White Bean Szechuan Burgers (gluten-free, casein-free)

Yesterday I wanted to use up some cooked white beans that I had leftover in the fridge. Veggie burgers sounded just right for dinner. So I modified this dehydrated veggie cake and it came out sensational. I'll be honest, at practically every other dinner at least one of the girls, usually Zoe, turns up her nose. Okay, maybe it's always Zoe now that I think about it :-) But last night Zoe ate her whole white bean Szechuan burger, and Ashley and Andy ate two each! I was beaming. I hope you and your family like them too.

White Bean Szechuan Burgers
(gluten-free, grain-free, casein-free)

Saute for about 15 minutes:
1 small onion, finely chopped

Add:
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Saute a few minutes longer.

Set aside.

Add to bowl:

2 eggs

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, finely chopped

2 tsp San-J gluten-free Szechuan sauce

1 tsp sea salt

Whisk.

Add:
2 cups of any kind of cooked white beans (or black beans if you prefer)

UPDATE: I've been mashing or pureeing the beans, and we prefer it that way now
3/4 cup almond meal flour (I use Bob's)
the sauteed onions and garlic

Combine.

Add a few tablespoons of oil to a large pre-heated pan (on medium heat).

Drop mixture into pan and make about a 3.5 inch wide burger. (I fit four in my pan at a time)

Don't touch them for about 4 minutes.

After about 4 minutes they should flip fairly easily.

Cook for about 4 minutes on the second side.

Makes about 7.

Andy and I topped ours with a little extra San-J gluten-free Szechuan sauce. Be careful if you add more to the top of yours—it's spicy! None of us used a bun, but you could if you prefer. These would also be excellent cut in half and served inside my fajitas.

♥, Kelly

Larkburger Love (gluten-free, Paleo)

Earlier this week, my friend Lexie left a message on my phone, saying they had been to Larkburger in Fort Collins (half way between her house and mine), and that she thought there was one in Boulder too. She said I had to go and check it out.

I cruised over to Lexie's site to check out her Larkburger review, and immediately called down to my husband (who works from home), "Honey! Can you come with us to Boulder today? For lunch? For burgers?!" Not that I had any doubt what his answer would be. My husband is all carnivore. I'm the one who only really eats beef when I'm preggers, which I am :-)

But you don't have to eat beef to eat at Larkburger. They also have turkey burgers, and portabella mushroom with grilled onions for vegetarians. You can go caveman/Paleo, and get any of these wrapped in lettuce (primo lettuce there, by the way), or here's the kicker... They have Sweet Escape gluten-free buns!!!

If you've missed me gushing over Sweet Escape before, I'll gush more now :-) First, I have to say that this family business is located in none other than my own town of Longmont. That makes me very proud. Secondly, Sweet Escape rocks. You can eat their pizza crust at Martino's (love them), and lots of other places too. When you're near Red Rock you must go to Abrusci's. Abrusci's gluten-free Italian menu (featuring Sweet Escape bread and pasta) is most likely the biggest and the best in the world. Seriously.

And, as Lexie pointed out, Larkburger is very eco-conscious, like most places in Boulder, and many places all over Colorado. They compost, and they use unbleached paper, wind power, and reclaimed lumber.

And what did we see as we were heading home from Larkburger? The Rudi's Gluten-Free truck! Andy snapped this photo (I was driving). It made me smile. Speaking of Rudi's Gluten-Free, congratulations to Marsha Benson, my Rudi's Gluten-Free bread winner! Send me your email: kelly(insert @)theSpunkyCoconut.com and I'll let Rudi's know you won!

♥, Kelly

Clementine Cupcakes with Frosting

I just love how recipes develop. You start with an idea, which you try. Hopefully it works out to some degree. You tweak it and try again until you have something good. Then one day you think, "If I took out some of this, and added some of that, I'd have..." So you modify it again, to create something different. Often this happens to me because I want to make one of my recipes, and I don't have all of the ingredients ;-) That's how I came up with these cupcakes.

I wanted to make this pie, but I had clementines, not large oranges, and three rather than four eggs. It occurred to me that less orange and egg would make for a dryer mixture. Cupcakes maybe? Fortunately, it worked. Probably because I wasn't trying to substitute flours, which can cause trouble as we all know :-)

Then I tweaked a frosting recipe from my second cookbook to make this orange frosting. Delish. Baby and I were very happy eating one of these frosted cupcakes. I hope you and your family enjoy them too.

Clementine Cupcakes with Frosting

(gluten-free, grain-free, casein-free, dairy-free)

Boil 2 clementines (peel and all) for about 80 minutes.**
Remove. Rinse in a bowl of fresh piping hot water for one minute.

Let the clementines cool until you can touch them.

Remove the peel from one of the clementines, and save it for the frosting.
Add the clementines (one missing it's peel) to your food processor, after putting in the blade.

Add:

3 eggs
1/4 cup tapioca flour
3/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/8 tsp vanilla liquid stevia
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder (Grain-free Baking Powder Recipe)
Puree for a few minutes.

Fill unbleached paper cups.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Makes about 10.

**I think it's especially important to use organic oranges in recipes like this, that call for eating the peel.

Clementine Frosting

Add to food processor:

the other boiled clementine peel

1 cup plain cashews

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 cup nut milk, or more as needed

Optional for color: about 2 tsp dehydrated carrots that have been ground into powder in a coffee grinder

Puree till creamy and smooth.

Refrigerate to thicken.

Keep frosting (or frosted cupcakes) in the fridge if there are leftovers after the day it's made.

Other recipes using oranges that you might like:

chocolate orange mousse

vegan rhuebarb muffins

pistachio biscotti buttons

chinese chicken noodles

♥, Kelly

Spicy Hawaiian Fajitas (gluten-free, casein-free)

I was only half joking on Twitter when I said I could eat these spicy Hawaiian fajitas every day :-) They are so yummy. I just take my tortilla recipe and add a mixture of Daiya dairy-free cheese (you only need a little), ham, turkey, pineapple and hot sauce. Put them in a pan with a tiny bit of oil for a few minutes on each side and voila.

Yesterday I ran out of ham and pineapple, so I sauteed red cabbage and carrots for a few minutes. Then I added a little broth and gluten-free tamari (coconut aminos would work also) and put the lid on, slightly ajar, for a few minutes more. I intended on frying this mixture in the tortillas, like and egg roll, but I ended up just making them fajita style. They were kinda messy, not having any Daiya to hold the fillings together, but still good enough for me :-)

What other fillings do you suggest I put in my fajitas or wraps?

♥, Kelly

Rudi's Gluten-Free Giveaway!

Congratulations Marsha Benson! You are the winner! Please email me: kelly(insert @)theSpunkyCoconut.com and I'll let Rudi's know you won!

This giveaway is now closed.

We are huge fans of Rudi's Gluten-Free bread, based out of our home state of Colorado. Their original bread is our favorite store-bought sandwich bread, and my husband is crazy for their cinnamon raisin bread.

That is why I'm so excited to offer one of you two free loaves of Rudi's Gluten-Free bread! One will come to your house in this cute little bread box, and you will also receive a coupon for another free loaf! The box also includes a magnet, two recipe cards, and a $1 off coupon.

To enter this giveaway just leave a comment with your first and last name so I know it's really you when I get your email (if you win), and not someone pretending to be you so they win!

This giveaway closes on Wednesday, February 23rd at midnight my time.

Many thanks to Rudi's Gluten-Free for this giveaway! We love you!

♥, Kelly

Tortilla Wraps (egg-free, grain-free, gluten-free)

For quite a while now I have been wishing for a flexible tortilla / wrap. I don't eat corn often, but I called a couple of soft corn tortilla companies and asked if their corn was genetically modified. Neither called me back...

Here's what I think: If you buy something made with corn, and the package doesn't say "Non-GMO," then I would guess it is genetically modified corn.

I know there is one organic sprouted corn tortilla pack, which you can buy, but they just aren't soft and flexible enough for me. Then, the other day I came across Lauren's recipe. I got so excited. But I decided to try mine with chia meal, and without any gum. I ended up changing the recipe considerably. I'm so happy with how they came out, I can hardly stand it :-)

Tortilla Wraps

gluten-free, grain-free, egg-free

Add to bowl:

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp Chia Seed meal **please see note below the recipe

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp quinoa flake flour (quinoa is a seed, not a grain)

Create the chia seed meal and quinoa flake flour by using a Magic Bullet or coffee grinder. You could substitute quinoa flour for the quinoa flakes, and skip grinding the flakes, we just prefer the milder taste of the flakes.

Add:

1 cup almond meal flour (I use Bob's)

2 tbsp arrowroot powder (tapioca would probably work also)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

Optional: herbs and spices (I used 1/2 tsp each of onion and garlic powder)

Whisk dry ingredients together.

Add:

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup milk substitute (I used Cashew Milk)

3/4 cup warm water

Mix with handheld mixer. Push into one mass and let rest for about one minute. It will be very sticky—that's how it's supposed to be.

Using a Spoonula, separate the dough into two. Then push the halves apart, and separate one half into three, like the photo above. (After using these three, separate the other half into three also.) OR make four balls for four large tortillas.

Place one ball on top of a piece of unbleached parchment paper.

Lay another piece of unbleached parchment paper on top. Flatten the ball with your hand. Do not remove the top piece of paper.

Roll the dough out to 6.5 inches wide if you're making 6 small tortillas, OR 8 inches wide if you're making 4 large tortillas, so that it looks like this:

These (above) are uncooked. Fit two, side by side, on your cookie sheet, keeping the top paper on. Do not try to remove the paper. Bake the wrap as it is, sandwiched between the two pieces of paper.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 7 minutes for small tortillas or 8 minutes for large tortillas.

Let them cool on a wire rack.

Makes 6 small tortillas or 4 large tortillas.

If you don't need to bake them all right away, simply store them in the fridge like this (rolled out between the two pieces of paper).

Wrap them in parchment paper to pack for lunches.

**I know a lot of you will ask if you can substitute flax meal for the chia meal. But as you expert egg-replacers know, you need twice as much flax meal as chia meal. This means that to make these six wraps you would need 3/4 cup flax meal. Guys, that is way too much phytoestrogen. So please, do use chia meal in this recipe.

For more on why chia rocks, see my friend Lexie's post here.

♥, Kelly

Chocolate & Spice Zucchini Bread, Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten-Free!

This month for Go Ahead Honey, Naomi challenged us to create recipes for our loved ones that are not only satisfying, but power-packed. With Valentine's Day coming up tomorrow, I couldn't resist Naomi's clever theme. I chose to make chocolate zucchini bread, based on the zucchini bread recipe in my first cookbook. Then I heated it up with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne—spices that warm the body as well as benefit the health of my family.

Cinnamon is one of my favorite spices, and it's particularly great to use in the winter months. It's warming and helpful against colds and congestion. Nutmeg and cayenne, two of my other favorite spices, are known to help detoxify the body, regulate blood pressure and increase circulation. Cayenne also cleans the arteries, reduces inflammation, and fights bacteria, fungus, and allergens. Studies also show that cayenne has cancer prevention abilities. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne improve digestion.

Happy Valentine's Day my lovelies! ♥, Kelly

Chocolate & Spice Zucchini Bread

Shred 2 zucchini, then squeeze in a kitchen towel to remove as much water as possible.

Add about 1 cup shredded zucchini to mixing bowl with:

1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified

4 room temp eggs (cold eggs will harden coconut oil)

1/2 cup coconut sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp vanilla liquid stevia

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

Mix with electric mixer.

Add to bread pan lined with unbleached parchment paper and greased on the ends. (I cut the paper the length of the pan and drape it down one side, across the bottom and back up the other side, like in this photo by Amy)

Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Ovens vary, check to see if it's done by inserting a sharp knife in the center.

References:

Nutritional Value of Cinnamon and Nutmeg

Health Benefits of Cayenne Pepper

17 Health Benefits of Cayenne

Applegate Review

I told Applegate how much I love them, and they sent me these products to review. We were so excited when the boxes arrived. But I would never endorse something I didn't completely believe in, even if they sent me free samples. Applegate is awesome, and I believe in them 100%. Here is what I love about the sausage and deli meat they sent:

• They are gluten and casein free.
• They don't contain nitrates.
• The animals are treated humanely, and are never given antibiotics or hormones.

The turkey sausage is a little spicy—So great for chili or quiche or all by itself. But the pork was my favorite sausage. It's so good. The pepperoni and roasted chicken breast... What can you say? They're just the best you can buy. That's how I feel about them. I ♥ Applegate.

Here are some of my favorite recipes that use Applegate:

Savory Vegetable Quiche

Sandwiches

Easy Oven Omelet

Maple Sausage & Sweet Potato Soup

Okay, now I'm hungry :-)

I hope you have a great weekend, and check back here tomorrow for some chocolate zucchini bread, perfect for Valentine's Day!

♥, Kelly

Almond & Spice Bean Pie dairy-free, refined sugar free

Several days ago my friend sent me the link to this Bean Brulee Tart. (Am I getting better known for beans now than coconut? ;-) She said I could easily adapt this recipe, and she was right. I just changed the evaporated milk to coconut milk and the cup of white sugar to a third cup of coconut sugar (which is unrefined and low glycemic index).

I added arrowroot powder since the original recipe called for flour. Also, I thought some almond extract and allspice would be nice. A lemon variation would be good too, don't you think? A few drops of lemon extract, a little lemon zest. Mmm.

I didn't give mine a crust because it was my first time making this, and I didn't want to waste my ingredients if the pie didn't turn out. Next time, if I'm not feeling lazy, I'll use this pie crust. (Note: There's no need to pre-bake this pie crust since it's going in the oven for half an hour.)

Almond & Spice Bean Pie

Add to blender:

1 cup cooked white beans (I used navy beans that were soaked overnight, and cooked in the morning)

2 eggs

1/3 cup coconut sugar

2 tbsp arrowroot powder

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp almond extract

1/4 tsp allspice

3/4 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup oil (I used half ghee, half coconut oil, liquified)

Puree till creamy and smooth.

Add to greased pie dish.

Rather than broil mine afterwards, I sprinkled the top with another tablespoon of coconut sugar before baking. It didn't brown as much as I was hoping, but you could brown yours in the broiler if you use a tart pan. I used a glass pie dish which can't go in the broiler.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Let cool, then refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

♥, Kelly

Creamy Japanese Sweet Potato Soup (dairy-free, gluten-free)

Lately my sweet husband has been doing some of our grocery shopping for me. I give him a list, and he returns with the food. Twice now I have asked him for sweet potatoes, and he has come home with Japanese sweet potatoes by accident. Have you tried them? They look very much the same, but the inside is white, and browns almost instantly if you peel them. When you bake Japanese sweet potatoes the inside becomes a pretty soft yellow. I find them a little sweeter and creamier tasting, perfect for soup.

We've had more snow this week, and I couldn't think of a better way to warm up than with a bowl of soup. Ashley is an especially big fan of soup, like her mama :-) She almost always asks for seconds.

Creamy Japanese Sweet Potato Soup

dairy-free, gluten-free

Saute in soup pot (I use my medium sized Le Creuset *):

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped onions

Add:

1.5 baked Japanese sweet potatoes, skins removed

2 cups broth

1 cup cashew milk

(How to Make Cashew Milk Video)

1/4 to 1/2 tsp Herbamare, to your taste

Puree with Stick Blender or use your blender for extra smooth soup. (I used my Blendtec) Make sure if you use your blender that the soup isn't hot or the lid will fly off and soup will be everywhere.

* If you frequent stores like Marshall's you can find Le Creuset for half price or better. That's how I got all three of my orange colored Le Crueset about three years ago. I've since seen others there in green, blue and yellow.

I think these Japanese sweet potatoes make a great winter soup. ♥, Kelly

Super Bowl kick-off and another kind of kick-off!

Congratulations Tessa Crandall! Please send me your address: Kelly(insert@)theSpunkyCoconut.com and I'll get your box in the mail!

This giveaway is now closed.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday everyone! If you've emailed me I'm sorry I haven't been able to get back to you yet. We've had a flu go around our house this week. Boo. We're on the mend now, but I'm days behind in checking my email, so it's going to take me some time to catch up.

What are you having for the Super Bowl? I put some chili in the crock pot first thing this morning (the black bean chili from my first cookbook), and I'm going to make mini spinach pies to snack on, using my mini muffin tray. I'm going to use this pie crust. I'll roll the dough into little balls, flatten it in my hands, and press into my mini muffin tray. Then I'm going to add a variation of this spinach filling, minus the artichoke and with extra spinach. If they turn out as cute and delish as I think they're going to I'll post them or at least put a photo on Spunky Facebook later :-)

For dessert I'm going to serve Cupcake Kabobs with Sunbutter Frosting, pictured above. I love the idea of bite size food for the game. So the chili will require a bowl, but the mini spinach pies and cupcake kabobs will be bite size. Bring out the party trays! :-)

And since kick-off is tonight, I'm going to kick-off another treat, just for you.

A while ago I posted this yum-o hemp protein shake. Since then, the company sent me a gift box, which I am going to give away to one of you! Here's what your box includes:

Six $1 off coupons.

Six protein powder samples.

One bag of hemp seeds.

And one big Organic Hemp Pro Fiber!

To enter to win all this great stuff, leave me a comment with your first and last name so I know it's really you when I get your email (if you win), and not someone pretending to be you so they win!

This giveaway will close this Friday, February 11th at midnight my time.

I'm also really excited to tell you I have more great giveaways and reviews coming up, so stay tuned!

♥, Kelly

Lava Cake (gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free)

About four and a half years ago I found out I was celiac. So the last time I had lava cake must have been five years ago. Have you ever had lava cake? We used to live in a town on the East Coast that had a Chart House Restaurant right on the water. The restaurant was on a dock, so when you looked out the windows from your table it was almost like being on a boat. Very fun. We went there to celebrate every special occasion. I would get the spinach salad to start, then usually a fish entree, and we always shared the lava cake for dessert. It was made to order, so it was best to tell the server half an hour before you planned on eating dessert. They brought it out hot from the oven, and when you put your fork into it, the middle oozed out.

Who knows, maybe their lava cake is flourless and gluten-free, but probably not. You could call them and ask if you have a Chart House near you. I bet most of the main menu is gluten-free, but again you would have to make sure.

Today for some reason I got it in my head that I wanted to make lava cake :D As luck would have it, it came out the way I wanted on the first try. I use Bob's almond flour, as you may know, so it isn't as finely ground, but we're all fine with that. If you prefer a finer almond flour, I'm sure it would be even better.

Lava Cake

gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free

Place 2 bars of dark chocolate in a bowl over simmering water to melt.

I use Chocolove Organic 73%. One bar is 3.2 oz.

Add to melting chocolate:

1/4 tsp liquid stevia

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified

When the chocolate is melted turn off the heat.

Add to mixing bowl:

3 cups almond meal flour

1/4 cup arrowroot (tapioca flour would probably work also)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder (Grain-free Baking Powder Recipe)

1/3 cup coconut sugar , which is low glycemic index

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

Pour chocolate mixture over flour mixture and beat with electric mixer.

Grease oven-proof mugs or ramekins.

Fill almost half way with the batter.

Add two squares of dark chocolate (not melted) to each.

Top with more batter.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then serve still warm. (The hotter it is, the more gooey it will be in the middle. The cooler it gets, the more cake-like it will become.)

Makes four to five lava cakes.

Note: Lava cake is meant to be gooey in the middle.

♥, Kelly

Update: I just realized that this is a lot of lava cakes. After only being able to eat two today, I would suggest you make a half batch of this recipe, unless you're having company :-)