Chocolate Banana Brownies

Do you know the old adage, two’s company, three’s a crowd? Well, I think that only works in some circumstances, because when it comes to brownies the more the merrier! One brownie is good, two is great, three unbelievable! Brownies love company, and thats a good thing because you won’t be able to eat just one of these brownies. Chocolate Banana Brownies, soft and delicious, gluten free and dairy free. Honestly, it. couldn’t get any better!

Chocolate Banana Brownies

Ingredients:

1 c. Almond Flour
1/2 c. Coco Powder
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 c. Sugar
2 Bananas
1 Egg
1/2 c. Butter (melted)

Preheat the oven 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients (flour, coco powder, baking powder, salt, and sugar).

Mash the bananas in a small bowl, and add in 1 egg, melted butter, and vanilla. Once the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, pour into the dry ingredients.

Stir together the wet and dry ingredients.

Grease an 8 x 8 pan and pour the batter in.

Bake the brownies for 40 minutes, or until the brownies start to brown and pull away from the pan.

Allow the brownies to cool before cutting them into squares.

Dust with confectioners, and serve up these warm and gooey brownies!

Egg Tortilla Cups

Brunch, lunch, breakfast, snack none of it matters, the only thing that matters now are these Egg Tortilla Cups. The future of breakfast has just been served.

Egg Tortilla Cups

Ingredients:

3 Baby Bell Peppers
3 Eggs
1/4 c. Almond Milk
1/4 of an Onion
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Sriracha
6 Small Corn Tortilla
Olive Oil

*makes six cups

*You will need a muffin tin for this recipe.

Begin by heating up olive oil in a small frying pan and warming up one tortilla in the pan at a time.

After warming up the tortillas push them down into the muffin tins, allowing the tortillas to take the form of the cups and set them aside for later.

Sauté the diced bell peppers and onions until the onions become translucent.

Once the peppers and onions are cooked, place them in a mixing bowl and set them aside. Allow them to cool off before adding the eggs.

Now that the mixture is cooled, add three large eggs and 1/4 cup of almond milk. Beat the eggs and mix all together. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. If you’re are felling spicy add 1/4 tsp. Sriracha.

Spoon the egg mixture among the 6 tortilla cups.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes.

The tortilla bowls will crisp up, be careful not to burn the edges. Top with avocado, salsa, or Sriracha.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Gnocchi combines two of the greatest treasures in the carb world: potatoes and pasta. How can you go wrong when this power couple? But they can always be dressed up. Sweet Potato Gnocchi has the great taste of traditional gnocchi with all the benefits of sweet potato. Next Sunday night put away the meatballs and sausage, just this once, and try Sweet Potato Gnocchi.

Ingredients:

2 Medium Sweet Potatoes
2 c. Whole Wheat Flour (plus more for kneading)
1 Egg
Salt and Pepper
Grape Tomatoes
Olive Oil
Spinach
Garlic

Boil two potatoes in a medium sauce pan until both potatoes are soft. Allow the potatoes to cool, and remove the skins. Mash the potatoes and set them aside.

Scoop two cups of flour on to a clean surface and make a well in the the middle.

Crack one egg into the well and gently beat with a fork.

Slowly pull flour into the egg and continue until the two are thoroughly mixed (the dough will still be very dry at this point).

Add salt and pepper to the sweet potatoes (I add about 1/4 tsp. Salt and pepper) and mix.

Next, add the sweet potatoes a little at a time. Continue to knead the dough until all the sweet potatoes are incorporated. Make sure to add flour to the Dough and surface so that it doesn’t stick.

Continue to knead until the mixture isn’t sticky anymore.

Roll the dough into long tubes, about a 1/2 inch thick. Cut 1/2 inch dough pieces and roll with a fork or with your hands.

Remember to continue to add flour so that the dough doesn’t stick!

Fill a medium sauce pan with water and bring to a boil.

Place a small batch of dough pieces into boiling water for about three minutes, or until they float to the top. Do the same with the rest of the pieces of dough. Once the gnocchi is cooked remove from the water and place in a bowl.

In a sauce pan, cook two cloves of garlic in olive oil. Cut a handful of grape tomatoes into fourths, add to the cooked garlic. Throw two handfuls of spinach into the olive oil and sauté. Season with salt and pepper, and pour over the gnocchi. Drizzle a little extra olive oil on the gnocchi and mix all together.

Bon Appetit!

Roasted Bell Pepper Hummus

If we are being honest with one another, I have a problem. The problem snuck up on me pretty slowly and now I’m in a full on free fall. I think I’m addicted to hummus. Yes, hummus. Plain, garlic, or spinach I’ll eat it. I think of it more of a super power. Sure, Superman can fly, and stop trains and save people, but can he down a container of hummus in a single sitting!? While on a hummus high I mixed up a batch of this delicious Roasted Bell Pepper Hummus and now there’s no going back!

Roasted Bell Pepper Hummus

Ingredients:

1 Can Chickpeas
1 Roasted Red Bell Pepper
5 Cloves of Roasted Garlic
2 tbl. Tahini
1 tbl. Lemon
1/2 tsp. Parsley
3/4 tsp. Cumin
1/4 tsp. Paprika
1/4 tsp. Salt
Olive Oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the stem and seeds from the bell pepper, and cut in to pieces. On a baking sheet, brush the bell pepper with olive oil and roast along side a head of garlic for an hour.

Once they are cooked remove from the oven and allow to completely cool.

In a food processor blend the bell pepper and garlic. Add in the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and drizzle in olive oil.

Blend together until smooth.

Finally, mix in the seasonings (parsley, cumin, paprika, and salt) and blend until the mixture reaches the desired consistency.

Serve with chips, bread, vegetables, eat it with your fingers, find some pretzels, you get it. It’s just time to get down to business.

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

The sun is shinning, the birds are chirping, and I am parched! There is nothing like a cool lemonade on a warm spring day, unless….. there are pink lemonade cupcakes! By far the funnest cupcakes you can bring to any party. Pink is not the new black, but these cupcakes will be your new go to dessert.

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

1 c. Flour
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 c. Sugar
1/4 c. Coconut Oil
1 Egg
1/4 c. Almond Milk
Pinch Salt
Juice of one lemon
Pink Dye

Frosting

1/2 c. Coconut Oil
1/4 c. Almond Milk
3/4 lb. Confectioner’s Sugar
Food Dye

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.

Melt the coconut oil and pour into the dry ingredients. Next, add the egg, almond milk, and lemon juice.

Finally, add pink food dye to the batter and thoroughly mix.

Once the batter is completely mixed, fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way and bake for 20-25 minutes.

While the cupcakes are baking, it’s time to make the frosting!

Using a hand mixer, whip together 1/2 a cup of coconut oil (in solid form) and 1/4 of a cup almond milk.

Slowly, add the confectioner’s sugar until the frosting becomes thick, and fluffy.

Allow the cupcakes to completely cool before frosting.

Have fun with the frosting! Try out different colors or designs, or if you’re feeling really adventurous try to make them into flowers.

Almond Butter and Blackberry Jelly Tarts

For centuries one sandwich has dominated the lunch game, Peanut Butter and Jelly. Really, is there anything better than a good PBJ with an ice cold milk? The answer, no there is not. As adults there aren’t many certainties, but there is one we will always be able to rely on, peanut butter and jelly are just made for each other. And as adults we have a duty to hold on to those traditions and…modernize a few. May I present, Almond butter and Blackberry Jelly tarts.

Ingredients:

Crust:
6 Graham Cracker Cookies
2 Heaping tbsp. Coconut Oil

Filling:
12oz Blackberries
1/4 c. Water
1 tbsp. Sugar
2 tbsp. Flour
1/4 c. Almond Butter

* 6 Cupcake liners

Preheat the oven 350 degrees.

Begin by making the crust. Crush 6 graham crackers cookies in a large bowl. Once the crackers are completely pulverized, add 2 heaping tablespoons of coconut oil and thoroughly mix.

Spoon the graham cracker mixture into a lined cupcake tin. Form the crust by firmly pressing the crushed graham crackers against the liner, to form a cup.

Bake the crust for 5-10 minutes, or until they begin to brown.

Allow the crust to completely cool, and spoon almond butter evenly among the crusts.

In a small sauce pan place blackberries, water, and sugar. Let the mixture come to a simmer. Once the berries begin to break down, mix in 2 tablespoons of flour (mixture should begin to thicken).

Remove the mixture from the burner, and let cool before spooning it into the crust.

Spoon the berry mixture onto the almond butter and refrigerate the tarts for a half hour.

Pour yourself a tall glass of milk (Coconut for me please!) and get ready to feel like a kid again!

Makes 6 Tarts.

*Not a fan of the seeds in blackberries? No worries, just use a strainer before spooning them into the crust.

Crispy Apple Chips

New York Housewives Premiere tonight! What better way to ring in the new season than with some apple chips. Perfectly crisp and indulgent chips that make you feel like your eating heathy, because you are! After your second martini tonight you’ll need a snack.

Crispy Apple Chips

Ingredients:

2 Medium Apples
1/2 tsp. Sugar
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
Pinch of Salt

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

Begin by peeling and coring two apples. Cut each apple in half, using a mandolin, thinly slice the apples.

On a metal baking sheet, lay the slices in a single layer (make sure not to over lap them).

Mix together sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Sprinkle on top of the apple slices.

Bake the apple chips for 40 minutes. Remove them from the oven, and flip the slices over. Sprinkle again with cinnamon mixture and continue to bake for another 40 minutes.

Once the apple chips are slightly browned, and edges have curled, it’s time to remove them from the oven.

When you initially take the chips out of the oven they will still be slightly soft. Don’t worry! Allow them to cool, and they will crisp up!

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, so eat up!

Crispy Sweet Potato Chips

Sweet potatoes remind me of two things, Thanksgiving, and pie. The sweet taste, and orange color make these the friendliest of all potatoes. Not only do they make you feel like you’re eating dessert for dinner, they also are filled with essential vitamins. Sweet potatoes are pretty much the cooler older brother to white potatoes. They have a great tan, and know whats good for you. You can never go wrong with a sweet potato, or these sweet potato chips.

Crispy Sweet Potato Chips

Ingredients:

1 Large Sweet Potato
1/3 c. Coconut Oil (melted)
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

The easiest way to slice the potato is with a mandolin, or slice side on a cheese grater, but you can definitely hand slice them in a pinch. Just make sure to slice them very thin for the best results.

After thinly slicing the potato, brush eat slice with melted coconut oil.

Place the potato slices in a single layer on a metal baking sheet. Do not use parchment paper with these chips, they wont crisp up all the way.

Mix together the salt and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the potato slices.

Bake for an hour, turning them over at the half way point.

Once the chips are browned and crispy, remove them from the oven.

Don’t panic if your chips aren’t completely crisp yet, once they are completely cooled they will become super crispy.

*You’re house will smell delicious after baking them!

Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips

Yep, I’m one of those people. I love Kale. I loved it before it was cool, and I’ll love it after it’s cool. We’ll probably both be chilling together in our old age, telling all the youngin’s about our adventure’s we’ve gone on. This being one. Kale chips in my opinion are here to stay. If you aren’t a big fan of Kale try this recipe. You’ll second guess everything that you know.

Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips

Ingredients:

2 Leaves of Kale
1 tbl. Olive Oil
2 tbl. White Vinegar
Pinch of salt
Pinch of garlic powder
*Extra 1/2 tsp. White Vinegar optional

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Rinse and dry two large leaves of kale thoroughly.

Remove the leaves from the stem, and toss them with olive oil and seasonings. Reserve an additional 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar for later.

Lay a single layer of leaves on a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake for 25 minutes.

Once the kale leaves are flat and crispy, remove them from the oven. Allow them to completely cool before serving.

If you are like me, and love vinegar, toss the chips with an additional 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar. Make sure to coat all the chips with it. But if you want a milder taste, leave the additional vinegar out.

Be careful because you just might become a kale convert.

Pita Chips

Chip Week! More delicious and safer than shark week. What better way to start chip week off than with a tried and true friend, the Pita Chip. A sturdy specimen of a chip, great for dipping, scooping, and general munching. Since these chips are made out of pita bread, they’re basically a sandwich. Which mean its healthy, and you can definitely eat it any time of the day.

Pita Chips

Ingredients:
1 Pita Round
1 tbl. Olive Oil
1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp. Ground Pepper
1/8 tsp. Ground Paprika
Heavy sprinkle of sea salt

This recipe is so easy, you’ll wonder why you’ve ever fretted when you find yourself at the wrong end of a pita chip bag.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees

Cut the pita bread into desired shapes. I did general triangles, but hey go wild. You only live once.

Toss the bread pieces with olive oil and seasonings. Lay the chips in a single layer, not over lapping, on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake the chips for 20 minutes, turning them over at the halfway point.

Once they are evenly tanned, remove them from the oven, and allow them to completely cool before serving.

These chips are so good on their own, but who doesn’t like company? Don’t forget to save some to try with hummus!

*This recipe is easy to double for entertaining.