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Tag Archives: ketogenic

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Cacao Cake Brownies

It’s snowing. We are halfway through the first month of the new decade and it’s snowing here in New York. It’s actually quite peaceful to watch the snow fall, sitting inside, enjoying the quiet with my husband and my dog, sipping some coffee and developing new recipes.

I’ve been obsessed with trying to bake more, and play in the kitchen on the weekends, although my back is pretty tense today, and I desperately need to clean the bathrooms. I’m also 31 weeks pregnant and currently this babe is the size of a head of romaine lettuce, which is not small. Nevertheless, I baked (and cooked) on and off since 10am this morning. I saw one of the amazing bakers I follow on Instagram make these delectable brownies, and decided I wanted to try making brownies myself. This particular recipe is on the cakier side than fudge, even though I do plan to try a “fudgie” (fudge brownie) in the near future. Personally, I prefer a cake-like brownie as they’re a little less sweet, dense, and I can cube leftovers up and make a brownie trifle.. *wipes drool from side of mouth* This recipe is gluten free and dairy free, employing the help of Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free baking flour and Chosen Foods avocado oil instead of butter.

Here’s what you’ll need for these brownies:

  • 1 cup Gluten Free Flour – I use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 GF Flour found on Thrive Market
  • 3/4 cup cacao powder (or unsweetened chocolate powder)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup avocado oil
  • 1/3 cup organic granulated sugar, or coconut sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • Vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 375*. Spray or pre-grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside. Take a medium sized bowl and crack three eggs in, and add in the sugar, vanilla extract, and avocado oil. Whisk together until combined.

Add in the flour, cacao powder, baking powder, salt, and whisk again. The batter should be fairly thick as these brownies will be cake-like. Pour into the greased pan and bake for 20m.

I had three of them today, and two of those I added a *large* dollop of whipped cream on top and OMG it was heaven. Perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner… forget dessert 🙂 NOMaste.

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Slow Braised Short Ribs in Bone Broth and Red Wine

Sundays are for lazy mornings with a cup of coffee, Fixer Upper on HGTV, and home-cooked dinners.  A few years ago, I stopped eating red meat because it made me feel super bloated and inflamed; I felt like I couldn’t digest the meat.  Fast forward to a little research, a bit of experimenting, and I am back on the saddle, chomping on buffalo wings and Bistecca Alla Fiorentina (I actually re-introduced meat back in my diet in Italy, 2015).   My findings told me that it wasn’t the meat itself per se, it was the quality and where the meat was raised and how it was treated. Ever since switching to Butcher Box meat or high-quality grass-fed/grass-finished beef, my stomach does bloat, I get a euphoric high (look it up – it exists!) from eating quality meals, and I feel stronger than I felt eating only plants. (disclaimer: no judgement if your body runs solely on plants, I love me some veggie meals as well, I just thrive more on meats and fats).IMG_3987

Anywho, I’ve seen restaurants whip up some bangin’ recipes involving short ribs.  I honestly never knew what they were or how they looked because they were always shredded or legitimately falling off the bone as I ate.  Short ribs are one of those cuts that is super tender when cooked correctly, and can easily turn chewy and tough.  My favorite way to make these babies is to braise them in (or on, in this case) the oven for 2-3 hours on a medium-low flame in broth and yes, lushes, red wine.  Red wine adds beautiful notes and aromas, also the meat itself turns a succulent red color #drool.  The best part?  It all gets cooked in a dutch oven.

Seasoning is super simple: salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano.  I quickly pan sear the short ribs in some Kerrygold butter (a staple in my household), browning each side.  I added the red wine – I used Cabernet, but a Merlot works too – to deglaze the bottom.  After a few minutes of simmering, I add in two containers (each measured 1 pint) of bone broth and sprinkled some rosemary on top of the ribs.  This simmered for 2.5 hours on low.  I swear this was the most buttery, flavorful, and tender piece of meat I’ve had in a while, paired with my cheesy roasted broccoli I was a happy pup :).  Nomaste!

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Slow Braised Short Ribs in Bone Broth and Red Wine

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs grass fed short ribs
  • 2 tbs grass fed butter
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 2 pints or two cartons bone broth, beef
  • Dried oregano
  • Garlic powder
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Instructions

  1. In a large pan or dutch oven, heat butter over medium heat.
  2. Season short ribs with dry seasonings, be generous here!
  3. Add short ribs to pan/dutch oven to brown, 3-4 minutes per side. Re-season if you need to. Add in cup of red wine to de-glaze the bottom of the pan. Turn short ribs over. Simmer for five minutes
  4. Add in bone broth and stir/turn the short ribs. Cover and let simmer for 2-3 hours on medium to medium-low heat (low is preferred). Meet may not fall off the bone, but it should be tender where you can fork off pieces rather easily.
  5. Serve with cheesy roasted broccoli, sweet potatoes, rice, etc. Enjoy!

Four Layer Taco Dip

Who doesn’t love a good dip?  I sure do.  For as long as I can remember, this dip has been a staple at SuperBowl parties (and I’ve been told I can’t come unless I bring it, so it’s kind of a big deal…) and is always a hit.  It can be served cold sans melted cheese, or it can be broiled to melt the cheese just enough that it’s not burnt.

Let’s talk about the layers:  sour cream, ground beef, mild salsa, and Mexican cheese. The first layer is sour cream.  I swear by Wallaby’s cultured organic sour cream because it has such a thick, rich flavor and is incredibly low in sugar, but high in the good stuff. I found a great salsa to pair as well with easy ingredients and paleo-approved.  Lastly, the cheese tops this monster of a dip (I don’t get fancy with the cheese… Sargento is great for this).

I start out with browning the meat like you would for tacos, adding the seasoning about halfway through (when the meat is 75% browned).  I add a 1/4c of water to the meat, then the seasoning, lower the flame to low and stir around.  I let it sit uncovered on a low heat just until the water is absorbed and remove it from the heat.  Add the sour cream at the bottom of any corning wear or pyrex dish (be generous), then add the meat, the salsa, and then the cheese.  Melt cheese or not melt cheese?  The choice is yours 🙂

This dip is very high in good fats and is Ketogenic-friendly.  I’ve dabbled in the Keto diet before it was a thing and found that while I LOVE me some bacon, avocado, and butter, I missed having a ton of veggies on my plate (keto is incredibly low-carb and, as you already know, vegetables pack some carbs regardless if they’re a vegetable.  All in moderation and balance right friends?  I decided tonight was a good night to roast some asparagus tossed in EVOO sprinkled with pink sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Mmmm, I already ate and am still drooling.

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Four Layer Taco Dip

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 1 16 oz package ground beef
  • 3 cups sour cream
  • 1 container salsa
  • 1/4 c water
  • 3 cups Mexican blend cheese
  • Taco seasoning
  • Tortilla chips

Instructions

  1. In a medium sauce pan, turn heat to medium and brown the ground beef until 75% of the beef is browned. Add 1/4c of water to the meat, then stir in seasoning. Bring heat down to low and continue to cook and stir in seasoning until water is fully absorbed. Turn heat off and let sit.
  2. In your dish of choice, assemble the dip with sour cream at the bottom, adding the ground beef atop of the sour cream. Pour salsa and spread evenly across the ground beef, and sprinkle cheese to cover the top of the meat. Broil for 10m at 325 degrees. (or serve as is!). Serve with tortilla chips, pita chips, or solo.

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