Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate is my weakness.  I love that I can make this chocolate mousse and keep it in the fridge for when a craving hits, and even freeze the extras.  This is a powerhouse of nutrients.  Avocados contain 20 vitamins and minerals including potassium as well as heart healthy fats.  This mousse is also full of antioxidants, as well as medium chain triglycerides from the coconut that actually help you burn fat and give you energy and increased cognitive function.

What other reasons do you need to eat this decadent desert!?!

Oh, and did I mention that it is stupid easy to make?  I like to top mine with whipped cream and raspberries.

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados

3 tablespoons butter, melted*

3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

2 ounces dark chocolate, melted

1/2 cup sweetener**

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons powdered espresso (optional)

Instructions:

Place all ingredients in blender and blend just until smooth.  Do not over blend as this will cause the oil to separate from the avocados.  Transfer into 4 dishes and serve or refrigerate for later.  This recipe makes about 4 1/2 cup servings.

*for dairy free use all coconut oil

** for low carb/keto use a 1:1 sugar substitute.  I used Lakanto monk fruit and erythritol blend.  For paleo you can use honey or maple syrup.

Vanilla Rhubarb Syrup

Vanilla Rhubarb Syrup

My favorite Potterhead and her parents had the opportunity to travel to London with Girl Scouts.  They have been sending me pictures of all of the great food that they are eating.  One picture they sent me was of a vanilla rhubarb soda.  I just happen to have way more rhubarb than I know what to do with so I decided to make a syrup for Italian sodas, and it did not disappoint. 

Ingredients:

4 cups rhubarb, chopped

4 cups water

2 cups sweetener (sugar, honey, maple syrup or sugar free sweetener)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions:

Bring water and rhubarb to a simmer and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.  Strain the rhubarb and water through a fine mesh sieve, pressing the rhubarb to release all of the liquid.  You should have about 2 cups of pink liquid with no rhubarb pieces.  Return the liquid to the pan and add the sweetener.  You may use whichever sweetener you prefer.  Return the liquid to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sweetener.  Remove for the heat and add the vanilla extract.  Cool and transfer to an airtight bottle.  Refrigerate and use within a week or so.

To make an Italian soda layer ice, syrup, and seltzer in a glass (to taste).  Add a splash of cream and a dollop of whipped cream to the top.  Stir before drinking.

This syrup can be used any place you would use a pancake syrup or to flavor drinks such as homemade sodas or mixed beverages.

Baked Faux-tato (Cauliflower) Salad

Baked Faux-Tato Salad (Cauliflower)

This mock potato salad is sure to be a staple this summer.  It makes the perfect side dish for grilled meat and would also be great for a dish to pass.  You can even make it days ahead.

Ingredients:

4 cups (about 2 pounds) cauliflower florets (fresh or frozen)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4+ teaspoon sea salt
1/4+ teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
1 cup (3.5 ounces) shredded cheddar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  If using frozen cauliflower thaw and drain.  Toss in olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.  Roast for 25 - 30 minutes until the bottoms start to brown, turning half way through.  Let cauliflower come to room temperature.

In a bowl mix together the remaining ingredients except bacon, reserving some cheese, and herbs to garnish the top.  Fold the cooled cauliflower into the sour cream mixture.  Transfer to your serving dish and garnish with reserved cheese, herbs, and the chopped bacon.  Cover the salad and refrigerate until serving.

Nutritional Information:

This nutritional information is calculated on 10 servings and may very depending on the brands you use.

Calories: 200     Fat: 19.5g     Net Carbs: 1.9g     Protein: 4.5g

Sweet and Smokey BBQ Sauce - Sugar Free

Sweet and Smokey BBQ Sauce - Sugar Free

You don't realize how much sugar is in everything until you have committed to a sugar free diet.  Unless you are willing to buy a lot of your food online (at a premium price) or don't mind artificial sweeteners (yuck), you will likely have to make most of your convenience foods and condiments from scratch.  

This BBQ sauce has the same consistency of store-bought and is sweetened with a low glycemic, zero calorie sweetener.  You can also customize it to suit your tastes.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 red onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 roasted red pepper

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon mustard

2 cups chicken stock or broth

6 ounces tomato paste

1 tablespoon chipotle powder*

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon powdered munk fruit extract or stevia extract

Instructions:

In a large saucepan heat the butter, onion, and garlic until the onion is translucent.  Add the remaining ingredients and blend with an immersion blender or transfer to a blender or food processor.  Blend until smooth.  Return to the saucepan and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.  The sauce may splatter.  You can put a lid partly on the pan to catch the spatter, but the sauce needs to be able to reduce so give room for evaporation.

*Chipotle powder will make this sauce spicy.  You can use less if you would like it only slightly spicy.  If you would still like the smokey taste but no spice replace the chipotle powder with smoked paprika.  For no smoke or spice use paprika in place of chipotle powder.

This will store for a month a more in the refrigerator or for several months in the freezer.

Nutritional Information:

Per 2 tablespoon serving.  About 16 servings per recipe

Calories - 24     Fat - 1g     Protein - 1g     Net Carbs - 2.5g

Blue Cheese Dressing

Blue Cheese Dressing

Keto/ Low Carb/ Sugar Free

Here's the thing.  I don't actually like blue cheese, or so I thought.  When my husband and I order wings he always gets blue cheese dressing and I get ranch.  When we started the keto diet I wanted to try to make a blue cheese dressing to add to homemade wings.  This recipe is sugar free and full of healthy fats.  Oh, and it is delicious!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

5.5 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Instructions:

Mix all of the ingredients except the blue cheese until combined.  Stir in the blue cheese crumbles.  This tastes best when it is allowed to sit for a couple of hours in the refrigerator before use but is great freshly made as well.

 

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

I had originally tried to make chocolate cupcakes with almond flour but the texture was very disappointing.  The final version of these cupcakes came out dense but moist.  They are delicious enough to pass as a traditional cupcake too!

This recipe makes 6 cupcakes.  When I make cupcakes I like to make at least two flavors and with our family trying to reduce sweets consumption (even if they are wholesome ingredients) I would rather we didn't have too many extra cupcakes in the house.  Feel free to double, triple, or quadruple this recipe.

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup sweetener (see my post on sweeteners)

3 eggs, room temperature

3 tablespoons butter, melted and at room temperature

2 tablespoons almond milk

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Frosting:

4 tablespoon butter, softened

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

3/4 cup powdered sweetener (see my post on sweeteners)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl mix together the butters, sweetener, eggs, almond milk and vanilla.  Add the remaining cupcake ingredients and mix for 2 minutes.  Divide the mixture in to 6 muffin tins lined with baking cups or greased and bake for 18 - 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Remove to a rack and allow to cool.

In a bowl whip together the frosting ingredients until light and fluffy.  Top each cooled cupcake with frosting and enjoy.  These can sit at room temperature for a couple of hours but should be refrigerated if you are making them in advance.

Nutritional Information

6 servings
Calories: 324     Fat: 27.5     Net Carbs: 5g    Protein: 10g  

Nutritional information calculated from SparkPeople.com

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Blueberry Frosting

Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Blueberry Frosting

Low Carb/Keto/Gluten Free/ Sugar Free

My husband's birthday just passed and I wanted to make a low carb cupcake that could pass as a regular cupcake.  I wanted to crumb to be just right and the frosting to taste like more than just a sugar bomb.  These cupcakes did not disappoint.  Not only did my husband and I enjoy them, but the children and adults not following kept enjoyed them as well and didn't know they were low carb until I said so.  I wanted until my mother in-law was done eating her cupcake to tell her that they are made with coconut flour!  For years I have been trying to get her to eat coconut oil and she can always tell when I've snuck some in.  Not this time though, she loved them as well.  I did attempt to use almond flour in my chocolate cupcakes but I ended up pitching them and starting over with coconut flour.  Coconut flour gives it the genuine cupcake texture, you need to use far less, and it is less expensive.  That's a win all around!

I love making cupcakes probably even more than I like eating them.  I have made so many variations and I always get raving reviews on how much my frosting tastes like real fruit.  Well friends, that's because it always is real fruit!  I usually simmer the fruit on the stove until it is concentrated but I have lost may batches that way.  If you leave them for a couple of minutes they will burn quickly.  This time I decided to roast them in the oven and I will never go back to my old method again!

This recipe makes 6 cupcakes.  When I make cupcakes I like to make at least two flavors and with our family trying to reduce sweets consumption (even if they are wholesome ingredients) I would rather we didn't have too many extra cupcakes in the house.  Feel free to double, triple, or quadruple this recipe.

Ingredients:

Blueberry Puree:

1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1/2 lemon, juiced

Cupcakes:

1/3 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup sweetener (see my post on sweeteners)

3 eggs, room temperature

1/4 cup butter, melted and at room temperature

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 lemon, juice and zest 

Frosting:

3 ounces room temperature cream cheese

1 tablespoon butter, softened

3 tablespoons blueberry puree

1 cup powdered sweetener (see my post on sweeteners)

1/2 lemon, zest

Instructions:

Zest one lemon, set aside.  Juice 1 lemon and divide in 2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In an 8x8 baking dish add the blueberries and 1/2 lemon juice and bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until most of the juice from the blueberries has evaporated.  Allow to cool and blend into a puree.  Set aside for the frosting.

In a bowl mix together the butters, sweetener, eggs, and vanilla.  Add the coconut flour, baking powder, sea salt, and juice and zest of half a lemon and mix for 2 minutes.  Divide the mixture in to 6 muffin tins lined with baking cups or greased and bake at 375 degrees for 18 - 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Remove to a rack and allow to cool.

In a bowl whip together the frosting ingredients until light and fluffy.  Top each cooled cupcake with frosting and enjoy.  These can sit at room temperature for a couple of hours but should be refrigerated if you are making them in advance.

Nutritional Information

6 servings
Calories: 205     Fat: 17.5g     Net Carbs: 3.1g    Protein: 6g

Nutritional information calculated from SparkPeople.com