Apricot Coconut Flour Mug Cake

 This mug cake is lighter and fluffier than you can possibly imagine.
And in the artichoke jar is the most delicious homemade apricot jam I have ever had!

 A Sin City mug for a totally sin free delight with this delicious 

Apricot Coconut Flour Mug Cake.

I had a bag of coconut flour I wanted to use so went looking for a recipe. I had a few mug cake recipes but they all had cocoa and I didn't want chocolate. Something I never say but did this particular night.

I went for a search on the internet and found a recipe with a whole lot of ingredients I didn't like. So I took them out and added a few of my own and came up with this super moist, light and fluffy Apricot Coconut Flour Mug Cake. 

The jam was made by our neighbour Katerina. A lovely Italian lady who always gives us food which we never say no to and always thoroughly enjoy.

The apricot jam was super delicious and worked perfectly with this delightfully sinless treat that is grain free, gluten free and dairy free. 

Apricot Coconut Flour Mug Cake

Ingredients
2 tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
2 tablespoons almond milk
1 tablespoon raw honey
1 tablespoon home made apricot jam
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Topping
1 teaspoon homemade apricot jam
1 teaspoon raw honey

Method
Combine all wet ingredients in the mug first until well combined and looks light and fluffy!

Then add in the flour and baking powder and mix until all well combined.

Place in the microwave for 2 minutes.

Then place apricot jam and honey on top of cake and swirl around with your spoon until absorbed into cake.

Enjoy. 

Clean Chocolate Cake

I am sure you are asking what is a clean chocolate cake. Well it is one without flour, sugar and dairy. Best of all it is super delicious.

A friend was having a dinner party and I decided to make a cake. I found this recipe and adapted it a bit. This cake doesn't rise much at all. It's almost like a large chocolate pancake but it is still very satisfying. Nice and healthy and easy on the belly. Just how all good food should be.

Clean Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 eggs
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup melted coconut oil

Method
Preheat oven to 160C.

Combine the cocoa powder, coconut flour, baking powder and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl.

In another medium sized bowl beat all the eggs together then add honey, vanilla and coconut oil and mix until well combined.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until all ingredients are well combined. Just note it is a runny batter. 

Spoon into a small 15 - 20 cm baking tin that is lined with baking paper.

Bake for 40 minutes or until cooked through.

Remove from the oven. Cool for a few minutes in the tin then move onto a cooling rack and allow to cool before you add chocolate icing.



Icing
300 g chocolate
150 ml coconut milk

Melt the chocolate either in the microwave or on a double boiler. Stir in the coconut milk and mix until combined so the consistency is nice and smooth. Then ice cake. I also grated some chocolate on top.It just looked like it needed something more.

Adapted from the Healthy Chef.

Peanut Butter Truffle Balls

I was leafing through the weekend paper and saw a recipe for raw chocolate balls. I didn't like the recipe so changed some of the ingredients and came up with this super delicious Peanut Butter Truffle Ball recipe.

Remember the coconut balls recipe with crushed teddy bear biscuits and condensed milk? Well these taste exactly like that but with a peanut butter flavour. So yum, yum, yum!

Peanut Butter Truffle Balls

Truffles

4 large Medjool dates chopped with pits removed

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1/2 cup raw almonds

3 tablespoons peanut butter or any nut butter

2 tablespoons shredded coconut

1 teaspoon honey

Coating

2 tablespoons shredded coconut

Method

Place almonds into a food processor and blend until they become a nut butter. 

Add all other ingredients and blend until well combined.

Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls then roll in coconut.

Place on a tray and into the fridge for 1 hour to set. 

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks but they won't last that long.

Greek Rice Pudding Recipe

We had Harmony Day at work today and everyone had to bring something from their country of origin. Being Greek and leaving it to the last minute the easiest thing I could think of to cook was Rizogalo or Greek Rice Pudding.

I decided to make it with lactose free milk because Greek Rice Pudding dessert is my favourite and wanted to have some as well. This Greek Rice Pudding is without eggs as well.

I found an easy recipe on the SBS food website and had some assistance from my mother who insisted I put water in as well as milk because it's not Greek otherwise! Can't argue with mum.

Of course she was right as one of my co-workers said it was the best Greek Rice Pudding he has ever tasted. I don't know if he was just being nice but I will accept the compliment and gladly. Another co-worker said it was light and fluffy and wanted the recipe.

So below is the recipe I used which is part Greek mum Rizogalo recipe and part SBS Greek Rice Pudding Recipe.

This is an easy recipe which did take around 45 minutes to cook on the stove top. I got six small servings out of it.

Greek Rice Pudding Recipe

Ingredients
4 cups (1 ltr) lactose free milk
1 cup (250ml) water
½ cup (100 g) arborio rice
2 tbsp raw sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract

Method
Heat milk, water and rice in a saucepan on medium heat, stirring frequently until it starts to lightly boil or is simmering.

Add sugar and vanilla extract and stir to combine all ingredients.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until rice is tender and consistency has thickened.

Spoon rice into small serving bowls and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Serve either hot or cold. It can be eaten both ways enjoyably.

Paleo Almond Meal Pear Muffins

We picked a lot of pears in the last few weeks from the tree in our backyard so I went looking for a paleo recipe with pears in it. There are very few.

A lot of the recipes I found had coconut flour and almond meal in them but I don't have much coconut flour left and the store to get it from is too far away so they weren't good.

Then I came across a basic almond meal recipe from Best Recipes which was perfect. I changed it around a little and came up with this easy, incredibly delicious Paleo Almond Meal Pear Muffin Recipe. 

Paleo Almond Meal Pear Muffins Recipe

Makes 4

Ingredients
1 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons almond milk
2 tablespoons coconut oil raw (not melted)
2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs
1/2 cup diced pear

Method

Preheat oven to 180C/350F.

Combine all the ingredients except the pear in a bowl and whisk until well combined.

Mix in the pear until evenly distributed. 

Place four muffin liners in a muffin tin.

Divide mixture evenly amongst the muffins and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.


Note: Can freeze up to 3 months.

Grain Free Peanut Butter Muffins

I know peanut butter is not paleo but I am not giving it up. I love it. So I went searching for a paleo peanut butter muffin recipe and found this delicious, light, moist creation.

It is super easy to make, easy on the tummy and very filling.

You can't go wrong with this one. Only if they were all this easy to make.

Grain Free Peanut Butter Muffins

Ingredients:
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. peanut butter
2 eggs
2 tablespoons almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Sprinkling of granola on top of each cupcake

Method:
Preheat your oven to 180C/350F degrees.

Line muffin pan with paper liners.

Place all ingredients minus the granola into a food processor and mix until well combined.

Evenly distribute the batter amongst the muffins tins and top each muffin with granola.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.

Allow to cool on a wire rack and store in the fridge.


Adapted from gingerlemongirl.com

Chocolate Pecan Pie

I found this delicious Chocolate Pecan Pie recipe at Elana's Pantry. I changed it around a bit as I always do. This pie is wheat free, gluten free and dairy free.

Elana uses coconut sugar which I don't like I prefer to keep it natural so changed it for honey. I also added some cinnamon which always goes well in a pie with chocolate, not to mention it smells like heaven in the kitchen while it is baking too. I also added some vanilla to the crust to give it a little sweetness.

I made the pie as I was going to my sisters for an early Christmas dinner. The Chocolate Pecan Pie turned out to be a smash hit as I had a piece and another guest had a piece and he raved about it and told his brother in law to have a piece and then he raved and told his sister to have a piece and it went all around the table like this. Before I knew it the whole pie was almost gone!

I highly recommend you eat this with a scoop of ice cream. It break s up the sweetness of the pie.

Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe

Ingredients for Pie Crust
2 cups blanched almond flour
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 egg
 
Ingredients for Chocolate Pecan Filling
3 large eggs
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
200gm of dark chocolate finely chopped
2 cups whole pecans

Method for Pie Crust
1. Place coconut oil, vanilla and egg in a large bowl and mix.
2. Add almond flour and mix until well combined.

 

 
3. Press dough into a 23cm/9-inch pie dish


Method for Filling
1. In a food processor combine eggs, honey, cinnamon and coconut oil.

2. Stir in pecans and chopped chocolate by hand.

3. Transfer filling into unbaked pie crust and bake at 180C/350° for 40-50 minutes or until set. Keep an eye on the edges so they don't burn. If you find it going brown place foil over pie and continue baking.

5. Cool before slicing so filling can set then serve with a scoop of lactose free ice cream. Yum!