Simple Latte

I came up with this option for my very occasional espresso or coffee drink because my counter space is too precious to keep my espresso machine on hand. It's easy to run to a neighborhood coffee shop for the espresso or coffee, but what to do about the foamed milk? I find coconut milk much too strong (and thick) to use as creamer, so here's my solution, which is so good I don't miss the "real" thing!

 INGREDIENTS:

1 c nut milk
1/4 c coconut milk
1 tsp honey or to taste
1-2 shots of espresso
grated nutmeg to sprinkle on top (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

In a small saucepan, mix together the milks. Gently heat the milk mixture while stirring until it reaches the desired temperature.  Remove from heat and stir in the honey to taste and the vanilla if using. 

You can steam the milk with an espresso machine if you have one handy, or you can froth it with a hand blender by gently lifting the blender to the surface while it's running to form bubbles.  Do this slowly and carefully as it can be extremely messy.

Pour the mixture into a tall glass.  Sprinkle nutmeg on top if desired.

VARIATIONS:
The milk mixture also works well as a coffee creamer and makes a good cafe au lait. In the summer, I plan to blend the nut milk with frozen coconut milk in the blender to make an iced latte. You can experiment with various flavoring extracts (such as almond) if you are feeling adventurous.

Basic Pizza Sauce

This sauce is very basic and very good. It makes exactly enough to cover the coconut flour pizza crust recipe. It would be very good with additional veggies pureed in, such as zucchini or leafy greens.

INGREDIENTS:

1-2 T of fat for cooking
1 onion
4 large tomatoes
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
3-4 cloves of garlic, crushed
salt to taste

METHOD:

Heat the fat or oil in a large skillet. Chop the onion finely in a food processor, then add to the hot oil and saute for about 5 minutes. Puree the tomatoes in the food processor and have them ready.

Stir in the seasonings and add the crushed garlic. Add the pureed tomatoes and stir thoroughly. Add some salt. Let the sauce simmer for about 1-2 hours to cook down. Once the sauce has reached it's desired thickness, remove from heat, adjust the seasonings, and use on your pizza!

You can use the coconut flour crust recipe,

Hazelnut pizza crust recipe, or seed crust recipe.

Watermelon Sorbet

This is very simple and very refreshing.

INGREDIENTS:

5 cups watermelon, chopped into chunks and de-seeded
(this was about 1/4 of a medium watermelon)
2 T fresh lemon or lime juice
1-2 T honey (optional)
pinch of salt

METHOD:

Place all ingredients in a food processor and puree. Pour pureed mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to machine instructions.

If you don't have an ice cream machine, you can pour the mixture into a large flat pan, such as a pyrex lasagna pan, and freeze. Once frozen, break it up with a knife and puree chunks in the food processor again.

Lime Coconut Cream Soda

This is simple and very refreshing.

INGREDIENTS:

juice of 2 limes
1-2 T coconut milk
1-2 T honey
sparkling water (about 12 oz)

METHOD:

Juice the two limes, and put this juice in a small saucepan. Heat it slightly and add in the honey. Heat it just enough for the honey to dissolve, then remove from heat.

Pour into a tall glass or small pitcher, add in the coconut milk and stir, then fill up the glass or pitcher with the sparkling water.

If a creamier drink is desired simply add more coconut milk.

Orange Creamsicle Milkshake

This is a very simple, very delicious treat on a warm day. Orange creamsicle is one of my favorite flavors and while this doesn't look orange, the taste is just right! My kids also loved this.

To make, I combined about 1 1/2 cups of coconut ice cream and the juice from two oranges in the blender. I put vanilla in my ice cream when I make it- if you don't , add some vanilla into the blender as well. Add about 1-2 T of honey (or to taste) and blend. If you find that the honey doesn't blend in well this way, you can also heat the orange juice a little on the stove and mix the honey in- it will melt in that way and stay dissolved in the cold drink.

Apricot Macadamia bars

I am always in search of foods that I can keep on hand to grab-and-go. I still like to be spontaneous on occasion, and having a few snacks around can really facilitate that. These bars were a huge hit with my family, and they travel well. If it's very hot, you should pack them in the cooler so the coconut oil doesn't melt completely.

Ingredients

2 handsful dried apricots (unsweetened of course) 2 handsful organic raisins
2 heaping Tbsp. coconut oil
1 handful chopped macadamia nuts
1 palmful shredded coconut (again unsweetened)
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Method

Chop apricots and raisins along with the coconut oil in a food processor until they become a mass. Turn out onto a jelly roll pan (cookie sheet with side or a bar pan). With clean hands, knead in the remaining ingredients.

Flatten in your pan to about 3/4 inch thick. (I tried to flatten the borders to make my bars neater when I cut them. This did not fill my small jelly roll pan.) Refrigerate until firm. Cut into bars. (I found that holding my hand under my stainless steel pan warmed the bars just enough to release them with ease.) Pack into suitable containers and refrigerate or freeze. They taste good straight from the freezer too.

BLT Salad

Sometimes I crave certain things. A BLT sandwich used to be a favorite. I developed this salad when Iwas on a GFCF diet. It took me a while to remember that I can have it on GAPS! I use Organic Prairie bacon that is sweetened with only honey. I called the company to be sure that there were no hidden ingredients, and they assured me that there are not. We haven't had any trouble with it, but we still limit it to once per week or less. It's pretty expensive too, so it's one of the few foods that I "ration". This salad is a great way to get the flavor without using too much bacon.

This makes one generous serving for a meal or two smaller servings as an accompaniment. You could serve it with a slice of onion torte and a cup of your favorite soup.

Ingredients

Two big handsful romaine lettuce (or other greens) torn into bite size

A palmful of grape tomatoes sliced in half

3 slices of bacon, cooked crisply and crumbled

2 Tbsp. homemade mayonnaise

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Toss all ingredients together and enjoy.