Flourless Walnut Fig Cake

Flourless cakes are one of my favorite desserts for dinner parties and celebrations (seriously--I shared a few of my other faves at the end of this post!). This super easy and naturally gluten-free Flourless Walnut Fig Cake is made using freshly ground walnuts as the "flour." It produces a nutty and flavorful cake that is both gorgeous and super satisfying.

0

Flourless Orange Cauliflower Cake

I know...I know...this sounds totally insane (and maybe even a little bit gross?), but trust me on this! Everyone who has ever tasted this cake can not believe how good it is. And no, you definitely can not taste the cauliflower in it. I promise that all you'll taste is oranges, almonds, and sweet cake goodness.

This flourless orange cauliflower cake was one of the recipes I featured on a TV cooking segment about cauliflower recipes that I did on PIX11 Morning News here in NYC earlier this month. On the show, I covered everything from Cauliflower Fried Rice and Cauliflower Buffalo Wings, to this sweet cake.

Needless to say, the cake was the hit.

0

Top 10 Flavor Trends on Pinterest (+ delicious ways to eat them!)

I'm endlessly fascinated by the way food trends and flavors change from year to year, and even from month to month. As someone who is constantly cooking and experimenting, I love seeing how quickly new flavors and ingredients can go from super niche to practically ubiquitous.

I recently attended an event hosted by Pinterest at the Museum of Food and Drink here in New York where they announced their 2016 Pinsights Flavor Report--a round-up of trending flavors, ingredients, and pairings that are rocking everyone's worlds (and mouths!) right now.

Read on for those top ten flavor trends (plus some recipes to get you inspired to give each one a try!)

0

Feed Your Passion Episode 3: Gluten-Free Colombian Treats at Big Booty Bread Co.

Gluten-free baking might seem like a totally new thing, but many cultures have actually been making incredible gluten-free baked goods for thousands of years.

In this episode of my web series Feed Your Passion, I head to one of my FAVORITE bakeries in NYC-- Big Booty Bread Co. (yup...that's the name!) to learn all about chewy, cheesy, and ridiculously delicious Colombian breads like pan de bono, pan de queso, arepas, and more!

Watch the video here:

0

Flourless Fennel Almond Cake

I've been hanging onto this Flourless Fennel Almond Cake recipe for a couple months. I first was inspired to make it a couple months ago, when all my best college friends and I gathered in Cincinnati for our friend's wedding.

We all live scattered around the country, so any reason to come together is always also a reason to eat together and drink together and shop and laugh and dance and basically cram in a year's worth of activities in the short time we have together.

On our first night during this trip, we made plans for a big group dinner at an awesome Cincinnati restaurant called Metropole. They seated us at a big communal table right by the kitchen, and we proceeded to order nearly the entire menu (both food and drinks!).

We drank and ate and laughed and probably annoyed all the other patrons with our volume (sorry, folks!).

Among the many good things we ate that night, one of my favorites was the flourless fennel almond cake that I ordered for dessert. Just a few bites into it and I was already determined to recreate it as soon as I got home.

And here it is!

I based this recipe on one of my favorite flourless cakes, which is made with pureed boiled clementines.

I basically swapped in an equivalent amount of pureed roasted fennel, then topped the whole thing off with an anise and fennel-infused syrup. If you're a fan of licorice and anise-flavored things, you will probably love this--let me know if you give it a try!


****
Loved this Flourless Fennel Almond Cake recipe? Here are three other flourless cake recipes you might like:  

• Flourless Cashew Oatmeal Cake
• Giant Flourless Chocolate Cashew Muffins
• Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Torte

And let's connect so you can find out the next time I post! Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates.

Thanks so much for reading!

Flourless Fennel Almond Cake
Serves 10

Ingredients
1 large fennel bulb with fronds
6 large eggs
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 1/4 cups of ground almond meal
1 1/2 teaspoons anise seeds, lightly toasted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure anise extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder

For the syrup
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon anise extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter and line a springform baking pan (this is a sticky cake; you NEED a springform pan).

Remove fronds from fennel bulb (reserve) and chop bulb into thick wedges. Drizzle with oil and roast for 20 minutes, or until tender and slightly caramelized.

Transfer to a food processor or blender along with the eggs and sugar, and puree until smooth. Pour into a large bowl.

Lower oven heat to 350 degrees.

Stir in the almond meal, anise seeds, extracts, salt, and baking powder into the fennel and egg mixture and stir well until evenly combined.  Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake 50 minutes to 1 hour or until set. Let cool in pan 20 minutes before removing sides and letting cool completely.

While cake bakes and cools, make the syrup: Combine the reserved fennel fronds, 1 1/2 cups water, and 1 cup sugar and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a gentle simmer and let cook for about 20 minutes or until liquid thickens into a syrup. Strain syrup (discard fronds), and stir in anise extract and salt.

Brush warm syrup over cooled cake, allowing it to soak in. If desired, garnish cake with a few sprigs of fennel leaves or some additional toasted anise seeds.

Serve cake at room temperature.

0

Nigella's Flourless Chocolate Orange Cake

In an interview a few days ago, the reporter asked me if I think of my blog as being more savory or sweet. Because of the name, people always assume it's a dessert blog, but it is not! It's everything. It's savory and sweet and parties and occasionally I'll even give you tips for how to store your jewelry. That whole Always Order Dessert thing is my life philosophy, but it's not the rule.

So I said that technically the blog is actually more savory than sweet. But lately? Lately there has been a whole lotta baking going on around these parts.

Because I'm cold.

I'm SO COLD, you guys. SO cold. I can't deal with winter. It's mean, and it hurts my soul more and more each year. I dream about spending my winters in Miami like old people do, except that I noticed that even in Miami the high today is only about 55 degrees, which isn't even very good.

So I just keep baking, because baking means I can crank up the oven and warm things up a bit. I'm also making lots of soups and braises and things like meatballs in steamy tomato sauce. I can't even handle salad. I've just been pureeing everything. (Arugula soup is a thing and it is good.)

This rich Flourless Chocolate Orange Cake is also a thing and it is also very good (better than arugula soup, if you can imagine). It is the darker, sexier, richer brother to my other favorite Nigella Lawson cake--the clementine almond cake. The recipes are similar, though this one is made with small-ish navel oranges instead of clementines, and (obviously) adds chocolate.

If you're a fan of chocolate + orange together, this is definitely the cake for you.

It comes together easily--you basically just boil the navel oranges for an hour, then puree them (yes, whole--skin and all!) with the rest of the ingredients. Into the pan and the oven, and it's not long before the cake is ready to be served.

I seriously love recipes that can be made almost entirely in a blender or food processor--there's practically no mess, and the whole thing takes minutes. Technology is awesome.

(Well...after the boiling oranges part, but that's a pretty hands-free process in itself.)

Rich and moist, it's a fantastic treat that's just at home ceremoniously placed on the table after an elegant dinner party as it is enjoyed with a mug of afternoon coffee curled up on the couch.

You just can't go wrong with this baby.

Note that a springform pan is important for this recipe. It will make your life MUCH easier. If you don't have one, get one! (This is the one I have.)

There are dozens of springform recipes on this site, so I'll make sure you get lots of use out of it. Promise!

****
Loved this recipe? Here are three other flourless cake recipes you might like:

• Flourless Cashew Oatmeal Cake
• Giant Flourless Chocolate Cashew Muffins
• Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Torte

And let's connect so you can find out the next time I post! Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates.

Thanks so much for reading!

Flourless Chocolate Orange Cake
Adapted from Feast: Food to Celebrate Life by Nigella Lawson

Ingredients
2 small navel oranges
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 cups almond flour (ground almond meal)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Powdered sugar, for garnish

Directions
Place the oranges in a large pot and cover with water by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until the oranges are soft. Remove from water, chop into quarters and place in a food processor or blender.

(Note that navel oranges don’t have seeds; if you use a different kind, you’ll first have to remove the seeds. Everything else—skin, pith, pulp, etc. will go into the recipe.)

Add the eggs, vanilla, sugar, almond flour, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and salt to the food processor or blender, and puree until very smooth (about 1-2 minutes). Add the baking powder and baking soda, and puree again for 20 seconds or until evenly distributed.

Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until cake is set and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and remove the sides. Let cake cool completely before transferring to a serving dish.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

0

The Best Paleo Blueberry Muffins

My friend Mónica and her husband were visiting NYC last weekend, so we planned to have them over for a relaxed brunch at home before they left town. Since her husband can't eat gluten, I decided to use the opportunity to play around with some gluten-free and paleo brunch recipes so that he could enjoy them along with everyone else.

The results of that experimentation were these perfect little paleo blueberry muffins made with almond flour, coconut palm sugar, eggs, and a bit of tapioca starch. The starch is the secret key ingredient that gives these muffins their perfect texture. Unlike other almond flour baked goods that can come out a bit damp and spongy, these are absolutely perfect because the starch absorbs the excess liquid plus adds a tiny bit of chew that mimics what you'd find in a regular non gluten-free muffin.

If you've never tried combining almond flour with starch, you should give it a chance; it really makes a world of difference!

I love cinnamon with my blueberries, so a teaspoon of that gave these muffins a special added touch.

For a bit of crunch on top, I added a tiny sprinkle of raw sugar crystals to the tops of each muffin (similar to the kind you'd find on Dunkin' Donuts blueberry muffins, which were always my fave growing up). Note that this garnish is not strictly paleo, so you can skip it or substitute it with some toasted almond slices or slivers on top.

So about that brunch? Unfortunately, it actually ended up never happening! Turns out there was a scheduling mix-up and my friends had to leave town earlier than anticipated so we had to cancel.

I was worried at first that I'd be stuck with a bunch of muffins I had to eat myself, but it turns out that Eugene--who NEVER likes my gluten-free baked goods--was a fan! The muffins kept well at room temperature for about 3 days, which was just long enough for us to enjoy them all.

****
Loved this recipe? Here are three other gluten-free recipes you might like:

• Flourless Pistachio Oatmeal Muffins
• Giant Flourless Chocolate Cashew Muffins
• Gluten-Free Cinnamon Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

And let's connect so you can find out the next time I post! Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates.

Thanks so much for reading!

Paleo Blueberry Muffins
I’ve included substitution ideas if you’re not strictly paleo. If you’re baking for someone with gluten issues, please be sure to check the label on all ingredients to make sure they’re gluten-free.

Yields 1 Dozen

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon tapioca starch (substitute corn starch for non-paleo)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup milk (almond, coconut, or whole)
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or melted butter (preferably grass-fed)
3/4 cup coconut palm sugar (substitute white granulated sugar for non-paleo)
2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla extract
1 tablespoon raw sugar for topping (optional)
2 cups blueberries

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Whisk together flour, tapioca or corn starch, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined evenly. Fold in the blueberries, then divide between the 12 muffin cups.

Sprinkle with raw sugar (if using), and bake approximately 20 minutes, or until risen, golden and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let muffins cool on a wire rack before serving.

0

Flourless Pistachio Oatmeal Muffins (Gluten-Free)

After a few weeks of heavy recipe testing for a client of mine, I ran out of all-purpose flour and sugar earlier this month. The large glass jars that usually sit on my counter have been empty for weeks, begging to be refilled, but for some reason, I've gone through three grocery orders, each time forgetting to get the flour and sugar.

I'm not sure why this is. Some kind of weird mental block, and instead of properly remedying it (you know...like by walking the three blocks to the grocery store), I've decided to use it as an opportunity to play around with flourless recipes like these amazing Flourless Pistachio Oatmeal Muffins.

All the better for you, my gluten-free friends!

This recipe actually does use a kind-of homemade oat "flour" made by grinding up some gluten-free oats in the food processor or blender. If you're sensitive to oats, you can replace this amount with something like rinsed and dried quinoa or a course cornmeal. I think dessicated shredded coconut could work, too, although that would add a bit of coconut flavor (not necessarily a bad thing!)

The base (and delicious intoxicating pistachio-y flavor) of these Pistachio Oatmeal Muffins comes from pistachio paste, which is one of my favorite baking ingredients (I used it to make these pistachio blondies, too!).

It's an ingredient that's similar to almond paste, but oilier, and comes in a can. It's made from pureed pistachio pralines, so it's already sweetened, and adds amazing flavor to just about any recipe.

Combined with eggs and oats, it makes for wonderfully moist and fragrant little pistachio cakes.

If you're a fan of desserts like financiers or dense chocolate tortes, I think you'll like these, too. I love that they're light enough to enjoy for breakfast as a muffin, but could also be dressed up with some powdered sugar or a dollop of whipped cream and berries for a really lovely dessert.

They are just the perfect amount of sweet for those days when you want a little touch of something decadent, but aren't in the mood to go full-out. It's weekday-decadent!

****
Loved this recipe? Here are four other flourless cake recipes you might like:

• Flourless Cashew Oatmeal Cake (gluten-free)
• Flourless Clementine Almond Cake (Low-carb, gluten-free)
• Giant Flourless Chocolate Cashew Muffins
  

And let's connect so you can find out the next time I post! Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates.

Thanks so much for reading! 

Flourless Pistachio Oatmeal Muffins (Gluten-Free)
Yields: 6 giant or 12 standard muffins

Ingredients
1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 11oz can pistachio paste (such as Love n’ Bake; about 1 1/4 cups)
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 6-cup “texas size” muffin pan, or a standard 12-cup muffin pan.

Grind the oats in a  food processor or blender until coarsely ground into a powdery “flour.” Whisk with baking powder, and set aside.

Combine pistachio paste, eggs, salt, and extract (if using) and beat in an electric mixer until smooth and evenly combined (about 5 minutes). Stir in the oats just until combined.

Divide batter into muffin tin, then bake 15-22 minutes, or until puffed, slightly brown around the edges, and completely set in the center. Remove from oven and let cool in pan 5 minutes before turning out. Let cool completely on rack or serve slightly warm.

0

Flourless Cashew Oatmeal Cake (Gluten-Free)

A few weeks ago, I went on a bit of a nut buying binge. I'm not sure what prompted it, but at the height of craziness I looked around and realized I had pounds and pounds of nuts in my kitchen. I was like a squirrel saving up for winter.

I've slowly worked my way through most of them, except for a lonely bag of raw cashews that was just sitting in my refrigerator door.

At first I was going to make a cashew cheese dip with it (it's something I make regularly for the vegan yoga groups I cook for up in Vermont), but then realized that I also have a fridge full of real cheese, so what the hell would be the point of making fake cheese?

(Answer: there would be no point. Absolutely NO point.)

So a little non-vegan baking was clearly the way to go.

I decided to make a nut meal by grinding the cashews up in the food processor, then using them the way I'd typically use almond meal. Combined with a bit of ground gluten-free oats, they made a beautiful base for this cake. I love how the cake has a bit of a crunchy crust while staying moist and slightly crumbly on the inside.

Olive oil instead of butter. Crunchy turbinado sugar. A real vanilla bean scraped in and flecked throughout the batter.

Seriously. So much good stuff going on here.

And if you eat paleo, you can easily adapt this by subbing in coconut palm sugar and quinoa for the oats. Now everybody can enjoy!

The final cake is a perfect tea time cake.

Or coffee time cake.

Or breakfast time cake.

Or The Mindy Project is about to start in, like, two minutes and I need something sweet time cake.

(That happens to you guys, too, right?)

A little sprinkle of powdered sugar on top using my super cool new powdered sugar wand which you can kind of see in the top left of the above photo (Say what? Seriously!), and this lovely one-bowl baby was good to go.

****
Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!  

Flourless Cashew Oatmeal Cake (Gluten-Free)
Makes 1 9" cake (about 8 servings)

Ingredients
2 cups coarsely ground raw cashews
1/3 cup coarsely ground rolled oats (use gluten-free oats to make this cake GF) OR rinsed and toasted quinoa
1 cup turbinado sugar (such as "sugar in the raw") OR coconut palm sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs, beaten well
1/2 cup olive oil
1 whole vanilla bean, scraped OR 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure orange extract (optional)

Confectioner's sugar, for garnish (optional)

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" round spring-form pan and layer the bottom with a round of parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cashews, oats, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the beaten eggs, olive oil, vanilla bean seeds, and extract(s), and beat well to combine.

Add the batter to the prepared baking pan, and bake 25-30 minutes, or until golden and fully cooked. (Note that the top will look a little bubbly--that's OK!)

Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then use a knife to loosen from the sides and remove. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Serve dusted with confectioner's sugar.

0

Roasted Strawberries with Balsamic Glaze

One of my favorite things about cooking for large groups is that it forces me to be creative. The groups that I serve generally have varied dietary restrictions and preferences, so I do my best to create recipes that will work for a maximum number of people.

That's how this simple dish of Roasted Strawberries with Balsamic Glaze came about. I needed to figure out a dessert that would work for folks who are gluten-free, vegan, and avoiding refined sugar.

I took fresh berries, removed the stems (but left them otherwise whole so as to keep the juices in the berry), and placed them in a baking dish. 20 minutes in the oven was all they needed to become plump and tender. I then drizzled them with a simple balsamic reduction (made while the berries roasted), and served.

They were glorious, so quick and simple. The non-vegans enjoyed them over some ice cream, while those who could eat wheat crumbled in cookies. You can also layer this over yogurt or pound cake, or serve topped with a dollop of whipped cream. Really so many possibilities from such a simple dish.

****
Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!    

Roasted Strawberries with Balsamic Glaze
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 1/2 pounds strawberries, stems removed (but not hulled)
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, cut into a chiffonade

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a ceramic baking dish with coconut oil, and arrange the berries a single layer. Roast 20 minutes, or until berries are tender.

While berries roast, place balsamic in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Let simmer about 5 minutes, or until vinegar has reduced by half into a thick syrup. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

When berries are ready, use a spoon to drizzle with balsamic glaze. Sprinkle with mint leaves and serve hot.

0

Cauliflower Dirty Rice with Andouille Sausage (Paleo)

Last month, I went up to Vermont to cook for a gluten-free retreat hosted by fellow blogger Brittany Angell. There were quite a few grain and dairy-free diners at the retreat, so I used the opportunity to play around with some easy paleo recipes.

One of everyone's favorite dishes ended up being this Cauliflower Dirty "Rice" with Andoille Sausage.

The dish contains absolutely no grains, because the rice is actually made from cauliflower florets that have been ground up into fine little pieces that resemble rice or couscous.

Cooked quickly on the stove, they can then be mixed with any number of herbs, seasonings, or vegetables to create a satisfying savory dish.

It's a great way to enjoy a starchy-like dish if you're following a grain-free or low-carb diet.

This inspiration from this particular dish came from the sausage.

Whenever I'm up in Vermont, I buy a few packages of this delicious local pork sausage in a variety of flavors (generally chorizo and andouille) to use in my recipes. I wanted to feature the spicy andouille in something, and so the dirty rice was conceived!

Real dirty rice is made with chicken liver or giblets, the dark meat giving the rice a dark or "dirty" appearance. For mine, I only used the sausage along with the rest of the New Orleans cooking trinity: peppers, onions, and celery.  (Though I subbed in orange peppers, because I'm not a fan of green ones!)

The vegetables and spicy sausage cook together in a bit of broth, then are mixed with the cauliflower to create a filling savory dish.

(Another bonus is that, unlike real rice, which can be subpar on the second or third day--cauliflower rice reheats beautifully, so you can enjoy it all week long!)

Fun Stuff: Want to join me in Vermont next time? Click here to read about my upcoming culinary retreat this summer--and how YOU can snag a spot!

****
Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!     

Cauliflower Dirty Rice with Andouille Sausage

Recipe by Alejandra Ramos | AlwaysOrderDessert.com

A paleo recipe for cauliflower dirty rice with andouille sausage. A great low-carb and grain-free side dish or main course.

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower, thick core removed and chopped into florets
• 1/2 Spanish onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 pound smoked andouille sausage, sliced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
• 1 tablespoon smoked spanish paprika (sweet)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 bay leaf

Directions

1. Place 1/3 of the cauliflower florets in food processor with blade attached, and pulse until florets are finely ground about the size of cous cous. Pour ground cauliflower into large bowl, and repeat with rest of cauliflower, in batches. Set aside. 

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, and add the onion. Saute until translucent, then add the garlic, celery, and peppers. Saute for 5 minutes, then add the sausage, and continue to cook for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the sausage is browned. 

3. Stir in the spices, seasoning, and broth, and add the bay leaf. Reduce heat to low, and let simmer 10 minutes, until the liquid is reduce by 3/4. 

4. While the vegetables simmer, heat the rest of the oil over high heat in a second large skillet and add the cauliflower. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until it is cooked, but still firm (no mushy cauliflower!). 

5. Transfer cooked cauliflower to a large bowl, and add the vegetable and sausage mixture (minus the bay leaf!). Mix well to coat, stir in the parsley, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

0

Giant Flourless Chocolate Cashew Muffins

While I'm not making any specific promises, you should know that there is a chance that these Giant Flourless Chocolate Cashew Muffins might help you live forever.

Here's the story:

A couple months ago, Eugene read a story in the news about a new Harvard study that showed that people who eat a handful of nuts a day live longer than those who don't. The report said that for the benefits to work, one has to eat a serving of nuts at least 7 times a week.

We conjectured that since a handful of nuts can help you live longer; eating MORE than a handful will probably make us live forever. We're already big nut eaters in this household, but since then, it's become something of a slightly-morbid joke for us.

Anytime one of us wants a snack or just happens to eat something with nuts, we'll say "Eating nuts--going to live forever!" Or "I ate more nuts than you today; you better catch up so you don't die."

We also chase Hudson around and feed him almonds and hazelnuts so that he can live forever, too.

(He loves nuts, so he's a fan of this game.)

With this (admittedly flawed) theory in mind, I created these delicious muffins so that we can all live forever in delicious style!

These muffins are made with no flour or refined sugar. The base is cashew butter, which you can make by finely grinding cashews until it turns into a smooth, buttery paste (you can also buy it, of course!).  This is mixed with eggs, cocoa, maple syrup, a little vanilla, salt, and baking soda, and then baked into giant puffy muffins.

I love to make these in giant muffin pan (that holds 6 instead of the usual 12) for a fabulous oversized muffin (for maximum live-forever-properties, you see), but you can also make it in a regular muffin tin or even a loaf pan.

These are fantastic on their own or warmed slightly and spread with butter. They keep well for a few days (thanks to those glorious life-giving nuts!), but can also be made and frozen.

Enjoy these muffins. I'll see you in a 100 years!

****
Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!      
 

Giant Flourless Chocolate Cashew Muffins
Makes 6 giant muffins (or 12 regular muffins)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups smooth cashew butter (substitute almond, pecan or other nut butter, but make sure it's a very smoothly ground butter--nothing course or crunchy), slightly warmed until easily stir-able
5 large eggs
2/3 cup maple syrup (substitute honey; do not use agave)
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions
Preheat oven 350 degrees. Grease an extra-large muffin tin (or use a regular muffin tin).

Beat together cashew butter and eggs with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Beat in maple syrup, cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, and baking soda. Mixture will be smooth, thick, and glossy (like a brownie batter).

Divide batter into prepared muffin tin. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until puffed up and cracked on top. A tester inserted into the center should come out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in pan about 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

0

Mini Cilantro and Chive Arepas

So here's one of the easiest (and tastiest!) recipes I've ever shared.

Have you ever had arepas? These little corn flatbreads are traditional in Venezuela and Colombia, although also found widely throughout much of Latin America. Made simply with masarepa (a pre-cooked white cornmeal flour) and water, they are a wonderful alternative to bread or tortillas. In the US, arepas are regularly found at Latin restaurants and street fairs, where they're often sold split and stuffed with melted cheese.

They are also incredibly easy to make at home--seriously, if you can make pancakes or grilled cheese sandwiches, you've totally got this.

The trickiest part might be finding the masarepa flour. If you have a "Goya aisle" in your supermarket, check if they have it. If not, you can also easily get it online via Amazon.

Then you simply measure out a couple cups of the flour, mix it with hot water, and then let it sit for five minutes.

It'll create a soft almost mashed potato-like dough that's very easy to work with. Shape it into little patties, and fry for a couple minutes on each side in a greased skillet.

That's it!

The patties can then be topped off with your choice of toppings--think pulled meat, scrambled eggs, chorizo, grilled shrimp, cheese, dips, avocados, roasted veggies...basically anything you'd serve on a crostini or a taco would work well here!

If you'd like, you can get creative and add herbs, spices, or grated cheese to the dough in order to flavor it. I added minced chives and cilantro, for a delicious herby twist. 

You can make arepas several days in advance and reheat them as needed--great for parties or for an easy breakfast side-dish. And since they're completely gluten-free, they're a nice alternative to crackers or crostini if you have guests with gluten allergies.

Disclaimer: This post contains an Amazon affiliate link. 

****
Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!   

Mini Cilantro and Chive Arepas
Makes about 2 dozen mini arepas

Ingredients
3 cups masarepa (precooked white corn meal)
4 1/2 cups warm water (plus more if necessary)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup minced chives
1/4 cup minced cilantro
Vegetable oil or butter, for cooking (butter is more delicious, for sure!)

Directions
In a large bowl, combine the masarepa, water, salt, chives, and cilantro until evenly combined and the dough is thoroughly saturated. If the masarepa seems dry or crumbly, add more water about 1/4 cup at a time, being careful not to add too much (you just want to add water until the dough is workable and doesn't crack). Let sit for 5 minutes and let the dough absorb the water. The texture will be soft, slightly damp and similar to mashed potatoes.

Shape the dough into round patties about 2" in diameter. Heat a skillet or grillpan over medium heat and grease with butter or oil and cook the patties, about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until crispy and with hints of golden brown on both sides. Remove from skillet and place on a wire rack while you continue with rest of dough.

Serve plain with butter, or with your choice of toppings. These can also be cooled and reheated before serving.

0

Turkey Quinoa Meatballs & Getting Out of a Cooking Slump

Confession time:

Last week? It was kind of a disaster as far as cooking for myself.

Seriously. A disaster.

The refrigerator was empty after getting back from Sweet Escape, and I kept forgetting to do the groceries (which I usually do online, further adding to the patheticness of things).

My days were also so full that come dinnertime, all I could manage was to log onto delivery.com and ask Eugene "Italian, Latin or Asian?"

I almost hate to admit it, but this is a thing that happens around here every so often..especially after a big event like my retreat. After those 3+  days of cooking multiple multi-course meals for 20 people, I was honestly just spent.

With the exception of the dishes I cooked on camera on Friday, I pretty much stayed out of the kitchen and let the fine restaurants in our neighborhood handle the cooking.

This week, I vowed things would be different. I filled the fridge with fresh veggies, fruit, and my favorite meats. I bought a case of strawberries to make jam. And I planned out a few dishes that I knew would make my life easier throughout the week.

First up? These Turkey Quinoa Meatballs.

These things are incredible: ground turkey seasoned with herbs, lemon zest and a bit of chile flakes,  then mixed with cooked protein-packed quinoa instead of bread crumbs.

They're little nutrition power houses that can be made in advance to add to sauce or soup, tossed in a salad, or served with a dip as a party appetizer. I even like these cold and straight out of the fridge for breakfast.

The recipe below makes a big batch of about 50 meatballs that you can portion up and freeze for meals throughout the week.

And that, my friends, is totally the key lesson here. Because nobody can be expected to be 100% on the ball all of the time (I most certainly am not!). But you can plan ahead for those moments when you need it.

It's a tiny bit of extra upfront effort that will ultimately make life easier and better.

There are seriously fewer things better than being able to open the fridge at the end of an exhausting day, and find that dinner (or lunch) was already made by an organized, more productive, earlier version of you.

Now let's just hope I remember this for next time!

For more bulk cooking ideas, check out this post on frozen shredded chicken and the ideas in this post on cooking for a pregnant friend. 

****
Love Always Order Dessert? Let's connect! Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!

Turkey Quinoa Meatballs
Makes 50 meatballs

Ingredients
3 pounds ground turkey (I use a mix of breast and dark meat)
2 cups cooked quinoa (use leftovers, or prepare a fresh batch according to package directions)
3 large garlic cloves, finely minced
3 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground pepper
1 tablespoon ground oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
1 large egg
1 red bell pepper, finely diced (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

In a large bowl or the base of a stand mixer, combine the turkey, cooked quinoa, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, crushed red pepper, rosemary, lemon zest and juice, egg, and bell pepper (if using). Mix until thoroughly combined. Use your hands or a small scoop to roll the mix out into 1 1/2" balls and arrange next to each other on the baking sheet.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are fully cooked and slightly golden on top. Serve immediately, or let cool slightly before portioning and storing. (These can also be added to simmering tomato sauce to make them tender, or to a soup broth.)

0