Pumpkin Oat Bars

Yield: 16 bars

3 cups oats

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

pinch ground cloves

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1 tbsp olive or coconut oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup chocolate chips, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

2. Place oats into a high-speed blender. Blend for 15 to 30 seconds, or until oats resemble flour. Measure out 2 1/2 cups of the oat flour.

3. In a medium bowl, add oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.

4. In a separate large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, applesauce, coconut sugar, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.

5. Slowly add oat flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

6. Gently fold in 1/3 cup of chocolate chips.

7. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.

8. Cool for 15 minutes on wire rack. Cut into 16 slices.

https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/healthy-pumpkin-chocolate-chip-oat-bars-vegan-gluten-free/

Lemon Bars (Paleo, Nut-Free)

Yield: 16 bars

Crust:

1/4 cup honey

1/3 cup ghee or butter, melted, room temp

1 egg, room temp

1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1/8 tsp salt

zest of 1 lemon

Filling:

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)

zest of 1 lemon

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp honey

3 eggs

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp tapioca flour

1/2 tsp coconut flour

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper.

2. To make the crust, in a medium bowl, whisk together honey, liquid ghee, egg, and vanilla until smooth.

3. Add coconut flour, tapioca flour, salt, and lemon zest. Combine to form a dough.

4. Press crust into bottom of prepared pan as evenly as possible. Poke all over with a fork.

5. Bake crust for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly brown around the edges.

6. While crust bakes, in a large bowl, whisk together all filling ingredients until very smooth.

7. As soon as crust is done, whisk filling mixture one last time and pour over HOT crust (important!).

8. Lower oven temperature to 325F. Bake another 15 minutes, or until filling is just set in the center.

9. Allow bars to cool completely, then refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

10. To serve, cut cooled bars into 16 squares.

https://www.paleorunningmomma.com/paleo-lemon-bars-nut-free/

Beef Barley Soup

Yield: 4-6 servings

1 lb beef cubes

salt and pepper

(optional: 1/4 cup all-purpose flour)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp oregano, chopped

1 tsp thyme, chopped

3 tbsp tomato paste

4 cups beef broth

2 cups water

3/4 cup barley

1 tbsp parsley, chopped

1. Season the beef cubes generously with salt and pepper. If using flour, place the beef in a ziploc bag and add the flour to the bag. Close the bag and shake all the beef is fully covered in flour. Add more flour if needed.

2. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. In batches, add the beef and cook just until the meat starts to brown. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside.

3. In the same pot, add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook the vegetables about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Add garlic, oregano, thyme, and tomato paste. Stir.

5. Add the meat back to the pot, along with the beef broth and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef becomes tender.

6. Add the barley and cook for another 30 minutes or until the barley is cooked through. Be sure to stir occasionally to keep the barley from sticking. If the soup is too thick, add more water as necessary until you get the desired consistency.

7. Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.

https://www.jocooks.com/recipes/beef-barley-soup/

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Yield: 8 mini pizzas

1 head cauliflower, chopped

2 eggs

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan

1 tsp Italian seasoning

salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

2. Add cauliflower to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground, yielding about 2 to 3 cups. A box grater can also be used instead of a food processor.

3. Transfer to a microwave-safe bowl. Cover loosely and place into microwave for 4 minutes, or until softened. Let cool.

4. Using a clean dish towel or cheese cloth, drain cauliflower completely, removing as much water as possible.

5. Transfer cauliflower to a large bowl. Stir in eggs, mozzarella, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

6. Spread cauliflower mixture into 4-inch circles onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden.

7. Top with pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings. Place into oven and bake until the cheese has melted, about 3 to 5 minutes.

8. Serve immediately, sprinkled with basil and red pepper flakes, if desired.

https://damndelicious.net/2016/07/13/best-cauliflower-pizza-crust/

Pecan Pie Filling

Yield: 1 pie

2 cups pecans

3 eggs

1 cup corn syrup

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Spread pecans evenly inside pie crust. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, melted butter, salt, and cinnamon together.

3. Once completely combined and thick, pour evenly over pecans.

4. Bake the pie for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. After the first 20 minutes of bake time, tent a piece of aluminum foil over pie if it is browning too quickly. Remove finished pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. The pie filling will settle as it cools.

5. Slice and serve pie warm or at room temperature. Cover and store leftover pie at room temperature for 1 to 2 days or in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2015/11/06/my-favorite-pecan-pie-recipe/

Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: 12

1/3 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/3 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and eggs until a uniform batter is created. The batter will start off a bit runny, but will thicken as the coconut flour starts to absorb the moisture.

3. Add chocolate chips, and stir to combine.

4. Using your hands, shape the dough into cookies. These cookies will not spread on their own, so shape them how you'd like them to turn out.

5. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Allow to cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

https://detoxinista.com/coconut-flour-chocolate-chip-cookies-grain-free/

Almond Flour Pancakes

Yield: 2-3 servings (6 pancakes)

2 eggs

1/3 cup coconut milk (or almond milk)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup almond flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

olive oil, coconut oil, or butter, for greasing pan

optional: 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

optional: 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1. In large bowl, mix eggs, coconut milk, and vanilla together until smooth and well combined.

2. Add in almond flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir until well combined. Add any optional ingredients, if using, and stir again.

3. Place a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and lightly coat with olive oil, coconut oil, or butter.

4. Drop a 1/4-cup of batter onto pan. Cook until bubbles appear on top and the edges are well cooked. Flip cakes and cook until golden brown on underside, about 2 minutes.

5. Wipe skillet clean and repeat with more oil/butter and remaining batter.

https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/5-ingredient-almond-flour-pancakes/