Banana Bread Bites! GF, V, SCD, Paleo!

Hey guys!!

Guess what!..........It's Friday!

I hope everyone had a fabulous week! Things here have been wonderful! Lots of projects on the horizon!

Today is a drizzly day in NYC, but this entire week has been absolutely gorgeous! I've been spending as much time as possible outside. What about you? Have you been able to enjoy the warmer weather?

Well, today, I'm sharing another TREAT to kick off the weekend!!

This is another cookie bite, and let me tell you...these are FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC!! I thought my PB&J Bites were unbeatable, but ladies and gentlemen, we have another fierce contender!

BANANA BREAD BITES!

Yes. You read that correctly. Banana Bread Bites!

They're a cookie. They're healthy. They're made with whole foods. And they are absolutely irrisistible. Addictive. Scrum-diddily-umptious. Have I convinced you to try them yet?? ;)

And they're Gluten Free, Vegan, Specific Carb Diet friendly, and Paleo!

Here's what you need: (Serves 2-3; Makes 7 bites)

4 dates
2 Tbsp pecan butter
1/8 cup cashews
1/8 cup almonds, whole
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 freeze dried bananas

1/4 cup almonds, whole
12 almonds, halved

This recipe could not be easier. Throw everything (minus the 2nd group of additional almonds) into the food processor and process until you get a "sand-like" consistency, scraping down the sides twice. Then, add in your 1/4 cup of almonds and pulse 4 times. (You want them to still be "chunky.") Finally, stir in your almond halves. Form 1 Tbsp balls in your hands by packing it together. Chill for 30 minutes, and enjoy! Makes 7 bites.

These are divine. Truly. They are rich, and chewy, slightly crunchy and creamy, and stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth amazing!

The freeze-dried bananas give it a subtle sweetness, while the cinnamon chimes in with a slightly spicy note. Just perfect! And the dates make it so chewy and luxurious.

I polished these bad boys off in one weekend!! :)

Until next time!

Need a food processor? If you haven't noticed by now, my food processor is my baby:) Here's the one I use and love:

Basil Beet Blooms! GF, V, SCD, & Paleo w/ a BED Option!

Hey Happy Tummies!

I hope you've had a fabulous weekend! I know I have! Yesterday, my friend and I saw Nice Work on Broadway with Michael Broderick. It was pretty good. It had a the glamor and magic of Bway, so I was happy:)

But the highlight of my weekend was on Friday! I recorded some children's educational videos for the Mother Goose Club with Sockeye Media. It was so fun:) It's a great organization and I can't wait to see the finished product!

So after awakening my "inner-child" that morning, I decided to make an extra-special Kid Friendly meal! Soooo....I made.....Basil Beet Blooms!

These little gems are so whimsical and fun! They're a playful way to serve your family wholesome veggies!

Roasted beet rounds topped with a basil, cauliflower and green pea cream! Perfect!

And they're Gluten Free, Vegan, Specific Carb Diet friendly, Paleo, and have a Body Ecology Diet option!

Annnd....I made a cooking demonstration video!!

Here's what you need: (serves 2-3)

2 large beets, cut into 1/4 inch rounds (BED option: Sub roasted red peppers)

1/2 cup peas
1 cup cauliflower
5 basil leaves

12 grape tomatoes (BED option: omit)
chiffonade of basil (garnish)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub and dry your beets. Cut them into 1/4 inch rounds. Place them in a single layer on a tin foil-lined, olive-oil-sprayed baking sheet. Do not sprinkle with salt or pepper yet. Spritz them with olive oil, and bake for 35-40 minutes, flipping once halfway through. When you flip them, put your tomatoes on the baking sheet and roast them along with the beets for the final 20 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper after they're finished.

Meanwhile, steam your peas and cauliflower. Put them in your food processor along with the basil, salt and pepper, and process until smooth. You will need to scrape the sides about 4 times.

If you want to pipe this mixture onto your beet rounds, transfer it into a pastry bag, or a ziplock bag. Or...just use a spoon:)

To assemble, place about 2 Tbsp of the mixture onto each beet round and top with a roasted tomato and garnish with basil.

What a fun and scrumptious dish! I gobbled these up! Not only were they adorable, but the were so tasty!

The beets were beautifully caramelized. They were chewy and firm, and the sugars became so intense and sweet. They were perfect with the fresh basil cream! It was bright and fresh, and it went so well with the earthy-sweet beet. Finally, the tomato was the absolute best part. When you roast tomatoes, they shrivel up and become super sweet and juicy. They just explode in your mouth, and truly tie the entire dish together.

And the colors were so jolly and enticing! They looked like something out of a Dr. Seuss book!

And this would be a great meal for your kids to help make! They could be in charge of decorating the beets with the cream, tomatoes and basil!

A perfect 10!

Don't forget to check out the Cooking Demonstration Video! :)

And coming up later this week....ANOTHER DESSERT!!! Woo! Here's a hint....you'll go bananas for this treat! :D

Until next time!

Need a food processor of good chef's knife? Here are the ones I use and LOVE:

Peanut Butter & Jelly Bites! GF, V, SCD, Paleo!

Hey Guys!!

As promised, I’m comin at’cha with THE MOST amazing dessert!

Now I know, I know, that’s a pretty bold statement, but this little cookie packs an amazing punch!

They may look humble, but do not be deceived, dear Happy Tummies!

Allow me to introduce you to………PB&J Cookie Bites!!

These are SOOOO good! I have a confession: I made these, meaning to bring them to an Easter party…but after I tasted one, then, two, then four!...I decided these would be best kept in the safety of my apartment, not fending for themselves on the wild streets of NYC ;)

Oh my gosh! I can’t say enough good things about these…PB&J’s were a staple in my house growing up. These taste like peanut butter cookie dough with a kiss of sweet strawberry goodness!!

And they’re…get ready…Gluten Free, Grain Free, Vegan, Specific Carb Diet friendly, and Paleo!

Here’s what you need: (Serves 2-3)…or 1 :P

4 dates
¼ cup freeze dried strawberries
4 Tbsp peanut butter

24 almonds, whole

8 almonds, halved

The recipe couldn’t be simpler. Throw the dates, strawberries and peanut butter into the food processor and process until it resembles sand. Scrape the sides and the bottom, and process for another few seconds. Then, add your 24 whole almonds, and pulse it about 4-5 times, so that they are still in big pieces. Then, stir in your almond halves. Take about 1-2 Tbsp of the dough, and form little balls. It will make about 8 bites. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (They’re best chilled.)

Holy. Cow. These are INCREDIBLE!! They’re like the inside of those “PB&J Uncrustables.” Not that I’d ever had one of those, but this is how I imagine they’d taste :)

They’re stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth delicious! And the texture is out of this world! They’re sticky and chewy, but there are unexpected crunchy bits from the almonds.

I’m making these again tonight. Just because:)

Need a top-notch food processor? Here’s the one I use and LOVE!

Spring Green Lasagna! GF, V, SCD, BED!

Hey Happy Tummies!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend!

I’ll tell you what: it was a little strange for me this year. It was the first Easter I didn’t spend with my family. Since I was just home 2 weekends ago, and am going to be home again at the end of April, we decided to forego another trip.

But it was still a great holiday. I went to the Easter Vigil last night, and tonight, I made a beautiful dinner!!

I made a Spring Green Lasagna! Layers of zucchini noodles, alternating with basil and broccoli cream and roasted asparagus!

It was so incredibly tasty, and beautiful to boot!

And it’s gluten free, vegan, Body Ecology Diet and Specific Carb Diet friendly. And Paleo!

Here’s what you need: (serves 1)

1 zucchini, sliced carefully (lengthwise) on a mandolin
6 asparagus spears, ends trimmed
1 cup baby spinach

Cream:
1 cup broccoli
1 cup cauliflower
5-7 basil leaves
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Steam your broccoli and cauliflower until tender. Set aside to cool slightly. Carefully slice your zucchini lengthwise into noodles on a mandolin. (use the hand guard!) You’ll need 6 noodles. You can also do this with a knife. Place the noodles on a tin foil-lined, olive oil-sprayed baking sheet. Also place your asparagus on the sheet. Spritz with olive oil. Bake for 25 minutes, flipping once, half way through.

Meanwhile, place your cream ingredients into the food processor and process until smooth and creamy. You’ll need to scrape the sides several times.

To assemble, place a bed of spinach on your plate. Place 3 zucchini noodles on the plate. Dollop about 3 Tbsp of the cream on top. Put 3 asparagus spears on top of that. Top the asparagus with another Tbsp of the cream. Repeat, ending with the asparagus. Garnish with fresh basil, or grape tomatoes.

My goodness. What a treat this meal was! It tasted like spring on a plate with the delicate asparagus, and bright and fresh basil! The broccoli and cauliflower provided the subtle flavor that really let the asparagus be the star of the show.

And the textures were marvelous! The creamy filling with the crisp-tender asparagus was just perfect. And the spinach was the perfect vehicle to pick up any of the extra filling.

This was a wonderful Easter dinner. This just goes to show that even if you’re flying solo, you can still have a fabulous meal!

Need a food processor? Here’s the one I use and LOVE!

No Easter dinner is complete without dessert! Check back later this week for a spectacular dessert! Here’s a hint…..freeze dried strawberries!!! :D

Oven Roasted Cabbage "Steaks" w/ Avocado Pesto! GF, V, BED & SCD!

Happy Friday!!

It’s the first weekend of SPRING!!! Woo!!

Even though NYC has SNOW in the forecast, I though I’d brighten things up with some stunning spring colors…deep purple, spring green, and bright red!

I made……Oven Roasted Cabbage “Steaks” with Avocado Pesto and Blistered Tomatoes!!

And they were AMAZING!!!!

And they’re Gluten Free, Vegan, Body Ecology Diet and Specific Carb Diet Friendly!

Here’s what you need: (Serves 2)

½ head of Cabbage, cut into ½ inch “steaks”
½ cup cherry tomatoes (BED omit)

Pesto:
1 cup fresh basil
3 Tbsp pine nuts
juice of 1 lemon
1 small garlic clove
1 avocado
salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut your cabbage into steaks, making sure to get a bit of the stem in each slab to keep them together. Put your “steaks” on a tin foil-lined, olive oil-sprayed baking sheet. Spritz with olive oil. Bake for 40 minutes, flipping half way through. When you flip them at 20 minutes, add your tomatoes to the baking sheet and bake for the remaining 20 minutes. When the cabbage comes out of the oven, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, make your pesto. Combine all your ingredients in the food processor and process until creamy and smooth. You’ll need to scrape the sides twice.

To assemble, top each “steak” with a healthy dollop of the pesto and decorate with your blistered tomatoes.

What a delicious meal!!! I don’t know about you, but I’ve never had cabbage prepared like this. Usually, cabbage has had the life cooked out of it, and is, well…icky! Let me assure you, this is anything but. It’s FABULOUS!! The cabbage is slightly soft, but crunchy. And paired with the creamy pesto and the juicy burst of the tomato….stupendous!!

And the flavors are outstanding. The cabbage is earthy and wonderfully deep, which compliments the bright pesto! There’s the fresh basil, with the backdrop of garlic, and zing of the lemon. What a treat!

And the pesto is so good on its own too! It would be great as a crudité dip, or sandwich spread! Also as a sauce on brown rice pasta!

Finally, it is visually stunning. The colors just jump off the plate! And seeing the cross-section of a cabbage is so intriguing….it instantly draws you in!

Need a fabulous food processor? Here’s the one I use and have an obsession with:)

Happy Spring!!

Almond Butter Pancakes! GF, SCD, BED!

Hey guys!

I just got back from Cincinnati for my dad’s birthday! It was great to be home:)

So yesterday, I made one of my staples…and I didn’t think it was really “blog worthy” until my brother was fascinated by it and loved how good it was! He’s a "low carb guy", and so this was right up his alley! I didn't realize how "Atkins-friendly" my recipes are! My brother was so excited about this recipe because of its "bread-like" texture and the fact that it's virtually carb-free!

So this is seriously so delicious, and so easy to whip up. 3 INGREDIENTS! I can literally have it made and ready to go in 5 minutes!

It’s a sweet Almond Butter Pancake!

And it’s gluten and grain free, dairy free, Specific Carb Diet and Body Ecology Diet friendly. And paleo!

Here’s what you need:

3 egg whites
2-3 Tbsp almond butter
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 “droppers full” of pure liquid stevia (SCD use 1-2 tsp honey)
½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Combine your eggs and almond butter in a medium bowl with a hand blender. Blend for about 2-3 minutes, until fluffy. Spray a small non-stick skillet with olive oil. Over medium heat, cook the “batter” for about 4 minutes on one side. Carefully flip it and then cook the other side for 2 more minutes.

Top with fruit or eat it plain!

I love this meal. It really hits the “sweet spot” and it has that “bready” texture that one craves when they’re on the SCD, BED, or being GFree. It’s sweet and slightly spicy from the cinnamon.

And it’s so healthy too! It’s a protein powerhouse with good healthy fats from the almonds.

A tasty treat to start (or end!) the day!

Until next time!

Need a hand blender? Here's the one I use and love.

PB & J Fruit Pizza! GF, V, SCD!

This fantastic recipe for my PB & J Fruit Pizza is available in my new e-book cookbook, The Best of GlutenFreeHappyTummy, available HERE ---> The Best of GlutenFreeHappyTummy  - Only $2.99!

Don’t forget to check out my video for this recipe! Cooking Demonstration Video: Fruit Pizza!