Decadent Chocolate Cake

I'm a sucker for Chocolate in all shapes and.. sizes. However, I wanted something  different. I had zucchini and bananas at home. While I don't mind using almond flours, I would much rather prefer to not overuse the nuts all too much. And I'm not much for coconutflour, I don't know why.. could be that it's not exactly cheap to begin with. Anyhows, this was an experiment. It's  better to bake this a day or so before you intend to devour it. But when you do, trust me, there is  no more a decadent, moist, dark, rich or heavier yet.. light.. cake than this.

Now for the recipe.. :)

Decadent Chocolate Cake

Set oven to 200C/approx. 392F.

Peel and grate 1 medium-sized zucchini. Transfer to  meshcloth and squeeze out the excess water (this will tire your hands, lol, but it's good excercise). Set aside.
Process 1/4 cup almonds together with 2 tbsp coconut oil.
Add 4 egg yokes (save the whites in  a bowl). Blend. While blending add 2 tsp vanilla extract (homemade is better).
Add the  grated zucchini to the eggs and almonds. Blend until all is smooth.
Chop a medium-sized banana, it doesn't matter if it's over ripe or ripe. Add and blend until all is smooth.
Add  the eggwhites. Blend.
Add 1 cup cacao powder. Blend.
Add 1.5 tsp bicarbonate. Blend.
Last but not least add in 1/3 cup honey. Blend.

This will be a rather liquidy batter, but that's good.

Transfer batter to a greased baking dish (I used coconut oil) and  bake for 25-30 minutes on middle shelf. Test with a toothpick in the middle of the cake. If it comes out dry then it's ready.

Let  cool in the baking pan and stand to set in the fridge to the day after.
Serve with whipped cream or icecream!

Chickpea Zucchini Brownie Muffins (yields 15)

50g coconut oil
3 tbsps cacao powder
2-3 tbsps sweetener of choice (I used a mix of erythritol and stevia)

230g chickpeas, rinsed and drained
220g zucchini, shredded and squeezed
4 eggs
1/2 dl cold coffee
1 tsp coconut, shredded
2 tbsps sweetner of choice (again I used a mix of erythritol and stevia)
1 tsp bicarbonate
1 tsp peppermint extract

Heat oven to 175C.

Mix together coconut oil, cacao and sweetener to a chocolatey paste.
Add  together with eggs in processor and blend until smooth.
Add together all other ingredients except the shredded coconut.
Blend until all is smooth. Add coconut. Pulse.

Slop over to the muffintin. I used a 1/2 dl measurecup for each muffin. (Doesn't matter if you're using cupcake liners or not. I do. Less a hassle in cleaning the tin afterwards.)


Bake in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes.
Cool off on a cooling rack.

Notes: I'd like to point out that you can use whichever  sweetener  that you would like for this recipe.  For those that have candida issues might wish to use a stevia blend, while others might  wish to use honey or agave. Please  taste your way through to perfectness.



Per serving

Calories .. 89.4
Total fat .. 6.4g
..saturated fat 4.8g
..polyunsaturated fat 0.4g
..monounsaturated fat 0.8g
Cholesterol .. 43.6mg
Sodium .. 97.0mg
Potassium .. 116.9mg
Total Carbohydrate .. 6.7g
..Dietary Fiber 1.2g
..Sugars 0.3g
Protein .. 2.7g

Vitamin A     4.8 %
Vitamin B-12     1.9 %
Vitamin B-6     5.7 %
Vitamin C     2.2 %
Vitamin D     2.3 %
Vitamin E     0.2 %
Calcium     3.2 %
Copper     5.4 %
Folate     4.8 %
Iron     4.0 %
Magnesium     4.1 %
Manganese     12.7 %
Niacin     0.7 %
Pantothenic Acid         1.0 %
Phosphorus         6.5 %
Riboflavin     3.5 %
Selenium     0.9 %
Thiamin     0.9 %
Zinc     3.2 %

Paleo Bröd

Då och då  blir jag riktigt sugen på en ordentligt macka,  fast..  helst utan gluten och andra produkter man  kan leva utan. Då får jag söka omkring på nätet.. och hittade ett recept som tilltalade mej bättre än de föregående. Paleo Bröd är det.  A grainfree living. Fast jag hade inte mandelmjöl hemma, det fick bli det jag malde själv och  fyllde på  med lite kokosnötsmjöl istället. Så detta är min version av brödet:

Paleo Bröd # 1

2dl mandelmjöl
1msk kokosnötsmjöl
2msk psylliumfrön
1msk fiberhusk
2tsk bakpulver
2msk sesamfrön
4 msk krossad linfrö
2dl kokosmjölk
3 ägg
2msk kokosfett

1. Sätt ugn på 200 grader
2. Blanda ihop de torra ingredienserna i en skål.
3. Blanda ihop de blöta i en annan skål.
4. Mixa ihop de två. Låt stå ca 5-10 minuter i viloläge.
5. Häll över smeten till en bakpappersklädd brödform, jämna gärna till  med en blöt slickepott.
6. Strö över lite sesamfrön.
7. Grädda mitt i ugn ca 20 minuter.

Gott blev det! Tyvärr ingen bild denna gång då min kamera är något kaputt. :(

Absolute Love onna Stick

So, I was craving for something to lick off my fingers (don't you dare place your mind in the gutter!) and since I'm allergic to peanuts and hazelnuts for that matter  I decided to scoot around the web for other nutbutters. I found a sunbutter recipe, of sunflower seeds and wondered to myself if that would be tasty enough for me.  Sunbutter, that's also something we don't get here in crummy old Sweden. To be honest there's a shitload of stuffs we don't get here in Sweden. *mock sniffles*

But this is my version of the Sunbutter.. a hybrid of Sunbutter and Nutella! Enjoy!

You'll need:
1 cup roasted sunflower seeds
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp coconutoil
a dash of salt
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp  almond flour
1 tbsp cacao powder

Add all ingredients in the mixing bowl of your food processor.
Mix until  runny texture. 
You'll have to scrape it off the sides between turns down into the bowl again until you reach desired texture.
Pop it into a container and cap it..
Store it in the fridge.
Should last a week if you don't gobble it in one go.

So YUMMY that I wanna eat it on the spoon!

Zucchini Fries

There's nothing more annoying  when you can't enjoy  the same fries like everyone else in the household can.  However, I like zucchini, and  was pondering how to use  it differently this time. After scooting around the web, I found many zucchini fries to contain  white flour or oils or ingredients I didn't have at home at the time.
But I did have  roasted almond flour at home.. (leftovers from making almond milk that I  dried in the oven and ground to a new meal) as well as other things.

You'll need:
a medium-sized zucchini
2 tbsps onion powder
1 tsp rosemary (I used the dried kind)
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
half a cup  roasted ground almond flour
half a cup parmesan cheese
1 egg

This is what you'll need to do:
1. Preheat oven to 425F (225C).
2. Cut the zucchini into  sticks (like fries). If you wish to peel them first that is your choice, I prefer keeping the green skin.
3. Mix together dry ingredients (I used bags for this recipe, one for the dry meal and another for the egg) in one bag, set to the side.
4. Blend egg until smooth, pour into the next bag. 
5. Add in the zucchini sticks into the egg bag and seal it enough in your hand so it won't leak. Toss around the sticks inside so they get a good egg-coating.
6. Remove the  now egg-coated sticks from the egg bag and add them in the dry meal bag. Repeat the same there and toss around in the bag until all  have been coated in  the meal mix.
7. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and lay out your zucchini fries evenly.
8. Bake in the middle of your oven for 15 - 18 mins. Remember that it varies between different ovens.
9. Serve and enjoy!

Creamy Zucchini-Cauliflower Soup

Whenever I  get the  touch of a common cold it always makes me feel  seven times as miserable as it also affects my already crummy immune system and  gives me breathing issues. However,  licorice tea does wonders. It works wonders. It helps ease the breathings and I can once again  take control of the panic that threatens to  jump me into seizures instead.

Anyhows, I wasn't feeling up to solid foods. I haven't been wanting  solids in a few days now. But I wanted something to eat. So,  I checked around the web and  found a recipe for a low calorie creamy zucchini soup. It sounded good.. but I wanted a bit  more nourishment in mine. So, I used that one as a mere base..  here's my version instead:

Creamy Zucchini-Cauliflower Soup 
serves 2 to 3

You'll be needing:
1 tbsp coconut oil
half an onion, peeled and diced
1 tsp garlic powder
half a medium sized zucchini, peeled and  diced
a quarter cut of a medium-sized fresh cauliflower, cut into florets
(if you don't have fresh, frozen will do..  about 1.5 cups)

2.1 cups (5 dl) water + veggie cube (stock cube)
0.5 cup (0.5 dl) coconut cream

Heat up  coconut oil in saucepan, add onion, and zucchini and garlic powder, stir around until glazed. 
Add water and stockcube and cauliflower too.
Bring to boil,  lower heat to medium, let simmer  for 10-15 mins.
Take off heat, add coconut cream and blend together using  foodprocessor or handblender until creamy and smooth.

Enjoy!

Flourless Glutenfree Zucchini Brownies

I have to admit that I am leaning more and more towards the Paleo Diet in one way or another.  For most part I have already excluded  grains out of my diet and  most of the majority of dairy foods too  though I do still want to have my cheeses, I'm not ready to let those go quite yet. I'm not so fond of the high fat in the LCHF diet, after a while it does get to be a bit too much, and I have found myself craving for a simple sallad between turns.. and not so much bacon..  to be honest, I haven't had bacon in a while. I wonder why.

Anyways,  back to subject, I found this  recipe online. I was craving for  something sweet but something totally grainfree and came across Delighted Momma and her blogsite on Paleo foods. I fell for her version of the flourless zucchini  brownies and tried it out.  Mind you, I forgot to add the nutmeg, but it was still a  success! I can guarantee you  with my kids, there wasn't anything left in the dish by the end of the evening. Not even a single crumb!

For those that would like the recipe  in swedish, I hath converted it here.. well.. roughly. Since I do use the american cups in the recipe. I went after those..  basically. But  all in all..  yeah. I hope you'll forgive. I'll add pics next time I bake this again,  the cake was eaten too quickly this time, I didn't have the  chance to get in a few shots!

Zucchini Brownies eller Glutenfritt Kladdkaka!

Du behöver:
1 kopp mandelsmör (ca en liten brk Markatta Mandelsmör)
1 och en halv kopp Zucchini (ca 150g skalat och finhackat)
en tredje dels kopp honung (ca 10 rågade matskedar svenskt honung)
1 ägg
1 tsk vaniljpulver
1 tsk natriumbikarbonat
1 tsk kanel
ca 80-100g mörk choklad 70-80%, finhackat

1. Värm ugnen i förväg ca 180C.
2. Blanda alltsammans i en bunke. Det blir en ganska kladdigt och löst kletigt "deg".
3. Smörj en form. En liten form räcker.  Det går väl också grädda i en springform om du har en sån.
4. Häll i. Grädda i nedersta delen av ugnen ca 35 - 45 minuter. Testa gärna med en tandpetare om det kommer ut torrt.
5. Låt svalna av. Sen  njuuuut!



Än så länge äger jag inte ett matberedare för att kunna göra all mat som kräver finess moment, men  man kan finhacka  grönsaken och chokladen i denna  fall. Det fungerar lika bra för det!

Mina ungar som inte tycker om grönskaer annars tyckte att kladdkakan blev jättegott! De trodde inte att det inte fanns en enda gnutta mjöl i den eller att det fanns zucchini i den heller. Fast nästa gång skall jag prova med att köra in kakao nibs istället för Lindts choklad.

Cherry Cobbler

So, I was feeling a bit peckish and wanted to make a semi-sweet dish. I had  cherries in the freezer and made use of those in my Cherry Cobbler. Again, I'm trying to go for a gluten-free dish and make it just as yummy!

Cherry Cobbler

Cherries - (fresh or frozen your choice, so long they're pitted)
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
2 tbsps sweetener of choice (optional)
2 tbsps coconut oil
2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Tip cherries into dish of choice.. (I used a small casserole form). Mix together all dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix in  oil and eggs by hand (yes! use your fingers). The result should be  crumbly. Lay this on top the cherries. Press down gently to a somewhat flat surface. Pop into the oven, bake on middle shelf for 30 mins until golden brown. Let cool off.  In the meanwhile you can  whip up the vanilla cream for the servings. Just  doublecream and bourbon vanilla powder.

Butternut Squash Dish

As of late I've been finding the butternut squash in our local foodmarkets and I've been buying them. First time I prepped my squash i made it into a cheesy topped meatfilled dish, but this time I wanted to do a bit different, mainly because we lacked cheese in the refridgerater. So, I scooted around the web a bit and came across Martha Stewarts Butternut Squash Pudding and said YUM! I'm going to do that, but with a few modifications of course. I haven't used any direct measurements in this recipe, as I prefer to go by eye and tongue. Taste off as you go and you'll get the best recipe ever.

Butternut Squash Pudding

1 butternut squash

salt

First you'll need to be able core out the squash. You wont be able to do this when it's still raw and uncooked. So halve the squash first, doesnt really matter if it's a wonky cut, spoon out the seeds (put those to the side to roast later), sprinkle the fleshy side with salt and lay flat with the meat downwards on a bakingsheet covered pan and cover with foil. Cook on low shelf at 350 F (180 C) for about 50-60 mins.. Let cool before scooping out the yummy goodness.

Spooned out squashmeat

salt

pepper

creamcheese of choice ( I used garlic cheese)

2 - 3 eggs

good blob of butter

Pre-heat now your oven to 400 F (200 C).

Mix all ingredients together and butter up a dish accordingly to the batch amount you have made. Pop the batter into dish and cover with foil. Bake on middle shelf for 40 mins, remove foil and bake for another 20 – 30 mins until the pudding has gotten a rich brown top. Take out, let stand for 30 mins before eating.

Seed Bread

.. and then there are those days that have you craving for bread! to sink your teeth into a sandwich and just dream yourself away  with  just that texture and flavor..  but..  it always contains something you shouldn't have, like,  gluten. I fell for that craving today.. but made this  bread instead. It's orignally posted at levamedlchf.se, in swedish I might add, and with the exception I didn't have any kesella in the  house, I  made a minor change and used doublecream instead, but it turned out just as  yummy!

You'll need:

3 eggs
3 dl  grated cheese
1 tbsp mayo
2 tbsp doublecream
1.5 tsp baking powder
5 dl unsalted seeds (I used pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, flax and psyllium)

1. Preheat oven to 250C (app. 482F)
2. Mix eggs, mayo, cream and baking powder together.
3. Add cheese and seeds. Mix until all is combined to a wet mess.
4. Spread out in pan with baking sheet, try get it flat and even.
5. Bake on middle shelf for 15 mins until golden.
6. Let cool down and  cut in 12-16 squares.


Trust me. These are so damned yum! You won't want  regular bread ever again..

Original recipe used is at levamedlchf.se

Nutrition per portion if made 15 pieces: Fat 12g, Protein 7g, Carbohydrates 1g, ca 146 Kcal.