Creamy Caramel Sauce

Who doesn't love rich, ooey, gooey caramel?  This recipe is so simple that it's hard to believe it makes something with such depth of flavor!  The list of what you can drown in this is too long! Just use your imagination!  You can pour this shit over anything!

•1 can of full-fat coconut milk

•1 cup of coconut sugar

•1 tsp of pure vanilla extract

Put all 3 ingredients in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Bring all that good shit to a boil and let it roll for for 15 minutes. 

Watch it carefully because the minute you take your eyes off that fucker, you know it's gonna boil over!  You can stir it occasionally to keep it from sticking and burning. 

After 15 minutes, lower the heat and simmer for another 5 min. Remove caramel from heat and pour into a heat-proof glass bowl. It will continue to thicken as it cools. Store in the fridge. 

To reheat it, you can carefully nuke it or you can reheat it over the stove. If it seems too thick, add a little more coconut milk as you warm it up. 

Thai Coconut Soup

This one time, in an Asian restaurant, I had this soup........Sorry. American Pie is one of my favorite movies and I'll take any chance I can to use the band camp line. So anyways, I really liked this Thai soup I had.  It did come with noodles but I asked the waitress to leave them out.  It was really delicious with the right amount of heat to balance out the coconut milk.  

I wanted to make it at home but put my own spin on it. I like lots of shit in my soup. This recipe makes about 3 dinner servings and about 5 lunch servings.  I'll usually make this on a Sunday night to have as lunch throughout the week.  

Cheers!

Angie 

•1 can of full-fat organic coconut milk

•1 carton of organic chicken broth*

•5 boneless organic chicken thighs**

•3 tablespoons of Thai chili or other spicy olive oil (if you don't like heat, don't use the shit!)

•Paprika 

•1-2 bunches of scallions

•5 or more brown crimini or baby bella mushrooms or any small mushroom 

•Thai chili peppers or any other friend chili pepper to taste

•Diced kale, spinach or whatever the fuck else you want for a leafy green

•Kelp noodles (optional)

•Any other veg you might want to throw in the pot (peas work well)

•Diced avocados for a topping (1 good-sized avocado will be perfect for 5 servings)

If you're using chicken:  Sprinkle the chicken with paprika and grill it on low-medium heat.  If you have a cast iron or other type of indoor grill pan, use coconut oil or olive oil to prevent sticking.

Combine the coconut milk and broth in a sauce pan.  Heat and wisk well until incorporated.  Chop scallions and add to the pot. Use the green part to!  Add the Thai chili olive oil.  You can add more or less depending on your tastes.  

When chicken is done, chop it into bite-sized pieces and add it to the pot. Slice the mushrooms and add those in.  If you are using extra Thai chili peppers, put those in.

Bring to a quick boil them immediately reduce heat to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Put the kelp noodles in your bowl and ladle the hot soup over them.  Top with some avocado. 

LUNCH PREP: If you are making this to use as lunch for the week, your prep will be a bit different if you are as anal as I am. First, set yourself up with 5 containers. I use canning jars. The only things that will go in the pot are the broth, coconut milk, scallions, mushrooms, and chili oil. 

Put one diced chicken thigh into each container then add some kelp noodles, any chopped greens, and any other veg you're putting in. 

Ladle broth evenly into each container. Cover when it's cooled. 

Seriously, the only reason I prep different for lunch is because I want it to be as even as possible for each day. It's nuts but that's me. You can totally chuck everything into the pot and do whatever the hell you want. It's your lunch!

*use veggie broth for a vegetarian option

**leave out if making vegetarian 

Chocolate Decadence

I love chocolate!  I love chocolate!  I LOVE CHOCOLATE!  Finding chocolate desserts that are gluten-free and dairy-free are a challenge.  Don't get me wrong.  There's plenty if recipes out there but let's be honest.  They don't all taste good.  This recipe was modified from a cake that a friend made.  It's rich, delicious, and so completely sinful that it's hard to believe that it's GF, DF, there are only 3 ingredients, and there is no added sugar!  The only question here really is what should you top it with?  Coconut creme is delicious on this cake but so is cashew creme.  I'll let you decide!


CAKE
8 extra large organic eggs
1 pound of dark chocolate (any darkness is acceptable-the darker the chocolate, the less sugar)
16 tablespoons of soy-free earth balance

• Pre-heat oven to 325*.
• Place a roasting pan filled halfway with water on the bottom rack.
• Line the bottom of a 10" springform pan with parchment paper.
• Spray the sides of the pan with an organic cooking spray.
• Melt the chocolate and Earth Balance over medium-low heat, stirring frequently.
• As soon as everything is just melted, take the pan off the stove to cool.
• Beat the eggs on high until the double in volume, about 5 minutes.
• When the eggs are done, carefully fold them into the chocolate 1/3 at a time.
• When everything is incorporated pour batter into pan.
• Place on oven rack above water bath and bake for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, check cake.  It can be baked up to 15 minutes more if necessary.
• Once cake is done, allow to cool in the pan for an hour before removing
• Be sure to peel off the parchment paper from the bottom
• Store in the fridge

COCONUT CREME
2 cans of full-fat coconut milk
Pure vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean

• Chill coconut milk for at least 3 hours in the fridge
• Carefully open cans and scoop out the white solid off the top
• Add vanilla and whip either with electric beaters, in a food processor, or in a high-powered blender
• Spoon over cooled cake or serve with individual slices

*A note about this creme.....If it begins to separate, that means you mixed it too long.  You can fix this by continuing to mix at a high speed until it becomes combined again.  It will be watery.  Just stick it in the fridge and it will harden up in an hour or so.  It will still have the consistency of creme.


CASHEW CREME
1 cup of whole, raw cashews
water
pure vanilla extract
1 seeded medjool date to sweeten if desired

• Put the cashews, date, vanilla, and 1/4 cup of water in a food processor and let 'er rip for about 5 minutes
• If the creme isn't thick and "creamy" looking, add more water, a little at a time
• You can add more nuts if it seems too watery

                                          coconut creme                      cashew creme

                                                   cashew creme on top of coconut creme

Summer Berry Pie

I had lots of berries and tart cherries from my CSA pick-up and we weren't able to eat them fast enough so I decided to make a pie.  I didn't want to have to worry about processed sweetness to off-set the tart was of the cherries and berries so I used turbanado sugar.  I also had to make sure the crust was gluten and dairy free and not full of transfats.

CRUST: 

Makes enough dough for one 9" bottom crust and a floating top.

1 & 1/2 cups of gluten free flour

1/2 cup of solid coconut oil

1 teaspoon of sea salt

1 tablespoon of turbanado sugar

5-8 tablespoons of cold water

Mix the flour, sugar, and salt.  Cut in the coconut oil.  When combined. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time.  Fork stir after each tablespoon until you have a soft ball of dough.  Wrap in Saran Wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.

FILLING:

6 cups of whole fresh berries.  You can use a single type of berry or a mixture.  

1/2 to 1 cup of turbanado sugar, based on your tastes

1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon 

1/4 cup of tapioca starch or arrowroot starch

Mix sugar, cinnamon, and starch.  Add to berries and mix carefully but well.

ASSEMBLY & BAKING:

Lightly oil a 9" glass pie plate with coconut oil.

Remove dough from fridge and roll out to 1/4-1/8 " thick.  Line bottom of pie plate with dough and press in.  Trim off the edges and set aside.

Pour filling into crust.  Roll out the remaining dough and lay it on the top of the pie.  Do not seal it.  It should look like its floating on top of the pie.

Bake at 375 for about an hour.

COCONUT CREME TOPPING:

Several hours prior, place a steel bowl and beaters in the freezer to chill.

1 can of full fat coconut milk refrigerated for several hours.  The longer in the fridge the better.  This will allow the cream to solidify and cone to the top.  You will use the cream for this topping.  Reserve the oil for another use.

1 tablespoon of turbanado sugar.

1 whole vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract.

Carefully scoop out the white cream from the top of the coconut milk and put it in the chilled bowl. Add the sugar and vanilla.  Beat on high until a smooth creme forms.

CASHEW CREME TOPPING:

In a high-powered blender or food processor place:

1/2 cup of water

2 large handfuls of raw cashews

4 pitted medjool dates

1 tablespoon of pure vanilla

Blend on high until a smooth creme forms, adding more liquid if necessary.  You can use some of the left over coconut oil.