Zucchini Noodles Aglio et Olio

Who knew that zucchini noodles could be so amazingly delicious!!  We now make these noodles in large batches so they’re always on hand to eat, hot or cold.  What a fabu way to get in your veggies!  We’ve enjoyed the noodles topped with some Bolognese or other sauces but our favorite way to eat the noodles is as a side dish…or late night straight from the fridge…shhhhhhh…  To get the best possible noodles, make sure to take the time to salt, drain and dry the zucchini otherwise you’ll end up with watery noodles.

  Zucchini Noodles Aglio et Olio  (adapted from here)

• 4 lbs. zucchini
• 1/2 tsp. coconut oil 
• 1 TBS. almond flour or almond meal
• 2 TBS.  extra virgin olive oil
• 8 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced
• Himalayan salt & black pepper to taste

Spiralize or julienne the zucchini and place in a colander or wire strainer and toss generously with salt until all the strands are lightly crusted.  Allow the zucchini to sit for at least 30 minutes…or a few hours, to help remove the excess water.  Rinse the noodles under running water and then drain well.  Top a dishtowel with paper towels and then spread out the noodles.  Roll the towel up into a cylinder and twist, pushing out as much of the excess water as possible.  Unroll the towel and then place the noodles onto a baking sheet lined with fresh paper towels and spread the noodles out.  Place the tray in the refrigerator for an hour or so and allow the noodles to dry further. 

When ready to prepare the noodles, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, for about 2 minutes.  Add the coconut oil and when it’s melted, add the almond flour and a pinch of salt.  Sauté, stirring often, until toasty brown.  Remove the almond crumbs to a plate and reserve for garnishing. 

Return the pan to the heat and add the dried zucchini noodles and sauté until just tender, about 2 minutes.  Push the noodles to one side of the pan and reduce the heat to low.  Add the olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes to the empty side of the pan and stir with a wooden spoon until the garlic is fragrant.  Push the zucchini noodles into the oil and stir gently to coat evenly.  Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley, salt & pepper.  Sprinkle the noodles with the almond crumbs and either stir to combine or leave as a topping.

Enjoy!

Coconut Crusted Tilapia in a Coconut Garlic Lemon Sauce

A fast but fancy, perfect for family or company, delicious way to enjoy tilapia or other white flaky fish.  The fish cooks quickly in a pan making a crunchy delicious crust while keeping the fish moist and tender.  The coconut milk adds a creaminess to the strong lemon garlic sauce without adding dairy so perfect for everyone in our home with diets and allergies.  Interestingly we all love this fish freshly made but I think we like it even better the second day.  Got to love easy leftovers! 

Coconut Crusted Tilapia in a Coconut Garlic Lemon Sauce

• 1 lb. tilapia filets, or white flaky fish of your choice
• 1/2 tsp. Himalayan salt 
• fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 c. arrowroot powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 c. water
• 1/2 c. unsweetened shredded coconut 
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. Himalayan salt
• 2-3 TBS. coconut oil

Sauce

• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 14 oz. can coconut milk 
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
• Himalayan salt
• fresh ground pepper

Rinse and with paper towels, pat dry the filets and then season with 1/2 tsp. salt and fresh cracked pepper. Set aside.  Prepare 3 shallow bowls.  In the first mix the arrowroot, garlic and onion powders. In the second bowl, lightly whisk the eggs and water together. In the third bowl, mix the shredded coconut, paprika, thyme, and 1/2 tsp. salt.

In a large skillet, melt 1-2 TBS. of coconut oil over medium-high heat. Lightly dredge the fish in the arrowroot mixture, shaking off any excess. Then dip the fish in the egg mixture and finally dredge it in the coconut mixture, again shaking off any excess.  Lay the filet carefully in the hot pan. Repeat with the remaining pieces.

Cook until you see the edges of the filets turn opaque and the bottom crust is golden brown and crispy, then carefully turn the filets allowing the second side to crisp and brown.  Do not over-cook as you want to keep the fish moist.  Add additional coconut oil if necessary. Once cooked, remove the fish to a plate.

In the hot pan add the minced garlic and sauté quickly until fragrant but not browned.  Add the lemon juice and stir in any remaining crunchy bits in the pan.  Add the coconut milk and stir well.  Simmer the sauce until reduced and it thickly coats the back of a spoon.  Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley and season to taste with salt & pepper.  Plate the fish and top with the sauce.

This was served with a delicious and perfect accompaniment, Coconut Carrot Soufflé, click on the link for the recipe.

Enjoy!

Coconut Carrot Soufflé

A delicious personal-sized side dish or grab-and-go snack.  These petite soufflés have all the flavor of carrot cake with the texture of a light baked custard.  With no added sugar it’s decadence with none of the guilt!

Coconut Carrot Soufflé (adapted from here)

• 1 lb. carrots, cut into chunks
• 2 cups 100% carrot juice
• 1/4 cup coconut butter
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp. ground vanilla
• pinch of Himalayan salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line six muffin cups or custard cups (placed on a baking sheet) with foil cupcake liners.  Place the carrots and carrot juice in a pot and bring to a simmer.  Cover partially and cook until the carrots are very tender.  Remove the lid and bring to a boil.  Cook until all of the carrot juice has been absorbed and evaporated.  Add the carrots and all the other ingredients except for the shredded coconut to a food processor or blender and process until smooth.  Divide the batter equally between the six cups.  Sprinkle the shredded coconut on the tops of the carrot batter.  Bake for 30 minutes, until slightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool slightly and then remove the foil liner.  Enjoy hot or cold.  Reheats easily in the microwave.

Enjoy!

Orange-Car​damom Date Nut Bars

It’s Improv Cooking Challenge reveal day and this month for the Improv Cooking Challenge our hostess Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker challenged the participating bloggers to make any recipe of their choosing using the specified ingredients of orange & cardamom.  My very first thought were of some delicious orange & cardamom Christmas cookies which I haven’t had in years, but as I’m not eating wheat, gluten, sugar or sweeteners these days, they weren’t going to happen.  But, I did have my heart set on something sweet which would fit into my current diet and after a little looking around I found this wonderful recipe for Orange-Cardamom Date Bars with a Nutty Crust. 

I made only one small ingredient change to better fit our diets and I simplified the process of making the bars.  The bars are delicious and sweet with no added sugar or sweeteners and the flavor of the orange and cardamom works perfectly with the flavors of the nuts and dates.  Even though there’s no cooking or baking involved, the nuts make a wonderful crunchy crust and the date puree in the center is creamy and delicious.  A wonderful little treat if you’re looking for a healthy sweet dessert or snack.

Orange-Cardamom Date Nut Bars (adapted from here)

• 1/2 tsp. coconut oil
• 2 medium oranges
• 1 lb. Medjool dates, pitted
• 4 oz. raw almonds
• 8 oz. raw pecans
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

Grease an 8-inch-square baking pan with the coconut oil.  Working over the bowl of a  food processor, peel the oranges and remove and discard all the white pith and the membranes.  Add the dates and process to a smooth puree. Scrape the puree into a bowl.  Rinse and dry the processor bowl.  Add the almonds to the empty processor bowl and process until very finely ground. Add the pecans, cinnamon and ground cardamom and pulse until the pecans are coarsely chopped. Add 1/4 cup of the date puree and pulse until the mixture holds together. Using oiled fingers, press half of the nut mixture into the prepared pan in an even layer. Spread the date puree over the crust. Crumble the remaining nut mixture evenly over the filling; pressing down to compact it. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until firm enough to cut.

Cut into 24 squares and serve.

Enjoy!

My previous Improv Cooking Challenge entries:

• October 2013 Cake & Frosting:  Special Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Fluff Frosting ~ Gluten, Egg & Dairy Free
• September 2013 Macaroni & Cheese: Creamy Mac & Cheese, Gluten, Egg & Dairy Free
• August 2013 Vanilla & Chocolate: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats with Vanilla Coconut Frosting
• July 2013 Peaches & Herbs: Peachy Cola Ribs
• June 2013 Fish & Chips: Salt & Vinegar Crab Cakes
• May 2013 Cinnamon & Sugar: Cinnamon Bun Cookie Bars
• April 2013 Bacon & Eggs: Mini Bacon & Swiss Quiche Cups
• March 2013 Carrots & Peas: Mom’s Beef Vegetable Soup
• February 2013 Hearts & Flours: Three Ingredient Fudgy Nutella Brownie Bites
• January 2013 Bananas & Nutmeg: Baked Bananas
• December 2012 Chocolate & Marshmallows: White Chocolate Marshmallow Cranberry Cashew Bark
• November 2012 Sweet Potatoes & honey: Sweet Potato Glass Noodles with Honey Garlic Lime Shrimp
• October 2012 Oatmeal & Raisins: S’mores Granola Bars
• September 2012 Zucchini & Brown Sugar: Zucchini with Onion & Brown Sugar
• August 2012 Tomatoes & Peppers: French Fries Hash Browns
• July 2012 Corn & Butter: Fritos Crusted Pollock
• June 2012 Cherries & Almonds: Dried Cherry Almond Tart
• May 2012 Strawberries & Cream: Strawberry Soup
• April 2012 Peanut butter & Jelly: Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars
• March 2012 Potato & Cheese: Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole
• February 2012 Ginger & Carrots: Shrimp & Avocado Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing
• January 2012 Lemon & Sour Cream: Ponderosa Lemon & Sour Cream Tart
• December 2011 Eggnog & Cranberries: Eggnog Popovers with Cranberry Butter
• November 2011 Pumpkin & Cream Cheese: Praline Pumpkin Cheesecake
• October 2011 Caramel & Apples: Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

 

Lamb & Eggplant with Chiles

Does anyone else feel like the holidays are racing toward them like an out of control speeding freight train?  I just feel like in a blink of an eye 2013 will be over and I have so much left to do before that happens!  I thought that once I made it through Maisie’s birthday and the party, that life would settle down and I could find the time and return to things like blogging but alas, this and my Moments with Maisie blog have both fallen by the wayside even as fun times with Maisie and daily cooking continues.  Guess in the scheme of things, if one thing needs to be cast aside for a while, it’s better to be living and eating than reporting on it all.

I guess that it’s good that I participate in the Secret Recipe Club and the Improv Cooking Challenge, otherwise I don’t know when I would have added recipes over the past couple of months.  Sometimes it’s nice having those deadlines, just to keep myself in the game and in touch.  Anyhow, it’s Secret Recipe Club time and this month I was assigned Jenna’s Cooking Journey. I scrolled through Jenna’s blog and found it filled with hundreds of delicious sounding recipes but the one that really caught my eye was her Lamb & Eggplant with Chiles over Orzo.  I adore eggplant and it just happened to be a loss leader at the market recently and I had a package of ground lamb in the freezer, so it was kismet!  I did change Jenna’s recipe a bit, most notably, I left out the orzo and instead decided to serve the lamb and eggplant over roasted spaghetti squash, and I served it with a side of grilled sweet baby peppers.  I changed around a few items and the cooking steps but overall, I kept very close to the original recipe.  Jenna stated that her one regret when she made the dish was that she only used one chili and the dish lacked some of the heat she was hoping for.  I went in the other direction and used two red jalapenos from my garden and left the seeds in…so the dish had a really, really good kick, perfect for me but I’m sure way too hot for most so adjust those chilies accordingly.  This dish had wonderful flavor and was just all around delicious.  Thanks Jenna for a wonderful recipe.

 Lamb & Eggplant with Chiles (adapted from here)

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil 
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 medium, firm eggplant, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 red jalapenos, sliced in half rounds (seeded for less heat)
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced finely 
• 1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1 cup Cheaters Chicken Soup 
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet, over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and sauté until caramelized.  Add the garlic and stir until fragrant.  Add the lamb and cook until well browned, about 10 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper.  Stir in the eggplant, jalapenos & rosemary.  Partially cover the pan and cook until the vegetables are softened, about five minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and chicken soup.  Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Serve over orzo, couscous, pasta or spaghetti squash.

Enjoy!

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts: 

Fijian Ceviche
Carrot & Sweet Potato Pancakes   
Chicken Burgers with Spinach & Mushrooms 
Paradise Mango Curried Shrimp 
Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake 
Loaded Potato Soup
Lemon Almond Biscotti 
Creamy Mints 
Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken 
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings 
Fried Green Tomatoes 
Chicken Satay Noodle Salad 
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake 
Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry

Special Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Fluff Frosting ~ Gluten, Egg & Dairy Free

Today is a triple special day, it's my A-Maisie-ing Maisie's eighth birthday, it’s Improv Cooking Challenge reveal day AND after weeks of neglect I'm finally adding a new recipe to the blog. How appropriate is it that this month for the Improv Cooking Challenge our hostess Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker challenged the participating bloggers to make any recipe of their choosing using the specified ingredients of cake & frosting! She must have known that it was my girl's day and that she adores cake and frosting.

Of course Maisie with her allergies, I had to make her special treats gluten, egg & dairy free...but still delicious. These cupcakes were a big hit with my girl and since I made them just for her, I only frosted one and then wrapped and put the extras in the freezer to be thawed, frosted and enjoyed another day.

Special Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Fluff Frosting ~ Gluten, Egg & Dairy Free

• 1 1/2 cups pitted dates
• 1 1/2 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk
• 1/4 cup coconut cream
• 2 tsp. vanilla bean paste
• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 5 TBS. Hershey's Special Dark unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Frosting:

• Marshmallow Fluff
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350F.

Using a food processor, combine the dates, almond milk, coconut cream & vanilla bean paste, pulsing until you have a smooth and creamy paste. In a separate bowl whisk together the rice flour, corn starch, cocoa powder, baking powder & salt. add the wet to the dry ingredients. Beat the mixture by hand for two minutes. Portion the batter into 4-6 cupcake liners.

Bake 15-20 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting. To make frosting, stir together the desired amount of Marshmallow Fluff and flavor to taste with cocoa powder and a pinch of salt. Pipe frosting onto cupcake and decorate with sprinkles.

Enjoy!

My previous Improv Cooking Challenge entries:

• September 2013 Macaroni & Cheese: Creamy Mac & Cheese, Gluten, Egg & Dairy Free
• August 2013 Vanilla & Chocolate: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats with Vanilla Coconut Frosting
• July 2013 Peaches & Herbs: Peachy Cola Ribs
• June 2013 Fish & Chips: Salt & Vinegar Crab Cakes
• May 2013 Cinnamon & Sugar: Cinnamon Bun Cookie Bars
• April 2013 Bacon & Eggs: Mini Bacon & Swiss Quiche Cups
• March 2013 Carrots & Peas: Mom’s Beef Vegetable Soup
• February 2013 Hearts & Flours: Three Ingredient Fudgy Nutella Brownie Bites
• January 2013 Bananas & Nutmeg: Baked Bananas
• December 2012 Chocolate & Marshmallows: White Chocolate Marshmallow Cranberry Cashew Bark
• November 2012 Sweet Potatoes & honey: Sweet Potato Glass Noodles with Honey Garlic Lime Shrimp
• October 2012 Oatmeal & Raisins: S’mores Granola Bars
• September 2012 Zucchini & Brown Sugar: Zucchini with Onion & Brown Sugar
• August 2012 Tomatoes & Peppers: French Fries Hash Browns
• July 2012 Corn & Butter: Fritos Crusted Pollock
• June 2012 Cherries & Almonds: Dried Cherry Almond Tart
• May 2012 Strawberries & Cream: Strawberry Soup
• April 2012 Peanut butter & Jelly: Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars
• March 2012 Potato & Cheese: Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole
• February 2012 Ginger & Carrots: Shrimp & Avocado Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing
• January 2012 Lemon & Sour Cream: Ponderosa Lemon & Sour Cream Tart
• December 2011 Eggnog & Cranberries: Eggnog Popovers with Cranberry Butter
• November 2011 Pumpkin & Cream Cheese: Praline Pumpkin Cheesecake
• October 2011 Caramel & Apples: Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

 

Fijian Ceviche ~ Kokoda

This month for Secret Recipe Club I was able to pretend that I was on an exotic island enjoying an incredibly delicious meal.  Well other than the less than turquoise waters in our backyard, we were able to sit on our dock, under the nice warm Georgia sun and enjoy this delicious Fijian Ceviche and for just that little while, we were transported to that island. 

Now that I’m off of my delightful, though delusional island time, let me fill you in on the details.  This month for Secret Recipe Club I was assigned the blog Easily Good Eats.  This blog is loaded with wonderful recipes.  I started scrolling through the recipe index, looking at the usual cookies, brownies, breads, fish & meats but when I came upon the headings of exotic and unusual…well that totally caught my interest.  It didn’t take long to choose a recipe because as soon as I read the recipe for Kokoda (Fijian Ceviche) I knew I had found a winner…and a total winner it was,  We love ceviche and this one with the addition of coconut cream just brings it to a whole different level.  I actually made this recipe within 24 hours of receiving my assignment and since then I have made it three additional times…yes, it is that good!!  I hope that you’ll give this Fijian Ceviche a try and transport yourself to a wonderful and delicious paradise.

Fijian Ceviche ~ Kokoda (adapted from here)

• 12 oz. monk fish, or other firm white fish, shrimp and bay scallops work well too 
• 5 TBS. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup finely died onion
• 1TBS. finely diced red jalapeno
• 1 TBS. finely diced green jalapeno
• 1 TBS. coconut butter
• 2 TBS coconut milk   
• 1/2 cup small diced tomato (fresh) 
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Cut the fish into 1/2 inch cubes.  Place the fish, lemon juice, onions and jalapeno in a large ceramic or glass bowl and toss to combine. Cover and place in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight to marinate, stirring occasionally. The fish will be white when ready.

Just before serving pour off the lemon juice and accumulated liquid.  Stir together the coconut butter and coconut milk and gently stir into the fish mixture, season to taste with salt and pepper.  Gently stir in the tomatoes.

Enjoy!

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts: 

Carrot & Sweet Potato Pancakes   
Chicken Burgers with Spinach & Mushrooms 
Paradise Mango Curried Shrimp 
Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake 
Loaded Potato Soup
Lemon Almond Biscotti 
Creamy Mints 
Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken 
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings 
Fried Green Tomatoes 
Chicken Satay Noodle Salad 
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake 
Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry

Creamy Mac & Cheese, Gluten, Egg & Dairy Free

I swear that the weeks are passing faster than I can keep up as here we are again at the third Thursday of the month and it’s Improv Cooking Challenge reveal day.  Years seem to be passing quickly too as this post is also my 24th reveal in this challenge, so two full years and not a month missed…yay me!!

This month for the Improv Cooking Challenge our hostess Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker challenged the participating bloggers to make any recipe of their choosing using the specified ingredients of pasta & cheese!  Sounds simple enough but this was a tough one for me but shoot I wasn’t going to miss this month and break my posting streak.  The reason that this month was difficult was, I haven’t been eating pasta in any form, nor have I been eating cheese or any of it’s fake versions, Maisie has her allergies and only eats non-wheat pastas and non-dairy cheese and Eammon, well he eats pasta but doesn’t care for cheese at all.  Then I got to thinking about it and before we found out about Maisie’s allergies, one of her favorite foods was good old mac & cheese.  Well right then and there I decided it was time to make an old favorite for my girl in a Maisie “safe” version so that’s exactly how this recipe came about.  I added one of her new favorites to the dish for some added protein, sweet Italian sausage.  This dish was made exclusively for my Maisie and she just adored it, delighted to have an old and new favorite meal all in one bowl.

Creamy Mac & Cheese, Gluten, Egg & Dairy Free

• 8 oz. gluten free pasta, elbows, shells or small penne 
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk 
• 2 cups Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds, divided
• 3 TBS. non-dairy margarine 
• 3 TBS. golden flax seed 
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard 
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder   
• salt & pepper, to taste
• sweet Italian sausage, grilled and sliced

Prepare pasta according to box directions.  Once the pasta is tender, drain.  In the now empty pot melt the margarine and whisk in the flax seed, mustard and garlic powder until you have a thick paste.  Whisk in the almond milk until the sauce is smooth and creamy.  Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the Daiya and stir until completely melted.  This may take a while as Daiya cheese takes a lot longer to melt compared to real cheese.    Stir in the pasta and coat with the sauce.  Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of Dayia and stir to incorporate. Add salt & fresh ground pepper to taste.  Add sliced grilled sweet Italian sausage and serve.  

Enjoy!

My previous Improv Cooking Challenge entries:

August 2013  Vanilla & Chocolate:  Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats with Vanilla Coconut Frosting
July 2013  Peaches & Herbs:  Peachy Cola Ribs
June 2013  Fish & Chips:  Salt & Vinegar Crab Cakes 
May 2013  Cinnamon & Sugar:  Cinnamon Bun Cookie Bars  
April 2013  Bacon & Eggs:  Mini Bacon & Swiss Quiche Cups 
March 2013  Carrots & Peas:  Mom’s Beef Vegetable Soup 
February 2013  Hearts & Flours:  Three Ingredient Fudgy Nutella Brownie Bites
January 2013  Bananas & Nutmeg:  Baked Bananas 
December 2012  Chocolate & Marshmallows:  White Chocolate Marshmallow Cranberry Cashew Bark    
November 2012  Sweet Potatoes & honey: Sweet Potato Glass Noodles with Honey Garlic Lime Shrimp 
October 2012  Oatmeal & Raisins:  S’mores Granola Bars   
September 2012  Zucchini & Brown Sugar:  Zucchini with Onion & Brown Sugar 
August 2012  Tomatoes & Peppers:  French Fries Hash Browns 
July 2012  Corn & Butter:  Fritos Crusted Pollock 
June 2012  Cherries & Almonds:  Dried Cherry Almond Tart 
May 2012  Strawberries & Cream:  Strawberry Soup 
April 2012  Peanut butter & Jelly:  Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars 
March 2012  Potato & Cheese:  Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole 
February 2012  Ginger & Carrots:  Shrimp & Avocado Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing 
January 2012 Lemon & Sour Cream:  Ponderosa Lemon & Sour Cream Tart 
December 2011 Eggnog & Cranberries:  Eggnog Popovers with Cranberry Butter 
November 2011 Pumpkin & Cream Cheese:  Praline Pumpkin Cheesecake
October 2011 Caramel & Apples:  Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

Carrot & Sweet Potato Pancakes

It’s that time again and this month for Secret Recipe Club I was assigned Shannon’s wonderful blog, Searching for Dessert.  Shannon’s blog is filled with just hundreds of gorgeous recipes for breads, brownies, cookies, cakes, pies and other delicious looking and sounding sweet treats.  I was totally drooling over her Lime Meringue Bars, Flourless Fudge Cookies and her Light Meyer Lemon Sugar Cookies but I really couldn’t make any of them because Maisie has her allergies to wheat, egg and dairy and I’ve been avoiding gluten, wheat, sugar, sweeteners both natural and artificial, and a whole host of other items and Eammon, well he just doesn’t really need any sweets so I didn’t want anyone tempted...boohoo… So after all my drooling over forbidden sweets, I checked out Shannon’s Meatless Monday recipes and found her recipe for Carrot & Potato Pancakes and I knew that I could easily adapt it to fit all our dietary restrictions.  I will say that I was being strong and really, really good by not baking any of her sweet and delicious treats and I totally admit that I did wallowed in self pity for a while but after making my version of her Carrot & Potato Pancakes, not once, not twice, but three times, I was crying no more and was a very happy camper. 

 

I really just made some small changes to the original recipe, I swapped out the white potato with a sweet potato, l left out the flour and increased the egg in the version that Eammon and I enjoyed and used chia seed gel in place of the egg in the ones I made for Maisie.  Also because I used sweet potatoes I decided to add a bit of roasted cinnamon because it just goes so perfectly with both sweet potatoes and carrots.

 

I served these Carrot & Sweet Potato Pancakes as a side dish with dinner and I also enjoyed snacking on them cold but my favorite way to enjoy them was nice and hot with a perfectly cooked over-easy egg on top which added just a wonderful creamy richness to the already delicious pancakes.  Check out Shannon’s blog for the original recipe. 

 

Carrot & Sweet Potato Pancakes (adapted from here)

• 1 3/4 cups shredded sweet potato
• 3 TBS. shredded carrot
• 2 TBS. minced onion
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt  
• 1/8 tsp. roasted cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 2 eggs, (or 2 TBS. chia seed in 6 TBS. warm water)
• coconut oil

In a medium bowl, stir together the sweet potato, carrot, onion, salt, roasted cinnamon and black pepper.  Stir in the eggs until the mixture is evenly combined.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat and add just enough coconut oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan.  Using about a 1/4 cup measure place the sweet potato mixture into the pan and flatten patties to about 1/4-inch thick.  Cook until first side is golden brown and then carefully flip and cook the second side until golden.

Serve hot or cold. 

Enjoy!

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts:

Chicken Burgers with Spinach and Mushrooms,

Paradise Mango Curried Shrimp

Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake

Loaded Potato Soup

Lemon Almond Biscotti

Creamy Mints

Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken

Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings

Fried Green Tomatoes ‘

Chicken Satay Noodle Salad

Double Chocolate Mousse Cake

Candied Popcorn

Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad

Broiled Sushi

Health(ier) Peanut Brittle Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites

Texas Chicken with Lime Butter

Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens

Thin Mint Irish Coffee

Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Welsh Cakes

Nutella Crêpes

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Holy Guacamole

and

Home Style Chicken Curry