Creamy Maple Dijon Chicken with Bacon

Original recipes found here

•  
• 4 slices of thick bacon
• 1.5 lbs chicken breast cut into cite size pieces
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 cup sliced leeks
• 12 oz sliced mushrooms
• 14 oz can coconut milk
• 1 TBSP maple syrup
• 3 TBSP dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt

1. Begin by heating a large skillet to medium high heat. Add bacon once hot, and cook to desired crispiness. I do about 4-5 mins per side. Remove bacon from heat and reserve 1 tbsp of bacon grease.
2. Bring skillet back to your burner, add chicken to the pan. Cook until no longer pink. Remove chicken from pan, but keep pan hot.
3. Add olive oil to the pan if it's dry, and then toss in mushrooms and leeks. Saute for 5-6 minutes, or until mushrooms are fragrant and leeks are softened.
4. Crumble bacon into small pieces and return to the pan with mushrooms. Add chicken and coconut milk, stir to combine.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together dijon and maple syrup. Pour mixture into the pan and continue to whisk until well combined.
6. Simmer for 8-10 minutes. Serve over zoodles, spaghetti squash, or brown rice.

Apple Crisp

Apple filling:
3 cups of chopped apple
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Topping:
1 cup oat flour
1/2-3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup melted butter (or butter substitute; we use Earth Balance)

-Mix apple filling ingredients in a bowl, then dump into a sprayed 8x8 pan
-Combine topping ingredients into the same bowl the apple filling was in (it gets all the leftover yumminess that may have been left!), and mix until well combined.
-Bake at 400* for 35-40 minutes (or more if the topping hasn't browned)
-Cool for 10 minutes before eating

Paleo Toasted Coconut Sweet Bread with Lime Glaze

Original recipe found here

Bread:

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup almond flour/tigernut flour
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup granulated sweetener (I used coconut sugar)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup full fat canned coconut milk
1 1/2 tsp coconut extract
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp lime zest

2-3 TBSP fresh lime juice

1/3 cup toasted coconut

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*. Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir until well combined and smooth. Pour the batter into a greased bread pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or until baked all the way through. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, loosen the edges with a spatula, and then carefully place on cooling rack. Pour lime glaze over top on the loaf, allowing it to drip down the sides (I put a piece of parchment/wax paper/foil underneath the cooling rack to catch any drippings). Immediately sprinkle toasted coconut over the top. Let glaze harden and then eat the entire loaf in one sitting. ;)

Bacon and Brussels Sprouts Soup

Original recipe found here

Ingredients

• 3 slices smoked bacon
• 1/2 onion small/medium
• 9 oz potatoes
• 9 oz Brussels sprouts
• 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock, possibly a little more
• salt and pepper to taste

To top

• 4 slices smoked bacon bacon, in small slices

Instructions

1. Cut the bacon into slices and put into a pan over a medium heat. Dice the onion and once the fat starts to render from the bacon, add the onion to the pan. Cook, stirring regularly for 2-3 minutes.
2. Meanwhile peel the potatoes and dice. Take the outer layer and ends off the Brussel sprouts and cut in half. Add both to the pan, stir, then cover and reduce heat slightly.
3. Allow the vegetables to sweat for around 10 minutes until the potato is tender to a knifepoint, stirring occasionally. Don't worry if things stick to the bottom of the pan and color a bit, it all adds to the flavor, just don't let them burn.
4. Add the stock, and some salt and pepper to taste to the pan (bear in mind you have bacon in there so you won't need much salt). Cover and bring to a boil then simmer for around 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, put the bacon for the topping in a small skillet/frying pan and cook over a medium heat. Continue to cook until crispy, stirring now and then.
6. Remove the soup pan from the heat and puree the soup in a blender/with an immersion blender.
7. Serve the soup with the crispy bacon on top.

Chocolate Ricotta Pudding

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 lb Ricotta cheese, whole milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla

-Mix all ingredients together until fully combined.

Chocolate PB No-Bake Cookies

Original recipe found here

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup ALMOND milk

8 TBSP butter

1/4 cup cocoa powder

3 cups quick oats

1 cup creamy OR crunchy peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of Kosher salt

-Bring sugar, almond milk, butter, and cocoa powder to a rolling bowl. Let it boil for 3-4 minutes, while whisking.

-Turn off heat, add peanut butter and vanilla, then whisk until peanut butter is melted and fully incorporated. 

-Add oats and stir with a rubber spatula, until oats are covered with chocolate mixture.

-Use any size cookie scoop to drop cookies onto foil or parchment paper. Let cookies cool completely before eating.

Slow Cooker Peaches and Cream Steel-Cut Oatmeal

*recipe from thehealthymaven.com*

1 1/2 cups steel-cut oats

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

6 cups (three 13.5 ounce cans) full fat coconut milk

6 peaches chopped

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup brown sugar

-Add all ingredients to sprayed slow cooker

-Cook on low for 6 hours, then stir and serve.

**We let this cook overnight, and I turn off the slow cooker when I wake up to feed the baby. With the lid on, the oatmeal stays nice and warm until we're ready for breakfast a couple hours later**

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Here is the original recipe I found online, and here are my adaptations:

2 cups creamy PB

2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

-Preheat oven to 350

-Mix all ingredients until combined well

-Using a large cookie scoop, scoop dough onto cookie sheet lined with Silpat

-Use a fork to make criss-cross marks on each cookie. 

-Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cookies rest for about 2 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.