Chocolate Chip Cookies (Grain Free)

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond flour (you could substitute up to 1/2 cup of almond butter, but you must reduce the butter to about 2 tablespoons)
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons raw honey or maple syrup
• 1/2 cup or more chocolate chips
• Optional: unsweetened coconut, toasted nuts, dried fruit, or all of the above
• Optional: 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or arrowroot powder (this helps stabilize the cookie). If you don't like these options, coconut or coconut flour works nearly as well.

Instructions

1. mix the almond flour and baking soda in the bowl of a food processor
2. add the butter and pulse until only slight grainy.
3. add the egg, honey and vanilla extract and pulse until just combined 
4. stir in the chocolate chips and other goodies
5. refrigerate the dough for about 15 minutes (you can make a wax paper log and chill that way)
6. drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and flatten each cookie with the palm of your hands (or, if you used the log method, slice to 1 inch to 3/4 inch thick)
7. bake at 350°F until cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center, about 8 to 10 minutes
8. remove from oven and let it cool on baking sheet for 1 to 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely
9. store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week (like they'll last that long)

Adapted from livinghealthywithchocolate.com

Blueberry Crumb Bars

For the dough

•  1 1/2 c. flour
• scant 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/2 egg

For the filling

• zest and juice from a orange or clemantine
• zest and juice from a lemon
•  2 1/2 -3 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen and drained)
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• enough peach jam to coat the blueberries. (1/2 - 1 c.)

Heat oven to 375 F. Grease a 8x8 inch pan. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices. With a fork or your fingers, cut in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Sprinkle half the dough into the greased pan and press lightly to make a fairly solid base. In a bowl, mix together the jam, cornstarch, and the zest and juice from the citrus. Gently stir in the berries. Pour the berry mixture over the dough and sprinkle remaining dough over the blueberries. Bake for about 40 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool before cutting. These improve with some time in the fridge. They also freeze quite well. (You could replace the fruit with blackberries or raspberries or whatever you have on hand, and you could do the same with the jam.)

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

Sangria

• 1 bottle red wine -- I often use Cupcake Pinot Noir; use what you like 
• 1/2 cup apricot brandy, Triple Sec, Limoncello or other sweet fruit liqueur or a combination
• juice of 1 orange, 1 lemon and 1 lime
• seasonal fruit, chopped if necessary -- berries, peaches, mangoes are favorites
• 1 bottle Italian soda or 1 liter seltzer + 2 Tbsp honey or to taste

Mix all ingredients except soda in a pitcher and refrigerate overnight. Serve over ice about 50/50 with soda or seltzer. This is not overly sweet. Can increase honey or add sugar to taste.

Guacamole

• 1 avocado
• 1/2 c. diced onion
• 1/2 c. diced tomato
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 3 dashes Tabasco
• 1 heaping T. fresh cilantro
• 1 dash cayenne
• 1 dash hot paprika

Pour juice over avocado; mash fruit and add onion and tomato. Add spices to taste.

Hot Spiced Cider

• 4 c. apple cider
• 2 c. orange or cranberry juice
• 1 c. water
• 5 whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

Crock pot for at least 4 hours.

Spaghetti Sauce

• 14 oz. diced tomatoes
• 14 oz. tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
• Medium onion
• Salt and Pepper
• Tabasco sauce 
• Basil, Oregano, Tarragon and Marjoram
• Garlic 
• Rosemary
• Red wine
• Worcestershire sauce
• Sugar
• Ketchup

Ham and Cheese Puffs

• 1 lb. frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1/3 c. apricot or peach preserves
• 1/3 c. spicy prepared mustard
• 24 slices cooked ham
• 12 slices Swiss cheese
• 2 egg yolks, beaten 

            Working with one portion at a time, roll each of the three portion of puff pastry in to an 18 x 9 inch rectangle on a lightly loured surface. Cut fifteen 3-inch squares from each portion of rolled dough. Cut fifteen 3/4-inch rounds from each dough portion.
             Combine preserves and mustard; stir well. Spread about 1/2 tsp  on each square of four 1 1/2 inch squares. Layer a ham square, a cheese square and another ham square diagonally on one pastry square. Brush yolk over edges of square. Fold all corners to the middle; pinch edges to seal. Brush one side of a small round of dough with yolk; place on top of hand-and-cheese bundle, egg side down. Press slightly in center. Repeat procedure to use remaining ingredients. Place on ungreased baking sheets and freeze at least 15 minutes. Bake at 425 for 15-17 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned. Yield: 45 Appetizers.

Brats and Cabbage

• 1 pilsner beer
• 10-12 bratwurst
• 2 T. horseradish mustard
• 2 T. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pinch ground cloves
• 6 - 8 c. chopped cabbage
• 1 c. chopped onion

Simmer brats in beer 20-30 min. turning once. Remove brats and grill.
Saute onion in bacon fat. Strain beer if needed and return to pot. Add onion and remaining ingredients. Simmer until cabbage is tender but not mushy.

Chcken Piccata

• 2 T. flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 4 boneless chicken breast halves, pounded to even thickness
• Butter
• Dry white wine 
• One lemon, thinly sliced
• 1/4 c. chopped parsley
• 1 T. butter
• 1 egg yolk

Dredge meat in flour mixture. Saute in butter until well-browned. Top chicken with lemon slices and parsley. Add wine until the bottom of the pan is covered. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Remove meat and discard lemon. Mix egg yolk with 1/4 c. wine. Melt butter in pan over low heat, whisk in egg mixture and stir constantly until thickened . Pour over warm chicken and serve.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

• 4 boneless chicken breast halves
• 4 thin slices ham
• 2 oz. sliced Gruyere or Swiss cheese
• 1/4 c. butter
• 1/2 c. fine dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Paprika

Cut a pocket in each breast . Fold ham and cheese and tuck in pockets. Melt butter. Mix crumbs, salt and paprika in pie plate. Dredge breast first in butter, then bread crumbs. Coat well. Cook in skillet until golden brown and cooked through. Top with ham and cheese, Cover and cook until melted.
 
 NOTE: you can also butterfly the chicken, stuff it with the ham and cheese and then seal it with toothpicks; or pound it out thin, place the ham and cheese on top, and then roll it up and keep it shut with toothpicks.