
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup coconut flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
Optional
Powdered coconut sugar
Cinnamon and/or nutmeg
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350º F and move rack to middle of oven.
Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of the pan. Brush butter on the sides of pan, then pour remaining butter into cake pan to cover the bottom evenly.
Sprinkle sugar evenly over the butter and arrange pecan halves in a circle around the perimeter of the pan. Place cranberries randomly over the sugar mixture. Set aside.
In a stand mixer, combine coconut oil, eggs, coconut milk/cream, maple syrup, orange and vanilla extracts, and orange zest and mix for 2 to 3 minutes.
In a separate bowl, mix together all dry ingredients: coconut flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, chopped pecans, baking powder, and salt.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and blend together. The batter will be loose. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top has browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out dry.
Place cake on wire rack to cool in pan for 15 minutes. Place on serving dish and let stand for 20 minutes before cutting; optionally dust with powdered sugar, cinnamon and/or nutmeg. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes This cake actually makes its own bottom “crust” because of the butter, brown sugar, and pecans on the bottom of the pan. FYI: The cranberries do not stay on the bottom of the pan, they actually rise up into the batter.
Recipes
by Alex Wittenberg
on Dec 04 2014
Prep time: 20 min (plus one hour to chill) • Cook time: 10 min • Yield: Approximately 14 to 15 5-inch gingerbread people or 20 to 24 round cookies
Ingredients
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons pasture-raised butter or ghee
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups almond flour
1/3 cup arrowroot (plus an additional ½ to ¾ cup to roll out the dough)
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 350º F and move baking rack to the center of the oven.
Pour molasses and maple syrup into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add butter and stir to melt then remove from heat. Add vanilla and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl combine almond flour, arrowroot, baking soda, salt, and all spices. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix until evenly blended.
Divide dough into 5 equal sized balls and refrigerate for at least one hour. Remove one dough ball from refrigerator, flatten with your hands, sprinkle both sides generously with arrowroot, and roll out to about ¼-inch thick between two sheets of parchment or waxed paper, sprinkling on additional arrowroot as needed so dough doesn’t stick. Cut into rolled out dough with cookie cutter, carefully pulling away any remaining dough and replacing in refrigerator. Continue until all cookies are cut out.
Line baking sheet with parchment or a SILPAT™ mat and bake for about 10 to 11 minutes. Let cool and decorate if desired. Store in a sealed container.
Notes
These are truly good old-fashioned gingerbread cookies. Please note that the dough will be somewhat sticky even after it has been chilled and you will need arrowroot to evenly roll out the dough. You might find it helpful to dust a very thin spatula with arrowroot to slip under the cut outs to transfer to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Optionally you can pour arrowroot on a flat plate or cake pan so you can tap your cookie cutter into the arrowroot before cutting the cookie. Using this method, you may find the cookie will lift up with the cutter and you can gently place it on the baking sheet. Be sure to clean any dough off the edge of the cutter before cutting the next cookie. Decorating is up to you. You can use my recipe for Chocolate Ganache Frosting.
Simply delete the cacao or cocoa and add the coconut cream one tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. (You will need less coconut cream than the recipe specifies.) You can also use my recipe for Creamy Vanilla Frosting. If you don’t want to use frosting, you can use raisins, dried cranberries, chocolate chips, and sliced or slivered almonds. You can put them on before baking except for the chocolate chips. Put these on as soon as the cookies come out of the oven. If you want gingerbread cookies without making cutouts, form dough into 1- to 1 ½-inch balls, place on parchment-lined cookie sheet, and flatten with the bottom of a glass that has be dusted with arrowroot.
Recipes
Gluten-Free and Grain-Free Stuffing
by Kellyann Petrucci
on Nov 19 2014
Prep time: 20 min • Cook time: 1 hr 10 min • Yield: 12 to 16 servings
Equipment
3-quart oven safe baking dish
Ingredients
10 cups Paleo bread cubes (see Notes below)*
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus enough to butter the baking dish
2 cups yellow onion, diced (2 large)
1 cup celery, diced (3 large stalks)
1 cup carrots, diced (3 large carrots)
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 teaspoons ground dried sage
¾ teaspoon dried or 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves, minced
1 ½ teaspoons dried or 4 ½ teaspoons fresh marjoram, minced
1 ½ teaspoon dried or 4 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon powdered ginger
2 cups chicken stock or Roasted Rosemary Chicken Bone Broth (or more, see Notes below)**
Directions
Preheat oven to 350º F.
Cut the bread into ¾-inch cubes and spread evenly on two baking sheets. Bake for 7 or more minutes until dried and toasted.
In a large sauté pan, melt 6 tablespoons butter and add onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 10 to 15 minutes until onions are translucent. Add parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and ginger and mix well.
Combine the bread cubes and cooked vegetables in a large bowl and add the chicken stock or bone broth. Gently toss together and put in buttered baking dish. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until heated through and the top begins to brown.
Notes
*You can bake your own bread using your favorite Paleo bread recipe or purchase Paleo bread in a specialty market or online. Julian Bakery offers several varieties. I opted to bake my own for this recipe, and I used two loaves of Elana Amsterdam’s Paleo Bread 2.0 which makes a fabulous stuffing.**You can adjust the chicken stock or broth based on how moist you like your stuffing.
Variations
For Apple Sage Stuffing, add one large diced Golden Delicious apple instead of carrots, and cook with the vegetable mixture. Optionally, add 1 cup of dried cranberries.
Apple Sausage Stuffing is another favorite. Follow the directions above for Apple Sage Stuffing and add 1 pound of sautéed pork, chicken, or turkey sausage. If the sausage is already seasoned with herbs, lighten up on the herbs in the recipe.
If you like mushrooms, you can also add 1 to 2 cups of mushrooms to the vegetable mixture. This will add a lot of moisture to the mix so you might use a little less stock.
Gravy
Stuffing is also delicious topped with homemade turkey or chicken gravy. Use arrowroot instead of cornstarch or flour to make perfect gravy. Drain most of the fat from the turkey pan drippings and place in a large skillet on medium heat. Add 1½ cups chicken or turkey stock, or bone broth. Mix 3 tablespoons arrowroot with ½ cup of additional stock or broth and add to skillet. Gently simmer for 5 to 7 minutes stirring until thickened. This will yield 2 cups of gravy. Easy.
More ways to use this recipe:
Now that you have a good stuffing recipe you don’t have to save it for Thanksgiving. In these recipes you want the stuffing to be fairly moist so add additional stock or broth. Rather than baking it, use it to stuff button mushrooms for hors d’oeuvres, Portobello mushrooms for a side dish or entrée, or chicken breasts. You can stuff it under the skin (on a skin-on breast) and bake it.
To make a roulade, flatten a boneless, skinless breast thin enough that you can roll it. Place it flat on your workspace, top it with stuffing (leaving ¾ - 1-inch around the edges), roll tightly and bake. After roasting, let the roulades rest for about 10 to 15 minutes, and then slice into rounds. Chicken roulade is great on a buffet.
Recipes
Chocolate Chia Cookies with Cranberries
by Alex Wittenberg
on Nov 19 2014
Prep time: 15 min • Cook time: 12 min • Yield: 20 cookies (about 1 ½-inch each)
Ingredients
2 cups almond flour
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chia seeds
5 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
2 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup Paleo chocolate chips, such as Enjoy Life™
Directions
Preheat oven to 350º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine almond meal, chia seeds, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey or maple syrup, coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in cranberries and chocolate chips.
With wet hands, roll cookies into small balls and place on baking sheet.
Bake for about 12 minutes. Cool cookies for five minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes It doesn’t get much easier or quicker than this to whip up a batch of cookies. These are exceptionally moist and very high in fiber. If you don’t like cranberries, substitute your favorite nut or raisins.
Recipes
by Alex Wittenberg
on Nov 06 2014
Prep time: 10 min • Cook time: 30 to 60 min • Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
6 organic baking apples
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon pasture-raised butter or ghee (optional)
2 to 4 tablespoons maple syrup or honey (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350º F, and place rack in the center of the oven.
Wash and core apples. Place apples in a baking dish and sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Add about ½-inch water to the bottom of the pan. If you choose to use butter, dot the butter evenly among all apples. For sweeter apples, pour maple syrup or honey into the hole on the top of the apple.
Baking time will vary greatly based on the size and type of apple. Cover and bake for 30 minutes and check for doneness. The apples should be soft when pierced with a knife. If they aren’t soft enough, cover and return to oven, checking every 5 to 10 minutes.
To serve, top with baking juices.
Notes I am a big fan of Fuji apples because they are very sweet and juicy. Large Fuji apples take about 1 hour of baking. Small to medium Pink Lady apples were done at 30 minutes.
For variety, you can add almonds, walnuts, or pecans before or after the apples are baked. Raisins and/or dates are also delicious when baked inside the apple. If you use them, you won’t need the maple syrup or honey. For an extra special treat, serve with a scoop of homemade Toasted Almond Gelato and sprinkle with toasted almonds.
You can also make a baked apple very quickly in the microwave, but it will not be as creamy as one baked in the oven. It’s best to bake them one at a time. Since every microwave is different, the timing with vary between 5 to 10 minutes on high power. It makes a wonderful warm addition to breakfast or a very quick dessert. Baked apples are also wonderful in my Apple Pie Smoothie.
Enjoy!
Recipes
by Alex Wittenberg
on Nov 06 2014
Prep time: 3 min • Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients
1 cup almond milk or other nut milk
1 scoop Bone Broth Protein in Vanilla or 1 packet Vanilla Super Smoothie
1/3 to 1/4 cup canned coconut milk
1 baked apple
3 to 4 tablespoons of the spiced juices from the baked apples
1 tablespoons maple syrup
6 to 9 ice cubes
These ingredients are based on personal taste. In using the juices from the baked apple you may choose not to add more spices:
1/8 to ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 to ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of ground allspice (optional)
Dash of ground ginger (optional)
Directions
Put all ingredients in a blender and whip until smooth and creamy. Optionally, sprinkle a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg on the top.
Notes This is apple pie in a glass! If your protein powder is sweetened, or you're on my Bone Broth Diet or 10-Day Belly Slimdown, omit the maple syrup. You can substitute the canned coconut milk for 1 to 2 tablespoons of nut butter for a nuttier flavor. Since this tastes like dessert to me, I will sometimes pour it into two small bowls and freeze it for about an hour and eat it with a spoon!
Hope you enjoy!
Recipes
by Alex Wittenberg
on Oct 28 2014
This is pumpkin pie in a glass! Prep time: 3 min • Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients
1 cup almond milk, unsweetened
½ cup pumpkin puree (plain canned or cooked pumpkin; not pumpkin pie filling)
⅓ cup full fat coconut milk (canned)
1 packet Bone Broth Protein in Vanilla
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup ice
Directions
Pour liquids into blender first then add all other ingredients.
Blend well.
Sprinkle a dash or cinnamon or nutmeg on the top. (optional)
Notes Since this tastes like dessert to me, I will sometimes pour it into two small bowls and freeze it for about an hour and eat it with a spoon!
Recipes
by Kellyann Petrucci
on Oct 28 2014
Prep time: 5 min • Cook time: 15 min • Yield: Six 4-inch pancakes
Ingredients
2 large eggs
1/3 cup pumpkin puree (plain canned or cooked pumpkin; not pumpkin pie filling)
2 tablespoons Sunbutter™, sunflower seed butter (you can use any nut butter, i.e. almond butter)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 to 3 tablespoons pecans, chopped
Coconut oil pan spray, coconut oil, or ghee
Directions
Put all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together until fully blended.
Preheat sauté pan on medium heat. Spray pan with coconut oil spray or lightly brush with coconut oil or ghee.
Pour about 3 tablespoons of batter into preheated pan to make a 4-inch pancake. Cook until edges begin to brown and bubbles on the top begin to burst. Flip and cook until done. Serve with maple syrup and additional pecans if desired.
Notes:
1. Have Dr. Kellyann Complete Collagen Protein on hand? Add a scoop of it to the batter for an extra burst of health-supporting collagen.
2. You can use about ½ to ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice in place of the spices listed above.
3. Using a nonstick pan makes cooking easier.
4. Use care when flipping the pancakes. If the spatula doesn’t slide under the edge of the pancake, it is probably not ready to flip. Use two spatulas to make it easier to flip. Don’t over-crowd the pan; it makes flipping tricky.
Recipes
by Alex Wittenberg
on Oct 26 2014
Prep time: 20 min • Yield: about 15 to 16 spider candies
Ingredients
1 ½ cup pitted Medjool dates
3 tablespoons raw cacao or cocoa powder
3 tablespoons (plus extras to make “eyes”) mini chocolate chips; Enjoy Life makes a dairy, nut, and soy free product
1 tablespoon coconut butter, chilled
About 6 soft licorice sticks for the “legs”
Optionally
1 to 1 ½ cups toasted coconut if you want to make “hairy” spiders
Directions
Mix dates and cacao in a food processor and blend well. Add chocolate chips and pulse to mix. Pinch off a piece of the dough to see if it sticks together well. If not, add a few drops of water until you can form a firm ball. Roll in to 1-inch balls.
With a sharp knife, cut licorice into fine strips for the legs. Using a tooth pick, make 4 small holes on one side of the ball for the legs and use the toothpick to press them into one side of the candy. Repeat on the other side. Take a tiny bit of coconut butter to form two eye balls and stick onto candy. Insert a mini chocolate chip into each eye.
Store in a cool place or in the refrigerator.
Recipes
by Alex Wittenberg
on Oct 18 2014
Prep time: 20 min • Cook time: 1 hour • Yield: 10 – 12 servings Ingredients For the filling:
2 ½ pounds of your favorite baking apples, about 7 – 8 cups
1 teaspoon grated orange zest, from about ½ medium orange
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice, from about 1 orange
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch salt
pinch ground ginger
For the topping:
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
½ cup nut flour, i.e. almond, hazelnut, whatever you choose
¼ cup coconut sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons arrowroot
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or spray an oven-proof casserole or a 9 x 9-inch deep baking dish.
Peel, core, and cut apples into wedges. Combine the apples with the remaining filling ingredients, and pour into the baking dish.
To make the topping, combine all topping ingredients in a large bowl and sprinkle over the apples.
Place the crisp on a sheet pan and bake for 1 hour or longer until the top is brown and the apples are bubbly. Check it at 30 minutes; you may need to loosely cover the top with foil so it doesn’t over brown. Serve warm, optionally with caramel sauce.
Notes If you decide to be totally decadent, you can use my caramel sauce recipe (the one I used with grilled fruit) to drizzle over individual servings.
Recipes
by Alex Wittenberg
on Oct 18 2014
Prep time: 5 min • Cook time: 10 min • Yield: 10 – 12 servings
Ingredients
1 cup coconut sugar
4 tablespoons ghee or pasture raised butter
½ cup full fat coconut milk
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
Mix sugar, ghee/butter, coconut milk, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook while whisking gently for 6 to 8 minutes, until it thickens. Stir in vanilla and let cool.
Notes This caramel sauce is excellent with this Apple Crisp or Gooey Grilled Fruit with Coconut and Pecans.
Recipes
Perfect Pizza with a Cauliflower Crust
by Alex Wittenberg
on Oct 01 2014
Prep time: 20 min • Cook time: 20 min • Yield: One 9 to 10” pizza
Equipment
Pizza stone or sheet pans
Ingredients
1 medium sized head of cauliflower to yield about 3 cups
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, or a blend of basil, marjoram and oregano
2 tablespoons almond meal
1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil if you cook with it
1 large egg
2 tablespoons mozzarella, Romano, or Parmesan cheese (optional)
Coconut oil cooking spray or olive oil spray if you cook with it
Directions
Preheat oven to 450o F. Place pizza stone or 2 sheet pans (one pan on top of the other) on the middle baking rack. (Double panning prevents the pizza from burning on the bottom.)
Cut florets off cauliflower and pulse in a food processor for about 30 seconds or longer to form a fine meal. Place in a microwave-safe covered bowl and heat on high for about 5 minutes to soften the cauliflower. Drain cauliflower and let sit in colander for a few minutes until it is warm, but comfortable to the touch. Pour onto a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much water as possible. Do this several times. You will be surprised at how much water is in the cauliflower. You are essentially making “cauliflower flour”.
Place cauliflower in mixing bowl and add salt, pepper, seasonings, almond meal, oil, egg,( and optionally cheese) and mix well using your hands. Cut a parchment sheet large enough to hold a 9 to 10-inch round pizza crust. Spray parchment with oil. Turn out “dough” onto parchment, and form into a 9 to 10-inch circle, patting down thoroughly just as you would traditional pizza dough. Spray top of pizza dough lightly with oil.
Slide parchment sheet onto the preheated pizza stone or pan and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the crust starts to turn golden. (You will be baking it further after adding toppings so don’t over bake.)
Remove from oven, top with desired toppings, return to oven for 3 to 5 minutes to warm through. Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes before slicing.
Notes
Because the pizza will only be in the oven for a few minutes after you top it, it is prudent to precook the toppings. (Pepperoni and salami do not need to be precooked.) You can quickly sauté any of your favorite vegetables: red, green, yellow, and orange bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, etc. and meats: meatballs, sausage, bacon, chicken, etc.
If you allow yourself to have cheese occasionally, go for it! For pizza sauce you can use organic bottled marinara or other pasta sauce. For a white pizza, brush the precooked pizza shell with olive oil and a sprinkling of finely minced garlic, top with pesto, fresh mozzarella, and heirloom tomato slices. Add fresh basil leaves dipped in olive oil when the pizza comes out of the oven. Here are some of my favorite toppings. You can optionally omit the cheese on any of them:
Pesto, fresh mozzarella, Romano, sliced tomatoes, and fresh basil
Spicy buffalo sauce, cooked chicken marinated in the sauce, mozzarella, and fresh baby spinach (put the spinach on after the pizza comes out of the oven)
Tomato sauce, caramelized onions, bacon, and arugula (put the arugula on after the pizza comes out of the oven)
Olive oil, thin slices of grilled steak, caramelized onions, and spring mix (put the spring mix on after the pizza comes out of the oven)
Pesto, roasted red peppers, and sausage
Recipes
by Alex Wittenberg
on Aug 09 2014
Prep time: 20 min • Cook time: 40 min • Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Equipment
9-inch round cake pan or spring form pan
Ingredients
3 tablespoons ghee or pasture-raised butter, melted
¼ cup coconut sugar
1 cup very ripe fresh peaches, sliced
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
6 eggs, at room temperature *
6 tablespoons (¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons) full fat coconut milk or coconut cream
6 (¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons) tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ cup coconut flour
⅓ cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
½ teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and move rack to middle of oven.
Cut a circle or parchment paper to fit in the bottom of the pan. Brush butter on the sides of pan, then pour remaining butter into cake pan to cover the bottom evenly.
Sprinkle sugar evenly over the butter and arrange peaches in a circle(s) over the sugar mixture. Set aside.
In a stand mixer, combine cup coconut oil, eggs, coconut milk/cream, maple syrup, and vanilla, and mix for 2 to 3 minutes.
In a separate bowl, mix together all dry ingredients.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and combine. The batter will be loose. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top has browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out dry.
Place cake on wire rack to cool in pan for 15 minutes. Invert cake onto a serving platter; carefully peel off parchment. Let stand for 20 minutes before cutting; serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate any uneaten cake.
*Room temperature eggs will keep the cake lighter
Recipes
Panna Cotta with Glazed Peaches
by Alex Wittenberg
on Aug 03 2014
Panna Cotta
One 14-ounce can* (or approximate) full-fat coconut milk
One 14-ounce can* (or approximate) coconut cream
About 5 ounces of coconut milk, coconut cream, almond milk, or any other Paleo milk you have on hand to yield a full 4 cups of all milks
1 tablespoon pasture-raised beef gelatin, i.e. Great Lakes Gelatin
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (6 tablespoons) maple syrup
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Glazed Peaches
2 medium peaches (you can also use nectarines), sliced
2 teaspoons ghee or pasture-raised butter
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
1 teaspoon water
½ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Dash salt
Dash nutmeg
Directions
For the Panna Cotta
Measure the coconut milk, coconut cream, and additional Paleo milk(s) to make 4 cups. Pour 1 cup of milk mixture into a medium saucepan and sprinkle gelatin over the milk. Let sit for about 5 minutes to soften the gelatin.
Place saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved and milk begins to steam. Add the remaining 3 cups of milk and maple syrup and stir to blend. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Let the mixture cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Pour into eight wine/champagne/martini or other pretty glasses, cover each glass with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours to fully gel.
For the Glazed Peaches
Place butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add coconut sugar and water and stir briskly to melt sugar. Add peaches, lemon juice, salt, and nutmeg. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes to soften the peaches and thicken the glaze.
Remove from pan and let cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
To serve
Warm peaches in microwave for about 45 seconds or until warmed through and serve on top of panna cotta.
Notes
Most cans of coconut milk or coconut cream are between 13.5 and 14 ounces. You can also prepare peaches just before serving. Making them ahead and reheating saves time when serving.
Recipes
by Alex Wittenberg
on Jul 20 2014
*Paleo & Primal Approved Prep time: 20 min • Cook time: 10 min • Yield: 12 three-ounce pops
Equipment
12 three-ounce paper cups
12 popsicle sticks or 12 three-ounce popsicle molds
Ingredients
1 can coconut cream, approximately 14 ounces
1 to 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk (to yield 3 cups when combined with coconut cream)
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup arrowroot powder
¼ cup cold water
1 to 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
⅓ cup cashews, toasted and coarsely chopped
⅓ cup dark chocolate chips
Directions
In a medium saucepan combine coconut cream, almond milk, eggs, and maple syrup and warm over medium heat. Dissolve arrowroot in cold water and add to sauce pan. Stir until pudding starts to bubble around the edges, immediately reduce heat and continue stirring for another 1 to 2 minutes, being careful not to scorch the pudding. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour pudding into another bowl to cool.
Melt the chocolate in 30 –second intervals in the microwave or in a double boiler. Carefully spoon chocolate into the bottom of the paper cups/popsicle molds. Sprinkle cashews over chocolate. When pudding has cooled, pour into cups/molds and freeze for 1 to 2 hours.
Variations
For chocolate chip pudding pops, stir in chocolate chips.
For mint chocolate chip, replace vanilla with ½ teaspoon pure mint extract and stir in chocolate chips.
For fruity pudding pops, stir in your favorite berries or chunks of fresh fruit.
Notes This is also a fabulous vanilla pudding recipe! Just stop after step 1. Try using colorful, sturdy plastic straws instead of popsicle sticks just for fun. For larger pudding pops, use 5-ounce paper cups.
Recipes
by Alex Wittenberg
on Jul 11 2014
*Paleo & Primal Approved
Prep time: 10 min • Yield: 8 three-ounce servings
Ingredients
2 ¾ cups watermelon
1 kiwi, cut into slices
1 nectarine or peach, cut into slices
1 to 2 tablespoons honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar as needed (optional)
1 - 2 scoops Dr. Kellyann's Complete Collagen Protein
Directions
Crush watermelon flesh using a potato masher or your hands reserving all liquid. Measure out 2 ¾ cups flesh. Mix Collagen Protein with water (1 scoop to 8oz water), and add honey. Place sliced fruit (kiwi and/or nectarine slices) into popsicle molds and add in watermelon flesh, and collagen mixture. Freeze until solid.
If fruit bar doesn’t come out of the mold easily, run it under hot water for a few seconds.
Variations: This recipe works for any of your favorite fresh summer fruits and/or fruit juices. Here are a few pointers: if your base fruit isn’t as sweet as you like, add in some honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar. You’ll probably never use more than 1 to 2 tablespoons.
If you’re using denser summer fruit (less watery than melons) such as peaches, nectarines, plums, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc. use about 1 ¾ cup fruit and 1 cup of water, fruit juice, coconut water, coconut milk, or almond milk. If you are using summer melons: cantaloupe, honeydew, Crenshaw, watermelon, etc., use only the melon and its juice (don’t add water). If you want a melon creamsicle, use the melon flesh and one of the milk options.
Keep in mind that the taste of frozen fruit is less intense than fruit at room temperature. Don’t be shy with spices and natural extracts such as vanilla or almond extract. Cinnamon and nutmeg really enhance a pumpkin creamsicle; almond extract notches up a banana-almond milk creamsicle. Here are some of my favorites. These yield 8 three-ounce molds each.
Strawberry (or any berry) Creamsicle
2 cups strawberries
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
2 tablespoons honey, or to taste
2 scoops Dr. Kellyann's Complete Collagen Protein
Orange Creamsicle
2 cups orange segments
¾ cup full-fat coconut milk
2 tablespoons honey, or to taste
¼ to ½ teaspoon pure orange extract (optional)
2 scoops Dr. Kellyann's Complete Collagen Protein
Frozen Peach Bars with Raspberries
2 cups peaches, peeled
¾ cup water or coconut water
¼ cup fresh raspberries
1 to 2 tablespoons honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar as needed (optional)
2 scoops Dr. Kellyann's Complete Collagen Protein
Keep thinking Big and living BOLD!
