Apple Spice Coffee Cake

I love fall. The smells, the flavors, the colors, the weather! I love it all! Every year I look forward to the apples and the squash at our local farmer's market. I mean, come on, what's better than a juicy, crunchy, freshly picked apple on a chilly fall day? But it's also my favorite season for baking! The apples and the pumpkin and the spices... Mmmm...

So, imagine my excitement when one of our favorite chemical-free farmer's market vendors had apples! (Thanks Jill!) And so it begins... :D

So, you can pretty much look forward to lots of apple and pumpkin recipes for the next 3 months! I will try to hold off on the pumpkin stuff until closer to October... But we'll see...

This week's recipe is Apple Spice Coffee Cake, and I gotta tell ya, I could eat the WHOLE pan!!!

Apple Spice Coffee Cake

2 granny smith apples, diced

1/3 c coconut sap sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 c honey

2 TBSP coconut sap sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 TBSP vanilla

3/4 tsp salt

1 3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp psyllium husk powder

1 c + 3 TBSP chestnut flour

3 1/2 TBSP coconut flour

3/4 c yogurt

First dice the apple, divide them in half and set both halves aside. In a small bowl combine the 1/3 c of coconut sugar and cinnamon. Stir and set aside.

Place the softened butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on low for about 20 seconds (this helps the honey not pool at the bottom). Add the honey and coconut sugar and beat on medium until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly before the next addition. The mixture might begin to look curdled, that's okay. In a small bowl whisk together the rest of the ingredients, except the yogurt. Slowly add the dry mixture and mix thoroughly. Add the yogurt and beat on medium-high for about a minute. Add half of the apples and mix.

Pour the batter into an 8"X8" pan lined with parchment paper and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture and the remaining apples. Using a butter knife, lightly swirl the apples and cinnamon into the top of the cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (be careful not to hit a pocket of cinnamon sugar!) and the cake springs back when lightly pressed.

And the Bible verse of the week!

"Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you,

Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not

revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.

And so I say to you, you are Peter,

and upon this rock I will build my church,

and the gates of the netherworld shall

not prevail against it.

I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.

Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound

in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth

shall be loosed in heaven.”

Matthew 16:17-19

The Best Paleo Brownies EVER!

I'm afraid I can't take credit for this one. This work of genius is Tammy Credicott's from The Healthy Gluten-Free Life's cookbook Paleo Indulgences! This was actually one of the very first paleo things that I made and is definitely still a go-to for me! It's always a crowd pleaser! I've made a few changes, but the original was quite amazing the way it was! I've tried several of Tammy's other recipes and they have all been delicious!

Enjoy! And I hope you check out Tammy's blog and cookbooks! (And no, she didn't pay me to say all of that!)

Tammy Credicott's Decadent Brownies

2 oz. dark chocolate, chopped

3 TBSP coconut milk (I usually use regular milk)

1/4 c cocoa powder

3 TBSP coconut oil

1/2 c honey (original recipe called for 1/2 c maple syrup)

1/4 c butter or coconut oil, melted (original recipe called for 1/4 c olive oil)

2 eggs

1/4 c pumpkin puree

3 TBSP chestnut flour (original recipe called for 3 TBSP arrowroot)

1/4 c coconut flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

In a small sauce pan over low heat combine the first four ingredients and whisk constantly until the chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat and transfer to a medium-sized bowl. Add the next four ingredients and whisk to combine. In a separate small bowl whisk together dry (the last four) ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture and whisk to combine.

Pour the batter into a parchment lined 8"X8" pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before cutting. Enjoy!

Comfort Food Favorites - Meatloaf

I find that the simple classics are usually the most difficult to convert to paleo. And that's really sad. I mean, isn't missing those dishes what make switching to paleo the hardest? You know, the down-home dishes that grandma used to make? For me one of those dishes was meatloaf. Meatloaf was one of my grandma's most often made dishes. It was quick and easy and my grandpa liked it, and he's pretty fussy. But now meatloaf is one of my favorite foods! It holds so much nostalgia for me, especially the caramelized ketchup on top! Mmmm... Takes me right back to her kitchen table! Anyway, I've finally been able to come up with a recipe that tastes awfully close hers! Caramelized ketchup and all!

Paleo Onion/Mushroom Meatloaf

2 lbs. hamburger

5 TBSP butter

1 1/4 c onion, finely chopped

1 1/4 c button mushrooms, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 1/2 TBSP coconut aminos

1/2 tsp onion powder (optional)

1 1/2 - 2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/2 c water

2 TBSP arrowroot

3 TBSP chestnut flour

Melt half of the butter in a medium saute pan before adding the onions and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook the onions over medium heat, stirring often, until they have softened. Add the rest of the butter, along with the mushrooms and 1/2 tsp salt and continue to cook until the mushrooms have softened and the onions are caramelized. Add the garlic and cook for 20-30 more seconds. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl combine the hamburger, onion/mushroom mixture (butter and all), coconut aminos, eggs, onion powder, and water and mix to combine. (I think it's easiest to use my hands to mix! My grandma always did!) Add the arrowroot and chestnut flour and mix again. Pat the meatloaf in a buttered 8"X8" pan and slather the top with plenty of ketchup. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour 10 minute, then shut the oven off and leave it in for another 10 minutes. Enjoy!

And the Bible verse of the week!

At once [Jesus] spoke to them, “Take courage,

it is I; do not be afraid.”

Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you,

command me to come to you on the water.”

He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the

boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.

But when he saw how [strong] the wind was he

became frightened; and, beginning to sink,

he cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand

and caught him, and said to him,

“O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Matthew 14:27-31

Teriyaki Chicken

This recipe is amazing! It started off as a non-paleo recipe I saw on Facebook, but with a little tweaking... Yum! It reminds me of the Teriyaki chicken skewers I used to get at our local Chinese restaurant. You could serve this with steamed broccoli and quinoa for a fun spin on Chinese take-out!

Teriyaki Chicken
1 lb. chicken legs (or wings)
salt

1 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP ketchup
1/4 c coconut aminos 
6 TBSP honey
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt 

Place the chicken in an 8"X8" pan, skin side up, and sprinkle with salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the rest of the ingredients and pour the mixture over the chicken. 
Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has caramelized. For best results, open the oven and spoon the sauce over the chicken about every 15 minutes.

Note: We like to make a double batch, pour half over the chicken and put the other half in a sauce pan on the stove and let it reduce until it thickens so we have extra sauce to dip the chicken in. You could also use cut up boneless, skinless chicken thighs and marinade them in the sauce for a few hours. Then saute them (while the marinade is reducing in a sauce pan - don't worry, it will get plenty hot!). When the chicken is done and the sauce has reduced, toss them together in the saute pan for a few minutes to caramelize the sauce a bit.

And the Bible verse of the week!

"When the disciples saw him walking on 
the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” 
they said, and they cried out in fear. 
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; 
do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, 
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat 
and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, 
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Matthew 14:26-31